subject to writing style appeal
Book lust
The Long Walk
Full tilt
French Revolutions: Cycling the tour de France
Miles from Nowhere: A Round thw world bicycle adventure
Where the pavement ends
Two wheels north
Ultimate High
Two wheels in the dust
Catfish and Mandala
When I came across the title Solomon's Daughter, I was interested in knowing the mythical story. I wonder if we need time to play out life or if we can guess what is inevitable. Like evil balances good, does fate balance the certain,wished way of life?
Skywater
Few days ago, I picked a book Metamaus from the library. I am reading of it again in this book.
Net Galley Challenge
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
A different Zen book
Zen in the art of writing by Ray Bradbury
His writing does come across as something that results from the way he wakes up with a thought explosion in his head each morning.
Reading about how he wrote many of his stories shows how he learnt his skill and how he enjoyed doing that. His way of writing doesnt associate with isolation or tiredness or block. In this sense its a different Zen.
He writes down all the situations that he found inspiring and leaves the reader there to start off writing.
11.17.2006
His writing does come across as something that results from the way he wakes up with a thought explosion in his head each morning.
Reading about how he wrote many of his stories shows how he learnt his skill and how he enjoyed doing that. His way of writing doesnt associate with isolation or tiredness or block. In this sense its a different Zen.
He writes down all the situations that he found inspiring and leaves the reader there to start off writing.
11.17.2006
Excellent choice of words
The Life of skies by Jonathan Rosen
Right from the word go i.e the title, every word adds meaning to the experience had by Jonathan Rosen as a bird watcher. This is the first prologue that I didnt look for to end, as it already seemed like the book.
The book is divided into two parts :
PartI - Backyard Birds
PartII- Birds of Paradise.
Through the experiences of Audubon with his pet parrot and the killer monkey, Whitman's with mocking birds and the resultant poetry, Roosevelt's contribution to preservation of wildlife and his own from a decade of birdwatching, the author tries to get to the core of what this act means to him.
Looking at the evolution of his answers, looks like he will find many more spokes out of it other than the ones hes already meditated on. One tough nut is the instinct of hunting Vs conservation of birds. Theres a bit of history of land as it relates to migration, borders from his experience birdwatching in Palestine.
He blends fictional stories like 'The Bear' by Faulkner with non fictional acounts of bird sightings to bring across his point to the reader. Solomon stories, conference of birds, DH Lawrence, Thomas Hardy - everyone's welcome to the bounty.
The first essay 'the Ghost Bird' is about the history of Ivory Bill's extinction or man's desperate attempt at falsifying it by spotting one. This concern carries into other chapters and winds up the book too.
Illustrations make the book even more interesting.
p232. Stork with spear is very touching
Initially the book leaned more towards extinct birds
like passenger pigeons(it took me a while to imagine their number when present and believe that they are none now), carolina parakeets, eventually it did rake up my interest in putting the bird guide book to use.
If you decide to go birdwatching and its the first time, its better to go on a guided bird walk.
Whats bioblitz? Be open to know lots of such new things...
5/5. 5.9.2009
Right from the word go i.e the title, every word adds meaning to the experience had by Jonathan Rosen as a bird watcher. This is the first prologue that I didnt look for to end, as it already seemed like the book.
The book is divided into two parts :
PartI - Backyard Birds
PartII- Birds of Paradise.
Through the experiences of Audubon with his pet parrot and the killer monkey, Whitman's with mocking birds and the resultant poetry, Roosevelt's contribution to preservation of wildlife and his own from a decade of birdwatching, the author tries to get to the core of what this act means to him.
Looking at the evolution of his answers, looks like he will find many more spokes out of it other than the ones hes already meditated on. One tough nut is the instinct of hunting Vs conservation of birds. Theres a bit of history of land as it relates to migration, borders from his experience birdwatching in Palestine.
He blends fictional stories like 'The Bear' by Faulkner with non fictional acounts of bird sightings to bring across his point to the reader. Solomon stories, conference of birds, DH Lawrence, Thomas Hardy - everyone's welcome to the bounty.
The first essay 'the Ghost Bird' is about the history of Ivory Bill's extinction or man's desperate attempt at falsifying it by spotting one. This concern carries into other chapters and winds up the book too.
Illustrations make the book even more interesting.
p232. Stork with spear is very touching
Initially the book leaned more towards extinct birds
like passenger pigeons(it took me a while to imagine their number when present and believe that they are none now), carolina parakeets, eventually it did rake up my interest in putting the bird guide book to use.
If you decide to go birdwatching and its the first time, its better to go on a guided bird walk.
