Stretch's reading log

It's really weird to refer to yourself in the third person, even if it is your nickname.

Anyway, looking forward to a new year of books. Last year was a decent year, but lacked any real literature. hopfully I'll read a few of the longer ones on my self and get back to reading my history books with a little more regulartory. I don't expect to reach a large number of books read by the start of 2010, with work, grad school prep, and just plain busy schedule, so I'm going for quality this year.

Books read in 2010:

Fiction:

Unto This Hour by Tom Wicker
The River Why by David James Duncan
Gator A-Go-Go by Tim Dorsey
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
The Fourth Bear by Jasper Fforde
The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodrigeuz
Locke & Key: Head Games by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodrigeuz
Nocturnes by John Connolly
The Museum of Dr. Moses by Joyce Carol Oates
Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder
Work Song by Ivan Doig
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
Skeleton Crew by Stephen King
Locke & Key: Crown of Shadows by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
The Stuff of Legend by Mike Raicht
Fires on the Plain by Ooka Shohei
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
The Book of Lost things by John Connolly
Call of the Wild By Jack London
Battle Royale by Koushun Takami

Non-Fiction:

The Curtis Creek Manifesto by Sheridan Anderson
The Jefferson Bible by Thomas Jefferson
Maus by Art Spiegelman
Maus II by Art Spiegelman
Good Without God by Greg Epstein
A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold
Cro-Magnon: How the Ice Age Gave Birth to the First Modern Humans by Brian Fagan
The Seashell on the Mountaintop by Alan Cutler
Undaunted Courage by Stepehn Ambrose
Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
Maps of Time by David Christian

Short Stories/Essays

"A Good Man Is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor
"Humanist Manifesto" by Roy Wood Sellars and Raymond Bragg
"A Secular Humanist Declaration" by the Council for Secular Humanism
"Humanist Manifesto II" by Paul Kurtz and Edwin H. Wilson
"Humanism and Its Aspirations" by the American Humanist Association
"The Ghost Story" by Mark Twain
"Ah, Are You Digging My Grave?" by Thomas Hardy
"The Foresaken" by William Wordsworth
"The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell
"A Respectable Woman" by Kate Chopin
"Mister Bookseller" by Darko Macan
"The Wives of the Dead" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce
"Locke & Key: Keys to the Kingdom" by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodrigeuz
"Naming the Rocks" by John McPhee

Alright, to be honest I thought I wouldn't finish this book till January, but I figure since it's my reading log anyway, I could bend the rules just a little and get this book in before the ball drops.

Unto This Hour by Tom Wicker



Unto This Hour is a fictional account of the August, 1862, battle known as the Second Bull Run - or Second Manassas - that interweaves the lives of the famous and the ordinary in a drama of death, victory, survival, and finally defeat. Against the vivid backdrop of the actual battle are several subplots that explores the feelings, thoughts, and actions taken by people directly and indirectly affected by the war. Stories of ineptitude, a general's need to prove himself, a reluctant cavalry officer that finds love, a girl trying to escape the only life shes known, the life and death decisions and actions of front-line soldiers, a southern lady's struggle to keep control of large plantation full of slaves, one man's desire to capture the terrible destruction of war, and one newspaper man's reckless drive to get the story, even the exploration of forbidden love; the joy of victory, and the agony of defeat.

Did I mention there are a lot of subplots. At first with all the characters and story lines it's hard not to get lost in confusion, but each story line is compelling and worthy of consideration. The vivid accounts of battle and surgery reminds drives this novel forward and foreshadows the death and destruction that would be brought on the characters in the novels final chapters.

I thought the novel was well researched and Wicker managed to mix fact with fiction effectively. The only real drawback for me was the way Wicker used truncated and misspelled dialogue to show the poor southerns and slaves appear ignorant and uneducated. Even their internal thoughts were written in this 'southern' dialect. Since most of the characters are southerns it almost drives you to the point of distraction. Otherwise, Wicker's writing is clear and concise, making the individual stories flow smoothly into one complete narrative.

Unto This Hour sounds a lot like The March by E. L. Doctorow (I see it's on your wishlist) which is also a book set in the American Civil War and with multiple characters and subplots. I really liked The March so I'll add this one to my wishlist. I know what you mean about "truncated and miss spelled dialogue", I have just started Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston and all the dialogue is like that and it's driving me nuts.

Hey thanks for the recommendation! I have been looking into The March for a while now, but have been unable to scrounge up a copy anywhere.

PS: I realize the irony of misspelling the word misspelled.

In the spirit of my current reading The River Why, which I'm thoroughly enjoying at the moment I decided to scan my copy of The Curtis Creek Manifesto this morning, a brief tutorial on the art of fly fishing.

The Curtis Creek Manifesto by Sheridan Anderson



Sheridan Anderson has captured in 48 or so pages what other authors have attempted to write in 400 pages. There is a humor and energy that is communicated, in a comic-book format, which is infectious, and at the same time informative. Great for beginners and experienced anglers alike.

The River Why by David James Duncan



The River Why follows Gus, the main character as strikes out on his own to fish the majestic rivers of western Oregon. At first the freedom from his obsessive family members is refreshing, but soon finds the isolation and “prefect fishing schedule” to be frustrating and not as satisfying as he imagined. After discovering a dead fisherman in a dense fog and after suffering a serious bout sickness, Gus opens up to new opportunities and begins the long journey of self-discovery.

This book encompassed everything I love in a novel, biting wit and charm, fantastically simple writing that is often beautiful, and intellectually dense concepts. Every character stood out as incredibly interesting individuals, each with their own strange little quirks that make them very human and readable. Deep spiritual and environmental values blend beautifully next to all the other humdrums of life. And then, three quarters of the way through the book I'm surprised by a love story; one that didn't even need the whole book for me to get attached to.

While I think that this is one of those books that I will return to again and again as one of my personal favorites and found to be really profound, I have to say that it’s one of those books you have to read at the right time and place in you life. Too late the philosophy and self discovery will seem simplistic, too early and the subtly insights will be lost.

The Jefferson Bible by Thomas Jefferson



Finally, I have finished The Jefferson Bible, only took me two years to read a 169 page book. It's not for the lack on content or boring subject, I just kept losing my place over and over and over again... It's hard to find any organization that the original text had since Jefferson literally did a cut and paste job to produce this book, so I kept getting lost trying to follow the chapter verse layout.

Thomas Jefferson worked for a couple restless nights in Washington carefully extracting bible passages from the gospels to revile the true essence of religion; collecting them into a single common sense gospel narrative. A brilliant and enlightening take on the essential heart of the teachings of Jesus of absolute love and service to others. Mr. Jefferson eliminated the virgin birth, the miraculous healings, and the resurrection, leaving only the essential teachings and a very human biography of Jesus.

I found it fascinating to see which passages Jefferson felt were the correct telling of Jesus's life and what could be discarded. Then to try to piece those passages into a coherent biography. I think Jefferson did an admirable job, but parts still don't seem to fit quite right, often redundant information is conveyed in several places. I think that has far more to do with the structure of the gospels themselves then with Jefferson's edits. Overall, I feel this is one of the best ways to understand and grasp the true teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.

