Buddhists of all stripes, non-Buddhists, anyone with a thoughtful mind and an openness to spirituality will find things to intrigue, enlighten, guide and help them in Pema Chodron's writings. This is perhaps my favorite book and the one I give the most, as it so often is the case that it is in "difficult times" that people start looking for answers, or new ways. Like all of Pema Chodron's works, this book does not offer answers, or at least not any easy or obvious ones, but it does offer new ways, ways forward even in the darkest of times.
Very accessible - no prior background in Buddhism, or indeed in any spiritual practice, is necessary to approach and enter into this book, and she has a wonderful, engaging voice.
Beth Lisick is always a treasure - quirky, irreverent, unpredictable and intelligent. What's amazing about her is that she is so much the same in her writing as her music. Her album, pass, as The Beth Lisick Ordeal is a perennial favorite of mine.
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(4 of 8 readers found this comment helpful)
Post-cyberpunk sci fi and a rollicking good read. Has a lot in common with some of Ken Macleod's outstanding stuff, but with a more over-the-top, humorous, space opera tone.
A lot of the ideas about technology and futurology are worthy of serious consideration.
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(2 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
Ringworld was awesome - a real achievement, mind-blowing. Part of it was the hard science stuff - the ringworld itself, the details about it. And part of the achievement, and appeal, of the book was in the plot and characters.
With each new installment in the Ringworld series (unofficial though it is), Niven seems to have become more schematic in his writing. Entranced with his creation, as we all were, he loads each new book up with more and more details of the ringworld, aspect of its functioning, ramifications, backstory (the Pak), and so on. But he gets less and less interested, it seems, in plot and character. The writing is sketchy, moving from one big scene, big idea, big ringworld thingy to another at a breathless pace. To be honest, they feel a bit lazy, or perhaps self-indulgent - too full of the cool-ness of the ringworld to be bothered with being good books.
They are fun - I enjoy them. But they are not great, and I would never recommend them to anyone who hadn't read and loved the original Ringworld.
When I first saw this I thought, "who is it for? Everyone who wants Harry Potter will already have it." But then I realized kids are still growing up and getting old enough to read Harry Potter so there is clearly a market. And what a great present. The books are, obviously, compulsive reading, so having the whole set is great. And the box looks nice too.
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(4 of 5 readers found this comment helpful)
Read the original essay by Donald Worster and save 30% on A Passion for Nature: The Life of John Muir.
Nick Chapman has commented on (6) products.
The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times (Shambhala Classics) by Pema Chodron
Nick Chapman, April 28, 2008
Buddhists of all stripes, non-Buddhists, anyone with a thoughtful mind and an openness to spirituality will find things to intrigue, enlighten, guide and help them in Pema Chodron's writings. This is perhaps my favorite book and the one I give the most, as it so often is the case that it is in "difficult times" that people start looking for answers, or new ways. Like all of Pema Chodron's works, this book does not offer answers, or at least not any easy or obvious ones, but it does offer new ways, ways forward even in the darkest of times.Very accessible - no prior background in Buddhism, or indeed in any spiritual practice, is necessary to approach and enter into this book, and she has a wonderful, engaging voice.
Helping Me Help Myself: One Skeptic, Ten Self-Help Gurus, and a Year on the Brink of the Comfort Zone by Beth Lisick
Nick Chapman, January 30, 2008
Beth Lisick is always a treasure - quirky, irreverent, unpredictable and intelligent. What's amazing about her is that she is so much the same in her writing as her music. Her album, pass, as The Beth Lisick Ordeal is a perennial favorite of mine.(4 of 8 readers found this comment helpful)
Accelerando by Charles Stross
Nick Chapman, January 22, 2008
Post-cyberpunk sci fi and a rollicking good read. Has a lot in common with some of Ken Macleod's outstanding stuff, but with a more over-the-top, humorous, space opera tone.A lot of the ideas about technology and futurology are worthy of serious consideration.
(2 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
Ringworld's Children by Larry Niven
Nick Chapman, November 29, 2007
Ringworld was awesome - a real achievement, mind-blowing. Part of it was the hard science stuff - the ringworld itself, the details about it. And part of the achievement, and appeal, of the book was in the plot and characters.With each new installment in the Ringworld series (unofficial though it is), Niven seems to have become more schematic in his writing. Entranced with his creation, as we all were, he loads each new book up with more and more details of the ringworld, aspect of its functioning, ramifications, backstory (the Pak), and so on. But he gets less and less interested, it seems, in plot and character. The writing is sketchy, moving from one big scene, big idea, big ringworld thingy to another at a breathless pace. To be honest, they feel a bit lazy, or perhaps self-indulgent - too full of the cool-ness of the ringworld to be bothered with being good books.
They are fun - I enjoy them. But they are not great, and I would never recommend them to anyone who hadn't read and loved the original Ringworld.
Harry Potter Box Set (Books 1-7 ) by J. K. Rowling
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1-5 of 6 nextNick Chapman, November 26, 2007
When I first saw this I thought, "who is it for? Everyone who wants Harry Potter will already have it." But then I realized kids are still growing up and getting old enough to read Harry Potter so there is clearly a market. And what a great present. The books are, obviously, compulsive reading, so having the whole set is great. And the box looks nice too.(4 of 5 readers found this comment helpful)