Shaun's bookshelf: read en-US Fri, 27 Sep 2024 10:56:53 -0700 60 Shaun's bookshelf: read 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Blue Ocean Strategy: How To Create Uncontested Market Space And Make The Competition Irrelevant]]> 7514722 276 W. Chan Kim 1422147983 Shaun 4 management 3.92 2004 Blue Ocean Strategy: How To Create Uncontested Market Space And Make The Competition Irrelevant
author: W. Chan Kim
name: Shaun
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2004
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: management
review:

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<![CDATA[Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions]]> 6565837 New York Times bestselling author Dan Ariely offers a much-needed take on the irrational decisions that led to our current economic crisis.]]> 382 Dan Ariely Shaun 0 management, to-read 4.17 2008 Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions
author: Dan Ariely
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2015/05/06
shelves: management, to-read
review:

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The Lean Startup 10127019 Most startups fail. But many of those failures are preventable. The Lean Startup is a new approach being adopted across the globe, changing the way companies are built and new products are launched.

Eric Ries defines a startup as an organization dedicated to creating something new under conditions of extreme uncertainty. This is just as true for one person in a garage or a group of seasoned professionals in a Fortune 500 boardroom. What they have in common is a mission to penetrate that fog of uncertainty to discover a successful path to a sustainable business.



The Lean Startup approach fosters companies that are both more capital efficient and that leverage human creativity more effectively. Inspired by lessons from lean manufacturing, it relies on "validated learning," rapid scientific experimentation, as well as a number of counter-intuitive practices that shorten product development cycles, measure actual progress without resorting to vanity metrics, and learn what customers really want. It enables a company to shift directions with agility, altering plans inch by inch, minute by minute.

Rather than wasting time creating elaborate business plans, The Lean Startup offers entrepreneurs - in companies of all sizes - a way to test their vision continuously, to adapt and adjust before it's too late. Ries provides a scientific approach to creating and managing successful startups in a age when companies need to innovate more than ever.]]>
299 Eric Ries 0307887898 Shaun 5 management 4.11 2011 The Lean Startup
author: Eric Ries
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2015/05/06
date added: 2015/05/06
shelves: management
review:

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<![CDATA[The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference]]> 6001566 322 Malcolm Gladwell Shaun 4 management 4.14 2002 The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
author: Malcolm Gladwell
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2002
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2015/05/06
shelves: management
review:

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<![CDATA[Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard]]> 6570502 Why is it so hard to make lasting changes in our companies, in our communities, and in our own lives?

The primary obstacle is a conflict that's built into our brains, say Chip and Dan Heath, authors of the critically acclaimed bestseller Made to Stick. Psychologists have discovered that our minds are ruled by two different systems - the rational mind and the emotional mind - that compete for control. The rational mind wants a great beach body; the emotional mind wants that Oreo cookie. The rational mind wants to change something at work; the emotional mind loves the comfort of the existing routine. This tension can doom a change effort - but if it is overcome, change can come quickly.

In Switch, the Heaths show how everyday people - employees and managers, parents and nurses - have united both minds and, as a result, achieved dramatic results:

- The lowly medical interns who managed to defeat an entrenched, decades-old medical practice that was endangering patients (see page 242)
- The home-organizing guru who developed a simple technique for overcoming the dread of housekeeping (see page 130)
- The manager who transformed a lackadaisical customer-support team into service zealots by removing a standard tool of customer service (see page 199)

In a compelling, story-driven narrative, the Heaths bring together decades of counterintuitive research in psychology, sociology, and other fields to shed new light on how we can effect transformative change. Switch shows that successful changes follow a pattern, a pattern you can use to make the changes that matter to you, whether your interest is in changing the world or changing your waistline.]]>
305 Chip Heath 0385528752 Shaun 5 management 4.02 2010 Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard
author: Chip Heath
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at: 2015/05/06
date added: 2015/05/06
shelves: management
review:

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<![CDATA[Understanding Michael Porter: The Essential Guide to Competition and Strategy]]> 13263934 Understanding Michael Porter sets the record straight, providing the first concise, accessible summary of Porter's revolutionary thinking. Written with Porter's full cooperation by Joan Magretta, his former editor at Harvard Business Review, this new book delivers fresh, clear examples to illustrate and update Porter's ideas.
Magretta uses her wide business experience to translate Porter's powerful insights into practice and to correct the most common misconceptions about them--for instance, that competition is about being unique, not being the best; that it is a contest over profits, not a battle between rivals; that strategy is about choosing to make some customers unhappy, not being all things to all customers.
An added feature is an original Q&A with Porter himself, which includes answers to managers' FAQs.
Eminently readable, this book will enable every manager in your organization to grasp Porter's ideas--and swiftly deploy them to drive your company's success.]]>
256 Joan Magretta 1422142299 Shaun 0 to-read 4.26 2011 Understanding Michael Porter: The Essential Guide to Competition and Strategy
author: Joan Magretta
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2011
rating: 0
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date added: 2015/05/06
shelves: to-read
review:

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Ogilvy on Advertising 19002596 A candid and indispensable primer on all aspects of advertising from the man Time has called "the most sought after wizard in the business." Told with brutal candor and prodigal generosity, David Ogilvy • How to get a job in advertising• How to choose an agency for your product• The secrets behind advertising that works• How to write successful copy—and get people to read it• Eighteen miracles of research• What advertising can do for charities And much, much more.]]> 484 David Ogilvy 0804170053 Shaun 0 to-read 4.18 1983 Ogilvy on Advertising
author: David Ogilvy
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.18
book published: 1983
rating: 0
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date added: 2015/05/06
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[Profit Hacking: The Web Entrepreneur's 3 Part Formula For Maximizing Success]]> 23857762 130 Steven Daar Shaun 0 to-read 3.66 2014 Profit Hacking: The Web Entrepreneur's 3 Part Formula For Maximizing Success
author: Steven Daar
name: Shaun
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2014
rating: 0
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date added: 2015/05/06
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School]]> 22028002
How do we learn? What exactly do sleep and stress do to our brains? Why is multi-tasking a myth? Why is it so easy to forget--and so important to repeat new knowledge? Is it true that men and women have different brains?

In Brain Rules, Dr. John Medina, a molecular biologist, shares his lifelong interest in how the brain sciences might influence the way we teach our children and the way we work. In each chapter, he describes a brain rule--what scientists know for sure about how our brains work--and then offers transformative ideas for our daily lives.

