On the Shelf: The Geek's Guide to Dating

Tuesday, 3 December 2013

THE GEEK'S GUIDE TO DATING | Eric Smith | Quirk Books | December 2013

You keep your action figures in their original packaging. Your bedsheets are officially licensed Star Wars merchandise. You’re hooked on Elder Scrolls and Metal Gear but now you’ve discovered an even bigger obsession: the new girl who just moved in down the hall. What’s a geek to do? Take some tips from Eric Smith in The Geek’s Guide to Dating. This hilarious primer leads geeks of all ages through the perils and pitfalls of meeting women, going on dates, getting serious, breaking up, and establishing a successful lifelong relationship (hint: it’s time to invest in new bedsheets). Full of whimsical 8-bit illustrations, The Geek’s Guide to Dating will teach fanboys everywhere to love long and prosper.

Chances are good that you're a geek - even if you don't think you are. Eric Smith's book begins with an overview of the different types of geeks and their most common characteristics. There are Pop Culture Geeks (The Comic Book Fan, The TV & Film Geek, The Gamer), Technogeeks (The Internet Geek, The Apple Geek, The PC Geek, The Social Media Geek), and Academic Geeks (The Book Geek, The History & Politics Geek, The Math & Science Geek). No matter your poison, The Geek's Guide to Dating helps you understand your special abilities and how to use them effectively in the world of relationships.

While the book covers topics like approaching new people, surviving a first date, and turning a new dating situation into a long-term relationship, there are also lessons to be learned for geeks who have already found their better halves. I've been in a relationship for seven years now and I still appreciated the underlying messages behind the geeky dating advice. Eric Smith teaches us how to appreciate one another's interests (even if they're completely opposite to our own), how to listen intentionally, and how to celebrate the things we love with the people we love.

Some of the pages in the book are intended specifically for men, but a majority of the content isn't gender specific. I think geeks of any gender or sexuality will appreciate the many references to fandom and the adventure game layout of the book. Also, you need to flip through the pages in person to truly appreciate the colourful illustrations. With the holiday season upon us, The Geek's Guide to Dating is an awesome gift for a geeky friend or sibling.

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On the Shelf: The Reason I Jump

Monday, 9 September 2013

THE REASON I JUMP: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism | NAOKI HIGASHIDA | Random House | 2013

You’ve never read a book like The Reason I Jump. Written by Naoki Higashida, a very smart, very self-aware, and very charming thirteen-year-old boy with autism, it is a one-of-a-kind memoir that demonstrates how an autistic mind thinks, feels, perceives, and responds in ways few of us can imagine.

I know quite a few children with autism. I'm also really interested in the developing mind and how different environmental and biological factors impact our thought process. With this random interest in developmental psychology and my background in teaching, I knew that The Reason I Jump was a book I couldn't pass up.

After an introduction by author David Mitchell, the book is organized by seemingly simple questions: Why do you take ages to answer questions? Why can't you have a proper conversation? Is it true that you hate being touched? Naoki answers these questions using an alphabet grid that allows him to communicate at his own pace and in a way that doesn't emphasize a necessity of voice and language as we think of it. Naoki is extremely intelligent and even as he answers the very first question of the book (which explains the technology he is using to answer the questions), he forces readers to consider how they define 'communication' and how exclusionary our societal expectations of conversation really are.

Naoki answers the questions in the book with an almost unbearable honesty. He truly has no idea how differently he thinks from everyone else. But do the rest of us - those of us without autism, in this context - really think the same? Have you ever considered how you form an answer? How your brain works to recall a memory from years ago? Because Naoki finds a way to explain the images that he sees in his mind and he knows the systematic way he comes up with the answer to a question (no matter how simple or complex). It's amazing to read a 13-year-old boy explain these things when I know I could never put the same process into words.

Even if you don't know someone with autism, I think this book forces you to think about how you process information and react in social situations. It also highlights how differently everyone reacts to similar events. I guarantee you solve problems in your head in a completely different way from myself. If you are interested in fictional stories featuring characters with autism, I highly recommend reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and watching the film Adam starring Hugh Dancy. I think those creative works will really come to life after reading The Reason I Jump, once you begin to understand how someone with autism views and processes his or her surroundings.

