 |
pratalife's Reviews |
5.0 stars
If I can recommend only one book on the craft of writing, this is it. Wherever you use English - school reports, blogs, business proposals, or novels - this book can help you do so more effectively, more efficiently and more enjoyably.
Most books on writing just lay down the law. Robert W. Harris doesn't make that mistake. From the outset, he acknowledges that bad writing is an addiction; an -ism that is given to misdirect your pen. We are gripped by malescribism! This book is a treatment plan for recovery...
More at http://pratalife.blogspot.com/
If I can recommend only one book on the craft of writing, this is it. Wherever you use English - school reports, blogs, business proposals, or novels - this book can help you do so more effectively, more efficiently and more enjoyably.
Most books on writing just lay down the law. Robert W. Harris doesn't make that mistake. From the outset, he acknowledges that bad writing is an addiction; an -ism that is given to misdirect your pen. We are gripped by malescribism! This book is a ... (read more)
5.0 stars
This is the 2nd of Cornwell's Grail Quest series that follows the life of Thomas of Hookton - a simple English archer who gradually gets to learn of his family's mysterious past.
By far the best way to "read" this book is in the audio version narrated by Sean Barrett (available from audible.com). Mr Barrett's performance breathes gritty, wholesome life into the 14th century life of an archer.
More thoughts at http://pratalife.blogspot.com/
5.0 stars
Harlequin is the first of Cornwell's Grail Quest series that follows the life of Thomas of Hookton - a simple English archer who gradually gets to learn of his family's mysterious past.
By far the best way to "read" this book is in the audio version narrated by Sean Barrett (available from audible.com). Mr Barrett's performance breathes gritty, wholesome life into the 14th century life of an archer.
More thoughts at http://pratalife.blogspot.com/
5.0 stars
I hate motivation books; all that sickly rah-rah and exultations that you too can be like Donald Trump. Justin Herald's book Get Motivated is refreshingly different, and a thought-provoking read. This is about common sense philosophy for real people. Justin Herald tells it like it is, and sometimes you might not like it. It is a refreshing read, highly recommended. My thoughts continue here: http://pratalife.blogspot.com/
5.0 stars
Absolutely made obsolete by the passage of time, but an all-time classic. Before windows, we were stunned by the amazing graphics that games like Wolfenstein 3D manage to squeeze out of our lowly machines. With Abrash's book and a good assembler (Turbo Assembler my tool of choice) it was possible to learn and understand how it was done!
0.0 star
Leon Uris has written some genius books, but this isn't one of them. It starts as a promising historical fiction dealing with the formation of the US marine corp, but soon descends into a turgid and pointless romance novel. At that point I gave up too.
4.7 stars
The oft-cited classic software development management text; one that rightfully puts the focus on people. Recommended!
More thoughts at http://pratalife.blogspot.com/
4.3 stars
This is a great book on practical innovation, and generally just getting things done. Although it takes the "Rocket Scientist" as the model (understandable, since Longuski is one), it largely avoids the trap of being elitist and sycophantic. It's just an honest and thoughtful analysis of how rocket scientists work, and presented almost like a pattern language for knowledge workers.
I wrote a reflection on the book called "Code like a Rocket Scientist" http://tardate.blogspot.com/20
This is a great book on practical innovation, and generally just getting things done. Although it takes the "Rocket Scientist" as the model (understandable, since Longuski is one), it largely avoids the trap of being elitist and sycophantic. It's just an honest and thoughtful analysis of how rocket scientists work, and presented almost like a pattern language for knowledge workers.
I wrote a reflection on the book called "Code like a Rocket Scientist" http://tardate.blogspot.com/2... (read more)
5.0 stars
Day to day, our time is marked by weeks, months and years. We take it for granted that no matter where you are on earth, you always know where you are in time. The calendar is such a routine concept that it takes excellent and most engaging book by David Ewing Duncan to make you stop and think.
This book traces the origins, offshoots and upsets of the epic tale of the calendar. In doing so, Duncan finds a thread through all peoples over all time.
Which is really the genius of David Duncan's work. He is a great explainer, and in telling the story of the calendar, he tells the story of much of human civilization. And where other "histories of the world" struggle to find a narrative thread across time and place, the story of the calendar provides Duncan with a perfect backdrop. The result is the most enjoyable, understandable and effective history lesson I have ever had.
.. more on http://pratalife.blogspot.com/
Day to day, our time is marked by weeks, months and years. We take it for granted that no matter where you are on earth, you always know where you are in time. The calendar is such a routine concept that it takes excellent and most engaging book by David Ewing Duncan to make you stop and think.
This book traces the origins, offshoots and upsets of the epic tale of the calendar. In doing so, Duncan finds a thread through all peoples over all time.
Which is really the genius of Da... (read more)
4.0 stars
I picked up "What the Customer Wants" [NOT this book] at the library and thought it was a crock. One shelf over, I found relief in "What Customers Really Want". Despite my initial fears, it does a good job of steering away from being just another jingoistic throw-away management fluff piece, and gets down to six very frank points of view on what's wrong with customer service, product development and general management at many companies - and what to do about it.
The problems are depressingly common - the companies I've worked at all suffer from one or more of the problems named in this book - but this is one of the few books that addresses the issues so plainly.
more at http://pratalife.blogspot.com/
I picked up "What the Customer Wants" [NOT this book] at the library and thought it was a crock. One shelf over, I found relief in "What Customers Really Want". Despite my initial fears, it does a good job of steering away from being just another jingoistic throw-away management fluff piece, and gets down to six very frank points of view on what's wrong with customer service, product development and general management at many companies - and what to do about it.
The problems are ... (read more)