Steve Jobs

About the book:

From bestselling author Walter Isaacson comes the landmark biography of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. In Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography, Isaacson provides an extraordinary account of Jobs' professional and personal life. Drawn from three years of exclusive and unprecedented interviews Isaacson has conducted with Jobs as well as extensive interviews with Jobs' family members, key colleagues from Apple and its competitors, Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography is the definitive portrait of the greatest innovator of his generation.

My thoughts:
When Steve Jobs' asked Walter Isaacson to write his life story his reason for doing so was that (a) Isaacson wasn't an Apple insider and (b) no one could accuse it of being an inside job. For someone who was a renown control freak it was a surprising move, but I think the book comes off better for it. It's an honest portrayal of Jobs who at times does not come across as a very nice person (to put it politely). But I think he may have approved (sadly Jobs died weeks before this was published and, as far as I know, never saw the final text).

While Jobs may not have been a nice person, he was responsible for some of the greatest innovations in technology for the last 50 years. While I'd like to say I'm writing this on a MacBook (I used to have one but some swine stole it, along with my two iPods a few years ago), I am writing it on a Windows PC who's look was influenced by the Mac's original GUI. And at the same time I'm downloading tracks off iTunes to play on my new iPod. And I've got friends who rave about their iPhones and iPads. Jobs changed the world in ways few people and. And for that we should be thank full.

Snuff

About the book:
According to the writer of the best-selling crime novel ever to have been published in the city of Ankh-Morpork, it is a truth universally acknowledged that a policeman taking a holiday would barely have had time to open his suitcase before he finds his first corpse.

And Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch is on holiday in the pleasant and innocent countryside, but not for him a mere body in the wardrobe. There are many, many bodies and an ancient crime more terrible than murder.

He is out of his jurisdiction, out of his depth, out of bacon sandwiches, and occasionally snookered and out of his mind, but never out of guile. Where there is a crime there must be a finding, there must be a chase and there must be a punishment.

They say that in the end all sins are forgiven.
But not quite all…

My thoughts:
A Pratchett book is a yearly event to always look forward too, especially if they involve Sam Vimes and the City Watch. With this book I feel like Pratchett is on song again. While Pratchett is always entertaining I've felt the last few Discworld books since Making Money, with the exception of I Shall Wear Midnight,  have been a bit disappointing. But this was a very enjoyable read from start to finish.

You'll be Sorry When I'm Dead

About the book:
He was wearing a pair of leather pants that clung like terrified orphans to his muscular thighs, and a revealing black mesh t-shirt. The outfit seemed at odds with the cream-coloured settee and floral print curtains.
From stalking and eventually meeting her Young Talent Time idol when she was twelve, to a particularly abhorrent encounter at a high-quality swingers night, and a mildly perverse obsession with Bob Ellis, there is nothing Marieke Hardy won't write about. Welcome to a chronicle of broken hearts, fervid pursuits, passionate friendships, deranged letter-writing, the allure of the bottle, the singular charms of musicians, the lost song of youth, and three very awkward evenings with varying prostitutes-exactly zero percent of which the author's parents will want to read. Add to that a slightly misguided attempt to give real-life friends and ex-lovers a 'right of reply' to the stories they appear in and it's fair to say an extended stint in the Witness Protection Program beckons.
Confessional, voyeuristic, painful, hilarious and heartfelt, You'll Be Sorry When I'm Dead reveals the acerbic wit, unflinching gaze and razor-sharp insight of a writer at the height of her powers-or the unhinged fantasies of a dangerous mind with not enough to do.

My thoughts:
Never read Marieke Hardy before, though I know her and her family by reputation (her father was the script producer on City Homicide amongst others. And her grandfather was Frank Hardy, author of Power Without Glory amongst others). I was surprised by how open and honest she is in discussing her life experiences. It's a bit patchy in parts, but otherwise enlightening and entertaining (I guess I'll have to watch Laid now).

