well, if you ask me ... » Reviews

You Call that a Kiss?

bsoist — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:19:18 +0000

I finished the book last Tuesday. I remember the day because we had planned to see the movie that day for “buy one ticket, get one free” night and I knew I had to read the book first. I actually had just less than a page to read when Terri parked at the theater.

The Hunger Games is set in Panem, a country that rose from the ashes of a post-apocalyptic North America. Panem is ruled by The Capitol and supported by twelve surrounding districts. Every year the districts are forced to give up some of their young people to compete in a fight to the death.

The book was flawed. Mostly by sentence fragments.^* In parts, though, it was brilliant – the way Katniss is allowed to show her feelings outwardly, and do so safely, is a very nice part of the love story that develops.

It’s a very readable book. Apart from the sentence fragments.* The details of the characters struggle against the elements was especially compelling to me, and something I knew they would not be able to portray adequately in the film.

Of course, like many other readers, I was also struck by the parallels to our culture. Sending children off to a meaningless war simply because it is our duty, the decadent wealth of the few versus the extreme poverty of the many, and the over emphasis of food and entertainment. I’ve read that some don’t even see these parallels – another telling sign that we may be more like the the people of Panem than we realize.

I’ve read many who complain that the very existence of the games is never appropriately questioned in the book. What kind of society would let something like this go on? It seems hard to imagine. I think the lack of discussion about it speaks volumes. Perhaps our society – one that is preoccupied with fast food and reality TV – might fall victim to such a system without notice or discussion.

Actually, one could argue that we endure far more than this. The games in the book are so obviously pointless, that every reader can’t help but notice how cruel it all is. What many readers may not see is that we send thousands of our young men and women (Some even call them children. I don’t, but that’s another story – most who enlist in the military are very young indeed.) off to wars without ample justification. Do we think this is any less cruel? Some of them, just as in the book, train for the opportunity to volunteer for service as an honor. That doesn’t make it any less cruel.

If you’d like a good read, you should pick up the book. It’s not great literature, but I thought it was a good story with enough social commentary to make one think about the world we live in.

If you plan to see the film, you should definitely read the book first.

Of course, like all good stories, this one is about a girl and the boys who love her.

^* I know those are sentence fragments. I was trying to be funny.

Christianity and Liberalism

bsoist — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:38:11 +0000

Last week I finished Christianity and Liberalism for a Reading Classics Together series. This was my second reading of the book and what fascinated me was how apropos the book is almost 90 years after it was written. Truly there is nothing new under the sun. The struggle for truth is still the same as it always has been.

In chapter one, Introduction and Doctrine, Machen proposes that Liberalism is not simply a “flavor” of Christianity but a different faith. He reminds us that Christianity is based on history and fact. It is more than the realm of ideas and philosophy. Historical truth matters.

In the remaining chapters, God and Man, The Bible, Christ, Salvation, and The Church, Machen defends his assertion by reviewing how Liberalism presents each topic differently than historical Christianity and how the difference is substantial enough that Liberalism should be regarded as a different religion/faith/ideology altogether.

Though the book was more then 60 years old the first time I read it, its longevity did not grab me in the same way. I saw the similarities but I guess my idealism had me convinced that “we” could do something about it. Reading this book again more than twenty years later was enlightening. It is as if nothing has changed.

Book Review: Waiting for “Superman”

bsoist — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 16:44:49 +0000

Waiting for “SUPERMAN”: How We Can Save America’s Failing Public Schools, the companion book to the film, was an excellent addition to the film. I was pleased to learn more about the filmmakers, the making of the film, the issues raised in the film, and the people I met watching it.

The film’s director and producer, as well as several of the educators and experts featured in the film each wrote a chapter. Each of these chapters begins with an introduction to the writer which helps put the chapter in context. This format threw me at first because I didn’t just want to learn “about the movie” but it turned out to be an excellent way to expand the discussion.

