A little of Matt Taibbi goes a long way, in my experience, but I ended up liking this book more than I expected, because it has an actual point.
There A little of Matt Taibbi goes a long way, in my experience, but I ended up liking this book more than I expected, because it has an actual point.
There are moments where I felt as though Taibbi asserted something, expected the reader to take it as given, and plowed on ahead. In the end, though, I accepted this style--otherwise, the book would turn into All the Devils Are Here, which I couldn't get through. Talking about Alan Greenspan, Goldman Sachs, commodity speculation, and Obama's muddled promises about healthcare, Taibbi paints a picture of self-interested, venal bureaucrats who are almost too dim to realize what they're doing is wrong.
Taibbi posits that there is an oligarchical class of people like this who, far from planning for America's bright future, are making extremely short-term selfish decisions. It's like they don't care if they get caught because they'll already be rich, or dead, by the time anyone figures out what's going on. I'm not sure he convinced me that this is going on exactly as he says, but the picture he paints--of a political culture totally unable to analyze the situation, let alone respond--is convincing and damning.
It's a pity this came out the same year as Tina Fey's book because this is so similar, right down to an anecdote about being safety-pinned into a tinyIt's a pity this came out the same year as Tina Fey's book because this is so similar, right down to an anecdote about being safety-pinned into a tiny dress at a photo shoot. Fey's book felt, well, more mature, with a more developed worldview, but I enjoyed Kaling's thoughts about being single and nerdy more than Fey's thoughts on motherhood. Go figure....more
I picked this up at the library because I recalled seeing that several friends on Goodreads had read it. Unfortunately, I failed to note that most of I picked this up at the library because I recalled seeing that several friends on Goodreads had read it. Unfortunately, I failed to note that most of them didn't like it. I concur--for a dystopian YA novel, this is disappointingly bland and none of the characters makes much of an impression.
Cassia Reyes lives in a society where everything is ordered by a caste of bureaucrats to achieve optimal health and prosperity until a scheduled death at age 80. Young people are matched with their best partner, and the book opens with Cassia overjoyed to discover that her match is actually her childhood friend, Xander. But soon thereafter, she begins to discover discrepancies in the stories she's been told about her society, and she starts to fall for another friend, Ky, who not only has his own secrets but also seems to understand more than anyone else about what's really going on around them.
This book seems almost programmatically ripped off from other series like The Hunger Games and Uglies. We have our female protagonist, who unfortunately doesn't seem very plucky and has no apparent history of rebellious thoughts predating the action of this book. There's the love triangle between her, the sweet guy who always puts her first, and the firebrand guy. Unfortunately, none of these figures is memorable or drawn in much detail. I'd feel bad about using the same key adjective twice in one review, but when that adjective is "bland," it feels almost appropriate. And then there's the oppressively regimented society; here, instead of becoming "pretties," the young people are assigned jobs and paired off. Ho-hum--what part of our society is this (and the stuff about poetry being suppressed) actually supposed to criticize or comment on?
And that's the crux of it: this book doesn't score because it is just a fantasy, with no soaring moments nor moments to connect Cassia's experience to the reader's....more
I haven't reviewed any books in a while because I was busy reading The Longest War--or the longest book, amirite? This book made worthwhile, but slow,I haven't reviewed any books in a while because I was busy reading The Longest War--or the longest book, amirite? This book made worthwhile, but slow, reading. It analyzes the disparate threads of the "Global War on Terror," with individual chapters related to issues like post-9/11 bombing plots, the surge in Iraq, Pakistan's porous borders, and so forth. These themes don't always hold together, but that serves to reflect the GWOT as the ill-conceived hodgepodge that it was (and is). The author is particularly perceptive when it comes to discussing the openly stated aims of Al Qaeda and how the U.S. frequently ignored these, instead responding to its own interpretation of what terrorist groups aimed to do. Unfortunately, this book would have made better reading if I'd read it a year ago; it doesn't include the Arab Spring and its reference Bin Laden's death is tacked-on (and in the interview list, he's still referred to as "in hiding.")...more
Previously, I've said that it doesn't matter what order you read the Reacher books in, but this one is an exception, since it tells part of his backstPreviously, I've said that it doesn't matter what order you read the Reacher books in, but this one is an exception, since it tells part of his backstory. There's not much to say that's not a spoiler. I'd say that this is one of the better ones that I've read, if a little too long. It's still full of Child's typical descriptions, where he gives the mood of a scene with just one detail that Reacher observes (which is usually something I wouldn't notice)....more
Reading this book, I couldn't help being constantly, acutely aware that it came out nearly thirty years ago. The characters spend a lot of time leavinReading this book, I couldn't help being constantly, acutely aware that it came out nearly thirty years ago. The characters spend a lot of time leaving phone messages for each other; they get served free refreshments on airplanes; the big casino in Las Vegas is Circus Circus. One of the two protagonists is a young female agent in the Justice Department, and I thought the (male) author of this book did a good job of showing how she tries to get respect and tries to muscle her way through unfamiliar situations and fit in. This character felt like an authentic woman to me, in contrast to the female protagonists of some of today's thrillers, who are blandly tough-as-nails and wear lipstick (ho hum). The Butcher's Boy himself is a hit man on a job gone wrong. His efforts to figure out who is after him unleash an old-school Mafia war. This plotline felt a bit dated to me but the writing kept me reading. Alone in a Las Vegas casino at night: "The coffee shop was still ablaze with lights, but far off in the corner behind a stockade of upturned chairs a black man was following a vacuum cleaner in its jerky foragings behind the tables."...more
I'm no fan of memoirs, but I've read so many that are compared to this seminal work in the genre that I had to get to it eventually. The novelist KathI'm no fan of memoirs, but I've read so many that are compared to this seminal work in the genre that I had to get to it eventually. The novelist Kathryn Harrison describes how, after meeting her absentee father for almost the first time at age twenty, she embarks on a four-year affair with him. This is a bit more complicated than it sounds but it remains sickening, the story of a naive young woman being manipulated by a sweaty religious hypocrite.
