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.

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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.

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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
  

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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 )

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unconditional love

The Kingdom by Tom Hardin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this story. The reader is plunged right into the intersection of fundamentalist evangelical Christianity and the LGBT community. When these two worlds collide within a minister’s family, the real human drama that results is profoundly moving, in both tragedy and in redemption. Having literally walked through many of the circumstances in this story, it felt very real to me. I especially appreciate the authentic humanity portrayed in the characters, and that they are not beyond redemption. The characters are not good and/or evil in themselves. Rather, the systemic evil of Christianity and our society is exposed through real flesh and blood people who choose caring action, unconditional love and relationship over fundamentalist dogma. This story does not have a storybook ending. It will grab the open-minded readers heart, and tears may result. Sadly, this is a story that is being lived out over and over within our nation and around the world. My wish is that by reading it, more painful tragedy can be avoided, and true redemption can occur.

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Thinking in Pictures

Thinking in Pictures, Expanded Edition: My Life with Autism by Temple Grandin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"Thinking in Pictures" is the inspiring, fascinating, and informative account of the life experiences of Temple Grandin. She shares with candidness and detail her interactions with the world around her as a person with autism. Her insight and knowledge on many subjects have made her an expert on animal psychology and thought, and she has used her knowledge to revolutionize humane approaches to livestock handling. Her methods have enabled humane handling techniques to be used in a large percentage of the cattle and swine industry. Her personal experiences, challenges, and her philosophical pondering are interesting and thought provoking. She shares a viewpoint that many of us can never see for ourselves. I enjoyed this book very much and am looking forward to reading more of her expertise in animal psychology in her book "Animals in Translation"

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Peripheral

The Peripheral by William Gibson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An interesting angle on time travel, technology, and environmental catastrophe from one of my favorite authors. This is a great story, and it was cool to hear Mr. Gibson to read selections from it, and sign my copy at Motorco in Durham :)

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I do not grok

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I do not grok this in fullness, the waiting is.

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Great talk

Great talk, especially love the challenge at the end.

math fun :)

The Joy of Pi by David Blatner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

For someone who is a professional mathematician, this little collection of facts and anecdotes about the number Pi might seem trivial or boring. But to a math amateur like me who had about two dozen hours of math in the college of Engineering, this book was great fun. Lots of interesting facts, and many many humorous and sometimes scary stories about people who were fanatical about the number Pi and "squaring the circle". I enjoyed this collection!

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The Neverending Story

The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is one of the more creative and fascinating stories I've read in a while, and one of the best children's or middle years stories I've ever read. The story is actually two stories in one, or, as the title says, is about The Neverending Story. The story line and characters are rich and imaginative, and leaves the reader with many philosophical concepts to ponder, without beating the reader over the head with them as some other stories do. As i completed the book, i was left with warmness in my heart and a feeling of awe and wonder. It is not often that a story can nestle itself within your heart, but this one certainly did for me. I loved it, and am so thankful for my daughter's persistence in getting me to read it. Thanks sweetie :)

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The Giver - part 2

The Giver by Lois Lowry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As i mentioned in my last note,  I had just re-read "The Giver" because a movie is being released based upon the book. I just came across the trailer for the movie in another blog that i follow. In watching the trailer, I had a really weird, unexpected experience - I recognized almost NOTHING from the book in the trailer! I guess this should not come as a surprise, given the disconnect between so many movies and the books on which they are based. But still, perhaps because i had JUST read the book, the differences felt significant. I'll have to see the movie now to give it a fair shot, but my expectations have been tempered by the trailer.

The trailer:

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The Giver

The Giver by Lois Lowry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Giver is a great story about society, the status quo, and shaking things up to make a difference. I had read it with one of my kids when they read it in school, and wanted to re-read it because a movie is being released based upon this story. Great story.

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The Soul of a New Machine

The Soul of a New Machine by Tracy Kidder
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Soul of a New Machine is an extremely interesting story to someone like me who has been working with computers for over 30 years. Presented within it is much detail regarding the people and processes that make up the engineering and design process involved in the Data General Eclipse MV/8000. Much of it felt familiar as i recall my 15 years spent in IC Engineering, followed by 15 years in IT in support of Engineering processes. Even having lived though some of this story myself, i found the account fascinating and affirming in that my experience was representative of the engineering process in general. This narrative does not flow as smoothly and seamlessly as i expected, but i'm not going to argue with the Pulitzer Prize committee :) It is a great story and I'm thankful to Mr. Kidder for telling it. It had to have been a significant task to capture and report this story.

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The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Afghanistan is a name heard often in current events and the media. The Kite Runner gives an up close and personal look into life and death, love and hate in a place and culture that most of us never imagined. In this book, we meet real Afghans, and walk with them through their life and trials in a culture that is in the midst of destruction. It is so easy to forget that real people are affected by events and actions in this far away place. I recommend this book to those who wish to gain insight into a culture that he borne the brunt of failed political policies of much larger nations such as the U.S. and Russia. This story is excellently told, and brings the characters and their experiences to life for the reader. Must read.

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life in Cannery Row

Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A delightfully told tale of life in Cannery Row. I especially enjoyed the parts which were included in one of my favorite movies of the same title. Looking forward reading the rest of the story in Steinbeck's Sweet Thursday!

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It has always seemed strange

Cannery Row by John Steinbeck

"It has always seemed strange to me," said Doc. "The things we admire in men, kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, understanding and feeling are the concomitants of failure in our system. And those traits we detest, sharpness, greed, acquisitiveness, meanness, egotism and self-interest are the traits of success. And while men admire the quality of the first, the love the produce of the second."

page 143, Cannery Row by John Steinbeck

stunningly beautiful

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another stunningly beautiful tale told by John Steinbeck. In a mere hundred pages, Steinbeck paints character portraits so rich and real that i could see and feel them. What a heartbreaking, yet inevitable ending to this short but powerful story of grace, love, and trust, and of the triumph of love in spite of, and in the midst of a tragic, horrible ending. It is the mark of a great author to leave the reader in a state of awe and of shock at the ending of a story, even knowing that this ending was inevitable, and even expected. Welcome, John Steinbeck, to my list of favorite authors.

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