The Age of Will Rants and Ramblings of a guy named William

“Little Things in a Big Country: An Artist and Her Dog on the Rocky Mountain Front” by Hannah Hinchman

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This books is part journal, part artist's sketches, and part a discovery.

The journal takes us through a year in Montana, just east of the Rocky Mountains, in an area called The Front. We learn the cycles of the area, when the birds come back, and many other interesting things. We learn about the dog, whose picture is on the front cover. And we learn about the woman writing, but only via her observations.

The sketches are wonderful; the full-color ones are terrific. They allow one to "see" the country in wonderful ways.

The discovery is more about how books like this make us feel. Do you want to go and experience the area, or do you think developing is best? Do you abhor the hunting that goes on, or the rodeo, both or neither? These are individual questions, but the answers help us discover ourselves and, for me, a new part of the country.

[bookdetail]: http://books.clubreading.com/book/bookdetail/book_id/783

John Updike

John Updike passed away. All the coverage here at the Times site.

“The Wages of Genius” by Gregory Mone

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Edward is a genius. Or at least he thinks he is. His academic advisor has told him that his Ph.D. dissertation needs focus, and that Edward needs to stop flitting from one connection to another. Edward is given a chance for a job with a new start-up internet company. He takes it, for lack of anything better to do.

The story is told solely through Edward, so if Edward doesn't know something, neither do we. At first, it seems that Edward is like so many people in their twenties: preoccupied with himself and devoted to talking about theory and philosophy (although Edward's theory and philosophy almost all revolve around physics and Einstein). Edward's job is very undefined, and he calls himself the General Analyst. He seems to do nothing but think, and after six months still has not made a contribution to the company. Although his ideas may seem crazy at first, proper practical application of some of the ideas might render the company some profit. For example, Edward wants to apply the principal of the "golden triangle," where a person's eye first falls when looking at a painting, to internet advertising banners. Interesting theory, possibly practical. But Edward, it turns out, was simply a number, a way of the company showing growth by hiring. When finances turn bad, he's fired.

Edward's preoccupation with thinking interferes with everything. He "thinks" instead of listening to other people. He "thinks" away minutes at a time, not moving. But Edward doesn't seem like a genius; he parrots other's ideas, but has none of his own. And he waivers from his destination, even if the destination is simply down the street. I have always said that distraction was a sign of genius, but I may revise that. In Edward's case, it's a sign of a failure to commit. Failure to commit to anything, as though he were a ship with lots of wind in the sails, but no one at the rudder.

This is an odd book, but it made me re-think my relationship with my job. And made me think better and worse of myself.

[bookdetail]: http://books.clubreading.com/book/bookdetail/book_id/812

“Eric Hoffer: An American Odyssey.” by Calvin, Tomkins

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Eric Hoffer was born in 1902 in New York. His parents were immigrants and had settled in the Bronx a couple of years before his birth. His mother died when he was seven. Eric Hoffer went blind shortly after his mothers death. His sight returned when he was 15 and because of his disability he never attended school.

After regaining his sight, Eric Hoffer began reading and studying on his own. His father died in 1920 and the woman who had cared for him since his mothers death left America. Eric bought a bus ticket and moved across the country to Los Angeles and for the next 10 years worked as a migrant worker following crops and work up and down California. During this time Eric Hoffer continued to read and learn.

Eventually Mr. Hoffer began to put his thoughts to paper. He developed a methodology where he studied a subject until he was able to put his thoughts down into a simple sentence or two which he called his aphorisms.

In 'Eric Hoffer, An American Odyssey', Tomkins records conversations he had with Eric Hoffer over a two year period of time. The stories are personal and expose much of the man behind Hoffer's popular philosophies. This is an outstanding introduction to Eric Hoffer and his thoughts.

One of my favorite of Hoffer's aphorisms is included in the back of the book:

Man's thoughts and imaginings are the music drawn
from the taut strings of the soul.
The stretching of the soul that produces music is
the result of a pull of opposites --
opposite bents, attachments, yearnings.
Where there is no polarity -- where energies
flow smoothly in one direction
-- there can be hustle and noise but no music.

[bookdetail]: http://books.clubreading.com/book/bookdetail/book_id/820

Free e-book offer

Editors Note: The following was received from Julia Papps, dailyom.com to post to our members. The offer is not related to ClubReading.com.