I was drawn in by the way that Harrison digs up the roots of her relationship with her father. Both of her parents have a craving for her, a transgressive sense of ownership, so that they only way to escape or reject her mother seems to be to embrace her father. On the other hand, I was less interested in the various aperçus--of a dress, a movement, a thought--that decorate this story. It has a writerly style that I don't find appealing in any genre. Given the subject matter, the style recedes into the background. It's easy to see how this book influenced many later writers....more
This book reveals counterintuitive research results about willpower, and I'd probably give it five stars (for being "perspective changing") if I hadn'This book reveals counterintuitive research results about willpower, and I'd probably give it five stars (for being "perspective changing") if I hadn't already been brought up with this perspective. This book explores self-control and willpower, as opposed to impulsiveness and the cult of self-esteem. It discusses how willpower is necessary for avoiding all sorts of damaging and distracting temptations that prevent people from being happy, and shows that that willpower can be strengthened. Most of all, it talks about how willpower is finite and can be depleted by having to resist lots of temptations, and can be bolstered with good sleep and healthy food. Dieting, in this account, is a cruel joke in which you deprive yourself of the very food you need... to resist the temptation to eat. One phenomenon that stood out for me was what the authors call "what the hell"--when you break some resolution you've made, you figure you've screwed up for the day, so you blow off the rule entirely. They discuss this in regard to dieting but as someone who recently needed to buy a coat... and a blouse and a dress and a pair of pants, it felt pretty familiar.
I've read severalother psychology books that try to bring together research and advice on being happier, which I suppose is a bit pointless as I am basically happy to begin with. This is the most successful, both in terms of its recency and the way it manages to draw some conclusions from the research without turning into a self-help book....more
I found this, like every other one of Willis's books so far, both engrossing and frustrating. The aimless, wordy, circular, redundant fretting by the I found this, like every other one of Willis's books so far, both engrossing and frustrating. The aimless, wordy, circular, redundant fretting by the characters reaches a fever pitch. (view spoiler)[The blankness of the characters is revealed to be a plot construct that allows us to watch them in multiple timeframes without necessarily realizing that separate cover identities cloak a single person. I liked the idea of Mike faking his death and then working undercover, and of Eileen choosing to stay, but the "Mary" and "Ernest" parts, and Colin's comings and going, eventually get convoluted. There's also a love story between Polly and Sir Godfrey that seemed to me to come out of nowhere. (hide spoiler)] This book really needs a chart like this: http://xkcd.com/657/large/. In the end, I was moved by how the characters are drawn into the selfless spirit of the survivors of the Blitz, but annoyed by many aspects of the book itself....more
The book this most reminded me of was Class Action but where that focuses on the plaintiffs and their experiences as the lawsuit and trial dragged on,The book this most reminded me of was Class Action but where that focuses on the plaintiffs and their experiences as the lawsuit and trial dragged on, this focuses almost entirely on the lawyers. Jan Schlichtmann accepts the case of families in Woburn, MA, whose children died of leukemia after being exposed to water contaminated by industrial pollution. As the costs of investigating the case and gathering evidence increase, Schlichtmann and his team keep increasing their imagined jury award to compensate. As the trial gets underway, their attention is divided between arguments in the courtroom and creditors seeking to repossess their cars and dry-cleaners who won't return their clothes due to overdue bills. I was expecting this to be a soaring "Erin Brockovich"-type triumph, but instead its more like a meditation on hubris and not being able to look beyond sunk costs. It was interesting and I've heard it cited as a well-regarded glimpse at legal strategy and procedure, but I found it too long....more
The Magicians is one of my favorite books of the past few years; I must have returned to it at least twice since my first reading. The Magician King dThe Magicians is one of my favorite books of the past few years; I must have returned to it at least twice since my first reading. The Magician King doesn't disappoint. It retains the mixture of playfully whimsical fantasy, dark nerd humor, and Brooklyn smart-kid snark, but it does what any good sequel must and extends that with intertwined stories of two characters maturing and making sacrifices to gain knowledge. The magical world is extended, too, but that's incidental to what made me like this story.
