Tagged: Nonfiction
The Ego and the Id
The Ego and the Id by Sigmund Freud, 1/5
While it is true that a greater knowledge of psychoanalysis and its specialised vocabulary, resulting from a familiarity with the rest of Freud’s writings, would no doubt increase my comprehension of his ideas, the pervasive odour of bullshit which oozes from between the pages of this eminently unscientific work encourage me rather to avoid all other products of Freud.
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Understanding Football
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Understanding Football by Mike Beacom, 2/5
This book was an entertaining read, but not nearly as informative as I had hoped. The shortage of diagrams/illustrations made it hard to understand formations and trick plays. The information was not presented sequentially – many terms were not explained at all or were explained at random points in the book. Also, the writing style was unfittingly panegyrical and subjective. For example: “It’s been said that Ginger Rogers could do everything Fred Astaire could do, only she could do it backward and in heels. Well, that’s how cornerbacks think of themselves compared to wide receivers – without the heels, of course” (166). Ha bloody ha.
The Film That Changed my Life
The Film That Changed my Life: 30 Directors on Their Epiphanies in the Dark by Robert K. Elder, 5/5
Two things must accompany the reading of this book, besides an appreciation of the more technical side of films: immediate access to imdb.com and an empty list entitled “Films to watch.” For me, this was a good introduction to many iconic directors with whom I am regretfully unfamiliar and a fascinating glimpse into how others watch, enjoy and are influenced by a variety of films. An example of the book’s power… after reading the interview about Citizen Kane, I am inspired to re-watch the movie (despite hating it the last three times I saw it). The only thing I didn’t like was the inevitable inclusion of spoilers for many of the movies.
OmniRambles 