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- Manny Hernandez gave 4 stars to: Designing for the Social Web (Voices That Matter)
Manny Hernandez reviewed:
Designing for the Social Web (Voices That Matter)
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:Joshua Porter pours his knowledge about user interface design in social media in this title. While the AOF method (Activities, Objects and Features) he presents early in the book gets a bit confusing when you first read about it, very quickly you get his point.
A very good reference for people needing to get their sites caught up with the social web, August 13, 2008
The design framework he presents is aimed at taking new users of a social site through the steps that make up the usage lifecycle: not being aware of the site > becoming interested in it > using the site for the first time > becoming a regular user > becoming a passionate user.
I see a practical application of Joshua's design philosophy in the way Ning.com (a platform for you to create your own social network) is put together: it is easy for a new member to sign up and create/manage a profile page, interact with other members and sharing with others inside or outside the network so as to make more people aware of the network.
The main downside I found to the book was that, in an attempt to be more comprehensive, it went into certain topics that had little to do with design, such as the case with the chapter on "Authentic Conversations" (why they are the most important thing you can do for your social web site) and the closing chapter on "Funnel Analysis" which seemed a bit rushed and disconnected from the rest. Still, the chapter on authentic conversations was useful and even the one on metrics carried weight and useful tips, just not as much as the rest of the book.
Overall, a very good reference for folks needing to catch up with the social web in the sites they manage.
- Manny Hernandez gave 5 stars to: Managing a Nonprofit Organization in the Twenty-First Century
Manny Hernandez reviewed:
Managing a Nonprofit Organization in the Twenty-First Century
I read book before forming the Diabetes Hands Foundation, a nonprofit we formed in early 2008. All through the formation process and ever since then, I have found myself going back once and again to revisit passages in this book for confirmation of things I am unsure of: it keeps helping me find answers to just about any question I think of.
Keep going back to it again and again for information, August 8, 2008
As a recent President of a nonprofit, I can only say good things about this book and would recommend it to people in charge of managing any nonprofit: the sooner you read it, the more you will learn before it is too late and you have made important mistakes.
- Manny Hernandez gave 5 stars to: Once You're Lucky, Twice You're Good
Manny Hernandez reviewed:
Once You're Lucky, Twice You're Good: The Rebirth of Silicon Valley and the Rise of Web 2.0
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:Since John Battelle's "The Search," I haven't had such a good read about people that make web technologies happen. But his book was very focused on a single technology, while Sarah Lacy has chosen to deal with a whole period in Silicon Valley's history: the emergence and glory days of Web 2.0 (arguably those days are not over yet). The best book about the people that made the social web happen, August 7, 2008
Sarah has a provocative style, she knows what she is talking about and she knows the folks that play the game. Her writing flows like the words in her columns, which she has been writing for nearly ten years now. In the course of the book, she carefully weaves a tale that lets the reader see where all the pieces fall: where each Web 2.0 entrepreneur (or "nontrepreneur" as she refers to Blogger's and Twitter's Evan Williams) connects with the next one and where did he get the inspiration (or the funding) from to pursue the next big thing.
Throughout the book's eleven chapters, I found myself referring back to a very useful diagram that she included in the beginning, which shows at a very top level companies and people, showing who was founder, investor and employee of which.
You do not need to be a geek to enjoy the book, but you will if you are. You certainly do not have to live in Silicon Valley to know what she is talking about, but you will get a kick out of local references if you live or work in the stretch of 101 between San Francisco and San Jose. You do not need to be a web entrepreneur to want to devour the book, but if you are, you will find yourself flipping through the pages in search of yet more interesting and passionate anecdotes from the people that made Web 2.0 what it is today.
Sarah Lacy's book is a must read for anyone using the social web today: in case you didn't realize it, that means every one of us!
- Manny Hernandez gave 5 stars to: Mobilizing Generation 2.0
Manny Hernandez reviewed:
Mobilizing Generation 2.0: A Practical Guide to Using Web2.0 Technologies to Recruit, Organize and Engage Youth
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:There are books you enjoy because they are entertaining and there are books you enjoy because they make you think. This title is a part of the latter group. Ben Rigby clearly knows Web 2.0 and he also knows nonprofits. This combination make him excellent to convey to others in the nonprofit space how to better take advantage of social media tools to raise awareness, do fundraising and become more effective change agents. How to Reach out to the Networked Public - a must-read!, August 5, 2008
All the chapters are structured similarly, with an opening section devoted to the understanding of the different technologies (blogging, social networking, video/photo sharing, mobile phones, etc.) and how they are being used by nonprofits and the public sector. Following comes a part that walks the reader through the basics of getting setup and running. Strategic considerations and possible challenges wrap up the chapter's core. As a prologue to each chapter there are two outside authors offering their "big picture" view to complement the topic.
