My Secret: A PostSecret Book

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
Internet improvements

My Secret is Frank Warren's second collection of PostSecret postcards. To give a quick overview of what this is all about - PostSecret is described as a "community art project" where strangers mail Warren a postcard with a very personal secret which they have never shared with anyone before. The Postcard is typically decorated with some sort of artwork that describes the secret being sent. Every Sunday Warren posts them on his PostSecret blog, but he has also published three collections of the postcards. My Secret: A PostSecret Book is the second of the three collections.

What is first notable about My Secret is that it is quite a bit smaller than PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives. Without measuring or weighing the book, I would suggest that My Secret is approximately half the size. What this means is that there is far less content for your dollar.

The second thing to point out is that some of these postcards may have been recycled from the first volume. I have not confirmed this by comparing the two books side by side, but some of the postcards were suspiciously familiar. If some of them were not reused, they are very similar to the postcards of volume one with mostly the same content.

This may come across as a knock on My Secret, and in a sense it is, but if we look at My Secret as an individual volume standing alone, the second complaint falls away. My Secret is a collection of some funny and heartbreaking secrets that anyone may have sent in. Considering the volume of postcards Warren has received, any of our neighbors may have a postcard on the website or in a book at any given time. This is what is special about the PostSecret project and in turn about each of the collections. Reading these collections tells the reader that he or she is not alone, that other people have felt this way and that the painful experience is not unique and this can be a way to heal. Reading these collections shows us that we all have something extraordinary about us that our friends and family may never guess. While it is the painful ones which may be most remarkable, there are also funny and happy and silly secrets.

It is ultimately impossible to separate My Secret from the other collections and from the PostSecret project as a whole, so I will close by saying this: My Secret is not as strong of a collection as the first volume. It is smaller and somewhat weaker. But, with that said, it is still worth the half hour or and hour which it will take to go through all of the secrets and get a glimpse into the lives of others, and in turn into ourselves.

-Joe Sherry
Let us help kick start your New Year's Resolution with some new fitness equipment.
Miracle in the Andes: 72 Days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home

My Secret: A PostSecret Book

Special Topics in Calamity Physics
Design Improvements

My Secret is Frank Warren's second collection of PostSecret postcards. To give a quick overview of what this is all about - PostSecret is described as a "community art project" where strangers mail Warren a postcard with a very personal secret which they have never shared with anyone before. The Postcard is typically decorated with some sort of artwork that describes the secret being sent. Every Sunday Warren posts them on his PostSecret blog, but he has also published three collections of the postcards. My Secret: A PostSecret Book is the second of the three collections.

What is first notable about My Secret is that it is quite a bit smaller than PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives. Without measuring or weighing the book, I would suggest that My Secret is approximately half the size. What this means is that there is far less content for your dollar.

The second thing to point out is that some of these postcards may have been recycled from the first volume. I have not confirmed this by comparing the two books side by side, but some of the postcards were suspiciously familiar. If some of them were not reused, they are very similar to the postcards of volume one with mostly the same content.

This may come across as a knock on My Secret, and in a sense it is, but if we look at My Secret as an individual volume standing alone, the second complaint falls away. My Secret is a collection of some funny and heartbreaking secrets that anyone may have sent in. Considering the volume of postcards Warren has received, any of our neighbors may have a postcard on the website or in a book at any given time. This is what is special about the PostSecret project and in turn about each of the collections. Reading these collections tells the reader that he or she is not alone, that other people have felt this way and that the painful experience is not unique and this can be a way to heal. Reading these collections shows us that we all have something extraordinary about us that our friends and family may never guess. While it is the painful ones which may be most remarkable, there are also funny and happy and silly secrets.

It is ultimately impossible to separate My Secret from the other collections and from the PostSecret project as a whole, so I will close by saying this: My Secret is not as strong of a collection as the first volume. It is smaller and somewhat weaker. But, with that said, it is still worth the half hour or and hour which it will take to go through all of the secrets and get a glimpse into the lives of others, and in turn into ourselves.

-Joe Sherry
Daily Diet's Tips
The World Is Flat : A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century

A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005

The God of Animals: A Novel by Aryn Kyle
What Is Advaita Or Oneness

This book has to be reviewed on two levels. First as a retrospective of Annie Leibovitz's photography from 1990 - 2005. On that level, the presentation is sumptuous and greatly enhances even the most mediocre photos. Few of these photos are as breathtaking as much of the work Leibowitz produced in earlier years. Most of the photos would, in fact, be indistinguishable from the work of thousands of others photographers were it not for their famous subjects, such as Al Pacino and Willie Nelson.

One troubling aspect of this collection for me was Leibowitz's seeming imitation of the styles of other photographers from the past such as Dianne Arbus and even Leni Riefenstahl, the infamous creator of the Nazi propaganda film "Triumph of the Will". Her portrait of the muscular torso of Sylvester Stallone is terribly reminiscent of Riefenstahl's style. Likewise her portraits of two Las Vegas dancers, resplendent in their bejeweled costumes, is compared with portraits of them as ordinary middle-aged women without makeup. Effective, but in many ways a reflection of Arbus's famous style. Portraits of Colin Powell and Norman Schwartzkopf look like those from virtually any high-end portrait studio.

The vitality and originality I used to associate with Annie Leibovitz is largely absent in this collection. On the whole, it is a disappointing portfolio.

Leibovitz perhaps intended this collection to be a different kind of statement, truly a statement about her "life". And it is, uncomfortably so perhaps.

There are many, many photographs of Susan Sontag, Leibvoitz's partner. Sontag is remembered (and reviled) by many for her strident anti-Americanism. It is difficult to reconcile these "loving" picures of Sontag taken by her lover with the Sontag who exorciated Americans very shortly after 9/11 and told them they deserved the disaster they got. Hard to put away feelings of animosity while seeing so many photos of her in Leibvoitz's book.

Leibovitz also includes many photos of her family. These are nothing more than snapshots for the most part, no matter how deftly they have been manipulated in the printing process. (I am really curious as to whether Leibovitz does her own printing. Much of the impact of many of her photos in this collection owes to their printing and the large presentation size, not their content or composition.)

In some ways, Leibovitz would have been better served by putting all of her family pictures into a separate section. As such it would have chronicled the physical decline of her parents while their children and grandchildren grew and would have been a powerful testament to familial love.

Leibovitz makes it clear that this is a deeply personal statement. She says "I cried for a month. I didn't realize until later how far the work on the book had taken me through the grieving proces. It's the closest thing to who I am that I've ever done." That sentiment may indeed account for the ordinariness of the photos in this book. Leibovitz is showing us her life - as the title implies - and not simply showcasing her best work. On the other hand, that presumes the admirer of Leibovitz's photography is interested in her personal life with Sontag and family and not just her photography. I'm sure some will enjoy this collection: I did not find it especially noteworthy.
Actual Diet's Tips
The One Percent Doctrine

My Secret: A PostSecret Book

Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq
Are You Stressed Out?

My Secret is Frank Warren's second collection of PostSecret postcards. To give a quick overview of what this is all about - PostSecret is described as a "community art project" where strangers mail Warren a postcard with a very personal secret which they have never shared with anyone before. The Postcard is typically decorated with some sort of artwork that describes the secret being sent. Every Sunday Warren posts them on his PostSecret blog, but he has also published three collections of the postcards. My Secret: A PostSecret Book is the second of the three collections.

What is first notable about My Secret is that it is quite a bit smaller than PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives. Without measuring or weighing the book, I would suggest that My Secret is approximately half the size. What this means is that there is far less content for your dollar.

The second thing to point out is that some of these postcards may have been recycled from the first volume. I have not confirmed this by comparing the two books side by side, but some of the postcards were suspiciously familiar. If some of them were not reused, they are very similar to the postcards of volume one with mostly the same content.

This may come across as a knock on My Secret, and in a sense it is, but if we look at My Secret as an individual volume standing alone, the second complaint falls away. My Secret is a collection of some funny and heartbreaking secrets that anyone may have sent in. Considering the volume of postcards Warren has received, any of our neighbors may have a postcard on the website or in a book at any given time. This is what is special about the PostSecret project and in turn about each of the collections. Reading these collections tells the reader that he or she is not alone, that other people have felt this way and that the painful experience is not unique and this can be a way to heal. Reading these collections shows us that we all have something extraordinary about us that our friends and family may never guess. While it is the painful ones which may be most remarkable, there are also funny and happy and silly secrets.

It is ultimately impossible to separate My Secret from the other collections and from the PostSecret project as a whole, so I will close by saying this: My Secret is not as strong of a collection as the first volume. It is smaller and somewhat weaker. But, with that said, it is still worth the half hour or and hour which it will take to go through all of the secrets and get a glimpse into the lives of others, and in turn into ourselves.

-Joe Sherry
Advanced Diet's Tips
Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth

A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005

Stumbling on Happiness
Good Improvements News

This book has to be reviewed on two levels. First as a retrospective of Annie Leibovitz's photography from 1990 - 2005. On that level, the presentation is sumptuous and greatly enhances even the most mediocre photos. Few of these photos are as breathtaking as much of the work Leibowitz produced in earlier years. Most of the photos would, in fact, be indistinguishable from the work of thousands of others photographers were it not for their famous subjects, such as Al Pacino and Willie Nelson.

One troubling aspect of this collection for me was Leibowitz's seeming imitation of the styles of other photographers from the past such as Dianne Arbus and even Leni Riefenstahl, the infamous creator of the Nazi propaganda film "Triumph of the Will". Her portrait of the muscular torso of Sylvester Stallone is terribly reminiscent of Riefenstahl's style. Likewise her portraits of two Las Vegas dancers, resplendent in their bejeweled costumes, is compared with portraits of them as ordinary middle-aged women without makeup. Effective, but in many ways a reflection of Arbus's famous style. Portraits of Colin Powell and Norman Schwartzkopf look like those from virtually any high-end portrait studio.

The vitality and originality I used to associate with Annie Leibovitz is largely absent in this collection. On the whole, it is a disappointing portfolio.

Leibovitz perhaps intended this collection to be a different kind of statement, truly a statement about her "life". And it is, uncomfortably so perhaps.

There are many, many photographs of Susan Sontag, Leibvoitz's partner. Sontag is remembered (and reviled) by many for her strident anti-Americanism. It is difficult to reconcile these "loving" picures of Sontag taken by her lover with the Sontag who exorciated Americans very shortly after 9/11 and told them they deserved the disaster they got. Hard to put away feelings of animosity while seeing so many photos of her in Leibvoitz's book.

Leibovitz also includes many photos of her family. These are nothing more than snapshots for the most part, no matter how deftly they have been manipulated in the printing process. (I am really curious as to whether Leibovitz does her own printing. Much of the impact of many of her photos in this collection owes to their printing and the large presentation size, not their content or composition.)

In some ways, Leibovitz would have been better served by putting all of her family pictures into a separate section. As such it would have chronicled the physical decline of her parents while their children and grandchildren grew and would have been a powerful testament to familial love.

Leibovitz makes it clear that this is a deeply personal statement. She says "I cried for a month. I didn't realize until later how far the work on the book had taken me through the grieving proces. It's the closest thing to who I am that I've ever done." That sentiment may indeed account for the ordinariness of the photos in this book. Leibovitz is showing us her life - as the title implies - and not simply showcasing her best work. On the other hand, that presumes the admirer of Leibovitz's photography is interested in her personal life with Sontag and family and not just her photography. I'm sure some will enjoy this collection: I did not find it especially noteworthy.
Actual Diet's Tips
Vanity Fair : Magazine

My Secret: A PostSecret Book

The Stolen Child: A Novel
Good Improvements News

My Secret is Frank Warren's second collection of PostSecret postcards. To give a quick overview of what this is all about - PostSecret is described as a "community art project" where strangers mail Warren a postcard with a very personal secret which they have never shared with anyone before. The Postcard is typically decorated with some sort of artwork that describes the secret being sent. Every Sunday Warren posts them on his PostSecret blog, but he has also published three collections of the postcards. My Secret: A PostSecret Book is the second of the three collections.

