|
April 24
|
|
James
gave  to:
Hamas vs. Fatah: The Struggle For Palestine (Hardcover)
by
Jonathan Schanzer
|
my rating:
|
| |
read in April, 2009
James said:
"Formerly a Counter-terrorism Analyst for the U.S. Department of Treasury, Jonathan Schanzer leverages his background to produce a detailed account of the “struggle” for Palestine, between its two most prominent factions. This is a picture of the ...more
Formerly a Counter-terrorism Analyst for the U.S. Department of Treasury, Jonathan Schanzer leverages his background to produce a detailed account of the “struggle” for Palestine, between its two most prominent factions. This is a picture of the history and current interactions of the Palestinian movement and how Palestinian citizens are as much a victim of Hamas and Fatah as are the citizens of Israel.
While the mainstream media tells us that these two political entities exist within overall Palestine, Schanzer takes us behind the scenes of the background and origins of both Fatah and Hamas. He sharply illustrates that there is anything but unity between these two political factions in their common effort to produce an independent Palestinian state. The book is extremely well researched, using a large number of publicly available information sources, to weave a comprehensive tapestry of the story of the Palestinian “resistance”.
What becomes abundantly clear is that the violence between the Palestinians and Israel is a mirror to the violence between Hamas and Fatah, as each faction continues to vie for control over the Palestinian people, the hearts and minds (and money) of the world’s governments, and the spotlight in the international press. Schanzer also shines a light into the shadows and at the involvement of Al Queda, Hezbollah, and Iran in the affairs of Hamas in particular, and how or if they are able to influence Palestinian terrorism against Israel.
.....
This book should be required reading for anyone interested in the dynamics of the Middle East and the fate of the Holy Land. Ultimately though, all the reader can do is “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” and long for the days of Messiah, when the long, bloody conflict will finally come to an end.
My longer review can be found here: http://shema-yisrael.org/blogspot/2009/0...(less)
"
|
|
April 14
|
|
James
gave  to:
The Manga Guide to Electricity (Paperback)
by
Kazuhiro Fujitaki
|
my rating:
|
| |
read in April, 2009
James said:
"When I reviewed The Manga Guide to Databases over two months ago, I wasn't sure I was going to review any of the other Manga books. I knew that No Starch was going to publish others, but the only ones I was aware of at the time dealt with statistics ...more
When I reviewed The Manga Guide to Databases over two months ago, I wasn't sure I was going to review any of the other Manga books. I knew that No Starch was going to publish others, but the only ones I was aware of at the time dealt with statistics and calculus; not two of my favorite subjects. When the notice for The Manga Guide to Electricity hit my inbox though, I thought it looked like fun. I was right.
While I wasn't originally sure what audience the Databases book was written for, this Electricity book is securely written for the high school audience, though I suppose even younger students would benefit. The heroine of our story is an average high school student named Rereko who lives in the city of Electopia; a city totally run by electricity. Apparently, it's a big deal if you fail your electricity final and you live in a city where electricity is the main product. That's just what happened to Rereko. Sentenced to that most dreaded of fates for most students, summer school, Rereko has just one more shot at passing the exam and graduating. Enter her tutor Hikaru, who uses innovative and imaginative methods (such as manga) to help our young student "get it".
That's just the point of this book as well; to help students who might not otherwise be particularly interested in learning electricity (or at least not interested in the usual teaching texts) "get it" in a fun and playful manner. The book is formatted in the way I imagine the entire series is set up. The main "learning" text is presented as a typical manga comic book, and a summary section at the end of each chapter that is just plain text and diagrams. Let's imagine that you're taught a topic by a cartoon and then you're presented the same material in a more standard format to see if you really understand.
This is just how I pictured the Databases book; as a text that teaches you the basics in manga format and prepares you to learn more on the topic from "non-manga" materials. The No Starch Manga series aside, you can't expect to learn everything in manga, can you? Actually, the book superficially reminded me of my own first experience "learning" about electricity. In my case it was from a Reddy Kilowatt comic book in the fourth grade (back in the days when dinosaurs ruled the Earth). I vaguely recall a school field trip to my local electric plant and getting a Reddy Kilowatt lapel pin (which has probably long been relegated to the bottom of a landfill somewhere).
