#26 - Tricycle (magazine)

I only include magazines when they are of some real depth, and this is certainly one that fits that category. A quarterly published magazine on Buddhist and Eastern thought, Tricycle could be one of my new favorites. Rather than catering to the new-age yoga crown with fluff pieces an happiness, this magazine comes with articles by true luminaries and masters. The foreword alone hit me with a quote from Pablo Picasso that I had never heard before and blew my mind:

“You must always work not just within but below your means. If you can handle three elements, handle only two. If you can handle ten, then handle five. In that way the ones you do handle, you handle with more ease, more mastery and you create a feeling of strength in reserve.” - Pablo Picasso

This is an amazing magazine, I couldn't recommend it highly enough.

#25 - The Book of Tea

Kakuzo Okakura's classic work, The Book of Tea, was the first book I ever picked up upon getting into tea many years back. To be honest, I had no idea that it was a classic work and was less about tea and brewing tea as it was about "Chadao" or "The Way of Tea." The history, and ceremony, and spirituality of tea. I flipped through it and put it away at the time. A few years later, as my interest and knowledge grew, I picked it back up again and still had trouble enjoying or appreciating it, but understood more. As my interest in Taoism and Japanese tea blossomed, I then revisited the book and enjoyed every moment of it. I found a free digital copy for my ebook reader before a recent trip, and re-reading it I realized just how much more I pulled from it. Few books grow with you, and when they do that is a sure sign that there is a very deep amount of knowledge and wisdom contained within. This is one of those books, and one that I hope to continue to grow with. Not for everyone, but Highly Recommended!

#24 - Life in a Medieval Castle

This book kicked off a whole chain of similar books written in a quasi-historical fashion based on the Medieval times, so I decided to start from the beginning. The book starts off a bit wordy and nebulous in the beginning and threatens to lose the reader, but then snaps onto the track and never derails with part history and part storytelling to convey each aspect of life in great detail. It is an excellent peek behind the curtain of what went on in daily life and manages to dispel some long-held beliefs of crude and barbaric lifestyles in favor of surprisingly modern conveniences and interactions. There are some tales, however, that do cement just how tough things could be at the time. A perfect blend of history and story that easily explains how this book could have spawned the legion of additional books in the series. I'm looking forward to the rest. Highly Recommended!

#23 - Stir: Mixing It Up in the Italian Tradition

I picked up Stir: Mixing It Up in the Italian Tradition by Barbara Lynch simply because I have a fascination with what I term "food porn" books. These are often the overly showy "cookbooks" showcasing a renown chef's work and then offering a recipe so complex and expensive that it is only present to solidify the reader's reverence and fear. I have a love-hate relationship with such books. I often pick up a single technique or idea rather than any whole recipe, and it does serve as a bit of inspiration, but they often leave me feeling a bit inadequate and hollow. So when the striking black cover with just two spoons showcasing a bit of Bolognese and a twirl of fresh pasta, I thought I was in for more of the same, only possibly worse because Italian food is my core and heritage. I don't believe it should be made into overly-expensive tiny portions and foams and whatnot. Thankfully I was completely surprised. This book is completely approachable, offers wit and humor, and is just stunning. There are still a few unapproachable dishes, and some that just don't appeal to me, but over half of the book are recipes I will make... and look very much forward to enjoying. This is a winner. Highly Recommended!

#22 - The Call of Cthulhu

I'm a geek, I've played games with the Cthulhu theme, it's referenced all the time, so I figured it was time to read the original work. I do have to add the disclaimer that I'm a high fantasy-favoring geek, I'm not into Sci-Fi or Horror or the more supernatural sides of geekness. As such, this wasn't really my bag. It's OK, I think the writing style is awkward at times... for me it was much ado about nothing. I read the Kindle version which omits the other stories. YMMV. Not Recommended.

