Saturday, September 27, 2003 6:14 AM

Ambrose, Stephen E.
Nothing Like it in the World: The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad 1863-1869
Mary Cheney Library
09/26/03

A pretty good survey of the efforts to build the first, well what the title says. I know Ambrose came in for a boatload of criticism towards the end of his life, but this work seems decently researched and quite readable for the general reader. A good starting point on this topic. Personally I found the cast of characters as presented by Ambrose a bit confusing. Part of the problem was that there are two railroads involved, each with their own cast of rogues, saints and politicians to bribe. Noted an error in the photographs. Claimed that no picture of Anna Judah had ever been found. I happen to have a biography of Theodore Judah, Anna's husband. It has at least two pictures of her, provided courtesy of her family, although I don't believe the Judahs ever had children. Neither the UP nor the CP were composed of saints, although it was the UP that absorbed the bad press of the Credit Mobilier scandal. The CP was equally bad.

Sunday, September 21, 2003 11:11 AM

Grahame, Kenneth
The Wind In the Willows
Personal Collection
Illustrations by Ernest H. Shepard
09/20/03

Amazing that this beautiful little novel is considered a work for children. I had never read it before, not in childhood, not in adolescence. Too bad, for this is one that sticks with you. The adventures of Messrs. Toad, Badger, Otter, Rat and, of course, Mole are in most ways far more "believable" that a great deal of rubbish that is published these days, whether for adults or children. Notable that at 300+ pages (my edition, anyway) it WAS considered a children's book at the time published. I guess given the current Harry Potter craze that may not be out of line for today's young readers, but it certainly seems so given a recent browse through the children's and young adult section of my local library. Also interesting that the recapture of Toad Hall from the weasels and stoats implies such violence, accompanied by illustrations of Badger, Mole, and Rat wearing swords and pistols. The chapter that describes this is even called "The Return of Ulysses," and we all know what he did to the suitors. Doubt such prose could get by today's censors, even though the snot-nosed brats of today seem to spend lots of time with shoot 'em up video games. As if our era is any less hypocritical than the time of our great-grandparents. It is simply hypocritical about different things. A sample of the text:

As he hurried along, eagerly anticipating the moment when he would be at home again among the things he knew and liked, the Mole saw clearly that he was an animal of tilled field and hedgerow, linked to the ploughed furrow, the frequented pasture, the lane of evening lingerings, the cultivated garden-plot. For others the asperities, the stubborn endurance, or the clash of actual conflict, that went with Nature in the rough; he must be wise, must keep to the pleasant places in which his lines were laid and which held adventure enough, in their way, to last for a lifetime.

Doesn't get much better than that, children's book or no.

Wise, Stephen R.
Lifeline of the Confederacy: Blockade Running During the Civil War
Mary Cheney Library
09/12/03

An excellent history of the probable failure of the Union blockade of Southern ports during the Civil War (It failed in most ways except for saltpeter, needed to manufacture gunpowder.) Unfortunately, this one was finished a bit ago, not on 09/12. Interesting points about how there were only three or four ports the union had to blockade, not the whole southern coast, how only certain kinds of ships were actually relevant to the southern war effort (certain blockade runners couldn't carry enough). Book does not address the commerce raiders the south sent out. Can't say enough positive things about this book, on the title topic.

Ehrenreich, Barbara
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America
Borders
09/12/03

Started this on a whim, and finished it in one sitting. All I can say is WOW. Talk about the downward spiral of America. This book details the troubles of the working to class, to well, survive, in the current economy. Things are probably worse now than they were when this book came out. I guess I'll have to do some more research on this, especially her claims that the poor are falling behind, that by governmental standards most don't make even close to what is considered a living wage. Quite a writer, quite a subject. Ms. Ehrenreich pretends to be a blue collar woman with no education and attempts to survive in Key West, FL, Maine and Minnesota. Rents rise and rise, wages are stagnant. Particularly of interest were her views on the training she received as a maid in Maine. They're basically trained to not clean, but to only look like they're doing so. Might want to re-read this one, as I didn't exactly skimmed, but quickly read it.

