Librarius

The Wind-Up Bird Chronical - Haruki Murakami (5/5)

2008-09-13T14:27:00.002-04:00

Dark, inter-twined narratives compose this epic from Murakami. The tale is of a normal man, nick named Mr Wind-Up Bird by a local girl, whose life takes a turn for the surreal when his cat goes missing, followed shortly thereafter by his wife, and the rest of his life as he knew it. From there Mr Wind-Up Bird keeps uses his faith in bringing his wife back to keep himself moving on, and in the process finds many other people to help, although never in any straightforward manner. Although sometimes slower in pace than his other books, Murakami keeps the plot moving forward while introducing other elements, somewhat akin to David Lynch without the damn fine coffee. A great book, although perhaps not the easiest Murakami to start with - perhaps Norwegian Wood is better if you're a Murakami virgin.

The Night of Knives - Jon Evans (4/5)

2008-09-02T06:53:00.002-04:00

The Night of Knives is another seat gripping tale of epic travels, technological wizardry and global wheeler dealings, and a damn fine read to boot. This time author Job Evans has set his tale in Africa, the technology is mostly mobile phones and the subterfuge... well, you'll have to read that to find out as Jon plots a fine sequence of twists and turns that will keep you guessing and happily sitting on the edge of your seat - whether that seat is on the tube or on a sunny beach somewhere. Hopefully a beach somewhere safer than Jon's Africa...

Go buy it now!

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running - Haruki Murakami (4/5)

2008-08-22T06:48:00.004-04:00

As well as being an popular global author of esoteric, whimsical novels, Haruki Murakami is also an ardent runner - competing in marathons and triathlons as part of his regular routine. In this book the author discusses his life as a runner, covering the period of a year when he competes in the New York marathon amongst others, and reminiscing about earlier triumphs and failures. Along the way Murakami gives some insight into what makes him work and get on with both running and writing, and how his sheer bloody mindedness keeps him going when it gets tough. To quote:

“Fortunately, these two disciplines - focus and endurance - are different from talent, since they can be acquired and sharpened through training. You'll naturally learn both concentration and endurance when you sit down every day at your desk and train yourself to focus on one point. This is a lot like the training of muscles I wrote of a moment ago. You have to continually transmit the object of your focus to your entire body, and make sure it thoroughly assimilates the information necessary for you to write every single day and concentrate on the work at hand. And gradually you'll expand the limits of what you're able to do. Almost imperceptibly you'll make the bar rise.”

There are probably no great revelations for budding runners in this book, but for those of us who enjoy gaining insight into the creative process of people we admire it's a great read. Murakami blends his writing and running activities together into a coherent whole, and draws us back into his psyche to find the source of his focus. My only gripe about the book is its length - like After Dark it's not the longest book ever - which given that Murakami's writing about long distance running seems a tad ironic, but that said it is a good read.

The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins (4/5)

2008-08-20T13:32:00.004-04:00

Hey, guess what - Richard Dawkins is an atheist. Who'd have thunked it. Actually pretty much everyone these days, since it's all he really talks about. I remember the old days, when he used to explain Darwin's theories of evolution, and genetics with such popular appeal that we all started to understand it. Now, all everyone talks about it how Dawkins doesn't like God, or gods for that matter, which means that many people around the world have now linked teaching evolution to being godless heathens. Such is life.

Dawkins tries to explain his stance in The God Delusion, a book that is now at the 'you have to read this' level of popular acceptance. It doesn't matter if you believe in God or not, the book will come up in conversation at some point so best read it now to save later hassle. That said, I don't think it's such a 'must read' as everyone makes out. Dawkins makes a lot of good points and tackles the defenses that most religious people put up to his arguments with aplomb, as well as re-polarising some mis-used quotes. This is all interesting stuff, but it ends up being a bit too much about Dawkins rather than about religion in general and its social impact. In the last chapter, Dawkins rushes along pointing out key observations of human evolution that might even indicate why we believe in something bigger - but this point is not adequately expounded upon to my mind. Perhaps if Dawkin's detractors had focussed more on the quality of his writing, rather than kicking up a fuss and drawing more attention to his book they might have had more success. Either way, I leave the last word to XKCD.

