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July 24
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Kelley
gave
 
to:
This Side Of Paradise (Paperback)
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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recommended for: no one in particular
read in July, 2008
Kelley said:
"It is seldom that I start a book without finishing it, but this is one of those. It was Fitzgerald's first novel and I can find nothing in it to suggest the success he would become with The Great Gatsby or Tender is the Night.
The story, such as ...more
It is seldom that I start a book without finishing it, but this is one of those. It was Fitzgerald's first novel and I can find nothing in it to suggest the success he would become with The Great Gatsby or Tender is the Night.
The story, such as it is, is about Amory Blaine, self-important young man with limited talent and imagination that always sees himself as someday being admired by others, for no reason other than that is what he wants. He has friends he doesn't care about, meets women he doesn't love, and all in all, nothing really happens to him. He is washed along through life, agonizing over trivia and just sort of moping about. He is less interesting or insightful than Holden Caufield and his life is sort of like Seinfeld without the laughs.
After 135 of 275 pages I decided nothing new was gong to happen to Amory and I gave it up. I am told by others that have finished it that my assessment was right. Nothing happens....less
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May 16
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New comment on Katie's review of
Cake Art: Simplified Step-by-Step Instructions and Illustrated Techniques for the Home Baker to Create Showstopping Cakes and Cupcakes
(see all 2 comments)
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May 07
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Kelley
gave
to:
The Politically Incorrect Guide(tm) to Islam (and the Crusades
by Robert Spencer
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Kelley said:
"This is a controversial book; of that there is no doubt. It is difficult to endorse it without appearing to be racist or paranoid. That having been said, let me heartily endorse this book to anyone that does not believe that Western Society, Wester...more
This is a controversial book; of that there is no doubt. It is difficult to endorse it without appearing to be racist or paranoid. That having been said, let me heartily endorse this book to anyone that does not believe that Western Society, Western Civilization is not threatened by the spread of Islam. Those that believe that Allah as worshipped by Islam is the same God Christians and Jew worship are either ignorant, at best, or diluded, at worst.
This book makes the case, through careful examination of the teachings of Mohammad, the interpretation of the teachings by 1300 years of Islamic clerics, and the continued growth of Islam, that the goal of Islam today is the same as it was 1300 years ago: a world wide theocracy in the Name of Allah where True Moslims will be first class citizens, Moslim converts will be second class citizens, and everyone else will be at the mercy of the first two groups. One only has to exam life in the Middle East and the Far East where Islam dominates to see this being lived out on a local scale.
Today, England, France, and Germany are making concessions to their quickly growing Moslim minorities. In the US, freedom of religion (other than Christianity apparently) allows unchecked growth of the Islamic community.
There is a crusade in progress and dispite the protests of Moslim clerics, it is not a Christian Crusade this time. ...less
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May 01
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Kelley
gave
to:
A History of the World in 6 Glasses (Paperback)
by Tom Standage
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Kelley said:
"This is another book I recommend for people that know that history is more than dates and dead people.
This entertainly written book looks at beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola and the influence they have had on history and western society...more
This is another book I recommend for people that know that history is more than dates and dead people.
This entertainly written book looks at beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola and the influence they have had on history and western society.
Why is beer considered "low brow" and wine "high society"? How did rum bring about the battle for the Caribbean between England, France, and the Dutch? The Age of Exploration was largely commercially driven and coffee and tea were big motivators. Cola, especially, Coca-cola, has been a unifying product around the world. The author does not pretend that these beverages were the sole factor, but still an important factor.
This is fun history. My loving daughter bought this book for me because she knows how I look at the world... though each of the six glasses from time to time.
...less
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April 30
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Kelley
gave
to:
Napoleon's Buttons (pb reprint)
by Penny LeCouteur, Jay Burreson
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in February, 2006
Kelley said:
"The title of this book may put some readers off but for those that like looking at history as more than just a bunch of dates and dead people, it is a fascinating read.
The title comes from speculation that the tin buttons used by the French army ...more
The title of this book may put some readers off but for those that like looking at history as more than just a bunch of dates and dead people, it is a fascinating read.
The title comes from speculation that the tin buttons used by the French army may have decomposed as result from exposure to bitter cold during the Invasion of Russia. When Napoleon's Buttons (or at least those of his army) crumbled, the soldiers could not keep their coats closed and thus were further exposed to the weather. By looking other similar events and developements, the author demonstrates and speculates on how some basic chemicals and chemisty have or may have altered history.
It is not a chemistry book, but some knowledge of chemistry is helpful But even without that knowledge (and I am not a chemist other than chemistry that involves ethyl alcohol), the reader can understand why certain compounds, chemicals, and elements enfluenced events through time.