What is first notable about My Secret is that it is quite a bit smaller than PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives. Without measuring or weighing the book, I would suggest that My Secret is approximately half the size. What this means is that there is far less content for your dollar.

The second thing to point out is that some of these postcards may have been recycled from the first volume. I have not confirmed this by comparing the two books side by side, but some of the postcards were suspiciously familiar. If some of them were not reused, they are very similar to the postcards of volume one with mostly the same content.

This may come across as a knock on My Secret, and in a sense it is, but if we look at My Secret as an individual volume standing alone, the second complaint falls away. My Secret is a collection of some funny and heartbreaking secrets that anyone may have sent in. Considering the volume of postcards Warren has received, any of our neighbors may have a postcard on the website or in a book at any given time. This is what is special about the PostSecret project and in turn about each of the collections. Reading these collections tells the reader that he or she is not alone, that other people have felt this way and that the painful experience is not unique and this can be a way to heal. Reading these collections shows us that we all have something extraordinary about us that our friends and family may never guess. While it is the painful ones which may be most remarkable, there are also funny and happy and silly secrets.

It is ultimately impossible to separate My Secret from the other collections and from the PostSecret project as a whole, so I will close by saying this: My Secret is not as strong of a collection as the first volume. It is smaller and somewhat weaker. But, with that said, it is still worth the half hour or and hour which it will take to go through all of the secrets and get a glimpse into the lives of others, and in turn into ourselves.

-Joe Sherry
Diet's Tips And Secrets
The End (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 13)

My Secret: A PostSecret Book

Untapped Riches: Never Pay Off Your Mortgage--and Other Surprising Secrets for Building Wealth
Distance Education Helps You Get Ahead.

My Secret is Frank Warren's second collection of PostSecret postcards. To give a quick overview of what this is all about - PostSecret is described as a "community art project" where strangers mail Warren a postcard with a very personal secret which they have never shared with anyone before. The Postcard is typically decorated with some sort of artwork that describes the secret being sent. Every Sunday Warren posts them on his PostSecret blog, but he has also published three collections of the postcards. My Secret: A PostSecret Book is the second of the three collections.

What is first notable about My Secret is that it is quite a bit smaller than PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives. Without measuring or weighing the book, I would suggest that My Secret is approximately half the size. What this means is that there is far less content for your dollar.

The second thing to point out is that some of these postcards may have been recycled from the first volume. I have not confirmed this by comparing the two books side by side, but some of the postcards were suspiciously familiar. If some of them were not reused, they are very similar to the postcards of volume one with mostly the same content.

This may come across as a knock on My Secret, and in a sense it is, but if we look at My Secret as an individual volume standing alone, the second complaint falls away. My Secret is a collection of some funny and heartbreaking secrets that anyone may have sent in. Considering the volume of postcards Warren has received, any of our neighbors may have a postcard on the website or in a book at any given time. This is what is special about the PostSecret project and in turn about each of the collections. Reading these collections tells the reader that he or she is not alone, that other people have felt this way and that the painful experience is not unique and this can be a way to heal. Reading these collections shows us that we all have something extraordinary about us that our friends and family may never guess. While it is the painful ones which may be most remarkable, there are also funny and happy and silly secrets.

It is ultimately impossible to separate My Secret from the other collections and from the PostSecret project as a whole, so I will close by saying this: My Secret is not as strong of a collection as the first volume. It is smaller and somewhat weaker. But, with that said, it is still worth the half hour or and hour which it will take to go through all of the secrets and get a glimpse into the lives of others, and in turn into ourselves.

-Joe Sherry
How To Get Success In Diet?
Home with God: In a Life That Never Ends

A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005

How to Get Ideas by Jack Foster
Let us help kick start your New Year's Resolution with some new fitness equipment.

This book has to be reviewed on two levels. First as a retrospective of Annie Leibovitz's photography from 1990 - 2005. On that level, the presentation is sumptuous and greatly enhances even the most mediocre photos. Few of these photos are as breathtaking as much of the work Leibowitz produced in earlier years. Most of the photos would, in fact, be indistinguishable from the work of thousands of others photographers were it not for their famous subjects, such as Al Pacino and Willie Nelson.

One troubling aspect of this collection for me was Leibowitz's seeming imitation of the styles of other photographers from the past such as Dianne Arbus and even Leni Riefenstahl, the infamous creator of the Nazi propaganda film "Triumph of the Will". Her portrait of the muscular torso of Sylvester Stallone is terribly reminiscent of Riefenstahl's style. Likewise her portraits of two Las Vegas dancers, resplendent in their bejeweled costumes, is compared with portraits of them as ordinary middle-aged women without makeup. Effective, but in many ways a reflection of Arbus's famous style. Portraits of Colin Powell and Norman Schwartzkopf look like those from virtually any high-end portrait studio.

The vitality and originality I used to associate with Annie Leibovitz is largely absent in this collection. On the whole, it is a disappointing portfolio.

Leibovitz perhaps intended this collection to be a different kind of statement, truly a statement about her "life". And it is, uncomfortably so perhaps.

There are many, many photographs of Susan Sontag, Leibvoitz's partner. Sontag is remembered (and reviled) by many for her strident anti-Americanism. It is difficult to reconcile these "loving" picures of Sontag taken by her lover with the Sontag who exorciated Americans very shortly after 9/11 and told them they deserved the disaster they got. Hard to put away feelings of animosity while seeing so many photos of her in Leibvoitz's book.

Leibovitz also includes many photos of her family. These are nothing more than snapshots for the most part, no matter how deftly they have been manipulated in the printing process. (I am really curious as to whether Leibovitz does her own printing. Much of the impact of many of her photos in this collection owes to their printing and the large presentation size, not their content or composition.)

In some ways, Leibovitz would have been better served by putting all of her family pictures into a separate section. As such it would have chronicled the physical decline of her parents while their children and grandchildren grew and would have been a powerful testament to familial love.

