Blogalicious

2012-02-13T14:07:00.003-05:00

Book Log 2012 #3: The Tears of the Sun by S. M. Stirling

For some reason I thought this was the last book of this series, but I pretty much figured out I was wrong when this book spent its time setting up action in future books rather than making any significant progress in its own right. There is some action - a daring rescue attempt and an early skirmish in the looming war with the Church Universal and Triumphant and its allies - but not as much as one might hope. There's a plot line told in flashback which helps flesh out an earlier development, but isn't particularly exciting in its own right.

I could also do without the loving descriptions of medievel weapons and armor, and the continual references to heraldic signs using formal terms that would require keeping a glossary handy if I cared enough to decode just what's being talked about. On the plus side, fewer songs and the like.

Most series I've read have a book like this in it, where things get organized with the promise of future payoff. I'm hoping we get this over the last two books of the series, rather than another book of set-up and a final book to tie it all together.

2012-01-27T14:14:00.000-05:00

Book Log 2012 #2: The Salisbury Manuscripts by Philip Gooden

A young lawyer is sent to Salisbury to take possession of a manuscript from a canon of the cathedral, but before he can do so the canon is murdered and the manuscript stolen, setting of a series of events that put the lawyer in the middle of investigation as he tries to recover the stolen papers.

Set in the early Victorian era, the book almost seems like it was written in that period. It's a little stiff in places and the narrator interjects in places better left alone. I was reminded a little bit of Dickens or other serialized writers of the time who created various twists to create future installments. Not that the writing is at that level.

My biggest problem is that the book, set in a cathedral town, did very little with the cathedral until the end. My thinking is that if you have a series of mysteries that take place in cathedral towns, you'd do more with the cathedral itself.

Not sure if I'll read on in the series. For all its drawbacks it was a reasonable enough commuting book, so maybe I'll pick up the second one to see if things improve.

2012-01-09T23:46:00.000-05:00

Book Log 2012 #1: The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olson

The success of the Millenium trilogy opened the way for other Scandinavian crime writers, which would be great if my library actually acquired books in order. We seem to have a lot of second or third books in a series showing up, which is a problem for me and my OCD about reading series in order.

I wasn't so hampered with this book, as it's the first in the series, and the only novel in the series published in the US (so far). The series follows a Copenhagen police detective named Carl Morck, who believes his slow reaction to a shooting incident will lead to his firing. Instead, his boss finds the perfect solution for getting rid of Carl - he's bumped up to lead Department Q, a newly-formed cold case squad. Or "squad," as the department is staffed by Carl and his assistant, a shadowy Syrian immigrant named Assad who is hired to make coffee and clean but winds up being much more involved in the investigation.

That investigation involves the disappearance of a member of Parliament five years previous. Dedicated to work and caring for her brother (who suffered some sort of brain injury in a car accident), she disappears off of a ferry bound for Germany. The assumption is that she fell (or jumped) off the ferry, but as Carl begins to investigate, he thinks there's more to the story. Morck also stays involved in the shooting case that started his new career in cold cases, and chips in on another investigation as well.

His personal life is about as messed up as work, as he lives with his teenaged stepson and a basement tenant. His wife lives in a garden shed, forcing Morck to live in limbo. He pursues other women, but can't quite escape his wife's orbit (though he seems pretty much over her romantically).

The story is told in parallel tracks between the present day and the past timeline of the cold case. It's done pretty effectively, allowing the mystery to build in one track while it then unfolds in the other. It helps that Morck is a pretty interesting character, though it's hard to tell if his melancholy is permanent or not. I really enjoyed the developing relationship he has with his assistant, and to future revelations on just how he got to Denmark from Syria.

Overall, the book is a worthy representative of the genre, and I'm hopeful the other books will work their way into English.

2012-01-02T15:06:00.001-05:00

I don't normally give out the coveted Blogalicious endorsement until I'm actually able to vote (Massachusetts doesn't hold their primary until March), but I figured I'd do so earlier this year to give voters in Iowa and New Hampshire one more data point to consider.

To my way of thinking, it's a pretty clear choice. There is one candidate in the field who:

1. Has executive experience, having been a governor.

2. Has foreign policy experience, having been an ambassador.

3. Is rational, noting in an early debate that the GOP is flirting with irrelevance if they become a party whose position on science patterns itself after the Catholic Church in the time of Galileo.

From that, it's probably obvious that Blogalicious endorses Jon Huntsman, Jr. for the Republican nomination for President.

The unfortunate thing is that he may not be in the race by the time I get to vote. The early states are not favorable for him. Iowa and South Carolina favor social conservatives, and South Carolina in close enough to Georgia to be a decent state for Newt Gingrich. Knowing this, Huntsman has focused solely on New Hampshire, which seems like a good state for him except that Mitt Romney (a) was governor of next-door Massachusetts, and (b) has a house in New Hampshire. Romney's also spent a fair amount of time in the state, keeping damage from Huntsman to a minimum.

Still, after looking at the entire field I don't think there's another major candidate that I could support. While I don't know much about him, I'm also thinking that former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson seems like a possibility, though we'll see where things are in a couple months.

2011-12-31T23:48:00.003-05:00

Book Log 2011 #46: The Twelfth Enchantment by David Liss

The set-up is straight out of Jane Austen. A young woman, tainted by the scandal of a failed elopement and lacking resources after her father dies nearly penniless, is sent to live with an uncle who doesn't want her there. The lack of connection with the uncle and his housekeeper is compounded when she is betrothed to a mill owner she does not like, never mind love.

The change comes when the woman has a chance to turn her life around - through magic. Yes, it turns out that the woman has a gift with the magic arts, and her task to "gather the leaves" is connected to the greater fight between progress and industrial revolution and the artisans led by Ned Ludd. The woman has to develop her gift while balancing the attentions of a young Lord Byron and the man she eloped with, returned with his own agenda.

What I like best about this book is that the magic isn't treated any different than anything else. Some books would focus only on the magic, while others would get into innumerable details about spells, etc. In this case, we get a solid story about a woman trying to make her way, just with the additional help of magic to get there.

While I'm waiting patiently for the next installment in Liss' series featuring boxer turned investigator Benjamin Weaver, this was a very entertaining diversion. Liss is very comfortable writing about this period, and his ability to balance the magical with the historical with the romantic is very much appreciated. I really enjoyed this book, and am glad that it's the one I'm ending 2011 on.

2011-12-31T23:37:00.002-05:00

Book Log 2011 #45: The Third Rail by Michael Harvey

Two women are shot and killed on the El, with the only apparent tie being Chicago PI Michael Kelly, who is on the platform for the first shooting and is contacted by the killer after the second. Kelly winds up on the task force investigating the shootings, but is also approached by the mayor to make sure that the killer, once found, doesn't get to trial. From the start Kelly feels like the case is being handled incorrectly, and as that plays out he finds that he has another, more personal connection to the shootings.

This is the third book involving Kelly, and it lives up to the standard set by the other two books. I wasn't fully satisfied by the ending, but it worked well enough that I was able to put my misgivings aside. It's not necessarily as noirish as the other two, but there's plenty of Chicago flavor to make up for it. I also like how Kelly continues to be developed as a fully-realized person, and not just someone who spends his time either on cases or drinking (though he spends plenty of time on both). What isn't sitting well is the introduction of FBI and Homeland Security types, as I worry that future books will be less Chicago-centric. But for now, another good book in the series.

