Metaphors We Live By


George Lakoff - 1980
    Metaphor, the authors explain, is a fundamental mechanism of mind, one that allows us to use what we know about our physical and social experience to provide understanding of countless other subjects. Because such metaphors structure our most basic understandings of our experience, they are "metaphors we live by", metaphors that can shape our perceptions and actions without our ever noticing them.In this updated edition of Lakoff and Johnson's influential book, the authors supply an afterword surveying how their theory of metaphor has developed within the cognitive sciences to become central to the contemporary understanding of how we think and how we express our thoughts in language.

The Making of a Poem: A Norton Anthology of Poetic Forms


Mark Strand - 2000
    But distinguished poets Mark Strand and Eavan Boland have produced a clear, super-helpful book that unravels part of the mystery of great poems through an engaging exploration of poetic structure. Strand and Boland begin by promising to "look squarely at some of the headaches" of poetic form: the building blocks of poetry. The Making of a Poem gradually cures many of those headaches.Strand, who's won the Pulitzer Prize and a MacArthur Fellowship and has served as U.S. Poet Laureate, and Boland, an abundantly talented Irish poet who has also written a beautiful book of essays on writing and womanhood, are both accustomed to teaching. Strand, now at the University of Chicago, and Boland, a Stanford professor, draw upon decades in the classroom to anticipate most questions.Ever wonder what a pantoum is? A villanelle? A sestina? With humor, patience, and personal anecdotes, Strand and Boland offer answers. But the way they answer is what makes this book stand out. The forms are divided into three overarching categories: metrical forms, shaping forms, and open forms. "Metrical forms" include the sonnet, pantoum, and heroic couplet. "Shaping forms" explains broader categories, like the elegy, ode, and pastoral poem. And "open forms" offers new takes on the traditional blueprints, exploring poems like Allen Ginsberg's "America."Each established form is then approached in three ways, followed by several pages of outstanding poems in that form. First, the editors offer a "page at a glance" guide, with five or six characteristics of that specific form presented in a brief outline. For example, the pantoum is defined like this:   1) Each pantoum stanza must be four lines long.   2) The length is unspecified but the pantoum must begin and end with the same line.   3) The second and fourth lines of the first quatrain become the first and third line of the next, and so on with succeeding quatrains.   4) The rhyming of each quatrain is abab.   5) The final quatrain changes this pattern.   6) In the final quatrain the unrepeated first and third lines are used in reverse as second and fourth lines.With this outline, it's easy to identify the looping pantoum. In the second piece of the pantoum section, Strand and Boland include a "History of the Form" section, again condensed to one page. Here, we learn that the pantoum is "Malayan in origin and came into English, as so many other strict forms have, through France." Indeed, both Victor Hugo and Charles Baudelaire tried their hands at the pantoum. As always, Strand and Boland offer some comparison to the other forms, which helps explain why a poet might choose to write a pantoum over, say, a sonnet or a sestina:"Of all verse forms the pantoum is the slowest. The reader takes four steps forward, then two steps back. It is the perfect form for the evocation of a past time." Next, the editors include "The Contemporary Context," which introduces several of the pantoums of this century. Finally, in what may be the book's best feature, they provide a close-up of a pantoum, an approach they repeat for each form discussed. In this case, it's the "Pantoum of the Great Depression" by Donald Justice. The editors offer some biographical information on Justice, and then they map out how that specific poem gets its power. This "poet's explanation" of the workings of a poem is invaluable, especially when it comes from leading poets such as Stand and Boland. What's more, these remarks are transferable. Reading how Strand and Boland view a dozen poems transforms the way one reads. With any future poem, you can look for