Leibovitz makes it clear that this is a deeply personal statement. She says "I cried for a month. I didn't realize until later how far the work on the book had taken me through the grieving proces. It's the closest thing to who I am that I've ever done." That sentiment may indeed account for the ordinariness of the photos in this book. Leibovitz is showing us her life - as the title implies - and not simply showcasing her best work. On the other hand, that presumes the admirer of Leibovitz's photography is interested in her personal life with Sontag and family and not just her photography. I'm sure some will enjoy this collection: I did not find it especially noteworthy.
Daily Diet's Tips
How to Get Ideas by Jack Foster

A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005

Absurdistan: A Novel
Blog of Good Improvements

This book has to be reviewed on two levels. First as a retrospective of Annie Leibovitz's photography from 1990 - 2005. On that level, the presentation is sumptuous and greatly enhances even the most mediocre photos. Few of these photos are as breathtaking as much of the work Leibowitz produced in earlier years. Most of the photos would, in fact, be indistinguishable from the work of thousands of others photographers were it not for their famous subjects, such as Al Pacino and Willie Nelson.

One troubling aspect of this collection for me was Leibowitz's seeming imitation of the styles of other photographers from the past such as Dianne Arbus and even Leni Riefenstahl, the infamous creator of the Nazi propaganda film "Triumph of the Will". Her portrait of the muscular torso of Sylvester Stallone is terribly reminiscent of Riefenstahl's style. Likewise her portraits of two Las Vegas dancers, resplendent in their bejeweled costumes, is compared with portraits of them as ordinary middle-aged women without makeup. Effective, but in many ways a reflection of Arbus's famous style. Portraits of Colin Powell and Norman Schwartzkopf look like those from virtually any high-end portrait studio.

The vitality and originality I used to associate with Annie Leibovitz is largely absent in this collection. On the whole, it is a disappointing portfolio.

Leibovitz perhaps intended this collection to be a different kind of statement, truly a statement about her "life". And it is, uncomfortably so perhaps.

There are many, many photographs of Susan Sontag, Leibvoitz's partner. Sontag is remembered (and reviled) by many for her strident anti-Americanism. It is difficult to reconcile these "loving" picures of Sontag taken by her lover with the Sontag who exorciated Americans very shortly after 9/11 and told them they deserved the disaster they got. Hard to put away feelings of animosity while seeing so many photos of her in Leibvoitz's book.

Leibovitz also includes many photos of her family. These are nothing more than snapshots for the most part, no matter how deftly they have been manipulated in the printing process. (I am really curious as to whether Leibovitz does her own printing. Much of the impact of many of her photos in this collection owes to their printing and the large presentation size, not their content or composition.)

In some ways, Leibovitz would have been better served by putting all of her family pictures into a separate section. As such it would have chronicled the physical decline of her parents while their children and grandchildren grew and would have been a powerful testament to familial love.

Leibovitz makes it clear that this is a deeply personal statement. She says "I cried for a month. I didn't realize until later how far the work on the book had taken me through the grieving proces. It's the closest thing to who I am that I've ever done." That sentiment may indeed account for the ordinariness of the photos in this book. Leibovitz is showing us her life - as the title implies - and not simply showcasing her best work. On the other hand, that presumes the admirer of Leibovitz's photography is interested in her personal life with Sontag and family and not just her photography. I'm sure some will enjoy this collection: I did not find it especially noteworthy.
Healthy Eating Blog
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

My Secret: A PostSecret Book

300 by Frank Miller, Lynn Varley
Distance Education Helps You Get Ahead.

My Secret is Frank Warren's second collection of PostSecret postcards. To give a quick overview of what this is all about - PostSecret is described as a "community art project" where strangers mail Warren a postcard with a very personal secret which they have never shared with anyone before. The Postcard is typically decorated with some sort of artwork that describes the secret being sent. Every Sunday Warren posts them on his PostSecret blog, but he has also published three collections of the postcards. My Secret: A PostSecret Book is the second of the three collections.

What is first notable about My Secret is that it is quite a bit smaller than PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives. Without measuring or weighing the book, I would suggest that My Secret is approximately half the size. What this means is that there is far less content for your dollar.

The second thing to point out is that some of these postcards may have been recycled from the first volume. I have not confirmed this by comparing the two books side by side, but some of the postcards were suspiciously familiar. If some of them were not reused, they are very similar to the postcards of volume one with mostly the same content.

This may come across as a knock on My Secret, and in a sense it is, but if we look at My Secret as an individual volume standing alone, the second complaint falls away. My Secret is a collection of some funny and heartbreaking secrets that anyone may have sent in. Considering the volume of postcards Warren has received, any of our neighbors may have a postcard on the website or in a book at any given time. This is what is special about the PostSecret project and in turn about each of the collections. Reading these collections tells the reader that he or she is not alone, that other people have felt this way and that the painful experience is not unique and this can be a way to heal. Reading these collections shows us that we all have something extraordinary about us that our friends and family may never guess. While it is the painful ones which may be most remarkable, there are also funny and happy and silly secrets.

It is ultimately impossible to separate My Secret from the other collections and from the PostSecret project as a whole, so I will close by saying this: My Secret is not as strong of a collection as the first volume. It is smaller and somewhat weaker. But, with that said, it is still worth the half hour or and hour which it will take to go through all of the secrets and get a glimpse into the lives of others, and in turn into ourselves.

-Joe Sherry
Your FREE Designer Bag Here!
Wolves by Emily Gravett

A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005

Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen
Blog of Good Improvements

This book has to be reviewed on two levels. First as a retrospective of Annie Leibovitz's photography from 1990 - 2005. On that level, the presentation is sumptuous and greatly enhances even the most mediocre photos. Few of these photos are as breathtaking as much of the work Leibowitz produced in earlier years. Most of the photos would, in fact, be indistinguishable from the work of thousands of others photographers were it not for their famous subjects, such as Al Pacino and Willie Nelson.

One troubling aspect of this collection for me was Leibowitz's seeming imitation of the styles of other photographers from the past such as Dianne Arbus and even Leni Riefenstahl, the infamous creator of the Nazi propaganda film "Triumph of the Will". Her portrait of the muscular torso of Sylvester Stallone is terribly reminiscent of Riefenstahl's style. Likewise her portraits of two Las Vegas dancers, resplendent in their bejeweled costumes, is compared with portraits of them as ordinary middle-aged women without makeup. Effective, but in many ways a reflection of Arbus's famous style. Portraits of Colin Powell and Norman Schwartzkopf look like those from virtually any high-end portrait studio.