Maus by Art Spiegelman



This was my first graphic novel (thanks to detailmuse's early review). And all I can say about the experience is, Wow! I've read a couple of accounts about the Holocaust, but never one as memorable as this. The combination of the story and pictures really made the whole thing real for me, in a way that other Holocaust stories have failed. Not to say that they weren't gut wrenching on there own. But Maus is just somehow different, I don't know if I can put into words exactly why this is, it just is. I also liked the story within a story, about an up in coming comic book artist struggling to define his relationship with his father.

I really enjoyed this story and this medium. I'm really glad I decided to give graphic novels a try.

LT is not letting my edit my previous post. So I'm making a correction for full disclosure purposes.

Upon further thought Maus really is the first graphic novel I have ever read. Curtis Creek Manifesto is also a graphic novel or comic-book. I should have said Maus is the first 'serious' graphic novel I've ever read.

I think I'm becoming a big fan of the genre tough. I'm even considering picking up a couple of Alan Moore's dystopia novels.

Kevin - nice to see you in this group this year. I've enjoyed quietly following along. I read Maus years ago, but your review resonates. Graphic novels seem to have been popping up a lot around here recently.

I'm tempted to subversively threaten any TBR list you have by mentioning Barefoot Gen : A Cartoon Story of Hiroshima (the first of a 10-volume series). It was my favorite discovery last year, and I mention it because Spiegelman wrote the forward and he mentions having read Barefoot Gen while working on Maus I - so there is some sort of artistic chain.

Thanks Daniel!

I've certainly become a convert of the graphic novel. Foolishly thought that they were once kid stuff (Spiderman, Batman, etc.) and that it wasn't possible to convey anything serious, I'm happy to admit I was wrong. I have been seeing a lot of Barefoot Gen reviews lately. I didn't know about the Spiegelman connection. Barefoot Gen is most definitely going on the TBR pile. Hiroshima by John Hersey, is one of my all time favorites, Barefoot Gen sounds like a similar but far more fleshed out story.

If you like reading about Hiroshima, Black Rain by Masuji Ibuse is excellent.

And while this next book is not about Hiroshima, it is quite grim in topic and I think you would enjoy it. I found it a spectacular read. That is, Fires on the Plain by Shohei Ooka.

And graphic novels are very fun. Just go to a comic book store and look at the cover art. You can immediately see what is grim and dark versus the traditional stuff you're familiar with. If you enjoyed Sin City, that was based on Frank Miller's graphic novels of the same name. My favorite in that series is That Yellow Bastard.

An Early Reviewer read: Gator A-Go-Go by Tim Dorsey



From Dorsey's twisted mind comes yet Serge and Coleman's historic trip, this time through the annals of the Florida spring break history. Serge is a genius psychopath (and pseudo-scholar), who comes up with complicated and horrible ways to punish evil doers. Coleman is a drug and alcohol savant, who is an total idiot, unless the subject is pot or booze, then he turns into a world class scientist on the best ways to get high and/or drunk.

The main plot is actually an action/mystery. A man in the witness protection program is accidentally outed on TV, and the bad guys go hunting for his son in Panama City during Spring Break. Also in search of the son are the FBI. Without realizing it, the boy and his friends narrowly miss their own executions and hook up with Serge and Coleman quite by accident, which is the best thing that can happen to keep them safe. The adventure that follows is just plain fun, fast paced, and a times very funny. Like all Dorsey novels great for weekend read or quick trip to Florida.

Oh, forgot to mention that there's flip-book animation of Gator, that slowing creeps up the lower portion of the page and eats a portion of the title in the lower right-hand corner. For ADD folks like me = hours of fun.

stretch, glad about Maus! I also think the father-son aspect sets it apart. I'm holding off on Maus II, I like having it ahead to read, so am glad to know about the Barefoot Gen series.

A classic I missed out on in high school, felt like one of those books I had to read.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury



A grim future is predicted in Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. People watch nonsense on their giant TV's while an unpopular war is waged in another part of the world. People drive too fast and children play violent games. People are told they are happy but suicide rates climb. In the future there is a total and willful loss of intellectualism.

This loss is symbolized in the story by the burning of books by 'Firemen'. They arrive in the night to burn the few books left, then arrest their owners. One of these firemen, Montag, start to question this process after he meets a thoughtful young girl named Clarisse. She encourages Montag to slow down and see the world around him. To think. Just the act of thinking crashes Montag's world around him. He goes mad at the thought of burning books and puts his life in danger by posing the one thing he knows will lead to the destruction of everything he has built.

I thought the book was difficult read, not because of the content, but because of Bradbury's writing style. It was too flowery for me; that didn't fit the setting Bradbury was trying to create. However, the opening pages of the novel were brilliant! Interesting concept that was certainly worth exploring.

People watch nonsense on their giant TV's while an unpopular war is waged in another part of the world. People drive too fast and children play violent games. People are told they are happy but suicide rates climb. In the future there is a total and willful loss of intellectualism.

Ah, fiction! lol

Interesting comment about the language, I might have to take a re-look.

The Fourth Bear by Jasper Fforde



Who'd have thought that those old nursery rhymes and fairy tales would have had so much going on behind the scenes? Fresh from their largely forgotten triumphs in The Big Over Easy, Jack Spratt, Mary Mary and the rest of the Nursery Crime Division find themselves faced with new challenges.

The psychopathic killer known as the Gingerbread Man is loose, and true to his legend, he runs as fast as he can and you just can't catch him. Added to that, prize cucumbers are disappearing, mysterious explosions are vaporising chucks of real estate, Goldilocks is missing, and relationships with the bears are about to boil over due to porridge control issues.

Officially, Jack is off the case and in disgrace, and although Mary Mary takes over for a while, she is also busted on an overexposure charge. The Gingerbread Man case is given to David Copperfield, and there are no great expectations for solving it, but then again, you can't keep a good fictional character down for long.

The overall novel is written as a police procedural (which aspect itself is quite a satire of the genre). There are solid clues embedded throughout that will safely lead you to the right conclusions. There are few laugh out loud moments in the book, but it's definitely a book that will leave you with a smile on your face.

Picked up this book after reading bobmcconnaughey review.

Good Without God by Greg Epstein



In Good without God, Greg Epstein is not trying to engage the debate on whether God exists, or to critique religion. His goal is to defend non-believers, and to formulate a positive, ethical outlook on life that does not depend on theism for its legitimacy.

He is also peroccupied with building communities that can meet the same needs that churches fulfill for traditional religions. These needs include culture, literature, and ritual, counseling; guidance for children, support groups, community service, and political engagement. Many believers enjoy the benefits of supportive, life-affirming community; so why not non-believers?

A concern I have is that Epstein leaves Humanism open to attack when he refers to Humanism as rejecting "objective values" early in the book. As the book proceeds, however, it becomes clear that he holds some "core values" as being essential: self-responsibility and the dignity of the individual, empathy and dignity accorded between people, honesty and integrity, and growth and improvement, among others. The application of these values to particular ethical dilemmas might change with time, but for most Humanists, these core values do not.

The only real drawback for my was the history of atheism/free thinkers, although he does reference Doubt as source for a more in depth look at the history of freethought. I think it would have been nice to have had a more comprohensive background. I understand why Epstein choose not to include a more detailed section on the subject, but I still feel that it would have enriched the understanding of those who are unfamilar with the movement.

