All Consuming : Jim Carson

Consumed "Penn & Teller - Bullsh*t! - The Complete Fifth Season"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Jim Carson) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 08:26:35 GMT

Penn & Teller - Bullsh*t! - The Complete Fifth Season

Consuming "Zoe's Tale"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Jim Carson) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 05:51:36 GMT

Zoe's Tale

by John Scalzi

Consumed "Death from the Skies!: These Are the Ways the World Will End . . ."

nobody@allconsuming.net (Jim Carson) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 05:49:56 GMT

Death from the Skies!: These Are the Ways the World Will End . . .

by Ph.D., Philip Plait

WORTH IT!

Consumed "Guinness World Records 2008 (Guinness World Records)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Jim Carson) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:40:48 GMT

Guinness World Records 2008 (Guinness World Records)

NOT WORTH IT!

Consuming "Penn & Teller - Bullsh*t - The Complete Fourth Season"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Jim Carson) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:37:15 GMT

Penn & Teller - Bullsh*t - The Complete Fourth Season

by Scott Schaefer

Consumed "Penn & Teller - Bullsh*t - The Complete Third Season"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Jim Carson) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:35:26 GMT

Penn & Teller - Bullsh*t - The Complete Third Season

by Scott Schaefer

WORTH IT!

Consuming "Trick or Treatment: The Undeniable Facts about Alternative Medicine"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Jim Carson) — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 04:21:51 GMT

Trick or Treatment: The Undeniable Facts about Alternative Medicine

by Simon Singh

Consumed "Options: The Secret Life of Steve Jobs - A Parody"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Jim Carson) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 03:40:48 GMT

Options: The Secret Life of Steve Jobs - A Parody

by Fake Steve Jobs

WORTH IT!

Consumed "A Few Seconds of Panic: A 5'8", 165-lb. Writer Plays Football with the Pros"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Jim Carson) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 03:39:50 GMT

A Few Seconds of Panic: A 5'8", 165-lb. Writer Plays Football with the Pros

by Stefan Fatsis

WORTH IT!

Consumed "A Nuclear Family Vacation"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Jim Carson) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:08:12 GMT

A Nuclear Family Vacation

by Nathan/ Weinberger, Sharon Hodge

WORTH IT!

Consumed "The Runaway Jury"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Jim Carson) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 17:57:54 GMT

The Runaway Jury

by John Grisham

WORTH IT!

Consumed "Endangered Pleasures: In Defense of Naps, Bacon, Martinis, Profanity, and Other Indulgences"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Jim Carson) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 03:49:53 GMT

Endangered Pleasures: In Defense of Naps, Bacon, Martinis, Profanity, and Other Indulgences

by Barbara Holland

Consumed "The Last Colony"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Jim Carson) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:07:13 GMT

The Last Colony

by John Scalzi

WORTH IT!

Consumed "The Ghost Brigades"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Jim Carson) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:55:19 GMT

The Ghost Brigades

by John Scalzi

WORTH IT!

Consumed "Complete Idiot's Guide to Geocaching (The Complete Idiot's Guide)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Jim Carson) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:46:48 GMT

Complete Idiot's Guide to Geocaching (The Complete Idiot's Guide)

by Jack W. Peters

WORTH IT!

Consumed "My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Jim Carson) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 05:01:26 GMT

My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey

by Jill Bolte Taylor

WORTH IT!

Consumed "Panicology"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Jim Carson) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:49:31 GMT

Panicology

by Simon Briscoe

WORTH IT!

Consumed "The Best of the Joy of Tech"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Jim Carson) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:49:08 GMT

The Best of the Joy of Tech

by Nitrozac

WORTH IT!

Consumed "Play Guitar by Ear: An Innovative Guide to Listening and Learning"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Jim Carson) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 19:05:47 GMT

Play Guitar by Ear: An Innovative Guide to Listening and Learning

by Douglas Baldwin

WORTH IT!

Consumed "Starship Troopers"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Jim Carson) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:05:03 GMT

Starship Troopers

by Paul Verhoeven

WORTH IT!

A story about "The Acoustic Guitar Guide: Everything You Need to Know to Buy and Maintain a New or Used Guitar"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Jim Carson) — Sat, 17 May 2008 15:55:32 GMT

The Acoustic Guitar Guide: Everything You Need to Know to Buy and Maintain a New or Used Guitar

by Larry Sandberg

Sandberg writes that it shouldn’t be read cover-to-cover, but it’s still an exhausting reference covering the history of guitars (a little too lengthy, IMO), guitar construction, materials, strings and manufacturers. He’s clearly a fan of Martin.

There is plenty of advice and common sense. For example, he’s correct in noting that the thesaurus of marketing adjectives is irrelevant in evaluating a guitar’s sound, feel or aesthetics. Thus, one doesn’t buy a guitar because its top is made of hand-carved petrified Brazilian balsa or Koa from Don Ho’s ukelele. Rather, one actually tries several out, live. (And if you don’t play, bring a friend who does.)

Towards the end, he offers sample [circa 2000] price ranges, what to expect, and which manufacturers one should look at as the baseline. Even eight years later, these still seem to hold true. (Well, within $50)