Recently in Books Category
I have recently finished reading Rite of Passage: Tales of Backpacking 'Round Europe by Lisa Johnson. It is a compilation of stories about young adults' travels through Europe written by a few of those who spent their time backpacking across Europe and decided to share their moments with readers. The stories are written by many authors, so there is quite a diverse writing style and subjects they talk about. The editor did a great job in tying in the Lonely Planet backpacking through Europe message board, giving even more personal stories through personal message board posts as well. You will find in this book a good variety from funny moments people experience during their journeys, stories about love and connections they made with others to tales of caution about crooks and characters you would want to avoid at all cost or you may loose all your possessions. It is an easy read, very entertaining at times. A travel book everyone who is planning to go backpacking or done it in the past and want to relive so moments through eyes of others. ISBN: 1740595939
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A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle is delightful read, full of funny moments and interesting tales of couple of English expats who bought a farm house in a rural France. Divided into twelve chapters - one for every month of the year - this book gives a chronicle of living among many eccentric neighbours in the French countryside while renovating a home they have just bought and moved into. While you are reading this book you slowly get fairly good understanding of Provence pace of life, local gastronomic delights, restaurants, work ethics and peoples' habits. As you continue reading A Year in Provence you start living vicariously through Mayle, you start to understand the importance of embracing local way of life rather trying to impose your own ways you are accustom to back in your own country. All in all, it is a fun book to read, gives you a bit more understanding of the culture, people and the area of France itself.
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Lately I have been reading novels by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr and last night I finished his 1963 science fiction novel Cat's Cradle. It is a satirical commentary on modern man and his madness or should I say stupidity. A very well said apocalyptic story of human fate on this planet, which is so entertaining to read. I truly enjoy Vonnegut style of writing, plot is twisted but easy to follow. Another striking thing about it is the fact that the book has over a hundred chapters despite being fewer than three hundred pages in length. All that making it a real fast read.
Initially you do not have a feeling that you are actually reading a science fiction novel, but as you get deeper into the plot you realize the nature of the story. From narrator's research to write a book about the fictional man Felix Hoenikker who developed the first atomic bomb, you later on learn that man actually discover something more deadly called ice-nine which cause the ultimate demise of the humans and the planet itself. His children secretly hold on to small pieces of ice-nine for years which eventually fall into hands of others, including a dictatorship on small fictitious Caribbean island of San Lorenzo. There seems to a side story focus on a religion how it has an impact on all the characters in the book, the narrator explains concepts and teachings of Bokononism, the fake religion he practices.
It is a truly enjoyable and light read! I will be sure to reach for more of his books in the near future!
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As I was sitting on the plane, just after take off from Amsterdam I looked though a newspaper hungry for some news in English after a week of nothing but Spanish around me while in Barcelona. There wasn't much of interest to me unfortunately as it seems the world has not change much in a few days I was a little cut off, however I came across an amazing article about professor Randy Pausch and his now, world famous "Last Lecture". It was truly an inspiring story of a guy who has recently been diagnosed with a deadly form of pancreatic cancer and given only few months to live as the cancer also start to spread to his liver now. Expecting the worst, Randy Pausch decided to give the last talk, a lecture about life at the Carnegie University, where he is a professor of computer science, human interaction and design. The lecture was taped by the university and became worldwide phenomenon spreading like wildfire over the Web. So far over 6 million people watched it on place like YouTube. He has been invited to appear on many TV shows and now the lecture has been turned into a book. He has a truly fascinating way of approaching his personal situation and many people admire it. His words are truly inspiring for many, here are few points from the lecture:
- Never underestimate the importance of having fun. I'm dying and I'm having fun. And I'm going to keep having fun every day because there's no other way to play it.
- Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted.
- No one is pure evil. Find the best in everybody. Wait long enough and people will surprise and impress you.
- Brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. The brick walls are there to stop people who don't want it badly enough.
- It is not about achieving your dreams but living your life. If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you.
- We can't change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand. If I am not as depressed as you think I should be, I am sorry to disappoint you.
