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August 20
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Mike
marked as to-read:
Comfort Me with Apples: More Adventures at the Table (Paperback)
by Ruth Reichl
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Mike
gave
to:
Writing to Change the World (Hardcover)
by Mary Pipher
bookshelves:
writing
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in August, 2008
Mike said:
"Mary Pipher, author of the bestseller, "Reviving Ophelia" turns her mind to the craft she has dedicated the second half of her life to: Writing. My assessment: As a writer, she makes a good psychologist.
I usually read books on writing ...more
Mary Pipher, author of the bestseller, "Reviving Ophelia" turns her mind to the craft she has dedicated the second half of her life to: Writing. My assessment: As a writer, she makes a good psychologist.
I usually read books on writing with two goals in mind. First, I want to come to a greater appreciation of the elements of style and composition that other writers can illuminate. Second, I want to enjoy reading more and nothing accommodates that better than reading about writing. Pipher's book does give me some good advice on how to put together my writing so that my own personal soapbox issues can be preached from. And she does sprinkle a pound of quotations throughout the work. So I did meet the bare minimum of my goals.
However, the book just isn't that interesting. It doesn't stretch beyond the basics and really can't because the author doesn't have that good a grasp of her subject. It is apparent that though she has read many books on writing herself, she hasn't understood the deeper concepts.
This book has the feel of a "project" book. What I mean is, she came up with an idea that would work for her next project, and this was it. It is ironic that she talks so much about maintaining passion for a subject when one writes and lacks passion in this book.
However, it was good enough to stay on my bookshelf. That is why I gave it Three Stars. The best part about this book is the list of books on writing that have influenced her life that make up the appendix. The book is worth buying just for that list....less
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August 18
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Mike
added:
Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls (Paperback)
by Mary Pipher
bookshelves:
counseling,
marriage-and-or-sex,
non-fiction
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Mike said:
"So many have made this observation about the book, but I will add my voice to the mix. What would have made this a startlingly great treatise is a broader perspective. This describes how pre-teen white, suburban girls become twisted by media and cult...more
So many have made this observation about the book, but I will add my voice to the mix. What would have made this a startlingly great treatise is a broader perspective. This describes how pre-teen white, suburban girls become twisted by media and culture in general. It certainly does not address the same issues for latina, african-american or asian girls. At the same time, Pipher takes great care to research her subject, to add just enough of her personal experience and mixes this with intriguing anecdotes from all over America. I would recommend this for any therapist, teacher or parent who already has a concern for young white girls in our world today....less
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Mike
gave
to:
World's End (Snow Queen)
by Joan D. Vinge
bookshelves:
scifi-fantasy
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in January, 2004
Mike said:
"Let this serve as one review for all of Joan Vinge's books. For a sci-fi/fantasy writer, Vinge is best at twisting the tale into unexpected corners. She has rich characters, and like all good writing students, puts them into situations that test thei...more
Let this serve as one review for all of Joan Vinge's books. For a sci-fi/fantasy writer, Vinge is best at twisting the tale into unexpected corners. She has rich characters, and like all good writing students, puts them into situations that test their mettle continually. I listed all her books I have read in one conglomeration because they all read equally as well. This particular one (World's End)almost seems like it was an afterthought in her series on the Snow Queeen. It is fascinating to have an afterthought occur before the last book in the series, but this is how it feels. Expect the unexpected and leave lots of time in your evenings to get these books read.
I personally like the Summer Queen better than the rest, but I really like them all. High marks for a very capable scientific writer of human interest stories....less
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Mike
gave
to:
Psion (Psiren)
by Joan D. Vinge
bookshelves:
scifi-fantasy
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Mike
gave
to:
Catspaw (Cat)
by Joan D. Vinge
bookshelves:
scifi-fantasy
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Mike
gave
to:
The Summer Queen (Paperback)
by Joan D. Vinge
bookshelves:
scifi-fantasy
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Mike
gave
to:
Anansi Boys (Mass Market Paperback)
by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads author!)
bookshelves:
general-fiction,
scifi-fantasy
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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August 08
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Mike
marked as to-read:
Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Create Your Life, Your Relationships, and Your World in Harmony with Your Values (Paperback)
by Marshall B. Rosenberg
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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August 06
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New comment on Mike's review of
The Da Vinci Code
(see all 2 comments)
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