Books
Reviews, Books
| 240515 | The Glenn Gould Reader |
Worth the concentration required |
| 230430 | Worn |
The most beautiful, inspiring book on fabric and clothing I've ever read. |
| 210429 | Architectural Acoustics Design Guide |
Somehow not inspiring |
| 210428 | The Acoustics of Performance Halls |
Illuminating overview from a seasoned acoustician |
| 180720 | Who Cares About Particle Physics? |
Momentous topic and clear content shine through ho-hum writing style |
| 180707 | On Photography |
Wonderful, challenging intro to art photography |
| 180402 | How to Write for Percussion |
Companion to my next composition session |
| 180108 | The Character of Physical Law |
Skip and watch the videos |
| 170909 | Capturing Music |
Ideas for taiko notation |
| 170904 | How the Universe Got Its Spots |
The ins and outs of being a physicist |
| 170808 | The Quantum Divide |
Quantum theory through the lens of history-making experiments. |
| 170731 | Drawdown |
Great resource for environmentalist priorities |
| 170708 | The New Urban Crisis |
Important topic, deeply researched... impact hampered only by my weariness for figures. |
| 170617 | From Mathematics to Generic Programming |
Rewarding at any level of engagement, from general historical overview to deep programming study. |
| 170524 | Astrophysics for People in a Hurry |
Quick but insubstantial read. |
| 170311 | Red Rover |
Recommended for NASA lovers (aren't we all NASA lovers?!). |
| 170225 | Storm in a Teacup: The Physics of Everyday Life |
Highly recommended, for the physics and to fall in love with the author |
| 170123 | The Life You Can Save: Effective giving against extreme poverty |
How to target your charitable giving |
| 170112 | Contemporary Directions in Asian American Dance |
Stiff academic writing contains gems |
| 161224 | The Spy Who Couldn't Spell |
Slow start, didn't finis |
| 161023 | Los Angeles Union Station |
LA nerds unite! |
| 160927 | The Art of Learning |
What chess and competitive Tai Chi reveal about learning |
| 160903 | Walkable City |
LA voters, please read! |
| 160822 | Ending Medical Reversal |
Important book for navigating modern healthcare |
| 160819 | Mindset: The New Psychology of Success |
"Fixed" vs "growth" mindsets in excruciating detail |
| 160815 | Creativity: The Perfect Crime |
An artists notebook |
| 160808 | The Climate Casino: Risk, Uncertainty, and Economics for a Warming World |
Convincing case for role of econ in addressing climate change |
| 160726 | Whatever Happened to the Metric System? |
For the love of measurement |
| 160706 | Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New England |
Useful reflection on the tragedy of our country's founding. |
| 160620 | Audio Culture, Readings in Modern Music |
About 30 pages in, I almost stopped reading. What a shame that would have been. |
| 160613 | Decorating with Architectural Trimwork |
Examples of what not to do. |
| 160613 | More Not So Big Solutions for Your Home |
Not so deep |
| 160416 | This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things |
Fascinating and fair look at online troll culture |
| 160405 | Half-Earth |
New environmental conservation goal: 50 percent of earth surface should be protected |
| 160405 | Birth of a Theorem |
Rare insight into working mathematicians, charmingly opaque math. |
| 160321 | How to Bake Pi |
Charming and though-provoking, if a bit scattered. |
| 160319 | Letters to a Young Scientist |
Unmoved. |
| 160307 | The Search for the Perfect Language |
Only for language/history buffs |
| 160307 | Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance |
Highly recommended for cyclists |
| 160307 | Black Hole |
Recommended for cosmology lovers |
| 150303 | Designing, Building, and Testing Your Own Speaker System |
Great starting point |
| 150303 | This Changes Everything |
Climate change facts and figures |
| 150303 | Brioni |
Better than expected (the book and Brioni) |
| 150303 | Art Power |
Artful start, powerless end |
| 150303 | When Clothes Become Fashion |
The best book I didn’t understand |
| 150117 | Pay Any Price |
Useful info, shaky through-line. |
| 150117 | Cloudspotter’s Guide |
Wanted to like it more. |
| 150117 | How We Got to Now |
Science history! |
| 150117 | Closet Smarts |
How to cover flaws (rather than redefine them) |
| 150117 | American Fashion |
So-so intro to design of women's fashion design in America |
| 150117 | Charles James |
Well-made cliche |
| 141108 | Moving Through the Universe in Bare Feet |
Not enough to take the leap |
| 141108 | The Dictionary of Fashion History |
OK as reference, not useful to borrow |
| 141108 | Real Talk for Real Teachers |
The best book this month! |
| 141108 | Absolute Value |