While reading the chapter written by Guggenheim, I found myself wondering why I was reading so much about An Inconvenient Truth, one of his previous films, but that proved to be a good thing too. I have a whole new appreciation for both films after learning more about their structure. Learning from An Inconvenient Truth, where he cut together one long film with several shorter mini-films, Guggenheim actually directed two entirely separate films for Waiting for “Superman.” The working titles for these films were Other People’s Children and The Folly of the Adults. It was only after completing both films independently, and ensuring that they “worked” separately, that Guggenheim cut them together to create Waiting for “Superman”.

I think Guggenheim exaggerates his “discovery” of this method but that doesn’t diminish his excellence in execution. If he is telling the truth, it is quite an accomplishment in my mind.

The book followed a similar pattern. Each part of the book begins with an introduction which introduces us to one of the students featured in the film. The following chapters then take a different direction where the issues are explored in more detail.

I saw the film first, and as you’ll read in my review on Saturday, I thought it had flaws. I was pleased that the book addressed these. The flaws in the film can be summed up in its portrayal of charter schools. The film left me with several impressions:

Teachers’ unions are the problem.
All we need is better teachers.
These particular charter schools have “solved” the problem.

The implications are that all charter schools are always better than and have better teachers than “regular” public schools. The book does a better job of pointing out that this is not the case. I was glad to see this.

If you care about education, you should see the film and read the book. I enjoyed reading the book after viewing the film and it probably makes sense to do the same since they were produced in that order. If you are not familiar with the people featured in the film, you may want to “cheat” and read the small intros at the start of each chapter.

The Monks of Tibhirine

bsoist — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 20:22:36 +0000

I had the opportunity recently to see Of Gods and Men, a French film about a community of Trappist monks in Algeria who had a decision to make – a decision to stay and minister in the face of increasing danger or abandon their Muslim neighbors. I vaguely remember the story from the news but I didn’t think twice about the men until I saw the film.

I’ll post my review of the film on Saturday, but after seeing it I couldn’t wait to learn more about the lives of these men and the circumstances which led up to the events depicted on screen. The other day I took the first step in learning more about them and it was a good one. I picked up the Kindle version of the book The Monks of Tibhirine: Faith, Love, and Terror in Algeria.

The book deals with three themes, the monks and their stories, what it means to be a Christian, and the historical and political events responsible for creating the climate in which the monks served, and it does so very well. I learned a great deal about the civil war in Algeria as well as about Islam (a faith I am not familiar with) and Christianity (a faith I know well). I also came away from the reading with an understanding of each of the monks and their struggles and motivations. I’m glad I didn’t read the book before the film, but reading it caused me to appreciate the devotion and struggle even more.

It was not always an easy read. There is a lot of information to absorb and I’ll admit a few points where I felt like skipping several pages. I am glad I took the time to finish it. I highly recommend it to anyone who has any interest in faith, community, a disciplined life, or the relationship between different faiths.

I can’t recommend it enough.

Learn You a Haskell for Great Good

bsoist — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:54:46 +0000

I just finished this book and I recommend it highly.

The publisher describes Learn You a Haskell for Great Good as “the funkiest way to learn Haskell, which is the best functional programming language around” and for now I’ll have to agree. I read the book as part of my Safari subscription but I was pleased to learn that you can still read it online for free. You can also, of course, purchase it if you prefer (Print | Kindle).

I’ve used functional programming before and am a bit of a fan, but I’ve not used Haskell. I recently started reading this blog. Since the author uses Haskell for the examples, I set off on a quest to find a good book – and I found one.

Learn You a Haskell for Great Good is written for programmers but I get the sense that anyone who understands a bit of advanced mathematics would benefit from and enjoy reading it. I’m a programmer so it’s hard for me to tell for sure – but that’s the sense I get.

If you are looking for a good introduction to functional programming or Haskell, this book is probably a good first step.

Open: A [Disturbing and Fascinating] Autobiography

bsoist — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 17:24:12 +0000

I did not really intend to review this book but I can’t help myself. It is a book everyone could benefit from reading.

When I posted my Best and Worst Books I Read in 2010, I wrote this:

An enlightening and terrifying look into the life of Andre Agassi. I always liked this guy and now I have some idea why

That really sums it up for me. Now I understand that his success is a result of sheer determination and hard work. Determination to accomplish a goal he didn’t set for himself, playing a game he hates. It’s both inspiring and conflicting.

