Book Review: The Way To Go by Kate Ascher

Title: The Way To Go: Moving by Sea, Land and Air
Author: Kate Ascher

Illustrators: Vic Kulihn, Design Language, David Preiss, Ken Batelman, Jason Lee, Aaron Ashley, Michael Fornalski, Jim Kopp, and James Provost

Source/Format: Purchased; Hardcover
ISBN: 9781594204685
More Details: 
Publisher/ Release date: The Penguin Press; Mar 20 2014

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Synopsis From Goodreads:

In our digital age, it’s easy to forget that almost everything we enjoy about modern life depends on motion. We ride in cars and on buses and trains to work; enjoy food shipped over oceans; fly high in the sky to any point on the planet. Over the last century, the world has come to rely on its ability to move just about anywhere effortlessly. But what prompted this transformation? What inventions allowed it to happen? And how do the vehicles and systems that keep us in motion today—airports, trains, cars, and satellites—really work?

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What I thought:

The Way To Go by Kate Ascher covers the three main ways humans travel. It’s as the subtitle puts it, Moving by Land, Sea and Air. It’s not a deep dive into every topic. Instead, it shortly delves into finer details that we may not think about (like how train tracks are laid, or maintenance of ships in a dry dock). I liked that it’s a nice general over view of travel.

I mainly picked up the Way To Go as some leisure reading. I did feel there were a couple of parts that got repetitive; especially since certain areas naturally overlap. They were often named in one paragraph, and then further explained in another nearby, or on a different page with a closely related topic.  With that being said, I did enjoy it a lot. There were illustrations on every page. And, like many books I’ve read, technical terms are given a definition. Definitions of which could be found in the text that accompanied illustrations and photographs. Next, I love how the chapters are broken down into specific areas. For example within Sea is Life at Sea, Navigation, and Closer to Shore. This brings me to my next favorite. A single topic or closely related ones within the sections were contained in one page and/or a two page spread. 

The Way To Go is not an end all, definite, or technical book. And, I think it does what Ascher set out to do well. So, overall I enjoyed it a lot. I recommend checking it out if it sounds interesting to you, or if you want to simply discover the broad details of traveling.

Thanks for reading!

Book Review: Clash of Steel by C.B Lee

Title: Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix
Author: C.B. Lee
Source/Format: BookishFirst and Macmillan; Hardcover
More Details: YA; Remixed Classic
Publisher/ Release date: Feiwel and Friends; Sep 7, 2021

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Synopsis From Goodreads:

Two intrepid girls hunt for a legendary treasure on the deadly high seas in this YA remix of the classic adventure novel Treasure Island.

1826. The sun is setting on the golden age of piracy, and the legendary Dragon Fleet, the scourge of the South China Sea, is no more. Xiang has grown up with stories about the Dragon Fleet and its ruthless leader, a woman known only as the Dragon Queen, all her life. Xiang desperately wants to set sail and explore—mainly to find her father, a presumed dead crew member of the Dragon Fleet. Her only memento of him is a pendant she always wears, a simple but plain piece of gold jewelry.

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What I Thought:

I had previously read, reviewed, and liked Treasure Island (that review is here). So, I did not wait to spend my points on BookishFirst when I read the preview of Clash of Steel.  

There are hallmarks of it being a Treasure Island retelling, but Clash of Steel is its own story. The prologue sucked me in as the reader meets a young Anh and the tale of the legendary Zheng Yi Sao and her Dragon Fleet. This, along with the first few chapters set the backdrop of the rest of the story. Like Treasure Island, the relationships between characters are shown before getting off to the adventure at sea. There is somewhat of a juxtaposition between Xiang and Anh –not only as characters, but also in terms of their lives and families. For example, Xiang vies for her mother’s attention and approval with attempts of formality. Whereas both Anh and her mother, Captain Hoa, have a more familial air between each other and the crew of the Huyen Vu. A familial air that becomes especially clear after Xiang hangs around Anh more. There are many other relationship portrayals that I’d want to get into, but no spoilers from me.  There were some things that I hadn’t predicted, and others that I had. Nonetheless, the end still got me very emotional. The pacing was perfect, and I found it to be a page turner.

Over all, Clash of Steel was an exciting read that I had to peel out of my hands. I recommend it if you like Treasure Island and are looking for a YA retelling.

I received this book from BookishFirst and Macmillan for this review.

Thanks for reading!

Book Review: Fashion Design Essentials: 100 Principals Of Fashion Design

Title: Fashion Design Essentials: 100 Principals Of Fashion Design
Author: Jay Calderin
Source/Format: Library Borrowed; Hardcover
Genre: Nonfiction, Fashion
Publisher/ Release date: Rockport Publishers; July 1, 2011

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Synopsis from Goodreads:
Creative ideas are elevated by experience and expertise. This book sets forth a challenge to fashion designers: continue to expand your horizons, exercise your skills and experiment with strategies. Filled with inspiring fashion design details from around the world, Fashion Design Essentials supplies a selection of starting points for fashion designers of all levels, as well as a wide variety of useful examples for each stage of the design process.
Inside, you'll find insight on:
- How to define concepts and render them
- Understanding textiles and the process of selecting fabrics
- Developing sewing skills and constructing garments
- How to build a reputation and find an audience for your work
All 100 insights are beautifully illustrated with real-world fashion designs. If your creativity has staggered or stalled, the variety of subjects in this book will provide new ways to jumpstart it and refocus. Learn to employ alternative ways of thinking and actively pursue experiences that stimulate artistry with Fashion Design Essentials.

My Thoughts

Fashion Design Essentials: 100 Principals of Fashion Design by Jay Calderin is a pretty good starting book, especially if you’re new to fashion. I can’t say that this is the most in-depth book, but it does provide a nice introduction to each of the subjects that were included.

On a personal level I can’t say this book was exactly for me, the reason being is that I’m not exactly new to fashion. But if I was, I’d say that the subjects mentioned would definitely prompt me look into each element further. One positive of the book was that some of the subjects mentioned are things that I didn’t think about before –like taking into consideration how all ages affect fashion. 

Over all Fashion Design Essentials: 100 Principals of Fashion Design was a pretty good book for people new or curious about fashion.

I like it.