Not exhaustive, but a few books that have lodged in my brain in the last few months...
Non-Fiction
"The Beautiful Struggle" by Te-Nehesi Coates is on my short list for books you have to read. I didn't know who Te-Nehesi was, ended up being introduced to him for a moment at the Aspen Ideas Festival and saw his book a few hours later in the on-campus book shop. I read the back cover and decided to pick it up, not sure when I'd get to it. Last week I had a cross country plane flight and ended up finishing the book. There were a few times that I was completely choked up, stopped to reread sections just to stare in wonder at what some kids have had to go through growing up, happened upon whole sections that seemed to have been written about my own childhood, realized (again) what a blessed life I had lived. I laughed, smiled, and dog-eared pages that were too beautifully written not to re-read to my wife when I landed (even if it meant waking her up). Coates tells the story of his coming of age in inner city Baltimore with an ex-black panther father/vegetarian/publisher, a flock of siblings across four mothers, a passion for comics and sword play, and a wealth of African American history.
"The Telltale Brain" by V Ramachandran is a fascinating walk through a scientist's thinking. V explains some of the most elegant experiments and some of the most cutting edge thinking about the brain. He is credited with performing the first amputation of a phantom limb and that story alone is worth the price of admission. If you're interested at all in the way our brain sees, in the way our brain works, or at least in what we think we know and how the scientific method works, read this book.
Fiction
"Who Fears Death?" by Nnedi Okorafor is a fantasy of genocide, power, myth, & sorcery set in an alternative post-apocalyptic Africa. It grabs you from the first page and weaves a stark, beautiful story. Definitely worth reading and watching for her next novel.
"EmbassyTown" is classic China Mieville. Read it. It takes on the basic idea of xenolinguistics with a culture that is truly alien. It poses the question of whether language itself, in all the ways that we understand it and live it everyday, is a rare innovation. Whether metaphor and simile are givens in a language, and what happens when we meet a truly alien intelligence. Easily one of the best science fiction novels I've read this year.
"The Magician King" by Lev Grossman is a return to the world he introduced to us in his first novel. Same cast of characters, new adventure. Something about both books strikes me as derivative. I don't mean that in a particularly bad way, just that I felt like I had read it all before. Cotton candy. Well written.
"The Quantum Thief" by Hannu Rajaniemi is the first glimpse of a new mind in science fiction. It's a classic space opera with enough ideas per page to make even the most battle weary reader sit up and take notice. My favorite? A privacy "sense." Gold.
"2030" is a dystopian take on the future by first time novelist but well known actor/director/writer Albert Brooks. If you like that sorta thing it's fun. Not particularly shocking since most of what he predicts sounds pretty much like what will actually happen. Earthquake, young revolt against old, china owns part of US, first Jewish president, you know the drill. Not bad.
"Rule 34" by Charles Stross is not for the faint of heart. Rule 34 is the Internet meme that states that any topic can be turned into porn by someone. At face value the book is a murder mystery procedural that gives Stross a chance to explore the near future world where printing things is as cheap as printing paper and the ramifications for "Rule 34" that result. Read it if you can take it.
"Hull Zero Three" by Greg Bear is your classic amnesiac wakes up to explore big dumb object story of a generation ship gone bad. I like Greg Bear's work so am inclined to give it a good grade. Though it didn't stick with me quite like some of his past work. Cotton Candy.
"7th Sigma" by Stephen Gould is a fun coming of age story of a kid with special talents in the metal free (because of some sort of swarming, evolving, metal eating outbreak) south west. Fun. Not particularly deep or meaningful or extremely well written but a welcome distraction.
Thursday, September 08, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Book reviews for the month of April 2011
Doing a bit of house cleaning and I thought I'd take a first pass at catching up on some book reviews. Not comprehensive since I don't seem to be able to remember half the stuff I read. But in any event, welcome to my memory palace. It's a bit threadbare and unkempt but the bookcase has a fine collection of ideas both old and new.
Let's start with fiction...