Quentin annoyed most readers of The Magicians with his self-inflicted boredom, louche entitlement, and solipsistic expectations of the world. In this volume, he seems to have grown up, grudgingly. He wants to prove himself, but he wants to do it on his own terms. His efforts to keep his chosen adventure fun, just this side of dangerous, eventually collapse. To be the hero of his story, he has to resolve a real crisis, not the silly errand that he initially sets off on.
Just as the first book is largely about Alice, as seen by Quentin, this book makes his high-school friend Julia into a co-protagonist. Here, the reader learns about her journey after being rejected from Brakebills, learning magic through a network of sketchy safe houses and eventually through an online community of hyperintelligent depressive nerds called Free Trader Beowulf. (One of her peers there is known as "Failstaff," a typically hilarious high-lowbrow touch.) The novel alternates scenes from the present--where Quentin haltingly steps up to his responsibility as king--and Julia's harrowing past, which is still very much with her.
I only found out that this sequel was being published a few months before it came out (even though the first book has a pretty obvious cliffhanger). It's going to be hard to wait for the final installment....more
This is a very useful book, available for free online. It introduces the major concepts of IR in a clear way. At the end of most chapters is an optionThis is a very useful book, available for free online. It introduces the major concepts of IR in a clear way. At the end of most chapters is an optional discussion of advanced topics. I wish the book went a little bit into examples of programming, but that's for someone else to take on, I guess.
Librarians should be forced to read at least parts of this book in school, to better understand why Google is eating our lunch....more
One of the most painful textbooks I've ever been forced to deal with. On a superficial skim, there doesn't appear to be anything wrong with it, but ifOne of the most painful textbooks I've ever been forced to deal with. On a superficial skim, there doesn't appear to be anything wrong with it, but if you actually try to learn from it, you will learn the meaning of the word "frustration." It constantly refers to key concepts without defining them, in fact some significant concepts are never defined or explained at all. It presents ambiguous examples with repeated data so that you can't tell what part of the example the narration is referring to. It also gives separate discussions of the same issues in multiple places, but they don't add up to a full discussion.
I'd avoid any class that uses this book unless the professor is stellar....more
This book is much less elegant than Stephen Few's, and displays all sorts of dashboards that violate Few's precepts left and right. However, it's moreThis book is much less elegant than Stephen Few's, and displays all sorts of dashboards that violate Few's precepts left and right. However, it's more realistic about business practices on the ground--making do with data and tools that are actually available, working with teams and stakeholders, etc....more
Useful book on data visualization in a specific context. Although it has to do with business dashboards a lot of the advice is broadly applicable to aUseful book on data visualization in a specific context. Although it has to do with business dashboards a lot of the advice is broadly applicable to anywhere you're displaying more than a little bit of information. It's a bit too long but you can jump in and out of specific chapters as needed. ...more
Parts of this book are cleverly written, but other sections feel too drawn out and a little tedious, hence the neutral rating. In particular, the openParts of this book are cleverly written, but other sections feel too drawn out and a little tedious, hence the neutral rating. In particular, the opening scene--in which a young Englishman and his girlfriend describe to some secret-agent interlocutors how their vacation in Antigua was hijacked by a mysterious Russian man who claims to have an important secret--drags on for far too long, even though it involves some amusing descriptions and moments of zingy dialogue. The story here, once it gets going, feels lower-stakes than the action of other Le Carré books I've read, which I liked because it made the characters seem more human or like figures in a world on the scale of real life....more
This book is another variation on the Oxford-time-travel theme. In this book, we have three protagonists, all visiting 1940 from 2060, operating separThis book is another variation on the Oxford-time-travel theme. In this book, we have three protagonists, all visiting 1940 from 2060, operating separately for almost the whole duration of the book. Also, once they make it to 1940, the story alternates between them but never returns to 2060. (Mr. Dunworthy never appears on stage, actually, remaining a wholly remote and Dumbledore-like figure, in contrast to his role in The Doomsday Book.) I liked that this book has less of the fussy business of scheduling and organizing and bickering (although it has its own forms of fussy business, particularly as Polly races around London).