Look to Windward - Iain M Banks (4/5)

2008-08-18T09:19:00.004-04:00

Although I read this first back when it came out in hardback, I recently picked up a copy in a charity store for a quid when I lacked anything else to read. This is one of the great things about Banks' books, in that although they are all very good reads and highly recommended, he does sell an awful lot of copies in Britain so there are bound to be people who get rid of them and hence you can create a fairly comprehensive Banks collection just from charity stores. True story.

Back to Windward is another take of the Culture from the master of the space opera, Iain M Banks. The Culture itself is firmly in the sights for this story, following its intervention with a civil war on another planet that caused a galactic war between various other races. The Culture, being The Culture, feels quite badly about this as although it does believe in intervention where appropriate, most of the time it just wants people/races to get on with doing whatever they want as long as it doesn't affect anyone else. So with this ethical backdrop in place, Banks goes on to explore the effects of how people in such races behave when, for example, they pretty much can do anything and not die, and how others deal with apparent death wishes within this framework. This doesn't sound like a simple premise, or one easily dealt with within a book that's readable on a summer holiday, but Banks blends such high concepts with believable characters and a strong story to create a blend that stretches your mind as well as entertaining it. Another great read.

Matter - Iain M Banks (5/5)

2008-08-18T09:11:00.003-04:00

Another space opera with galactic vision from the master who is Iain M Banks. Set once again against the backdrop of the near omnipotent Culture, this latest romp from Banks takes place for the most part on a constructed world made up of planet sized concentric spheres. The epic nature of this form of construction, and the science required to balance the gravities when some layers are full of water for aquatic creatures and others air, is left to the reader's imagination to work out - and indeed the Culture themselves take the view that the elder civilization that built it was pretty clever. With this backdrop of engineering scale, Banks focuses in on an apparent localized squabble between two relatively backward races living on adjacent levels. These races know of the sphere and the more advanced races that run it, but are content to exist in their own way until they evolve some more. Well it would seem that way, until some of the more advanced nations take it upon themselves to get involved and the story moves towards its suitably grandiose denouement. Banks blends science fiction, politics and 'human' level stories together in a way that drags you along while opening your mind at the same time. A must read for any sci fi fan, and beyond.

Making Money - Terry Pratchett (4.5/5)

2008-08-18T09:05:00.003-04:00

Another Terry Pratchett Discworld book... you'd think by now he'd have lost his touch but no, this is another well guided fantasy satire about a reformed criminal (of somewhat murky past) who becomes responsible for the smooth running of the Discworld's monetary system. Against the usual backdrop of trolls, imps and gollums, some of whom need equal rights, Pratchett's heroes of the people take themselves up against the vested interest of those who were already in power and want to keep it. This class struggle, backed by the socialist engineering patrician, is much more interesting than it sounds in Pratchett's hands with witty one liners, complex setups and well fleshed out characters making us wonder why Pratchett doesn't turn his hand to writing history text books for those of us who have no interest in the dry tomes of old. Top notch summer beach / commute reading.

After Dark - Haruki Murakami (4/5)

2008-08-18T08:53:00.003-04:00

Murakami's latest novel, After Dark, is more of a novella than his usual epic. It follows the story of five characters awake and active at night in the outskirts of Tokyo, or in some cases fast asleep. The usual Murakami prose is in full effect, but this time there seems to be a lack of grip - the attempt to make the story, as it stands, fit into one night falls somewhat flat. It's certainly an enjoyable read, but when you compare it to Ian McEwan's wonderful Saturday, you feel that Murakami should perhaps have taken a leaf out of McEwan's book and added slightly more action. Not one of his best, but still worth a read if you're a fan.

Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World - Haruki Murakami (4/5)

2008-07-22T09:08:00.002-04:00

Chubby girls who only wear pink, subterranean creatures that don't like paper-clips, unicorn skulls and a delight of cooking come together in a mix that could only come from Murakami. Or Franz Kafka if he liked cooking more. There are definite similarities between the two authors in this book, which seamlessly combines an internal and external adventure through the mind of the protagonist - a government sponsored data encrypter who has no idea of how to live a meaningful life outside of his number crunching.

Doesn't make any sense to you? That's OK, the story pulls you along with its own insane logic which though it may not provide understanding, does provide high levels of entertainment and page turning excitement. After all, this is Murakami we're talking about here.

The E-myth Revisited - Micheal Gerber (5/5)

2008-03-20T09:32:00.000-04:00

The E-Myth Revisited is Gerber's classic book for small business owners, or those contemplating an entrepreneurial leap. In it Gerber discusses how most start-up businesses fail due to the owner working on the work, rather than working on the business itself. Gerber believes that you should be creating frameworks for business that you can hand over to other people, much in the way that McDonalds has successfully created franchises all over the world. This may not seem applicable to modern day start-ups, but a lot of it is and having worked at a successful consultancy where Gerber's approach is very much in evidence I have seen the value first hand. Inspirational and practical, the book is must read for anyone with an entrepreneurial business thought in their heads.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - by J K Rowling (4/5)

2007-08-07T11:19:00.000-04:00

Harry Potter. Well, you probably aren't going to read this book unless you've read all the others - and if you've read all the others then you'll read this one too. That said it is definately the best of the series, and J K Rowling has grown with each book, as have her readers. Go back and read the first and you'll see what I mean. The Deathly Hallows ties up all the loose ends, kills off a few characters and keeps you on the edge of your seat in places. It's well written and for a book that comes in over 700 pages it's easy to read and finish in one sitting, just make sure you have a wrist support.

Thanks to Jess for lending this to me a few days after it was out - she, like most fans, had bought and read the book within a day. I just wonder if all the Harry fans will be suffering something akin to withdrawal soon.

This book will save your life - a.m. homes (4/5)

2007-05-07T08:38:00.000-04:00

Another random purchase when back in the UK, mainly due to its upbeat donut cover (why do British editions still have the best covers?). This book is an interesting blend of contempory fiction based in LA, with under-currents of many self-help books. The story follows the transition of the main character from recluse to being fully engaged with his life after a near death experience. Luckily for him he's incredibly rich already, but those riches have come at the cost of living a life, so the story charts a trajectory that shows how having this money allows you to throw everything up in the air and see where it lands without worrying too much. Now that may sound like an un-sympathetic character, but surprisingly he's not and the story rarely stops for long enough to indulge in any deep character analysis anyway as it's a real page turner. It's a great book, very up-beat and almost inspiring in the same manner as Celestine Prophecy can affect you. Having said that I'd feel more personally engaged with the protagonist if he'd affected his life and those around him without the benefit of all the money he'd built up.

Survival in Auschwitz - Primo Levi (3/5)

2007-04-26T20:39:00.000-04:00

Levi's book covers the year or so that the author was incarcerated in Auschwitz, the notorious Nazi death camp. Luckily for Primo, he was taken there just before the camp was liberated so he escaped to tell the tale. This book covers that time in the camp, the machinations between the people inside, and those outside and it makes for interesting reading. We will hopefully never experience a situation like this ourself, and reading a first hand account of it should help us stop it happening again.

Screw It, Let's Do It - Richard Branson (5/5)

2007-04-04T23:50:00.001-04:00

I picked up this offering from the famed entrepreneur owner of the Virgin Group at random and I'm glad I did. The book, written as part of a 'read a book' promotion, was designed to be short and easily digestible and it certainly is, however Branson's mix of life anecdotes and business 'rules' is highly enjoyable and uplifting. Every chapter has an example of how Branson has overcome one challenge or another, normally by setting his mind to a goal and going for it while returning a flexible outlook on how these goals are achieved. Screw it, go read it!

