The Word According to #3
My brother Timothy is an avid reader. Always has been and always will be. He’s always been my hero in that regard. He’d start and end his day reading. I remember when we were tree climbers and he would take a book up with him and perch on a couple of branches and read. And…
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Otter Creek Used Books
My brother Timothy is an avid reader. Always has been and always will be. He’s always been my hero in that regard. He’d start and end his day reading. I remember when we were tree climbers and he would take a book up with him and perch on a couple of branches and read. And in our forts that we would build across the street from our house he’d bring a couple of blankets for his comfort while he read. Books were very important to him. “Always have an adventure with a good book,” he’d say. So when Rusty and I bought Otter Creek Used Books he was very excited for us and I think a tad jealous. Or at least wishing he lived a little closer. He lives in Maryland and takes the train daily into DC where he works. Of course, he brings a ‘good book’ with him for the ride. One day we were talking and we came up with the idea that he would write a book review for the blog. How exciting! I like family adventures and with five kids we were always ready for a good one. The reference to #3 in the title is that we go by our birth order and Timothy is #3. I’m #2. Here is Timothy’s – #3 – blog of his book reviews. And thanks, Tim!

As way of introduction (and non-disclosure) my sister, Barbara Harding is the owner of the Otter Creek Book Store. Since I typically read in the range of 50 books a year I suggested to her I provide a book review for this webpage. My selections vary quite a bit: from history; science fiction; business; biographies as well as the classics.

Review 2017/18 – Brigands of the Mood by Ray Cummings

SCIENCE FICTION – (1931): According to the dust jacket “…this is a thrilling novel of the clash of two planets in the fight for super-power ore, an adventure of interplanetary piracy, and a prediction of the mining and colonization of the moon that is still as timely as the day it was written.” The story follows a human from Earth named Gregg Haljan on his space trips involving Venus, Mars, Earth and the Moon. He is kidnapped and marooned, rescued, marooned and fights battles with an angry Martian. The fight is over a precious metal ore with the final battle occurring on the Moon. Of course there is a love triangle involved between Gregg, an Earth girl named Anita and a Martian woman named Moa.

This book is really a good example of the science fiction books of the time. The sentences are short, dialogue is, shall we say, punchy with lots of exclamation points used. The men are manly and the women are womanly. In other words, the story is black and while, past paced and kind of like cotton candy – it is sticky sweet and does not last long. The science aspect is underwhelming at best. By that I mean how the technology is used isn’t very logical. At one point Gregg is locked out of a spaceship so what does he do? He uses his weapon to bang on the door until it breaks and then throws it to the ground. There were many things in the book that caused me to roll my eyes.

Review 2017/17 – Enigma by Wolf Black

FICTION – (2013): A detective book to the nth degree. A New York City police detective is on loan to an elite unit of the London police. He is teamed up with a partner who are typically assigned the toughest of cases to crack. Two women have been targeted and murdered. Problem is there appears to be no connection. Yet, there are gristly similarities to the murders. Both women have mutilations that link them but no other obvious clues. It seems like there is a serial killer on the loose. The two detectives work all the angles and finally get on a promising trail.

For the most part the book is fine for what it is – a rather straight-forward murder mystery. The fun part is trying to figure out who is the real killer. There are a few false leads but in the end I thought it wasn’t too hard to guess. What bothered me about the book was the undue attention to the clothing worn. Most every article of clothing has the details provided such as: color, designer brand, price, and a fashion tip. To me it was simply too much. The title I thought was also poorly thought out. The word ‘enigma’ made me think of something entirely different (i.e., WWII code breaking). What was interesting to me was a relatively open look into London life. Overall, the book was not bad at all.

Review 2017/16 – The Sea Voyage by John Fletcher

FICTION – (1622): The book is actually a play about a handsome French pirate named Albert. The ship he is on is wrecked during a severe storm on a barren and rocky island. During the storm, everything is thrown overboard including much treasure leaving the sailors nothing. When the get to shore they meet two stranded men who explain how barren the island is. Ultimately, the two castaways steal away with the Frenchman’s ship stranding them. There is little food and while Albert is searching the island the men decided to kill and eat Albert’s mistress. Just in time he returns and saves her. There are other people shipwrecked on the island, an Amazonian-like tribe of women. The men try to court the women and try to give them some of the treasure. Turns out the treasure belonged to the women and was stolen from them. Another ship approaches with the mistress’s brother and the two castaways. There is much give and take between the various castaways but ultimately there is harmony.

The story is a takeoff from Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest which was first performed in 1610. While there are some differences there are more similarities than not. The play is actually kind of short and moves quickly. There are the typical deceptions such as Albert refers to his mistress as his sister so as not to antagonize the Amazons creating a problem later on when the truth is disclosed.

Review 2017/15 – A Double Barrelled Detective Story by Mark Twain

FICTION – (1902): No surprise here, a detective story which centers on revenge. A rich young woman falls in love with a man. They marry against the wishes of the woman’s father. Turns out he was right about the man. He married the girl only to spite the father. The couple has a child and the man abandons his wife. Over time the boy grows up to have a ‘special talent’ he can smell scents like a bloodhound. When he is a young man the mother tells him about his father and sets him a task – track down the father and torment him. The son tracks his father to the American West and follows leads to mining camps. He becomes a miner to blend in and another plot twist develops. Another miner murders a man oppressing him. Who should be there but Sherlock Holmes, an uncle to another miner. Holmes uses his scientific method to absurd degrees and is found to be wrong. The son though figures out the facts due to his keen sense of smell. Turns out that the murdered man is his father!

Obviously, the story is a satire or farce presented by Mark Twain. It was published as a serial in which he responded in the book to people’s comments that were mailed in as portions were published. All in all, an entertaining book and is a quick read. This was simply a fun book with the highlight being the fun poked at Sherlock Holmes.

Review 2017/14 – Titanic: The Most Complete Story Ever Told by Matthew Vollbrecht

NON-FICTION – (2012): There has been much written and movies made about the Titanic for very good reason. The ship was considered an amazing accomplishment at the time. Legends have been created and displayed around the world. Surely a tragedy of epic proportions. Because of this notoriety, there are many misconceptions as to what happened. The author has tried and likely succeeded in presenting the facts in a very interesting manner. There is no attempt at embellishment yet the author does not present these facts in a dry or detached way either. The events and facts are given humanely, and by that, I mean he focused on the people and their interaction with the vessel itself.

Anyone can believe what they want and if that means believing the romantic presentations well, fine by me. What captured my interest was how the smaller mistakes crept up into a major catastrophe. Many things went wrong that night as presented in the book but some were made possibly years before – such as design flaws (lack of life boats). Others, such as subcontracting out the wireless message service were more recent. If there had been emergency drills and life boat assignments many more would have been saved. The book is well balanced and flows nicely. I also found it very educational – an easy read. I recommend the book for anyone interested in the topic.

Review 2017/13 – Edison: His Life and Inventions by Frank Lewis Dyer

BIOGRAPHY – (1910): Thomas Alva Edison was a proliferate inventor from the mid 1800’s to early 1900’s. His list of inventions and patents is astounding. Much of his life is covered from boyhood to senior citizen. It is important to note that he was not only alive before publication but approved the book. He included his signature with a statement of his approval. Throughout the book his inventions are described in a somewhat technical way but should be mostly understandable to the layman. The appendix provides even more detail but sometimes is a bit redundant from the body of the text. There is an extensive list of his patents at the end.

There is no question in my mind this book was more about publicity for Edison than anything else. The bias towards Edison is palpable to the nth degree. According to the book he was an unparalleled genius, a kind, generous man, noble, humble, indefatigable and many other superlatives. While all this may have been true there was little counterpoint. For example, he invented a process to construct a house with cement in one pour ostensibly to build inexpensive homes – while he was able to build these houses they were not financially viable. No mention of that in the book or his other questionable financial dealings. He was clearly a great inventor but I wondered how good a businessman. The book is long (530 pages) but the insight into life around the turn of the century was fascinating.

Review 2017/12 – Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

SCIENCE FICTION – (2006): The story begins following an abandoned young girl who struggles to survive. She is tied to a group of thieves who treat her badly but give her a sense of belonging. The setting is in the Final Empire a feudal society lead by the Lord Ruler, a person known as an immortal god. It turns out that the girl, Vin, has surprising powers that she can tap into based on ingesting metal. A ‘high-end’ criminal crew brings her in and teaches her how to use these powers. Their intent is to destroy the Lord Ruler and return the land to a more compassionate time. An intricate sting operation is planned and carried out. Throughout there are several puzzles which are unraveled which are essential to the overall plot.

The book is a very well written piece that is fun to read. The created universe is rather well defined and the continuity is strong. The author has written several books and he certainly knows what he is doing. I found several events in the book which I thought were handled quite well and somewhat unexpected – in an entertaining way. The book reads quickly and quite engaging. I am looking forward to the next volume.

Review 2017/11 – The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey

NON-FICTION – (1989): Dr. Covey provides a framework in the form of 7 habits to help guide the reader into leading a more effective life. While the book may be found in the business section of a book store it was intended for more than that. In fact the subtitle on the cover is not the same as on the title page of the book. Inside the cover the subtitle is: “Restoring the Character Ethic” which in my opinion is more accurate than that on the cover. The book is laid out in four parts with the 7 habits dispersed as appropriate.

My read of the book went quickly over five days. With appendices there are 352 pages and several graphics and tables. It is a book that is well written and stays on point throughout. To give the book more body, the author provides personal situations he experienced to illustrate points which I found to be effective. He does not claim to be the sole creator of the 7 habits and I believe he is correct. Nothing truly new is presented but what is valuable is how it is presented. I recommend this book for people looking for inspiration on how to make their life (at home and work) better.

