R.I.P. Leonard Shlain

I hate coming across random obituaries of people I respect or whose work I enjoyed. I knew nothing about Leonard Shlain except what I read on the dust jacket for The Alphabet vs The Goddess, but I found the book to be a nice read - a mix of pop psychology and sociology, neuroscience, mythology, archaeology, and history. It proposes an interesting theory, that society is transitioning from masculine dominated, linear, alphabetic society to a feminine, holistic, image based one.

BoingBoing has a nice tribute up

You've got FanFic!

I don't have much to pass along today in the world of books and graphic novels, but I did want to take a moment to comment on my favorite little perk of finally getting over my shyness and registering an account at fanfiction.net over the winter. Not only can I bookmark all my favorite little stories to reread later, but I can subscribe to authors and stories, and get lovely email notifications when new chapters/stories are posted. This is a godsend - it means I only have to dredge through the muck of manga fanfic a few times a month, grab the gems and hit "notify me!" and then I reap the benefits for weeks and months to come as the stories roll out gradual updates.

Of course, the downside is that I've been twitching in my seat knowing I have a new chapter to read once I get home from work...but I blame the coffee not the fic!

Pop Nietzsche

This site is brilliant - pairing the depth and force of Nietzsche's language with the vapid art and dull domestic scenes of Family Circus. What do I enjoy more than Nietzsche's writing and clever juxtaposition of opposite elements? Both at the same time!

http://www.losanjealous.com/nfc/ww.losanjealous.com/nfc/

Cookbooks for "Kids"...(or ridiculously silly adults!)

I definitely want to grab a copy of this book. Thanks boingboing, finders of all things geeky and wonderful! The sad but honest truth is that the level of skill required for these kid-focused recipes is probably about right for my current cooking expertise. I've been slacking off in the kitchen ever since I went to college (who needs to cook when you can just microwave something) and it's about time I started eating my veggies again. I'm especially excited to see that this contains vegeterian and vegan recipes. YAY!

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/05/07/an-alien-robots-cook.html

Book Art

I can't help but think this is a cool project, even though I can't bring myself to harm a book by cutting on its cover.

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/05/06/thomas-allens-book-a.html

Pragmatism

Sometimes the world tosses me the weirdest little hints that I have become overly pragmatic, or perhaps just especially jaded when it comes to matters of the heart. Today's free NYT crossword is no exception: