Just happened to see this while scrolling through my "to-read" list -- and apparently I'm so bad at keeping up my goodreads reviews that I never posteJust happened to see this while scrolling through my "to-read" list -- and apparently I'm so bad at keeping up my goodreads reviews that I never posted that I did in fact get, read, and love the TAZ graphic novel. (the first TAZ graphic novel, what?!)
It's a delightful adaptation that keeps the meta-fictional qualities that I love about this show and the personalities of the characters as well, while streamlining what is arguably the roughest and most awkward of the arcs. Carey Pietch's art is charming and expressive, and her Madame Director is the [static noise] of my heart. The little details from later in the show are a real treat, too. (Miller Enterprises! Brad Bradson! Carey Fangbattle!)
As a mega-fan, it's strange and somewhat disappointing to run across all the IP-based name changes, but such is life under capitalism.
And honestly, writing this makes me want to read it again (and to finally get around to putting up the B&N special edition poster)....more
A very short book; I think it took me an hour or so to read all the way through. BUT...it brings together all the threads of the Responsive Web DesignA very short book; I think it took me an hour or so to read all the way through. BUT...it brings together all the threads of the Responsive Web Design concept in a clear and useful way. (He's self-deprecating about it, but the math for calculating a flexible grid's proportions based on a pixel grid is easy and just what I needed.) I ended the book fired up to do design this way from now on, and to go back and update sites I already have out there. Great color screenshots, easy-to-read code. And I like the quirky friendly voice.
A notable thing, from my POV as someone who's been making websites for well over a decade (!), is his references in the acknowledgements to "A Dao of Web Design" - that article marked a critical moment in my growth as a web designer. It was written back when IE5 was the new hotness, IIRC, but it's the same philosophy undergirding this book, and that's a damn good thing....more
Started reading in ebook, and enjoyed it so much that I actually bought a copy. (At Borders in downtown Seattle at 30% off, FWIW.) Condenses lots and Started reading in ebook, and enjoyed it so much that I actually bought a copy. (At Borders in downtown Seattle at 30% off, FWIW.) Condenses lots and lots of psychology research that I've read elsewhere combined with plenty that was new to me. For the practical person, includes exercises, quizzes, tips...which was why I wanted a copy, since those bits were tough to read on my phone, and I wanted to write in the margins! A quick read in an engaging tone. Each chapter covers a different area of human psychology (motivation, relationships, happiness, etc), looks at the most current research on what works and doesn't, and then makes specific recommendations for how to use that research in your own life. Liked it a lot, planning to reread it, probably fairly regularly....more
LOVE. Totally different from "The Company" books, except in the quality of the writing and the quirky realness of the characters. The main character'sLOVE. Totally different from "The Company" books, except in the quality of the writing and the quirky realness of the characters. The main character's complicated relationship with her mother, her brother, and the rest of the world is delicately and thoughtfully drawn. Plus it's got just enough plot to keep pulling you forward.
(I almost cried after finishing, seeing "1952-2010" under her name. So very sad that there won't be any more of these.)...more
As with Nothing to Envy, I should have written this review right after reading the book. It was fantastic, and I'd like to read it again. Great historAs with Nothing to Envy, I should have written this review right after reading the book. It was fantastic, and I'd like to read it again. Great history of the "Information Empires" of the 20th and early 21st century, the continuing tension between openness and control. The history of television seemed particularly instructive: there was no early era of openness; instead Sarnoff (RCA/NBC) manipulated everything he could to make sure that it came out under the exact same control as radio at the time. Found myself kinda wishing for some discussion of Facebook in the closing chapters, in which there was a lot of focus on Apple & Google. It seemed to me that Facebook (or its moral equivalents) are the elephant in the room in that discussion. Very highly recommended....more
Awesome, as always. Kay remains pretty much my favorite fantasy author ever, or at least in the top 5. Fascinating story with lots of twists & turns, Awesome, as always. Kay remains pretty much my favorite fantasy author ever, or at least in the top 5. Fascinating story with lots of twists & turns, vivid setting (a fantasy China/Mongolia), and complex compelling characters. Plus: ghosts! assassins! warrior monks! palace intrigue! spooky stuff! Devoured the whole book in about a day, which is probably a little crazy; in my defense, it was a sick day. Sometimes his endings are painful, this one splits the difference with both happiness & melancholy.
C just finished it yesterday, and as he notes, it's also great fuel for my still-developing Central Asia-based game world, up to and including the inside-cover map. :)...more
I happened to run across this book at the library having forgotten that it was in my "to-read" list. I'm SO glad I did, and given a certain pair of soI happened to run across this book at the library having forgotten that it was in my "to-read" list. I'm SO glad I did, and given a certain pair of somewhat ranty posts a couple of months back, only wish I'd read it sooner! I literally could not put it down - as in: "no really, I need to go to bed/back to my desk from lunch/off the bus, I have to put the book away."