Whats bioblitz? Be open to know lots of such new things...
5/5. 5.9.2009
Good Old oly
The Living Shore by Jacob Rowensen
Olympia Oysters. They were once abundant like many other that went off the face of the earth. In this book, you will know how the see-saw tipped.
The first chapter of Brian Kingzett's survey of British Columbia coastline at the rate of 12 beaches per four-hours of low tide is an adventure even in concept.
There are interesting facts to know about food chains of (human)-otters-sea urchins-kelp from the journeys of Brian Kingzett and the author. If you see one too many of a kind, you can tell who is not on duty. The Chesapeake scene is reviewed in terms of the failure of oyster population restoration. Just like people volunteering for rearing dogs for blind, there are people who raise oyster gardens.
In the subsequent chapters, the author moves on to raincoast dwellers and their fish traps and clam gardens. Then you are taken to Clovis times. Thats 13 thousands of years ago. Its hard to imagine that ancient humans have crossed miles of ocean, but really then the ocean was hundred of feet less deep.
Next a chapter on all the good in oysters needed for human brain development. Role of iodine in IQ.
Moken sea nomads
Geomorphology
5/5. 12.17.2009
Olympia Oysters. They were once abundant like many other that went off the face of the earth. In this book, you will know how the see-saw tipped.
The first chapter of Brian Kingzett's survey of British Columbia coastline at the rate of 12 beaches per four-hours of low tide is an adventure even in concept.
There are interesting facts to know about food chains of (human)-otters-sea urchins-kelp from the journeys of Brian Kingzett and the author. If you see one too many of a kind, you can tell who is not on duty. The Chesapeake scene is reviewed in terms of the failure of oyster population restoration. Just like people volunteering for rearing dogs for blind, there are people who raise oyster gardens.
In the subsequent chapters, the author moves on to raincoast dwellers and their fish traps and clam gardens. Then you are taken to Clovis times. Thats 13 thousands of years ago. Its hard to imagine that ancient humans have crossed miles of ocean, but really then the ocean was hundred of feet less deep.
Next a chapter on all the good in oysters needed for human brain development. Role of iodine in IQ.
Moken sea nomads
Geomorphology
5/5. 12.17.2009
Like a candy to a kid
Periodic tales - a cultural history of the elements from Arsenic to zinc.
'Culture' is the word for me.
This book starts with gold. The most known precious metal. In the prologue, his experiment to collect the elements so that he can relate to them better, is a good project to try it for kids.
The author has shown references to metals in the works of Shakespeare and other writers and explored if they had chemist background. Who thought that Mark Twain was a prospecter once.
I liked the story of Candide, (I first heard of Voltaire in a lesson called 'Voltaire and Frederick'. That is where I learnt the idiom 'a bag of bones'.)
An article on understanding idioms
'Culture' is the word for me.
This book starts with gold. The most known precious metal. In the prologue, his experiment to collect the elements so that he can relate to them better, is a good project to try it for kids.
The author has shown references to metals in the works of Shakespeare and other writers and explored if they had chemist background. Who thought that Mark Twain was a prospecter once.
I liked the story of Candide, (I first heard of Voltaire in a lesson called 'Voltaire and Frederick'. That is where I learnt the idiom 'a bag of bones'.)
An article on understanding idioms
A Lab in the ocean
Sex, Drugs and sea slime
Interview with the author
I have read that coral reef is alive but never understood how until I read the above npr article.
Interview with the author
I have read that coral reef is alive but never understood how until I read the above npr article.
For a well informed citizen
The ultimate mystery of inheritance
Epigenetics
Dutch famine
Agouti gene
Sewall Wright
X inactivation
Driesch - sea urchin - for heir big sixe, and less yolk - more transparency to study fertilization and cell divisions.
DFTD cancer - gruesome.
fruit flies for genetics
The Deer Hunter
pitcher plant mosquitoes
Jose Canseco
Epigenetics
Dutch famine
Agouti gene
Sewall Wright
X inactivation
Driesch - sea urchin - for heir big sixe, and less yolk - more transparency to study fertilization and cell divisions.
DFTD cancer - gruesome.
fruit flies for genetics
The Deer Hunter
pitcher plant mosquitoes
Jose Canseco
The way of the Panda
Armand David, as a naturalist has found many plants and classified them. The author describes the hard times David faced in China, when foreigners were few there. His expeditions included the quest of Panda. With information like the number of chromosomes in a bear Vs Panda to show that they are different, author grasps the reader.
Armand David, as a naturalist has found many plants and classified them. The author describes the hard times David faced in China, when foreigners were few there. His expeditions included the quest of Panda. With information like the number of chromosomes in a bear Vs Panda to show that they are different, author grasps the reader.
