Coming from an institution where librarians are faculty, serve on committees, are included in curricular decisions and are part of the writing curricuComing from an institution where librarians are faculty, serve on committees, are included in curricular decisions and are part of the writing curriculum, this book didn't have a lot of new ideas to offer. The most useful information to me was course or major specific, and we will discuss some of those ideas in January.
If you are at an institution less supportive of librarian involvement, or if you are in the beginning stages of information literally/fluency instruction, or developing a liaison program, this book will be an essential tool....more
This was on the Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2011 List, so I decided to give it a whirl despite not being overly interested by the description (larThis was on the Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2011 List, so I decided to give it a whirl despite not being overly interested by the description (large animal veterinarian in new england).
The technique used at first seemed repetitive, with each little mini section starting with whichever call the vet was getting. The vet, by the way, is dealing with his own health with "high levels" and an accident with his son.
Midway through, "the call" takes on a new meaning, and brings an interesting twist to the book. Suffice to say the second half was more interesting and went more quickly than the first!...more
When I first read the Kindle preview of this, I decided I probably wouldn't like it because it felt like a "book club book," meaning a little light foWhen I first read the Kindle preview of this, I decided I probably wouldn't like it because it felt like a "book club book," meaning a little light for my tastes. Having actually sat down and read it, I still dislike it, but for different reasons.
The second sentence of the novel: "We had long black hair and flat wide feet and we were not very tall." This voice is not just for the set-up of the book, like I'd originally thought. No. Throughout the entire novel, Otsuka maintains this impersonal "we," referring to the Japanese women who move to the United States in the late 19th/early 20th century to marry men they've never met. The focus of the book shifts from "Come, Japanese" to "First Night" to "Babies" to "The Children" and so on, ending with all the Japanese in the area being round up and sent to Japanese internment camps during WWII.
It feels more like an epic poem. The entire time I was picturing someone reading these lines, intoning them low and serious, like the backdrop of a religious ceremony. As of such there isn't really a plot, per se. The reader never gets to know one person's story from another, everything is just a list of things that happen, but it is always to "we" or "one of us" and you can't follow anyone's story all the way through. It is almost as if Otsuka, in wanting to tell these womens' stories, diminishes their lives even further. ...more
I was looking for a resource to help the students in my music research class learn how to understand what a book included without reading it, particulI was looking for a resource to help the students in my music research class learn how to understand what a book included without reading it, particularly when needing to work through a lot of material and evaluating resources for potential research topics. A colleague recommended this book to me, and it did have some helpful tidbits I will be able to use with my class.
I don't disagree with the author in the sense that I think you don't necessarily need to have read a book in order to understand what its importance is, to discuss it or at least place it in a context. He does differentiate between books that you want to read and books that you do, which makes me think that even he may actually read a book from time to time. I also think that not reading using his method would make a person miss out on deeper meaning and nuance that is found from careful and deep reading.
In the spirit of Bayard's book, I skimmed this book over the course of a morning, in between doing other things. I even skipped an entire chapter that I wasn't interested in.
Some bits I'll use:
"Skimming books without actually reading them does not in any way prevent you from commenting on them. It's even possible that this is the most efficient way to absorb books, respecting their inherent depth and richness without getting lost in the details."
"Talking about books has little to do with reading. The two activities are completely separable."
"A book is an element in the vast ensemble I have called the collective library, which we do not need to know comprehensively in order to appreciate any one of its elements. The trick is to define the book's place in that library, which gives it meaning in the same way a word takes on meaning in relation to other words."
"Like language, books serve to express us, but also to complete us, furnishing, through a variety of excerpted and reworked fragments, the missing elements of our personality. Like words, books, in representing us, also deform what we are. We cannot coincide completely with the image the totality of our reading presents; whether the image makes us look better or worse than we should, behind it all our particularities vanish. And especially since books are often present within us only as little-known or forgotten fragments, we are often out of phase with the books that are our public face...."
"To know the vintage and quality of a wine one need not drink the whole cask. It must be perfectly easy in half an hour to say whether a book is worth anything or worth nothing. Ten minutes are really sufficient, if one has the instinct for form. Who wants to wade through a dull volume? One tastes it, and that is quite enough - more than enough, I should imagine." - this actually comes from an Oscar Wilde essay called "The Critic as Artist"...more
While I give myself two stars as a reader for not knowing more about Brazil's history, this was a great span of poets from the country. It includes inWhile I give myself two stars as a reader for not knowing more about Brazil's history, this was a great span of poets from the country. It includes indigenous and immigrants, ex-pats and residents, men and women.
