Book review: Honor's Knight by Rachel Bach

Honor's Knight is the second book in the Paradox series by Rachel Bach; the first was Fortune's Pawn (link goes to my review).

Honor's Knight continues the adventures of mercenary extraordinaire Deviana Morris. It has its good points and it has a few problems.  It's at its best when it is a straight up adventure SF novel. Bach is good at writing battle scenes and spices it up with an occasional romantic scene and that's fun. But there are two sorts of problems.  The first is that, in this book much more than the first, Bach adds moral issues. They don't fit well with the rest of the book and they are not Bach's strength.  The second is that there is too much "hand waving" - that is, things we have to believe without any reason and that seem contrary to the way the universe works

(Minor spoilers follow).

The first two are common to many SF novels: We have to believe that faster than light travel is possible and we have to believe that we will meet aliens who are close enough to us that we can have wars that are not utterly one sided.  Fine. I'll give her those. You can't really have this sort of book without those assumptions.

But then we are asked to believe that there is something called Plasmex that is part of all living things, including us and aliens from different planets. This seems fundamentally wrong.  Then we are asked to believe that there are entities that have almost no physical reality but that can easily destroy planets.  Then we are asked to believe that one way of stopping them involves the torture of children. And, finally, that our hero has some capacity to stop these entities.

If you can ignore all these hand waves and just enjoy the fighting, it's a good book.  But it's a lot to ignore.

Book review: Fortune's Pawn by Rachel Bach

Fortune's Pawn is the first in the Paradox series by Rachel Bach  (Paradox is the name of a planet).  This is good military science fiction with an interesting female protagonist.  It's set in the distant future, there are four known intelligent species in the universe, humans are divided into two big groups (Terrans and Paradoxians).

While this isn't great literature, Bach does a few things well.  For one thing, the plot zips right along. That's important in this sort of novel.  Another is that she makes future technology believable and makes the battle scenes realistic. Finally, the characters are fairly interesting. The main one is Deviana Moris, a mercenary who gets hired aboard a spaceship that is full of unusual people. Part of the fun here is finding out about those other people.

I'll be reading the rest of the series.

What are you reading? July 7, 2018

• Started this week
• Fortune's Pawn by Rachel Bach.  Military-adventure SF with a female protagonist.  Fun stuff. I am on p. 205.
• In progress this week
• Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics by Dan Harris. I am on p. 37.
• The Machiavellian Moment by J. G. A. Pocock. I am on p. 31. Multidisciplinary social science/history.   
• This Idea is Brilliant edited by John Brockman.  Short essays on a wide range of ideas by experts. I am on p. 165.
• A New History of Western Philosophy by Anthony Kenny. This is a very good history of the subject, well written and clear.  Kenny follows an unusual strategy in that he takes two approaches: He first covers each era in a more-or-less chronological order, then he looks at the big topics of that era in a systematic way.  I am on p. 643, in the Enlightenment.
• The Drawing of Trump and its Postponement by Fred L. Karpin.  I am on p. 53. A classic on the play of the hand in bridge.   
• Bridge Squeezes Complete by Clyde Love. An advanced topic in bridge, so I am taking it slowly. I am on p. 25.
• On hold this week (books started but put aside, without prejudice)
•  Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker. Why the Enlightenment is still important, why life is still good.  I am on p. 55. 
• Death in Brittany by Jörg Bong.  A mystery. I am on p. 25. 
• Finished this week
• There Was and There Was Not: A Journey through Hate and Possibility in Turkey, Armenia and beyond by Meline Toumani. About Turkish views of the Armenian genocide (which the Turks say was not a genocide).  My review

Book review: There Was and There Was Not by Meline Toumani

Meline Toumani is an American of Armenian extraction who was born in Iran. All her life, whenever she is with other Armenians, there is conversation about the genocide of the Armenians by the Turks in 1918. She decides to visit Turkey to help herself puzzle out the implications of this and of the Turkish refusal to admit or even acknowledge the genocide. The result is a remarkable memoir: There Was and There Was Not: A Journey through Hate and Possibility in Turkey, Armenia and Beyond.

During her stay in Turkey, she comes to like the city of Istanbul and to make Turkish friends, but her Armenian heritage is always lurking in the background, both in her mind and her attitudes towards the Turks and in their attitude towards her.  The Turkish attitude toward the genocide is absolutely uncompromising: It is a crime to discuss it in Turkey. But the Armenian attitude, at least as described by Toumani, is also uncompromising.  The genocide - and getting it recognized as a genocide - informs a huge portion of what it means to be Armenian.

In addition to being very thoughtful and brave, this book is very well written and a pleasure to read. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the topics it touches on.

What are you reading? June 30, 2018

• Started this week
• There Was and There Was Not: A Journey through Hate and Possibility in Turkey, Armenia and beyond by Meline Toumani. About Turkish views of the Armenian genocide (which the Turks say was not a genocide).  Really well done. I am on p. 172.
• Bridge Squeezes Complete by Clyde Love. An advanced topic in bridge, so I am taking it slowly. I am on p. 25.
• Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith. The first Arkady Renko mystery. I am on p. 133.
• In progress this week
• Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics by Dan Harris. I am on p. 24.
• The Machiavellian Moment by J. G. A. Pocock. I am on p. 31. Multidisciplinary social science/history.   
• This Idea is Brilliant edited by John Brockman.  Short essays on a wide range of ideas by experts. I am on p. 165.
• A New History of Western Philosophy by Anthony Kenny. This is a very good history of the subject, well written and clear.  Kenny follows an unusual strategy in that he takes two approaches: He first covers each era in a more-or-less chronological order, then he looks at the big topics of that era in a systematic way.  I am on p. 641, in the Enlightenment.
• The Drawing of Trump and its Postponement by Fred L. Karpin.  I am on p. 53. A classic on the play of the hand in bridge.  
• On hold this week (books started but put aside, without prejudice)
•  Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker. Why the Enlightenment is still important, why life is still good.  I am on p. 55. 
• Death in Brittany by Jörg Bong.  A mystery. I am on p. 25. 
• Finished this week
• Close Your Eyes by Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen. A mystery/suspense novel with an interesting protagonist.  My review.
• Sight Unseen   by Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen. The second book in the above series. My review.

Book review: Sight Unseen by Iris Johansen and Bill Johansen

Sight Unseeen is a Kendra Michaels book. Kendra, introduced in Close Your Eyes was born blind but had her sight restored at age 20. She's incredibly smart and incredibly observant and uses those skills both as a music therapist and as a consultant to law enforcement.

In Sight Unseen, she first interrupts a date to go to the scene of an apparent accident and tell the police it was a murder. But that gets her wrapped up in finding a serial killer - and this is one of the nastiest I've read about.

If you can put aside a little bit of disbelief about the basic idea of the series, then this is a real page-turner for people who like this sort of psychological nasty suspense novel (it might appeal to Silence of the Lamb fans).