You should be able to find the book on the store shelves this week as it was released on April 8th, 2008 and you may want to watch the full Last Lecture on YouTube (76 min. long). Here is great summery of his story done by Diane Sawyer this week on ABC:
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I picked up this week "Augustus: The Life of Rome's First Emperor" by Anthony Everitt finally had a chance to sit down and start reading it. I have been always fascinated by Roman history and this book seems to be excellent read as very well researched.
Review from Publisher Weekly:
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Finally had a chance to put my hands on "Gaudi: A Biography" by Gijs Van Hensbergen and looking forward to see his works in Barcelona. From some of the photos I have seen so far, I am really impressed by the nature shapes incorporated into his architecture. Sagrada Familia cathedral and Park Guell will be my first to visit and see it in person, on long list many other spots while there. From Amazon.com
The sinuous forms and lavish decorations of Antonio Gaudí (1852-1926) broke the mold in architecture. "His imagination burnt holes through the musty pattern books," writes Gijs van Hensbergen. "His gift was an amazing capacity to imagine a building and then transform it into reality." Gaudí's fantastical creations give Barcelona an appearance unlike any other city in the world. One of the paradoxes that informs his many-layered biography is that this most original of architects was politically conservative and profoundly Catholic, fired by the desire to celebrate the history and culture of his native Catalonia. Hensbergen, author of books on art deco and travel in Spain, devotes a good deal of his book to situating Gaudí's life and thought within the context of Catalonian traditions, particularly the 19th-century Renaixença, which sought to revive the region's language (Catalan) and to affirm its national identity against the Spanish government's desire to absorb it. He surrounds Gaudí, too often depicted as an isolated eccentric, with the friends and patrons who shared his vision, illuminating the architect's impact both within Catalonia and beyond its borders. (Admirers included the surrealists, whose atheism and radicalism were anathema to Gaudí.) Detailed knowledge of Gaudí's leisurely, wickedly expensive working methods and the complex use he made of previous architectural traditions gives us a better understanding of the unique nature of his genius, while Hensbergen's obvious (though not uncritical) affection for his subject as a man helps us appreciate "an extraordinarily creative and religiously charged life." --Wendy Smith --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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If you are a traveller like me I have a gem for you! In just 8 weeks I will be leaving for Barcelona, Spain so when I was looking a small, but handy guide with some great city maps in it, I came across "Barcelona InsideOut" by Where Travel. The "Barcelona InsideOut" guide is a pocket-size travel book, which comes complete with two PopOut maps, itinerary suggestions, places to see, shop, play, eat, as well as insider information on getting around town. Due to the size , you may also consider a normal travel guide book because the amount of information in this book is small, but I bought for the mainly for the maps. The Barcelona InsideOut Guide has a small built-in compass right on the spin of it. Inside when you open it, there is also a small pen with LED light! But the main reason why I picked it up ware the PopOut maps. First of all when you traveling alone, you always try to blend in as much as possible with the locals so you are not putting a big target on your back: "Hey I am a tourist with valuables, money and no much of foreign language skills so feel free to rob me". Having a small size map which unfolds very discreetly in the middle of the street is a real gem, you are not drawing much attention to yourself. Plus the whole booklet is small enough to fit in the your jeans pocket. I hope they will make those for many more destinations. The only one I found the store was for Barcelona, the place I am off next... ISBN 978-0-7627-4729-0 available online via Amazon.com
Here are few photos I took of it to give you an idea how it looks and how the maps pop put of it. You will also find all the tourist points of interest clearly mark on those maps as well.
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It is one of those days when it seems like there is not enough hours in a day, but I have been able to accomplish most of the things I planned to do today. Listen and watched almost all of the podcasts pilled up in iTunes and edit a few photos. I am reading more and more about my new favorite software from Adobe called Photoshop Lightroom. I have decided to use it from now on after spending a few days in December to learn as much as I can about it. I am totally in love it, not only it holds a my catalog of close to 10,000 digital photos but also allow me to quickly work with RAW file, add keywords, manage most of other settings and of course its Develop module is so easy and handy to use. Mind you I still have to learn more tricks and quick tips for it, but so far it looks like it will be a must-have tool for me from now on.
