Throwback #8: Just Read the Title

I like golf. I’ve read books about golf, watched movies about golf, watched golf tournaments, even played golf for a while (it’s been a while). I did not like this book about golf. I may have been too harsh, but I did at least say the book was funny. But it was often cringe-funny, not hah-hah funny. Anyway, it was a long time ago, I don’t think it hurt his career.

See what I did there? You will if you read the review.

The title of the review is probably all you need to read. I kind of wish I could take this one back and pretend I never read the book. If you can’t say something nice…

Chasing the Dream

Throwback #7: Miami

My second book review for CNN.com, wherein I give my honest opinion about a work of commercial fiction, and manage to miss the point of commercial fiction. Who knew a book about murder and heart transplants is supposed to be light reading? Not me, not then. Now I know. Like I say, learn something new every day.

I really did like the book.

‘Pulse’

Throwback #5: Consilience

My first-ever book review for CNN.com and this is what I drew from the options I had. It was not assigned to me, I chose it. It looked interesting, so I dove in head first. Some notes on this one: I received a prepublication copy of the book to review, Edward O. Wilson has a couple of Pulitzers to his name, a National Medal of Science, and this book was on the New York Times Best Seller list when it was published (helped no doubt by the write-up in Newsweek).

If you want to know how I really felt about this one, skip to the last paragraph. If you’d like a more academic review of the book, check out H. Allen Orr’s write-up for Boston Review (a shining example of what you can accomplish with a high word limit).

One more thing – someone was kind enough (or foolish enough) to add a link to my review to the Wikipedia page for this book. I did not do it, but I thank the person who did. Now I have to scour the web for other references to me.

Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge

Throwback #4: Extinction

An interview I did with the writer/photographer Rosamond Purcell for CNN.com in August 1999. Unfortunately a lot of the interview was cut and the editor focused on the description of the book to support the photo gallery – their choice, not mine, but that’s what editors are supposed to do, make choices. This interview was in the top ten on CNN.com (for page views) for several days, largely due to the photo gallery. I’d say the editor made the right choice.

NOTE: The link to the photo gallery no longer functions, but her book is still available in paperback on Amazon.com.

“Swift as a Shadow: Extinct and Endangered Animals.”