I thought this non-fiction book was about a young man who gave up all his worldly possession to live alone in the wilderness of Alaska. In fact, the movie tie-in edition suggests as much. That's a little misleading. It's true that the protagonist was a modern day tramp who did not care for material possessions, but he had no plan to live permanently off the land (at least not in Alaska). It was more of an extended camping trip. However, this is about the only quibble I have about the book. There's a reason why Jon Krakauer is one of the bestselling non-fiction authors out there, and his great success started with this book. The story in his hands in gripping and fascinating. Like Under the Banner of Heaven, and Into Thin Air, this book stayed with me long after I finished reading it.
Buy Into the Wild on Amazon
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Friday, May 4, 2012
Better than your Average Biography
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
Yes, Jobs was a jerk and a megalomaniac. There's a reason why they don't say "nice guys finish first." A walking contradiction, a cruel master, a visionary leader, Steve Jobs was a uniquely American success story. The excellent writing and fascinating subject matter make this a better, more accessible biography than most.
Buy "Steve Jobs" from Amazon
Yes, Jobs was a jerk and a megalomaniac. There's a reason why they don't say "nice guys finish first." A walking contradiction, a cruel master, a visionary leader, Steve Jobs was a uniquely American success story. The excellent writing and fascinating subject matter make this a better, more accessible biography than most.
Buy "Steve Jobs" from Amazon
Murder in Connecticut
In the Middle of the Night by Brian McDonald
The author of this book about the brutal murder of a family in Connecticut has been attacked as an opportunist. Perhaps he is. The book is not a very good "In Cold Blood" clone. It's a bit superficial and does not do the reader the favor of waiting for a conclusion to the trials before publishing. Still, it is interesting. And why is this book such a violation of the family's privacy when other publishers and authors (Ann Rule comes to mind) profit handsomely from "True Crime?"
Buy "In the Middle of the Night" on Amazon
The author of this book about the brutal murder of a family in Connecticut has been attacked as an opportunist. Perhaps he is. The book is not a very good "In Cold Blood" clone. It's a bit superficial and does not do the reader the favor of waiting for a conclusion to the trials before publishing. Still, it is interesting. And why is this book such a violation of the family's privacy when other publishers and authors (Ann Rule comes to mind) profit handsomely from "True Crime?"
Buy "In the Middle of the Night" on Amazon
History, Michael Moore Style
Rivethead by Ben Hamper
I like books about how cars are made. This would fall into that category, and it is interesting. It's also written by someone who thinks the world owes him something and who thoroughly fails to understand that he's not entitled to a good paying job on an assembly line. It is art as history, or art as biography; either way, it's only for the hardcore lover of automotive history. It is also, perhaps, a sad commentary on why the American automotive industry fell into decline.
Buy "Rivethead" on Amazon
I like books about how cars are made. This would fall into that category, and it is interesting. It's also written by someone who thinks the world owes him something and who thoroughly fails to understand that he's not entitled to a good paying job on an assembly line. It is art as history, or art as biography; either way, it's only for the hardcore lover of automotive history. It is also, perhaps, a sad commentary on why the American automotive industry fell into decline.
Buy "Rivethead" on Amazon
Dining on Jurassic Carnivores
Eating the Dinosaur by Chuck Klosterman
Before I read this book, I didn't know there were writers like Chuck Klosterman. In this book he delves into matters I have always wondered about yet never expected would be explained so thoroughly and philosophically. For instance, why was Ralph Sampson, the UVA/Houston Rockets member of the "Twin Towers" so hated? Why did Garth Brooks become Chris Gaines? How is AC/DC like ABBA? If you are interested in just about everything, and always asking "why?" about things few other rational beings care about, Klosterman's writing will be right up your alley.
Buy "Eating the Dinosaur" on Amazon
Before I read this book, I didn't know there were writers like Chuck Klosterman. In this book he delves into matters I have always wondered about yet never expected would be explained so thoroughly and philosophically. For instance, why was Ralph Sampson, the UVA/Houston Rockets member of the "Twin Towers" so hated? Why did Garth Brooks become Chris Gaines? How is AC/DC like ABBA? If you are interested in just about everything, and always asking "why?" about things few other rational beings care about, Klosterman's writing will be right up your alley.
