The reviewer is not wrong, though it certainly clouded his judgment of the book. The book needed more editing.
Between the two journals, I really recommend The Making of Kareteka instead. It's more concise, and it shows Mechner at more of a formative age. Many of the things he did are easily related to, like not knowing what path to choose in life, cutting classes, taking transit because he didn't have a driver's license, or moving out for the first time. And even though it's a diary, it ends like a good story.
Making of PoP is a hundred pages longer. Though interesting, Mechner's attempt to enter the movie industry, international travel, and the development of PoP 2 made the book unfocused. At the end it peters out and abruptly stops.
I wonder if, of the two, it gets more attention because Prince of Persia is familiar to more people?
Between the two journals, I really recommend The Making of Kareteka instead. It's more concise, and it shows Mechner at more of a formative age. Many of the things he did are easily related to, like not knowing what path to choose in life, cutting classes, taking transit because he didn't have a driver's license, or moving out for the first time. And even though it's a diary, it ends like a good story.
Making of PoP is a hundred pages longer. Though interesting, Mechner's attempt to enter the movie industry, international travel, and the development of PoP 2 made the book unfocused. At the end it peters out and abruptly stops.
I wonder if, of the two, it gets more attention because Prince of Persia is familiar to more people?