Smith, Page
Trial By Fire: A People's History of the Civil War and Reconstruction - Volume 5
Mary Cheney Library
09/13/03

Pretty much what the title says, and for a one volume work does a decent job covering most of the high points and personalities of this period of US history. Smith seems to come from a very liberal perspective, and perhaps gives slavery a bit too much credit for the start of the war. Although, this may be unfair, as seems to recognize and struggle against his own biases. Excellent coverage of the freedmen like Frederick Douglass, and a few that I had never heard of before. Also, excellent for extensive quotation from first hand sources like diaries of people on both sides of the conflict. At just about 1,000 pages, this is not one to jump into lightly. Took me a while to finish. Coverage of reconstruction is a bit lighter, and a few things are thrown in, like the Tweed Ring, that don't really have much to do either with the Civil War or Reconstruction. Smith did write a multi-volume history of the USA, not sure if he ever finished it. The Grant Administration was slighted as well.

Saturday, November 29, 2003 5:39 PM
Wheelan, Charles
Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science
Mary Cheney Library
2002

Picked this off the shelf because the foreward was by Burton Malkiel, Mr. Random Walk himself. Decent survey of economics, one that I'd recommend to anyone looking for an overview of the topic. In fact, I'd put it in the same category as The Worldly Philosophers and Economics in One Lesson in overviews of the topic. Unfortunately, I do have a few nits to pick with this one. I realize that he's writing a survey for a general audience, but couldn't he at least define the distinction between micro- and macroeconomics? It may be a bit too watered down, is all I'm saying. However, his style is quite entertaining, he does a solid overview of the Federal Reserve, and, whatever his political viewpoint, (which seems to be fiscal conservative, social liberal) he tries to keep his own views in the background, and not knock you over the head with them (as Hazlett does in Economics in One Lesson). The style is a bit rambling, with some offbeat stuff thrown in (The Prisoner's Dilemma) and also bit short on financial markets. However, those are quibbles. This one is pretty good.


Wednesday, November 26, 2003 9:35 AM
Protein Power: The High-Protein/Low Carbohydrate blah, blah, blah
Eades, Michael R. and Mary Dan Eades
Bolton PL
1996

Wanted to try reading about a couple of the different approaches to low carb eating from the lowcarber.org website. Aside from the annoying title to this book, that runs for about 60 words, this book is pretty darn good. It gives a very solid overview of the science behind why low carb eating works, presents its diet in very coherent and easy to follow terms, and provides some pretty good charts to document things like total body fat, etc. That part is very good to excellent. However, the ending few chapters where the authors venture rather clumsily into archeology and anthropology are a bit of a stretch. Simply put, I don’t think they prove their point about the “curse of the Egyptians.” I also didn’t care for their section excercising, but that is probably because I have a bias towards running and aerobics. Emotionally, I just like doing them. I can’t dispute their science. Overall, were I not doing Atkins, I would probably looking adopting this diet.


Wednesday, November 19, 2003 5:20 AM
Phillips, Bill
Body for Life
Tolland PL
1999

Exercise and diet book, this one has got a lot of followers on the lowcarber.org website. I liked some things, disliked others about this book. Way too much emphasis on testimonials from those who've successfully followed this thing, virtually nothing said about the science behind some of his claims. I am deeply suspicious of anecdotes as proof of anything. To pick an example of where I'd like to see proof: his claim that overdoing aerobic exercise can lead to muscle loss and (ultimately) to weight gain. Not saying he's wrong, simply that I don't think he proved his case, or even came close to doing so. He also did not do nearly enough his discussing version of a diet plan. Liked the workout exercises listed, with hints and photos. In fact, will probably be photocopying them. But, even with this, is this really anything unique? Overall, I'm candidly unsure what all the fuss is about. Oh, and I always get annoyed about stuff like "Body-for LIFE," "Training for LIFE" that is sprinkled through the text.


