rebecca's pocket

» Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling
Wow. Rough, and truly heartbreaking in places (I guessed ages ago, but it's so much sadder than I imagined), with a satisfying ending. A little slow during the first half, but stick with it. I'm sorry to see this series end. / 0 Comments /  [ 08.16.07 ] 

» The Way of the Peaceful Warrior, Dan Millman
Maybe good for a high school student. / 0 Comments /  [ 08.08.07 ] 

» Don't Just Do Something, Stand There!: Ten Principles for Leading Meetings That Matter, Marvin Weisbord, Sandra Janoff
Contains numerous concrete suggestions for improving meetings, though by the end of the book I was overwhelmed. Best approached, I suppose, but trying one thing and then adding another thing once that was evaluated. Of possible use for someone who runs a lot of meetings. / 0 Comments /  [ 07.31.07 ] 

» Homeless Mind: Modernization and Consciousness, Peter L. Berger, Brigitte Berger, Hansfried Kellner
Really pretty interesting, particularly in its discussion of the technological and bureaucratic states of mind. Dated, of course, but thought-provoking anyway. / 0 Comments /  [ 07.30.07 ] 

» Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, JK Rowling
I really liked this book, maybe better than the others. But I can hardly see how Rowling will be able to tie up all the threads she has put in place in just one more book. / 0 Comments /  [ 07.10.07 ] 

» The Cult of Information: A Neo-Luddite Treatise on High-Tech, Artificial Intelligence, and the True Art of Thinking, Theodore Roszak abandoned
This book suffers from being written at the wrong time and from a focus on the wrong things. / 0 Comments /  [ 06.26.07 ] 

» The Parable of the Sower, by Octavia Butler
Good, not as good as I had hoped, but I will read another book by this author. / 2 Comments /  [ 06.21.07 ] 

» Butlers & Household Managers: 21st Century Professionals, by Steven Ferry
I was hoping this book would give me some tips on managing my own household, but instead it served as a glimpse into a life I will never have. But a fun read, and I think some of the checklists in the back will serve to be useful. / 0 Comments /  [ 06.21.07 ] 

» The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield Highly recommended
This book took me an hour and a half to read. Full of gems, with a little more war imagery than is to my taste. Because it's such an easy read, highly recommended. / 0 Comments /  [ 06.18.07 ] 

» Last Call, Tim Powers abandoned
I'm trying to get better at abandoning books, and I'm abandoning this one. It's frustrating—it's a great premise, but it's a long book that takes to the middle before all the pieces are in place and the story really gets going. I'd have enjoyed it if it were half as long, but as it is, I'm just not willing to invest any more time. / 0 Comments /  [ 05.31.07 ] 

» Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow, Marsha Sinetar
I didn't care for this book, which is very cerebral and, in the end, waffles on the second part of the title. Instead, I recommend The Artist's Way for a more emotion-centered approach, or Wishcraft for a very practical, nuts-and-bolts approach to creating the life you want. / 0 Comments /  [ 05.21.07 ] 

» Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered, E. F. Schumacher abandoned
Abandoned. In only 40 pages, obviously a seminal work, and it would be interesting to compare his ideas and predictions with the reality of the world today (particularly with the advent of the Internet). But I just can't summon enough interest to read further right now. / 0 Comments /  [ 05.21.07 ] 

» eve: Contemporary Cuisine / Methode Traditionnelle, Eve Aronoff Highly recommended.
Do you love to cook? Do you love to dream about fine food? If you do, buy this book today. It's written with such enthusiasm you'll just enjoy reading it and dreaming of creating your own restaurant. The recipes are clearly written, with suggestions for brands in the instances where a prepared item is used. / 1 Comments /  [ 05.12.07 ] 

» I am the Messenger, Markus Zusak
I enjoyed this book, but I was really disappointed with the ending. The writing style puzzled me. I couldn't tell if the author was putting in all those flourishes, or if he was trying to depict the writing style of the 20-year-old protagonist. / 0 Comments /  [ 05.11.07 ] 

