Radical: My Year with a Socialist Senator is a first-hand witness account of a
cartoonist's time with Julia Salazar, a 27-year-old democratic socialist
running for state senate in New York. Most of what the book material is
about are what the cartoonist witnessed during the first year of
Salazar's term by embedding herself with the young senator's team for
about a year.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE BOOK
One of the best
tools of journalism is witnessing a situation about which you are
reporting first-hand. This way, you get to understand your subject with
little or no filtering. Radical is a book with lots of eye-opening
information on politics, money, and how these forces have an impact on
everyone's lives... more than we know or care to admit.
DISLIKES
None.
WHO IS IT FOR
This is for any adult who wants to understand politics without getting bored.
Many thanks to Top Shelf Productions for providing a review copy.
Forgotten Blade is a fantasy story set in the land of Five Rivers. It is
a tale of a female magician who enlisted the help of a mercenary to
topple a theocratic government in revenge for the curse placed on her
two children.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS BOOK
Forgotten Blade is a
beautifully drawn book. The uniqueness and style of the art stand out
in the midst of a tale that seems familiar.
DISLIKES
The plot is predictable and holds little or no surprise.
WHO IS IT FOR
Fans of epic fantasy may enjoy the art and possibilities Forgotten Blade has to offer.
Many thanks to TKO Presents for providing a review copy.
Yellow Cab is an autobiography (graphic novel) of a filmmaker called Benoît Cohen who,
devoid of inspiration for his next film, decided to become a New York
City taxi driver. What follows is his insights and documentation about
the streets of New York - its people, its prejudices, and its politics.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE BOOK
The
characters in the book are interesting and mysterious. Even though some
of them appear for a brief time, there is a liveliness to them that
makes me hang on to their every word. The art has this kind of
depressing quality to it... I expect it to bum me out but I quite like
it actually as it fits the mood of the book.
DISLIKES
None.
WHO THIS IS FOR
Whether
you are familiar with the work of Benoît Cohen or not, I think this is a
non-fiction most fans of the genre will appreciate.
Many thanks to IDW Publishing for providing an advance copy.
The Bogle Effect is about Jack Bogle, the founder of The Vanguard
Group, an American investment management company. The book explores
Bogle's life as well as his financial and trading philosophy. This is a
book that delves into the betrayal that made Bogle start his own
investment management company. It details the company's (Vanguard)
growth, challenges, and the influence it has over present-day investors.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE BOGLE EFFECT
The
book is expansive and included some of Bogle's own words, giving us not
just a third-person view but a first-person's as well. Also, the author
did not paint his subject as some kind of saint. This is a book that
did not only focus on Bogle's accomplishments - it does examine his dark
side and its influence on his work.
DISLIKES
None.
WHO THIS IS FOR
The Bogle Effect is for those who know the man and want to know a bit more about
his early days and the way his investing philosophy came together. Those
not familiar with the man might be the ones to benefit most from this
book as there are many tips about efficient investments and what made
Bogle one of the best in the world.
Many thanks to Matt Holt for providing an advance copy.
History is messy and complicated. Every country has skeletons in its
cupboards and will give you different justifications or reasons as to
why they are there. The Way Forward is the fifth volume of the
Understanding China Through Comics series. The series seems to be aimed
at simplifying the history of China as a country, without losing the
essence and vital details of the events that formed the country into
what it is today.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS BOOK
The Way Forward makes effort to explain the nitty-gritty of macro-events,
especially how it affects the common man or woman in China. We are not
just told who or what made a decision at the highest level of
government, we are shown how it impacted the citizens and the
ramifications for the common man. This level of detail kept me engaged
and invested.
DISLIKES
While this book does not shy away from
some uncomfortable subjects, there is an element of excuse for most
mishaps or ill-actions caused by China. In my opinion, history books
ought to stick to facts and not be apologists for any country's
ideology.
WHO IS IT FOR
This is a good introductory book for
those interested in the history of China. It serves as a good entry
material for those willing to learn more about one of the modern-day
world powers.
Many thanks to Stone Bridge Press for providing a review copy.
Navigating Ambiguity is an attempt by a group of artists to share their perspectives on how we can thrive when we don't have a full picture of what is in front of us or what to do next in our lives and endeavours. This is a book that tries to help manage life uncertainties and ambiguities by teaching us the right kind of mindsets to adopt and how to adopt them.
WHAT I LIKE IN THIS BOOK
This is a book by designers and it shows. The graphic designs enhance the understanding of the subject matter. It makes reading the book easier and fun to navigate. More importantly, this is a book with lots of real-life examples of ambiguities and how to live with them.
DISLIKES
None.
WHO IS IT FOR
This is a self-help book by designers for everyone. These are professionals with something to say about life and their experiences are worth listening to by every adult grappling with the unknown.
Real-life stories sometimes have the disadvantage of not being fluid or
neatly packaged narratively. Having said that, such kind of stories does
hold valuable lessons for those who can sift through its ambiguities to
find what they need. Regrets of the Dying is such a book. It is a book
that contains stories of people who, like us, have made lots of mistakes
and, given the chance, ponder on what they could have done better.
WHAT I LIKE
This
is a book that reflects the messiness of life and the ways in which
life situations can spiral out of control. Regrets of the Dying contains
a lot of stories that might not resonate with everyone, but there is no
doubt that it has something for everyone.
DISLIKES
None.
WHO IS IT FOR
A few of the stories are depressing and aren't for those with a particular set view of life.
Many thanks to Welbeck Publishing UK for providing a review copy.
The Struggle Bus is a short illustrated book that acknowledges the inevitability of life struggles and proposes ways of coping.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE STRUGGLE BUS
The light-hearted nature of the book brings fresh clarity to a dark topic.
DISLIKES
None.
WHO IS IT FOR
Anyone.
Many thanks to Kind World Publishing for providing a review copy.
Power Law is a recollection as well as observation of how venture
capital works, its impact on the modern economy, and the psychology of
the people who have made a success of it. This is a book that tells us
stories about how a lot of the most successful companies today got their
start and the profile of those who funded them.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT POWER LAW
A
lot of Power Law's contents contain quotes and interviews from the
power players themselves - the venture capitalists - thus we are not
relying on hearsay or third-party quotes.
I also love the
background stories and the improbabilities of some of the encounters.
They add a conspiratorial flavour to the book.
DISLIKES
This isn't necessarily a criticism but I felt the book was a bit too long. Still, it was a good read.
WHO IS POWER LAW FOR
Anyone
with interest in investment, whether it is in form of venture capital,
stock trading, ETFs, or otherwise will love the insights Power Law has
to offer.
Many thanks to Penguin Press for providing a review copy.
How To Profit From Bitcoins After 2021 is an introductory text to
Bitcoin - its history, nature, and how to profit from it. This is a book
for beginners. It delves into the early days of Bitcoins, its
mechanics, how it is mined, why it has become popular, and how to make
money investing in it and other similar cryptocurrencies.
WHAT I LIKE
If
you dislike technical jargon and heady financial phrases, then this is
the book for you. It is one of the simplest and straight-to-the-point
manuals I have ever read on cryptocurrencies. Reading the whole book
would give you a solid foundation on cryptos and how to start making
money from them.
DISLIKES
None.
WHO IS IT FOR?
How To Profit From Bitcoins After 2021 is for those who want to understand cryptocurrency and probably would like to invest in it.
Many thanks to BooksGoSocial for providing a review copy.
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I read a lot, write a bit, ...occasionally play at illustration.
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