One of my favorite passages that sums up the whole book for me:

"Being good blossoms from the hearts of people who are awed by nature, energized by the bonds of love, sympathetic with the plight of those in need, and are moved to action to make the world a better place. The sincerity of these emotions and the virtues they evoke do not depend upon an outside force. They come from within."

>16 stretch: I read Fahrenheit in the 80's. It shocked me so much that I immediately went to the store and bought a stack of new books! Lol.
Velma

20 - I'll be interested to hear more of your thoughts on this one. I also put it on my wishlist after reading bobmcconnaughey's review.

Yay, found at least some of my notes! I highly recommend Good without God, I gained a firm foundation for my beliefs that I have been saddly unable to articulate before reading his book and was unable to find with many of the "new atheist" works out there. I find the whole arguement that religion is the enemy and must be destoryed at all costs, to be more than a little off putting. That's probalby why I find Epstein's book so refreshing.

Then again every non-believer is an island to themselves.

On the other hand:

"All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated...As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come: so this bell calls us all: but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness....No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."

Robert

Robert, I love John Donne! Thanks for that quote.
Velma

Maus II by Art Spielgelman



In Maus II, Art Spiegelman continues his father's horrific story of persecution and imprisonment in Auschwitz during WWII. Spiegelman has an enviable talent for simple drawings that convey complex ideas and feelings. Scenes with his father seem all too real - both amusing and a bit sad. Great series, I'd recommend it to anyone.

The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti



The Good Thief revolves around a young orphan that goes by the name of Ren who lives a somewhat Dickensian life in New England during what seems to be the nineteenth century, at first in an orphanage run by Catholic brothers who will line up their charges now and then whenever someone wishes to pay enough to take a boy away. Otherwise the boys are fated to a hard life, sold into the army if they are not claimed by the age of fourteen or so. Ren remains unchosen primarily because he is mysteriously missing a hand, until a man arrives, claiming to be his long-lost brother.

Benjamin Nab may or may not be related to Ren and may or may not know why Ren is missing a hand, but he's certainly no more on the up and up than Ren, who has become a good thief, practicing nicking things while at the orphanage. Benjamin is a teller of tall tales and immediately uses Ren as a way to worm his way into the sympathies of various people he can fleece or steal or beg from. Benjamin meets up with his friend Tom, a former teacher who is frequently drunk in taverns. Ren's new life involves fake Elixirs, Resurrection Men, an all-powerful factory owner and his thugs, more orphans and much more.

The adventures seem bizarre and picaresque, difficult to fathom where they are going or what it all adds up to until the very end. The characters are interestingly drawn but not terribly sympathetic. This was somewhat like reading Oliver Twist without most of the romanticism or an ending with a wealthy family and comfort to relieve all the depictions of the dark and dangerous life in the underworld.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson



The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo centers around a somewhat disgraced journalist as he tryss to solve a 40 year old murder mystery, involving a very dysfunctional family; and plan his next move agianst the man who ruined him.

I have mixed feelings about this one. Part's of the books I found to be fascinating and quickly devoured them; then there were parts that just dragged forever, especially the ending. The core mystery the book revolves around was pretty simple to solve. So the ending there was no shocker. (To tell the truth I can't trying to come up with other angles just to keep the story moving). I found the whole family dynamics to a little to far out to really buy. Plus I didn't find the character's to be all that complaining, they're lifestyles and habits are just too foreign for me I guess (by the way what's with all the coffee drinking? Is that all Swedes do?)

However, I do think that The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is well written. And it was kind of a neat twist on the old locked room mystery's. So I can see why so many like this book, I'm just not one of them.

I tried to like this book I really did try, but for it just fell flat.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy



In a barren, ashen landscape that was once the United States, a weary man and his young son are traveling south in search of the ocean. They scavenge for food and shelter, and they must constantly avoid marauding bands of fellow survivors who would prey on them. The one thing that sustains them on their way is their ferocious love for each other. The Road is the story of their heartbreaking journey.

Bleak, shocking, terrifying and, even, horrifying. McCarthy masterfully balances the bleak with the heartwarming affection of father and son.

I do have a few hang ups though. What exactly caused the apocalypse? I've got a few ideas but I wish McCarthy had just a few more hints. The story picks up several years after the event, with just a couple of flashbacks to the past. I think it would have been nice to see humanities spiral into darkness. I also haven't been able to make sense of the last passage about the trout and streams. After reading several times I still can't make it fit with the rest of the story. Am I missing something?

A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold



When was the last time you saw a natural forest, prairie, marsh, or waterway untouched by humans? Instead, we see concrete, roads, buildings, and the infrastructure of our modern world. As a society, our idea of nature comes from parks intermediately dispersed throughout an urban jungle. Even in the most rural parts of the country, the landscape has been altered to fit human needs with fences, plowed fields, and forests cleared for more agricultural land. We have removed ourselves from nature and forgotten what it really is. The consequences that stem from the degradation of the environment are remote and foreign. As long as the repercussions are not happening in our backyard, they do not exist and are not factors in our decision-making. We don’t think about how an SUV’s emissions might influence the climate; instead, we worry about the amount we’ll pay at the pump. Aldo Leopold set out to change that mindset with his work on A Sand County Almanac more than fifty years ago. Leopold’s idea that we need to be good stewards of the environment has had a profound influence on the modern restoration movement, but it is an important component in the push for more sustainable economies, and wilderness preservation as well.

A major obstacle to restoration efforts is changing people’s perception of how they should relate to nature. For the average person nature exists to satisfy their needs, whether that means using it for development, recreation, or simply ownership. Since the dawn of the industrial revolution, humans have asserted a dominant role over nature, insisting that we can somehow control and change nature to suit our purposes. Rather than approaching nature with a sense of community of which humans are a part, we have long had an attitude of entitlement and ownership. Leopold proposes a major shift in paradigm by suggesting that we make an addition to our ethical framework that he calls a land ethic. He argues that we must enlarge the boundary of what we consider community to include the soil, water, plants and animals, in other words nature. Adopting the land ethic would change our human centered world-view to incorporate the natural world, thus shifting humans’ from the conquerors of the community to integral members of it.

). Leopold condemns the economic valuation of nature, therefore denouncing the current practice of sustainable development. Placing an economic value on something determines our relationship to it. A land ethic is about being a member of the land, not being the owner, and learning how to appreciate the intrinsic value of nature. While the intrinsic value of nature is crucial to the land ethic, as a conservationist Leopold understands the need for humans to exploit nature for the necessities of life. As a result, Leopold strives to create a perfectly balanced system that can protect nature’s integrity, while simultaneously meeting societal demands for goods and services. In modern economies, the large and growing population, along with improvements in technology, has put a serious strain on that balance. These days short-term economic models and commodity based society give little thought to how crucial it is to maintain natural resources, or to the correlation between their economic decisions and environmental degradation. Let alone how we are throwing away the resources future generations will come to depend on. The current trend cannot continue forever because ecology and economics are intertwined. For economies to survive, countries need to exploit its natural resources, but economic collapse is a direct consequence of resource depletion. Our only solution is to become more sustainable. Leopold felt that by upholding the health of the land, its capacity of self-renewal and regeneration could also be maintained. In the land ethic Leopold describes a way to maintain a steady relationship between people and the environment. By getting back in touch with nature, humans will come to better understand how their actions affect the environment.