#21 - The Artist's Guide: How to Make a Living Doing what You Love

My grandfather was an artist and sign painter, and owned an art shop with which he and my grandmother raised a family of five children. I love art and making art but I have always taken the safe road of technology and a steady paycheck, however my grandfather's passion and ability to do what he loved always nags at me to just go for it. Being the logical and safe creature that I am, and sadly without his guidance any longer, I sought out information online and in books to get some insight on how it is done today. I gleaned a few tidbits here and there but nothing covered the full spectrum, until I stumbled upon this book. It comes highly praised by working artists and for good reason, it covers all of the bases and gives great examples, advice, and templates along the way. Easily the best resource I have found so far in my research. Highly Recommended.

#20 - Where The Wild Things Are

With the upcoming film adaptation I figured I should try re-reading this book again. Admission: I've never seen what all the fuss is about, even when I was a child. I'd take The Berenstain Bears any day. I've revisited it a few times through the years to see if my opinion had changed, it hasn't. I think it is a completely empty tale that is far too short and basic to actually capture the imagination of a child and tells a story that has been told many ways before. Maybe I was a complex kid, but get angry, get sent to bed, have a fantastical dream, wake up, and then the "oh it was just a dream"/"was it a dream?" question just doesn't do it for me. Still doesn't. Not for me.

#19 - The Metamorphosis

A true classic work by Kafka. When you can all-too-well relate with the drudgery of a life of monotonous work and being cooped up in a small room, few books capture the feeling as well as The Metamorphosis. I know this feeling. However, as with most works by Kafka, it is very wide open to interpretation and you can find your own message and relationship within the tale of a man who wakes up one day as an insect and the ensuing trials. Works like this can't be "reviewed" I won't even try, just read it. Even if you were forced to read it for school at some point, read it again without the pressure and with new insight and experiences and see if the story itself doesn't take on a new meaning and look. Highly Recommended!

#18 - The Way of Shadows

Brent Weeks' Night Angel Trilogy is one of those series that caught my eye and I just couldn't resist. In a sea of dark, grim, looking covers, the bright white of this series stands out too much to be ignored. I'm not normally one for assassin tales because I find them a bit boring with all the slinking about and cover of darkness business, but these seemed filled with enough action to keep my interest. And they sort of did. The author lacks creativity and imagination and it shows through terribly all over the place, so much that it made me cringe more times than I could count. Everything is cribbed from the heavy handed use of Japanese words to the alphabet being "Hyrillic" which is a barely altered name of the real "Cyrillic" alphabet. C'mon. Maybe the average target audience wouldn't pick up on any/many of these but there are a lot who will and it is just lame. There's some confusing lore and a bit too much of the author's attempts at dramatic plot twists (hint: none are). The book was actually hard to get through because while it does have a lot of action, there isn't enough substance. It's light fantasy work that drags on a bit too long for what it is. Recommended but not highly and only if you accept what you're getting into before cracking the cover.

#17 - World of Warcraft Master Guide, Second Edition

World of Warcraft is the juggernaut of the MMO world. Millions of players in a virtual world that has defied all odds and continues to eclipse any who dare to enter the market. I had actually played WoW when it first came out for about a year and got annoyed by some aspects and left for other games. After working through a number of other games and MMOs I decided to come back and see how things have progressed in my absence. Completely would be the answer. It is much easier now which can go both ways, but it also so much bigger and more complex in a few areas. I decided to turn to the strategy guide for those times when online help doesn't cut it. A great strategy guide that will help piece together some of the confusing or new bits. Highly Recommended.

#16 - Photoshop Creative

Photoshop Creative is actually more of a magazine, but it is priced in more of a book range and contains more information and instruction than most tomes on the subject. It is an imported magazine from the UK and does include a DVD-ROM for the computer filled with tutorial videos, samples, and stock photography. The subscription seems hefty but is actually quite a bargain compared to the $29.99 cover price in book shops. Full color and amazingly detailed, each issue walks you through all of the tips and tutorials that the pros use to accomplish amazing results. From photography work, to digital painting, to true digital artwork, and all of the tools, brushes, layer tricks, and tips to achieve these same results... It's all there, every issue! It's almost mind-boggling that there is more to cover in the next issue because each one is so exhaustive. If you do any sort of photography or graphic design and would like to take your craft to the next level, this is it. Far better than any Photoshop book I own. Highly Recommended.