Book review: Close Your Eyes by Iris Johansen and Bill Johansen

Close Your Eyes is a mystery and the start of a series featuring an interesting and unusual protagonist. Kendra Michaels was born blind and got her sight restored at age 20. She's also incredibly observant and inquisitive and uses those skills both as a music therapist for troubled kids and as a detective.

In this novel, she's helping find a serial killer. Then things get even nastier.

 The first quality a suspense novel like this should have is to keep you turning the pages and Close Your Eyes does this very well. It's also well-written and the characters are reasonably well-developed (especially compared to some other suspense novels).  But there are some problems.  The biggest one is that it isn't entirely clear that a person who was born blind could learn to see at age 20. The research isn't too encouraging and this isn't even discussed.  But there are some more minor ones (e.g. who wears a leather jacket when it's 110 degrees?).

Still, I enjoyed it and will probably read more in the series.

What are you reading? June 16, 2018

• Started this week
• Close Your Eyes by Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen. A mystery/suspense novel with an interesting protagonist.  I am on p. 294.
• Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics by Dan Harris. I am on p. 11.
• In progress this week
• The Machiavellian Moment by J. G. A. Pocock. I am on p. 25. Multidisciplinary social science/history.   
• This Idea is Brilliant edited by John Brockman.  Short essays on a wide range of ideas by experts. I am on p. 165.
• A New History of Western Philosophy by Anthony Kenny. This is a very good history of the subject, well written and clear.  Kenny follows an unusual strategy in that he takes two approaches: He first covers each era in a more-or-less chronological order, then he looks at the big topics of that era in a systematic way.  I am on p. 629, in the Enlightenment.
• The Drawing of Trump and its Postponement by Fred L. Karpin.  I am on p. 53. A classic on the play of the hand in bridge.  
• On hold this week (books started but put aside, without prejudice)
•  Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker. Why the Enlightenment is still important, why life is still good.  I am on p. 55. 
• Death in Brittany by Jörg Bong.  A mystery. I am on p. 25. 
• Finished this week
• The Empty Quarter by David Robbins.  Spy stuff.  My review.

Book review: The Empty Quarter by David Robbins

The heroes of this book are the members of the Special Ops US Air Force pararescue jumpers, known as PJs. In The Empty Quarter, the second book in a series about them, they are working to rescue a Saudi princess in Yemen and in the Empty Quarter region of Saudi Arabia. But there are all sorts of competing factions. The princess' husband is in conflict with her father; there are various groups of bandits who show up; there are terrorists and brigands.

I thought the best part of this was the portrayal of how the PJs work and what they do. I hadn't even heard of them before this, but they are apparently the elite of the elite (e.g. their members are all former Rangers or Seals or similar) and they devote their expertise to rescuing people, including American troops of various kinds.

It was also interesting to read more about the conflicts in this part of the world.

What are you reading? June 9, 2018

• Started this week
• Nothing this week
• In progress this week
• The Empty Quarter by David L. Robbins.  Military/spy stuff, set in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, I am on p. 346.
• The Machiavellian Moment by J. G. A. Pocock. I am on p. 16. Multidisciplinary social science/history.   
• This Idea is Brilliant edited by John Brockman.  Short essays on a wide range of ideas by experts. I am on p. 165.
• A New History of Western Philosophy by Anthony Kenny. This is a very good history of the subject, well written and clear.  Kenny follows an unusual strategy in that he takes two approaches: He first covers each era in a more-or-less chronological order, then he looks at the big topics of that era in a systematic way.  I am on p. 624, in the Enlightenment.
• On hold this week (books started but put aside, without prejudice)
•  Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker. Why the Enlightenment is still important, why life is still good.  I am on p. 55. 
• Death in Brittany by Jörg Bong.  A mystery. I am on p. 25. 
• The Drawing of Trump and its Postponement by Fred L. Karpin.  I am on p. 53. A classic on the play of the hand in bridge. 
• Finished this week
• Earthman's Burden by Gordon Dickson and Poul Anderson. An old science fiction book about how humans discover the Hoka, perhaps the funniest aliens ever. My review.
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Book Review: Earthman's Burden by Gordon R. Dickson and Poul Anderson

I found this old book in my local used bookstore. It was published in 1957, but is a compilation of even older stories.

This is the story of a diplomat from Earth in the far future.  He is assigned to the planet Toka, home of the Hoka. They are shaped like large teddy bears. They are bright and enthusiastic. Rather overwhelmingly enthusiastic. Indeed, they adapt (with a vengeance) each Earth fashion that they are introduced to. 

It's reasonably amusing, but it does wear thin after a while. It spoofs various genres, but the spoofing is kind of old because the book is old.

What I read in May

Here is a list of books I finished in April.  Links go to my reviews.

• The Neon Lawyer by Victor Methos.  A new lawyer takes a job with a rather interesting firm.
• Mercy by Victor Methos. The second book in the series.
• Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries by Kory Stamper. How dictionaries get written and what it's like to work for one.
• The Last Queen of England by Steve Robinson. Did Queen Anne actually have an heir? And why does it matter now?
• Significant Figures: The Lives and Works of Great Mathematicians by Ian Stewart.  The subtitle tells it.

What are you reading? June 2, 2018

• Started this week
• The Empty Quarter by David L. Robbins.  Military/spy stuff, set in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, I am on p. 83.
• In progress this week
• Earthman's Burden by Gordon Dickson and Poul Anderson. An old science fiction book about how humans discover the Hoka, perhaps the funniest aliens ever. I am on p. 135. 
• The Machiavellian Moment by J. G. A. Pocock. I am on p. 16. Multidisciplinary social science/history.   
• This Idea is Brilliant edited by John Brockman.  Short essays on a wide range of ideas by experts. I am on p. 129.
• A New History of Western Philosophy by Anthony Kenny. This is a very good history of the subject, well written and clear.  Kenny follows an unusual strategy in that he takes two approaches: He first covers each era in a more-or-less chronological order, then he looks at the big topics of that era in a systematic way.  I am on p. 624, in the Enlightenment.
• On hold this week (books started but put aside, without prejudice)
•  Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker. Why the Enlightenment is still important, why life is still good.  I am on p. 55. 
• Death in Brittany by Jörg Bong.  A mystery. I am on p. 25. 
• The Drawing of Trump and its Postponement by Fred L. Karpin.  I am on p. 53. A classic on the play of the hand in bridge. 
• Finished this week
• Significant Figures by Ian Stewart. Brief biographies of famous mathematicians. My review.

Book review: Significant figures by Ian Stewart

Significant Figures: The Lives and Works of Great Mathematicians does what it attempts to do about as well as it could. Whether that is "good enough" depends on what you want.

Stewart's goal here was to briefly cover what the subtitle says about a range of mathematicians from various eras. He does not include anyone who is still alive and does not claim to cover the greatest mathematicians - this precludes a lot of arguments about who is included and not. He ranges from Archimedes to William Thurston. 

In each short chapter, Stewart summarizes what is known about the life of the person and tries to give a sense of the contribution that he or she made to mathematics.  The problem, especially in some of the later chapters, is that understanding the contributions requires a lot of background math. Stewart is writing for a lay audience - people who may have taken some math in college, but not professional mathematicians  He has a lot of experience doing this and he is reasonably successful, but if you are expecting a lot of deep mathematical results, you may be disappointed.