Barrel fever - david sedaris (4/5)

2006-09-25T08:55:00.000-04:00

This book of collected short stories by David Sedaris is constantly amusing. The stories are mostly written from the first person viewpoint of different protaganists, from irate mothers to a hard working Elf at a department store, but each one shares Sedaris' off-beat, witty and sometimes slightly bitchy viewpoint. A good subway read. Oh, and if you want a great daily read in a similar vein then check out my friend Sandra's blog, especially now she's about to move to New York.

Margrave of the marshes - john peel (3.5/5)

2006-09-20T08:52:00.000-04:00

John Peel is somewhat of a legend for anyone even slightly interested in music in England. His evening shows on BBC Radio presented an ecletic range of sounds depending entirely on what he liked and not what music company reps pushed on him. Peel is also credited with, if not launching, then accelerating the popularity of many new bands from the White Stripes to the Undertones (not alphabetically of course). So it came as somewhat of a shock when Peel died a relatively early death in his 60s whilst holidaying in Peru, and public mourning followed.

Margrave of the marshes is part autobiography from John himself, and part written by his wife Sheila based on his diaries and her recollections. The first half is pure Peel, the turn of phrase, the slight knowing rubs at fame - you can almost here his accent in every sentence. Although not an epic life by any means, Peel's life is full of interesting moments and it's fascinating to see how he came upon his final 'career', or his vocation really. It comes as a bit of a shock when you hit the second half of the book and leave the familiar waters of John's writing and continue the journey with Sheila, or 'The Pig' as she was affectionately known. Sheila's tone is slightly more matter of fact and dry, but the love between them both and their family is very apparent and it's great to have a different perspective.

This book isn't a must read unless you're even slightly into British music, in which case it's a great background to a great man. We miss you John!

Invisible armies - jon evans (4/5)

2006-08-24T09:06:00.000-04:00

Exotic travel, international cartels, rogue French mercenaries and hackers - this potent blend comes together in Evans' capable hands to create his latest highly enjoyable novel. From the very beginning I found myself drawn into the story, following from India, through France then onto America with a cast of characters who leave you wanting to find out more at every twist and turn. And twist and turn the story does in a manner slightly reminiscent of a good Bond tale, with modern (read: not sexist) sensibilities. This is a solid, enjoyable romp of a book which would be enjoyed by anyone with a mind to adventure, travel of hacking - especially if you have a nice sunny beach to enjoy it on. Wait. Is that something happening in the tropical forest next to me? I must go and investigate...

Disclosure: Jon Evans is a friend of mine and a lovely chap he is to. That said I don't think that's coloured my review, especially since he didn't feature me in there as a cameo character unlike the best book in the world ever which for some reason is now out of print! Hmm. Guess I'm not the box office draw I thought I was.

Self - yann martel (5/5)

2006-08-24T09:00:00.000-04:00

Having read Martel's very enjoyable Life of Pi a while back I was happy to find his latest in a Montreal second hand store. Turns out that synchronicity is relevant, as Martel is based in Montreal now as is a large chunk of this story of a boy who loses his parents, then one day wakes up as a woman. Martel writes with a sense of poignancy that grabs you and takes you underneath the skin of his main character. There is distance between the character and his/her life but over-ridingly a sense of joy and life. As she/he moves from place to place, person to person you get a sense of the slowness of life and growth as it can sometimes exist - a slowness that does not exist for the book, where every page pulls you forward to the next. A great book.

Blink - malcolm gladwell (4/5)

2006-08-24T08:55:00.000-04:00

After reading the amazing Tipping Point, Gladwell's famous first book, I have been avidly waiting reading his latest. Having tackled the growth of information in social contexts, Gladwell now turns his incisive and explanatory mind to the subject of split-second judgements. That moment when you see someone and fall in love. The way you can prejudice your decisions from a glance. Why the Pepsi taste challenge could never be won by Coke. Every chapter offers a new set of stories backing up a central premise, and each story is fascinating and engagingly written. However at the end of the book I felt like I had eaten a light snack rather than something filling and satisfying. True, I now have a great set of stories to relate in marketing situations, but ultimately I was a bit disapointed. Still a must read book.

