I was looking for an easy read while I was home sick, and this was recommended by Amazon when I was looking for something else. I'm happy they recomm...moreI was looking for an easy read while I was home sick, and this was recommended by Amazon when I was looking for something else. I'm happy they recommended it - fun book that's sort of a combo of Faust and Something Wicked This Way Comes. Guy sells his soul (we don't really know why at the beginning), makes a deal with the devil to get it back, runs an undead carnival.
You know the type. Good times. Fun book to read.(less)
I liked this book best of the Iain M Banks books I've read so far - but I'm a sucker for science fiction books where the main character enters a tourn...moreI liked this book best of the Iain M Banks books I've read so far - but I'm a sucker for science fiction books where the main character enters a tournament of games. I even liked Split Infinity, for Pete's sake. I always like books that are set up around games, and am starting to get a better sense of what Banks is aiming to do with the Culture books, so enjoyed it the most so far. Will probably wait a bit before reading the next Banks book, but will definitely read one before too long.(less)
What can you say about Dune, really? A classic of science fiction literature; a book that many consider to be the best of the genre. I last read it pr...moreWhat can you say about Dune, really? A classic of science fiction literature; a book that many consider to be the best of the genre. I last read it probably 20 years ago in high school -- I remembered a lot of sand, I remembered enjoying it, and then I have some sort of weird memory of a movie with Sting in it, but that was pretty much the extent of things.
Then the other day a friend of mine tweeting about the acquisition of Sun by Oracle as another one getting gobbled up by House Harkonnen, which triggered me to reread it.
This time around, I understood a lot more of what the book is about, of course, and enjoyed it just as much. It's a great book, for sure -- although my memory of the rest of the sequels is still good enough that I'm not going to ruin the original by re-reading those. :-)
I think the pacing is a little on the slow side -- not really contemporary speed, anyway -- but the idea, and the bigness of the setting are of course amazing, as is the range that Herbert shows, going from huge imperial family intrigue & wars to personal mysticism.
This is a really interesting book, given to me by my friend Peter Sims, particularly in light of the Iranian elections last week. It's an in depth, bu...moreThis is a really interesting book, given to me by my friend Peter Sims, particularly in light of the Iranian elections last week. It's an in depth, but readable explanation of the history of the Shia/Sunni relationship, but also a very broad look at the contemporary politics across the region. I have a pretty strong sense that there's some pro-Shia bias in the book (although as an outsider, it's difficult to assess how much, really) -- nonetheless, this was probably the single most useful book I've read to understand the situation and possible new developments in the region.(less)
This is an amazing book -- written in 1968 by always smart Neil Postman and Charles Weingartner, it's ostensibly a book about education reform -- and ...moreThis is an amazing book -- written in 1968 by always smart Neil Postman and Charles Weingartner, it's ostensibly a book about education reform -- and it's a very good one to read about that. But it also reads like it could have been written in the last year or so, about what we're all experiencing with the incredible pace of change on the connected Internet. Postman's ability to see what the future had in store -- along with great minds like McLuhan -- is totally astounding. The first couple of chapters of this book, in particular, are of huge relevance to everyone working on the Web today. (Thanks to Jared Kopf for the recommendation & book loan!)
A couple of quotes for today from 40 years ago:
Change occurs so rapidly that each of us in the course of our lives has continuously to work out a set of values, beliefs, and patterns of behavior that are viable, or seem viable, to each of us personally. And just when we have identified a workable system, it turns out to be irrelevant because so much has changed while we were doing it.
As the number of messages increases, the amount of information carried decreases. We have more media to communicate fewer significant ideas.
About the best thing that can be said about this book is that it's a book about beer. The 2nd best thing about the book is that it's mercifully short,...moreAbout the best thing that can be said about this book is that it's a book about beer. The 2nd best thing about the book is that it's mercifully short, at just over 100 pages. I've liked Robbins historically, and especially Skinny Legs and All and Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas (his 2 books in the 1990s), but haven't thought much of his work this decade. Avoid for sure. (less)
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