Book Nerd :: Big Haul

Kevin I. Slaughter — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 18:22:30 +0000

Some things I’ve bought in the last month and a half or so… left out a couple of books…
(I understand how fucking nerdy it is to take photos of books, luckily that doesn’t bother me)

The Godless Constitution, What’s Your Dangerous Idea, Bowling Alone, The Genius Factory, Sideswipe (Willeford)

The Best of the Brain, The Big Book of Breasts, When I Was a Kid This was a Free Country, For the Carnal Connoisseur

Reflections of a Jaundiced Eye, Eye For an Eye, Epicurus, The Federalist Papers, Taking Sex Differences Seriously

Short reviews:
What’s Your Dangerous Idea? & What we Believe But Cannot Prove (not pictured)
Both fun collections of short essays from a wide range of scientific fields on the titled questions. Recommended for the eclectic mix of writings from different perspectives, but most all of them well informed (though a few duds and some with scientific terminology that went over me head).

Epicurus: His Continuing Influence And Contemporary Relevance
First – this is print on demand and I didn’t know this when ordering. For $25 and only 223 pages I would have wanted decent printing and binding. The ink reflects light and the printing is poor. I’ve just started reading this, and looking over the table of contents it looks like a really mixed bag – a few essays I probably won’t read at all.
Second, the title of the book is also the title of a 2002 conference on Epicurus held at Rochester Institute of Technology, when many of the ideas here were first presented.
Third, I really don’t like to see comparisons of Western philosophy with Eastern philosophy. Just a thing I have, don’t care about Eastern philosophy, don’t want to hear about it, bad enough they reference Christianity.

The publisher’s website contains the following:

Since the Cary Collection’s inception in 1969, occasional publications have appeared, inspired by its holdings. Strong scholarship and editorial direction, elegant design, and fine printing have characterized these publications, which are usually historical in context. With the formal establishment of the Cary Graphic Arts Press, we hope to carry on these high standards with increasing regularity.

Though we will continue to produce high-quality letterpress and offset publications, one aspect of our expanded mission is to explore digital technologies and to branch into electronically generated content. In this way, the latest information delivery system will be infused with the best historic ideals—a combination that fosters an optimal educational experience.

Yes, they are an arts press that publishes books about bookbinding, lettering, etc. etc. And this book, however nicely the type may be set – it looks like shit when printed.

A preview of the book is available online: http://books.google.com/ just type in the title of the book.

The Big Book of Breasts
Worth it, especially at Amazon’s discount. 420 pages – lots of boobs, even some text and interviews I may get around to reading some day.

Reflections of a Jaundiced Eye by Florence King
Mostly misses for me. One or two parts were good, but overall not as good as either Southern Ladies and Gentleman or With Charity Toward None: A Fond Look at Misanthropy. Buy the latter two, the first of the latter two if you’re a Southerner.

The Genius Factory by David Plotz
Obsessed with the subject matter, the author comes across like a putz who doesn’t understand the fundamentals of genetics but still tried to use it to argue against the topic. If you’re into eugenics or unusual Americans, pick it up.

Done writing, maybe I’ll revisit this, I’ve read a few more of them but REALLY want to get into Eye for and Eye, though it looks pretty involved.

Kevin I. Slaughter » charles willeford

Book Nerd :: Big Haul