Category: Book Reviews
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The Ballad Of Black Tom by Victor LaValle – A Book Review
In The Ballad of Black Tom, Victor LaValle delivers a novella for those readers who crave brevity and the exploration of important societal issues intertwined with the arcane. The brilliance of this novella lies in its multifaceted approach to tackling important social matters. LaValle combines the supernatural with the very real horrors of systemic racism…
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A Prayer For the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers – A Book Review
In A Prayer For the Crown-Shy, Becky Chambers delivers a captivating novella that explores the potential of humanity and technology’s role in shaping its fate. I picked this book up at my local library without realizing it is the second installment in the Monk and Robot series. Even so, it stands easily on its own,…
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Stella Maris by Cormac McCarthy – A Book Review
Stella Maris is a companion piece to The Passenger, both by Cormac McCarthy. The latter took great pains to position Alicia Western as an enigmatic, brilliant, and potentially insane character who happened to be the sister of Robert Western, The Passenger’s protagonist. In The Passenger, the reader experienced short vignettes of Alicia, often while being…
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The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy – A Book Review
For those of you seeking a book full of adventure and a streamlined plot, I suggest you look elsewhere. However, if you’re fascinated by the unknowns of life and the external factors that can dictate the direction of our existence, The Passenger may be for you. Written by Cormac McCarthy, who also brought us The…
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Great Webinars by Cynthia Clay – A Book Review
When I saw the 2012 publication date in the small print of Great Webinars, I frankly thought it may be outdated. I could not have been more wrong. During the last year and a half, I’ve attending more online calls, e-conferences, and virtual trainings then ever before in my life, and let me tell you,…
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The Non-Designer’s Design Book by Robin Williams – A Book Review
I came across this oldie-but-goodie while searching for books related to instructional design. In fact, I had to place it on hold through my local library’s inter-loan system. When it arrived, I nearly returned it right away. It looked so old, thin, and out-of-date that I didn’t figure it could possibly apply to today’s world.…
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Business Made Simple by Donald Miller – A Book Review
A good friend recommended Business Made Simple in order to bolster my business acumen as I continue navigating the corporate waters. There are several elements I appreciated about the book. First of all, it’s very well organized. Miller broke the book down day-by-day, and even provided supplemental material if you’d like to take it a…
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Switch by Chip Heath and Dan Heath – A Book Review
I recently heard about Switch: How To Change Things When Change Is Hard during a WorkLife With Adam Grant podcast. It immediately grabbed my attention because, during the podcast, they addressed that major changes often have to start off with very small, focused steps. I wanted to know more. I put the book on hold…
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All Of the Marvels by Douglas Wolk – A Book Review
As I strolled through the Normal Public Library, the above cover caught my eye primarily because of the little box in the corner depicting two heroic people, just like the comic books I enjoyed as a kid. I picked it up, read the inside jacket, and–yep!–this book was written specifically for me. With All Of…
