Rating: 
Summary: Could it get any better??
Review: I read this book two years ago while vacationing in Costa Rica. I missed a lot of the country-side reading her poetic words. It really helped me unwind at night as refreshing as it was. I WAS an aspiring writer majoring in journalism, but even if I didn't further my carrer in writing I still often read bits and pieces of her book for the wonderful insight that she produces just by reading her words
Rating:
Summary: Read Anne Lamott. Now.
Review: This, like "Operating Instructions" and "Rosie" is a wonderful book by the amazing, funny, incredible A. Lamott. No writer I've read so thoroughly exposes herself with every word she writes--and, she does it with so much humor and grace that you feel you've known her for ever.
Even if you aren't looking for a "writing instruction" book, you'll find this great book is a good how-to for Life too.
When I give friends a copy of Lamott's "Operating Instructions" it invariably becomes the most cherished gift they've recieved. "Bird by Bird" is the same.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining/humorous/inspirational
Review: One question: The author refers to the dying of her father from brain cancer, and states that she wrote about that experience in a book that was subsequently published. How can I find that book?
Rating:
Summary: The best book about writing (and life) you'll read.
Review: When I finished Bird by Bird, I immediately turned back to the beginning to read it again. I haven't done that since I first read The Sound and the Fury in college, but then it was to try to unravel Faulkner's convoluted story line. This time I went back to page one for the sheer enjoyment of rereading the book. Lamott's advice applies primarily to those who want to write fiction, but her down-to-earth attitude and practical advice are appropriate for anyone who wants to write, whether it be fiction or non-fiction. Her outrageous sense of humor repeatedly had me laughing out loud, but her humor is not gratuitous: it serves to highlight the very practical advice she offers. And, as the book's subtitle implies. Bird by Bird is relevant not only to writing but to everyday problems and challenges. We frequently are overwhelmed by even mundane tasks, but if we can just take them bird by bird, a step at a time, eventually we will have made our way through the crisis. The way to clean the house is bird by bird, room by room--and the Lamott way to write a book or article is also bird by bird, section by section. So don't start by asking who the best publisher is; write the masterpiece first, then use the bird-by-bird approach to find that publisher. Lamott makes it all seem very attainable
Rating:
Summary: A must-read for any aspiring (or experienced) writer.
Review: Ms. Lamott has written a book for writers that goes well
beyond the "how to" and deep into the "what for". Using her
charming sense of humor, deeply personal insights and
unflagging optimism, she somehow convinces the reader that
she or he, too, can write things worth reading. Even if you
don't care to become a writer, read this book for its
joyous perspective on life in general, as viewed through
through the eyes of someone who obviously practices what she
preaches. (Also, you'll not be able to rest until you learn
the story behind the title!)
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining, thought provoking, for writers & non-writers
Review: I picked this book up after hearing an audiotape of Anne Lamott talking about creativity and writing. I am not a writer or writter wannabe; I just liked her story telling. In reading "Bird by Bird," I discovered the same entertaining, laugh-out-loud story telling, used to teach her own particular brand of "how to write." It also became clear to me that the principles and techniques she was presenting are universal - they apply not only to writing, but to any pursuit or activity in life. The book is, in fact, a guide to living (intended? unintended? who knows, and who cares...). So whether you're looking for specific techniques for writing (in particular, fiction), looking for an entertaining read, or want to have your thinking provoked, I highly recommend "Bird by Bird." (Incidentally, as a result of reading the book, I was inspired to do some recreational writing...)
Rating: 
Summary: not for writing teachers---
Review: This is really a quick, easy book to fly through. It has a lot of funny tidbits about the process of writing. Ms. Lamott deals with the importance of plot, characters, dialogue, setting, and everything else that relates to being a writer.However, if you are a teacher who is looking for a guide to use in your classroom, this won't help you at all. The main message she is trying to convey is that all of us have experiences worth writing about, and all of us have the ability to put them on paper. This is just a book that helps you see the stages one must go through to get from A to Z.
Rating:
Summary: Streaker's Delight
Review: Anne Lamott is always a brave and honest writer, but in "Bird by Bird" she streaks through your psyche, leaving her self evaluations and confessions burned into your mind like the image of the naked stranger you walked in on by accident in the dressing room. You get the feeling you should look away, but you can't help taking a peek. Often funny, sometimes uncomfortable, but always, to the last page, authentic. If you're a writer, I bet you'll read it more than once.
Rating:
Summary: Perhaps the best book ever written about writing
Review: This is a book for people who care about words, about sentences, about the craft of writing. Artful and interesting, analytical and yet somehow deeply personal, you'll love every carefully written word.
Rating:
Summary: Inspiring, hilarious, impossible to put down...
Review: What a fabulous read, whether you write or not. I loved the personal anecdotes, I loved the idea of a famous writer spitting bad thoughts at her more famous friends, I loved the fact that Lamott finds humor in everything, even death.
No, it's not an instructional 'how to write' book; it's better, because it validates your yearning to write, even if you aren't published (or publishable).I will read Bird by Bird again... and again.
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