Brilliant and creative
579719
I am hoping to make recordings of my performance in the next few years and am considering building my own studio to do it, so jumped at the chance to read and review this new offering. Initially I felt unsure that I was qualified to comment, but realize that I am close to Senior's target audience, being a professional classical musician with strong skills in traditional folk and swing, an audiophile ("low high-end" for those who care), a commercial radio operator from the days before everything was digital and an extra-class amateur radio operator, also from the old days. So actually I have enough knowledge to begin absorbing what the author has to offer.

What he has to offer is huge! And his writing is great fun to read. I so appreciate Senior's amusing and picturesque way of expressing himself without being too glib. He starts right out telling the reader what concepts to review in order to best understand his advice, and where to find that information. He dives into advice on equipment, assuming the reader is without deep pockets and dealing with the inevitable low end problems. He goes over compensations that might be needed on the raw tracks, then into balance, compression, equalization, sweetening with effects and so very much more. I can't possibly relate how much information is in this book, nor how very thoroughly and thoughtfully the author presents it. For those aspects you must read it yourself. What I can tell you is that he constantly footnotes his offering by telling the reader what numerous audio engineers he knows would do in given situations.

Above all, Mike Senior's approach to both his craft and what he imparts to his reader is Totally Zen. This book is so beyond just how to tweak this and that; it shows that the author has both technical expertise and great creativity and can impart these enthusiasms in writing. I can't imagine that there is anyone in the studio recording field who would not profit from reading this book.
4651083
Captivating great read, creative and original .
4678720
Simply brilliant.  Ink is a fresh take on good and evil, angels and demons, and how pride, along with its twin brother shame, can eat away at each of us if left unchecked. Though the look and feel is different than big-budget hollywood films, it also remains free of the creative constraints that seem to plague much of the Sci-Fi genre we see these days (IMO). It's hard to find a story, layered with powerful yet simple visuals, that's as imaginative and powerful as Ink. A few scenes have familiar elements from other films, but the Winans have masterfully adapted those ideas and enhanced them, almost executing their depiction more truthfully than that from which they, perhaps, borrowed. All in all, a wonderful story with many layers to ponder and characters to enjoy.

If they can produce Ink with $250K, I can't wait to see what the Winans will do with a few million.
4426104
It is not easy to find these gems in modern times. I love the intense and free creativity of both the art and fantasy writings in this book. Both Yerka and Ellison are brilliant minds. The images are incredible pieces of art that make us believe in magic again. The stories come from a brilliant, educated, aware and astonishingly gifted mind that can produce new and fantastic ideas in ways that few in our history have accomplished. Each piece of writing has a commentary by the author on the process and meaning of the story. It is a wonderful addition to my art and literature collections.
2632207
This story is told quite brilliantly. All the characters are wonderfully drawn, and all are INCREDIBLY interesting. From Jed, the loner who lives on the top floor of the house and keeps his hawk in the garden. To Jarvis, the owner of the house who is obsessed by underground systems and is writing a book chronicling them. To Alice, the young mother who has run away from her humdrum life, leaving her daughter and husband behind. And then there is Tom, the busker who once aimed to study at a musical college, but is now content to play for the armies of people who walk through London's cavernous Tube. Then there is young Jasper, who, along with his friends, finds his thrills amid the bustle of the dangerous underground. And then, Axle. The enigmatic, strange man whom little is known about, and whose secret will cast shadows over all their lives.
The story is told brilliantly, as i say. All the charaters living in the old schoolhouses each have a different part in the story, and rarely do their own seperate stories interact, until the end. It is like watching several little planets revolving around the sun (in this story the sun is the london underground system). Their orbits do not cross, but still they revolve around the main body of the story, until they are finally drawn together.
Rendell skips between each persons's story (each persons story varies greatly) wonderfully, while the reader hardly notices the transition.
The climax is not completely unexpected, but i often find that that is the beauty of Vine/Rendell. You can sometimes see or tell what is going to happen, and you know that absolutely nothing any of the characters can do to prevent the inevitable awfullness.
At first i thought the ending was shocking, and powerful but anticlimatic. Then i realised it is shocking and powerful BECAUSE it is anticlimatic. (Rather like when we meet Hannibal Lecter...we are shocked by him because we were expecting a monster.)
4349450
The book is brilliant, clever, entertaining.  That so many diverse talents were able to collaborate in its creation is extraordinary.  Whether an individual writer's chapter is just a dozen paragraphs, or a dozen pages, each drew upon his or her talent and imagination to craft another of the 31 lean episodes in the book, none of which pander to the often formulaic digressions of graphic sex and violence.  There are no soft spots, there is no padding, this is a great read.
4446755
Winner of a novel writing contest for young people, it shows a brilliant imagination at work.
At age 15 Ms. Mejia Domenzain has shown a great talent that can only grow with time.
The story is totally original, the characters are realistic and magic at the same time, once you immerse yourself in the book you are transported to a new dimension.
Highly recommended.
1576255
I was lucky enough to get my hands on an ARC of Balance Keepers. Cummings sculpts a madly creative world with impressive ease. The imaginative settings are stellar and by far my favorite part. I also enjoyed the clever way the characters acquire their powers. Balance Keepers is reminiscent of some of my favorite series, particularly Harry Potter and even Enders Game- without giving too much away, the Pit in the story reminded me of the battle room in Enders Game (one of my favorite books of all time.)
Exciting and entertaining. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. The kids will devour this one.
2319313
Loved it!  Brilliant writing, a creative and unique story, suspenseful - just amazing. Love the descriptiveness, the introspection, the flow.  I'm a fan.
4446483
The author asked me to read this book and leave him a review if I was pleased with it. At first, I have to say, I was a little intimidated by this. I wasn't sure what to think. As the book progressed, I found myself smiling and really enjoying myself. This is perhaps one of the most creative reads I have ever seen. There is no one simple way to say what this book is about. Obviously it makes use of numbers and math to tell the story it presents, but it is so much more than that. The author manages to tell his story by making connections through equations.

