Patrick Kanouse's Blog, page 44
April 23, 2013
The Inner Circle: A Review
I had seen a couple of episodes of Brad Meltzer's Decoded by accident before I read this book (another from the Gina and Patrick reading list), so I knew kind of what I would be getting: a story featuring a political conspiracy. That is what Meltzer delivers.
Beecher White is an archivist in DC's National Archives. One morning as he gives a long ago crush a look into a SCIF, a secure room for
Beecher White is an archivist in DC's National Archives. One morning as he gives a long ago crush a look into a SCIF, a secure room for
April 18, 2013
Vision of the Future: A Review
The second book in Timothy Zahn's duology, the follow up to the widely praised, massively successful Thrawn trilogy picks up right where the first book, Specter of the Past, left off: the New Republic is on the brink of civil war, Han and Leia are looking to get some R&R, Luke is trying to find Mara Jade, Admiral Pellaeon is still in the dark about the machinations of Moff Disra, Tierce, and
April 16, 2013
The Americans: A Review
When The Americans first began airing previews, I was intrigued. But skeptical. Could this premise go beyond just a few episodes? Would it feel tired eventually.
My skepticism is gone. Why? Excellent writing, excellent acting, excellent production quality.
Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell) and Philip Jennings (Matthew Rhys) are two ordinary Americans in the 1980s living in the burbs with
My skepticism is gone. Why? Excellent writing, excellent acting, excellent production quality.
Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell) and Philip Jennings (Matthew Rhys) are two ordinary Americans in the 1980s living in the burbs with
April 11, 2013
Free Will: A Review
Sam Harris is nothing if not interesting. He is someone whose ideas I can disagree with substantially, but I still hunt out his thoughts, I still read his writings. Free Will is a brief book about a complex subject. The thesis it seeks to prove is that free will is an illusion. The book is short and clearly written, so I do not want to get into a lot of detail here. Suffice it to say, Harris
April 9, 2013
Sailing from Byzantium: A Review
I have long had an interest in Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman history, and I also enjoy vertical histories (those books that cover a narrow subject but in depth). Sailing from Byzantium by Colin Wells is a vertical history that in its three parts attempts to describe the legacy of Byzantine culture. The importance of Byzantium, or the Eastern Roman Empire, lies beyond its territorial
April 4, 2013
Continuum: A Review
Continuum, a Canadian series that just wrapped up its first season in the US on the Syfy channel, was a series I had heard about. So when it came to Syfy, I was glad to give the series a shot.
The premise is: A cop and a group of terrorists are transported from 2077 to 2012. Well...that's the elevator pitch. Kiera Cameron (Rachel Nichols) is the cop who finds herself assisting the Vancouver
The premise is: A cop and a group of terrorists are transported from 2077 to 2012. Well...that's the elevator pitch. Kiera Cameron (Rachel Nichols) is the cop who finds herself assisting the Vancouver
April 2, 2013
Art and Technology
A couple of years ago, I stumbled across the music of Zoe Keating. I have always been drawn to cello music (Bach's Cello Suites, Shostakovich's and Elgar's cello concerti, Tavener's The Protecting Veil, The Cellist of Sarajevo, and many others). Zoe Keating takes the practice of solo cello a step beyond by combining computers and her playing, including live performances. Using a foot-controlled
March 28, 2013
Beauty: Coleridge and Hopkins
Public Domain
When I posted last week the quote by Samuel Taylor Coleridge last week about the imagination, it struck me as very similar to the thoughts by Gerard Manley Hopkins in his "On the Origin of Beauty: A Platonic Dialogue." Coleridge focused on a balance of opposites. He said,
"The balance or reconciliation of opposite or discordant qualities: of sameness, with difference; or the
When I posted last week the quote by Samuel Taylor Coleridge last week about the imagination, it struck me as very similar to the thoughts by Gerard Manley Hopkins in his "On the Origin of Beauty: A Platonic Dialogue." Coleridge focused on a balance of opposites. He said,
"The balance or reconciliation of opposite or discordant qualities: of sameness, with difference; or the
March 26, 2013
Defending Jacob: A Review
Another book that Gina added to our to-read list, this mystery written by William Landay leans on the legal thriller side, though the air of mystery remains. The novel begins and includes throughout snippets from the protagonist, Andy Barber, during grand jury testimony. Therein lies, I found, the mystery of the novel. The testimony is clearly after the trial of Jacob Barber, Andy's teenage son,
March 21, 2013
Coleridge: A Couple of Quotes
From the Poetry Foundation
After reading Richard Holmes' Darker Reflections, I thought I'd share a couple of quotes.
Coleridge on the imagination:
“the power of so carrying the eye of the Reader as to make him almost lose the consciousness of words --to make him see every thing...without any anatomy of description.”
Of the poet, Coleridge said:
“The poet, described in ideal perfection,
After reading Richard Holmes' Darker Reflections, I thought I'd share a couple of quotes.
Coleridge on the imagination:
“the power of so carrying the eye of the Reader as to make him almost lose the consciousness of words --to make him see every thing...without any anatomy of description.”
Of the poet, Coleridge said:
“The poet, described in ideal perfection,
