Book Description
A complete creativity education in one volume. Everything you need to know to increase and unleash your creativity, by America's leading expert on the psychological side of creativity.
Whether you're a painter or a human resources manager, a novelist or an information services specialist, says Eric Maisel, whatever you do, creativity helps you do it better.
In this book, Maisel presents a complete one-year plan for unleashing your creativity. It uncludes two discussions/exercises per week, and culminates in a guided project of your choice--from working on your current novel to planning a new home business.
Customer Reviews:
A challenge that has proved not so challenging...yet.......2007-03-09
...so far. I know it is silly to write a review when I am not completely thru the book yet... but so far, this book has been somewhat of confirmation of my own creativity more than a stretch of it. Most of the things that have been suggested so far are pretty much things I already was doing to motivate myself to keep a working schedule devoted to my art.
So why did I give it 5 stars?
I really think someone unsure of their talents would be encouraged to pursue something creative using this book/course. It aids in the discovery process and then encourages you to overcome the obstacles between you and the project. I had a project in mind when I began... but for someone who knew there was a well of creativity inside them, the book would help them figure out how to tap that well even if they weren't quite sure what project they wanted to pursue.
Bite-Size Brillance.......2006-05-19
Since creativity usually reveals itself in small doses (and because most creative folks have short attention spans), I'm drawn to creativity-related books that stick to the point and offer bite-size morsels of materials. (In fact, both books I've written on this topic -- "IdeaSpotting" and "Zing!" take the approach of single-page messages.)
By presenting his content in a sequential, year-long plan, Maisel gives the reader digestible, easy-to-access inspiration and exercises for higher creativity and fresh ideas. Too many books force the reader to dig for the nuggets in volumes of narrative. Maisel's Creativity Book keeps the reader doing rather than digging!
Worth a Year of Your Time.......2004-06-24
Eric Maisel has given us a nice book filled with inspiration and creative guidance.
This book is structured in 52 weekly segments starting with beginning work and ending up with a project that should be completed. Each short chapter contains a brief essay of guidance and then an inventive exercise to try on for size.
The author of this book, Eric Maisel, Ph.D., is a psychologist who teaches that the act of creating impacts all aspects of one's life. So this book is intended for everyone, not just those struggling to survive artistic blocks. Executives can develop new business ideas, cooks can create better dishes, lawyers can find new ways to argue, politicians can consider alternative ways to create democracy, children can become better students and so on. Overall an extremely good book for those willing to put forth a bit of effort towards creating new ideas.
Creativity for anyone--not just writers and artists.......2004-04-28
I'm quite fond of Eric Maisel's books. He's a psychotherapist and "creativity consultant," and he has written a number of books on writing, art, and creativity. Several of them are among my favorite writing books: "Living the Writer's Life," "Deep Writing," and "Write Mind." Unlike those books, "The Creativity Book" is not aimed specifically at writers. It's aimed at you, me, your brother, and the guy in the cubicle down the hall. In other words, anyone who'd like to use a little more creativity in their lives, whether for painting, writing, mathematics, relationships, or business plans.
The book is designed to be read one section at a time, to take you through a year of learning. It has 88 sections, two per week, to get you through ten months, and then the idea is that you spend the last two months of your year devoted to a particular creative project. Each base section is pretty short--generally a page or three--so you'll have no trouble reading it in a few spare minutes some evening. Then it's followed by at least one exercise, and sometimes several. Sometimes the exercises are very specific; at other times, Maisel suggests ways to apply the exercises to whatever area you're trying to become more creative in.
Many of the ideas in the book are relatively basic, but this in no way makes them useless. After all, they're only basic for people who are already highly creative and making abundant use of that creativity. In large part this book is designed to help those who aren't sure where to start when it comes to creativity, and who haven't had much luck sitting down and getting started with their creative projects. Even highly creative people will still find things of value in this book, however. Some sections will feel like remedial schooling, but others might unlock surprising ways for you to move forward in your work. People with more experience using their creativity might prefer to skip from section to section instead of following the "plan," however, using the bits that have particular value to them.
