Customer Comments

I first read On Writing Well as a college student 26 years ago, and because I was a photojournalism major, I remember being impressed by what amounted to my first "writer's book." Zinsser knows how to craft a sentence and make a point, and the overall impression is one of being taught by a patient, gray-haired professor. On Writing Well is aimed squarely at non-fiction writers (not surprising given Zinsser's newspaper background), and I'd suggest it's still an ideal primer for new writers. Initially published in 1976, On Writing Well was reissued in a 2006 "30th Anniversary Edition" which included a new section on writing memoirs. Overall, this book has aged fairly well (good writing is still good writing), though writers nowadays are facing new challenges, and you won't find answers to those issues here. Those looking for step-by-step guides to getting published won't find what they want here. Instead, Zinsser has written a nice, patient, intelligent book about writing better. It's a classic and for good reason, though it is starting to show some wear around the edges.

Hornby has a knack for writing characters which are flawed, likable and immensely recognizable. In fact, Juliet, Naked is jammed with interestingly drawn characters, most of whom edge toward growth and redemption, though this isn't Hollywood and there are no Hollywood endings here. Instead, Hornby writes deftly of a disparate group of people living at the intersection of pop culture, the Internet, sometimes-creepy fandom and everyday (boring) life, most of whom are drifting. Tucker Crowe is an aging rock star who walked away from the business two decades ago after releasing a critically acclaimed "breakup" album. Pursued by a small coterie of fans who have endlessly analyzed his music, Crowe discovers he can no longer ignore his former wives or estranged children, and runs headlong into Annie, the former girlfriend of one of Crowe's biggest -- and borderline creepiest -- fans. No coincidence is too great for Hornby to tackle, yet the overall effect of the book is wholly believable. Neat trick, that. Hornby remains a favorite writer and Juliet, Naked doesn't disappoint. The dialog snaps and crackles and you simply can't ignore the universal traits he infuses into his characters. More than once I found myself glancing at the page count, wishing it wasn't all going to end soon, and I give it five stars.

This was an inventive thriller, though one with almost no real sci-fi component (not that there's anything wrong with that). Sadly, I tried, but I didn't love this book; the narrative was epic in scope, but not quite coherent enough to get me to believe it. Still, it's a fun read -- if you're a fan of Stephenson's writing style, which is not compact. In fact, at several points in the latter half of the book I found myself growing impatient during one of his frequent digressions; I was tired of the delay, and ultimately caught myself simply wanting the book to end. One note; Stephenson focuses on the firearms in the book (the book involves terrorists, operatives and survivalist-style American groups, so no surprise), but he needs a better fact checker. He wrongly keeps calling ammunition magazines "clips" and at one point suggests some thirty feet away from a 12 gauge shotgun was outside its lethal range (dead wrong). I read the ebook version (Google eBooks via Powells) and the formatting could have been better (especially nice would have been one-line breaks between sections). Ultimately, this feels a lot like a Clancy style technothriller with a pinch of near-future sci-fi thrown in -- but written in a looser style than Clancy's. It was fun, but I prefer a more compact writing style, so this dragged just a bit for me.

More inspirational that instructional, Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird is a witty, entertaining look at her life as a writer, and while I would warn other writers against blindly emulating any writer's process, there's certainly plenty here worth stealing. Most interesting is her approach to teaching the craft; if you're writing for money, fame, approval or other forms of validation, Lamott suggests you're probably already in trouble. In one sense, she's probably right; writing is a tough way to make a living unless something in the writing process feeds you (the writing world is filled with people more interested in the lifestyle than the work itself, and for them, Lamott's book should serve as a wakeup call). Most of her specific advice isn't exactly new (notice things, take notes, use what you know in your stories, your first draft probably bites), yet when told in the context of her career, her advice is compelling -- especially to those without fully formed reasons for entering the business. Don't expect bullet points or any of that comically oversimplified "1. Write Book; 2. Get Agent..." crap. Lamott's all about writing for the sake of writing, and this book focuses on her processes -- including a chapter on dealing with jealousy. That's not exactly normal "how to" fare, but at the very least -- to a writer with plenty of experience in copywriting but little in Lamott's part of the writing universe -- it's amusing stuff. A few lucky writers find the resources they need at critical parts of their career (I stumbled on Ogilvy On Advertising when I was starting to wonder about making a living in the advertising world), and given the kind of grounded, real-world inspiration it offers, I think "Bird by Bird" should probably be handed to every college student captured by the thought of arranging words for a living. Lamott's a witty and revealing writer, and though I'm not a memoirist or fiction writer, it's hard not to be inspired by this book.

Annie Dillard is a brilliant writer, but this book -- a collection of meditations on writing -- meanders around her writing career, sometimes stopping for a minute or two to kick at the dirt. Sprinkled throughout are stories about other writers and adventurers, and while some sparkle, others feel forced, left to dangle. The Writing Life is not a how-to manual or a bulleted list of pointers for young writers (no one said it was) -- and it's clearly the kind of meditation that invites the writer to wander -- but while the prose is typically beautiful and the glimpses into her life are interesting, The Writing Life ultimately feels unfocused. It's a thin book and because it's written by Annie Dillard the prose is at times breathtaking, but it doesn't reach the level of a book that will find a permanent place on my shelf.

Interesting and often downright riveting, The Wave is the story of the ocean's giant and rogue waves -- and the people who try to surf them. Half the book focuses on the science of giant waves and their effects on coastal communities and shipping; the other half follows big wave surfing's best-known names as they traverse the globe in search of giant waves to surf -- including the mythical 100' monster. The science portions are almost as interesting as the picture Susan Casey paints of Laird Hamilton, the world's premier (and best known) big wave surfer. Hamilton and a close-knit of friends chase waves so big they almost literally can't be surfed, and to fall invites severe injury or even death (several big wave surfers died while Casey was writing the book). It's a wholly worthwhile, very interesting read (even though I'll never go near the ocean again...).

Excellent book. Barnes knows how to sketch out an engaging character, and his story--about a fast-growing tech startup that was based on a lie--continually picks up steam. I'd buy another Barnes book.