Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Safely Home by Randy Alcorn
A novel about the persecuted church, set in China. Vivid and shocking, it is also a view of the American church as seen from China and the world church as seen from Heaven. The portrayal of simple fervent faith under fire is well done. "Pure gold fears no fire."
Undue Influence by Shelby Yastrow
Interesting legal mystery about an accountant who on his death bequeaths 8 million dollars to a local synagogue. Where did he get this money? Why does a Gentile give such a large sum to a synagogue? Is this will valid? Does he have any relatives? Apparently everyone has relatives, something I had never given thought to. Short, interesting in how complex a simple bequest can become.
The ICE Diaries by Captain William R. Anderson
This is the story of the Nautilus SSN 571 which, as the world's first nuclear boat, made the first transit of the Arctic Ocean from the Pacific to the Atlantic, arriving first at the North Pole. Anderson has a warm humble style and gives credit to his crew and Admiral Rickover, the father of the nuclear fleet. The main problem was the shallow depth of the Bering Sea entrance which, combined with thick ice, made the start of the trip difficult. There were no charts of the deeper entrances. Once into the Arctic Ocean, which is quite deep, the trip went smoothly.
The world reaction to this voyage was amazing. The voyage was top secret and Eisenhower wanted no leaks and wanted to make the announcement himself, so once the Nautilus surfaced near Iceland, Anderson was flown to the White House.
The world reaction to this voyage was amazing. The voyage was top secret and Eisenhower wanted no leaks and wanted to make the announcement himself, so once the Nautilus surfaced near Iceland, Anderson was flown to the White House.
In the Course of Duty: The Heroic Mission of the U.S.S. Batfish by Don Keith
A history of one boat but an interesting one. Probably a typical story of a successful boat that survived. Gives a flavor of the war and the early effective use of radar. Submarines were dangerous and a danger to the enemy.
The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande
(read on iPhone)
Airline pilots and astronauts use checklists, why not doctors? Gawande interviews pilots, skyscraper builders, and surgeons. He crafts a checklist for surgery. He explores the use of checklists in many areas. I think he is basically correct, this is a tool that could be of great benefit. It is also not as easy to make a good checklist and validate it as one might think. A short, engaging, and thought provoking book.
Airline pilots and astronauts use checklists, why not doctors? Gawande interviews pilots, skyscraper builders, and surgeons. He crafts a checklist for surgery. He explores the use of checklists in many areas. I think he is basically correct, this is a tool that could be of great benefit. It is also not as easy to make a good checklist and validate it as one might think. A short, engaging, and thought provoking book.
The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig
(read aloud)
This was a delightful evocative story about a Montana one-room schoolhouse and a family that lost a mother and a community that lost a teacher. The family found a housekeeper who didn't cook, and a teacher in her brother. This was particularly fun to read with a one-room school graduate who attests to the accuracy of its portrayal. The whole book is well written but there are flashes of astonishing prose and the land, the people, and their ways are handled with wonderful care and kindness. A treat for the heart and ears.
This was a delightful evocative story about a Montana one-room schoolhouse and a family that lost a mother and a community that lost a teacher. The family found a housekeeper who didn't cook, and a teacher in her brother. This was particularly fun to read with a one-room school graduate who attests to the accuracy of its portrayal. The whole book is well written but there are flashes of astonishing prose and the land, the people, and their ways are handled with wonderful care and kindness. A treat for the heart and ears.
Known and Unknown by Donald Rumsfeld
(read on iPhone)
This very well documented account of the life of a high-level public servant from Chicago is interesting and important. He served multiple presidents over a long period of time and was our nation's youngest and then oldest Secretary of Defense.
He was very ethical, extremely organized, very loyal and honest. He could be pushy and abrasive and abrupt but seemingly always in the service of others. He would not agree to something he thought was wrong. He wanted the President to hear all sides of an issue, even those ideas he disagreed with. He states that he welcomed disagreement and confrontation and gives many examples. He copiously documented everything, and woe to someone who attempted to rewrite history or disavow a position taken at a meeting Rumsfeld attended.
I think a President could not have a more loyal trustworthy advisor unless he wanted to do something wrong or unethical.
A military pilot himself, he was very proud of George W. Bush, revered Reagan, loved Ford, respected Nixon, didn't respect Carter, detested Nelson Rockefeller, respected but didn't completely trust Powell.
When the terrorists crashed into the Pentagon it is said he helped rescue people who were injured, but in the book he is modest and vague about what he did and says he soon returned to his office to start reorganizing and responding.
This very well documented account of the life of a high-level public servant from Chicago is interesting and important. He served multiple presidents over a long period of time and was our nation's youngest and then oldest Secretary of Defense.
He was very ethical, extremely organized, very loyal and honest. He could be pushy and abrasive and abrupt but seemingly always in the service of others. He would not agree to something he thought was wrong. He wanted the President to hear all sides of an issue, even those ideas he disagreed with. He states that he welcomed disagreement and confrontation and gives many examples. He copiously documented everything, and woe to someone who attempted to rewrite history or disavow a position taken at a meeting Rumsfeld attended.
I think a President could not have a more loyal trustworthy advisor unless he wanted to do something wrong or unethical.
A military pilot himself, he was very proud of George W. Bush, revered Reagan, loved Ford, respected Nixon, didn't respect Carter, detested Nelson Rockefeller, respected but didn't completely trust Powell.
When the terrorists crashed into the Pentagon it is said he helped rescue people who were injured, but in the book he is modest and vague about what he did and says he soon returned to his office to start reorganizing and responding.