what Strand and Boland have found in the greats.The editors offer their readers a great start, with a list for further reading and a helpful glossary. If anything can get a person excited about poetry, this selection of poems can -- though the editors, as working poets, readily admit their choices are idiosyncratic. Gems here include the best work of lesser-known poets, including several "poets' poets." For example, Edward Thomas, a prominent reviewer in his day and a close friend of Robert Frost's, is represented by "Rain," an absolutely brilliant blank-verse poem which begins:      Rain, midnight rain, nothing but wild rain      On this bleak hut, and solitude, and me      Remembering again that I shall die      And neither hear the rain nor give it thanks      For washing me cleaner than I have been       Since I was born into this solitude. Thomas's poem -- and other treasures here -- introduces readers to what and how poets read to learn to make poems. Of course, many of the usual suspects are found here, but the surprises are exciting, and even the old favorites seem new when the editors explain why and how a particular poem seems beautiful. This is particularly evident in their discussion of Edna St. Vincent Millay's rushing, initially breathless sonnet "What Lips My Lips Have Kissed, and Where, and How, " which reads:      What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why,      I have forgotten, and what arms have lain      Under my head till morning, but the rain      Is full of ghosts tonight, that tap and sigh      Upon the glass and listen for reply,       And in my heart there stirs a quiet pain      For unremembered lads that not again      Will turn to me at midnight with a cry.       Thus in the winter stands the lonely tree      Nor knows what birds have vanquished one by one,      Yet knows its boughs more silent than before:       I cannot say what loves have come and gone,       I only know that summer sang in me      A little while, that in me sings no more. In the "close-up" section, Strand and Boland offer an biographical paragraph that mentions that in 1923, Millay became the first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize in Poetry. They then discuss Millay's "distinctive and unusual" approach to the sonnet form: "Instead of taking the more leisurely pace of the public sonnet that had been the 19th-century model, she drove her sonnets forward with a powerful lyric music and personal emphasis."The editors point out Millay's heavy reliance on assonance and alliteration, and then note how she takes advantage of the different tempos the sonnet offers:"Here she uses her distinctive music and high diction to produce an unusually quick-paced poem in the first octave and then a slower, more reflective septet where the abandoned lover becomes a winter tree. This ability of the sonnet, to accommodate both lyric and reflective time, made it a perfect vehicle for highly intuitive twentieth-century poets like Millay."That simple explanation of the sonnet as a form able to "accommodate both lyric and reflective time" helps clarify most sonnets. But Strand and Boland are careful not to explain everything. The deepest beauty, as they explain in their introductory essays on their attraction to form, is built on mystery. And it is that attempt to understand the greatest mysteries that defines the greatest poems. Similarly, mystery often drives poets to write, as Strand explains in his essay on Archibald MacLeish's "You, Andrew Marvell," which Strand describes as the first poem he wished he had written himself in his early years as a poet:"Although I no longer wish I had written 'You, Andrew Marvell,' I wish, however, that I could write something like it, something with its sweep, its sensuousness, its sad crepuscular beauty, something capable of carving out such a large psychic space for itself&. There is something about it that moves me in ways I don't quite understand, as it were communicating more than what it actually says. This is often the case with good poems -- they have a lyric identity that goes beyond whatever their subject happens to be."With this book, Strand and Boland help quantify the explicable parts of a "lyric identity." Understanding form, the editors believe, is one way to begin understanding a poem's beauty. This lucid, useful book is a wonderful guide to that mysterious music.—Aviya Kushner

