Book Review: A Sense of the World by Jason Roberts

Believe it or not, there was a time not long ago when you couldn’t see every square inch of the Earth from a satellite…and access it from a Web page on the Internet. In fact, vast parts of our world not only weren’t known, they hadn’t even been explored by “civilized” men and women. That began to change in 18th century and reached a climax in the 20th century. Somewhere in the middle, a man with vision but no sight took it upon himself to visit the world’s unvisited places, and A Sense of the World is his amazing story. It’s very intriguing reading!

I love adventure stories, simply revel in the sea adventures of Horatio Hornblower and that genre. James Holman (1786-1857) lived in that time, and he wasn’t some romanticized fictional character, but a living, breathing seafarer in the British Royal Navy. His personal goal was to see the world, and if he hadn’t gone blind in his 20’s I’m quite sure he would have done literally that. When he did go blind, he didn’t let that blindness get in his way. He lived a full, adventurous life, traveling alone – yes, alone – throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, Russia, Southeast Asia, Australia, South America, and the South Seas. Mr. Holman climbed mountains, including the fuming Mount Vesuvius, and he galloped on horses. He explored difficult terrain in the Australian outback through swamps and over difficult mountains. He rode a swollen river as ballast in a carriage and wandered through a miserable Russian swamp, but worst still, he fended off bandits and the bitter cold of a Russian winter. Then he suffered the indignity of being hauled back 5,000 miles across the entire Russian frontier for political reasons never explained to him, short of his goal of making across the entire country. All this on a small government stipend and no formal command of any of the languages he encountered.

The story of James Holman is nothing short of remarkable. The book’s subtitle well describes him: “How a blind man became history’s greatest traveler.” I highly recommend this book for those who enjoy reading history, biographies, travelogues, and adventures.

Book Review: Monkey Dancing by Daniel Glick

I just finished reading Monkey Dancing by Daniel Glick. It's a great read for a lot of great reasons.

First, it's a great personal journey beyond grief. Daniel Glick had just been through a gut-wrenching divorce and then he lost his older brother, whom he admired but with whom he had not been much in contact, to cancer. The trip was cathartac and healing.

Second, it's a great family adventure. Daniel is a single dad and had just started to get used to the idea when he took his young daughter and just-teen son on a journey to strange and dangerous places. What a bonding experience.

Third, it was a learning experience. Daniel Glick is a world class journalist and he takes us on a trip to some of the most endangered habitats in the world. You meet the species and the people who live with them and endanger them.

Although the book can be whiney and preachy in places, it can also be wide-eyed and wonderful in others. It shares a passion for discovery and life, and opens the author's heart to the reader where you are free to explore to understand the man and the father and the human being who is trying to rediscover himself within a world beset by so much trouble -- of our own making and beyond our own control.

If I have a real complaint about the book, it's that it lacks pictures. This author has been around the world -- to exciting places -- and there are few pictures to show for it. The ones that are there are small and extremely muddy (fifth-generation copier muddy), and they focus on the author and his kids, so you see much less of them in the context of their locales, which is what their story is about. At one point early in the story, I had to go to the Internet to find pictures about Daintree National Park in Australia. His descriptions were terrific, but I desperately wanted to see where he had been! I hope if Mr. Glick ever republishes the book that he will consider lots more pictures -- bigger pictures, wider panoramas, and some color! Oh, and please leave the mud back in Cambodia!

The version I read was paperback -- maybe there was a better photo selection in a hardcover version?

I like adventure stories so I naturally gravitate to this kind of book. I was captivated by the tales told, the risks taken, the lessons learned, the journey accomplished, the growth achieved, and the life restored. I think you will, too, whether or not you like adventure stories.

Book Review: Naked Conversations by Robert Scoble and Shel Israel

If you’re a blogger looking for a resource, Naked Conversations is it. If you’re a company looking for tips and hints, this is your book. But if you’re someone looking for advice on whether to blog, beware – this book sells and promotes as much as it informs.

True, Naked Conversations provides lots of case studies. It talks about companies that have turned around their image by blogging. It talks about companies that haven’t blogged or have allowed only limited blogging and have suffered for not fully embracing the blogosphere. But they don’t discuss companies that have blogged and suffered miserably from it. It is a consultant’s Pollyanna view provided by passionate weblog evangelists, hardly an objective view.

Still, this book, written primarily for businesses, provides lots of how-to kind of information, so it’s useful for commercial and well as non-commercial bloggers. So if you’ve already made the decision to blog or allow blogging, I highly recommend this book. If you’re still trying to decide, I’d say read this book, but don’t make it your only counsel. Enter “blogging” in the Amazon search box on my business book website to find more books on blogging.

See Editorial Reviews from Amazon.com and Publisher’s Weekly (scroll down below fold)

● Other books by Robert Scoble

The DaVinci Code Now in Paperback

Great news! The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown is now available in paperback! It has taken way too long to move to the mass market size. The problem, of couse, was that the hardcover book topped the Best Seller list for so long -- more than two years! It's still number 2 on The New York Times list.

So all those good readers who were waiting for the smaller, less expensive size, it's here! Join the rest of the world in enjoying this great mystery/thriller, now only $7.99 at Amazon.com.

