Larry’s Comments (group member since Nov 23, 2020)

Larry’s comments from the Nonfiction Reading - Only the Best group.

"Where were the Europeans/Americans who saw the wrong of mistreating Native Americans?" Such a crucial question, Cynda. It will never get fully answered but needs to be asked over and over.

John, we had a bad storm two days ago ... two lightning strikes very close. Yesterday, our next door neighbors mentioned that their Internet, cable, and phones were out (we both have Verizon Fios, but I only use it for Internet). I suggested resetting the router by just unplugging and then plugging it back in, No effect. I then told them I thought that one of those lightning strikes fried their router. A Verizon Fios tech will be visiting them today ... I did mention to them about your own recent experience.

We have had a good summer in Northern Virginia ... hot as summers are, but most days are just in the upper 80s or low 90s. And most weeks, we've had rain. We feel incredibly fortunate and recognize that most people aren't this fortunate.

My wife showed me a photo two days ago of her two brothers who flew out to Oregon to visit with a nephew. They were floating in the river on tubes. The temperature there was supposed to hit 100 degrees F., but if you're on vacation, that may not be too bad.

Ron, when I ask or tell new members not to come here to self promote their books, it’s not at all the same as a having a member who participates a lot sharing thoughts about their works. Feel free to tell us anything you wish about that book. I look forward to hearing about it.

John, we have so many vulnerabilities in this modern world. I’m glad that you are reconnected to the Internet … and to us.

Three books nominated for the September Members' Choice BOTM.

They are:

FLAWLESS THINGS by Alpein Cameo,

A General History of the Pyrates: Volume I & II, Complete by Captain Charles Johnson (actually Daniel Defoe), and

The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic—and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World by Steven Johnson.

Every member may cast a vote for the book of their choice by adding a message in this thread stating their choice. Votes will be allowed until August 20, 2023.

Lance, I'll start it now. I'll read it over the next three weeks.

The anticipated arrival of a shipment of books … always felt to me like getting ready to unwrap the presents under our Christmas tree. Just a great feeling.

John wrote: "Larry wrote: "Yeah I guess this heading gets it right ... but the article is sort of more and less than this at the same time. If you use GoodReads a lot, you'll get it.

"The Gamification of Readi...I think the site could use a redesign, though."

It's hard to argue that Jeff Bezos has made poor decisions when it comes to making money. He certainly hasn't bought an asset for $44 billion, e.g. Twitter, and then done one stupid thing after another so that it's lost half of its value in a few months. But I do think he has undervalued what some minor and then major improvements in GoodReads might be commoditized through increased book sales on Amazon. Of well, most days, GoodReads is up and running ... and that's almost enough.

Yeah I guess this heading gets it right ... but the article is sort of more and less than this at the same time. If you use GoodReads a lot, you'll get it.

"The Gamification of Reading Is Changing How We Approach Books

Since its inception in 2007, Goodreads has been a place where people can come together and rate their favorite books, find new authors, and more. This writer juggles the greater implications of the site with our current reading culture."

SOURCE: https://www.shondaland.com/inspire/bo...

One reason to like perplexity.ai is its citation of the sources from which it is composing its answers. AT this point, I see these LLMs as a substitute for Wikipedia more than anything. But when Wikipedia has long and detailed answers, i probably would prefer it.

The LLMs are evolving extremely fast. Sometimes there are serious lies [and I mean that ... not just mistakes, but lies] and sometimes there are discriminatory statements embedded. Why would that be? Maybe because they are built on human generated texts and documents, whihc themselves may be discriminatory.

I would advise playing with one or more LLMs. When I tried ChatGPT first about six months ago, I really didn't like it. It's evolved to where it's sometimes useful. And what is really good are the followup questions that it suggests after it provides you with the answer to the first question. A high school or college student who uses this to write an assigned paper is cheating ... a high school or college student who uses this to probe some topic likely will learn more than a student who doesn't use it ... and that's where we stand today ... tomorrow ... or next year, it will be different.

And I've been testing the results across two of the LLMs (ChatGPT and perplexity.ai ) by asking the same question and looking at the results. The three questions I posed today:

My LLM question for the day ... posed to both ChatGPT and perplexity.ai :
"Why do missouri synod lutherans say that they are not protestant?"
Interesting answers:
This one from perplexity.ai:
"The LCMS does not consider itself to be a Protestant denomination2
. The LCMS believes that the term "Protestant" refers to those who protested against the Roman Catholic Church during the Reformation, and the LCMS did not exist at that time1
. The LCMS also believes that the term "Protestant" is often used to describe denominations that have moved away from traditional Christian beliefs, and the LCMS does not want to be associated with such groups1
."
And this one from ChaptGPT:
"It's important to note that while the Missouri Synod Lutherans may claim not to be Protestant, this view is not universally held among Lutherans. Other Lutheran bodies and scholars may consider themselves part of the broader Protestant tradition. The question of whether or not the Missouri Synod Lutherans are Protestant is a matter of perspective and interpretation within the context of their specific theological identity."
I like the full answer from ChatGPT better ... but I like how perplexity gives you embedded references used in its answer ... It takes you to a LCMS website:

