Misleading subtitle: “A Romp Through Literature for Writers and Readers.” More accurate: “A Random Assortment of Selections from Barnaby’s Favorite Books, Plays, and Movies for No Particular Audience or Purpose.” I didn’t not-enjoy reading it and I finished it, but the interstitial text is mostly a waste because it’s mostly narration and anecdotes rather than the help to writers it’s trying to be. A compilation that actually contrasted different kinds of scene approaches might actually be useful; this isn’t that.