#15 - No Touch Monkey

I took this one along on vacation since it was a travelogue sort of read. It turned out to be quite prophetic because we did actually end up touching monkeys on vacation whereby a sign in broken English advised against it because "it could bring hurt to both." Neither brought hurt, and it was actually one of the coolest moments of my life. So back to the book, it starts out well and follows a fairly hapless young woman and her travel on a budget tales with old boyfriends which has quite a few funny spots... and then it all falls apart. Somewhere about half to three-quarters through it takes this terrible nosedive into an uninteresting account of fashion show parties and her having a baby and some disjointed acting gig with her and her husband. None of which are funny in the least and are painful to endure. What a disaster for what could have been a decent book. Not recommended.

#14 -Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook 4th Edition

Even though I haven't played for over 10 years I have a love for gaming systems and design and really like the direction 4th edition went. Apparently I'm the only one though since most players have rebelled against it. I'd love to play again, but there is just no one to play with these days sadly. I really enjoyed the new book, I didn't like the Dragonborn thing but other than that I'm down. Recommended, especially if you'll DM and I can play again!

#13 - The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test

Well, while on the drug subculture kick, here is a classic: The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe. What a great time in history and what a crazy ride. Get an old bus, paint it day-glo colors, attach all kinds of speakers and recording gear, pack it full of free spirits and drugs and drive it essentially across the U.S. while freaking out the marshmallows in suits and shiny shoes. It makes for quite a book, although a lot of the participants were highly regarded "beat" generation luminaries I've never been a fan of most of them personally. I think they were largely hypocritical and I think many had ulterior motives behind what they tried to publicly pass off as groundbreaking and selfless. The author is also a bit too "square" for the journey and his own judgments and bias shows through often as does his disconnect from the group. All that said, it is a classic, and a great insight to a lost time in America's past. Recommended.

#12 - Watchmen

This Watchmen graphic novel is a collection of the entire story as originally released in comic book form. I will admit I haven't watched the recent film adaptation, but most comic books turned movie don't do much for me anyhow. This is no mere comic book either, it isn't some happy-go-lucky tale of a do-gooder or mutant/superpower fest, it is simply magnificent writing and execution. I'd say this is about as good as it gets when it comes to graphic novels and really stands in a league of it's own. Highly recommended.

#11 - Peopled Darkness

Peopled Darkness is not the average book, instead it is one man's recounting his experiences with the entheogen Salvia Divinorum, a psychoactive member of the mint family. Much of the book are his notes taken directly following his experiences and while some a slightly profound it doesn't make for the best reading ever. Which makes sense because much of a journey like this is personal and internal, not really the best basis for a book. The fascinating part of it all, though, is how the author's accounts match up so closely with so many other people's reports found online. Drugs, especially hallucinogens seem to take people on wildly different "trips" and each is unique to the individual, but Salvia seems to be very different and takes everyone on the exact same journey. The same concepts are talked about over and over. The loss of ego/self, a female figure welcoming them, a plane of people who seem both welcoming and distant... these are almost always the same. This author contends that this is a land of the dead and that these people are actually deceased and the reason they are distant is because they know the Salvia user is not. His theory is interesting, and the transformative effects Salvia has on him are life-changing. It is just a shame that this ancient plant is best known for dumb, suburban, kids on Youtube making fools of themselves and having no respect for the history and effects. This one is a quick read and is recommended.

#10 - Heat

Bill Buford makes the journey from a journalist to a cook in this mess of a book. I really wanted to like this one, and it comes with many high regards from the food world... I have no idea why. It is a jumbled mess of disjointed accounts that would make far better individual newspaper or magazine shorts, which I would not be surprised if that was the original intention that somehow spawned into a book. From weak accounts of life inside Babbo which centered inexplicably on individuals with no importance rather than the cooking to jumpy tales of the author's time in Italy which don't flow or develop into much of anything. This book is almost worthless. I couldn't recommend this to anyone.

