The Undoing Project by Michael Lewis

Lewis again picks an interesting subject and does not disappoint. The book is about Tversky and Kahneman and their unique relationship. Both Israeli, their life stories, their opposite personalities, and their breakout papers make a good story. The dynamics between them and the trajectory of their careers are the main story, though their actual discoveries will live on, I think. We are not as rational as we might like to think, or at least the road to "rationality" is a rocky one, fraught with potholes. I feel that most medical administrators and administrative doctors are blissfully unaware of Tversky's and Kahneman's warnings.

John MacArthur by Iain H. Murray

Hagiography, but in my humble opinion, well-deserved. A man who committed himself to pastor a church by verse-by-verse, in-depth teaching, and who has not wavered or been distracted from that in any way.

The Perfect Pass by S. C. Gwynne

Much like Moneyball, this is the story of an innovative coach who, according to the author, has revolutionized football by going all in with the pass. I have no idea if he is correct but the story was enjoyable.

The Naturalist by Andrew Mayne

A girl is killed in the woods by a bear - or was it really a bear? Our protagonist, a botanist, is caught in a thriller. Curiosity almost kills the cat - rescued by DNA sequencing, you might say. The book was almost good.

Dream with Me by John M. Perkins

Written by a true civil rights leader and dedicated Christian who has modeled and guided many toward racial justice, concern, and understanding. The book reflects his life and what he has learned. It is humble, yet at the same time, confident. He says he has learned that the most important thing is love. Because he himself has been tortured and jailed and assaulted, his command to love is especially dear. The Lord has comforted him in his suffering and refined him. This book is profound yet quite simple and accessible. Sadly, it caused me to see how far I have to go to really love.

Crossing the Heart of Africa: An Odyssey of Love and Adventure by Julian Smith

This book is about a journey across Africa by nineteenth-century explorer Ewart Grogan, an unbelievable achievement by Grogan, who escaped death numerous times from disease and hostile tribes. The story is told in parallel with a recapitulation of the journey using "modern" transportation - boats, trains, motorcycles, etc. The writing is good. The historical parts concerning Grogan are very well done. The present day story is sometimes boring and occasionally quite strikingly analogous to Grogan's day.

The New Testament and the People of God by N. T. Wright

I read this to find out about the Pharisees. The book deals with this but I still have questions about them. This book is not aimed at the reader like me, who is not a scholar. It is very deep. Wright's style, however, is very clear, and with work and attention it is understandable. He covers all the bases and points of view but when he gets to his own view it is very rewarding, as I have come to expect. Reading this was hard work.

The section on Story with examples from Luke and Matthew was extraordinarily instructive, insightful, and new to me.

I had planned on reading the entire three or four volumes but think now they are above my level.

Bruno: Chief of Police by Martin Walker

(read aloud)

We read this because it was set in the area we are planning to hike in October 2017, the Dordogne valley of France. This is a murder mystery in St Denis, a fictional small town in the area. Bruno, the chief of police, is a winsome character who is part of the community and when the first murder, ever, occurs in this small town, he acts with wisdom and insight, courage and even compassion. A good plot with history and lots of good food.

The Alchemy of Air by Thomas Hager

How interesting can a book about nitrogen be? Based on this book I would say "very interesting." Starting in the lab and proceeding to Big German industrial chemistry with worldwide effects, this author states that without industrial fixed nitrogen Earth could not support its population. Also, explosives and bombs would be much limited. Starting with guano to produce Chilean nitrates, the world almost ran out of fixed nitrogen. This is the story of Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch, both geniuses and leading fascinating, difficult lives in a Germany that needed them but hated or used them.

Camino Island by John Grisham

(read aloud)

Very enjoyable. Not a legal thriller like his others, but a crime and coverup and investigation. Very good characters and excellent plot with suspense and enjoyable asides about writers and publishing. One of his best, which is saying something. I think his writing is very good and full of meaning and emotion without pretension.

The Invention of Air by Steven Johnson

A well-written book about Priestly, who "discovered" oxygen, founded the Unitarian church, and who was politically so radical he was driven out of England and almost prosecuted in America though he was close to both Adams and Jefferson. I myself was only interested in the oxygen, though some parts of his relationship to Franklin showed how much of a scientist Franklin was. I was also interested in his influence on Adams and Jefferson and their famous correspondence, which seems to have revolved around a rehashing of the Alien and Sedition Act and Priestly's views.

Numero Zero by Umberto Eco

An interesting premise of a newspaper "startup" tasked with making up twelve issues, hence the 0-1, 0-2, ... numbering. Eco wanders as usual and has a long plot of Mussolini really living many years in Argentina, the badly mangled body in the news actually being someone else. I didn't enjoy this nearly as much as his other books (see above).

The Third Man by Graham Greene

Another complicated plot, characters not that engaging. However, the writing is, of course, very good and ideas bubble up from the prose in layers. I wonder if anyone has analyzed alcohol in his works. Knowing people and not knowing them is another theme. This is a famous work and a famous film.

The Tenth Man by Graham Greene

(read aloud)

An intricate story about death, survival, and cowardice from a German prison camp to a small French village. The plot is engaging but it is the writing that is remarkable, deep with meaning and understanding of life, of human weakness and failure and loss. Even the slightest detail, like the mention of "the ugly church," is full of meaning. All of the characters have a depth about them. The climax is at the period of the last sentence and rings true.

The Raven in the Foregate by Ellis Peters

(read aloud)

Another warm, engaging morality tale ringing with authenticity and good graces: morality without moralism, that is, law with mercy. Cadfael is an engaging presence without pretense. The plot is good and satisfying. We enjoyed this a great deal. The slow-developing plot was "a feature, not a bug."

The Bed of Procrustes by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

This is a small book of aphorisms. Some are brilliant, many are hyperbolic but interesting just the same. Some are even useful. Many beg for his unique explanation. What fun it would be to be asked to pick some to discuss with Taleb at a tapas bar.

Peacekeeping by Mischa Berlinski

This book is about a senatorial election in rural Haiti from the point of view of an American. A Haitian who has been a lawyer in the U.S. returns to his hometown intent on building a road to Jérémie in western Haiti, perhaps the single most broadly beneficial economic need there. The book is very well written and shows solid knowledge of Haitian culture and language. Somewhat explicit in places and revealing of the misbehavior of peacekeepers, it is true to life.

The narrator is involved in keeping peace among the characters, giving the title a double meaning, like all things Haitian. The ending is sad, like the mysterious trajectory and tragedy that besets this island nation.

The Kingdom of Speech by Tom Wolfe

The premise of this book is that speech is the fundamental fact that differentiates man from animals. The origin of speech is unknown and all explanations for it have failed. In his hyperbolic but well-researched history of evolution, Wolfe questions the entire Darwinian enterprise and takes no prisoners. He is kinder to Wallace but saves his ammunition for Darwin, Chomsky, and Pinker. He is skeptical and entertaining. It is a short book and I am sure the powers of biology have dismissed it, but as a skeptic myself I liked it.