Second Life for Dummies

I have to say, overall, that I was very impressed with this book. There were a few odd directions that were already dated by the time I tried them in SL (meaning the screens aren't exactly as they appear in the book), but for the most part, its no-nonsense, easy-to-understand guidelines for (almost) anybody. Hey, I'm not a techie and if I could get through the book, pretty much *anybody* can!

I especially appreciated the short section about the Teen Grid, which is often overlooked. (We've been looking into doing some outreach onto the Teen Grid at work, but finding information on it is rare, compared to the amount out there on Second Life.)

I thought the writeups on locales of interest was rather sparse. There wasn't nearly the detail in that section that Second Life: A Visitor's Guide featured--but then again, that was all the SL Visitor's Guide was about--SL for Dummies covers much, much more. So, I think its forgivable.

Check out the Higher SLeducation wiki to find some of my notes gleaned from this book.

Podcasting 101 for Training and Development by Kaliym A. Islam

I can't say that this is an easy read, though it certainly wasn't one of the most difficult I've come across on the subject of training (or podcasting for that manner). Rather than focusing on the technology side of it, Islam's main focus is the organization and development of the podcasting materials, using the Six Sigma method as a model. I hadn't read much about Six Sigma when I started this book and, though most of it seemed pretty straight forward, a bit of background in the method would probably be helpful for readers.

If you're looking for a technical manual for creating podcasts, this isn't the book for you.

However, if you already have a working knowledge of the technical aspects and are looking for some guidance in kicking your skills up a notch and developing something that might actually have an impact, Podcasting 101 is worth looking into. The resource section in the back has a multitude of gems, though I can certainly see where they could age rapidly.

I noted several tips and have more of those in my Podcasting Reading Journal on my new wiki, Poducation. Actually, this book was the first addition!

Mississippi Secrets by Dr. Gary D. and Ruth A. McDowell

This is one of those books that from the outset, I'm "rootin'" for. It was an extremely quick read (it took me all of one afternoon and evening).

However, I do have to point out some issues with it. The book obviously did not have an editor (yes, I do have a tendency to read with an eagle's eye). I found several typos and there were no footnotes anywhere. The bibliography was downright laughable (though it pains me to say it)--nearly half the entries were from Wikipedia and they were in no type of professional format that I could tell.

It also seemed to me that the book was written for a younger audience, maybe teenagers. This makes sense because one of the authors taught junior high (I believe). However, this was not stated anywhere as the intended audience. I found several instances were, as an adult reader, I felt I was being condescended to. (Of course, this could have also been the authors' attempt to be "cute"--whatever, it didn't work for me--but I read on.)

So where does this leave me? Yes, I will undoubtedly add this book to my local history section of my personal library. However, I'll be wary about using it for anything academic because I simply can't vouch for it as a source.

Fun read? Overall, yes.
Educational resource? Um, no.

The Goddess Re-Awakening, compiled by Shirley Nicholson

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by this book. On a trip to my local library, I was in the mood for a goddess-based academic book and this is one of the very few they had. It took me four days to read, but really I think that was because of the fact that it is written by multiple authors. (It takes a bit to get used to each person's style and really get at the "essence" of what he/she is trying to say.)

Why was I surprised, you ask?

Well, usually goddess-themed academic leaning texts get heavily into the "angry victimhood, blame everyone else" kind of mentality. And, quite honestly, they become exhausting to read, especially to someone trying to build a better future and not just tear things apart because what happened in the past.

Shirley Nicholson walked a fine line with this book. In the forward, it was made clear that it wasn't meant to be a political text. Instead, I found that most of the essays were clearly calling for equality and empowerment in both genders, not simply the reversal of patriarchy into matriarchy. Honestly, it was refreshing.

I say Nicholson walked a fine line. At the end of the text were two essays that, to me, were the same old-same old blame game--but only two, with a forward to the section explaining that Nicholson felt like some type of the (angry) feminist agenda needed to be included, but she was limiting how much.

I don't know how else she could've handled it, but the book was ended on a rather bitter note.

Overall, however, I'd have to recommend it for anyone interested in "goddess theory."

I, Avatar by Mark Stephen Meadows

While sometimes it gets a bit "self-involved," I enjoyed reading this book. It's interesting enough to hold the attention with plenty of gorgeous graphics to balance that whole left brain, right brain issue that I sometimes have. :o)

Since the book has to do with Second Life, a larger writeup can be found in my "First Life Thoughts on Second Life" section of my Higher SLeducation wiki.

Creating anew

I realized when I tried to reopen the Alexandrite Athenaeum last week and post that it had been created in the old Blogger system and wasn't working too well. So I figured, "Why not? Fresh push on my reading, fresh reading blog/journal..."

...and so it is...