The poems are divided by time period, and each is presented in its original Portuguese on one side of the page, and the English translation on the other. Each poet has a brief biography, which helped place their works in context.
I'm not sure translations always "work." Some of the time the general feeling comes across well; other times I couldn't help but think the original language would have made the poems more powerful.
My two favorite poems were from the "Twentieth-Century Republic" section, the last grouping of the anthology.
"Jose" by Carlos Drummond de Andrade asks "And now what, Jose?" and is about aging and not succeeding and what comes next? I liked the tone of it, sarcastic and failing.
The second one that really stuck out to me was "Orphan at the Window" by Adelia Prado, with the first line "I miss God."...more
"As it turns out, you don't have to choose between being honest and being effective. You don't have to choose between candor and your career. People w"As it turns out, you don't have to choose between being honest and being effective. You don't have to choose between candor and your career. People who routinely hold crucial conversations and hold them well are able to express controversial and even risky opinions in a way that gets heard. Their bosses, peers, and direct reports listen without becoming defensive or angry."
Skimmed this to try to absorb as much as possible, and it was useful enough that I will definitely come back to sections of it....more
After signing up for the Around the World in 52 Books challenge for 2012, I ended up in a handful of other groups having to do with world literature. After signing up for the Around the World in 52 Books challenge for 2012, I ended up in a handful of other groups having to do with world literature. This was selected as the November contemporary lead in the Great African Reads group. I'm behind, and then chose to listen to the audio, but I finished today.
First of all - the narrator of the audiobook was wonderful. She has also done some Adichie and I would love to hear her do that. Her accents really brought the story to life for me, particularly for the voices of Lindiwe and Ian.
Sometimes the audiobook was confusing because the way the story is presented. It is in four sections, jumping from one period in time to another. I felt a bit lost at the beginning of each of those sections until enough story was told to catch me up. There was no real reason to jump from place to place except that the author wanted to tell the story of Zimbabwe starting from the Act of Settlement, when the country was renamed from Rhodesia and the period of white minority rule ended, up through the present time. I think she could have done this more effectively if the novel had not all been written in present tense, because it just made it hard to figure out what was going on sometimes. The reader also has to infer what the characters think and feel from what they say or do, because the author doesn't let us in. I would have loved to understand more of what Indiwe was thinking, or even to hear more of the voice of her son David. Indiwe in particular is often doing everything except what is expected of her, but the reader is not as privy to that inner struggle as I'd like!
At the same time, I found enough to keep me interested throughout the book. The interracial relationship at the core of the novel could also be seen as the conflict between old and new Zimbabwe. Seeing how different characters were effected by the changes in their country, and how quickly political movements can change into violent turmoil, was realistically described. I didn't know much about Zimbabwe's history before reading The Boy Next Door, and I feel like I know a lot more now. ...more
Original impressions (I feel like I need to flesh this out more later) - Because of advances in science, subgroups of people are genetically engineereOriginal impressions (I feel like I need to flesh this out more later) - Because of advances in science, subgroups of people are genetically engineered not to need to sleep. Sometimes this ability is added to other traits, such as superior physical ability. I felt like Ayn Rand could have been in this book, with the Yagaiism, a renaming of objectivism, as the idea of individual effort and accomplishment was highlighted as the main advantage of not needing to spend any time sleeping.
I thought Kress made interesting choices as far as how society dealt with the sleepless group, as well as the longterm effects on the people (I expected that to go differently). I'd be interested in reading the fully fleshed out novel that she turned this into.
Other books that kept coming to mind - Sleepless by Charlie Huston, although in that book they were trying to cure sleeplessness, not cause it on purpose; and The Girl with the Silver Eyes, a book about a group of "special" young adults who end up with special abilities, and seek each other out so they feel less alone. I read that book a hundred times when I was young. ...more
The story of Steve Jobs is fascinating and bewildering. He was clearly not a nice person, to say the least. His first wife described him as "englighteThe story of Steve Jobs is fascinating and bewildering. He was clearly not a nice person, to say the least. His first wife described him as "englightened yet cruel," two qualities I can't reconcile with one another.
