Haynes, Basis Guy

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Sat, 11 Jul 2009 07:37:27 -0600

Link to my review of Stephenson's "Anathem"

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 19:28:17 -0600

Anathem by Neal Stephenson

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Review of the book "Old Man's War"

Mon, 11 May 2009 18:21:56 -0600

Old Man’s War by John Scalzi

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really liked this book because it was well written and the story (unlike most of Science Fiction I’ve read) wasn’t silly and yet was believable. Good Science Fiction helps us look into a future and shouldn’t feel like an acid trip in basement full of broken Star Trek memorabilia. This book scored well on both tests. A thorougly enjoyable book.

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My review of the book "Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do"

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:34:20 -0700

Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do by Tom Vanderbilt

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a fairly engaging read. It slows down a bit in the middle and gets better toward the end. Most insightful was the statistics of accidents (showing who generally gets into accidents and why).

If you have a heavy commute, this book will explain a bit of the behavior you see and what you should do about it (stay away from young hormonally driven men in pickup trucks).

In one way this is a sad book. It mentions how little we protest over the deaths of thousands of accident victims each year and yet paralyze ourselves over the modest deaths that come with airline accidents. There is food for thought here and can serve as the foundation for each of us driving a bit smarter and pushing for changes that will results in fewer deaths and injuries.

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My review of "Unthinkable"

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 20:25:00 -0700

The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes - and Why by Amanda Ripley

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
READ THIS BOOK. PERIOD.

How people react to disaster is often different than you think. Most of the time we all go into shock and that shock can benefit or hinder our survivability. The tips in this book will help you harness or overcome (where needed) your instinctive reactions to better survive many situations.

I read this book in only a few hours because the stories and the advice are so compelling. It will make you think differently about how you react to situations and will cause you to change your level of preparedness.

At the end, this is a positive story. Humans in difficult situations bond for the common good. Somewhere in there is the ability to bond through all situations. There are heroes among us and sometimes we just need to look inside ourselves to find them.

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My review of "Proust and the Squid"

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 15:37:23 -0700

Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain by Maryanne Wolf

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a very engaging and enlightening book. For someone like me who has a small curious child, this has reinforced the need to read with him every night.

As the book mentions, a child’s brain is naturally able to communicate verbally (all of the neurological structure is there to do this). But a child has to learn how to communicate through writing by forming and utilizing many different areas of the brain. In so doing, the brain is changed (as covered in the book) and forces the child to associate emotions with images.

If you need any impetus to help read to your child every night, read this book. It shows how such as small investment in time will help your child to grow up with the tools needed to prosper in a world that changes day by day.

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My review of Richard Morgan's "Broken Angels"

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 08:29:25 -0700

Broken Angels by Richard K. Morgan

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
I’ve read a few of Morgan’s previous books (“Market Forces”, “Altered Carbon”) and found this one to be a little less engaging and entertaining than the others. But this story does continue the Kovac’s story line and I do recommend it for Morgan fans.

What I liked about the two previous books was they did not enter the fantasy realm as much as this one. Going into the story about the Martian’s was a bit far fetched and got away from what I feel is Morgan’s amazing insight into what the world will be like in the future.

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My Review of Jeff Shaara's "The Steel Wave"

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 20:26:03 -0700

The Steel Wave: A Novel of World War II by Jeff Shaara

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a very engaging book. I have a hard putting it down and would have finished it by now if I could only keep my eyes open at night.

This is historical drama that I use for entertainment and not for learning more about the events that surrounded D-Day (there are many good books for that).

I thought the amount of material about the tragedy of the beach invasion lacked the importance of the event and some of the dialogue was just downright silly. But other than those points, I have found this a very good book that I will keep to read at some point in the future.

* Update *
I finished this book last night. One of the best things I think Shaara does is end the book with a follow up on what actually happened to the characters he writes about. For me, this brings home the effect war has on people and the emotional cost they carry through the end of their lives.

I look forward to the third book in this trilogy. Keep them coming Mr. Shaara.

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My review of the book "The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal"

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:09:55 -0600

The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal by Jonathan Mooney

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
For anyone who went through any form of special education, this book is for you.

