books

I accept that people who like my music like to read. Not true of all singer-songwriters, it would seem.

what i'm reading now

America (The Book) - Jon Stewart
Dude, I scored this baby at Border's for five bucks! In case you were on Mars a couple years ago, this is a mock history textbook for high school kids. It's as funny as you would expect from Stewart, Colbert, & Co. Read it and learn -- or are you a terrorist?
Someday I'll read Stephen Colbert's I Am America (And So Can You!)...

my queue

Dang, I've got a serious back log....

books i have read

Life of PiLife of Pi - Yann Martel
This book has been recommended to me by many people whose opinion I respect. They all love it -- no exception. Having just finished, I add myself to the longlist of fans. It's a great story.
To clarify, in case you are natural cynic: this is not hype. It's not the best book ever written. It's just very good, and everyone seems to agree. The best book ever written probably would have a lot of detractors.

Parable of the Sower - Octavia E. Butler
This is kind of a post-apocalyptic tale of survival, with our heroine displaying a remarkable amount of humainty and higher wisdom in a very cruel world.

A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving
This is the book that Micah was actually raving about but couldn't find, when he leant me The World According to Garp. This one's pretty great too. It's better, in fact. Ownbe Meany is truly a unique character, and the whole book glows around his power and charm. Highly recommended.

Parting the Waters : America in the King Years 1954-63 - Taylor Branch
I'm reading it with some friends, and trying to keep up. It's exciting stuff -- a real "page-turner", which is important, considering how huge it is. It's volume 1 of 3! The more I know, the more impressed I become with the whole civil rights movement. I have now read all three books from the trilogy. I'm a better person for it.

Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation - Joseph J. Ellis
Washington was the man, etc. A little bit of history, with a lot of analysis. But it's an easy read, if you care.

The World According to Garp - John Irving
I never saw the movie, and rumor has it that's the way to go, since it's pretty depressing, at least to some. The book doesn't seem to be depressing, and it's pretty fun. Oddly witty. which I love. Got all the way through it, and still loved it.

Napoleon - Felix M. Markham
Bor-ing! Why is it so hard to find well-written history books, especially about such an interesting character? I eventually found a more engaging biography from 1902 on Google Book Search.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius - Dave Eggers
Sure. the title is a bit of an overstatement, but that's part of its charm. It's basically about a 20-something Gen-X-er who takes care of his little brother after his parents die. They establish a cool sibling relationship, and have various adventures. It's a mixture of introspection and fun. Recommended.

Nelson: A Dream of Glory, 1758-1797 - John Sugden
This volume falls just short of 800 pages. It's the story of Lord Nelson, the great Admiral of he Royal Navy from the Napoleonic Wars. Kate was reading the Patrick O'Brian novels, in which Captain Jack Aubrey worships Nelson. Like all seamen did, and many still do. Being a history buff, I went for the facts.
As we know, not all history books are alike. Many are dry, while others try to make it interesting by either making stuff up or writing like Tom Clancy. Sugden does a good job of engaging the reader with interesting narrative, while clearly distinguishing facts from conjecture. You definitely get a taste for Nelson's charm, drive, as well as foibles. There is a lot of maritime terminology, but if you're interested enough to read an 800-page book about a naval hero, you can probably handle an occasional trip to the dictionary.
So I found the book very exciting, but I have one major complaint. The author claims to aspire to make this book the new definitive Nelson biography. He tells in great detail his glories of the Battle of Cape St. Vincent, and then his great failure at Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where he lost his arm. Nelson gets really depressed, and returns to England. Then there is a conclusion of his career. Sugden observes that even though Nelson was depressed at the time, and likely to retire, no one could have imagined what glories were still ahead. The end.
How can you have a definitive Nelson book, 800 pages long, and not include the Battle of Trafalgar? Argh! Admittedly, the book title tells it right there, since these things happened after 1797. But if you're reading the book to learn about these things, well, you get the idea. I guess I'll have to read a different book to discover why his statue is in Trafalgar Square...
NOTE: Rumor has it this is part one, and supposedly Sugden will be writing another book, to tell the rest of the story.

Never Have Your Dog Stuffed - Alan Alda
This is fun reading. His memoirs/autobiographical notes are amusing, with a bit of reflective depth. He seems like a really nice guy, who knows he's talented, but also makes fun of himself. He seems to have had a lot of strange misadventures. A lot of his stories are about how stupid he was, and how he learned from it. I laugh out loud.