"Cryoburn" by Lois McMaster Bujold is like going home. I wish she'd write more Miles adventures, they remind me of my mom (who was an avid reader of Ms. Bujold's) and the family of readers she fostered who all clamor to this day to read the next one. If you haven't read any of her work just go buy any of them. This one is classic and caps the series to some extent. I won't review it any more than just say, buy it.
"The Passage" by Justin Cronin was a post-apocalyptic exploration of government research and vampires gone wrong and the thousand years it took to restore humanity. Worth reading if you're into that sort of thing.
"The Kingdom of Ohio" by Mathew Flaming is an alternate history of New York's and the country's gilded age. it's a fun novel about time jumping maidens and battling inventors and of course love.
"The Oracle of Stambul" by Michael David Lukas explored the town of Sophia and the city of Istanbul and what it would be like to be an oracle in the time of emperors. A nice alternate history lesson that fits well with the Kingdom of Ohio in some ways.
"Solo" by Rana Dasgupta was also partially set in Sophia and follows an old man's recollections of his life and memories and dreams. Poetic and sad and meditative and experimental. Rumination on different forms of government and what they meant to someone caught up in the moment and forced to live through it all. I will buy the next book by this author, I think he will be one to watch.
"Deep State" by Walter Jon Williams is spooky. I reviewed his previous book, "This is Not a Game" and this one takes up where that one left off. It would be curious to find out when he actually wrote this book because it basically outlines one way that the revolutions in the Middle East may have started in vivid detail. Not deep but prescient.
"Devil May Care" by Sebastian Faulks was not even cotton candy. Predictable and a bit of a chore. Read something from the "Atrocity Archives" instead if you need a Bond fix.
Like, "The Fuller Memorandum" by Charles Stross. Although always a favorite writer and if you haven't read any of his books this is as good as any to start, he seems to have worked out all his "IT guy who helps stave off cross-dimensional nazi-demons while looking for a good wi-fi signal" demons and hopefully is moving on to another universe.
While I'm on the subject of things that go bump in the night I might as well review "Kraken" by China Mieville. A classic tale of the secret underlying structure of London and the Universe at large as seen through the eyes of a giant squid god. He's got a new book coming soon so catch up!
"Surface Details" by Ian M. Banks is another walk down memory lane. I've been a longtime fan of Mr. Banks and his "Culture" universe. It follows the resurrected life of a sex slave killed before her time as she seeks revenge and the question of whether virtual hells should exist or not. If you need to get up to speed on the culture, read "Consider Phlebas."
Non-Fiction?
"Reality is Broken" but luckily Jane McGonigal has some ideas about how to fix it. I encourage you to read this book. It feels important to me though you'll have to work through a bit of repetitiveness in places. It resonates well with my belief that gaming is an emergent and pervasive property of the trillion node network (aka the age of ubiquitous computing).
"Moonwalking with Einstein" by Joshua Foer is a nice counterpoint to "The Information" in that it explores in a light-weight-hearted and playful way the history of memory and how humans handle information. My favorite line is where he notes that inventory and invention have the same root. His point is that it would be hard to invent if you didn't have raw materials in your inventory to recombine in new ways. Other great stat? He recounts a study where participants were asked to view 2500 images (pile of five dollar bills, red boxcar, etc.) and then had them later choose between those images and ones that were almost the same (pile of one dollar bills versus five dollar bills, blue boxcar versus red boxcar, etc.) and the participants were able to successfully pick out the ones they had seen before 90% of the time. Funes lives.
Let's start with fiction...
"Cryoburn" by Lois McMaster Bujold is like going home. I wish she'd write more Miles adventures, they remind me of my mom (who was an avid reader of Ms. Bujold's) and the family of readers she fostered who all clamor to this day to read the next one. If you haven't read any of her work just go buy any of them. This one is classic and caps the series to some extent. I won't review it any more than just say, buy it.
"The Passage" by Justin Cronin was a post-apocalyptic exploration of government research and vampires gone wrong and the thousand years it took to restore humanity. Worth reading if you're into that sort of thing.
