hyperconnected and hyperobsessed

Thinker, doer, iconoclast, professional loudmouth.

Also organisational comms guy, design thinker, user experience and service designer, collaborator, sketchnoter. Open government advocate. TEDizen. Husband. Dad. WoW player. INTP. Crossfitter. Rugby tragic.

This site collects links, books, stories, media and other things I consider interesting for some reason. It's neither work-focussed or personal but happily blurs the two.

See http://about.me/trib/ for greater detail and links to other things.

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    5 posts tagged cbr4

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    A Week at the Airport Alain De Botton As someone who loves travel, and is endlessly intrigued by the happenings at international airports, Alain De Botton’s A Week at the Airport is a delightful window into the culture apart that this feature of the modern world embodies. For anyone who has not yet entered De Botton’s philosophical world via his writings, A Week at the Airport is short enough, at a little over 100 pages, and put together so nicely (the author has a skilled and touching turn of phrase, deployed as needed), that it’s the perfect gateway into his longer and deeper works. Assembled as a series of observations by De Botton and anecdotes from the denizens of this odd other place, A Week at the Airport is a pleasant and well worth it short diversion that should be on your reading list. I finished wanting a longer, deeper tale. I’m giving it 4/5.

    A Week at the Airport

    Alain De Botton

    As someone who loves travel, and is endlessly intrigued by the happenings at international airports, Alain De Botton’s A Week at the Airport is a delightful window into the culture apart that this feature of the modern world embodies.

    For anyone who has not yet entered De Botton’s philosophical world via his writings, A Week at the Airport is short enough, at a little over 100 pages, and put together so nicely (the author has a skilled and touching turn of phrase, deployed as needed), that it’s the perfect gateway into his longer and deeper works.

    Assembled as a series of observations by De Botton and anecdotes from the denizens of this odd other place, A Week at the Airport is a pleasant and well worth it short diversion that should be on your reading list. I finished wanting a longer, deeper tale.

    I’m giving it 4/5.

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    I Shall Wear Midnight (Discworld) Terry Pratchett A big, fat 5/5 for this, the final Tiffany Aching book, from me. As she does for my friends, Nathan and Courtney, the young Miss Aching appeals no end; she is moral, caring, a thinker and understands that while she has a place in the world, it is often complicated by difficult or potentially unpopular decisions. Though Pratchett originally wrote this subset of the Discworld novels for a younger audience, there’s absolutely no reason they ought not be on the reading list of any Discworld fan. Nay, any fantasy fan. With the Tiffany Aching books, Pratchett has moved beyond the (very excellent, mind you) silliness and satire present in many of his earlier pieces to a more profound, gentle humor laced with more than a condiment level of humanity. It’s a great read, no matter whether you’re a fan of the author or genre or not.

    I Shall Wear Midnight (Discworld)

    Terry Pratchett

    A big, fat 5/5 for this, the final Tiffany Aching book, from me.

    As she does for my friends, Nathan and Courtney, the young Miss Aching appeals no end; she is moral, caring, a thinker and understands that while she has a place in the world, it is often complicated by difficult or potentially unpopular decisions.

    Though Pratchett originally wrote this subset of the Discworld novels for a younger audience, there’s absolutely no reason they ought not be on the reading list of any Discworld fan. Nay, any fantasy fan.

    With the Tiffany Aching books, Pratchett has moved beyond the (very excellent, mind you) silliness and satire present in many of his earlier pieces to a more profound, gentle humor laced with more than a condiment level of humanity.

    It’s a great read, no matter whether you’re a fan of the author or genre or not.

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    The Moon’s a Balloon David Niven More than anything, David Niven reminds me of my grandfather. The same cultured voice (although my Papa had a combination of Received Pronunciation and whatever its Kiwi equivalent is, versus Niven’s UK Public School accent), the same approximate age, the impeccable grooming and, most importantly, the fact that he was a raconteur of the first order. I also remember seeing this book, and Niven’s later memoir Bring On the Empty Horses, on my grandfather’s bookshelves as a child. Without doubt, Niven’s tale of his early life, time at school (many of them, as he was expelled from several), time in the British Army, both before and after he’d achieved some level of fame in Hollywood, his time in Hollywood mixing with the great names of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s and his romances with his first wife, lost tragically and his second, make for a rollicking and enjoyable read. As you might imagine, Niven is a great storyteller, even if, as it turns out, he’s played a little fast and loose with the accuracy of the facts. It’s worth noting that Audible also has an audiobook of The Moon’s a Balloon, read by Niven himself. It’s well worth getting, just to hear the voice and imagine him in the various situations he writes of. It’s getting 4/5 from me.