Vacuous book about a vacuous profession |
| 141108 | The Extreme Life of the Sea |
A fun read for nature lovers |
| 140919 | Fashion |
No theory, no groundbreaking fashion |
| 140919 | A History of Men’s Fashion |
The best on the topic! |
| 140919 | Chanel |
Uninspiring writing on an uninspiring designer |
| 140919 | Terpsichore in Sneakers |
Awesome primer on post-modern dance |
| 140919 | It’s All About the Dress |
It's too much about her |
| 140909 | The Divide |
Frustratingly important |
| 140909 | Automotive Chassis and Body |
The only source for this info! |
| 140909 | No Place To Hide |
Thank you, Snowden! |
| 140909 | The Code Book |
Cryptography primer |
| 140909 | Missing Microbes |
Slightly alarmist but worth reading |
| 140621 | The West Without Water |
A CA water-drinker's resource |
| 140621 | Cool Tools |
A bit thin on content |
| 140621 | Inquiries into the Nature of Slow Money |
Agreeable premise, disagreeable writing |
| 140621 | How Bad Are Bananas |
Facts and figures for the climate-aware |
| 140412 | Climate Change |
Good overview, likely outdated |
| 140412 | The Ethics of Climate Change |
Life changing |
| 140412 | The Sixth Extinction |
Captivating, terrifying, motivating |
| 140412 | A Perfect Moral Storm |
Why accepting responsibility for climate change is hard |
| 140312 | Climate Matters |
Mix of esoteric philosophy and practical advice |
| 140312 | The Small Wood Shop |
Inspiring ideas |
| 140312 | Sustainable Energy |
Top-tier resource |
| 140312 | We are the Weather Makers |
Not particularly inspiring |
| 140312 | Now or Never |
Not my favorite on the subject |
| 140312 | How to Grow Fresh Air |
So-so book on an awesome topic |
| 140312 | Eating Animals |
Eat in line with your beliefs |
| 140124 | Mastery |
Perfect for ambitious taiko players |
| 140124 | The Power Surge |
Not groundbreaking but well-written and even-handed |
| 140124 | The Silent Pulse |
Unnecessarily mystical |
| 140124 | Delusions of Gender |
Part of the long march toward gender fluidity |
| 140124 | Stuff |
Fascinating trivia yearning for more depth |
| 140124 | The Time of Music |
Great for percussion composers |
| 131121 | The End of Money |
Uninteresting book by a cash-hater |
| 131121 | Traffic |
Required reading for LA residents |
| 131121 | Fresh Lipstick |
Nuanced connections between fashion and feminism |
| 130710 | Web of Debt |
Confirmation of why I don't like loans |
| 130710 | Just Being At the Piano |
The musician's path |
| 130710 | The Castle |
Engagingly tedious |
| 130710 | Contagious |
How to trade integrity for popularity |
| 130710 | Pension Fund Politics |
A useful, if biased, opinion |
| 130710 | Ethical Markets |
Great points poorly written |
| 130710 | The SRI Advantage |
The bottom-line benefits of socially-responsible investing. (Are those what matter?) |
| 130710 | The Fashion Reader |
Critical fashion textbook |
| 130710 | Thinking, Fast and Slow |
For all thinkers! |
| 130413 | The Green Collar Economy |
A rising sea floats all boats |
| 130413 | A Universe From Nothing |
Connections between the smallest and largest scales of the universe |
| 130413 | Steal Like An Artist |
Thin. Should have stolen more content |
| 130413 | Antifragile |
A challenging, deep tome |
| 130413 | Effortless Mastery |
How to become the music |
| 130413 | The Creative Director |
Great for taiko teachers and composers |
| 130413 | The Inner Game of Tennis |
Great for teachers and students |
| 130413 | Teach Like Your Hair’s On Fire |
A classic! |
| 130413 | Kanjincho |
Serviceable summary of the play |
| 121231 | Notes and Tones |
Felt guilty not liking this... will try again when I'm a more mature musician |
| 121231 | Trust Me I’m Lying |
Resist all advertising |
| 121231 | Turing’s Cathedral |
The personal computer's sordid start |
| 121231 | Which Side Are You On? |
What page are you on? I stopped reading. |
| 121231 | How Music Works |
Will check out again |
| 121231 | What Money Can’t Buy |
Important read to resist the negative influences of markets |
| 121231 | How Much Is Enough? |
Info for the good life |
| 121128 | Basic MIG Welding Practices |
Not useful |
| 121128 | The Handplane Book |
Decent overview |
| 121128 | Towards A Poor Theatre |
Interesting take on stage "honesty" |
| 121128 | Drift |
Better than the TV show |
| 121128 | Welder’s Handbook |
Great beginning welder's book |
| 121128 | Imagine |
Can imagine worse... can imagine better |
| 121128 | Working with Handplanes |
Good collection of articles |
| 121128 | Mathematics |
Helped me love math |
| 121128 | Rethinking A Lot |
Useful for LA commuters |
| 121128 | How Children Succeed |
The fundamentals behind student success |
| 120901 | Choreography and the Specific Image |
