Shaman by Noah Gordon

An epic historical fiction about a deaf doctor who was raised by an Indian nanny of sorts who was murdered. Many good medical historical notes. Loaned to me by a patient.

The Hubble Wars by Eric J. Chaisson

Detailed story of Hubble failures and squabbles. Lots of politics, scientific pride, and amazing systems analysis faults. How good was the repair?

Chaos and Life by Richard J. Bird

Begins with an insightful critique of science or rather scientism. After a brief intro of chaos theory, fractals, and iteration, he briefly presents Darwinism as inadequate. Then a discussion of entropy and randomness. He then introduces his major ideas of iteration and recursion as an answer to Godël's incompleteness theorem and as a model of time, consciousness, and the fractal world, and understanding God as other and in the world. Starts strong, interesting ideas. Overreaches at the end but not offensively, rather almost embarrassedly.

Abduction by Robin Cook, Invasion by Robin Cook

Read and entered here only to avoid reading again.

What Saint Paul Really Said by N. T. Wright

Wright says the Gospel is the proclamation that Jesus is King (Messiah), that this proclamation brings faith, belief, justification, and salvation. Paul is following Christ, not inventing Christianity, and is thoroughly Jewish, not Hellenistic. My questions about Wright's view are about his view of righteousness and imputation (he is against this) and his view of Pharisees vis à vis the Law.

L'Abri by Edith Schaeffer

About prayer and hospitality and listening as much as great ideas skillfully rendered.

A Thread Across the Ocean by John Steele Gordon

A good book about a technological marvel and the dedication of Cyrus Field against great odds. Though an American, he got more support from England. The transatlantic cable changed the world.

Fool's Gold edited by John MacArthur

Good chapters on the New Perspective on Paul, Purpose Driven Life.

The Great Influenza by John M. Barry

Very good book about the history and epidemiology and the era and medicine and the scientists. Not so much virology. Part One Chapter One about secularism, science, and medicine is extremely well-written and thoughtful and thought provoking. I disagree but it is really wonderfully done.

Last Man Out by Melissa Fay Greene

A mine disaster in Nova Scotia in 1958 is the subject of this gripping story. The survivors speak and the townspeople tell their story. No sanitizing of the story, no false heroes. The scars and open wounds and grudges and fears and racism are all shown. After reading this powerful story, one is amazed to learn it is a reconstruction from tapes and other sources. It is a masterfully researched and written account of a unique people in a unique time.

Empires of Light by Jill Jonnes

This is a history of DC vs. AC electrification. Edison vs. Westinghouse in a battle of the titans. It is very good and shows how an obviously superior technology can be suppressed for a time. Woven throughout is the exotic mysterious Tesla, genius, bon vivant, and dreamer. Edison is petty, Westinghouse is full of integrity and larger than life. The World's Fair and the Niagara project figure large in the story.

Clear and Convincing Proof by Kate Wilhelm

Set in Eugene, it is a fairly good mystery but the writing is uneven and at times sophomoric.

Emperors of Chocolate by Joel glenn Brenner

Mainly about Mars and Hershey, both really fascinating people, more different than imaginable, both admirable in different ways. Well-written and very very interesting. Historical, psychological, and insightful. An unexpectedly tasty treat!

Empire Express by David Howard Bain

This book about the transcontinental railway is good when it talks about the construction, but is full of endless finance talk. How sad to review the swindling among the rich and the debauchery along the route as it is built.

Signposts in a Strange Land by Walker Percy

Very good series of essays. Some of the best I've ever read about language and reality and dualism and reductionism and the self. The essays about novels are good. Catholicism is discussed ably and his philosophy of science is I think quite helpful and solid. These essays are all brilliant, some more interesting to me than others. Some are classic.

Love in the Ruins by Walker Percy

An intriguing enigmatic novel with colorful characters and situations both funny and filled with pathos. Threads of catholicism, the south, alcoholism, and human weakness are woven in a winsome and sometimes confusing manner. There is a method in his madness. Modern life is confusing, conflicted, and misguided where most self-assured.

A Certain Justice by P. D. James (an Adam Dagleish novel)

Fun, nothing especially noteworthy. Adam is very understated and enigmatic, more of a presence than a character. Murder mystery set in England.

Descartes' Baby by Paul Bloom

A very interesting book based on the thesis that children are born dualists, believing in body and soul. While believing that dualism has been proven false by science, particularly neuroscience, Bloom is outspoken in stating that dualism is what everyone intuitively believes and this is why religion and spirituality and morals are universal. He purports to have a materialist stance that still admits morality and truth, and carefully defends evolution. My biased reading of the book finds his data and exposition fascinating and persuasive. His defense of materialism, his interpretation of science, and his attempt to salvage morality is to me weak and flawed of course. His child studies are delightful, his discussion of ethics is insightful, his presentation of religion is very fair-minded. A very good book.

Failure is Not an Option by Gene Kranz

An eyewitness account of Mercury, Gemini, Apollo from one who was involved in everything. Very interesting, personal and accurate. Names names, very frank. Not rose-colored but loyal.

Tuxedo Park: A Wall Street Tycoon and the Secret Palace of Science that Changed the Course of World War II by Jennet Conant

About Alfred Loomis, a Wall Street tycoon who sold out just before the crash. Built a lab, hired all the best scientists, and became a bona fide scientist himself. Started a radar lab at the onset of WWII that may have won the war. Very interesting, well-written, and has all the great names of physics of the era.

Looking for Spinoza by Antonio Damasio

The parts about Spinoza are the best, better than his thesis that feelings are a result of emotions that are measurable effects of the brain. Emotions are detectable, feelings are secondary results. Exactly the opposite of what we think we experience.

Trace by Patricia Cornwell

Better than last time, though obsessed with money and Ferraris.

The Difference Engine by Doron Swade

Charles Babbage and the quest to build the first computer. A wonderful book about an interesting man and an idea before its time. The main question is whether it would work and if it wasn't made because machining of that day wasn't adequate. Based on the book it seem the design definitely worked and the machining was very satisfactory. It was logistics, expense, and some greed that caused its failure, and also really lack of crucial need for it and the fact that Babbage invented the analytical engine which was far superior, more flexible, and elegant. Now we wait for the book on that, which tells us whether that machine works and could have been built or can be built even now! I also was curious about the "method of differences," which is the mathematical basis of the difference engine.

Project Orion by George Dyson

An amazing book about engineering unleashed in the heady days of nuclear successes. A story about how the possible almost becomes the actual and in retrospect seems unbelievable. A giant spaceship powered by nuclear bombs going off each second raising a ship the size of a small town at unbelievable speed leaving a trail of fallout behind. As a thought experiment it perhaps is the father of plasma propulsion and other out-of-the-box thinking. In any case an interesting book.

R is for Ricochet by Sue Grafton

Good read, enjoyable.

Pendulum by Amir D. Aczel

This is a great book about an interesting character. Many interesting historical references. A book I would like to own and a good gift. Revealing about scientific snobbery. The "reference space" of a swinging pendulum is still in dispute from Newton to Einstein. We know it is "fixed" but to what, or in what sense? The discussion of Arago is especially interesting.

The Carpet Wars - from Kabul to Baghdad: A Ten-Year Journey along Ancient Trade Routes by Christopher Kremmer

Going across the middle east through rugged terrain and war zones, culture and carpets are a common thread along with hard life, hate, history, and religion. Tribes and migrations and dominating chiefs and trade routes and rules of hospitality and cruelty and revenge. Every place he goes is full of interest. He travels in the footsteps of similar treks by others such as Byron (see above). I didn't know Iran was named for an Aryan migration.

The Zanzibar Chest by Aidan Hartley

A story of growing up in Africa and returning as a war journalist. A story of beauty and wonderful setting with unimaginable horror and cruelty and chaos. The dangerous life of a war journalist and seeing things no one should have to see and trying to tell a world not interested and trying to be objective. Self-medicating with drink, sex, and cynicism, the author is doing a job no one should have to do but he is drawn to it and half-destroyed by it. The sections on Rwandan genocide are particularly valuable as history, I expect. A painful read.

Darwinism under the Microscope by James P. Gills, M.D. and Tom Woodward, Ph.D.

A good compendium and accessible chapters about design and weakness of evolutionary theories. A good resource book.

Time for Truth by Os Guiness

An excellent short book on truth and a simple but powerful critique of post-modernism and its dangers. The illustrations of the three umpires, I calls 'em as they are, I calls 'em as I sees 'em, and there's balls and there's strikes and they ain't nothing till I calls 'em. He has some interesting passages about Nietzsche.