The Authentic Animal
When a calf dies, the farmer or the milkman makes a replica of it, so that the cow still produces milk.
Reading of Carl Akeley reminds me of Audubon. His humble beginnings as a taxidermist are recreated by the author as a raconteur. Freeze drying is a technique modernly used for taxidermy.
When a calf dies, the farmer or the milkman makes a replica of it, so that the cow still produces milk.
Reading of Carl Akeley reminds me of Audubon. His humble beginnings as a taxidermist are recreated by the author as a raconteur. Freeze drying is a technique modernly used for taxidermy.
Beijing welcomes you
A review
Another review
With the description of the kinds of tricycles, the author shows us the montage one faces on China's roads.
A review
Another review
With the description of the kinds of tricycles, the author shows us the montage one faces on China's roads.
A book left open
I bought 'Heavens Coast' a memoir by Mark Doty. i liked the book, I did nit want it finish, so I am not reading it now. Kind of like storing up on your favourite chocolte. I now have his Dog years. Hope I will finish that.
CFC syndrome
I had heard of The boy in the moon on npr.
Another review.
The book has been written well. I liked the authors approach to understand the disorder. When I read that kids with CFC didnt have cancer like the ones with Noonan and that being the reason for the research funding, it seemed like news with an impact.
When the author finds data about his son's brain, he grapples a bit with why his son is the way he is. The end of the book is an intense meditation of what his son's life means.
genetic science.. to the extent it unravels the human body, it dehumanizes it. - Dr. Denis Noble.
Buddhists idea of mind.
Another review.
The book has been written well. I liked the authors approach to understand the disorder. When I read that kids with CFC didnt have cancer like the ones with Noonan and that being the reason for the research funding, it seemed like news with an impact.
When the author finds data about his son's brain, he grapples a bit with why his son is the way he is. The end of the book is an intense meditation of what his son's life means.
genetic science.. to the extent it unravels the human body, it dehumanizes it. - Dr. Denis Noble.
Buddhists idea of mind.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Innovative innovation
In The Sorcerers and their apprentices, author Frank Moss introduces us to new fields like Biomechatronics.
personal robots
OPera of the future
Lifelong kindergarten
New Media medicine
Affective computing
Cognitive machines
Speech+Mobility
Tangible Media
'to create a better future for everyone'.
This book works at two levels. On one hand the reader learns of what makes innovation happen at the MIT lab - the coming together of minds in solving problems faced by many and on the other how the problems are solved with applications that are products of the lab. Its inspiring to know how some scientists are fueled with the experiences from their own life to work towards technologies that make life easier for others.
Some of the projects like the City car were hard for me to understand. There is some repitition in the text. Curiosity about the projects will get you to the end.
At the Media lab, the scientists 'build,test and demonstrate' their inventions. some projects like the MIT Red balloon challenge and Roy's Speechome project have received lot of coverage in the media.
The author finds that most of the discoveries are serendipitous by nature. But once an invention is in place, it is unthinkable how one ability leads to another. A technology used to capture movement of a music artist is used in automoives to figure if a passenger is a small adult or a child for purposes of airbag deployment. the same technology went into gait analysis.
Roy's Speechome project analysis led way to look at early detection of autism and empowering the affected with social abilities.
Othotics
Nephrolithiasis
personal robots
OPera of the future
Lifelong kindergarten
New Media medicine
Affective computing
Cognitive machines
Speech+Mobility
Tangible Media
'to create a better future for everyone'.
This book works at two levels. On one hand the reader learns of what makes innovation happen at the MIT lab - the coming together of minds in solving problems faced by many and on the other how the problems are solved with applications that are products of the lab. Its inspiring to know how some scientists are fueled with the experiences from their own life to work towards technologies that make life easier for others.
Some of the projects like the City car were hard for me to understand. There is some repitition in the text. Curiosity about the projects will get you to the end.
At the Media lab, the scientists 'build,test and demonstrate' their inventions. some projects like the MIT Red balloon challenge and Roy's Speechome project have received lot of coverage in the media.
The author finds that most of the discoveries are serendipitous by nature. But once an invention is in place, it is unthinkable how one ability leads to another. A technology used to capture movement of a music artist is used in automoives to figure if a passenger is a small adult or a child for purposes of airbag deployment. the same technology went into gait analysis.
Roy's Speechome project analysis led way to look at early detection of autism and empowering the affected with social abilities.
Othotics
Nephrolithiasis
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Earth apples. The book as a whole does not leave a great impression. Most of the poems are written in or of places Arizona.
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