enJOY it

an archived personal and craft blog from Elise Blaha Cripe.

book report.

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A few days ago, I posted about few books I had recently ordered from Amazon. Here are my thoughts now that they have been devoured :

Domino : Totally inspiring. My one complaint would be that there are not sources for the items shown – makes sense, stock in stores changes – but it's a bummer when you really want something pictured.

No Impact Man : Also inspiring. Overwhelming too. A great read though.

Creative Inc. : Good. For the type of stuff I do (etsy shop much more than freelance) I found the sister book, Craft, Inc., to be more up my alley though. My favorite part of both books were the interviews with professionals in the field. I wish there was more of that in general on the internet & books. I love learning about people who have made it in non-traditional jobs.

On the fiction side of things, I just finished Moloka'i (thanks, Michelle). It was great and at the risk of sounding like a book jacket, a very moving tale of love and endurance. I cried for at least the last 20 pages out of happiness. Perfect weekend read.

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16 responses to “book report.”

  1. Faye Avatar
    Faye

    Moloka’i is a book I would never pick off the shelf, but after reading the Amazon blurb I have to get this book!

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  2. maggi Avatar
    maggi

    just bought domino at TJ Maxx for $20.00 (its been on my amazon wishlist for over a year)

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  3. jessica o'brien Avatar
    jessica o’brien

    you’re quick! all the images in domino were originally published in their mag. if there’s something you love – email me the page # + i can try to help. or find a comparable item that is currently in stores. i’m rather crafty at that 😉

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  4. elise blaha Avatar
    elise blaha

    i have noticed that from looking through the back issues recently. were on the hunt for a super simple bed frame / headboard.

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  5. amy tangerine Avatar
    amy tangerine

    cool commentary on the books. I’ll taking Moloka’i with me tomorrow on my trip- hope to finish it!

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  6. Jessica J. Avatar
    Jessica J.

    I’m reading Craft Inc. right now and also love it! I really want to open an etsy shop but am so intimidated it. Just picking a name for the shop is holding me up.

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  7. elise blaha Avatar
    elise blaha

    its hard to start a shop because there does seem to be a lot of pressure to get the launch just right. My advice is to just go for it. Your products are the most important and its fun to rebrand down the line! 🙂 good luck!!

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  8. Funnelcloud Rachel Avatar
    Funnelcloud Rachel

    Wow – all those books devoured in just 10 days! I’m about to leave for the beach and need some good reading – thanks for the recommendations!

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  9. Jennifer Monroe Avatar
    Jennifer Monroe

    My aunt and uncle order Moloka’i thinking that it was a travel guide for their upcoming trip. Needless to say they felt like they knew the area when they took the trip and the book has made its rounds with family and friends.

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  10. elise blaha Avatar
    elise blaha

    thats funny! I thought it was going to be non-fiction. Was excited that it wasnt. 🙂

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  11. sophie Avatar
    sophie

    I’ve heard that Honolulu by Alan Brennert is awesome too. Glad to hear you enjoy Creative, Inc but I’d have to agree with you that for a person who sells on etsy or is just crafty in general, Craft, Inc would be a better way to go.

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  12. marta Avatar
    marta

    thanks for the book report, elise. if you haven’t purchased The Handmade Marketplace by Chapin yet, you must. it’s a dog-earred favorite book of mine.

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  13. Danielle Avatar
    Danielle

    I agree with Marta on her book recommendation! Good to know about Creative Inc., but like you I really enjoy reading about people’s process/success/advice. So, I’ll still buy it. I just finished -2 booksOlive Kitteridge & Stealing Horses. Both excellent. Now, I’m almost done Netherland. It is good, but didn’t quite live up to the hype for me.

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  14. kerry lynn Avatar
    kerry lynn

    i just watched the “no impact man” documentary on netflix. really interesting & thought provoking. i don’t know how they did 6 months w/o power, that is crazy, especially in ny.
    also read some of the naysayer comments on the web about them, but i personally loved how they tried it all and slowly cut it things out month by month. we’re pretty envrio-conscious here and i think they were very brave.
    although the no tp. yea. so not going there. lol
    xo

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  15. elise blaha Avatar
    elise blaha

    I watched the movie before I saw the book and I sort of wish I had read the book first. It was weird to read knowing exactly what they looked like. Plus I think he told things a bit differently than they seemed to happen in the film. Either way – totally interesting, inspiring and like I said overwhelming. Always thinking about how we can do better … Good to hear your take on it Kerry!! 🙂

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  16. kelli Avatar
    kelli

    I ended up with a cheap subscription to Inc. magazine and I have to say I find it inspiring! Yes, it focuses on some larger companies…but also one smaller start-ups. Not necessarily along on the crafting alley…but I find it fascinating to read about people’s journeys as they start businesses (and since my husband is on his own in his creative field of music composition, it’s good to know how to go about doing things on the business side!).

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