Watchmen

Is Alan Moore’s “Watchmen” the greatest comic book ever written? Quite possibly so. “Watchmen” is a self-contained story that follows two generations of costumed superheroes over several decades of their history (the story spans from the 1930s to the 1980s). Moore’s characters are truly unforgettable: the violent Comedian, the Batman-like Nite Owl, the disturbed Rorschach, the dazzling Ozymandias (known as “the world’s smartest man”), the sexy female crime fighter known as the Silk Spectre, the godlike Dr. Manhattan, and more. Much of these characters’ lives are lived in the shadow of the Cold War and possible nuclear Armageddon (a particularly resonant theme for those of us who remember that era). Read more »

How to Brew: Everything You Need To Know To Brew Beer Right The First Time

This book serves several purposes well. For the absolute beginner who is anxious to brew his first batch and to brew it right, this book helps give him a good shot at succeeding. And for the beginner with a little more patience, who wants to really understand all of the basics, including the how-and-why of all aspects of brewing, the ins and outs of the ingredients, etc, before making his first attempt, this book serves that purpose well, too. The book is so full of great information that you’ll probably find yourself referring back to it Read more »

The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life

There is nothing revolutionary about Ellie Krieger’s approach to food, but what she does very well in her cookbook is present a healthier way of cooking without getting sanctimonious. She doesn’t shy away from the nutritional do’s and don’t’s, evil necessities that they are, but more importantly, her philosophy is not based on deprivation or poor-tasting substitute ingredients. Krieger knows what she’s talking about as she is a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in nutrition. She also happens to have brand appeal since she has her own show, “Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger”, on the Food Network. Ironically, Krieger is one of the few cooking show hosts who comes across a lot brighter and more informative on the printed page than on the television screen.

This is the advantage of the cookbook as she provides her “no fear or guilt” philosophy in easy-to-follow terms that focus on moderation and frequency. No food is off-limits, not even the usual suspects like butter or cream. Instead, they are used strategically in small amounts for maximum impact. Krieger provides a helpful “New Way Pantry” list to help anyone get started on the right foot. With a generous quota of full-color photos, the layout of the over two hundred recipes is well done, and the steps are easy to follow for the most part. Nutritional information per serving is presented, as well as what particular nutrients the dish provides. I particularly like the sidebars and special insert pages that focus on dietary topics of interest such as the convenience of frozen and canned food, shellfish and cholesterol and even ordering salad dressing at a restaurant. Read more »

Hotel Babylon

The anonymous author, who now manages an unnamed five-star hotel, has spent the past 15 years working in London’s top lodgings. The author compresses these years into a 24-hour period (divided into one chapter for every hour) and places the events at a fictitious Hotel Babylon (to protect the guilty who may include the author).
This book is nonstop fun as the narrator divulges all the dirty little details of the hospitality business. I would recommend Read more »

ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income

Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett have written a book that you should read if you’re interested in blogging.

“Problogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income” is based on Darren’s (and his partner Chris’) personal experience building blog businesses to make $100,000/year or more.

Like Darren’s popular Problogger blog, the book is casual, informative, supportive, and offers lots of specific strategies. It starts with the personal stories of how the 2 authors became successful bloggers. (Spoiler: They were not overnight successes and not everybody is going to make $100k!) This realistic approach continues throughout the book. Read more »

The Digital Photography Book

Kelby’s book is a great start if you are new to the world of digital photography. The book is divided into topical sections which covers each of the major issues surrounding photography in general and digital photography in specific. This book is not a lengthy technical exposition of optics and camera hardware; rather, it is a hands-on guide that helps us both compose and capture the best photographs we can from even our sometimes diminutive and inexpensive cameras.

Although the book is aimed at novices, there are some nice tricks and tips that even seasoned photographers may not have considered. But its main audience is the novice or mid-range user who simply wants to make sense out of the process photographers use to take great photographs. For example, we learn about aperture, shutter speed, and exposure, and how these three are related on to another. But more importantly, we learn what effect Read more »

Weber’s Way to Grill: The Step-by-Step Guide to Expert Grilling (Sunset Books)

With all the BBQ and grilling books that are published, it’s easy to formulate the attitude “Oh yeah, just what I need — one more grilling book.” However, if you’re a grilling aficionado, to bypass this one would be a mistake.

From the start, it has a couple of things going for it. First, it’s from Sunset books, probably the finest publisher of ‘how to’ style books in the country. Second, it’s written by Jamie Purviance, an excellent author who not only has the expertise, but also the right attitude towards grilling (very down-to-earth; not snotty in the least). As someone who has grilled for many Read more »

The Principles of Beautiful Web Design

The Principles of Beautiful Web Design is an extremely useful book about basic design principles. To some, design is something that is tough to grasp and is a mystery to understand. To others it simply comes naturally. If you find yourself struggling with design and need some direction, then this book is for you. Throughout each of the chapters Jason breaks down the specifics of layout and composition, color, texture, typography, and imagery. Are you struggling with your web design for the moment? Get back Read more »