The Honors Class: Hilbert's Problems and their Solvers by Yondell

I read most of this but not all, the math being daunting. I note it to remember high points in this well-written work. Poincaré was interesting and the section on Kolmogorov was great and very interesting. He seems like Teddy Roosevelt in his youthfulness and vigor.

Whose Religion is Christianity? The Gospel beyond the West by Lamin Sanneh

This is a rich, stimulating book about Christianity and translation. We don't know the language of Jesus. The Gospel is translated from the outset. At the birth of the Church at Pentecost, we all heard the truth of the Gospel in our own language. As such the gospel is for all cultures. No culture is superior in the sense of availability. Christianity comes to a culture and uses its conceptions and name for God and the gospel expressed in that culture has a certain inherent validity. Sanneh thinks this is not syncretism but I think he would have a more tolerant view to what others would call syncretism and his case is made quite convincingly.

Antichrist by Nietzsche (palm)

A completely opposite look at Christianity. Radical atheism taken to its end and with a radical consistency that makes its lesser forms appear weak and inconsistent. It portrays the beliefs of Christianity as vain hopes and its practices as weakness and its priests as evil exploiters. Only Jesus is sincere and consistent but deluded.

Black Mischief: Language, Life, Logic, Luck by David Berlinski

An intriguing, somewhat disjointed but stimulating series of essays seemingly separate but slowly moving toward a mathematical critique of evolution. With interesting explanation of typology, probability, differential equations, language. He always is interesting and very candid. He is a skeptic and looking for false premises in every theory. I like his style.

The Emperor of Scent by Chandler Burr

About Luca Turin, an abrasive brilliant specialist on smell who has proved to his satisfaction that the nose smells by sensing the vibrational resonances of the molecult being smelled and not the shape of the molecules. Unfortunately he can get no distinguished journal to publish him or expert in the field to endorse him. Instead he goes around the world convincing people in various fields and offending everyone in general, including apparently the author.

Often profane, the book presents the wonders of the perfume industry and the personality and personalities of this chic arena.

Even his arguments are plausible but after agonizing with Luca so long the book ends with the reader still uncertain how we smell - vibration or shape!?

Was read aloud doing dishes.

The Piano Shop on the Left Bank by Thad Carhart

A gem about love of pianos and piano music and a glimpse into a Paris no one sees. Discussing special knowledge of pianos and music without being elitist. Showing special understanding of Parisians without being snobbish. Don't try this at home or when you go to Paris!

History of the Westminster Assembly of Divines by William M. Hetherington

An old account, not contemporaneous, of the writers of the confession and catechisms. The most surprising aspect of the book is that it is largely about the internal debate about church government and the role of church and state - not about separation of church and state but about which authority is superior. The Erastians felt the civil was above, arguing from O.T. structure of Israel. Though almost the antithesis of Theonomy, it seems to have close to the same effect. The political situation at the time of the Divines was almost unimaginably unstable. The king was imprisoned, tried, and beheaded. Cromwell was in ascendance. Also notable is the integrity and patience and quality of debate and the erudition of the theologians. Somewhat boring writing.

The Golden Ratio by Mario Livio

Section on Fibonacci is very good and the end about the platonic view of mathematics is good but he cops out really in the end. Fractals and tiling is accessible, early sections on history and pyramids a little boring.

Deception Point by Dan Brown

Fast-paced, fun, fairly interesting, not profound. Small mosquito-sized flying spy cams.

Imagining Numbers by Barry Mazur

Very good and interesting book with lots of excursions into the idea of imagination and clever illustrations about how we think abstractly with interspersed chapters about "i" (the square root of -1) which if given in one string would be overwhelming but as presented almost are imaginable.

Euler - The Master of us All by William Dunham

Interesting discussion of a genius. Lots of math well-explained. Just a little beyond me but most probably understandable with more work. Of course the originality and insight is inimitable but Dunham is a master of choosing representative proofs and making the points needed.

Translating the Message - The Missionary Impact on Culture by Lamin Sanneh

This book gives much weight to the argument that the missionary enterprise while not perfect was not a colonizing movement (in fact it was opposed by the colonizing countries) but by its support of the vernacular led to nationalism and increased local self esteem.

He argues that Christianity is inherently translated and translatable. That the vernacular is how Christianity is best propagated. Christianity goes into a culture where God has already been! It is translated into the vernacular both linguistic and cultural.

Islam by contrast is not translated and destroys or supplants the vernacular.

This book is full of data and examples. Missionaries should read this. Those who resent missionaries should read this book also. Immensely valuable.

The Best American Science Writing (2002) edited by Matt Ridley

Read most of these and enjoyed them, especially the Soft Science of Dietary Fat, Rethinking the Brain, Pirate Utopia, Code Red for the Web.

The Thanatos Syndrome by Walker Percy

A novel that makes you think with themes and undercurrents that are engaging and profound. The knowledge of the self and the flaws that make us unique and human explored with insight, compassion, and without shrinking from our illnesses.

The Language of Mathematics by Keith Devlin

An interesting survey with useful discussion of sets and groups and non-euclidean geometry and topology. The knot section was accessible as was the section on simple probability. His section on Chomsky and section on relativity were less well done.

Then and Now in Kenya Colony by Willis R. Hotchkiss

Copyright 1937. This book is from another era, about an Africa that no longer exists. But looking past the dated attitudes, a deep faith and awesome strength of purpose shines through. These men and women were giants and many died so the gospel could reach these tribes. This is a unique look at Africa at the period of its most rapid change.

The Power and the Glory by Graham Green

The story of a "whiskey priest" in a state of Mexico that was executing priests. This priest is conflicted, knowing he is unworthy, having committed a mortal sin and fathered a child who he loves but barely knows. And yet unworthy as he is, he still is the only priest around and is unable to run away from his duty. Hardly a saint, hardly a martyr, lustful and intemperate, he represents something greater than himself and he gives hope to poor believers who overlook his flaws, needing what he can give, confession and the sacraments.

Bryson City Tales by Walt Larimore

Wonderful stories with a message of a well-trained zealous young doctor in "our own" Byson City. Resonated a lot with some of my Lebanon experiences.

Bryson City Tales by Walt Larimore

Wonderful stories with a message of a well-trained zealous young doctor in "our own" Byson City. Resonated a lot with some of my Lebanon experiences.

Gödel's Proof by Ernest Nagel and James R. Newman

A little beyond me but I understood the basic scheme of the argument. Undoubtedly a wonderful exposition of one of the most important scientific papers ever written.

Gödel's Proof by Ernest Nagel and James R. Newman

A little beyond me but I understood the basic scheme of the argument. Undoubtedly a wonderful exposition of one of the most important scientific papers ever written.

Arabian Sands by Wilfred Thesiger

Written in 1959 about travels in the Empty Quarter, the last desert to be explored by Europeans. Thesiger, who grew up in the Middle East, traveled with the Bedu and earned their trust and protection. Suffering severe trials and escaping death from thirst, hunger, and most of all, Arabs who hated the "Christian," he traveled across the desert from well to lifesaving well. His insights on the tribes, Islam, camels and culture are well-written in fact and tone. A very rewarding travel story in the mid 40's about a culture from the past centuries now lost forever.

The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien

What can I say, could this be one of the best books ever?!

The Mind and the Brain by Jeffrey M. Schwartz

Very good presentation of mind with a convincing presentation of evidence for adult neuroplasticity. The discussion of quantum mechanics is interesting but seems to be a materialist explanation nonetheless. The main impetus is a moral argument. The author is a Buddhist and does a good job of focusing on mental states. The last chapter is a good summary of the entire argument.

Reversible Errors by Scott Turow

Interesting plot with several "reversals." Good characters, intruding sex scenes.

Destroying Angel: Benjamin Rush, Yellow Fever, and the Birth of Medicine by Bob Arnebeck

About a great man and eminent physician and devout Christian at the cusp of either the end of ancient medicine or the dawn of modern medicine and hence an agonizing portrayal of a devoted doctor facing a terrifying illness armed with unhelpful theories and no effective weapons. The writer both understands and misunderstands, seeing his medical efforts but blind to his spiritual integrity, seeing it only as undeveloped as his medical understanding.

Concerning Christian Liberty by Martin Luther

Really excellent discourse about faith and works with very good analogical apologetics.

An Open Letter to the Christian People by Martin Luther

A polemic about papal abuse and priesthood of believers.

An Open Letter to the Christian People by Martin Luther

A polemic about papal abuse and priesthood of believers.