Review 2017/10 – Nikola Tesla: Imagination and the Man That Invented the 20th Century by Sean Patrick

NON-FICTION – (2013): A rather brief biography of one of the most famous inventors of the 20th century. The first section of the book has nothing directly to do with Nikola Tesla. It covers the issue of IQ and genius, the need for imagination and inspiration. The second section provides a sketch of Tesla’s life and his demeanor.

The subject of the biography is fascinating to me. Nikola Tesla came across to me as a tortured soul, a person who got all the breaks but that last final one for true success. Clearly, he was an absolutely brilliant man and the real shame is we will never know how great. His feud with Thomas Edison appears to be based on the greed of Edison. Tesla’s inventions were harder to monetize and therefore the needed money to build his inventions was mostly withheld. My only criticism of this book is that it is way, way too short. There is so much more to delve into with Nikola Tesla. The best part of the book is that it whets the appetite to get a more detailed biography on him!

Review 2017/9 – George Frederick Handel by Herbert F. Peyser

NON-FICTION – (1951): The book follows the life (and times) of one of the greatest composers of classical music. He was born in 1685 and died in 1759 after leading a remarkable life. His greatest achievement was writing the Messiah, a choral masterpiece, but he wrote so many other pieces which remain popular such as the Water Music. Within the book the events and stories surrounding his life are discussed in some detail.

The book is a rather short one and was written for the ‘Radio Members of the Philharmonic Symphony Society of New York. It moves along quickly and doesn’t bog down in too much detail. I believe it provides more than a summary of the great composer and does justice to introducing him to the reader. I was unfamiliar or had forgotten this German lived most of his adult life in London. He also was broke as often as he was well off. I enjoyed the book and was eager to learn more.

Review 2017/8 – Your Next Move: The Leader’s Guide to Navigating Major Career Transitions by Michael D. Watkins

NON-FICTION – (2009): Another leadership book that identifies how to leverage a new high level corporate job. It is almost a guide book with few overly dictated specifics on how to maneuver a new position. The methodology used is to establish a scenario and then fill in some narrative on what might be the best approach. There are a few models or guiding principles thrown in. The most prevalent is the STARS model: Startup; Turnaround; Accelerated Growth; Realignment; and Sustaining Success. These are the stages of business categories which a new executive might have to address.

I found the book to be somewhat refreshing and a bit unusual in the approach. All these books do something similar but this one was able to pull it off well. There is no cookie cutter approach which makes sense as every situation is unique. I believe the principles are rather sound and therefore, the book is worth a read. At only 205 pages it goes by quickly.

Review 2017/7 – Tales of the Field: On Writing Ethnography by John Van Maanen

NON-FICTION – (1988): What is ethnography? It is essentially an investigation of people and cultures (I did have to look it up). The intended purpose of the book is to enlighten a very specific audience on the various styles (not the how) of writing about culture. There are six chapters which cover a general and more specific introduction to the topic followed by chapters on three of the main styles and then the conclusion. In each of the three main chapters the author provides examples of the styles from some of his writings.

I found the book to be odd, quite odd. Not the author who writes very well but the odd part was the topic itself. What this all boiled down to for me is one of writers searching for a topic to write about. There was so much prosy embellishment I found it hard to (or want to) follow. Please keep in mind, I am an engineer, not a writer. I do recognize this book was written for a very specific niche audience – I am not in that niche! In fact, the book has been required reading for some programs and was considered groundbreaking at the time.

Here is something I thought was strange: I actually took a few classes of his at the MIT Sloane School of Management. I am convinced he knows what he is talking about. The book, at times, was entertaining and yes, the author writes well. If you want to be a writer or cultural observer you might want to consider reading the book, otherwise, probably not.

Review 2017/6 – Ancient Guardians Book One: The Legacy of the Key by S. L. Morgan

FANTASY – (2012): The main character of the story is Reece Bryant, a young woman studying to be a doctor. A few strange things happen to her in the first few chapters including a visit from the apparent ghost of her father. She goes for a run the next morning to clear her head and is attacked. Two men save her and then take her away to another dimension known as Pemdas. They are here to save her because she is the ‘Key”. Her ancestor created a stone which keeps the Earth on its proper axis and deep in her mind is a map to the stone, long hidden. The two men are part of the corps of ancient guardians of the stone. One of the two men is Levi, the Emperor’s son and a handsome much sought-after bachelor. It turns out there are many dimensions that are linked to Earth in some fashion. One of these dimension is populated by the Ciatron who are trying to find the stone to subjugate all the other dimensions. Now protected in Pemdas Reece settles in at the Emperor’s palace. She starts to fall in love with Levi and there are several rivals most notably Simone. In a jealous rage she strikes a deal with the Ciatron setting up the major confrontation of the book.

The story is really a romance novel, not what I expected. Everything is perfect in Pemdas and even the colors are brighter and more vivid. The men are handsome and tall and strong and gorgeous and perfect, and, and, and. Yes, I read the book, the whole book and it simply wasn’t what I want to read. Not my kind of book at all. I expect it is fine if you like that genre (romance novel) and it is pretty well written so I have nothing much to say about it. Can’t say I recommend it but eh.

Review 2017/5 – The Hobbit, or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien

FANTASY – (1937): I will keep this short as I have written about this book many times. This is a book I read about once a year but I still find interesting items in how the information is presented or worded and how the story flows. This is a child’s tale but written in a non-condescending way which makes the book reasonable for any age reader.

One item I found interesting is correlating some items with the recent movie. For example, in the ‘Battle of the Five Armies’ the goblins conduct a sneak attack using wereworms. I scoffed at the thought since I knew that wasn’t how it went in the book and wereworms! That is just silly. Guess what, there is a mention of wereworms in the book which took me by surprise. That just reinforced my belief there is always more to learn and to keep an open mind.

Review 2017/4 – Uncivil Servant: Holding Government Employees Accountable for Performance and Conduct by William B. Wiley

NON-FICTION – (2010): The whole foundation of the book is to help government supervisor’s fire bad government employees. The target audience is very limited so the appeal of the book is also affected. However, for the right audience this is an outstanding book. Fundamentally, the message is clear and universal – supervisors should know the rules and not be afraid to follow them.

As written, the book follows an open narrative style which can surprisingly draw the reader in and invite thought. There are many specific examples given which really illustrate the intent of the rule and how to make the topic clear. There is only one nit that I have to pick and that is one issue which is not addressed. The actions and options available to a supervisor are well illuminated but the lack is an understanding of the role of the next level of supervisor which is absolutely crucial. If a supervisor is willing to take the needed action but the next level won’t provide the needed support the actions taken are moot. Beyond that there are likely direct repercussions against the supervisor. It would be prudent to have the author address the issue in any future editions.

Review 2017/3 – Primal Leadership – Learning to Lead with Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee

NON-FICTION – (2002): The overall premise of the book is that the emotional guide of an organization is its leader and that is the most important act of leadership. The concept presented boils down to one thing – business success directly hinges on managing the emotion of the leadership team and employees. There are three sections to the book: The power of emotional intelligence; making leaders; and building emotionally intelligent organizations. The first part leans heavily on explaining how the brain works. The second part defines and explains leadership types while the third part gives many examples of how to inject change into an organization to increase the emotional intelligence.

No disrespect to the authors but L found the book to be of the cheerleader variety. Everything was ‘hearts and flowers’ backed up with ‘scientific evidence’. There was so much touchy-feely in the book I almost felt violated while reading it. The saccharine content was rather too much for me. I almost got the impression the authors came up with a great catch phrase ‘Primal Leadership’ and then wrote the book to back up the phrase. I had to work at figuring out that the primal part was emotion. My main issue though is the book is presented that all a person has to do is laugh a lot to improve the mood and therefore the productivity of an organization.

On the positive side, the book really isn’t that bad. While I did not find any groundbreaking or new concepts the ideas are good and I believe sound. Treat people with empathy, really listen to staff, and vary your leadership styles to the situation at hand. Ok, I get it but that was all in 256 pages – including two appendices. Sure, if you are looking for a leadership book this one isn’t bad but I have read better.

Review 2017/2 – Sons of Odin by L.A. Hammer

SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY – (2016): If a reader was to open this book and begin to read at any random point it would make just about as much sense if it was started on page 1. The whole book is a complete hodge-podge of fantasy-related plot drivers from so many sources it would be difficult to tease them all out. Star Wars, the Matrix, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and anything from Michael Moorcock, H.P. Lovecraft or Stephen Donaldson all seem to be more than an inspiration to the author. A reoccurring them is the biting of skulls and overly dramatic hyperbole. Thing is, there is only one ultimate action or driver in any created universe – except seemingly, in this one. Really, this book seems to be based not on the books I identified but by the computer games created because of the books. I read the entire book hoping for some sort of redemption but no, I never got any redemption. At the end I found out the book is simply the kick off of a series of books – which I will never read.

The plot follows four young people who are transported to another dimension or planet or somewhere else. They are the chosen Sons of Odin and Daughter of Thor who are expected to fulfill a loosely explained prophesy. As the plot develops the main characters a reader would expect to be led through the typical and necessary introductory stage, learning phase, on through the return phase back to their beginning state – except they never really do return or for that matter, end. Unfortunately, the writing was not compelling and the plot simply did not hold together very well at all. Concepts were brought up with no development and then lost forever, something is the ultimate (e.g., a weapon of massive destructive power), which is then trumped by the next, and the next, and the next. Oh, and most of the male characters had long hair in ponytails and the clothing is almost always described in detail – down to the color of the piping on the pants. While these are very small items it is indicative of a lack of sophistication in the writing. Why waste the time of the reader on such a small detail when there are so many other loose strands in the plot? I wondered, ‘where do these characters get their massive wardrobe?’ Do I recommend the book? No, I do not. I only read through to the end to give the author opportunity to sway my initial determination. While I can’t write as well as the author and I don’t have his vivid imagination I know good writing when I see it and this isn’t it. I do recommend the author keep writing because practice makes perfect.