The Hidden Life Of Dogs - Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
A short book. Non-scientific observations by an woman with a multi-dog family. Interesting in places. Makes me want a smart dog, one with some of its instincts still intact.

Alexander the Great: Journey to the End of the Earth - Norman F. Cantor
This is a simple book. That is a compliment, in comparison to the long-winded book about Alexander by Robin Lane Fox. That one is filled with so many details and run-on sentences, it will put you to sleep. In Fox's defense, it tries to be the definitive biography, getting as much in as possible - which is also part of the problem.
Cantor's reads like a school book. Using nice short sentences, he goes straight for the essence. It's less than 200 pages, and that's with pretty big print. It's not really a school book though, or at least not a good one. I must quote this example of Cantor's circular thinking:

Lest it be thought that Freud's Oedipus complex was unknown in the ancient world, Sophocles sketched the essential Oedipal paradigm in his play Oedipus the King, from which tragedy Freud derived both the paradigm and the appellation.

It is simple and short. My historic curiosity will not be derailed by the absence of well-written books!

The Beatles : The Biography - Bob Spitz
As a Beatles scholar, I was surprised by how much I hadn't known before. This is probably the best-written Beatles book yet, competing with the official biography by Hunter Davies. It claims to get closer to the truth, whereas Davies' version glosses over some of the nastier bits. The question of whether the scandals are real -- or different from all the bullshit tell-all books -- is at the heart of my reaction to this book.
The Beatles are portrayed as real bastards. But Spitz describes their motivations (which must be partially conjecture) very convincingly. He subscribes well to one of my guiding lights of empathy: an explanation is not the same as an excuse. One can understand someone's actions, however bad, without excusing it.
If you list their names in order -- John, Paul, George, and Ringo -- it wasn't just who was in charge, or the most talented or whatever. It's also who was most an asshole, in descending order. Clearly, John was the big winner, according to this book. Paul was too, but it was more fueled by his ruthless ambition than simple contempt for his fellow man, like John's. Yet John too was incredibly ambitious, which was part of his loathing of himself and the world, and one of the many paradoxes that ate away at his soul. George was no prince either, but his no-BS attitude made him a bit of a nay-sayer. Ringo seems to still come off as a nice guy, holding everything together. So at least that wasn't a shock to my system.
(I may be giving you the impression that I was innocent, having previously seen them as angles. Not true --I knew they had dark sides. How could they have gotten as far as they did without stabbing a few backs? But the degree of malevolence still hit me hard.)
Anyway, in a nutshell, this is a fascinating, well-written book, even for non-Beatle people. The pages fly by, and you'll want more.
It bums me out toward the end, though. Not just because I know how the story turns out, but because my heroes' portraits are so ugly.

The Assassins' Gate : America in Iraq - George Packer
Well, this is very interesting. I'm learning a whole lot about the history of neo conservatism, and its roots in other isms. Despite the very upsetting subject matter, it makes for a great read. Packer has a smooth style, and a sharp sense of humor, if you're paying attention.
It makes me think a lot about the Bush Administration's (and the GOP's overall) agenda. Money should only be spent on war, not on peace. Peace, meaning taking care of people and public resources, regulating businesses, and so many other necessary things. Realizing that many public resources do need taking care of, their solution is to privatize them. (Say, it just so happens my buddy over here would love to privately own this public resource, so here ya go!)
We saw the results of those priorities not just with the Katrina disaster, but also in Iraq itself. Bush and his clowns all were very psyched for the tanks and bombs part of the war, but not the human part, the taking care afterwards. Let the public not forget how much Bush shunned "nation building" when campaigning in 2000. They disregarded all of the oh-so-very-many warnings about the occupation, politics, backlash, Iraqi culture, you name it. They were uninterested, didn't think it was important -- didn't give a crap -- and went on anyways.
"Gee, no one could have predicted ... (planes attacking the WTC, despite the warnings? the levees would break during a hurricane, despite the warnings?) .. there would be a messy quagmire/insurgence/civil war after attacking a country unprovoked" (despite the warnings).