Worth reading, doing, keeping, re-reading.......2004-03-16
Eric Maisel is a prolific writer with a penchant for helping artists. And this book is no exception. For those who have read Cameron's "The Artist's Way," in the required number of weeks and wish there were other timed guides, Maisel's book is the answer. It's a year's worth of creative work, some gentle and imaginative, some kick-in-the-rear tough. I'll admit I read all the way through it, and I'll bet Maisel knew that most readers would. It's an interesting read that way, with Maisel's wry observations and self-deprecating humor serving as another level of inspiration. There is a lot hiding in this book, waiting to be discovered. The quotes in the scholar's margins create their own interesting commentary. Use this book to dip into when you are bored, stymied, frustrated, lonely or stuck. You won't come away feeling the same way. You might not want to do every exercise Maisel suggests, but imagining them might be enough to give you creative traction again.
Average customer rating:
- To Kick Start Enthusiasm & Inspiration
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Decorative Glasswork (New Crafts Series)
Michael Ball
Manufacturer: Lorenz Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Instructional & How-To
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Decorating
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Glass & Glassware
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Pottery & Ceramics
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Painting & Wallpapering
| Interior Design
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1859673759 |
Customer Reviews:
To Kick Start Enthusiasm & Inspiration.......2000-06-10
This book has excellent colour photographs of historic and modern glassware painting from teapots to champagne glasses to windows ; a comprehensive guide to materials and techniques - all accompanied by photographs. The step by step instructions for projects are easy to follow - again, photos all the way plus templates. The projects involve readily available items - bottles, jars, mirrors, glasses, small windows, photo frames, baubles, boxes, candlesticks. Simple to do and impressive when finished. I am always going back to this book.
Book Description
Ponting happily agreed to document Scott's upcoming South Pole expedition, which turned out to be Scott's final trek.
Average customer rating:
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You Know You're Grown Up When . . .
Jeanne K. Hanson
Manufacturer: Workman Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Comic Strips
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
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General
| Comics & Graphic Novels
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General
| Humor
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Self-Help & Psychology
| Humor
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General
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ASIN: 156305115X |
Book Description
One day, you're eating out with your parents and you pick up the check. Or you notice your muscles are sore after washing the car. Or there's a bat in the bedroom at 3:00 A.M. and you're the one who has to deal with it. Then it dawns on you: This is what it means to be grown up.
For everyone who no longer wants his MTV, and who ranks New Year's Eve somewhere below Arbor Day on a list of favorite holidays, here is a little book of knowing observations on the nature of being an adult. It considers parents, work, spouses, personality quirks, materials, values, and children as a way to tell you you're grown up when: You're less embarrassed by weird relatives; your "baby brother" is getting a divorce; you know you'll never run a marathon, own a villa in the South of France, or control General Motors; you don't like shopping anymore; and one more thing: you'll know you're grown up when you can read a book like this and laugh instead of panic. Which you'll do, if you're grown up.
Book Description
Every parent has had one of those days--like when you invented the neatest idea for your son's sharing time only to realize the next morning that it was the silliest thing you'd ever done... or when you returned the library book to the video store and the video to the library... or when your husband built a playset using household appliances. Parents have days like these all the time, and when viewed in just the right light, with a smile on your face, they become some of the funniest days of your life! Syndicated writer Debbie Farmer has a good bead on the lives parents lead. With two energetic children of her own, she has plenty of stories to tell, and she always serves up the very best medicine--laughter!
Customer Reviews:
Finding Humor In Real Life Parenting!.......2004-05-02
I receive Debbie's Family Daze on a regular basis. After reading her first column- I was hooked! Debbie is outrageously funny; reason being, her stories hit home! Getting through my really "stressed-out-Mom" days is more tolerable after reading Debbie's take on life with kids! Thanks Debbie! Keep 'em coming!
Debbie Farmer knows parenting.......2004-04-30
I receive Debbie's e-column on a regular basis and it never fails to get me breaking out in laughter. She gives us a picture to relate to in our own world of parenting with all the crazy things that happen. We can laugh about it and know we are not alone. She is a talented author who deserves to receive a 5 star award from Amazon! Great book Debbie. Once again you have captured the whacky world of parenting.
Delightful, real humor.......2004-04-30
I love Debbie's writing. I've read many of her columns and essays, and this book reveal's Debbie at her all time best. She takes the real frustrations and pains of parenting, and forces us to see it in humorous, loving light. You KNOW she is a mother and a wonderful one at that when you read this book.