Medina's fascinating stories and infectious sense of humor breathe life into brain science. You'll learn why Michael Jordan was no good at baseball. You'll peer over a surgeon's shoulder as he proves that most of us have a Jennifer Aniston neuron. You'll meet a boy who has an amazing memory for music but can't tie his own shoes.

You will discover

Every brain is wired differently
Exercise improves cognition
We are designed to never stop learning and exploring
Memories are volatile
Sleep is powerfully linked with the ability to learn
Vision trumps all of the other senses
Stress changes the way we learn
In the end, you'll understand how your brain really works--and how to get the most out of it.]]>
306 John Medina Shaun 0 to-read 4.12 2008 Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School
author: John Medina
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2008
rating: 0
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date added: 2015/05/06
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[Dont Make Me Think and HTML World Wide Web]]> 1210562
In this 3rd edition, Steve returns with fresh perspective to reexamine the principles that made Don’t Make Me Think a classic-–with updated examples and a new chapter on mobile usability. And it’s still short, profusely illustrated…and best of all–fun to read.

If you’ve read it before, you’ll rediscover what made Don’t Make Me Think so essential to Web designers and developers around the world. If you’ve never read it, you’ll see why so many people have said it should be required reading for anyone working on Web sites.]]>
Steve Krug 0131420879 Shaun 5 web-programming 4.23 2000 Dont Make Me Think and HTML World Wide Web
author: Steve Krug
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2000
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2013/01/11
shelves: web-programming
review:
The notion of creating user interfaces that are easy to use and that don't make the user think too long about how to perform their desired action is nothing new. Rather than leaving it to guesses and personal opinion, this book teaches you how to learn what is actually successful via various methods of user-oriented testing. It also covers a lot of examples of good and bad interface design and invites the user to make their own judgments before offering possible optimizations. Best of all, the book is a short and direct.
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Reamde 10552338
For Richard, the game was the perfect opportunity to launder his aging hundred dollar bills and begin his own high-tech start up—a venture that has morphed into a Fortune 500 computer gaming group, Corporation 9592, with its own super successful online role-playing game, T’Rain. But the line between fantasy and reality becomes dangerously blurred when a young gold farmer accidently triggers a virtual war for dominance—and Richard is caught at the center.

In this edgy, 21st century tale, Neal Stephenson, one of the most ambitious and prophetic writers of our time, returns to the terrain of his cyberpunk masterpieces Snow Crash and Cryptonomicon, leading readers through the looking glass and into the dark heart of imagination.]]>
1044 Neal Stephenson 0061977969 Shaun 3 sci-fi-fantasy 3.97 2011 Reamde
author: Neal Stephenson
name: Shaun
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2012/05/22
date added: 2012/05/23
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:
While a good read, Reamde was not as good as Stephenson's earlier works (such as Cryptonomicon). I valued the latter for a lot of its science content and cohesiveness of story. Reamde, by comparison, feels more unedited. It starts strong, but the plot veers off into more of an action thriller and less of a sci-fi fantasy book. The resolution of the plot relied heavy on coincidences that flirt with violating the suspension of disbelief.
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<![CDATA[Ready Player One (Ready Player One, #1)]]> 9969571 Librarian's note: An alternate cover edition can be found here

IN THE YEAR 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them.

But when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.]]>
480 Ernest Cline 030788743X Shaun 4 sci-fi-fantasy 4.21 2011 Ready Player One (Ready Player One, #1)
author: Ernest Cline
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/03/30
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

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dz� (Daemon, #2) 7132363 The propulsive, shockingly plausible sequel to New York Times bestseller Daemon, the "Greatest. Techno-thriller. Period."*
*William O'Brien, former director of cybersecurity and communications systems policy at the White House

2009 saw one of the most inventive techno-thriller debuts in decades as Daniel Suarez introduced his terrifying and tantalizing vision of a new world order. Daemon captured the attention of the tech community, became a national bestseller, garnered attention from futurists, literary critics, and the halls of government-leaving readers clamoring for the conclusion to Suarez's epic story.

In the opening chapters of dz�, the Daemon is well on its way toward firm control of the modern world, using an expanded network of real-world, dispossessed darknet operatives to tear apart civilization and rebuild it anew. Civil war breaks out in the American Midwest, with the mainstream media stoking public fear in the face of this "Corn Rebellion." Former detective Pete Sebeck, now the Daemon's most famous and most reluctant operative, must lead a small band of enlightened humans in a populist movement designed to protect the new world order.

But the private armies of global business are preparing to crush the Daemon once and for all. In a world of conflicted loyalties, rapidly diminishing government control, and a new choice between free will and the continuing comforts of ignorance, the stakes could not be higher: hanging in the balance is nothing less than democracy's last hope to survive the technology revolution.]]>
406 Daniel Suarez 0525951571 Shaun 5 sci-fi-fantasy 4.27 2010 dz™ (Daemon, #2)
author: Daniel Suarez
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/03/30
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

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Daemon (Daemon, #1) 4699575
Matthew Sobol was a legendary computer game designer—the architect behind half-a-dozen popular online games. His premature death depressed both gamers and his company's stock price. But Sobol's fans aren't the only ones to note his passing. When his obituary is posted online, a previously dormant daemon activates, initiating a chain of events intended to unravel the fabric of our hyper-efficient, interconnected world. With Sobol's secrets buried along with him, and as new layers of his daemon are unleashed at every turn, it's up to an unlikely alliance to decipher his intricate plans and wrest the world from the grasp of a nameless, faceless enemy—or learn to live in a society in which we are no longer in control. . . .