2011-12-31T22:15:00.001-05:00

Book Log 2011 #44: Reamde by Neal Stephenson

This book marks a return to the technology-based thriller, as a man who has developed an internationally-popular online game sees his favorite niece go missing at the same time a group of Chinese hackers introduce a virus into the game that holds players' hard drives ransom until a payment is made in-game. From there the book widens out to include Russian mobsters, government intelligence agents, international terrorists, and Idahoan survivalists.

This sort of wide-ranging story has proven quite entertaining before - Cryptonomicon tells an entertaining story across multiple continents and times - but this book doesn't reach those heights. This story is almost too broad, with characters disappearing for 100 pages or more and new characters coming in mid-book to take up even more space. There's also a couple of related subplots involving the online game and two writers who created its backstory that go on much longer than necessary.

Speaking of going on too long, the closing 200 pages or so of the book take place in the wilds of British Columbia and Idaho, and it seems like at least half of that is dedicated to descriptions of mountains, backwoods trails and other landforms. It got to the point where I dreaded the start of a new section, as I knew it would involve at least a page or two of this sort of thing.

What this winds up being is a 700 page novel hiding in a 1000 page novel. I won't say I was disappointed, as I did like the book overall, but I did feel like it didn't meet my expectations. Better luck next time.

2011-12-31T20:55:00.001-05:00

Book Log 2011 #43: Then Everything Changed by Jeff Greenfield

Political commentator Greenfield takes a stab at three alternative political histories in this book. The first story sees the planned assassination of JFK by Richard Pavlick succeed, leading to an early LBJ presidency. The second has RFK assassination failing, and looks at what would have come after. The final story has Ford winning the 1976 election.

The upshot of all three stories, really, is that JFK and RFK were great. In the first story LBJ faces pretty much the same issues as JFK did, but with less success. In the second story, RFK's presidency has its bobbles, but allows us to avoid Watergate and other problems. Neither really influences the third story, though it does emphasize that Teddy was not cut from the same cloth as his brothers.

The stories are written well enough, though I found myself getting annoyed at some of the cameos and cutesy coincidences. I know they're done in an attempt to make the stories more real, but when Hillary Rodham Clinton shows up as a White House lawyer who catches a sitting President getting orally pleased by an intern, I find that we're crossed the line to gratuitous.

I don't think these are the best stories compared to those written by dedicated alt-history authors, but they're not bad for someone riffing on his day job.

2011-12-31T20:28:00.001-05:00

Book Log 2011 #42: World Without End by Ken Follett

This sequel to Pillars of the Earth jumps 200 years after the events of the first book, returning to Kingsbridge to follow four characters who, as kids in 1327, witness an altercation whose implications will not become known for decades. Still, it shapes their lives in various ways, as they grow into their roles as builder, healer, peasant and lord.

Many of the themes from the first book continue in the second - secular versus clerical rule, life as a serf versus free man versus lord, etc. - though they're obviously distinct given the 200 years that have passed. The plague plays a major role in the book - as you might expect given the year the book starts in.

This book is every bit as enjoyable as the first, though it took me a while to get going with this one, mostly as I was trying to sort out how the people in this book were related to the folks in the first one. A family tree would be helpful for those characters who are descended from people in the first book. A map would have been nice as well, though the website linked above has one.

You will need to dedicate a fair bit of time to this book - like the first, it clocks in at over 1000 pages - but it reads much quicker than you might expect for something so big.

2011-12-31T01:35:00.001-05:00

Book Log 2011 #41: Maphead by Ken Jennings

Ken Jennings and I have at least two things in common. The first is that we're both trivia nerds who have parlayed such nerditry into money (though his total is much, much higher than my one). The second is that we're both into geography, though that's probably not so surprising given the first point of commonality. Jennings dives into this subculture in this book, examining people who create fictional countries, geocaching (which is actually a third thing we have in common, although I've taken a hiatus with the kids being so small), and a variety of other geographic interests.

This book is in the same conversational, self-deprecating style of Brainiac, and it's as comfortable and enjoyable here as it was there. I did find myself comparing the chapter about the National Geographic Bee to the one about the National Spelling Bee in Neil Steinberg's Failure, appreciating the similarities in the participants. I was also very interested in the section talking about the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, a map-based road rally that was advertised in pretty much every issue of Games magazine I've ever read. Thankfully I never sent the money in to participate, as based on Jennings' experience the hair-splitting directions and definitions would have driven me crazy and I would likely have never finished it (or come close).

So if you've ever pondered the map of the world in a high school classroom or wondered who exactly tries to visit all the countries of the world, this book is for you. Even if you've not done this, it's worth a read so you can understand why some of us like this stuff.

2011-12-31T01:08:00.000-05:00

Book Log 2011 #40: The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum

We take forensic chemistry for granted nowadays, expecting that any substance used to kill someone will be detected. That was not the case at the start of the 20th century, when coroners were often appointed for political reasons and actual science didn't come into play when the police tried to solve crimes. It took a crusading doctor and a like-minded colleague to change this in New York City, as they modernized methods, testing and procedures in an attempt to catch those people who, previously, could poison with impunity.

There is something for just about everyone here, from true crime to public health to medicine to US urban history. The book is organized by chapters involving one particular poison, showing how each came into vogue, cases where it was used, and ways in which the coroner came up with or improved tests to uncovers killers who would have succeeded under the old regime.

The book is well-written and the subject matter greatly interesting, at least to me. Definitely recommended if you're into this sort of thing.

2011-12-31T00:59:00.001-05:00

Book Log 2011 #39: Moneymakers by Ben Tarnoff

Three American counterfieters are profiled here, detailing their work profiting (and in at least one case, displaying patriotism) in making funny money. While the stories are well told, there's at least as much about the history of American paper money here, with the counterfieters serving as a backdrop for the move from Continental bank notes to the federally-backed notes that became what we use today.

The actual stories about the counterfieters improve as the book moves along - in no small part due to the increase in documentation about their lives and crimes - while the writing about currency in general is even throughout. Worth a read if you're interested in US money, history, or the history of US money.

2011-12-28T00:37:00.001-05:00

Book Log 2011 #38: Atlantic by Simon Winchester

In this book, Winchester attempts a biography of the Atlantic Ocean, starting at its formation in the earliest stages of the planet to its future destruction by the same forces that gave it life. In between, he talks about the "Great Sea Battles, Heroic Discoveries, Titanic Storms, and a Vast Ocean of a Million Stories" promised by the subtitle.

He frames the discussion using Shakespeare's seven ages of man from As You Like It, which allows him to follow chronology where appropriate but discuss other facets - such as sea battles and Atlantic-inspired art - as specific subjects.

This works, for the most part, but the problem with such a broad topic is that choices have to be made for what gets mentioned and what doesn't, and those choices aren't always the ones I'd make. For example, the art chapter spends a great deal of time talking about coastal architecture without mentioning Manueline architecture, a style influenced greatly by Portugal's exploration of the Atlantic and the oceans beyond. Similar examples can be found in each chapter.

I'm also not a fan of Winchester's pessimism towards the survival of mankind. He seems to think we'll exit the stage well before the Atlantic is crushed between land masses, and while I do think we'll have moved on by then, I tend to think we'll last longer on Earth and have found somewhere else to go by this time. Winchester seems to think we'll go the way of the dodo, or at least that was my read.