» The Corporate Blogging Book: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know to Get It Right, Debbie Weil
Like Debbie, this book is smart, sensible, and very clear. A good starting point if you are new to the idea of blogging in a business setting. / 0 Comments /  [ 05.08.07 ] 

» The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich, Timothy Ferriss
Wow, I have such mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand it's filled with gems about time management ("eliminate"), focus, and knowing what you really want and what you really need to get it. On the other hand, there's an undeniable sleaze factor to much of it—Ferriss is interested in winning the game, not in evaluating the nuances of his behavior. {more detailed review to come] / 0 Comments /  [ 05.08.07 ] 

» The Great Chile Book, Mark Charles Miller
A good book that does exactly what it promises: shows and describes the chiles you are most likely to encounter, in both their fresh and dried forms. ... [ more ] / 0 Comments /  [ 04.30.07 ] 

» Nineteenth-Century Fashion in Detail, Lucy Johnston
This is a gorgeous book. ... [ more ]  [ 04.13.07 ] 

» In Bluebeard's Castle: Some Notes Towards the Redefinition of Culture , George Steiner
Incredibly academic, but consistently interesting. On the one had I don't know if I would recommend it, or even read it if I had it to do over again. On the other hand, it has given me a lot to think about with regard to contemporary culture. / 0 Comments /  [ 04.13.07 ] 

» Book Yourself Solid, Michael Port
This book contains some solid advice, if you can get past the relentless self-promotion. ... [ more ] / 0 Comments /  [ 04.05.07 ] 

» The Rule of Benedict.
I re-read this in search of a few answers after seeing Into Great Silence. / 0 Comments /  [ 04.02.07 ] 

» Golden Gate Gardening, Pam Peirce
This really is a compendium. Information about the various microclimates around the Bay Area, lots of information about general (and specific) good gardening practices, and a listing of vegetables, and which do best, where. / 0 Comments /  [ 03.21.07 ] 

» The Knitting Experience: Book 1: The Knit Stitch, Sally Melville Highly recommended.
I love Sally Melville's approach of teaching what you need to know, when you need to know it. ... [ more ] / 1 Comments /  [ 03.19.07 ] 

» Knitting Without Tears, Elizabeth Zimmermann
Always a pleasure to read Elizabeth Zimmerman.  / 0 Comments /  [ 03.08.07 ] 

» Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, Anne Lamott. Highly recommended.
I borrowed this book on Merlin's repeated recommendation, and at first I thought it was a terrific book for aspiring but timid writers. Having finished it, I think its worthwhile reading for lots of people, especially writers.  / 1 Comments /  [ 02.25.07 ] 

» The Knitting Experience: Book 3: Color, Sally Melville Highly recommended.
I'm really impressed.... [ more ] / 0 Comments /  [ 02.11.07 ] 

» The Top Ten: Writers Pick Their Favorite Books, J. Peder Zane
What a fun book. Books I've never heard of, books I've already read, and books I've been meaning to get to forever. It will be fun to dip into this from time to time to pick a new "classic" to read. / 0 Comments /  [ 02.08.07 ] 

» My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult
Wow was this book intense. I was disappointed in the ending, which seemed a little pat to me, but the book does a terrific job of illustrating the ways in which a chronically ill child can unbalance a family, and the complexity of each person and their decisions. / 0 Comments /  [ 02.05.07 ] 

» Tom's Midnight Garden, Philippa Pearce.
Not bad, but not as good as I hoped it would be, based on its reputation. Very sweet ending. / 0 Comments /  [ 01.31.07 ] 

» Homespun Handknit: Caps, Socks, Mittens & Gloves, Linda Ligon
A terrific selection of small projects with a wide variety of approaches. Would be fun to work from. / 0 Comments /  [ 01.11.07 ] 

» Mary Thomas's Book of Knitting Patterns, Mary Thomas Highly recommended.
Terrific. Mary Thomas has done an amazing job of systemizing the vast array of possible knitted fabrics. I can't wait to get out some wool and start swatching.  [ 01.08.07 ] 

» Reading Like a Writer, Francine Prose
She teaches by example, but she's not as effective at explaining exactly how to go about close reading... [ more ] / 0 Comments /  [ 01.04.07 ]