In short, social construction of gender: you're soaking in it. (And especially, your brain is soaking in it.)
1) Priming & stereotype threat affect everything. Just checking gender on a form before taking a test changes womens' performance, especially on math tests. More priming (being told that the test relates to gender, watching a gender-stereotyped commercial, etc) increases the effect.
2) Most of the "science" as it's filtered through to the popular media is a disaster of half-baked assumptions, small and/or poorly-constructed experiments, and willful misunderstanding of the actual results. (She tears apart one popular writer; it's kinda fun.)
3) Worse, those lame results create a feedback loop, combined with the impossibility of gender-neutral child-rearing, that increases the problem of stereotype threat, and makes genuine social change more difficult.
Le sigh. Not only is the feminist struggle not over, we may actually be hitting a really hard spot.
On the plus side, I'm fired up now. Not just that, but I'm thinking more about my own personal construction of gender identity, including my history with math and science.
There's a post I wrote about my life with math a while back, and there I wrote about it as a choice between writing and math - now I'm seriously looking back and wondering about the effect of gender stereotypes, and whether I might have come to computing sooner given different circumstances. I think it's worth noticing that choices exist in a constrained environment, constrained both by the external world, and by our own unexamined or incompletely-formed attitudes.
As for the writing style, it's a delightful read. She's got a sharp conversational tone that pulled me in; I even read the footnotes.
I've been done with this for at least a week, maybe two, but I've been procrastinating writing my review. (So much so that the book has expired out ofI've been done with this for at least a week, maybe two, but I've been procrastinating writing my review. (So much so that the book has expired out of Overdrive, which means I lost all my bookmarks. Argh.) In any case, for someone with a family history of hoarding -- particularly my paternal grandmother -- and a personal tendency that way, this was fascinating, illuminating, and scary. Very compassionate, deals less with the cases that end up on TV than the otherwise normal-seeming people who have houses crammed with things, and the various psychological issues involved. I feel like I need to read it again and make notes. (FWIW, I think I have a lot of digital hoarding issues, too; bookmarks that will never be read, recipes that will never be made, etc., etc.) Very highly recommended....more
Incredibly overwhelming for such a short book. He covers the emergence of the "National Security State" in the late 40s/early 50s, starting with the mIncredibly overwhelming for such a short book. He covers the emergence of the "National Security State" in the late 40s/early 50s, starting with the massive secrecy and command-and-control nature of the Manhattan Project, then tackles particular dangers and pitfalls since then. Starting with the bomb, our politics have gone into a unconstitutional twilight zone, to the point where it's really hard to recognize it that way anymore.
This quote from Madison (his italics) stood out for me, in re the proper roles of the legislative vs the executive:
Those who are to conduct a war cannot be in the nature of things be proper or safe judges whether a war ought to be commenced, continued, or concluded.
You tell me how far away that is from the world we live in now.
I got to the end, and I kept hoping for some glimmer of, well, hope. But his (necessarily brief) treatment of the Obama administration so far only shows how easy it is for even well-meaning people to be captured by the f'ed-up logic of the National Security State. Alas. (No president comes off well in this, although Truman, Nixon, & Bush II give the worst impressions IMHO.)
Read it, definitely; he's a great writer who covers a lot of ground quickly and with a crisp readable style. But be prepared to be depressed and/or furious....more
I first starting watching Steves's show when I was in college, and though we often made fun of his extreme dorkiness, I've always appreciated his enthI first starting watching Steves's show when I was in college, and though we often made fun of his extreme dorkiness, I've always appreciated his enthusiasm for travel and for other cultures.
In this book, he writes about how his travels have given him new perspectives on the political and social challenges of our time. In particular, his way of traveling, which is to get away from the tours and tourist traps, and out into the everyday world.
Each chapter focuses on a different topic, explored through his experiences in a particular region. Mostly Europe, but there is a chapter on El Salvador and another on Iran. What I find is that he has a very optimistic but nuanced view of the world. It also becomes clear that there's a religious influence to his views, but IMHO it's the best kind of Christian: infused with love and charity.
I found it fascinating and engaging; it made me think about my own views and to daydream about travel, which I suppose was the point.
Bonus points for gorgeous full-color photography. It's rare to find a thoughtful (not natural science) non-fiction book that also has such great imagery!...more
Not to be totally corny, but if you only read one book this year, this would be a damn good choice. Former head of the FDA, a guy who's also had his oNot to be totally corny, but if you only read one book this year, this would be a damn good choice. Former head of the FDA, a guy who's also had his own struggles with food and weight, examines the psychology of eating in our current food landscape.
"Conditioned hypereating" is how he describes it, encompassing both overweight and not: the obsession with food, the difficulties in resisting hyperpalatable modern foods.
