change of genre

Distrust That Particular Flavor by William Gibson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was an absolute delight! I really loved the change of genre by one of my favorite authors, William Gibson. "Distrust That Particular Flavor" is a collection of essays, addresses, and other short non-fictional works that Mr. Gibson has written over the years. It goes without saying that the writing is excellent. I loved sharing his thoughts on a variety of topics, and the insights into ideas, events and places that have contributed to his fiction, of which i'm a big fan! I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Mr. Gibson's excellent fictional works.

View all my reviews

the Internet

I'm enjoying this change of genre from William Gibson!

"The Internet, an unprecedented driver of change, was a complete accident, and that seems more often the way of things. The Internet is the result of the unlikely marriage of a DARPA project and the nascent industry of desktop computing. Had nations better understood the potential of the Internet, I suspect they might well have strangled it in its cradle. Emergent technology is, by it's very nature, out of control, and leads to unpredictable outcomes."

p.61 "Distrust That Particular Flavor" by William Gibson

The World Made Straight

The World Made Straight by Ron Rash
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"The World Made Straight" is a powerful and moving story set in the mountains of western North Carolina. The characters feel authentic, being a mix of good and bad as all real people are. Having finished my teen years in a rural environment during the same time period, I felt resonance with the situations and the people. The author does a nice job of weaving together the struggles and conflicts the main characters are experiencing with the Civil War conflicts their ancestors experienced over a hundred years earlier. The descriptions of the mountains and scenery popped off the pages, my family having spent much time camping in the mountains of North Carolina and southwest Virginia. Ron Rash's writing style is rich with metaphor and imagery, reminding me of Annie Dillard's "A Pilgrim on Tinker Creek".

My only disappointment is that i did not get this book read in time to go see the film based upon it when it was premiering locally (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2420166/). I heard about the limited showings on WUNC my local NPR station. (http://wunc.org/post/set-north-carolina-world-made-straight-premieres) I hope to be able to catch the movie when it is released more widely. This is a great story, i recommend it highly.

View all my reviews

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAlh5UYXp4Q

so ashamed of Duke

I'm so ashamed of Duke University right now :(

Rebuked by Graham, Duke University cancels bell tower broadcast of Muslim call to prayer 

BY BRUCE SICELOFF AND ADAM BELL
bsiceloff@newsobserver.com abell@charlotteobserver.com 

January 15, 2015 

DURHAM — In the face of protest from conservative Christian evangelist Franklin Graham and other critics, Duke University on Thursday dropped its plan to let Muslim students chant a weekly call to prayer from the Duke Chapel bell tower.

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2015/01/15/4478652_muslim-students-will-chant-call.html

How Jesus Became God

How Jesus Became God: The Exaltation of a Jewish Preacher from Galilee by Bart D. Ehrman
My rating: 5of 5 stars

"How Jesus Became God" is another brilliantly researched, organized, written and referenced book from Dr. Ehrman. Dr. Ehrman has a real talent for teaching, and for presenting voluminous and complicated historical material in a form accessible to the reader. This book is extra special to me because my daughter met Dr. Ehrman (view his address here) and got me a signed copy! The book is an excellent detailed overview of the historical evidence and theory which accompany the transformation of Jesus from the Jewish apocalyptic prophet who walked and taught in first century Palestine and was executed as a state criminal, to the God-man who the Christian church has worshiped for over two millennia. I'm looking forward to reading more of Dr. Ehrman's excellent work.

• http://www.bartdehrman.com/
• http://ehrmanblog.org/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAsQULGs1kU
  

View all my reviews

An Infuriating American

An Infuriating American: The Incendiary Arts of H. L. Mencken by Hal Crowther
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love reading Hal Crowther, his writing is fresh, engaging, and thought provoking. This book is an overview of the (in)famous journalist and writer H. L. Mencken. Mencken was a fascinating and complex personality. I walk away from reading this book wanting to sample Mencken's writing, but also with the feeling that i won't appreciate most of what he has to say. It is a challenge to separate the author from the subject matter. I would like however to get a glimpse of Mencken's intellect and worldview, even though i don't expect to embrace it. Another great book from Hal Crowther.

ps. NPR Host Frank Stasio talks to Mr. Crowther about his new book, An Infuriating American: The Incendiary Arts of H.L. Mencken ( http://wunc.org/post/infuriating-american )

View all my reviews