Independent PeopleIndependent People - Halldor Laxness
Set in Iceland, it's the story of Bjartur, who expresses his independence through setting up his own farm, all paid for by him, dammit, on unused land cursed by ancient gods. Stubbornly proud (that's the best kind, right?), he makes many sacrifices to maintain his independence, often at the expense of his family. That's how the story starts, anyway.
The prose is very engaging, and you get a real feel for the land and people of Iceland. Though it spans several years, and the stories of several family members, there is a lot to observe from a personal perspective.
Halldor Laxness has the gift of creating magic from nothing; the emptiness and poverty of Icelandic farming finds relief in the littlest events. Great sweeps of emotional and philosophic depth arise in their humdrum, yet innocent lives. The characters' conversations are portrayed with rare insight and humor.
This book was recommended to me by two different friends, independent of one another, and now I do the same for you.

Cards On The Table - Agatha Christie
I got this book for a plane ride. These old mysteries are fun. This one was written in 1937. It's funny when one of the characters complains about how she can't fit into these new cars, since they make them so small now...

The Client - John Grisham
I always resisted Grisham novels, based on pure prejudice. Any set of books about lawyers and businessmen must be both boring and, in some way to my sensibilities, icky. Well, this book has lawyers in it, but it has a great sense of humor. This is not deep stuff, but it sure is a page-turner.
An eleven year old boy and his little brother are smoking their mom's cigarettes in the woods, and a big black car drives up. While the boys hide, they see the driver take a hose from his tailpipe to his window, then climb back into the car. The older boy takes matters into his own hands, and the book's off and running. That's all I'm going to say. It's just a fun book. No wonder it's such a big seller in the airport!

American Gods - Neil Gaiman
This is a fun novel, playful and informed prose by the graphic novelist famous for Sandman. Our (anti-)hero, Shadow, gets out of jail and immediately starts running into all sorts of strange otherworldly characters who seem very present in this world...

Tricked - Alex Robinson
Back when I was a wee teen, I gave up comics for a life of rock and roll. Well, here is a comic about a rock and roll guy. I am loving this stuff. His storytelling is immediately engaging -- cinematic, even. Thumbs up!

Guns, Germs, and Steel - Jared Diamond
In a nutshell, he says that geography decides whether or not (and how fast) a civilization comes to power. The land's layout and resources, as opposed to race or culture. Pretty interesting. Very thorough. I'm convinced.

Always Coming Home - Ursula Le Guin
Even though she is labeled a science fiction writer, many of her stories have no spaceships or aliens at all. Many are just plain old humans, just in alternate worlds. Often these worlds have a different social structure, or sex code, etc.
Always Coming Home is an anthropological study of a future society. She seems to have studied Native American literature for this fictional society's collection of myths, stories, poems, rules, and illustrations. She even creates the humorous flavor of awkward translation:

A POEM SAID WITH THE DRUM
By Kulkunna of Chukulmas

The hawk turns crying, gyring.
There is a tick stuck in my scalp.
If I soar with the hawk
I have to suck with the tick.
O hills of my Valley, you are too complicated!

I really like Le Guin's books. I know I loved The Left Hand of Darkness and A Wizard of Earthsea (book 1 of the The Earthsea Cycle). They are very thoughtful and beautiful; Le Guin's lyric prose reveals an unmatched imagination.

How Children Fail - John Holt
I read this in a weekend -- that's fast for me. It's a fascinating insight into how kids think when they're in school. It has very conversational, and anecdotal, feel to it. Amusing, yet scary...
This moved me:

The poor thinker dashes madly for an answer; the good thinker takes his time and looks at the problem. Is the difference merely a matter of a skill in thought, a technique which, with ingenuity and luck, we might teach and train into children? I'm afraid not. The good thinker can take his time because he can tolerate uncertainty, he can stand not knowing. The poor thinker can't stand not knowing; it drives him crazy.

Alexander Hamilton - Ron Chernow
This is a big fat book for lovers of history. Chernow's writing is easy to read, and holds your attention. He's very detailed, and creates an engrossing narrative out of Hamilton's life. I'm sold -- Hamilton was the man, and Burr was a jerk. I'm sure John Adams (portrayed as a petty, vile, and absent president) is portrayed very differently in the recent bio about him, but I haven't read it. Thomas Jefferson is shown to be quite the tool as well, and not just because of Sally Hemmings. This book showed that American politics was just as nasty at the country's birth as now. Isn't that comforting?

Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer
The true story of a deadly trip to the top of Mt. Everest. It left me with mixed feelings. I both wanted to climb a mountain, and never set foot near one ever again.

Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World - Jack Weatherford
Gotta love those history books! Weatherford tries very hard to dispel a lot of myths about "the Mongol Hordes". Genghis and Kublai Khan ruled most of Asia, a much larger area than the Romans ever did. They created modern currency, encouraged multiculturalism, and beat the Russian army on their home turf! How about that? Do not be discouraged by the long introduction -- the main body of the book will keep you turning the pages.

The Shipping News - E. Annie Proulx
Yeah, it won a Pulitzer. And they made a movie. I never saw it, and I have no idea what that was like, but the book was good. Most of the story happens in Newfoundland. So for me, it evokes the feelings I get when I go to Northern Maine. (That's as close as I've ever been.) It's one of those sweet, slow paced books, with idiosyncratic people.

All You Need Is Ears - George Martin
Like a chat with the producer of the Beatles. He just rambles away about his life, telling interesting stories from WWII up to his 1979 predictions of the future of music (many true -- digital studios yes, holograms no). He talks about acoustics and how they work, how Paul McCartney is talented, but sometimes dissed him, how he was ripped off just as bad by EMI, and going with Peter Sellers to Paris, and meeting Sophia Loren in her negligée. He is very English, I might add. "I might sound like an Irishman," he starts, explaining how he thinks soul is more important than perfection.

A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
I love how this guy's name is both the Beatles producer and Tolkein. It just cracks me up. Of course his books are nothing like those written by either of those guys. Though his books are of the same genre (sprawling fantasy), his characters are much more human. They are all a mixture of good and evil, and feel the nitty gritty pains and pleasures of their world. Each chapter is written from the perspective of one of the main characters in the book; that is why I love these books. I feel compassion for all of them, even the "bad guys", knowing where they're coming from. Of course, many of my friends hate each and every one of the characters for that same reason. Each sees through his own goggles. They all make foolish mistakes, whose motives are then misinterpreted by other flawed characters. My favorite character is Tyrion the Imp. You'll either love it or hate it.
A Game of Thrones (Book 1)
A Clash of Kings (Book 2)
A Storm of Swords (Book 3)
A Feast for Crows (Book 4)

Guns of August - Barbara W. Tuchman
This is one of my favorite history books. It tells of the first few weeks of World War I. Tuchman has a gift for storytelling that involves fact with a sense of humor.
Since I was so impressed, I also ran out and bought another by her, called Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century. However, this one had way too many characters to follow, and I got lost.
She redeemed herself again, though, with The March of Folly: From Troy to Vietnam. She tells the story of how governments screw up a great thing. These include the arrogance of the papacy leading to the sack of Rome, the wooden-headedness of King George and his parliament that led to the American Revolution, and America's own wooden-headedness in Vietnam. "Wooden-headedness" is her word of choice in this book. History repeats itself, since no one ever learns from past mistakes. If our leaders would just read some books from time to time, maybe we would...

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress - Robert A. Heinlein
Heinlein can be a hack -- I acknowledge that. But some of his books are great; you just have to pick the right ones. This one tells the story of colonial Luna exerting its independence from earth. They have their own Revolutionary War.

Stranger in a Strange Land - Robert A. Heinlein
Probably his best-known book, and for good reason. A man is raised from infancy by Martians, learning their ways like no Earthling ever could. He then returns to Earth, and becomes an instant celebrity...

The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind - Julian Jaynes
My friend Carlos recommended this to me. Actually, he said, "It's possibly the most important book ever written." I suspect that may be a slight overstatement. Nonetheless, it's pretty interesting stuff. Jaynes talks about humanity in ancient times, and how they used to have visions of gods, and hear voices and stuff. Today that would mean schizophrenia, but it was fairly normal then. He explains why that stopped happening in history -- and many other interesting things -- through the way the two sides of our brain are connected. It's a pretty dense book. If you like that kinda stuff, it's really fascinating.
P. S. I noticed Neil Gaiman alludes to it in passing in American Gods, another book on my list. Just a coincidence?

The Good Book - Peter J. Gomes
Ever find yourself arguing for compassion and tolerance against someone who quotes the Bible? God knows I do. Well Gomes, pastor of Harvard University's Memorial Church, is a kind and righteous man with lots of constructive quotes. Who would have guessed that Jesus was in favor of love and compassion?

Laughter in the Dark - Vladimir Nabokov
The first book of his I read, and still my favorite. He sure has a way with words. Many of his books have this plot: middle aged man falls for young woman, ruins his life in the process. Of course Lolita fits that description, and so does King, Queen, Knave, but I prefer Laughter in the Dark. (I never liked Pnin. But others apparently do...)

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