Monday, July 16th, 2001
The story is told in the first person, dictated by the main character into the “black box” (cockpit recording device) of a passenger aircraft he’s hijacked for his suicide ride.
There are some amazingly inventive passages here, to complement the dark satire and biting sarcasm. If you’re a fan of smart writing, tongue-in-cheek intellectual skateboarding, such as the books of Vonnegut, Coupland, Brauner, Tarloff, or if you liked Fight Club, you’ll like this book.
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posted to area: Fiction
updated: 2005-01-05 14:09:56
Full title: The Egoscue Method of Health Through Motion
This is a fix-it manual for the body. Based on common sense theories of alignment and skeletal support, the “Egoscue method” holds that the human body can and should be pain-free, strong, and flexible throughout a person’s life. And, better, it shows how to get to that point.
The text is clear and easily read. The diagrams are revealing. Whether you’re suffering from chronic pain, or trying to ward off repetitive motion injuries (tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome), or simply trying to feel better, stand straighter, think more clearly, this book will help you get there.
Egoscue presents his theory, then follows with an innovative self-diagnostic procedure — which is probably the weakest part of the book, because mild cases of misalignment are very difficult to discern — and then shows a recipe of exercises for each of his three major “conditions” of misalignment.
Reading this book, for me, was an exercise in itself: I kept slapping myself in the forehead. Egoscue seems to be giving secrets that are so obvious it’s nearly painful to have them explained so succinctly, and illustrated so clearly.
I recommend this book for everyone, but especially for people with chronic body complaints.
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posted to area: Non-Fiction
updated: 2004-04-19 02:27:56
This book was written for kids. The back is marked “10 & up” — so you probably qualify, in a strict sense. (If you must know, I received this as a gift. I have yet to determine whether the giver thereby intended to make a statement about my intellectual or emotional maturity.)
That said, I’m surprised to admit that this is one of the most enjoyable books I’ve read this year. It’s a better page-turner than most of the thrillers and action/dramas I read… the characters as more purely drawn, with clearer intentions and motivations… and all the weird plot twists hook up in the end to make a very satisfying conclusion.
I heartily recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a good story. If you have young kids, this is a great book to share.
Holes is being made into a movie for release in 2003, starring Sigourney Weaver, Jon Voight, Henry Winkler, etc.
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posted to area: Fiction
updated: 2001-07-16 19:00:00
Co-written with Steven Spruill, Nightkill is a decent thriller about a mob assassin who gets double-crossed. The plot takes some unexpected twists, which I enjoyed. The pacing is fast, the science is believable, and some of the scenes are very tensely drawn. While not particularly memorable, the book is a worthwhile example of the page-turner genre.
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posted to area: Fiction
updated: 2001-07-16 19:00:00
Sunday, July 15th, 2001
“The Master of Military Adventure,” Dale Brown has written a roundabout tale of pursuit and revenge, bogged down with questionable technology and wooden characters. The reviews at Amazon (see below) are mixed at best; I wish I’d seen them before buying my copy. I was happy to finish this one. Sigh.
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posted to area: Fiction
updated: 2001-07-15 19:00:00