I found myself challenged by his relationship to his father. I struggle, like most fathers I think, with the issue of how hard to push my children. How much is too much? How much is not enough? Children grow to resent parents for both I think and that is one of the thinks that makes parenting so difficult.

Many “celebrity” biographies are self-serving revisionist histories. This is not. There are parts which made me think either he was a very insightful young man or he describes his actions, which he understands better now, as though he understood then. In almost every case, it is fair to do so and makes the book a very powerful experience.

It is certainly one of the best autobiographies I have ever read.

Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

bsoist — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 14:02:26 +0000

In my experience, too many people find too little joy in life. I know life is hard, I’ve mentioned that before, but life is also an exhilarating journey filled with family, friends, and fun. In The Last Lecture, I felt like I met a man, Randy Pausch, who understood how to live.

Randy Pausch was a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer and told he had three to six months to live. He decided to use what little time he had left to give his last lecture – Achieving Your Childhood Dreams. During the lecture, Professor Pausch talked about dreaming dreams as a child, climbing over brick walls to achieve some of those dreams, and enabling others to do the same.

The book is both the extended version of his lecture and the story surrounding it. The book was not at all about dying. Instead it was about living life the way, I think, it was meant to be lived. I found myself moved by almost every chapter. Perhaps it’s just me. Like Pausch, I am a husband, father, teacher, and computer scientist. I’ve also achieved some of the things I dreamed of as a child, including being a husband and father, teaching, and programming for profit. Maybe the book was so powerful because of that, but I’d like to think that anyone could learn from the lessons in it.

Unfortunately, I know better. I’ve read some of the negative reviews of this book and I’m sad. There are many who just don’t get it. Many who think achieving your dreams is cliche, trite, or quaint. Many who do what they’ve always done and/or what they think others expect them to do. There is so much more to life and so much less at the same time – I wish everyone could see that.

I do have one warning. Pausch was admittedly arrogant (a jerk) and did have a very healthy ego. He chooses to explain his thoughts by talking about some of his achievements. I think this was a powerful way to accomplish the task at hand, but everyone may not read it the same way.

It has been a long time since I read a book that moved me as much as The Last Lecture. It reminded me once again that I need to be painfully aware of what little time I have and all of the opportunities I have to explore during that short time.

As a parent, one part of the book (and lecture) hit me especially hard.

Anybody out there who is a parent, if your kids want to paint their bedrooms, as a favor to me, let them do it. It’ll be OK.

Even as I paste that quote here, I find it hard to control my emotions. You’ll have to read the book to see if it has the same impact on you.

Walking Dead

bsoist — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:35:43 +0000

As I’ve written before, I haven’t read a lot of comic books, or graphic novels as they’ve come to be called, in recent years, but my interest has increased now that I’ve experimented with comics on my iPad.

A couple of weeks ago I just happend to be¹ right in front of a comic book store with a few minutes to kill so I stopped in to browse. I have been looking to try a “real” book again.

The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye (v. 1) caught my eye. Billy and I watched the first episode of the TV show and liked it more than we expected but decided we didn’t need another show to watch. I decided to try the comic and I’m glad I did.

Walking Dead is not really about the zombies. It explores the human nature. It answers the question the author claims every watcher of zombie movies asks at the end – “now what?”

If you’ve ever wondered what happens just after all the zombies wipe out a whole group of people, the author promises you’ll learn the answers. And he does not disappoint in the first volume. The characters are real people who struggle with adjustment to their new circumstances. And the zombies show up enough to pander to your need for horror and suspense.

One of the reasons I wanted to get back into reading comics was for the artwork. Here, too, this series looks promising. The artist does excellent work and the series is in black and white which I particularly enjoy.

1
After dropping Billy off for practice Saturday I thought I’d stop at Panera for some breakfast and a change of working environment. After discovering that everyone else in Northern Delaware must have made the same plan I decided to stop and pick up a few items for our Super Bowl chili. I parked and called Terri to tell her to add the items to our grocery list. I had a few minutes to kill while I waited.

