book reviews: 6 months of reading
Recently, between work, cycling, and all other things in between, I've managed to polish off quite a few books. Since May, my reading has been varied and quite good. The most I've read in years. The summer off the bike leant itself to having the concentration required to read, instead of falling asleep everytime I opened a new book, exhausted from V02 max workouts and climbing acceleration drills. So here, in descending order of most recently read (October to May) is my last 6 months of reading, with a quick synopsis of each.
French Revolutions
by Tim Moore
Category: non-fiction travel memoir
An English bloke decides to get on his bike and ride the Tour de France course. He's not an athlete, not a cyclist, does a 20km practice ride, can't use clipless pedals, holds the French and their anchovies in contempt, and hilarity ensues. A great read with good doses of history and a lot of gonzo travel humour. Favourite chapters included his take on drug abuse in Le Tour.
8/10
A Scientific Romance
Ronald Wright
Category: science fiction
Millenial angst oozes from this work by the same author who recently did "A Short History of Progress" for CBC's Massey Lecture Series in 2004. A bookish history academic in London at the end of 1999 writes an extended letter/diary about discovering a HG Wells' time machine thanks to a (forged? spoofed?) letter from HG Wells, sent some 50 years previous in 1946. A great story, filled with great descriptive passages, plot twists, and humour unfolds. For whatever reason, I couldn't put this book down and read it anytime I had a spare moment. On the bus, in bed, flying to Victoria on a float plane, etc. It was great.
9/10
In Praise of Slow
Carl Honore
Category: nonfiction / social studies
Carl Honore outlines a new movement sweeping the world: going slowly. In a world filled with rushing about, being busy, multitasking and my personal favourtie, continuous partial attention, Honore slows down. Looks at how we eat food slowly (founded in Italy of course), work slowly, and savour the small moments of life. It was a good read, one that I rushed through. Got a bit stale at the end. Not entirely convinced it's a global movement. Or that we exist at one-speed at any given time (sometimes we're slow, other times we're foot to the floor).
6.5/10
Happiness
Richard Layard
Category: nonfiction / social studies
A London School of Economics professor takes on the topic of happiness. Quite the contrast to the last book I read on happiness, the romping philosophical territory of Mark Kingwell's Better Living. Layard contends that happiness can be quantified. It's a measurable chemical change in our brain after all... He looks at the world through his economic lense, brings his utilitarian model to suggesting reform in government based on providing as much happiness for all. Interesting concepts, not sure I'm about to jump on his bandwagon. The Big 7 factors that affect happiness were noteworthy: family relationships, financial situation, work, community & friends, health, personal freedom, personal values. Fair enough.
6.5/10
The Paradox of Choice
Barry Schwarz
Category: nonfiction / social studies
No choices = not happy. Some choices = happy. Too many choices = not happy. Schwarz's fascinating read about the dynamics of choice. And in an age littered with discussion about consumer choice and freedom to choose, this book doesn't do any favours to the decision making process. A great read, worthy of a second go-round. His categorization of "maximizers" and "satisficers" as two different types of choice-makers has been well quoted in lots of places, from marketing articles to psyc journals.
9/10
Everything Bad is Good For You
Steven Johnson
Category: nonfiction / social studies
Popular culture, including modern computer games and reality TV shows, is making us smarter, not dumber. That's Johnson's thesis. And he's out to prove it. I found this book less engaging than his Interface Culture, Emergence, or Mind Wide Open. It was a natural topic for him to tackle, given his background and history of writing. Interesting points about how the structure of video games are really quite complicated (for someone that doesn't play any, other than rally car driving simulators).
7/10
Nothing For Granted
Mark Kingwell
Category: essays / philosophy / pop culture commentary
Nothing for Granted is Canadian philosopher Mark Kingwell's essays from 2000 to 2003 in the National Post. I've been a Kingwell fan since I started reading Shift magazine and he was writing about millenial angst and end-times back in 1998. One of the best essayists in Canada, these were easily digestible, an enjoyable read, and gives the writer in me something to shoot for.
8/10
Mind Wide Open
Steven Johnson
Category: nonfiction / neuroscience
The most accessible book you'll ever read about how the brain works. Not one to read a lot of hard science, this book was a great intro to concepts in modern brain science. Johnson brings a lot of interesting first person anecdotes into the book as he does all sorts of brain experiments, testing his cognitive capabilities. An exploration into the chemical and electrical impulses that shape our existence.
7.5/10
Good Business: Leadership, Flow, and the Making of Meaning
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Category: psychology / business
MC's take on how to apply the concept of flow to the field of work. Didn't actually get through all of this book -- got about half-way then got distracted. Will have to come back to it. Really all about finding meaningful work in your life, connecting to it, and enjoying it. When the challenge of work and your skills combine at the right level, work isn't work anymore.