Erma was wonderful. Debbie is just as awesome.
life with kids.......2004-04-30
Funny, charming, caring, a delight to read.
Down to earth and relevant.......2004-04-29
I love Debbie's column which I receive in my e-mail on a regular basis. I also love this book. It is full of some very funny insights into life as a parent.She is someone who has been "in the trenches", so to speak and knows exactly what it feels like when your darling children are ready to drive you to the funny farm. She writes with a loving heart that shows the best way to handle many situations is to laugh about it. Sometimes parenting children can push you to the end of your rope and the best thing for you and your children is to stand back, take a deep breath and let out a good belly laugh. I look forward to a follow-up book in the future.
Book Description
"Dumb Angel", the first working title of "Smile", is said to have been an expression of Brian Wilson's insight into the character of his brother Dennis.
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Dennis Wilson started out as drummer with the Beach Boys, a '60s teenage pin-up and the only true surfer in the group. He died prematurely in 1983, shortly after marrying his cousin's illegitimate love child. In between, he indulged copiously in sex and drugs, hung out with Charles Manson, married on three other occasions, wrote and sang on over twenty Beach Boys tracks, released one solo LP, and left a vast wealth of rare, beautiful studio material that remains largely unavailable to this day.
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Dumb Angel is an illustrated testament which reveals not only the highs and lows of Wilson's amazing rock and roll life and the details of his tragic early death, but focuses on the man's true legacy: his soulful, fractured voice and music.
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With a preface by Peter Buck of REM.
??
Customer Reviews:
An compelling life story, sadly ill-written........2004-03-11
Much good research work went into this book, but it is badly let down by the often juvenile character of the writing and opinions (on subjects musical and otherwise). A shame as Dennis was an extraordinary personality and a creative, original musician. His songwriting in the period when Brian Wilson slowly abdicated creative direction for the band after the collapse of 'Smile' was undoubtedly the creative highpoint (along with Brian's occaisional work). Nonetheless it is also reasonable to argue that Adam Webb overwhelms Dennis with more of a weight of genius than is strictly fair. Some elementary factual errors also jarr - Smile's 'I Love To Say Da Da' is NOT the same song as Sunflower's 'Cool Cool Water', for example. I went for this book with great enthusiasm as Dennis's story reaches out beyond that of the band in a way that only Brian's has otherwise done, but it's very difficult to really recommend it as an enjoyable reading experience.
Good intentions, not-so-good results.......2002-02-12
Besides the lack of fact-checking mentioned above, I was bothered by the lack of basic writing skills Webb displays. The occasional misplaced apostrophe I can ignore, but this book is rife with mistakes, the most annoying of them being the author's habit of using incomplete sentences.
However, if you're not bothered by that sort of thing, this book is a quick and interesting (if not particularly accurate) read.
A Great Book!.......2001-06-15
I think this book rates really well alongside Jon Stebbin's book on Dennis from last year. There is some overlap, but Webb concentrates more on the music and deflating some myths surrounding the Beach Boys most underrated member. Most people know about Dennis for his rock n roll lifestyle and association with Charles Manson, but few know that he also created an awesome body of music.
Maybe it's a little one-sided but there are some cool interviews with key collaborators and Webb writes strongly with a genuine passion for Dennis Wilson's work. If you're intruiged by what you read here I strongly recommend that you search high and low for a copy of "Pacific Ocean Blue".
Okay But Error Filled.......2001-06-14
Adam Webb has done a good thing by bringing attention to Dennis Wilson's wonderful music. But this book needed some decent editing and fact checking in a big way. Webb continually makes mistakes that even the novice Beach Boy fan would catch. For example by stating that Dennis was not at the "Surfin" sessions. It is well documented that Dennis was there, his voice is obviously on the recording, and he sang a lead line on the B-side "Luau". Webb also states that Dennis sang lead on "Catch A Wave". No. That was Mike Love. Webb states that Brian's song "Lay Down Burden" was on his BW solo LP when in fact it was on his "Imagination" LP. These kind of annoying errors are rampant in this book. It takes away from the believability and enjoyment factor in my opinion.