What are you reading? May 26, 2018

• Started this week
• Earthman's Burden by Gordon Dickson and Poul Anderson. An old science fiction book about how humans discover the Hoka, perhaps the funniest aliens ever. I am on p. 75.
• The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi. More SF. I am on p. 9
• In progress this week
• Significant Figures by Ian Stewart. Brief biographies of famous mathematicians. I am on p. 186.
• The Machiavellian Moment by J. G. A. Pocock. I am on p. 14. Multidisciplinary social science/history.  This is going to be a slow read. 
• This Idea is Brilliant edited by John Brockman.  Short essays on a wide range of ideas by experts. I am on p. 129.
• A New History of Western Philosophy by Anthony Kenny. This is a very good history of the subject, well written and clear.  Kenny follows an unusual strategy in that he takes two approaches: He first covers each era in a more-or-less chronological order, then he looks at the big topics of that era in a systematic way.  I am on p. 615, in the Enlightenment.
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• On hold this week (books started but put aside, without prejudice)
•  Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker. Why the Enlightenment is still important, why life is still good.  I am on p. 55. 
• Death in Brittany by Jörg Bong.  A mystery. I am on p. 25. 
• The Drawing of Trump and its Postponement by Fred L. Karpin.  I am on p. 53. A classic on the play of the hand in bridge. 
• Finished this week
• The Last Queen of England by Steve Robinson. A mystery. My review.

Book review: The Last Queen of England by Steve Robinson

Queen Anne (b. 1665, d. 1714) was the "Last Queen of England" because the act of union occurred in her reign.  She was pregnant many times, but none of her children survived.  Or did they?

Genealogist Jefferson Tayte is at a conference in England when his friend and colleague dies in his arms. Tayte and Prof. Jean Summer take on the job that his colleague was working on, which involves the long-ago execution of five members of the Royal Society and a possible heir to the throne via Anne's line of descent.

Soon, though, it also involves murder in the present day, motivated by both politics and greed.

This is the third book in the Jefferson Tayte series,  but I don't think you need to read the others first.

Interesting words: Distaff

Distaff is an interesting word because it is both a noun and an adjective, but the two are, at first glance, rather unrelated.

The noun is part of the technology of spinning cloth - it is a staff for holding material.  The adjective means "pertaining to women".

According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, distaff is from Low German diesse meaning flax and staef meaning stick or staff. The adjectival form is through the word spindle.  In Old English, there were words spinelhealf and sperehealf meaning the female and male lines of descent, respectively.

Distaff is a fairly rare word, about 1 in every 5,500,000 words, per Google ngram viewer. It is also declining in popularity.

What are you reading: May 19, 2018

Here's what I am reading.  Feel free to comment with what you are reading.

• Started this week
• The Last Queen of England by Steve Robinson. A mystery. I am on p. 58.
• In progress this week
• Wild Mind: Living the Writer's Life by Natalie Goldberg. I am on p. 24.  
• Significant Figures by Ian Stewart. Brief biographies of famous mathematicians. I am on p. 158.
• The Machiavellian Moment by J. G. A. Pocock. I am on p. 12. Multidisciplinary social science/history.  This is going to be a slow read. 
• This Idea is Brilliant edited by John Brockman.  Short essays on a wide range of ideas by experts. I am on p. 129.
• A New History of Western Philosophy by Anthony Kenny. This is a very good history of the subject, well written and clear.  Kenny follows an unusual strategy in that he takes two approaches: He first covers each era in a more-or-less chronological order, then he looks at the big topics of that era in a systematic way.  I am on p. 613, in the Enlightenment.
• The Drawing of Trump and its Postponement by Fred L. Karpin.  I am on p. 53. A classic on the play of the hand in bridge. 
• On hold this week (books started but put aside, without prejudice)
•  Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker. Why the Enlightenment is still important, why life is still good.  I am on p. 55. 
• Death in Brittany by Jörg Bong.  A mystery. I am on p. 25.
• Finished this week
• Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries by Kory Stamper. My review.

Book Review: Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries by Kory Stamper

• How do dictionaries get written?
• What is it like to be a lexicographer at a major dictionary?
• What word took Kory Stamper the longest to define?
• What word brought her death threats?
• Should dictionaries be descriptive or prescriptive?
• Why don't dictionaries use the international phonetic alphabet?

If these sort of questions interest you, then Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries is your sort of book. Kory Stamper writes well, with humor mixed in with the description of working at a dictionary. I found it fascinating.

What are you reading: May 12, 2018

Here's what I am reading.  Feel free to comment with what you are reading.

• Started this week
• Death in Brittany by Jörg Bong.  A mystery. I am on p. 25.
• Word by Word: The Hidden Life of Dictionaries by Kory Stamper. I am on p. 77.
• In progress this week
• Wild Mind: Living the Writer's Life by Natalie Goldberg. I am on p. 24.  
• Significant Figures by Ian Stewart. Brief biographies of famous mathematicians. I am on p. 89.
• The Machiavellian Moment by J. G. A. Pocock. I am on p. 9. Multidisciplinary social science/history.  This is going to be a slow read. 
• This Idea is Brilliant edited by John Brockman.  Short essays on a wide range of ideas by experts. I am on p. 127.
• A New History of Western Philosophy by Anthony Kenny. This is a very good history of the subject, well written and clear.  Kenny follows an unusual strategy in that he takes two approaches: He first covers each era in a more-or-less chronological order, then he looks at the big topics of that era in a systematic way.  I am on p. 605, in the Enlightenment.
• The Drawing of Trump and its Postponement by Fred L. Karpin.  I am on p. 53. A classic on the play of the hand in bridge. 
• On hold this week (books started but put aside, without prejudice)
•  Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker. Why the Enlightenment is still important, why life is still good.  I am on p. 55.
• Finished this week

• Scrivener for Dummies.  Scrivener is a tool for writers. 

Interesting words: Gelid

Gelid is an adjective meaning, per Merriam Webster online:

Extremely cold, icy.

The origin of gelid is Latin gelidus which means very cold (see Online Etymology Dictionary).  It is a rare word, about 1 in 39,000,000 per Google Ngram viewer (in comparison "icy" is about 1 in 282,000, "frigid" about 1 in 1,000,000 and "cold" a whopping 1 in 15.000).

So, why use "gelid"?  One reason is to avoid using "very" or "extremely" - so, rather than "very cold" we can use "gelid".  "Frigid" also means "very cold" but I think some of the connotations are different. In particular, "frigid" can mean "extremely uninterested in sex" which "gelid" cannot. And "gelid" has the connotation of "almost frozen".

I read gelid in Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson. 

What are you reading? May 5, 2018

Here's what I am reading.  Feel free to comment with what you are reading.