Computer technology expert Daniel Suarez blends haunting high-tech realism with gripping suspense in an authentic, complex thriller in the tradition of Michael Crichton, Neal Stephenson, and William Gibson.]]>
432 Daniel Suarez 0525951113 Shaun 5 sci-fi-fantasy 4.17 2006 Daemon (Daemon, #1)
author: Daniel Suarez
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2006
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/03/30
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

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<![CDATA[Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey]]> 22285 320 Chuck Palahniuk 0385517874 Shaun 4 general-fiction 3.85 2007 Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey
author: Chuck Palahniuk
name: Shaun
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2012/03/30
date added: 2012/03/30
shelves: general-fiction
review:

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Designing with Web Standards 11567897
Written in the same engaging and witty style, making even the most complex information easy to digest, Designing with Web Standards remains your essential guide to creating sites that load faster, reach more users, and cost less to design and maintain.
“Occasionally (very occasionally) you come across an author who makes you think, ‘This guy is smart! And he makes me feel smarter, because now I finally understand this concept.’� � Steve Krug, author of Don’t Make Me Think and Rocket Surgery Made Easy

“A web designer without a copy of Designing with Web Standards is like a carpenter without a level. With this third edition, Zeldman continues to be the voice of clarity; explaining the complex in plain English for the rest of us.� � Dan Cederholm, author, Bulletproof Web Design and Handcrafted CSS

“Jeffrey Zeldman sits somewhere between ‘guru� and ‘god� in this industry—and manages to fold wisdom and wit into a tale about WHAT web standards are, HOW standards-based coding works, and WHY we should care.� � Kelly Goto, author, Web ReDesign 2.0: Workflow that Works

“Some books are meant to be read. Designing with Web Standards is even intended to be highlighted, dogeared, bookmarked, shared, passed around, and evangelized, it goes beyond reading to revolution.� � Liz Danzico, Chair, MFA Interaction Design, School of Visual Arts]]>
432 Jeffrey Zeldman Shaun 5 web-programming 4.67 2003 Designing with Web Standards
author: Jeffrey Zeldman
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.67
book published: 2003
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/02/21
shelves: web-programming
review:
This book (and its companion, Developing with Web Standards) are great resources for the modern web developer. People who have been in the industry for years are prone to carry over methods for dealing with web design issues that do not stand the test of time due to difficulty maintaining such solutions. These two books server to educate both veteran and novice web developers on how to create and maintain websites in such a way that they support rapid development & maintenance while focusing on accessibility across multiple platforms. In addition, they very clearly explain why every web site doesn't need to look the same in all browsers (another old notion) and cover how you can bring a rich experience in newer browsers while also gracefully degrading on older browsers to a less-rich but fully-functional and attractive experience.
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<![CDATA[iPhone SDK 3 Programming: Advanced Mobile Development for Apple Iphone and Ipod Touch]]> 6760123 651 Maher Ali 0470683988 Shaun 3 programming 4.67 2009 iPhone SDK 3 Programming: Advanced Mobile Development for Apple Iphone and Ipod Touch
author: Maher Ali
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.67
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2011/11/02
shelves: programming
review:
I did research on many books for the iPhone SDK that also served as an introduction to Objective-C since I was unfamiliar with the language. Many of these books did not explain concepts in very efficient ways or walk through examples in such a way that the knowledge was useful in both learning Objective-C and the iPhone SDK. This book, however, accomplished that task as far as I was concerned and served as one of the better hybrid books I came across in my research.
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Choke 29059 Victor Mancini, a medical-school dropout, is an antihero for our deranged times.

Needing to pay elder care for his mother, Victor has devised an ingenious scam: he pretends to choke on pieces of food while dining in upscale restaurants. He then allows himself to be “saved� by fellow patrons who, feeling responsible for Victor’s life, go on to send checks to support him.

When he’s not pulling this stunt, Victor cruises sexual addiction recovery workshops for action, visits his addled mom, and spends his days working at a colonial theme park.

His creator, Chuck Palahniuk, renowned author of classics like Fight Club, is the visionary we need and the satirist we deserve.]]>
293 Chuck Palahniuk 0385720920 Shaun 4 general-fiction 3.71 2001 Choke
author: Chuck Palahniuk
name: Shaun
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2001
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2011/11/02
shelves: general-fiction
review:

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Fight Club 5759 218 Chuck Palahniuk 0393327345 Shaun 5 general-fiction 4.19 1996 Fight Club
author: Chuck Palahniuk
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1996
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2011/11/02
shelves: general-fiction
review:

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<![CDATA[Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software]]> 85009
The authors begin by describing what patterns are and how they can help you design object-oriented software. They then go on to systematically name, explain, evaluate, and catalog recurring designs in object-oriented systems. With Design Patterns as your guide, you will learn how these important patterns fit into the software development process, and how you can leverage them to solve your own design problems most efficiently.

Each pattern describes the circumstances in which it is applicable, when it can be applied in view of other design constraints, and the consequences and trade-offs of using the pattern within a larger design. All patterns are compiled from real systems and are based on real-world examples. Each pattern also includes code that demonstrates how it may be implemented in object-oriented programming languages like C++ or Smalltalk.

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416 Erich Gamma 0201633612 Shaun 3 programming 4.19 1994 Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software
author: Erich Gamma
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1994
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2011/11/02
shelves: programming
review:
This book is considered one of the "bibles" of object-oriented programming, and with good reason. It presents a catalog of generalized solutions to general programming problems. These solutions are written in such a way as to make them modular and maintainable while encapsulating the logic into central areas to prevent simple changes from affecting your entire code base. Alternatively, many of these design patterns can be used to add functionality to existing code when you would otherwise be recoding a substantial part of your application. Most of the concepts in this book have been around for decades, but this book was one of the first to take the concepts and wrap them in a common verbiage to assist developers in communicating about these ideas. I would recommend the book to anyone who has a firm grasp of what an object-oriented language is as well as the general syntax of an object-oriented language. New developers will not get as much out of the book without that prior knowledge.
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The Smashing Book 2 10393955
Like its predecessor, the Smashing Book 2 is a printed book about best practices in modern Web design.

Well-respected professionals have worked with us to provide exciting and comprehensive chapters:


“The Principles of Great Graphic Design�, Matt Ward and Alexander Charchar,

“Visible vs. Invisible Design�, Francisco Inchauste,

“Designing Mobile User Experiences�, Mike Rundle,

“Sketching, Wireframing and Prototyping�, Janko Jovanovic,

“Red Flags in Web Development�, Christian Heilmann,

“The Future of Web Typography�, Vivien Anayian,

“Game Design Techniques Applied to UX Design�, Christoph Kolb,

“When They Click: Psychology of Web Design�, Susan Weinschenk,

“Design Patterns on E-Commerce Websites (A Study)�, Steven Bradley,

“How to Make a Book (Like This One)�, The Smashing Magazine Team.]]>
355 Smashing Magazine Shaun 2 web-programming
That being said, there are a few redeeming passages. I particularly liked the chapter where an analysis of 57 e-commerce sites was performed to obtain data on trends and best practices. There was also some good information in the section about red flags in design. In the end, though, the majority of the information in this book can be gathered from other sources in a more direct manner.]]>
3.99 2010 The Smashing Book 2
author: Smashing Magazine
name: Shaun
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2010
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2011/11/02
shelves: web-programming
review:
I was not as impressed with the second installment of the Smashing Book series as I was with the first one. The second book takes a distinct approach of relaying information in the form of essays. I found this to be a more indirect approach to relaying the information contained therein. Overall, I felt like I read a lot of fluff to get to the "meat" of each section.