Okay But Error Filled.......2001-06-14
Adam Webb has done a good thing by bringing attention to Dennis Wilson's wonderful music. But this book needed some decent editing and fact checking in a big way. Webb continually makes mistakes that even the novice Beach Boy fan would catch. For example by stating that Dennis was not at the "Surfin" sessions. It is well documented that Dennis was there, his voice is obviously on the recording, and he sang a lead line on the B-side "Luau". Webb also states that Dennis sang lead on "Catch A Wave". No. That was Mike Love. Webb states that Brian's song "Lay Down Burden" was on his BW solo LP when in fact it was on his "Imagination" LP. These kind of annoying errors are rampant in this book. It takes away from the believability and enjoyment factor in my opinion.
Average customer rating:
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Critical Thinking and Popular Culture: Reading and Writing the American Experience
Peter Elias Sotiriou
Manufacturer: Wadsworth Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Popular Culture
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Anthropology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
| Cultural
| Ethnobotany
| Ethnology
| Evolution
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| History & Philosophy
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General
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General
| Politics
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Rhetoric
| Words & Language
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ASIN: 0534235921 |
Book Description
A guide to critical writing and reading that uses popular culture as the reading environments to teach students critical thinking skills.
Average customer rating:
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Biographical Dictionary of American Labor
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
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Labor Policy
| Popular Economics
| Business & Investing
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General
| Popular Economics
| Business & Investing
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Economic History
| Economics
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
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Labor & Industrial Relations
| Economics
| Business & Investing
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General
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
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General
| United States
| Americas
| History
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Social History
| Historical Study
| History
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ASIN: 0313228655 |
Book Description
"an invaluable reference tool for the serious scholar of labor history. . . . Essential for most academic and research libraries." Library Journal
Average customer rating:
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Before We Were Born
Carol Potter
Manufacturer: Alice James Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
20th Century
| Poetry
| United States
| World Literature
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Upside Down in the Dark: Poems
Accessories:
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Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers
ASIN: 0914086901 |
Product Description
Physical stages of human life from fertilization to adulthood with examples of defects and malformations in pictures with captioned explanations and reference denotation for text reference.
Product Description
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Average customer rating:
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What's New, Lincoln?
Dale. Fife
Manufacturer: Putnam Pub Group (L)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
ASIN: 0698303989 |
Average customer rating:
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A Reporter for Lincoln: Story of Henry E. Wing Soldier and Newspaperman
Ida M. Tarbell
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Historical
| Biographies & Memoirs
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General
| United States
| Historical
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ASIN: 1417926945 |
Book Description
1927. Tarbell is best noted as being one of the original muckrakers because of her book, The History of the Standard Oil Company, which played a role in helping to shut down the Standard Oil monopoly. She is also recognized for the Life of Abraham Lincoln. This volume is the story of the adventures of Henry E. Wing, cub reporter for the New York Tribune in the last year of the Civil War, his account of his experiences and close relationship with Abraham Lincoln. It is based on his own letters and writings, supplemented by his many conversations with the author in the last year of his life. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.
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A Reporter's Lincoln (Bison Book)
Walter B. Stevens
Manufacturer: Bison Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
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Presidents & Heads of State
| Leaders & Notable People
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United States Civil War
| Military
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Lincoln, Abraham
| ( L )
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ASIN: 0803292538 |
Book Description
From 1886 to 1909, Walter B. Stevens, chief of the Washington bureau of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, interviewed many people who had known Abraham Lincoln. As the centennial of Lincoln’s birth approached, the Globe-Democrat assembled some of these materials for the series “Recollections of Lincoln,” which appeared in early 1909. In 1916 about half of the “Recollections” articles appeared in A Reporter’s Lincoln, published by the Missouri Historical Society. That work is reproduced here, supplemented by articles that were either omitted or only partially reproduced in the 1916 edition.
These little-known accounts flesh out the Lincoln record in a number of important ways. We find valuable new information on the Lincoln-Douglas debates and interesting testimony on Mary Todd Lincoln and Lincoln family traditions. The editor provides useful annotation on the identities of the informants and the likely veracity of the materials.