The vitality and originality I used to associate with Annie Leibovitz is largely absent in this collection. On the whole, it is a disappointing portfolio.

Leibovitz perhaps intended this collection to be a different kind of statement, truly a statement about her "life". And it is, uncomfortably so perhaps.

There are many, many photographs of Susan Sontag, Leibvoitz's partner. Sontag is remembered (and reviled) by many for her strident anti-Americanism. It is difficult to reconcile these "loving" picures of Sontag taken by her lover with the Sontag who exorciated Americans very shortly after 9/11 and told them they deserved the disaster they got. Hard to put away feelings of animosity while seeing so many photos of her in Leibvoitz's book.

Leibovitz also includes many photos of her family. These are nothing more than snapshots for the most part, no matter how deftly they have been manipulated in the printing process. (I am really curious as to whether Leibovitz does her own printing. Much of the impact of many of her photos in this collection owes to their printing and the large presentation size, not their content or composition.)

In some ways, Leibovitz would have been better served by putting all of her family pictures into a separate section. As such it would have chronicled the physical decline of her parents while their children and grandchildren grew and would have been a powerful testament to familial love.

Leibovitz makes it clear that this is a deeply personal statement. She says "I cried for a month. I didn't realize until later how far the work on the book had taken me through the grieving proces. It's the closest thing to who I am that I've ever done." That sentiment may indeed account for the ordinariness of the photos in this book. Leibovitz is showing us her life - as the title implies - and not simply showcasing her best work. On the other hand, that presumes the admirer of Leibovitz's photography is interested in her personal life with Sontag and family and not just her photography. I'm sure some will enjoy this collection: I did not find it especially noteworthy.
Healthy Weight Lose
State of Denial: Bush at War, Part III

A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005

Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature, and Climate Change
CanadianMedsWorld.com

This book has to be reviewed on two levels. First as a retrospective of Annie Leibovitz's photography from 1990 - 2005. On that level, the presentation is sumptuous and greatly enhances even the most mediocre photos. Few of these photos are as breathtaking as much of the work Leibowitz produced in earlier years. Most of the photos would, in fact, be indistinguishable from the work of thousands of others photographers were it not for their famous subjects, such as Al Pacino and Willie Nelson.

One troubling aspect of this collection for me was Leibowitz's seeming imitation of the styles of other photographers from the past such as Dianne Arbus and even Leni Riefenstahl, the infamous creator of the Nazi propaganda film "Triumph of the Will". Her portrait of the muscular torso of Sylvester Stallone is terribly reminiscent of Riefenstahl's style. Likewise her portraits of two Las Vegas dancers, resplendent in their bejeweled costumes, is compared with portraits of them as ordinary middle-aged women without makeup. Effective, but in many ways a reflection of Arbus's famous style. Portraits of Colin Powell and Norman Schwartzkopf look like those from virtually any high-end portrait studio.

The vitality and originality I used to associate with Annie Leibovitz is largely absent in this collection. On the whole, it is a disappointing portfolio.

Leibovitz perhaps intended this collection to be a different kind of statement, truly a statement about her "life". And it is, uncomfortably so perhaps.

There are many, many photographs of Susan Sontag, Leibvoitz's partner. Sontag is remembered (and reviled) by many for her strident anti-Americanism. It is difficult to reconcile these "loving" picures of Sontag taken by her lover with the Sontag who exorciated Americans very shortly after 9/11 and told them they deserved the disaster they got. Hard to put away feelings of animosity while seeing so many photos of her in Leibvoitz's book.

Leibovitz also includes many photos of her family. These are nothing more than snapshots for the most part, no matter how deftly they have been manipulated in the printing process. (I am really curious as to whether Leibovitz does her own printing. Much of the impact of many of her photos in this collection owes to their printing and the large presentation size, not their content or composition.)

In some ways, Leibovitz would have been better served by putting all of her family pictures into a separate section. As such it would have chronicled the physical decline of her parents while their children and grandchildren grew and would have been a powerful testament to familial love.

Leibovitz makes it clear that this is a deeply personal statement. She says "I cried for a month. I didn't realize until later how far the work on the book had taken me through the grieving proces. It's the closest thing to who I am that I've ever done." That sentiment may indeed account for the ordinariness of the photos in this book. Leibovitz is showing us her life - as the title implies - and not simply showcasing her best work. On the other hand, that presumes the admirer of Leibovitz's photography is interested in her personal life with Sontag and family and not just her photography. I'm sure some will enjoy this collection: I did not find it especially noteworthy.
Wolves by Emily Gravett
The One Percent Doctrine
Beautiful Lies: A Novel

My Secret: A PostSecret Book

CanadianMedsWorld.com

My Secret is Frank Warren's second collection of PostSecret postcards. To give a quick overview of what this is all about - PostSecret is described as a "community art project" where strangers mail Warren a postcard with a very personal secret which they have never shared with anyone before. The Postcard is typically decorated with some sort of artwork that describes the secret being sent. Every Sunday Warren posts them on his PostSecret blog, but he has also published three collections of the postcards. My Secret: A PostSecret Book is the second of the three collections.

What is first notable about My Secret is that it is quite a bit smaller than PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives. Without measuring or weighing the book, I would suggest that My Secret is approximately half the size. What this means is that there is far less content for your dollar.

The second thing to point out is that some of these postcards may have been recycled from the first volume. I have not confirmed this by comparing the two books side by side, but some of the postcards were suspiciously familiar. If some of them were not reused, they are very similar to the postcards of volume one with mostly the same content.

This may come across as a knock on My Secret, and in a sense it is, but if we look at My Secret as an individual volume standing alone, the second complaint falls away. My Secret is a collection of some funny and heartbreaking secrets that anyone may have sent in. Considering the volume of postcards Warren has received, any of our neighbors may have a postcard on the website or in a book at any given time. This is what is special about the PostSecret project and in turn about each of the collections. Reading these collections tells the reader that he or she is not alone, that other people have felt this way and that the painful experience is not unique and this can be a way to heal. Reading these collections shows us that we all have something extraordinary about us that our friends and family may never guess. While it is the painful ones which may be most remarkable, there are also funny and happy and silly secrets.