Winter time is a perfect time to brush up on some new knowledge or at least dust of some old I might have forgotten about by now. I really want to master Photoshop CS3 so besides all the handy podcasts and tips web sites, I may start taking some online classes from Kelby Training. For only $19.99 USD per month you get to access on demand to all of their online courses from Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Lightroom, Adobe Illustrator , Adobe inDesign to Photoshop Elements! This is great deal and you watch each class whenever you feel like for as long as you pay the monthly membership to access them. Scott Kelby together with Matt Kloskowski and Dave Ross have a fantastic PhotoshopTV podcast as it is already, and it is pleasure to watch to those guys each week. I have actually ordered Scott's book called: The Adobe Photoshop CS3 Book for Digital Photographers today as well since I often need a good and quick reference guide for specific tasks. I have check it out in person last week when I was at the bookstore, and it is a buy! (order it online for a lot less) Here is little more about it:
"Are you ready for a Photoshop book that breaks all the rules? Updated for Adobe Photoshop CS3, this top-selling book breaks new ground by doing something for digital photographers that's rare--it cuts through the bull and shows readers exactly "how to do it." It's not a bunch of theory; it doesn't challenge readers to come up with their own settings or figure it out on their own. Instead, it shows them, step by step, the exact techniques used by today's cutting-edge digital photographers and retouchers, and it does something that virtually no other Photoshop book has ever done--it tells you flat-out which settings to use, when to use them, and why. Including coverage of all the newest features of CS3--such as nondestructive Smart Filters, Vanishing Point with Adustable Perspective Planes, Automatic Layer Alignment and Blending, and a streamlined interface--The Photoshop CS3 Book for Digital Photographers is full-color, graphically rich, and contains project-based examples of every key step in the digital photography editing process. Integrating all the newest features of Photoshop CS3 into the book's workflow, Scott shows readers how to work with their images like a pro, from importing to organization to correction to output. Readers will learn all they need to know to create stellar images using Photoshop CS3."
Speaking about Amazon shopping... I also added another book to the order, it is called: The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss. Billy a friend of mine from Flickr/Facebook has brought it to my attention. Apparently it is a great read and full of great ideas. And judging by the content of Tim's blog it should be worth reading. In a nutshell I am looking forward to January even if it freezing cold like today (-23C with the wind)!
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Amazon Kindle eBook reader has been officially released today and it is already available online via Amazon.com. It comes with free shipping for $399.00USD which is a bit pricey. This new product offers access to 88,000 books from an online store via special free wireless service called Whispernet. Its internal storage allows for 200 titles and more can be added via memory expansion. New releases cost about $9.99 and you may also consider optional subscription to electronic version of newspapers and magazines. The big question is: Will people actually adopt this revolutionary way of reading books on a large scale? I think it is the way to the future of book publishing, paperless concept seems inline with our new, ecologically minded approach to life, but there is something unique about actually holding and reading a real book. I think it will take a long time for people to consider switch towards e-books. I can see students possibly interested in adopting the technology since they are usually destined to carry around large and heavy text books for school, college or university. Lastly I think the device is hardly very esthetically designed, may be Apple team could fix it up to look attractive! For now I will stick with tradition...
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Bad Times In Buenos Aires by Miranda France is apparently one of those books you either love or hate judging by the reviews of those who read it. Since I am still very much in Buenos Aires mentally, I thought I will judge it for myself. This book is pretty much not available through any of the local stores and just a handful of places online carry it, but I found it at my local public library and I will pick it up tomorrow to read it.
Here is just one those reviews I noticed and decided to find out how much the city has really changed and how other foreigners view it:
When Miranda France, a 26-year-old freelance journalist, arrives in Buenos Aires to live and work, she discovers a city in crisis. "People said the city was sinking," she writes. "Of the 300 brands of condoms in circulation, only eight were safe. The traffic was out of control . . . More than 2,000 bus drivers were found to be clinically depressed."