Customer Reviews:
Reminising about Lincoln.......2004-01-16
This edition is a modern update and expansion of memories and tales about Lincoln gathered starting in 1886 by Walter B. Smith then chief of the Washington bureau of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. Even at that time the legends about Lincoln had begun to grow. Understandably what people remembered, or were willing to present, probably portrayed themselves in a favorble light and presented themselves as closer to Lincoln than they may actually have been. The author himself was not above presenting material from other sources as interviews he had personaly conducted. Keeping that in mind the book offers glimpses of an elusive historical figure from a variety of points of view from people who knew him. Editor Michael Burlingame does an admirable job of informing the reader of the limitations inherent in this kind of gahering oral history. There is a fascination to reading about Lincoln as known by political friends and opponents, relatives and fellow attorneys, merchants and those who knew him when they were children.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from National Catholic Reporter, published by Thomson Gale on October 7, 2005. The length of the article is 1012 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Seeing Lincoln for who he was.(What Lincoln Believed: The Values and Convictions of America's Greatest President)(Book Review)
Author: Wayne A. Holts
Publication:
National Catholic Reporter (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 7, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 41
Issue: 43
Page: 14a(2)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
These debates are perhaps the most consequential of American election campaigning and its political arguments. The Political Debates between the Honorable Abraham Lincoln and the Honorable Stephen A. Douglas in the Celebrated Campaign of 1858, in Illinois, were carefully recorded by the reporters of each party at the times of their delivery and originally published in 1860 by Follett & Foster. Included are the preceding speeches of each candidate at Chicago, Springfield, etc., as well as the two great speeches of Mr. Lincoln in Ohio, in 1859.
Book Description
Beloved by readers and critics nationwide, The Woman at the Washington Zoo collects Marjorie Williams's brilliant writings-from sharp political profiles to witty commentary on gender and family life to tender, intensely personal explorations of illness and loss. A Washington Post columnist and contributing editor at Vanity Fair, Marjorie wrote political portraits that came to be considered the final word on the capital's most powerful figures. She also wrote essays for Slate, the Post's op-ed page and other publications that extended beyond politics to tackle topics at once broader and more intimate, including "Hit by Lightning," Williams's memoir of her battle against fourth-stage liver cancer. In "The Alchemist" Williams paints a heartbreaking portrait of her own mother at middle age that follows a winding path from the culinary arts to love, infidelity, admiration, and sorrow. Throughout the book Williams writes with a blend of candor, humor, and grace that was uniquely her own. This splendid collection provides a window into Washington's political elite, the messy lives that the rest of us lead, and-perhaps most powerfully-Williams herself.
Customer Reviews:
4.5 stars: the best are very, very good.......2007-05-14
I used to read Marjorie Williams in the Washington Post, and was reminded of her work when her exceptionally moving essay "Hit by Lightning" was in a "best of" book by multiple authors. It was so good that I simply had to read this collection of only her work.
The finest essays and profiles here are wonderful. The writing is outstanding, and ranges from great insight to humor and sadness and to the biting remark that takes down somebody famous a notch or two.
My favorites were (besides "Hit by Lightning"):
- "The Alchemist", a previously unpublished profile of her mother. What an exploration of a mother's relationship to her daughter and (presumably) perceptive view of her mother's life!
- "Scenes from a Marriage" - oh, my, how it drills into the relationship between Clinton and Gore, after the 2004 election and back into their time in office. This essay was justifiably well-known.
- "Bill Clinton, Feminist" - Ms. Williams shreds the feminists who defended President Clinton in his sexual escapades, while disregarding the women involved. She doesn't even break a sweat. Brutal and delightful reading.
- "The Halloween of My Dreams" - her final column, about her daughter's Halloween, the last Halloween Ms. Williams would see.
- The profiles of Jeb Bush and Barbara Bush, both of which offered fresh insights and information.
- Of the columns, many of which are first rate, I particularly liked the one on Princess Diana's death (I'm not sure why, to be honest) and one on assisted suicide.
The book actually got off to a slow start for me. The first two profiles were relatively dated and uninteresting, and the third, on Richard Darman, was wonderfully crafted, but I found myself not that curious about someone who moved rapidly into footnote status. However, Darman's profile had one of the best lines in the entire book: "As always, the vapor of self-certainty leaks off him like rocket fuel". Didn't these people know who they were up against in Marjorie Williams?