Tuesday, November 18, 2003 5:55 AM
Moore, Michael
Downsize This!
Bolton PL
1996

I didn't much care for this one. Not very well organized, but I guess it isn't much worse than some books I've read by right-wingers. Must admit there were some funny bits. Still can't tell if he was being ironic about OJ being innocent or not. Some funny bits about corporate welfare as practiced by the Republicans. Absolutely creepy chapter on his love for Hillary Clinton. Also had some rather interesting quotes by former Rep. Bob Dornan that make the guy sound like an absolute nutjob. The bit about lobbyists was funny, the bit about "taking the pen out of Bob Dole's hands" was absolutely not. It was sick.

Tuesday, November 11, 2003 6:21 AM
Starr, Chester G.
The Roman Empire, 27 BC - AD 476: A Study in Survival
Personal Collection
1982

Saw this at the same used bookstore I bought the two preceding trash novels, so I picked it up on a whim. The other two were bought fro $.25 apiece, and were tossed as finished. This I plan on keeping. More a pamphlet than a book, this work outlines why, in the author's opinion, the Roman Empire was able to endure as long as it did. It starts with Augustus and goes to the last gasp of Rome, when the conquered by I believe Franks and the last western emperor is deposed. Oddly, this last emperor was not killed, simply sent to a farm. The text is arranged in structural, not a historical format, so it did get a bit confusing. Overall, quite good. Glad I read it, offers some nice background as I plan on moving on to an abridgement of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire at some point.


Tuesday, November 11, 2003 6:13 AM
Cook, Robin
Invasion
Tossed
1997

A bit better than that McCaffrey book, this was light fiction as it is supposed to be. Heroic chick doctor fights alien invasion of spores that mutates people into alien beings. College students discover it initially, one gets infected, and goes on to try to overrun the world. Done before, and far better, by Stephen King in the Tommyknockers. But, I can't say I truly regretted the time I spent reading it. The pages turned, I was basically entertained. Kind of amusing the way it ended. It just did. No denouement of any kind. Almost as if Dr. Cook had a contract to produce a novel of between 300 and 350 pages, and by god that's what he did. Six months from now I doubt I'll remember having read this, but, so what. It got me through a plane ride home.


Tuesday, November 11, 2003 6:09 AM
Anne McCaffrey, Margaret Ball
Acorna: The Unicorn Girl
Tossed
1997

Among the worst novels I have ever read. I cannot believe dreck like this was able to get published. However, since I was stuck on an airplane with nothing else to do, I persevered and finished this piece of excrement. Little girl found by grizzled space miners, grows up quickly, has what appear to be magical powers, etc., etc., etc. Not going to waste my time. I enjoy light fiction, don't get me wrong. I just didn’t enjoy THIS light fiction.

Sunday, November 02, 2003 9:12 AM
McDonald,Gregory
Flynn's World
Mary Cheney Library
2003

Light detective fiction. Not really of any interest, but I read it. So, I'll mark it down. Set in Boston, wisecracking police officer with nebulous position on force, set to protect a Harvard professor who has had threats made on his life. About what you'd expect from this sort of thing. I do read this sort of thing occasionally, and I can never shake the sense that it is simply served out of giant can somewhere. Well, no one forced me to read it, so I shouldn't complain.

Saturday, November 01, 2003 9:25 PM
O'Reilly, Bill
The No Spin Zone: Confrontations with the Powerful and Famous in America
Bolton PL
2001

My opinion of Mr. O'Reilly continues to slide.* I actually like both his TV and radio shows. His views are probably pretty close to my own. Traditional in some ways, not at all in others, and attempting to be pragmatic overall. However, having said that, I must say that this book was tedious in the extreme. All he did was regurgitate interviews from his TV show, and throw in a few tedious comments. His fixation with Hillary Clinton is also borderline oogie. She won't come on the show, we all know this. So shut up. At under 200 pages this was closer to a pamphlet than a book. Each chapter ran to around 12 pages or so. Ridiculous, especially when you're discussing Bill Clinton's legacy, the importation of illegal drugs, Jesse Jackson's financial chicanery. To read this book is not become well informed. It is nothing but a series of blurbs. Shallow, self-congratulatory. This was his second non-fiction work. I might give another one a try, assuming I can get them from the library. But, this was a disappointment. I expected more. The work is also without footnotes or an index.

