Books Read 2011

[Jeff V]

Escape from Hell by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

Once upon a time, I thought the combo of Niven and Pournelle were about the best ever. Everything I read by them was a page-turn, exciting, captivating. Then, I think, they got old. Or maybe I did. But as far as I'm concerned, they've lost their mojo. The last book I read by them, a sequel to their classic Mote in God's Eye, was painfully tedious The Gripping Hand. With Escape from Hell, the duo once again revisit an old classic of theirs, this time, the 1975 take off on Dante called Inferno.

Escape from Hell once again features deceased sci-fi author Alan Carpenter. This time, his travel companion is Sylvia Plath, the poet who offed herself. Whereas Inferno was about redemption for one of history's evil luminaries, Benito Mussolini, Sylvia Plath just doesn't provide the same sort of intensity. There were more conversations with the same demons, and attempts to move others from their current torment. Most of the famous people, such as Leon Trotsky, appear more in cameo form, while some of the more interesting characters are include a priest who managed to wind up in hell for bucking the church party line.

The book wasn't bad, it just wasn't very compelling. Some of the moral dilemmas are worthy of thought and consideration; unfortunately, the book did a poor job bringing this out in many cases.


Dare to Try...Kama Sutra by Axterdam

This short book, part of a series of Dare to Try... books on various aspects of sex, didn't really do much justice to it's subject matter (Kama Sutra). If you omit all of the pimping being done for other books in the series, you would end up with a sparse book indeed. Most of the rest falls into two categories: variations on the ordinary, or kink that will require mutual buy-in.

Still, it's easy to read, the style is humorous and affable. Whether or not this book has any practical value will be determined after my fiance reads it. If it sparks some additional curiosity in her, then perhaps I would revisit the review and consider some of the other books in the series.

Insatiable: Tales from a Life of Delicious Excess by Gael Greene

Lately I've had an interest in the exploits of journalists. Some of you might remember back in the day when it was a real profession, and not something that anyone with a internet connection and an urge to write claimed to be. Done right,. many journalists lived downright fascinating lives. Having had some experience and success in the field of journalism (nothing compared to the illustrious Ms. Greene), I do feel a degree of empathy while reading these memoirs.

Greene is probably best known as a food critic for New York Magazine, as well as a best-selling novelist back in the '70's. Almost seems mundane compared with some of the gonzo journalists out there -- until she comes clean about her dark side. "Insatiable" is not just a tale about her life as a food critic and the evolution of culinary trends from the late-60's to present (that alone is worth the price of admission). But her passions extended to the bedroom -- and her tales involve some of the biggest stars in music and movies. Just one A-lister would be impressive on anyone's resume; Greene lays claim to three. And that doesn't even count the porn star.

Greene was at the height of her career in the late 70's through the 80's, when I was pretty much coming of age. I noted rather impassively the effect AIDS had on the "sexual revolution", but for Greene, it signaled the end of an epic lifestyle. That she has been able to slide seamlessly into a 20+ year marriage really says something about the command she has over the course of her own life.

I found this book fast-paced and fascinating -- she doesn't linger too long on any particular aspect, whether personal, professional, or historical. And I can't believe she slept with <spoiler deleted> <spoiler deleted><spoiler deleted>.

[lildrgn]

Finished reading The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold last night. What a fantastic book. So bittersweet and touching.

I've never cried because of a book but this book almost got me.

[Jeff V]

Norse Warfare: Unconventional Battle Strategies of the Ancient Viking by Martina Sprague

This Kindle freebie is a nice review of the dramatis personae of the Viking age. Sprague pays lip service to the Nordic culture of the time, as well as the military tactics employed, focusing instead on the subjects of the various sagas, many which might hold little or no truth.

As a historical accompaniment to Cornwell's Saxon Tales, it lacked particular depth when it came to warfare in the trenches. You'll learn more about the life of Canute the Great, Sven Forkbeard, and Harald Hardrade than you will the likes of Lief Erickson. Non-Nordic adversaries are given short-shrift, some, like the Saxon Alfred the Great, had a tremendous impact on the heathen barbarians -- but Sprague merely mentions a few conflicts in passing. Her main goal seems to be a reconciliation of the sagas with the historical record, and in the end, I think she favors sagas when no evidence either way presents itself.

The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True by Richard Dawkins

A year or so ago; right-wing nutjob Bill O'Reilly, amidst one of his bizarre tirades, pretty much admitted to being utterly clueless as to the state of science and assumed his followers were as clueless as he. And judging by the imbeciles his party has trotted forth since Bush Sr. became a one-termer; probably few of them have notice. Meanwhile, the rest of us got a great laugh at his expense. When he claimed that the tides were unknowable, even children who know better must have been rolling on the floor in laughter.

