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July 21
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Scott
gave
 
to:
His Master's Voice (Paperback)
by Stanisław Lem
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in July, 2008
Scott said:
"This book presents an ironic look at the process of science and scientific communications, as well as some discussion about the pursuit of weapons leading to Armageddon. The premise is the receipt of a "message" from space in the form of a ...more
This book presents an ironic look at the process of science and scientific communications, as well as some discussion about the pursuit of weapons leading to Armageddon. The premise is the receipt of a "message" from space in the form of a repetitive nutrino radiation, and the plot revolves around the complete mis-interpretation of this phenomenon by a government-sponsored research group. I also laughed at the vanity and ego shown by the narrator, a mathematician. The story described some of the problems associated with attempting to interpret any message believed to be received from an alien intelligence, especially when we fail to understand amongst ourselves. This is a translated work, but highly readable and enjoyable for hard science fiction fans....less
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July 18
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Scott
is currently reading:
Cryptonomicon (Mass Market Paperback)
by Neal Stephenson
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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July 03
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Scott
is currently reading:
Here Be Dragons: The Scientific Quest for Extraterrestrial Life (Paperback)
by David Koerner, Simon LeVay
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Scott
gave
to:
American Gods (Paperback)
by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads author!)
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in June, 2008
Scott said:
"I don't know that I can correctly state that I liked this book, partially because it is far outside of my usual preference in science fiction. By way of venting, I think that bookstores and libraries should clearly separate fantasy from hard science ...more
I don't know that I can correctly state that I liked this book, partially because it is far outside of my usual preference in science fiction. By way of venting, I think that bookstores and libraries should clearly separate fantasy from hard science fiction. Having said that, this is an entertaining story about what might happen if all the Old World gods never really went away, but were currently laying low in these hard times for belief in them, say as a cabbie in New York, a cross-country grifter, or a sweet old man in a picture-book Midwestern town. This is clearly outside my normal reading choices, with healthy doses of magic and fantasy required to move the story along. If you suspend disbelief well and enjoy surreal shifts that violate physical spacetime, this will work for you. If not, the story will merely be confusing and manipulative, with few elevating moments. I give it four stars because it does what it does well, and I enjoyed the book as a summer break from books on serious ideas....less
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June 25
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New comment on Vesela's review of
Nim Chimpsky: The Chimp Who Would Be Human
reply to this comment
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June 05
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Scott
gave
to:
The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill: A Love Story . . . with Wings (Paperback)
by Mark Bittner
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in June, 2008
Scott said:
"Mark Bittner's book meanders through his search for meaning and spiritual knowledge. While sidetracked off of his goal to be a musician, he becomes homeless, lives on the streets, relies upon the kindness of friends and strangers, and finally finds w...more
Mark Bittner's book meanders through his search for meaning and spiritual knowledge. While sidetracked off of his goal to be a musician, he becomes homeless, lives on the streets, relies upon the kindness of friends and strangers, and finally finds work as a live-in caretaker and performer of odd jobs. The cottage where he lives is in Telegraph Hill, and he befriends a flock of wild parrots.
In a concrete way, the parrots give Bittner's life a direction. He becomes a student of the birds, his curiosity drives him to read and research the parrots, and he eventually discovers himself as a writer. Along the way he finds love.
This is a true-to-life memoir, so it might be hypercritical to comment that the pacing causes the book to drag much longer than its 280+ pages. Also, Bittner's writing of his involvement with the birds can be both transcendent and entirely pedestrian, within the space of two adjacent paragraphs. Bittner teaches the reader about parrot life, the barbaric wild parrot pet trade, Zen Buddhism and Aldous Huxley's Perennial Philosophy. He also describes in detail the parrots' grooming habits, partners, eating patterns and other minutia of behavior. The effect of this careening from the big picture to the smallest detail, back and forth, is jarring.
This is an interesting book to read, but not a great book in itself. Mark Bittner is a sincere gentleman who has clearly grown through his experiences with the parrots, and he at times successfully conveys his enthusiasm, sympathy and knowledge. At other times, the writing left me wishing he would find himself and move on....less
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May 12
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Scott
gave
to:
A Thousand Splendid Suns (Hardcover)
by Khaled Hosseini
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in May, 2008
Scott said:
"I really enjoyed this book, although it is very sad. I personally find the treatment of women by men in this particular society (Taliban-era Afghanistan) to be repugnant. How can a nation grow and become strong when half of the population is treated ...more
I really enjoyed this book, although it is very sad. I personally find the treatment of women by men in this particular society (Taliban-era Afghanistan) to be repugnant. How can a nation grow and become strong when half of the population is treated as sub-human and is not valued for their potential to contribute to society? This makes for very difficult reading. However, this is a story about survival and finding meaning out of misery and not falling victim to despair. It is about making a contribution, however small, in spite of the hand you have been dealt. And, as in the case of "The Kite Runner," it is a book about Afghanistan as much as it is about any of the characters in the book. You will not feel elevated by reading this book, but it is a worthwhile and important read for those interested in understanding this complex culture....less
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July 18
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Scott
marked as to-read:
Into the Cool: Energy Flow, Thermodynamics, and Life (Hardcover)
by Eric D. Schneider, Dorion Sagan
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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May 03
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Scott
gave
to:
Rocket Boys (Paperback)
by Homer H. Hickam Jr.
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in May, 2008
Scott said:
"As so many others have said in the past, the memoirs of Homer Hickam are enjoyable at different levels. The rocket science here is interesting, but really serves mainly as the narrative driver of this account of coming of age. As someone who grew up ...more
As so many others have said in the past, the memoirs of Homer Hickam are enjoyable at different levels. The rocket science here is interesting, but really serves mainly as the narrative driver of this account of coming of age. As someone who grew up on the edges of Appalachia (raised in York, PA and undergraduate college in Pittsburgh, PA) the social environment and personality types that Homer encounters in his hometown of Coalwood and in Big Creek High School were familiar to me. I think this memoir is successful because of Homer's vulnerability, his alternating moods of sympathy and insensitivity, and his frankness at relating the life of an adolescent boy. His issues with his parents and peers are instantly recognizable to today's teens, even if the circumstances of his life are much different than ours. There is a reason why this book has been chosen many times as a "Community Read" book by public libraries; the story of Homer Hickam is a very compelling, American tale....less
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