How Round is Your Circle? by John Bryant and Chris Sangwin
A book about math meeting engineering. About actually making things based on mathematics. It is very interesting. I was especially intrigued by the section on planimeters, slide rules, shapes of constant width, and stacking dominoes so they overhang; even simple things like marking a ruler are much more involved than one would think. A book of a hundred discoveries.
The Confession by John Grisham
(read aloud from iPad)
We really enjoyed this book and looked forward to each reading. It was exciting and made one think about the death penalty. I came away with my opinion unchanged in theory but certainly leaning toward not applying the death penalty if there was any doubt. That of course is the question, isn't it. Perhaps those who give a false testimony or cause a false confession should receive the punishment that they cause by their lies.
Certain Christians are rightly skewered in this book but a Lutheran pastor and the family of the boy on death row have a conduct and faith that are rightly revered.
We really enjoyed this book and looked forward to each reading. It was exciting and made one think about the death penalty. I came away with my opinion unchanged in theory but certainly leaning toward not applying the death penalty if there was any doubt. That of course is the question, isn't it. Perhaps those who give a false testimony or cause a false confession should receive the punishment that they cause by their lies.
Certain Christians are rightly skewered in this book but a Lutheran pastor and the family of the boy on death row have a conduct and faith that are rightly revered.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
The Time Machine by H. G. Wells
(read on iPhone)
This is a classic, but I didn't really find it very interesting. I think movies and special effects have ruined my imagination for time travel. Perhaps I was reading it like a script for a movie. The time frames he used were really ambitious. I think he was saying man's future is bleak. But I might be quite mistaken. When the book ended, I felt like perhaps the return dial was slightly off and my mind was a few microseconds out of sync with the world. I feel better now.
This is a classic, but I didn't really find it very interesting. I think movies and special effects have ruined my imagination for time travel. Perhaps I was reading it like a script for a movie. The time frames he used were really ambitious. I think he was saying man's future is bleak. But I might be quite mistaken. When the book ended, I felt like perhaps the return dial was slightly off and my mind was a few microseconds out of sync with the world. I feel better now.
The Sherlockian by Graham Moore
(read aloud from iPad)
This is a clever, fun read that will delight and at times distress Sherlock lovers of all levels of devotion. Doyle is finished with Holmes, but Holmes is not finished with him, or is it vice-versa? The book is delightfully confusing as it rocks between centuries and two unfolding investigations with murders to be explained and murderers caught. Always the brooding presence of Holmes looms large and his obsessive fans delight and infuriate. With Bram Stoker surprisingly (to me) in a major starring role. Elementary, indeed.
This is a clever, fun read that will delight and at times distress Sherlock lovers of all levels of devotion. Doyle is finished with Holmes, but Holmes is not finished with him, or is it vice-versa? The book is delightfully confusing as it rocks between centuries and two unfolding investigations with murders to be explained and murderers caught. Always the brooding presence of Holmes looms large and his obsessive fans delight and infuriate. With Bram Stoker surprisingly (to me) in a major starring role. Elementary, indeed.
Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin
(read on iPhone!)
This is a wonderful encouraging book full of unexcelled explanation of doctrine and brilliant rebuttal of spiritual error. It uses the decalogue and the Apostles' Creed and copious amounts of scripture to argue for the true faith. He relies a great deal on Augustine though occasionally disagrees with him or the way his ideas have sometimes been distorted, ill-used, or misunderstood. A long work, it at times diverts into diatribes against the papacy. I found Calvin more charitable and magnanimous than I had been led to expect. There are great treasures to be found in these four volumes. As you might expect, I found only the section on baptism to be lacking in reason and consistency. The remainder is gold!
This is a wonderful encouraging book full of unexcelled explanation of doctrine and brilliant rebuttal of spiritual error. It uses the decalogue and the Apostles' Creed and copious amounts of scripture to argue for the true faith. He relies a great deal on Augustine though occasionally disagrees with him or the way his ideas have sometimes been distorted, ill-used, or misunderstood. A long work, it at times diverts into diatribes against the papacy. I found Calvin more charitable and magnanimous than I had been led to expect. There are great treasures to be found in these four volumes. As you might expect, I found only the section on baptism to be lacking in reason and consistency. The remainder is gold!
Decision Points by George W. Bush
Like the author, this book is free of pretense, careful, serious, committed and spare. It is presidential in tone and will read well 75 years from now. Though a husband and father and a son and brother, for eight years he was president every day. September 11 changed every day that followed. Readers who are fair-minded will note a lack of defensiveness and many admissions of some doubts about process, but seldom any doubts about goals or the goals of what he sees as America's enemies.
A Week at the Airport by Alain de Botton
Breezy and fascinating, this small book takes an experience everyone has and looks at it from all angles and behind all the doors and in the nooks and crannies. A delightfully-written cappuccino of an essay.
Shop Class as Soul Craft by Matthew B. Crawford
This book is about the importance of making things, of touching and crafting and thinking and figuring out how to fix something. Much of our lives is mindless, repetitious and unfulfilling. Much of what we consider success is really empty. The author went from managing a think tank to fixing vintage motorcycles and makes a case for the latter being fulfilling and enriching. He makes a good point very well but seems to make the same argument over and over in the book.
Better by Atul Gawande
Well-written essays about medical quality and safety. The discussion of the care of cystic fibrosis is fascinating and troubling. It seems the better get even better, the mediocre stay there. It seems one must be obsessive about improving.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