Buy "Eating the Dinosaur" on Amazon
"Tragic Hero"
Grizzly Man by Werner Herzog (DVD)
Treadwell lived with grizzlies in Alaska for parts of 13 summers with no means of protection. And though he was no hero, at least not in the way we usually think about heroes, I think it would be fair to consider him a "tragic hero." Dictionary.com defines as a tragic hero as a "character who makes an error of judgment or has a fatal flaw that, combined with fate and external forces, brings on a tragedy." Treadwell would have been a psychologist's dream, since reveling in potential imminent death on a daily basis surely cannot be considered rational behavior. Still, he was incredibly brave and seemed to truly care for the wild creatures that were his subjects. While I had laughed and snickered about the "guy who was eaten by grizzlies" before I ever saw this film, I was touched by it and slightly ashamed. No, I don't think Treadwell was really helping the bears. Yes, I think he was crazy. Yet, due to my own soft-hearted feelings toward living creatures, I feel some kinship with Treadwell and am sorry he could not have channeled his love for animals in a more useful direction. While he was clearly troubled, Treadwell was not the joke I had made him out to be.
Buy "Grizzly Man" on DVD on Amazon
Treadwell lived with grizzlies in Alaska for parts of 13 summers with no means of protection. And though he was no hero, at least not in the way we usually think about heroes, I think it would be fair to consider him a "tragic hero." Dictionary.com defines as a tragic hero as a "character who makes an error of judgment or has a fatal flaw that, combined with fate and external forces, brings on a tragedy." Treadwell would have been a psychologist's dream, since reveling in potential imminent death on a daily basis surely cannot be considered rational behavior. Still, he was incredibly brave and seemed to truly care for the wild creatures that were his subjects. While I had laughed and snickered about the "guy who was eaten by grizzlies" before I ever saw this film, I was touched by it and slightly ashamed. No, I don't think Treadwell was really helping the bears. Yes, I think he was crazy. Yet, due to my own soft-hearted feelings toward living creatures, I feel some kinship with Treadwell and am sorry he could not have channeled his love for animals in a more useful direction. While he was clearly troubled, Treadwell was not the joke I had made him out to be.
Buy "Grizzly Man" on DVD on Amazon
"The Rule About Bears is their Unpredictability"...anonymous
Night of the Grizzlies by Jack Olsen
This book details the first two grizzly related deaths in Glacier National Park, both on the same night in 1967. Written by acclaimed journalist Jack Olsen, it's is a fascinating insight into the National Park Service's understanding of the grizzly threat to man over 40 years ago. Before these killings, one would have been forgiven for thinking that grizzlies were a potential nuisance to man rather than a danger. While it's heavier on background than action, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's still a relatively popular read, and it led me to Grizzly Man. While Grizzly Man has been and will be, no doubt, easily parodied, it is a deeply moving story for anyone who loves animals.
Buy Night of the Grizzlies on Amazon
This book details the first two grizzly related deaths in Glacier National Park, both on the same night in 1967. Written by acclaimed journalist Jack Olsen, it's is a fascinating insight into the National Park Service's understanding of the grizzly threat to man over 40 years ago. Before these killings, one would have been forgiven for thinking that grizzlies were a potential nuisance to man rather than a danger. While it's heavier on background than action, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's still a relatively popular read, and it led me to Grizzly Man. While Grizzly Man has been and will be, no doubt, easily parodied, it is a deeply moving story for anyone who loves animals.
Buy Night of the Grizzlies on Amazon
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Air Jordan
Playing for Keeps: Michael Jordan and the World He Made by David Halberstam
A good overview of Michael Jordan's basketball career, up through his second retirement in 2008. Halberstam is an excellent historian (see, for instance, The Reckoning). Maybe that's why this book struck a bit of a discordant note with me; it reads like a book about sports written by a historian. There's a distance or lack of intimate feel for the small details of the game. Too, like many sports books, it includes too many locker room- type quotes; frankly "we're so *%$#@! great" just doesn't come across as well in the written word as it might in the verbal heat of the battle. Another quibble I have is that the book is not written in a linear fashion. There is a lot of back and forth, past to present. While useful at times, it feels like a gimmick. A book on the Bulls' last season, Blood on the Horns, while not nearly so comprehensive, is a much more enjoyable read.
Buy Playing for Keeps on Amazon
A good overview of Michael Jordan's basketball career, up through his second retirement in 2008. Halberstam is an excellent historian (see, for instance, The Reckoning). Maybe that's why this book struck a bit of a discordant note with me; it reads like a book about sports written by a historian. There's a distance or lack of intimate feel for the small details of the game. Too, like many sports books, it includes too many locker room- type quotes; frankly "we're so *%$#@! great" just doesn't come across as well in the written word as it might in the verbal heat of the battle. Another quibble I have is that the book is not written in a linear fashion. There is a lot of back and forth, past to present. While useful at times, it feels like a gimmick. A book on the Bulls' last season, Blood on the Horns, while not nearly so comprehensive, is a much more enjoyable read.
Buy Playing for Keeps on Amazon
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