It is ultimately impossible to separate My Secret from the other collections and from the PostSecret project as a whole, so I will close by saying this: My Secret is not as strong of a collection as the first volume. It is smaller and somewhat weaker. But, with that said, it is still worth the half hour or and hour which it will take to go through all of the secrets and get a glimpse into the lives of others, and in turn into ourselves.

-Joe Sherry
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
The World Is Flat : A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
The Brooklyn Follies: A Novel

My Secret: A PostSecret Book

My Secret: A PostSecret Book
CanadianMedsWorld.com

My Secret is Frank Warren's second collection of PostSecret postcards. To give a quick overview of what this is all about - PostSecret is described as a "community art project" where strangers mail Warren a postcard with a very personal secret which they have never shared with anyone before. The Postcard is typically decorated with some sort of artwork that describes the secret being sent. Every Sunday Warren posts them on his PostSecret blog, but he has also published three collections of the postcards. My Secret: A PostSecret Book is the second of the three collections.

What is first notable about My Secret is that it is quite a bit smaller than PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives. Without measuring or weighing the book, I would suggest that My Secret is approximately half the size. What this means is that there is far less content for your dollar.

The second thing to point out is that some of these postcards may have been recycled from the first volume. I have not confirmed this by comparing the two books side by side, but some of the postcards were suspiciously familiar. If some of them were not reused, they are very similar to the postcards of volume one with mostly the same content.

This may come across as a knock on My Secret, and in a sense it is, but if we look at My Secret as an individual volume standing alone, the second complaint falls away. My Secret is a collection of some funny and heartbreaking secrets that anyone may have sent in. Considering the volume of postcards Warren has received, any of our neighbors may have a postcard on the website or in a book at any given time. This is what is special about the PostSecret project and in turn about each of the collections. Reading these collections tells the reader that he or she is not alone, that other people have felt this way and that the painful experience is not unique and this can be a way to heal. Reading these collections shows us that we all have something extraordinary about us that our friends and family may never guess. While it is the painful ones which may be most remarkable, there are also funny and happy and silly secrets.

It is ultimately impossible to separate My Secret from the other collections and from the PostSecret project as a whole, so I will close by saying this: My Secret is not as strong of a collection as the first volume. It is smaller and somewhat weaker. But, with that said, it is still worth the half hour or and hour which it will take to go through all of the secrets and get a glimpse into the lives of others, and in turn into ourselves.

-Joe Sherry
Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Jane Dyer
Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen
Special Topics in Calamity Physics

My Secret: A PostSecret Book

Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen
CanadianMedsWorld.com

My Secret is Frank Warren's second collection of PostSecret postcards. To give a quick overview of what this is all about - PostSecret is described as a "community art project" where strangers mail Warren a postcard with a very personal secret which they have never shared with anyone before. The Postcard is typically decorated with some sort of artwork that describes the secret being sent. Every Sunday Warren posts them on his PostSecret blog, but he has also published three collections of the postcards. My Secret: A PostSecret Book is the second of the three collections.

What is first notable about My Secret is that it is quite a bit smaller than PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives. Without measuring or weighing the book, I would suggest that My Secret is approximately half the size. What this means is that there is far less content for your dollar.

The second thing to point out is that some of these postcards may have been recycled from the first volume. I have not confirmed this by comparing the two books side by side, but some of the postcards were suspiciously familiar. If some of them were not reused, they are very similar to the postcards of volume one with mostly the same content.

This may come across as a knock on My Secret, and in a sense it is, but if we look at My Secret as an individual volume standing alone, the second complaint falls away. My Secret is a collection of some funny and heartbreaking secrets that anyone may have sent in. Considering the volume of postcards Warren has received, any of our neighbors may have a postcard on the website or in a book at any given time. This is what is special about the PostSecret project and in turn about each of the collections. Reading these collections tells the reader that he or she is not alone, that other people have felt this way and that the painful experience is not unique and this can be a way to heal. Reading these collections shows us that we all have something extraordinary about us that our friends and family may never guess. While it is the painful ones which may be most remarkable, there are also funny and happy and silly secrets.

It is ultimately impossible to separate My Secret from the other collections and from the PostSecret project as a whole, so I will close by saying this: My Secret is not as strong of a collection as the first volume. It is smaller and somewhat weaker. But, with that said, it is still worth the half hour or and hour which it will take to go through all of the secrets and get a glimpse into the lives of others, and in turn into ourselves.

-Joe Sherry
Home with God: In a Life That Never Ends
State of Denial: Bush at War, Part III
The End (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 13)

A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005

I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman
CanadianMedsWorld.com

This book has to be reviewed on two levels. First as a retrospective of Annie Leibovitz's photography from 1990 - 2005. On that level, the presentation is sumptuous and greatly enhances even the most mediocre photos. Few of these photos are as breathtaking as much of the work Leibowitz produced in earlier years. Most of the photos would, in fact, be indistinguishable from the work of thousands of others photographers were it not for their famous subjects, such as Al Pacino and Willie Nelson.

One troubling aspect of this collection for me was Leibowitz's seeming imitation of the styles of other photographers from the past such as Dianne Arbus and even Leni Riefenstahl, the infamous creator of the Nazi propaganda film "Triumph of the Will". Her portrait of the muscular torso of Sylvester Stallone is terribly reminiscent of Riefenstahl's style. Likewise her portraits of two Las Vegas dancers, resplendent in their bejeweled costumes, is compared with portraits of them as ordinary middle-aged women without makeup. Effective, but in many ways a reflection of Arbus's famous style. Portraits of Colin Powell and Norman Schwartzkopf look like those from virtually any high-end portrait studio.

The vitality and originality I used to associate with Annie Leibovitz is largely absent in this collection. On the whole, it is a disappointing portfolio.

Leibovitz perhaps intended this collection to be a different kind of statement, truly a statement about her "life". And it is, uncomfortably so perhaps.