    The Moon’s a Balloon

    David Niven

    More than anything, David Niven reminds me of my grandfather. The same cultured voice (although my Papa had a combination of Received Pronunciation and whatever its Kiwi equivalent is, versus Niven’s UK Public School accent), the same approximate age, the impeccable grooming and, most importantly, the fact that he was a raconteur of the first order.

    I also remember seeing this book, and Niven’s later memoir Bring On the Empty Horses, on my grandfather’s bookshelves as a child.

    Without doubt, Niven’s tale of his early life, time at school (many of them, as he was expelled from several), time in the British Army, both before and after he’d achieved some level of fame in Hollywood, his time in Hollywood mixing with the great names of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s and his romances with his first wife, lost tragically and his second, make for a rollicking and enjoyable read.

    As you might imagine, Niven is a great storyteller, even if, as it turns out, he’s played a little fast and loose with the accuracy of the facts.

    It’s worth noting that Audible also has an audiobook of The Moon’s a Balloon, read by Niven himself. It’s well worth getting, just to hear the voice and imagine him in the various situations he writes of.

    It’s getting 4/5 from me.

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    A Woman of No Importance Oscar Wilde Despite being an English Lit major at university, I recall reading little or no Wilde. I decided to tackle A Woman of No Importance first. It’s short and not that hard to push through (it was also recommended to me as one of the dozen books an enlightened man ought read – I forget where I found that list). Some of the ideas Wilde proposes in his story must have been more than a little challenging back in the day – feminism in the form of a woman refusing to marry and bringing up a child (let alone her subsequently being accepted in “polite” society), the notion of a man refusing to accept responsibility for a child (though I’m certain there were many bastards born to minor gentry), the idea that women need and should marry, the terrible and undoubtedly hurtful gossip around the secret lives of the “upper class”. Reading through, I began by being frustrated, with my 21st Century sensibilities railing against the outdated world view represented in the play’s characters. It was only when I caught myself and read on with a more neutral mindset that I began to enjoy it. Once that shift was made, I was able to enjoy Wilde’s shining of light upon the hypocrisy of these people. It’s possible that every character has few redeeming qualities. Even our heroes have great failings. It’s definitely worth the read, reflecting on how much Wilde must have intentionally have been seeking to upset many readers. Speculating, it’s possibly more than a little payback against the discrimination Wilde himself faced. I’m giving it 3/5.

    A Woman of No Importance

    Oscar Wilde

    Despite being an English Lit major at university, I recall reading little or no Wilde. I decided to tackle A Woman of No Importance first. It’s short and not that hard to push through (it was also recommended to me as one of the dozen books an enlightened man ought read – I forget where I found that list).

    Some of the ideas Wilde proposes in his story must have been more than a little challenging back in the day – feminism in the form of a woman refusing to marry and bringing up a child (let alone her subsequently being accepted in “polite” society), the notion of a man refusing to accept responsibility for a child (though I’m certain there were many bastards born to minor gentry), the idea that women need and should marry, the terrible and undoubtedly hurtful gossip around the secret lives of the “upper class”.

    Reading through, I began by being frustrated, with my 21st Century sensibilities railing against the outdated world view represented in the play’s characters. It was only when I caught myself and read on with a more neutral mindset that I began to enjoy it.

    Once that shift was made, I was able to enjoy Wilde’s shining of light upon the hypocrisy of these people. It’s possible that every character has few redeeming qualities. Even our heroes have great failings.

    It’s definitely worth the read, reflecting on how much Wilde must have intentionally have been seeking to upset many readers. Speculating, it’s possibly more than a little payback against the discrimination Wilde himself faced.

    I’m giving it 3/5.

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