Willpower

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 Scott Doorley and Scott Witthoft pub. 2012, 272p source: LAPL
120604	Canning for a New Generation	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — June 2012"] Canning for a New Generation Liana Krissoff pub. 2010, 303p source: LAPL
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 Mark Bitterman pub. 2010, 312p source: LAPL
120604	Making Ideas Happen	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — June 2012"] Making Ideas Happen – Overcoming the obstacles between vision & reality Scott Belsky pub. 2010, 242p source: LAPL
120604	Choreography Observed	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — June 2012"] Choreography Observed Scott Belsky pub. 1987, 294p source: LAPL
120410	Adapt	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — April 2012"] Adapt, Why Success Always Starts With Failure Tim Harford pub. 2011, 309p source: LAPL
120410	Moral Panics and the Copyright Wars	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — April 2012"] Moral Panics and the Copyright Wars William Patry pub. 2009, 266p source: LAPL
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 Twyla Tharp pub. 2003, 243p source: LAPL
120410	A Guide to the Japanese Stage	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — April 2012"] A Guide to the Japanese Stage Ronald Cavaye, Paul Griffith, Akihiko Senda pub. 2004, 287p source: LAPL
120410	Willpower	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — April 2012"] Willpower – Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength Roy F. Baumeister and John Tierney pub. 2011, 291p source: LAPL
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 Lisa Randall pub. 2011, 442p source: LAPL
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 Edwin Black pub. 2001, 519p source: LAPL
111220	Creative License	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — December 2011"] Creative License, The Law and Culture of Digital Sampling Kembrew McLeod, Peter DiCola pub. 2011, 325p source: LAPL
111220	Using Drupal	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — December 2011"] Using Drupal Angela Byron, Addison Berry, Nathan Haug, Jeff Eaton, James Walker, Jeff Robbins pub. 2009, 464p source: LAPL
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 Douglas Rushkoff pub. 2010, 149p source: LAPL
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 Gernot Wagner pub. 2011, 258p source: LAPL 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 Herman Melville pub. 1851, 620p source: LAPL 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 Yakov Perelman pub. 2008, 330p source: LAPL
111022	The Art Instinct	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — October 2011"] The Art Instinct: beauty, pleasure, & human evolution Denis Dutton pub. 2009, 278p source: LAPL
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 Howard Gardner pub. 2011, 244p source: LAPL
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 Douglas Rushkoff pub. 2011, 247p source: LAPL
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 Joshua Foer pub. 2011, 307p source: LAPL
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 Kembrew McLeod pub. 2005, 375p source: LAPL
110917	Learning OpenCV	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — September 2011"] Learning OpenCV: Computer Vision with the OpenCV Library Gary Bradski & Adrian Kaehler pub. 2008, 555p source: LAPL
110917	Small Is Beautiful	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — September 2011"] Small Is Beautiful — Economics as if People Mattered E. F. Schumacher pub. 2010, 324p source: LAPL
110917	The Warrior Diet	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — September 2011"] The Warrior Diet Ori Hofmekler pub. 2001, 359p source: LAPL
110723	The Essential Touring Cyclist	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — August 2011"] The Essential Touring Cyclist Richard A. Lovett pub. 2001, 160p source: LAPL
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 Don Jacobson pub. 2005, 182p source: LAPL
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 Stephen Lord pub. 2006, 288p source: LAPL
110723	Designing Furniture	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — August 2011"] Designing Furniture: from concept to shopt drawing, a practical guide Seth Stem pub. 1989, 215p source: LAPL
110723	Practical Furniture Design	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — August 2011"] Practical Furniture Design: from Drawing Board to Smart Construction various authors pub. 2009, 268p source: LAPL, no longer available
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 Ron Hock pub. 2009, 221p source: LAPL
110723	Great Soul	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — August 2011"] Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle With India Joseph Lelyveld pub. 2011, 425p source: LAPL
110708	Decoded	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – July 2011"] Decoded Jay Z pub. 2010, 317p source: LAPL
110708	Einstein: The Life and Times	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – July 2011"] Einstein: The Life and Times Ronald W. Clark pub. 1984, 878p source: LAPL
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 Richard Panek pub. 2011, 297p source: LAPL
110708	Celebration of Awareness	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – July 2011"] Celebration of Awareness: A Call for Institutional Revolution Ivan Illich pub. 1989, 189p source: LAPL
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 Ivan Illich pub. 1992, 231p source: LAPL
110708	The Workbench	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – July 2011"] The Workbench – A Complete Guide to Creating Your Perfect Bench Lon Schleining pub. 2004, 202p source: LAPL
110708	The Information	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – July 2011"] The Information: a history, a theory, a flood James Gleik pub. 2011, 526p source: LAPL
110509	Against Method	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – May 2011"] Against Method Paul Feyerabend pub. 1978, 339p source: LAPL
