Rating: 
Summary: Buy a Roxy Music album instead
Review: I bought this book on the strength of a review I saw previously by Tom Robinson, and out of a respect for Eno's work from the 70's (Roxy Music, with Robert Fripp etc.).Boy, do I wish I had bought something else. Brian Eno appears to be on an endless circuit consisting of mutual back-slapping with other musicians / artists in the studio, promoting obscure art installations, attending dinner parties at which the conversation seems ludicrously intellectual (don't these people ever get drunk ?), carrying on great rambling e-mail conversations which seem to be as much about letting the reader know what long words he's learnt recently as they might be about communicating any meaningful message. I just found the whole thing rather repetitive and dull after a very short space of time. I did persevere, but found the whole thing disappearing up its own back passage with its own sense of self-importance. Ladies and Gentlemen: The emperor isn't wearing any clothes. Avoid at all costs.
Rating: 
Summary: All the words float in sequence
Review: I expected to enjoy this slightly, since I've been a fan of his music and installations. I had not expected his diary and essays/letters to be as much fun as they are. Relentlessly inquisitive, with an ironic humor, this is horribly interesting reading. If not for the price (really) I would give this away to most of my friends, even if they weren't Eno fans.
Rating:
Summary: A pleasant, voyeuristic experience.
Review: I have been a fan of Mr. Eno's music for many years but had little insight to the man behind the music. This book gave an interesting view of a talented and thoughtful man. Though it took me a while to acclimate myself to the diary format, I found that the almost short-hand rhythm of the writing was as telling as the topics being written about. It was fascinating to read about the creative process from an accomplished artist as he was in the midst of the process. Mr. Eno's accounts of his relationship with David Bowie and U2 were also fascinating in their frankness.
Rating:
Summary: Know Who Eno Is?
Review: I have had a difficult time explaining this one to acquaintances and co-workers. It is very hard to explain the subtlety, humor and freshness of Eno's mind to people whose idea of complexity and innovation is the latest game show spin-off on network television. "Brian Eno," they ask, "who's that?" Standard answer: "Musician, artist and producer. You've heard of U2 and Talking Heads? Well, he produced them." And then their eyes glaze over and you get that blank stare along with the inevitable, "Oh." But since you, dear reader, are here purposefully looking at reviews of a diary written by the aforementioned gentleman, let me assume I do not need to introduce you to Eno. Let me also suggest two things: 1) that you read this diary, and 2) when the next person asks who Brian Eno is, tell them only, "He is a professional craftsman of ideas." For that is the absolute beauty of Eno; if there are two answers to a question, Eno will come up with the third. And I suppose that's not news to you or me but it is not until you have lived a year in his shoes, mind and studio that the depth of this beauty settles in your mind. What you find in these pages is not only the Eno you've always suspected existed--the innovator, the artist and thinker--but also a gentle, humble, loving, honest, sassy and self-doubting man with whom it is a joy to spend time. You'll also discover the secret to Eno's seemingly charmed life (he married his manager) and some pretty good dirt about the boys of U2 (well, at least that Bono is a terror behind the wheel). Expect also to find a real person: a father, a friend, a businessman, a showman, a teacher, a joker, some lyrics from Miss Shapiro and a few new words for your vocabulary (re-commode-ification indeed!). This is not brilliant literature--hey, it's a diary for crying out loud!--but as such it makes a perfect book to read in small doses (bedtime, commuting, etc.--I read it almost entirely while waiting to be seated at restaurants and it almost made me wish the lines were longer). It's packed full of interesting anecdotes and insights into the working and thinking habits of one of this century's (yes, the new millennium really does start in 2001--that's why Kubrick used it in the movie title, duh) most important and blessed professional craftsmen of ideas.
Rating: 
Summary: Brian's EGO
Review: I kept this book by my bedside and read it for a week or so. It was amusing at first and then, it became a void. It went nowhere and inspired nothing. This may very well be Eno's intention, but would he read it?
Rating: 
Summary: Not for everybody - great book for producers
Review: If you are a record producer or a musician interested in production you are certainly familiar with Eno's work. Have you ever wondered what his routine is like? Well, I did. The book gave me an idea of how he works on a project, how ideas are created in his studio and how he works with musicians. The book is his diary of 1995 and it is focused on his work, not so much his personal life. There are no juicy gossips and no confessions. It is mostly cold and impersonal. Steps were clearly taken to preserve his personal life. And you have to ignore some of the obvious embelishing (c'mon, Brian, if you are such a good cook, shouldn't you own a restaurant instead?). But if you are involved in music you will get a glimpse into the tools and processes that make this man one of the great creative minds in contemporary music. And also understand where some of his shortcomings come from. It is the closest thing to being a guest in his studio for a week. Apart from the diary there are some texts at the end packed with original ideas.
Rating:
Summary: think
Review: my well-worn copy was purchased when the book came out. a fan of eno from his roxy music days, he lead the pack in being ahead of the pack when it came to ambient music, among other things. that's why they call it 'avant guarde' folks - the advance guard, going where it's dangerous, well ahead of the rest of the followers.
for those that only gave the book a one or two star review, put it down early, etc., in short, they just don't get it, and most likely never will. that's ok. you can lead a horse to water...
forget eno as musician, producer, artist, educator, etc. , first and foremost he is a thinker, a man of ideas. his article in "wired" a decade ago said, in short , "there is not enough africa in computers". what do culture and technology have in common? what do art and life - heck, forget about life - what do art and death have in common? read the book. find out.
my copy is dog-earred, with a good number passeges underlined. why does one do that? because it reinfornces ideas one already posseses, often by putting them in a new light. and if you already have a penchant for thinking, eno may help sharpen some of those fuzzy thoughts. or even make them fuzzier, if warranted.