At the same time, Jobs was integral into how every person uses technology today. His belief in the importance of perfection in design and his ruthless ambition might be unmatched in any person left living, and I honestly don't know if the world can do without him.
Because of changes in my own working life, I think I was reading this wanting to know what Steve Jobs could teach me. Is it possible to apply his concepts of belief in a superior product, collaboration, and territory without being an unpleasant human being?
I think Isaacson portrays his strengths and weaknesses in what seems to be a fair light, and I enjoyed the progression through this one man's amazing life. If Jobs isn't someone I would want to model myself after, at least I can develop a greater appreciation for what one person can accomplish in even a shortened lifetime.
The research is thorough but the writing gets a bit repetitive - that's what happens when a book rushes to print, I suppose. I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could. To Steve Job's story (and not this book itself), I give 5 stars.
You can read a longer review in my blog, with many quotations I marked. ...more
Just another faux art school memoir. Seriously, how many of these are out there? I recently picked up Better Than Running at Night at the same used boJust another faux art school memoir. Seriously, how many of these are out there? I recently picked up Better Than Running at Night at the same used book store for the same price ($1). The issues are the same with both - not really very interesting, with characters that are manufactured to be deep but end up annoying, where the main character Learns about how Art is Life or some such nonsense.
I gave it one more star than the Frank book because there were a few stories that made me giggle, but I think a month from now I would put it back down to two.
Still, I'm sure Chip Kidd wanted to try his hand at writing a book since he does such a kick-ass job at designing the covers for so many. The design elements of this book were the best part, and unfortunately take up the smallest percentage - the fun layout of the intro pages, the words that are printed along the side and "bleed over" onto every page, and how the back cover includes blurbs from people who hated the book (instead of only include the accolades). ...more
Molecular gastronomy - applied. Written by actual food scientists, each chapter addresses a different food question and narrates the science that partMolecular gastronomy - applied. Written by actual food scientists, each chapter addresses a different food question and narrates the science that particular scientist or team undertook to find the answer. Some of these experiments were grant funded research, yet the book is easy to read for the most part, even for a lay person like me.
The book starts with a chapter on grilled cheese, where I learned why mild cheddar melts better than aged, and why fondue works. I couldn't put the book down after that.
Other chapters address texture, crispness, thickening agents, and my favorite - chewy ice cream. The scientists took a look at what makes salep dondurma (which Harold McGee wrote about in the NY Times in 2007) work, and to see if they could replicate it with other ingredients. They had to do this since the key ingredient, salep, a wild orchid derivative, isn't allowed out of the country of Turkey, where it is indigenous to that area only. I was fascinated and horrified and probably won't go to the trouble of trying the recipe they developed on my own, since it is a long list of ingredients I'd have to special order and aren't immediately recognizable, but I could if I so chose.
That's pretty much the underlying sentiment in this book - can we? why not? and how? I was fascinated by it and imagine others would be too. You can just gloss over the chemical diagrams like I did....more
I was very excited to get a review copy of this from NetGalley, because Robin Robertson is my absolutely favorite vegan cookbook recipe author. Vegan I was very excited to get a review copy of this from NetGalley, because Robin Robertson is my absolutely favorite vegan cookbook recipe author. Vegan Planet: 400 Irresistible Recipes with Fantastic Flavors from Home and Around the World has long been my go-to source when I need a new recipe to try.
These recipes are just as good, even better because they are intended to be prepared quickly or ahead, which fits my busy life very well. I tried the creamy greens soup, which was delicious and even better the next day. The seitan recipe amazed me at how easy it was, and I'd never tried making it from scratch before. (P.S. Making seitan from scratch is much cheaper than buying it in the store!)
This is a good cookbook for someone looking to include vegan dishes in their repertoire, whether they are vegan or not. That's important to say, because many vegan cookbooks out there are so far removed from what "regular" people eat, the tastes and textures can be difficult for other people. That said, longtime vegans will also find some new ideas in it. ...more
This isn't for the average home baker. This is more of the kind of cookbook that you buy as a fan, for your coffee table, but not to actually *make* aThis isn't for the average home baker. This is more of the kind of cookbook that you buy as a fan, for your coffee table, but not to actually *make* anything. I have pretty good skills in the kitchen but never had the energy to devote two days to trying any of the recipes before my access through NetGalley expired.