Granted that the book goes well beyond Web 2.0, covering mobile technology and Second Life, one should not get too hung up on this subtlety. Mobilizing Generation 2.0 is a must-read for anyone working in a nonprofit or the public sector, wanting to connect to that ironically elusive "networked public," as described by Danah Boyd in one of the "big picture" essays.
- Manny Hernandez gave 5 stars to: Heima
Manny Hernandez reviewed:
Heima
I take that back: a must watch, period! This music DVD contains 2 discs with material recorded during the band's 2006 homecoming tour through Iceland. Particularly special about it are the intimate (at times, unplugged) performances the band did for their fellow countrymen and women for free. Complementing these are some incredibly powerful (as in LOUD, get-off-your-seat-for-once) performances from their first four albums that are bound to have you give them all the respect they've earned as one of the best musical acts in the world today. A must watch for the Sigur Ros fan, August 2, 2008
The first disc is peppered with interviews that give you an insider's view of the band and how they work together, their feelings about home and stardom and life at large. The second disc contains the complete performances without commentary, so you can focus on enjoying the music alone. Either way you look at it, you cannot pass this one.
- Manny Hernandez gave 4 stars to: Two Point Discrimination
Manny Hernandez reviewed:
Two Point Discrimination
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:I landed on Goldmund's work by virtue of exploring the music of artists recording under Type Records, a fantastic UK label I just found out about. If you are the kind of person that likes putting on a set of headphones and drifting to sleep at night to mellow music mostly consisting of soft ambient piano work, this album is for you. Other artists you will like, if you like Goldmund are Colleen, Helios and Julien Neto. Ambient piano that doesn't dissapoint..., August 1, 2008
- Manny Hernandez gave 5 stars to: Colma
Manny Hernandez reviewed:
Colma
I discovered this album by Buckethead more than ten years after it was originally released. As with other musical findings, I started to wonder how can someone produce an album of such incredible beauty. Ambient guitar that doesn't get old, July 20, 2008
Not only was the album one that crossed genre borders, by blending in ambient sounds with a rock guitar sound: it was ahead of its time. A couple of years after the release of Colma, guitar legend, Joe Satriani released Engines of Creation where the title track, along with "Until We Say Goodbye" and "Clouds Race Across The Sky" remind of many of the songs on this album.
The sound Buckethead delivers here brings to mind the Jeff Beck from "We ended up as lovers." Some criticize this album as being too soft. To me it demonstrates the versatility of a musician who can comfortably move across the spectrum.
- Manny Hernandez gave 5 stars to: Mar Dulce
Manny Hernandez reviewed:
Mar Dulce
1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:Este proyecto, liderizado por el mega-productor Gustavo Santaolalla, sale a la venta en USA varios meses despues de haber visto la luz del dia. La espera valio la pena, por cuanto la nueva edicion contiene tres temas mas que el original. El ensamble Argentino-Uruguayo sigue revetando la liga con su mezcla exquisita de ElectroTango que tanta falta nos hace: bandoneones se intercambian con baterias, bajos y voces. Juan Subira, Gustavo Cerati, Julieta Venegas, Elvis Costello y Nelly Furtado destacan entra los vocalistas que le dan a este album un toque un tanto diferente a los anteriores. Exquisito: el mejor album en español del 2008, July 15, 2008
Altamente recomendable para los fanaticos del genero, asi como seguidores del chillout, lounge y todo el material genial que sale del coco de Gustavo Santaolalla.
- Manny Hernandez gave 3 stars to: Agua
Manny Hernandez reviewed:
Agua
I have been an admirer of Budd since I first heard his masterpiece The Pavilion of Dreams about five years ago. Since then, every collaboration between him and other artists (Brian Eno, Robin Guthrie) I've heard has been magical.
The weakest of his works..., July 13, 2008
Today I am sad to report this album as being the weakest of his works I have listened to date. First, this comes across as a little more than your average new age album, lacking substance in the way of ambient music. Besides that, the clapping at the end of each track (this is a live album, after all) really takes away a lot from the atmosphere that he is able to create if you forget about the fact that it's not one of his best pieces.
- Manny Hernandez gave 5 stars to: Web 2.0
Manny Hernandez reviewed:
Web 2.0: A Strategy Guide: Business thinking and strategies behind successful Web 2.0 implementations.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:Relying on case studies ranging from Flickr and Facebook to Netflix and LinkedIn, "Web 2.0: A Strategy Guide" provides entrepreneurs, corporations and business administration students equally with a resource to make sense of the business side of all things Web 2.0. A must read for both, entrepreneur and business students, July 10, 2008
The book doesn't go into technicalities or spend time on design matters as they typically appear in Web 2.0 applications today: as a matter of fact, it abstracts itself from look and feel of the sites analyzed, focusing on how the different sites make money.