The Road to Oxiana by Robert Byron

A relative of Lord Byron, travels in Persia and Iran and Iraq and Afghanistan, headed for upper Afghanistan. Arduous dangerous travel. He was an architect documenting ancient architecture. He is at turns xenophobic and culturally insightful. Highly critical of people and customs and then suddenly open and clearsighted. The architecture shows amazing civilizations long forgotten. I was confused at times by use of the word Persian and it wasn't clear to me what languages he used.

The Cambridge Quintet by John L. Casti

A fictional account of a dinner at Cambridge with Turing, Haldane, Schroedinger, Snow, and Wittgenstein, about the possibility of computer intelligence and language. Mostly between Turing and Wittgenstein. Much talk about language and consciousness and meaning. Fairly interesting but pretty inconclusive. Epilogue is really quite helpful.

The Journey to the East by Hermann Hesse

Somewhat bizarre tale of servant leadership, a metaphysical quest with emphasis on narrative as truth.

The Journey to the East by Hermann Hesse

Somewhat bizarre tale of servant leadership, a metaphysical quest with emphasis on narrative as truth.

Brother Astronomer by Guy Consolmagno

World-class meteor expert and Jesuit believer who writes very interesting chapters about astronomy and meteors, but also about faith and science and God and science and the truth about the church and Galileo. Has good chapters to refer to about these matters such as science as a faith.

The Prince by Machiavelli

Retaining power the ultimate good frames the ethics and gives sense to the book, repugnant though it seem.

Safe in the Arms of God by John MacArthur

A wonderful small book that convinces, comforts and cures. Highly recommended.

Safe in the Arms of God by John MacArthur

A wonderful small book that convinces, comforts and cures. Highly recommended.

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

A great book with two main threads woven together. The triumph of an architect and the wonder of the World's Fair and the emergence of Chicago as a world-class city and a grisly murder mystery or story. All true and written with skill and juicy tidbits of the era and its effect on the future. Wonderful book.

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

A great book with two main threads woven together. The triumph of an architect and the wonder of the World's Fair and the emergence of Chicago as a world-class city and a grisly murder mystery or story. All true and written with skill and juicy tidbits of the era and its effect on the future. Wonderful book.

Kitchen Table Wisdom by Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D.

Wonderful uplifting stories; a real gem. Invokes Buddha, Zen, visualization, but remarkably not in a way that closes the door on a Christian worldview. I was prepared not to like this book but was moved and I think helped by it. I think all physicians should read this or hear her speak.

Quote of the book: "You have to be present to win!"

Kitchen Table Wisdom by Rachel Naomi Reuben, M.D.

Wonderful uplifting stories; a real gem. Invokes Buddha, Zen, visualization, but remarkably not in a way that closes the door on a Christian worldview. I was prepared not to like this book but was moved and I think helped by it. I think all physicians should read this or hear her speak.

Quote of the book: "You have to be present to win!"

Seeing in the Dark by Timothy Ferris

Ferris at his best. Praising of amateur astronomers with just the right balance of technical and story. A must read for one wanting to start star gazing!

Seeing in the Dark by Timothy Ferris

Ferris at his best. Praising of amateur astronomers with just the right balance of technical and story. A must read for one wanting to start star gazing!

Following the Equator by Mark Twain (PALM)

Long for reading on Palm, very interesting, travel, delightful at times. Acerbic at times. Funny and insightful. Especially poignant about slavery and religion.

SR-71 Revealed: The Inside Story by Richard H. Graham

Very detailed and interesting; the straight scoop from the pilot's point of view. Lots of skill needed. Refueling all the time, sensitive airplane. Running near its limits all the time.

SR-71 Revealed: The Inside Story by Richard H. Graham

Very detailed and interesting; the straight scoop from the pilot's point of view. Lots of skill needed. Refueling all the time, sensitive airplane. Running near its limits all the time.

The Man who was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton

Interesting, at times puzzling, wonderfully written. Is it about anarchy or pursuing the enemy and finding one's self?

Go To by Steve Lohr

A story of microcomputer languages. Some multiply retold, some new to me. Lisp comes out well, C has been around much longer than I realized. Java has the writer in awe. Forth, the best language ever, is not even mentioned.

Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman

This is a very interesting seminal book about the typographic revolution and the television revolution and the death of discourse. Among many others, the example of the Lincoln-Douglas debates is thematic and I think convincing.

A Mathematician's Apology by G. H. Hardy

Somewhat elitist, he also seems depressed. He takes a Platonist position; he is merciless in his criticism of Hogben. Obsessed with cricket. Mathematics as self-absorption.

Red Rabbit by Tom Clancy

Vintage Clancy. Good story, poorly edited, curiously repetitious.

Red Rabbit by Tom Clancy

Vintage Clancy. Good story, poorly edited, curiously repetitious.

The Remnant by Jenkins and LaHaye

Desecration by Jenkins and LaHaye

Faith in technology

The Mark by Jenkins and LaHaye

Faith in technology

Commentary on Galatians by Martin Luther

Very good (PALM version), much more interesting than I expected. Of course law and grace covered well, but also criticizes speculation about the nature of God apart from Christ, which is God's way of revealing himself.

Indwelling by Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye

Same

How to Think about Statistics by John L. Phillips, Jr.

Basic practical general intro to statistics, distribution, correlation - pretty good.

Six Days of War by Michael B. Oron

Read during the Iraq war and was very timely. Of interest was the crucial importance of air superiority, the aggressive armor tactics with high casualties that we now would find shocking. And the by now well-recognized but still appalling lying of the Arab officers even to their own superiors. Not written from a pro-Israeli perspective, it shows shocking ineptitude in higher Arab military leaders and pervasive political distrust and deceit. No change yet, I think.

AIDS and Accusation: Haiti and the Geography of Blame by Paul Farmer

This is very much an anthropological approach and very insightful culturally. If it is too political at least it is a politics seen from the village, which gives it a certain intrinsic validity if also naïveté. The prejudging of Haitian risk and origin of AIDS is regrettable and sad and unfair. The initial failure to emphasize the role of man-on-man sex in the initial stages is underemphasized (I know, I was there, at that first conference; as I recall, no one could get any index cases to admit sex with men. The account in the book is to me revisionist, though this may be because several papers and meetings are collapsed together and the issue was probably clarified in weeks if not months). Farmer has been there, on the ground and in the huts.

In the Wake of the Plague by Norman F. Cantor

Interesting and surprisingly agnostic about the actual vector - pestis or anthrax etc. From a historical cultural point of view with eclectic and interesting asides. Eager to dispense with Aristotle for some reason. Good length, well-written, interesting. A more benign view of feudalism.

To Infinity and Beyond by Eli Maor

As it says, a cultural history of the infinite. The usual stuff about Cantor fairly well explained. Quite a good non-euclidean part. Infinite tilings and symmetries was good and the section on Escher was very good. The section on kabbalism and cosmology interested me less. The appendix on group theory was quite good and concise.

Jean-Bertrand Aristide: An Autobiography

This is a frightening look into an evil man falsely using the priesthood, liberation theology, voodoo and the poor to become all that he professes to deplore.

Lockheed SR-71: The Secret Missions Exposed by Paul F. Crickmore

Very detailed explanation with pictures and drawings and all the people and equipment. Lots of crashes and danger. Not easy to fly.

Buried Treasure by Rabbie Daniel Lapin

At times fascinating, it is based on a premise that Hebrew is "designed" in the sense that it fits together and the letters and words and numbers interact in a meaningful way.

Buried Treasure by Rabbie Daniel Lapin

At times fascinating, it is based on a premise that Hebrew is "designed" in the sense that it fits together and the letters and words and numbers interact ina meaningful way.

Kelly - More than my Share of It All by Clarence L. "Kelly" Johnson

The skunk works SR-71 guy, good tale of a good designer.

Renewing Your Mind by James Montgomery Boice

Excellent discussion of Romans 12:1-2. Very good discussion of secularism and humanism, balanced view of God's will.

Golden Booklet of the Christian Life by John Calvin

A chapter from a larger work. Good about man's state, the cross and bearing our cross and persecution.

Golden Booklet of the Christian Life by John Calvin

A chapter from a larger work. God about man's state, the cross and bearing our cross and persecution.

Q is for Quarry by Sue Grafton

I enjoyed it a lot. It was fun and clever.

Soul Harvest by Jerry Jenkins

Couldn't put it down, don't ask why.

Nicolae by Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye

Another; good characters, much love among the brethren and sisters. Fiar writing, plot fairly complex.

Tribulation Force by Tim LaHaye & Jerry Jenkins

More of the same, somewhat hooked by the characters, I must admit.

Tribulation Force by Tim LaHaye & Jerry Jenkins

More of the same, somewhat hooked by the characters, I must admit.