It's a strong portrayal of London during the Blitz. The three time travelers, alas, are not very clearly distinguished in terms of their temperaments and outlooks, which makes the book duller than it should be, and well-nigh confusing when more than one of them is in the same room. And this was a strange flaw to find in this book, since the protagonists of To Say Nothing of the Dog do manage to be well delineated....more
This book is a little disappointing on its own merits, but considering it's by the excellent David Liss, it's quite disappointing indeed. (And I noticThis book is a little disappointing on its own merits, but considering it's by the excellent David Liss, it's quite disappointing indeed. (And I notice that many of the readers who are giving it positive reviews aren't readers of his earlier work.)
"There are forces in motion. Dangerous forces. Chief among these are what people are apt to call fairies or elves. Do not laugh, for this is serious." (154)
This advice is difficult for a fan of Liss's previous work: bloodily concrete adventures of men of the middling sort, full of mutton, snuff, fistfights, dodgy inns, bad weather, smudged ledgers, inaccurate firearms, and deceit. In fact, in reviewing one of his previous books, I specifically said I liked it because it differed from the mass of historical fiction that take place in the woman's sphere of drawing rooms and enclosed carriages. It's disappointing to see him turn to the overdone Regency period--and to the supernatural--and he doesn't pull it off.
The book is a weird pastiche of near-quotes and borrowed situations from Jane Austen, the "Old Ones" from the Grey King, nasty Dickensian servants, and a rush to collect magical artifacts from around the countryside like in the last Harry Potter book. The story takes a dull while to get going and the only reason I'm giving it three stars instead of two is that the denouement is somewhat exciting and scary, especially a revelation about one character's past.
At the kernel of the story is something interesting about the natural world vs. the city, innocence and experience, and the heritage of the English. But this is like a faint ember that the author is blowing on, trying to coax it into life, instead of a rollicking blaze of ideas. The plot relies on the fact that a rather unpromising young girl has extraordinary supernatural talents (for some reason) and is the only one who can defuse a looming showdown between murderous fairy versions of Tories and Labour.
There are touches here that are the missteps of a much weaker writer than Liss. For example, he lazily casts Byron in his story rather than think up his own rakish character. (William Blake's appearance is more worthwhile.) And he constantly uses the words "slut" and "whore" in stilted, unconvincing ways that remind me of dialogue written by authors with a tin ear for history, who come up with one phrase that sounds good to them and reuse it over and over. The exuberantly detailed scenery of his previous books becomes here a wan series of country-house moments marred by mistakes like Lucy putting on a "muslin pelisse" (a pelisse being a fur or fur-trimmed cloak). Truly, if his name were not on the cover, I would not dream he could have written this, because everything he gets right in his other books is wrong here.
Edited later to add: If this book seems like a promising concept, maybe you want the Temeraire or Glamourist series. ...more
I enjoyed this book a lot, but partly because I dismissed the author's central thesis--that gaming can fix the aspects of reality that make people unhI enjoyed this book a lot, but partly because I dismissed the author's central thesis--that gaming can fix the aspects of reality that make people unhappy and steer humanity towards a more collaborative and successful future--as hyperbole practically on the first page.
On a smaller scale, though, I bought into how her discussion of how games can train us in the habits of mind that make us happier. Most of the games she describes I would be interested in playing and a few seemed significant, like SuperBetter, a game to make the tiny victories of recovering from an illness seem fun and adventurous, or Tombstone Hold 'Em, a game to attract people to cemeteries, spruce them up, and learn about the people buried them. She made a better case for why people find games fun and play them than I've seen elsewhere.
There is one tiresome chapter that goes on about crowdsourcing and Web 2.0 but otherwise most of this material was new to me, even as someone who's breezed through several other books on games or on the psychology of happiness (e.g. Daniel Gilbert). I do wish she'd spent more time talking about the mechanics of designing a satisfying game instead of just bloviating about how important they are; but of couse her business is to design games so she's not going to share her secrets....more
An unfortunately amateurish effort by a woman who lost her sense of smell after using Zicam. This book combines memoir and science, and neither is verAn unfortunately amateurish effort by a woman who lost her sense of smell after using Zicam. This book combines memoir and science, and neither is very satisfying: the memoir is a bit whiny and long-winded, and the science comes straight from the Natalie Angier school of pop science writing. The arrangement of the chapters here gives no forward momentum or sense of a story--it's as if the author wrote twenty somewhat rambly magazine articles and put them together in a book....more
Loading...
