The Book Crawler

Small House Living and a Mission to Unclutter My Life

2010-08-04T12:43:00.000-07:00

My dream house is a small cabin on a piece of land, large enough to plant my own fruit trees and vegetables and many flower beds. At the end of the day I would sit on the porch with my favorite book and a glass of merlot, savoring every imagery in my view. Lately, I have had a little time on my hand and that has allowed me to pick up a project where I last left off, that of searching real estate listings for an acreage or a small house in the country. In my quest to live the lifestyle I yearn for, I have poured over many books we have, and found two books to be excellent read. The first is a book by Lloyd Kahn titled: Home Work: Handbuilt Shelter

What I like about the book? It is a book of stories and pictures of the most unusual hand-built homes around the world, all with innovative designs and built with natural materials, from small town America to Latin America, Africa and Asia. It is wonderful to read and a great idea book for anyone interested in building a house that is in harmony with nature.

The second book above belongs to the "unclutter my life" project. A book by Reader's Digest titled "Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, Third Edition" First published in 1981, it is now in its Third Edition today and ranks high on Amazon's book list. The book is about living life simply (my motto), being independent and self-reliant. In today's busy life, reading this book gives one's pause.....

Braille and Binary Codes, Abaci to Chips and the Graphical Revolution

2010-01-05T08:08:00.000-08:00

Even though Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software was published almost a decade ago, it is a wonderful, fascinating read. If you have ever wondered about the codes (broadly speaking) that make computer hardware and software work the way they do, how the many inventions of mankind that have made our lives more productive work, read this book. The fact that it was printed in 2000 did not stop me from buying it. I was initially intrigued by the title and after reading a few pages, I decided it is a book I MUST have for my personal library.

Three chapters caught my eyes particularly: Chapter 3 - Braille and Binary Codes. You could not find a better chapter/book on Braille and how it came about. Chapter 18 - From Abaci to Chips. Here you will find a great account of the evolution of the calculating machine, from abacus to the modern calculator. (being Chinese, I learned how to use abacus from my dad/and in school) Finally, the last chapter. Chapter 25 - The Graphical Revolution. As someone who is not a technie but someone into art/photography, this chapter is priceless, it takes the reader from the very beginning of computing, the evolution of how graphical information is presented, CRT, TV, GUI, Vector and Raster graphics, jpegs, gifs. I am so pleased to have bought the book. Highly recommended.

Other Books by Charles Petzold

Geology Underfoot in Northern Arizona by Lon Abbott and Terri Cook

2010-01-03T15:30:00.000-08:00

If you are planning a trip to see the Grand Canyon, the beautiful Red Rocks of Sedona, or the famed magical rock formation of the Antelope Valley, or the Meteor Crater, you MUST get Geology Underfoot in Northern Arizona by Lon Abbott and Terri Cook this book as your travel companion. The book may look like a serious university geology book on the surface, it is a truly fascinating read about Northern Arizona's unique geological past. For example, do you the patch of ground that is Northern Arizona today was once a seabed until about 1800 millions years ago?

Having seen the beautiful red rocks of Sedona, I was intrigued by its endless lines of tuscan red, brown and peach, towering spires perfectly sculptored by forces of nature, majestic mesas and butte rising above the arid desert floor. They did not just happen to look this way. I wanted to find out how it all began. This book did not disappoint. Tons of interesting information, I felt as if I had taken a university geology class :) See Pictures of Sedona

About the Authors
"Geologists Lon Abbott and Terri Cook teach at Prescott College in Prescott, Arizona. Lon's fieldwork has taken him from the remote mountain peaks of Papua New Guinea to a 15,000-foot-deep ocean trench near Costa Rica and many places in between. Terri has specialized in rocks from deep-sea hot springs. Her interests in geology and archaeology have led her across six continents. Lon and Terri are also the authors of Hiking the Grand Canyon's Geology."

Native North America - a book by Larry J Zimmerman

2010-01-01T21:25:00.000-08:00

Picked up the following book and it has been a wonderful read. "Native North America" by Larry Zimmerman offers a comprehensive account of Native North American life, complete with many illustrations, artefacts and beautiful images. Highly recommended.

Check out my other blog for Sedona photography

Product Description
"With abundant photographs, more than 150 in color, NATIVE NORTH AMERICA illustrates tribal life, sacred arenas, spiritual traditions, and artifacts of the indigenous peoples of North America, from the Inuit of the Canadian north to the Navajo of the American southwest.

Beginning with a brief history of Native Americans, Larry Zimmerman and Brian Molyneaux explore individual culture areas, region by region. They discuss Native American spiritual observances, including personal and communal rituals, initiation rites, and curing ceremonies. Through descriptions of the powwow, rites of passage, plant rituals, oral storytelling, dreams, the ghost dance, and the drum, the authors provide a sensitive introduction to Native American spiritual traditions and examines issues that face Native Americans today."