110509	The Happiness Project	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – May 2011"] The Happiness Project Gretchen Rubin pub. 2009, 301p source: LAPL
110509	Michael Polanyi	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – May 2011"] Michael Polanyi Mark T. Mitchell pub. 2006, 195p source: LAPL
110509	Organizing from the Inside Out	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – May 2011"] Organizing from the Inside Out Julie Morgenstern pub. 2004, 320p source: LAPL
110509	Massive	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – May 2011"] Massive – The Missing Particle that Sparked the Greatest Hunt in Science Ian Sample pub. 2010, 260p source: LAPL
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 Robert Kurzban pub. 2010, 274p source: LAPL
110509	Modern Spice	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – May 2011"] Modern Spice — Inspired indian flavors for the contemporary kitchen Monica Bhide pub. 2009, 265p source: LAPL
110509	Making Workbenches	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – May 2011"] Making Workbenches Sam Allen pub. 1995, 160p source: LAPL
110509	Treasure Chests	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – May 2011"] Treasure Chests, the Legacy of Extraordinary Boxes Lon Schleining pub. 2001, 200p source: LAPL
110509	The Workbench Book	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – May 2011"] The Workbench Book Scott Landis pub. 1998, 247p source: LAPL
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 Michael Shermer pub. 2004, 350p source: LAPL
110401	The Moral Landscape	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – March 2011"] The Moral Landscape – How Science Can Determine Human Values Sam Harris pub. 2010, 291p source: LAPL
110401	The Master Switch	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – March 2011"] The Master Switch Tim Wu pub. 2010, 366p source: LAPL
110401	Piracy	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – March 2011"] Piracy – The Intellectual Property Wars From Gutenberg to Gates Adrian Johns pub. 2009, 626p source: LAPL
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 Ishmael Beah pub. 2007, 229p source: LAPL
101024	Very Special Relativity	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – October 2010"] Very Special Relativity Sander Bais pub. 2007, 120p source: LAPL
101024	Decoding the Universe	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – October 2010"] Decoding the Universe Charles Seife pub. 2007, 296p source: LAPL
101024	The Gift	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – October 2010"] The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World Lewis Hyde pub. 2007, 435p source: LAPL
101024	Common As Air	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – October 2010"] Common As Air – Revolution, Art, and Ownership Lewis Hyde pub. 2010, 306p source: LAPL
101024	The Shallows	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – December 2010"] The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing To Our Brains Nicholas Carr pub. 2010, 304p source: LAPL
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 Matthew B. Crawford pub. 2009, 246p source: LAPL
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 Marcus Chown pub. 2010, 269p source: LAPL
101024	Payback	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews – December 2010"] Payback, Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth Margaret Atwood pub. 2008, 230p source: LAPL
100828	Laban for Actors and Dancers	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Book reviews – dance notation"] Laban for Actors and Dancers Jean Newlove pub. 1993, 158p source: LAPL
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 Vladimir Ivanovitch Stepanov pub. 1969, 47p source: LAPL
100828	On the Count of One	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Book reviews – dance notation"] On the Count of One Elizabeth Sherbon pub. 1969, 47p source: LAPL
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 Ann Hutchinson Guest pub. 1984, 226p source: LAPL
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 Valerie Sutton pub. 1984, 226p source: author website
100828	Principles of Dance and Movement Notation	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Book reviews – dance notation"] Principles of Dance and Movement Notation Rudolf Laban pub. 1956, 56p source: LAPL
100828	Movement Study and Benesh Movement Notation	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Book reviews – dance notation"] Movement Study and Benesh Movement Notation Julia McGuinness-Scott pub. 1983, 148p source: LAPL
100828	Your Move	[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Book reviews – dance notation"] Your Move Ann Hutchinson Guest and Tina Curran pub. 1993, 158p source: LAPL, no longer available
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 Haruki Murakami pub. 2008, 179p source: LAPL
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

Willpower

Published on Tue, 2012-04-10 07:00

[Originally posted at OnEnsemble.org as "Recent book reviews — April 2012"]

Willpower – Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength
Roy F. Baumeister and John Tierney
pub. 2011, 291p
source: LAPL

This book arrived with perfect timing. I read it immediately after finishing the Good in Gardena concert, when my willpower was decidedly low. Willpower explains the current research on the topic and explores the role of willpower in day-to-day shopping, dieting, etc. The concept that most resonated with me was that we have a single pool of willpower from which we draw for any task. This is certainly how I feel with regards to taiko practice. If I spend most of my willpower on other difficult tasks in the morning, I find I lose the ability to push myself in personal practice. Willpower makes it easy to understand why this is the case, and even provides concrete suggestions for improving and maintaining willpower.

The book was a great read for getting me back on track after a big, exhausting project. Recommended!