#9 - Snake Eyes: Declassified

Ahh... Snake Eyes. Pretty much *THE* most central figure/hero/idol in my life from age 4 onward. My love for just about any other character in any form (music, film, comics, books, cartoons, etc.) is nowhere near the pedestal that on, alone, stands Snake Eyes. This collection of a 6-part mini-series by Devil's Due Publishing was an instant buy for me. But even with my devout affinity, I buy anything related to him with some trepidation. He is wildly popular, and as such he is one of the most exploited characters and in reality he has the least to cover. By nature he is an enigma with almost no identity, information or past. As you can imagine then, all of these types of tales are simply made up to either pander to the fans or try to give back-story where there really is none. Sometimes it comes off as a bad gimmick and occasionally, not often, someone has a unique angle that works. This is one of those times it worked... thankfully. It takes the parts and pieces that have come out over the years and adds just the right amount to them to form a cohesive story. For any fan this is not to be missed. Highly Recommended!

#8 - The Dragonhead

John Sack's "The Dragonhead" was a bargain bin find I came across a few months back and shelved for the right time. That time finally came and while I enjoyed it it required some work on my part to keep it that way. The writing style is not for me at all and smacks of trying to be a bit too clever for his own good. The other drawback for me is that it is "literary journalism" which basically means it is all based on reality and truth but the writer takes some liberties and creates dialogue and environments and situations. I find this incredibly frustrating and you have to suspend your belief to enjoy the minute details because you know they are fabrications. Even with all of this, the story is true and it follows the life and times of Johnny Kon, The Dragonhead, essentially the head of the Chinese Mafia and it is a decent ride. It's long, a bit contrived, a bit repetitive, but engaging and interesting to see things through his eyes such as the Vietnam War, America, and retribution. It's a tough call on this one, but I'd say in the end it is Recommended.

#7 - The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen

Wow, where to begin? I learned of this book from a quick comment made by Anthony Bourdain in one of his books, and having great respect for Jacques Pepin, ran out and picked it up. From his time with the late, great, Julia Child to the miserable shows with his dopey daughter I have always loved Jacques' classical French technique and work... although his dishes aren't ones the average home cook would attempt, heck I rarely even tackle his projects, but they are amazing. I always thought he was a bit snooty and high-class but that is all brought crashing down by looking at the photo of the tough 12-13 year-old dressed in his kitchen whites and holding a battered ladle as big as himself on the cover. It is also quickly dispelled in the account of his life within which ranges from growing up in wartime France to his own stint in the armed forces to some wickedly grueling appointments and terrible mishaps. He has paid his dues and in ways I had never known or would have expected. His writing style is exceptional and he even tossed in topical recipes which I'm dying to try out. This is unlike - and better - than most foodie/cooking/chef books out there, and just an amazing read. This is now firmly in my personal favorites short-list, and it goes without saying: Highly Recommended.

#6 - Miracles on Maple Hill

This is a special one to me. My mother has a love and a connection with nature unlike anyone I know, it is magical. After excitedly watching this past years PA Farm show and learning about making maple syrup from a demonstration by Janet Woods she decided to finally act and tap the sugar maple standing in their front yard. It ended up producing over 12 gallons of sap! During the demo Janet Woods had suggested two books, one called "Backyard Sugaring" and "Miracles on Maple Hill," a 1957 Newbery award winning children's book. It turns out that, while fiction, it is written about a real place and it just so happens to be around Lake Erie which is where Janet Woods' Hurry Hill farm is located. We got to take a trip to the farm recently to see the process firsthand and I decided to read the book. Miracles on Maple Hill is a tale of childhood, adventure, country life, struggles, and joy... and quite an accurate account of the maple sugar process it turns out. Everything is captured in such a real and honest way that you will completely forget this is a work of fiction shortly after beginning. Truly a timeless read for young and old alike, Highly Recommended. Thanks Mom!

