Anthony Lawlor

This book is mostly for people who have never thought about a metaphor in their life. I guess there are such people out there, so I can't really fault the book for its scope. But for anyone who's read/watched/encountered any fictional story ever, it's mostly useless to have a book whose goal is to tell the reader "bathing can cleanse not just the body but also THE MIND" or "knives cut physical things but can also cut through BULLSHIT." Oooh, *wavy hands*

The book takes so long to say the simplest thing, or nothing at all. It has little to no practical advice, though if you consider it a collection of archetypes/correspondences, it works better. Points to the author for equally incorporating worldwide mythology/folktales and not just Christian ones like I feared. The mandala exercise at the very end of the book was an interesting way for readers to actually think about their own lives.… (meer)

This is a very clever young person's book. A dog named Frankie determines that, while his human family is away on vacation, that he can build his dream doghouse. The dog manages to fax a request for architectural help from Margarter Marjorie Main. Frankie is assisted by a mouse, Walter, in this endeavor (Walter Gropius?). Walter's wife is Alma, and their four children are Mies, Van, Der, and Rohe. Frankie then secures help from a Scottish terrier, Ada Louise (Huxtable?) in having detailed drawings prepared. The house gets built by Poochini Buiders, and then is featured in Architecture and Garden magazine. This was a fun read, and hopefully young people might catch on to all the references along the way.… (meer)