YARL

These are the books I have finished reading starting 8/1/97. I usually read a mix of fiction and non-fiction averaging about three books at a time. Whichever book I finish last will be on the bottom of the list. The more stars, the better I liked the book. Three stars is average. Five is excellent. One is poor.

Books Read

Title
Author
Rating
Comment
Stretching Bob Anderson **** Lots of good stretches. Ignore the cycling advice though. He's clueless.
The Boat Who Wouldn't Float Farley Mowat ***** All time favorite. Prose poem?
The Essential Sea Kayaker David Seidman **** Useful. Covers the basic mechanics with a spirit of adventure.
Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus John Gray ***** This book should be taught in high school. Probably won't be though. Too politically incorrect.
Contact Carl Sagan *** Solid 1970's thinking. See the movie instead.
The Right Wine: Matching Wine with Food for Every Occasion Tom Maresca **** Part I, Wines for Everyday, and Chapter 7, Wine in Restaurants, are the most useful. The author is chatty but pleasant.
The Packing Book Judith Gilford **** Very useful. Especially for someone starting out. Teaches the bundle method of packing. Plenty of lists.
Eon Greg Bear **** My initial impression was solid three star. This is a book rich in ideas that germinate in the unconscious then blossom into the inner I. A day later, it's a strong four.
Odd John Olaf Stapledon **** Seminal.
The Organization Man William H. Whyte, Jr. ***** Describes the foundations of much of late 20th century society as they were being laid. The Organization Man is now so ubiquitious that he no longer needs a label.
The Weapon Shops of Isher A. E. van Vogt **** Full of ideas that are being mined today. One chapter reads like a Scully-monologue on X Files. Wouldn't be published today though. Too politically incorrect.
The Four Loves C. S. Lewis ***** One of his best. Very thoughtful and thought provoking.
HTML: The Definitive Guide Chuck Musciano & Bill Kennedy **** Non-partisan introduction to HTML 3.2. Good reference as well.
The Black Dahlia James Ellroy **** Grabs you. Lets you go. Then wham, wham, wham.
Shelter Refuge Defense Duncan Long **** Bought this as a laugh but it turned out to be pretty rational.
Fear of Wine
An Introductory Guide to the Grape
Leslie Brenner **** Surprisingly good. A better beginner's book than Dummies Guide to Wine but not as good a reference.
The King James Only Controversy James R. White **** Well argued defense of the modern Bible translations. Hard to believe it was written by a Fundamentalist.
The Complete Wilderness Paddler James Davidson and John Rugge **** Excellent travel tail. Has some good canoeing advice too.
Executive Orders Tom Clancy *** Preachy but an OK read anyway. Cut 400 pages and you'd have a nice, exciting story.