BlakeAtwood.com

More like 2.5 stars. I probably shouldn’t count this as a read book since I listened to it, but either way, it’s an easy listen/read, as are most of Barry’s works. But he knows funny, and hyperbole, and brilliance disguised as ignorance. Who wouldn’t want Dave Barry to be their history teacher? Still, after reading Big Trouble and Tricky Business, I’d recommend his fiction over his non-fiction.

www.davebarry.com

Only for golf fans, of which I am one. Johnny, current NBC broadcaster and former PGA prodigy, shares his views on a number of things relating to golf, from why Tiger won’t bypass Nicklaus’ 18 majors (to which I wholeheartedly disagree), to his ruminations on course design, his dream team, and what the future may hold. Written in 2004, it’s amazing, even then, how much Tiger Woods Pricing-Golfers-Wares Sep-07 changes the tone of the book. Tiger is the exception to every rule, the behemoth that casts his shadow into every facet of the game.

Although not quite a fan of the show, a friend recommended the book. It’s funny enough, as Colbert puts to paper what he satirizes on his show, portraying a staunch Republican who’s as American as apple pie. But, to me, it was too much of the same, and while I finished the book, I probably laughed more at the first half because the jokes were fairly fresh, whereas the latter half retread the same ground. But it’s about what I expect from a humor book. The side notes in the margin, where Colbert comments on himself, was a nice touch. (Maybe all future books will have the same thing – a wikibookia, constantly edited by the author throughout the year’s of his or her life).

www.colbertnation.com

Brilliant, short mystery novel, written by a brilliant, large, well-known author. Though an early 20th century novel, it’s still amazingly relevant. Contains some transcendental passages as well. I believe it’s one of the most recommended works of fiction by Chesterton. I now know why.

It’s a sign of lazy reading when you have to refer to a book’s Wikipedia entry to make sure what you thought was happening actually occurred in the book. Fortunately, I was mostly right. Neuromancer is one of those books that’s oft referred to in popular culture, especially considering that Gibson coined the phrase cyberspace. It’s been called the first cyberpunk novel. I couldn’t believe it was written in 1984, as forward thinking, both in substance and narrative, as the story is. I kept wondering how difficult it would be to turn this into a film. Seems 2009 will be the year. Read the book before you see the movie.