Phantoms in the Brain by V. S. Ramachandran

This is a very interesting and stimulating book. The most interesting is the part on phantom limbs and neglect syndromes. He, like Sacks, listens to the stories of his patients. He has interesting ideas but they are curiously incomplete, that is, incompletely investigated.

The part of the book about the Charles Bonnet syndrome was especially interesting.

The Coming Islamic Invasion of Israel by Mark Hitchcock (Multnomah)

Premillenial exploration of present middle east drift toward final confrontation, short, fairly good in its small niche.

A Call to the Unconverted to Turn and Live by Richard Baxter

A wonderful if archaic tract with a real heart for the lost. Long, repetitive, emotional, it is nonetheless biblical and sound. (ebook Palm)

Apollyon by Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye

Book 5 in series; same stuff. 5-3-03

Genome by Matt Ridley

This is a clever book about the genome, taking each chromosome and using it as a tag to discuss a genetic topic. The writing is very interesting. The topics are very good. The most interesting was Instinct, which had a lot of linguistics. He also disposes of Marxism, Leninism, Freudianism, and other -isms in one page. The prion chapter is somewhat alarming. The evolutionary gymnastics to explain the X and Y chromosomes is amusing.

Quantum Theory: A Very Short Introduction by John Polkinghorne

Very good, concise, well-written. What limited math it has is less accessible to me because of typography or symbols that either are beyond me or different than what I have studied. He gives care to state that drawing philosophical conclusions from physics is not warranted - he calls this Quantum Hype. "...random subatomic uncertainty is very different indeed from the exercise of the free will of an agent."

Left Behind by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins

Interesting, fairly well done, but the main question remains, is there a second chance?

Uncle Tungsten by Oliver Sacks

I wish I would have read this as a chem major in college. It evokes the wonder of nature often seen in biologists it seems but not in chemists. A biography of a child chemist recapitulating the history of chemistry, a little too neatly perhaps but engagingly. Metals, the periodic table, explosions (where were the parents?!). Humphry Davy seems to be interesting as is Boyle. I enjoyed this book.

Memory: A Guide for Professionals by Alan Parkin

A simple, well-organized discussion of memory and the brain. The sections on the fallibility of memory and false memory are quite interesting.

Memory: A Guide for Professionals by Alan Parkin

A simple, well-organized discussion of memory and the brain. The sections on the fallibility of memory and false memory are quite interesting.

Boltzmann's Atom by David Lindley

The story of an idea and a man who defended and proved the idea but suffered greatly for fighting against the old ideas. His nemesis Mach was a thorn in his side. His idol Maxwell understood him then found a serious flaw evoking Maxwell's Demon. Lucretius, Clausius, Hertz, Helmholtz, Planck, Gibbs, all played roles. The clarification of the second "Law" of thermodynamics as probabilistic is interesting. Josiah Willard Gibbs emerges as almost as interesting as the hero of the tale.

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing

This is a short book about an incredible adventure. Hardship, cold, resignation to misfortune, but no despair, just perseverance of almost unimaginable extent. Not to mention navigation and seamanship with almost nothing but knowledge and crude tools. The IMAX movie was beautiful and yet the book is so much more evocative of how hard it really was.

Venus in Transit by Eli Maor

This is a delightful, interesting book that excited and challenged me till I read that the transit won't be visible from the U.S.! It is well-written, understandable, and enjoyable. A short, well-executed book. June 8, 2004

Chandra by Kameshwar C. Wali

A good book about Chandrasekhar, the greatest Indian astronomer and Nobel prize winner in physics. Coming from India, he went eventually to the University of Chicago and was mainly at Williams Bay. His love-hate relationship with Eddington severely hampered and delayed the recognition of his work. His story is reminiscent of that of Ramanujan, though with a happier ending.

The Defeat of the Spanish Armada by Garrett Mattingly (1959)

A definitive account from primary sources of the greatest military battle to that time. From my reading it seems that the weather was not the deciding factor, but the superior performance of the English ships. The Spanish had the harder task and were poorly supplied and had many inferior ships. The book goes into excruciating detail about the political context. King Philip of Spain seems a most interesting character as does of course Drake.

A Man in Full by Tom Wolfe

Very good till the end with a realistic unsatisfying ending, great characters. About manhood in all its forms, strength and weakness, fear, courage.

Skunk Works by Ben R. Rich

An interesting book about stealth technology and high altitude high speed recon. The SR-71 and the B1 and B2 and the Stealth fighter and the pressures and joys of top secret high stakes gambling with the fickle U.S. government as an unequal partner. The basic thesis is that if the bean-counters and bureaucrats let the engineers alone, anything is possible!

The Los Alamos Primer by Robert Serber

This is a reconstruction of the lectures which were given to the scientists when they came to Los Alamos for the Manhattan Project. The lecture notes are given and explained in a different type face in the light of more recent knowledge. It is a great little book. What is striking is that the science was rather well known from the outset and it was the execution and engineering that was the monumental feat. This is a unique glimpse by one who was there, and source documents open to view, inaccuracies and brilliance on display in the best tradition of American science.

The Pleasure of Finding Things Out by Richard P. Feynman

Interesting and some historic and seminal ideas, molecular computing, h istory of Los Alamos, the Challenger inquiry. I find his philosophizing shallow and naive. His view of science is so overconfident and naive (again, it seems the best word; uncritical might be even more accurate). He seems not to see that all statements about science are philosophical and not scientific. He seems to claim that when a scientist looks at science and culture he is looking at both scientifically. As opposed to non-scientists, who look at science ignorantly and the world unscientifically.

The Rise of the Greeks by Michael Grant

I read most of this. Reminds me of the fossil record, deciding about cultures from pieces of clay pots but most of it is quite plausible. I'm sure it is careers of research distilled and well-written.

The Lotus and the Cross by Ravi Zacharias

Interesting, but didn't really clarify the issues. It raised problems for Buddhism well but because of the style, was ethereal. This made it enjoyable to read. A certain artfulness of writing.

The Summons by John Grisham

A good story with more cleverness than it seems. Clues are freely offered and easily ignored. About jumping to conclusions and being comfortable and overconfident and being afraid of the wrong things.

Fifth Business by Robertson Davies

Well-written story with some subtlety and a Canadian view. Exotic characters and psychological insight. Deals with family dysfunction, home and community love, ambition, guilt, identity. A good if not great book.

The Lady Tasting Tea by David Salsburg

A really great book about statistics, very interesting, raised many fundamental questions. A tour de force, I think. Unique.

Acid Tongues and Tranquil Dreamers by Michael White

The usual Leibnitz-Newton stories and many others. The Darwin ones were to me slanted and tedious. Not particularly interesting, though a lot of research is apparent.

E = mc2 by David Bodanis

A really neat book about a great subject, well-written, well-executed. Discusses Einstein and many other people involved. Explains the elements of the equation in an engaging way. Is full of interesting asides, such as why WWI ships have their metal used on moon probes (low background radiation in pre-Hiroshima steel). That 1.8 billion years ago, some natural uranium deposits had gone critical because a natural aquifer had slowed neutrons and caused a reaction in Gabon near the Oklo river. It talks about the destruction of the Norway heavy water plant stopping the German A-bomb effort. Numerous excellent references. A very good book - a delight.

Big Red by Douglas C. Waller

A good submarine book about the Nebraska, a Trident missile sub and its captain and crew. Mostly about people and the mission and some about the boat. About living on board, stress on family, and the jobs and aspirations. Amazingly complex, quite dangerous, constant drills keep things on edge. Even the skipper is constantly being tested. A sub travels thousands of miles blind, just listening to avoid colliding with something. A scary thought.

The Moviegoer by Walker Percy

A very good, very thought-provoking book about reality and the self and how one lives life or lets life pass by and how modern life can be lived in a way that time and place are irrelevant. A point the internet and cell phones etc. make even more striking now. The self can anchor itself to time and space by interacting with people in the present place and creating connections of time, place, and self.

Would-be Worlds by John L. Casti

Very thorough book of simulation and virtual reality and modeling. Lots of depth and sources and whole fields of mathematics. Too much for me to take in.

The Story of the Reformation by William Stevenson, John Knox Press

An older but short, very readable account. Good on Knox, fair with anabaptists. Poem by Burns - "The Cotter's Saturday Night."

Back Spin by Harlan Coben

Pulp mystery, but better than I expected. Protagonist is remarkably ordinary and clueless, or at least not sure of what is going on. gives it a different flavor. Myron Bolitar a sports agent. I'm not a fan but was pleasantly surprised.