>>>

Second A.I. LLM question for the day.
"Is the sun a second or third generation star?"
Chat GPT says this:
"The Sun is considered a second-generation star. To understand why, let's briefly explain stellar generations:
First-generation stars formed shortly after the Big Bang, primarily composed of hydrogen, helium, and trace amounts of lithium. These stars were responsible for enriching the universe with heavier elements through nucleosynthesis during their lifetimes.
Second-generation stars, like the Sun, formed from the remnants of first-generation stars, which had expelled their enriched material into space through supernova explosions. These enriched materials include elements like carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and iron, crucial for forming rocky planets like Earth."
perplexity.ai says this:
"Based on the measured quantities of heavier elements in the Sun, it is theorized that it must be a third-generation star, that is at least two other stars preceded it2
4
. The presence of heavy elements in the Sun indicates that it is not a first-generation star3
. Second-generation stars, such as the Sun, contain some heavier elements that could not exist just based on nuclear fusion inside the star5
. Therefore, the Sun is at least a second-generation star, but it is probably a third-generation star."
Note the contradiction within its answer ... with an apparent resolution of that contradiction in the last sentence.

>>>

Third A.I. LLM question for the day: How is titanium produced in terms of stellar evolution?
Perplexity.ai says this:
"Titanium is produced through a process called stellar nucleosynthesis, which occurs in the cores of stars1
. The fusion of helium and titanium produces chromium, while the fusion of chromium and helium produces iron1
. In the later stages of a star's life, reactions occur while prior stage reactions are still underway in the outer layers of the star4
. The energy produced by each reaction is mainly in the form of gamma rays, with a small amount taken by the byproduct element4
. All these reactions have a very low rate at the temperatures and densities in stars and therefore do not contribute significant energy to a star's total output4
. Titanium is also found in the remnants of supernovae explosions, such as the Cassiopeia A supernova5
. The electron capture rates on titanium isotopes in stellar matter are important in the dynamics of stellar core collapse and play a key role in triggering supernova explosions6
."

John & Ron,

I've been posting on A.I. LLMs on Facebook and in a Facebook group (Academic Integrity). I'll copy some of my posts from the last two days.

What are LLMs, and how are they used in generative AI?
https://www.computerworld.com/article...


12 Best Large Language Models (LLMs) in 2023
https://beebom.com/best-large-languag...


PERPLEXITY AI
https://doc.searls.com/2023/07/18/grr...


BIG THINK - New AI translates 5,000-year-old cuneiform tablets instantly
https://bigthink.com/the-future/ai-tr...

The AI which translated cuneiform is not a LLM, but the article is very interesting.

Use in ER
https://www.aidoc.com/blog/emergency-...

Ron wrote: "Thanks, Larry.

I'm planning to start by mid-August if not sooner. I've currently got a project I'm working on so that's taking up a bit of my time."

Ron, I'm glad you're working on a project.

He is a great writer ... based on many reviews. He's a favorite of one of my close friends. But I have never read his works.

Thread for discussing The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet by Jeff Goodell.

Ron, I actually did buy the book. At some point, I will share my thoughts about it in this Buddy Reads thread.

Patrick, I did discover this ... most, if not all, seem to be available on the Internet Archive [of the five I checked, only one was only partially available.]

"Chronicles of America is a fifty volume series on American history published by Yale University Press. A series of film adaptations was also commissioned from the series and about 15 completed.[1] Entries in the series were first published in 1918. They were written by historians about various aspects of American history. The series was edited by Allen Johnson and published by Yale University. All 50 volumes are available on archive.org; some are available on Project Gutenberg. "

Patrick wrote: "I love history books of the past because they were not written for us, nor with our preoccupations in mind; they had no way of knowing what our preoccupations would BE. They do provide a sense of t...The 50-volume Chronicles of America series published by Yale University Press in 1918 makes for delightful reading, and are very handsome hand-sized volumes as well. "

Patrick, i have never heard of the Chronicles of America series. I'll have to look through the whole series to see if there are some volumes I especially want to read.

John, thanks for a heads up on the Richard Ford book. I may just put that one off for a while.

