Letters On Pages » Uncategorized

Top 100 Sports Books

Adam Wilson — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 11:00:04 +0000

Hey Ya’ll. That’s right…I said ya’ll. Anyways, over at the best sports blog out there, Joe Posnanski is having readers vote on their favorite sports books and he is going to compile a list of the top 100.

I’ve got a bunch to vote on…so if you are into sports books, you should go to the post and add your vote in the comments!

My top 5 are:

The Kid Who Only Hit Homers by Matt Christopher (kids book)
The Machine by Joe Posnanski
Moneyball by Michael Lewis
The Blind Side by Michael Lewis
Hurricane Season by Neal Thompson

http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2010/06/26/top-100-sports-books/

Book News: Google Editions

Adam Wilson — Wed, 19 May 2010 11:00:52 +0000

As some of you may be aware, Google will eventually take over the entire world. I, for one, welcome our soon to be rulers…because no matter how bad everything else gets I can at least be sure our information will be well organized. So we’ll have that going for us.

Anyway…their next target on the way to world domination is e-books…and like everything else they do, they plan to make it open. The information that has come out so far is not very detailed…but the main feature (at least to me) is that you can use their books on ANY device that accesses the internet. From PC World:

Unlike its e-book-selling contemporaries — Amazon, with its Kindle; Barnes and Noble, with its Nook; and Apple, with its iBooks — Google Editions will allow you to download and read books using only your Web browser. That means any device that can surf the Web is fair game: your laptop, your computer, even your Kindle, Nook, or iPad. No separate apps or interfaces will be required.

This reminds me of the DRM free music downloads that Amazon started to sell whereas Apple’s music could only be listened to on iPods. Eventually the iTunes store stopped selling DRM locked music. I suspect the same thing with happen for these e-books. You will be able to buy the book at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Editions or wherever you can find the best price. Then you will be able to read it on whatever device you have.

Eventually everybody wins…and Google will have to find another industry to take down!

I’m Back!!!!

Adam Wilson — Sun, 16 May 2010 03:09:17 +0000

OK…it has been a LONG time since my last post. Like 4 months. I decided to take some time off from reviewing as we got closer to the end of my wife’s pregnancy.

Well, I am happy to announce that a couple of weeks ago our baby daughter finally came! Her name is Avery Scarlett and she is the most beautiful baby that has ever existed. I’m sorry if you believe you have the most beautiful baby. You are very mistaken.

Anyway, I’ve decided that I want to start reviewing non-fiction books again. So you can expect to see some more reviews coming in the near future!

I hope I didn’t put anybody off with my long absense, and I look forward to exploring these books again with you!

So…spread the word…Letters on Pages is back!!!

Amazon Warehouse Awesomeness

Adam Wilson — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:00:20 +0000

Please excuse my total nerdishness on this one…but I think factory tours are the coolest thing ever. I will watch practically any show about a factory and how they make different stuff. I also think high tech warehouses are awesome.

No. YOU are a Nerd! YOU ARE!

Sorry…so for those interested, here is a cool video about one of the Amazon.com warehouse and how they work. Pretty amazing!

My Top Books of 2009

Adam Wilson — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:00:35 +0000

I thought I would look back at the reviews that I wrote in 2009 and see which books were my favorite. So that’s what you’ve got below:

Columbine by Dave Cullen – This is probably the best non-fiction book I have ever read. It is wonderfully written and was picked on a lot of “Best of 2009″ lists. None as important as mine of course!

The Machine by Joe Posnanski – This was a fantastically written book about the 1975 Cincinnati Reds. This is probably a somewhat limited market…but Posnanski is a fantastic writer. Easily the best sportswriter out there right now.

Drunkard by Neil Steinberg – This was a very well written memoir of the struggle of an alcoholic. Very good read…though be prepared to be sad.

Home Game by Michael Lewis – Just because I like every book he writers. This was no exception!

Follow the Roar by Bob Smiley – This is a book about Tiger Woods’ 2008 golf season. The book is even more interesting now because you have to try to figure out exactly when Woods was having his various trysts. I don’t know how he fit them in his schedule!