Not particularly inspiring |
| 120901 | Workshop Math |
Oh to be a renaissance man! |
| 120901 | Kill or Capture |
Still a pacifist but more understanding of Obama |
| 120901 | Being Watched |
Useful inspiration when chorographing |
| 120901 | The Man Who Quit Money |
Inspiring approach to life |
| 120901 | Consent of the Networked |
The revolution will not be on Facebook |
| 120901 | The Net Delusion |
Internet policy required to protect democracy |
| 120901 | The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty |
Why we lie and how to resist it |
| 120701 | iDisorder |
Not my (tech-inspired) problems |
| 120701 | The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces |
Great. And video is even better. |
| 120701 | The Intimate Act of Choreography |
Great for choreographer's block |
| 120701 | The Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance |
Expertise is an adaptation |
| 120701 | The Art of Making Dances |
Absolutely inspiring! |
| 120701 | Predator Nation |
Wasn't in the mood for self loathing? |
| 120701 | Flow |
Didn't finish... flowed on to the next book |
| 120701 | Feelings Are Facts |
Insight into genius |
| 120701 | Free |
Decent but not as inspiring as Eben Moglen |
| 120701 | Redirect |
How to create productive self-narratives |
| 120604 | Make Space |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — June 2012"]
Make Space: How to Set the Stage for Creative Collaboration |
| 120604 | Canning for a New Generation |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — June 2012"]
Canning for a New Generation |
| 120604 | Salted |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — June 2012"]
Salted – A manifesto on the world’s most essential mineral, with recipes |
| 120604 | Making Ideas Happen |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — June 2012"]
Making Ideas Happen – Overcoming the obstacles between vision & reality |
| 120604 | Choreography Observed |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — June 2012"]
Choreography Observed |
| 120410 | Adapt |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — April 2012"]
Adapt, Why Success Always Starts With Failure |
| 120410 | Moral Panics and the Copyright Wars |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — April 2012"]
Moral Panics and the Copyright Wars |
| 120410 | The Creative Habit |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — April 2012"]
The Creative Habit – Learn It and Use It for Life |
| 120410 | A Guide to the Japanese Stage |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — April 2012"]
A Guide to the Japanese Stage |
| 120410 | Willpower |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — April 2012"]
Willpower – Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength |
| 120410 | Knocking on Heaven’s Door |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — April 2012"]
Knocking on Heaven’s Door: How physics and scientific thinking illuminate the universe and the modern world |
| 120410 | IBM and the Holocaust |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — April 2012"]
IBM and the Holocaust, The Strategic Alliance Between Nazi Germany and America’s Most Powerful Corporation |
| 111220 | Creative License |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — December 2011"]
Creative License, The Law and Culture of Digital Sampling |
| 111220 | Using Drupal |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — December 2011"]
Using Drupal |
| 111220 | The Chairs Are Where the People Go |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — December 2011"]
|
| 111220 | Program Or Be Programmed |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — December 2011"]
Program Or Be Programmed: Ten commands for a digital age |
| 111220 | But Will the Planet Notice |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — December 2011"]
But Will the Planet Notice — How Smart Economics Can Save the World The book’s ending provides the most concise summary. |
| 111220 | Moby Dick |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — December 2011"]
Moby Dick Just as I was lamenting my long lapse from reading fiction, my mom recommended Moby Dick. Why not be ambitious?! I loved it. |
| 111022 | Physics for Entertainment |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — October 2011"]
Physics for Entertainment |
| 111022 | The Art Instinct |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — October 2011"]
The Art Instinct: beauty, pleasure, & human evolution |
| 111022 | Truth, Beauty, and Goodness Reframed |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — October 2011"]
Truth, Beauty, and Goodness Reframed — Educating for the Virtues in the Twenty-First Century |