*His silence on the whole Franken thing started it. I have read nothing that disproves he acted like a weenie, nor any serious rebuttal to the issues Franken raised. Only O'Reilly whining.


Saturday, November 01, 2003 4:30 PM
Theroux, Paul
Dark Star Safari: Overland from Cairo to Capetown
Mary Cheney Library
2003

As the title says, the author travels from Cairo to Capetown, without resort to airplanes. Hit most of the countries abutting the Indian Ocean, went nowhere near west Africa. He travels as an African would, jammed into trains, buses, taxis, vans, canoes, cargo boats, and on foot. The Africa he found is a grim and depressing place, even if bits and pieces of what he sees give hope for the future. Never realized Kenya was such a hellhole, apparently worse off than Uganda as of the author's visit. Funny few pages on his visit to the Rastafarians living in Ethiopia. I suppose the brightest light than can be drawn from the experience is that he actually did it, and survived. He actually saw very little in the way of wildlife. He also seemed to give the problems in Zimbabwe short shrift, but did express his disgust with the land seizures of white farmers, the Indians getting chased out throughout all off East Africa. Per this book Africa has a very long row to hoe in the future. Things do not look like they're improving, quite the reverse. Also gave short shrift to the AIDS epidemic, although I guess as a casual traveler trying to survive that's forgivable.

Monday, October 27, 2003 7:22 AM
Grisham, John
The King of Torts
Mary Cheney Library
2003

Another readable yet forgettable Grisham novel. This time it is a burnt out public defender (Clay Carter) who gets magically tapped to run a whole bunch of class action law suits and make lots of money in the process. As usual our hero gets disgusted with the legal profession and leaves it. Although in this case he was ultimately disbarred. As usual there's the romantic interest, and as usual he gets the girl.

I'm afraid I'm finding it had to differentiate one of his books from another. Perhaps he's the Jane Austen of our time, at least in that sense. I'm entertained by both, yet can never tell one book apart from another. So, I guess I can't complain too much. I knew pretty much what I was getting when I opened the cover, and pretty much got what I expected. If you like his usual stuff, you'll like this one, too. If not, you won't. I do, so I did, even if it did start dragging around page 300 or so. Doubtless in six months I won't be able to differentiate it from the Grisham novels I've read.

Monday, October 27, 2003 7:06 AM
Dwork, Debórah & Robert Jan van Pelt
Holocaust: A History
Mary Cheney Library
2002

Curious entry into holocaust literature. Not much focus on the nazis, and quite a bit time spent discussing action in the Netherlands, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and France. Flatly states the death totals to be "five to six million" (p. xx, introduction), 3.5 to 4 million dead Jews by the end of 1942, (p. 302). Had never heard of the "Korherr Report" before, with statistics set up by the SS indicating a 4 million "reduction" of European Jewry by what appears to be 1942. Text also indicates a summary was prepared for Hitler. Not sure how the David Irvings of the world deny this. If have time will have to look into this. (Van Pelt was called in as an expert against Irving in the "Lippstadt trial.") Went looking for a statistic about 80% of 10 million I thought I read, but couldn't find it, since I was not taking notes as I read this book. Possibly my memory failed. Will look for again. Per book separate anti-semitic actions in Poland and Romania. Indeed, Romania struck first against their Jews. Quite a lot of the book is taken up with victim reminiscences.

I don't consider this a complete history in any sense of the word. Too many topics shorted (Nazi ideology, the actual function of the camps themselves) and some oddly over-emphasized, like victim stories. Still, for what it covered, do consider it a good job.


Friday, October 24, 2003 7:15 AM
Franken, Al
Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right
Bolton PL
2003

Very interesting stuff here, as Franken goes after Hannity, O'Reilly, Coulter, Cheney, etc. exposing what he calls their lies. To this point I have not read or seen a rebuttal that is anything other than a continuous neocon whine, so he may be onto something. Then again, he may be the lying one. I'd read his book on Limbaugh a while ago. This is far better. It seems very well researched, and, hey, the smirking tone is no worse than what is ladeled out by neocons every day on their TV and radio shows.