Review 2017/1 – Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

FICTION – (1961) Iconic – this book is absolutely amazing and deserves to be known as one of the greatest literary achievements of the 20th Century. The plot really isn’t important compared to the messages of the book. Yes, there are several layers from my perspective. The first one is the crazy aspect of war and what it brings out of individuals. The second one is of the contrast of hope and hopelessness which are interwoven. A third is that of choice: we have choices to make and that is what makes all the difference. I am sure there are many more messages that can be teased out of the book but I am an engineer not a literary critic.

The plot or setting of the book is a squadron of U.S. bombers located on an island off the shore of Italy during World War II. The character conflict is established by the observations of the protagonist named Yossarian. Chapters are generally focused on his interactions with the various members of the squadron. A running theme is the requirement for being sent home from the war is to complete a particular number of bombing missions – which keeps being extended. No matter how many missions are completed the required number is set higher, an example of Catch 22. The book is sad in many ways mostly based on the futility of war. In the end, there is hope.

A very enjoyable and introspective book which should be a must read for everyone. Some parts of the book are crass and display the dark side of the human spirit. Many of the characters are clearly short sighted and only out for themselves. These characters are willing to lie and bend the truth to a dangerous degree. But, in the end, there is hope!

Review 2016/5 – The Terminal Man by Michael Crichton

FICTION – (1972): The book is a thriller and a detective novel with a focus on technology. The premise is based on a cutting edge medical technology to control epileptic seizures by inserting electrodes directly to the brain. In 1971 that was a concept that was just being really considered as possible. The patient selected for the experimental surgery has a criminal record of aggravated assault and a strong phobia about machines taking over the world. After the successful surgery, he escapes the hospital and the electrodes are creating a dangerous feedback loop resulting in murder!

I remember when I first read the book and thought it was amazing. Today, after reading it decades later the most striking thing is that the doctors are smoking in the hospital! The medical aspects were relatively ho hum – compared to today that is. The writing is well done but I had one thing to nitpick – the ending. There is a chase scene near the end of the book. The good guys are catching up with the bad guy. Of course, they catch him and then the book basically ends right there. Most books wrap up the loose ends a little better than this one in my opinion.

Review 2016/4 – EGO vs. EQ, How Top Leaders Best 8 Ego Traps with Emotional Intelligence by Jen Shirkani

BUSINESS – (2014): The book is what I would categorize as a self-help book targeted for senior executives. The fundamental premise is defined by eight traps an executive might fall in because of their ego. The author believes these traps can be avoided through the use of enhancing she calls emotional intelligence. It all boils down to an executive becoming more self-aware.

The book is written well and does flow well. I have read many of this type of book and this is a good, not great one. I personally agree with what the author submits to the reader. The one minor negative thing that did strike me was the theme that an executive should have an executive coach. This just happens to be the occupation of the author. The book is much more than a commercial for her but every now and again that concept did pop up to me.

Review 2016/3 – Mysteries of London Part 2 by Reynolds, George W. M. Reynolds

FICTION – (1844): I was not expecting the type of content when I first picked up this book. My thought was it would cover ‘agony column’ entries as alluded to in the Sherlock Holmes books. That is what piqued my interest. Turns out it is basically a soap opera and is considered a ‘penny dreadful’. All in all, the book kind of grew on me. The plot loosely, very loosely, follows the hero and the exploits of people around him. The most interesting character is the resurrection man, a body snatcher and he is truly evil.

Review 2016/2 – STAR WARS: X-Wing Rogue Squadron

SCIENCE FICTION: Since the most recent Star Wars movie installment came out I decided to re-immerse myself into that universe. There are a huge number of books written by several authors which build upon the Star Wars universe. Depending on how you count them there are 10 novels by two authors: Michael Stackpole and Aaron Allston. I have read most of them by Michael Stackpole and none by Aaron Allston.

I decided against writing separate reviews of each book I read in this series since the reviews would be so similar. Repetition is not a good thing for reviews after all. Suffice it to say I have read this series several times and I find them quite enjoyable. They remind me of the first time I saw the movie Star Wars in 1979 when I was in San Antonio along with Logan’s Run (I saw each three times in a row – long story). The novels are action packed, fairly well written, particularly when the reader keeps in mind the subject and context of the novel. None of these books are intended to be works of art but to retain and slightly expand on the original movie. I like them and will probably read them again sometime in the future.

Review 2016/1 – smallworld by Dominic Green

SCIENCE FICTION – I came across this book and it was the cover that I found intriguing. It was a little teacup of a world with reddish horns behind. The book is fairly small so not a huge investment of time so I started in. Needless to say, it was … odd. Characters were named for biblical related things and that seemed to make the reading clunky – one strike against the book. Then the plot seemed to twist all out of proportion leading to who knows where – strike two. I kept reading and here is the thing – I think the author was trying to make me work at the plot myself, in a good way. It is written pretty well and even with the rough start I thought it was kind of good. What is the plot? A very small word is inhabited by a very few people and the devil. Turns out the devil is a very powerful robot. Other people drop in for various reasons and there is a good deal of killing. To me, this is a fringe book – not a book for everyone but entertaining – I did mention it was rather short.

Review 2014/01 – The Royal Observatory, Greenwich; a glance at its history and work (1900) by Maunder, E. Walter

NON-FICTION – I wanted to start the new year with a really good book. I found that in this history of the British Royal Observatory at Greenwich which was published in the year 1900. The book was fascinating since it chronicles how one area of science was developed almost from the beginning. The story is told through the individual developments introduced by the first eight Astronomers Royal. Some of the names are quite familiar such as Hubble who was the second person to hold the title. This is followed by a description of the buildings and grounds at Greenwich. The last set of chapters explain the different departments such as the Double-Star Department. There are quite a few very interesting illustrations included as well. I encourage you to read this book. It was a great way to start the year!

Review 2013/52 – The Girl in the Golden Atom by Cummings, Ray

SCIENCE FICTION – Some books I am drawn to based on the titles. This was one of them. The book turns out to be a Gulliver’s Travels kind of tale. A chemist discovers two chemicals which will make the user bigger or smaller. He came across the chemicals based on a study he did using a microscope on a wedding ring. In his little home laboratory he was able to construct a microscope so powerful he saw a girl at the side of a lake in the ring – hence the title. Keeping track of the size differences was a challenge for the reader. I did not do the math but there were some rather significant inconsistencies. All in all the book is rather standard sci-fi. Read it or not, your choice.

Review 2013/51 – Mystery of the Hidden Room by Harvey, Marion

MYSTERY – The book is only fairly well written with a plot which is simply strung out too long. The plot twists are not that interesting nor does the logic hold together very well. Characters in the book did not stay with me after finishing. In fact, I was plodding along with the book anxiously waiting to get to the end. Guess you could say that I don’t recommend the book very highly.

Review 2013/50 – The Longest Day by Ryan, Cornelius

HISTORY – This book should be on everyone’s must read list. The book tells the story of World War II’s D-Day and is broken into three main pieces: The Wait; The Night; and The Day. The story itself is awesome and the writing is excellent. Research to prepare the book appears to be outstanding as well. Every combatant segment is represented in a human way rather than good versus evil. War is depicted fairly and honestly as well. Not a dry or factual list of what events came first even though these are presented of course. Knowing a good number of the details or the outcome did not diminish the book at all. Very impressive.

Review 2013/49 – Scarhaven Keep by Fletcher, J. S.

MYSTERY – A rather standard English mystery. The plot revolves around a noted actor who disappears in the area of Scarhaven. It is a small township in northern England. The plot does twist and turn in an enjoyable way. As long as the reader allows the plot to develop rather than poke holes in the action taken by the players it is enjoyable. As with most mysteries it is best not to give too much away or the enjoyment of reading the book is diminished.

Review 2013/48 – The Cobweb by Stephenson, Neil

FICTION – A book about intrigue and disaster (mostly averted). The book has two intertwined plots – one in DC and the other out west. I really enjoyed the book and found it well work reading. The western plot follows a sheriff who uncovers the plot to develop a Weapon of Mass Destruction by the Iraq government. The DC plot does the same from the perspective of an intelligence analyst. The book is involved and goes by fast. My kind of book. The characters were more realistically portrayed in this book than some others. They have foibles and are not perfect but believable. The book was refreshing and fun.

Review 2013/47 – Rocket’s Red Glare by Darrin, John and Gresalfi, Michael

FICTION – A story about radioactive dirty bombs. I found the book fun and interesting. It certainly helps that I have been involved in some of the security activities and know the author. The book is rather intricate and quite involved. It is easy to get lost in who is who and what is what. Plausible? That is another question and difficult to answer. Some is plausible and other parts are not (at least I hope so)! I was a bit surprised at some of the (bad) language used. Some was a bit more offensive than I prefer although I believe the author was trying to clearly show how bad the bad guys are.

Review 2013/46 – Passage to Walden by Cook, Reginald

NON-FICTION – The book is an introspective evaluation of Henry David Thoreau. I found the writing fabulous. A very interesting book and I learned a tremendous amount about Thoreau. It seemed to me that he was one of the foremost environmentalist before there were any – way before Rachel Carson of Silent Spring fame. I strongly urge everyone to read this book. Excellent message and written for an educated audience.