That being said, there are a few redeeming passages. I particularly liked the chapter where an analysis of 57 e-commerce sites was performed to obtain data on trends and best practices. There was also some good information in the section about red flags in design. In the end, though, the majority of the information in this book can be gathered from other sources in a more direct manner.
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<![CDATA[Shadow of the Giant (The Shadow #4)]]> 8647 388 Orson Scott Card 1841492051 Shaun 4 sci-fi-fantasy 4.01 2005 Shadow of the Giant (The Shadow #4)
author: Orson Scott Card
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2011/11/02
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

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<![CDATA[Shadow Puppets (The Shadow Series, #3)]]> 234724
Earth and its society have been changed irrevocably in the aftermath of Ender Wiggin's victory over the Formics. The unity forced upon the warring nations by an alien enemy has shattered. Nations are rising again, seeking territory and influence, and most of all, seeking to control the skills and loyalty of the children from the Battle School.

But one person has a better idea. Peter Wiggin, Ender's older, more ruthless, brother, sees that any hope for the future of Earth lies in restoring a sense of unity and purpose. And he has an irresistible call on the loyalty of Earth's young warriors. With Bean at his side, the two will reshape our future.

Here is the continuing story of Bean and Petra, and the rest of Ender's Dragon Army, as they take their places in the new government of Earth.]]>
375 Orson Scott Card 0765340054 Shaun 3 sci-fi-fantasy 3.89 2002 Shadow Puppets (The Shadow Series, #3)
author: Orson Scott Card
name: Shaun
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2002
rating: 3
read at: 2011/10/17
date added: 2011/10/17
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

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<![CDATA[Shadow of the Hegemon (The Shadow Series, #2)]]> 9534
But with the external threat gone, the Earth has become a battlefield once more. The children of the Battle School are more than heroes; they are potential weapons that can bring power to the countries that control them. One by one, all of Ender's Dragon Army are kidnapped. Only Bean escapes; and he turns for help to Ender's brother Peter.

Peter Wiggin, Ender's older brother, has already been manipulating the politics of Earth from behind the scenes. With Bean's help, he will eventually rule the world.]]>
451 Orson Scott Card 0812565959 Shaun 4 sci-fi-fantasy 3.96 2000 Shadow of the Hegemon (The Shadow Series, #2)
author: Orson Scott Card
name: Shaun
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2000
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2011/10/04
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

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<![CDATA[Ender's Shadow (The Shadow Series, #1)]]> 9532
Growing up is never easy. But try living on the mean streets as a child begging for food and fighting like a dog with ruthless gangs of starving kids who wouldn't hesitate to pound your skull into pulp for a scrap of apple. If Bean has learned anything on the streets, it's how to survive. And not with fists. He is way too small for that. But with brains.

Bean is a genius with a magician's ability to zero in on his enemy and exploit his weakness.

What better quality for a future general to lead the Earth in a final climactic battle against a hostile alien race, known as Buggers. At Battleschool Bean meets and befriends another future commander - Ender Wiggins - perhaps his only true rival.

Only one problem: for Bean and Ender, the future is now.

Ender's Shadow is the book that launched The Shadow Series, and the parallel novel to Orson Scott Card's science fiction classic, Ender's Game.]]>
469 Orson Scott Card 0765342405 Shaun 2 sci-fi-fantasy 4.32 1999 Ender's Shadow (The Shadow Series, #1)
author: Orson Scott Card
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.32
book published: 1999
rating: 2
read at: 2011/09/21
date added: 2011/09/21
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

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<![CDATA[Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3)]]> 7260188 My name is Katniss Everdeen.
Why am I not dead?
I should be dead.

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans—except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay—no matter what the personal cost.]]>
390 Suzanne Collins 0439023513 Shaun 5 sci-fi-fantasy 4.10 2010 Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2011/09/21
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

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<![CDATA[Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2)]]> 6148028 Sparks are igniting.
Flames are spreading.
And the Capitol wants revenge.

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol—a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest that she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

In Catching Fire, the second novel of the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before . . . and surprising readers at every turn.]]>
391 Suzanne Collins 0439023491 Shaun 4 sci-fi-fantasy 4.34 2009 Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2011/09/21
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

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<![CDATA[The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)]]> 2767052
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.]]>
374 Suzanne Collins Shaun 5 sci-fi-fantasy 4.34 2008 The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2011/09/21
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

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<![CDATA[Children of the Mind (Ender's Saga, #4)]]> 31360
At the start of Children of the Mind, Jane, the evolved computer intelligence, is using her newly discovered abilities to take the races of buggers, humans and pequeninos outside the universe and back instantaneously. She uses these powers to move them to distant habitable planets for colonization. She is losing her memory and concentration as the vast computer network connected to the ansible is being shut down. If she is to survive, she must find a way to transfer her aiúa (or soul) to a human body.]]>
370 Orson Scott Card 0765304740 Shaun 0 to-read, sci-fi-fantasy 3.77 1996 Children of the Mind (Ender's Saga, #4)
author: Orson Scott Card
name: Shaun
average rating: 3.77
book published: 1996
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2011/09/09
shelves: to-read, sci-fi-fantasy
review:

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Xenocide (Ender's Saga, #3) 8648
On Lusitania, Ender found a world where humans and pequininos and the Hive Queen could all live together; where three very different intelligent species could find common ground at last. Or so he thought.

Lusitania also harbors the descolada, a virus that kills all humans it infects, but which the pequininos require in order to become adults. The Starways Congress so fears the effects of the descolada, should it escape from Lusitania, that they have ordered the destruction of the entire planet, and all who live there. The Fleet is on its way, a second xenocide seems inevitable.