But in the main, it's usually engaging and worth a read, though some sections could be bypassed if not of interest, as the seven ages of man set-up allows for some compartmentalization.

2011-12-28T00:22:00.001-05:00

Book Log 2011 #37: Popular Crime by Bill James

Besides being one of baseball's leading quantitative minds, Bill James has a serious interest in popular crime stories. This book allows him to explore this passion, covering over two millennia of headline crimes, though he mostly focuses on events from 1800 onward.

The results of this examination are somewhat uneven. Some cases get great coverage, while other times get a laundry list of crimes that tend to drag. He creates a taxonomy for cases based on their elements, a digression that may help him but is dry reading at best.

The best parts of the book are where James is actually making an argument for or against something rather than just relating cases to fill the timeline. Towards the end of the book he starts to put together a plan for creating a more effective prison system (basically creating small neighborhood facilities, a neat idea that will never happen) and discusses the justice system generally, which goes on a bit too long.

James also makes a basic argument in the book for the importance of following and understanding these cases, both for their insights into criminal behavior and their reflection of the wider culture. I tend to agree with him here, and think that marginalizing such cases costs us an opportunity to reflect. Worse still is that we allow the cases to become public theater (think Casey Anthony), which only makes the general public more liable to marginalize these cases.

I do think the book is interesting, and worth a read if you're interested in true crime. I also think it could have been sharper in places, so don't expect this to stack up to James's best baseball work.

2011-12-28T00:05:00.003-05:00

I can't imagine there are many people who read this who aren't friends on Facebook, but in case you're not, I can announce that the family unit has increased by one with the birth of our second son. And while there is still plenty of novelty stemming from the new baby's personality, I can see now why kids born later get the short shrift. We've taken many fewer pictures of the baby number two than of the first one, and we spent a significantly smaller amount of time planning and prepping for the new baby. A couple of brief refreshers, put the crib back together, get clothes back from the people we lent to when they had babies, and that's it. I swear we will not half-ass his rearing the same way we've loafed through the previous nine months.

(Note: the one area we did not skimp on at all was pre-natal care. Doesn't matter how many kids you have, see your doctor regularly, take your vitamins, etc.)

The re-introduction to things like feedings every two hours or so and the joy that is meconium (look it up if you don't know what that is - just avoid sites with pictures) has gone pretty smoothly (the actual birthing and post-birthing could have gone better, but the wife has rebounded nicely). Hopefully we'll be out of here on Thursday so we can finally see how the older child reacts to having a baby in the house full time. He's been marginally interested up to now - hospital visits are mostly spent trying to flip any switch left unmanned - but has at least acknowledged the baby's presence. He's also regularly spent time with his 11 month-old cousin since that child was born, even having a couple of long weekends where they stayed together. So hopefully the idea of having a baby around all the time isn't a problem.

What might be a problem, though, is that the older son enjoys to get into the crib and tub that we used on him and have brought out/reassembled for the new baby. Need to make sure that stops when child number two is actually using them.

So far so good, though. Keep your fingers crossed.

2011-12-19T16:56:00.000-05:00

Dear U.S. Treasury Department:

With word that the Presidential dollar coin program has been shuttered, I'd like to think that the third time is the charm when it comes to realizing that a dollar coin, given the current state of our currency, is not going to work. I assume at some point you'll try this again (or be compelled to try it again), so with that in mind here is my plan for Making it Better: the Dollar Coin.

1. Get rid of the $1 bill. It should be obvious that this has to happen before anything else. People are conditioned to use bills, and given a choice between a bill and a coin they'll revert to the bill. Cash registers are set up to take $1 bills, as are most vending machines (though many can take dollar coins as well). Both Canada and the UK stopped printing one dollar/pound notes to phase in the coin replacement, which took root as the bills left circulation. You don't do this, the $1 coin will never work.

2. Make it thick. The one pound coin in the UK is easy to pick out of a pocketful of change, as it's noticeably thicker than other coins. With all the focus on trying to find a unique diameter for the $1 coin, you've rejected the obvious dimension for differentiating it from other coins.

3. Throw in another obvious tactile difference. Just in case thickness doesn't seem like enough of a difference, you could make the coin non-round (check out the UK's 50p coin for an example) or go with a bi-metallic design such as the UK 2 pound or Canadian $2 coins. You could also do something with the edge of the coin, such as leave the edges smooth or use something other than the traditional milled edges. If you can get Braille on the Alabama state quarter, you can get some sort of raised design on a dollar coin.

4. Keep Washington on the dollar. I'm not particularly wedded to this - he is on the quarter, after all - but I figure this would be a sop to the traditionalists. You could also transfer future versions of the 50 State Quarters program to the dollar coin, which I figure would boost circulation, even if artificially.

5. Move the lettered Federal Reserve Seal to the $5. There is a subset of people who like knowing where their $1 bills came from - be they Where's George? enthusiasts or not - and moving the seal that uses the Federal Reserve Bank letter to the $5 will soften the blow of losing the one dollar bill.

I hope this helps, and look forward to seeing these suggestions implemented when you try dollar coins again sometime around 2023.

2011-12-18T16:17:00.000-05:00

Book Log 2011 #36: The Jefferson Key by Steve Berry

This latest installment in the Cotton Malone series brings the action to America, where he has to stop a group of modern-day pirates who claim to operate under the auspices of the Constitution's provision for privateers. The pirates have had their status challenged by a small number of Presidents - Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, Kennedy - and they've responded in the same way each time. An attempt on the life of the current President sparks the hunt for the documents that would prove the pirate's legal status, a hunt that brings the usual mayhem that seems to follow Malone.

I was curious to see how this would play out, as US-based thrillers of this ilk tend to focus on Freemasons or the Illuminati or such groups. It's refreshing to see a new twist, even though it's not quite believable that the person who originally took the documents in question - Andrew Jackson - wouldn't just burn them. I suppose he wanted to keep the pirates in limbo in case he needed them, but there's still a weakness to the premise. It's not The Paris Vendetta weak, but it's not great.

Even so, if you've read the series it's a decent continuation. I see that Berry's next book is a stand-alone work, which will hopefully give him some time to get this series back to the more solid footing of its earlier entries.

2011-12-18T16:03:00.001-05:00

Book Log 2011 #35: Procession of the Dead by Darren Shan

A young man named Capac Raimi arrives in the City - that's all we're told of it, no idea of where or when this city is located - to start work with his uncle's minor criminal enterprise. He finds the City disagreeable, between the noise, the occasional green fog, and the micro-rainfalls that attract blind people. But he goes on his first job for his uncle, only to have everyone killed but him, so he can be taken to the Cardinal, the crime lord who essentially runs the city. The Cardinal wants to talk to him because Raimi is slated to take the Cardinal's place - someday. From this point, Raimi enjoys a meteoric rise in the City's hierarchy, but questions linger. Who is the Cardinal? Why did he pick Raimi to be his successor? What's the deal with the green fog, the rain, and the blind guys?

All of this is answered, to varying degrees of satisfaction. There's an intent to make this some sort of fantasy noir, and I can't say that it fully succeeds in either case. The fantasy aspects of the book is more solid than the noir aspect - not surprisingly, as Shan made his name in young adult fantasy. The fantasy aspects of the book also feel a little rough, which I suppose is also not surprising, as Shan wrote the book early in his career and saw it re-released when he became better established.