Review 2013/45 – Tourmalins Time Cheques by Guthrie, Thomas Anstey

SCIENCE FICTION – A man is ready to be engaged and is prospective wife sends him on a sailing voyage to give him time to reflect. If he still feels the same towards her they will marry. However, the cruise is long and tedious. Along the way a fellow traveler gives him time cheques which can be cashed in at 15 minute intervals at a later date. After the voyage is over and he is married he decides to ‘revisit’ the voyage. Each cheque brings him back for 15 minutes into surprising adventures – the cheques are not for sequential time! An interesting concept and a nice device for the writer to use to inject conflict. Not a great book by any means but worthy of the diversion.

Review 2013/44 – Phantom of the Opera by Leroux, Gaston

FICTION/HORROR – The book barely resembles the story that most people would attribute to the plot. There are some points that are recognizable but not really that many. There is a ‘phantom’ who has a mask and plays the organ underneath the Paris Opera, The heroine obtains lessons from the Phantom and the chandelier does fall (albeit in the middle of the plot). Again, the most interesting part of reading the book is to see the differences and how much of the story is changed (quite a bit). I can see why the book was so well received and the changes made were necessary for a more contemporary audience. At one point the hero and an accomplice are trapped in a torture chamber for possibly a day. By their ‘account’ they practically die from thirst and starvation. They also hallucinate and think they are in a jungle. My question is ‘how could they think that’! One must forgive some of these plot devices and enjoy the book for what it is or go watch television or something.

Review 2013/43 – The Land of Frozen Suns by Sinclair, Bertrand W.

FICTION – The book follows a young boy (?) who comes into his inheritance which is a cattle ranch in Texas. On the way he is abducted and pressed into service on a river boat. He is bullied and in a bar fight he kills his tormentor with a billiard ball to the head. While it is clearly self defense he runs away. He then gets connected to a smuggler and they both go to Canada (Land of Frozen Suns). There are a number of adventures but none of them made much sense to me. Why the boy doesn’t tell the authorities he was kidnapped is beyond me. The book flowed fairly well even with these massive flaws. While I don’t truly recommend it I found the book interesting in its own way.

Review 2013/42 – World Treasury of Science Fiction by Hartwell, David G. (Editor)

SCIENCE FICTION: As the title alludes this is a ‘treasury’ of science fiction short stories. The ‘world’ part is that many countries are represented. Each story begins with a brief explanation of the author and their position within that countries stable of writers. There are some truly interesting stories and a wide variety of the genre. I thought this was an excellent smorgasbord of stories. Keep an open mind and you will enjoy!

Review 2013/41 – The Lone Ranger Rides by Striker, Fran

FICTION -This is the story of how the Lone Ranger came into being. Portions of the plot are well known but the story is one that I didn’t know. Indeed, there is a group of Texas Rangers who are bushwhacked – one survives and is healed by Tonto. The remainder of the story deals with his first adventure. The book was rather entertaining but not tremendously so. The most interesting part for me was to see where the legend came from. I also found interesting the visiting of the old west and how they lived and interacted.

Review 2013/40 – Cleek of Scotland Yard by Hanshew, Thomas W.

MYSTERY – I read a previous book by the author and thought it was fine. This was similar in that it had the same main characters and consists of a series of crime solver type mysteries. Nothing in the book was real exciting or in some cases, even plausible. However, not bad overall. If you like the familiar and read the previous book then this one is fine. Otherwise, I would not bother reading this one.

Review 2013/39 – On the Heavens by Aristotle

NON-FICTION – The book is a translation of his astronomical theory and his ideas on how the world works – his concept of physics in a way. He wrote the book sometime around 350 B.C. So, I found the read very interesting to see what people thought of the heavens back then. Some of the thoughts were spot on, most were not. However, this is the foundation of science as we know it.

Review 2013/38 – Diary of a U Boat Commander by King-Hall, Stephen

FICTION – The book is purported to be an actual diary of a U Boat commander from the first world war. While reading it I believe it is clearly a book of fiction. There was almost a plot and love story woven in but by my standards, not. The story simply worked too well to be real. After reading the book I did a google search which agreed the story was made up. Regardless, I found the story interesting and, in a way, captivating. The story follows a German sailor as he rises up the ranks and becomes a captain of a U Boat. He falls in love with a woman to turns out to be a Polish spy. Ultimately, she is captured and put to death.

Review 2013/37 – Red Battle Flyer by von Richthofen, Captain Manfred Freiher

BIOGRAPHY – Yes, this is a book written by the Red Baron of ‘Snoopy’ fame. The book is based on the diary and notes of the person we may know as the Red Baron – a German pilot from World War I. I found the book absolutely fascinating. It is not a long book but full of insights as to the war and the people in it. The air war has certainly changed since the time of the book. For those that have an interest in history this is an excellent book to read.

Review 2013/36 -Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christi

MYSTERY – a wonderful story which showcases the character Hercule Periot. I found it incredible this was the authors first novel. A complete joy to read! I am not going to give anything away on this one as the best part of the read what trying to decipher the clues myself.

Review 2013/35 – Smoky God, The or Voyage to the Inner World by Emerson, Willis George

SCIENCE FICTION – The story published in 1908 is similar to Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne. No one will mistake the two as Verne is the master of the genre. In this version, there is a Norwegian fisherman who sails into the center of a hollow earth. The crust is about 300 miles thick. A utopian and somewhat advanced culture lives there – with electricity. It was a fine read, I guess. Not at the top of anyone’s list for good reason as there is nothing truly interesting.

Review 2013/34 – I was a Teenage Secret Weapon by Sabia, Richard

FICTION – A book that isn’t science fiction but almost should have had more of these elements to be more interesting. The hero is a young man who is so nice that he has no enemies coupled with a tremendous amount of good luck. Accidents happen to others in proportion to their anger at him. When things go wrong the others get angry and the destruction escalates. A scientist notices this and recommends the army use him as a secret weapon and ‘unleashes’ him on the enemy – successfully. An amusing tale that reminded me of Gomer Pyle or ‘No Time for Sergeants” movie with Andy Griffith.

Review 2013/33 – Abraham Lincoln by Curtis, William Eleroy

BIOGRAPHY – A biography of Lincoln. Captivating and fascinating. There were several new items that I didn’t know about Lincoln. Reading this book reminded me that just because a book is old doesn’t mean it has nothing to offer. On the contrary, this book was absolutely worth reading. The concept behind the book showed me a different side of Lincoln than I had before. It was much more personal showing his human side to include his humor and wit. I don’t believe this really comes thorugh in new biographies in any way the same as this book. Keep in mind, the author lived in the time of Lincoln and has the ability to put his life in the context of the age. The book was published in 1902 so there was time for reflection as well. I recommend this book.

Review 2013/32 – Jewels of Aptor by Delaney, Samuel R.

SCIENCE FICTION – I don’t know what to make of this book. I couldn’t follow every plot twist or understand what was happening all the time. The book was not well written and it was kind of silly. Do not recommend for others. There is a four armed man who is telepathic. The ‘science’ of this universe was uneven and completely mixed. The plot simply didn’t work. You should thank me for reading the book so I would have the opportunity to warn you away!

Review 2013/31 – What Men Live By by Tolstoy, Leo

FICTION – A series of stories about how men see the world in a parable-like way. The last story is about a man who makes a pact with the devil (kind of) for more land. Of course he gets his wish. He continually trades up to better quality and more quantity of land. In the end he is told by some land owners he can have as much land as he can walk around in a day. The stipulation is that he must return to the starting point by the time the sun sinks below the horizon. He starts out and is too greedy. He rushes so much and the end that he dies from the effort. Didn’t see that one coming! Well written as you would expect.

Review 2013/30 – Armageddon 2419 by Nowlan, Philip Francis

SCIENCE FICTION – a time travel story of a person in our time who moves forward after the Mongols take over the United States. Not much of a story. I wouldn’t rate it very high. After moving on to other books I reflected on this story – nothing of interest came up. I remember reading the book of course but neither the story nor the writing were exceptional, rather both were mediocre.

Review 2013/29 – Irish Idylls by Barlow, Jane

FICTION – A narration of life in Ireland in the 1800’s near Dublin. The book was published in 1893 and really quite interesting. The story revolves around a small village and the local residences. It provides a little peek into how they lived in a loose narrative. There is nothing too deep here – you might even think of it as a time-travel type of travelogue. It was interessting to me and I enjoyed reading the book.

Review 2013/28 – Shift Omnibus Edition by Howey, Hugh

SCIENCE FICTION – A sequel series to the Wool story. This is actually a precursor story of how and why the silos come to be. Not as good a story but still fun to read. For me, how could anyone believe that 50 silos in the ground near Atlanta that are over 100 stories deep could be ‘a secret’. Never could happen, not even likely. The cost to construct the silos would be absolutely astronomical and would break the U.S. budget. To enjoy the book let that pass and keep reading.

Review 2013/27 – Wool Omnibus Edition by Howey, Hugh

SCIENCE FICTION – Awesome story – science fiction and this one has a twist. Society is living in a silo and the atmosphere outside is deadly. The culture is an interesting one and it turns out the people in charge aren’t who you think they are. A bit depressing but overall an uplifting story by the end. I thought the book was one that hit on an area of science fiction which hadn’t been tapped. It also was written in a way that made it even more unique. I devoured the book. There are also authors who have taken on the world of the silos and prepared their own stories. Flattery is the best type of praise.

Review 2013/26 – Hour of the Dragon by Howard, Robert E.

FANTASY – Another Conan book. These are all about the same and therefore it is hard to really provide a review of note. Suffice it to say the typical plot is there with the ususal cast of characters. Is there anything special about this Conan installment? Not really but if you like this kind of book you will find nothing to dissuade you for your enjoyment. I read this type of book as a kind of cotton candy. Quickly consumed and a sort of vague feeling of satisfaction which doesn’t last long.