• Started this week
• Wild Mind: Living the Writer's Life by Natalie Goldberg. I am on p. 12. 
• In progress this week
• A re-re-read of Crypotomicon by Neal Stephenson. One of my favorite novels. My review shows why.  I am on p. 675.
• Significant Figures by Ian Stewart. Brief biographies of famous mathematicians. I am on p. 69.
• The Machiavellian Moment by J. G. A. Pocock. I am on p. 5. Multidisciplinary social science/history.  This is going to be a slow read. 
• This Idea is Brilliant edited by John Brockman.  Short essays on a wide range of ideas by experts. I am on p. 124.
• The Mathematical Theory of Bridge by Emile Borel and Cheron Andre. Probability and bridge. Lots of math. I am on page 121.
• Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker. Why the Enlightenment is still important, why life is still good.  I am on p. 55.
• A New History of Western Philosophy by Anthony Kenny. This is a very good history of the subject, well written and clear.  Kenny follows an unusual strategy in that he takes two approaches: He first covers each era in a more-or-less chronological order, then he looks at the big topics of that era in a systematic way.  I am on p. 601, in the Enlightenment.
• Scrivener for Dummies. I am on p. 202.  Scrivener is a tool for writers. 
• The Drawing of Trump and its Postponement by Fred L. Karpin.  I am on p. 53. A classic on the play of the hand in bridge. 
• Finished this week

• The Neon Lawyer by Victor Methos.  My review.
• Mercy by Victor Methos. My review.

Book review: Mercy by Victor Methos

Mercy is the second book in the Neon Lawyer series by Victor Methos.  Methos knows how to keep the pages turning and writes with a nice, unobtrusive style, but, in Mercy I think he throws in one plot twist too many, with a resolution that isn't completely worked out. 

In Mercy Brigham Theodore is hired to represent a man who is accused of murdering his wife; one twist is that it's a "mercy killing" - his wife was in horrible pain and about to die from pancreatic cancer. This raises some very interesting and tricky ethical questions but the mystery/trial format of this novel isn't that well suited to dealing with them.  And Theodore himself is conflicted about the case.  Then Methos adds the sort of plot twists that are typical of a trial novel; he does a good job of this, but that detracts from the other aspects.

In short, I think there's a conflict about what this novel is about:

• A trial novel about who did what and whether they will be found guilty
• A novel about the ethics of killing someone who is dying and the ramifications of such killing

Still, it kept me turning the pages and I will be reading more novels in this series. 

What I read in April

Here is a list of books I finished in April.  Links go to my reviews.

• Dark Lanterns by Aaron Solomon.  Historical fiction set in Richelieu's France.
• The Cutting Edge by Jeffery Deaver. The latest in the Lincoln Rhyme series.
• Command Decision by Elizabeth Moon. Fourth book in the Ky Vatta series of military SF.
• Expert Hand Evaluation by Augie Boehm. About the game bridge.

Book review: The Neon Lawyer by Victor Methos

The Neon Lawyer by Victor Methos is a fun, short read. The protagonist, Brigham Theodore, has just graduated from law school in Salt Lake City.  He worked his way through law school as a janitor. He has no success finding work in anything like a traditional law firm, but he gets hired by Tommy Two Balls, who runs a somewhat unscrupulous firm.  His second case is a murder trial that forms the basis of most of the book.

His client shot a man five times, killing him, in clear view of a bunch of people, including several police officers. The only issue is why she did it and her state of mind at the time: The person she killed had kidnapped and tortured her young daughter to death.

I'm not sure how realistic this all is, but the book is a lot of fun and keeps the pages turning.

What are you reading? April 28, 2018

Here's what I am reading.  Feel free to comment with what you are reading.

• Started this week
• A re-re-read of Crypotomicon by Neal Stephenson. One of my favorite novels. My review shows why.  I am on p. 316
• Significant Figures by Ian Stewart. Brief biographies of famous mathematicians. I am on p. 43.
• In progress this week
• The Machiavellian Moment by J. G. A. Pocock. I am on p. 5. Multidisciplinary social science/history.  This is going to be a slow read. 
• Medieval Europe by Chris Wickham.  1000 years in 250 pages.  Seems like a very good introduction to the period. I am on page 43.
• This Idea is Brilliant edited by John Brockman.  Short essays on a wide range of ideas by experts. I am on p. 98.
• The Mathematical Theory of Bridge by Emile Borel and Cheron Andre. Probability and bridge. Lots of math. I am on page 121.
• Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker. Why the Enlightenment is still important, why life is still good.  I am on p. 55.
• A New History of Western Philosophy by Anthony Kenny. This is a very good history of the subject, well written and clear.  Kenny follows an unusual strategy in that he takes two approaches: He first covers each era in a more-or-less chronological order, then he looks at the big topics of that era in a systematic way.  I am on p. 595, in the Enlightenment.
• Scrivener for Dummies. I am on p. 186.  Scrivener is a tool for writers. 
• The Drawing of Trump and its Postponement by Fred L. Karpin.  I am on p. 43. A classic on the play of the hand in bridge. 
• Finished this week

• Dark Lanterns by Aaron Solomon. A mystery set in 16th century France.  Quite good! My review.

What should I blog about?

Hi readers:

Which would you prefer that I blog about:

1. Just book reviews?
2. Book reviews and quotations
3. Book reviews and words
4. All three things

Book Review: Dark Lanterns by Aaron Solomon

Dark Lanterns is a first novel by Aaron Solomon.  (Disclosure: Aaron is my nephew).

I really liked this book. It's got an unusual setting and a very interesting protagonist.  The setting is 16/17th century France (the era of Cardinal Richelieu and also the Three Musketeers). I found this interesting because it is an era I didn't know that much about - and one that is very different in all sorts of ways from the modern world.

The protagonist is a young woman named Sacha.   She was orphaned as a child and made her way to Paris where she became a sort of employee of Richelieu - but her jobs are unusual, often dangerous and usually illegal. And she has to pretend to be a man to do them. She's utterly devoted to the Cardinal because without him she probably would have starved on the streets of Paris. She's devoutly religious but conflicted because her jobs (although done in the service of a cardinal) often involve violating the law or one of the ten commandments.  She breaks into buildings, she steals, she fights. But she's also very clever.

I hope this is the start of a series!

What are you reading?

Here's what I am reading.  Feel free to comment with what you are reading.

