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| # | cover | title | author | isbn | isbn13 | asin | num pages | avg rating | num ratings | date pub | date pub (ed.) | rating | my rating | review | notes | recommender | comments | votes | read count | date started | date read |
date
 |
date purchased | owned | purchase location | added to swap | condition | format | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0765367610
| 9780765367617
| 3.50
| 66
| Sep 27, 2011
| Oct 04, 2011
| 
| This is a collection of short stories that fall into the science fiction and fantasy genres. Most were published in the 1950s and cover the standard s...moreThis is a collection of short stories that fall into the science fiction and fantasy genres. Most were published in the 1950s and cover the standard science fiction topics of the age including robots, time travel, the atomic bomb, and how human beings interact with them. There is also one Western which is a nice, short study of human folly.
There are two stories from the past three years, one that seems to be an attempt to cash in on the vampire craze in a quirky, but entertaining way, and the other which comes back to time travel and considers what might happen if someone were to meet his younger self. Most of these short stories have a nice twist or viewpoint that make them enjoyable a reads. Though I just didn't get "Lemmings", so if you have read this and can shed any light on it, let me know. I woould recommend this book to science fiction fans, especially those who liked the stories that grapple with man's relationship to technology, and those who like fiction about the atomic age. I would also say that short story lovers would enjoy some of these pieces. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
| 1
| not set
| Dec 31, 2011
|
Dec 31, 2011
| Mass Market Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 0486449319
| 9780486449319
| 4.00
| 5
| Jun 23, 2006
| Jun 23, 2006
| 
| Cold Steel is a book that aims to introduce basic fencer into a wider world. Written in 1889, it explains how to develop competency in sabre fencing f...moreCold Steel is a book that aims to introduce basic fencer into a wider world. Written in 1889, it explains how to develop competency in sabre fencing for a world where the possibility of a duel or the use of a sabre in military fighting still exists. Still, that is only half the fun, because the book goes beyond sabre fencing to cover fighting with sticks, daggers, and even unarmed defenses against a dagger.
In terms of useful technique, Cold Steel would be frowned upon by many modern sport fencing coaches. That shouldn't stop modern sport fencers from reading the book for three reasons. One, the book may spark an idea for a drill or training that could be relevant. Two, it is fun to see how the sport evolved and connect your fencing to that of people who came before you. Three, sometimes it is fun to do something extra-curricular to pure sport fencing. Some friends and I practiced the unarmed defenses against a dagger. While I am not sure how well we would fare "in an encounter of such unequal sort" to borrow Hutton's words, we did have a good time spending a couple of minutes at the end of a few fencing sessions working on a skill that was once a part of a larger fencing curriculum.. It also gave us another way to think about and practice skills such as timing, distance, and angles. This is what I mean by taking basic fencers into a larger world. Hutton takes the approach that his readers already have a basic knowledge of fencing and likely will take a sabre in hand primarily for sport fencing. Nevertheless, he believes that there are other things worth knowing beyond just fencing in a salle or gymnasium. He writes brief chapters on fencing with a sabre against a bayonet and a short sword and talks about how to fight with a large stick, a constable's truncheon or billy club, and how to fight with daggers. It is a rather complete collection of fighting skills. For that reason, this book would be of interest to martial artists as well as sport fencers. It goes without saying that those interest in historical fencing also will find this a good addition to their libraries if they do not already have it. (It is worth noting that Hutton taught classes at the Bartitsu Club in London for a time. Bartitsu was a martial art that combined jujistu, boxing, savate, and stick fighting and was mentioned in a Sherlock Holmes story.) The book also references a number of other works that could give people interested in historical manuals a starting point for further research. A couple of notes of caution are in order. First is that practicing any kind of contact skill, whether it be sports, martial arts, or anything else requires the proper equipment, training, and mindset to be done safely. Hutton himself goes into the equipment necessary. Modern equipment has given us more options, and it should be used. Second, Hutton's terminology is antiquated and some is even terms he has self-defined. So, if you do try to practice any of this, read everything carefully and do not assume that modern terminology applies. I would recommend this book to people with an interest in fencing, martial arts, and the history of those subjects. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
| 1
| not set
| Dec 30, 2011
|
Dec 30, 2011
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 1612000010
| 9781612000015
| 4.10
| 72
| 2011
| May 01, 2011
| 
| Jess Goodell has written a book that left me thinking for long time. She was a Marine who served as part of a mortuary affairs unit in Iraq. She and h...moreJess Goodell has written a book that left me thinking for long time. She was a Marine who served as part of a mortuary affairs unit in Iraq. She and her fellow Marines in the unit were the ones who cleaned up the messes made by the battles and booby traps and prepared the bodies of U.S. service people to come home and the bodies of Iraqis for burial. These are the bodies that fill the flag-draped coffins the Pentagon does not want the American public to see.
While it is unavoidable to think about the costs of war when reading a book like this, that was not the only way she caused me to look at my life and the world around me. Goodell compares life in the Marine Corps and life in a combat zone with life in the United States. I have often thought that sometimes things are just too easy here. Goodell's passage about a woman in a McDonald's who fails to discipline her children kind of encapsulates it. "The mother decided she could do -- or refrain from doing -- whatever she wanted, believing that her behavior had no effect on anyone else. Typical. Consume everything in sight while your kids run amok, disrupting other people's lives. Then go ballistic when someone complains, as if it's you who should be angry. I thought it'd be cool to instantly transport her to Iraq. insert her into a platoon and, after five minutes or so, ask her what she thought then about her interconnectedness with others. Her self-centeredness would be such a huge life and death concern to everyone else that they'd knock it out of her immediately." While Goodell speaks well of the espirit de corps of the Marines and how military people look after each other, she doesn't avoid the reality that Marines and others don't always live up to the mythos. She describes how fellow Marines fail her when they get back from Iraq. She also describes how the Marine Corps is not kind to women and how women in the ranks threaten the culture of the Marines. It is not a pretty picture, and Goodell tries her best to take an even handed approach and draw the true lessons: good and bad. All of this of course avoids the main topic of the book, which is her time dealing with death in Iraq. Her accounts of managing the bodies and trying to maintain humanity, both for the living and the dead are harrowing. She describes how they worked through the steps of dealing with the corpses of U.S. and foreign people, and how they tried to do their best by every one. There are some storiesthat are just heart breaking. Her writing makes it easy to understand how so many veterans are just shell-shocked. After reading this book, and others like Michael Herr's Dispatches, hearing someone like an athlete being described as a 'warrior' rings hollow and false. Also, books that put a bright sheen on wars and battle (books by Stephen Ambrose come to mind here) come across as gross and misrepresentations of what happens. When you read about Goodell and her comrades scooping remains out of the remains of a blown-up truck with their hands, you question everything you think you know about violence and the justification for war. In a strange way, reading this book made me want to be more "squared away" in a civilian and humanistic way by paying more attention to my interactions with my friends and family, my co-workers, and the world at large. I realize this is a first book and a catharic book for a shell-shocked veteran, but it was a powerful book and I hope that Goodell continues to observe and think and read and write, because I think she has more to say and it will be worth hearing. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
| 1
| not set
| Nov 15, 2011
|
Nov 18, 2011
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0393337936
| 9780393337938
| 3.64
| 45
| Jan 19, 2009
| Jan 01, 2010
|
| The Great Equations is a science and mathematics book for popular readers, which is its strength and its weakness. The strength is that the text is ac...moreThe Great Equations is a science and mathematics book for popular readers, which is its strength and its weakness. The strength is that the text is accessible to just about any reader with some smattering of science and mathematics in their schooling. The weakness is that sometimes I found it a little too basic and too quick to gloss over details and proofs for equations.