Reading this book brought back some memories for me. I came through an educational system that treated me as an oddity. In fifth grade I was spending my extra hours reading such books as “All Animals Wise and Wonderful” by James Herriott while my classmates were all reading comics. I had a hard time with how they taught math so my teachers started to label me as a slow learner. Needless to say, I went on to high school where I completed calculus in my final year and have progressed into working as a consultant who helps large companies run complicated software.

The book starts out a little slow. The chapters where Mooney prepares to go on the trip held little stimulating information. It is not until almost halfway into the book that the story takes on life when Mooney visits a deaf blind girl (this chapter is magicical). Wow. What a magical little girl. The chapter about her made me pause for a few moments to consider my life. Here she is, with every excuse to back away from people and live alone within the trappings of her disabilities. But she doesn’t. The little girl loves life and demonstrates it with her powerful personality.

From there the book continues to demonstrate (through other similar stories) that labels thrust upon people should not prevent them from living a full life. Break through the barriers of traditional education. Show the world that you have talent beyond what some people in the closed contrite world of education believe. Everyone has something to contribute and everyone should be included. Like Clinton mentioned in one of his acceptance speeches, It’s not about the “them’s” it’s is about the “us’.”

Looking back, this book could have been written with very little of the information about Mooney’s trip. The people in the different chapters are a story all to themselves. The symbolism of the short bus fell short for me (I never rode one). But for others, the association should be a powerful one.

In short, don’t let the short bus define your life. If anyone tries to put you down or label you as stupid, then push them into the past and blast right on into the future. And for god sakes, never believe anybody in the education system when it comes to who you are and what you should be. They just don’t know.

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Review of Alan Alda's Book "Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself"

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:46:22 -0600

Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself by Alan Alda

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a very good book which I found to be better than Alda’s other book from a few years ago.

Alda provides us with wisdom as he goes back through the speeches he has given over the last few years. Much of it is indirect advice he gave to his children. Mainly, his advice is to enjoy life and to fight for the things you believe in. If you feel it in your heart, then validate that feeling by acting on it.

This is great advice from a very profound man. I have admired Alda for his ability to be an artist and a communicator for science. This book demonstrates further, what a gift his presence continues to be for people in both fields.

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Review of "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle"

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:47:53 -0600

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel by David Wroblewski

My review

rating: 1 of 5 stars
So far this book is okay. The first few chapters were a bit slow and the one about the miscarriage was just plain throat-grabbing sad. I’m not a pet person so the adolescent attraction to animals is totally lost on me.

I would not compare this book to the works of Steinbeck as Oprah has (there’s just too much gimmickry in it). But it is written very well and I look forward to what Wroblewski has in store for an ending.

Is this the newest “Great American Novel?” No. Using the Hamlet story line and tapping the American love affair with pets make this book only markedly different from other animal romance novels. This is just a well written book that will float away into obscurity (and into the discount aisle at the local bookstore) once the hype goes away.

* Update *

I finished this book last night. I was so hoping for an ending that brought the book together. I was looking forward ending that somehow tied into what the old lady told him in the store. But that did not happen. The book ended with dull thud where the protagonists barely battled one another. In the end of this book everything goes up in smoke. The barn, the end of the kid’s journey, and one of the biggest opportunities to write a great novel.

Disappointed? Yes. But really, I feel cheated. Cheated in that I had to read all the way through this fat book just to find out that the author lost all creativity when he stopped ripping off the story lines from Faulkner and Cormac McCarthy.

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Everybody should see this video: http://hellotxt.com/l/IwGc

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 10:11:52 -0600

Everybody should see this video: http://hellotxt.com/l/IwGc

Review of the Sedaris book "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim"

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:30:20 -0600

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
The first chapter is one of the funniest things I have ever read. Adopting the goofball TV free family who comes to the door to trick-or-treat on the day after Halloween, Oh man was that funny.

And the stories about his family (especially his brother) are hysterical. Sedaris is one of the funniest authors I have ever read. There were many times where I just burst out laughing out loud (the Danish Santa story being one).

I heartily look forward to reading more of his stuff. Highly recommended for folks with a smart alecky sense of humor.

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My Review of Halberstam's "Firehouse"

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 21:45:19 -0600

Firehouse by David Halberstam

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a very good book.

Inadvertently, I checked this book out at the begining of September not realizing that I would be reading it on the 11th. The timing could not have been better.