One frustrating thing is that a lot of what he relates is out of the public eye encounters, with the potential that they can degenerate into he said/she said sorts of things. (Wolfowitz telling him "**** you," Hannity and Colmes going ape backstage, etc.) However, he does a solid chapter and verse discrediting of both Coulter and Hannity. O'Reilly I'm not so sure about, although it does seem improbable that he'd forget he'd register as a republican, that he grew up in one town not another, etc. Moreover, O'Reilly's whining in Time magazine recently is completely to his discredit. He has a bully pulpit, he should use it. Present the facts as sees them, and let the great unwashed public decide. Or just shut up. Or admit he's screwed the pooch on some stuff he's said in the past. Ditto to Coulter, Hannity, etc. As best I can tell, Franken generally did solid research, and everything he said is pretty much correct, until rebutted. The silence is deafening to this point in that department.


Tuesday, October 21, 2003 10:07 PM
Diamond, Jared
Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
Mary Cheney Library

I usually don't like these sorts of books, that try to wrap up all of human history in one nice big fat theory, even when they support (generally) what I believe. However, I do think the author of this makes a few good points, may have a valid theory of human history, even if I also think he goes way too far in assigning geography as the predominant role in human history. The book tries to explain why certain groups have emerged as history's winners, while others have been its losers. Native Americans lose out due their inability to fight off introduced diseases, Sub-Saharan Africans by not having sufficient access to domestic animals and the north-south layout of the African continent. I just don't buy it, that this is the only reason for human history working out as it has. I don't think he proves his point.

However, having said all of that, it was an eminently readable book. The specific discussion of the Vikings-Indians, Spaniards-Indians, Aborigines, Tasmanians, etc. was quite interesting, as long as they're viewed only as specific historical events. Things only start getting forced as he returns to his overriding theory. And, I say this as someone to whom nothing would please more than to find out that intelligence is in fact equally diffuse among all humans. However, the stench of someone pursuing an agenda is just a bit too strong for me heartily recommend it.


Sunday, October 19, 2003 4:24 AM
Faludi, Susan
Stiffed: The Betrayal of the American Man
Mary Cheney Library


Mildly interesting work on the decline of males in America, and from a feminist perspective no less. We've got Promise Keepers, Male Porno Stars, ship yard workers, Michigan Milita types, unemployed electrical engineers, ghetto boyz, all shuffling off to irrelevance. And, nobody seems to know or care why. What I found most frustrating is the lack of any solutions proposed. Faludi is simply presenting documentation of the issue, not proposing any solution. Toward the end of the book she does make a comment on how feminists improved the condition of women by, well, acting like men. Men can't do this, she posits, because men have no one clearcut enemy to blame. Maybe, maybe not, because she fails to really prove her point, in spite of the her superb documentation.

To say that this book gripped my interest would be a lie. I kept picking it up and putting it down, I guess because I couldn't figure out where exactly she was going to be going with this. I still don't know. Men are manipulated by the media, men can no longer support families on their own pay check, men are having to compete with women where they never had to before. Oh, yeah. She was way too fixated on Sylvester Stallone. Pages and pages about that mook. Don't regret the time I spent reading this, but can't say I can give it a ringing endorsement, either. One kind of curious thing that occurred to me as I was reading this: If a male author had decided to write an in-depth book about women in America, wouldn't feminists have gone ballistic? In that light, shouldn't this be a topic better addressed by men? Succeeds as a documentary, fails as an analysis.

Hinckley, Helen
Rails From the West…A Biography of Theodore D. Judah
Mary Cheney Library
Published 1969
10/04/03

As the title says, a biography of the chief engineer of the Central Pacific Railroad. Sort of the Moses of the project, who tirelessly pushed businessmen, Congress and just about everybody to get the Transcontinental Railroad built. A rather sad story, in that his partners in the venture were out to make a pile of money, and only incidentally build a railroad. Be that as it may, he died long before the railroad was completed. He also come across in this book as more than a bit naïve. His wife Anna is given a prominent role, the "Big Four" of the CP probably not as much as they deserved. Not sure if this was not some sort of vanity project, as it was published by "Golden West Books, A Division of Pacific Railroad Publications, Inc." At slightly over 200 pages, I'm not sure this topic was given a full treatment, but it also contained quite a few good photographs of the early days of the CP RR. As noted in the review of the Ambrose book, this one had two pictures of Anna Judah, when Ambrose claims no pictures of her have ever been found. Not certain who has the right of it. What was definitely shorted in the book was Judah's struggle against the CP board to try to do the right thing. He was eventually forced out and died an early death, ironically due to an Yellow Fever caught while making the crossing in Panama to go to New York to look for financial backers.

