Thich Nhat Hanh published a lot of very similar books, with small changes between them for different audiences and different times. This one feels likThich Nhat Hanh published a lot of very similar books, with small changes between them for different audiences and different times. This one feels like a bait-and-switch targeted at American businesspeople, with a title that would catch their attention and tweaks to make it appealing to a largely Christian-leaning secular audience. Ultimately, it didn't really pull it off. I suggest reading one of the many other variants he published on this theme....more
I was hoping for a collection of quotes from primary sources for each time period covered. Unfortunately, more than half are from the 1990s (the book I was hoping for a collection of quotes from primary sources for each time period covered. Unfortunately, more than half are from the 1990s (the book was published in 1998). It feels kind of phoned in....more
I bought this book sight unseen because there just aren't that many books on revision of long fiction. I've gotten 72 pages in, and while I've gotten I bought this book sight unseen because there just aren't that many books on revision of long fiction. I've gotten 72 pages in, and while I've gotten some good tidbits out of it, I think I'm done. To be blunt, I'm spending more time questioning this guy's qualifications than I am getting good advice.
One problem is that he references many authors and works that he clearly thought would be enduring classics and assumes you have read, but they have fallen into obscurity and are long out of print. It makes me question his judgement again and again.
Then there's an inherent problem with the format: it's 185 questions of "did you screw up your novel this way?" All of his questions are negative. Some of them are phrased very awkwardly in order to be negative. As a reader, that wears on me. At first, that feels like a petty complaint, but this guy is supposed to be a professional writer and teacher of writing. He's supposed to understand the power of words and how to use them to affect people. If he thinks 185 variations of "did you screw up this way?" will be more effective than "could this improve your story further?", is he really someone I want to take advice from?...more
I didn't expect to DNF this one, but I just couldn't finish it. It was just aggressively 1970s. The essays were so dated to the second that almost notI didn't expect to DNF this one, but I just couldn't finish it. It was just aggressively 1970s. The essays were so dated to the second that almost nothing seemed topical to now. Of the ones I read, only The Stalin in the Mind seemed worthwhile....more
Count Luckner's life was full of exciting, adventurous stories, some of which might actually be true.
This guy is so full of crap.
I'm not saying all ofCount Luckner's life was full of exciting, adventurous stories, some of which might actually be true.
This guy is so full of crap.
I'm not saying all of it is BS. Some of it probably is true. But there's no way all of this is true. I'm going to need some independent corroboration....more
This book was kind of odd. It starts with a bunch of machined sewing tricks, which aren't really what I think of for 'couture'. They can be useful forThis book was kind of odd. It starts with a bunch of machined sewing tricks, which aren't really what I think of for 'couture'. They can be useful for a home sewer, though. Then there's a section in the middle about fabrics, which would usually be in the front of a sewing book, and finally a section with some actual basic couture techniques. I won't add this to my library; you might want to borrow it before you decide for your own....more
This book has some really interesting ideas in it for books from 12 pages up to perhaps 100. I wish it included the (very short) applicable section onThis book has some really interesting ideas in it for books from 12 pages up to perhaps 100. I wish it included the (very short) applicable section on covers from the first book, though. While I do own the first book, it seems really unreasonable to require someone to buy a second $30 book for a few pages on loose cover guidelines. I also wish one of the two books had some tips on punching the covers to accept the sections....more
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