For me it served as a reminder of the sacrifice the firemen of New York made on that tragic day. The book helped me understand the loss on a more personal level. Halberstam includes a background on each of the men. How they came to the firehouse and how they related to one another. After only a few of these stories does one understand how deeply these men were related to one another. The culture of a firehouse means that men work side by side for hours and in times of crisis have to rely upon one another. Over time, these men and their families bond their individual families into a larger firehouse family. It is this larger family that lies as the depth of the tragedy. It made the tragedy deeper and more painful because it affected so many families and friends.

I have always really enjoyed Halberstam’s work because he was able to marry his investigative side with the broader brush stroke of a higher more historical view. But in this context his reporter skills come to life, taking us into the lives of these men (and their families). In my own way this has caused me to miss these men. Their value to their families and the firehouse will be missed. Now I know a bit more why that loss is so great.

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My Review of Randy Pausch's "Last Lecture"

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 21:30:23 -0600

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
After the first few chapters I have to admit that I really did not like the book. At that point I felt that the book was good but not great. But as I kept reading I started to realize that the story was becoming more poignant. Pausch starts to write better as he writes more about his family and less about himself.

By the last few chapters (usually only a page or two) I started being drawn deeper into his life. I started to feel the feelings that he felt. It is almost if, when writing, he started to discovering (even further) what was most valuable about his life. The gift was his ability to share this learning not as a story to but as a lesson.

From this book I take the notion to stop and enjoy life a bit more. To play more with my young son so his head is filled with the fun memories of toddlerhood. Thank you Mr. Pausch. Your last lecture will help me to lead a more thoughtful less selfish life.

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Review of "Einstein: His Life and Universe" by Walter Isaacson

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:28:41 -0600

Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a warm well written story about a very intelligent creative man. My favorite part of the story was hearing about the people Einstein collaborated with. Even hearing it from a book, his energy was elevating and reminded me to put more creative energy into my life.

Interesting and sad were the stories of Einstein and his sons. He wasn’t always the most attentive father and hearing of the separation between him and his sons was heartbreaking.

Even more astounding was the violence that led to him leaving Germany forever (which the book covers in detail).

I take from the book not just a deeper understanding of Einstein but a deeper respect for his humanity and attitude toward others.

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Review of the audio book "In Defense of Food"

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:31:10 -0600

In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto by Michael Pollan

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is another audio book that I borrowed from the library. In broad terms it was a very educational book. Even more importantly, I has helped me think of food a bit differently.

I have allergies to quite a few foods. I can’t drink beer or eat bread because I am allergic to yeast. So my diet is very different from the common American diet. That being said, I am always on the lookout on how to make my diet healthier (if I eat the wrong thing I get a migraine).

To try an eat a healthy or restricted diet in America is a challenge. Very few foods in the grocery store contain some preservative or artificial sweetener. For most folks this is not a challenge. For me it is always a battle. I spend hours going over labels to ensure that what I eat won’t disable me for a few hours.

This book provided helpful advice on how and where to find items for a healthy diet. It also went a long way to helping explain (at least partially) why we have so many rampant health problems in America. The one ‘ingredient’ to all of these diseases is the rise of mass manufactured foods.

The only part of the book that I did not like is the end where the author wanders into the usual trap of espousing that all produced food is evil and we should stay away from every bit of it. This California hippie-chic attitude is great if you want to spend every last cent in some vain chase for super healthy foods but the rest of us can’t afford that.

That being stated, I still recommend the book highly. At the very least, it will help those to see that eating the same garbage day after day is probably a cause for many of their health issues. A small change started by this book would be very welcome indeed. Especially to those of us struggling to find a diet that doesn’t debilitate us.

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Max's first two points and my first YouTube Video

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 17:25:44 -0600

Review of Malcolm Gladwell's book "Blink"

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 08:21:32 -0600

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Very interesting so far. As with his other book “The Tipping Point,” the first few pages and chapters are written very well.

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Review of Carl Reiner's "My Anecdotal Life"

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 08:18:59 -0600

My Anecdotal Life by Carl Reiner

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Parts of this book are slow and yet others are so funny that my sides ached from laughing. The stories about how the ‘2000 year old man’ routine (with Mel Brooks) was developed is some of the funniest stuff I have ever read.

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