6/10
Our Own Devices
Edward Tenner
Category: nonfiction / history / technology
Tenner takes an interesting look at everyday technologies and charts their history. From the baby bottle to the chair, from the running shoe to the helmet, his history of each technology he chooses is pretty exhaustive. A tad academic, it's littered with footnotes and bibliographic references. A good place to start if you were having to author an essay or piece on the history of the typewriter. The subtitle "How technology remakes humanity" had me thinking it would be more philosophical and less historic in nature, with references to the great theorists of technology (Mumford, Ellul, Winner, Heideigger, etc.) but no such luck. He trots out some theory, but not very much.
6/10
Orxy & Crake
Margaret Atwood
Category: science fiction
I read a good part of this book heavily drugged on T3's and actually had a few nightmares whilst reading it. Not sure that was such a good move on my part. A dark read about a near-future gone wrong, full of genetically engineered disaster, destroyed environments, and biological terror. A good, if disturbing, read. The first Atwood book I've ever read too. Go figure.
7/10
Prior to May, I'd only managed to read Tim Krabbe's excellent book on cycling, The Rider and finally read Malcolm Gladwell's Tipping Point on my way back from Los Angeles in March. But that was about it. Post May, things really picked up.
Currently bus reading material is another Massey Lecture Series, Janice Stein's Cult of Efficiency. Very topical, as we listen to the teacher's strike debate and I find myself in and out of the public healthcare system, both of which are focused upon in her book. Also the occaisional essay from Paul Graham's nerd-fest Hackers and Painters. Many of his briliant essays into hacker culture can be found on his website. And I can't wait to tuck into Cool: the History of Ice Cream... mmm...
Good reads. Not enough time in the day to absorb most of this stuff. But I do try.
French Revolutions
by Tim Moore
Category: non-fiction travel memoir
An English bloke decides to get on his bike and ride the Tour de France course. He's not an athlete, not a cyclist, does a 20km practice ride, can't use clipless pedals, holds the French and their anchovies in contempt, and hilarity ensues. A great read with good doses of history and a lot of gonzo travel humour. Favourite chapters included his take on drug abuse in Le Tour.
8/10
A Scientific Romance
Ronald Wright
Category: science fiction
Millenial angst oozes from this work by the same author who recently did "A Short History of Progress" for CBC's Massey Lecture Series in 2004. A bookish history academic in London at the end of 1999 writes an extended letter/diary about discovering a HG Wells' time machine thanks to a (forged? spoofed?) letter from HG Wells, sent some 50 years previous in 1946. A great story, filled with great descriptive passages, plot twists, and humour unfolds. For whatever reason, I couldn't put this book down and read it anytime I had a spare moment. On the bus, in bed, flying to Victoria on a float plane, etc. It was great.
9/10
In Praise of Slow
Carl Honore
Category: nonfiction / social studies
Carl Honore outlines a new movement sweeping the world: going slowly. In a world filled with rushing about, being busy, multitasking and my personal favourtie, continuous partial attention, Honore slows down. Looks at how we eat food slowly (founded in Italy of course), work slowly, and savour the small moments of life. It was a good read, one that I rushed through. Got a bit stale at the end. Not entirely convinced it's a global movement. Or that we exist at one-speed at any given time (sometimes we're slow, other times we're foot to the floor).
6.5/10
Happiness
Richard Layard
Category: nonfiction / social studies
A London School of Economics professor takes on the topic of happiness. Quite the contrast to the last book I read on happiness, the romping philosophical territory of Mark Kingwell's Better Living. Layard contends that happiness can be quantified. It's a measurable chemical change in our brain after all... He looks at the world through his economic lense, brings his utilitarian model to suggesting reform in government based on providing as much happiness for all. Interesting concepts, not sure I'm about to jump on his bandwagon. The Big 7 factors that affect happiness were noteworthy: family relationships, financial situation, work, community & friends, health, personal freedom, personal values. Fair enough.
6.5/10
The Paradox of Choice
Barry Schwarz
Category: nonfiction / social studies
No choices = not happy. Some choices = happy. Too many choices = not happy. Schwarz's fascinating read about the dynamics of choice. And in an age littered with discussion about consumer choice and freedom to choose, this book doesn't do any favours to the decision making process. A great read, worthy of a second go-round. His categorization of "maximizers" and "satisficers" as two different types of choice-makers has been well quoted in lots of places, from marketing articles to psyc journals.