For most of the population, the natural world is an abstract notion leading to gross neglect of the environment. Instead, Leopold advocates that the human population as a whole work together with an environmental ethic to become good stewards of nature. Becoming a good steward of the environment means that we have to take restoration more seriously, institute sustainable practices into our economy, and preserve wilderness for future generations. By incorporating a land ethic into our sense of values, we have the power to re-integrate ourselves with the natural world we have long forgotten. A quote from Leopold best describes the ultimate goal of any environmental conservation effort, “we end, I think, at what might be called the standard paradox of the twentieth century: our tools are better than we are, and grow better faster than we do. They suffice to crack the atom, to command the tides. But they do not suffice for the oldest task in human history: to live on a piece of land without spoiling it.”

I focused here on the latter part of the book, because I think it had the largest impact on me, but the rest of A Sand County Almanac is well worth the read. Leopold writes with beautifully simply but passionate prose. His description of cutting a tree down, recounting its long history is simply amazing.

#30 - I have a borrowed copy waiting for me, I've meaning to read this for awhile. Thanks for posting the review.

>30 stretch: Have you read anything by Bernd Heinrich? -- gentle, lovely nature writing. I enjoyed Summer World and want to read more by him.

No, I haven't, I'll put it on the wish list. I also want John Muir to round out my popular nature writers.

I think nature writers tend to be favorite kinds of authors and the ones I wish I could immulate. I've been working on gather a potion list of books for the American West for some time now.

Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft



Locke & Key: Head Games



Just finished the first two installments of the Locke & Key horror comic book/graphic novel. Not much to review here since the story is incomplete. But I have to say I love the idea, the art work, and the story so far. I can't wait for volume three to hit the bookstores.

I'm impatiently drumming my fingers waiting for volume 3, too. I really ought to know better than to start still-unfinished series by now, but apparently I don't.

Yeah July 29th seems so far away now. I just hope they decide not to drag this thing out several years one volume at a time.

An Early-Reviwer Selection:

Cro-Magnon: How the Ice Age Gave Birth to the First Modern Humans by Brian Fagan



In Cro-Magnon, Brian Fagan summarizes the current archeological evidence of our anatomical ancestors to date. The book begins with their co-habitation of Cro-Magnon with the neanderthal before moving into a series of eras of defining differences in Cro-Magnon cultures. Fagan intersperses analysis of the current evidence with tales describing what he imagines daily life to be in a certain place and time. Much of this book is speculation with no definitive line between the fictional and factual aspects, which was quite frustrating. Make no mistake, the author does make some very good educated guesses that fit the evidence, but still, there is an awful lot of conjecture. In the end, I was less interested in the speculation and more interested in the significance of actual evidence.

Nocturnes by John Connolly



This was my first experience with John Connolly, and I think it was a really good place to start. Each story was so different, yet every one equally disturbing and scary. A couple of Standouts were the two novellas "The Cancer Cowboy Rides" and "The Reflecting Eye" (A Charlie Parker story), detail the lives, motives, and ultimate demise of two serial killers.

The remaining tales show John Connolly's range to use everyday to portray the macabre dark in which the supernatural is the norm. The only fault I find with this collection is that some of the stories are your typical Lovecraftian affair, which makes up they a little predictable, but with Connolly's writing skill they are still very enjoyable.

I'll be adding more of Connolly's work in the near future. I can't wait to read The book of Lost Things.

Edit: I can't seem to write about the two above mentioned stories without giving their plots away, which totally cheapens the experience, suffice it say they are really quite good.

I definitely need to pick up Nocturnes in the not-too-distant future, because The Book of Lost Things really impressed me, and these stories sound right up my alley.

I did just recently get his new YA book The Gates, which looks interesting. Not sure when I'll get to it, though.

I'll be interested in you thoughts on The gates! It sounds like a fantastic book, but I'm always a little leary of the YA label, but after reading Nocturnes, I'm sure Connolly will have some interesting twists and turns.

After reading the Charlie Parker Novella in Nocturnes, I think I'm going to have explore his thriller genre titles as well. I've read they incorporate supernatural elements into the typical PI driven novel. Which to me seems like a natural fit.

The Museum of Dr. Moses by Joyce Carol Oates



This collection of short stories was my first introduction to Joyce Carol Oates and for the most part it didn't disappoint. However, it did have a few stories that just didn't work for me.

My favorites were: "Hi! How Ya Doing?" a friendly jogger whose casual inquiry drives a woman over the edge. "Suicide Watch" was jaw-droppingly disturbing as the reader is left to reach his own conclusion about what happened to the main character's grandson. "Bad Habits" children are driven away from their normal lives after a family tragedy turns to a media scandal. Obsessive love is depicted beautifully, if disturbingly in "Valentine, July Heat Wave." Suspense and mystery are the main theme in "The Museum of Dr. Moses."

The other stories "Stripping," "Feral," "The Hunter," "The Twins," etc., are good, but not as engaging. I found the gritty story of a boxer, "The Man who Fought Roland La Starza," to be downright boring.

While I liked many of the stories in this collection, I don't think it was the best introduction to Oates. Even with a luck warm feeling about this particular book, I'll probably be added more of Oates darker material to my library.

Audio book: The Seashell on the Mountaintop by Alan Cutler



The Seashell on the Mountaintop is on the one hand, a biography of the scientist known in English as Nicolaus Steno, a fascinating man in his own right. But it's also a history of the foundation of the science of geology, and it's a window into the early days of scientific exploration.

Steno, a Dane, started as a brilliant anatomist, wandering Europe dissecting and teaching. He was the fist to propose the idea that muscular action comes from the contraction of muscle fibers not the ballooning of the muscle mass, the accuracy of which was not recognized for a hundred years. It was the dissection of a great white shark's head that lead to Steno to recognize that its teeth were identical to "tongue stones" found high up on the mountaintops all throughout Italy. That, along with other marine fossils that had been found in the Alps and the Alpines in Italy, led him to conclude that much of Europe had been covered by water and not just once simply to launch Noah, but again and again. Contrary to both the literal interpretation of the bible and the popular theory that the earth had some sort of "plastic power" that produced stones in the shapes of sea creatures, or anything else. He later publishes a short but more formal thesis of ideas entitled Concerning Solids naturally contained within solids. In which he lays down his four fundamental principles of stratigraphy: law of superposition, principle of original horizontality, principle of lateral continuity, and the principle of cross-cutting discontinuities (oddly omitted from the book). Ideas that for the most part were soundly rejected by his contemporaries for several decades after is death.

Steno later abandons his life as a renown scientist to live the life of an improvised priest after converting from Lutheranism to Catholicism. Steno dies rather sadly before he can complete more through treatment of his ideas. Leaving it up to his contemporaries: Hooke, Ray, and Leibniz to convince the scientific community that he was right.

Aside from a straight forward biography of Steno a defacto history of the early years of the science of geology right up to Hutton, Cutler also takes the time to explain a brief history of science from the ideas of the pre-Socrates (thinking) to the ideas that emerged during the enlightenment and scientific revolution (doing). I'm glad I've been reading Sophie's World to come to grasps with all the philosophical ideas and methods mentioned throughout the book.

stretch - The Seashell on the Mountaintop goes on the wishlist.

Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder



Sophie's World presents a very interesting and compelling history of philosophy told in a fictional framework. As a philosophical overview Sophie's World does a great job of introducing the major fundamental concepts developed in western philosophy. It deftly handles the evolution of philosophical thinking and allows one to grasp the nuances of significant developments in philosophy. I flipped back and forth often to understand these nuances and appreciated the author's skill in taking the complicated and making it simple. If the history and brief analysis had not been so good I could not have finished the book because, as a novel, it doesn't work.

The major fault I have with it is the terrible dialogue, Sophie's in particular. If I ever had a child like that I would punch her in the face. There is an incredible amount of unnecessary bratty cynicism in the way that she talks. Again and again she takes phrases and metaphors discussed in her philosophy course and throws them into conversation with her mother, who has no clue what any of it means, with absolutely no context at all. And then becomes surprised when her mother gets frustrated! I would have much preferred if Sophie's and Alberto's interaction had been kept to letters and wasn't wrapped into some strange metaphysical plot.

Still I learned so much from this book, I would recommend it to anyone like me who had almost no background in philosophy. I think upon second reading I'll skip the story and stick with the history. I also think I'll link this more basic overview with the a more stringent and complete history textbook that also explores the works of Nietzsche and more modern philosophers/philosophy in greater detail.

stretch - I enjoyed your comments on Sophie's World, one of my favorite books. I found the plot weak, although I was maybe a little more forgiving then you. :) (if you go back to 2007, you'll find a brief "review" by me.) But, someday I'll read a history of philosophy - and Gaarder will be to blame. That's actually a great idea to read Sophie's World along side the history.

Early Review: Work Song by Ivan Doig



Work Song by Ivan Doig is set in post World War I era in the copper capital of the US Butte, Montana. Doig beatifully captures the feel and look of Butte in those formative years. Especially the workers strife with Anaconda.

The novel was reliant on the great characterization, but unfortunately a little thin on plot. Not that the organization of labor unions isn't an interesting topic, but somewhere Doig lost a bit of focus. The cast of characters was fantastic however and kept the story moving along at a farily brisk pace.

Overall, it's a fun read that should appeal to people who enjoy the British sort of humor. That is, the understated and ironic type, light-hearted and never mean spirited. Recommended as a good summer read.

Audio Book: Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose



I've had some time to digest this one a bit more and I still feel a bit underwhelmed by book. To me it seems like Ambrose just weakly summarizes the journals of Lewis and Clark. No new ground was covered. No new insights about the men and woman who opened up the west. Just a rather incomplete summary of the trip mostly centered around the actions of Lewis, ignoring much of Clark's contributions to the journey, only to be toped off with a bit of poor scholarship and conjecture of Lewis's tragic end. I mean as far as summary of the trip Undaunted Courage. is top notch. There was no sense of excitement or wonder that must have been paramount in the mind's of the explorers. I didn't really feel connected to country Ambrose described throughout the book and I've traveled much of the Lewis and Clark "trail".

I don't know maybe I was expecting too much, but I defiantly came away pretty disappointed with little more than a summary of events.

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler



The Big Sleep is the classic detective noir novel, full of smoking rooms, long and overly descriptive similes of good looking dames, large rain overcoats (in LA of all places), lots of head gear, blackmail, and plenty of murders and intrigue. The story follows the main protagonist, a private eye, named Phillip Marlowe as he tries to curb a bit of nasty blackmail involving some fairly screwed up daughters of a very wealthy family. His investigation takes him on trip to underground porn industry of West Hollywood in the late 30’s. What follows is a set of very convenient murders (When Marlowe meets people they tend to die in the next five pages or so) to cover up the disappearance of a racketeer’s wife and one of the rich daughters husband. The twist end of yet another cover up to cover up the cover up of one of the rich daughter’s actions is a bit much.

Chandler manages to pack a fairly complicated story into 240 pages. But the end was one step too far to be believable and lacked any real satisfaction. Still it was fascinating reading the source of all cheesy detective clichés found throughout those classic Humbery Bogart movies. It was also a trip to see how bigoted and homophobic people could be in 1939.

Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach



In Bonk, Roach describes the evolution of sex research and the sometimes brave scientists who willing put themselves in very awkward situations time and again for the betterment of humanity. Well maybe humanity is going a little too far, but they sure are helping making lives a bit more enjoyable.

I was surprised at how thoroughly researched this book really is, covering not only the pioneering works of Robert Latou Dickenson (arguably the 1st serious scientific sex researcher), and Alfred Kinsey and his contemporaries, but also addressing modern day research into the complicated sex drive of women, men’s ED issues, the sexual experiences of the physically handicapped, and even the research of truly brave scientist in Egypt trying to address sexual concerns in a conservative Muslim country. All wrapped in a fun, witty, disarming package thanks to Roach’s somewhat sarcastic and cynical approach to the subject matter. I’ll concede that some might find her approach tiresome, but I’m not one of those people. Roach had me laughing from the first pages right up to the end. I also love that she herself (and her husband) stepped up to the plate on more then one occasion to be a subject in a study. Granted this was to get around some of the Human research restrictions placed on science of this nature. It still takes guts to be placed in such awkward positions and still have the wit and charm to pass it off as naturally as she does.

I’d imagined this book going one of two ways. Either it was going to be a brief history on the trivialities of sex, the porn industry, and the likes of Cosmo sexual surveys. Or it was going to be series of embarrassing encounters with no real substance. Happily it is neither of those. Bonk is a serious history of sex research and the obstacles researchers face, delivered in a humorous and fun way, with it’s fair share of embarrassing moments. The only more through presentation of the past, present, and future of sex research can be found at the Kinsey Institute (also the largest private collection of pornographic material available to the public that is. I’m so proud of IU.)

Mary Roach is now one of my new favorite popular science writers. I’ve already added all hers works to the wish list.

All of Mary Roach's books are indeed well worth reading! Having just finished an ER copy of Packing for Mars, I can include it in that statement, too.

Skeleton Crew by Stephen King



Read this a couple of weeks ago but have failed to comment on this one until now, which is essentially my read notes.

Skeleton Crew, his second collection of short stories, including the novella "The Mist." And as in any collection of short fiction, some of the 22 stories stand head and shoulders above the rest.

"The Mist"-A strong stand alone novella. Like many of Kin's stories a normal and seeming banal event like a storm turns tense and thrilling fight for humanity in a little Maine town. It is truly worth while a creepy tale. A great start to this collection.

"Cain Rose Up"- This one blew me away. The inner workings of a man driven to the extreme edge.

"The Raft"-four college students set out for a swim and a little excitement out on a raft in a private pond on the last warm day of autumn. They think they are alone, but there is something in the water that is hungry and just won't let them leave.

"Word Processor of the Gods"--a young man is married to a woman he that no longer loves him and has a good-for-nothing son. He's brother married the girl of his dreams and his nephew was like the son he never had. But they were killed in a car accident. His nephew made a special gift for his uncle and it's delivered to his writing studio not long after they die. The gift is a word processor of enormous power that changes his life forever.

“The Jaunt”- An amazing sci-fi story. The Jaunt involves future transportation technology, and the consequences to the length of time a human mind experiences having to pass through it while being conscious.

"Beachworld"- a sci-fi story about a group of future astronauts from a different world crashing into the desert of an unknown world. All the have to do is wait for rescue, but they aren't alone because the desert sands are alive.

"Survivor Type"- a story about a man shipwrecked on and the lengths he goes to survive. Another great story.