One of the interesting things is how the book demonstrates the way science progresses in fits and starts. It also shows how important collaboration and communication are to scientific discoveries. The other thread of the book that I enjoyed is its commitment that science is something that everyone should know something about -- the chapter on the Second Law of Thermodynamics, the law of entropy, is entitled "The Scientific equivalent of Shakespeare." He thinks we would all have better lives if we treated some basic scientific knowledge like we would knowing about Shakespear. Crease is not shy to deride things like astrology. Crease also acknowldges his debt to the "Two Cultures" concept first proposed by C.P. Snow that says knowledge is divided into technical and cultural knowledge essentially. One of the most interesting chapters is the interlude that discusses the humanities and the science. "For only when the humanities couple their inquiries into human dimensions and possibilities with an awareness of what science has disclosed of the dimensions and possibilities of the world will the humanities most effectively be able to provide answers to the questions of what we know, should do, and can hope for." I enjoyed the chapters on quantum mechanics becaus ethey explained things in a way that helped me make sense of things friends of mine who are scientists and mathematicians have explained to me in other ways. One of the things missing from this book, as another reviewer pointed out, is the quadratic equation. I also would have liked to see mote mathematical proofs in the book. I think Crease missed a chance to make popular readers more comfortable with equations beyondd just holding them up as something to be admired. I also would have liked to see a proof of the Pythagorean Theorem associated with the diagram associated with the U.S. President James A. Garfield used to invent a proof. I don't think enough information is given int he book to recreate the proof myself, though I may need to try again. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of science, humanities and social science people, and educators who might draw some ideas on how to bring science and math to a wider audience. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
| 1
| not set
| Sep 14, 2011
|
Sep 13, 2011
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 0316017930
| 9780316017930
| 3.99
| 59,113
| Nov 18, 2008
| Jun 07, 2011
|
| I have really enjoyed Malcolm Gladwell's other books and was looking forward to this one. But I am disappointed with this one, because his examination...moreI have really enjoyed Malcolm Gladwell's other books and was looking forward to this one. But I am disappointed with this one, because his examination of outliers comes down to they were hard-working people who were born at the right time and into the right culture.
Gladwell certainly turns some traditional notions of where success comes from on their head, but he also reinforces others. While exploding the idea of innate talents being the final arbiter of success, at the same time, he reinforces the idea that successful people were born at the right time. 'Born at the right time' is not a figure of speech. He provides an example of how a father and son achieved very different outcomes because of the different decades of their birth. Gladwell talks about how what culture a person is born into affects the approach he or she takes to a particular situation. The description of airline pilots makes you think about how you behave in certain situations, because when it comes to flying a plane, little things really do mean the difference between life and death. Once again, Malcolm Gladwell has written abook that makes me think differently abbout the world. It does help me understand how some talented people never quite make the most of their talent. At the same time, it also makes me think that this book has just scratched the surface of the subject. One of the thinks I like about his writing is that it seems like a well-researched starting point on a number of topics. However, I would not say that 'Outliers' is the final word on human performance and success. Two quick thoughts as to why: First, I think his examples of success suffer from survivor's bias, especially when talking about the differences in culture and time. In the case of hockey players, he points out how survivor's bias makes us think that the best of the best have been found when other players haven't been given a fair shake. But when he switches to talking about culture, he talks about the spectacular success or failures, but fails to put it in context. Of course perhaps survivor's bias is not a fair critique in a book about outliers. Second, while he does give weight to the fact that "if you work hard enough and assert yourself, and use your mind and imagination, yoou can shape the world to your desires" he writes taht this can only truly happpen through luck of the draw. "Superstar lawyers and math whizzes and software entrepreneurs appear at first blsuh to lie outside ordinary experience. But they don't. They are products of history and community, of opportunity and legacy. Their success is not exceptional or mysterious. It is grounded in a web of advantages and inheritances, some deserved, some not, some earned, smoe just plained lucky -- but all critical to making them who they are. The outlier, in the end, is not an outlier at all." Maybe it is my own frustrated sense of self that makes me hope that this is not the case or that I was maybe born at the right time and haven't realized it yet. If not, I can at least take comfort in the thought that Garrison Keillor was indeed correct ans we are all above average. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
| 1
| not set
| Aug 29, 2011
|
Aug 29, 2011
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 0385333218
| 9780385333214
| 4.04
| 3,886
| 1998
| Jan 11, 2000
|
| I grabbed Rocket Boys because the library was promoting it as part of a one-book program where lots of people read the same book and attend events or ...moreI grabbed Rocket Boys because the library was promoting it as part of a one-book program where lots of people read the same book and attend events or discuss it.
I liked the book, and it made for a good plane read. It was a description of how some kids in coal-country West Virginia build rockets from scratch with the help of the mine's machine shop and some assistance from helpful teachers and mining engineers. The book inspired the film 'October Sky', and that is where my issue with it resides. I didn't see the movie, but the bbook felt like it was written with a movie in mind. Occcasionally, I could see storyboards in my head. Maybe that is all books these days -- as evidenced by 'book trailers' on the Internet, whatever those are supposed to be. There was a group of misfit friends opposed to the football jocks, the love of football players, an unobtainable girl, a young, but tragic teacher championing the outcasts, and a big goal to bring honor to the town. All of it was enjoyable, but in a strange way, there were times when it all felt predictable, despite being a true story. Don't get me wrong the book was a good one, but the writing of it, with the author looking back over 40 years, it makes you wonder just how much literary license was taken. That said, it is a window into a different time. I have a hard time imagining any group of teenage boys getting so much help from grownups to do something like launch rockets that would occasionally explode and rain shrapnel down on a crowd of onlookers. It was also fun to read about how they did their experiments and got things together. I would have liked a little more retrospective information on the science of what the boys did. The author went on to become a NASA engineer. The science and math of their experiements was somewhat glossed over, which is a shame, because I think a few diagrams and a bit more digression would have made that accessible to the reader. All the same, I would recommend this book to people interested in the space program, because it shows how the passion and the history of it affected daily life. I would also recommend it to the geeky kids who feel a little left out of the mainstream because of their interests as a story that shows how they can pursue those interests. It takes work, but the work pays off. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
| 1
| not set
| Aug 18, 2011
|
Aug 20, 2011
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 142360105X
| 9781423601050
| 3.88
| 153
| Sep 20, 2007
| Oct 01, 2007
|
| This book is written for suburbanites who are worried about how to survive disasters like Hurricane Katrina. While it seems like this would be a book ...moreThis book is written for suburbanites who are worried about how to survive disasters like Hurricane Katrina. While it seems like this would be a book for paranoiacs worried about society collapsing, Cody Lundin's writing style and the general style of presentation in this book would put off militia types.