• Started this week
• Into the Black by Evan Currie. I am on p. 43.  Science fiction.
• The Machiavellian Moment by J. G. A. Pocock. I am on p. 5. Multidisciplinary social science/history.
• In progress this week
• Dark Lanterns by Aaron Solomon. A mystery set in 16th century France.  Quite good!  I am on p. 278.
• Medieval Europe by Chris Wickham.  1000 years in 250 pages.  Seems like a very good introduction to the period. I am on page 41.
• This Idea is Brilliant edited by John Brockman.  Short essays on a wide range of ideas by experts. I am on p. 85.
• The Mathematical Theory of Bridge by Emile Borel and Cheron Andre. Probability and bridge. Lots of math. I am on page 121.
• Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker. Why the Enlightenment is still important, why life is still good.  I am on p. 55.
• A New History of Western Philosophy by Anthony Kenny. This is a very good history of the subject, well written and clear.  Kenny follows an unusual strategy in that he takes two approaches: He first covers each era in a more-or-less chronological order, then he looks at the big topics of that era in a systematic way.  I am on p. 579, in the Enlightenment.
• Scrivener for Dummies. I am on p. 186.  Scrivener is a tool for writers. 
• The Drawing of Trump and its Postponement by Fred L. Karpin.  I am on p. 43. A classic on the play of the hand in bridge. 
• Finished this week

• The Cutting Edge by Jeffery Deaver.  My review

Book review: The Cutting Edge by Jeffery Deaver

The Cutting Edge is the latest novel in the Lincoln Rhyme series, which is one of my favorite series.  For those who don't know, Lincoln Rhyme is a criminalist who is also a quadriplegic. He's one of the best in the world at analyzing crime scenes but, since he became disabled, he relies on others to be do the physical examination of the scenes.  This novel can be read without reading any of the earlier ones (although I think reading the series in at least rough order would be more enjoyable).

As in all of the books in the series, Rhyme is called in to help on a serial murder case. Relatively early on, we learn that the villain, who is crazy, is killing engaged couples because of their diamond rings - he thinks making diamonds is horrible.

Also as in all the books, there are twists and twists until the final page. Deaver is a master of fitting together all the pieces of his plots so that they make sense. However, I think he takes it one step too far in this book, so it's not my favorite of the series.  But it's still very good and will keep you turning the pages.

NOTE: There are scenes of extreme violence in this book. If that turns you off, you shouldn't read it.

What are you reading? April 14, 2018

Here's what I am reading.  Feel free to comment with what you are reading.

• Started this week
• Dark Lanterns by Aaron Solomon. A mystery set in 16th century France.  Quite good!  I am on p. 265.
• The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. The first of the Flavia de Luce mysteries, featuring the 11 year old genius.  I am on p. 41.
• In progress this week
• Medieval Europe by Chris Wickham.  1000 years in 250 pages.  Seems like a very good introduction to the period. I am on page 41.
• This Idea is Brilliant edited by John Brockman.  Short essays on a wide range of ideas by experts. I am on p. 65.
• The Mathematical Theory of Bridge by Emile Borel and Cheron Andre. Probability and bridge. Lots of math. I am on page 121.
• Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker. Why the Enlightenment is still important, why life is still good.  I am on p. 55.
• Sunvault: Stories of Solarpunk and eco-speculation  by Daniel Jose Older.  Solarpunk is a new and optimistic sub-genre of science fiction.  I am on p. 9
• A New History of Western Philosophy by Anthony Kenny. This is a very good history of the subject, well written and clear.  Kenny follows an unusual strategy in that he takes two approaches: He first covers each era in a more-or-less chronological order, then he looks at the big topics of that era in a systematic way.  I am on p. 539, in the Enlightenment.
• Scrivener for Dummies. I am on p. 186.  Scrivener is a tool for writers. 
• The Drawing of Trump and its Postponement by Fred L. Karpin.  I am on p. 43. A classic on the play of the hand in bridge. 
• Finished this week

• Command Decision by Elizabeth Moon.  My review.

Book review: Command Decision by Elizabeth Moon

Command Decision is the fourth book in the Vatta's War series.  Kylara Vatta continues her long term strategy of rebuilding the Vatta business and hunting down her and their enemies.  In this one, she allies with people including Ransome's Rangers - led by the irrepressible and rich Teddy Ransome - and makes use of new technology devised by her genius relative Toby.  Meanwhile, her friend Rafe takes over from his father as head of ISC.

Like the earlier books in the series, this is good fun and well-done with no need for any big points about anything.

What are you reading? April 7, 2018

Here's what I am reading.  Feel free to comment with what you are reading.

• Started this week
• Medieval Europe by Chris Wickham.  1000 years in 250 pages.  Seems like a very good introduction to the period. I am on page 33.
• This Idea is Brilliant edited by John Brockman.  Short essays on a wide range of ideas by experts. I am on p. 24.
• In progress this week
• The Mathematical Theory of Bridge by Emile Borel and Cheron Andre. Probability and bridge. Lots of math. I am on page 113.
• Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker. Why the Enlightenment is still important, why life is still good.  I am on p. 55.
• Sunvault: Stories of Solarpunk and eco-speculation  by Daniel Jose Older.  Solarpunk is a new and optimistic sub-genre of science fiction.  I am on p. 9
• A New History of Western Philosophy by Anthony Kenny. This is a very good history of the subject, well written and clear.  Kenny follows an unusual strategy in that he takes two approaches: He first covers each era in a more-or-less chronological order, then he looks at the big topics of that era in a systematic way.  I am on p. 525, in the Enlightenment.
• Scrivener for Dummies. I am on p. 186.  Scrivener is a tool for writers. 
• The Drawing of Trump and its Postponement by Fred L. Karpin.  I am on p. 43. A classic on the play of the hand in bridge. 
• Finished this week

• Expert Hand Evaluation by August Boehm. On evaluating your hand at bridge. My review.

Book Review: Expert Hand Evaluation by Augie Boehm

Expert Hand Evaluation is a good short (141 pages) book on evaluating the worth of your hand in contract bridge. Beginners learn to count high card points (ace = 4, king = 3, queen = 2, jack = 1) and may learn about adding points for length or shortness of suits. But how does the value of your hand change as the auction progresses?

Expert Hand Evaluation is composed of 29 short chapters. There's some repetition across chapters and it reads a bit like a collection of columns.  That's fine and doesn't detract from the book's usefulness, but the book would have been even better with some more general principles propounded.

Recommended for a wide range of intermediate players who want to bid better. 

August (Augie) Boehm is a bridge player and teacher in New York City. He has decades of experience and has written numerous bridge columns and books. 

Great quotations:Knowledge and ignorance

The Quote: 

The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.

Who said it: It is attributed to Stephen Hawking, but Hawking may never have said it.  Variations on this theme have been said by Daniel Boorstin. A homier version is:

It's not what you don't know that kills you, it's what you think you know that ain't so.

which appears to be from Mark Twain. 

There is an ancient variation from Epictetus:

It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.

Some thoughts: The problem that both these quotes identify is one that is remarkably easy to fall into: We think we know something, but we don't.  That not only stops us from learning the truth about what we "know" it can also stop us from learning many other things and can influence our action in ways that can harm us.

What I read in February and March

Here is a list of books I finished in February and March; links go to my reviews.

The Infidel and the Professor: David Hume, Adam Smith and the Friendship that Shaped Modern Thought by Dennis C. Rasmussen.

Double Negative by David Carkeet

The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon

 Trading in Danger by Elizabeth Moon

Marque and Reprisal by Elizabeth Moon

What are you reading? March 31 2018

Here's what I am reading.  Feel free to comment with what you are reading.