There are many, many photographs of Susan Sontag, Leibvoitz's partner. Sontag is remembered (and reviled) by many for her strident anti-Americanism. It is difficult to reconcile these "loving" picures of Sontag taken by her lover with the Sontag who exorciated Americans very shortly after 9/11 and told them they deserved the disaster they got. Hard to put away feelings of animosity while seeing so many photos of her in Leibvoitz's book.

Leibovitz also includes many photos of her family. These are nothing more than snapshots for the most part, no matter how deftly they have been manipulated in the printing process. (I am really curious as to whether Leibovitz does her own printing. Much of the impact of many of her photos in this collection owes to their printing and the large presentation size, not their content or composition.)

In some ways, Leibovitz would have been better served by putting all of her family pictures into a separate section. As such it would have chronicled the physical decline of her parents while their children and grandchildren grew and would have been a powerful testament to familial love.

Leibovitz makes it clear that this is a deeply personal statement. She says "I cried for a month. I didn't realize until later how far the work on the book had taken me through the grieving proces. It's the closest thing to who I am that I've ever done." That sentiment may indeed account for the ordinariness of the photos in this book. Leibovitz is showing us her life - as the title implies - and not simply showcasing her best work. On the other hand, that presumes the admirer of Leibovitz's photography is interested in her personal life with Sontag and family and not just her photography. I'm sure some will enjoy this collection: I did not find it especially noteworthy.
Rule #1: The Simple Strategy for Successful Investing in Only 15 Minutes a Week!
The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
Norman Vincent Peale: Three Complete Books: The Power of Positive Thinking; The Positive Principle Today; Enthusiasm Makes the Difference

My Secret: A PostSecret Book

The World Is Flat : A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
http://eat-healthy-every-day.blogspot.com/

My Secret is Frank Warren's second collection of PostSecret postcards. To give a quick overview of what this is all about - PostSecret is described as a "community art project" where strangers mail Warren a postcard with a very personal secret which they have never shared with anyone before. The Postcard is typically decorated with some sort of artwork that describes the secret being sent. Every Sunday Warren posts them on his PostSecret blog, but he has also published three collections of the postcards. My Secret: A PostSecret Book is the second of the three collections.

What is first notable about My Secret is that it is quite a bit smaller than PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives. Without measuring or weighing the book, I would suggest that My Secret is approximately half the size. What this means is that there is far less content for your dollar.

The second thing to point out is that some of these postcards may have been recycled from the first volume. I have not confirmed this by comparing the two books side by side, but some of the postcards were suspiciously familiar. If some of them were not reused, they are very similar to the postcards of volume one with mostly the same content.

This may come across as a knock on My Secret, and in a sense it is, but if we look at My Secret as an individual volume standing alone, the second complaint falls away. My Secret is a collection of some funny and heartbreaking secrets that anyone may have sent in. Considering the volume of postcards Warren has received, any of our neighbors may have a postcard on the website or in a book at any given time. This is what is special about the PostSecret project and in turn about each of the collections. Reading these collections tells the reader that he or she is not alone, that other people have felt this way and that the painful experience is not unique and this can be a way to heal. Reading these collections shows us that we all have something extraordinary about us that our friends and family may never guess. While it is the painful ones which may be most remarkable, there are also funny and happy and silly secrets.

It is ultimately impossible to separate My Secret from the other collections and from the PostSecret project as a whole, so I will close by saying this: My Secret is not as strong of a collection as the first volume. It is smaller and somewhat weaker. But, with that said, it is still worth the half hour or and hour which it will take to go through all of the secrets and get a glimpse into the lives of others, and in turn into ourselves.

-Joe Sherry
The Children's Hospital
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman

A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005

At Canaan's Edge: America in the King Years, 1965-68
http://eat-healthy-every-day.blogspot.com/

This book has to be reviewed on two levels. First as a retrospective of Annie Leibovitz's photography from 1990 - 2005. On that level, the presentation is sumptuous and greatly enhances even the most mediocre photos. Few of these photos are as breathtaking as much of the work Leibowitz produced in earlier years. Most of the photos would, in fact, be indistinguishable from the work of thousands of others photographers were it not for their famous subjects, such as Al Pacino and Willie Nelson.

One troubling aspect of this collection for me was Leibowitz's seeming imitation of the styles of other photographers from the past such as Dianne Arbus and even Leni Riefenstahl, the infamous creator of the Nazi propaganda film "Triumph of the Will". Her portrait of the muscular torso of Sylvester Stallone is terribly reminiscent of Riefenstahl's style. Likewise her portraits of two Las Vegas dancers, resplendent in their bejeweled costumes, is compared with portraits of them as ordinary middle-aged women without makeup. Effective, but in many ways a reflection of Arbus's famous style. Portraits of Colin Powell and Norman Schwartzkopf look like those from virtually any high-end portrait studio.

The vitality and originality I used to associate with Annie Leibovitz is largely absent in this collection. On the whole, it is a disappointing portfolio.

Leibovitz perhaps intended this collection to be a different kind of statement, truly a statement about her "life". And it is, uncomfortably so perhaps.

There are many, many photographs of Susan Sontag, Leibvoitz's partner. Sontag is remembered (and reviled) by many for her strident anti-Americanism. It is difficult to reconcile these "loving" picures of Sontag taken by her lover with the Sontag who exorciated Americans very shortly after 9/11 and told them they deserved the disaster they got. Hard to put away feelings of animosity while seeing so many photos of her in Leibvoitz's book.

Leibovitz also includes many photos of her family. These are nothing more than snapshots for the most part, no matter how deftly they have been manipulated in the printing process. (I am really curious as to whether Leibovitz does her own printing. Much of the impact of many of her photos in this collection owes to their printing and the large presentation size, not their content or composition.)

In some ways, Leibovitz would have been better served by putting all of her family pictures into a separate section. As such it would have chronicled the physical decline of her parents while their children and grandchildren grew and would have been a powerful testament to familial love.

