Dana Mackenzie (Author of The Big Splat, or How Our Moon Came to Be)

Dana Mackenzie wrote a new blog post

Time for another Goodreads giveaway! From Tuesday, May 21 through Friday, June 7, you can go to www.goodreads.com and enter to win a free copy of m... Read more of this blog post »

Dana made a comment in the group Science and Inquiry — New book and giveaway topic

"I'd like to announce the publication by the American Mathematical Society of my new book, "What's Happening in the Mathematical Sciences, Vol. 9." Thi...more "

Dana rated a book 4 of 5 stars

The Emperor of All Maladies
by Siddhartha Mukherjee

read in December, 2012

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I had mixed feelings about this book (subtitled "A Biography of Cancer"). First of all, I learned quite a lot about cancer.

The book started out really strongly, with a fascinating and at times blood-curdling look at how cancer has been treated and m...more I had mixed feelings about this book (subtitled "A Biography of Cancer"). First of all, I learned quite a lot about cancer.

The book started out really strongly, with a fascinating and at times blood-curdling look at how cancer has been treated and mistreated throughout history. This part was great.

Once we get to the modern era, it got a little bit uneven. My head was spinning by the time I read about the umpteenth experimental cancer drug. Which drug does what? I had trouble keeping them all straight. Of course, this reflects the complexity of the disease, and so to some extent it was not Mukherjee's fault. I had heard of most of the big successes -- Gleevec, Herceptin, tamoxifen, the discovery of cancer genes like BRCA-1 and BRCA-2 -- but this was the first time I had seen these bits and pieces of knowledge put into a narrative form, and the first time I had learned where the successes came from.

Some other things Mukherjee does really well include writing about the political or public-relations side of cancer research. From the "Jimmy Fund" in the 1940s to the ACT-UP activists of the 1980s (remember, AIDS started out as a "gay cancer"), cancer has always had a public side. Mukherjee does a good job of chronicling this. He's not the sort of scientist who just says, "Let me stay in my lab and do science."

The things that I did not like about the book were that it was, paradoxically, both too short and too long. Many sections seemed to be rushed, sketchy, incomplete -- it was as if Mukherjee had so many things to cover that he had to race on to the next topic. And indeed, his agenda was huge. That's why the book goes on for almost 500 pages. I think it would have been a better book if he had not tried to cover so much material and given some of the stories a little more room.

I also felt strangely emotionally disconnected from the book. Mukherjee tries to use a narrative device where he tells the history of cancer in parallel with one patient's case (Carla's). This should have been a terrific idea, but it just didn't work. Carla's appearances were far too sporadic, and after the first few weeks of her illness Mukherjee really didn't have intimate enough contact with her to get the reader inside her head or to feel her experience.

A similar chance is lost when he writes about Einar Gustafson, the "Jimmy" after whom the Jimmy Fund was named -- it was never his real name, which tells you something about the PR side of cancer. He survived in an era when nobody survived; he kept to himself for nearly half a century but then his sister finally told the world who he was. This chapter could have been an absolute emotional bombshell, but Mukherjee isn't up to it. It's wedged for no obvious reason between sections on the latest drug advances, just another topic covered on his checklist of topics.

Bottom line: For information content, this book is top-notch. Five stars. I now understand much better what my friends who have had cancer had to go through, and I also understand why. But I'd only give it three stars for passion, entertainment, or storytelling. So I'll average those grades and give it four stars, although this seems a little bit on the generous side to me.(less)

Dana rated a book 3 of 5 stars

Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks
by Ken Jennings

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Dana made a comment in the group Science and Inquiry — December 2012 Emperor of All Maladies topic

"I finished reading it today. I liked it, but with caveats. It taught me a lot about how we got to where we are today, and the stories of the early day...more "

Dana made a comment in the group Science and Inquiry — Excerpt on New York Times website topic

"Hi Betsy (and any other e-book fans),

I just found out that my U.K. co-publisher and U.S. co-publisher have agreed on the electronic rights, so there w...more "

Dana rated a book 1 of 5 stars

Outlander (Outlander, #1)
by Diana Gabaldon (Goodreads Author)

read in January, 2004

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I noticed that almost all of my ratings so far have been 3 stars or better, with a light sprinkling of 2's. For balance, here is a short review of a book that I really, truly loathed.