It's not a bad book, but there's an ambiguity in the story line that can make things confusing and, at times, a little ponderous. It's the first book of a trilogy, which makes me wonder if there was a focus on establishing things that took away from the book. Anyway, read with caution.

2011-12-14T23:18:00.000-05:00

Book Log 2011 #34: The Complaints by Ian Rankin

With Inspector Rebus now retired after 17 novels, Rankin has moved on to Malcolm Fox, an officer in the Complaints and Conduct department - "the Complaints" - a Scottish version of what we'd know as Internal Affairs. After finishing a case involving a cop with a history of breaking rules, Fox is put on an investigation of a young officer suspected of involvement with child pornography. As this investigation unfolds, Fox also becomes involved in the murder of his sister's boyfriend and the suicide of a local property developer. When it becomes clear that all of these cases are related, Fox has to walk a tightrope to solve them without getting himself killed - or get caught by his own department for his own lapses during the investigation.

I've only read one of the Rebus novels, so it's hard for me to compare the two men. Publisher's Weekly did and found Fox- and this book - wanting, but like many reviewers I disagree. I found Fox an interesting character, someone who willingly takes on a job that leads most of his colleagues to hate him but who also crosses the lines he typically defends. I did think the plot was a bit too convoluted, though I did appreciate the way it allowed Rankin to show off various bits of Scotland, which is one of his strengths.

Perhaps it will take a couple of novels to fully flesh Fox out - the second one came out this year - and I'd say it's worth the effort to find out.

2011-12-14T22:53:00.002-05:00

Book Log 2011 #33: The Holy Thief by William Ryan

A Stalin-era cop gets a case where a woman is found murdered on an altar in a church that's now a youth center. As he gets into the case, it becomes obvious that the case involves high-ranking members of various military and intelligence services. Warned off the case, he continues anyway, getting help from the local crime syndicate and writer Isaac Babel.

This isn't the most surprising premise for a historical mystery - it sometimes seems like there wasn't a killing before World War II that didn't involve a far-reaching conspiracy - but it's a pretty decent example of the type. Not the greatest, and apparently involving some glaring errors where this era of Soviet history is involved (this from a review written by a Russian expert in the New York Times), but it's not bad. I'd certainly keep up with things if it becomes a series.

2011-12-13T23:03:00.003-05:00

Book Log 2011 #32: Eat My Globe by Simon Majumdar

When Majumdar hit 40, he rediscovered a list of life goals that included going everywhere and eating everything. Bored with his job, he set out on a year-long trip around the globe to do just that, hitting over 30 countries to eat what the locals eat. Consider it a male version of Eat, Pray, Love, just without the praying or the loving.

There's great fun in seeing Majumdar wade right into the cultures and foods of all his stops, though the entries for some stops were too short for my taste (although necessary, as the book would be about 800 pages if all of the stops got a full treatment). He also reflects on his family, most notably his brother and mother, and how food was a central focus for them. While he ascribes this to the Indian side of the family, I wonder if there's an English aspect to this, as my English relatives have a similar focus on food (for examples, recollections of past vacations tend to be defined by meals or visits to markets).

Anyway, liked this one quite a bit, even if it did make me jealous.

2011-12-12T23:43:00.001-05:00

Book Log 2011 #31: The Third Miracle by Bill Briggs

In 2001, the caretaker of an Indiana convent stopped into a chapel and asked God to help heal his eye, which was responding poorly to a previous surgery. He wasn't a Catholic - not even really religious - but he figured it couldn't hurt to ask. The next morning he woke up and found his eye had improved greatly, without any medical intervention. While you or I might call that a miracle, the nuns at the convent used that term much more seriously, as they thought that this would be the thing that would finally get their founder's case for sainthood approved.

This book tells the story of the founder, Mother Theodore, and the process by which the Catholic church names saints. Both are interesting tales in their own right; Mother Theodore established her convent in Indiana at a time where people in general were thin on the ground, never mind Catholics, while the process of naming a saint is replete with the political and legal hurdles one might expect and the personal struggles - within the mind of the handyman, the nuns of the convent, and so on up the line - one might not expect.

As much as the average person tends to think that the church and science are always at odds, this book does suggest that the role of science, at least in the case of investigating potential saints, is pretty large. Much of the investigation into the miracle involves talking with doctors and reviewing the case files to see just how likely it is that the healing resulted from medicine.

If this sort of thing interests you, this is a book you'll want to read. The story is engaging, well-written and balanced. Briggs doesn't normally write about religion, and I think that helps him avoid forcing the story into a pro- or anti-sainthood slant. He just reports the story, gives us the facts and the feelings of those involved, and allows us to make a decision on sainthood in the modern age.

2011-12-12T23:19:00.000-05:00

Book Log 2011 #30: The Spies of Warsaw by Alan Furst

Liking The Spies of the Balkans, I picked up this previous book set in Poland in 1937. The French military attache finds himself stuck in the middle of events, paying lip service to his country's commitment to Poland while acknowledging that in the case of a German invasion, Poland will need to stand on its own. The attache does work to help the Poles (and the French) understand German capabilities and Polish defenses, all in the face of the onslaught that everyone knows is coming.

As with the other book, the man in the middle also gets into a personal entanglement, as he develops a relationship with a Polish attorney who is herself mixed up with a Soviet reporter who may or may not be in trouble with the folks at home.

And, as with the other book, Furst creates a great story that balances the plot lines skillfully and uses period detail to great effect. While I am concerned that all of his books use the same template and thus will become less interesting the more of them I read, it's a chance worth taking.

2011-12-11T23:41:00.001-05:00

Book Log 2011 #29: Endgame by Frank Brady

Most people know two things about chess prodigy Bobby Fischer: he was world chess champion at some point and, in his later years, he was an American Jew who very publicly hated America and Jews. His genius - and his madness - were fodder for all types, and in this biography Frank Brady does his best - as both a writer about chess and as someone who knew Fischer for most of his life - to untangle the threads of Fischer's life as best he can.

That's kind of a thankless task. While there are clear markers for some changes - such as when Fischer stopped being the young, carefree wunderkind and started to wear suits and speak more critically of pretty much everything - there are other changes, from Fischer's reclusive period in the 1980s and '90s to his turn as an international pariah - that are harder to explain. And to Brady's credit, he doesn't try to pull the pop psychology nonsense that other writers would. Instead, he relies on his own life in chess and his personal contact with Fischer and others who were close to Fischer to fashion best guesses where he can.

The book is written so that someone with almost no chess knowledge can follow, and is engaging enough that the lack of technical information is not missed. Brady's portrait of Fischer illustrates the complexities of the man without being too sentimental or critical, and his refusal to play what-if keeps the book on a solid factual footing. A great read for anyone who is interested in Fischer or who want to get some insight as to what can turn a genius into a madman.

2011-12-11T23:15:00.001-05:00

Book Log 2011 #28: Spies of the Balkans by Alan Furst

In the early days of World War II, Greece remains stubbornly independent, waiting for the inevitable German invasion. A police detective in Salonika finds himself made the department's fixer, answering the call for the difficult cases that require more tact than procedure. He's good at it, and it helps keep the war at bay.