Our typical exposure to manga or anime in America, usually leads us to expect scantily clad, buxom women, spaceships, super powers, and explosions. When I published the Databases review on this blog, one of the comments I got was about the lack of "boobs" (the main characters seemed to be in elementary school in that book). Sorry. The older age group represented by the main character hasn't changed the presentation of material. No explosions, no super powers, no space ships, and no (apparent) breasts. In other words, nothing that would tremendously distract the audience from the topic at hand. Japanese manga is sometimes used as a way to educate, not only on factual topics, but on morality and ethics, particularly the value of cooperation and respecting others. You have to keep that sort of philosophy in mind when reading this book (since it was originally published for a Japanese audience).
The book won't teach you to be an electrician or an electrical engineer, but it will ground you solidly in how electricity works, including it's creation, how it's influenced, and manipulated. Concepts of current, capacitance, potential, voltage, and so on, are all well taught, including the primary methods used to generate electricity in the world today. The result of this book may be enough to help the reader pass an exam similar to what Rereko faces, and possibly for a few, it might spawn enough curiosity to explore the topic further.
Lest we forget, there's an actual storyline involved. OK, it's not an amazingly compelling storyline (no super powers or explosions, remember?), but Rereko still has to pass her final so she can graduate. During the process, she and "Sensei Hikaru" develop a friendship (and she discovers he's a lousy housekeeper). By the last page, we see the happy ending, and as Bogart says at the conclusion of Casablanca, "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship"...and a pretty good book.
Original review, including relevant links, posted at A Million Chimpanzees.(less)
"
|
|
|
James is on page 100 of 256 of Hamas vs. Fatah: The Struggle For Palestine "Look pretty good so far, if a little dry."
|
|
March 03
|
|
James
gave  to:
Doctor No (Paperback)
by
Ian Fleming
|
my rating:
|
| |
read in February, 2009
James said:
"I've seen all of the James Bond movies at least once, but this is the first Ian Fleming novel I've read. Somehow, I never worked up the nerve to see if I'd like Fleming's Bond as compared to the cinema version. I guess I should say "cinema versi...more
I've seen all of the James Bond movies at least once, but this is the first Ian Fleming novel I've read. Somehow, I never worked up the nerve to see if I'd like Fleming's Bond as compared to the cinema version. I guess I should say "cinema versions", since numerous actors have played Bond. Sean Connery for me *is* James Bond, so it was easy for me to "cast" him in the role as I read this novel.
It's not bad. a comparison to the silver screen "Doctor No" is inevitable and I had a tough time deciding which was better. Both works are dated and both stories are highly improbable, but they're both still fun.
About half of the book was used in the movie. Some sequences are virtually identical, but the premise of Doctor No and his ultimate fate are quite different in Fleming's version vs. the film. Bond is grittier; less polished in the novel than on the screen and is more a creature of violence than sex on these yellowing pages (not that sex didn't eventually make an appearance, but only after the danger was over).
In order to enjoy this, and probably all of the other Fleming stories, you have to be interested in escapist fiction, the cold war, and a writer's perspective on said cold war while it's actually happening. All that, and of course, you have to want to read vintage Bond as well.
I chose Doctor No as my first Bond novel because it was the first film in the series. Little did I know that the novel is the sixth in the series, with Casino Royale being the first and From Russia with Love being the fifth, right before this one.
Having read this and a series of Bond short stories in the From a View to a Kill compilation, I'd have to say that the films are my official "canon" for the Bond stories. While Fleming's Bond is fun, because I was raised on the films instead, my nostalgic attachment lies there. (less)
"
|
|
February 25
|
|
|
|
February 24
|
|
James
gave to:
Tarzan of the Apes (Tarzan, #1)
by
Edgar Rice Burroughs
|
my rating:
|
| |
read in February, 2009
James said:
"It occurred to me that I had never read any of the Burroughs Tarzan books. When I was in Junior High, I had read all of his "John Carter of Mars" series and really enjoyed them. About 10 years ago, I tried re-reading the first of that serie...more
It occurred to me that I had never read any of the Burroughs Tarzan books. When I was in Junior High, I had read all of his "John Carter of Mars" series and really enjoyed them. About 10 years ago, I tried re-reading the first of that series, "A Princess of Mars" and found it to be completely juvenile. I gave up at about 20 pages in and never looked back. For some odd reason though, when I was at the library last week, I decided to give the first book in the Tarzan series a whirl.