About the Author

"Larry Zimmerman is Chair of the American Indian and Native Studies Program at the University of Iowa. He is author of Peoples of Prehistoric South Dakota and coeditor of Indians and Anthropologists: Vine Deloria, Jr. and the Critique of Anthropology and South Dakota Leaders. Brian Molyneaux is Director of the University of South Dakota Archaeology Laboratory. He has done extensive archaeological fieldwork in the Great Plains and Canada. He is the author of The Sacred Earth, editor of The Cultural Life of Images: Visual Representation in Archaeology, and coeditor of The Presented Past: Heritage, Museums and Education."

The Norton Anthology of American Literature - A MUST HAVE

2009-10-22T07:57:00.000-07:00

I picked up a copy of the following book two weekends ago, have been pouring over it every chance I get. An excellent anthology for aspiring writers, students of literature and journalism. My two favorite writers thus far are: Frederick Douglass and Zora Neale Hurston

Value for money, a MUST HAVE.

Product Description

"The classic survey of American literature from its origins to the present, The Norton Anthology of American Literature offers the work of 212 writers--38 newly included. From trickster tales of the Native American tradition to bestsellers of early women writers to postmodernism, the new edition conveys the diversity of American literature. Thirty works are included in their entirety in the two volumes, among them The Scarlet Letter, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Huckleberry Finn, and, new to this edition, Willa Cather's My Antonia."

The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Package 1: Volumes A and B

American Literature Selection at Amazon

"Web Style Guide" - Looking for Ideas? Read this Book :)

2009-10-07T14:08:00.001-07:00

For every photography enthusiast out there thinking of building a better website, you might want to read Web Style Guide by Lynch and Horton. I finished reading the book (352 page long) in one afternoon last Saturday, it was that good! I have read a few web design/html books in the past (I am not a geek) and most of them left me more discouraged than ever. This book on the other hand explains what makes a good website and the different page elements and contents one could have to make a nice website, the trade offs, all in plain language, as well as the very important subject of SEO (search engine optimization). As an avid photographer, I found the chapters on Web Page Structure and Design, Graphics and Multimedia and the illustrations extremely useful. In addition, the book contains many wonderful tips and design ideas. Having read this wonderful book, I am definitely better prepared now to start thinking about my new website.

""Web Style Guide, 3rd edition: Basic Design Principles for Creating Web Sites"by Patrick J Lynch and Sarah Horton

Editorial Reviews from Amazon

". . . a non-geeky Web-design primer-a rule-of-thumb guide that calmly introduces you to the issues involved in developing a Web site. . . . what you need to know about Web-site design in plain language, with understandable examples. . . . this . . . book is a gem."-Mary Creswell, Presentations (Mary Creswell Presentations )

"Just as many writers reserve a space on their book shelves for the thin but essential work of William Strunk and E.B. White, a similar space should be hallowed out for The Web Style Guide."-John Mello, HR Today (John Mello HR Today )

"This is one of the best design books that I''ve seen, catering specifically to information-oriented sites. . . . The Web would be an easier world to navigate if all Web designers read this book."-Deborah Lynne Wiley, Online (Deborah Lynne Wiley Online )

"[A]n excellent, practical handbook. . . . [T]he book can be unreservedly recommended."-Tom Wilson, Information Research (Tom Wilson Information Research )

For All Nature Lovers and Photographers

2009-02-05T21:56:00.000-08:00

.....here is a great flower photography "How To" by book by Tony Sweet:

Fine Art Flower Photography: Creative Techniques And The Art Of Observation
(Paperback) by Tony Sweet (Author)

"Acclaimed nature photographer Tony Sweet helps us to see a familiar subject through new eyes in this astonishing collection of flower photography. Ranging from the elegiac to the experimental, these pictures offer a kaleidoscopic survey of innovative photographic techniques--including multiple exposures and "slide sandwiching"--along with instructions for creating similar effects in your own photography. Perfectly balancing grace and spontaneity, Fine Art Flower Photography ensures that none of us will look at (or photograph) flowers the same way again."

Books, Books and Books

2009-01-27T15:32:00.000-08:00

I love books and lots of them. Books are definitely my most precious possessions despite the internet revolution. I am not about to give up my right to hold a beautifully bound hardcover book in my hand and curl up with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine on my couch in front of the fireplace. My evenings could not be more perfect. Nor am I ready to migrate my entire life to the web and do all my reading with my eyes peeled to the computer screen. I am old fashioned in that sense. I am convinced in a decade or so, real books are going to be in short supply and much sought after. I want to keep collecting these precious books and add to my library. In my utopia land, I am surrounded by books that span wall to wall and floor to ceiling and my wine cellar is just a stone's throw away (yes, wouldn't that be perfect).