His skills are noted by his British girlfriend, nominally a ballet teacher whose return to the UK is followed by the appearance of a man who is nominally a travel writer, who approaches the detective to help set up a way to get persons threatened by the Nazi policy towards Jews to a safer residence in Turkey. This requires all of the detective's skill and nerve, as it becomes increasingly more difficult to move between countries and make the arrangements to keep this underground railroad going.

On top of this, the detective has to keep an eye on him family so he can get them out of the city before the Germans arrive. And for good measure he enters into a relationship with the wife of the city's largest shipping magnate, a man of some power. The marriage is loveless, and the detective vows to save her - from both the Germans and her husband.

Few novels about World War II take place in the Balkans, so it's refreshing to have one set there. The espionage plot line is the better of the two, both in the way the refugee pipeline is run and in how Greeks were preparing for war. The romantic subplot is not as interesting, and from what I've read it's more awkward here than in other novels by Furst, who typically weaves a romantic subplot into his books.

I don't know how this one compares to those other books. but it's worth a read. It's on the short side, flows well, and has a well-drawn main character, so even when it's not at its best it's pretty good.

2011-12-11T23:00:00.001-05:00

Book Log 2011 #27: Limitations by Scott Turow

A criminal defense attorney turned judge, George Mason is already juggling his wife's cancer battle and the appearance of threatening emails when a notable rape case lands on his docket. This leads him to reconsider his life, most specifically his role as a judge and lawyer, as current events and past experiences come too close for comfort.

Originally a story written for the New York Times Magazine, this is an expanded version of the story, albeit one that is more of a long novella than a full-fledged novel. This is only a problem in that we get less of Turow's great writing and less time with George Mason, an ancillary character in previous novels whose personal life (and turmoil) is barely hinted at, if even that, before now.

I would say that this is Turow's most introspective novel, as while there is an external thrillerish plot line with the emails, it's really about Mason's inner struggle to find his place in his profession (with wider considerations about the law and lawyering in general). It's easily as good as Turow's other legal writings, and well worth reading.

2011-12-01T22:38:00.001-05:00

Book Log 2011 #26: Resistance by Owen Sheers

A successful German invasion of Britain during World War II leads the men of a remove Welsh valley to leave their homes under the cover of night to become guerilla fighters. This leaves the women of the valley, not told of their menfolk's plans, to do the best they can to keep their farms and herds going. On top of that, a unit of Germans has taken up residence in the valley to keep an eye on things. They're led by an officer with his own agenda, searching for an ancient map.

While the set-up suggests alt-history, the story is really about the people in the valley and the various levels of resistance they try to put up. There are the women, who resist telling the Germans the truth about their men. Then there are the Germans, who are trying to resist re-entering the war by keeping a low profile. The main characters, a young wife and the leader of the Germans, also work to resist each other. As they grow closer they share their resistance, trying to find a way out of their predicaments.

I was expecting more of an alt-history, but once I shifted focus I enjoyed this book quite a bit.

2011-11-30T16:59:00.000-05:00

Back when it looked like we may not get NFL action this year, I wrote a post about replacing the pro teams with the "best" college team that shared their nickname (or coming up with something fitting if no one shared the nickname).

I didn't do this for the NBA because (a) I don't follow basketball as closely as I do football, and (b) I forgot that I'd done that for the NFL. But, for completeness' sake, here's what I'd come up with for the NBA. Just without most of the exposition, because that NFL post is long.

Atlantic Division

Carlow University for the Boston Celtics - Carlow, located in Pittsburgh, is a graduate school that gets to play in the NAIA. Their basketball team plays at a local high school.

Farleigh-Dickinson University for the New Jersey Nets - no colleges use Nets or Americans, the team's first name. So as they originally played in Teaneck, I went with the one school located in Teaneck.

Union College for the New York Knicks - no Knicks or Knickerbockers, so as that was a name for the area's Dutch settlers, I went for the Dutchmen.

UNC-Charlotte for the Philadelphia '76ers - no '76ers in the college ranks, so I went with the closest number I could find - the '49ers.

Bard College for the Toronto Raptors - hey, someone else really liked Jurassic Park!

Central Division

University of Buffalo for the Chicago Bulls - South Florida plays in a better conference but is almost always under .500, so we go with the MAC.

University of Virginia for the Cleveland Cavaliers - with the added benefit of going back to the orange and blue unis.

Murray State University for the Detroit Pistons - no Pistons, nothing really car-related out there for nicknames, so thinking about what people do with cars I went with the Racers.

University of South Carolina - Aiken for the Indiana Pacers - the younger Pacers have been making the D2 playoffs of late, which is more than you can say for the NBA version.

Fairfield University for the Milwaukee Bucks - no Bucks in the college game, and Ohio State seemed like cheating as buckeyes have nothing to do with deer. So I went with the Stags.

Southeast Division

St. Joseph's University for the Atlanta Hawks - plenty of schools to choose from, but not at the same level.

Montana State University for the Carolina Bobcats - I have no idea if they're the best team with the nickname (I suppose Quinnipiac may be better?), but they seem like they're the best of the bunch. Plus Craig Kilborne used to play for them. Remember him?

Liberty University for the Miami Heat - no school is dumb enough to use Heat as a nickname, so as there are flames on their unis I went with the schools with that as a nickname. I suppose UIC might be better, but I tend to remember seeing Liberty in my NCAA bracket more recently. I could be making that up.

LeMoyne-Owens College for the Orlando Magic - no school is dumb enough to use Magic as a nickname, but there is one that uses Magicians.

Gettysburg College for the Washington Wizards - no Wizards on the college level, but one Bullets.

Northwest Divison

University of Texas-El Paso for the Denver Nuggets - no Nuggets, go with the guys who find them.

Northwood University for the Minnesota Timberwolves - which is unfortunate, as I really wanted to use the Colorado State-Pueblo Thunderwolves. Apparently, adding "Thunder" to your nickname is the 2000s equivalent of the 1980s/90s practice of sneaking black into your uniform.

Wheaton College for the Oklahoma City Thunder - that's the Wheaton in Illinois, just in case Anne Curry is reading.

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts for the Portland Trail Blazers - and easy call, as the nicknames match and both are in the woods.

Oklahoma City University for the Utah Jazz - no Jazz, so I went with the Stars based on Utah's ABA franchise. Not related, but easier than coming up with something else.

Pacific Division

University of Hawaii for the Golden State Warriors - I expect the team to revolt when told they have to move from a tropical paradise to Oakland.

Concordia University for the Los Angeles Clippers - I was going to go with the University of Maine-Machias, but the NBA Clippers have had enough pain.

Grand Valley State University for the Los Angeles Lakers - too lazy to see if they're actually better at basketball than Lake Superior State or Mercyhurst.

Florida Christian College for the Phoenix Suns - if what I'm reading is correct, basketball is the only men's sport at FCC.

Old Dominion University for the Sacramento Kings - I suppose Kings as a college nickname got the boot once women's teams became common. So Monarchs seems like the next best option.

Southwest Conference

University of Texas-Arlington for the Dallas Mavericks - that'll be an easy move.

University of Toledo for the Houston Rockets - we have liftoff.

University of Montana for the Memphis Grizzlies - what are the odds that two teams from Montana would figure in this?

Alabama State University for the New Orleans Hornets - more Hornets out there than I expected.

