Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen I had been led to believe that my gender might bias me against this book. But I found this to be a fairly enjoyable page-turner, with it's light subject matter, humour, likeable characters and servicable plot. The ending was somewhat of a damp squib for me since I went to see the stage version before I'd finished it, but that's my own fault.
Uncle Tungsten - Oliver Sacks Autobiography about growing up in a Jewish family, full of doctors and scientists and engineers, in England about the time of WWII. Which is misleading for me to say, because the main focus is on the author's childhood obsession with all things chemistry (and a little physics and biology), but that's the backdrop. Tales of childhood experiments, book readings, and visits to factories and museums are interlaced with the history of chemistry and atomic physics. It's a straightforward read, with (I think) the science simply and vividly stated, and I liked it well enough.
I just started Clarke's "Childhood's End". I've never read it before, it somehow always slipped by. So far I like it. Nice little mystery going on. Anyway, I'm on page 46, and I think I know the "secret" of the Overlords. I'll update this when the reveal shows up. Update: Well, that was quick. And I was correct. I have to say I'm a little disappointed.
Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography by Alex Ferguson This is more of a memoir than an autobiography, as it only really deals with the last ten years, and makes no attempt to be comprehensive, jumping around to tell stories about the most notable Manchester United players and events. It could in fact, have done with a better editor, as it's a bit haywire in that respect, going off on tangents and into dead ends. And the writing is a bit simplistic, as you often get in these sports biographies. That said, it does give some insight into Fergusons thought processes - his ruthlessness and the very high standards that he continually set. It is apparent that he holds little back, although it must be said that his account of some of his falling outs over the years differs from that offered by other parties (see Keane and Bekcham). All in all an interesting diversion - I read it to take time out from the much more challenging "War of Wars" which I'm still on.
The War of Wars by Robert Harvey This is quite a long and challenging book recounting the history of the Napoleonic wars, from the French revolution in 1789 to the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. I have heard some criticism of the book in terms of its historical accuracy in some of its details. I'm in no way informed enough to have spotted much of that, although one thing did stick out - the constant reference to the Prussian "Kaiser", a title that did not exist until much later. In general, I found that the author, who is a British journalist, historian and former Conservative MP (perhaps betraying his national biases) was very negative toward Napoleon throughout. His military skill is recognised at some points but called into question at others, while his other achievements get short shrift, the eventual conclusion being that Napoleon set Europe in general and France in particular back a generation. In contrast, the leading British figures - Pitt, Nelson and Wellington - are exalted throughout. Their failings, including some fairly serious misdeeds, are excused or downplayed. I'm not sure to what extent all of this might be justified - but I would like to hear alternative viewpoints particularly regarding Napoleon. Of course, all writers must have a point of view, and this is Harvey's, so none of this really detracts from the quality of the book, which is entertaining and well-written, doing much to fill a hole in my knowledge of European history.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee It seems that a lot of schools teach this in English class. Mine did not so I'm only getting to it now, also having never seen the film. I had a vague idea of Atticus Finch and Boo Radley, with both having entered popular culture, but otherwise I was coming to it fresh. The language is fairly simple, with the narration being from the point of a six year old girl. It encompasses a multitude of themes - racism, class, gender, justice, loss of innocence - among others. One could argue that it's dated a bit and become cliched. Identity politics is ubiquitous nowadays. However I found it all refreshingly non-cynical, the characters pleasant and the anger it evokes over the legacy of slavery in the southern US to be spot on.
Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan. This is about the historical Jesus, written by a Muslim scholar of religion who was memorably attacked on a Fox News interview, propelling the book into the bestsellers list. It attempts to peel away the layers of embellishment and obfuscation to reveal the real story of Jesus of Nazareth. There's very little that can be said with certainty, but there's quite a lot that can be said with a high degree of probability, and even more that can be ruled out. Aslan treats the Christian faith respectfully and leaves the door open on a number of points, but its conclusions are bound to be controversial. None of these conclusions are particularly new, but they are well argued and explained. One comes away from it knowing a good deal more about Jewish history and the beginning of Christianity. My one complaint is that it's too short. I could have done with more detail on the development of early Christianity and the writing of the gospels, as well as probably a bit of a primer about the history of the Jews. And some presentation of alternative viewpoints too. But then it might have become less appealing to a mass audience, so you can see why he's gone for the 300 pages or so.