The Magic of Reality by Richard Dawkins seems like it was written for the likes of Bill O'Reilly. By and large, modern scientists have reacted to the rise of right-wing sponsored ignorance by ignoring it...and just ask NASA....that's not working too well for us. And us is a growing collective -- it's not just American anti-intellectual fundamentalists gaining ground, but to a lesser extent, those in Great Britain and Europe as well. Between growing fundamentalist influence and a corresponding lack of science education, millions are functionally illiterate when it comes to science. And that has grown to a dangerous number, jeopardizing the future of humanity in the process.

Dawkins suggests that scientifically vetted theories and truths are every bit as "magical" as mystical explanations offered by Creationists and other loony anti-intellectuals. He appeals to the romance of science, of the wonder of discovering truths, or at least viable theories that fit truths as we now know them. Sometimes he ventures beyond his particular areas of expertise -- admitting that he doesn't fully understand what he is about to relate. This is in the rarefied air that is quantum physics; few truly understand and even those who attempt to popularize it (such as Stephan Hawking) don't often succeed. Fortunately, such mea culpas are few and far between -- Dawkins speaks from a position of strength throughout most of the book.

[Scuzz]

Agincourt by Bernard Cornwell


I have read lots of books by Cornwell and basically have reached the point of saturation regarding his basic formula. I read the book based on a curiosity having just recently read Keegans The Face of War, which has a chapter on Agincourt.

The book does what Cornwell does at his best. It describes a moment in history in enough detail and accuracy to make things interesting. His characters are pretty stock although his look at Henry V is unique.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes historical novels, and to any Cornwell fans.

3 of 5........

[Isgrimnur]

The Guts to Try: The Untold Story of the Iran Hostage Rescue Mission by the On-Scene Desert Commander

Written by Col. James H. Kyle (ret.) of the USAF with assistance from John Robert Eidson. Col. Kyle details his involvement as well as what he's gathered from interviews about what turned out to be the debacle that occured at Desert 1.

My reading of the history of Delta Force mentioned this book specifically, so I decided to tackle it next. It goes into the planning that he saw, long months of hard work workign on the logistics and training that went into putting this operation together. His passion for the work that they were doing comes through, as well as his pain at the failure and the loss of life.

As this operation happened when I was about to turn four, I of course have no recollection of any events as they happened. One thing that I learned about the events was that the mission had been aborted due to a lack of operational helicopters even before the accident took place that cost eight men their lives.

Col. Kyle relays not only his experiences with the operation, being at the mission site, and the return, but his time in front of the generals and Congressional committees. He finishes the book with a long, hard look at the reasons that he believes the mission failed, what errors were made, and what corrections he thinks should have come out of the mission.

All in all, this book was, to me, an excellent read. I really got a better feel for the men involved, the tactics, and what it was like to be in the middle of that situation, struggling against the odds to take care of our citizens, no matter where they might be.

[Matrix]

latest i have read. Dont really keep track of all the ones i finished.

Human Zoo - very interesting, look at people from biological and anthropological prospective.
- 7 tentacles, because a lot of it is based on research in the 60s and it hasnt been updated. But aside from that its an amazing read for anyone curious about social structure, our motivation, and how our raise from hunting and gathering society to big cities and settled life. best book in about a year.
Art of Learning - meh, he talking about his own life, and has some interesting concepts, but unless you like chess or martial arts, you probably wont like it. I like both of those, so i give it
and one concept from it i have added to coaching.

[Scuzz]

The Guts to Try: The Untold Story of the Iran Hostage Rescue Mission by the On-Scene Desert Commander

Written by Col. James H. Kyle (ret.) of the USAF with assistance from John Robert Eidson. Col. Kyle details his involvement as well as what he's gathered from interviews about what turned out to be the debacle that occured at Desert 1.

My reading of the history of Delta Force mentioned this book specifically, so I decided to tackle it next. It goes into the planning that he saw, long months of hard work workign on the logistics and training that went into putting this operation together. His passion for the work that they were doing comes through, as well as his pain at the failure and the loss of life.

As this operation happened when I was about to turn four, I of course have no recollection of any events as they happened. One thing that I learned about the events was that the mission had been aborted due to a lack of operational helicopters even before the accident took place that cost eight men their lives.

Col. Kyle relays not only his experiences with the operation, being at the mission site, and the return, but his time in front of the generals and Congressional committees. He finishes the book with a long, hard look at the reasons that he believes the mission failed, what errors were made, and what corrections he thinks should have come out of the mission.

All in all, this book was, to me, an excellent read. I really got a better feel for the men involved, the tactics, and what it was like to be in the middle of that situation, struggling against the odds to take care of our citizens, no matter where they might be.

I recently read a book by Bowden (Black Hawk Down) about the Iran Hostage situation (The Ayatolloh?) and he pretty much savages the whole rescue attempt as being ill-prepared and poorly planned. I am old enough to remember seeing the pictures of downed helicopters in the desert after the raid.

[Isgrimnur]

While I've enjoyed Bowden's other work (BHD, Killing Pablo), I'd have to read it as a counterpoint. But Kyle is one of the guys that helped plan it. He may not have been privy to every detail, but he was the on-site commander at Desert-1 as well. He doesn't pull any punches about where he thought the failures were, but I got the opinion that the people made every good faith effort to plan the mission within the constraints that they had to work with.

