Excellent insight into interesting times.
A well-written and easy to understand book on economics by Varoufakis. He’s not complimentary about his fellow professionals and does a good job in debunking the notion that there is any real science behind the topic. Varoufakis also seems to be a bit of a philosopher. I’ve read a few book on economics and can recommend this one.
Ditto. This is indeed one if the very best.
A fabulous and highly readable analysis/history of that peculiarly modern phenomenon, the film star.
From the first stars of the silent era – Max Linder, Florence Lawrence, Chaplin and Mary Pickford (the biggest film star there has ever been) – through Golden Age stars like Cary Grant, John Wayne, Ingrid Bergman and Garbo and onto people like Andy Serkis (thanks to his roles as Gollum and in Panet of the Apes, a huge star, but a relatively anonymous one) and non-Hollywood stars such as Maggie Cheung and Raj Kapoor Newton writes wittily and authoritatively. He is particularly good on markets outside of the US, and of the importance of the close-up (the invention of which is often erroneously attributed to Griffith) in the growth of stardom and fan worship.
Only one small niggle - there aren’t enough pictures!
That sounds excellent. Added to my list damn you.
You’ve done well there, Kev. Amazon are offering it at a reduced price of £42!
It’s a lovely book to be fair Mike – Phaidon is one of the best publishing houses out there…
Hardback from local charity shop. Have enjoyed the earlier part of the series and this is shaping up nicely.
steve
Excellent book about Can’s masterful drummer. Essential reading for all Can fans, and for anyone interested in theart and science of percussion.
A fascinating writing by Peter Hessler who was stationed with his family in Egypt during the Arab Spring. Weaving tales of present time Egyptians and going back to their ancient history.
Started this in September and struggled too get into it given the font size but well on now. Not the greatest biography I’ll ever read but a fascinating man and an incredible life from another time and world.
…and a wonderful poet.
Pablod Neruda
The Book of Questions
Translated by William O’Daly
XVII
Have you noticed that autumn
is like a yellow cow?
And how later the autumnal beast
is a dark skeleton?
And how winter collects
so many layers of blue?
And who asked springtime
for its kingdom of clear air?
I’ve just given up on The Goldfinch after 111 pages. I am just not getting it yet everyone tells me its brilliant. I find it shallow and I can’t engage with the characters. Has anyone else felt like this about it?
The biography is a useful intro to the different alerts and periods of his poetry. I’m beginning to change my mind the further I get into the book.
I couldn’t finish it either. I wasn’t keen on Little Friend either but loved Secret History.
I managed to finish the book but I found it took a lot of perseverance, and like Camphuw I also loved The Secret History and thought The Little Friend only average.