Xenocide is the third novel in Orson Scott Card's The Ender Saga.]]>
592 Orson Scott Card 0312861877 Shaun 0 to-read, sci-fi-fantasy 3.81 1991 Xenocide (Ender's Saga, #3)
author: Orson Scott Card
name: Shaun
average rating: 3.81
book published: 1991
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2011/09/09
shelves: to-read, sci-fi-fantasy
review:

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<![CDATA[Agile Web Development with Rails, 1st Edition]]> 45 558 Dave Thomas 097669400X Shaun 4 web-programming 3.82 2005 Agile Web Development with Rails, 1st Edition
author: Dave Thomas
name: Shaun
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2011/09/09
shelves: web-programming
review:
After introducing myself to Ruby, I read this book to become more familiar with the Rails framework. I was very pleased with how this book was laid out. The first section has you dig right into creating a basic storefront by guiding you through the basics of using the Rails framework. This first section teaches you everything you need to create a basic site of your own. The latter sections of the book go into depth regarding each concept you learned in the initial sections as well as other advanced concepts. The progression of the book was very natural and did not try to throw an advanced concept at you without showing you simple examples first on which you could build your knowledge. I'd recommend this book to anyone wanting to see what the fuss is all about regarding Ruby on Rails.
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<![CDATA[Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code]]> 44936 Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Software, renowned object technology mentor Martin Fowler breaks new ground, demystifying these master practices and demonstrating how software practitioners can realize the significant benefits of this new process.]]> 431 Martin Fowler 0201485672 Shaun 5 programming 4.23 1999 Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code
author: Martin Fowler
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.23
book published: 1999
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2011/09/09
shelves: programming
review:
This book represents an excellent catalog of refactoring techniques. Seasoned developers will recognize most of the concepts but it certainly helps to have them laid out in such a straight-forward fashion. If you are a new developer, I would consider this book instrumental in your professional development.
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<![CDATA[Beautiful Code: Leading Programmers Explain How They Think]]> 405790
This is not simply another design patterns book, or another software engineering treatise on the right and wrong way to do things. The authors think aloud as they work through their project's architecture, the tradeoffs made in its construction, and when it was important to break rules. Beautiful Code is an opportunity for master coders to tell their story. All author royalties will be donated to Amnesty International.]]>
563 Andy Oram 0596510047 Shaun 1 programming 3.76 2009 Beautiful Code: Leading Programmers Explain How They Think
author: Andy Oram
name: Shaun
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2009
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2011/09/09
shelves: programming
review:
The idea behind the book is sound: experienced programmers tell you about how they solved complicated programs and unique and efficient ways. In practice, the book reads more like a series of success stories, and it almost feels like the programmers are gloating rather than teaching at times. The useful information contained in this book isn't really anything I haven't carried away from other books in a much clearer context. This might be an interesting book if you like the historical factor of some commonly-used programs out there, but as an educational tool, I felt it was lacking in content
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<![CDATA[The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master]]> 4099 The Pragmatic Programmer cuts through the increasing specialization and technicalities of modern software development to examine the core process--taking a requirement and producing working, maintainable code that delights its users. It covers topics ranging from personal responsibility and career development to architectural techniques for keeping your code flexible and easy to adapt and reuse. Read this book, and you'll learn how to

Fight software rot; Avoid the trap of duplicating knowledge; Write flexible, dynamic, and adaptable code; Avoid programming by coincidence; Bullet-proof your code with contracts, assertions, and exceptions; Capture real requirements; Test ruthlessly and effectively; Delight your users; Build teams of pragmatic programmers; and Make your developments more precise with automation. Written as a series of self-contained sections and filled with entertaining anecdotes, thoughtful examples, and interesting analogies, The Pragmatic Programmer illustrates the best practices and major pitfalls of many different aspects of software development. Whether you're a new coder, an experienced programmer, or a manager responsible for software projects, use these lessons daily, and you'll quickly see improvements in personal productivity, accuracy, and job satisfaction. You'll learn skills and develop habits and attitudes that form the foundation for long-term success in your career. You'll become a Pragmatic Programmer.]]>
321 Dave Thomas 020161622X Shaun 5 programming 4.32 1999 The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master
author: Dave Thomas
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.32
book published: 1999
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2011/09/09
shelves: programming
review:
This is a book I would highly recommend (and have recommended) to anyone I know who is just starting out in the world of computer programming. It teaches a lot of the principles that experienced developers take for granted and it also has a thing or two to teach those experienced developers. As someone who finds himself in a situation where I am often teaching and mentoring new developers, this book also helped me to take some of the concepts I knew about and put them into a common verbiage that I could then share easily with new developers.
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<![CDATA[Web Analytics 2.0: The Art of Online Accountability and Science of Customer Centricity]]> 6867604 475 Avinash Kaushik 0470529393 Shaun 5 web-programming 4.13 2009 Web Analytics 2.0: The Art of Online Accountability and Science of Customer Centricity
author: Avinash Kaushik
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2011/09/09
shelves: web-programming
review:
Whether you're new to web analytics or you've been in the industry for some time but are looking to expand your horizons, you can't go wrong with this book. This book starts by educating people on how the old ways of assessing success on the web are inadequate and dives right in to how you can quickly obtain actionable insights with some web analysis. Later on, it touches on emerging concepts form which even some seasoned analysts will benefit, such as assessing your competition, attributing success to multi-touch campaigns, and accessing your social media success by tying it to more than just for number of followers.
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The Smashing Book 7322537 313 Smashing Magazine Shaun 5 web-programming 4.01 2009 The Smashing Book
author: Smashing Magazine
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2011/09/09
shelves: web-programming
review:
This book is a must-read for any person who manages a small team of developers or who wants to start their own software development company. Most of the concepts relayed in this book would not be possible inside larger organizations. In fact, the book itself does a great job of proving that you should embrace being a small company while you can because of the many opportunities and advantages it affords you. It also shows how you can take a lot of wasted time and effort out of how you operate to be more efficient. Best of all, it's a light read (if you got into the book as much as I did, you'll read it all in one evening).
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Rework 6732019
Rework shows you a better, faster, easier way to succeed in business. Read it and you'll know why plans are actually harmful, why you don't need outside investors, and why you're better off ignoring the competition. The truth is, you need less than you think. You don't need to be a workaholic. You don't need to staff up. You don't need to waste time on paperwork or meetings. You don't even need an office. Those are all just excuses. 