[Jeff V]

Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer

There is something to be said about a journalist who goes the extra step and participates in the object of his interest and not merely report on it. Joshua Foer did just that -- and at a high level -- winning the US Memory Championship after a year of training. Previously, Foer had covered the national and international events (the Americans are not close to being competitive on the international forum).

Foer describes the tricks he used to memorize things such as decks of cards, face/name combos, and lists of random numbers. Most of the techniques he described I've heard before -- and they still don't make sense to me. Somehow, associating the unfamiliar with a familiar image is supposed to spark near-total recall, but I think I would have problems remembering the familiar images then. Foer contends that anyone can learn this technique however, and even if they don't compete on a national scale, they might impress people at a cocktail party (beginning by remembering all of their names).

Much of the book profiled stars in this competitive field, and discusses the history of the "sport." To me, this part of the book was a little on the dull side -- I just don't find the "sport" all that compelling. Foer's own experiences was the better story, and I was pleased to see his conclusion was something I suspected all along: there is little practical use in such exercises; and at the end of the day, one might recall the order of a deck of cards studied hours earlier, but forget where he put his car keys. Foer declined to defend his national championship on the simple basis that he has better things to spend his time on.

While Moonwalking with Einstein (the title taken from one of his mental images used in remembering) won't teach you how to be a mental superstar at work, amazing your boss with stunning powers of total recall on the most minute detail, Foer does do a good job putting it in perspective and suggesting how we might benefit from improving our own recollections. It was along this vein that he mentioned something I thought could use further elaboration -- perhaps I'll take a shot at writing a book myself expanding on this topic.

The Rape of the Muse by Michael Stein
There are some professions who in the past have produced time-honored greatness. Artist is certainly one of them. However, while it's rather cliched to suggest it produces greatness only after the artist is dead, I have to admit that if you put a gun to my head, I'd be hard pressed to come up with living examples of future art museum exhibitions.

I have a moderate interest in art, but at the museum (hence, dead artist) level. This interest was enough to attract me to the premise of The Rape of the Muse. An aging artist makes a comeback exhibition, and winds up in a defamation lawsuit when a picture, The Rape of the Muse, appears in Vanity Fair, containing his career-long friend and colleague, and, as the muse, the reporter who was sleeping with his apprentice. The book is told through the eyes of the often-worshipful apprentice, a budding artist in his own right learning the cutthroat nature of the New York art scene.

The novel switches back and forth (and sometimes without warning) between the events leading up to the trial, and the trial itself. This is not my favorite stylistic device, and Stein does not overcome my aversion. However, the biggest problem is trying to portray the protagonists as giants in their field . The trial and media coverage are portrayed as a media circus of OJ-like proportions. Really, though -- a civil suit involving an artist who has been invisible for 30 years and his former colleague who appeared to be trying to move to commercial ceramics is not really the stuff of Court TV, much less front-page fare. Ultimately, that is the downfall of this book -- the issue at stake is of importance to too few people, and in this case, the reader was not among them. Even the offending artist seemed nonplussed by the verdict (which, by the way, would not be possible in civil court in my state, but I suppose could be in New York).

The Rape of the Muse probably would make an interesting drama if filmed for a movie or TV. The shallowness of the characters are better disguised in that medium, and condensed to 60 or 90 minutes, I might be less bored with the characters by the end.

[Kasey Chang]

Finished Desert Call Peace by Tom Kratman

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416555927" target="_blank

Tom Kratman's book is basically a 9/11 allegory set on an alien planet colonized by Earth. All the names changed, but all the things stayed the same. The Republic of Balboa (i.e. Panama) speaks Spanish, and was once invaded by Gringos from the Federated States (i.e. US of A). There's allegories to the 2 atomic bombs dropped on Japan (albeit on this world they were dropped from a UN starship trying to "stop" a war). There are Volgans (Russians), Saschens (Germans), Yamatos (Japanese), and more on this world.

The main character, Hennesey, lost his wife and children (all of them, including an unborn) in a 9/11 style suicide attack from Salafists (i.e. radical Muslims) when they hijacked 3 airships and crashed them into 3 buildings, which then collapsed, killing thousands. Hennesey, then 'retired', was in a funk for a month, then finally decided to seek revenge... Vowed to kill ANYBODY who had anything to do with his family's death. He went to Balboa (where his wife was from) and helped the locals start up a mercenary force, which was named Legion del Cid, to help Federated States fight a war in Parthia (read: Afghanistan), where they were absolutely brutal and fair when laws of war are applied. If the enemy violate the laws of war, like shooting from hospital or mosque, then that hospital or mosque will be leveled, and so on.

In this book they pretty much pacified Pashtia, but behind the scenes, the UN ship in orbit is actually pulling strings, arming and helping the salafists trying to keep this planet divided and fighting so they won't develope starships and reverse-conquer Earth.