Review 2013/11 – The Red Dust by Leinster, Murray

SCIENCE FICTION – The story is the same as The Forgotten Planet and the Mad Planet. Same characters and same events in somewhat different order and perspective. It appears the author was trying plot events to see what would work best. It was surprising to read them all and see where he was going with his story. Interesting but at times boring because I had several clues on what to expect.

Review 2013/10 – Zen Lessons: The Art of Leadership, Cleary, Thomas (translator)

NON FICTION – A pocket size book with very brief lessons in leadership and insight. Primarily from Chinese Buddhist monks and sayings that were handed down over time. It was interesting and I would usually read one or two a day when I went to work to start the day. An excellent habit to get into.

Review 2013/09 – The Two Towers, Tolkien, J.R.R.

FANTASY – See the review below for the Fellowship of the Ring. Enough said.

Review 2013/08 – As You Like It, Shakespeare, William

FICTION – This is the Shakespeare book with the quote “All the world is a stage….”. A pleasure to read. I will keep this short as if anyone is unfamiliar with Shakespeare I recommend reading up on him from Wikipedia.

Review 2013/07 – Ashton Kirk – Secret Agent by McIntyre, John Thomas

MYSTERY – A silly book about a ‘secret agent’ who is not so secret. The plot was somewhat hard to follow and difficult to figure out why was everyone was calling him a secret agent (couldn’t have been much of a secret). The book did finally settle down into a real story but it wasn’t really very good after all. I would provide additional details on the plot but I would like to spare me the need to remind myself that I read the book. recommend not reading this book.

Review 2013/06 – The Marne by Wharton, Edith

FICTION – A story about a boy who’s family vacations in France in the early part of the 20th Century (1901). He falls in love with the country and then the German’s attack as part of the Great War. He wants desperately to help his beloved France but is not yet of age. He does volunteer to be an ambulance driver when he becomes 18 years of age. He does so and then attaches himself to a troop unit and is involved in the battle of The Marne becoming a hero. Good book – interesting story and well done.

Review 2013/05 – Forgotten Planet by Leinster, Murray

SCIENCE FICTION – A science fiction story about a planet which has only insects. Because there is no predators the insects are huge – really huge. The planet was seeded with life from Earth in phases but a punch card was lost after the insects were delivered. A space ship is stranded and centuries later the offspring of the spacemen start to fight back. At the end of the book a space ship arrives and educates the natives bringing them back into society (no, really)!

Review 2013/04 – Mad Planet by Leinster, Murray

SCIENCE FICTION – The most interesting part of the book was the comparison to the Forgotten Planet (same author). Mad Planet was the original short story followed by the Forgotten Planet. Interesting to see the differences and changes to make the short story into a novel. Otherwise, not very good simply because the story was known and the changes weren’t significant at all. There was no real development of the characters or the author’s universe.

Review 2013/03 – Max Carrodos by Bramah, Ernest

MYSTERY – A blind detective is faced with a challenge. The story wasn’t bad and it was somewhat enjoyable but it just wasn’t great or even memorable. The puzzles weren’t great which is one of the main reasons why a person would want to read a mystery. I simply can’t recommend the book. However, if you want to read a book and not worry about missing any action this might be for you!

Review 2013/02 – Fellowship of the Ring by Tolkien, J.R.R.

FANTASY – As I have mentioned in previous reviews I have read most everything written by the author – most several times and this series in particular. I tried to read the book this time in a very deliberate fashion with a focus on the writing style. Very enjoyable!

Review 2013/01 – Brood of the Dark Moon by Diffen, Charles

SCIENCE FICTION – What a way to start the year. This book was next up as I finished the first ‘Dark Moon’ book at the end of 2012. This one was the same as the first – our hero is captured and marooned on the Dark Moon with a few friends. Ultimately they escape back to Earth but that would give the implausibility away if I mentioned it!

Review 2011/10 – The Frozen Flame by Mary E. Hanshew and Thomas W. Hanshew

MYSTERY – The mystery novel is really a challenge between the author and the reader. Can the author come up with an intricate plot which holds up through the entire book? Is the mystery plausible and interesting? Above all, is the writing of high quality?

In this case, one and a half out of three isn’t too bad. I liked the book and all but mostly it was the writing and characters that did it for me. The plot, or mystery to be solved, just did not carry the day. The story is set in England and involves a new residence for one of the main characters, Nigel Merriton. Upon arrival he is introduced to a local legend known as the frozen flames. Apparently, anyone who ventures out into the fens at night never returns also resulting in a new flame. Compounding the plot is a rash of bank robberies. This development brings into the story the detective Hamilton Cleek. The mystery is under way at this point which takes several interesting turns and centers on a murder trial with Nigel as the murderer. Cleek does his best to clear up the mystery in time to save his friend.

Overall, the story was engaging and well written. Where it falls down is in the mystery part. Nigel wins the hand of a girl who is also being wooed by a rival. There is a bachelor party where the rival gets drunk and goes into the fens to discover the mystery of the frozen flames. After many hours he does not return. Nigel see a new flame erupt and fires his pistol in the general direction. After quite a few chapters, the body of the rival is found – shot in the head. This is where the book really fails. A pistol is simply not very accurate at any distance. However, Nigel is held accountable for the murder but justice ‘prevails’. Cleek is left to prove otherwise. If the reader is willing to overlook this flaw the book is still entertaining.

Review 2011/09 – Othello by William Shakespeare

FICTION – What to say? Words escape me on writing about a book written by Shakespeare since there has been so much praise and criticism already by far better reviewers.

Reading Shakespeare can be a daunting challenge The important thing to remember is that Othello is a play. It reads differently than when it is acted as it was intended. That means it is incumbent on the reader to remember this. The language is another challenge. However, it is so worth the challenge of language, syntax and the ‘translation’ from a play to a book.

Othello, has four central characters: Othello, a Moorish general in the Venetian army; his wife Desdemona; his lieutenant, Cassio; and his trusted ensign Iago. The play has its roots in racism, love, jealousy, and betrayal. The true main character is Iago who manipulates the other characters into doing terrible things.

Review 2011/08 – Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith (5 Volumes) by John Jackson Miller

SCIENCE FICTION – Typically, I really enjoy the escape of reading a Star Wars or other science fiction book. In this particular case after reading the first volume I did feel compelled to finish the set but only for one reason. The reason is that I can recall only one book that I have not finished and this one doesn’t deserve to be singular in any way. Some of the story was fine but just barely. I don’t even want to get into the plot but here is a quick synopsis.

A spaceship full of Sith and some others crash lands on a plant with practically no advanced civilization. More importantly, the plant has no metals worth mining – that means no ability to build anything but with rocks. So, the Sith are stuck for generations. There are flying reptiles and a sentient race of natives which provides some diversion.

The book was read on my new Kindle and was a free publication. I believe that may have been a clue as to the quality of the writing. Don’t read this book.

Review 2011/07 – A Popular History of Ireland by Thomas D’Arcy McGee

Beware the commitment to reading this book. It is actually 12 separate volumes and it requires or demands a significant commitment of time. This is no small thing as the book goes into significant detail on the history of Ireland from about as far back as you can imagine (read that as recorded history) from the earliest period to the emancipation of the Catholics. While there are some ‘stories’ told this is more of a true history of the green isle. By reading this (set of) books you will get a greater appreciation for Ireland.

The author, Thomas D’Arcy McGee, was born in 1825 and assassinated in 1868. He was a well known Irish Nationalist, Catholic spokesman, journalist, and a Father of Canadian confederation. He published this book in 1863 based primarily on the work of other scholars although he did conduct some of his own research.

I began this book almost 10 months ago and found it was best digested book by book with some time between to reflect. I am certainly glad that I read it and did learn a great deal about Ireland.

Review 2011/06 – Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie

I believe this is the first book I have read by Agatha Christie. What a mistake I have made in not reading her before! The story was fun, completely enjoyable and so well written. The plot itself revolves around a young couple who have fallen on hard times. Instead of grousing about their misfortune they make do the best they can. Along the way they stumble upon a mystery which they throw themselves into the middle.

The story begins in 1919 and involves secret papers related to World War I. The main characters are Tommy and Tuppence who are featured in several works by the author. The villain is a ‘Mr. Brown’ who is unknown and a complete mystery to the police. The final plot twist involves the discovery of who ‘Mr. Brown’ really is.

Some may say the book is too predictable or too full of cliché’s but I disagree. One must decide whether to allow a book to unfold by itself or not. I did so with this one and felt completely satisfied with the result. I look forward to reading more book by Agatha Christie.

Review 2011/05 – Youth by Isaac Asimov

Really this shouldn’t count as a book because it is a short story but I couldn’t resist. The mind and imagination of Isaac Asimov are not to be overlooked. This story revolves around aliens who have contacted some residents of a planet. The residents lost contact with the aliens and go looking for them. Turns out the children have found little animals and are caring for them. The animals are the aliens who are ‘rescued’ from the children, their spaceship is repaired and ultimately sent on their way. There are a number of plot twists involved so I don’t want to get too specific. None of the characters are given names nor are they described in detail until the end. This is not Asimov’s best work but still intriguing.

Review 2011/04 – Man from Archangel and Other Tales by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Another one of my favorite authors is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This book is also a number of short stories. The stories were somewhat uneven but still well written and entertaining. We are provided with two sets of stories: there are six ‘adventure’ stories and eight concerning medical practice.

Not surprisingly, most all the stories have some sort of mystery about them requiring a bit of detective work. None of the stories really stood out as exceptional or memorable. However, I wouldn’t pass over the book due to that observation. I did enjoy the book but more of a pass time. Mostly I read the book during my daily commute and found the stories to help pass the time quite nicely.

Review 2011/03 – Stories of Ships and the Sea by Jack London

Jack London is one of my favorite authors. He not only spins a yarn but in such a descriptive way. By the title of the book it is clear this is a collection of five short stories. For those familiar with Jack London they are typical – and to me that means very well written and entertaining.