I have to admit, I was impressed. Oh to be sure, the book shows its age and the entire premise of the book is not credible, but if you suspend disbelief and let yourself be carried away in the narrative, it's really quite a good adventure novel.
I can't say that I read it out of nostalgia, since that would have required having read the book and having loved it at some point in the past. I do however, love the history of at least certain forms of entertainment. I've been a fan of the old Tarzan movies way back when, and it was fun to see the "official" origin of the character.
The novel wasn't exactly what I expected, but it did reveal the tale of a young boy raised by apes and "assimilated" into their "culture" while still struggling with the mystery of his beginning. Despite the extreme improbability of the events depicted, Burroughs' direct writing style is sufficiently engaging to carry the reader along with the story. It's a page turner.
For me, the book ends either somewhat tragically, or at least as a cliffhanger. Tarzan doesn't achieve his final goal and the reason he walked away from the jungle and learned the ways of civilization by the end of the book. It leaves the reader wondering what's going to happen next. He's discovered his true origins and heritage, but doesn't reveal them to the people who need to understand him the most.
Of course, there are over 20 sequels to this novel, and so plenty of room to resolve any of the strings left loose by the end of this book. I actually found myself wondering what was going to happen next and I think it would be fun to find out by reading "The Return of Tarzan". (less)
"
|
|
February 02
|
|
James
gave to:
Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux (Versions 8.10 and 8.04), A (2nd Edition)
by
Mark G. Sobell
|
my rating:
|
| |
read in February, 2009
James said:
"I use various versions of Ubuntu Linux for both work and home, so I consider myself well qualified to review a book on this topic. The following is a reprint of the review I wrote for my blog:
I upgraded my Ubuntu VM to 8.10 just for this ...more
I use various versions of Ubuntu Linux for both work and home, so I consider myself well qualified to review a book on this topic. The following is a reprint of the review I wrote for my blog:
I upgraded my Ubuntu VM to 8.10 just for this review (well, not "just" for this review, but mostly). Of course, Sobell's second edition of this "I-weigh-a-ton" tome covers both 8.04 and 8.10, but I run 8.04 on my production machine, so I figure I've got the book covered. Judging by the size of the book though, I'd have to assume that Sobell has it covered as well. But does he? Unlike Godzilla, size doesn't always matter. Let's have a look.
A casual viewing of the book's back cover tells the reader that they can expect to find out just about everything there is to know about anything they can do with Ubuntu. While most folks think of Ubuntu as the most "desktop user" friendly version of Linux, and the most likely contender to chip away at Microsoft Windows' death grip on the home desktop market, there's a lot more to consider. At least according to the blurb I read, the server aspects of Ubuntu are well covered here. The list includes Apache, DNS, LDAP, NIS, and Samba, and that's just for starters. This isn't a "switch from Windows to Ubuntu Linux" text written for the average home PC user. It's, at least in theory, an "all-in-one" guide for everything you ever wanted to know about Ubuntu (but were afraid to ask).
The rest can be found at A Million Chimpanzees.(less)
"
|
|
January 28
|
|
|
|
James
gave to:
Devices of the Soul: Battling for Our Selves in an Age of Machines (Hardcover)
by
Steve Talbott
|
my rating:
|
| |
read in September, 2008
James said:
"Steve Talbott successfully has authored a book that examines the nature of humanity in the Information Age. How do people retain their unique identities when "intelligence" can now be manufactured in a factory and even constructed to physic...more
Steve Talbott successfully has authored a book that examines the nature of humanity in the Information Age. How do people retain their unique identities when "intelligence" can now be manufactured in a factory and even constructed to physically mimic a human being?
Talbott cites examples of many people who have great faith in God, in answering the "battle cry" for "our selves in an age of machines". While the author falls just short of recognizing (at least explicitly) the incredible value of that faith in defining our humanity, the examples nevertheless, speak for themselves.
This is one of the few "non-technology" books that I reviewed for a technology venue, in this case, Linux Pro Magazine. If you have the self-awareness to find the book's concept intriguing, I highly recommend that you pick up a copy.(less)
"
|