In the sequel, Carnifex, Hennesey (who took his wife's family name, Carreras) pretty much set out what he needed to do... His troops erased the Salafist pirates by going after the villages, AND when the UN ship tried to arm the Salafists with nukes, those were intercepted (more by luck) and the UN envoy captured, and the salafist leader's entire clan was driven together and ... dealt with in a very final manner.

This book is NOT for the squeamish. Torture is discussed many many times, and civilian casualties, and how a siege would be conducted if we REALLY want to win in Afghanistan, and so on and so forth. Psyops, news manipulation, and more are also touched upon.

One of the saddest and most somber books I've read. The main character is basically a tortured soul who will NEVER be whole again. Will he stay sane and human enough without turning him into the monster that he is hunting?

I actually read this out of order. I got Carnifex first, didn't realize it's the second book in the series. So I kinda missed the setup.

There's another book (hardcover now) called "The Lotus Eaters" that is the third book in this series.

[WYBaugh]

The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie

I really enjoyed this standalone but continuation of Joe Abercrombies First Law books. Very interesting perspectives on battle based on both sides made it hard to decide who you would like to win.

The story is broken up into the three days of the battle with the Union facing off against Black Dow and the North Men in the valley of Osrung. Joe does a damn good job of character introspection and gives insight into living through a battle. If you like Joe's other books highly recommend this one.

[Jaymann]

The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie

I really enjoyed this standalone but continuation of Joe Abercrombies First Law books. Very interesting perspectives on battle based on both sides made it hard to decide who you would like to win.

The story is broken up into the three days of the battle with the Union facing off against Black Dow and the North Men in the valley of Osrung. Joe does a damn good job of character introspection and gives insight into living through a battle. If you like Joe's other books highly recommend this one.

I still have to read the 3rd installment of First Law then I'm in!

[Jeff V]

Outlaw by Angus Donald

Swords. Babes. And even a little sorcery...or at least pagan poetry. Outlaw - A Novel of Robin Hood combines the realism of a historical novel with a pop-culture fictional character to great effect.

The story follows one of Robin's merry men -- Alan Dale, from his escape as a petty thief to his training and maturity as one of Robin's trusted warriors. Robin is already established as a larger-than-life character, a champion of oppressed people, and, of course, the object of the notorious Sheriff of Nottingham's ire. All is not black and white, however. Robin loses some of his luster engaging in pagan rituals and ruthlessly carrying out his own form of justice. Young Alan struggles to reconcile this great, beloved person with the demons that surface as needed. He learns that to be a warrior is to kill or be killed. And while he never becomes entirely comfortable on the battlefield, he acquits himself well in the end.

Unlike most historical novels, this one seems "one and done." The story we are most familiar with has come and gone. Alan is still young, however, and he is recounting this story as an old man. Meanwhile, our hero Robin has become "respectable", a confidant of Richard the Lionheart and his mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine. And I do believe he's agreed to take up the cloth and do battle alongside the Knights Templar in their battles against the Saracens under Saladin. Perhaps another, not-so-familiar tale is forthcoming?

Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson

Humorist Bryson tours the British Islands one last time before repatriating his family to the US. I suspect this book is much more amusing for those who have been there, done that, or are British themselves. Some of the characterizations I've seen in Brits that I know, but I don't know enough of the social geography to tie manner and behavior with specific cities or regions. What I like most about Bryson is the way he can spin the mundane into stories that are more entertaining, if not more interesting. His technique is a good one for story tellers to learn; I always find his stuff worthwhile even when the subject matter doesn't exactly resonate, as in this case.

[Skinypupy]

Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie - This companion story to the First Law Trilogy tells the tale of Monza Murcatto, a mercenary general out for revenge. Abercrombie proves yet again that he is second only to Martin in the fantasy genre with an incredibly tight, detailed story that will keep you guessing right up until the end. While the story mostly revolves around a new crop of characters, there is also lots of familiar faces and events that will be immediately familiar to those who finished the First Law series. It's certainly not a book for those who want a bright, cheery take on life, as it's central message is one of "life's a bitch, then it gets worse, then you die". That said, there's plenty of humor and a metric shit-ton of the ol' ultraviolence. My only quibble is that for as incredible as Abercrombie is at writing combat, he's equally as awful when writing about sex. The few bow-chicka-wow-wow bits are just cringe worthy, but they're thankfully few and far between. Highly, highly recommended.

(and I'd highly recommend reading this one soon after you finish the trilogy while things are still fresh in your mind.)

[ChrisGwinn]

Count Geiger's Blues is another book lent to me by ChrisGwinn. I have a very difficult time describing the books he has lent me. They're all quirky has heck but mostly pretty interesting.

I think the last batch was all intentionally "Well, you'll either like this or you won't, but it's definitely different." Did you ever get to The Tetherballs of Bougainville?

[Bad Demographic]

Count Geiger's Blues is another book lent to me by ChrisGwinn. I have a very difficult time describing the books he has lent me. They're all quirky has heck but mostly pretty interesting.