In the book he covers a variety of topics including food storage, first aid, self-defense, and how to dispose of dead bodies. The goal is to tell people how to survive when the systems that they count on to sustain modern life -- for example water, electricity, and sewer systems (yes, he covers how to handle human waste when the toliet no longer works) -- all break down. I can see the value of this book for preparing someone for a potential disaster. Lundin stresss the need to practice before hand, to plan ahead for all the needs of your family, and to not let preparing for disaster to take over your life. Even so, in all of this, I feel like there is someting more subversive happening. I first heard about Cody Lundin when the producers of "Dual Survival" positioned him as a 'bush hippie' opposite army vet Dave Canterbury. While he is certainly that, both men defy easy classifications, except as suvivors. In the book and the television series, Lundin describes his primitive lifestyle and approach to life that involves living as independently as possible. As I read this book, I couldn't help but think about how someone might use the ideas in the book to make one's self more independent. Making me think about how much water I use on a daily basis, how I might use solar energy in my daily life, and what food I might be able to grow on my own. This is not the stated purpose of the book, but it certainly led me to think this way. I can't help but think that Cody Lundin is trying to get us to rethink the way we live out lives to make the whole world a little more survivable. While it is not the U.S. Air Force manual for downed pilots, I think that it would be good for anyone interested in outdoor activities and survival. It also would appeal to those who are interested in independent living and sustainable living. For the second purpose, the book is more evocative, but it still will stimulate ideas. The book makes an excellent companion piece to his 98 Degrees.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
| 1
| not set
| Aug 09, 2011
|
Aug 09, 2011
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 1594745277
| 9781594745270
| 3.75
| 192
| Aug 02, 2011
| Aug 02, 2011
|
| This is one of those books where I often found myself thinking "I wish I had written that." It is a collection of quotes mostly from popular...moreThis is one of those books where I often found myself thinking "I wish I had written that." It is a collection of quotes mostly from popular cultures, science fiction,and fantasy books, movies, and video games that most fans of the genre know. With each quote is an explanation of what those quotes mean in a larger context. This book is likely to do a number of things: provoke many arguments among fans of each of the entries, lead to late night dorm room discussions, and make a lot of people think twice. I think all of these things will make the authors proud.
In retrospect, I suppose I should have seen this coming. After all, the editor of the book once handed me a sheet of paper with excerpts from Dune on it for me to read and consider. That is what happens when your college roommate is deepr-thinking and more well-read geek than you are. (One of those excerpts appear in this book.) Dune is quoted in the book, along with Ghost Busters , and A Wrinkle in Time. But the book approaches encyclopedic status as it moves past The Matirx to more obscure offerings like The Last Unicorn (Really? That's my sister's movie!), and Henri Poincare's Science and Hypothesis. While the book can be read at random, I found myself readin git in several long sittings because in some ways it was brain candy, in others, healthy food for thought, and also a trip down memory lane. I would remember coming across some of these things for the first time. I will probably pick it up to refer to it in the future for entertainment, reference, and as a source for things to read, watch or play. Of coures, I do have a couple of quibbles with it. One is that there should be something beyond the index to help you with quick references -- maybe a list of quotes broken out by category: movies, books, television shows, etc., something that ties the characters and works together perhaps. Also, the lack of Harlan Ellison feels like a large omission to this geek. Finally, this book really gets it wrong about power converters. A little know fact is that had luke picked up those power converters, it would have left the Empire severely short on parts, and it would have collapsed under its own weight. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
| 1
| not set
| Aug 06, 2011
|
Aug 07, 2011
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 1586484877
| 9781586484873
| 3.17
| 92
| Nov 03, 2008
| Nov 04, 2008
|
| A book about a set of books sold by an encyclopedia company might not have a ton of resonance with everyone, but this book has a special appeal for me...moreA book about a set of books sold by an encyclopedia company might not have a ton of resonance with everyone, but this book has a special appeal for me.
[Here is the short version of this review: Overall, I am glad I read this book, because it has made me think about what a Great Book is and how I should approach them. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in history and reading the great book. It offers both caution and encouragement for the reader. But if you want a long explanation of how I got to that conclusion, read on.] When I was about to graduate high school I received a copy of the Encyclopedia Britannica Great Books of the Western World set from the school district's library system. At the time, there was a chance that I would attend St. John's College, where these books form the majority of the curriculum. I never went to St. John's, and the set sat mostly unused on my shelves in two-plus decades since. After making it through undergrad, graduate school, a few jobs, and a bout of unemployment, I decided I should actually try to read these books if I was going to own them and drag them around from apartment to apartment. I happened upon this book as I am on my second year of trying to make it through the first year of the readings laid out in the first volume of the set. This book describes how the set was put together and sold, sometimes, unscrupulously, and how the set fit into popular culture. Beam describes how the set came together under the direction of Robert Maynard Hutchins and Mortimer Adler. He also shows how it became, in the words of Hutchins "colorful furniture." This is an interesting book for someone like me to read as I stuggle through the set. One of the problems with it, as I have mentioned in my blog , is the design of the books themselves, which Beam describes as "32,000 pages of tiny, double-column, eye-straining type." I have occasionally grabbed other versions of the books off my shelf as I made my way through the list just to spare my eyes. It feels a little like cheating, but then you realize, after reading this book, that there was a bit of cheating going on by the creators of the set. The creators tried to keep the costs down by capping the number of volumes, borrowing from existing works, and using old translations. Let's face it, by puting the works in that type and iin double columns they probably saved themselves some money, but they gave the rest of us a lot of eye strain. The other interesting thing that I learned from this book is that the approach the creators took to the set was that they should be read and taught in such a way that "[o]nly the text on the table is allowed to speak." This means that outside material should not be brought in and the text is the only thing that the reader should bring to the table. along with his own thoughts. I think reader response is a fine approach to literature in some respects, but for that to work, the readers either need to have sufficient context from their own lives -- as when discussing a modern novel, or the work has to address sufficiently universal themes -- as I think Plato and Aristotle do most of the time. I am struggling with Rabelais's Gargantua and Pantagruel right now. After reading this book. I may cut my losses on it. I get the sense that there are things going on in the book that may be important and that may even be funny, but I have just a hazy enough notion to know that they are there. In talking with people who have studied literature for far longe rand in much more depth thatn I have, I have been told that I was right about the idea that this was a reaction to an intellectual trend in the world, but I was wrong about which one. One other idea in this book had great interest to me in light of my project. The book talks about the inclusion of scientific texts from history iin the Britannica set. As Beam points out, science has advanced on these ideas and some of them are irrelevant now. Without some kind of context, it may not make sense to read them. I have not run acorss any of them on the reading list yet, but I can see where it would be a problem. I think it is important to study math and science, so at first I thought the inclusion of these texts was a great idea, but now I am reconsidering it. Overall, I am glad I read this book, because it has made me think about what a Great Book is and how I should approach them. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in history and reading the great book. It offers both caution and encouragement for the reader. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
| 1
| not set
| Jun 11, 2011
|
Jun 11, 2011
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0060652861
| 9780060652869
| 3.84
| 781
| unknown
| Apr 11, 1997
|
| I received this book as a wedding present, and at the time, it got lost in the swilr of events and ended up sitting on the bookshelves for several yea...moreI received this book as a wedding present, and at the time, it got lost in the swilr of events and ended up sitting on the bookshelves for several years.