The result is a five step action plan that starts with building on collective user value (users no longer are mere consumers of content, but rather active contributors and creators); activating network effects (seeking the ways in which a business can leverage the multiple connections between the layers, places and groups and how they can grow your offering); working through social networks (the fundamental building block of the Web 2.0 economy); dynamically syndicating competence (picking your battles and doing what you do best faster, making it accessible to more people); and recombining innovations (looking for ways to connect the online with the offline, the new with the old).
The result is a book that is highly recommended if you are looking to take your business to the next level of the social web: a place where being social is not merely an option but a requirement.
- Manny Hernandez gave 4 stars to: Drupal 5 Themes
Manny Hernandez reviewed:
Drupal 5 Themes
Going through the pages of "Drupal 5 Themes" I kept thinking how useful it would have been to have this book in my hands a little over a year ago, as I was first dabbling with Drupal. This title complements very nicely Drupal: Creating Blogs, Forums, Portals, and Community Websites by focusing on making your Drupal-based site look and feel the way you want it to, departing as much as possible from the native themes available through the Drupal community. The book I wish I had read a year ago!, July 7, 2008
The book is not meant for those who are not familiar with a bit of PHP and CSS and should not be tackled before being clear on the basics of Drupal. The only downside to the book as far as I am concerned is the lack of color in the illustrations: while not critical, it would help get the point across better in a few places.
- Manny Hernandez gave 3 stars to: Critical Review, Vol. 2
Manny Hernandez reviewed:
Critical Review, Vol. 2: Gabriel Years 1970-1975
This DVD as well as "Genesis - The Gabriel Years DVD" you may find in other sites can result disappointing to some. Granted that the information on it is accurate and the interviews with diverse music critics is useful, those looking for full-length rare live performances should look elsewhere. There are a handful of portions of live performances peppered with commentaries to enhance their value. However, this may result more valuable to modern rock and prog rock scholars and music students. Fans: this is not the DVD you are looking for. I give it three stars for its educational value, but the two lost stars are gone due to the slightly deceiving presentation. Slightly deceiving: better for music students than for fans of the band, July 6, 2008
- Manny Hernandez gave 5 stars to: Down to Earth
Manny Hernandez reviewed:
Down to Earth
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:After watching the movie, as I normally do, I stayed for the closing titles and was gladly surprised that Peter Gabriel was the artist behind the song. A movie so powerful and touching at the same time was perfectly suited for such a powerful and touching song. More than a pleasant surprise, June 29, 2008
- Manny Hernandez gave 5 stars to: MY LIFE AS A PANCREAS
Manny Hernandez reviewed:
MY LIFE AS A PANCREAS: Reflections on Raising a Child With Diabetes
When diabetes hits your life as an adult it's not easy. But when it hits your life as a child, your whole life changes and that of your parents and your entire family. Priscilla Call Essert, author of this book, knows this full well as she has raised Byron, her son who got diagnosed type 1 diabetes nearly seven years ago (at the time of this writing). A light read about a not-so-light disease, June 28, 2008
Priscilla's approach is neither nor packed with technicality. Rather, she takes the approach of telling a story: sharing anecdotes in a very easy-to-digest way that makes "My Life as a Pancreas" a very light about a disease that is not so light. Her storytelling exposes the readers (ideally, the parents of a child who has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes) to lots of accumulated wisdom about things that will likely cross their paths at some point or another. Yet she writes in a way that comes across as a pal giving you good advice not as a condescending know-it-all.
I have LADA (with a pancreas that stopped producing enough insulin at age 30) and found "My Life as a Pancreas" valuable: I would recommend this book to anyone touched by diabetes in any way. Plus its 60 pages will take you no time to read.
- Manny Hernandez gave 5 stars to: Viva La Vida
Manny Hernandez reviewed:
Viva La Vida
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:After their previous album, I had dismissed Coldplay, but having enlisted Brian Eno may have been one of the most brilliant moves ever made by British band. They actually sound a LOT better than U2 (one of the bands whose sound Eno helped shape) these days. Bets of 2008: Viva Coldplay!, June 26, 2008
From the opening instrumental "Life In Technicolor," you know you are in front of a great album. Viva La Vida blends diverse ethnic influences in a brilliant way (in "Yes" there are Middle Eastern sounds and in "Cemeteries of London" there's clapping reminiscent of Flamenco music). Yet, you still get the "classic" Coldplay sound, with Martin doing some basic piano stunts with a background of strings (as he does in "42"). There are SO many great songs in the album that it's hard to single out one of them: the title track really stands out; you will also enjoy the vibe of "Lovers In Japan" and "Strawberry Swing" which reminds of Travis at times.
