Come for the perceptive analysis of video game culture and the great writing style; stay for the revelations about the subtext of Symphony of the NighCome for the perceptive analysis of video game culture and the great writing style; stay for the revelations about the subtext of Symphony of the Night and Metal Gear Solid....more
A heartfelt, funny and insightful book that's essentially about blogging -- about how technology affects the way we connect with each other (for betteA heartfelt, funny and insightful book that's essentially about blogging -- about how technology affects the way we connect with each other (for better and for worse). Perfect airplane read....more
I picked this up wanting it to be cute, fun, and full of clever references to B-movie horror monsters. It's pretty insipid, though.I picked this up wanting it to be cute, fun, and full of clever references to B-movie horror monsters. It's pretty insipid, though....more
The history of Pern was pretty thoroughly sketched out in the original books; honestly I don't think there's enough to say about it to make it much ofThe history of Pern was pretty thoroughly sketched out in the original books; honestly I don't think there's enough to say about it to make it much of a story. The (sadly) usual dose of weird sexism and kind of not-exactly-consensual sex made me grit my teeth through some parts....more
This was on my to-read list for some reason... I no longer remember why.
Anyhow, it's got some mildly interesting ideas/tips in it, but is mostly a rehThis was on my to-read list for some reason... I no longer remember why.
Anyhow, it's got some mildly interesting ideas/tips in it, but is mostly a rehash of GTD, but written like a sales pitch and padded out with incredibly insipid tripe.
Here's an example, from the section on "Control Your Inner DIalogue" (which, by the way, is perfectly good advice in and of itself):
To keep yourself motivated and to overcome feelings of doubt or fear, continually tell yourself, "I can do it! I can do it!" When people ask how you are, always tell them, "I feel terrific!"
The whole book is like that. There's a marginally-useful (if sometimes a little obvious) strategy, which is then belabored for pages in a relentlessly upbeat writing style that will put your teeth on edge.
His theory of success is dopey and overly-simplistic; he smugly recounts his rise from nobody to "self-made millionaire", saying that he "started off in life with few advantages, aside from a curious mind" (ugh white dudes staaaahhhp) and reveals the secret to his success: "Just find out what other successful people do and do the same things until you get the same results. Learn from the experts. Wow! What an idea."
I mean, I get that it's supposed to be motivational, but gosh that's a lot of meritocratic nonsense right there, especially given that dude has apparently made his fortune by peddling this particular brand of snake oil (at the end, the book kindly informed me that I can "call today" to book him to speak).
Oh, and there's this, too. If your procrastination is a symptom of other issues, this book will get you nowhere. I've read a lot of good stuff over the years about anxiety and depression, negative self-talk, mindfulness, habit-forming strategies, etc... and this book talks about exactly none of those things.
Just read GTD instead, it covers pretty much the same ground and won't make you want to stick sporks in your eyes....more
I wanted to like this more, I really did. Overall it just seemed a little... sloppy, unedited. I mean, okay, it's a memoir, that's cool... but it feltI wanted to like this more, I really did. Overall it just seemed a little... sloppy, unedited. I mean, okay, it's a memoir, that's cool... but it felt a bit like she was afraid to delve very deeply into anything, was afraid to have a strong opinion one way or the other.
Most of the essays felt muddy, going off in multiple directions, not really coming together with any kind of cohesive point. Or she'd make a relatively strong statement and then go on to equivocate and second-guess and undermine it. Really just kind of all over the place.
I get it, I can relate to what she's saying. Identity is complicated and the process of thinking through these things is maybe the important thing. As someone with some exposure to feminist cultural criticism, this seemed a little watered-down for my tastes. Would possibly serve as a good introduction for folks who aren't as familiar with that context.
I did enjoy her dissenting opinion about depictions of slavery, and her discussion about The Hunger Games. Possibly some of where this lost me is that many of the essays were responses to media I haven't watched.
Read this for book club, might update this review after our discussion....more
Yep, this book is long, and feels draggy toward the middle / early end. Worse, it leaves some of its more interesting themes and plotlines on the tablYep, this book is long, and feels draggy toward the middle / early end. Worse, it leaves some of its more interesting themes and plotlines on the table. But I love Murakami and certainly found things about this book to like... and the story and characters kind of stick with you. I wouldn't recommend anyone who hasn't read his books before start here, but I enjoyed it despite, or maybe even because of, its flaws.
I find myself looking at the moon more carefully now....more
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