a_little_person's reviews
80 reviews

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott

lighthearted medium-paced

3.5

Why? the Purpose of the Universe by Philip Goff

reflective medium-paced

2.5

The whole book is based on some  assumptions we have to make to follow his arguments and accept his thesis. On top of that it is human-centered; making claims about the universe and giving it "humaneness" by talking about purpose and other man made concepts, is clumsy. The book feels like trapping the reader in assumptions, creating arguments followed it, then giving easy target counter arguments which, instead of being really critical of this thesis, only serves to further his propos. (A quick search on the web will result in many valid counterarguments ignored by Goff).
Kinda strange for a book exploring the "why" of the universe, to dedicate a whole chapter to "is taxation theft". Is seems the author's agenda is too strickly interwoven in the text. 
Ultimately it was interesting to flirt with the idea of teleological cosmopsychism and the likes, even though they are not as factual as he seems to be sure of. Nevertheless, it is worth the thought, worth thinking about it's implications, and worth seeing the holes in materialism and how they might be filled.

Ozu: His Life and Films by Donald Richie

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

Very good. Fascinating and well written. Unlike Shrader's account of Ozu which is littered with academic jargon, Donald Richie is very concise and clear. What he is saying is relevant and gives a great picture of ozu and his philosophy. The structure of the book was also a joy to go through. The only parts which where a bit tiresome were the lists of example of Ozu's films where a particular effect was being described; the good thing is that he was quite exhaustive - double edged sword.

Silver Screen Fiend: Learning About Life from an Addiction to Film by Patton Oswalt

medium-paced

2.5

Here and there it was interesting. I preferred the parts where he talks about him finding his way, and the night cafés analogy. But ultimately there wasn't much to chew on, nor any entertainment for my part.

Zen in the Art of Archery by Eugen Herrigel

reflective fast-paced

3.5

Nice snack.

The Art of Dramatic Writing: Its Basis in the Creative Interpretation of Human Motives by Lajos Egri, Gilbert Miller

medium-paced

2.5

I cannot agree with everything written in the book. The book is more black&white than I thought at the beginning. I feel some elitisme through it's pages, which can seem condescending at some passages (i.e. the one about "genius"). Overall it has good advices, but they are put on a pedestal which is not deserved. 
The dialectical Q&A's rubbed me the wrong way. It just felt like asking himself questions, which asserts his thesis. I feel like many arguments could have been made against his writing rules, with examples to back them up. On a more important note, I think the philosophy behind the "why" of writing, and what art is suppose to do is shortsighted, and dissmisive of other aesthetic philosophies. 
He also sparsely adopts a sarcastic tone which do not fit with the intend of the book - which longs to be instructional.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

informative

3.0

I've found it rather shallow. I would totally recommend Bradbury's book on writing, which contains more specific advice, is more consice, more inspiring, and richer. Stephen King's book was ok. And adding to this he has views on life which I do not share.

Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury

funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.5

It reads like a hot knife through butter. It personally had a great impact on my motivation and way of pursuing my art. I say it lightly since I have just finished the book, and have not put it's richness into practice. Though I might say it has changed (or at least put new words on) my way of creating - in my case films.

Something Like an Autobiography by Akira Kurosawa

inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.0

The Philosophy of Zen Buddhism by Byung-Chul Han

informative reflective medium-paced

3.5

It gives a good overall explanation to Zen Buddhism thanks to the comparative method. It goes in depth in what it tackles, but still feels a bit on the surface. In the sense that I am not fully comprehending the totality of Zen, but only those concepts which were discussed. And as I imagine, there is more to that philosophy than just those concepts. But overall really good.