Broadcast Wars

About the book:

"Broadcast wars' is an explosive look at a tumultuous period (2003-2011) in Australian television as the Nine and Seven networks traded blows, new technologies emerged and old personalities and management clung on for dear life. As showbiz and media writer for both The Daily Telegraph and The Australian during this period, Michael Bodey watched it all unfold. From sneaking into the VIP section at Kerry Packer's memorial service to interviewing the personalities, such as Anna Coren, Eddie McGuire and Naomi Robson as they shone brightly and flamed out, and their chiefs, including Sam Chisholm, David Gyngell and David Leckie, Bodey was in the thick of it while also analysing the ratings and programming trends. Using interviews with the participants, thorough research and arch interpretation, 'Broadcast wars' analyses the personalities and machinations behind Australia's best-loved television: Dancing With The Stars, Underbelly, Packed To The Rafters et al. Providing readers with juicy insights into the major media events of the period, such as the Beaconsfield mine disaster, Eddie McGuire's rise and fall and Seven's ascent as the dominant network, it will also reveal the major changes in Australian television, told by the personalities who led or drove the changes. There is plenty ... [more]to cover, from a turkey slap to a boning ; from The Block to MasterChef and Big Brother to Packed to the Rafters. It is a period in which David Gyngell ran the Nine network twice and David Leckie ran two networks with spite. There are many secrets to reveal and a few scores to settle. 'Broadcast wars' is TV as it is and why it is."

My thoughts:

It never ceases to surprise me how brutal the Australian television industry is (it even amazes our UK and US cousins). Bodey documents all the main events and players in the industry since 2003 (with the exception of the ABC and SBS but they'd fill several volumes of their own) with many colour full stories. A must for anyone interested in the inner workings of the TV industry.

Open Season

About the book:"Say what you like about Jason Akermanis - footballer, showman, show-off, troublemaker - there's no denying that he's made an impression in his 15 years as an AFL star player. Now, after more than 300 games, three Premierships and a Brownlow Medal, the curtain has come down on his extraordinary career. No longer restrained by contractual obligations and free to speak at last, Aker looks at a stellar sporting career, including details of Aker's falling out with Leigh Matthews, his move to the Western Bulldogs, run-ins with fellow players, and his thoughts on the game. Interwoven throughout is the personal story of finding and reconciling with his biological father - a married man with a family of his own who lived next door. Told with trademark honesty and passion, this tell-all memoir is a must-have for all footy fans."
My thoughts:
I have to admit I had held off reading this book for some time. While Australian football does have a history of colour full characters, Aker always came across to me as something of a bighead. But after having it recommended to me by a friend I took the plunge and was pleasantly surprised.

Aker speaks openly and honestly about his time at both the Brisbane Bears/Lions and later the Western Bulldogs (neither of which came to a happy ending), even to the point where he concludes that his four years at Whitten Oval were a waste of time. Where he's made mistakes (and he has made a few) he's man enough to admit to them. In all it was a fascinating and refreshing read and probably the best book I've read in a while.

Sideshow

About the book:
After spending much of my life dedicated to the serious craft of politics, I have to admit that I am distressed by what it is becoming. Under siege from commercial pressures and technological innovation, the media are retreating into an entertainment frame that has little tolerance for complex social and economic issues. In turn, politicians and parties are adapting their behaviour to suit the new rules of the game — to such an extent that the contest of ideas is being supplanted by the contest for laughs.

The two key rules that now govern the practice of Australian politics are: (1) Look like you're doing something; and (2) Don't offend anyone who matters. These imperatives are a direct consequence of the interaction between media coverage and political activity — the aggregated outcome of countless individuals acting rationally in pursuit of their own interests. The sideshow syndrome, the overall result of these actions, is a direct threat to the nation's well-being.

My thoughts:
Part memoir, part critique. Lindsay Tanner makes some excellent observations about state of the news media in this country and it's effects on the political process, in particular on the 2010 general election (acknowledged by many as the worst campaign in living memory). It's thought provoking stuff, if a little dry in parts.

Say It with Feeling

About the book:Since his arrival in Australia from the United States in the early 1960s, Gerald Stone has been at the forefront of Australian news media from working on such legendary programs as This Day Tonight to founding executive producer of 60 Minutes.

His career has spanned the glory days of free-to-air television and made him an intimate of the most famous names in the industry – whether proprietors such as Kerry Packer and Rupert Murdoch, or stars such as Jana Wendt, Ray Martin, George Negus and Richard Carleton.

My thoughts:
I've read a few of Gerald Stone's books before and enjoyed them. But I was a little disapointed by this one. Not because it wasn't interesting, but I had the feeling I'd heard it somewhere before which  probably had. A large chunk of Stone's career was at Channel 9 and this had been covered before  in Compulsive Viewing and Who Killed Channel 9? But otherwise a good read.