I bought this book on a whim several years ago. I had never read a...more

Dana liked Holly's review of Outlander (Outlander, #1):

" How To Commit Adultery Without Being a Cheap Slutty Whore: A Q&A by Diana Gabaldon

Q: I love my husband but I'm feeling kind of restless. But adultery is wrong. So what do I do?
A: Easy! Go back in time!

Q: What do you mean, Ms. Gabaldon?
A: If yo... " Read more of this review »

Dana liked Eric's review of Outlander (Outlander, #1):

" I gave this book a really awful and visceral yet irreverent review and people got all hurty. Sorry, gentle readers. So here's a revised review - still bad, but with fewer sharp corners and internet ugliness.

I really disliked this book. As I think... " Read more of this review »

Dana rated a book 4 of 5 stars

A Fine Balance
by Rohinton Mistry

read in November, 2012

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I loved a lot of things about "A Fine Balance." In this book, Rohinton Mistry seems to me like an Indian version of John Steinbeck, in his ability to depict unflinchingly the lives of the most abject poor. And yet he does not dwell on their hardships...more I loved a lot of things about "A Fine Balance." In this book, Rohinton Mistry seems to me like an Indian version of John Steinbeck, in his ability to depict unflinchingly the lives of the most abject poor. And yet he does not dwell on their hardships, just as the characters themselves (for the most part) do not dwell on them. He constantly shows us the good side of human nature even in the worst circumstances. I also really appreciated his ability to paint a verbal picture of a country I have never visited.

And his stories! They are the greatest! Often, when he introduces a new character, he tells us the character's whole life story. Even if the stories seem peripheral to the main action, this technique really makes the characters come alive. Even a beggar on the street corner, a person whom you would normally pass by without a thought, turns out to have a fascinating story. Mistry's beggars and people struggling to survive are nevertheless much more human than the more socially acceptable characters.

Certain parts of the book are not for the squeamish. "A Fine Balance" touches on some of the same issues as the movie "Slumdog Millionaire." But do not expect it to have a happy Bollywood-style ending where everybody gets up and dances at the end.

I have one chief complaint about the book. Although I loved the characters that Mistry gave us and their interactions and the situations he put them in, the ending really felt flat to me. Although one of the main characters has prepared us by telling us many times, "Everything always ends badly," it seems as if Mistry is trying too hard to prove him correct. And it's not just that the story ends badly -- it kind of peters out. The chapters get shorter and shorter toward the end, as if Mistry were losing energy. Maybe the problem is that as he nears the end of the book he can't introduce new characters and delight us with their stories any more; he's got to wrap up the stories of the ones he has given us. Which he does in a somewhat perfunctory way ... and everybody lived unhappily ever after, so to speak.

Especially the fate of the character who says "Everything always ends badly" seems unmotivated. The action he takes at the end of the book (which I cannot give away, obviously) does not seem at all true to his character. Perhaps he has changed -- this action takes place in an epilogue nine years after the main story -- but Mistry does not do a convincing job, in my opinion, of showing us how he has changed in those years.

So, four stars. A vivid, unforgettable portrait of India. A wonderful cast of characters whom you will fall in love with. And a slightly unrewarding conclusion.(less)