• Started this week
• Exit Strategy by Kelley Armstrong. The protagonist is a former police officer who became a hitman. Now she is hunting a serial killer. Fun stuff. I am on p. 121.
• In progress this week
• Expert Hand Evaluation by August Boehm. On evaluating your hand at bridge. I am on p. 85.
• The Mathematical Theory of Bridge by Emile Borel and Cheron Andre. Probability and bridge. Lots of math. I am on page 94.
• The Reader over your Shoulder by Robert Graves. How to write well. I am on page 89.
• The House of Government by Yuri Slezkine . The Russian Revolution, but also all sorts of other things (like a comparison of Marx and Jesus).  I am on p. 180.
• Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker. Why the Enlightenment is still important, why life is still good.  I am on p. 55.
• Sunvault: Stories of Solarpunk and eco-speculation  by Daniel Jose Older.  Solarpunk is a new and optimistic sub-genre of science fiction.  I am on p. 9
• A New History of Western Philosophy by Anthony Kenny. This is a very good history of the subject, well written and clear.  Kenny follows an unusual strategy in that he takes two approaches: He first covers each era in a more-or-less chronological order, then he looks at the big topics of that era in a systematic way.  I am on p. 461, slogging through the scholastics.
• Scrivener for Dummies. I am on p. 149.  Scrivener is a tool for writers. 
• The Drawing of Trump and its Postponement by Fred L. Karpin.  I am on p. 43. A classic on the play of the hand in bridge. 
• Finished this week

• Engaging the Enemy by Elizabeth Moon. 3rd in the Vatta's war series. My review.

Book review: Engaging the Enemy by Elizabeth Moon

Engaging the Enemy (link to purchase) is the third volume in the Vatta's war series. The first two were Trading in Danger and  Marque and Reprisal  (links go to my reviews).

Ky Vatta continues to be utterly amazing while irritating all sorts of people. In this one, she gets into fights with bureaucrats and with her family.  Also, many Vatta family secrets are revealed and the start of a force to fight pirates is recounted.  All this is good fun and Moon writes well and keeps the pages turning. 

There's some interesting cultural differences across planets, including one where sexism has not died out and much depends on "honor", defined in ways that most 21st century Americans would find a bit odd.

What are you reading? March 24, 2018

Here's what I am reading.  Feel free to comment with what you are reading.

• Started this week
• Expert Hand Evaluation by August Boehm. On evaluating your hand at bridge.
• The Mathematical Theory of Bridge by Emile Borel and Cheron Andre. Probability and bridge. Lots of math. I am on p.age 69.
• The Reader over your Shoulder by Robert Graves. How to write well. I am on page 33.
• Engaging the Enemy by Elizabeth Moon. 3rd in the Vatta's War series. I am 30% in.
• In progress this week
• The House of Government by Yuri Slezkine . The Russian Revolution, but also all sorts of other things (like a comparison of Marx and Jesus).  I am on p. 141.
• Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker. Why the Enlightenment is still important, why life is still good.  I am on p. 53.
• Sunvault: Stories of Solarpunk and eco-speculation  by Daniel Jose Older.  Solarpunk is a new and optimistic sub-genre of science fiction.  I am on p. 9
• A New History of Western Philosophy by Anthony Kenny. This is a very good history of the subject, well written and clear.  Kenny follows an unusual strategy in that he takes two approaches: He first covers each era in a more-or-less chronological order, then he looks at the big topics of that era in a systematic way.  I am on p. 459, slogging through the scholastics.
• Scrivener for Dummies. I am on p. 149.  Scrivener is a tool for writers. 
• The Drawing of Trump and its Postponement by Fred L. Karpin.  I am on p. 43. A classic on the play of the hand in bridge. 
• Finished this week

• Marque and Reprisal   by Elizabeth Moon. Second in the Vatta's War series. My review.

Book review: Marque and Reprisal by Elizabeth Moon

Book: Marque and Reprisal
Author: Elizabeth Moon
Year published: 2005


Review: This is the second book in the Vatta's War series (the first is Trading in Danger (link goes to my review). At the start of Marques and Reprisal most of Ky Vatta's family has been killed. Most of their fleet is destroyed. It seems most of the universe is out to get her and them.  That might stop an ordinary human, but it isn't going to stop Ky Vatta!  Or it might make an ordinary person consider another line of work.  Not Ky Vatta!

She sets out to rebuild Vatta and punish her enemies.  She'll use whatever it takes (including her own body as a weapon).

This is all kind of silly, but it's a very good silly.  Moon is a very good writer and this book is a lot of fun and has lots of action. Moon manages to make all sorts of new technology seem believable in battle (that's not easy) and keeps the pages turning.

What are you reading? March 17, 2018

Here's what I am reading.  Feel free to comment with what you are reading.

• Started this week
• Marque and Reprisal   by Elizabeth Moon. Second in the Vatta's War series. I am halfway through.
• In progress this week
• The House of Government by Yuri Slezkine . The Russian Revolution and subsequent history through a single building.  I am on p. 77
• Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker. Why the Enlightenment is still important, why life is still good.  I am on p. 40.
• Sunvault: Stories of Solarpunk and eco-speculation  by Daniel Jose Older.  Solarpunk is a new and optimistic sub-genre of science fiction.  I am on p. 9
• A New History of Western Philosophy by Anthony Kenny. This is a very good history of the subject, well written and clear.  Kenny follows an unusual strategy in that he takes two approaches: He first covers each era in a more-or-less chronological order, then he looks at the big topics of that era in a systematic way.  I am on p. 439, slogging through the scholastics.
• Scrivener for Dummies. I am on p. 149.  Scrivener is a tool for writers. 
• The Drawing of Trump and its Postponement by Fred L. Karpin.  I am on p. 39. A classic on the play of the hand in bridge. 
• Finished this week

• Trading in Danger by Elizabeth Moon, science fiction and the start of the Vatta series.  My review

Great quotations: Pitt on freedom and necessity

The quotation: 

Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants and the creed of slaves.

Who said it: William Pitt the younger
Where and when it was said: Speech in the House of Commons (18 November, 1783)

Why it's a great quote: First, it expresses a truth. Second, it uses language precisely. In particular "plea", "argument" and "creed" are exactly correct in their place and would be less correct in other places. Their placement also implies that tyrants don't necessarily believe the statement but are just using it.

About the author: Pitt (1759 - 1806) was the youngest prime minister in the history of  Britain (he became PM for the first time in 1783).

 

Book review: Trading in Danger by Elizabeth Moon

Book: Trading in Danger
Author: Elizabeth Moon
Year published: 2004

Review: Good, fun military/adventure SF.  Kylara Vatta is the daughter of the chief financial officer of a large corporation. She's just been dismissed from the military academy and is assigned to pilot an old spaceship to the scrapyard on a distant planet.  But things don't go as planned and lots of adventure ensues, which I won't spoil for you.

This is old-fashioned stuff, but it's good old-fashioned stuff. It's well-written and the plot keeps the pages turning. I stayed up late to finish. But, unlike the author's Speed of Dark, this book has nothing really profound in it that I could see. That's OK, and this sort of book is fine with me, it's just a little unexpected since I just finished Speed of Dark a few days ago.

I'll be reading the rest of the Vatta's War series, of which Trading in Danger is the first.