Having just recently finished it, I understand why it would be a wedding present. The book covers several marriages in different stages over the lifetime of its protagonist, Camilla Xanthakos, a college astronomy professor. The events that shape her life and the lives of those around her are pretty extreme: infidelity, brainwashing in the Korean War, bizarre progenitors of children. But the underlying message seems to be that you can manage through nearly any problem if you are prepared to be forgiving and understanding. Still, that is an over-simplification, given the magnitude of the problems that the characters face in the book. There were a few issues I had with the book. Luisa is supposed to be a good friend of Camilla, but there is nothing about how that friendship developed. Mostly the descriptions of the relationship are how they are apart. All the men in the story seem to be deeply flawed characters, and it is hard sometimes to see what is redeeming about any of them. Finally, Camilla's grandaughter says something about Camilla having an awful life, and Camilla answers with platitudes about having a marvelous life. Hey, Camilla, that was some pretty crummy stuff that happened. It is great that you learned something from it, but at least admit that some of the bad times were truly bad, okay? I think that we too often gloss over the fact that bad times are bad and some things really are drag. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
| 1
| not set
| Jun 03, 2011
|
Jun 05, 2011
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 159420229X
| 9781594202292
| 3.77
| 5,342
| Mar 03, 2011
| Mar 03, 2011
|
| Moonwalking with Einstein is one of those books that has changed the way I think about the world. Foer does an excellent job of showing -- to the exte...moreMoonwalking with Einstein is one of those books that has changed the way I think about the world. Foer does an excellent job of showing -- to the extent that modern science knows -- how the memory works and how it fails.
One of the interesting things to me was his descriptions of how memories get anchored and how we can train our memory to hold more information that we thought possible. The book takes the form of participatory journalism in that Foer describes how memory champions from Europe helped to train him for the U.S. memory championships. The techniques that memory champions use go back to Ancient Greece and Rome, despite what the modern memory training programs would have us believe. It shows how we are still connected to our intellectual ancestors and why the ancients are worth of our consideration. In explaining how memories are formed and anchored, Foer gave me some hints as to how my own mind sometimes plays tricks on me. Memories are conencted to various anchors, and after my recent move, it is not as surprising when I give my old phone number when someone asks for my "home" number, as oopposed to the number I have now, which, even after a year, seems to be filed in my brain under my "new" number. The book also makes an important point when it talks about how people are the sums of their memories. This is an interesing concept and one I have thought about quite a bit. I makes me want to spend sometime trianing my memory. Of course the natural ones are more long lasting. All the same, the book supplies several ways to start training your mind and has plenty of sources in the bibliography. At least I don't need to remember all those titles. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
| 1
| not set
| Jun 2011
|
Jun 05, 2011
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0375422226
| 9780375422225
| 3.95
| 1,419
| Oct 01, 2008
| Jul 14, 2009
| 
| This book is sort of a Plutarch's Lives of British Scientists in the late 1700s and early 1800s. This is both a good an bad thing, because Holmes give...moreThis book is sort of a Plutarch's Lives of British Scientists in the late 1700s and early 1800s. This is both a good an bad thing, because Holmes gives sketches of a number of scientists and talks about a broad range of experiments and fields. He also introduces some of the human element of science and the relationship some scientists had with poets like Byron and Shelly.
That said, this book have easily been three or four books about different people. As I read the book, I kept looking for anchoring themes to connect all the stories together. While there was an attempt made to do this, it was primarily just one of "this is how science advances". While that is interesting in and of itself, I think it could have been edited better. One recurring person throughout is Joseph Banks, who was President of the Royal Society for Science for much of the book. He pops up, but is not quite the anchor that he could be. The book was well-researched, and it seems the author wanted to make sure that none of that research went to waste. While there were interesting pieces in each chapter to pull me along, I found myself wanting more connection between all the stories. That said, I will keep it on my bookshelf. If I ever need a reference for this period or on things like exploration in Africa or the development of anesthesia, I know I can turn to this book. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the history and philosophy of science and those interested in British history in the 18th and 19th centuries. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
| 1
| not set
| May 15, 2011
|
May 15, 2011
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0553804960
| 9780553804966
| 3.81
| 32
| May 14, 2009
| May 19, 2009
|
| This biography of Robert Rogers was an interesting look at colonial America and the changes that were taking place both in North America and in the wo...moreThis biography of Robert Rogers was an interesting look at colonial America and the changes that were taking place both in North America and in the world during the second half of the 18th century.