| 111022 | Life Inc. |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — October 2011"]
Life Inc. — How the World Became A Corporation and How to Take It Back |
| 111022 | Moonwalking With Einstein |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — October 2011"]
Moonwalking With Einstein — The Art and Science of Remembering Everything |
| 110917 | Freedom of Expression |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — September 2011"]
Freedom of Expression – Overzealous Copyright Bozos and Other Enemies of Creativity |
| 110917 | Learning OpenCV |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — September 2011"]
Learning OpenCV: Computer Vision with the OpenCV Library |
| 110917 | Small Is Beautiful |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — September 2011"]
Small Is Beautiful — Economics as if People Mattered |
| 110917 | The Warrior Diet |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — September 2011"]
The Warrior Diet |
| 110723 | The Essential Touring Cyclist |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — August 2011"]
The Essential Touring Cyclist |
| 110723 | The One Pan Gourmet |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — August 2011"]
The One Pan Gourmet: Fresh food on the trail |
| 110723 | Adventure Cycle-Touring Handbook |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — August 2011"]
Adventure Cycle-Touring Handbook — Worldwode Cycle Route & Planning Guide |
| 110723 | Designing Furniture |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — August 2011"]
Designing Furniture: from concept to shopt drawing, a practical guide |
| 110723 | Practical Furniture Design |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — August 2011"]
Practical Furniture Design: from Drawing Board to Smart Construction |
| 110723 | The Perfect Edge |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — August 2011"]
The Perfect Edge — The Ultimate Guide to Sharpening for Woodworkers |
| 110723 | Great Soul |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — August 2011"]
Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle With India |
| 110708 | Decoded |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – July 2011"]
Decoded |
| 110708 | Einstein: The Life and Times |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – July 2011"]
Einstein: The Life and Times |
| 110708 | The 4% Universe |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – July 2011"]
The 4 Percent Universe: Dark matter, dark energy, and the race to discover the rest of reality |
| 110708 | Celebration of Awareness |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – July 2011"]
Celebration of Awareness: A Call for Institutional Revolution |
| 110708 | In the Mirror of the Past |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – July 2011"]
In the Mirror of the Past, Lectures and Addresses 1978-1990 |
| 110708 | The Workbench |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – July 2011"]
The Workbench – A Complete Guide to Creating Your Perfect Bench |
| 110708 | The Information |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – July 2011"]
The Information: a history, a theory, a flood |
| 110509 | Against Method |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – May 2011"]
Against Method |
| 110509 | The Happiness Project |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – May 2011"]
The Happiness Project |
| 110509 | Michael Polanyi |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – May 2011"]
Michael Polanyi |
| 110509 | Organizing from the Inside Out |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – May 2011"]
Organizing from the Inside Out |
| 110509 | Massive |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – May 2011"]
Massive – The Missing Particle that Sparked the Greatest Hunt in Science |
| 110509 | Why Everyone (Else) Is a Hypocrite |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – May 2011"]
Why Everyone (Else) Is a Hypocrite — Evolution and the Modular Mind |
| 110509 | Modern Spice |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – May 2011"]
Modern Spice — Inspired indian flavors for the contemporary kitchen |
| 110509 | Making Workbenches |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – May 2011"]
Making Workbenches |
| 110509 | Treasure Chests |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – May 2011"]
Treasure Chests, the Legacy of Extraordinary Boxes |
| 110509 | The Workbench Book |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – May 2011"]
The Workbench Book |
| 110401 | The Science of Good and Evil |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – March 2011"]
The Science of Good and Evil – Why People Cheat, Gossip, Care, Share, and Follow the Golden Rule |