I found it very interesting and even entertaining....less
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April 28
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Kelley
gave
to:
The Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming (and Environmentalism)
by Christopher C. Horner
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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recommended for: anyone interested in a balanced view
read in January, 2008
Kelley said:
"For those that want to try to get both sides of the Global Warming issue, this is a pretty good "other side" look. The author makes an excellent case that the radical "Green" movement is much more interested in political power an...more
For those that want to try to get both sides of the Global Warming issue, this is a pretty good "other side" look. The author makes an excellent case that the radical "Green" movement is much more interested in political power and influence than in actually saving the Earth. He examines how the Greens have manipulated the media by giving the media which sells newspapers and creates TV ratings.
The author makes a point to delineate between the Radical Greens (watermelons: green on the outside and red on the inside) and people that have a sincere wish to clean up the environment while allowing progress to be made.
The book is not a science book nor is it overflowing with charts or graphs. It is filled with plenty of quotes from environmental alarmists that make it clear they have less interest in "saving" the rest of us than they do in controlling us....less
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New comment on Kelley's review of
The Da Vinci Code
(see all 2 comments)
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March 27
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Kelley
gave
to:
The Da Vinci Code (Paperback)
by Dan Brown
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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recommended for: the gullible and easily duped
Kelley said:
"About a bazillion people have read this piece of pop-boiler fluff and probably half of them thought it was fascinating and radical. The other half had either previously read "Demons and Angels" or read "Demons and Angels" after h...more
About a bazillion people have read this piece of pop-boiler fluff and probably half of them thought it was fascinating and radical. The other half had either previously read "Demons and Angels" or read "Demons and Angels" after having read
The Da Vinci Code. Either way, that latter half realized that Dan Brown had merely rewritten his first novel with a different secret society in the main role.
By now, the movie has come and gone (and justly so) and this novel is well on the way to the obscurity where pop-culture novels go. After publication, Dan Brown appeared on every talk show to say how the book was based on facts. He kept up this sham through the release of the movie. He sold about half a bazillion books (which were loaned to another half bazillion people). Once the movie was on the verge of coming out and was being threatened with massive boycotts over its content, he appeared on all the same talk shows to say it was only a piece of fiction in hopes of making more money. As it was, it made back its budget having been boycotted by thousands of moviegoers with high standards.
Dan Brown never needs to write another word in his life (other than to sign checks) as a result of this tempest in a teapot pot-boiler. If you want to read the book behind the book, which is much more interesting and much better written, while being equally controversial, pick up "Holy Blood, Holy Grail". Or wait another couple years and Dan Brown will crank out a third version of "Demons and Angels", this time maybe with the Skull and Bones Society as the baddies....less
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Kelley
gave
to:
Eat the Rich: A Treatise on Economics (Paperback)
by P.J. O'Rourke
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Kelley said:
"This is O'Rourke at his best. A reader can learn more about modern global economics in this book than they could hope to learn in a semester of college... while laughing your ass off the entire time.
O'Rourke attempts to answer the simple questio...more
This is O'Rourke at his best. A reader can learn more about modern global economics in this book than they could hope to learn in a semester of college... while laughing your ass off the entire time.
O'Rourke attempts to answer the simple question of why some countries are rich and others are not. Chapters such as "Making everything out of nothing: Hong Kong" and "Making nothing out of everything: Tanzania" (I think it is Tanzania; I am writing from memory here) are typical and hilarious.
O'Rourke seems to be an acquired taste for some readers but I consider him to be a giant among American social commentators. ...less
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Kelley
gave
to:
Inventing Mark Twain: The Lives of Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Paperback)
by Andrew J. Hoffman
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Kelley said:
"As an overview of Twain's life, this bio was nothing more than "ok". It goes into little detail on the major events of his life, yet wants to dwell on the trivial. It does little to add new light to Twain's writings.
It tries to make u...more
As an overview of Twain's life, this bio was nothing more than "ok". It goes into little detail on the major events of his life, yet wants to dwell on the trivial. It does little to add new light to Twain's writings.
It tries to make up for a lack of substance by speculating on Twain's sexuality. The author speculates that Twain probably engaged in homosexual activity following this logic:
Miners were lonely
Miners did have have women for sexual company
Miners turned to each other on occasion
Twain was a miner and knew lots of miners
Twain therefore turned to other miners for sex
And
Some of the writers and artists in San Francisco were homosexual
Twain was a writer in San Francisco
Twain knew other writers in San Francisco
Twain was homosexual
It is hardly a convincing arguement and ultimately seems to be thrown in more for titillation that for any meaningful reason. There are much better bios of Twain to turn to.
...less
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