false22106100true5726894read1true122478currently-reading5true122477to-read51false1920525fiction49false1920522non-fiction27false1920534reading-my-religion15false5113814steampunk-etc2false5201305graphic-novels2false8988270bicycle-books1false152984readforschool
<![CDATA[Eli added 'The Art of Urban Cycling: Lessons from the Street']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/79121872
to: The Art of Urban Cycling: Lessons from the Street (Paperback)byRobert Hurst bookshelves: bicycle-books,
non-fiction
A great book for the new-ish urban cyclist. Hurst examines common bike-related laws in American cities and conventional wisdom among urban cyclists (often two violently opposed things) and then blends the best of both systems to come up with a new style that gives urban cyclists the most benefits and the most safety in riding. Even when you disagree with his conclusions, he encourages you to move beyond knee-jerk reactions and examine why you disagree.
I appreciated Hurst's unflinching contemplation of the real dangers of urban cycling, which are simultaneously under-emphasized by bicycle advocates and overstated by safety experts. An informed rider, Hurst believes, is a safe one.
Neophyte urban cyclists should be aware that this is a dense book with a lot of information in it. A second reading might be necessary to really get everything that's in it. Fortunately, Hurst's accessible writing style makes that prospect fairly pleasant.
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<![CDATA[Eli added 'Bicycling Magazine's 1000 All-Time Best Tips (Revised): Top Riders Share Their Secrets to Maximize Fun, Safety, and Performance']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/79122004
Bicycling Magazine's 1000 All-Time Best Tips (Revised): Top Riders Share Their Secrets to Maximize Fun, Safety, and Performance
byBen Hewitt bookshelves: bicycle-books,
currently-reading,
non-fiction
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<![CDATA[Eli added 'The Hidden Messages in Water']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78890468
to: The Hidden Messages in Water (Paperback)byMasaru Emoto bookshelves: non-fiction,
reading-my-religion
A bizarre mixture of science, pseudo-science, self-help, time-honored religious philosophy and New Age twaddle. Emoto's methodology is suspect and his conclusions outre (e.g. in the caption for a photo of a crystal exposed to Brazilian music, Emoto contends that the crystal indicates that music and loud singing will strengthen the immune system). If you go into it thinking it's a scientific book containing valid information about water, you will be sorely disappointed. If you approach it as a philosophy text containing interesting thoughts about water...well, you'll still be disappointed, but it will be more interesting. And I guarantee that you will walk away from it paying closer attention to water and the way we use it, and that can never be a bad thing.
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<![CDATA[Eli added 'Tao Te Ching: A New English Version']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/65437232
to: Tao Te Ching: A New English Version (Hardcover)byStephen A. Mitchell bookshelves: non-fiction,
reading-my-religion
As with all wisdom tradition books, this had a lot to take and a lot to leave behind. I enjoyed reading the book for its own sake, but it feels much more like a loose interpretation of the Tao Te Ching than a translation. While I realize that all translation is ultimately interpretation, I felt that Mitchell played a bit too loose with the source. It does leave me eager to read translations to compare.
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<![CDATA[Eli added 'Ship of Destiny']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77753173
to: Ship of Destiny (Liveship Traders, #3)byRobin Hobb bookshelves: fiction
Maybe it's just been too long since I read Ship of Magic and Mad Ship, but I just couldn't get into this one as much as I have Hobb's other books. Ordinarily, I would've called her multiple separate-but-connected plot lines a plus, but this time it seemed like too much was going on that didn't cohere all that well. I also found myself chafing at her use of certain techniques for conveying character emotions that struck me as almost manipulative and got old after a while. But I did enjoy it overall, and I loved the way Hobb set up the ending to feed into the Golden Fool trilogy.
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<![CDATA[Eli added 'Sin in the Second City: Madams, Ministers, Playboys, and the Battle for America's Soul']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76576241
to: Sin in the Second City: Madams, Ministers, Playboys, and the Battle for America's Soul (Hardcover)byKaren Abbott bookshelves: non-fiction,
steampunk-etc
I enjoyed the story this book told, but something about the writing style was off. It was like Abbott couldn't decide whether to write creative nonfiction, straight-up nonfiction, or a historical novel, and Sin in the Second City is the jumbled-up result of that indecision. Some of the "scenes" seemed like they were included just because Abbott had some quotes related to them and by gum she was going to use them! Still, I appreciated the peek into turn-of-the-century Chicago and the nutjobs of all sorts who made the city run.
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<![CDATA[Eli added 'Voices of the Earth: The Path of Green Spirituality']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76246445
Voices of the Earth: The Path of Green Spirituality (Paperback)
byClea Danaan bookshelves: non-fiction,
reading-my-religion
I read the first 40 pages of this book and am returning it to the library today, so I don't feel justified in giving it an actual rating. But I read the first 40 pages and am returning it to the library, which tells you something about my feelings about it.
I wanted to love this book. But in just 40 pages, we have Danaan spending pages telling us how psychic she is, discredited psuedoscience presented as evidence of how psychic abilities work, and the insistence that 1) every member of the plant, animal, and stone realms wants to communicate with you, 2) any member of the plant, animal, or stone realm you choose to communicate with has a message just for you, and, 2a) that message is, "You're doing great! Keep up the good work!" Danaan seems far more interested in teaching her readers to be psychic so they can be super-special than in any sort of meaningful spiritual relationship with Nature. I just couldn't read 176 more pages of that.
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<![CDATA[Eli added 'The Dark Volume']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75111258
to: The Dark Volume (Hardcover)byGordon Dahlquist bookshelves: fiction,
steampunk-etc
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
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<![CDATA[Eli added 'Green Grass, Running Water']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73993388
to: Green Grass, Running Water (Paperback)byThomas King bookshelves: fiction
Excellent. King's ear for dialogue is spot-on, and the way the storylines meet, separate, and meet again is a skillful dance.
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<![CDATA[Eli added 'Faerie Tale']]>
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/42366306
to: Faerie Tale (Hardcover)byRaymond E. Feist bookshelves: fiction
An interesting and promising plot hampered by clunky writing (so much telling where there should have been showing, and awkward, unrealistic dialogue) and an unsatisfying conclusion. And a lot of male chauvinism, to boot.
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