The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon I'm glad I picked this one as an introduction to Pynchon rather than anything longer. It's only 150 pages or so but it's incredibly dense. I can barely imagine what Gravitys Rainbow is like. It's all about a woman called Oedipa (get it?) stumbling onto a centuries long conspiracy involving an underground mail distribution system. Her investigations involve bizarrely named characters such as Mike Fallopian and Dr. Hilarius. It's not clear whether she's really onto something, or if she's insane, on drugs, or being fooled. Beyond this there are a couple of examples of metafiction as well as references to Freud, The Beatles, anarchism, the holocaust, thermodynamics and innumerable other historical and cultural signposts. And yet, while the prose is undoubtedly beautiful and there are moments of humour, I'm not sure it all adds up to much or what Pynchon is getting at. Maybe someone can explain, since what I take from it is an attempt to be surreal and obscure for its own sake.
We Await Silent Tristero's Empire! And make sure your radio is tuned to KCUF. I read it 10 or so years back. I didn't get a whole lot out of it because it was just so darned weird.
The Stranger by Albert Camus This is a fairly short book, about a man committing a murder and then being tried for it. He's a strange, passive character who doesn't "conform", and this has a large bearing on how his crime is percieved. Throughout Camus is highlighting the absurdity of our trying to impose meaning and order on arbitrary events. It's not bad - very simply written but it's a bit obvious and I didn't find it especially deep.
Political Order and Political Decay by Francis Fukuyama This is the follow-up to Fukuyama's" The Origins of Political Order" which I'd read previously. It's just as impressive with powerful insights throughout about how human societies organise themselves politically, and traces why some forms of organisation have been more successful than others. This includes explanations for why development in Africa has been so poor, why Latin American development has been more patchy than that of its northern neighbours, why East Asia has performed so impressively, and why countries like Italy and Greece struggle so much with corruption. As Fukuyama nears the present day, his arguments inevitably begin to become somewhat more objectionable. To list a few- his conception of democracy is quite limited, he's fairly ambivalent towards the welfare state, he regards the role of the media as much too positive and he barely touches upon coersion at an international level - alternative models of political and economic development have often been destroyed by outside forces. But overall both volumes of this work are highly recommended.
I have "The Origins of Political Order" and I'd really like to read the follow-up. Fukuyama's "The End of History and the Last Man" was very influential to my thinking (even if we haven't quite reached the end of history yet) and I like his thinking, even where I don't agree with it.
I think I'll read that soon. It seems that there's a lot of misrepresentation of its central thesis around.
I just finished Steel World by B.V. Logan--it was a $4 download to my Kindle. I read a free sample chapter and enjoyed it enough to spend the $4 for the whole thing. It's a fun sci-fi romp reminiscent of John Scalzi's Old Man's War with some of Henlein's Starship Troopers mixed in. The backdrop is a universe where the Galactic Overlords reveal themselves to Earth in the mid-21st century, and we either join or are obliterated. To join, you have to follow the rules (no colonization outside our own solar system, etc...) and your species must provide a product or service valuable to the Galactic Empire. As Earth is very low on the tech scale compared to most other species, we end up providing mercenary troops as our service offering. More well-established species are not as war-like, or don't want to get their hands dirty, etc... This is an easy read, and the characters are generally likeable and/or interesting. The plot does bog down a bit later in the book, but overall I found it well worth the time and small monetary investment. I'm planning on spending another $10 to get the next two parts of the trilogy ($5 each for Kindle).
I've noticed that. Some people seem to think that Fukuyama was suggesting that things wouldn't still happen, or that there wouldn't be conflicts or problems. That isn't what is meant by the "end of history." It means that western liberal democracies/market-oriented economies represent an end stage of human social development. His argument is Darwinian (Hegelian, really): these forms have evolved from prior systems and have maintained against all credible challengers. He explains how these systems satisfy and balance certain human needs. I don't think Fukuyama is necessarily right--technology alone could enable future evolution--but I like the way his argument is put together. Fukuyama acknowledges that Islam is a challenger, but expects that it will not succeed.