Book review: Dodger by Terry Pratchett

Book: Dodger
Author: Terry Pratchett
Year published: 2012

Dodger is quite a departure from Pratchett's beloved Discworld series, but it is a very good book.

The title derives from the Artful Dodger of Dickens' Oliver Twis. This Dodger does share some characteristics of that one: Both live in London in early Victorian times. Both live with elderly Jews. Both are somewhat shady characters not averse to a little petty theivery, yet with a good heart underneath it all. But there are many differences as well:

• The person this Dodger lives with is a watchmaker and does not run a criminal operation; in fact, he disapproves of Dodger's thievery.
• In this book, Dodger and Solomon (not Fagin) live alone
• In this book, Dodger's main source of income is not picking pockets but "toshing" - that is, digging through London's sewers looking for coins or other items of value.
• In this book, Dodger rescues not Oliver Twist, but a beautiful young woman who is being beaten.
• In this book, Charles Dickens is a character, not the author

At the start of Dodger, our hero sees a woman being beaten. He jumps into the fray, chases off the bullis, and thinks that is the end of it. But it isn't. Because this young woman is very special indeed. Thus, the adventure begins. The tale is fast-moving and well-plotted; anyone who has read books by Terry Pratchett will know that the man is a great storyteller. Along the way, there are major appearances by Charles Dickens (as a young author and journalist, not yet famous); Henry Mayhew (who chronicled the life of London's poor) and Robert Peel (founder of the "peelers" - a new London police force). There is also a brief appearance by Queen Victoria (she is amused).

About the author:  Terry Pratchett was most famous as the author of the Discworld series. His books have sold tens of millions of copies and been translated into many languages. He lived in London.

What are you reading? March 10, 2018

Here's what I am reading.  Feel free to comment with what you are reading.

• Started this week
•  Trading in Danger by Elizabeth Moon, science fiction and the start of the Vatta series.  I am on p. 66.
• The House of Government by Yuri Slezkine . The Russian Revolution and subsequent history through a single building.  I am on p. xviii.
  
• In progress this week
• Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker. Why the Enlightenment is still important, why life is still good.  I am on p. 33.
• Sunvault: Stories of Solarpunk and eco-speculation  by Daniel Jose Older.  Solarpunk is a new and optimistic sub-genre of science fiction.  I am on p. 9
• A New History of Western Philosophy by Anthony Kenny. This is a very good history of the subject, well written and clear.  Kenny follows an unusual strategy in that he takes two approaches: He first covers each era in a more-or-less chronological order, then he looks at the big topics of that era in a systematic way.  I am on p. 420, slogging through the scholastics.
• Scrivener for Dummies. I am on p. 118.  Scrivener is a tool for writers. 
• The Drawing of Trump and its Postponement by Fred L. Karpin.  I am on p. 25. A classic on the play of the hand in bridge. 
• Finished this week

• Nothing this week

Great quotations: Galileo on God and intelligence

The quote: 

I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use and by some other means to give us knowledge which we can attain by them.

Who said it: Galileo Galilei (b. 1564, d. 1642)

Where he said it: Letter to the grand duchess Christina (1615)

Why it's a great quote: It's an argument for science from a believer. Some people think that you can't be a believer and be a scientist (there are both theists and atheists who think this).  They are wrong and there are many scientists who are theists - indeed, there are scientists of every religion. Galileo's quote shows one aspect of why you can be both: God (if such exists) endowed us (if a deity does such things) with reason.  Surely, we should use that reason or why do we have it? 

Great quotations: Terry Pratchett on the need for fantasy

This one is rather long for a quote, but it's so outstanding that I am including it.

It is a dialogue between DEATH (who is personified in Discworld and speaks in ALL CAPS and Susan, who is his granddaughter (DEATH adopted a child).

The Quote:

“All right," said Susan. "I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need... fantasies to make life bearable."

REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.

"Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little—"

YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.

"So we can believe the big ones?"

YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.

"They're not the same at all!"

YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET—Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.

"Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point—"

MY POINT EXACTLY.” 

Who said it: Terry Pratchett in Hogfather

 

Interesting words: Akrasia

Word: Akrasia
Prounciation: Uh, craze, eee, uh   OR uh, crez, ee, uh
Definition: Akrasia is the state of mind in which you act against your own better judgement because of "weakness of will".
Etymology: From Greek  a- (without) and kratos (power)
Frequency: About 1 in 12,000,000 words.
Why use it:  First, it's a word for an entire state of mind - one that lots of us have felt; it's the "I couldn't help myself" feeling.  But you can say "I was akrastic".  Sounds so much better.  Second, it's useful in philosophy because it raises interesting questions about deliberation and choice and free will and so on.

Interesting words: Weal

Word: weal
Pronunciation: rhymes with heal
Origin:  Per the Online Etymology Dictionary, weal comes from old English wela which meant wealth and earlier from old Germanic welon. 

Meaning: According to Merriam Webster weal is a noun meaning:

a sound, healthy, or prosperous state

Why use it? What else means this? A nice, simple, short word that captures a slightly complex concept

Frequency:  Per Google ngram viewer, about 1 in every 2.8 million words.

What are you reading? March 3rd, 2018

• Started this week
• Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker. Why the Enlightenment is still important, why life is still good.  I am on p. 11
• Sunvault: Stories of Solarpunk and eco-speculation  by Daniel Jose Older.  Solarpunk is a new and optimistic sub-genre of science fiction.  I am on p. 9
• Six Months, Three Days, Five Others by Charlie Jane Anders. I am on p. 13
• In progress this week
• A New History of Western Philosophy by Anthony Kenny. This is a very good history of the subject, well written and clear.  Kenny follows an unusual strategy in that he takes two approaches: He first covers each era in a more-or-less chronological order, then he looks at the big topics of that era in a systematic way.  I am on p. 399, slogging through the scholastics.
• Scrivener for Dummies. I am on p. 103.  Scrivener is a tool for writers. 
• The Consistency of Arithmetic and Other Essays by Storrs McCall. Essays on various philosophical topics. I am on p. 57.
• The Drawing of Trump and its Postponement by Fred L. Karpin.  I am on p. 21. A classic on the play of the hand in bridge. 
• Finished this week
• Double Negative by David Carkeet. A comic mystery set in a linguistics facility. My review.
• The Speed of Dark  by Elizabeth Moon.  Science fiction about an autistic man. My review.

Book review: The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon

The Speed of Dark is a science fiction novel first published in 2002.  It is astonishingly good. The main reason it is so good is the voice of the protagonist. 

In the novel, therapies for autism that treat it in early childhood have been found. However, the protagonist, Tom, is too old for them.  He is definitely autistic and he also has a great many abilities. In particular, he has an extreme ability to see patterns. This serves him well in his job (which is never specified too exactly, but involves some sort of high level pattern matching) and in his hobby of fencing, where he picks up on the patterns of his opponents.

Tom lives an ordinary life in extraordinary ways. He has a job, he has attractions to a woman and worries if she reciprocates, he has a hobby, he has friends - some of them autistic and some not. At his job, he has a sympathetic boss but that boss's boss is very unsympathetic boss.