What you really need to do is stop talking and start working. This book shows you the way. You'll learn how to be more productive, how to get exposure without breaking the bank, and tons more counterintuitive ideas that will inspire and provoke you.

With its straightforward language and easy-is-better approach, Rework is the perfect playbook for anyone who’s ever dreamed of doing it on their own. Hardcore entrepreneurs, small-business owners, people stuck in day jobs they hate, victims of "downsizing," and artists who don’t want to starve anymore will all find valuable guidance in these pages.]]>
279 Jason Fried 0307463745 Shaun 5 management 3.97 2010 Rework
author: Jason Fried
name: Shaun
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2011/09/09
shelves: management
review:
This book is a must-read for any person who manages a small team of developers or who wants to start their own software development company. Most of the concepts relayed in this book would not be possible inside larger organizations. In fact, the book itself does a great job of proving that you should embrace being a small company while you can because of the many opportunities and advantages it affords you. It also shows how you can take a lot of wasted time and effort out of how you operate to be more efficient. Best of all, it's a light read (if you got into the book as much as I did, you'll read it all in one evening).
]]>
Developing with Web Standards 7292081 413 John Allsopp 0321646924 Shaun 5 web-programming 4.18 2009 Developing with Web Standards
author: John Allsopp
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2011/09/09
shelves: web-programming
review:
This book (and its companion, Designing with Web Standards) are great resources for the modern web developer. People who have been in the industry for years are prone to carry over methods for dealing with web design issues that do not stand the test of time due to difficulty maintaining such solutions. These two books server to educate both veteran and novice web developers on how to create and maintain websites in such a way that they support rapid development & maintenance while focusing on accessibility across multiple platforms. In addition, they very clearly explain why every web site doesn't need to look the same in all browsers (another old notion) and cover how you can bring a rich experience in newer browsers while also gracefully degrading on older browsers to a less-rich but fully-functional and attractive experience.
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Responsive Web Design 9815906 150 Ethan Marcotte 098444257X Shaun 5 web-programming 4.13 2011 Responsive Web Design
author: Ethan Marcotte
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2011/09/09
shelves: web-programming
review:

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<![CDATA[The Elements of Content Strategy]]> 9815847 88 Erin Kissane Shaun 2 web-programming 3.74 2011 The Elements of Content Strategy
author: Erin Kissane
name: Shaun
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2011
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2011/09/09
shelves: web-programming
review:

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CSS3 For Web Designers 9748697 125 Dan Cederholm Shaun 5 web-programming 4.04 2010 CSS3 For Web Designers
author: Dan Cederholm
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2011/09/09
shelves: web-programming
review:

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HTML5 for Web Designers 8148515 Book by Jeremy Keith 87 Jeremy Keith 0984442502 Shaun 5 web-programming 3.98 2010 HTML5 for Web Designers
author: Jeremy Keith
name: Shaun
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2011/09/09
shelves: web-programming
review:

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<![CDATA[Ender in Exile (Ender's Saga, #5)]]> 3220405 After twenty-three years, Orson Scott Card returns to his acclaimed best-selling series with the first true, direct sequel to the classic Ender's Game.

In Ender’s Game, the world’s most gifted children were taken from their families and sent to an elite training school. At Battle School, they learned combat, strategy, and secret intelligence to fight a dangerous war on behalf of those left on Earth. But they also learned some important and less definable lessons about life.

After the life-changing events of those years, these children—now teenagers—must leave the school and readapt to life in the outside world.

Having not seen their families or interacted with other people for years—where do they go now? What can they do?

Ender fought for humanity, but he is now reviled as a ruthless assassin. No longer allowed to live on Earth, he enters into exile. With his sister Valentine, he chooses to leave the only home he’s ever known to begin a relativistic—and revelatory—journey beyond the stars. 

What happened during the years between Ender’s Game and Speaker for the Dead? What did Ender go through from the ages of 12 through 35? The story of those years has never been told. Taking place 3000 years before Ender finally receives his chance at redemption in Speaker for the Dead, this is the long-lost story of Ender.

For twenty-three years, millions of readers have wondered and now they will receive the answers. Ender in Exile is Orson Scott Card’s moving return to all the action and the adventure, the profound exploration of war and society, and the characters one never forgot.

On one of these ships, there is a baby that just may share the same special gifts as Ender’s old friend Bean

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369 Orson Scott Card 0765304961 Shaun 3 sci-fi-fantasy 3.90 2008 Ender in Exile (Ender's Saga, #5)
author: Orson Scott Card
name: Shaun
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2008
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2011/09/09
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

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<![CDATA[Speaker for the Dead (Ender's Saga, #2)]]> 7967
In the aftermath of his terrible war, Ender Wiggin disappeared, and a powerful voice arose: The Speaker for the Dead, who told the true story of the Bugger War.

Now, long years later, a second alien race has been discovered, but again the aliens' ways are strange and frightening...again, humans die. And it is only the Speaker for the Dead, who is also Ender Wiggin the Xenocide, who has the courage to confront the mystery...and the truth.

Speaker for the Dead, the second novel in Orson Scott Card's Ender Quintet, is the winner of the 1986 Nebula Award for Best Novel and the 1987 Hugo Award for Best Novel.]]>
382 Orson Scott Card 0812550757 Shaun 4 sci-fi-fantasy 4.10 1986 Speaker for the Dead (Ender's Saga, #2)
author: Orson Scott Card
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.10
book published: 1986
rating: 4
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date added: 2011/09/09
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

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<![CDATA[Ender’s Game (Ender's Saga, #1)]]> 375802
But Ender is not the only result of the experiment. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway almost as long. Ender's two older siblings, Peter and Valentine, are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. While Peter was too uncontrollably violent, Valentine very nearly lacks the capability for violence altogether. Neither was found suitable for the military's purpose. But they are driven by their jealousy of Ender, and by their inbred drive for power. Peter seeks to control the political process, to become a ruler. Valentine's abilities turn more toward the subtle control of the beliefs of commoner and elite alike, through powerfully convincing essays. Hiding their youth and identities behind the anonymity of the computer networks, these two begin working together to shape the destiny of Earth-an Earth that has no future at all if their brother Ender fails.]]>
324 Orson Scott Card 0812550706 Shaun 5 sci-fi-fantasy 4.31 1985 Ender’s Game (Ender's Saga, #1)
author: Orson Scott Card
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.31
book published: 1985
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2011/09/09
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

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Timeline 7669 489 Michael Crichton 0099244721 Shaun 5 sci-fi-fantasy 3.87 1999 Timeline
author: Michael Crichton
name: Shaun
average rating: 3.87
book published: 1999
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2009/02/18
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

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<![CDATA[World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War]]> 8908
Ranging from the now infamous village of New Dachang in the United Federation of China, where the epidemiological trail began with the twelve-year-old Patient Zero, to the unnamed northern forests where untold numbers sought a terrible and temporary refuge in the cold, to the United States of Southern Africa, where the Redeker Plan provided hope for humanity at an unspeakable price, to the west-of-the-Rockies redoubt where the North American tide finally started to turn, this invaluable chronicle reflects the full scope and duration of the Zombie War.

