Sunday - May 04, 2008
The Good That Men Do
Title: The Good That Men Do (Star Trek: Enterprise)
Author: Andy Mangels, Michael A. Martin
Mass Market Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: Star Trek (February 1, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0743440013
ISBN-13: 978-0743440011
The first (and as far as I can tell only) pulp fiction book based on the Star Trek: Enterprise TV series. It uses a technique familiar to that series - going forward in time and telling a story in the past, in this case that Trip, the chief engineer on Enterprise, secretly survived his apparent death and became a spy planted in the Romulan empire.
I liked the book generally, and I'm glad I read it. I wish they'd write some more; I think this period (pre-Federation) takes a look at some serious issues that had been resolved by the time of the later series.
Friday - February 29, 2008
24 Declassified: Collateral Damage
Title: 24 Declassified: Collateral Damage
Author: Marc Cerasini
Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: HarperEntertainment (February 26, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061431184
ISBN-13: 978-0061431180
A very guilty pleasure of mine - I love the TV series 24, and the books are just as good, maybe better.
This one is set in the new NYC Counter-Terrorist Unit (CTU) headquarters, where Jack Bauer is helping get the new office running. But, his team is ambushed on their way to the office and the action doesn't let up until the very last explosive minute.
This series is being authored by three people now, and so far I've found all the books to be quick and fun to read.
Wednesday - February 27, 2008
Tom Clancy's EndWar
Title: Tom Clancy's EndWar
Author: David Michaels
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Berkley (February 5, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425222144
ISBN-13: 978-0425222140
I finished my interview early out in LA (great job opportunity, I hope I get an offer for this one), went out to Burbank Airport (Bob Hope), and had about five hours to kill before my red-eye left. And I'd finished the book I'd brought with me, Beginning TiVo Programming. So, I bought this book at the bookstore in the airport.
And I could hardly put it down. Its set in the near future when the Russians, the Euros and the US are embroiled in a hot/cold war. Very gripping narrative, taught, and suspenseful.
Wednesday - February 27, 2008
Beginning TiVo Programming
Title: Beginning TiVo Programming
Author: John Brosnan, Kyle Copeland
Paperback: 298 pages
Publisher: Wrox (February 12, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0470054271
ISBN-13: 978-0470054277
I read this book on the flight from Chicago to Phoenix to Burbank.
Really good - I highly recommend this book. It includes everything you need to know to build TiVo applications, including getting the two SDKs you'll want, instructions on using the simulator, and some really rocking examples (in this case, the examples actually do show very clearly how to do things with the SDK). And, since the examples are focused you don't get page after page of code, but instead concise code in the book to show how to get things done.
I've got a project all set up and ready to start in Eclipse thanks to this book!
Sunday - February 17, 2008
Office Warfare: Strategies for Getting Ahead in the Aggressive 80's
Title: Office Warfare: Strategies for Getting Ahead in the Aggressive 80's
Author: Marilyn Moats Kennedy
Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Fawcett (October 12, 1986)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0449210162
ISBN-13: 978-0449210161
I wish I'd read this book years ago - it explains a lot about the changes I've seen in the workplace over the last 20-plus years.
If you want to know more about office politics, and especially some specific hints on how to not be a victim of them, read this book! I got my copy at a used bookstore, and I'm glad I did. I read it in just a few sittings over three days.
Saturday - February 09, 2008
Math and the Mona Lisa: The Art and Science of Leonardo da Vinci
Title: Math and the Mona Lisa: The Art and Science of Leonardo da Vinci
Author: Bulent Atalay
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Collins (February 21, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0060851198
ISBN-13: 978-0060851194
This book reminds us that art and science are inexorably intertwined. The writing style is lucid yet very readable, including the sections that delve into quantum mechanics, for example. I thought the section on the golden section was a little long-winded, but otherwise it was a good read.
Thursday - January 31, 2008
My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands
Title: My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands
Author: Chelsea Handler
Paperback: 213 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA (May 12, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1582346186
ISBN-13: 978-1582346182
I saw Chelsea doing her standup on The Comedy Channel the other night - she mentioned her book and I had to read it (she's quite irreverent and funny, two qualities that don't always work together).
This book is a hoot! I wonder if its all true, but regardless, the stories are fun and sometimes a bit sad. She does seem to come out the other side happily, which is good.
Wednesday - January 30, 2008
The Unfolding of Language : An Evolutionary Tour of Mankind's Greatest Invention
Title: The Unfolding of Language : An Evolutionary Tour of Mankind's Greatest Invention
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Amazon Remainders Account (June 1, 2005)
ISBN-10: 0805079076
ASIN: B000GQLCXC
I really enjoyed this book - it takes you on a trip around the development of language. I found some very interesting bits, especially the concept that most language moves from the physical and direct to the abstract. I see this motion in a lot of things, so its not so surprising, just that I'd never considered its affects on language before.
Tuesday - January 29, 2008
Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea
Title: Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Drawn and Quarterly (May 1, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1897299214
ISBN-13: 978-1897299210
This is a graphic novel that describes the author's stay in North Korea, working on animation for European television. Its odd and depressing. There's more that's gray than just the black and white graphics in this book. Worth a read!
Thursday - January 17, 2008
Haganah
Title: Haganah
Hardcover: 295 pages
Publisher: New American Library (1964)
ASIN: B000JJVW5E
I found this book at a rare and used bookstand at an antique sale on Randolph Street a couple of months ago, and I finally finished it.
Its a good book on a subject rarely covered, the defense (which is a loose translation of haganah) of Israel during its inception (the author was a leader of the Rekhesh, the part of the defense force that brought arms to Palestine). Because its effectively a memoir, it has its good and bad points. The author defends, at length, some actions that, in a history book, would just be noted as causes. There are also few failures noted, and I have to assume there were more than the book mentions.
On the other hand, it gives a nice narative account of some of the covert actions taken by the Haganah to get arms and to smuggle Jews that survived the death camps into Israel. I think the author recreates the sense of awe, fear and import of the events taking place to the participants.
If you're interested in the period of history (well, it might not be history quite yet, but that's yet another discussion), this book is worth finding and reading.