"The Kingdom of Ohio" by Mathew Flaming is an alternate history of New York's and the country's gilded age. it's a fun novel about time jumping maidens and battling inventors and of course love.
"The Oracle of Stambul" by Michael David Lukas explored the town of Sophia and the city of Istanbul and what it would be like to be an oracle in the time of emperors. A nice alternate history lesson that fits well with the Kingdom of Ohio in some ways.
"Solo" by Rana Dasgupta was also partially set in Sophia and follows an old man's recollections of his life and memories and dreams. Poetic and sad and meditative and experimental. Rumination on different forms of government and what they meant to someone caught up in the moment and forced to live through it all. I will buy the next book by this author, I think he will be one to watch.
"Deep State" by Walter Jon Williams is spooky. I reviewed his previous book, "This is Not a Game" and this one takes up where that one left off. It would be curious to find out when he actually wrote this book because it basically outlines one way that the revolutions in the Middle East may have started in vivid detail. Not deep but prescient.
"Devil May Care" by Sebastian Faulks was not even cotton candy. Predictable and a bit of a chore. Read something from the "Atrocity Archives" instead if you need a Bond fix.
Like, "The Fuller Memorandum" by Charles Stross. Although always a favorite writer and if you haven't read any of his books this is as good as any to start, he seems to have worked out all his "IT guy who helps stave off cross-dimensional nazi-demons while looking for a good wi-fi signal" demons and hopefully is moving on to another universe.
While I'm on the subject of things that go bump in the night I might as well review "Kraken" by China Mieville. A classic tale of the secret underlying structure of London and the Universe at large as seen through the eyes of a giant squid god. He's got a new book coming soon so catch up!
"Surface Details" by Ian M. Banks is another walk down memory lane. I've been a longtime fan of Mr. Banks and his "Culture" universe. It follows the resurrected life of a sex slave killed before her time as she seeks revenge and the question of whether virtual hells should exist or not. If you need to get up to speed on the culture, read "Consider Phlebas."
Non-Fiction?
"Reality is Broken" but luckily Jane McGonigal has some ideas about how to fix it. I encourage you to read this book. It feels important to me though you'll have to work through a bit of repetitiveness in places. It resonates well with my belief that gaming is an emergent and pervasive property of the trillion node network (aka the age of ubiquitous computing).
Insights from the book?
At their most basic ALL games have a few key characteristics:
1. Goals (because we like to reach them)
2. Rules (think of these as Unnecessary Obstacles). Golf wouldn’t be so fun if the goal of getting a little white ball into a little hole was as simple as walking over and dropping it in the hole.
4. Feedback Loops, so you know if you’re reaching your goals (which is the obvious connection to a world where everything is connected, at least if it’s connected in the right way)
5. Voluntary Participation (because otherwise it feels like work… or survival)
"Moonwalking with Einstein" by Joshua Foer is a nice counterpoint to "The Information" in that it explores in a light-weight-hearted and playful way the history of memory and how humans handle information. My favorite line is where he notes that inventory and invention have the same root. His point is that it would be hard to invent if you didn't have raw materials in your inventory to recombine in new ways. Other great stat? He recounts a study where participants were asked to view 2500 images (pile of five dollar bills, red boxcar, etc.) and then had them later choose between those images and ones that were almost the same (pile of one dollar bills versus five dollar bills, blue boxcar versus red boxcar, etc.) and the participants were able to successfully pick out the ones they had seen before 90% of the time. Funes lives.
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Books and Such January 2011
My goodness I haven't posted in months. I'm not going to be exhaustive but I'll try to catch up a bit with what I've been reading. These are in no particular order and maybe part one of a two or three part act of catching up. I'm going to ignore the books I just couldn't read all the way through (I've hit that point where I just don't even try if the book can't hold my attention within the first fifty pages or so). Though at some point I think I will do a post that just lists them.
"The Thousand" by Kevin Guilfoile was kinda forgettable. If you want some Dan Brown style cotton candy it isn't bad. Nuff said.
"Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen has been reviewed and recommended by many people so I basically resisted reading it. But I had some time over the holidays to read saw a trailer for the upcoming movie version and figured I'd give it a try. It is nothing Earth shattering but is a compact and nicely done love story/study of circus life during the depression.
"Version 43" by Philip Palmer is pretty classic sci-fi pulp. Pretty one dimensional characters and convoluted logic. Basically an intergalactic cop cyborg keeps getting killed and coming back while investigating a murder case. Every time he comes back the scale of intrigue shifts ever higher until the fate of the Universe is at stake. Playful candy. Quick read. Might be worth watching Palmer for future work.
Yes, I just got around to reading "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee (thanks to a good friend buying it for me on the spot when he heard I had never read it). It is a perfect book with lessons for all. I won't tire you with a shallow review. If you haven't picked it up, you should. It seems as fresh and relevant today as I'm sure it did fifty years ago.
Like historic fiction with a twist? Interlocking mysteries? Close encounters with financial collapse? Read Stone’s Fall by Iain Pears Keeps you guessing pretty deeply into the novel and creates an enjoyable ride through England in the 1900s.
Cutting for Stone is one of the best novels I’ve read this year. It is a novel that stretches from India to Ethiopia to the US and back tracing the lives of a family of care-givers. Hard to put down, I don’t think I’ve ever read such compelling writing focused on the art of medicine.If you like really big books (ala 1000 pages plus) about 3 days in the life of 10 year old Chicago Jewish kids who may or may not be the potential messiah and writes the book as if it might be his official scripture, well you really can’t go wrong with The Instructions.
William Gibson’s new novel, Zero History is pretty classic Gibson, though it feels oddly dated (novels of the near future are having a harder time seeming futuristic at this point). His mention of Festo brought back some wonderful memories of trying to figure out how to build instant and mildly insane architecture back in the day.
Non-Fiction...
Fordlandia is a scary but true story about the sorts of things that Henry Ford did after he perfected the production line and kick-started the American Century. It details the history of Ford’s attempt to build an American town in the Brazilian rain forest along the shores of the Amazon. Scary, cautionary tale about ego gone wild. Example? His son Edsel builds a building to house accountants and process people since Ford at that time didn’t have much in the way of business tracking. Henry waits til it’s built, and has it destroyed. And learn about his roving band of thugs who would beat up employees, do spot checks in their homes to make sure that the employees weren’t drinking and were hanging their laundry properly (and the thugs would do much worse). Or find out why Henry Ford got a special iron cross award from Hitler! I bought it thinking I’d get a tale of “against all odds” success or at least glorious failure by a brilliant man. Instead it was more like “hey this guy was increasingly erratic and became more and more crazy as he got older, and rich people that turn that way are usually the ones that are featured in James Bond films (so beware of Sergey when he turns 65!).” Also includes a sad post script about what sorts of things are still happening down there.
"The Case of the Disappearing Spoon" by Sam Kean is one of the best explorations of chemistry, the periodic table of the elements, and the delight of scientific discovery I've seen. It takes the reader on a wild ride across the table, explaining the underlying architecture and curious properties of over a hundred elements. It highlights the personalities, battles, and parlor tricks (gallium molded into a spoon is apparently great fun when placed in hot tea) to be found when atoms combine. If you are at all interested in how the world works, read this book.
"Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Childhood" by Oliver Sacks is the perfect companion piece to the disappearing spoon. It is a wonderful memoir detailing the discoveries of a boy growing up in London during wartime. Oliver's fascination with the physical world is encouraged by his family who are all either scientists, doctors, or inventors. I found it all fascinating as a time capsule from a definitive moment in our history. Read it.
I just finished The Emperor of all Maladies, A Biography of Cancer. It is a compelling story about the life of cancer. The author does a wonderful job of documenting the evolution of our understanding of the disease using personal stories about patients, doctors, and scientists. It weaves a story through history documenting tragedy, loss and discovery; illuminating the science and the politics of our ongoing fight against this pervasive disease. Worth reading.
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