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I'd heard a lot of this info on The Thinking Atheist podcast, but some of it was brand new to me. I have to admit I busted out laughing just picturing some of the things he was talking about, and became fascinated about some practices, such as the "spinning dog" (poor things), Jediism, Dudeism (I'm now an aspiring Dudeist), Sabbath-mode appliances, sky burials and much more. Some of these rituals have a component that could be practical, others you can't figure out why the culture still adheres to it. Either way, it's a neat intro into some of the more odd customs and acts performed in the name of religion and culture.

...though I could've dealt without some of the pics of the Supreme Court (sigh).

I thought there was a great range of stories in this volume that explore the religious and secular mythos of Angels and/or Demons (since some believe in one but not the other around the world, it's fair to say).

Some of the stories, at least to me, were hit or miss. Others I thought were absolutely fantastic and am jotting down authors to add to my read list. Some use familiar elements, while others turn them completely on their head (at least none of them freaking sparkle that I can recall).

Anyway, worth a look if you're into sci-fi/fantasy and short stories. I've looked at anthologies before, but this one seems the most diverse in the sense of what stories you will like versus not. I thought it was a worthy exploration and got it in print form as soon as I could. Worth a look

Though some of the technology mentioned and tricks-of-the-trade may be outdated (published in 1976 after all), it has a slew of wisdom from those who'd been there before and some basic information to get one started no matter what age of journalism you're in. I would recommend this and I'll definitely keep it on my shelves to refer back to. Some of the stories of blunders and surprises that're interspersed made me laugh. For anyone wanting to understand how to approach people and the ins and outs of not making a fool of yourself (no matter how experienced), this is a great help...and if there's an updated version, by all means get it (it could only be better).

Fantastic book--must read for anybody who wants to get into filmmaking and is bemoaning their fate that they can't attend film school. Forget that--read it, live it, be a filmmaker in your own right and write write write the story you want to tell.

That's what I love about this. That's what Rodriguez is saying in this book. He started out with a little film school under his belt, but learned a lot about what it can offer and what it doesn't. From somebody who's been there--take his advice, read what he did to make El Mariachi and his initial plans and how they came about. You'll learn so much, and it's just great. So much that's worth reading about, hilarious and disappointing and inspiring and all the rest in turns. Great book. I'll keep this one til it disintegrates (and buy another one).