Best and Worst Books I Read in 2010

bsoist — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 13:50:53 +0000

Since I’ve neglected my blog for so long, I have a list of books queued up that I’d like to review. I will certainly review some of these in the weeks.

What the Dog Saw

Were it not for this project, I may not have chosen to read this or the next two books. This was a fascinating read. It explores what Publishers Weekly calls “the hidden extraordinary.”

Outliers

While this book falls flat at the end (in my opinion), it was one of my favorite books of the year. I find myself referring to information from it all the time in conversation. I highly recommend it.

Have a Little Faith

I’ve already reviewed this but I couldn’t put this list up without making note of it. It was much better than I expected out of this kind of book. An easy read – very well worth your time.

Open

An enlightening and terrifying look into the life of Andre Agassi. I always liked this guy and now I have some idea why.

Stones Into Schools

A continuation of the story of Three Cups of Tea by the same author. Read that first and then read this book. The author’s commitment to do something important no matter what the consequences is inspiring.

When the Game Was Ours

Very disappointing. I was a big fan while they played the game but that wasn’t enough to make this book worth reading.

I Am Ozzy

The great and powerful Ozzy tries desperately to remember details from his thirty plus years as the prince of darkness. Unfortunately, his memory is shot. The only redeeming feature in this book is that it was clearly written (dictated) by Ozzy himself (unlike the previously mentioned book which was almost certainly not written by Bird and Johnson).

The Others

There are other books I read that are not worth mentioning and still more I did not get a chance to read. I’ve made a wishlist of the books I’d like to read eventually.

Faith is About Doing

bsoist — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 04:08:00 +0000

I discovered Have A Little Faith quite accidentally and I enjoyed it very much. It is not the kind of book I would normally read and certainly not the kind I would buy – but I did both.

I was very interested in the 10 Million Words project (which incidentally ended just today – how weird is that?) and I wanted to see if I could follow along. I knew I would not be able to read all the books so I made the decision to start small. My goal was to read or listen to each of the books that made it to to number one or number two on the list. If I was ever caught up, I’d try “number threes” and so on.

I even set up a web page to help me keep track of which books to read.

Anyway, one day I as at the local bookstore and decided to start on a couple of books – two I would buy but I figured I could read this little book before I left the store. It was clear before I was finished the first dozen pages that I’d want to own the book so I decided to take it home with me.

Other reviewers call this a story about two men and their faith but it is really a story about three men – the author, an agnostic with a religious Jewish upbringing; his former Rabbi, who has asked the author to deliver his eulogy; and a former drug dealer, now a Christian minister working among the homeless in Detroit.

There are many lessons one might learn from this very small book. The greatest, in my opinion, is that our faith should not be what divides us – it should be what unites us. We’ve all grown up in a world where our religions alienate us from one another and that shouldn’t be. I’m not talking about conceding the major tenets of one’s faith and agreeing that all religions are equally accurate about the meaning of our existence, etc. I’m talking about working together despite those differences.

If you are suspicious of these popular, feel-good, miracle stories; don’t let that stop you from reading this book. Read it – you’ll be glad you did.

In any case, it won’t take long for you to read and prove me wrong.

Two Cents Each

bsoist — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:30:44 +0000

In Manhattan, Preparing for Kindergarten Admission Test: This is simply ridiculous!
Geeks Drive Girls Out of Computer Science | LiveScience: Girls do seem to shy away from CS careers and that is unfortunate, but this "study" has not found the answer. I've not read anything quite so silly on livescience in a long time.
E-books spark battle inside the publishing industry – washingtonpost.com: Is anyone else growing tired of old school companies trying to stop innovation instead of finding a way to adapt?
100 Skills Everyone Should Master | Mighty Girl: I don't think every item should be on the list but it's a great list anyway.
Your guide to better chopstick etiquette (mostly Japanese) | Just Hungry: A great list of tips if you want to use chopsticks properly. It does not explain "how" to use them but how to use them properly.

God’s Politics

bsoist — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 01:45:54 +0000

Scripture is filled with admonitions to fight for peace and justice in our world. To care for the elderly, the sick, the captives, and the poor.