Lubbock Christian University for the San Antonio Spurs - no Spurs at the college level, but as they started their ABA life as the Dallas Chaparrals I went with that.

OK, let's have labor peace, professional sports leagues. I don't think I have the strength to do this again.

2011-11-28T16:23:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Making it Better: the Boston.com top 100 New England books list edition.

Usually this is five items, but you get a bonus replacement. Aren't you lucky?

Remove: Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat

Add: The Lobster Coast by Colin Woodward

Danticat's only connection to New England is that she earned her MFA at Brown. She was born in Haiti, grew up in New York, and now seems to split time between New York and Miami. Her listed book doesn't appear to have anything to do with New England at all.

If we want a book that deals with identity but also has a New England connection, The Lobster Coast fits the bill. It discusses the history and current social crises of Maine's Down East population, and how their traditional ways are threatened by fishery problems and the increased number of non-Mainers who now live in the area. I don't doubt that Breath, Eyes, Memory tells a more dramatic story, but it is not, in a basic sense, a New England story (outside of the number of Hatian immigrants who live in New England).

Remove: Sophie's Choice by William Styron

Add: Zodiac by Neal Stephenson

Both authors have a connection to the region - Styron lived his later years on Martha's Vineyard and is buried there, Stephenson is a BU grad. But between Sophie's Choice and Zodiac, the latter is much more steeped in New England, as it's set in and around Boston and involves a group of harbor fishermen, late night escapades among the Harbor Islands, our (then) nascent biotech industry and a thinly-disguised version of Teddy Kennedy.

I'm not saying Zodiac is the better book - I've never read Sophie's Choice - or even that it's Stephenson's best book (either Snow Crash or Cryptonomicon). But if we're talking about books by authors who were temporary New Englanders, might as well list a book that's actually set in New England.

Remove: Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Add: New England White by Stephen Carter

I'll admit that I've not fully read Tuesdays with Morrie, but I have a kind of visceral reaction to Albom and his inspirational books based on excerpts and reviews. I see treacly overly-sentimental hogwash where others get inspiration. That may be a problem with me rather than him, but as I'm making the changes, off this goes.

New England White isn't sentimental or inspirational at all. It's about a murder in a small town near an unnamed Ivy League school, and the involvement of that school's president and dean of the divinity school - who are married to each other. The book expertly probes race, class, and education from inside the world of upper-class African-Americans. You'd do as well to read The Emperor of Ocean Park and Palace Council, all of which make up an interesting trilogy.

Remove: The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

Add: Harvard Yard by William Martin

As noted previously, The Da Vinci Code doesn't belong here at all. If we're going with mass-appeal fiction, why not go with one of the books by William Martin featuring antiquarian Peter Fallon? I've chosen Harvard Yard pretty much at random, as Back Bay would be just as good. There's also Cape Cod, which doesn't involve Fallon but is equal to the other two books.

Remove: The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud

Add: Let Me Tell You a Story by John Feinstein

Messud's book is about young Manhattanites trying to establish themselves personally and professionally pre-9/11. So while she clearly has local ties, the book seems to relate to this list as Manhattan clam chowder does to the genuine article.

So I'm replacing it with a book that kind of goes the other way, as it's about a guy with no real New England ties - Red Auerbach - who becomes one of Boston's great sports icons. This also makes up for the lack of sports books on the list that do not involve the New York Yankees.

Remove: The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Add: The Siege of Salt Cove by Anthony Weller

Here I'm taking out a book with which I feel absolutely no connection to one that absolutely connects. The Siege of Salt Cove starts with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts deciding that they are going to replace the town of Salt Cove's wooden bridge with a concrete span. Turns out the locals hate it, and the rest of the book unfolds with the locals fighting the state, real estate developers, and each other. Weller has a good eye for capturing the local spirit, and his inspiration for the book - the Annisquam Bridge, located in Gloucester - is something I saw every time we went over to my grandmother's house in Rockport.

2011-11-23T13:03:00.000-05:00

The folks at Boston.com came up with their list of 100 essential New England books, and for the first 20 or so it's a pretty solid list. The books either have a significant New England setting or are by authors with strong New England ties. But as the list goes into the other 80 books, we start to get more books that take place outside of New England written by people whose only tie to the region is a college of university where they were a student or are faculty. I'm thinking this is why I've read so few books on the list, even if in reality it's because I prefer books where time travelers give the Aztecs tanks so they can beat Cortez.

Anyway, here's what I've read on this list, with ranking in parentheses:

Make Way for Ducklings (3) - a fitting place for Robert McCloskey's best known work, but his books set in Maine are equally worth exploring.

A Prayer for Owen Meany (5) - this might be my favorite book on the list. It is infinitely better than that crap movie based on it, so don't let the film hold you back from reading this.

Mountains Beyond Mountains (6) - Tracy Kidder could easily have four or five books on this list, from his '80s tech classic The Soul of a New Machine to the exploration of Northampton in Home Town. This book, which introduces us to Paul Farmer, a doctor whose dedication to improving health care in places as disparate as Haiti and Siberia is richly detailed and inspirational, even when countered with the pages on the red tape and personal intransigence that frustrate Farmer on a regular basis.

Empire Falls (9) - Richard Russo has a gift for writing about broken down people in broken down towns finding some sort of redemption, and this is his best of the bunch.

The Scarlet Letter (19) - Nathaniel Hawthorne's best known work. Read it in high school. Do not feel particularly motivated to read it again, though comparing it to the novelization from the movie version starring Demi Moore could be an entertaining exercise.

The Rascal King (25) - really interesting bio of James Curley. Should be higher.

Cod (29) - one of Mark Kurlansky's books that enumerates the impact of a single thing on society. Salt is better known, but I think this book does a better job thanks to the focus brought on by its comparative brevity.

Mystic River (38) - liked the book and the movie, surprising as reading the book first so often leads to being disappointed in the movie. I do often find the Southie/Dorchester stereotypes grating, but thought the treatment here wasn't too bad.

The Crucible (43) - read it in high school, and was lucky enough to have it taught by someone who worked in relevant local history (living as close to Salem as we did) and didn't soft-pedal the Communist witch hunt subtext.

The Catcher in the Rye (61) - read it in high school, never quite got the fascination.

A Civil Action (64) - Jonathan Harr's recounting of a David versus Goliath legal battle in Woburn, where a cancer cluster was blamed on a local industrial site. Exactly the sort of book an impressionable law student with an interest in environmental and health issues would love. And even when that student wound up in a completely different career, it's still a gripping story that shows truth is oftentimes better than Grisham.

Memoirs of a Geisha (68) - this is not a book that I would normally gravitate towards, but between the buzz and its constant appearance on the library shelf, I took a flier on it. I'm glad I did.

A Walk in the Woods (73) - Bill Bryson's hikes on the Appalachian Trail form the basis of this book, which shows of both his attention to fact and detail and his trademark sense of humor.

The Da Vinci Code (76) - the only way this book should be on here is if there were only 100 books with a New England connection. And even then I don't think it'd be higher than 98. I get that it was a publishing phenomenon, but if that's the metric that matters we might as well have Michelin give McDonald's three stars.

The Secret History (81) - to paraphrase Roger Ebert, I hated hated hated hated hated this book. As a New Englander, higher ed professional, and classics major, there was not one thing I could identify with in this book about a small group of students and a classics professor at a New England college. I read this for a book group that never actually met, which made it doubly infuriating that I slogged through this for no good reason.