The short columns included are mostly very good, yet they also suffer from the usual fate of newspaper columns, in that they don't age that well, as the topic in hand often quickly becomes old news. Ms. Williams is far from alone in that fate, of course, so some of these pieces serve as a reminder of past news to reconsider with hindsight and contemplate what has happened since.
Learned to read.......2007-05-13
This book made me realize how painful it could be to at sometimes for the lack of a better word be a " dubmass " It took me a lot of brushing up on my reading skills to fully appreceiate this book and it was very insightfull just as the other books that were recomened to me to be read if I liked this one were. It also taught me that caring=sharing which can cause mass confusion sometimes to people who need to improve there reading skills which in turn = understanding and then ultimatly joy and happiness for many years to come. However this just could be a hopeful thought, but I would like to think it holds true for all readers especially the ones that would enjoy reading A year of Magical Thinking, where I think it says something about country boys being of big hearts are stubborn and rarely give up on anything.
Sharp and sassy, sweet and sentimental--wonderful stories.......2007-03-09
No, this isn't about the typical zoon--but about the "Zoo" that is Washington, D.C.
Marjorie Williams, a journalist for the Washington Post, had a sense of unrelenting refusal to deal with just the surface reality--but find the truth beneath.
Sitting here in the Midwest, some of these stories, some of the people are not players we hear about every day, but some were.
Marjorie and Tim Noah (Senior writer for Slate) were married in 1990. In 2001, happy and healthy, Marjorie discovered a lump in her lower abdomen and after much effort, died in 2005 from liver cancer at the age of 47. Tim has selected what he feels are her most revealing columns written about politicians, the shakers and movers of Washington's social ad business life, and about her family.
As an outsider I enjoyed reading about insiders like Ambassador Lucky Roosevelt and her long marriage, and other characters that made good reading.
Jennifer Senior, New York Times Book Review said, "Williams was a crowbar, prying great quotes from her sources, and she found herself face to face with rather intimate details of their life."
So true, whether she was writing about Bill and Hillary, the couple that always give us something to talk about, her own illness, her mother's illness, or her children--her observations were always sharp and often sweet.
Some of my favorites were her most personal stories, like The Cat Race about how she was "going to raise her children," that is, until she actually had children. This felt very familiar.
The Art of Fake (and Useful) Apology, (in the news again as I write this) used by politicians reminds us that this happens far too often.
With another Presidential campaign heating up, Williams takes us back to 1992 when Al Gore was running for President (without hitching his star to Clinton). Her article, "Scenes from a Marriage" is about that time, and the end of that "marriage" and the not-too-obvious divorce of Clinton and Gore.
Sadly the world will never again read about current events from her.
Armchair Interviews says: This book was a New York Times Bestseller.
Could not put it down.......2006-09-29
Really two books. One, a series of pieces about inside Washington stories, often with characters who are largely off stage but important in how things get done in the seat of empire. Rather than the usual insider's view, Ms. Williams has an extraordinarily keen eye for seeing what is there for all to see, perhaps along the lines of I.F. Stone's insistence on using only attributed sources. The second book is an account of her diagnosis and subsequent experiences with an ultimately fatal cancer, its impact on her life, outlook, work, as well and an account of her medical care.
Touching without being Treacly.......2006-09-16
I bought this book primarily because I enjoy memoir and it was represented in the media as a collection of personal essays by a woman who fought what was eventually a losing battle with cancer.
In fact, the personal essays comprise the smaller part of this collection. Most pieces are in-depth political commentary or profiles of Washington, D.C. personalities. I'm not interested in that subject matter at all.
To correct one of the other reviewers, this collection was compiled after Williams' death by her husband. It contains material that she apparently never intended to publish. But long-time fans of Williams should not fault *her* for what was and was not included in the book, since these decisions were made posthumously.
Williams was a gifted writer -- insightful, precise, and painfully honest. I enjoyed the personal essays immensely (particularly the piece about her complex relationship with her mother) and even found myself reading and enjoying the political essays.
Product Description
Tradepaperback
Average customer rating:
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Hummingbirds (Portrait of the Animal World)
Hal H. Wyss
Manufacturer: New Line Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Birdwatching
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Reference
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Ornithology
| Zoology
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1577171349
Release Date: 2005-01-01 |
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