I think the last batch was all intentionally "Well, you'll either like this or you won't, but it's definitely different." Did you ever get to The Tetherballs of Bougainville?

I tried The Tetherballs of Bougainville but just couldn't stick with it. I did really like Count Geiger's Blues. And, obviously, I like Old Man's War (and most of the rest of what I've read by John Scalzi).

[Jeff V]

Philippine Fever by Bruce Cook

A complex murder mystery that introduces readers to the Philippines much in the same manner John Burdett takes us to Thailand. While I can't speak for the veracity of Burdett's portrayal of Bangkok, I can speak some of Cook's imagery of the Philippines, as I read this book while visiting that country.

ATF detective Sam Haine is sent to Manila to investigate the murder of a Oklahoma man suspected of weapons brokering. He arrives with slim ties to the country (his grandfather died during the Bataan Death March), and it his cultural education throughout the book I found most interesting. He works with local detectives, and the chain of evidence introduces him to the city's thriving sex scene (no, I'm not sure he didn't just lift the plot from Burdett).

The characters are an interesting bunch. The Japanese mastermind who still bears a grudge from WW2. The owner of the "American Club," a sex club whose glory days went by the wayside when the US closed their naval base at Subic Bay. The sister of the murder victim -- an ex-Marine whose "obnoxious American" routine was at least partially a put-on. A hooker and her pimp "brother" who are always seem to be more than they appear to be.

I liked the pace of the story and the character development -- until the end. The end seemed rushed. Many of the characters wound up dead, and some of the sub-plots left loose ends.

I'd be interested in additional stories set here -- mostly because of my familiarity with the setting. Unlike Burdett's Bangkok detective, however, the main character in Philippine Fever is not native but American. and there's no reason to expect detective Haine won't pop up elsewhere in his next story. I'm not so sure I'd follow him elsewhere.

Arguably - Essays by Christopher Hitchens

Christopher Hitchens is a man on borrowed time. Diagnosed with terminal cancer, he has so far exceeded the most optimistic prognosis. In a gesture of gratitude, his acknowledgments at the end gave props to his doctors in DC and Houston. And to them, I thank you as well, since your efforts resulted in more incredible content from this remarkable intellect.

Arguably is a collection of essays, most from his is recent outlets: Vanity Fair, Atlantic, and Slate. Many of these essays are book reviews -- but reviews unlike any I've read before. They are essays based upon the book, and not a traditional critique. Hitchens is able to interject his own knowledge on a variety of subjects ranging from the ancient to the modern. His Slate pieces tend to be more op-ed in nature, dealing with modern issues (often of political or philosophic/religious nature), drawing both upon research and first-hand experience as a gonzo journalist in some of the world's political hot spots/hell holes dating back to the late 60's.

Hitchens is at his best when attacking the duplicity of religious fundamentalism or it's insidious relative, political misdirection. He is most amusing when discussing modern idioms in an almost Andy Rooney-like manner (I think he'd make a great replacement for Rooney if his health permitted). And, of course, there are always things I don't care about despite his best efforts: 20th century English lit notables such as Graeme Greene and Evelyn Waugh, among others. With the exception of aging standby such as Ralph Ellison's The Invisible Man or Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, my fiction reading rarely extends to socially significant literature.

My favorite essays in this book were some of his historical book reviews. In particular, several that talk about our Founding Fathers and Thomas Jefferson in particular. Hitchens, a Socialist-turned-Republican, ruthlessly attacks the revisionist history his party has been spouting lately regarding the separation of church and state. Yes, they did mean what they said; there was no underlying intent that we become a Christian state. The United States was always meant to be a secular haven for people of all religion, and the government is to play no active role in promoting any religious ideology in particular.

The Republican Party needs candidates with Hitchens' wherewithal. While Hitchens also does not hold back in his criticism of Democratic party ideals, the mere fact that the Republican Party is misrepresenting history (as well as embracing ignorance and eschewing scientific findings) remains an insurmountable obstacle that keeps me firmly on the left today. Given his social and religious views, his choice of parties still seems rather perplexing.

[Skinypupy]

The Hobbit - JRR Tolkein: While I adore LOTR, I have to admit...I didn't really like The Hobbit all that much. It was really pretty boring, and I couldn't get into it at all. Glad I read it so I can cross it off the "classics I need to read" list, but I sure won't be going back to it any time soon. It's honestly kind of dampened my enthusiasm for the upcoming films as well.

[silverjon]

You needed to read The Hobbit when you were about ten.

[Kasey Chang]

Slightly off topic... I've been documenting EVERY book I've read into my review blog, as well as movies.

http://crankyreviews.blogspot.com/search/label/Novel" target="_blank

There will be a LOT of additions, so stay tuned.

[Pyperkub]

For those with Kindles - my friend Kim's first book Songs for a Teenage Nomad is free on the kindle (as a promo for her second). It's young adult fiction, but she's a good writer who's finding her wings and it stands up on it's own without getting stuck in YA land. Check it out if you can, and feel free to throw her a good review if you are so inclined.