The Language of the Genes by Steve Jones

Could have been interesting, but loaded with cant. Poisoned by politics. And he thinks he is the first to know how foolish everyone in the past was and how smart we are now because we know enough to not be bigoted. A jaundiced book with tons of interesting facts.

Euclid's Window by Leonard Mlodinow

This is a really good book, well written, easy to read. It starts with Euclid and moves through non-euclidian systems to Newton, Einstein - via relativity to string theory. The explanation is done very well. He has some interesting explanations of relativity. The string part is understandably vague but interesting. His math history is interesting and focuses on personalities.

A Long Way from Euclid by Constance Reid

Excellent discussion of Euclid. Concept of number, multidimension discussion is excellent. Discusses calculus. Good non-euclidian presentation. Valuable logic introduction. A lot of accessible math in a readable book.

Crypto by Steven Levy

An up-to-date good book about crypto. A lot about personalities. Good discussion of public key.

The White House Connection by Jack Higgins

Fun, usual Higgins plot: Walther, Irish, planes, etc.

Lost in the Cosmos by Walker Percy

Different than anything I have ever read and dealing with a difficult, elusive topic - the self. Keeping you constantly off balance and always going too far, you are nonetheless caught by the importance of the subject, the great difficulty of any ordinary approach to discussing the self, and a great reluctance to admit that the author is onto something. Indeed he forces you to make a great many "points" against your will and dutifully pay him homage for causing you to think about the part of you that thinks and to analyze the analyzer and de-costume the actor.

The Private Life of the Brain by Susan Greenfield

An interesting if reductionist view of the brain = mind --> consciousness. Deals with many interesting currents in neuroscience by a very astute writer/researcher. It seems we are beginning to get a glimpse of some things but I can't help but feel we are seeing what we "hope" to see in the haze.

The Universe and the Teacup by K. C. Cole

About math in all areas of life, not very interesting. Some interesting moments with distasteful (to me) political asides.

Micropower: The Next Electrical Era by Seth Dunn

Basically about the decentralization of power generation.

Lexical Aids for Students of New Testament Greek by Bruce M. Metzger

A very valuable book, not easy reading, mostly for reference, very helpful to beginners.

The Terrible Hours by Peter Maas

The thrilling story of the tragic sinking of the Squalus and the dramatic rescue thanks to the remarkable Momsen, an eccentric genius who developed the Momsen Lung and the rescue bell and helium/oxygen mixture for deep diving. A short but engaging book, very good.

The Natural Philosophy of James Clerk Maxwell by P. M. Harman

An analysis of the metaphysical ideas of a great physicist. A fair and interesting treatment without any mention of Christianity despite the fact that Maxwell was a devout Christian. Still the book is valuable as it shows his stance against determinism and naturalistic philosophy on a scientific basis, or rather on the basis of realizing the intrinsic limits of science. It appears he specifically avoided religious statements as a physicist, at least as portrayed in this book.

The Hole in the Universe by K. C. Cole

Basically about "nothing" and advanced physics and string theory which makes the universe "perturbations in a vacuum" and perhaps gives a glimpse of creation ex nihilo and shows the close connection, even equivalence, of space and time. To me, this shows how God can transcend time and space, making it "easy" to "understand" how problems of foreknowledge disappear before awesomeness of mind.

Code Breaking by Rudolf Kippenhahn

Another good book on codes and ciphers. Well-presented and I might recommend it as the best single book on the topic I have read so far. Just right in terms of depth of coverage and clarity.

Son of Laughter by Frederich Buechner

About Jacob in a wonderful earthy style, faithful to the scriptural texts, brings out subtle references almost certainly true. I may never read the stories again without being influenced by this writing. The Patriarchs lose none of their awesomeness but gain back their humanity. Traits buried in the text under the dust of years and culture and not a little ethnic laziness are dusted off and the real sweaty striving Jacob stands forth. The one who fought with God. Great writing.

Flu by Gina Kolata

A very interesting account of the 1918 flu and the successful search for the virus in pathology archives and arctic permafrost. Fascinating archives of the disease and the virology and origins in China. Unfortunately the story is unfinished, samples are still being run and genetic decoding is proceeding. Why was this flu so much worse? The book doesn't say!

Laser by Nick Taylor

Should be titled "How not to patent an invention." Poor Gordon Gould commits a comedy of errors after inventing the laser. Finally at age 80 gets millions. Not much about lasers, a lot about lawyers. Fairly well-written.

Who Wrote the Book of Life? A History of the Genetic Code by Lily E. Kay

This is definitely a post-modernist history of the genetic code. It is an account of the metaphors of code, book, word, world and the account of John "in the beginning was the word (world)." The section on linguistics is interesting if arcane. Chomsky, Von Neumann and Gamov all had interesting contributions but the history is not presented as history but rather as competing or complementary narratives. In spite of this post-modernistic bent it brings up interesting questions about information, codes, ciphers, language context, analogy, proteins as information carriers. Meaning and its contrast to the mathematics of information. Perhaps we could say it comes down to bits and being.

Betrayal of Trust - The Collapse of Global Public Health by Laurie Garrett

An encyclopedic review of the unraveling of world health. The globalization of diseases and the partial treatment of TB, HIV, and malaria causing newer and more lethal forms. Vancomycin-resistant bacteria and other modern time bombs!

The Code Book by Simon Singh

This is an interesting discussion of codes and ciphers. The whole book is good, but the Mary Queen of Scots story, the Rosetta Stone story, and of course the ENIGMA story stand out. It has some of the best description of public key cryptography I have read. I can't say I understand the quantum crypto chapter, but probably mostly due to lack of interest. The hidden language chapter is very good and has a lot of linguistic relevance.

Newton's Gift by David Berlinski

This is a good book. Is the title a play on words? This is an interesting short concise discussion of Newton's greatness, his genius, (his pettiness). Mechanics, calculus, the Principia, these are all gifts to the world. The discussion of his Arianism is brilliant and very clear. The discussion of his male companion is deft. His alchemy is treated most fairly with good perspective. An awe-inspiring not awestruck look at a great man.

The Design Inference by William Dembski

Math and logic and probability presented in a quite complex way. Too much math to follow but many interesting examples and illustrative stories. Seems to really nail down the idea of how to recognize design from chance. With mathematical rigor. 3-29-01

Understanding Schizophrenia by Richard S. E. Keefe

Very good, readable discussion of schizophrenia, highly recommended for families and friends of those with schizophrenia.

Towing Icebergs, Falling Dominos by Robert B. Banks

This is a good book about applied mathematics. The examples are varied and interesting. Population, national debt, Olympic scoring, jump ropes, wind turbines, football leagues, shot puts, golf balls, running, tsunamis. Often differential equations but fairly accessible. Would be fun to go through slowly and work out some of the math. Many interesting references for more info. Problems at end of chapters which I didn't have time to work. Hope to read the sequel.

The Odyssey of Thomas Condon by Robert D. Clark

Condon, an immigrant from Ireland, became a Presbyterian minister and a missionary to the NW. Wonderful account of early Portland and hard times of church planting. Then he found fossils and became a geologist and started at the new U of O as the first science teacher. Still devout, he adopted evolution and was a beloved professor. Interesting book.

Into the Storm by Tom Clancy & Gen. Fred Franks

An interesting General and a position different from Schwartzkoff's but not well written and very confusing using corps numbers and few maps. Really not a very good book but probably very accurate.

The Commanders by Bob Woodward

Interesting and very timely (Powell and Cheney) of events leading up to the start of the Gulf War, dealing with White House and Pentagon. (1-28-01)

Fermat's Enigma by Simon Singh

Another book on Fermat's last theorem. I thought it would be just a replay of the previous book but it was different and well-written and interesting. Not much else to say. Enjoyable.

Five More Golden Rules by John L. Casti

Knot theory, chaos theory, information theory. All of these are a bit advanced for me. The knots were very interesting but it goes fast. I got lost whenever non-linear was mentioned. The information theory part was very good. An excellent book just a bit too advanced for me. Very well done. Good choices of topics. Fascinating.

Five More Golden Rules by John L. Casti

Knot theory, chaos theory, information theory. All of these are a bit advanced for me. The knots were very interesting but it goes fast. I got lost whenever non-linear was mentioned. The information theory part was very good. An excellent book just a bit too advanced for me. Very well done. Good choices of topics. Fascinating.

Fermat's Last Theorem by Amir D. Aczel

A very nice book about the history of math through the quest for the solution of Fermat's Last Theorem. Thoroughly enjoyable.

The Advent of the Algorithm by David Berlinski

This is an interesting sequel to "Calculus" and just as well done. He recapitulated Godel, Turing after an ode to Leibnitz. The "math" (more logic) is divided by turgid prose of inscrutable goal and wild imagination. It ends with a subtle dirge against materialism, and the "one god" of modern physics. He makes room for the transcendent without giving it a name.