Of my sea of books, I have many favorites. below are a few that I cherish:

1. A book I highly recommend if you are a student of photography or photojournalism is Dorothea Lange: Photographs of a Lifetime (Aperture Monograph) (Paperback)
by Robert Coles (Author), Therese Heyman (Afterword), Dorothea Lange (Photographer)

Dorothea Lange: Photographs of a Lifetime (Aperture Monograph)

Reprinted for the first time, this is the most comprehensive collection of the photographer's work ever published. It includes portraits from her early years as a fashionable studio photographer as well as classic images that established her as the preeminent documentary artist of her time. "Dorothea Lange: Photographs of a Lifetime captures--like all of her work--the extraordinary in the commonplace, with rare candor, compassion, and dignity."

Doorthea Lange's poignant work reminds me of what humanity is and what photography should really be. You have seen her works in exhibits, especially "The Migrant Woman". Numerous books have been written about her and her photographs shot during the last Great Depression. She is definitely the people's photographer extraordinaire holding those of us who aspire to be better photographer to a very high standard!!

2.Homestead (The World As Home) by Annick Smith.

Homesteadis a rivetting read and it is hard to put the book down. I had stumbled on the book in a little quaint bookstore on Third street Promenade in Santa Monica.

A very moving story of her life journey and the time she spent living in Montana's beautiful countrywide. It is as if you are taking the journey with her from the time she was in Seattle to her move to Montana during the cold winter. The book also chronicles her friendship with Norman Maclean of the Big Blackfoot in A River Runs Through It and Other Stories. Remember that wonderful movie starring Robert Redford and Brat Pitt in the story of two brothers growing up in Montana spending their summers trout fishing with their preacher father. Norman Maclean penned the original story.

3. My list would not be complete without a book on wine and country recipes. Check out Vintage Feastng by Joy Sterling.

Vintage Feastng

Vintage Feasting is a book of personal recipes in the wine country and stories of the author tending to vineyards and the winery business. How despite having graduated from Yale and a long journalism career, Joy Sterling answered the call and returned to the family vineyard outside Sebastopol in Sonoma county, California and lives the life of a vintner. It is a wonderful book of great recipes, stories, landscapes and nature's garden.

Journeys of a Lifetime - A Beautiful Picture Book

2009-01-16T09:56:00.000-08:00

National Geographic has done a phenomenal job bringing the world to all of us. The many stories and precious photographs of beautiful landscapes, people and cultures of countries far away make us all want to jump on the plane or cruise ships to go and see it for ourselves. I am a big National Geographic fan and I hope its legend continues for many decades to come. The story of National Geographics humble beginning and its trials and tribulations through the early years are stories not often told and in my next blog, I shall explore that and share with readers.

In the meantime, if you are looking for that perfect coffee table book for yourself or a special travel bug, consider getting "Journeys of a Lifetime". You will not regret it. -from a book bug (me)

Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 of the World's Greatest Trips (Hardcover)

by National Geographic (Author)

"No one knows the world like National Geographic—and in this lavish volume, we reveal our picks for the world's most fabulous journeys, along with helpful information for readers who want to try them out.

Compiled from the favorite trips of National Geographic's travel writers, Journeys of a Lifetime spans the globe to highlight the best of the world's most famous and lesser known sojourns. It presents an incredible diversity of possibilities, from ocean cruises around Antarctica to horse treks in the Andes. Every continent and every possible form of transport is covered.

A timely resource for the burgeoning ranks of active travelers who crave adventurous and far-flung trips, Journeys of a Lifetime provides scores of creative ideas: trekking the heights of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania... mountain biking in Transylvania... driving through the scenic highlands of Scotland... or rolling through the outback on Australia's famous Ghan train... and dozens of other intriguing options all over the world.

Journeys of a Lifetime also features 22 fun Top 10 lists in all sorts of categories. What are the world's top 10 elevator rides, bridges to walk across, trolley rides, ancient highways, or underground walking adventures? Readers will love evaluating and debating the selections.

Each chapter showcases stunning photography, full-color maps, evocative text, and expert advice—including how to get there, when to visit, and how to make the most of the journey—all packaged in a luxurious oversize volume to treasure for years to come."

Green Mangoes and Lemongrass

2009-01-16T08:32:00.000-08:00

Just came across this book and I am so excited:

The last few blog entries have been about food and good recipes and not much about photography. Well, it is that time of the year, the holiday is about getting together with friends and families to enjoy good times, good food. I was born on the island of Penang in Malaysia. Penang is the "Pearl of the Orient" and also "Gastronomie Capital" of South East Asia. Naturally my food and recipes have revolved around the many Asian spices and ingredients.

Green mangoes and Lemon grass, how can one go wrong with that!!!

Green Mangoes and Lemon Grass: Southeast Asia's Best Recipes from Bangkok to Bali

Amazon has it for $16.47 New. Not bad for a great recipe book with 100s of recipes from Bangkok to Bali.

Bali is a gem of a place, one of my favorite holiday destinations.