Submitted: 01-16-2007 by bohemia
Everyone will tell you, David Burch's book is the standard, a must read. I say: a difficult read, at times more like a laundry list than a book. Repays the reader's good will with more and more detail, poorly organized. Some good tricks to be learned (e.g. measuring degrees by finger width), some worth leaving out (the kamal). Kudos for sheer comprehensiveness and the honor that comes with being first. With proper editing, this could be an excellent book. For many years it was the only game in town. Franco Ferrero says the same thing in 1/10 the space (nice photocopyable tables too). Lee Moyers' book gets the nod for useful, practical tips and all-round readability. And if you've been good, reward yourself with John Dowd's pleasant DVD as a treat. I give this book 7 out of 10, the same way I'd grade it a C if it were a student paper. Hopefully a future edition will clean house. |