9/10
Everything Bad is Good For You
Steven Johnson
Category: nonfiction / social studies
Popular culture, including modern computer games and reality TV shows, is making us smarter, not dumber. That's Johnson's thesis. And he's out to prove it. I found this book less engaging than his Interface Culture, Emergence, or Mind Wide Open. It was a natural topic for him to tackle, given his background and history of writing. Interesting points about how the structure of video games are really quite complicated (for someone that doesn't play any, other than rally car driving simulators).
7/10
Nothing For Granted
Mark Kingwell
Category: essays / philosophy / pop culture commentary
Nothing for Granted is Canadian philosopher Mark Kingwell's essays from 2000 to 2003 in the National Post. I've been a Kingwell fan since I started reading Shift magazine and he was writing about millenial angst and end-times back in 1998. One of the best essayists in Canada, these were easily digestible, an enjoyable read, and gives the writer in me something to shoot for.
8/10
Mind Wide Open
Steven Johnson
Category: nonfiction / neuroscience
The most accessible book you'll ever read about how the brain works. Not one to read a lot of hard science, this book was a great intro to concepts in modern brain science. Johnson brings a lot of interesting first person anecdotes into the book as he does all sorts of brain experiments, testing his cognitive capabilities. An exploration into the chemical and electrical impulses that shape our existence.
7.5/10
Good Business: Leadership, Flow, and the Making of Meaning
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Category: psychology / business
MC's take on how to apply the concept of flow to the field of work. Didn't actually get through all of this book -- got about half-way then got distracted. Will have to come back to it. Really all about finding meaningful work in your life, connecting to it, and enjoying it. When the challenge of work and your skills combine at the right level, work isn't work anymore.
6/10
Our Own Devices
Edward Tenner
Category: nonfiction / history / technology
Tenner takes an interesting look at everyday technologies and charts their history. From the baby bottle to the chair, from the running shoe to the helmet, his history of each technology he chooses is pretty exhaustive. A tad academic, it's littered with footnotes and bibliographic references. A good place to start if you were having to author an essay or piece on the history of the typewriter. The subtitle "How technology remakes humanity" had me thinking it would be more philosophical and less historic in nature, with references to the great theorists of technology (Mumford, Ellul, Winner, Heideigger, etc.) but no such luck. He trots out some theory, but not very much.
6/10
Orxy & Crake
Margaret Atwood
Category: science fiction
I read a good part of this book heavily drugged on T3's and actually had a few nightmares whilst reading it. Not sure that was such a good move on my part. A dark read about a near-future gone wrong, full of genetically engineered disaster, destroyed environments, and biological terror. A good, if disturbing, read. The first Atwood book I've ever read too. Go figure.
7/10
Prior to May, I'd only managed to read Tim Krabbe's excellent book on cycling, The Rider and finally read Malcolm Gladwell's Tipping Point on my way back from Los Angeles in March. But that was about it. Post May, things really picked up.
Currently bus reading material is another Massey Lecture Series, Janice Stein's Cult of Efficiency. Very topical, as we listen to the teacher's strike debate and I find myself in and out of the public healthcare system, both of which are focused upon in her book. Also the occaisional essay from Paul Graham's nerd-fest Hackers and Painters. Many of his briliant essays into hacker culture can be found on his website. And I can't wait to tuck into Cool: the History of Ice Cream... mmm...
Good reads. Not enough time in the day to absorb most of this stuff. But I do try.
5 Comments:
Good for you! You are well on your way to outreading me for 2005. Helen
By
Anonymous, at 11:32 am
My favorite quote thus far from Ronald Wright's "A Scientific Romance" - "Time may be, as Unamuno wrote, "a spring that flows from the future," but the water is dark and we are fish without eyes."
Would you agree that this quote is foreshadowing of his non-fiction book "A short history of progress"? Helen
By
Anonymous, at 11:38 am
Aye....you've come a long way from "The Broons" and "Oor Wullie".
Horace
By
Anonymous, at 11:08 am
Having mostly read "The Rider" now, I think it deserves far more reviewing than you have done. It might be the best book I've read all year, and I'm not just saying that because I'm, you know, into bike racing. I'm saying that in my capacity as a guy who studied novels as if that was a respectable way to earn a university degree.
By
Ryan, at 5:14 pm
I agree with you Ryan. My book reviews don't even really qualify as a book review, more than they qualify as a "read it, here's what struck me about it, go read it if you're interested" type synopsis.
In terms of reviewing The Rider, I'll leave that in the more than capable hands of Matt Seaton, author of another book about cycling and life, The Escape Artist.
Besides, another teammate has the book right now and won't give it back.
By
Gordon, at 5:27 pm
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