Empire of Liberty, Gordon S. Wood

Empire of Liberty by Gordon S. Wood is the second in the series The Oxford History of the United States which, oddly, seems to be a very good place to get the history of the US.  I'm reading this book to try and get some material together to teach history to my 5th grade son.

Started: 2/13/2010
Completed:
Recommendation:
Recommended By: A Major at the Pentagon who got to talking with my wife while I took my son on a tour of the Pentagon.
Words I Looked Up:


ancien -- a system or mode no longer prevailing
entablature -- a horizontal, continuous lintel on a classical building supported by columns or a wall, comprising the architrave, frieze, and cornice
labile -- unstable, quick and ready to change
mezzotinto -- a form of intaglio etching in which a metal plate is roughened and then smoothed to bring out an image.(It seems that this word was used to mean fine engraving with a delicate touch.  In the book it was contrasted with an elephant.)
peripatetic -- travelling from place to place, especially working or based in various places for short periods
trenchant -- having keenness and forcefulness and penetration in thought, expression, or intellect
tympanum -- a vertical recessed triangular space forming the center of a pediment, typically decorated




Review:  Will write one when I'm done.

Jupiter, Ben Bova

Jupiter by Ben Bova is a book written in a series called "The Grand Tour" which has a book for each planet (and some asteroids).  I like the way that Ben Bova takes some science and mixes it with some "extensions" to come up with a really interesting twists for his novels.  By "twists" I mean moral dilemmas, not surprise endings.

Started: 1/19/2011
Completed: 1/27/2011
Recommendation: Gotta be a hard core SF fan to enjoy it
Recommended By: Nobody, I like Ben Bova's stuff and saw this at a yard sale


Review:


This is a book for the hardcore SF reader.  Lots of stuff is assumed, plasma drives, AI, nanotechnology, etc.  If these terms aren't familiar to you, well, the book uses them but doesn't explain them.  There are also several instances of wild hand waving that will frustrate anyone with a science background (aerodynamics seem to be largely ignored though frequently referenced, "scoop ships" get many references but seem to defy any sort of description, and while it is possible to reline with ceramic a running engine nozzle, there is virtually no form of healthcare for the crew anywhere).  The topics evaluated are very broad (if Radar from M*A*S*H was on a space station around Jupiter, what would he do?)  and range from the ethical to religious and off to scientific rather seamlessly.  Some of the science can be jarring (walls for video, but floors that display images are unusual) but the parts that are clearly speculative are treated that way in the novel and the questions that any one of us might ask are briefly addressed (what would it "feel" like if neurons were connected directly to feedback from an engine that was giving out?).  In general, I liked the book.  It was a compelling read, had simple and easy to understand characters.  It is basically a beach book and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.

Shadowplay, Tad Williams

Shadowplay by Tad Williams is a sequal to Shadowmarch which I read fairly recently and I'm looking foward to reading this one!

Started: December 13, 2010
Completed: May 21, 2011
Recommendation:  Who could read this review and think that I would not highly recommend this book?
Recommended by:  I'm a Tad Williams junkie.  I found the copy of this book in South Carolina after I had checked and my "to read" pile was over 6 feet of books.  I swore, when I realized how much I had to read, that I wouldn't be buying more books.  Well, I bought this one.  And moved it to the top of the pile.

Words I looked up:


chirurgeon -- a surgeon usually in charge of first aid.
pentecount -- this is a made-up word, but probably means group of 50.

Review:


Wonderful, staggering, annoyingly not finished!  Throughout most of Shadowmarch the introduction of the various characters occurred.  A few more were introduced in Shadowplay.  Still the interaction of these characters is, for the most part, as ships passing in the night.  With deft touches the author mixes melodrama with high drama, the believable and the unbelievable, even a trip through a variant on Hades!  Consistently able to build a world of complex interaction, this series will undoubtedly lead to fascinating interactions.  How can I not yearn to read the next book?  I'm hopelessly connected to fictitious characters who loom large and small in their own stages and minds.  How many more times can Tad Williams bring major characters within a knife edge of death without actually killing them?  The few times that he has done so have been shocking and made the rest of the close encounters seem much more "real."  This master story-teller never ceases to drag me into an impossible universe with implausible characters who are viciously (and occasionally heart-stoppingly) real.

Parliament: Canada's Democracy and How it Works, Maureen McTeer

Parliament by Maureen McTeer is a non-fiction account of how Canadian Parliament works.