One story, The Banks of the Sacramento, is rather intriguing. A young boy of 15 or so is left alone by his father who has gone hunting. The father is the caretaker of an all but abandoned gold mine with all its rusting equipment. A neighbor couple is desperate to cross the canyon although the weather is horrible. The son decides to help them cross on a cable car formerly used to transport ore. Of course the cable jams with the couple mid way across with the wind and rain threatening to toss them into the 200 foot chasm below. The son goes through a tremendous effort to successfully un stick the cable at great risk to his own life. Afterwards, the son is left with a feeling of satisfaction and wistful that his father couldn’t see how well he did on his own.

While reading the story I felt right there will the boy as Jack London must have felt as well. Like I said, Jack London does a great job with any story he tackles. This story is right up there with “To Build a Fire”. I loved it!

Review 2011/02 – Shakespeare As He Lived by Henry Curling

Fictionalized history is a great concept. The author has taken a fascinating topic in the form of how Shakespeare lived along across the arc of his life up to his successful establishment in London. It is full of purported incidents in his life apparently to illustrate how wonderful he was but give him the depth of character – flaws and all.

The reader has to decide how far to go along with the author. Clearly, this book is not covering much but the most basic of facts about Shakespeare. That said, I didn’t have a problem with how the material was presented. Based upon scholarly biographies of Shakespeare there is absolutely no way the material in the book actually occurred. The story presented is intriguing enough even if you take out the fact the primary character is Shakespeare. The one real complaint I had with the book is at times the book is so overflowing, even gushing with praise for Shakespeare in what I thought were odd little ways. He was so manly, so strong, so intelligent, so…everything. Other than that, I enjoyed this little window into what it might have been like to live in England at the time of Shakespeare.

Review 2011/01 – Battle of Marathon by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

To start the year I selected an epic narrative rhymed poem. The poem, written in 1820 describes the Persian attack on the Greek City-State of Athens. What is most intriguing is that the author was born in 1806 making her 14 years old when she wrote this poem. With that in mind it is hard to argue the level of effort and the innate ability of Ms. Browning.

The poem describes the Persian attempt to subjugate Greece. To make matters worse, Athens was massively outnumbered by the army of Darius the Great. While the battle is the centerpiece of the poem Ms. Browning does bring in the Greek Gods, particularly Aphrodite for a ‘guest appearance’. I did think it was a bit difficult to digest the poem it is interesting and informative in its own way. In other words, I like poetry but only in small to medium doses.

Review 2010/48 – Tom Swift and the Caves of Ice by Victor Appleton

I decided to close out the year with a ‘piece of fluff’. For those that have read my reviews there isn’t much to tell about Tom Swift. This particular book is volume eight from the first series and was published in 1911.

Tom races against his rival Andy Foger to find a valley of gold in the frigid arctic of Alaska. The race is made using air ships which each has constructed in order to avoid the problems of traveling on the ice and snow. Along the way, serious weather concerns are faced and diabolical plots to steal the map which identifies the location of the valley.

Review 2010/47 – The Corporate Culture Survival Guide by Edgar H. Schein

Culture is a critical aspect of managing an organization. For the senior leader to ignore the resident culture is to invite disaster. Edgar Schein has written this book with the intent of presenting his model for managing corporate culture. He covers the role of culture in the various stages of an organization from its beginning to an established organization.

I thought the book was a bit slow in developing since it covered the fundamentals and how the values of the culture interact with the corporation at large. The text did come to light for me in Part Two which covered the dynamics of culture formation, evolution and change. There were some concepts that I believe will be quite useful to me in my current organization. One example is that he contends that conducting surveys will not successfully assess culture but will provide misleading information.

Ultimately, I felt the book was very good as a toolbox for managing corporate culture. It does covers a very broad topic and therefore, there is ‘dead space’ for a senior executive. This is a book that deserves space on the shelf and is potentially useful.

Review 2010/46 – Tom Swift and His Electric Hydrolung by Victor Appleton II

Tom Swift – there is little more that I can say about this second series. I enjoy them for what they are. For me they are a glimpse back to my childhood and I find the comparison from current to past entertaining. The plots barely make sense but that was not the purpose of the books at the time. They were for young boys of 8 or so back in the 1960′s. I think they did what was intended.

In this case, Tom is working with the Navy to help retrieve a returning probe from Jupiter. Upon reentry, it is knocked into the ocean by a mystery rocket. The reminder of the story revolves around efforts to find and recover the probe before the enemy. In the process Tom invents a series of things such as an invisible submarine and the aforementioned electric hydrolung. The invisible submarine isn’t actually invisible it is simply very hard to detect – stealth technology! Read them or not – I will continue to do so as I find them fun and entertaining.

Review 2010/45 – The Planet Savers by Marion Zimmer Bradley

A rather intriguing bit of science fiction is what we have here. It is part of the Darkover series by the author and originally published in 1962. The plot is based upon a split personality, Dr. Jay/Jason Allison. He is called upon to attempt to save the planet from a terrible disease affecting most of the population. His split personalities are virtually unknown to himself and quite separate from each other. The experiences and knowledge of the one are not known to the other. They co-exist in the one body but not the mind.

To save the planet, both personalities are needed as Jason was brought up by the Trailman. They are a reclusive society that are native to the planet. Since Jason grew up in the culture his knowledge is essential to convincing them to participate in medical trials to isolate a cure. Jay is needed due to his medical knowledge.

While some of the science facts are not entirely plausible they fall into my acceptable range as some are necessary for the plot. The writing is quite good and I found the book entertaining.

Review 2010/44 – The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

I believe Dostoyevsky is a fabulous writer and have read a number of his works. This time I was not disappointed even though I would not have been surprised had this not lived up to expectations. He wrote this book under a hard deadline – to pay off his gambling debts.

The book has very interesting twists to it that were excellent. The plot unfolds as the hero, Alexei Ivanovich, begins to narrate the tale. He is a tutor to a rich Russian family living at a German hotel which has a casino nearby. The plot revolves around the family’s efforts to get out of debt though either gambling and sending telegrams back to Russia inquiring on the health of their rich Grandmother.

At first I felt that certainly Alexei is the ‘gambler’ of the title. After awhile I determined to my surprise he wasn’t. The rich and invalid grandmother decides to come to the hotel to prove she isn’t dying and take back control of the family. Unfortunately, she becomes obsessed with roulette and loses a small fortune. The family moves back to Russia leaving Alexei on his own. He is staked a small amount of money which is quickly turned into a fortune! He quickly becomes the darling of the ‘in crowd’ and moves to Paris where the fortune is just as quickly lost – leaving him destitute.

You might say this is a cautionary tale particularly with the author’s real life incidents in mind. An excellent book by an outstanding author.

Review 2010/43 – The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy

I really enjoyed the first book by the Baroness, The Scarlet Pimpernel. It was very entertaining and enjoyable. Therefore, I was looking forward to another opportunity to visit with the characters and situations. Unfortunately, the magic of the first book was simply not duplicated in this book. Now, don’t get me wrong – I did like the book it just didn’t measure up to the original. It was not surprising to find a number of short stories this time around. Also, it was no surprise to have a few of the stories narrated by another character. It is a device I believe writers use to switch up the task of writing to please an audience to avoid being bored. All in all, it was an ok diversion but not much else. I would suggest readers pick up the original story and not bother with the follow on book unless you have time on your hands.

Review 2010/42 – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald

A rather short book on an interesting premise. Benjamin Button is the central character who was born old and grew younger over time. The story was published in 1922 and has been made into a recent movie. Of course, this notoriety is why I read the book. While I didn’t see the movie the premise caught my attention. I was curious as to how F. Scott Fitzgerald would handle the difficulty of the birth to death in reverse.

I fully expect as in all cases the movie does not adhere closely to the book. This is (mostly) acceptable to me as the question becomes one of how far is the divide. I cannot provide any comment in this case, nor does it concern me. Books and movies are two vastly different media with success in one unrelated to the other in many instances.

The book though was intriguing. It was written in a different age and, while the concept is timeless, the book is not. I felt it was well worth reading although it seems not the best by the author. Of course, that said, it is still very very good!

Review 2010/41 – Lord of the Isles by Sir Walter Scott

Sir Walter Scott wrote this piece as narrative poetry about the Scottish Lord, Robert the Bruce. This is truly an epic poem that is quite impressive and very entertaining as well as educational. The story covers the history of Robert the Bruce and his efforts to lead Scotland into independence from the Kingdom of England in the 14th century.

I expect that epic or narrative poetry is not so popular as a modern novel. However, the themes in a newly printed novel actually follow those in this piece. In other words, if ‘Lord of the Isles’ was updated into today’s language it would captivate the reader. What I am suggesting is that you read this poem with an open mind and ‘translate’ the storyline into a more modern setting. What you will find is a riveting story.

Review 2010/40 – Ballads of a Cheechako by Robert W. Service

The poetry of Robert W. Service is truly worth reading. It is poetry which many that don’t read this type of literature would likely be surprised at what they would find. These ‘ballads’ are actually stories of the Alaskan wilderness – set to verse. I found them quite entertaining and very enjoyable. Many years ago I lived in Alaska so it is to be expected that I would enjoy the works of Mr. Service since I was a Cheechako after all. Regardless, those readers who like the work of Jack London would also enjoy reading this selection.

There are 21 separate poems or ballads in this collection. What separates this work from others is the clean and well-worn verse. What I mean is it not only reaches the common language but also raises thoughts up and beyond the actual words. I am no poet but I know what I like and this is it. For those that have been there my selection for a favorite would be L’Envoi. There is no explanation necessary – read the poem and the book to find out.