The Handmaid's Tale (87) - I read this somewhat early in my interest in alternative history, and thus read it with that more in mind than the feminist or religious themes. Not that you can avoid them, but I think I spent a decent part of the book not quite seeing the forest for the trees.

Bringing Down the House (88) - the blurb for this list should use "true" rather than true when discussing the story. I can't accept the way Mezrich beats the facts into a shape that best fits his narrative. I think if you can't make a non-fiction story exciting using the facts as they stand, either the story's not that good or the writer's not that good.

The Old Patagonian Express (93) - I like Paul Theroux's travel work, and think this is probably the best choice for this list, as it does actually start in Massachusetts, with Theroux leaving his family home in Medford as the first step of a journey to the edge of the Americas.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar (100) - what can I say, I have a kid.

Not surprisingly, there are other books I've not read whose presence on this list I can't quite accept. I'll tackle some of those next.

2011-10-26T13:57:00.002-04:00

Book Log 2011 #25: The Gun by C. J. Chivers

So here's the thing: while this book claims to tell the history of the AK-47 and its impact on the world, it's actually a much broader work than that. It's really the history of automatic rifles, and for the first third of the book you're going to see the names Gatling and Maxim much more often than Kalashnikov. And while we do get to spend quality time with the credited designer of the world's most popular weapon, we also spend a fair amount of time at the end going over the creation of the M-16, whose troubled development is a good counterpoint to the pride of Soviet engineering.

You should not let this expansive nature get in the way of reading the book, if this is the sort of thing that interests you. I did wish for more detail on the AK itself, but understood the limitations presented by trying to write something authoritative when there are multiple - and conflicting - "official" histories. This part of the AK's history - the inside baseball of Soviet engineering and politics - is probably its most interesting aspect, but it's hard to get a full grasp on it through the propaganda.

So if you were really looking for a focused book about the AK-47 and Kalashnikov, this isn't it. As a broader work about automatic weapons and their impact on warfare, it's worth a read.

2011-10-26T13:46:00.002-04:00

Book Log 2011 #24: The Last Dickens by Matthew Pearl

When Charles Dickens suddenly dies, the pressure on his American publisher to print his final novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, increases greatly, especially when there are other publishers doing what they can to obtain the manuscript once it arrives from London. James Osgood represents the publisher, and as events unfold he not only has to fight off the publishing competition but solve a series of murders which claimed an employee and are seemingly related to the ending. Throw in a subplot set in India and flashbacks to Dickens' American tours and you have the setting for Pearl's most recent novel.

Thankfully, the book is less confusing than my attempt to summarize it so long after actually reading it, though it does take some time to see how the pieces fit together (especially the parts taking place in India), though it's certainly worth the work to get to where everything fits together. The Publishers Weekly review suggested the ending could be considered a cop-out, and while I don't recall feeling that way it's worth a warning, I suppose. The level of detail is good as always, and as a local I did appreciate the amount of action that took place in greater Boston.

All in all, I think I liked The Dante Club better, but did enjoy this one quite a bit.

2011-10-20T17:29:00.000-04:00

Book Log 2011 #23: Heat by Bill Buford

There's a lot going on in this book: the author quits his day job at The New Yorker so he can work for Mario Batali in the Babbo kitchen, works his way up the ladder a bit, and then decamps to Italy to meet and work with/for the people Batali worked for and found his inspiration for traditional, hand-made Italian cuisine. Then there's the autobiographical part about Batali, whose full-tilt personality and colorful work history make him define the idea of being larger than life. And on top of that is the author's own developing obsession for making this food, which underscores why people will put up with lousy hours and often hostile working conditions to make great dishes.

On top of this we get a mountain of engrossing detail. The minutae about working at Babbo is similar to what's come up in other books about working in high-end restaurants, but is well recounted and not repetitive of other works. Buford goes out of his way to look at the history of the food he prepares, from the elevation of the short rib to the development of the traditional recipie for hand-made pasta.

If you have any interest in Batali, Italy or the culinary field, this is a must-read, and I'd think readers with a casual interest would get sucked in as well. Definitely recommended.

2011-09-16T17:20:00.000-04:00

Book Log 2011 #22: 1942 by James Conroy

When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, there was a plan for a third wave of attacks against stores of fuel and torpedoes, as well as on facilities like dry docks. The leadership passed on making the attack, but in this book Conroy surmises what would have happened if they had made the attack.

The success of the third wave strike leads to the occupation of Hawaii (which is required if you're writing an alternative history of Pearl Harbor), but in the chaos of invasion not all of the American military are accounted for, and in this case the group of fighters who withdraw into the mountains and smaller, poorly patrolled smaller islands do what they can while waiting to help the inevitable counterstrike.

I had some conflicting feelings about the book, and when this happens I'll look at other reviews to see if they can provide some clarity. And they did, in one respect: I did not hate this book as much as some people did. I do agree that the characters were not particularly well developed, and I also found the ending stretched credulity. This wouldn't be the first alternative history to have these problems, so I may be less attentive to them than others.

All that being said, I did find this book more enjoyable in some aspects than Harry Turtledove's two book treatment of a Hawaiian invasion, if only because I found Turtledove's approach too broad (too many characters) and repetitive (if there was a drinking game for the books, the phrase "sketching a salute" would lead to widespread alcohol poisoning). Overall, 1942 is flawed but worth a look if you're into alt history.

2011-09-14T17:06:00.000-04:00

Book Log 2011 #20: In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan

The follow-up to The Omnivore's Dilemma, this book looks back to see how we got to the point where most of what we eat isn't so much food as is it processed or engineered nutritional inputs, vitamin and mineral delivery systems that are increasingly unrelated to what you or I, based on common sense, would consider food. The early part of the book gives a good overview at how nutritional science has been used to facilitate this change.

From this, Pollan devises his seven word rule for eating: eat food, not too much, mostly plants, and spends most of the rest of the book talking about what this means and how to do it (which he also does in a more practical manner in his most recent book, Food Rules).

Throughout the book the writing is crisp, clear and engaging. It's very much worth reading.

2011-09-11T23:40:00.000-04:00

I can't say I watched much of today's commemorative coverage, and really I've felt disconnected to the whole 10th anniversary thing. It's not an emotional thing - I made my peace with what happened a long time ago - and it's not necessarily a reaction to the amount or tone of coverage, as I expected the coverage to be (a) voluminous and (b) occasionally to often over the top. I will say that what I did see was tastefully done, so thanks to all who were responsible for that.

So how to explain my disconnect? I think it comes from a place where I just want us to move on. I know it's ridiculous to feel this way on what is one of those hallmark anniversary dates, but I can't quite get past the idea that, 10 years on, we should take what happened, draw whatever conclusions we can from it, and look to creating a future which will, hopefully, allow us to avoid a repeat of the past.

It's entirely appropriate for people to be emotional and want to look back, but I have no interest in sharing a "do you remember where you were when you heard" sort of story. I want us to realize we have something great here, and that we need to do what we can - in a sensible and forward-thinking way - to preserve it. This isn't something we've always done over the last ten years, but I can hope that we'll do better over the next ten.