I also have recently read Anthem's Fall by S.L. Dunn, available for the Kindle cheap via Amazon. I think maybe it cost me $2-3 for the download. I wasn't as impressed with this one as the book I reviewed above. While it builds an interesting world in Anthem, we only get that setting for the first portion of the book. Essentially, it introduces several characters on both Anthem and Earth, including a beautiful young woman who is also a gifted genetic researcher, her brilliant-but-misguided scientist boss, her new more-than-he-seems Anthropology-major BF, the heir-to-the-throne of Anthem, his wise sen-say, etc.... When a cutting edge experiment goes horribly wrong on Anthem, it leads to horrific destruction of the home planet of the Sejero empire. Narrowly escaping, the new-Emperor and a couple of his trusted soldiers travel to Earth on the advice of his mentor. Chaos ensues, buildings are toppled, lives are lost, a hero emerges, etc.... I put this one down a few times but eventually finished it. The ending is obviously left open for a sequel, and is ultimately unfulfilling. The sequel is not out yet, and I may pick it up once it's published, IF it's cheap.
Currently on David Copperfield and The End of History. I doubt I'll finish either before years end so have my year in books... 4 stars: Political Order and Political Decay: From the Industrial Revolution to the Globalization of Democracy - Fukuyama, Francis Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth - Aslan, Reza To Kill a Mockingbird - Lee, Harper Pride and Prejudice - Austen, Jane The War of Wars - Harvey, Robert 3 stars: Moby-Dick; or, The Whale - Melville, Herman The Color of Magic (Discworld, #1) - Pratchett, Terry The Crying of Lot 49 - Pynchon, Thomas All the Pretty Horses (The Border Trilogy, #1) - McCarthy, Cormac The Rocky Road -Dunphy, Eamon Catch-22 - Heller, Joseph Hadji Murad - Tolstoy, Leo 'Salem's Lot - King, Stephen Red Mars (Mars Trilogy, #1) - Robinson, Kim Stanley Chaos: The Making of a New Science - Gleick, James The Stranger - Camus, Albert Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography - Ferguson, Alex Glue - Welsh, Irvine Ten Days that Shook the World - Reed, John 2 stars: Walden - Thoreau, Henry David Red Dust: A Path Through China - Jian, Ma
Terrible Swift Sword - Bruce Catton Catton's Civil War books are some of my favorite reading. I just love his prose and the way he almost seamlessly glides from one topic to another. This one covers the period from just after First Bull Run to McClellan's final removal after Antietam. It differs from his other books I've read by focusing more on politics and on the Confederate perspective, both welcome additions. It also has more room to be sympathetic to McClellan and Pope.
The Second Half by Roy Keane This is the second autobiography from Roy Keane, footballer turner football manager. I read it mostly over the course of a single afternoon, which gives an idea of how short and facile it is. Keane goes over the events in the final season or two of his Man Utd career, including his fallout with Alex Ferguson, his turn to management with Sunderland, the fallout with them, and then his time with Ipswich and Ireland. There's a bit of score-settling going on as is the norm for these books but nothing overboard. It's fairly entertaining but ultimately nothing special. Most interesting is the Sunderland section where you can feel the enthusiasm and pride Keane has for the genuine progress he made with the club. But that ends, predicatably with one of Keane's customary spats. This is a recurring issue, and his downfall. Keane doesn't seem to 'get' how his abrasive behaviour is out of the norm, casually referencing arguments and confrontations throughout and how much he enjoys them. Upon leaving Sunderland, he responds to Dwight Yorke's text message giving him thanks with an unprovoked attack. It's an astonishing thing to do in the context, but it sums the man up unfortunately.
We Would Have Played For Nothing: Baseball Stars of the 1950s and 1960s Talk About the Game They Loved - Fay Vincent Basically what it says in the title. I enjoy reading baseball history, and this was a transitional period, with the Dodgers and Giants moving to the West Coast and of course the breaking of the color barrier. If you like baseball players talking baseball, you'll like this book.
Been reading Larry Niven's "Fleet of Worlds" series written with Edward Lerner. They're not bad, but not as good as his earlier works. If you're familiar with Niven's "Known Space" universe, these books deal with the Puppeteers and their adventures and pratfalls.
