Category Archives: books

my first book review – purge

Leave a reply

Week 6, 2012
Joensuu, Finland

Here I write my very first book review. I want to learn to do this.
Book: Purge
Author:  Sofi Oksanen
Type of book:  Novel  (mix of crime and historical fiction)
Theme: Personal events on the life of two women at different periods of time
Thesis:  The interpretations of events on each ones’ life knitted with the personal aim and the influences of the society each one lives in.

The novel develops on the story of two characters: Zara and Aliide. Both stories are individual, but they  are also interlinked when one sees the big picture of both stories.  Zara’s story is based on the present  (around 1990s), she is a russian woman descendent of Estonian. Aliide’s story is based on the past, she is a estonian woman from the time of the second war.

The historical moment plays a role in each of the main character’s story. Each character has the pressure of the economical, social, historical and human challenges of her time, in addition to her personal limitations. Furthermore the psychology of the characters, showing their feelings of hope, shame, betrayal, guilt, denial are strongly describe along the novel, in concordance with their historical moment.

Very well writing, and the author (Sofi Oksanen)  lets us travel along different layers of time to follow the stories of both main characters. Invite us to think and to wonder about the characters and their time. It is mandatory to read all the book, any page can expose fundamental details to understand future or past sections.  Therefore, the book requires concentration.

I message between lines, that I have interpreted from the novel is: No all what you see is what it is, and there are a lot of stories behind each moment we live….. and most of those stories are unknown for us.  Additionally, all of us, in any period of time, have fears and we wish to be loved and accepted.

Purge - British Cover

Purge - British Cover

basics

Leave a reply

week 12 of 2011
Joensuu, Finland

Writing, writing and more writing….

for that I need to review some of my basics in Activity Theory (AT). So, this is the third time I read the EXCELLENT book from Kaptelinin & Nardi, and still I am processing it. Their book, for me, is comprehensive and it has helped me to bring together my understanding of AT from the perspective of interaction design. Another author that I enjoy deeply to read regarding AT is Prof. Yrjö  Engeström. However, I am slower digesting his message, even though I learn a lot from his lines. Sometimes when I am reading, specially with “scientific” stuff,  or when I go to the library I have imagine how fantastic would be to listen to them explaining their ideas, dreams and experiences. To interact with them as friends, which ones are their personalities, how they deal with problems and how their dreams fulfills them. Each person is a whole interesting collection of volumes in different topics.  I guess all of us have experienced that great feeling when someone, who has more experience than us, offers us quality of time and narrates us something so that involves actively on the topic. So many ideas and knowledge are enclosed everywhere….

 

Acting with Technology

take advantage of critcism…

2 Replies

Some weeks ago I read “How to Get Ideas” from Hack Foster. A very good book from different perspectives, giving me food for the thought and some reminders.

Today I feel the book is full of truth! This year I had been working in focusing my research. Besides my “Licentiate” I wrote 8 LONG papers and ANY accepted. With the first 4 rejections I got down. Then, after vented my “frustration” I reacted and got back to the battle camp. Before the last four rejections arrived, I was fully immerse in the theory and methodology of my work. Then, the rejections came and got them as relief. However got interesting feedback.

What do I want to say with this? Perhaps for anyone that has been in my situation or might be in my situation and by accident pop in this blog, relax!. Criticism is an advantage.

Why am I so sure?  well, today I do not only have 8 mature ideas (and popping better new ideas too), the valuable part is I have over a dozen of  inputs from experts (at this moment) helping me to clarify my own thoughts and teaching me how to transmit my message as clear as possible. Just do not get frozen keep on working, success will come.

I always wanted quality, but who said the path is easy?. It is clear, criticism is not simple to get or digest. Think about the critics, at the one transform them to you favor (take what it is worth of it). Furthermore,  “many people would rather die than think. In fact they do.” – Bertrand Russell.

**************************************************************

NOTHING IN THE WORLD TAKE THE PLACE OF PERSISTENCE

Talent doesn’t – nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talen

Wealth doesn’t – the born-rich who die poor are legion

Genius doesn’t– unrewarded genious is almost as proverb

Education doesn’t – the world is full of educated derelicts

Luck doesn’t – her fickleness has toppled kings.

PERSISTENCE AND DETERMINATION ALONE ARE OMNIPOTENT

**************************************************************

copy from “How to Get Ideas” pag 181

still actualizing…

Leave a reply

One thing that I love and enjoy a lot of game researchers, or of the people that is engage into games is: to sense some kind of energy of life and passion, which involves this topic and environment, and that it is spread all over, generating more energy. OK, I shouldn’t generalized on this, plus it is not exclusive of the “game world”, however I find it quite often in this “world” 😉

Which by the way remaind me to recommend a book that I am just finishing to read: FLOW from Csikszentmihalyi, quite interesting.

And from my virtual life, Kovacs shared me some time ago a though from an USA ex-president, which I admit I like and I feel to share it:
“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”
– John Calvin Coolidge

PS. Some days, as today, I confirm how much I like technology (seeing it as a complete neutral tool, that can be use for good or not good) . But this virtual world in general is amazing!!! all what you can do, discover, share…. wow!