The book describes both the life of Robert Rogers and the life of his ranger units that began during the French and Indian War. It describes how Rogers rose from being a small, unsuccessful farmer to a successful military man, and then his decline. Rogers developed the skills that would let him lead frontiersmen in battles and raids against the French and Indians through his life as an outdoorsman and hunter who spent time to learn from and understand Native Americans. One of the interesting things in the book is its descriptions of the troubles that Rogers faced with the British Army because he and his men were provincials, and because they did not have any pedigree. Couple that with the antagonism that always seems to exist between elite forces and member sof the regular army, and it is not hard to see that Rogers would face struggles with getting his troops their due support from the British army. Rogers himself is an interesting character in that he tries to take on new ways of doing things and see beyond the conventional wisdom of the day. This trait led him to work to befriend the Indians, push for an exploration to the West Coast of North America to find the Northwest passage, and to write plays with Native Americans as heroes and books about the continent and its natural history. It is worth noting, too, that the book contains an account of how Rogers captured Nathan Hale for the British during the Americna Revolution. If there is any drawback to this book, it comes from the old saw about biographers falling in love with their subjects. Rogers is painted as a flawed, but entirely admirable person. Even with Rogers considerable accomplishments, it is hard to see him as being quite so heroic. Some of the passages in the book are also somewhat dramatic, talking about Rogers enjoying the bite of the wind as he sets out ina canoe on a cold day and glowering and pushing his way through inmates in a debtor's prison where he was confined. It is impossible to know these things with any certainty, but Rogers is always depicted as brave, tough, and cool headed. There is even an attempt to rehabilitate him from a distinctly American point of view when Ross asserts that "Rogers was serious abouot serving the rebels and would have fought hard on their behalf" with nothing to back up the assertion. That criticism aside, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to history buffs, military history students, and those interested in either the French and Indian War or colonial America. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
| 1
| not set
| Apr 20, 2011
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Apr 20, 2011
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 1599951509
| 9781599951508
| 3.89
| 468
| 2009
| Sep 17, 2010
|
| This book describes how the Nazis tried to conquer the culture of Europe as well as the land. The Nazi atrocities stand in a class by themselves, and ...moreThis book describes how the Nazis tried to conquer the culture of Europe as well as the land. The Nazi atrocities stand in a class by themselves, and the human suffering is can't be dismissed. But, the horror does not end with it. In this book, we learn about the cultural war that the Naizs waged, and how the allies fought back. While the resources were minimal, the effects of the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives section of the Allied armies have benefitted us to this day.
I wanted to read this book and others about this part of the war after seeing a documentary called "The Rape of Europa." One of the things that both these works explore is the question of how does an army balance the war effort and saving troops with saving cultural treasures. We were faced with this in recent times with the looting at the Iraqi museums and in Egypt during the uprisings. One of the things that this book points out is that we need to protect art, architecture, and historic archives, because these are some of the things that we fight to defend. Civilization should be goal of these battles, and destruction of our cultural heritage must be prevented if we are to remain human. One passage that struck me as particularly poignant was this: "The thought came back to him, as it often did: To save the culture of you allies is a small thing. To cherish the culture of your enemy, to risk your life and the life of other men to save it, to give it all back to them as soon as the battle was won...it was unheard of, but that is exactly what Walker Hancock and the other Monuments Men intended to do." This shows our break with the Nazis, the idea that cultures had to be preserved and cared for. Recently I have read two books where the Nazi cultural battles were highlighted. These cultural attacks show how evil the Nazis were, because it goes beyond simple violence against living beings to violence agains the idea of their existence. I would recommend this book to people interested in the history of World War II, art history, and cultural history. (less) | Notes are private!
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| 1
| not set
| Apr 14, 2011
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Apr 17, 2011
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 0486419517
| 9780486419510
| 3.40
| 10
| Jan 04, 2002
| Jan 04, 2002
|
| This was an interesting book because it offered some history about fencing and sword fighting and because it made me think about the different ways th...moreThis was an interesting book because it offered some history about fencing and sword fighting and because it made me think about the different ways that people combined various weapons.
Much of the book was taken up with full page illustrations of various positions. It took some thinking to work out how some of the moves were actually done, though I wish I had my fencing buddies around to try out some of these techniques. That said, this book covers techniques, not systems of sword fighting. So, there is not a description of a complete method of using your sword. That said, it would make an excellent jumping off point for understanding some of the systems that were once used. As for the books limitation, it was originally written in 1892, so there were limitations on book printing and publishng. My guess is that this accounts for the limited illustrations and short length of the work. Still, I would recommend this to fencers who have some sense of the romance of the sport and to people who have an interest in the ways that sword fighting has changed through the centuries. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
| 1
| not set
| Apr 15, 2011
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Apr 17, 2011
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 1586852345
| 9781586852344
| 4.01
| 123
| Jun 23, 2003
| Jul 01, 2003
|
| I am not an avid outdoorsman with a lot of experience, but I like going outside and I like knowing what to do if I get myself in trouble. So, I enjoye...moreI am not an avid outdoorsman with a lot of experience, but I like going outside and I like knowing what to do if I get myself in trouble. So, I enjoyed this book because it was practical and it gave a lot of advice that didn't involve buying fancy gear or turning yourself into a Navy SEAL.
Cody Lundin spends a good amount of time talking about how to dress for weather and what to do when you are caught, I have used his cold weather advice this year, when I went cross country skiing and found myself quite comfortable as a result. I have not practiced building fires or some of the other skills, but if I get the opportunity, I probably will. The book has several cartoons and some "wacky" presentation at points, but I enjoyed it because I have read other books of this type that take themselves way too seriously and make survival skills seem next to impossible for the average person to develop. I will also say, the good thing about Cody Lundin's book is that he denies being the final word and encourages you to think things through and experiment for yourself. This book woould be a good read for people who like outdoor activities, who want to know more about outdoor survival skills, and for armchair adventurers who like to know how things can be done. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
| 1
| not set
| Mar 20, 2011
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Mar 31, 2011
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 157143092X
| 9781571430922
| unknown
| 3.00
| 2
| unknown
| unknown
|
| The story of German fencer Helene Mayer is interesting because it is one of a talented athlete who gets caught up in the intrigues of the 1936 Olympic...moreThe story of German fencer Helene Mayer is interesting because it is one of a talented athlete who gets caught up in the intrigues of the 1936 Olympics.
She became one of the token jews on the Nazi Olympic team and helped prevent a boycott of the 1936 Olympics by the U.S. and other countries. As a fencer, I would have liked to hear more about her fencing and training. I would have liked to know how she approached the sport, but this was not a technical biography. Additionally, I would have liked to know more about what she thought. I get the impression that the author did not have a lot of source material from Helene Mayer to work with. I think she would have benefitted from a collection of letters or a diary. What is missing is how Helene Mayer thought about her sport and the world as a whole. I enjoyed reading about the history of the 1936 Olympics and the Nazi rise to power through the filter of sport. It is a useful way of looking at it because it reminds you of how terrible thigs can creep up on the world. Suddenyl things have gotten out of hand before anyone realizes it. This would be a good book for people looking for a quick read about the early modern Olympics and Nazi rise to power, for athletes thinking about how they should view their competitive lives in relation to bigger issues, and for fencers who want to know more about the history of their sport. (less) | Notes are private!