The President's Vampire

About the book:

The Ultimate Secret. The Ultimate Agent. Nathaniel Cade returns. For 140 years, Nathaniel Cade has been the President's Vampire, sworn by a blood oath to protect the President and America from their supernatural enemies. Cade's existence is the most closely guarded of White House secrets: a superhuman covert agent who is the last line of defense against nightmare scenarios that ordinary citizens can only dream of. When a new outbreak of an ancient evil - one that Cade has seen before - comes to light, he and his human handler, Zach Barrows, must track down its source. To 'protect and serve' often means settling old scores and confronting new betrayals . . . as only a century-old predator can.

My thoughts:
Disappointing. I'd read the first book in this series, Blood Oath, and found it okay, but I struggled with this one. I ended up giving it away halfway through.

Fair Cop

About the book:

It's no surprise that Christine Nixon grew up to be a cop. Her father Ross brought his police work home with him often: she helped mull over crime-scene photos at the kitchen table and helped lug seized weapons in from the car. She was one of the first women in Australia to move into operational policing and ultimately became Chief Commissioner of Police in Victoria.

My thoughts:

When I heard that Nixon was publishing her memoirs I was really looking forward to reading the final work. Aside from being Australia's first female commissioner of police, she also spend a fair part of her career in the New South Wales Police Force (rising to the rank of assistant commissioner under Peter Ryan) and ended her career heading up the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority (in the wake of the Black Saturday bush fires of 2009).

I wasn't disappointed either. Nixon speaks freely and frankly about her life and career. She comes across as a decent woman who did the best job she could. And where she's make mistakes, she admits to them. My own view is I think it's really unfortunate that her reputation has been tarnished certain sections of the media. My only disappointment with the book is that she didn't spend a great deal of time covering her time in New South Wales, especially the Peter Ryan years. But that's a minor quibble in what was a very entertaining and interesting read.

The Goodies: A Tasty Second Helping

I have to admit I approached this DVD with some trepidation. It's been a while since I've seen any Goodies episodes and I was worried they wouldn't be a good as I remember.

Yes, I did enjoy this selection, especially as it's got three of my favorite episodes: Radio Goodies, Scoutrageous and Bunfight at the OK Tea Rooms. Movies is pretty good too, especially the final chase scene. I've included some clips of the best bits of each episode.



It may not be as smart or as clever as some, but I still think it's classic comedy.



Allison Hewitt is Trapped

Oh dear. It's been over a month since I started this blog and I haven't posted anything yet! (as opposed to my Doctor Who blog which, by the time I published this, will have about four posts) Part of the problem is finding time to read and finding something that I'll actually finish!

"They are coming. They are coming and I don't think we will ever get out"

September 2009 and America (and it seems the world) has been infected by a virus that turns people into the living dead. There are pockets of people who haven't been infected, one of whom is Allison Hewitt. She and five other souls are trapped in the break room at corner of Langdon and Park. Somehow Allison is able to get wireless access on her laptop and thus broadcasts details of her predicament to the outside world.

This is Madeleine Roux's first published novel. It originally started life as a blog and contributions from her followers who got into the spirit of the story have been included. It's not a bad read. Allison is just an ordinary person caught up in extraordinary events. We follow her as she escapes from the bookstore and goes across country to try and meet up with her family. It's a bit reminiscent of 28 Days Later. A word of warning though; it's best not to read sections of this book while eating a kebab.

In the beginning...

The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) has decreed 2012 to be the National Year of Reading. As a librarian, reading is something I want to encourage. So, inspired by a friend of mines blog (Bookgirls Year of Challenges), this is my contribution to the cause (yes, I know I'm getting in early. But why only spend 2012 encouraging people to read?); where I talk about what I'm reading (and occasionally viewing and listening to).

So, where to start? How about, what do I like to read?

Answer: pretty much anything... within reason... It's sort of an occupational hazard with me, what with me working in a library!

I think my reading tastes have evolved over time. Recently I've been reading a lot of non-fiction, mostly biographies and true crime stories. Some of which, for example Bruce Guthrie's Man Bites Murdoch and Peter FitzSimons' Batavia were really good. Other's, which I won't name, didn't hold my interest and weren't worth the money (yes, I know it's weird that, considering where I work, I actually spend some of my own hard earned cash on BOOKS! But sometimes with new releases it quicker to buy them myself than wait for the suppliers to fill our orders. The downside is I've wasted a lot of money, but I digress). But now I'm turning my attention to fiction. No genre in particular (aside from my favorite authors), just whatever takes my fancy.

So that's what this is all about.

Now all I've got to do is read something.