Q&A: Book dummies for book smarties

Q: What is a “book dummy” and when should I use one?

A: A book dummy is an imitation book that you use on a shelf in place of a book you have pulled from the shelf. It helps keep the same pressure between books that was there before you removed the book, and it helps keep the shelf neat. In libraries, book dummies are sometimes used to show visitors that a book has been moved and where to find it, such as when a book is in use in a display or put aside for a group.

You should use a book dummy if you collect books or are otherwise concerned about maintaining the value of your books. In addition, you should use one if your shelves of books are part of the décor of your home or office, or if you entertain frequently in the room where you shelve your books. Unkempt shelves look sloppy and can be bad for book covers, bindings, and pages.

Book dummies are easy to make, or you can buy them from book suppliers.

How to do your own:

• Option 1: Buy used books to serve as book dummies. Books from garage sales work well as long as they aren’t moldy – you don’t want mold to spread to your other books! Buy several different sizes to mimic the size of books on your shelves.
• Option 2: Make one from sturdy cardboard, Styrofoam block, and tape. It should be the size and thickness of the standard book on your shelves. To make it look like a real book, buy a hardcover book at a garage or yard sale, remove the covers and binding, and bind them to your Styrofoam block.
• Option 3: You can also simply use a block of wood the size and thickness of a book, or a block of Styrofoam, although these aren’t as aesthetically pleasing to the eye and will likely detract from the look of your book collection.

Where to buy:

• Brodart Library Supplies & Furnishings
• Powells.com online bookstore

Note: A “book dummy” is also a term used in the book business for a mockup of a new book. A designer will layout the book and its design in a “dummy”, much as an art director will do for a magazine issue. Don’t be surprised if you do a search for one kind of book dummy and find the other.

Igniting the Spiritual Imagination

Today I want to briefly illuminate on a spectacular event that has recently unfolded. It’s the first hand-copied Bible in centuries* (since the early 1500s).

When the printing press was invented, the need to hand copy books fell to the wayside. Saint John’s Abbey and University in Minnesota teamed up with British calligrapher Donald Jackson to revive the practice this once “to ignite the spiritual imagination of believers throughout the world by commissioning a work of art that illuminates the Word of God for a new millennium.” In commissioning this work, the abbey and university took an extraordinary step in creating both a breathtaking work of art and bringing to the world the majesty of God’s hand-illuminated word.

As a lover of quality books (and as a Roman Catholic) I have been impressed at the incredible effort taken and devotion given as a talented team of artists and calligraphers set out to re-present the Word of God in so magnificent a work.

If you are devoted to books, it’s well worth a look. You can see pages and learn about the effort at the Saint John’s Bible website. You can also order a copy at the Saint John’s Bible Online Gift Shop. In addition, PBS aired a television program about the making of this new bible, part of which is available on the Saint John’s Bible site.

There will be seven volumes in all of handwritten text and illuminations. When I ordered my copy there was but the Gospels and Acts finished. I see today that The Psalms is available now, too. There is also a book about making the Bible, and you can order prints of some of the illuminations. You can actually view pages on the site.

One of the facts that impressed me was that the lead artist used red ink bought from a shop in England that had closed its doors hundreds of years ago! They also used gold leaf for some of the illustrations, and it was all produced on lamb-skin sheets of parchment that had to be hand-selected and hand-prepared. Copies for sale were printed on paper known to best display and preserve the work. Still, my copy was only $64.95 (plus tax and shipping)!

Why do I tell you about the Saint John’s Bible? Because it’s a rare tome and it exemplifies all the best of a published work – I wanted to share my excitement.

*Update: 4.09.06
In the first paragraph of this article, I said that this was the first hand-copied Bible in centuries. I believe I read that on a website that talked about the Saint John's Bible, although I haven't found it again yet. Regardless, this isn't the case. It doesn't diminsh from the amazing work and inspiration that went into the Saint John's Bible, but it does rob other similar works their due credit. I don't believe it was intentional, however.

To learn more, read about "The Pepper Bible." There are additional links in that article to other hand-lettered illuminated Bibles.

Update to February 15, 2006, article on author Christopher Moore

Attention fans of humor writer Christopher Moore: I have good news! Chris is about to release his new book, A Dirty Job. He will be touring parts of the U.S. to promote the launch, and you are invited to attend. Chris will sign copies during the event, but if you can’t get to one of the locations, you can order a signed copy.

Details:

• Book title: A Dirty Job
• Book launch: March 21, 2006
• Book tour schedule
• Book’s first chapter for an advance read
• Order a signed copy

For a personalized, signed copy, contact:

• Mysterious Galaxy: e-mail orders@mystgalaxy.com or call their toll-free number, 800-811-4747
• Books Inc: www.booksinc.net or 415-931-3633
• Dreamhaven Books: http://www.dreamhavenbooks.com/moore.php

Writes Chris:
I look forward to seeing you on the road. We sort of ran out of dates and cities, so I’m going to try to pick up the South, Northeast, and Canada next year when my next one, You Suck: A Love Story comes out.

Hope you enjoy the new book.