Tag: books
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Review: Alter’s Irresistible
Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked Adam Alter This book, on the way smart phones and social media are behaviorally addictive, has led me to a mini-reading binge on the ways technology is changing our behavior for the worst. It’s been a personally transformative little journey that I’ll…
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Review: Mosley’s Devil in a Blue Dress
Devil In A Blue Dress Walter Mosley The first of the Easy Rawlins novels featuring an unemployed African American factory worker turned private investigator in post-war Los Angeles. A well done, if standard crime novel, which includes the usual characters — the missing woman, the crime boss, the good guy PI forced into morally questionable…
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Review: Carney’s Death on Diamond Mountain
Death on Diamond Mountain: A True Story of Obsession, Madness and the Path to Enlightenment Scott Carney An investigation into the life and death of Ian Thorson, a devotee of controversial Buddhist teacher Michael Roche. An examination of the interplay between mental illness and spiritual practice. A journalistic retelling of the way Buddhism (especially Tibetan…
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Review: Carney’s What Doesn’t Kill Us
What Doesn’t Kill Us: How Freezing Water, Extreme Altitude, and Enviromental Conditioning Will Renew Our Lost Evolutionary Strength. Scott Carney Ok, the title is awful. But this might still be worth your time. An exploration of the philosophy of weirdo fitness guru of the moment Wim Hof as well as the latest science on breath…
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Review: Gessen’s The Man Without a Face — The Unlikely Rise of Vladamir Putin
The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladamir Putin Masha Gessen Legendary Russian journalist Masha Gessen’s recounting of the bizarre rise to power of Vladmir Putin. How did a run of the mill kid from St. Petersburg rise to a position of power in first the Russian secret police and then all the…
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Review: Chernow’s Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton Ron Chernow Yes, it’s a cliché for a New York liberal to talk about Hamilton. But here we are. At least this is about the book and not the musical.* If you’ve found your way here, you probably already know all about this book. The definitive biography of the founding father without a…
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Review: Bacigalupi’s The Wind-Up Girl
The Wind Up Girl Paolo Bacigalupi Global warming, mega corporations bent on world domination, genetically modified food, floods, plagues, mechanical sex slaves. The future in the Wind-Up Girl isn’t very uplifting, but the way Bacigalupi tells this story of a future Thailand beset by environmental disasters, and voracious mutlti-national corporations is incredible. No surprise, I…
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Review Stephenson’s Diamond Age
Diamond Age: or a Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer Neal Stephenson The coming of age story of a poor girl in future in which nanotechnology has revolutionized the way we live. The protagonist, Nell, is a poor girl who accidentally receives a complex toy / educational tool (a sort of interactive book) which gives her insight…
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Review – Card’s Enders Game
Enders Game Orson Scott Card Super genius boy in distant future is trained to play ever more complex war games until it is eventually revealed to him that (spoiler alert) oh shit, they weren’t games after all. A book about the ethics of war, the bonds of friendship, and the isolation of the leader. When…
Milo and the Calf 