[Scuzz]

The Great Influenza by John Barry



Did you know that from 1918-1919 a influenza epidemic killed 675,000 Americans and somewhere between 50-100 million people world wide? And the infuenza was most deadly against the "healthiest" age group...the 20-35 year olds.

This book covers the epidemic, with an interesting background on the medical profession prior to that time.

The book is probably overly long, with a little too much medical stuff for most but I think the overall effect is a book that will educate and perhaps scare the average reader. Since most of the world isn't any more prepared for a killer influenza than it was then.

The author also makes an interesting point I had never heard of...that influenza can effect the mental well being of those who survive the illness. There are ties between the flu and mental disease.

3.5 of 5

[Isgrimnur]

Did you know that from 1918-1919 a influenza epidemic killed 675,000 Americans and somewhere between 50-100 million people world wide?

Any true hockey fan or military historian does. The Stanely Cup was not awarded in 1919 due to the outbreak, and the flu was spread massively by the return of soldiers from war.

There's also ongoing research based on preserved samples from servicemen and an exhumed corpse from the Alaskan permafrost.

[Scuzz]

Did you know that from 1918-1919 a influenza epidemic killed 675,000 Americans and somewhere between 50-100 million people world wide?

Any true hockey fan or military historian does. The Stanely Cup was not awarded in 1919 due to the outbreak, and the flu was spread massively by the return of soldiers from war.

There's also ongoing research based on preserved samples from servicemen and an exhumed corpse from the Alaskan permafrost.

Actually you are wrong oh knowledgable one. According to the book the flu started here, probably in the mid-west. Was passed to the military and the US Army sent it overseas with the doughboys. Also there was three outbreaks...one in early 1918, the worst in late 1918 and again in 1919.

One interesting idea put forward in the book is that Pres. Wilson, who caught the flu while at the Versailles peace conferences, suffered mental damage as a result and that is why he eventually capitulated to the harsh punishment dealt to the losing powers in the Treaty that ended the war.

[Isgrimnur]

Yeah, once I did some more reading, I saw theories that it had mutated and jumped to people somewhere in corn country. Certainly not the vector we expect to see these days, as I thought most of the vaccine development tends to focus on those bird farmers in the Far East.

[Isgrimnur]

And if you're interested in the joys of germs and biological warfare, the US Army Medical Department Borden Institute has their 25-chapter Medical Aspects of Biological Warfare available for PDF reading, as well as others.

[Jeff V]

Blink - The Power of Thinking without Thinking by Malcom Gladwell

In Blink, Gladwell discusses decisions and ramifications of decisions made in a "blink of an eye." The decisions can often be correct (such as when determining whether someone is being truthful) or horribly wrong -- a police officer thinks she sees someone pull a gun and 41 bullet holes later, one very dead guy and no gun. Gladwell goes into some of the scientific analysis on reading facial expressions; and how a skilled person can virtually read the mind of another just by watching for specific clues.

The most interesting demonstrations in the book regarded the effects of split decisions and other sensory factors or prejudices. Pepsi beats Coke in a sip test, because in a sip test, the sweeter drink leaves a better impression. Most people, however, consume soda in much larger quantities, and the allure of extra sweetness wears thin. Therefore, Coke still maintains a lead in the marketplace, and this also explains the catastrophic failure of "New Coke." When combined with prejudices., however, split-second decisions can cause a lot of heartache, whether or not the prejudice is overt. Studies have shown that most people who claim to have no racial prejudice nevertheless fail an association test. Sometimes, depriving one of potentially misleading information is helpful: in one example, a woman trombonist wins a seat in a prestigious orchestra based on a blind audition (she was behind a screen so her evaluators could not see she was a woman). When she won the job fair and square, she then had to deal with the idiotic prejudice of the conductor who didn't think it was an appropriate for a woman to be playing a brass instrument. It still took a court of law to get her career where it deserved to be; but had it not been for the blind audition, the prejudice over her being a woman would have negated the fact she turned in the best audition and deserved the job.

We can make better decisions, but it takes dedicated situational practice to overcome our lifetime of experience. In the end, this book was a mere curiosity -- a collection of anecdotes that offers some excuse for how some very bad things can happen. If anything, we learn to mistrust our initial impulse -- at the very least, hold back judgment until we have more data. However, without explicit training to the contrary, it is unlikely any of us will be able to conceive of doing a thing differently until analyzed in retrospect.

[Jeff V]

Change Anything: The New Science of Personal Success by Kerry Patterson

Change Anything is about personal change management. No matter what in your life needs change: finance, weight loss, relationships, addictions -- the same set of processes can be applied to each in order to achieve lasting success. The authors drum home the message that change isn't something to bear down and gut out on ones own accord; we need the help of others: sometimes, in the form of replacing "friends" that are enabling the bad behavior we would like to change; and sometimes, by actively seeking new skills to learn what you don't know. Six different change elements are identified and applied to case studies demonstrating it's success in real world application.