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On the Shelf: A Moveable Feast

Friday, 1 March 2013

A MOVEABLE FEAST | ERNEST HEMINGWAY | SCRIBNERS | 1964

Published posthumously in 1964, A Moveable Feast remains one of Ernest Hemingway's most beloved works. It is his classic memoir of Paris in the 1920s, filled with irreverent portraits of other expatriate luminaries such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Gertrude Stein; tender memories of his first wife, Hadley; and insightful recollections of his own early experiments with his craft. It is a literary feast, brilliantly evoking the exuberant mood of Paris after World War I and the youthful spirit, unbridled creativity, and unquenchable enthusiasm that Hemingway himself epitomized.

The book really does hold up to the synopsis. I've always loved Hemingway's novels and short stories, but this memoir explores his thought process as he comments on everyday events from his time in Paris. Each chapter is almost a small story in itself, but rather than focus on plot, the narrative shows a glimpse of Hemingway's imagination and "writing mind." You can sense how he worked ordinary things into magic on a page.

There are anecdotes about other literary figures and it makes this book almost too good to be true. I was giddy the entire time, imagining so many great American authors sitting in one room together, simply talking about art. Hemingway paints the perfect portrait of living in Paris right after World War I. They certainly don't have a grand lifestyle, but Hemingway and his wife's way of living is enough to make anyone envious.

All I wanted to do was abandon my cold Canadian city and fly to Paris, curl up in a small café, and finish reading this book. It also inspired me to buy some new notebooks and spend more time writing for myself, without a deadline, without a purpose.

If you love literature or writing or Paris, read this book.

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"When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest. The only thing that could spoil a day was people and if you could keep from making engagements, each day had no limits. People were always the limiters of happiness except for the very few that were as good as spring itself."

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On the Shelf: The Beaver Manifesto

Wednesday, 27 February 2013

THE BEAVER MANIFESTO | GLYNNIS HOOD | ROCKY MOUNTAIN BOOKS | 2011

Beavers are the great comeback story, a keystone species that survived ice ages, major droughts, the fur trade, urbanization and near extinction. Their ability to create and maintain aquatic habitats has endeared them to conservationists, but puts the beavers at odds with urban and industrial expansion. These conflicts reflect a dichotomy within our national identity. We place environment and our concept of wilderness as a key touchstone for promotion and celebration, while devoting significant financial and personal resources to combating "the beaver problem."

It's not a well-known fact, but I absolutely love natural history. I took a few electives back in my undergraduate days on the topic even though it had nothing to do with my major. I jumped at the chance to review a couple books from The RMB Manifesto Series, especially when I found out that there was a book dedicated to the beaver. It is one of my favourite creatures to learn about (they're absolutely fascinating) and I had a professor who was quite literally obsessed with them.

The RMB Manifestos are an evolving series of short literary non-fiction books. The goal is to "help encourage debate and help facilitate constructive change." The Beaver Manifesto is only 130 pages, so it provides a quick, entertaining look at one of Canada's most interesting animals. The book is a perfect mix of fact and humour. It doesn't read at all like a textbook - it lives up to its proclamation of being "literary" nonfiction.

Aside from the great writing, the book is stunning. It may be small, but it is hardcover bound and printed on recycled paper (the same goes for all of the books in the series). They would be a great gift for someone who likes to collect books and is interested in nature topics. I still have The Grizzly Manifesto waiting on my shelf, but there are many other subject areas to discover in the series, like glaciers, "ethical" water, the global war for oil, and honeybees. I highly recommend checking out one of the books if you enjoy reading passionate essays.

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"So why all the conflict between beavers and modern humans? My theory is that two control freaks will battle over the same tree until long after the last of its stump decays back into the forest floor. Humans simply do not like to be outdone by a rodent, plain and simple. The historical record, however, shows that not only the beaver but also the Norway rat and the house mouse have almost always won the war. Although cockroaches are touted as the most persistent animals on the planet, they were never chased down for their furs, turned into hats, or marketed as a perfume. The evidence is in, and rodents rule the world."