| 110401 | The Moral Landscape |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – March 2011"]
The Moral Landscape – How Science Can Determine Human Values |
| 110401 | The Master Switch |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – March 2011"]
The Master Switch |
| 110401 | Piracy |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – March 2011"]
Piracy – The Intellectual Property Wars From Gutenberg to Gates |
| 110401 | A Long Way Gone |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – March 2011"]
A Long Way Gone – Memoirs of a Boy Soldier |
| 101024 | Very Special Relativity |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – October 2010"]
Very Special Relativity |
| 101024 | Decoding the Universe |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – October 2010"]
Decoding the Universe |
| 101024 | The Gift |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – October 2010"]
The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World |
| 101024 | Common As Air |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – October 2010"]
Common As Air – Revolution, Art, and Ownership |
| 101024 | The Shallows |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – December 2010"]
The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing To Our Brains |
| 101024 | Shop Class As Soulcraft |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – December 2010"]
Shop Class As Soulcraft, An Inquiry Into the Value of Work |
| 101024 | The Matchbox That Ate A Fourty-Ton Truck |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – December 2010"]
The Matchbox That Ate A Fourty-Ton Truck – What everyday things tell us about the universe |
| 101024 | Payback |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – December 2010"]
Payback, Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth |
| 100828 | Laban for Actors and Dancers |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Book reviews – dance notation"]
Laban for Actors and Dancers |
| 100828 | Alphabet of Movements of the Human Body |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Book reviews – dance notation"] Alphabet of Movements of the Human Body
|
| 100828 | On the Count of One |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Book reviews – dance notation"] On the Count of One
|
| 100828 | Dance Notation – The Process of Recording Movement on Paper |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Book reviews – dance notation"]
Dance Notation – The Process of Recording Movement on Paper |
| 100828 | Dance Writing Shorthand for Modern and Jazz Dance |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Book reviews – dance notation"] Dance Writing Shorthand for Modern and Jazz Dance
|
| 100828 | Principles of Dance and Movement Notation |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Book reviews – dance notation"]
Principles of Dance and Movement Notation |
| 100828 | Movement Study and Benesh Movement Notation |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Book reviews – dance notation"] Movement Study and Benesh Movement Notation
|
| 100828 | Your Move |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Book reviews – dance notation"]
Your Move |
| 100630 | What I Talk About When I Talk About Running |
[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – June 2010"]
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running |
| 100630 | Healing with Whole Foods |
I eat like this for totally different reasons |
| 100630 | Beautiful Evidence |
More great Tufte! |
| 100504 | The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint |
Damning |
| 100504 | Priceless: The Myth of Fair Value |
Not my favorite on behavioral economics |
| 100504 | Brain Rules |
Can you find the signed copy at LAPL?! |
| 100504 | The Ethics of Authenticity |
Didn't finish |
| 100504 | Virtual Music, Computer Synthesis of Musical Style |
David Cope is incredible! |
| 100401 | The Art of Possibility |
Zander's TED talk outshines this book |
| 100401 | Money for Nothing |
Insight into a sleazy industry by a half-reformed opportunist |
| 100401 | Ayn Rand and the World She Made |
The best way to know Ayn Rand |
| 100401 | The Visual Display of Quantitative Information |
The best in the field |
| 100401 | Envisioning Information |
Read everything by Tufte |
| 100401 | Just Food |
Good info, so-so writing |
| 100401 | Visual Explanations |
Good as primer to "V.D. of Q.I." |
| 090709 | Outliers |
A classic |
| 090709 | Musicophilia |
A scientist's appreciation of music |
| 090709 | This is Your Brain on Music |
A fun look at the biology behind music |
| 081227 | home-construction (various) |
All-things house design |
