Category: Goodreads Reviews

author: Anne Lamott
name: Elaine
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1994
rating: 3
read at: 2010/08/01
date added: 2010/08/12
shelves: autobiography, non-fiction, writing
review:
I’m torn on this one. I guess it’s one of the classics of books on writing, and some of it was terribly inspiration in getting me to just keep writing already. But some of it was just too "fluffy" for me. So as to avoid getting into stereotypes, I’ll just leave it at that.

I think if you could remove some of the fluffy bits of this, and some of the business-hype-speak of Making Ideas Happen, and then put the two together, you’d have a damn fine book for writerly types.

author: Anne Lamott
name: Elaine
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1994
rating: 3
read at: 2010/08/01
date added: 2010/08/12
shelves: writing, non-fiction, autobiography
review:
I’m torn on this one. I guess it’s one of the classics of books on writing, and some of it was terribly inspiration in getting me to just keep writing already. But some of it was just too "fluffy" for me. So as to avoid getting into stereotypes, I’ll just leave it at that.

I think if you could remove some of the fluffy bits of this, and some of the business-hype-speak of Making Ideas Happen, and then put the two together, you’d have a damn fine book for writerly types.

author: Julie Sussman
name: Elaine
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2005
rating: 2
read at: 2010/08/01
date added: 2010/08/12
shelves: non-fiction, reference
review:
This is the other book I got from the library. A few different helpful details, but didn’t like either the tone or the drawings as much as Auto Repair for Dummies

author: Julie Sussman
name: Elaine
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2005
rating: 2
read at: 2010/08/01
date added: 2010/08/12
shelves: non-fiction, reference
review:
This is the other book I got from the library. A few different helpful details, but didn’t like either the tone or the drawings as much as Auto Repair for Dummies

author: Deanna Sclar
name: Elaine
average rating: 3.50
book published: 1976
rating: 4
read at: 2010/08/01
date added: 2010/08/12
shelves: wishlist, read-again, reference, non-fiction
review:
I know basically nothing about cars. Didn’t even get my license until I was 26. So I’m trying to learn, finally. I got this and one other book out of the library. Of the two, I liked this one better. Clear explanations, helpful pictures. I was able to check almost all the basic stuff under the hood of my truck, which made me feel really handy! (Also, I figured out that I was very low on coolant, and was able to top it off. Go me.) Never did finish it, for various reasons, but I think I want my own copy.

author: Deanna Sclar
name: Elaine
average rating: 3.71
book published: 1976
rating: 4
read at: 2010/08/01
date added: 2010/08/12
shelves: wishlist, read-again, reference, non-fiction
review:
I know basically nothing about cars. Didn’t even get my license until I was 26. So I’m trying to learn, finally. I got this and one other book out of the library. Of the two, I liked this one better. Clear explanations, helpful pictures. I was able to check almost all the basic stuff under the hood of my truck, which made me feel really handy! (Also, I figured out that I was very low on coolant, and was able to top it off. Go me.) Never did finish it, for various reasons, but I think I want my own copy.

author: Paul Kriwaczek
name: Elaine
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2002
rating: 3
read at: 2010/07/30
date added: 2010/08/12
shelves: biography, history, non-fiction, religion, travel
review:
It’s been weeks now since I finished this one, and I’m trying to think what I still remember of it! Just an interesting wander through history around the mysterious figure of Zarathustra: a little Nietzsche, travels in Iran & Afghanistan, ruins under London, etc. He makes a pretty decent case for elements of Zoroastrianism being present in the big three monotheisms. Also, more tidbits that I can use for this idea I have for a D&D setting based loosely on central Asia.

author: Paul Kriwaczek
name: Elaine
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2002
rating: 3
read at: 2010/07/30
date added: 2010/08/12
shelves: biography, history, non-fiction, religion, travel
review:
It’s been weeks now since I finished this one, and I’m trying to think what I still remember of it! Just an interesting wander through history around the mysterious figure of Zarathustra: a little Nietzsche, travels in Iran & Afghanistan, ruins under London, etc. He makes a pretty decent case for elements of Zoroastrianism being present in the big three monotheisms. Also, more tidbits that I can use for this idea I have for a D&D setting based loosely on central Asia.

author: Mike Smith
name: Elaine
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at: 2010/07/11
date added: 2010/07/12
shelves: history, non-fiction, science
review:
Primarily the story of how the tornado warning system came to be, including the author’s participation as a TV weather guy and then founder of a private weather service. And when he sticks to that, it’s good stuff.

Periodically, there’s these sort of anti-government zingers that just hit me the wrong way, although I can see where they come from, given his experience. Also, the last quarter of the book (except for the last chapter) goes into great detail about hurricanes (specifically Andrew & Katrina), and a lot of that is about the political aspects. So…meh. Although that last chapter is a great wrap-up of the difference between the response to a recent tornado versus response to a tornado 50+ years ago.

And one tiny quibble: the blurb gives the impression that he’s talking about all the different kinds of weather events in the US, when really it’s almost all tornadoes, with a detour into hurricanes. Coming from an area where tornadoes are vanishingly rare, I was a bit disappointed.

I think this makes a good read in conjunction with other weather history books: Children’s Blizzard, Isaac’s Storm, Cliff Mass’s book, etc.

author: Mike Smith
name: Elaine
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2010/07/11
date added: 2010/07/12
shelves: history, non-fiction, science
review:
Primarily the story of how the tornado warning system came to be, including the author’s participation as a TV weather guy and then founder of a private weather service. And when he sticks to that, it’s good stuff.

Periodically, there’s these sort of anti-government zingers that just hit me the wrong way, although I can see where they come from, given his experience. Also, the last quarter of the book (except for the last chapter) goes into great detail about hurricanes (specifically Andrew & Katrina), and a lot of that is about the political aspects. So…meh. Although that last chapter is a great wrap-up of the difference between the response to a recent tornado versus response to a tornado 50+ years ago.

And one tiny quibble: the blurb gives the impression that he’s talking about all the different kinds of weather events in the US, when really it’s almost all tornadoes, with a detour into hurricanes. Coming from an area where tornadoes are vanishingly rare, I was a bit disappointed.

I think this makes a good read in conjunction with other weather history books: Children’s Blizzard, Isaac’s Storm, Cliff Mass’s book, etc.