blairconrad's reviews
1124 reviews

Very good. Not particularly well copy-edited, but I guess that’s what I’m to expect from what’s essentially a niche book from a small (niche) publisher. The information contained in the book was interesting and, assuming it’s all accurate, useful.

The author draws on her own experiences, as well as current research into Autism Spectrum Disorder to present the reader with a number of aspects of ASD and to show to us how our knowledge of these aspects can help us deal more effectively with children with ASD.

One minor quibble I have about the book is that Notbohm makes the point several times that children with ASD aren’t ”autistic children”, they’re ”children with autism” but then almost entirely fails to capitalize on this by pointing out that many of the 10 Things are not specific to children with autism – a lot of the points apply to children without autism, even if it’s to a lesser degree.

Also, a lot is made in the on-book blurbs about how giving the 10 points from a child’s perspective is what really makes this book, but I found it not to rise above the level of gimmick or hook – it gets you to consider the book, but doesn’t qualitatively change the information inside. In fact, other than the chapter headings, everything is presented from the point of view of the adult caretaker.

Ultimately, an informative and optimistic book, and I recommend it.

A hopeful and uplifting book about Hirshberg and Stonyfield’s philosophies on organic farming, sustainability, environmental stewardship, and making money. Hirshberg tells, by way of targeted anecdotes, the story of Stonyfield yoghurt and the why and how of its rise. In addition, he gives overviews of the approaches that other environmentally-conscious companies are taking to reduce their impact on the world and just generally do good.

It’s a little shorter than it could’ve been – I’d’ve liked to see more details in some of the stories – and still left me confused about a point or two. For example, it’s not abundantly clear why Hirshberg prefers non-recyclable plastic containers (which are light) to traditional recyclable ones. Nevertheless, it passes the “Hippopottoman 5-Star Test” – while reading it, I kept yammering to my wife about the contents.

I was a little afraid of this book, as it seemed like it would be one of the Rebus "theme" or "cause" books. I needn't have been. While the cause that was dealt with is real and poignant, and we were given a good introduction to it, Rebus wasn't taken out of his element this time. I found I was able to believe the story, with not much more suspension of disbelief than usual. I was slightly more aware of the level of "everything ends up being related" than I've been in previous Rebuses, but it wasn't so bad.
I enjoyed Siobhan's treatment, as I have been lately. It's fun to see her as a separate individual and detective in her own right, rather than just Rebus's appendage or flunky.

I wanted this because I enjoyed [b:The Turning: New Stories|985392|Turning|Tim Winton|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180014051s/985392.jpg|856423] so much. I liked Winton's prose very much - he's got a very good command of the language, and many excellent turns of phrase. I really enjoyed the beginning, with Scully's arrival in Ireland and the description of his efforts to fix up the new house. Unfortnately, the story took a darker turn, and the pressures build on Scully, causing him to do some ill-advised things. I found that I could either believe that his actions were a huge stretch, or that any parent could do such things - I wasn't comfortable with either option, and ended up not liking Scully very much. Ultimately, this marred my enjoyment of Winton's words. I'd read others, but I'd check to see if they're a little happier first...

Not bad, but not as good as the start of the series. I found the adventures a little more pedestrian this time, without the wonder of having the kids learning about themselves, their parents, and their powers. The idea of AA for teen heroes was cute, but I didn’t find there was enough behind me to thrill me.
Overall, an acceptable continuation, but I don’t think it would draw in new readers.

Not bad. Definitely a step up over [b:Runaways volume 2|168403|Runaways, Vol. 2 Deluxe Hardcover|Brian K. Vaughan|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1193354019s/168403.jpg|2995993]. I found the artwork to be less annoying, and the stories were actually somewhat interesting, including with a couple amusing and touching moments. I still think the series is nowhere near the quality that it had in the beginning, but definitely readable. I'll keep going.

Okay, but not as good as the other [a:Lynne Truss|5571|Lynne Truss|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1215628380p2/5571.jpg] books I've read. I thought it started a little better, and with more promise, but peaked early, and the grand rush of humorous events at the end that I was expecting never materialized. The Linda and Stefan characters were interesting, but most of the mean were indistinguishable (to me), so I found bits of the story a lot less interesting than they could've been.

The promise of the first run continues to not be met - a kind of uninteresting story, with some characters taking unpleasant paths.

A good collection of stories from different points in the Marvel Universe - interesting explorations of alternative viewpoints (basically those of the Common Man). Pretty pictures. Ultimately, though, I couldn't identify with the narrator, and I feel like I was supposed to.

An entertaining read, but not compelling. First off, I should let you know that if you're just here for the zombie-killing action, you might as well leave now - the zombies are like icing on a [b:Pride and Prejudice|1214106|Pride and Prejudice (Longman Classics, Stage 4)|Jane Austen|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg|3060926] cake, not the main event.

I don't think the story suffered particularly from the zombies, and there were some funny scenes relating thereto. Unlike the time I tried to read P&P, I was able to get through the book, but that may be more to do with the fact that I've since seen the BBC miniseries, the Keira Knightley movie, Bridget Jones's Diary, and Bride & Prejudice, so I was able to keep all the Bennet sisters straight.

One thing I didn't care for was the dehumanization of Elizabeth - being a well-trained zombie-killing machine is one thing, but I found the inner monologue where she's relishing the idea of drinking blood from her just-slain enemy's head to be a little over-the-top. I found it made her character less sympathetic.