Storycraft: The Complete Guide to Writing Narrative Nonfiction


Jack R. Hart - 2011
    Yet writers looking for guidance on reporting and writing true stories have had few places to turn for advice. Now in Storycraft, Jack Hart, a former managing editor of the Oregonian who guided several Pulitzer Prize–winning narratives to publication, delivers what will certainly become the definitive guide to the methods and mechanics of crafting narrative nonfiction.Hart covers what writers in this genre need to know, from understanding story theory and structure, to mastering point of view and such basic elements as scene, action, and character, to drafting, revising, and editing work for publication. Revealing the stories behind the stories, Hart brings readers into the process of developing nonfiction narratives by sharing tips, anecdotes, and recommendations he forged during his decades-long career in journalism. From there, he expands the discussion to other well-known writers to show the broad range of texts, styles, genres, and media to which his advice applies. With examples that draw from magazine essays, book-length nonfiction narratives, documentaries, and radio programs, Storycraft will be an indispensable resource for years to come.

The Craft of Research


Wayne C. Booth - 1995
    Seasoned researchers and educators Gregory G. Colomb and Joseph M. Williams present an updated third edition of their classic handbook, whose first and second editions were written in collaboration with the late Wayne C. Booth. The Craft of Research explains how to build an argument that motivates readers to accept a claim; how to anticipate the reservations of readers and to respond to them appropriately; and how to create introductions and conclusions that answer that most demanding question, “So what?” The third edition includes an expanded discussion of the essential early stages of a research task: planning and drafting a paper. The authors have revised and fully updated their section on electronic research, emphasizing the need to distinguish between trustworthy sources (such as those found in libraries) and less reliable sources found with a quick Web search. A chapter on warrants has also been thoroughly reviewed to make this difficult subject easier for researchers Throughout, the authors have preserved the amiable tone, the reliable voice, and the sense of directness that have made this book indispensable for anyone undertaking a research project.

Art Journals and Creative Healing: Restoring the Spirit Through Self-Expression


Sharon Soneff - 2008
    In this new volume, Art Journals & Creative Healing , she demonstrates with real excerpts from beautiful and unusual artistic journals that the process of journaling can be a tool in navigating through some of lifeÆs more challenging seasons, as well as a tool to support personal growth and achievement. Challenging and complex experiences are treated with dignity and sensitivity, and will inspire readers dealing with their own issues, by placing the greater emphasis on the positive outcome that was yielded for the artist who is willing to be vulnerable in the process. Hope, growth, and healing are at the center of each work, and help deliver the message of the book.Additionally, the ideas, artistic approaches, and resources provided by the author and numerous contributing artists will help the reader with creative ideas for working through various situations through their reflective and artistic journal keeping. Through a marriage of beautiful imagery, uplifting and literary quotations, and other rich sources, Art Journals & Creative Healing offers its audience a full-bodied experience pertaining to creative journals, along with journaling worksheets and journal prompts to help readers get started with their own journals. Specific topics to be addressed would include using mediums as metaphors, journaling for cathartic expression, gaining wisdom through introspection and reflection, finding strength in the midst of suffering, and finding beauty in pain. Art Journals & Creative Healing is a supportive and encouraging text offered as a creative companion of sorts for those traversing over the obstacles and overcoming the challenges of life.

The Bucket List: 1000 Adventures Big & Small


Kath Stathers - 2017
    You'll find memorable, once-in-a-lifetime activities organized by longitude and latitude (country-by-country index also included) so you can max out your itinerary with the best things to do and the best places to visit around the world.Discover recommendations that fit every traveler's must-do list, whether you go for museums and cultural experiences, sports & adventure travel, natural wonders and monuments, or culinary delights.Packed with over 300 remarkable photos and info on the best beaches, museums, monuments, islands, inns, restaurants, and mountains at every longitude, each chapter includes not only geographically unique ideas, but also activities you can fit in to any itinerary, for travelers of all ages:Globetrotting: Hitchhike across a border, or stand on the International Date Line Wildlife Encounters: Watch sea turtles lay eggs on a beach, or fish with a cormorant on the Yangtze Extreme Sports: Rafting on the Yukon, or zipline down the Alps Music & Dance: Learn the guitar in 7 days and perform in a public square, or find a tango partner in the street in Buenos Aires Legacy: Volunteer at an Orangutan sanctuary in Borneo, or research your family history and visit an ancestral site Food & Drink: Eat a beignet at Caf� Du Monde in New Orleans, or forage your own dinner in Central ParkA valuable reference and a wonderful gift for digital nomads, recent grads, sabbatical planners, and adventuresome retirees, fair warning: you might just find your travel bucket list getting much, much longer.

