Tag: books
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Review: Lippman’s Baltimore Blues
Baltimore Blues: The First Tess Monaghan Novel Laura Lippman The first book in Lippman’s Tess Monaghan Series of crime novels set in Baltimore. This was a bit of more breezy than I expected, but does what I want a crime novel to do – give me a sense of place, give me characters I believe,…
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Review: Strayed’s Wild
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail Cheryl Strayed Lee Child aside, my reading tastes almost never intersect with the New York Times bestseller list, but when the best seller in question is about a completely unprepared hiker taking on the notoriously difficult Pacific Coast Trail, you know I’m going to check…
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Review: Macintyre’s A Spy Among Friends
A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal Ben Macintyre Its surprising that, until now, there hasn’t been a really thorough, well done, book about the fascinating possibly sociopathic, definitely alcoholic Kim Philby. Philby, as we all know, was a member (perhaps leader?) of the Cambridge spy ring who while working in the…
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Review: Howley’s Thrown
Thrown Kerry Howley I loved this little book. The conceit is that it is a recounting of a philosophy grad student who becomes enraptured with the world of MMA and follows two mid-west regional athletes through their ups and downs. Howley isn’t really a philosophy doctoral candidate, but she is a talented writer. The fighters…
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Review: Levitin’s the Organized Mind
The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload Daniel Levitin I’m a sucker for the books incorporating behavioral science and cognitive research in a self-help self-improvement framework. Give me the cliff notes versions of studies on how I can be more productive/focused/healthier, etc. package it up with some charts and smart writing…
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Review: Schmahmann’s Double Life of Alfred Buber
The Double Life of Alfred Buber I received this as a review copy from the Permanent Press, an excellent independent publisher based in New York. The Permanent Press is one of only a few literary independent publishers left who take the chance to publish serious novels by little known writers. I admire that. And I…
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Review: Mahler’s Ladies and Gentleman the Bronx is Burning
This, and many more reviews I’ve been posting lately originally appeared in 2007 on a now defunct livejournal. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning: 1977, Baseball, Politics, and the Battle for the Soul of a City Jonathan Mahler This is exactly what a journalistic history book should be. Fast, fun, and informative, as the…
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Review: Mezrich’s Ugly Americans
One of many reviews I wrote for an old livejournal account. Now archived here. Ugly Americans: The True Story of the Ivy League Cowboys Who Raided the Asian Markets for Millions Ben Mezrich Trashy trash. Not only trashy – horrible. I am embarrassed to say I read it and if you’ve been paying attention around…
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Review: Rodenbeck’s Cairo A City Victorious
One of many reviews I wrote for an old livejournal account. Now archives here. Cairo: The City Victorious Max Rodenbeck It is close by at first, starting with the intimate pock of the microphone and discreet , would not need to be all hearing to hear it. An electric cloud of sound accumulates and…
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Review: Lewis’s Moneyball
Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game Michael Lewis Moneyball is among the top couple of books Michael Lewi. Its on one level a story of the Oakland As and how they do well with almost no money by capitalizing on a new way of looking at baseball that was developed by Bill James,…
Milo and the Calf 