Leni Zumas's writing crackles. Her books are sharp, bleak, funny, and possibly dangerous. When her collection of short stories, Farewell Navigator,...
Continue »
Earth (The Book): A Visitor's Guide to the Human Race falls halfway between America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction and Our Dumb World: The Onion's Atlas of the Planet Earth, 73rd Edition in terms of both content and nature (i.e., uneven, broad-reaching social satire presented via faux textbook). Those who are somehow new to Stewart (aliens, perhaps?) and/or those who have never read America (The Book) should know that Earth (The Book) fails to capture Stewart and The Daily Show writing staff at their best. Of course, to expect otherwise would be absurd; as with Stephen Colbert, Bill Maher and even the likes of the late, great George Carlin, Stewart is at his best when he is working off the cuff (i.e., riffing on and/or eviscerating the statements, arguments and political activities of others live in person or on TV). Consequently, fans of the show--particularly those who are familiar with the two aforementioned works--should know what to expect, and will not be disappointed. Others are encouraged to give it a shot, and take it at face value.
Pepe Escobar's Globalistan is, in the author's words, "a warped geopolitical travel book" that aims to transform and politicize the reader's understanding of the interrelated processes which facilitate and perpetuate "globalization, energy wars and the Pentagon's Long War." The text, as much a work of abstract political theory as it is reportage, is a brief but overly complicated polemic that ultimately fails to present a practical alternative to the world views and socio-economic practices which the author clearly set out to challenge. The literary and theoretical references and allusions which riddle the text are sure to interest some (myself included), but Escobar's awkward phraseology and penchant for abstraction for the sake of abstraction can at times be distracting. Ultimately, the book may be of value to students of sociology, political science and heterodox economics, but it is almost certain to tire and/or bore the average and relatively apolitical reader.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
Guerrilla Warfare is sure to be a very handy primer for rural (as opposed to urban) guerrillas, but, for the rest of us, it is nothing more than a highly readable primary source on rural revolutionary tactics and strategy. Readers who are interested in Che's personal take on the Cuban Revolution should instead look for a copy of Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War, and those who are interested in the life of Che himself should pick up one of Che's more reputable biographies, be it Jon Lee Anderson's epic Che Guevara, Paco Ignacio Taibo II's sizable Guevara, also known as Che or Jorge Castañeda's mid-length, but quite captivating, Compañero.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
Ape and Essence is a brief, bizarre, and ludicrously overwritten work of dystopian fiction. The book follows the discovery and full recital of a mysterious play; a play which was almost certainly written by Huxley while under the influence of a particularly foul hallucinogenic substance. Serious fans of Huxley and the dystopian sub-genre of science fiction may find the book worth pursuing, but I cannot honestly say that I would recommend it to any man, woman or child...
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
Jazz: The First 100 Years is an introductory textbook best suited for budding jazz aficionados with minimal to no personal music experience. At its worst, the book can be both pedantic and dull, but then... It is a textbook.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
Powell's City of Books is an independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon, that fills a whole city block with more than a million new, used, and out of print books. Shop those shelves — plus literally millions more books, DVDs, and eBooks — here at Powells.com.
Don't Miss
Customer Comments
BGP has commented on (11) products.
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents Earth (the Book): A Visitor's Guide to the Human Race by Jon Stewart
BGP, January 1, 2011
Earth (The Book): A Visitor's Guide to the Human Race falls halfway between America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction and Our Dumb World: The Onion's Atlas of the Planet Earth, 73rd Edition in terms of both content and nature (i.e., uneven, broad-reaching social satire presented via faux textbook). Those who are somehow new to Stewart (aliens, perhaps?) and/or those who have never read America (The Book) should know that Earth (The Book) fails to capture Stewart and The Daily Show writing staff at their best. Of course, to expect otherwise would be absurd; as with Stephen Colbert, Bill Maher and even the likes of the late, great George Carlin, Stewart is at his best when he is working off the cuff (i.e., riffing on and/or eviscerating the statements, arguments and political activities of others live in person or on TV). Consequently, fans of the show--particularly those who are familiar with the two aforementioned works--should know what to expect, and will not be disappointed. Others are encouraged to give it a shot, and take it at face value.Globalistan: How the Globalized World Is Dissolving Into Liquid War by Pepe Escobar
BGP, October 20, 2009
Pepe Escobar's Globalistan is, in the author's words, "a warped geopolitical travel book" that aims to transform and politicize the reader's understanding of the interrelated processes which facilitate and perpetuate "globalization, energy wars and the Pentagon's Long War." The text, as much a work of abstract political theory as it is reportage, is a brief but overly complicated polemic that ultimately fails to present a practical alternative to the world views and socio-economic practices which the author clearly set out to challenge. The literary and theoretical references and allusions which riddle the text are sure to interest some (myself included), but Escobar's awkward phraseology and penchant for abstraction for the sake of abstraction can at times be distracting. Ultimately, the book may be of value to students of sociology, political science and heterodox economics, but it is almost certain to tire and/or bore the average and relatively apolitical reader.(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
Guerrilla Warfare by Che Guevara
BGP, October 20, 2009
Guerrilla Warfare is sure to be a very handy primer for rural (as opposed to urban) guerrillas, but, for the rest of us, it is nothing more than a highly readable primary source on rural revolutionary tactics and strategy. Readers who are interested in Che's personal take on the Cuban Revolution should instead look for a copy of Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War, and those who are interested in the life of Che himself should pick up one of Che's more reputable biographies, be it Jon Lee Anderson's epic Che Guevara, Paco Ignacio Taibo II's sizable Guevara, also known as Che or Jorge Castañeda's mid-length, but quite captivating, Compañero.(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
Ape and Essence by Aldous Huxley
BGP, October 20, 2009
Ape and Essence is a brief, bizarre, and ludicrously overwritten work of dystopian fiction. The book follows the discovery and full recital of a mysterious play; a play which was almost certainly written by Huxley while under the influence of a particularly foul hallucinogenic substance. Serious fans of Huxley and the dystopian sub-genre of science fiction may find the book worth pursuing, but I cannot honestly say that I would recommend it to any man, woman or child...(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
Jazz: The First 100 Years with CD (Audio) by Henry Martin
BGP, October 20, 2009
Jazz: The First 100 Years is an introductory textbook best suited for budding jazz aficionados with minimal to no personal music experience. At its worst, the book can be both pedantic and dull, but then... It is a textbook.(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
1-5 of 11next