"Uncle Otto's Truck"--an ancient broken-down antique truck left in the fields to rust causes a man to die and another to go insane.

"The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet"- an aging editor tells the story of the greatest story he never got to publish and how it caused him to go insane.

"The Reach"- a ghost story about an old woman who lives on an island who has never been to the mainland.

The other stories are good but not great and didn't really leave much of an impression on me.

I can't stand King's novels, but I still think he is a fantastic short story writer, much like Neil Gaiman.

Locke & Key: Crown of Shadows by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez



The third installment of the Locke & Key Franchise, the half-way point of the series.

Another great addition to this fantastic series. Still loving the stories progression. Great new keys, family drama, and leaves like any good soap opera with a hell of a cliff hanger. Plus a bonus half-star for Tyler being a 49er's fan.

I'll be waiting for Volume 4, wishing they didn't make me wait so long for the next installment.

So I went a little crazy today at the local comic book store and bought Locke & Key: Keys to Kingdom's first trade paper issue and found The Stuff of Legend... Both are fantastic buys.

Locke & Key: Keys to Kingdom by Joe Hill and Gabrial Rodergiuz



This is the first of a stand alone story arc (Six issues) of the Locke & Key series, fitting seamlessly with the overall story arc. The art work is fantastic, but Hill and Roderguiz chose to pay homage to the classic comic Calvin and Hobbes. Half the story is told from Bode's (the little boy) point of view rendered completely in Calvin and Hobbes fashion. Roderquiz mimics Bill Watterson's (I had to look that up) artwork perfectly and Hill injects the same sort of funny yet insightful dialogue that made Calvin and Hobbes so enjoyable. The other half is told with the artwork and narration we are use to in the Locke & Key franchise. It's a wonder how they got the two styles to blend so well with each other. I hope they decide to publish this as a stand alone novel and not just release them as trade paper comics.

The Stuff of Legend by Mike Rait



The Stuff of Legend was unsuspected surprise. The story follows the adventures of a group of toys as they battle the evil Boogeyman who kidnapped their boy, in the terrible realm known as The Dark. All the young boy's forgotten and used toys appear to have banded together in The Dark and under the rule of the Boogeyman strive to undermine the group of “loyalist” from saving the boy . Think Toy Story meets Winnie the Pooh on the dark side of the street. While the story draws from Toy Story and Winnie the Pooh, it is very much a grown up story full of dark under tones, treachery, and bloody battles.

As this is a first novel the storyline and characters are all introduced to readers. There are various characters that really stick with readers and others that have yet to truly shine but this is definitely a great start to all of the characters. The strongest aspect of The Stuff of Legend is truly the illustrations that are present. While some graphic novels choose to go with the vibrant colors, this one goes with sepia and brownish tones. This choice of colors fits with the setting and the whole novel. The time period of the novel is 1940s. Beyond the color choice is the details of the illustrations, every time I read this novel I found something else outstanding about the illustrations.

Did you know Calvin and Hobbes are part of a Sunday Funnies stamp set? Also, your mention of the comic book store reminds me of CBS's The Big Bang Theory, do you watch it? Hilarious! so well written and acted. My husband and I only discovered it this summer but we're catching up by DVD. And "Sheldon" just won a best-actor Emmy last night :)

Hmm... I didn't know they had Calvin and hobbes stamps. Then agian I haven't used a stamp in like four years. I may have to buy them for the shear novelty.

I love the The Big Bang theory which I also only started watching this summer, thanks to netflix. It's weird to actually identify with a show for a change (or kind of sad). That last show like this I enjoyed was Freaks and Geeks but that one was canned after just one season. So I'm hoping Theory can last a little while longer on network tv.

Fires on the Plain By Ooka Shohei



A desperate Japanese army on a small Island in the Philippines, resorts to abandoning members of their own in a last-ditch effort to strengthen their ranks before the inevitable invasion. Private Tamura is one of these soldiers left to fend for himself, unable to return to his unit and unable to “pay” for treatment at the army hospital. Private Tamura is left to wander Leyte Island with neither a reason to live nor a reason to die. The instinct to survive is a powerful pull that lead Tamura to commit a cardinal sin against humanity.

Ooka's account of a starving Japanese soldiers' attempt to rationalize and come to terms with the horrors of war that are all around him is both powerful and poetic. In utter isolation Ooka takes Tamura to the edge insanity, allowing him explore the depths of despair and the simple joys of nature in a dtetached calm reasoning, giving Tamura's insights both beauty and terror. Even in his struggles to discern the differences between God and himself, Tamura is never too far from the logic and reasoning that forces him to survive his decent into hell.

#56 It's already on the wishlist. Your review makes is sound absolutely fascinating (although, perhaps in the disturbing sense of the word "fascinating")

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova



Well I finally finished the last 150 or so pages. Easily the greatest disappointing read for me of the year. I really tried to like it, honest.

The concept is so compelling and original in historical fiction that at first I was willing to over look the books flaws. Truth be told the first hundred pages are actually pretty good, but the rest fails to capitalize on the promising start. A story that uses actual historic research techniques that leads to the discovery of the real Dracula, who may or not be alive today, is premise I could get behind. Unfortunately Kostova uses that premise to launch a pretty uninspiring travelogue of Eastern Europe.

The story is told in flashback (and in some cases, flashback of a flashback of a flashback). As part of these flashbacks are a series of tedious letters that relate stories in levels of detail that are unbelievable in the context of the events that surround them. If you have a vampire on your tail, do you stop to hand write a 30 or 40 page letter that recounts every last glance, sigh, side dish, aside, and decorative detail?
Sadly it's these letters that really drive the plot. At times it can be difficult to follow these flashbacks, because the book is the story told by a woman, remembering events when she was in her teens. Inside her narrative is her father's narrative; inside his are other people's letters and accounts to fill the plot holes. All told in the same voice, blurring the distinctions between characters. Characters that are so similar and bland it's hard to the difference between them anyway. Kostava even explains away one characters flaw of abandoning his lover with their child in the poor back waters of Romania, with Amnesia. The one thing that made him remotely interesting is simply dismissed out of hand.

Aside from the bland characters and confusing narrative is a series of coincidences and chance meetings that will ultimately lead the protagonist to Vlad Temes's tomb. All the clues are laid out in font them, they meet the right people at just the right times, and everything comes to together just so, it really take the thrill out of thriller when you don't leave a whole lot of room for suspense. But really all these chance meetings and “research” serve as a way to take the reader from country to country, city to city, castle to monastery, library to mosque. While her descriptions of the architecture is superb, they do little to affect the overall story. Then there is the ending. I've read books with some truly bad endings, but The Historian takes the cake. After 600 long pages, we come to find that Dracula, the living undead Dracula, has caused all this trouble so he can find a worthy librarian to catalog his extensive book collection.Yeah that was a bit of a let down.

Kostova does set the scene beautifully but in the end all your left with are a whole bunch of characters that act more like bored tour guides, thriller with no thrill, a serve lack of vampires, and horrible ending.

I've heard tepid responses on this elsewhere, but it was nice to see why you didn't like it. You've convinced me not to read it.

Thanks, the first time I wrote up my thoughts on The Historian they were actually quite tepid; upon a further reflection I decided to write something that actuallly relfected why I didn't like this book. I tend to try to not write negative reviews since I'm propably not a part of the target audenice that particular book was geared for, however, I think The Historian is a book that I could have enjoyed based on the premise and the typical genre's that make up my book collection. It just feel flat in my opinion.