Where a lot of books are character driven, this book makes use of the intellect of the reader and forces you to stop and think about what you have read. I had a really good time with this and was continually surprised by how intelligent and crafty the author is. The idea of having a book that requires participation from the reader was not new to me, but this book was completely unique. I haven't ever read anything quite like it.

If you love math, or even if you don't but you love to tease your brain with an interesting read, this is definitely a book for you. I would recommend this to anyone. Don't let the simplicity of the cover fool you, this book has a lot more depth than it first appears.
4356061
This book is pure creative genius, and I loved every page. William Goldman is really playing with the tropes of classic fairy tales. Just don't skip the introduction--it's vital.
1983090
I bought this book to prepare for a discussion group.  I had never heard of Neil Gaiman before, and I am so happy to know this writer's work!  This book is a total delight.  Original ideas are scarce as hen's teeth, but Gaiman has one here.  It is one of the most innovative books I've yet come across.

It helps to have some working knowledge of pagan gods so you can get the many subtle jokes woven into the story, but that's really not necessary.  It just adds another layer of joy to the experience.

Gaiman is one of a kind and is surely one of the best fantasy writers I have read in a fairly long lifetime.
2615133
This book is breathtaking in its brilliance.  The word best to describe it may surprise you (or not) for a book about creativity, but to me, that word is profound.  It is simply profound: witty, clever and mind-expanding.

No mater what field you work in, it will re-energize your creativity.  But if you are a writer, it will especially speak to your soul.  -RG
1883329
The twist and turns in this book were fabulously creative.  I have really enjoyed reading about these characters in this series and hope it is continued for quite some time.
2687102
Very creative and thoughtful,  an enjoyable ride
3397064
This damn book had me hooked from the start and stopped me from doing important work. If you have time, read this book. It is brilliantly conceived and executed. It's full of humour, emotion, and surprises small and large.
402121
Not profound or life changing, but a wonderfully creative enjoyable story. You will wish it gets made into a movie so you can inhabit the world of the quirky people even more visually. Characters are consistent but grow through interaction with each other. The writing is very good and the narrative form deftly weaves in the backstory of each major character. The setting is so vivid it influenced me to web search houseboat living in London and watching youtube videos of those who do it. It made the reading more vivid and had me momentarily fantasizing about doing moving there myself.