The Bear and the Dragon by Tom Clancy

Fun but poorly written and even more poorly edited.

Ronald Reagan by Dinesh D'Souza

A different note in the quest to explain Reagan. Playing a role for real without insincerity, a true believer with a gift for pragmatics. A man with self-knowledge who enjoyed others but never let anyone really close. Smart enough to know intelligence was just a part of leadership.

Part hagiography, the book is good and a needful corrective.

Mere Creation by William A. Dembski

A scholarly conference of good thinkers nailing down intelligent design. Johnson is crystal clear, Behe is seminal. William Lane Craig is brilliant. I like Berlinski best: a fusion of prose and mathematics. Some articles were obscure and less interesting, some too advanced, but overall very sound and I think convincing.

Life is a Jungle by Ron Snell

An engaging story of missionary life from a child and young man's point of view. Amazing adjustments, hardships almost welcomed and endured with humor, pluck, and faith. Slightly melodramatic but fun!

Heretics by G. K. Chesterton

An amazing series of portraits of intellectuals of his day - Shaw, Kipling, and H. G. Wells, who he admired and knew. Brilliant analysis and timeless ideas brought to life in the crucible of actual life and thought in his place and time.

Recommended for the library of a home. Full of enduring quotes. A feast for the soul, mind, and heart. Of course, some of the names and events were unknown to me and thus unappreciated.

The Story of my Boyhood and Youth & A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf by John Muir

Raised in an extremely strict Scottish Calvinistic home, Muir became a naturalist and something of a pantheist. In Scotland he memorized the entire New Testament and "most" of the Old Testament. He was a genius inventor, making clocks of wood. He walked from Louisville to the Florida gulf coast, sometimes in danger from robbers and crocodiles, sleeping outdoors, swimming rivers, eschewing roads and bridges. An amazing account of an amazing, tough, brilliant man.

D. James Kennedy: The Man and his Ministry by Herbert Lee Williams

Somewhat of a "puff piece" about a really remarkable man who would be better served by a more modest understated approach. His evangelism explosion is really quite remarkable for a Calvinist, his renewing America is somewhat reminiscent of Calvin.

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones: The Fight of Faith (1939-1981) by Iain H. Murray

The rest of a remarkable life (for earlier volume, see 5/4/07 post). He preached through Romans and Ephesians, taking hundreds of sermons. He was involved in much turmoil about ecumenism and broke with Packer. He believed in personal fellowship but no organizational fellowship with liberals. He believed in evangelism, but not in decisionism. He had no elders; he stopped baptizing infants and dedicated them instead. He baptized believers but didn't immerse.

He died of colon cancer. He retired and wrote for several years after his first cancer surgery. He respected Billy Graham but disagreed on invitations. He studied Puritans and had a Puritan conference. He had a great ministry, which still continues. He spoke at Wheaton College.

Nearer, My God by William F. Buckley, Jr.

This is the story of the spiritual life of a prominent American. Born to privilege and educated in various places, he was always an outsider as a Catholic. Very devout and very knowledgeable. Open to protestants in a way; he is friends with Colson and others. Though Buckley is fiercely loyal to Catholicism, his wife, it seems, remains a protestant. The parts about his life are very interesting. Large, sometimes tedious, sections about a forum he participates in of those who converted to Catholicism. A book full of faith in God and devotion to Christ.

Gauss: A Biographical Study by W. K. Buhler

Much vague detail about an interesting genius. I found the biography boring and the math of course too difficult and not presented for my level.

Proofs from the Book by Martin Aigner / Gunter Ziegler

A well-conceived book based on the idea of Erdos that there are proofs in math so elegant they come from "the book." It is also well-executed such that a serious reader with time could fairly well work through many of the subjects. Alas, my seriousness well exceeded my available time and I was able only to take a rapid tour through the book viewing with envy the peaks one could climb given the will and a vacation.

A wonderful book to see how proofs are done, how they fall into various categories and how a simple elegant solution can evade thinkers for decades. I close the book with the question - where is "the book" and who wrote it?

Weaving the Web by Tim Berners-Lee

An account of the invention of the WWW by its inventor. It is interesting that he can claim this invention. I have no doubts this is true. It seems his vision for the web has been very helpful and the freedom engendered has been a boon to its growth. Because of his free vision he perhaps minimizes his impact and the story is a bit less interesting than if he made himself more of a hero.

He plays his final hand drawing an analogy with the web and his newfound "faith" in Unitarian Universalism. The song ending on a sour note!

Christianity and Missions: 1450-1800 Edited by J. S. Cummins

Part of a series, this book is amazing in the depth of bibliography and variety of articles, mostly Catholic but some of all Christian stripes. Very interesting and shows some amazing variety of approach and different approaches to culture and politics. Most interesting is an article about Leibnitz, who evidently had a burning missionary heart and zeal to support missions. He was especially interested in the advantages of putting the scriptures into the language of the people being reached.

Into Thin Air by John Krakauer

Riveting account of a tragic Everest expedition written with unique insight and much sensitivity. Courage and determination undermined by competetion, arrogance, and oxygen-deprived misjudgment. Self preservation meets compassion. How anyone survives is my question.

Bethsaida Vol. II by Rami Arav

More than you wanted to know. Every stone and potsherd charted and categorized. Not the kind of book you actually read but interesting in its own way. The ancient pilgrims' accounts are interesting and strangely unreliable, it seems.

The Mindbody Prescription by John E. Sarno, M.D.

Is chronic pain caused by Freudian narcissistic rage? Sarno makes a compelling case. My question - is there a Christian paradigm here?

A very interesting book. Why has this not gotten more attention - even criticism?

Lion Country by Frederick Buechner

Bebb is described and one is sure not to like him but is slowly drawn into his web as is the narrator Antonio. Flawed, a con, a manipulator, is he better than he seems or am I worse? Deep writing, whimsical and distracted. Buechner avoids the ordinary and winds his way through clichés, deftly avoiding any obvious preaching, but there is a message, many messages; some are uncomfortable and meant just for the particular reader. I was discovering more than I wanted to know about a character I didn't want to meet or talk to and finding myself attacking him and defending him at the same time.

A Very Private Plot by William F. Buckley

A Blackford Oakes story of a plot to kill Gorbachev. The usual interesting historical and linguistic, grammatical, and vocabulary sleights of hand but little else.

Dealers of Lightning by Michael Hiltzik

The story of Xerox PARC - a story of brilliant design, innovation, creativity and missed opportunity. A story of corporate executives who didn't listen and knew better than the researchers they hired. A failure to see that what was difficult, slow, and expensive now would be easy, fast, and cheap, even ubiquitous, soon. Also a story of scientists who fail to get the big picture. The invention of the laser printer is a bright spot. Some less interesting parts about corporation politics.

Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond

A very detailed book with a cogent and very well developed thesis: "History followed different courses for different peoples because of differences among people's environments, not because of biological differences among people themselves."

The case is well made and worth much more careful reading than I could spare. I am uncomfortable with a few things. A feeling of a priori dismissal of genetics having an influence and then proceeding to prove this. A lack of regard for religion. Basing huge decisions on a very few skeletons - sampling error. Dependence on dating methods.

Many fascinating facts and insights. The significance of north/south versus east/west axis on development. Taming vs. domestication.

Evolution and New Guinea and birds are the author's expertise but his general skills are formidable. This book is a major achievement.

The Pleasure of Finding Things Out by Richard Feynman

A delightful collection of his essays with prescient discussions of quantum computing, nanotechnology, and the place of mathematics in physics. His discussions of religion and science surprised me by being somewhat open and germane, even interesting. He sees the limits of science better than most, though he chooses a radical skepticism.

Travels in Egypt: Volume II by V. Denon & Vivant Denon

More of the same, a mysterious tale with much meaning lost to me. I would love to read an annotated version and the official report he defers and refers to at the end. The amazing thing is that he survived. Denon seems a sensitive, observant, even compassionate man.

Rigoberta Menchu and the Story of all Poor Guatemalans by David Stoll

A study in correcting leftist revisionist history, this book reluctantly pokes holes in the Nobel Peace Prize winner's story of her life and struggle. While essentially confirming the broad outlines of the struggle of indigenous peoples, it shows that her story was really a series of convenient fabrications and a patchwork of others' stories made prototypical. In leftist fashion, this seems to be excused and justifiable but not by this author, who while generally sympathetic to her aims is not willing to follow her historical reconstruction. No surprise to this conservative reader.

