definitely Gumption!

Gumption: Relighting the Torch of Freedom with America's Gutsiest Troublemakers by Nick Offerman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ok, i'm now officially a fan of Mr. Nick Offerman. "Paddle Your Own Canoe" got my attention, but "Gumption" sealed the deal. Gumption is a thoughtful, intelligent, funny, inspirational, and very grounded collection of interviews and essays about 21 of Mr. Offerman's heros, both historic and contemporary. Among these persons, i found a few of my own heroes, but also adopted some of his, meeting them for the first time through these essays. Nick (may i call you by your first name?) has a grounded, well informed, intelligent, and compassionate view on life, politics, work, and our world in general. It makes my heart and mind warm and happy to read his thoughtfully reasoned comments on these his heroes, and on their affect on him and our world, and how he builds upon their work and art. I'm looking forward to reading more from Mr. Offerman, as well as reading some of these newfound heroes found in this book. Gumption is a great uplifting and heartwarming read, especially in the context of the insanity we see in the news and on the internet daily. Two thumbs up!!!

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So it goes

Tobacco Road by Erskine Caldwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow. This short but powerful story reads like a cross between a Steinbeck novel of social commentary and a Coen brothers black comedy/tragedy film. In it, we get a raw and disturbing view into a family and small farming culture that has been all but destroyed by those holding the money and the power; the banking industry, evangelical religion, corporate farming, and the industrial revolution, have literally left these desperately poor people in the dust. All that is left is a destitution so deep and irreversible that it has reduced the family and surrounding community to a barely human condition, dealing with hunger, lust, superstition, and fear. Yet to their last breath, they are able to hang on to their dream of farming and their love of the land. This story is even more disturbing and sad in that we can still see this pattern of money, religion, and power controlling and crushing the poor in spirit playing out in today's society and culture. One would have hoped that this country could have made more progress toward justice and equality in the last 100 years. So it goes.

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an enduring classic - timeless

Neuromancer by William Gibson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I treated myself to a re-read of this classic work by one of my favorite authors. Not being hampered by the learning curve of reading it for the first time, i was able to dive in head first into the deep end, in keeping with Mr. Gibson's writing style. His tales don't gently bring the reader up to speed. Rather, the reader is pulled at full speed into the depth and velocity of the story. One quickly learns not to start reading a Gibson novel without securely fastening the seat belt and putting the seat back and tray in the upright and locked position. Neuromancer is an enduring classic and will doubtless prove to be timeless. From the classic first sentence, to the last. Excellent.

previous review - 2012-06-13 :

I regret not having taken the time to read this brilliant tale before now. Gibson tells an excellent story with skill, creativity and intellect. Reading it so late in the game revealed to me just how much influence it has had since 1984 when it was first published. Neuromancer deserves the classic status that it has been awarded. I'm looking forward to reading it again and highly recommend it.

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wonderfully engaging and deeply immersing

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another wonderfully engaging and deeply immersing story from Neil Gaiman of reality colliding with myth, youth with agelessness, good with evil, fear with bravery. This tale is beautifully told with rich attention to detail, bringing it to life as it is read. I loved it.

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electronic music and other strange and stealthy inventions

Theremin: Ether Music and Espionage by Albert Glinsky
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is not just a fascinating and detailed biography of one of the earliest pioneers in electronic music and other strange and stealthy inventions. It is also a tale of life as a Soviet national in the US during the Great Depression and then his resulting gruesome life in Soviet Russia as a scientist and engineer convicted of being an enemy of the state during Stalin's reign of terror. I had either forgotten from history class, or never learned the grim details, but Stalin's Russia was certainly one of the darkest and most evil times and places of the 20th century. Theremin's clever intellect and rugged resolve somehow carries him out the other side of the collapse of the Soviet empire. His story is well told and documented, and is a must read for electronic music fans as well as students of history and technology during the cold war.

Theremin playing his revolutionary instrument (YouTube)



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