Book Review – The Violinist’s Thumb

The Violinist's Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code by Sam Kean
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Though I enjoyed this as much as I liked the other Sam Kean books I’ve read, I admit I found the subject a bit more inaccessible than usual. That’s likely due in no small part to the complex, technical nature of DNA. I’m sure it’s hard to simplify without losing the essential points, and personification – analogizing by attributing emotion and intent to molecules – doesn’t help. But interesting intersections between science and history abound, which keep the author well within the realm where he excels.

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Book Review – 1,000 Artists’ Books

1,000 Artists' Books: Exploring the Book as Art by Sandra Salamony
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a fascinating collection of well-photographed pieces of art in the form of books (or book-like objects). It’s amazing to see how a medium that’s been around for centuries – even millennia – can be reinterpreted in so many different ways. I didn’t get much out of the intro, but the works themselves more than made up for that. For any artist considering working in this milieu, this gallery is a must-visit.

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Book Review – Mastering UI/UX Design

Mastering UI/UX Design: Theoretical Foundations and Practical Applications by Frahaan Hussain
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There are some nuggets of good information here, but you’ve gotta really dig for them. Once the authors establish basic UX principles, the text becomes extremely repetitive. Even in the realm of technical writing when some repetition is encouraged, this is excessive and badly in need of a good edit. Snippets of CSS code are a poor substitute for visual examples, the lack of which is a problem in an intensely visual realm. Normally I keep reviews focused on content rather than presentation. However, given the subject matter, I feel the need to point out that the ebook formatting on Hoopla was so terrible that the text was nearly unusable. I picked this up hoping that I might be able to use it as a textbook for the UX Design course I teach. But no, the search continues.

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Book Review – Creative Journaling

Creative Journaling: A Guide to Over 100 Techniques and Ideas for Amazing Dot Grid, Junk, Mixed-Media, and Travel Pages by Renee Day
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Though I read the whole thing, I found the last 100 pages or so much more useful than the first. The beginning of the book mostly focuses on simple layouts and labeling, and a lot of it would work better in a planner or tracker than in a journal. But then the author completely switches gears and focuses on more purely artistic things that can be done with journal pages. I suppose the combination means that the book meets all needs, but my interests definitely fell way more squarely in the back half, much of which was really good.

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Book Review – The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons

The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons: The History of the Human Brain as Revealed by True Stories of Trauma, Madness, and Recovery by Sam Kean
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The fascinating mysteries of the functions of the human brain are made all the more interesting because many of them have been (at least partially) solved thanks to some truly bizarre incidents. Accidents, bullet wounds, surgical misadventure and other trauma that has damaged only parts of victims’ brains has helped researchers figure out what parts of the brain are connected to which aspects of human behavior (and also how our functioning depends on multiple areas working in tandem). Sam Kean does an entertaining as well as enlightening job of telling some of the key tales in the history of neurology. This is definitely worth reading not only for those who want to learn more about the subject but also for anyone who likes engaging stories from the history of medicine.

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Review – The Shrouds

Not for the first time, I began watching a David Cronenberg movie thinking “that’s an intriguing premise. I wonder if he’ll do something interesting with it.” And an hour or two later concluding “evidently not.” A billionaire sets up a graveyard with sophisticated imaging technology that allows mourners to watch their loved ones rot in real time. Is it a snide commentary on a moribund, media-obsessed society? No, it’s a blend of vaguely racist conspiracy nonsense and icky, fetishistic sex that suggests a career regression to the days of Naked Lunch and Crash. And while normally I would have walked away feeling cheated by the exceptionally weak ending, here I was just glad the damn thing was over. See if desperate

Review – Creature of the Mist

What an odd little movie. The story launches into huge-tentacle-monster-attacks-feudal-Chinese-city action almost immediately. But then just as fast it gets bogged down in arguments between characters from different social classes forced to shelter together in an inn. The action sequences were okay. The rest didn’t do as much for me. At least it was short. Mildly amusing