about this blog

I decided to write reviews of non-fiction books on this blog because... I couldn't find a lot of bloggers doing reviews of non-fiction exclusively. Probably there are some out there. Probably there are some out there doing it much better than me. But, I intend for this to be a space to engage about these books. It's a way for me to keep them in my mind after reading them, and a way to discuss them with whomever wants to talk about them too.

I will primarily review non-fiction books here. This is not to say that I don't enjoy fiction—there are truths and insights that come to us only in fictions. That being said, insofar as all non-fiction is merely someone's account, all is fiction to some degree. Ultimately though, I am merely going by the labels on the bookcovers: if it says "Non-fiction" on it, I'll review it here.

Yes, I know that the header photo is from Italo Calvino's Mr. Palomar, a work of fiction. I shot the photograph and designed the header myself. I like Calvino; I like that book; and I like my photo, so I've used it here. Besides the photo is appropriate to the theme (one of them) of Mr. Palomar.

I have a review "policy". It goes a little something like this: I do not get paid to write these. I'm writing for the pleasure of engaging further with the books, and possibly with other people who've read them.

Under the heading of each review I will let you know if: 1) I bought the book myself, 2) I checked it out of the library, 3) I received an ARC from the publisher, or 4) I received it via other means--such as ESP, interdimensional travel and the like.

What kind of non-fiction would I like to review? I will generally read & review non-fiction with some connection to popular culture, popular science, history, political history, books related to graphic design, other stuff--ask.

Books I won't read or review:

   Self-Help
   New Age
   Religion outside historical analysis
   Your Memoirs
   Your Poetry
   Your unpublished manuscript

If you are a publisher or an author and you would like me to review your book: email me for mailing instructions. I will try to read and write about it in a timely manner, to be determined by me. Unless you make other arrangements, I will most likely give review copies away or recycle them.