Interesting reading here, stretch. The first Charlie Parker mystery, Every Dead Thing, is pretty horrendous - what happens to his wife & child are NOT for the squeamish. At the bookstore we used to recommend people start with the second book; in fact, John himself admits the first book is a bit over the top (he used to come every year - he is a really funny guy, who would have guessed, eh?)

Loved reading your comments on Chandler.

Thanks! I've had Every Dead Thing on my wishlist for some time now, but have heard that it's pretty gruesome. I'll think I'll tak your advice and start with his second novel, whenever I get around to with my mounting TBR pile. It's funny but I've always imagined horror writers to be pretty light hearted folks. I think in Nocturnes there was a lot dark humor sprinkled throughout some of Connolly's stories. I'm glad to find out that he is pretty funny in real life. I think my perception of him would take a seriuos hit if he took himself too seriously. I equity to seeing your favorite radio personality for the 1st time. I propably wouldn't stop reading his work or for that matter any authors work if my perception of their personality was wrong, its nice to know that you can read, even if it's just a small gilmpse, into the author's personality traits that helped shape the story your reading.

I wonder if it's common among horror and dark theme authors to be farily light hearted?

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly



The Book of Lost Things revolves around a twelve-year-old boy, in the mists of the London Blitz, as he comes to terms with the lost of his beloved mother after a long illness and a new life in a strange house, a benevolent step-mother, and a baby half-brother he loathes. To escape his troubles and relive his most treasured memories of his mother, David withdraws from reality and immerse himself in the world of fairy-tales and fantasy. Overtime David forms a special relationship with his books and can hear them softly whispering to him, comforting him in times of trouble and distress. However these whispers and the longing for his mother eventually draw David into a very real fantasy world; where the fairy-tales and fantastical characters come to life. This world isn't the pleasant land of happily ever-after endings; a dark force has corrupted this world making it a very dangerous and deadly place for a young boy. Luckily for David there are still a few heroes, that will help and guide him on his perilous journey to face his destiny and it is in this world where David has to come to terms with his attitude, his jealousy, and his fears to make the ultimate decision that will have profound effects on his and the people he loves lives' forever.

This is one of the most imaginative books I have ever read. Connolly beautifully re-masters many of the fairly tales that we have come to know and love, all be it with a darker and more grisly edge that would make the Brothers Grimm proud, that are seamlessly weaved into a compelling coming of age plot, forming a longer fantastical narrative. In essence a modern fairy tale. I thought it was fantastic how Connolly mixed elements from the real world and the other books on David's shelves with the fantasy world; blurring the line between fantasy and reality. Connolly creates a story where the moral dilemmas are challenging, and their resolutions are satisfyingly complex and realistic. And like all good fairy tales there a moral lesson to be learned about courage and facing one's fears head on, but unlike so many fairy tales it doesn't end in the same old unsatisfying prepackaged ever-after ending. Instead this book ends as it should end; a well lived life full of both tragedy and happiness.

This is a book of grief and loss. Of acceptance, of guilt, of experience, humility, growth, strength, bravery, and wisdom. I loved ever page of it.

The Call of the Wild by Jack London



This I'm having trouble with reviewing. What new can I about a classic? A great tale of pampered dog turned hard by the harsh realities of the arctic tundra.

I'll probably add more later after I read the other half of this book White Fang.

I am pleased, but not at all surprised, to know that you loved The Book of Lost Things as much as I did.

Battle Royale by Koushun Takami



Battle Royale begins with a bang, literally and figuratively, with an innovative and unique presentational style capturing the readers attention. From there, a compelling and gripping thriller begins to unfold. There are some parts in it that are violent and repulsive, but the book isn't just all about death, blood and gore. The point of the program isn't just about killing everyone, but to learn about human nature. This book is definitely pulp fiction, but an enjoyable read if you enjoy this type of material and have some time to kill.

I've read numerous reviews of The Book of Lost Things and that is the first one that has me itching to read it.

Thank! That was the second version of that review. The 1st was lost due to my own stupidity, but I think it turned out better the second time around anyway.

66 -

I never realized that book had been translated in English. I've only ever seen the movie. Entertaining to say the least! :)

After reading the book I kind of want to see the movie, just to keep track all the students. I had trouble with all the similar names.

The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris



The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt is a dense, but fascinating tale of TR's meteoric rise to the White House. From his sickly, asthmatic youth as a globetrotting child naturalist through his years as a legislator and reform politician and later cowboy adventurer, Roosevelt lived a life of almost fictional proportions. Some of his many accomplishments include: a distinguished ornithologist, Harvard graduate with honors, historian, author, state assembly man, lover and husband, rancher, police commissioner, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Colonel, New York's state governor, Vice President ... and finally President to name a few. All these experiences along with plenty of tragedy, shaped ad modeled Roosevelt into the national character that took over the nation at the turn of 20th century.

What makes Morris' book so good is his ability to make the more mundane aspects of his early success in the New York State legislature as intriguing as the capture of the trio of horse thieves lead by Redhead Finnegan in the Badlands of South Dakota. Edmond Morris relies heavily on primary sources to produce a complete picture of both the public and personal life of such a multidimensional and enigmatic man who was Theodore Roosevelt. While it is clear that Morris deeply respects and admires his subject, he doesn't shy away from the character flaws that color TR's thinking and relationships with the public. I liked that Morris, as biographer, had enough faith in his audience to let them formulate their own opinions of TR, without the bias push in one direction or the other. I can see people coming away from this book with either loathing the bigoted bully that almost always gets what he wants, or with admiration for the way TR struggled against, stayed true to his principles, and forged his own path. I am of that latter group. It was also nice to see that Morris was able to capture the evolution of TR's ideas throughout his early career, from a high-minded elitist trying to stomp out corruption to the conservationist, and trust breaking president he would become.

I will definitely be reading Theodore Rex in the future, hopefully it won't take me nearly a year to read it.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu

I read this because I forgot all my other books at home. Needed something small and free to read so I found a original Translation of Lionel Giles from 1910 online. I think it will be insightful for me in the future when I read military histories. It's interesting to see how much these philosophies have intrigated themselves in the everyday, from business to popculture.

I quess I just never thought about the influence of this one rather small book on strategy and warfare.

My husband enjoyed Theodore Rex so he's getting Morris's new Colonel Roosevelt for Christmas. Glad to see there's a first book, too. And your perspective on The Art of War (small and applicable) makes it seem more accessible.

I've got the Colonel Roosevelt on my NF Wishlist, but will have to wait until it is published in paperback to match the other two books. I really like the way Edmond Morris puts together a Bio, but I also have a bias since Theodore Roosevelt is my favorite president. Although I have read other biographies of the man that just to live up to the quality of the Morris' work. I've been debating whether I should read Theodore Rex but I'll need a good running start before I tackle the next installment. It's not that I won't enjoy it and learn so much more, I'm just prone to serious distraction when reading any biography.