"San Telmo Market, Buenos Aires"
Here is just one those reviews I noticed and decided to find out how much the city has really changed and how other foreigners view it:
When Miranda France, a 26-year-old freelance journalist, arrives in Buenos Aires to live and work, she discovers a city in crisis. "People said the city was sinking," she writes. "Of the 300 brands of condoms in circulation, only eight were safe. The traffic was out of control . . . More than 2,000 bus drivers were found to be clinically depressed."
After
securing a dilapidated apartment with a permanently crossed telephone
line, Miranda France starts her life as a foreigner in Argentina. At
night, she learns the tango ("danced properly it should be as
passionate and loveless as a one-night stand"). By day, she tries to
acquire the knack of viveza criolla (artful lying) to crack the
bureaucracy of the local library and explores the legend of Evita Peron
and her well-traveled corpse.
"San Telmo Market, Buenos Aires"
During her stay, France encounters first-hand the choas and deep melancholy of the Argentine capital. Buenos Aires is, after all, a city where elegant street cafes overlook local workmen grilling hunks of beef on the curb for lunch; where rats outnumber humans eight to one; where investigative television programs look closely at the trend of rising hemlines; where a nationwide shortage of coins causes trips to the supermarket to end in squabbles over small change; where almost everyone France meets is in therapy (Buenos Aires has three times as many analysts per person as New York).
Bad Times in Buenos Aires
is a brilliant blend of humor, personal narrative, and rich historical
background -- including a chilling interview with an army officer from
the Dirty War. Winner of the prestigious Shiva Naipaul Memorial Prize
for travel writing, Miranda France has written an insightful, vivid,
and often laugh-out-loud account of daily life in the "Paris of the
South."
(from Amazon.com)
Continue reading Bad Times In Buenos Aires by Miranda France.
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I laugh when I read this today:
Doris Lessing pulled up in a black cab where a media horde was waiting Thursday in front of her leafy north London home. Reporters opened the door and told her she had won the Nobel Prize for literature, to which she responded: "Oh Christ ... I couldn't care less."
Now this is an attitude I admire in some people!
Doris Lessing pulled up in a black cab where a media horde was waiting Thursday in front of her leafy north London home. Reporters opened the door and told her she had won the Nobel Prize for literature, to which she responded: "Oh Christ ... I couldn't care less."
Now this is an attitude I admire in some people!
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My first photography book was published in January of this year. This book is beautifully made in
hardcover with heavyweight, semi-glossy paper and 80 pages of photographs
(actually there are over 130 of photos are inside). It looks amazing on a coffee
table! The quality and colours are absolutely stunning. Here are a few
photos of the book , it is available by order online directly from the publisher in US. There is also a small preview of what is inside. I am already working on the second book called "Images from Warsaw" which will be available this month. 
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Last night I have received another great birthday present from a friend
of mine at the Temple; it is called: "The Story of Tibet" and I cannot
wait to start reading it now. But since I have couple of books going on right now it will need to wait just a little before I get to it. From the reviews (see below) it sounds like a fascinating and interesting book. "The 14th Dalai Lama's fresh account of Tibetan myth and history, as shared at Dharamsala over a three year period with Thomas Laird, is wonderful instruction and a great true pleasure, not less so because of the small informal moments that clarify these encounters with that delightful Buddha being who manifests in the beleaguered public figure of His Holiness." -Peter Matthiessen, author The Snow Leopard, National Book Award winner.
"Thomas Laird's lively conversations with His Holiness the Dalai
Lama about the history and mythology of Tibet couldn't come at a better
moment, as China stubbornly persists in negating the distinctive
Tibetan identity. The honesty, subtlety, and complexity of His
Holiness' thoughts on these crucial matters comes through in these
fascinating dialogues. Everyone who cares about Tibet, or about a
stable peace in Asia, should read this amazing account." -Robert Thurman, author of Inner Revolution, Professor of Buddhist studies, Columbia University
"Thomas Laird captures the beauty, the magnificence, the humor of this world spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama." -James Lilley, former U.S. Ambassador to China and South Korea, and author of China Hands: Nine Decades of Adventure, Espionage, and Diplomacy in Asia.
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