The case studies are good and motivating. The change elements are not unreasonable -- one doesn't have to overcome a lot of inertia to implement them. While I haven't yet tried it yet, success certainly seems plausible given my experience with professional (and organizational) change management. The key difference is this methodology should be easy enough for anyone to grasp.

One minor complaint: the authors have an accompanying website, which they pimp way too often during the course of the book. This had the effect of coming off like an infomercial -- something I've inherently grown to distrust.

[Jeff V]

Bolivar - The South American Liberator by Robert Harvey

Simon Bolivar is one of those illustrious figures in history I'd always meant to learn more about, but for reasons predicted by Bolivar himself, I've never found the combination of opportunity and compelling interest. This was a mistake -- the life of "The Liberator" of South America is every bit as fascinating as generals such as Napoleon or Alexander the Great (to name a pair that I've read about extensively).

Bolivar was born into an aristocratic class, and could have lived a very comfortable life tending his family's fortune. Inspired by the revolutionary writings of Rousseau, and, to a lesser degree, by the actions of "The Precursor," Francisco Miranda, Bolivar thought it was time for the nations of South America to throw off the oppressive yoke of the decaying Spanish empire. Time and again, Bolivar would overestimate his people's commitment to revolution and their resolve to build lasting nations. Unlike the aforementioned great generals of history, Bolivar suffered many setbacks; his first two attempts to liberate Venezuela failed when the Royalists regained control and brutalized the population into resubmission. Most men would have thrown in the towel at that point, but Bolivar believed in his cause when almost nobody else backed him, and with incredible energy pursued his vision.

Bolivar was to prove a brilliant military strategist, and chased the Spanish from the continent, liberating Venezuela (third time was the charm), Columbia, Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. Nearly all of those who fought at his side, however, turned against him in the political arena. While achieving the noble cause of independence from a colonial power, Bolivar was a failed politician. He was enamored with Britain, and this led to some ill-conceived ideology that did not well suit the nature of the population. Nearing his deathbed, Bolivar accurately predicted the next 200 years of South American history:

"I have arrived at only a few sure conclusions: 1. For us, America is ungovernable. 2. He who serves a revolution ploughs the sea. 3. The only thing we can do in American is to emigrate. 4. This country will eventually fall into the hands of the unbridled mob, and will proceed to almost imperceptible petty tyrannies of all complexions and races. 5. Devoured as we are by every kind of crime and annihilated by ferocity, Europeans will not go the trouble of conquering us. 6. If it were possible for any part of the world to revert to primordial chaos, that would be America's final state."

Author Robert Harvey does a good job painting an objective view of this Romantic figure. The Liberator is taken to task for betraying his mentor, Miranda and for his second revolution, which he essentially called for no quarter -- death to all Spaniards and enemies of the revolution. Harvey also holds him accountable for the state of the content after the revolutions had taken place: had he been more politically astute and, perhaps, taken more ideology from the United States (which he didn't think could survive) and less from dying continental powers, South America could have leveraged it's vast wealth to become a major global player.

[Kasey Chang]

Simon Bolivar's plan for "Gran Colombia" (a mostly united South America that would include Colombia, Venezuela, and more) never came to fruition. It wasn't for the lack of dreaming, but rather, he never really have much of a unifying "cause" once the Spanish were chased off. I have to admit, I am only going by my dim recollection of history lessons about 25 years ago.

[Jeff V]

Bolivar did at one point want something like a United States of South America. However, he really had a low opinion of the US government (by and large, probably because we offered absolutely no aid). The main problem was (and continues to be) that the Spanish created a class system, and merely deposing the royalists just gave rise to a new breed of more indigenous thugs. Bolivar compared himself with two other figures who he claims caused the most grief through misplaced optimism: Jesus Christ and Don Quixote. The latter in particular pretty much sums up Bolivar's net accomplishments, but from start to finish, it's one hell of a story.

[Scuzz]

Jeff V.....do you read these or listen to them? You go through more books than anyone I know.

[Jeff V]

Read 2/3, listen to 1/3 (8 of 24 books listed are audio). Every month I get something pseudo-random from Librarything that I am obliged to review.

My commute is about to change from train to driving/biking. This could increase the number of audiobooks read.

[Scuzz]

My wife went from reading 2-3 books a year to listening to one a week at her new job. I was just curious and figured (as I think you travel a lot) that you did audio books.

[Jeff V]

Mostly, I listen to audiobooks when I run or bike, although I'll listen to them on long car rides too (fewer of those this year now that I don't have to drive to South Bend or Detroit anymore). When my job moves in a week or two, I'll listen to them on days that I bike commute -- when I drive, it's more likely to be sports radio or NPR.

As gaming season ends, I'll be reading more conventional books over the next three months. I've been slacking a bit, I need to catch up to where I was last year.

[Kasey Chang]

Finished "Breaking News" a memoir by Martin Fletcher, the NBC guy who was there at almost every major news event in the world.