Steep Trails by John Muir

This old book by the founder of the Sierra Club is an amazing description of his hiking all through the west, Yosemite to Victoria. Of greatest interest are his hiking in Oregon, his climbing Shasta and Rainier, and his descriptions of Portland and Puget Sound. His forest descriptions are great and his fortitude on cold climbs is amazing.

The Promise of American Life by Herbert Croly

Not finished - completely misunderstands in my view the creative tension between nationalism (federalism) and states rights. Completely over-values the efficiency of strong federal government. Very condescending to constitution and founders.

Travels in Egypt: Volume I by V. Denon & Vivant Denon

Delightful account of travel with Napoleon, translated either in archaic or inept English. His way of describing is as intriguing as are the descriptions themselves. His discussion of people and places and behavior is so interesting. Seems he was frustrated by being amongst so many artifacts but lack of time and concerns for safety prevented complete drawings. In any case he was often in mortal danger and suffered severe privation with the soldiers. He even seems aware of the basic folly of the enterprise. Napoleon figures small in the narrative. Denon is very self-effacing, the desert, the setting, the river, the mountains, the Marmlukes dominate and inspire awe and fear.

D. Martin Lloyd-Jones: The first 40 years 1899-1939 by Iain H. Murray

An old-time biography of a great reformed pastor who was a physician of great promise and went into the ministry preaching the infallible word and following reformed principles of evangelism. Very encouraging. Then as now the clear preaching of the Word was missing, needed, and responded to when present.

Eniac by Scott McCartney

The story of Mauchly and Eckert, brilliant guys who built Eniac, the first real computer and got no real credit. It is mostly a story of men ahead of their time, underfunded and underappreciated. A very believable badly-needed revision, or rather correction of the history of the development of the electronic computer.

Personal Injuries by Scott Turow

Fairly enjoyable. Main character is likeable but very flawed. I take some glee in the seaminess of lawyers. Construction as a narrative by "George" gives an interesting observer's viewpoint. Writing is good; a cut above usual bestsellers.

Reflections on the Psalms by C. S. Lewis

Vintage Lewis. A fine vintage indeed. He deals with the imprecatory Psalms, with inerrancy (interesting but I am so bold as to disagree. I think one can accept the literary caveats without accepting "errors" and "contradictions." I think he well states the problem and correctly treats Job, Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, perhaps even the creation account).

His two pages on Psalm 19 are wonderful. His discussion of the Emmaus Road sermon (unknown but apparent) is delightful in its view of scripture applied.

His discussion about why the OT and NT are a hodgepodge is, I think, right on the mark.

I need to buy this book! For library.

O is for Outlaw by Sue Grafton

Interesting story with usual ambiance. As usual, Kinsey is my absolute "anti-person," opposite to me in every way. Something I enjoy to contemplate, how different one can be from another. The book nothing stellar but a mood that is fun, warm, sunny, rings true about human nature.

Drink with the Devil by Jack Higgins

An enjoyable plot and same cast of characters and same Irish setting, fun and engaging, plot within a plot, Clinton makes an appearance.

Against the Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk by Peter L. Bernstein

This book, which supposedly Clinton took on vacation, is a comprehensive story of the mathematics of probability and its application to politics, economics, markets, war, and other endeavors. Probably because I found the math to be a review of recently read math history, and economics held little interest, I found the book to be less interesting. However, I think it is well written and possibly very interesting to others.

The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

This is a gem. Taking an engaging if apocryphal story and deftly and sensitively telling the real story which is just as wonderful. The story of the OED and the editor and a major volunteer contributor are all intertwined with skill. I enjoyed this book a great deal.

Prisoner's Dilemma by William Poundstone

This is an interesting introduction to game theory. Also has interesting chapters on John von Neumann. I think both these points have probably been better treated elsewhere. von Neumann, though brilliant, is not really that interesting. Game theory also is less interesting to me.

My Brain is Open by Bruce Schecter

A second, much better book on Erdos has all the facts of Hoffman's (previous post) but better written and delves a bit more into the math, although in a very clear, accessible way. Erdos was a real and very sociable mathematician. The one book I would read about Erdos.

The Man Who Loved Only Numbers by Paul Hoffman

This book about Paul Erdos was well-written and interesting and successfully presents math without losing the reader. I enjoyed the stories of his various collaborations. The stories of the main quirks of his life are fun and interesting.

Mother Earth, Motherboard by Neal Stephenson

This 66-page article from Wired Magazine is the best nerd writing I've read since Tracy Kidder and "Soul of a New Machine." More than you ever wanted to know about undersea communication cables written in an irreverent style with all kinds of literary and historical allusions. With chapter previews like Gulliver's Travels and Pilgrim's Progress and Robert Louis Stevenson and Robinson Crusoe. I found the wandering style very entertaining and the author never fails to come back to the point. Read it at http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/4.12/ffglass_pr.html

In the South Seas by Robert Louis Stevenson

This is a delightful collection of travel stories. At first I was a somewhat disinterested reader. Then I realized that I was looking for action; when I recognized the magic of his descriptions and that this was his purpose and zeal, I began to read in a different light. He describes topography, local two-bit kings, languages and customs. Naturally Eurocentric, he avoids chauvinism by deep interest, thinly veiled compassion, and a more deeply veiled almost encrypted faith. Unspoken but obvious, his honesty and good will bonded him to those he met. He is somewhat critical of missionaries but in awe of them as well. His description of the Hawaiian leper colony is moving and dramatic. The more I read, the more entranced I became with the South Seas. Stevenson is weaving the web that trapped him.

The Puzzle Palace by James Bamford

About the NSA, interesting in parts, notably the still-secret parts seem to continue to be a problem now. Cryptography has a fascinating history. Breaking codes now seems impossible - or is it? Only the NSA knows!

Southern Cross by Patricia Cornwell

Poor writing, obsessed with guns, multi-threaded plot frayed in places, caricature instead of character ("relaxed fit jeans," for example). So much poorer than the other Scarpetta books one wonders if it was ghost written.

Human Universals by Donald E. Brown

A brief note on a book basically skimmed. Good chapters on the witting or unwitting wrong conclusions of Margaret Meade in Samoa which ever after made cultural relativism a sociological dogma.

The book's scathing critique of cultural relativism is welcome but its consequent embracing of evolutionary explanation of societal universals is not.

God, Jews, History by Max Dimont

This is a good book in the sense that it covers the scope of the world history of the Jews. It is fairly evenhanded and fair, with due amazement at the survival of the Jews as a distinct people. His discussion of Pharisees and Sadducees and Essenes is very different than my understanding and clouded by an indecipherable or at least confusing use of "liberal" and "conservative."

Naturally his view of Jesus is different than mine and seems fair on the surface but to me is really too conveniently dismissive of every really crucial fact and too accepting of the usual "great teacher preaching peace" etc.

The sections on the Talmud were very good. Most interesting were the sections on the flourishing of Jews during the Mohammedan reign in the middle ages. He is very graphic in describing the middle ages as feudalism which enslaved everyone, nobles and serfs alike, except the Jews, who were the early middle class.

His section on antisemitism is balanced; his comments on Arab-Jewish relations seem remarkably naive.

Blind Man's Bluff by Drew Sontag

This is a fascinating glimpse into the secret use of the silent service, submarine spying during the cold war. Shadowing Russian subs, brazenly going into enemy harbors, tapping undersea cables. The technology race was sometimes hampered by leaks and espionage and traitors. It is a harrowing story and probably just the tip of the iceberg.

Isaac Newton: The Last Sorcerer by Michael White

This book was a disappointment. Discussing in minute detail with an exhaustive review of the literature, the author deals with one of the greatest men of the millennium, and paints him small, petty, and mean.

The first charge is that of alchemy. Newton spent years doing meticulous work in his lab, investigating reactions and metallurgy. The author himself states that the borders between science and mysticism were blurry and that many of the greatest scientists of the day dabbled in alchemy. In fact, the author credits Newton himself for being the first to present a thoroughly scientific-mathematical theoretical method, merging hypothesis and experiment with mathematical rigor. Then Newton, who is credited with bringing science out of the swamp of conjecture, is criticized for having feet wet with alchemy.

The author even credits his alchemy with allowing Newton to make the intellectual leap from the idea of ether mediating gravity to action at a distance because of the spiritual aspects of alchemy. Reading the book I would instead credit another of Newton's "weaknesses" with this influence, his Christianity.

In this book we don't find the Christian Newton as "the most pious of men" nor as described by his early biographers called by the authors "hagiographers." Instead we see a narrow puritanical (as opposed to Puritan) believer, brilliant in science but strangely backward in his preoccupation with the Bible and prophecy. He cannot even get his Christianity right but has to hide his shameful Arianism.