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On the Shelf: Mad Men, Mad World

Wednesday, 26 December 2012

MAD MEN, MAD WORLD | SEX, POLITICS, STYLE & THE 1960S | DUKE UNIVERSITY PRESS | MARCH 2013

Since the show's debut in 2007, Mad Men has invited viewers to immerse themselves in the lush period settings, ruthless Madison Avenue advertising culture, and arresting characters at the center of its 1960s fictional world. Mad Men, Mad World is a comprehensive analysis of this groundbreaking TV series. Scholars from across the humanities consider the AMC drama from a fascinating array of perspectives, including fashion, history, architecture, civil rights, feminism, consumerism, art, cinema, and the serial format, as well as through theoretical frames such as critical race theory, gender, queer theory, global studies, and psychoanalysis.

I realize that this makes me a giant nerd, but I love reading academic texts. Especially when they are related to analyzing popular culture. I've always believed that pop culture should be understood through the lenses of different disciplines. This book is the perfect example of how a show becomes even more meaningful when you understand its background. With Mad Men being a period piece, this book focuses on the show's representation of 1960s culture.

One of the things I love about Mad Men, Mad World is that the text uses screen caps from the show to illustrate certain scenes. The use of images is rare in an academic text and I appreciated the visual component. Mad Men, Mad World also includes images from other events of the 1960s when comparing history to the plot of Mad Men. This makes the book a great item for Mad Men fans and history buffs.

I didn't enjoy every article in the book - some were too dry to appeal to my leisurely reading habits - but academic research does come down to personal preference. Even the drier articles have good topics and will be helpful for research projects within certain disciplines. There were a few articles that I really enjoyed and made me appreciate the television show even more:

- "Maddening Times: Mad Men in Its History" by Dana Polan

- "After the Sex, What?: A Feminist Reading of Reproductive History in Mad Men" by Leslie J. Reagan

- "Swing Skirts and Swinging Singles: Mad Men, Fashion, and Cultural Memory"by Mabel Rosenheck

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"Despite the fact that she succeeds at Sterling Cooper because she is a woman and offers a female perspective on products like lipstick and weight-loss belts, as she moves away from her girlishness, there is equal pressure on her to be - and by extension, to appear and to dress - both more feminine and more masculine." - Mabel Rosenheck, "Swing Skirts and Swinging Singles"

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On the Shelf: Onward

Tuesday, 27 November 2012

ONWARD | HOW STARBUCKS FOUGHT FOR ITS LIFE WITHOUT LOSING ITS SOUL | HOWARD SCHULTZ | RODALE BOOKS | 2011

In this #1 New York Times bestseller, the CEO of Starbucks recounts the story and leadership lessons behind the global coffee company's comeback. In 2008, Howard Schultz decided to return as the CEO of Starbucks to help restore its financial health and bring the company back to its core values. In Onward, he shares this remarkable story, revealing how, during one of the most tumultuous economic periods in American history, Starbucks again achieved profitability and sustainability without sacrificing humanity.

The writing in this book isn't the greatest. The message is clear and the prose is simple, but the points Schultz was trying to make throughout the book were so repetitive. I read this book because I genuinely wanted to learn more about the Starbucks brand. I continued reading because I wanted to learn more, but the book kept repeating the same things over and over again.

It wasn't a complete waste. Onward is a good glimpse into the world of an international company. If you're at all interested in business, particularly marketing and creating a recognizable brand, I recommend giving it a try. Just be warned that, while Schultz is sharing a part of his story with the world, the book is also a publicity tool in itself to restructure the Starbucks brand. The reader is told exactly what the Starbucks company hopes you think about its values. These values are repeated so many times that you start to think you came up with those beliefs on your own.

Still, I understand why the book became a New York Times bestseller. Schultz has enormous credibility as a business partner and Starbuck's company philosophy is one that many people resonate with. Even as I'm writing this review, I'm sitting at my desk with a cup of Starbucks coffee.

If nothing else, this book reminded me that it's important to research the consumer goods we purchase on a regular basis. An understanding of a company's ethical standards should be a common research endeavour we take responsibility for. After all, we're spending a lot of money for our daily cups of coffee.

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"There are moments in our lives when we summon the courage to make choices that go against reason, against common sense and the wise counsel of people we trust. But we lean forward nonetheless because, despite all risks and rational argument, we believe that the path we are choosing is right and the best thing to do. We refuse to be bystanders, even if we do not know exactly where our actions will lead."

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