Kathryn Vercillo

Kathryn Vercillo's book is a mishmash of stories and articles she has gathered in gathering evidence of the ghostly haunts of San Francisco city proper.

The book is broken down into a narrative style, with the most interesting ghost stories about the various mansions, bridges and streets that may still be haunted, some brief synopses from a psychic or two such as Silvia Browne, and a very long bibliography at the end.

What's annoying are the references to the various quotations she places throughout the book. For example, you're reading along and then see (Richards, 1995). What the heck does that mean? I know that I would jump to the bibliography and it's great that she gives credit where due, but it would have worked better to have a footnote section.

Despite this quibble, the stories are fun to read and make me want to go right out there and find some ghosts.

I've always been interested in the woman who has been looking for her drowned children at Stow Lake since 1916, or the policeman who has been giving tickets to motorists in Golden Gate Park, except he's been dead now for many years.

Addresses and names are given, such as Room 410 of the Queen Anne Hotel is still haunted by a ghost who used to teach a boarding school for girls. The book is heavy on hotels.

The last sections deal with the state of mind and equipment to set up your own ghost hunt, warning not to disturb the living as you seek out the undead. Oh boy!

It reads as a short reference work more than a detailed locations book and should be treated as such. The author spoon feeds you these brief stories which is cool.

Recommended.
… (más)

Kathryn Vercillo's book is a mishmash of stories and articles she has gathered in gathering evidence of the ghostly haunts of San Francisco city proper.

The book is broken down into a narrative style, with the most interesting ghost stories about the various mansions, bridges and streets that may still be haunted, some brief synopses from a psychic or two such as Silvia Browne, and a very long bibliography at the end.

What's annoying are the references to the various quotations she places throughout the book. For example, you're reading along and then see (Richards, 1995). What the heck does that mean? I know that I would jump to the bibliography and it's great that she gives credit where due, but it would have worked better to have a footnote section.

Despite this quibble, the stories are fun to read and make me want to go right out there and find some ghosts.

I've always been interested in the woman who has been looking for her drowned children at Stow Lake since 1916, or the policeman who has been giving tickets to motorists in Golden Gate Park, except he's been dead now for many years.

Addresses and names are given, such as Room 410 of the Queen Anne Hotel is still haunted by a ghost who used to teach a boarding school for girls. The book is heavy on hotels.

The last sections deal with the state of mind and equipment to set up your own ghost hunt, warning not to disturb the living as you seek out the undead. Oh boy!

It reads as a short reference work more than a detailed locations book and should be treated as such. The author spoon feeds you these brief stories which is cool.

Recommended.
… (más)

Crochet Saved My Life is both a memoir of depression and anxiety, and also an exploration of crochet as therapy for dealing with both of these conditions. The book features interviews with about two dozen others who have dealt with a number of kinds of clinical depressions, as well as other issues both psychological (most prominently anxiety) and conditions with psychological features as well.

The personal stories are both powerful and moving, but when the author delves into neurochemical explanations, the book loses a bit of its steam. Luckily, the personal anecdotes are spread throughout the book, maximizing their use and emotional impact.

Some of the benefits of crochet that are explored by this book include: mindfulness, visualization, stress reduction, the setting of achievable goals & pride in accomplishment. Also explored are the benefits of the social component of the so-called crafts such as knit and crochet, in that the social component is optional, online, and low-stress.

The author repeatedly emphasizes that crochet is “one tool in the toolbox” and not a cure for anything — and something that some individuals may not even find helpful. She also emphasizes that she is a layman, not an expert in any of the fields explored by the book, and that such explorations are to be understood as an educated layman’s view of the subject matter, and not as an expert’s opinion.

See the rest of my review at http://booklearningblog.wordpress.com/2013/02/22/crochet-saved-my-life/… (más)