Tough Choices: A Memoir

I found this book in a used book store, and decided to read it after hearing all the criticism of Carly from various acquaintances who work or worked at H-P. For those of us born and raised in what came to be known as Silicon Valley, the rise and fall and rise again of the Hewlett-Packard Corporation has been interesting to watch. (Disclaimer: I never worked at H-P, and just follow(ed) it as an in read more..

May It Please the Court: Live Recordings and Transcripts of Landmark Oral Argume

Peter Irons as a professorial reviewer brings much to the table, but it should be known that these recordings (and many, many more) are available at no charge either from the National Archives (should you happen to be in College Park, Maryland, and have the time and inclination to listen to or to copy them from a collection of mostly reel-to-reel tapes), or, more accessibly, from the web site [... read more..

Time-Saver Standards for Interior Design and Space Planning, 2nd Edition

This is a required book for anyone in Interior Design for a good reason: it has about everything, including the (many kinds) of kitchen sink. What I really can't stand about using it is the seemingly arbitrary indexing, scattered locations for information and nearly impossible to decipher graphics on some pages. I do not agree that it has much useful information on furniture styles: you'd be b read more..

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

My good friend highly recommended this book for me to read last summer, citing Dave Eggers as his hero, and so I eagerly picked this up and delved into a story of a great sibling relationship in the wake of a tragedy.

As a 21 year old college student about to graduate, you would think that I would be obssessed with this work, completely representing my generation. And indeed, it succe read more..

Genghis: Lords of the Bow

After a great beginning with Volume One, I had high hopes for this novel and even bought the hardcover edition in my haste...Unfortunately, the author really loses focus here (something it generally takes series book #3 or #5 to attain!)...The story becomes absorbed with petty dealing and transparent conspiracies, as boring as they are predictable, completely undermining the sweep of historical fo read more..

People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present (P.S.)

Professor Zinn definitely fills a need--a well-documented political history of the United States from the point-of-view of those who work to move this country nearer to a realization of the democratic values expressed in The Declaration of Independence--in other words to transform the beautiful rhetoric of the Declaration into political reality. This work has only begun and has a long way to go read more..

House of Rain: Tracking a Vanished Civilization Across the American Southwest

Note that I did not say "disappearance."

That said, you don't need to read Craig Childs to tell you that. A number of good modern authors, not necessarily Ph.D. anthropologists, have been writing about that for going on a decade.

That then said, Childs book has a wider geographic and chronological spread than others of these books. Starting with the rise of Chaco Canyon, read more..

Undead and Unworthy (Queen Betsy, Book 7)

I am so disappointed with this series. I started out loving the silly blond queen but she is still just that. This series has no real growth and the story is going nowhere. In fact, it just got worse with the return of the Ant who is more annoying then ever. I could care less what happens to any of these characters and I even hate a couple of them. Like Nick, get the frick over it man! I'll probab read more..

Invincible (Star Wars: Legacy of the Force, Book 9)

I loved this book... in part. The ending between Jaina and Jacen was absolutely amazing. Very touching, made me cry. LOL However, wtf happened in the rest of this book? What happened to the story? Is this really the ending? After building up what promised to be the most dangerous and powerful Sith Lord of all time, it just ends? All the amazing new and lost powers Jacen unearthed gone again read more..

Petrostate: Putin, Power, and the New Russia

Goldman's book, Petrostate was somewhat interesting and shed some light on the complexity of business and energy in Russia. His research and references were undeniable but at times (not to his fault) difficult to follow because of the many "smoke and mirrors" corporate structures of many Russian companies and individuals based there. The government is layered with backscratching which he points read more..

World Made by Hand: A Novel

I'm glad I'm not the only one seeking a salve to "The Road" (which was profound, but terrifying - an absolute 5+ star).

While I did liked some of the messages of the book -- it's important to prepare now for a very possible, if not probable change in lifestyle and know how to "do stuff" -- the book overall is just "eh" for me. I wanted to like it...it started off well.

Th read more..

The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It's Transforming Work, Leisure, Communi

A local newspaper just reported that Microsoft will be opening an Innovation Center here in Boston.

Having just finished Richard Florida's Rise of the Creative Class, I found the news to make a lot of sense.

In this book, Florida lays out snapshots of economic patterns, developments and innovations throughout history and then attempts to tie them all together into an a read more..

Micro Eco-Farming: Prospering from Backyard to Small Acreage in Partnership with

It gives a true beginner some helpful insights into the different forms of micro-agriculture but it never goes into detail. read more..

Radical Simplicity: Small Footprints on a Finite Earth

Way too much read, reminded me of a college textbook. Would have saved paper if it had been more to the point and therefore fewer pages. read more..