The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs


Carmine Gallo - 2009
    Communications expert Carmine Gallo has studied and analyzed the very best of Jobs's performances, offering point-by-point examples, tried-and-true techniques, and proven presentation secrets in 18 "scenes," including:Develop a messianic sense of purposeReveal the Conquering heroChannel your inner ZenStage your presentation with propsMake it look effortlessWith this revolutionary approach, you'll be surprised at how easy it is to sell your ideas, share your enthusiasm, and wow your audience the Steve Jobs way."No other leader captures an audience like Steve Jobs does and, like no other book, The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs captures the formula Steve uses to enthrall audiences."--Rob Enderle, The Enderle Group"Now you can learn from the best there is--both Jobs and Gallo. No matter whether you are a novice presenter or a professional speaker like me, you will read and reread this book with the same enthusiasm that people bring to their iPods."--David Meerman Scott, bestselling author of The New Rules of Marketing & PR and World Wide Rave

Ready, Set, Novel!: A Workbook


Lindsey Grant - 2011
    Full of helpful lists, plot maps, character Q&As, field trips, writing exercises, inspiring quotes, and plenty of space to write and outline, Ready, Set, Novel! provides ample inspiration and guidance to first-time novelists and more seasoned scribes alike.

Become An Idea Machine: Because Ideas Are The Currency Of The 21st Century


Claudia Azula Altucher - 2014
    Come up with 10 ideas a day. Every day. It does not matter if they are good or bad, the point is to exercise your idea muscle, to make it sweat. People say ideas are a dime a dozen but that is NOT true. Ideas are a dime for three, but if you try to come up with ten by opening this book to any page, you will feel your mind stretching, working, sweating. People say execution is everything, that is ALSO NOT true. Execution is a subset of ideas. When you exercise your idea muscle every day you become an idea machine, you are unstoppable. When a GREAT idea comes your way you are inspired, you feel moved, you HAVE to take the next step. Execution happens automatically. Try the 180 prompts in this book, list your ten ideas every day and see your life transform, in magical ways, in front of your eyes.

Make Your Creative Dreams Real: A Plan for Procrastinators, Perfectionists, Busy People, and People Who Would Really Rather Sleep All Day


S.A.R.K. - 2004
    It's a "paper lantern" to illuminate your path. Your dreams glow in the dark even if you don't ever tend to them. They will wait for you. I know this from my experiences as a recovering procrastinator and perfectionist. My dreams waited for me -- now you can begin to make your creative dreams REAL!

Do One Thing Every Day That Scares You: A Journal


Dian G. Smith - 2013
    This journal contains a year's worth of fear-facing prompts and mottoes of encouragement. It provides space to jot down daily examples of your own courage--the small steps that culminate in one bold year. Jotting down one thing a day, especially on fortifying subjects like gratitude and happiness, is an enormously popular journaling practice (one that is recommended by nearly every best-selling self-help author). Bravery is another key ingredient of self-actualization, so why not make a daily habit of thinking courageously? This journal is perfect for recent graduates, milestone birthdays, or as a year-end holiday gift to kick off "New Year, New You" projects.

