All Consuming : fidgiegirl

Like a true life Grapes of Wrath

nobody@allconsuming.net (fidgiegirl) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 22:31:11 GMT

Crossing Over: A Mexican Family on the Migrant Trail

by Ruben Martinez

An inspiring tale of Mexican migration. Sometimes written with metaphors that were too cheesy (along the lines of “the sky thundered like the Aztec gods were . . . “), but aside from that minor annoyance, the stories were stick-with-you stories that would help any reader, regardless of their stance on immigration policy, develop further empathy for the migrants themselves.

A review of "Distant Fires"

nobody@allconsuming.net (fidgiegirl) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:33:08 GMT

Distant Fires

by Scott Anderson

A wry review of the author’s trip up the North Shore of Lake Superior, across the Grand Portage, through the waters that form the border between Minnesota and Ontario/Manitoba, and to Hudson Bay. A quick read and especially fun if you’ve been to any of the places he talks about.

A good overview

nobody@allconsuming.net (fidgiegirl) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 03:44:43 GMT

Craft, Inc.: Turn Your Creative Hobby into a Business

by Meg Mateo Ilasco

I feel like I have a much better understanding of what would be involved in “officially” starting a business, but that with this book alone I wouldn’t be able to do it. It’s a nice overview, and glad I read it. Now if I moved ahead I’d seek other resources (some of which this book will direct you toward).

An excellent book to read over time

nobody@allconsuming.net (fidgiegirl) — Sat, 24 May 2008 15:00:17 GMT

The Five-Minute Linguist

It doesn’t matter how long it takes you to read this book because it is in short little unrelated chapters, so you don’t have to remember a storyline or details. It’s perfect for the kind of book you would keep in your car for appointments or something like that. Plus, it’s informative! Written for regular people with an interest in language, it is accessible for all.

A story about "Under the Banner of Heaven"

nobody@allconsuming.net (fidgiegirl) — Sat, 24 May 2008 04:52:24 GMT

Under the Banner of Heaven

by Jon Krakauer

I would recommend reading this book quickly, because it presents a rich and complicated story with two prongs: a Mormon history as background to the specific story of the murders of Brenda and Erica Lafferty. I had trouble finding time to finish it and returned it and re-requested from the library about three times, and while I enjoyed the book a lot, it would have been better to make the time to finish it right away because of the dense information within. Highly recommended!

A story about "Killing Me Softly (R-Rated Edition)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (fidgiegirl) — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 15:57:50 GMT

Killing Me Softly (R-Rated Edition)

by Kaige Chen

The story was very interesting but Heather Graham’s acting is pretty horrible . . .

A story about "You Can Do It!: The Merit Badge Handbook for Grown-Up Girls"

nobody@allconsuming.net (fidgiegirl) — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 14:57:49 GMT

You Can Do It!: The Merit Badge Handbook for Grown-Up Girls

by Lauren Catuzzi Grandcolas

This is a book that gives you permission to grow and explore like a kid, even though you’re a grown-up girl. It’s kind of like a 43T in print!! :)

A story about "The Simple Living Guide"

nobody@allconsuming.net (fidgiegirl) — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 14:56:41 GMT

The Simple Living Guide

by Janet Luhrs

I keep coming back to this book again and again. I’m thinking of purchasing it. Some chapters are more or less applicable to my life than others, and I can reread or skip those as needed. When I was first getting into the voluntary simplicity thing I checked this out and it was overwhelming; in the subsequent check-outs, I’ve gleaned a little more information and am starting to see it as a reference.

A story about "Simplify Your Christmas: 100 Ways to Reduce the Stress and Recapture the Joy of the Holidays (Elaine St. James Little Books)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (fidgiegirl) — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 14:53:11 GMT

Simplify Your Christmas: 100 Ways to Reduce the Stress and Recapture the Joy of the Holidays (Elaine St. James Little Books)

by Elaine St. James

This book has a ton of little tiny chapters so it’s easy to find and get ideas. Like, I don’t have kids, so it’s easy to skip or skim the kid section. And the ideas are practical. If you’re kind of thinking about cutting back at the holidays, or seeking a way to reconnect with a deeper meaning to season, this would be a good starting point.

A story about "Paper Clips"

nobody@allconsuming.net (fidgiegirl) — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 03:00:39 GMT

Paper Clips

by Elliot Berlin

I learned about this touching film through the Quote-A-Day service at http://qad.charityfocus.org/ I don’t work for them or anything, I just think the provide a great service. Anyway, I loved the movie and was amazed by the dedication of the teachers on the project to move it forward, yet for all their dedication it was ultimately the students’ project – their idea, and their hard work. It’s hard to accomplish that as a teacher, so well done to them.

brings YMOYL to life

nobody@allconsuming.net (fidgiegirl) — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 17:04:40 GMT

Getting a Life: Real Lives Transformed by Your Money or Your Life

by Jacquelyn Blix

It gives you permission to deviate from the exact steps found in the YMOYL book (it’s a follow-up to Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez’s Your Money or Your Life). To see the different stories in the book is motivating, helps you put your own into perspective. For example, I have no idea how many years until I can be Financially Independent, but I know it’s not four, or six like the authors. Several other people in the book, though, were looking at FI 10, 15 years out, but were still working towards it. I liked that. Plus, there were some good tips for frugality.

Why I recommend "Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic (BK Currents)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (fidgiegirl) — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 13:42:35 GMT

Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic (BK Currents)

by John De Graaf

I felt Affluenza would be a really good book for someone just becoming interested in voluntary simplicity. It gives a good overview of what’s wrong with our current system, but since I’d read several other books, I’d heard that part before. What’d be great for a newbie is that it fires you up and gives you some good resources in the “treatment” portion of the book. Highly recommend it!