So, why do so many Christians actively support candidates who care very little about those issues? Why do so many Christians actively work against the campaigns of other candidates who seek to represent those who are under-represented? Why have modern American Christians decided to fight for one or two social issues and ignore the rest?

These may not be exactly the questions Jim Wallis raises in his book but they are questions I’ve struggled with for a long time and this book reinforces my stand that Christians should speak up for those among us that need our help. Mr. Wallis sheds light on possible answers to these questions, but more importantly he stresses that not all Christians are represented by the very loud voices which act as though they speak on our behalf. There are many Christians who still stand for peace and justice in the world and we need for our voices to be heard over all the noise.

I understand that these issues transcend religious faith. Many people, Christian or not, myself included, are not necessarily comfortable with a government run solution to every problem. My problem is not working against social programs as much as it is the absence of real Christian debate on the subject. Why are there not more Christians who stand on the scriptures which tell us to care for the poor? Why are more of us not asking – honestly – should we do more as a society for the poor? If we can legislate one moral issue, why not another?

The good news is that this debate is starting to pick up steam. Jim Wallis and others like him have been spreading the word that the religious right does not speak for all religious people.

The Needs of the Many

bsoist — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:59:58 +0000

I’ve been working on Ludlum’s The Bancroft Strategy for the second time. It’s an excellent read.

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

bsoist — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:50:02 +0000

On July 13 we began our Harry Potter movie marathon in preparation for the newest film. We’d all seen the films before but we wanted to enjoy them again. Billy went to see the new on for the midnight opening but the rest of us just got a chance to see it a few days ago.

Watching the films reminded me again of how wonderful the books are. I’ve read Sorcerer’s Stone several times and it never fails for me. It is simply a wonderful read. The story is quite predictable in a lot of ways and the characters are not particularly complex, but I was mesmerized by it the first time and it is just as much fun to read every time.

If you are one of the few who has not read the books you should do yourself a favor and check them out. The films are excellent but the books are even better.

Book Review: A Brief History of Time

bsoist — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:49:00 +0000

Twenty-one years ago today a masterpiece was published.

In A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking attempts the impossible. His mission is to explain incredibly complicated theories in a way that is understandable to the average reader. In less than 300 pages Hawking covers topics like the nature of time and space, the origin of the universe, black holes, and time travel.

In an attempt to make the book even more accessible, an illustrated, updated and expanded edition was published in 1996. Hawking claims in the foreword that

Even if you only look at the pictures and their captions, you should get some idea of what is going on. (empasis mine)

I think the key words here are some idea. The ideas in the book are very difficult to understand.

I’ve read the book twice, but like many people I suppose, I’ve also read parts of it from time to time and shared it with friends over the years. What I find fascinating is that I enjoy reading it even through the passages where I feel a little foggy. It’s brilliantly done and the illustrated edition includes dozens of wonderful images which make it a pleasure to pick up and review every once in a while – when you are in an intellectual or contemplative mood especially.

Book Review: Watchmen

bsoist — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:41:31 +0000

I don’t usually read graphic novels. Not because I am too old for them but because my eyesight is very poor. This one was an exception. After a very strong recommendation from my son and armed with the knowledge that Time magazine named it one of the 100 greatest novels since 1923, I grabbed my magnifying glass and set out to read this before the movie release.

I finished just in time for the movie and I am glad I did. I’ve since heard reports that many viewers couldn’t follow the movie – I did not have any trouble at all.

Anyway, I’ll post thoughts on the movie Saturday but I very much enjoyed the book. It was a fascinating read. I’m not a huge fan of super-heroes. I realize that’s odd for a geek, but it’s true. I actually don’t care much for science fiction either – another oddity for a geek. What I do like, however, is time travel stories and alternate realities. I am also a fan of political science. If you’ve heard anything about the novel, and I’m sure many of you have, then you know this book holds a lot of promise for me.

Watchmen is an alternate reality which deconstructs the very concept of the super hero. It is based in a world where Nixon does not resign and where a man exists who is essentially as powerful as God Himself. It is full of though-provoking ideas related to the natures of time and freedom. It is worth a read for the content alone.

