I have been a musician for thirty years. I sing and play a variety of instruments. I’m the kind of person who can pick up just about any instrument and have a basic capability to play within a few minutes. I have never felt like less of a musician than when I read this book. It’s not that it shows me to be technically insufficient but that he tells of a world of music which I can never hope to experience. As all of Sacks’ […]
A fabulous chronicle of the most esoteric subject in existence
This is a fabulous chronicle of the most esoteric subject in existence.
Life Imitates Art
This graphic novel by Alison Bechdel, perhaps knowns to some as the creator of the Bechdel test, to others as the creator of the comic Dykes to Watch Out For, has won critical acclaim and is currently featured as The Atlantic’s 1book140 selection for LGBTQ month. I found to to be a truly engaging read both for its art and for its written content. The art is done in black, white and blue tones. Bechdel mixes up her own comic illustrations of her family with […]
Rogue Sociologist Indeed
When Sudhir Venkatesh entered Chicago’s poorer neighborhoods as a graduate sociology student with a survey in hand, he inadvertently formed a relationship with JT, a gang member of the Black Kings instead. This allowed Venkatesh to tag along with the gang on their daily activities and to learn directly about life in the Robert Taylor Homes (these projects were later torn down in the late 1990s). Six years studying the Black Kings and the residents of Robert Taylor became the basis of Venkatesh’s research as […]
An Inspirational Message that Just Wasn’t for Me
Okay, this is a tough one for me. Quite simply, I know the author and I’m not sure I can give this book a rave review. Despite this, the book is intriguing and evoked strong emotions in me. I’m just not sure they’re the emotions the author was hoping to elicit. Smile is the autobiography of Jenny Matula, who was raised in the Philippines. Because English is not her first language, the book is rife with grammatical errors. For me, it was endearing, because it […]
This crazy fool is reviewing a textbook!
Ummmmm…this is a textbook. Wait! Don’t stop reading! Okay, okay, the textbook wasn’t SO AWESOME I had to review it. It was more like, “I’m reading this entire book for a class and damn right I’m gonna get credit on my CBR for it.” It kept me away from other books for EIGHT WEEKS for crying out loud. It’s not like I’m computer illiterate. I grew up in a house that always had at least one computer. I remember using DOS at my high school […]