Maps of Time by David Christian



Is the written historical record enough to explain the history of civilization? David Christian would argue that it isn't, Maps of Time is a condensed, single volume argument based on his introductory lectures on the topic of “Big History”. Big History as defined by Christian is the history of everything on the largest possible scale, from the beginning of the universe to its bitter end. By this definition Big History covers not only the written record, but also prehistory and even prehuman history. To begin his tour of Big History, Christian starts his introduction with the Big Bang and the evolution of the universe and solar system; slowly drilling down into smaller timescales to examine the formation and development of complex societies. The concluding chapters of Maps of Time speculates what is to come in the near future (100 years), the intermediate future (a few million years), and the distance future (billions of years) until the universe ultimately runs down. A large undertaking for any researcher looking to form a single coherent story of our past, present, and future based on empirical study rather than dogmatic ideas from the past.

Using a combination of modern science and up-to-date theories of history Christian aims to construct what he calls “a modern creation myth”. The author is an academic historian, so the science presented in the book is pretty basic and introductory, but he has made the effort to convey the material accurately and concise enough to be understood by the general public. The rest of the story (thesis) is really a series of snapshots and large-scale patterns throughout history. So, no one subject is covered in much detail. By looking at the large-scale patterns of history, Christian argues, that we are better able to understand how society has come into its current state of being. Something that is often missed when looking at specific events in history (i.e. the fall of Rome). What was really interesting about this, was that Christian choose to frame the story of human progress with all that it entails, in a creation myth. Although radically different from traditional creation myths, he is still seeking a way make sense of the complex world around us.

However, in contrast with most traditional creation stories, this modern creation myth does not view complex entities as better or worse than less complex entities. The story simply relates the increase in the level of complexity over the course of time. Complexity is just a consequence of progress, that for one reason or another is undertaken by a species or a society when faced with competition for resources. It's the differential progress throughout the world that has shaped our histories and fueled the present. The ebb and flow of time does not favor any particular culture. It is the choices and often competitive needs that ultimately controls the destiny of whole regions. As a consequence of this ever-increasing complexity have come unforeseen impacts to society and the environment, which leads to conflict, innovation, and transition from one social and political system to another. With each transition comes new interdependence and the need for new methods of organization.

In many ways Maps of Time is a successful re-telling of human history, in other ways many readers may find it disappointing. For me personally, the provided what I was looking for, a sense of the big picture, an outline and context to help me put things into a larger perspective. However, it fails on one crucial point as a modern creation myth. Early on the book Christian states that “creation myths provide universal coordinates within which people can imagine their own existence, and find a role in the larger scheme of things. Creation myths are powerful because they speak to our deep spiritual, psychic, and social need for a place and sense of belonging.” Christian is able to deliver a scientifically and historically accurate narrative of our basic history that fulfills our intellectual curiosity, but fails to satisfy our deep spiritual and social needs. Our species needs to feel as though we are privileged, that this oasis in space is special to us and to us alone. The cold facts of science and history destroy the self-centered notion that we are the center of the universe. For the a modern creation myth to be complete it needs to answer the question of where we belong on deeper philosophical and psychological reasons. Maybe that's too much to ask of just one book.

stretch - Excellent review. I've been eying this one for awhile. Maybe, someday.

>75 stretch: Very interesting, stretch, and a lot to digest first thing in the morning:-). I think I shall have to come back and reread this review again! It seems an interesting exercise for an academic historian to undertake. I find your points about what works and what doesn't (in your last paragraph) also very interesting and I daresay, probably right on the mark.

Maps of Time is something of the foundational text for the History at 30,000 feet group, a group that is usually more interesting than not.

I enjoyed and got something out of the book, although it didn't knock me over as it seems to have done for some other folks.

Robert

>76 dchaikin: I didn't find it to be too bad of an undertaking really. I did have to take it in chunks, which, thankfully, is how Christian divided each chapter. For me it was very much like reading Guns, Germs, and Steel or Collapse. I had to digest each new piece for some time too make sure I understood fully what he was implying before moving on.

Oh, I finally received a used copy of Barefoot Gen I ordered from Amazon months ago that you recommended, I already love the art work from what little glance I had this morning. I think I'll start next years reading with this and Black Rain, right after I finish cleansing the plate with a little Pratchett. I'm already cursing you for starting a ten volume series of what could be one the hardest to find books in the state of Indiana.

>77 avaland: Thanks avaland! I went back to writing things out on paper before typing them. It helps to come up with some of the, uh, more profound statements in my amateurish reviews.

>78 Mr.Durick: I think I gained a lot of perspective. from this book. To me that's the best part of Big History. And like I said will inform future reading, but it certainly didn't upset any of my previous ideas about history.

History at 30,000 feet is where I got the idea to read the book. Great little group to fill in some of the gaps. I kind of wish there was a book that was sort of a timeline of major events throughout history for all the regions. I should look to see if that hasn't already be discussed there.

#79 Stretch, If it's not too late, I've found that you can stop Barefoot Gen after volume II and not lose much. But, you must read volume II, which is just too powerful. Nonetheless, flattered to be cursed at for this reason. :)

As for larger scale history books.
- do NOT read The History of the Ancient World by Susan Wise Bauer. It's very poorly done, with some possible strange religious biases. This has what you want on the surface, a timeline of major events. But...
- But, consider Europe Between the Oceans : Themes and Variations: 9000 BC-AD 1000 by Barry Cunliffe. This discusses the trends of history through time, and the repeating patterns, and it links everything very closely with the geography of Europe. I still think about it. No timeline of major events though.
- another to consider, with a more modern view, is Destiny Disrupted : A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes by Tamim Ansary. This is also big picture, and Europe get summed up very succinctly (but, that's maybe the best part of the book). Again no timeline of major events though.

Those last two recommendations are exactly what I'm looking for thanks! I was looking into that Bauer book until I read your review of it. Glad I Stayed away.

Now One for the East, Africa, Polynesia, and the Americas and I think I would set for a year of World History overview.

Me too, but we still need something on Europe post post AD 1000. And, the East probably needs to be broken down into something like India, China, in between (Mongolia, Tibet etc.) and SE Asia... and Japan...perhaps Australia. Just a thought, a history of the Indian Ocean as one concept would be really nice too.

>80 dchaikin: dan, good information! Barefoot Gen, just two volumes, back on my wishlist.

>75 stretch: stretch, great review; I'm very interested. The fast-backwards and fast-forwards brought to mind Philip Morrison's Powers of Ten, which takes a reference photo of a couple picnic-ing on a lawn and from it zooms out (by a power of ten with each photo) to the far reaches of the universe and zooms in on the body's subatomic level.

And your final paragraph reminds me of the epigraph to Herman Wouk's small volume, The Language God Talks: On Science and Religion: "It doesn’t seem to me that this fantastically marvelous universe {…} can merely be a stage so that God can watch human beings struggle for good and evil -- which is the view that religion has. The stage is too big for the drama." --Richard Feynman

Thanks detailmuse! THe Powers of Ten sounds like a great coffee table book, if I knew what a coffee table was. And I hadn't come across that Feynman quote yet, I've reading Classic Feynman slowly, and have found so many great sayings and quotes on science and religion for that matter.

75 - Great review of Maps of Time. I've had it and several of the subsequent recommendations on my wishlist for some time.

> very interesting review, stretch. with the attentive reading it requires, i don't have time to read it soon but i'm taking note of the comments and recommendations here for when i do.

Thanks everyone for the feedback! It's nice to see a positive review overtake a negative one in the thumbs department.