Fodor's Hawaii 2007


Fodor's Travel Publications Inc.Maggie Wunsch - 1983
    Whatever you choose to do, exploring paradise has never been this much fun, or this easy!LOOK INSIDE FOR AN INNOVATIVE, NEW TRAVEL GUIDE! Comprehensive, up-to-date, and easy to use, Fodor's Hawaii 2007 remains the best resource for organizing your trip to these rich and varied islands. Our 2007 edition also flaunts exclusive, new features including indispensable, customized tools for planning a tropical vacation, in addition to rich photography that illustrates the distinctive culture of each island. Plus, not only will you read the expert advice of our professional travel writers, but you'll also review recommendations from everyday travelers like yourself, in our new "Word of Mouth" features throughout the book. Fodor's Hawaii 2007 is designed so that you spend less time researching and more time relishing what lies ahead on your dream vacation.Plan a perfect island getaway, with these new features: Find the perfect activity: Whether you want to spend your time boogie boarding, snorkeling, hiking, or biking, our guide features expert advice about what you need to hit the water or the trails. Our local experts give practical information and opinions about equipment, techniques, and the best spots for each activity. Plus, our all-new golf section includes complete reviews by a local golf writer, who has played 88 golf course in Hawaii, and gives insider advice such as the best places for whale-watching."Word of Mouth" from Fodors.com: Read what fellow travelers are saying about their favorite places to explore and unwind, featured throughout the book. Then, when you return from your trip, share your opinions on Fodors.com and they may get published in our 2008 edition!Beaches: Fodor's Hawaii 2007 features beach maps that highlight coastlines and what facilities are available from restrooms to what beaches are kid-friendly. These brand-new features complement incisive, opinionated beach reviews to make sure you find the perfect beach to soak up the sun.Hotel Charts: Simple charts summarize prices, amenities, and the distinctive character of lodging on each island.Where to Spa: A complete guide to Hawaii's ever-growing spa industry, with reviews of destination, resort, and day spas.Photos and Maps Unique photos throughout illustrate the history and local activities, while brand-new topographical maps designate sights, beaches, dive sites, restaurants, island-to-island ferries, and more!Always Up-to-date: Fodor's Hawaii guide is updated EVERY year--it's the most accurate book available!Visit Fodors.com for travel bargains, information on local festivals, maps, vacation planning tips, more reviews and much more! And, to view more insider secrets, visit "Travel Talk" and "Rants and Raves" at Fodors.com/forums for more recommendations from travelers like yourself.

The 3 A.M. Epiphany


Brian Kiteley - 2005
    Insight and creativity - the desire to push the boundaries of your writing - strike when you least expect it. And you're often in no position to act: in the shower, driving the kids to school...in the middle of the night.The 3 A.M. Epiphany offers more than 200 intriguing writing exercises designed to help you think, write, and revise like never before - without having to wait for creative inspiration. Brian Kiteley, noted author and director of the University of Denver's creative writing program, has crafted and refined these exercises through 15 years of teaching experience.You'll learn how to:Transform staid and stale writing patterns into exciting experiments in fictionShed the anxieties that keep you from reaching your full potential as a writerCraft unique ideas by combining personal experience with unrestricted imaginationExamine and overcome all of your fiction writing concerns, from getting started to writer's blockOpen the book, select an exercise, and give it a try. It's just what you need to craft refreshing new fiction, discover bold new insights, and explore what it means to be a writer.It's never too early to start--not even 3 A.M.

A Technique for Producing Ideas


James Webb Young - 1940
    Professionals from poets and painters to scientists and engineers have also used the techniques in this concise, powerful book to generate exciting ideas on demand, at any time, on any subject. Now let James Webb Young's unique insights help you look inside yourself to find that big, elusive idea--and once and for all lift the veil of mystery from the creative process."James Webb Young is in the tradition of some of our greatest thinkers when he describes the workings of the creative process. The results of many years in advertising have proved to him that the key element in communications success is the production of relevant and dramatic ideas. He not only makes this point vividly for us but shows us the road to that goal."--William Bernbach, Former Chairman and CEO, Doyle Dane Bernbach Inc.

Sin Boldly!: Dr. Dave's Guide To Acing The College Paper


David R. Williams - 1994
     Jammed with sage advice, genuine encouragement, and surprising examples of how to write and how not to write, this book gives beginning writers and confident students alike an easy-to-follow roadmap for improving one of the most important skills for success. En route to Sin Boldly!-induced, A+ paper bliss, readers encounter such topics as:Choosing a Topic and Telling Your Story ("K.I.S.S.-Keep It Simple, Stupid")Literary Games (featuring "Francobabble for Freshman")Choosing a Voice ("Dissing the Prof")Grammatical Horrors ("A does not equal they")Common Mistakes ("Hopefully and Other Controversies") Fully revised and updated with new examples, quizzes, and tips, Sin Boldly! is not only a comprehensive guide, but also a fantastic, fun read for anyone who wants to write clearly and effectively.