Books read recently by J. Zimmerman.
Inspired in part by Catarina.net's book blog.


Reader's Bill of Rights - after Daniel Pennac in Better than Life as quoted in the November 2003 Utne Magazine - contains the rights to:


{ December 2003 }

(12.31.2003)
Buy 'Helping Someone With Mental Illness' Helping Someone With Mental Illness by Rosalynn Carter with Susan K. Golant.
Former first lady Rosalynn Carter provides a powerful tool for families, social workers, doctors, and clients. Tells many deeply moving individual stories; discusses diagnosis, treatment, scientific research, stigma, advocacy. She writes:

Ms. Carter's sympathy in relating individual stories highlights her discussion of the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, depression, bipolar illness (manic-depression), and anxiety disorders.

For decades she has been a respected advocate for the mentally ill.
"Reading Carter on mental illness is like reading Dr. Spock on child care." (Peggy Moorman)

(12.30.2003)

(12.27.2003) (12.24.2003) (12.23.2003) (12.22.2003) (12.21.2003) (12.20.2003) (12.19.2003) (12.18.2003) (12.16.2003) (12.15.2003) (12.13.2003) (12.10.2003)
Buy 'The Creative Habit' The Creative Habit: Learn it and Use it for Life by Twyla Tharp (new this year 2003).
Devoured it in a single day.
This is * the best book I read in 2003 *. It inspires the reader to move into the creative zone and do the work essential to being any kind of professional artist. Twyla Tharp (the leading and innovative choreographer) is a brilliant mentor and a no-nonsense delight.

Brendan McCarthy, in her marvelous review in Ballet Magazine, writes:

[Twyla Tharp] is a Puritan, has great certainties and is impatient of ambiguity ("I don't like grey. That is how I am.").
... The core of her argument is in the book's title: that creativity is less a matter of genius than of disciplined work habits. Her rituals - notably her daily two-hour gym session beginning at 5.30 a.m. - matter; not merely because they shape her day, but because they are a source of strength when creativity is barren and inspiration comes slow.

Check our review page.

Read the book. Do the exercises. Do your art. (12.1.2003)


{ November 2003 }

(11.30.2003)

(11.27.2003) (11.23.2003) (11.18.2003) (11.15.2003) (11.11.2003) (11.10.2003) (11.09.2003) (11.08.2003)
A Chinese saying (heard on NPR recently):
(11.06.2003) (11.05.2003) (11.02.2003)


{ October 2003 }

(10.31.2003)

(10.30.2003) (10.27.2003) (10.25.2003) (10.22.2003) (10.19.2003) (10.17.2003) (10.14.2003) (10.12.2003) (10.09.2003) (10.07.2003) (10.05.2003) (10.01.2003)