In summary, rather than needing the author to break through the aging crust of the beatification of Newton, I fear the man - a devout Christian seeking truth in all of life with a painful awareness of his sins and impatience with lesser men - must be found shining through the lines of this revisionist biased history. Newton: The Magician of Physics grounded in Faith.

Einstein's Miraculous Year edited by John Stachel

Five papers by Einstein in one year, 1905, reminiscent of Newton's miraculous year. The introductions are very good, the papers surprisingly accessible. The math is either very subtle or fairly easy. An amazing genius seen from inside; I wish I had the time and help to go through the math.

The Testament by John Grisham

Very fun read dealing as it does with smarmy lawyers. Has sympathetic depiction of a devoted Christian missionary, a Christian minister and an alcoholic lawyer who finds sobriety through faith in God and prayer and Christian fellowship.

The Intellectuals by Paul Johnson

Interesting book, defines intellectual as one who thinks that by his own knowledge, understanding and force of character he can guide society on a better path. Johnson basically trashes all these intellectuals mostly on moral grounds and hypocrisy. Several I found interesting or revealing: Marx, Tolstoy, Hemingway, Russell, Sartre. He has a really good passage on social engineering when discussing Chomsky.

The White Nile by Alan Moorehead 1960

A wonderful, well-researched compendium of the exploration of the Nile, featuring the most amazing cast of characters: Burton, Baker, Speke, Livingstone, Stanley, Gordon, Emin Pasha and assorted kings, Mahdi, Musselman, and tyrants. It is written in a fair, restrained but opinionated style I find refreshing. Confident but free of cant. Unafraid of religion and aware of its power but not captive to it. While deftly understated, the rigors of jungle, desert, and disease are clear and one is in awe of these extraordinary men (and occasionally women - especially Mrs. Baker).

Point of Origin by Patricia Cornwell

Well, the author must be into helicopter piloting now. Gory gruesome plot, sad but exciting. Helicopter in last ash-spreading scene seems totally contrived; written for a TV movie. Not great literature, probably the worst of the series.

Damascus Gate by Robert Stone

This novel is a very interesting story of Jerusalem as firmly rooted in past, present and future. Eclectic and erudite with interesting characters. I didn't find the ending that surprising. It has the interesting collision and interface between cynicism and belief, spirituality and madness, Judaism, Islam, and fundamentalist Christianity. A good but not a great book.

King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild

This is a very good book which shows vividly the horrors of colonialism. It seems to me to avoid the twin dangers of historical revisionism and romanticism. The point is well made that the historical record is largely colonial, since the early Africans didn't write. Nevertheless, the African view is painfully easy to see. The severed hands say it all.

The best chapter of this book, in my view, is a discussion of Conrad and his experience in Congo and his later novel, Heart of Darkness. It is amazing how clearly this serves as a window, through a European eye, to see what really was going on.

Livingston seems well-sketched. Stanley is surely better than described, and receives more than his share of psychoanalysis.

Leopold's sanity is questionable. He seems very interesting, very complex, and drawn in detail. The author really makes a good case that Belgium's Congo policy is a result of Leopold's actions and drive. Certainly others were willing to comply and bear partial responsibility. It is interesting that Leopold could pose as anti-slavery yet hold an entire country in virtual slavery.

A couple of amazing black Americans play roles in the book and add much interest.

Conrad saw things clearly and described their essence. His experience in the "dark continent" was life-changing.

Kric Krac by Edwidge Danticat

This is an evocative account of several generations of Haitian women and voodoo and tradition. It is very true to Haiti and the Haitian diaspora to the U.S. I learned several things about Haitian culture and beliefs. It is written in an interesting style of short paragraphs, sometimes alternating narratives with each paragraph. It is definitely female-centered and speaks volumes about Haitian experience.

On the Road by Jack Kerouac

This book is a tale without a plot, except endless travel and a quest to experience the next experience for its own sake. It is aimless and valueless and yet has a certain morality of its own. Alcohol and drug use are hidden themes, sexual conquest also is understated and always present. A quest for honesty and transparency is juxtaposed with duplicity and lying. The narrator, Sal, is a vague, observing presence. Dean, the protagonist, is ever-present, bigger than life, gradually degenerating into a caricature of himself, a bundle of colliding thoughts and ideas from an amphetamine-like drive. It is obviously a book that is either opening up a new generation or describing the first scenes of a radical change. The young men have no discernible parents. While by today's standards their nonconformity is tame, by the standards of the day they were wild. The seeds of cultural decay are on every page and the harvest is now apparent.

George Bernard Shaw by G. K. Chesterton

An engaging literary and very clever book. It begins with an interesting discussion of what an Irishman is from an English point of view. Secondly, I was interested in GKC's view of Puritanism, which is very negative. I fancy this is due to its socio-cultural "baggage" as well as its protestantism. It's interesting to see Shaw, an atheist, critiqued as a Puritan, doubtless on the basis of psychology and upbringing. The middle part of the book deals with Shaw's plays and theatre criticism, much of which was lost on me. The latter part speaks of Shaw's religious views and is where GKC shines most brightly. The golden nugget I found is the following quote:

"You are free in our time to say that God does not exist; you are free to say that He exists and is evil; you are free to say that He would like to exist if He could. You may talk of God as a metaphor or a mystification; you may water Him down with gallons of long words, or boil Him to the rags of metaphysics; and it is not really that nobody punishes, but nobody protests. But if you speak of God as a fact, as a thing like a tiger, as a reason for changing one's conduct, then the modern world will stop you if it somehow can. We are long past talking about whether an unbeliever should be punished for being irreverent. It is now thought irreverent to be a believer."

The Blue Nile by Alan Moorehead

Dealing with the Blue Nile from 1798, this is a companion to "The White Nile" by the same author. The books describe the two branches of the Nile in southern Sudan. This is a wonderful book with good research and good stories. It mainly is an account of amazing men who overcame unbelievable obstacles to explore and conquer the area of the Blue Nile. The upper reaches of this river are so rugged that for centuries the map of it was a dotted line. James Bruce discovered its source. He was a Scot, a protestant who studied Arabic and explored the upper Blue Nile and down to Cairo. Returning to England, he was ridiculed and not believed; 17 years later he published his books.

Next the book describes Napoleon's conquest of Egypt. What fascinated me was the fact that after conquering Egypt he went up the coast of Palestine to Syria and conquered until he beseiged Acre unsuccessfully and had to return to Egypt. Prior to that, after a brilliant conquest of Egypt, the fleet that had brought him was destroyed by Lord Nelson, leaving Napoleon stranded in Egypt for many months. Napoleon brought many famous French scientists with him: Monge, Berthier, Davont, Lannes, Junot, Murat. Denon, an artist, was drawing the beautiful temples and monuments not previously seen by Europeans, but always was rushed because the columns had to advance and to fall behind left him vulnerable to raids by Bedouins. Desaix took columns far up the Nile and chased the Mamelukes, the fascinating lords over the Egyptians who were not Egyptian but adopted male slaves from the Caucasus regions who had no children but bought young boy slaves from the Caucasus to perpetuate their lines. The scientists reported their findings to France in a multi-volume work.

The final part of the book is a fascinating tale of Napier's mission to rescue kidnapped English subjects from Thomas, king of Ethiopia. This was a massive military effort launched from India with boats, trains, elephants and artillery. The contrast with the French invasion is very interesting and shows the change in warfare.

Interesting references include
R. E. Chesmon's "Lake Tam and the Blue Nile," Macmillan 1936
James Bruce "Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile" 1804
F. B. Head's "The Life of Bruce, Murray" 1836
Jonquiere's "L'expedition d'Egypte"
W. G. Browne's "Travels in Africa, Egypt, and Syria: 1792-1796"

In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin

This book is a series of 97 vignettes which eventually tie together in style, theme, content and wistfulness. Charles Milward, cousin of the author's grandfather, had found a brontosaurus that turned out to be a mylodon - a great sloth. "It took some years to sort the story out." Traveling through Patagonia in search of stories about his family, he finds many cultures and stories that intertwine: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid followed south by Pinkerton detectives; penguins, condors, albatross; stories of ill-fated voyages which may have influenced literature such as Coleridge's Ancient Mariner, Poe, even Darwin, who argued with the orthodox chief officer Fitzroy. Dante and Donne speak of straits and Magellan and fire islands. There's a discussion of Tierra del Fuego and the Indian language in "The Uttermost Parts of the Earth" by Lucas Bridges. A good book written in a subtle and engaging manner - curiosity evoking more curiosity.