Learned a lot about the news business... You have to be crazy and insensitive to cover the news and remain apart from it, which is impossible to do as you mature and know the people. A couple interesting tidbits:

* Martin Fletcher is actually Jewish (his father changed name from Fleischer after escaping Europe)
* He started work for Visnews, which apparently predates my knowledge as I've never heard of it (but it's in Wikipedia)
* He started work for NBC as just a cameraman, and only got in front of camera by luck
* Somehow he predates wars and disasters. He was in Israel a week before the 1973 war. He arrived in Cyprus only to have the Turks invade the island.
* He met his to-be-wife while covering events in Israel. (She was a serving IDF soldier at the time)
* He was in Kosovo, and Rwanda, AND Rhodesia, AND South Africa...
* He interviewed Aidid, the Somali Warlord (i.e. Blackhawk Down) both before and after BHD event. The event lead up to BHD, the part about 24 Pakistani UN troops getting slaughtered? Sure wasn't in the movie, but was mentioned "in passing here", and provided some perspective. (It's in the BHD book)
* On Cyprus, he watched three friends blown up by mines after they stumbled into a Turkish minefield. One died. He was 3 inches away from stepping on one.

and much more.

Worth a read, though it is a bit short.

[Jeff V]

Thanks Kasey, I think I'll go on a bit of a newsguy bender -- I ordered that book (for $3, why not?) as well as Roy Rowan's Never Too Late: A 90-year Old's Pursuit of a Whirlwind Life. (neither book, of course, available on Kindle).

[Jeff V]

The Age of Attila: Fifth-century Byzantium and the Barbarians by Colin D Gordon

History books have come a long way in the last century. Not necessarily in terms of content -- there are many topics where there just hasn't been any new material discovered. I'm talking about in terms of style.

Modern history writers do a better job telling a compelling story; compared with the old style of simply reciting known facts. First published in 1960, The Age of Attila is a short, but painfully dense book to read. Every page seems to introduce one or more persons. Many of these aren't persons we are otherwise find familiar. The book is not really about Attila, but rather of the greater event of the collapse of the Roman Empire in the west, as well as duplicitous dealings of the Eastern Empire as it laid the foundation for another 9 centuries of survival. The changing scenery and constant barrage of bit players made the book hard to follow. At times Gordon would insert quoted primary source material without actually quoting it...the shifting perspective was quite annoying. The effect of Attila's campaign was alluded to throughout the book, but no attempt was made for a comprehensive treatment of the war against the Huns. This was a very tiresome book.

Annoying: The Science of What Bugs Us by Joe Palca and Flora Lictman

Do you realize annoyance is a field of study? Well, not directly, but for good or ill, science does have an interest studying what it is that annoys us. The primary benefit of such research appears to be marketers, who, depending on the product may wish to annoy us or not. However, the study of annoyance also intersects research in evolution -- our aversion to certain sound, smells, and tastes has developed in response to dangerous causes.

Annoying: The Science of What Bugs Us jumps around to disparate fields of research, extracting relevant outcomes to fit the theme of the book. It is a snapshot of current scientific studies, some which are interesting, some not, some fall into the category of "they give grants to study THAT?" In the end, you don't really feel like you learned a whole lot -- the premise of the book was more interesting than it's execution. The book is brain candy for those who want a sometimes amusing synopsis of some scientific research.

[Skinypupy]

The Heroes - Joe Abercrombie (and even a bonus because this book is just that damn good)

A wholly remarkable tale of a 3-day battle, told from the perspective of both sides. Abercrombie is at his finest when writing about war, and he doesn't disappoint here. Bloody and brutal with enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time. Even by the end, I wasn't sure who I wanted to win since he painted such a remarkable portrayal of complex characters. While reading the other books add significant emotional impact, this could be easily recommended as a stand-alone book. I cannot recommend it highly enough - A+, 5 stars, 10 out of 10, etc.

The only bad thing about this book is that having read the First Law Trilogy, Best Served Cold, and The Heroes over the last little while, I'll have to wait a while to revisit this world. Abercrombie has cemented himself as #1a to Martin's #1, and I cannot wait to see what he does next.

[Bad Demographic]

Read White Corridor by Christopher Fowler.
Bryant & May, the octogenarian (Octo! How could I not read this series?) senior detectives of London's Peculiar Crimes Unit, are stranded on a road stranded in a snowstorm and have to solve the murder of a colleague by cell-phone while trying to prevent a murder among the other travelers.
The first Bryant & May book I read, The Water Room had me wondering until the end of the book if this were a supernatural series. It's not, but Arthur Bryant's eclectic knowledge and his definitely oddball civilian helpmates are usually the key(s) to solving the PCU's cases.


Knit, Purl, Die by Anne Canadeo
I enjoy reading the "Number One Ladies Detective Agency" series and once wondered why. I think it was Silverjon who described the series as being of the "cozy mystery" genre. I also like to knit. So, between liking one "cozy mystery" series and liking to knit, I thought Knit, Purl, Die could be a good read.
Not.
Unless somebody recommends another "cozy mystery" series to me - and not just to lead me on, either - the Precious Ramotswe series will continue to constitute my only visits to that genre.