Byatt, A.S.
Possession: A Romance
Bolton PL
Published 1990
10/16/03

Not sure whether I liked or hated this novel of a literary mystery. A 19th century poet has an affair with a woman writer, and the whole thing is investigated by our intrepid starving graduate student (studying said poet) and feminist literary critic (authority on woman writer). One thing is for sure, this book threw into stark relief my incomplete education, certainly on all matters poetic and literary. Honestly, I found the plot a bit thin, the climax massively contrived, but when you get down to it, Ms. Byatt is still one heckuva writer. She nails every genre you can think of, from academic criticism to gothic romance, to mythology to blank verse poetry. Each character doing the writing seems like the one, well, doing the writing. The pages turned quite nicely as i was reading, boredom only rarely set it in, which puts it head and shoulders above most novels I've been reading lately. Or attempting, as only completed works find there way into this review list.

I actually picked this up because my local library has book discussion groups, and this is the next novel they're going to be discussing. However, I've since learned that these sorts of things are nothing but hen parties. So, I'm not sure if I'll be going or not. We'll have to see. This work has also been turned into a movie. I'll have to think about checking it out at some point.

Thursday, December 18, 2003 10:54 PM
O'Reilly, Bill
Who's Looking Out for You?
Bolton PL 2003

Not a very impressive effort from O'Reilly. I do rather like both his TV and radio show, but this book was an incoherent, rambling mess. Rather difficult to do at just over 200 pages, but he managed it. 200 pages of a big typeface and suspiciously large margins all around. Is it a commentary on modern society, and how no one looks out for the "little guy" any more? Is it a self-help book where the advice offered is to work hard and stay focused? The only bits mildly worthwhile were transcript reprints from the TV show. Lame.

As an aside, although I like O'Reilly, he really needs to **** or get off the pot with the whole Al Franken thing. Franken raised questions that O'Reilly should either rebut or admit he was wrong about. Knock off the snippy asides and respond, Bill. Christ, you've got a website. Respond there.

Thursday, December 18, 2003 11:02 PM
Albom, Mitch
tuesdays with Morrie
Personal Collection 1996

What can I say that's bad about a book whose theme is a middle-aged man getting together with a dying professor of sociology. Said professor has ALS and is slowly losing his ability to do, well, everything. They talk and reminisce about each other's life, what they've done, and haven't done. Rather sweet and sentimental. Somehow, though, I guess I don't get what has made this into some sort of international phenomenon. It was okay, but it didn't blow me away. I guess I've read too many self-help books to really be touched by books of this sort. I'll say the fault is mine, and recommend it.

Saturday, December 20, 2003 7:21 AM
Durant, Will Our Oriental Heritage: Part I (The Story of Civilization)
Bolton PL 1935

I've set myself the task of reading all the volumes of this work, yet remain conflicted about its accuracy and relevance. Thus, Piltdown Man is firmly included in the family of man, that sort of thing. However, Durant was obviously a genius, had a gift for narrative and was able to do something I've never seen with another historian: laugh at himself. This work is a history of ancient Egypt, Sumeria, Babylon, Persia, India, China and Japan. Brief mentions are also made to Greece, Israel, Cambodia, Indonesia. Durant tries to hit, well, everything. Not just the reign of X, but also the cultural, artistic and humdrum life of the everyday person. Works very well on that level. For someone who's background is so weak, this volume was very helpful. Particularly impressed with the history of India, and his breakdown of the philosophic systems. As Durant himself points out, this volume covers something like 4,000 years of human history. No wonder I got the sensation that too much was slipping through my grasp as I read it.