Book Giveaway: A Walk for Sunshine by Jeff Alt

Adam Wilson — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:00:13 +0000

I’ve got a good book giveaway offer for you – a signed copy of A Walk for Sunshine by Jeff Alt!

This was one of the first books I reviewed for Letters on Pages and now it has been reissued by the publisher. It is an inspiring story as Alt decided to walk the Appalachian Trail as a fundraiser for his brother’s assisted care living home. As an added bonus, Jeff (and his wife) happen to be excellent neighbors too!

So…in order to enter into the drawing for the signed (by the author) copy of A Walk for Sunshine you only need to leave a comment on this post. I’ll run a random number generator to decide who wins the book. Don’t forget to include your e-mail address when you post a comment (there is a spot to enter it in and it will not publish…only I will see it)!

The contest will end at 11:59pm on Wednesday October 14th. UPDATE: Extended to October 21st!!

Good Luck!

How a Book is Made

Adam Wilson — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:36:53 +0000

Check out this cool, short, video about how a book is made. Specifically in this case it is The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown, of which they printed 5 MILLION copies to start!

Internet Review of Books: Google Speaks

Adam Wilson — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 10:00:06 +0000

Recently I was asked by the very nice people at Internet Review of Books to review Google Speaks by Janet Lowe. I really enjoyed the book and had a good time writing the review.

Go here to read my review of the book.

After you check out my review — take a look through the rest of the September issue. There is some good stuff in there!

LOP News: Internet Radio Star in the Making

Adam Wilson — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 22:10:41 +0000

I have been asked to be a “panel” member on Hachette Book Group Radio. The discussion will be about the Book Blogger’s Appreciation Week…starring My Friend Amy.

The radio show is at 9pm tomorrow night (Wednesday Sept. 16th). I hope you can stop by and have a listen! I assume the show will be available for download later and I’ll post that link for those who want to listen to me talk.

I have no idea what I am going to be talking about. I assume I was asked to be the male/non-fiction point of view. I hope we don’t talk about Dan Brown or Twilight the whole time…I’ll probably end up saying something that angers people and get hung up on. It wouldn’t be the first time!

Anyway…go here to listen to the show on Wednesday at 9pm!

Link to Radio Show

The Beatles are Not Bad

Adam Wilson — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:00:08 +0000

OK…forgive me for straying from non-fiction books for a minute…

As you probably know by know…I am a HUGE Beatles fan (see here, here or here). On Wednesday, a couple of Beatles related things were released to the public and I want all of you to go buy them because they are the Beatles and they are awesome.

I bought The Beatles: Rock Band immediately and basically have spent 2 days playing it. It is super fun to play the game and to be able to participate in the music. Now, as has been pointed out to me already…”But Adam…you play guitar. You can play their music…FOR REAL…as much as you want.” This is a valid point…and I do play their music all the time anyway. But the game gives you the opportunity to play WITH the band (or at least their digital avatars). It’s a lot of fun. Especially playing along with McCartney’s bass lines…which are incredibly awesome. If you are a Beatles fan (and like video games)…you MUST buy this game (but make sure you get the right game for the system you have!)

Secondly, their entire EMI catalog of albums was remastered. I have heard some of the songs and they are incredible. In the music community there is usually a lot of consternation on the thought of changing audio away from the old hissing vinyl masters. I am of the thought that the music should be as clean as possible…and remastering the old tracks allows that. You can really hear each instrument and vocal line individually. Again, McCartney’s bass lines really jump out at you.

The stereo remasters have been released in a box set and as individual albums. The box set is really expensive…but I would strongly recommend buying Revolver or Sgt. Peppers to hear the difference.

If you are a Beatles fan…you have to get some of this stuff…you WILL NOT be disappointed!

Letters On Pages » Uncategorized

Top 100 Sports Books

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Book News: Google Editions

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I’m Back!!!!

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Amazon Warehouse Awesomeness

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My Top Books of 2009

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Book Giveaway: A Walk for Sunshine by Jeff Alt

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How a Book is Made

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Internet Review of Books: Google Speaks

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LOP News: Internet Radio Star in the Making

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The Beatles are Not Bad

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