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| 1
| not set
| Mar 31, 2011
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Mar 31, 2011
| Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 0307266303
| 9780307266309
| 4.32
| 17,762
| 2009
| May 05, 2009
|
| 'Born to Run' is one of those books that make you think about what you can accomplish and what you know about the world. It describes the lives of the...more'Born to Run' is one of those books that make you think about what you can accomplish and what you know about the world. It describes the lives of the Tarahumara Indians of Northern Mexico and ultramarathoners. The Tarahumara are the guys who run for miles and miles on sandals and little food. Ultramarathoners are the crazy runners who go out and do races of 50 or 100 miles. I am neither one of these. But hearing that it is possible for anyone makes you wonder if it is possible for everyone.
The book talks about achieving flow and getting in tune with yourself so you can do more than you ever thought possible. The idea is that running is natural and something that we have evolved to do. Running is our natural activity and the way humans first hunted. It also describes how our bodies are adapted for running and how our feet are designed for running. The idea is that we don't need $100 running shoes and fancy gear. What we need is to pay attention to ourselves and to use our bodies in the way they are designed. I am not sure where this falls into the whole trend of barefoot running -- whether it helped spark the trend or keep it going. But it did make me curious about trying to do some exercise in my bare feet. The science and anthropology behind all of this are explained and it is all interesting, if a little episodic at tiomes. There are a few points where I think the author is exalting running a little too much. When he credits all of our imagination and thus intellectual progress to running, I feel like he is reaching a bit. He says that modern humans out-classes the neanderthals, who he writes were bigger, smarter, and stronger than modern humans. He says the neanderthals all died out. In fact, we know that neanderthals, those stronger, bigger, smarter people, interbred with modern humans. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/07/scienc... That is a just a quibble to point out that sometimes I think he goes a little overboard about the wonders of running. Even with that minor gripe, overall, I think anyone interested in sports and the human body should read this book to understand the possibilities, if nothing else. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
| 1
| not set
| Jan 15, 2011
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Jan 17, 2011
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0967967503
| 9780967967509
| 4.14
| 76
| May 01, 2002
| May 01, 2002
|
| This book teaches two lessons: first, the humanities can, and should, have rigor associated with them; and second, it teaches how to obtain and apply ...moreThis book teaches two lessons: first, the humanities can, and should, have rigor associated with them; and second, it teaches how to obtain and apply that rigor. While the book requires some effort to read, for those interested in logic, grammar, rhetoric, and the liberall arts, the effort is richly rewarded.
The book opens with a dicssuon on the liberal arts and then moves to a discussion of the science of grammar. This grammar is not about subject-verb agreement and punctuation, it is about how the rules of language lend themselves to clarity of thought and communicaiton. From there is moves into an extensive logic section talking extensively about deductive reasoning and adding a section on inductive reasoning. Finally, it talks about rhetoric and why it is important. This is a book about thinking and communication, and anyone who wants to strengthen their ability to do both can do so by spending time with this book. Though I have finished it, I am not done with it, and will spend some time going over some of the sections again. All of that said, while I did enjoy this book, it is rather academic. It sometimes seems rather far from the real world, though somehow, it manages to reconnect with everyday like. (less) | Notes are private!
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| 1
| not set
| Sep 12, 2010
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Sep 12, 2010
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 0812975995
| 9780812975994
| 3.46
| 3,669
| unknown
| Sep 22, 2010
|
| This book focuses primarily on the Everleigh Club, a high-class brothel in Chicago run by two sisters. Based on the title, I thought this was going to...moreThis book focuses primarily on the Everleigh Club, a high-class brothel in Chicago run by two sisters. Based on the title, I thought this was going to be more of a survey of the characters of the Chicago underworld over time.
That said, the book was well written and flowed nicely. The Everleigh club was a high-class, expensive place, where the girls were regularly checked by a doctor. The story of the club and the women who run it serves as a framework for describing the times in which it existed. The club provides a way for the reader to see how the politics in Chicago worked, how the moral crusaders tried to change the world, and the dynamics of immigration and migration in the country. The only problem I have with the book is that every so often, there are a few terms or references that are not fully defined or explained. This is probably a natural consequence of being close to the subject, and I would say that nothing goes undefined that is crucial to the story. Over all, it was a good read. I woould recommend this book to people who are interested in the history of Chicago, morall crusading or brothels. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
| 1
| not set
| Jul 07, 2010
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Jul 07, 2010
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 0316075841
| 9780316075848
| 3.73
| 13,134
| Oct 01, 2009
| Oct 20, 2009
|
| Every time I read Malcolm Gladwell's work, it makes me think about my life and what is going on around me with a slightly bigger lens. Often, there is...moreEvery time I read Malcolm Gladwell's work, it makes me think about my life and what is going on around me with a slightly bigger lens. Often, there is something in his work that makes me want to sit up a little straighter and work a little harder.
This book was a collection of his articles written for the New Yorker magazine. All of these pieces were interesting and fun to read. You don't necessarily need to agree with everything in them to enjoy them. The value of the articles here is not in the information that they give you, though that is interesting on its own, it is the questions that they raise. In every article there are questions about the topic and about what that topic means for the larger world. There are even questions about how we ask and answer questions, which is probably the most valuable thing of all in this book. This all sounds pretty high minded for a book that has articles about infomercials, hair color, aerial photography, and pit bulls. But somehow, that is where Gladwell manages to take us as he writes about everything from Heinz Ketchup (which scientifically is the best ketchup) to Homelessness. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the way the world works acorss a variety of disciplines. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
| 1
| not set
| Jun 29, 2010
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Jun 29, 2010
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0828320748
| 9780828320740
| 3.00
| 1
| Jan 2003
| Feb 15, 2003
|
| I visited this place as a side trip after another outing, and wanted to know more than what the brochures had to offer, so I bought the book.
...moreI visited this place as a side trip after another outing, and wanted to know more than what the brochures had to offer, so I bought the book. This wass a painful read, because the text needs a close line edit to eliminate grammatical erros and typos, and because the manuscript needs another revision to help with the structure and flow of the book. That said, it gave some interesting history of New Hampshire and colonial America. It also gave more detail on the site, which I was looking for. The site itself is set of ancient ruins that includes some pieces which line up with various asatronomical phenomena. There is nothing at the site that resembles Stone Henge in appearance, however. The place reminds me more of New Grange, an ancient site in Ireland, just north of Dublin. The other plus to the book is that it describes how tricky archaeology can be, especially on a site that has been inhabited for thousands of years and used for a variety of purposes. The confluence of scientific excavation, recorded history, and folklore show how hard it is to get at the true story underlying some of these places. The possibility that the site may be evidence of European travelers before Columbus is an interesting one, as is the possibility that Native American may have had a very different form before the arrival of the Europeans. One possibility is that the site is part of a gloabl network of such sites, which seems to be supported by carvings in the stone. Of course the real truth is that it has been used for many different things by many different people, and so even ancient theories do not necessarily rule one another out. This book would be interesting to people who have visited the site and those interested in archaeology and how things are proven or disproven in history. (less) | Notes are private!
