A book of apercus, i.e., brief comments or references that makes an entertaining or illuminating point, framed around the Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon, a book apparently famous for its lists. An illustrative example: DishearteningHonorable mention. Spider veins. Wet socks. A half-hearted massage. No coin for a fountain. Fine dining at the mall. Passport pictures.Petting … Continue reading Book Review: A Pillow Book by Suzanne Buffam
Category: book reviews
Book Review: To Throw Away Unopened by Viv Albertine
Enjoyable memoir on processing the death of her mother and coming to terms with her family history. Viv Albertine has a candor that is as refreshing as a pint of beer to the crotch, which I liked. Recommended to women over 50, parents, and men who get The SCUM Manifesto by Valerie Solanas. Quotes I … Continue reading Book Review: To Throw Away Unopened by Viv Albertine
Book Recommendation: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
A former Russian Count is confined to a luxury hotel after the Russian Revolution. He lives there for a long time, and even in his confinement, life finds him. Even as a fictional character, he's a pleasant person to spend time with. Touching story that brought tears to my eyes a few times. Quite a … Continue reading Book Recommendation: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Book Review: Prometheus Rising by Robert Anton Wilson
tl;dr: The eight-circuit model of consciousness: survival, emotions, reason, society/reproduction, body connection, imprint selection, connecting to life, and connecting to everything. If this all sounds like some New Age bullshit to you, then you might want to try some of the exercizes at the back of each chapter, e.g., "Try living a whole week with … Continue reading Book Review: Prometheus Rising by Robert Anton Wilson
Book Review: Three Masquerades by Rachel Ingalls
"And perhaps the girl had also meant exactly what she'd said about love--that it was from heaven, freely given and necessary, but rich people never had to feel necessity; if a friendship broke down, or a marriage, or a blood relationship, they somehow always managed to buy another one. Life could be made very agreeable … Continue reading Book Review: Three Masquerades by Rachel Ingalls
Book Review & Summary: Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink
Review: Recommended. There is a lot of sound advice for life and business in this book. While the war stories do help to illustrate the points being conveyed, I thought that they distracted from the principles being discussed. Overall, worth your time. Summary: The central idea is to own everything that happens to you, i.e., … Continue reading Book Review & Summary: Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink
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