Hello,

I thought you might want to share this free book with your audience. Summer’s Path by DailyOM co-founder Scott Blum was recently released by Hay House as a downloadable e-book which is free for a limited time. Please see the press release below to learn more about Summer’s Path and the entire series. You can download Summer’s Path at the link below. Each person who downloads gets a chance to win a free kindle, too. Thank you!

Julia

http://member.madisyntaylor.com/cgi-bin/display/orderlink.cgi?wid=120&from=spkcpro

ASHLAND, OR–(Marketwire - January 14, 2009) - Every once in a while we meet someone who inspires us to new possibilities for ourselves simply by the way they approach their own lives. Scott Blum is one of those people. After many successful years as a technological innovator, a critically acclaimed multi-media artist, and the co-founder of the hugely successful inspirational website DailyOM, Blum is now sharing magic and wisdom through the written word.

Blum’s new books, “Summer’s Path” and “Waiting for Autumn,” are written as a series of parables, similar in style to “The Alchemist,” “Way of the Peaceful Warrior,” and “The Celestine Prophecy.” Through a semi-fictional sequence of events and an archetypal cast of characters, his stories awaken us to new ideas, invite us to explore powerful spiritual and healing practices, and draw us into a mystical world where nothing happens by mere coincidence.

For a limited time, those eager to embark on Blum’s transformative trek can download the first book in the series, “Summer’s Path,” for free — either as an e-book or audio book — from Blum’s website (www.scottblum.net).

“Summer’s Path” centers around Don Newport, an engineer who, after losing his job and his health insurance, learns he has a terminal disease and only a few months left to live. In order to spare his beloved wife the burden of exorbitant medical fees, Don begins to seek a way to end his life that won’t further traumatize his wife or cause her undue pain. His answer comes when he meets Robert, a brazen angel of death who offers him a rare and unexpected option.

“Summer’s Path” makes history as the first time a major self-help publisher has used a free e-book to launch a new series of books. Publisher Hay House is even offering a chance to win a free Kindle to anyone who downloads the story. Those ready to continue on with the series will have to wait until April 7th when “Waiting for Autumn” comes out in hardcover.

Scott Blum and his wife, Madisyn Taylor, live in the mountains of Ashland, Oregon. Together, they run DailyOM: Taylor is responsible for the site’s award-winning editorial content, and Blum oversees technology and outreach. Visit Scott Blum on the Internet at http://www.scottblum.net

Media Contact:

Julia Papps DailyOM Publicity 237 B St. Ashland, OR 97520 Phone: 541-488-0508 ext 5 Fax: 503-213-6525 julia@dailyom.com

“Incubus Dreams (Anita Blake Vampire Hunter)” by Laurell K. Hamilton

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Incubus Dreams is the latest installment in the Anita Blake series.  At least that's what the cover says.  However, the real Anita Blake is missing in action.  The hard back version is 658 pages long and for us Anita fans, it has been a long wait.  But this book disappoints.

The book starts at a wedding.  Anita spends some time complaining about the clothes and the makeup.  She spends a few pages at a murder investigation - very tame by Blake standards.  Then back to the wedding reception.  She has problems with how she has treated Nathanial.  She spends time complaining about having to dance.  It just goes down hill from there.

There is very little story here.  The whole book is (except about 50 pages near the end where she helps some cops kill a vamp or two) Anita having sex with various folks (including Nathanial and Richard for those who care - but of course not at the same time given Richard's homophobia). 

I'm worried looking at the past few Anita Blake books that [Laurell Hamilton][author] has lost the big picture.  Sure - a bit more sex and romance is fine.  But the author has completely removed the action.  Hard core porn books don't sell in mass markets for a reason, after a couple of pages it is BORING. 

There's not much here to review.  The main story is supposed to be a group of serial killer vamps, but they don't really play much part.  A chapter in the middle of the book with a woman who wants her son raised so his murderer could be identified has promise.  But Anita refuses, beats the woman and her husband up then has sex in her office.  So much for that story line.

Where's the scary Anita from book one?  Or the scary Anita that so impressed Edward?  She's not to be found in the pages of Incubus Dreams.  Very disappointing.

[bookdetail]: http://books.clubreading.com/book/bookdetail/book_id/790
[author]: http://books.clubreading.com/book/browsebook/pagenum/1/author/Laurell%20K.%20Hamilton