Started:  December 13, 2010
Completed: May 22, 2011
Recommendation: Excellent as a Primer
Recommended By:  Several years ago I was in Canada and stopped by a library that happened to have a book sale.  This was one of the books in that sale that caught my interest.

Review:


This is a children's book and, as such, explains terms that an adult book would take for granted.  This is a swift overview of the basics of the system while only addressing the broad details of government history.  This is an easy read, I'd have finished in a day if I hadn't lost it amongst some other things.

The Apprentice, Paulo Coelho

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is a modern allegory offering a story to describe how people should live their lives.

Started:  December 10, 2010

Completed:  December 13, 2010

Recommendation: Not recommended

Recommended by:  My neighbors read it and thought the beginning was good but it fizzled.

Review:  Sort of a "The Secret" meets "The Celestine Prophecy" kind of book.  I'm not buying that the universe wants me to meet my goals and will work on my behalf.

Jamestown: The Perilous Journey, Olga Hall-Quest

Jamestown: The Perilous Journey by Olga Hall-Quest is a book I had picked up to read to my son before we visited Jamestown.  He found the plot slow and laborious.  I went ahead and read it and found it a very approachable read to the early history of Jamestown.

Started:  About October 12, 2010
Completed:  October 16, 2010
Recommendation:  Very good book to read-aloud to a 5th grade audience.  Needs to be supplemented with other materials.
Recommended by:  Picked this book up at a Barnes and Noble while looking for home school materials.

Review:  The story of Jamestown is dominated by Captain John Smith who wrote the only real history of the founding of the colony.  He is portrayed here in a favorable light, although it is not always flattering.  The book definitely hits all the high points and provides a good framework for more in-depth study.  I would highly recommend this book to any parent taking a child/children to Jamestown and, in many cases, to the child as well.  The book does not "talk down" to the child and it reflects much of the recent archaeology of the site.

A Tremor of Bliss, Mark Judge

A Tremor of Bliss by Mark Judge is a book that tries to look at both the liberal and conservative positions on Sex and modern music.  In a sense the book is a survey of Catholic literature on the topic with some personal experiences from the author mixed in to humanize this most personal of topics.

Started: September 28, 2010
Completed: October 5, 2010
Recommendation: Pretty far right conservatives only
Recommended By:  The author.  He and I were classmates in high school.

Words I looked up:
Eugenics -- The study of methods of improving genetic qualities by selective breeding (especially as applied to human mating)
abortifacient -- A drug or other chemical agent that causes abortion

Review:  I did not like this book.  Conservatives are painted as "not prudes" in most cases although one conservative is portrayed as being authoritarian (in part, I think to make the case that his liberal successor put him to shame in this area, although it may be a truly objective critique).  Liberals are painted as "free sex" hippies for the most part.  The book is remarkably defensive of the second George Bush for a book that doesn't seem to be about politics and those who support Obama (even if former liberals) have had "their wheels come off."

The author does a good job of explaining Pope John Paul II's position on sex and provides insights I have seen nowhere else.  The highlight of these is the concept that sex can go beyond procreation and into the realm of demonstrating fidelity and still be on the moral high ground.  The primary liberal argument against the conservative position that "procreation should always be possible" is that it seems hard to believe a millimeter of latex is going to stop God if he desires a child (and He has done so before with Mary and Ruth).  This argument is not addressed which seems odd given the intended effort of the book being inclusive to both liberals and conservatives.

It is unclear in the book what the Church's objections might be to Rock 'n Roll (there is a suggestion that Rock 'n Roll leads to illicit sex, but it is juxtaposed to the author's experience of God during a concert).  In fact, the details of Rock 'n Roll that are addressed focus on a tune lifted from the Song of Songs.  There is also a suggestion that the author's early dalliances were encouraged by his listening to early Rock 'n Roll tunes that were all about love.

I walked away from this book cold.  Likening the sexual experience to one's relationship with God, somehow sullied that relationship in my mind no matter how well intended.  The dabbling in politics amongst discussions of sex (driven by Planned Parenthood) made it difficult for me to wade through so many false assertions and repetitions of the Republican platform (life was great under Bush) while paying attention to the meat of the book.  While there are great arguments to be made about the Catholic Church, its teachings, and the growth and development of a healthy sexual life, none of those were made beyond the concept of abstinence seen through a hazy veil of occasional privacy.

Blech.  In the process of doing some quick research to be sure that I had Ruth correct, I ran across Gen: 19:36 that has both the daughters of Lot becoming pregnant by him.  The Bible still surprises me.