Moon, who has an autistic son, manages to show all this through Tom's eyes while using that to make us see Tom very vividly.  She also puts in some plot twists which I will not detail in order to avoid spoiling the novel for you.

Interesting words: Contumely

Word: Contumely
Pronunciation:  Rhymes with Don whom see

Origin:  Per the Online Etymology Dictionary, contumely comes from Latin contumelia "an insult" via old French contumelie.
Meaning: According to Merriam-Webster, contumely is a noun meaning:

harsh language or treatment arising from haughtiness and contempt; also : an instance of such language or treatment

Why use it?  First, although it's a very rare word, it's relatively well-known from Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act III, scene 1:

For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,

Th' oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely,

which is part of perhaps the most famous passage in all of Shakespeare - the "to be or not to be" soliloquy.

Second, it's more precise than "insult" or "scorn".  It refers to a particular type of foul treatment.


Frequency: About 1 in every 15,200,000 words

Book review: Distraction by Bruce Sterling

It's 2045. The United States is on the ropes. The government is completely dysfunctional, the armed forces are committing robbery to support themselves, there is a new cold war between Holland and the United States, and there are 16 political parties with seats in Congress. Louisiana is under the control of "Green Huey", a populist with a personality cult. Things are looking pretty grim.

Enter Oscar Valaparaiso, political spin doctor extraordinaire, and chief strategist for Alcott Bambakias, billionaire architect and candidate for senate from Massachusetts. Valapariso has a "personal background problem" (he's not exactly human) but he doesn't let that stop him.

Soon, Valaparaiso is off to Louisiana, where he falls in love with a genius neurologist named Greta Penninger. Together, they need to derail Huey, channel the neural revolution into more benign paths, rescue American science, restore the country and stop a war. And they are up to it.

Distraction by Bruce Sterling is a brilliant book. Distraction portrays a dystopian near future that nevertheless has room for hope. The extrapolation of the current political and scientific milieus is fascinating, and Sterling is up on his science. The ideas just keep coming; one example is smart building material, where each brick and pipe is programmed to tell the builder where it should go. Another is the existence of gangs of people who have dropped out of society completely. Another is neural modification that allows people to think of multiple things at once.

Distraction reminds me, in some ways, of The Grapes of Wrath another novel set in a dystopian America (although one that didn't need to be imagined), but Sterling's style is nothing like Steinbeck's. And "Green Huey" is obviously reminiscent of Huey Long, who also governed Louisiana during bleak economic times. Strengthening that analogy, the president in <i>Distraction</i> (an American Indian known as Two Feathers) unites the country, engages in a war, and has revolutionary ideas.

In short, if you like well-written science fiction that throws ideas at you at lightning speed, Distraction is for you.

Book review: Double Negative by David Carkeet

Book: Double Negative
Author: David Carkeet
Year published: 1980

Date I finished: February 24, 2018

Review: This is a comic mystery novel set at the Wabash Institute, where a group of linguists is studying how children learn language by running a child care service that doubles as a linguistics lab.  Then linguists start getting killed and one of them (the protagonist, Dr. Cook) tries to help the police solve the case.

The plot moves nicely and it has the usual twists and turns of a good mystery novel.  The amusement comes both from the linguistics itself (the author is a linguist) and from the silliness and puns (most of the names of characters are descriptive of them - Dr. Cook can't cook; the first linguist to die is named Stiph etc.)

It's also interesting reading books from this era (1980) because they are current enough to seem modern but old enough to seem dated: People smoking in restaurants!  Using typewriters! Doing all their research in actual books!  It's also a reminder of how sexist things were, 38 years ago.

I think this will be especially enjoyed by people who like both mysteries and words.

Interesting words: Querulous

Word: Querulous
Pronunciation: Qwer - yeh - lus
Etymology:  Per the Online Etymology Dictionary, querulous comes from Old French querelos which meant "quarrelsome, argumentative" and earlier from Latin querulus "full of complaints".

Definition:  Querulous, according to Merriam Webster, means "habitually complaining" particularly by whining.
Why use it?  I think we all know someone who is querulous.  At least, with the word, we can describe their annoying behavior precisely.  While there are many words that have similar meanings (e.g. whiny, complaining) querulous captures a set of behaviors that tend to go together. 
Frequency of use: About 1 in 3.1 million words.

What are you reading? Feb 24, 2018

• Started this week
• Nothing started this week.
• In progress this week
• Double Negative by David Carkeet. A comic mystery set in a linguistics facility.  I am on p. 179
• A New History of Western Philosophy by Anthony Kenny. This is a very good history of the subject, well written and clear.  Kenny follows an unusual strategy in that he takes two approaches: He first covers each era in a more-or-less chronological order, then he looks at the big topics of that era in a systematic way.  I am on p. 385, slogging through the scholastics.
• High Price: A Neuroscientist's Journey of Self-Discovery that Challenges Everything you Know About Drugs and Society by Carl Hart. Why everything you know (or thought you knew) about illicit drugs is wrong. I am on p. 182.
• Red Men by Matthew de Abaitua.  I am on p. 97.  Fairly dystopian science fiction about the coming of artificial intelligence.
• Scrivener for Dummies. I am on p. 103.  Scrivener is a tool for writers. 
• The Consistency of Arithmetic and Other Essays by Storrs McCall. Essays on various philosophical topics. I am on p. 29.
• The Drawing of Trump and its Postponement by Fred L. Karpin.  I am on p. 17. A classic on the play of the hand in bridge. 
• The Speed of Dark  by Elizabeth Moon.  Science fiction about an autistic man. I am on p. 158
• Finished this week
• Nothing finished this week.

Book review: Dead Souls by Ian Rankin

John Rebus drinks too much. He smokes too much. He has trouble with authority figures and his relationships with his peers aren't the greatest, either. For fans of this series by Ian Rankin, none of this is news. Nor is it news that Rebus is an excellent detective and a likable figure.

Dead Souls is the 10th novel in the John Rebus series and one of the best. This is Scottish noir at its darkest. Here, Rebus is dealing with a colleague's seemingly senseless suicide, child abuse and its cover-up, a missing child and a serial killer. All these plots intertwine, involving Rebus and those closest to him in their web.

Dead Souls features all the things that Rankin does best: A labyrinthine plot, excellent dialogue and socially troubling and confusing issues. John Rebus is out to solve crimes but he is also out to right wrongs. But the best intentions can go astray when dealing with the darkest aspects of the human soul; in the real world, as in <i>Dead Souls,</i> criminal guilt and innocence are easier to establish than their moral analogues, and many villains were themselves victims at some point. Rankin deals with this well, letting Rebus see the moral ambiguities of life without ever sliding into the sort of relativism that says no one is guilty of anything.

If that isn't enough, Rankin continues to portray John Rebus' native Edinburgh at its best and worst. Although I am not familiar with the city in real life, I am growing familiar with it through this series of books.

Ian Rankin was born in Fife in 1960. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1982. He began writing novels while working on a PhD (not completed) and his first Rebus novel was published in 1987.