Which is a shame, because with a few tweaks, this could have been a lot more home-kitchen friendly. We home bakers don't tend to bake cakes in sheets and then cut them into circles. We have these fancy things called CAKE PANS. Etc. The whole book is frustrating like that.
Still, Momofuku Milk Bar is an experience. And you can attempt to try to have it at home with this book. If, on the other hand, you are the type to buy El Bulli: 1998-2002 just for the pictures, you would love this book....more
Inspired by very recent events, but felt overly preachy even on issues I agreed about! Some of the scenes underground were pretty vile. I do like the Inspired by very recent events, but felt overly preachy even on issues I agreed about! Some of the scenes underground were pretty vile. I do like the concept of a man who can communicate with machinery....more
What do the Antichrist and Jesus have in common? They've both told their fathers to f- themselves and gone off to live life on their own terms. But whWhat do the Antichrist and Jesus have in common? They've both told their fathers to f- themselves and gone off to live life on their own terms. But what about the apocalypse? This is sometimes offensive, pretty funny, and a quick read. Also - talking rabbit....more
Not having ever read or watched anything Batman, I don't know much about the surrounding story. The story was interesting if a bit preachy, and the arNot having ever read or watched anything Batman, I don't know much about the surrounding story. The story was interesting if a bit preachy, and the art was great, lots of red and black....more
I find it difficult to know how to talk about this book. I loved the vibrant writing and surreal story, but could not recommend this to 95% of the reaI find it difficult to know how to talk about this book. I loved the vibrant writing and surreal story, but could not recommend this to 95% of the readers I know.
Why? Well, you see... Blake is a bit of a loser. He steals a plane and crashes it into the Thames at Shepperton, and that's when everything goes a bit strange. He develops strong desires for everyone and everything in the town (see 95% comment earlier). Just like in dreams, relationships have no consequences, people can fly and commune with the sea and forest creatures. Blake becomes like a pagan dream god - even spreading his semen around grows a tropical rainforest.
And yes, I said the word semen. Trust me, if you can't take it the two times in this review, this is not the book for you.
But maybe you are a reader who can push aside all of your senses of moral violation to enjoy the writing, the description, the dreamy world of this book. If you can, you should. I couldn't put it down. The aerial wedding scene is particularly memorable.
"When they had gone, I walked alone through the late afternoon, my damp suit covered with a coat of rainbows, a confetti of petals, celebrating my marriage with the meadow."
I've marked this as sci-fi/fantasy, and it isn't really... more absurdist/surrealism. In a brief interview in the back, Ballard says he started writing sci-fi. I am hooked and want to read more. There is a beautiful recent volume of complete short stories that might be the next thing I hunt down....more
This is my favorite of the Murakami books I've read (and I've read about half). Where I sometimes feel distant from or frustrated with his characters,This is my favorite of the Murakami books I've read (and I've read about half). Where I sometimes feel distant from or frustrated with his characters, I loved Aomame and Tengo, as well as several of the characters in their periphery. I loved the alternate reality. I loved how music permeated everything, and I listened to the works mentioned during most of my reading of the book (it starts with Janacek and moves through Haydn 'cello sonatas before touching on the St. Matthew Passion and Horowitz's piano playing). I loved the way the story was told, alternating points of view with trailing threads between - it was mastery.
The usual silly themes of spaghetti and cats were present, but what Murakami does with cats in this book has to be read to be believed.
The only thing I'm not sure about is the little people... that whole idea wasn't resolved to my satisfaction. From what I've read in interviews with the author, they just showed up one day, and I'm not sure he knew what to do with them either.
"Aomame said, 'Even if things were the same, people's perception of things might have been very different back then. The darkness of night was probably deeper then, so the moon must have been that much bigger and brighter. And of course people didn't have records or tapes or CDs. They couldn't hear proper performances of music anytime they liked; it was always something special.' 'I'm sure you're right,' the dowager said. 'Things are so convenient for us these days, our perceptions are probably that much duller. Even if it's the same moon hanging in the sky, we may be looking at something quite different. Four hundred years ago, we might have had richer spirits that were closer to nature."...more
Jenny (Reading Envy)
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