Somebody

Tolkien is a red herring

Reviewed: 05-10-16

Would you try another book from Deren Hansen and/or Deren Hansen?

Hansen seems to now a lot about writing. There's no indication he has any particular expertise or insight into Tolkien.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

If your interest is in how to write, this work may be fine. If your interest is in J.R.R. Tolkien, and what made his writing unique, don't bother with this work. Hansen's inclusion of Tolkien material seemed incidental only - a few paragraphs in the middle which took some examples from Tolkien's books to make points about writing in general. You are left with the impression that he could just as easily have titled the book How to Write Like Ernest Hemingway or Louis L'amour or Danielle Steel by revising those few examples on one page. The rest of the work would remain exactly the same. And that's ok... unless your interest is in Tolkien.

Any additional comments?

Again, as a manual on how to write, this is work fine - it just isn't a work about J.R.R. Tolkien. Since that was my interest, it was a complete disappointment.

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3 people found this helpful

More fluffy treatise than useful guide.

Reviewed: 06-13-14

What disappointed you about The Art of Gardening?

This is a 50 minute audiobook, so I wasn't expecting an extremely detailed technical manual. I've bought a number audiobooks less than an hour long. They're usually quick overview of a subject, and usually jump right into the subject matter quickly. Realistically, your expecting a short lecture. And I've generally found that you can pickup a quick introduction and a couple practical tips.
I should have saved my three dollars. It was the title that threw me off. "Permaculture - The Art of Gardening: The Ultimate Ecological Design and Engineering Guide". I wasn't expecting an exhaustive how to manual, but I did think there would be some practical advice on the design and engineering of a permaculture garden. And there was maybe 10 minutes of that buried in the last half of the talk. The remaining 40 minutes were platitudes, philosophy and ethical ponderings on sustainability, and none of it particularly original, accurate or insightful.
Had this been titled something like "The Philosophy and Ethics of Sustainable Gardening", I'd have nothing to complain about. And I would have saved my money. Since I was looking for a quick guide to the practical design and engineering of permaculture gardening, my time and money were both wasted.

What could Andrea Kong have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Removed the words 'design and engineering guide' from the title. This mischaracterized the work.

Which character – as performed by Kay Nazarchyk – was your favorite?

N/A

What character would you cut from The Art of Gardening?

N/A

Any additional comments?

Please don't misunderstand me. If you're looking for a treatise on the philosophy of sustainable gardening, this is the fine purchase. If you're looking for anything practical or useful in actually achieving a permaculture garden, look elsewhere.

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1 person found this helpful