The Golden Compass, a movie based on the first book of the His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman, is directly marketed to you LOTR and Chronicles of Narnia fans. While those two series have years to build their fan base, His Dark Materials Trilogy has only had a few years and competition from one Mr. Harry Potter. But, in the face of these hardships, consider this the little movie that couldn’t…do much wrong.

Continue reading Did You Miss the Golden Compass the First Time?

Filed under: Books, Media | Entertainment, Movies — Pilar @ 8:47 pm

The Perfect Scent is not a book I would have picked up on my own, but I’m glad I didn’t miss it. My mom was reading it, and she recommended that I read it because of my background in chemistry. Don’t think you need to be a chemist to appreciate this book, though; the author gives enough detail to satisfy someone like me, but it’s not necessary to understand or enjoy the book. And while the chemistry of perfume creation is there, the truly fascinating insights are on the business side of things: the utter dominance of Chanel No. 5, the small and hidden group of perfumers that create nearly every scent on the market, and the variable level of celebrity involvement in the scents which bear their names. While the advertising suggests that labels craft their own perfumes, the reality is that they provide only a general picture of what they want, and contract with outside companies to blend the actual scents! Similarly, a celebrity perfume might simply bear their name - or its creation may have been carefully controlled by the individual. While I haven’t finished reading The Perfect Scent yet, I can heartily recommend it as a glimpse into a world that’s vastly different from what advertising suggests it is.

Filed under: Books, Media | Entertainment — Max @ 9:14 pm

Confessions of an Economic Hitman reads like an indictment of “The Man”, complete with the familiar counterculture refrain: Think about the world. Read between the lines. And most important of all, question everything. It’s easy to see how this book has been labeled as a book focused on conspiracy theory; however the author is clear that it isn’t a cabal of plotters, but rather something else entirely - a warning about what our society is becoming. Though the message is common in fiction, this book insists it is fact.

Continue reading Question Everything: Confessions of an Economic Hitman

Filed under: Books — Max @ 6:25 pm

Struggling to find that unique gift for Valentine’s Day? I would suggest Flowers & Chocolates. But if you are the “thinking outside of the box type” I would suggest The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi ($16.47 at Amazon.com).

The book is a compilation of the two graphic novels that Ms. Satrapi wrote about her life starting as a young child in Iran. It is visually stunning, clever, and a fun read. The first half of the book is especially cute as Little Marjane is the prototypical cute kid. You may think this a book for girls though, it’s not just for girls, anyone can appreciate youth the way that Satrapi has drawn it.

It works on so many levels:

For your Mom/Step-Mom: Little Marjane will appeal to their own childhood during the turbulent 1960/70/80s. Musical references put the story in context, as Satrapi shows how it was to grow up in post-revolution Iran while trying to be a teen-ager. Your Mom/Step-Mom may appreciate the Punk nostalgia while remembering their own aerobics career.

For your Sister: Single or attached sister would like to hear from a family member too! So, get her this book to show how hip you are: “Hey, didn’t you hear that the film version of this book was nominated for best animated feature in the Oscars?” See you are automatically helping her cool quotient on Valentine’s Day.

For your Girlfriend: It’s thoughtful! While flowers and chocolates are always good, flowers go bad and chocolates are eaten. This one will be on a shelf for some time.

If you are interested in treating for a movie, Persepolis has opened here in selected cities in the U.S. Dinner and a movie is also a really sweet way of spending 2/14.

Link to the movie: Persepolis, French w/English Subtitles.

Filed under: Books, Comics, Media | Entertainment, Movies — Pilar @ 7:45 am

Bob Harris, who blogs over at This Modern World, wrote an excellent reference book Who Hates Whom? Well-Armed Fanatics, Intractable Conflicts, and Various Things Blowing Up A Woefully Incomplete Guide ($9.56 at Amazon.com).

I had been waiting for this book to come out for some time and bought it right away. Written with a certain amount of humor (which is difficult when the book is about international conflicts), I like it a lot for a basic guide to what is going on in the world. Every chapter is just enough information to acquaint yourself to an issue so that if you want to learn more, you will have a headstart.

[Image courtesy of Amazon.com]

Filed under: Books, Media | Entertainment — Pilar @ 7:26 pm