Review 2010/39 – Second Variety by Philip K. Dick

It may seem like I am stuck on science fiction but that, in my opinion, is actually not the case. While this is a science fiction book I am also in the process of reading other books – they just take longer to read and digest. This will become apparent in the near term. Science fiction to me is a ‘cleansing of the palate’ for my literary tastes which is why I read them.

In this book, there is an epic world war between the U.S. and Russia where most everyone and everything has been destroyed. What remains is ash, ruins and underground bunkers. Russia began the battle and was winning until the U.S. has unleashed killing robots. The story begins with the Russians asking for a truce with the U.S. sending an envoy to negotiate. Along the way the American comes across what appears to be a boy who is discovered to be a killing robot – variety one.

Since the story has a plot twist I don’t want to give it up. Keep in mind when reading that the book was published in 1953. Looking into Wikipedia I felt even better that I selected a book well worth reading. Some have linked this story into the Terminator series concept.

Review 2010/38 – The Life and Adventures of Santa Clause by L. Frank Baum

It is November and time to get ready for the winter holidays. I thought it a good time to read this little book about the vision Mr. Baum had about Santa Clause. Of course, it is different than the version told by Clement Clarke Moore and others. There is not really much for me to say because I always found S. Clause to be a personal choice. I read the book in great part due to the author. It is well done for what it is, a child’s book. With that in mind, it is probably best read to one – at bedtime!

Review 2010/37 – The Moon Pool by Abraham Merritt

The Moon Pool is a science fiction/alternative world type of book. It fundamentally is about an ancient race of people who inhabit the interior of the Earth. The Shining One occasionally leaves their part of the world and captures a surface dweller to feed upon – but only when the moon is full. A small group of men find the entrance and go in to hopefully rescue those that were captured.

The story line of this book goes all over the place. I am not sure what the author was intending. There are several plot lines that somewhat intertwine but to untangle them is simply not worth the time. It is almost like a dream where the concepts of one dream fade into another, not quite seamlessly but somewhat plausibly. Unfortunately, trying to make sense out of what is being described didn’t work for me. I lost interest in the story and the characters mid way through the book. The only reason I finished the book is to see how it possibly could pull the threads of the plot together.

I simply cannot recommend this book. Were there some good parts? Sure, but so limited it isn’t worth it. There are so many other books that don’t make the reader work to figure out what the heck the story is about. Space Hounds from IPC was a ‘bad’ book but the entertainment value was there simply because of the phrases the author used. I bet even the characters in the book would have complained. This book just didn’t ‘do it’ for me.

Review 2010/36 – Ireland Step by Step by CIE Tours International Insight Guides

This is a tourist guide all the way. On my recent trip to Ireland I found it quite invaluable and had it by my side every day of the trip. While this is not a literature book I still ‘claim credit’ for reading it.

The book (guide) provides a brief synopsis of the island history, food and drink, entertainment and a few other general items that the traveler should be aware of. Then, the guide goes into a detailed breakout of the various sections of the country with a focus, of course, on the larger attractions. I really liked the maps which were quite useful. Particularly helpful were the recommended walking tours. We did not follow the suggestions closely but I still found them quite useful.

Since this is a guide it is not typical of the other entries. However, if you are planning on a trip to Ireland I can without any reservation recommend CIE Tours (which provided the book). It would also be useful to actually read the book BEFORE you leave instead of reading the pertinent sections the day before you get to the destination (like I did in part). It was kind of fun though to read the book after to see all the details I missed.

Review 2010/35 – Spacehounds of IPC by E.E. “Doc” Smith

Oh boy, strap on your spacesuits and get ready for a ride! This book was absolutely amazing. All I can do is shake my head while wondering what was in the authors head when he wrote this. Did he invent the word hackneyed? Was he trying to create a new language or establish catch phrases into the culture? At first, I simply couldn’t put the book down because I just had to find out what odd statement would be made. I almost kept a list but there were sooooo many that I couldn’t pick out just one or two. The closest thing I can get to this is to compare the book to “Plan 9 From Outer Space”. For those that don’t know the movie “Plan 9…” is an absolute classic “B” movie. It is so bad it is a slow motion train wreck – that is this book.

So, of course, I completely recommend this book. Oh, you want to know what it is about? Well, so do I and I read it already. It is a space based adventure involving multiple planets, alien cultures, and all sorts of stuff. Leave any knowledge of science behind because every principle is shattered in this book. It is deliciously bad!

Review 2010/34 – Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare

This is one book that there is little for me to add to what you know. I believe everyone should read or see some Shakespeare now and again. Guess where ‘a pound of flesh’ came from? Read this and enjoy! Brevity is my savior!

Review 2010/33 – Flatland by Edwin Abbott Abbott

Now this book is a mind bender. It involves a narrator from Flatland which only has two dimensions. Most of the book is taken up explaining the viewpoint of how things work in Flatland. For example. men are polygons and women are straight lines. Here is the problem: Depending on how the ‘man’ approaches he will first appear as a straight line (due to the limitation of two dimensions).

I could go on and explain more about the book but I believe the author does a much better job than I could do. Suffice it to say that I feel this book is well worth reading. It is different, it is mentally challenging, and it is rather short. The last part is important because the plot is rather limited and a typical reader would get tired of too much explanation. I will end the review with one observation – any author with the same middle and last name has to have a unique way of looking at the world and Mr. Abbott certainly does!

Review 2010/32 – Blockade Runners by Jules Verne

I read this book strictly because of the author. He did some fantastic work that was clearly ahead of his time. This, however, dealt with issues closer to his time. It wasn’t great, it wasn’t that bad. Unfortunately, I found it rather middling overall.

The plot involves a Scottish merchant to takes a chance on running the United States Union blockade during the US Civil War to make a huge profit. His idea is to take a very fast ship and sell guns and ammunition to the confederates and buy as much cheap cotton as possible. Of course, he needs a crew and in the process takes on a hand that looks the part but requires his nephew come along as well. Turns out the ‘nephew’ is a woman trying to get her father out of captivity in the States. The captain of the ship falls in love with her and takes on the mission of selling the guns, buying the cotton and saving her father. Guess what happens, he does all three and everyone lives happily ever after.

The book is a rather quick read. It is fairly entertaining and I have certainly read worse. While not recommending the book it isn’t too bad. Not much of an endorsement but it is the best I can do to help out Mr. Verne.

Review 2010/31 – Leadership That Matters : The Critical Factors for Making a Difference in People’s Lives and Organizations’ Success by Marshall Sashkin and Molly G. Sashkin

I have read many books on leadership and this is not one of my favorites. It comes across as a research paper richly using references and numbers based on studies. Of course, research has its place and is critically important. However, what I look for is how to apply leadership. An author is expected to be able to back up their claims but I found this rather overmuch in the research department.

Specifically, the authors used their own research tool – something similar to a 360 degree evaluation and the results of their tool are used liberally throughout the book. There were times I wondered if the whole book is a sell job on how I need to buy the use of their tool rather than learn from the results of its use.

Overall, the book was dry and hard to keep enough interest to actually read and get the nuggets of information out. Yes, there are excellent leadership points made but they are buried within. If you can get over the first chapters (like the first six to eight) the reading can be worthwhile. Unfortunately, I recommend skipping over this book and pick out another.

Review 2010/30 – Cleek: The Man of the Forty Faces by Thomas W. Hanshew

Another British mystery book which fits the bill. It is a bit different than similar books in that it is a series of stories – all interrelated. In a way they build on each other but not too closely. The story begins with a very extended prologue, in three parts no less. The prologue tells some of the background of Cleek. He is a master thief, or cracksman (British burglar or safecracker) able to expertly disguise himself. At the end of the prologue he makes a decision to give up the life of crime and become a detective. His decision is based on a chance meeting with a woman. To win her he believes he needs to be worthy of her so he works diligently to become respectable.

The book begins quite well I thought. The storyline is smart, good and entertaining. I wanted to read more which is an excellent sign of a good book. After the first few stories I thought it became less compelling. At the end of the book, the last story was quite interesting and had a few good moments. Then, at the very end, instead of wrapping up the story the book discloses Cleek is the lost heir of the country of Mauravania. All through the book there is the issue of his unrequited love for Ms. Ailsa Lorne. However, the last we know, they ‘agree’ to wait until he has been made worthy.

All in all, I did enjoy the book but it wasn’t my favorite British detective book by far. It is eminently passable and enjoyable enough. Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle have just set the bar so high it is hard to reach.

Review 2010/29 – Voyage Round the World in His Majesty’s Frigate Pandora

by George Hamilton

After reading a novel about British sailing vessels I thought this book would be a natural follow-on. This book is considered to be a relatively factual narration of the attempted capture of the mutineers from the H.M.S. Bounty.

The book is written by the ships surgeon and tells the tale of their voyage. Their stated mission is to bring to justice the mutineers from the H.M.S. Bounty who are thought to be living in Tahiti. The ship and crew endure many difficult situations including the sinking of the Pandora. They are forced to take the flotsam and what little they could save and fashion the best sailing vessels they can to survive. Along the way they are confronted with bad weather, cannibals, and wild creatures. Ultimately, they do survive and make it back to England.

Not the most entertaining of books but for what it is still interesting. Mostly it is a window into how things were done back in 1790. I did think it rather amazing that a ship and crew would be dispatched around the world primarily to capture mutineers. That was a significant investment of resources back then.

Review 2010/28 – Post Captain by Patrick O’Brian

A seafaring book is what you might expect from the title and that is about right. There are however, many pages which focus on the activities on land. I enjoyed the sea portions of the book and endured the land portions. I recognized that any book can’t be just about action – that it has to be properly set up but there was too much that I though was superfluous. In short, I thought much of the plot device got in the way of a good story.