The second half of the album has three songs that clock at more than 6 minutes. The final track, "Death and All His Friends," is the closing parenthesis that complements beautifully the opening track, wrapping up the album in an uplifting way. All in all, Viva La Vida will easily make it to my list of Best of 2008.
- Manny Hernandez gave 5 stars to: Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
Manny Hernandez reviewed:
Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
14 of 22 people found the following review helpful:I had a mixed reaction when I started listening to the "Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust" by Sigur Ros. The opening song was just not like your typical Sigur Ros: it was too... pop.. I was confused: was this Death Cab for Cutie? Had I clicked on the wrong MP3 on iTunes? "Gobbledigook" turned out to be a poppier track, indeed, but even at performing pop they rocked! Best album of 2008 , June 26, 2008
From the second track, you go back into familiar Sigur Ros territory. The main difference (besides the opening track) this time around is that the band gets more intimate, with acoustic guitar-based tracks, such as "Gódan daginn" and "Íllgresi," and quiet piano-based tracks like "Fljótavík," the closing "All Alright" and "Ára bátur" (which later evolves into a majestic epic that only they could have recorded).
After 8 listens, the album keeps growing on me. There is only one other album that could be as good this year (though it most likely will be in second place: Maybe They Will Sing for Us Tomorrow by Hammock. Otherwise, Sigur Ros did it again and make any wait for their music worth every minute.
- Manny Hernandez gave 5 stars to: The Last Lecture
Manny Hernandez reviewed:
The Last Lecture
This book is largely based off "The Last Lecture" video that you can catch on YouTube and many other websites. However, that is only part of the story. The book (a few hours to read), unlike the video (under an hour in duration), lets you become one with Randy and his process of preparation for what appears as a certain death as he goes from diagnosis, through treatment and determination to accept his fate of being a pancreatic cancer patient. The new "Tuesdays with Morrie", June 24, 2008
My dad died of liver cancer, so Randy's story resonated very strongly with me. However, my dad did not have the chance to prepare himself (or his family) for his passing. Randy has chosen to live the rest of his life on earth preparing things so that his young children will know what his dad was like... this is a father who loves his kids, no doubt. Instead of rolling on the bed or complaining about his fate, he embraces it fully (with humor, often) and gets as much out of him as he can, so that his children will have a vast testimonial from which to learn, even though his father won't be around.
As he paves the road for their future, we benefit from his effort and, if we open up enough, we are bound to learn from Randy like we learned from Morrie in the now-classic "Tuesdays With Morrie".
- Manny Hernandez gave 4 stars to: The Sword in the Stone (45th Anniversary Special Edition)
Manny Hernandez reviewed:
The Sword in the Stone (45th Anniversary Special Edition)
2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:I hadn't seen The Sword in the Stone since I was little... it was a surreal experience sitting down and watching it with my almost-5-year old son, since I probably was his age the last time I saw it. The color seems livelier (the movie has been digitally restored by Disney) and the music brought SO many memories as the story evolved before my eyes.. Another great Disney movie, June 24, 2008
This is definitely not the best Disney movie ever, but it beats most animated movies that come out these days. Couple that with a nice combo of bonus features, including a couple of classic Goofy and Mickey animated clips and you are set for a couple of hours of good ole' Disney fun with the family.
I can't compare this edition to the previous one that came out seven years ago as I didn't have that one. I just can say: if you don't have "The Sword in the Stone" and you enjoy Disney movies, this one too belongs in your collection.
- Manny Hernandez gave 5 stars to: You Can Bring Me Flowers
Manny Hernandez reviewed:
You Can Bring Me Flowers
It took me a bit of Googling but after I saw the movie "27 Dresses" this tune stuck in my head. I was fortunate to discover who was the artist behind the intimate song thanks to a service called SONGZA. If you like Ray Lamontagne, I highly recommend you get the soundtrack for the movie "Once." The best thing to come out of "27 Dresses", June 17, 2008
- Manny Hernandez gave 5 stars to: Little Wars
Manny Hernandez reviewed:
Little Wars
Finding out about good bands I had no clue about involves mixed feelings. I feel bad that I missed on the chance to enjoy their music earlier. At the same time, I feel happy that I finally got to learn about them. This is the case with Unwed Sailor. They have been around for a decade now, with nine albums under their belt. Best of 2008 - great instrumental rock, June 17, 2008
Their sound in "Little Wars" brings to mind elements from The Album Leaf, Dead Cab for Cutie (without vocals), They Will Destroy You and The Sea And Cake. Highly recommendable instrumental rock that made easily into the ranks of the Best of 2008 for me thus far.
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