#5 - Designing a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and Network Infrastructure

Whew, that's a long title. I'm not normally a fan of books aimed at a particular certification because they tend to just teach to the test and offer no real insight. I'm similarly not normally a fan of any Microsoft written book on their own products because they tend to do a lot of self-promotion and hide inadequacies while ignoring possible better third-party solutions. Despite all of this I still plunged ahead and took this large tome of geekness on since it is an area of interest to me. I actually liked this book. Sure, some of the network info gets a broad brush and little depth but the overall Active Directory coverage is very good and does a good job of taking a pretty nebulous concept and making it concrete. If you would like to learn about Active Directory or support it in your daily life this is a solid low to mid-level book on the topic. Recommended.

#4 - Linux Bible, 2008 Edition

The "Bible" series by Wiley have always provided a large amount of content for the money covering a wide range of products and operating systems. Sometimes they can just be big, for big's sake only and a bit unfocused, however, when I picked up the latest edition on Linux I was pleasantly surprised. There was the usual chapters every Linux book seems to include but there were a ton of new and helpful sections as well as a broad spectrum covering almost all of the top distributions briefly and including them on the DVD that comes packed in. If you are a newbie or a grizzled veteran of the Linux game this is a great pick up. Recommended.

#3 - Asterisk: The Future of Telephony

Asterisk is one of the cooler products to come out of the open source front over the years. Most people don't think much of their telephone in this connected world, you pick it up and there is a dial tone. In America we have also never really had a choice in our phone carrier due to monopolies or large corporations locking down price and features. Asterisk punches through this artificial barrier and allows companies and individuals to regain some control of their phone systems, for free. It is a game breaker and a well written and tested piece of software. It could be a bit more user-friendly though so a book like this is a great companion. Highly Recommended.

#2 - Waiter Rant

As much as I hate the term, I could be considered a "foodie." I love to cook, I love to eat well, I love to eat adventurously, and I love to read and watch almost everything about it all (except for The Food Network). I've worked through a number of chef/authors such as Pepin, Bourdain, Ramsay, Zola, etc. and through the huge expensive food porn books filled with chemistry experiments and tiny morsels like Alinea. One piece mostly left out is the experience of the front lines. I had hoped Waiter Rant would be that tale, especially due to the high praise... even from Anthony Bourdain himself. It wasn't. The book is all filler and no meat. A handful of actual tales and page upon page of uninteresting drivel. To make matters worse the "author" really thinks he is good at his craft, and while busy churning out cringe worthy garbage he is tooting his own horn and spending quite a bit of time explaining the actual writing of the book you are reading to again fluff up the page count. Ugh. Amateurish and pretentious at best.

As always this book sits with high marks on sites like Amazon while it honestly doesn't even deserve to be published. I think people's expectations are so low and the acceptance of terrible writing so high that no one knows what good is anymore. If it can be read in a few days and not eat up much brainpower while being the literary equivalent of Top 40 radio it is destined for lavish praise and critical acclaim these days. This stuff might make for a middle-of-the-road blog (which it was) but certainly not a book. NOT Recommended.

#1 - Zen Shorts

OK, so a new year is upon us and that means 52 more books (hopefully). I imagine I probably read around 40-45 books naturally in a year so it can be a bit of a push to hit the magical 52 but we shall see if I can repeat the effort. Here goes:

Zen Shorts popped out at me in the bookstore both because of the title and the art style of the cover. I have a great love for Zen Koans, which are generally short tales that have some sort of morale or thinking point. I have often thought that many would make great children's stories and it seems someone has beat me to it. Stillwater the panda is the sage and his three child friends are his pupils as he relates a famous ancient tale to a modern situation. This book has won a number of awards, including The Caldecott Honor Award, I would give it none. The retelling of the tales is far too wordy and muddled which obscures the essence and the half-hearted application of the story to the children is even worse. Pitiful. I honestly think the author has no real grasp of the subject matter and instead has a basic curiosity/understanding and sought to cash in on the idea (which seems to be working despite the effort). I really could not recommend a book less, terrible.