patlo's Reviews (1.32k)

A lovely idea, but it just didn't captivate me as I hoped it would. I had hoped to give it to a friend who is grieving but has difficulty processing those emotions. This book isn't it.

The book is distant, disengaged, partly on purpose, partly by personality.

It did propel me to read [b:Tinkers|4957350|Tinkers|Paul Harding|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255979744s/4957350.jpg|5023150] and pull out [b:On Celtic Tides: One Man's Journey Around Ireland by Sea Kayak|554188|On Celtic Tides One Man's Journey Around Ireland by Sea Kayak|Chris Duff|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1311983386s/554188.jpg|541415] for another re-read, but I don't think I'll need to revisit this one. It was by no means a poor book; it just didn't catch my attention as I'd hoped that it would.

I need to buy a copy for my Celtic bookshelf. Extremely well researched, and a critical look at the impact of the Northmen/Vikings on the people in British/Celtic lands, beginning with the first raid on Lindisfarne and then Iona and all around the coasts.

I skimmed that last 2/3 of the book, enough to know that this is a good one to refer back to for a different perspective and good historical data.

I just found my favorite book of 2012.

In high school and a few years after, I devoured everything I could about the Vietnam era - politics, peace movement, protesters, military women and men. I don't recall reading anything (except perhaps for [b:Chickenhawk|63699|Chickenhawk|Robert Mason|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1309211368s/63699.jpg|61856]) which was as engaging as Matterhorn is. And Matterhorn is told much more carefully and deeply than anything I've read on that subject.

Marlantes writes his novel as an insider. It's painfully clear that the stories he tells are not fiction, only novelized. He tackles deep issues - race, class, life and death, the folly of war and the deep heroism of warriors.

This one will stay with me for a very long time. I recommend it highly to anybody who loves historical fiction, a good novel, or stories of the heights and depths of humanity.

This was a fun little story of a middle-age marriage, the silliness of suburbia, and the overbearing parents and coaches in Little League baseball. It was entertaining and worth listening to the end, though a touch forgettable.

This was the most enjoyable photography book I've read in ages. I've followed David duChemin's work for several years and appreciated his approach and his heart and soul in the images he creates. This book was an extension of that heart and soul.

Photography books are often either highly technical and not particularly useful at the craft side; or they're overly simplistic and repetitive; or they're high-view fine art things that make a reader roll eyes.
Within the Frame is a deep look beyond technique and composition and into the humanity of photography - that of the photographer and of her or his subjects. It's focused a bit on travel photography, but really it's a look at passion, craft and vision.

There are plenty of practical tips that are well-communicated (I really appreciated his discussion of layering fore/mid/backgrounds), and the usual discussion of shapes and colors and contrasts. However, the author writes humbly and easily, with a voice that is comfortable and friendly. The photos are generally excellent (even if some of the author's style is just not that attractive to me); and the paper and images are of excellent quality. Those little touches mean something.

Perhaps the best way to describe this book is 'inspirational' - not that I will go shoot like duChemin, but inspiring me to shoot like myself.

I'll reread this one many times.