www.pedromendes.com

So, another year is over. I tried once again to read one book a week. this year I couldn’t make it. I could have, if I was keeping count. So, I read 49 books this year. The list is below, so you can check it. Have a great 2012!

- On Being a Photographer, by David Hurn and Bill Jay
- The Passionate Photographer, Steve Simon
- Profitable Photography in the Digital Age, by Dan Heller
- Mindfire: Big Ideas for Curious Minds, by Scott Berkun
- The Collaborative Habit, by Twyla Tharp
- Letters to a Young Artist
- Zen and the Art of Portrait Photography, by James DiGiorgio
- The Sisters Brothers, by Patrick deWitt
- Chasing the Light, by Ibarionex Perello
- The Creative Habit, by Twyla Tharp
- The Fashion Photography Course, by Eliot Siegel
- Image Makers, Image Takers, by Anne-Celine Jaeger
- Making Light by Piet Van den Eynde
- Hitchcock and Philosophy, by David Baggett
- The Inspired Eye III Notes on Creativity for Photographers, Vol.III, by David duChemin
- The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield
- You Don’t Need a Job, You Need Guts, by Ash Ambirge
- The Digital Photography Book – Vol 1, by Scott Kelby
- The Digital Photography Book Volume 2, by Scott Kelby
- VisionMongers: Making a Life and a Living in Photography, by David DuChemin
- The Digital Photography Book: v. 3, by Scott Kelby
- The Lost Symbol, by Dan Brown
- Blind Faith, by Ben Elton
- The Portuguese: A Modern History, by Barry Hatton
- Delivering Happiness, by Tony Hsieh
- Anything You Want, by Derek Sivers
- Focus On Photographing People, by Haje Jan Kamps
- The Art of Travel, by Alain de Botton
- Annie Leibovitz at Work, by Annie Leibovitz
- Your Creative Mix, by Corwin Hiebert
- Successful Facebook Marketing, by Skellie
- Going Pro – How to Make Money Through your Photography, by Kelly Kingman
- Atonement, by Ian McEwan
- The Art of Self-Portraiture, by Anna Gay
- The Space Between Us, by Thrity Umrigar
- The Understudy, by David Nicholls
- Arts marketing: the pocket guide, by Sharron Dickman
- Within the Frame, by David DuChemin
– The Defector, by Daniel Silva
– The Thank You Economy, by Gary Vaynerchuk
– Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead, by Neil Strauss
- The Finkler Question, by Howard Jacobson
- Moscow Rules, by Daniel Silva
- Less Than Zero, by Bret Easton Ellis
- A Murder is Announced, by Agatha Christie
- The Geography of Bliss, by Eric Weiner
- American Psycho, by Bret Easton Ellis
- By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept, by Paulo Coelho
- By Nightfall, by Michael Cunningham

This month was poor on reading, with the festivities and all.
So, here they are:
- On Being a Photographer, by David Hurn and Bill Jay
- The Passionate Photographer, Steve Simon

Busy busy month. The photography course I’m taking is going great, but taking up a lot of my free time. All for a good reason.
So, here are the books I read last month.

- Profitable Photography in the Digital Age, by Dan Heller
- Mindfire: Big Ideas for Curious Minds, by Scott Berkun
- The Collaborative Habit, by Twyla Tharp
- Letters to a Young Artist

Main highlights this month: A week off in the Algarve, and the start of my Photography Course. In what books are concerned, I seem to be more in a non-fiction mood, with all the photography books I’m reading. So, here they are:

- Zen and the Art of Portrait Photography, by James DiGiorgio
This is a great book, not technical at all (that will be his next book). It talks about creativity, finding your vision, and shares many experiences from the author’s career.

- The Sisters Brothers, by Patrick deWitt
A very funny book about the adventures of a couple of brothers (paid assassins) in the old American west. This book was shortlisted for the MAN Booker Prize 2011.

- Chasing the Light, by Ibarionex Perello
Beginners level book, on how to see and work with light in photography. Many great pictures are analyzed.

- The Creative Habit, by Twyla Tharp
This is a wonderful book by renowned American choreographer Twyla Tharp. She defends that creativity takes great work, and that there is a method to it. Great tips and experiences shared.

- The Fashion Photography Course, by Eliot Siegel
If you are at all interested in fashion photography, read this book. It covers all the basics, as well as more advanced topics. From getting started to going pro, all steps are covered.

This month I’ll just list the books I read. I have little time so, before I forget, here they are:
- Image Makers, Image Takers, by Anne-Celine Jaeger
- Making Light by Piet Van den Eynde
- Hitchcock and Philosophy, by David Baggett
- The Inspired Eye III Notes on Creativity for Photographers, Vol.III, by David duChemin
- The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield

I had a week off in August. Time to rest, be with friends and, of course, read. Of the six books I read last month, four are about photography (are you seeing a pattern here lately?). One was a motivational one, and one of fiction. Here they are:

- You Don’t Need a Job, You Need Guts, by Ash Ambirge
All about how you should find the thing you’re passionate about, and go for it. With the help of the internet and other digital tools, it gets easier. But hard work is a must.

- The Digital Photography Book – Vol 1, by Scott Kelby
This trilogy is a great collection of tips and tricks for anyone serious about photography. Topics range from travel photography, weddings, portrait, products, and sports. This is a to-the-point book, “wasting” no time with technical aspects and going straight to the how-to.