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| 1
| not set
| Jun 13, 2010
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Jun 15, 2010
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 1599101297
| 9781599101293
| 4.67
| 3
| Sep 28, 2009
| Sep 28, 2009
|
| This book was an interesting look at the history of fencing and Rennaissance Italy.
The book is divided between a long introduction that t...moreThis book was an interesting look at the history of fencing and Rennaissance Italy. The book is divided between a long introduction that talks about the historical times in which Agrippa lived and wrote, and then Agrippa's treatise. Let me get a couple of quibbles out of the way to start. First, some of the information gets very detailed and seems to require some background knowledge of Rennaissance Italy on the par tof the reader. I have studied some of it, but not a ton. So, there were a few parts where I felt a little lost. In the translation, there are a few terms that are left in their original Italian, and so, I ended up flipping to the gloassary a lot to try to make sure I got what the word meant in context. Those quibbles aside, I think that anyone interested in the history of fencing or even the development of though in the Rennaissance would find things to enjoy in their book. Agrippa is one of the first to write a fencing manual that was designed for everyone to learn from, and he focuses more on the point than the edge of the blade. He explicity bases his fencing geomteric principles, which Mondschein tells us is something of a break from at least the rhetoric of fencing books prior to his. Agrippa's treatise covers fencing with the sword and has short sections on other weapons and grappling when one closes with an opponent. There is also a dialogue about geometry and astronomy at the end of Agrippa's book. Agrippa is trying to be scientific about his fencing and breaking with tradition. This was an interesting addition to a fencing manual because it is included as a way of showing something about the scientific approach to the subject and to talk about science in general. I read this book mostly ont he train, so it is not like I was able to walk through the descriptions and diagrams, but at some point, I would like to do so. Overall, this was a good read, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in fencing and the relation of physical activities to intellectual throught. (less) | Notes are private!
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| 1
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| Jun 04, 2010
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Jun 09, 2010
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 0804835365
| 9780804835367
| 4.00
| 2
| Apr 15, 2004
| Apr 15, 2004
|
| This was a great book for me for as variety of reasons.
First, the books describes fire fighters from medieval Japan and how they would cl...moreThis was a great book for me for as variety of reasons. First, the books describes fire fighters from medieval Japan and how they would climb up ladders and perform acrobatic stunts. I saw a demonstration of this while in Japan but didn't know what it was other than impressive, until a friend pointed out this book to me. Second, I own a jutte that I bought on the same trip. This gave me some history about the weapo. One of the great things about the book is that the last section is descriptions of the actual techniques for using the weapon. I had some friends who were game, and we tried some of the techniques. They seem to work reasonable well, but they would require practice for proficiency. While I enjoyed the book and found it a fast read, I think that a few updates would make it even better. First, a chart or table of the hierarchy of the Japanese police in the Edo era would have been a helpful reference as I was reading through the text. Second, there are some places where information is put in footnotes that would have been better in the text, such as the length of various weapons. Third, the description of who the Komono were came after the first mention of them. These are minor quibbles -- the editor in me coming out. Overall, I would recommend this book to people interested in Japanese history, law enforcement, and martial artists who are interested in a variety of techniques. (less) | Notes are private!
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| 1
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| May 27, 2010
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May 27, 2010
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 1933060530
| 9781933060538
| 4.27
| 22
| Apr 26, 2010
| May 04, 2010
|
| I first saw Kathryn Bertine's writing when she was doing a series of columns on ESPN.com about trying to become an Olympian. This book is the results ...moreI first saw Kathryn Bertine's writing when she was doing a series of columns on ESPN.com about trying to become an Olympian. This book is the results of her attempt, beginning in 2006, to qualify for the Beijing Summer Olympics.
Like probably 90% of everyone who knows about them, Bertine's goal was to find a sport where she could compete in the summer Olympics. Unlike the rest of us dreamers, though, she was an elite triathlete when she started. So, she had a leg up in trying to learn a sport and become an Olympian. Her triathlon distance was ling than the Olympic distance, so she was not an automatic shoe-in for that team. The book chronicles her experiences in trying new sports, trying to find one where her natural and trained athletic abilities would be enough to get her in the door. Her struggles with all the sports she tries as she pursues her goals will ring true to anyone who has played a sport that is a bit outside the mainstream. Still her writing makes all the hard work sound like fun and as a bit of humor and perspective to sore msucles, disappointing results, and the struggles of the beginner. The work she does in her training and the results she achieves lend credence to every amateur dreamer out there who sweats and bleeds while friends say "why do you bother." I particularly liked her "Mental Earplugs" section where she describes what an athlete hears. She also has strong encouragement for women's athletics and how they should be treated on par with men's sports. And, she's right. Sports can go a long way to helping all of us develop ourselves, and her book should be of interest to anyone who is an amateur athlete or who supports the athletes in their lives. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
| 1
| not set
| May 23, 2010
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May 22, 2010
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0670021121
| 9780670021123
| 3.84
| 243
| unknown
| Oct 15, 2009
|
| Caroline Alexander's thesis in this is book is that the Iliad "used conventional epic events and heroes to challenge the heroic view of war."...moreCaroline Alexander's thesis in this is book is that the Iliad "used conventional epic events and heroes to challenge the heroic view of war." She argues that Achilles chooses revenge over a long life and that he feels like the war is a waste of lives. Alexander also discounts Achilles desire for everlasting glory by noting that in the poem he described that living is the best thing.
While I agree with her that the Iliad clearly shows the awful nature of war and is sympathetic to the Trojans, I am not sure that I agree with her reading of the book's message. She argues that the poem shows how awful war is and is in effect and anti-war poem, and, as I mentioned, that Achilles saying life is more valuable than anything else shows how the idea that Ancient Greek warriors strove for glory above all things is a misreading of the poem. She writes that "...Achilles does not belong in the warrior company at Troy. He did not cross the wine-dark sea for the common cause, nor did he come for glory. Achilles came to Troy because he was tricked into doing so." But she does not seem to account for the fact that Achilles could choose to go home and live a long life well before Patroklos is killed. Achilles tells the other Greeks who come to persuade him back into battle, "For my mother Theits the goddess of silver feet tells me I carry two sorts of destiny toward the day of my death. Either, if I stay here and fight beside the city of the Trojans, my return home is gone, but my glory shall be ever lasting; but if I return hom to the beloved land of my fathers, the excellence of my glory is gone, but there will be a long life left for me, and my end in death will not come to me quickly." Achilles does not ask Thetis to go to Poseidon to make sure he will have a safe voyage home. He asks her to go to Zeus to make sure he will win glory. Achilles is not some indifferent warrior, tricked into coming to Troy. He is a hero wgho "longed always for the clamour and fighting" and who the rest of the Greeks believe will come back tot he battle "whenever the time comes that the heart in his body urges him to." While I disagree with Alexander on these points, I enjoyed her book because I thought it rasied interesting questions about the nature of war and command and military service. I think challenging the idea of the Greek warrior's glory is a good thing. Is it glorious that they are all fighting over one woman, or should everything be settled in a duel. On one level, I think she is right in that Homer sees the war as a tragic, and wasteful thing. But on another level, I think she is ignoring the reason that drives these men on to fight in a misguided war. It is this notion of glory that is driving them. There is the promise of plunder and material reward, but there is also a way of thought in the culture that says this is a necessary thing to do. Ultimately Achilles could not break that. Another issue that comes up in the Iliad and thus in Alexander's book is the notion of fate. Are they all fated to be there based on the actions of the Gods? What is the agency of the men in this extreme situation? I think Alexander's reading of the Iliad is a decidedly modern one, and an interesting one, but I argue with her fundamental thesis. Still, this book would be an interestin read to anyone with an interest in studying the Iliad. (less) | Notes are private!