Most of all, the book captures with haunting immediacy the human dimension of this epochal event. Facing the often raw and vivid nature of these personal accounts requires a degree of courage on the part of the reader, but the effort is invaluable because, as Mr. Brooks says in his introduction, "By excluding the human factor, aren't we risking the kind of personal detachment from history that may, heaven forbid, lead us one day to repeat it? And in the end, isn't the human factor the only true difference between us and the enemy we now refer to as 'the living dead'?"

Note: Some of the numerical and factual material contained in this edition was previously published under the auspices of the United Nations Postwar Commission.]]>
342 Max Brooks 0307346609 Shaun 5 sci-fi-fantasy 4.02 2006 World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
author: Max Brooks
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2006
rating: 5
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date added: 2009/02/18
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

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<![CDATA[Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal]]> 28881 Philadelphia Inquirer).

Verily, the story Biff has to tell is a miraculous one, filled with remarkable journeys, magic, healings, kung fu, corpse reanimations, demons, and hot babes. Even the considerable wiles and devotion of the Savior's pal may not be enough to divert Joshua from his tragic destiny. But there's no one who loves Josh more—except maybe "Maggie," Mary of Magdala—and Biff isn't about to let his extraordinary pal suffer and ascend without a fight.]]>
444 Christopher Moore 0380813815 Shaun 5 comedy 4.23 2002 Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal
author: Christopher Moore
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2002
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2009/02/18
shelves: comedy
review:

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Cryptonomicon 816 Cryptonomicon zooms all over the world, careening conspiratorially back and forth between two time periods—World War II and the present. Our 1940s heroes are the brilliant mathematician Lawrence Waterhouse, crypt analyst extraordinaire, and gung-ho, morphine-addicted marine Bobby Shaftoe. They're part of Detachment 2702, an Allied group trying to break Axis communication codes while simultaneously preventing the enemy from figuring out that their codes have been broken. Their job boils down to layer upon layer of deception. Dr. Alan Turing is also a member of 2702, and he explains the unit's strange workings to Waterhouse. "When we want to sink a convoy, we send out an observation plane first... Of course, to observe is not its real duty—we already know exactly where the convoy is. Its real duty is to be observed... Then, when we come round and sink them, the Germans will not find it suspicious."

All of this secrecy resonates in the present-day story line, in which the grandchildren of the WWII heroes—inimitable programming geek Randy Waterhouse and the lovely and powerful Amy Shaftoe—team up to help create an offshore data haven in Southeast Asia and maybe uncover some gold once destined for Nazi coffers. To top off the paranoiac tone of the book, the mysterious Enoch Root, key member of Detachment 2702 and the Societas Eruditorum, pops up with an unbreakable encryption scheme left over from WWII to befuddle the 1990s protagonists with conspiratorial ties.]]>
1152 Neal Stephenson Shaun 5 sci-fi-fantasy 4.24 1999 Cryptonomicon
author: Neal Stephenson
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1999
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2009/02/18
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

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Breakfast of Champions 4980 Alternate cover for this ISBN can be found here

In Breakfast of Champions, one of Kurt Vonnegut’s most beloved characters, the aging writer Kilgore Trout, finds to his horror that a Midwest car dealer is taking his fiction as truth. What follows is murderously funny satire, as Vonnegut looks at war, sex, racism, success, politics, and pollution in America and reminds us how to see the truth.]]>
303 Kurt Vonnegut Jr. 0385334206 Shaun 4 4.08 1973 Breakfast of Champions
author: Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1973
rating: 4
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date added: 2009/02/18
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Slaughterhouse-Five 4981 Slaughterhouse-Five, an American classic, is one of the world’s great antiwar books. Centering on the infamous World War II firebombing of Dresden, the novel is the result of what Kurt Vonnegut described as a twenty-three-year struggle to write a book about what he had witnessed as an American prisoner of war. It combines historical fiction, science fiction, autobiography, and satire in an account of the life of Billy Pilgrim, a barber’s son turned draftee turned optometrist turned alien abductee. As Vonnegut had, Billy experiences the destruction of Dresden as a POW. Unlike Vonnegut, he experiences time travel, or coming “unstuck in time.�

An instant bestseller, Slaughterhouse-Five made Kurt Vonnegut a cult hero in American literature, a reputation that only strengthened over time, despite his being banned and censored by some libraries and schools for content and language. But it was precisely those elements of Vonnegut’s writing—the political edginess, the genre-bending inventiveness, the frank violence, the transgressive wit—that have inspired generations of readers not just to look differently at the world around them but to find the confidence to say something about it.

Fifty years after its initial publication at the height of the Vietnam War, Vonnegut's portrayal of political disillusionment, PTSD, and postwar anxiety feels as relevant, darkly humorous, and profoundly affecting as ever, an enduring beacon through our own era’s uncertainties.]]>
275 Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Shaun 5 4.10 1969 Slaughterhouse-Five
author: Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.10
book published: 1969
rating: 5
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date added: 2009/02/18
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Catch-22 168668
Set in Italy during World War II, this is the story of the incomparable, malingering bombardier, Yossarian, a hero who is furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him. But his real problem is not the enemy—it is his own army, which keeps increasing the number of missions the men must fly to complete their service. Yet if Yossarian makes any attempt to excuse himself from the perilous missions he’s assigned, he’ll be in violation of Catch-22, a hilariously sinister bureaucratic rule: a man is considered insane if he willingly continues to fly dangerous combat missions, but if he makes a formal request to be removed from duty, he is proven sane and therefore ineligible to be relieved.