The plot follows the exploits of two men, Captain Jack Aubrey and a ships surgeon/spy Stephen Maturin about the year 1805. In the beginning of the book Captain Aubrey has returned from a successful cruise and is living off the prize money from a ship he captured. Unfortunately for him the money is taken away from him by the Admiralty leaving him in great debt. Throughout the book he is forced to stay in hiding or afloat to keep from being captured himself and thrown into debtors prison. There are several naval battles which are quite well done.

Notwithstanding the portions of the book involving the time ashore I did enjoy the book. For me, I wish the author had shown some restraint and pared away some of the extra material as it would have helped the plot immensely.

Review 2010/27 – Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan

Alfred Hitchcock made this mystery into an excellent movie. I had decided to read the book because on a recent trip to Scotland I saw the Forth Railway Bridge that figures prominently in the movie. Unfortunately, I was disappointed in that the bridge is only in the movie, not the book. Turns out the movie barely follows the plot of the book.

Regardless, the book was quite entertaining as an ‘innocent man on the run’ type of novel. The book is based in England and Scotland during the period leading up to World War One. There are many spies about and that is the engine for the plot. A bored man, Richard Hannay, inadvertently is caught up in a nest of spy and intrigue. In the process he is a murder suspect and goes on the run from the law. Of course, he tries to prove his innocence by capturing the real spies as he believes he is better equipped to bring them to justice than the police or the government. There are many improbable escapes but the individual situations were well handled.

The book is good, not great. After reading up on the author I realized he intended to make the book ‘a shocker’ which meant to him improbable events that could be somewhat believed. Since he didn’t take the plot seriously I felt better about reading it.

Review 2010/26 – Those Extraordinary Twins by Mark Twain

Oh how interesting! I didn’t really know what to expect from this book but it wasn’t what was waiting for me between the covers. I was expecting something along the lines of Tom Sawyer. The twins are actually Siamese twins who have two heads, four arms, one body and two legs. Since this is Mark Twain you would be right if this book is a farce but also wrong. He wrote on many different levels as the book can teach the reader about morals, scruples and society in general.

What is most interesting is how the twins are almost totally accepted without reservation in society. In fact, both the twins are taken at ‘face value’ as a set of two individuals. The level of tolerance for the obvious difference the twins display in the society is impressive. I also was amused by the legal battle fought by Pudd’nhead Wilson on behalf of one of the twins. The legal conundrum presented is worth the read by itself.

Once the fundamental concept of the book is accepted by the reader the true lesson can be received. The lesson I learned is that people in society view others from their own frame of reference and yet can be quite resilient and flexible. The story is odd but then again, so is society! The book is not for everyone but again, there is much to be learned from reading this story.

Review 2010/25 – The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick lencioni

Any leadership or management book has a targeted audience. I believe this book is reaching out to senior/high level managers. It is focused on how to lead from the top. Those working on a team would also benefit from reading it but I believe less so than management.

The entire book is built upon a case study of a fictitious high-technology Silicon Valley company. A new CEO is brought in by the Board to take over from the companies founder. What the new CEO discovers is that her inherited management team is not acting together which creates friction resulting in non-performance. Over a period of time the new CEO identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the team members and attempts to forge a new culture. In the end the CEO is successful (of course).

I found the book not only entertaining, a fast and easy read, but also useful. As you might expect I read the book at the request of my company. I was able to cross-reference the characters in the book with those in real life. Through introspection I believe the book was helpful to me and I encourage others to read it as well.

Review 2010/24 – A Short History of Scotland by Andrew Lang

The history covered within the 312 pages of this book is from the Roman occupation to its publication in 1911. Unsurprisingly, it was published by a company with offices in Edinburgh and London (apparently, in that order). The reason why I read the book was to prepare for a trip to England, Scotland and Ireland. Given with all the preparations for the trip I didn’t finish the book and in hindsight I believe that was for the best. After actually seeing Stirling and Edinburgh Castle along with some of the other sites I had a much greater appreciation for the book and the history it covers.

One thing which struck me was the tremendous impact religion had in shaping the history of Scotland. Chapter after chapter was filled with the give and take from the clergy. It got me thinking about how different history would have been without the impact of religion. Another observation I had was the vast stretch of time involved with the history of this country. The century’s seemed to roll by with little time for an in depth look at the historical events.

On a more whimsical note I recall the book Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson (a Scot – I saw his house!) There were certain events in Kidnapped that were covered in this history. I always enjoy the times when I can tie one book to another which helped make book very interesting to me. However, that is primarily because of my recent travels to Scotland. I expect I would have liked the book but my impression would likely have been ‘eeehh’ rather than ‘wow, interesting!’. Do I recommend the book? Well, yes but only if you have a true love for either history or Scotland.

Review 2010/23 – The History of London by Walter Besant

Another book I read ostensibly to prepare for my recent trip to England, Scotland and Ireland. Another book I didn’t have time to read before the trip. The history of Scotland I read after the fact and believed it worked out for the best. In this case, just the opposite. The history of London is absolutely fascinating and incredibly diverse. The most striking thought is how the citizens of London have shaped their country as a whole. I was quite impressed in how the citizens influenced the governance of the city and therefore their nation.

I was aware that London had a catastrophic fire but unaware of the fact there were several fires which practically destroyed the city completely. At one point the government tried to take the opportunity to plan for the future by restructuring the roads and controlling zoning. What they didn’t count on was the populace simply wanted to live where they had lived and built where ‘they belonged’. How resolute and how British.

The book itself was surprisingly entertaining but that may have been simply because of my recent personal interest. A history book of this type is not something that I can really recommend for ‘just reading’. I liked it and found it worthwhile. However, I am not certain that it is the best history of London but it certainly will do.

Review 2010/22 – Heart of the Comet by Gregory Benford and David Brin

Another science fiction book of course. The title actually tells the tale quite well if you have some imagination. The premise is that mankind lands a rather large colony of people on Halley’s comet with the intent to mine resources. The colonists realize there is something wrong and discover there are life forms on the comet. Unfortunately, the life forms are deadly to humans, some of which cause mutations, essentially infecting them. Earth of course finds out and attempts to destroy the comet and it’s human inhabitants to avoid a potential infection on Earth. The colonists discover and foil the plot and send the comet into deep space.

The book is interesting because of a subplot involving cloning and genetic manipulation. These and other social issues are not subtle but are confronted within the story line. The book is not one of my favorites but I have read it several times. Based upon a receipt used as a book mark I purchased the book in November 1987 (this might be a good idea for readers who don’t keep track of their reading habits). All in all, it is an interesting book but not the best.

Review 2010/21 – A Short History of England by G.K. Chesterton

I selected this book because I was preparing for a vacation in England. This was my way of preparing for the trip as I thought it prudent to brush up on my historical knowledge. The book, published in 1917, begins back with a very brief overview of the geography and the history of Roman times. Chesterton covers the legends and myths of England, issues with barbarians, the Norman kings, Crusades, the Plantagenet’s, French wars, Puritans, and the return of the barbarian. Throughout the book he provides his opinion and insights.

You might ask the question – why is Chesterton’s opinion of interest? He is known in literary circles as a brilliant writer and a very deep thinker. Some believe he inspired Michael Collins to lead the movement for Irish Independence and Mohandas Gandhi to lead a movement for an independent India. An example of a typical Chesterton quote is: Chesterton wrote “Thieves respect property. They merely wish the property to become their property that they may more perfectly respect it.”

Review 2010/20 – The Great Shadow by Arthur Conan Doyle

Since this book was written by the man who wrote Sherlock Holmes I was all for finding out what is was about. The first chapters made me wonder where the plot was going. It seemed to start out one way and then another. After a time I could see the plot lines twisting together ever more tightly. Near the end I could finally see the great shadow was Napoleon. The book is not a masterpiece by any stretch. It is a book to read and enjoy for what it is – a story of a boy growing to manhood in the midst of war and intrigue.

The book follows the life of Jack Calder who was a boy growing up in Scotland near the border with England. He grows up with a best friend, Jim Horsecroft, and a girl cousin, Edie, who he eventually falls in love with. Their adventures are intensified as a man is found nearly dead in a small life boat. He becomes one with the community after a time and woes the girl from both Jack and Jim. The reckoning is when the stranger marries the girl and goes away to the continent. Napoleon is loose from his island prison Elba and there is war. Jack and Jim both go to war eventually and there is a battle scene where Jim sees his rival who he has never forgiven and despite the odds attacks and kills his rival. This was purported to be part of the Battle of Waterloo. Jack finds Edie in Paris grieving over the death of her husband. It turns out she quickly remarries and dies in childbirth a year or two later. Jack returns to Scotland and has a peaceful and quiet life back on the farm.

Review 2010/19 – Morning by Morning by Paula Penn-Nabrit

What a fascinating book! This book was a big deal for me as I know the author and some of her family. I was able to learn so much about so many varied things that it was a lesson in itself. Even more fulfilling was the ability to discuss in some detail my thoughts about the book with the author, her husband, Charles and one the sons, Damon. What an opportunity to be able to stretch my knowledge. If you ever have the opportunity to know someone and then read a book they have written take it!

Stepping back from my personal perspective, I truly believe the book has many lessons for us all. First off, the book is written well. The information flows in such a way that it is an easy read. Secondly, although the book is about a home schooling experience, it is actually much more. It provides insight into a modern contemporary African-American family and their efforts to do the right things for their children in today’s society. The issues they dealt with are worth knowing and contemplating.

The book is not what I would expect as a primer on how to home school although it has plenty of hints and great ideas. That in itself is its strong point – it brings home the lesson there is no single right answer on how to home school and each family must make their own choice. Each chapter does end with a synopsis of what was learned regarding the issues discussed.

Review 2010/18 – Third Class in Indian Railroads by Mohandas K. Gandhi

The book is actually a compilation o