Brain Man

I am fascinated by autistic savants. Their abilities--such as making mathematical calculations as fast as a computer, or playing a complex musical composition perfectly after hearing it only once--are truly amazing. Last Sunday 60 Minutes featured a segment on Daniel Tammet, a very high-functioning savant. Unfortunately, I missed most of the segment, but found an article on the segment on CBS' website. Check it out; Daniel Tammet is astounding.

Book Reviews

My weekly writing group has pondered the effect of negative book reviews on potential readers. The members who are published novelists have been concerned about a couple of negative reviews of their work appearing on Amazon.com, amidst bunches of other reviews glowing with praise. Some of the negative reviews sound as if the reviewer hadn't actually read the book; one is shrilly derisive and picks on miniscule points as a basis to condemn an entire book.

I myself have never yet posted an Amazon review, but I've determined in future to post reviews of books I like, so as to support the authors. I will not post reviews of books I don't like, unless they are so abysmally bad others should be warned against them as a public service. Despite having encountered many ill-written books in my life, I have seldom found books so bad they shouldn't have been written. There is almost always a redeeming feature or two that makes them appeal to some readers.

Since I am a novice at book-reviewing, I'm looking for articles on writing reviews. Booksquare's January 19 post tipped me to this highly entertaining "class" on writing book reviews: Miles Kington -- Masterclass: How to write a book review

Sample quote:

Book review writing is very much the same [as the art of fiction], except that instead of telling people about characters, the idea is to tell the reader all about YOU.

In addition, I found a link proffered by the Smart Bitches, on a Swedish reviewer who wrote a "terrible review for [a] terrible book -- that doesn't even exist yet." (Is that what happens when book reviewers allow their personal animosity toward an author to take over?)

I am still searching for a good article on how to review a book. If you know of one, please let me know.

I am also interested in knowing what you think of some of the negative reviews on Amazon. Do you believe the reviews word-for-word, or are you skeptical? Do it depend on how well the review itself is written? How much do the Amazon reviews affect your book-buying decisions?

Downcast, But Not Cast Down

So, the Saints didn't win the playoff against the Bears. The Bears are the NFC champs and will go to the Super Bowl, while the Saints' season is over. I had a really cool blog entry ready to post if they had won. I didn't prepare anything for a loss; hence, I spent the last two days recovering from disappointment and regaining equanimity. The Bears played better than the Saints and they're going to Miami to play the AFC champs, the Colts. I will root for the Colts, because their quarterback, Peyton Manning, is a New Orleans boy. He's also the son of New Orleans' most beloved living athlete, Archie Manning, himself a former quarterback of the Saints.

No need to discuss the game here--Charles Gramlich has a much better post on it than I could write. I will say, however, that Reggie Bush's 88-yard touchdown run, zig-zagging and dodging his pursuers as only he can do, then turning a flip to get into the end zone and doing his victory dance, was pure joy to watch. I am now hooked on football, Saints football to be precise, and eagerly anticipating next season.

Reflection for the Week: Football parties are not the best way to watch a game. Not if you really want to see and hear it. My table at a popular local restaurant was right opposite the giant TV screen. Unfortunately, the people sitting around me didn't care about the game--they were just there for the food and booze, apparently--and they chattered so much I missed much of the commentary on the game. (Since I'm still a novice at Football Watching, I need to hear the commentators to understand fully what's happening on the field). Not to mention, I had to nod, smile, and appear to be listening whenever the non-football-fans nearby attempted to include me in conversation. The crowning touch, of course, was the boozehound female--a complete stranger--who, at a crucial point in the game, sat down next to me and proceeded to hold forth for the next 20 minutes about Nothing Whatsoever Except Repetitive Drunken Ramblings.

Next time I will stay home to watch the game.

Bless You, Boys (Yeee-Haaaa cont'd)

In response to "Yeee-Haaaa!," my post about the Saints' victory--which ended with "Bless you, boys"--Stewart commented:

"Okay, first, you can't say BLESS YOU BOYS. That's a Detroit Tigers' slogan, and one that was only used really in 1984."

Stewart, the Saints have been using "Bless you, boys" as their slogan for years. A local TV station even uses it in its advertisements--part of its "we're all about New Orleans" theme (see graphic). I can't say how long the slogan has been used here, but I've heard it as part of Saints fervor for decades. The Saints have been around for 40 years--I remember when the team first began playing--and "Bless you, boys" seems always to have been echoing through the airwaves. If I had time, I would see how far back an online search could trace the Saints' use of the term. (I love to pursue academic questions.)

Of course, it's also possible that Saints fans "borrowed" the phrase from the '84 Detroit Tigers. After all, it's a slogan that goes perfectly with our team's name, yes?

Thanks to both Stewart and Sidney for commenting and sending good wishes.

Yeee Haaaa!

Yeeee Haaaa! The Saints won their playoff game against the Eagles. Enough cannot be said about this fabulous team. As noted in a prior post, Sport as Metaphor, I was never before a football fan (though always hopeful for the home team), but last September I became caught up in the miracle that is the 2006 Saints team. After the game ended with victory for the Saints, my neighborhood came alive with people running outside their houses and yelling. Fireworks were going off all over the place (yep, it's illegal, but hey....) For a better description of the game than I can give, see Charles Gramlich's blog entry today.

This event is wonderful not just because of the Saints' pitiful past as perhaps the worst team in NFL history, but more because the symbolism of the Saints' victories amidst the devastation of our city means so much to all of us.

BLESS YOU, BOYS!