Brooklyn Was Mine

I was expecting so much more - Johnathan Lethem should have kept it to the essay (the only delight worth reading in this book) without having to spend the next three pages explaining himself. I wish the authors hadn't felt the need to so fanatically adhere to the title subject and its past tense. I wish the authors had written stories and not simply personal accounts. I guess it's just not what read more..

World Development Report 2008: Agriculture and Development (World Development Re

For those who do not follow this field the World Bank is the main international funder of development projects in the Third World. Every year it produces a kind of annual report on development usually focusing on a certain subject. The World Bank has many fine experts working for it but people should be aware it is very controversial. In the case of agriculture people might want to read Stolen read more..

Envisioning Information

Nutshell review - This is a beautiful resource on presenting information in a myriad of ways with many examples of good and bad design. Beautifully illustrated. read more..

The Final Detail

I may try one more, but only if the action picks up. By reading this, you would not know that Myron Bolitar has a third degree black belt in marshal arts. Here he is always getting the crap beat out of him. Oh, by the way Win, Myron's rich friend has a sixth degree black belt and is usually underestimated by his opponents.

This Bolitar novel is readable, but just barely; Myron is beco read more..

Staying Safe: The Complete Guide to Protecting Yourself, Your Family, and Your B

Not quite as good as I had assumed. Common Sense stuff & I would not buy it again. read more..

The Writers Complete Fantasy Reference

I wouldn't call this an in-depth reference, but it is a good place for fantasy writers to start research. When I'm stuck for ideas, I'll often browse the pages and see if something catches my imagination, then take off. The sections do remind the fantasy writer of different aspects involved in world building. read more..

Your Present: A Half Hour of Peace

THIS PRODUCT IS ALRIGHT. NOT WORTH THE MONEY. I COULD'VE DL IT ON LIMEWIRE. read more..

The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating the Missional Church

Hirsch's work does a good job of helping us rediscover mission and how the role/gift/whatever of the apostle is something that we have placed off into the corner of the church should be renewed. I appreciated his passion for how the apostle as a missional and theological source is needed, but I felt that his book lacked examples of how this is really being worked out. I think his thoughts are gr read more..

The Stolen Child (Center Point Platinum Fiction (Large Print))

It's an interesting take on the whole changeling idea...and while I enjoyed the interplay between the two narratives (Henry Day as the Stolen Child living with the pack of "hobgoblins" and Henry Day the Hobgoblin trying to make peace with his new life)...but a lot of the narrative drags on unnecessarily and the entire life of the changlings is rather sad, bleak and depressing. It wasn't magickal, read more..

The Clique Summer Collection #2: Dylan (Clique Series)

My daughter loves these books- I think they do not qualify as a "good" book but they are pretty harmless as long as she reads other books in between. read more..

An American Hedge Fund: How I Made $2 Million as a Stock Operator & Created a He

I did enjoy reading "An American Hedge Fund" since the author is well-known in the daytrader community for turning $12K into $1.65 million when he was still in college and the story of how he did it is certainly worth the read. Timothy Sykes comes across more like a normal daytrader, as opposed to a true Wall Street insider. This makes him easier to identify with. However, this also does make the read more..

The Long Emergency: Surviving the End of Oil, Climate Change, and Other Convergi

Having read the book in 2008, and knowing that Mr. Kunstler wrote it 4 years earlier, the writer is very astute in correctly forecasting the sub-prime/debt crises and the oil price increases.

He does a credible job of explaining why oil may not be there for all time. Unfortunately, his treatment of the alternative fuel and new technologies is rather brief and he seems to dismiss any s read more..

Health Care Half Truths: Too Many Myths, Not Enough Reality

This book does provide some good background into a lot of the various issues involved in our broken, health care system in the USA. For someone new to this field, Garson and Engelhard give some valuable insight into many of the complexities that have developed over the past 20 - 30 years. It does point out that there is a difference between medical care and health care. Obviously the medical care read more..

Axis

Axis is the second novel in a trilogy, the sequel to the Hugo award-winning novel Spin, by Robert Charles Wilson.


I loved the first novel in this series (although I thought at the time that it was a standalone), which sets one of Wilson's classic Big Ideas in motion and takes us through it with interesting characters. What if unknown aliens put a time bubble around the Earth, s read more..

Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life

this book was a delight, a fascinating look at the way Martin developed his craft. For anyone who loves comedy or anyone who does public speaking it is a great primer.

Martin is a gifted writer and observer of life, and this book reflects both of those gifts read more..

The Political Mind: Why You Can't Understand 21st-Century American Politics with

I have enjoyed all of Lakoff's books very much, I found this book harder to embrace than his earlier book, "Moral Politics"

Lakoff is an important voice in politics today. He not only explains what "is behind the curtain" of language but also everything you ever wanted to know about the curtain.

Unfortunately, the people who need to read and understand this book will be u read more..