This fiftieth-anniversary edition commemorates Joseph Heller’s masterpiece with a new introduction by Christopher Buckley; a wealth of critical essays and reviews by Norman Mailer, Alfred Kazin, Anthony Burgess, and others; rare papers and photos from Joseph Heller’s personal archive; and much more. Here, at last, is the definitive edition of a classic of world literature.]]>
453 Joseph Heller 0684833395 Shaun 5 3.99 1961 Catch-22
author: Joseph Heller
name: Shaun
average rating: 3.99
book published: 1961
rating: 5
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date added: 2009/02/18
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<![CDATA[The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #1-5)]]> 13
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"

Seconds before the Earth is demolished for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is saved by Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised Guide. Together they stick out their thumbs to the stars and begin a wild journey through time and space.

"The Restaurant at the End of the Universe"

Facing annihilation at the hands of warmongers is a curious time to crave tea. It could only happen to the cosmically displaced Arthur Dent and his comrades as they hurtle across the galaxy in a desperate search for a place to eat.

"Life, the Universe and Everything"

The unhappy inhabitants of planet Krikkit are sick of looking at the night sky- so they plan to destroy it. The universe, that is. Now only five individuals can avert Armageddon: mild-mannered Arthur Dent and his stalwart crew.

"So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish"

Back on Earth, Arthur Dent is ready to believe that the past eight years were all just a figment of his stressed-out imagination. But a gift-wrapped fishbowl with a cryptic inscription conspires to thrust him back to reality. So to speak.

"Mostly Harmless"

Just when Arthur Dent makes the terrible mistake of starting to enjoy life, all hell breaks loose. Can he save the Earth from total obliteration? Can he save the Guide from a hostile alien takeover? Can he save his daughter from herself?

Also includes the short story "Young Zaphod Plays It Safe".]]>
815 Douglas Adams 0345453743 Shaun 5 sci-fi-fantasy 4.38 1996 The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #1-5)
author: Douglas Adams
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.38
book published: 1996
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2009/02/18
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

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<![CDATA[The Gunslinger Born (Stephen King's The Dark Tower: Beginnings, #1)]]> 342445
Sumptuously drawn by Jae Lee and Richard Isanove, adapted by long-time Stephen King expert Robin Furth (author of Stephen King's The Dark Tower: A Concordance) and scripted by New York Times bestseller Peter David, this series delves in depth into Roland's origins - the perfect introduction to this incredibly realized world; while long-time fans will thrill to adventures merely hinted at in the novels. Be there for the very beginning of a modern classic of fantasy literature.

Collects Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born #1-7.]]>
240 Peter David 0785121447 Shaun 4 sci-fi-fantasy 4.23 2007 The Gunslinger Born (Stephen King's The Dark Tower: Beginnings, #1)
author: Peter David
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2007
rating: 4
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date added: 2009/02/18
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

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<![CDATA[Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower, #6)]]> 5093 544 Stephen King 1416521496 Shaun 3 sci-fi-fantasy 3.98 2004 Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower, #6)
author: Stephen King
name: Shaun
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2004
rating: 3
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date added: 2009/02/18
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

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<![CDATA[The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower, #7)]]> 5091 The Dark Tower saga is perhaps the most anticipated book in the author's long career. King began this epic tale about the last gunslinger in the world more than 20 years ago; now he draws its suspenseful story to a close, snapping together the last pieces of his action puzzle and drawing Roland Deschain ever closer to his ultimate goal.

Alternate cover edition for ISBN-10: 1416524525; ISBN-13: 9781416524526]]>
1050 Stephen King Shaun 5 sci-fi-fantasy 4.27 2004 The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower, #7)
author: Stephen King
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2004
rating: 5
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date added: 2009/02/18
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

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<![CDATA[Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower, #5)]]> 4978 960 Stephen King 141651693X Shaun 3 sci-fi-fantasy 4.19 2003 Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower, #5)
author: Stephen King
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2003
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2009/02/18
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

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<![CDATA[Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower, #4)]]> 5096 845 Stephen King 0340829788 Shaun 5 sci-fi-fantasy 4.26 1997 Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower, #4)
author: Stephen King
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.26
book published: 1997
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2009/02/18
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

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<![CDATA[The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower, #3)]]> 34084 422 Stephen King 0670032565 Shaun 5 sci-fi-fantasy 4.25 1991 The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower, #3)
author: Stephen King
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1991
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2009/02/18
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

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<![CDATA[The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower, #2)]]> 5094
Here he links forces with the defiant young Eddie Dean and the beautiful, brilliant, and brave Odetta Holmes, in a savage struggle against underworld evil and otherworldly enemies.

Once again, Stephen King has masterfully interwoven dark, evocative fantasy and icy realism.]]>
463 Stephen King 0451210859 Shaun 5 sci-fi-fantasy 4.23 1987 The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower, #2)
author: Stephen King
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.23
book published: 1987
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2009/02/18
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

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<![CDATA[The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, #1)]]> 43615
He is a haunting figure, a loner on a spellbinding journey into good and evil. In his desolate world, which frighteningly mirrors our own, Roland pursues The Man in Black, encounters an alluring woman named Alice, and begins a friendship with the Kid from Earth called Jake. Both grippingly realistic and eerily dreamlike, The Gunslinger leaves readers eagerly awaiting the next chapter.]]>
231 Stephen King 1501143514 Shaun 5 sci-fi-fantasy 3.95 1982 The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, #1)
author: Stephen King
name: Shaun
average rating: 3.95
book published: 1982
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2009/02/18
shelves: sci-fi-fantasy
review:

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Watchmen 472331 Watchmen, the groundbreaking series from award-winning author Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, presents a world where the mere presence of American superheroes changed history—the U.S. won the Vietnam War, Nixon is still president, and the Cold War is in full effect.

Considered the greatest graphic novel in the history of the medium, the Hugo Award-winning story chronicles the fall from grace of a group of superheroes plagued by all-too-human failings. Along the way, the concept of the superhero is dissected as an unknown assassin stalks the erstwhile heroes.]]>
416 Alan Moore 0930289234 Shaun 4 4.38 1987 Watchmen
author: Alan Moore
name: Shaun
average rating: 4.38
book published: 1987
rating: 4
read at: 2009/01/20
date added: 2009/02/18
shelves:
review:

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