Leibovitz makes it clear that this is a deeply personal statement. She says "I cried for a month. I didn't realize until later how far the work on the book had taken me through the grieving proces. It's the closest thing to who I am that I've ever done." That sentiment may indeed account for the ordinariness of the photos in this book. Leibovitz is showing us her life - as the title implies - and not simply showcasing her best work. On the other hand, that presumes the admirer of Leibovitz's photography is interested in her personal life with Sontag and family and not just her photography. I'm sure some will enjoy this collection: I did not find it especially noteworthy.
American Theocracy: The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money in the 21stCentury
Absurdistan: A Novel
Barefoot Contessa at Home: Everyday Recipes You'll Make Over and Over Again

A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005

The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation
http://eat-healthy-every-day.blogspot.com/

This book has to be reviewed on two levels. First as a retrospective of Annie Leibovitz's photography from 1990 - 2005. On that level, the presentation is sumptuous and greatly enhances even the most mediocre photos. Few of these photos are as breathtaking as much of the work Leibowitz produced in earlier years. Most of the photos would, in fact, be indistinguishable from the work of thousands of others photographers were it not for their famous subjects, such as Al Pacino and Willie Nelson.

One troubling aspect of this collection for me was Leibowitz's seeming imitation of the styles of other photographers from the past such as Dianne Arbus and even Leni Riefenstahl, the infamous creator of the Nazi propaganda film "Triumph of the Will". Her portrait of the muscular torso of Sylvester Stallone is terribly reminiscent of Riefenstahl's style. Likewise her portraits of two Las Vegas dancers, resplendent in their bejeweled costumes, is compared with portraits of them as ordinary middle-aged women without makeup. Effective, but in many ways a reflection of Arbus's famous style. Portraits of Colin Powell and Norman Schwartzkopf look like those from virtually any high-end portrait studio.

The vitality and originality I used to associate with Annie Leibovitz is largely absent in this collection. On the whole, it is a disappointing portfolio.

Leibovitz perhaps intended this collection to be a different kind of statement, truly a statement about her "life". And it is, uncomfortably so perhaps.

There are many, many photographs of Susan Sontag, Leibvoitz's partner. Sontag is remembered (and reviled) by many for her strident anti-Americanism. It is difficult to reconcile these "loving" picures of Sontag taken by her lover with the Sontag who exorciated Americans very shortly after 9/11 and told them they deserved the disaster they got. Hard to put away feelings of animosity while seeing so many photos of her in Leibvoitz's book.

Leibovitz also includes many photos of her family. These are nothing more than snapshots for the most part, no matter how deftly they have been manipulated in the printing process. (I am really curious as to whether Leibovitz does her own printing. Much of the impact of many of her photos in this collection owes to their printing and the large presentation size, not their content or composition.)

In some ways, Leibovitz would have been better served by putting all of her family pictures into a separate section. As such it would have chronicled the physical decline of her parents while their children and grandchildren grew and would have been a powerful testament to familial love.

Leibovitz makes it clear that this is a deeply personal statement. She says "I cried for a month. I didn't realize until later how far the work on the book had taken me through the grieving proces. It's the closest thing to who I am that I've ever done." That sentiment may indeed account for the ordinariness of the photos in this book. Leibovitz is showing us her life - as the title implies - and not simply showcasing her best work. On the other hand, that presumes the admirer of Leibovitz's photography is interested in her personal life with Sontag and family and not just her photography. I'm sure some will enjoy this collection: I did not find it especially noteworthy.
The God of Animals: A Novel by Aryn Kyle
The End (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 13)
Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything by Don Tapscott, Anthony D. Williams

A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005

http://eat-healthy-every-day.blogspot.com/

This book has to be reviewed on two levels. First as a retrospective of Annie Leibovitz's photography from 1990 - 2005. On that level, the presentation is sumptuous and greatly enhances even the most mediocre photos. Few of these photos are as breathtaking as much of the work Leibowitz produced in earlier years. Most of the photos would, in fact, be indistinguishable from the work of thousands of others photographers were it not for their famous subjects, such as Al Pacino and Willie Nelson.

One troubling aspect of this collection for me was Leibowitz's seeming imitation of the styles of other photographers from the past such as Dianne Arbus and even Leni Riefenstahl, the infamous creator of the Nazi propaganda film "Triumph of the Will". Her portrait of the muscular torso of Sylvester Stallone is terribly reminiscent of Riefenstahl's style. Likewise her portraits of two Las Vegas dancers, resplendent in their bejeweled costumes, is compared with portraits of them as ordinary middle-aged women without makeup. Effective, but in many ways a reflection of Arbus's famous style. Portraits of Colin Powell and Norman Schwartzkopf look like those from virtually any high-end portrait studio.

The vitality and originality I used to associate with Annie Leibovitz is largely absent in this collection. On the whole, it is a disappointing portfolio.

Leibovitz perhaps intended this collection to be a different kind of statement, truly a statement about her "life". And it is, uncomfortably so perhaps.

There are many, many photographs of Susan Sontag, Leibvoitz's partner. Sontag is remembered (and reviled) by many for her strident anti-Americanism. It is difficult to reconcile these "loving" picures of Sontag taken by her lover with the Sontag who exorciated Americans very shortly after 9/11 and told them they deserved the disaster they got. Hard to put away feelings of animosity while seeing so many photos of her in Leibvoitz's book.

Leibovitz also includes many photos of her family. These are nothing more than snapshots for the most part, no matter how deftly they have been manipulated in the printing process. (I am really curious as to whether Leibovitz does her own printing. Much of the impact of many of her photos in this collection owes to their printing and the large presentation size, not their content or composition.)

In some ways, Leibovitz would have been better served by putting all of her family pictures into a separate section. As such it would have chronicled the physical decline of her parents while their children and grandchildren grew and would have been a powerful testament to familial love.

Leibovitz makes it clear that this is a deeply personal statement. She says "I cried for a month. I didn't realize until later how far the work on the book had taken me through the grieving proces. It's the closest thing to who I am that I've ever done." That sentiment may indeed account for the ordinariness of the photos in this book. Leibovitz is showing us her life - as the title implies - and not simply showcasing her best work. On the other hand, that presumes the admirer of Leibovitz's photography is interested in her personal life with Sontag and family and not just her photography. I'm sure some will enjoy this collection: I did not find it especially noteworthy.
The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief
The Best Business Advice You Can Ever Get
Bill Bailey Kraftwerk Tribute