'oblique strategies' was a thought process eno developed with a collaborator to find new, creative ways of dealing with the issues that arise in any creative endeavor. 'oblique' and 'strategy' say much about eno's analytical mind, but if one listens to his contributions and colaborations with jon hassell or talking heads, you'llknw he brings more to the table than analysis.
here are some of his thoughts: "culture is not different from this: it is an ivitation to you to engage with a different world, a world of your and someone else's imagination. without your active engagement in that invitation, nothing happens. you are never actually a passive consumer of culture, because the only sense in which the verb 'to consume' has any meaning inthis context is when it means 'to agree to engage with'".
so, engage. consume. read this book. and fight the good fight.
marc english
austin, texas
shaman@marcenglishdesign.com
Rating: 
Summary: Brian Eno has brains, talent, and all God's blessings.
Review: This is a fascinating account of the day to day life of one of music's truest free-thinkers. I was absorbed and at the same time felt sick. I wonder if anyone realizes how life's continued good fortune allows the space for this free-thinking? Or how opportunity begets opportunity? If the reader thinks beyond the surface of Eno's daily account, he'll see that the real story here is how life in the "arts" really works.
Rating:
Summary: the most inspirational coffee table reading you'll ever do
Review: This is a published version of Brian Eno's diary that he kept throughout 1995, starting on January 1 and ending on December 31. He has an entry for almost every day, and nearly all of them are inspired, funny, and observant. He is also interminably crabby in a sort of humorous way. His writings detail, among other things, his many musical projects, traveling (to Egypt and New York City and Mostar, to name a few places), hanging out with famous (and not-so-famous) people as varied as U2 and Pavarotti, faxing David Bowie, playing with his two little girls Darla and Irial, conversing with his wife (also his manager), avoiding Alan Yentob, e-mailing Stewart Brand, and involving himself in a huge number of other things that are too numerous to mention in one sentence. It is all inspirational, sometimes trashy, always fascinating. This isn't the sort of book most people would read from start to finish (even though I have done so several times). I would guess most jump around. If you suffer from symptoms of the so-called Attention Deficit Disorder, this book can become your operation manual. I have personally given "A Year With Swollen Appendices" to two different friends as a gift. As a writer myself, I have used the book as something to clear my pipes when I'm suffering from writer's block. The man is really that creative. This best use of this brilliant little book is to put it somewhere in your home where people can pick it up and flip through it for a few minutes...
Rating:
Summary: He defends Linda McCartney
Review: This is just a review written by a gearhead scientist with no background in art and literature, so be forewarned that I am not an expert on literature. I thought I would write this just in case anyone out there is looking for a change of pace, no matter your musical tastes or political views. Hey -- give this book a shot. It's worth it. I read this book a little at a time over a few months. I still have it sitting around as a kind of jump-starter . . . it inspires me and makes me feel more positive. I bought this book because it sounded intriguing and because some Amazon reviewers gave it a thumbs up. Plus, I was a fan of Brian Eno's 70's music in the 80's. If he was really popular back then, I would not have known it from the teenagers around me. So here I was, 17 years old and hearing "No One Receiving" and "Baby's On Fire" for the first time and my little teeny brain was turned inside-out. And then, like the guy who finally figures out how to view a Magic Eye picture, I started seeing Eno everywhere I looked: Talking Heads, U2, even the background music for a Nike commercial. This guy does a little of everything. No, make that "a little of everything that I don't understand." Oblique strategies, Music for Airports, you name it. It's so ironic that this guy has done everything from Roxy Music to ambient to producing pop bands -- he's always changing, at the cutting edge, exploring -- and yet I was struck by just one phase of his career. ( I bought several of those Laraaji-type records in college -- it didn't swing for me.) So, I guess that's the big reason I liked this book . . . I admire this man of many talents, tastes, and wide-ranging interests. Brian Eno may just be everything that I am not. I guess I have to admit that I am a political conservative on a lot of issues, including ones that were important when Eno wrote this diary (1995?). But I love to hear what he has to say. His takes on so many issues are so much more tilted towards big, activist government than mine are. But he establishes his credibility by having reasoned arguments, and just writes really lucidly and intelligently. I REALLY WISH THERE EXISTED IN AMERICA A LIBERAL PUNDIT OR TALK-SHOW HOST LIKE BRIAN ENO. Most of his pointed criticism of Bosnia policy, military build-up, state vs. free enterprise, etc. is aimed DIRECTLY at people just like me. But I didn't throw the book across the room when what he had to say made me look like an idiot or ...cold-hearted... It actually intrigued me, because for some reason it made me think. I respect the author, so I respect his arguments. I wish there were more pop culture figures who could be so funny, concise, and devoid of polemics. Julia Roberts and Alec Baldwin, take note. Well, would this book have any interest for someone who doesn't have "Here Come The Warm Jets" in his or her CD player right now? Well, I think it might. The tone and demeanor of the book are refreshing. Take notice of the fact that he does not write about his life as though he were "The Man." This is an accomplishment, because the book has him jetting here and there, talking with Bono and chatting with Dolores O'Riordan. He admits to working so that he can make money to keep his family going, he recounts his long hours of work that sometimes frustrate him and yield no results, admits to being occasionally nervous, grumpy, misanthropic, biased, unfair, and other things. He's faithful to his wife and loves his little girl but admits his occasional frustration with both. He's frank about some "female butt" issues and computer distortions -- 'nuff said here. His bit about Linda McCartney and her Lindaburger donations really put me in my place -- I was one of those who got half the story and ran with it, making fun of a serious problem and one person's effort to help out a little bit (which is more that I did). But the book isn't all serious and heavy. I won't spoil it (any more?) here, but you will find lots of interesting tidbits. I'll bet the footnotes and appendices thing bugged the heck out of some people, but I loved it!
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