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	The Big Splat, or How Our Moon Came to Be 3.7 of 5 stars 3.70 avg rating — 30 ratings — published 2003 — 6 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Universe in Zero Words: The Story of Mathematics as Told Through Equations 4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 avg rating — 27 ratings — published 2012 — 4 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	What's Happening in the Mathematical Sciences, Vol. 6 by Dana Mackenzie (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Barry Cipra 3.0 of 5 stars 3.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2006	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	What's Happening in the Mathematical Sciences (Vol. 9) 0.0 of 5 stars 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2013	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	What's Happening in the Mathematical Sciences, Vol. 8 0.0 of 5 stars 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	What's Happening in the Mathematical Sciences, Vol. 7 0.0 of 5 stars 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Wiley Plus/Blackboard Stand-Aone to Accompany Visualizing Physical Geology by Barbara W. Murck, Brian J. Skinner, Dana Mackenzie (Goodreads Author) 2.0 of 5 stars 2.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Wiley Plus/Webct Stand-Alone to Accompany Visualizing Physical Geology by Barbara W. Murck, Brian J. Skinner, Dana Mackenzie (Goodreads Author) 0.0 of 5 stars 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2007	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Visualizing Geology by Barbara W. Murck, Brian J. Skinner, Dana Mackenzie (Goodreads Author) 0.0 of 5 stars 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2007 — 5 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Visualizing Physical Geology: Wiley Plus Stand Alone by Barbara W. Murck, Brian J. Skinner, Dana Mackenzie (Goodreads Author) 0.0 of 5 stars 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Dana Mackenzie wrote a new blog post Give-away time! Time for another Goodreads giveaway! From Tuesday, May 21 through Friday, June 7, you can go to www.goodreads.com and enter to win a free copy of m... Read more of this blog post »
8 hours, 8 min ago · like
Dana made a comment in the group Science and Inquiry — New book and giveaway topic "I'd like to announce the publication by the American Mathematical Society of my new book, "What's Happening in the Mathematical Sciences, Vol. 9." Thi...more "
May 20, 2013 02:29pm
Dana rated a book 4 of 5 stars The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee read in December, 2012	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I had mixed feelings about this book (subtitled "A Biography of Cancer"). First of all, I learned quite a lot about cancer. The book started out really strongly, with a fascinating and at times blood-curdling look at how cancer has been treated and m...more
Dec 24, 2012 04:55pm · see review
Dana rated a book 3 of 5 stars Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks by Ken Jennings	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 24, 2012 04:43pm
Dana made a comment in the group Science and Inquiry — December 2012 Emperor of All Maladies topic "I finished reading it today. I liked it, but with caveats. It taught me a lot about how we got to where we are today, and the stories of the early day...more "
Dec 24, 2012 03:42pm
Dana made a comment in the group Science and Inquiry — Excerpt on New York Times website topic "Hi Betsy (and any other e-book fans), I just found out that my U.K. co-publisher and U.S. co-publisher have agreed on the electronic rights, so there w...more "
Nov 19, 2012 02:07pm
Dana rated a book 1 of 5 stars Outlander (Outlander, #1) by Diana Gabaldon (Goodreads Author) read in January, 2004	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I noticed that almost all of my ratings so far have been 3 stars or better, with a light sprinkling of 2's. For balance, here is a short review of a book that I really, truly loathed. I bought this book on a whim several years ago. I had never read a...more
Nov 17, 2012 06:51pm · see review
Dana liked Holly's review of Outlander (Outlander, #1): " How To Commit Adultery Without Being a Cheap Slutty Whore: A Q&A by Diana Gabaldon Q: I love my husband but I'm feeling kind of restless. But adultery is wrong. So what do I do? A: Easy! Go back in time! Q: What do you mean, Ms. Gabaldon? A: If yo... " Read more of this review »
Nov 17, 2012 05:06pm · see review
Dana liked Eric's review of Outlander (Outlander, #1): " I gave this book a really awful and visceral yet irreverent review and people got all hurty. Sorry, gentle readers. So here's a revised review - still bad, but with fewer sharp corners and internet ugliness. I really disliked this book. As I think... " Read more of this review »
Nov 17, 2012 05:03pm · see review
Dana rated a book 4 of 5 stars A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry read in November, 2012	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I loved a lot of things about "A Fine Balance." In this book, Rohinton Mistry seems to me like an Indian version of John Steinbeck, in his ability to depict unflinchingly the lives of the most abject poor. And yet he does not dwell on their hardships...more
Nov 15, 2012 07:29pm · see review

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