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| 1
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| May 14, 2010
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May 22, 2010
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0143114581
| 9780143114581
| 3.72
| 620
| unknown
| Aug 26, 2008
|
| this collection of short stories shows James Bond as a Cold War Spy, dealing with the Soviet Block, cleaning up issues left over from World War II, an...morethis collection of short stories shows James Bond as a Cold War Spy, dealing with the Soviet Block, cleaning up issues left over from World War II, and having a few side adventures in his off hours. (James Bond finds a rare fish for the Smithsonian.) The book's stories have a mixture of cloak and dagger, some stories are more cloak than dagger. There are no gadgets, evil villains stroking cats, or cheesy one-liners. Instead, there are stories about finding enemy agents, sniping, and a recipe for "Scrambled Eggs 'James Bond.'"
Incidentally, the story "Quantum of Solace" has very little to do with spying at all, but it is a great story. People who enjoy spy stories of all types, as well as those who are Bond fans would fine this book worth reading.(less) | Notes are private!
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| 1
| not set
| May 04, 2010
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May 08, 2010
| Paperback
| |||||||||||||||
| 1596913789
| 9781596913783
| 3.35
| 49
| Jan 01, 2008
| Jun 10, 2008
|
| As someone who grew up in the final years of the Cold War, I found this book to be an entertaining read. I had considered doing a similar kind of trip...moreAs someone who grew up in the final years of the Cold War, I found this book to be an entertaining read. I had considered doing a similar kind of trip, but just to the Trinity and Las Vegas nuclear test sites.
The descriptions of the missile silo crews, the scientists, and the other people involved were great. The description of the beleagured Kazahk diplomat in the wake of the movie Borat was great. I also liked the chapters on the Marshall Islands and the visits to the former Soviet Union. Probably the most important part of the book is the epilogue, in that the authors summed up what they had learned. "There is no leadership wirh respect to the world's most powerful weapon, a frigthening prospect given the current state of affairs." The other powerful statement was that "considering nuclear war was a serious business. Today, that discussion has largely be abdicated by our top intellects." There is some interesting history in the book as well. The book says that U.S. diplomats are advised from even informally recognizing Iranian diplomats at cocktail parties abroad. (This is insane.) It also says that a high-level overture from Tehran to the U.S. sent through the swiss in 2003 was reportedly ignored by the White House. And we wonder why we have all these troubles. I have two critiques of the book: one heavy and one light. The heavy one is that the themes of those quotes should have been set out more cearly in each chapter. The chapters build up to those conclusions, but they feel episodic. It is like each chapter was written as a magazine article first. Those are powerful, important statements for people to know, and I wish they had been put in better context. The light one is that there should have been more pictures. The descriptions of each place made me want to see them. A photo of Kwajalein in the South Pacific, of the One-Eyed Baby in Kazakhstan, and one of the Greenbrier resort would have been great. This book would be a good read for anyone interested in foreign policy, nuclear weapons, and their history. (less) | Notes are private!
| none
| 1
| not set
| Apr 29, 2010
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May 02, 2010
| Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 3.60
| 5
| 1962
| 1962
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| Rhys Carpenter makes an interesting argument for the idea that many of the Epic poems of the Western Tradition sahre common elements. He attmepts to l...moreRhys Carpenter makes an interesting argument for the idea that many of the Epic poems of the Western Tradition sahre common elements. He attmepts to link them all to a root story, much like linguists might take the words of modern languages back to an Indo-European root.
In his search for a common myth that informed the creation of all the stories, I think he ignores the possibility that commonalities may exist between epics from all over Europe because the experiences of the people may have led them to make up the same kinds of stories. Another possibility is that the stories are all remakes of the same one, with local color, as Carpetner argues, but that root story may be much less developed than he seems to be implying. In other words, I got the impression that Carpenter thinks there was some kind of "original epic" out there. But it seems to me there may just be repeated themes, like the man with the hook hand finding the kids at the campfire. Overall it was an interesting read, as it even gave some insight into Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog who predicts the weather. Carpenter spends a lot of time talking about the "bear myth" and how a common theme is a bear or a person goes into a cave for various lengths of time and is reborn or returns from death to life. He points this out and suggests that it comes from a Northern European tradition that made its way to the Mediterranean and the Ancient Greeks. But in all of this he ignores -- or is it carefully avoids? -- the Christian resurrection. Why that should be any different than the other stories he talks about is not clear. The parallels, especially with some of the other specific stories he raised in the book,are too close to ignore. (less) | Notes are private!
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Jan 19, 2010
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| Sep 02, 1986
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| This book gave an interesting look into the motivations of Olympians who compete in a sport that does not lead to money and fame. The world of rowers ...moreThis book gave an interesting look into the motivations of Olympians who compete in a sport that does not lead to money and fame. The world of rowers sounds very insular, but Halberstam made it possible to look inside of their minds.
The taciturn nature of rowers became evident to me when I asked a friend of the family about his experiences, and he wouldn't say much about them, even at the lower level at which he rowed. Returning to the book, what came through was the level of commitment the rowers had to their sport and to their own performance. A couple of examples jump out at me, though the book holds a ton of them. One of the rowers, John Biglow, got annoyed by a coxswain trying to motivate the crew at the end of the race by screaming at them "How much do you want it?" Biglow said to the guy after the race, "Don't ever say that to me again. It is never a question of that. Never." This really appealed to me and says something about high performance. You need to already start out by wanting it. The other one that made me think was when another rower faces a huge disappointment. "As he rowed the last thousand meters wrapped in fog, he thought of what might have been; and he told himself that the important thing was to deal with his disappointment as a man, to be graceful and generous. That was what rowing was all about. It demanded so much in preparation that even if he fell short of his goals, he was not diminished as a person." This book would speak to anyone involved in amateur sports. (less) | Notes are private!
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Jan 17, 2010
| Paperback
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