All Consuming : sheep

A story about "1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus"

nobody@allconsuming.net (sheep) — Sat, 04 Feb 2006 01:29:50 GMT

1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus

by Charles C. Mann

The Americas before the arrival of Columbus were not an empty paradise populated by small bands of savages. Mann presents much of the newest research on pre-Columbian Americas and finds that they were the home of great populations of sophisticated people who were killed by disease in numbers that dwarfed the death toll of Europe’s Black Death.

A story about "The Republican War on Science"

nobody@allconsuming.net (sheep) — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 20:03:37 GMT

The Republican War on Science

by Chris Mooney

To my mind, one of the worst crimes of the Bush II administration is the relentless perversion of science by political interests, and the near-medieval attitude towards knowledge espoused by its religious extremist “base”. Chris Mooney goes into depth on this vital topic, and I must advise you NOT to read it if you are of a scientific mind and weak heart, for it will enrage you. Mooney has continued the conversation started in the book on his blog at The Intersection. Both blog and book are must-reads for those interested in the furtherance of science.

A story about "Bangkok 8: A Novel"

nobody@allconsuming.net (sheep) — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 19:51:14 GMT

Bangkok 8: A Novel

by John Burdett

In the first 10 pages, we’re introduced to the dity of Krung Thep (Bangkok), the narrator and his partner ~~- the only 2 Bangkok cops not on the take -~~ and we watch as the partner dies of a snakebite in the eye suffered when opening a barred-shut Mercedes containing a US Marine who is being swallowed by a python amidst a crowd of people who squat on and under an unused roadway bridge! The portrayal of Bangkok and the uneasy movement of this Eastern culture into Western affluence is amazing. And there’s a sequel!

A story about "The Dog of the Marriage: Stories"

nobody@allconsuming.net (sheep) — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 19:44:33 GMT

The Dog of the Marriage: Stories

by Amy Hempel

My first encounter with Hempel’s gorgeous loneliness. “The Uninvited”, about a middle-aged woman waiting on the results of a pregnancy test while watching the 1944 movie of the same name ~~- a favorite of mine -~~ is also my favorite story in the collection.

A story about "The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason"

nobody@allconsuming.net (sheep) — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 11:57:31 GMT

The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason

by Sam Harris

Harris wastes no time in attacking the hypocrisy and danger of organized religion – all organized religion. He is unsparing in his portrayal of religious faith as the leading danger to the survival of our world. Although I was looking forward to reading a critique of religion, I was thrilled and amazed to read such a straightforward attack on the antithetical natures of the modern world and the primitive world which spawned most of our religious traditions.

A story about "Why Are You Doing This?"

nobody@allconsuming.net (sheep) — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 11:29:57 GMT

Why Are You Doing This?

by Jason

A short, spare and noir-ish novel of mistaken identity and the presence (or absence) of justice. Using animal-headed characters and subdued palette, Jason delivers a graphic novel with a punch and a deep sadness.

A story about "Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Novel"

nobody@allconsuming.net (sheep) — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 11:23:42 GMT

Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Novel

by Jane Smiley

Jane Smiley took a break from her own novel-writing to create a guide, an analysis, a companion to the novel as form. After defining and discussing the novel as a form, she provides a few pages on each of 100 novels from Boccaccio’s Decameron through Ian McEwan’s Atonement, discussing them as instruction for the aspiring novel-writer or for a reader interested in how the novel is written.

A story about "To the Lighthouse"

nobody@allconsuming.net (sheep) — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 11:11:21 GMT

To the Lighthouse

by Virginia Woolf

Amazing in so many ways: as an exploration of the way our consciousnesses interact with the outside world, as an example of the modernist movement at the beginning of the 20th century, and as proof that in the hands of a masterful writer even the slightest of stories can be moving and affecting.

A story about "The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil"

nobody@allconsuming.net (sheep) — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 11:05:30 GMT

The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil

by George Saunders

Like Orwell’s Animal Farm, Saunders examines the current political systemin the US (although he denies it). Unlike Orwell, and fittingly to the inane political environment, the actors in this story are not even as recognizable as farm animals – instead they are bizarre assmeblages of random details which act according to equally bizarre rules – yet recognizable to anyone living through the present regime.

A story about "About Face 2.0: The Essentials of Interaction Design"

nobody@allconsuming.net (sheep) — Sat, 09 Jul 2005 22:16:13 GMT

About Face 2.0: The Essentials of Interaction Design

by Alan Cooper

How did I miss the announcement of this book’s publication? I think I’ve worn out my copy of the original, although it still has enough value that I’m gonna donate it to one of the younger designers I know.

A story about "Collateral Language: A User's Guide to America's New War"

nobody@allconsuming.net (sheep) — Sat, 09 Jul 2005 22:16:13 GMT

Collateral Language: A User's Guide to America's New War

A series of essays exploring the twists and transformations and contortions our language is going through ever since September 11.

A story about "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time : A Novel"

nobody@allconsuming.net (sheep) — Sat, 09 Jul 2005 22:16:13 GMT

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time : A Novel

by MARK HADDON

Funny, but never cute view into the alien mind of a 15-year-old autistic savant who is searching for the killer of a neighbor’s dog. The discoveries he makes while on the case would almost be cliched if this were a normal kid. He’s NOT a normal kid.

A story about "20:21 Vision: Twentieth-Century Lessons for the Twenty-first Century"

nobody@allconsuming.net (sheep) — Sat, 09 Jul 2005 22:16:11 GMT

20:21 Vision: Twentieth-Century Lessons for the Twenty-first Century

by Bill Emmott

Asking the question: what will be the definition of the 21st century.

A story about "The Diary of a Teenage Girl: An Account in Words and Pictures"

nobody@allconsuming.net (sheep) — Sat, 09 Jul 2005 22:16:11 GMT

The Diary of a Teenage Girl: An Account in Words and Pictures

by Phoebe Gloeckner

It was as good as I expected. The drawings were clean and full of character and the story had the ring of truth. Being the same age now as Minnie Goetze would be, brought back lots of memories of being an almost-adult.

A story about "Reefer Madness: Sex, Drugs, and Cheap Labor in the American Black Market"