I skimmed through the different Henley threads, and I didn't see a thread about the book he cowrote/edited( I apologize if there already is a thread. I didn't see one). Amazon has it for a very low price. Is it worth buying and reading?
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I skimmed through the different Henley threads, and I didn't see a thread about the book he cowrote/edited( I apologize if there already is a thread. I didn't see one). Amazon has it for a very low price. Is it worth buying and reading?
I haven't read it yet but it's on my wish list. Selling for a penny now! Can't beat that, I'm going to get it.
A penny used and 4 pennies new for hardback. I've never seen a book priced so cheap. I feel cheated for having to pay $4 for shipping lol.Quote:
Originally Posted by NightMistBlue
I have this. It's an interesting read; Don's preface is well-written, intelligent, and literate, full of Transcendental themes (as is only appropriate), but avoiding the trap of sounding pretentious by relating them to everyday life and including the kind of personal anecdotes and insights that make such writings emotionally effective. At approximately 10 pages, the preface allows Don a lot of room to demonstrate his engaging prose style.
Some of the other contributors are a bit less proficient in their writing skills: some of the essays are dry pontifications which leave the reader cold; some go too far the other way and come across as over-the-top melodrama. The biggest flaw is that many present statistics and facts but don't bother to cite their sources. This is a pet peeve of mine - vaguely claiming "scientists say" isn't good enough; sadly, even Don is guilty of this on occasion. Since it's safe to assume he didn't conduct those studies himself, I need to know where he's getting his statistics from. Finally, some of the celebrity essays contain grammatical errors (the comma in particular suffered a lot of abuse), but I suspect the copy editors were told to leave the celebrities' essays alone unless they misspelled something. I can't be too hard on them; everyone's heart was in the right place. These celebrities were nice enough to contribute their time and star power to boost the book's sales and get more revenue for Walden Woods, and they should be lauded for that.
I recommend the essays by some of the lesser known people in the book - the true experts. They may not have the name recognition of some of the contributors, but their essays are much more informed. Unfortunately, most of these no doubt got passed over by fans who were only interested in reading the entries of their favorite celebrities. To be honest, even I immediately turned to Don's preface and only got around to reading the rest of it later. I will also admit I never would have bought it if Don hadn't written an entry, so I can't act self-righteous!
Note: While all of the statistical information is obviously out of date (the book was published in 1991), it's still thematically applicable to today's world.
Short answer: It's worth the money, even though the profits no longer serve the original purpose of supporting Walden Woods - unless it inspires you to donate!
I had totally forgotten about this so thanks for the reminder AG95. I just went on Amazon and ordered it although who knows when I'll actually get a chance to read this. I still haven't picked up The Eagles FAQ book that I ordered a couple of months ago. :shrug:
Soda, thanks for your response, and thanks for creating this wonderful forum! I've learned a lot in the short few days I've been a member!
Obviously, I plan to read Don's part of the book first. After reading the thread about his emails to different things, I've come to enjoy his writing style. He manages to be sarcastic, smart, and humorous all at the same time.
I'm like you. I want to see proof or reasons of the statistics and stances that the writers take on an issue. Since the writers are celebs and not people who write or do studies for a living, I'll try my best to overlook it.
As long as the grammar isn't terrible enough that I can't understand the essay, I'm fine. I only completed 9th grade English, so I can't complain.
I'm broke until June, so that's when I'll buy the book. (I'll also buy the HOTE dvd then as well ). I need something to keep me occupied for a while, and I think that this book will help!
Dreamer, I'm glad that I reminded you to get the book! Now what's this I read about an Eagles FAQ book?
Well, I finally got around to ordering the book from Amazon a few days ago. Should be here sometime after Wednesday. (4-14 day delivery estimate that Amazon uses)
Well, of my Amazon orders, the book arrived first. Like I said above m, I'm going to read Don's chapter (essay) first, then I'll read the full book. I'm familiar with about half of the people who contributed to this book.
Quick question: Does anyone know how many editions of this book have been printed? I bought mine "new" from a bookstore in Texas( I didn't even pay 20 cents for it), and it says 'first edition" on the copyright page.