[TheForge] RE: Brian's new book (about as OT as it gets).

[Kathy]

I stumbled across Brian Gilbert's path fifteen months back, while doing an
article for the Hammer's Blow; he was its editor at the time, and still is for
all I know. Brian is also the author of Fix It and Sail, which I read and
enthusiastically promoted. He now has another book, The Complete Trailer Sailor,
being released in October; it should make a good second chance for those of you
who are interested in convincing your wife to take the plunge into sailing. You
can look it up at:
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Trailer-Sailor-Brian-Gilbert/dp/0071472584/ref=sr


So, why should I promote some other guy's books? After all, no possible amount
of good instructions and honest writing is likely to impress the old Nitpicker
(OK, so Herbert Maryon's "Metalwork & Enamelling" did, but 'experts' have been
shamelessly copying Maryon's stuff for almost a century). The fact is, Gilbert
has got gobs and gobs of style. He is so good at it that his writing seems
simplistic, until you observe its effect on other readers; then the word
"simplistic" must be changed out for "guile." 

Imagine leaving a copy of Fix It and Sail laying around for your wife to read.
Obviously, a wifely type possessed of any common sense is going to react to such
an object with the thought "snake in the grass; stomp on it quick" right? So,
she gingerly opens the book, just to familiarize herself with this new threat to
domestic bliss, and actually likes the guy's writing. I've asked four different
women why this should be so, and the consensus was they "just like the way he
thinks"! Hopefully, Gilbert will continue writing books on sailing and steer
well clear of politics--lest he become dangerous :-)  
Mikey