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indeedithappens's review
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Classism, and Sexual harassment
buer's review against another edition
3.0
Poorcraft: Wish You Were Here is the cheap travel follow up to Trotman's previous book about frugal living.
It isn't great. The story works a lot better in this one than the previous one, but the actual information that is offered is pretty scarce. Poorcraft: The Funnybook Fundamentals of Living Well on Less was loaded with external resources with more detailed information, recipes, and information that felt more well-researched and less folksy. Poorcraft: Wish You Were Here had the kind of information I'd expect from a fellow hosteler who's been traveling for a little while. It could just be that because I travel similarly to the writer of the book most of the information seemed really basic, but the sources were also pretty disappointing. Wikipedia was one of the resources, along with Kayak.com and couchsurfing.com, which I think are all pretty resources. I did not count them (I kind of wish I had), but I don't think that more than 10 sources overall.
Regardless, it was a cute read and not totally without valuable information. For instance, I learned about the wallet twist (where you avoid pickpockets by putting your wallet deep enough in your pocket that you can twist it closed from the inside) and there were some good (very common sense, but still good) packing tips as well.
In summary, I would not buy it, but if someone has it sitting on a table somewhere, it's fun to page through.
It isn't great. The story works a lot better in this one than the previous one, but the actual information that is offered is pretty scarce. Poorcraft: The Funnybook Fundamentals of Living Well on Less was loaded with external resources with more detailed information, recipes, and information that felt more well-researched and less folksy. Poorcraft: Wish You Were Here had the kind of information I'd expect from a fellow hosteler who's been traveling for a little while. It could just be that because I travel similarly to the writer of the book most of the information seemed really basic, but the sources were also pretty disappointing. Wikipedia was one of the resources, along with Kayak.com and couchsurfing.com, which I think are all pretty resources. I did not count them (I kind of wish I had), but I don't think that more than 10 sources overall.
Regardless, it was a cute read and not totally without valuable information. For instance, I learned about the wallet twist (where you avoid pickpockets by putting your wallet deep enough in your pocket that you can twist it closed from the inside) and there were some good (very common sense, but still good) packing tips as well.
In summary, I would not buy it, but if someone has it sitting on a table somewhere, it's fun to page through.
wanderlustlover's review against another edition
1.0
(Double review for Poorcraft: The Funny Book and Poorcraft: Wish You Were Here)
I have loved almost every book I've gotten by kick-starting, and I loved the idea of a comic book serious about being frugal without losing the beauty in your life -- both an original, for everyday living, and one for traveling, but reading this book is like scrolling through pages of fingernails on a chalkboard for me. I don't specifically like the art, or the presentation, or the characters, or how they treat each other. Mleh. I guess they couldn't all be perfect gold. But I'm still glad if these things I already knew (and that weren't very specifically aligned for my life) help someone else.
Edits on the traveling one as I reskim -- I think my problem with these is that the narrator comes across incredibly patronizing, and her only comparison friend is made to look like a hapless, can't do anything right antagonist-victim the whole time.
I have loved almost every book I've gotten by kick-starting, and I loved the idea of a comic book serious about being frugal without losing the beauty in your life -- both an original, for everyday living, and one for traveling, but reading this book is like scrolling through pages of fingernails on a chalkboard for me. I don't specifically like the art, or the presentation, or the characters, or how they treat each other. Mleh. I guess they couldn't all be perfect gold. But I'm still glad if these things I already knew (and that weren't very specifically aligned for my life) help someone else.
Edits on the traveling one as I reskim -- I think my problem with these is that the narrator comes across incredibly patronizing, and her only comparison friend is made to look like a hapless, can't do anything right antagonist-victim the whole time.
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