You should note, however, that this is not a book for kids. It explores very dark ideas and touches on very mature topics. You should also know that the edition I link to in this post is worth the purchase if you are fan of graphic novels. If you are a fan of graphic novels, I’m sure you already know that.

Lying about books

bsoist — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:00:44 +0000

Kottke points out an interesting list of books people lie about having read.

I’ve read all of numbers 1, 4, 6, and 10.

The only one I ever lied about was number one. I read about half of it in high school and told people I’d read it for several years. Then I realized I needed to read the whole thing.

On a side note, I can’t believe Jason did not get past page 20 of The Selfish Gene. I think Richard Dawkins is a pompous, arrogant snoot and I don’t subscribe to his devotion to Darwinist explanations for all evolution, BUT I think the writing is compelling.

What books have you lied about reading?

Playing for Pizza

bsoist — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 00:20:55 +0000

Playing for Pizza is a departure from Grisham’s normal fare, but it’s a fun story about a washed up NFL quarterback who heads to Italy to play for a team that even Italy doesn’t care about.

Like most readers, I guess, I found the novel was missing a real story. I was enjoying the read but didn’t see what the point was. It actually reminded me for a while of my first reading of Hemingway. That was the experience then – I thought the story wandered around but I enjoyed reading about the characters. The one difference here, of course, is that Grisham’s characters in this one are not as interesting.

I happened to read this book during the NFL season when my Jets were thriving with their new washed up quarterback, so I was captivated by the similarities in the experiences of the football teams. It actually gave me grand hope for my Jets – hope that dissipated soon after, I’m sorry to report.

If you are a Grisham fan, you may be disappointed. You won’t find the normal twist of plot you’ve learned to expect. If you are looking for a quick, relatively fun read then you should pick this one up.

The Corporatocracy

bsoist — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 15:10:44 +0000

When I first picked up Confessions of an Economic Hit Man,I found myself having a hard time believing the story being told. It certainly read much more like a work of fiction. It is a story of the American Empire and the quest to protect U.S. interests at all costs – even in the face of dire consequences for much poorer nations.

A point the author tries to make – and I think many readers miss – is that there is not some sinister, back-room conspiracy at work in all of this. America is run by what the author calls the “corporatocracy” (a government dominated by corporate influence, banks, and governments). He writes:

corporations, banks, and governments (collectively the corporatocracy)

It is an eye opening read. While I do believe some of the author’s tales seem contrived and hard to believe, I have no reason to doubt the legitimacy of his overall claim. There have been many other books written about this subject and I think many people assume that the U.S. government does not always have the interests of the weak in mind. Very few doubt that any government should look out for its own interests, but it is not necessary to prey on the weak in order to make the strong stronger.

This book also reminded me that most of us operate following a misconception that human progress can be measured in strictly economic terms. We speak of poorer countries as being “underdeveloped” as if they are somehow inferior in every way because they do not produce as much as we. It seems to always be about production – for the sole purpose of more consumption. Perhaps we should look at the world through a different lens.

If you’d like an intriguing, fast-paced read that makes you question your old assumptions, you should pick up this book. If you need a “just the facts” approach, you may want to look for another.

The Third Chimpanzee

bsoist — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 18:44:04 +0000

This is a fascinating book. I’ve been working on it for some time because I keep restarting it and marking it up.

Jared Diamond, author of Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies and Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, tries to explain

How the human species changed, within a short time, from just another species of big mammal to a world conqueror; and how we acquired the capacity to reverse all that progress overnight

The book is filled with a myriad of ethical issues raised by the similarity between humans and animals. Ethical questions which, to me, should be addressed even by those who do not consider themselves Darwinists, or even evolutionists. While I am sure I will have more to say about these ethical questions after I’ve finished the book, I also find several quotes from the book intriguing to both my interest in evolutionary biology and my belief in the spirit of man. There are so many and they are so thought provoking that I will probably post here many times about them. The prologue opens with this one:

It’s obvious that humans are unlike all animals. It’s also obvious that we’re a species of big mammal down to the minutest details of our anatomy and our molecules. That contradiction is the most fascinating feature of the human species.