- The Digital Photography Book Volume 2, by Scott Kelby
See above

- VisionMongers: Making a Life and a Living in Photography, by David DuChemin
David DuChemin is a fantastic photographer. He works a lot with non profit organizations. In this book, he shares his opinions of what you should know and do if you’re going to take photography as a main activity. He goes from topics as finding your vision and niche, to practical legal aspects of the business.

- The Digital Photography Book: v. 3, by Scott Kelby
See above

- The Lost Symbol, by Dan Brown
I am a fan of the Dan Brown novels. I have read all of them. I love the way he grabs our attention in every single chapter, and the historic and scientific facts we learn in each book. To me, it is what it is: not pretending to be “high” literature, it is a great entertaining read.

July has been a non-fiction month. Of the eight books I read, only one was fiction. I had a week off also, so I read more than usual, as well as worked on my tan
So, here are the books I read in July:

- Blind Faith, by Ben Elton
Ben Elton is a great writer. He’s got several very funny novels, and has written a couple of West End musicals. Blind Faith is about London in the future. A place where there is no privacy at all. Where everything and everyone is constantly watched. Where reading fiction is considered a crime, and where a weird form of religion runs society. Scary? Oh yes. But also funny.

- The Portuguese: A Modern History, by Barry Hatton
This is a great book, written by a journalist living in Portugal for over 25 years. He basically gets us. The good, and the not so good. He takes a look at Portugal’s history and tells it like he sees it. I learned from reading this book. And had quite a few laughs too.

- Delivering Happiness, by Tony Hsieh
Zappos is a case study in success online. They went from nothing to huge, ultimately being sold to Amazon for over 1 billion dollars. Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, lets us in on his journey, from childhood to success as an entrepreneur. Many useful lessons learned.

- Anything You Want, by Derek Sivers
I’ve been reading Derek Sivers’ essays for a few years now. He seems to see things through a much clearer lens than most people, and shares great insights. This book tells of his experience running the very successful CD Baby. It’s a small book, worth every page.

- Focus On Photographing People, by Haje Jan Kamps
I’m very into photographing people. So I got this book during my holidays down south. Read it in a day. It teaches you the different aspects of portrait photography in a clear tone. I personally didn’t learn that much, but if you’re getting started in photography, this is a useful read.

- The Art of Travel, by Alain de Botton
Mr de Botton is one of my favorite non fiction writers. This time, he takes us on several trips, guided by artists and other great thinkers. He brilliantly shares his own experiences with those of others in the past, in a way enlightening us. All with a very fine sense of humor.

- Annie Leibovitz at Work, by Annie Leibovitz
This is a wonderful book, written by one of today’s most famous photographers. She shares many stories and lessons from her now long career, all accompanied by her great pictures. I also got to know other photographers, whose work she refers to in the text.

- Your Creative Mix, by Corwin Hiebert
On this ebook, the author tries to get our creative juices flowing. He tells of of traps to avoid, shares some collaborations tips, and talks to some artists who share their experiences. This book is aimed at photographers, but can be read by anyone in a creative profession.

After a good month came a slow one in terms of finished books. Although I started four new books, I haven’t finished them. A couple I put down for later, a couple I just didn’t have time to finish. I’m hoping this month will be better. So, books read in June 2011:

- Successful Facebook Marketing, by Skellie
I manage a couple of pages on Facebook (Coffeepaste, and Rui Horta Stageworks). I wanted to know a bit more about managing and promoting them. This e-book has detailed information on how to do that. If you have a page on Facebook, grab a copy. It will be very useful.

- Going Pro – How to Make Money Through your Photography, by Kelly Kingman
As I learn more about photography, I am more and more interested on how you can make money (and even a living) out of it. I love the sheer pleasure of photographing but, if at some point I can make some money, all the better. This book points you to the different approaches you can take on going pro, and shares countless tips on how best to achieve this.

May was my birthday month. I’ve treated myself to some photographic material, but that’s for my Light Cooler blog. If you’re interested in photography, check it out.
I read more than last month, 6 books total, which is over average. Three fiction books and three non-fiction:

- Atonement, by Ian McEwan
Ian McEwan writes beautifully. I’ve been a fan since I read Amsterdam years ago. Atonement shows how a (not so) small action can affect lives throughout the years, and the consequences (and guilt) that come with it.

- The Art of Self-Portraiture, by Anna Gay
IF you’re into photography, this is a great ebook to get. I’ve never been much into self-portraiture, but after reading this book, I am sure trying it more. Check out my review here.

- The Space Between Us, by Thrity Umrigar
India, different classes. Troubles and pains that come with it. Secrets found out. Consequences. A great portrait of India, with great characters.

- The Understudy, by David Nicholls
I got to know David Nichols via the wonderful “One Day”. “The Understudy” is a much lighter book, about the troubles and tribulations of a struggling actor in London. A very funny and intelligent read.

- Arts marketing: the pocket guide, by Sharron Dickman
The arts are another of my passions. Check out the Coffeepaste project (mostly in Portuguese). This free ebook lends a helping hand in crafting a marketing strategy if you are in the Arts world. Very useful.

- Within the Frame, by David DuChemin
David DuChemin is a well known international photographer. In this book, he takes us on a worldwide journey, sharing his vast knowledge and photos.

A month below average, even though I had a week off. But I was too busy in Estoril Open watching tennis and taking pictures (here, and here). Anyway, here are the books I read this April:
– The Defector, by Daniel Silva
– The Thank You Economy, by Gary Vaynerchuk
– Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead, by Neil Strauss