Consider a book-Books worth reading

The Shallows  This is a fascinating look at “what the internet is doing to our brains”. Better still, it’s an analysis of how technological interfaces from maps, the alphabet, clocks, etc. have changed the way we behave. I found the historical section particularly compelling and the overall message is one that merits deep thought. I’m not sure the analysis of what “the internet” is doing is particularly accurate. The argument is that it’s a medium that fragments our consumption, which detracts from our ability to understand the gestalt. I think that's a true generalization, but I use it to listen to entire books, not fragments, so I'm not sure the fragmentation is necessarily a product of the tool. There is a vain that addresses how search engines foster groupthink, I think that is particularly true and relevant.  Thanks, Harrison! Verdict Recommend

Mountains Beyond Mountains This is an engaging ethical argument presented as the true story of Dr. Paul Farmer and his humanitarian work for the people of Haiti and elsewhere. I love the sentiment the book portrays. It deeply connects the reader to the story of the downtrodden. The protagonist advocates in word and deed for humanitarianism on the basis of the ethics of care . I deeply disagree with him; I tend more towards utilitarianism when it comes to humanitarian efforts. That being said, I deeply appreciate an articulate and impassioned argument, which this certainly is. One point that is particularly well taken is how often the utilitarian view is used as a justification for immoral action. It does irritate me that he assumes that everyone who doesn’t think like him is evil and or lazy. Thanks for the recommendation Wil! Verdict: Read this , and then read Clay's  Prosperity Paradox  for contrast.

Guns germs and steel: This is fascinating! He tries to use strategy-esque frameworks to explain why the world is the way it is today. I agree with the thesis that differences between civilizations aren’t primarily due to genetics (He asserts that most don’t agree with his thesis, but I have seen no data on the subject). Some of his arguments are compelling (the spread of domesticable crops latitudinally but not longitudinally). Others are blatantly contradictory. Eg, some animals aren’t domesticable because all of the species is mean spirited and there is no way nobody in an entire civilization didn’t try to domesticate this animal, (both sides of generalization) (has this guy ever been around horse trainers???). Ultimately, he does a good job up until about 500AD but his explanations afterward demonstrate a lack of knowledge in sociology and economics. In short, he can explain why Eurasians instead of Indonesians have “the cargo”, but not why Britains over Aztecs or Chinese, and c...

The Sum of all fears  It’s classic Clancy. This one is particularly interesting in terms of the breadth of the problem and players. It’s very human and the technical details are as compelling as always. It also highlights the potential danger of MAD (mutually assured destruction) policy in a very penetrating way.  Check out my general Clancy post for a broader take on this series. Verdict Recommend

Silent Spring: Disclaimer, I only made it halfway through. This book is historically important because it catalyzed the environmentalist movement. My issue with it was that very little of the information is still relevant/true. Still, it was interesting to sample the flavor of data and rhetoric that launched the movement. Rachel Carlsson mixes good scientific data with journalistic hysteria in a truly admirable fashion. It’s not hard to see why environmentalism turned into both a fervent crusade and a nutty joke depending on who you talk to. Thanks, Wil! Verdict: Can't Recommend Wiki for more

Blink:  This is classic Malcolm Gladwell . As a strategist, I’m interested in the perils of analysis paralysis and other foibles associated with looking at a problem too hard. The best parts of this book are the studies he references. Particularly the two involving Jam (ranking the taste and purchasing). The conclusions drawn from these and other studies are interesting but amateurish and often tenuous. My biggest disappointment is with the non-conclusiveness of the overall thesis. Gladwell promised a framework in the first chapter that would help the reader decide when a blink decision would be better than a drawn-out one. He basically concludes blinking is good when it helps and bad when it doesn’t… thanks! Still, overall, it’s worth the read. Verdict: Would recommend with a grain of salt Wiki for more

Surprised by Joy  This book helped me live more conscientiously, to identify and embrace the things that I love deep down. Yesterday I was coming back from the store with my wife and kid in the backseat. The sun was setting and my wife was admiring it out the window but I was focused on driving. The rush of 5oClock commuters was as impatient and as brusque as ever. In a moment of decision, I tapped the breaks and slid into the most convenient parking lot. It happened to be a high school, the space created by the lot and accompanying football field allowed the full beauty of the giant orange and pink sunset to fill the windshield. We took 5 minutes to enjoy it and then head home, more refreshed than we'd been in a while. This book is a memoir of the early life of one of the great authors of all time. It provides a fascinating lens into his mind and what he considers important. It also gives a useful window into Europe before and after WWI.  Verdict  Recommend

Bad Blood:  The story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos is one of the most interesting stories in the rise and decline of Silicon Valley. John Carreyroe does a good job making the story come to life; it's pretty readable. However, the journalistic spin presents some factual challenges. The way some characters were painted in various shades of black and white depending on John's relationship with them leads me to wonder if fiction would be an equally useful way to explore the ethical and OBHR problems highlighted by Theranos. Verdict:  Lukewarm Wiki for more

Ready Player One: The book is engaging and there are some really-interesting world building themes going on. I love how it explores what a truly immersive virtual reality experience might be like and I especially like how the barriers between the virtual world and the real world erode over the course of the book. It stimulates deep introspection about the fantasy worlds (games, Netflix, social media, books, etc.) to which we like to escape. On the downside, the economic and political building blocks were wholly unbelievable. The author had a tenuous grasp of economics. The resulting lack of internal integrity detracted from the story and its usefulness as a thought experiment. Thanks for the recommendation, Harrison! Verdict--  Lukewarm  Wiki for more

“The reading of all good books is like conversation with the finest (people) of the past centuries.” – Descartes The truth is, this blog is written for me more than you. You'll find my reviews somewhat meandering. I'm not trying to make them hard to follow, but my goal isn't to summarize the contents of the book, go to SparkNotes for that. Instead, I'm trying to capture my reaction to the book. You might find that helpful; you might find that it says more about me than the book. Still, I hope by skimming this you'll find a compelling reason to read more and read more broadly. Better yet, I hope that some of the things I say resonate enough to steer you towards the best books and away from space wasters. I've read a lot of books. Ok, so I listened to most of them, that's how I find time to get through as many of them as I do. I read/listen to two books at a time; one more on the entertaining side and one more on the intellectual side (following the pri...