NONFICTION READING - ONLY THE BEST

Newsletter -- AUGUST 2023

* BOOK OF THE MONTH - MODERATOR'S CHOICE
* BOOK OF THE MONTH - MEMBERS' CHOICE
* NOMINATIONS & VOTING - EVEN MORE CHANGES!
* BUDDY READS ...

***
AUGUST BOOK OF THE MONTH - MODERATOR'S CHOICE

The Normans: Power, Conquest and Culture in 11th Century Europe by Judith A. Green

LINK TO THE DISCUSSION: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

With several other recent histories of the Normans, why are we reading this one by Judith Green? I think the London Review of Books offers a good reason: "A bold new history of the rise and expansion of the Norman Dynasty across Europe from Byzantium to England ... In this insightful history, Judith Green challenges old certainties and explores the reality of Norman life across the continent. There were many soldiers of fortune, but their successes were down to timing, good luck, and ruthless leadership. Green shows the Normans' profound impact, from drastic change in England to laying the foundations for unification in Sicily to their contribution to the First Crusade. Going beyond the familiar, she looks at personal dynastic relationships and the important part women played in what at first sight seems a resolutely masculine world."


AUGUST BOOK OF THE MONTH - MEMBERS' CHOICE

Ali: A Life by Jonathan Eig

LINK TO THE DISCUSSION: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

With the wonderful 1998 biography of Ali by David Remnick, is another one needed? After sports biographies of Lou Gehrig and Jackie Robinson, Jonathan Eig expanded his horizons with a biography on Al Capone and then a history of the Pill. It's fortunate he returned to sports, with a highly acclaimed biolography of Muhammed Ali, which many have said is much more than just a sports biography. The Guardian says this: "More noteworthy is how much of Ali’s well-documented life has been overlooked by previous accounts. Eig’s writing doesn’t have the razzle-dazzle of Wolfe or Mailer, but he’s breezy to read while also being a stickler for detail." So maybe even more than being needed, Eig has written a biography that is essential.

*****

JULY BOOK OF THE MONTH - MODERATOR'S CHOICE

The July Book of the Month is David Quammen's Breathless: The Scientific Race to Defeat a Deadly Virus.

LINK TO THE DISCUSSION: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...


JULY BOOKS OF THE MONTH - MEMBERS' CHOICE

Washington's Secret War: The Hidden History of Valley Forge by Thomas Fleming

LINK TO THE DISCUSSION: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

*****

UPCOMING BOOKS OF THE MONTH - MODERATOR'S CHOICE

September 2023 - Carl Zimmer - A Planet of Viruses

October 2023 - Elizabeth Pisani - Indonesia, Etc: Exploring the Improbable Nation

November 2023 - Peter Zeihan - The End of the World Is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization

December 2023 - Michael Ruhlman - Grocery: The Buying and Selling of Food in America

January 2024 - Michael Herr - Dispatches

February 2024 - Michael J. Sandel - Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?

March 2024 - Isabel Wilkerson - The Warmth of Other Suns: the Epic Story of America's Great Migration

April 2024 - Camilla Townsend - Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs

May 2024 - Bill Buford - Among The Thugs

June 2024 - Michael Lewis - The Fifth Risk

July 2024 - Usherwood & Tinder - The European Union: A Very Short Introduction, 3rd Ed. by John Pinder - The link is to the third edition ... the recommendation is for the 4th edition, which so far has no link.

***

UPCOMING BOOKS OF THE MONTH - MEMBERS' CHOICE

This will be different than in most (maybe all) of the other GoodReads book groups. First of all, no automated polls. But more changes this month!

We will open up the nominations process and voting to all members ... I only ask that you nominate and/or vote for a book that you think you may read.

I would hope that the person who nominates a book that is chosen will actively participate in the discussion. You don’t have to lead that discussion, but if you do, that’s great.

Beginning on August 1, I will call for nominations for the Monthly Reading - Members’ Choice for September. On August 11, I will call for votes among the books nominated from any and all members. On August 21, I will announce the winner. That book will be the September Members’ Choice Book of the Month. In case of ties, I will choose the winner.

Each month will follow a similar process.

LINK TO THE PROCESS FOR NOMINATIONS AND SELECTIONS: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

LINK TO THE NOMINATIONS FOR THE SEPTEMBER MEMBERS' CHOICE: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

***

BUDDY READS - If you want to read any (or almost any ... I have some limits) books with someone else here, I will set up folders for doing just that. Just propose a book that you would like to read as a Buddy Read along with any details, e.g. when you want to start and how long you want the discussion to continue.

I'll set up a topic/thread for a proposed buddy reads when someone proposes a book and someone else opts in for the shared reading experience ... or in some cases, even before someone accepts the invitation.

Here's a link to the Buddy Reads folder, with a number of ongoing Buddy Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...


Good Reading!

Larry, Founder and Moderator