Reader’s Diary

Derek Sivers

Sivers was the founder of CDBaby, a successful internet indie music distributor. His books is short and somewhat interesting for the reader who enjoys business stories, but I have my doubts about how much of his advice is universally applicable since he’s something of a one-hit wonder as a entrepreneur.

Ian Frazier

This is one of the very few travel books I’ve read that didn’t make me want to visit its subject.  That’s not Frazier’s fault.  He’s a great writer and I enjoyed reading the book.  It’s just that it’s clear from his vivid descriptions that Siberia is a pretty grim place.

This is one of those discursive books that’s part history, part travelogue, part journalism.  Frazier’s story of his road trip across Russia in an decrepit van is funny, his rambles in Russian history interesting, and his descriptions of abandoned Siberian prison camps haunting.