Devadatta (Buddha, Vol. 3) - Osamu Tezuka (4/5)

2006-07-06T11:57:00.000-04:00

The third installment of Tezuka's epic. For some reason this one engaged me slightly less than the first two, which given Buddha starts his journey towards enlightenment is kind of surprising. Still, Tezuka weaves great stories with his new characters around the Buddha's own life and this certainly doesn't make me want to stop reading the series!

The Four Encounters (Buddha, Vol. 2) - Osamu Tezuka (4.5/5)

2006-07-06T11:55:00.000-04:00

The second in the series on Buddha's life continues as Buddha grows into a young man and the supporting characters grow up. Not much to add from the first review - it's a great read and the additional characters that Tezuka adds into the mix are interesting and engaging in their own way, with their own stories to bring. Perhaps my only gripe at this point is that I'm now getting confused where the real life of Buddha ends and Tuzaka's creations begin.

Kapilavastu (Buddha, Vol. 1) - by Osamu Tezuka (4.5/5)

2006-07-06T11:48:00.000-04:00

For the last year or so I'd noticed this amazing set of hardcover comics in a Montreal comic shop, along the spine of which was the face of a Manga Buddha growing up. Finally I took the plunge and bought the first one and I'm glad I did. The story, by master of Manga Osamu Tezuka (creater of Astro Boy), starts at the beginning of the life of Buddha as he is prophesized and born to the king. From this well known life Tezuka then expands out to add his own world of magic, transfiguration and fable - all drawn in beautiful black and white, a style echoed by the beautiful white covers with removable colour bands (on the hardcover edition which I highly recommend you get).

The read is over quickly, as it's not a dense story and the characters tend not to get into long soliloquays, but 'luckily' there's another 9 or so books after this one. My one other gripe is that sometimes the translations come across a bit tacky and American, somewhat akin to the Archie comics, which seems off given the epic scope of the story. A must-have addition to any comic addicts bookshelf - which may need widening if you get the whole series!

King Matt - by Janusz Korczak (3/5)

2006-07-06T11:45:00.000-04:00

A Christmas present kids book bizarrely enough - that is actually an enjoyable enough read for an adult if you feel like something low maintenance for a change. The story revolves around Matt, a child whose father the King dies unexpectedly and so he finds himself thrust into leadership. Many adventures then follow, including running off to war, making friends with cannibals and eating chocolate. It's not exactly Harry Potter, but definately a good read for a young teen kid.

Freakonomics - steven levitt & stephen dubner (4/5)

2006-04-29T17:58:00.000-04:00

Another book in the vein of the Tipping Point - converting academic economic knowledge into easily digestible (and readable) tidbits. However where Tipping Point had an overall goal, explaining how things become popular and then not, Freakonomics has no such unifying goal - something the authors happily point out at the start. What you get instead is a series of interesting economic analyses of how what is perceived as common sense is often just not true, and how seemingly unrelated events affect each other. For example the authors assert that by allowing abortions legally in the 80s the crime trend of the 90s was reversed from its expected huge upward trend, based on the simple logic that a potential mother who would normally get an abortion would do so because they believed they could not bring up the child properly. All the observations are interesting and give a good sense of how to understand and not mis-interpret statistics, but overall I was left with the feeling I'd eaten a beautiful but unsatisfying meal and was now gagging for a McDonalds. Read it to have handy observations for parties but don't expect your world to change.

The typography workbook - timothy samara (5/5)

2006-02-08T09:40:00.000-05:00

Summary: Quality introduction to typography and layout. Easy to follow with plenty of good examples. (5/5)

Although I've had no official design training I'm always fascinated by design in general and in awe of people who make good design look easy (like these guys). So in the constant attempt to improve my design quality I was recommended this book as a good intro/workbook and was not disappointed. The structure of the book is well laid out and easy to follow, with plenty of good design examples and, surprisingly enough, it was well laid out as well. And although it's a typography workbook Samara includes plenty of information on basic layout, grids and the like - lovely. Go get it if you need an intro to the world of type and layout.