I have a love-hate thing with book blurbs. On the one hand, they can be a window into the experience of reading a book. On the other, they can be a window into the experience of reading a book—they offer a frame that is not your own. Nothing makes me feel dumb like not “getting” … Continue reading On book blurbs
Tag: reading
On George R. Stewart’s novel Storm
The jacket copy (and pretty much any blurb I could find about Storm—published by George R. Stewart’s in 1941—refers to it as the first “eco-novel.” But that term does little to capture the sprawl and scope of this strange but awesome book. With a cast of dozens (hundreds?), Stewart takes a wide-angled view of how … Continue reading On George R. Stewart’s novel Storm
On being an easy reader
A book with a strong argument is a dangerous thing in my hands: As a reader, I can be somewhat of a pushover. Perhaps it's because I grew up loving fiction—and if you can't suspend your disbelief and buy into a fictional world, you may as well put the book down. You can't really do … Continue reading On being an easy reader
On the odd joy of used book sales
I’m not sure if there’s an event I love more than a used book sale. Getting more books on the cheap is the main draw, obviously—but there’s also the oddball browsing experience. With no time to assert the order and coherence of a library or bookstore, the books at a used book sale are jumbled … Continue reading On the odd joy of used book sales
Proof that you should pick a legible typeface
Picking a legible typeface is just plain common sense, right? If you want a client to earnestly read, word for word, a two-page cover letter, then you're going to make sure that the chosen typeface is getting out of the way, doing nothing to impair your client's ability to grasp your finely honed pitch. While … Continue reading Proof that you should pick a legible typeface
Taylor Coe 