The science stuff is fascinating, the section on food company research is terrifying, and there's some excellent concrete advice in the last section. I really needed to read this after putting back on some (not a lot) of the weight I lost a couple of years ago....more
A lovely review of the life of a (relatively) obscure scientist/philosopher, and the times when science, politics, and religion were much more intercoA lovely review of the life of a (relatively) obscure scientist/philosopher, and the times when science, politics, and religion were much more intercommunicative spheres than they are now. IOW, this guy invented soda water, founded Unitarianism, and corresponded with Franklin, Adams, and Jefferson. Plus interesting digressions into the geohistory of coal!
Johnson makes a fascinating argument for an ecosystem metaphor of human history & civilization throughout, as well, and I think it serves in moving through the different scales of change addressed in the book. At what point is history influenced by individual quirks, broad social movements, accidents of geology, etc., etc., and this allows for all those levels to be in operation at once.
Plus the thing that I find I like about all of Johnson's work is his (innate?) sense of optimism. Something of the Enlightenment spirit seems to motivate him, and perhaps a belief in the better angels of our nature. (I saw him at SXSWi '09 and was struck by his optimism in an area where most others are pretty damn gloomy.) In any case, for me it makes his writing a genuine pleasure to read. This book was no exception....more
One of those books that colors the way you think about almost everything else. Great expansion of a social science/journalism project on mobility and One of those books that colors the way you think about almost everything else. Great expansion of a social science/journalism project on mobility and politics, as Americans cluster into like-minded communities. Includes plenty on the psychological problems of groups that are too similar. Explains a lot about my lefty neighborhood, too, I think, and the occasional feeling of unreality looking at other parts of the country. I'm taking it as a call to diversify my viewpoint a little. (Thus the Scott McClellan book.)...more
An exploration of the psychology of traffic, mostly in the US, but with some travels abroad (particularly to the UK, the Netherlands, India and China)An exploration of the psychology of traffic, mostly in the US, but with some travels abroad (particularly to the UK, the Netherlands, India and China). Amazing stuff. Basically, unless you're a brain surgeon, driving is the most mentally complex thing you will ever do. And of course most of the issues that make traffic so insane are psychological. We're just not designed to go that fast. Also, lots of little nuggets of wisdom to save for future conversations. I hope our governor and state/local transportation folks read this book!...more
I need to buy a copy. Clear and even funny (!) explanation of bicycle laws, including some potential differences across states. (Biking under the inflI need to buy a copy. Clear and even funny (!) explanation of bicycle laws, including some potential differences across states. (Biking under the influence isn't against the law in WA. Who knew?) Plus fun anecdotes from the early days of cycling. Maybe not something to read like a novel, but definitely worth dipping into & keeping on hand....more
I have a weird personal obsession with Nixon-related history, based in three tidbits of personal history:
# My grandmother was briefly in elementary scI have a weird personal obsession with Nixon-related history, based in three tidbits of personal history:
# My grandmother was briefly in elementary school with Nixon, possibly in the 2nd grade. # I was born the day he was pardoned. # One of the better memories from the first years after dad died was asking Mom what Watergate was, when I saw a "Watergate Motel" while we were driving home from Disneyland, while I was staying up to help her stay awake on the drive. (After that, I borrowed her copy of All the President's Men. I think I was 11.)
So of course I snagged this pretty much as soon as I heard about it...or at least as soon as my turn came up at the library.
A fantastic book! Partially about Nixon, partially about the whole division of the culture that happened in the 60s & 70s, and how it burst into damn near open warfare. Clearly written, thoughtful, funny, disturbing. As usual, Nixon himself comes off as a nut, but within a nutty culture.
The strangest thing for me in this book was the birth in MYSELF of renewed hope for the future. The point being that we survived all that: cities on FIRE for DAYS, for god's sake. The sense of apocalypse that seems to have filled the air hasn't gone away, for sure, but we (as a culture) lived through that, we ought to be able to live through this. It's not a point the author deliberately makes; in fact, one of his points is that our culture still lives in the us vs. them world of Nixonland. But it's the conclusion that struck me most.
Highly, highly recommended. (For extra surrealism, try reading while laying on a beach on a lazy afternoon.)...more
This may in fact be the most useful bit of philosophy I've ever read. The general premise: understanding the crazy things that made people happy in thThis may in fact be the most useful bit of philosophy I've ever read. The general premise: understanding the crazy things that made people happy in the past, or that people thought would make them happy, will help you (dear reader) see and consider how crazy our own ideas are now. And for me at least, it worked.
She covers all the big topics: sex, money, drugs, food, and celebrations, with lots of exceptionally weird info along the way. Most useful, though, is her division of "happiness" into 3 kinds: good day (cake, naps), euphoria (skydiving, religious revelations), and good life (fulfillment, family). It helps in the same way that Bruce Schneier's explanation of security tradeoffs helps in that area: you become more conscious of what it is that you're trading off.
Highly, highly recommended.
(Also, I want to go find some Marcus Aurelius now.)...more
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