I suppose this gives short shrift to the people who died that day and their families, friends, and co-workers, and I don't intend that. I just like to think that we can take their examples and live with them every day, drawing strength from them even when the tendency is there to wallow in the negative. But I know that days like today are going to be reflective and often involve tears, and I hope that helps people get through the day. But I also hope that we can get through all of the days by remembering who we are and the examples of the people who died in the hopes of letting us keep being who we are.

2011-09-09T16:55:00.000-04:00

So here's why I'm not voting for Rick Perry. As has been widely noted, Perry issued a proclamation asking Texans to pray for rain, and I figure he did his fair share of praying as well. The result? An ongoing drought, a massive rainmaker taunting the state from just beyond its borders, and wildfires.The way I look at it, if God is going to foresake Perry, I may as well, too.

2011-09-08T13:42:00.000-04:00

Book Log 2011 #20: Our Kind of Traitor by John Le Carre

This latest outing finds a British couple recruited by some arm of the intelligence community to help in the defection of a top money launderer for the Russian mob. The couple, a university professor and barrister, are rank novices but are game to help, and thanks to the shared love of tennis between the couple and the Russian, we're off and running.

The New York Times review of the book noted that the story, while set in the present, trades in many of the spy novel tropes of the Cold War, and while there's a truth to it I think the review doesn't fully attribute the reason for it. The review suggests that Le Carre, while as strong a writer as ever, is stuck in presenting his story in this sort of worldview. I think there's some truth in that, but also ascribe it to the nature of the characters. Several of the agents are longer-term employees, and as such were reared in the Cold War-era spy game. Their actions and thinking would, to some extent, be stuck in that period. It would be as much of a mistake to have all of the agents be postmodern 24-style homeland security types as if they were all James Bond.

All that being said, I enjoyed this as much as any of Le Carre's post-Cold War novels.

2011-09-07T16:58:00.000-04:00

Book Log 2011 #19: The World is a Ball by John Doyle

John Doyle has what might be my dream job. He gets to travel to major soccer competitions and report on them, sometimes as a sporting event but more often on the other aspects of the games and/or event (personal, social, political, etc.). I should also note his full-time job is as a newspaper TV critic. I think he really does have my dream job.

Not that it's all a dream. The travel is punishing, the accommodations marginals, and the isolation often maddening. Even so, what comes through clearly is that the payoff for these irritations - between seeing games, meeting fans, and going to places that might otherwise have gone unvisited - is well worth it.

And for all that Doyle isn't a sports reporter, he does a nice job of talking about the players and games in layman's terms, making it easy for a casual but long-time fan of the game to follow along. He also manages to sell his main point about these contests - how the joy of the experience transcends the day to day problems people face - effectively, better than I expected and better than your usual book about the transcendental nature of sports.

A worthy read for the novice and intermediate soccer fan.

2011-08-19T18:01:00.000-04:00

Book Log 2011 #18: Scorecasting by Tobias Moskowitz and L. Jon Wertheim

I'm not sure if it's the writing or if the novelty of the Freakonomics approach has worn off, but I could not get into this book. I dutifully plowed through the first few chapters, but with an increasing reluctance to continue that saw me bail after about 100 pages. I have no specific complaints about the book, so I'm assuming I'm just sick of the approach. Maybe I'll give it a year and try again. Or maybe not.

2011-08-19T17:44:00.000-04:00

Book Log 2011 #17: At Home by Bill Bryson

Bryson was inspired to write this history of domestic living by his house in England, a Victorian style former parsonage located in a part of the country where not much happens. While the actual history of the house does crop up, the bulk of the book is a history of each room, and what goes on there.

Of course, each of those little histories winds up leading well outside the walls, looking at everything from Victorian class structure to the spice trade to the Crystal Palace.

It's not as overtly humorous as his other works, and has more in common with A Short History of Nearly Everything than his travel-related titles. I mostly enjoyed it, but felt bogged down towards the end and didn't actually finish. I think I'd have liked to see it ten percent shorter and ten percent funnier.

2011-08-19T17:04:00.000-04:00

Book Log 2011 #16: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

Fitting conclusion to the Millenium series, as things wrap up cleanly enough to make this feel like a trilogy rather than the ten book series that was planned. Which is a good thing, as the likelihood of a completed fourth book ever seeing the light of day is pretty slim (Larsson's partner has his material, while the rights to the book are held by his father and brother, and none of the parties seem interested in working something out).

2011-07-26T17:21:00.000-04:00

Over a month since my last post? Whoops. Not dead, just pining for the fjords. More later.

2011-06-13T13:59:00.000-04:00

Book Log 2011 #15: It Must Have Been Something I Ate by Jeffrey Steingarten

More witty and informative essays by the food critic from Vogue, with topics ranging from the merits of fancy salts to where to get the best baguettes in Paris. Many of the essays are over 10 years old, leading to some dating, but all told it's a solid collection. My only problem was that reading it cover to cover did lead to some author fatigue, as I can only take so much drollery at a time. Better to read in chunks, I think.

2011-06-13T13:54:00.000-04:00

Book Log 2011 #14: Palace of Justice by Suzanne Alleyn

Depending on how you count it, this is either the second or most recent book featuring Parisian writer-turned-investigator Aristide Ravel. This time, Ravel is faced with what appears to be a serial killer who decapitates his victims, a grim parallel to the people, from Louis XVI on down, who are being guillotined by the Tribunal. Political turmoil and Ravel's own past come into play as well, giving added depth to the story.

While I did read the books out of their narrative order, it was kind of cool to see how the events here fit into the overall story (and would have been more entertaining if I'd read the books closer together). Enjoyed it quite a bit.

2011-06-03T17:11:00.001-04:00

Book Log 2011 #13: West and East by Harry Turtledove

The second book in The War That Came Early, a series based on the idea that World War II would have started earlier had Neville Chamberlain not appeased Hitler. I've read that the series will be at least six books, and it kind of feels that was from this one, as there are things that happen, a couple things even notable, but nothing momentous. It did keep my interest enough to want to continue with the series, which is a good thing.

2011-06-02T17:05:00.003-04:00

Book Log 2011 #12: Hubert's Freaks by Gregory Gibson

A rare book dealer and collector of ephemera named Bob Langmuir, after buying a storage locker full of items from a Manhattan freak show, discovers that the lot may include several Diane Arbus prints. Battling a troubled personal life (including at least one hospitalization), Langmuir finds himself caught in a very deliberate - and sometimes unusual - authentication process.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

There's some similarities in the stories of Langmuir and Arbus - both were troubled, attracted to sideshow types, and had some resistance with getting photos accepted by the wider art world - and it's interesting to see how Langmuir persevered while Arbus, eventually, did not.

This did remind me of The Man Who Loved Books Too Much a bit, and I have the same general feeling about this book as that one, though I think the ending here is stronger. Worth a look, if just to see the pictures.

2011-05-05T13:55:00.001-04:00

Book Log 2011 #11: Blood is Dirt by Robert Wilson

The third book in the Bruce Medway series, this time the Benin-based fixer hooks up with a man trying to recover money from local swindlers but winds up squaring off against the Mob, toxic dumpers, local strongmen, and the revenge-bent daughter of his client.

I was happy to see this installment return to familiar ground in Benin, and to see more of Medway's two partners, Bagado (business) and Heike (romantic). This one also seems to have more involvement with the expat community, which makes a nice comparison (not always favorable) to the locals.

Part of me thinks thinks that things got needlessly complicated towards the end, but I have to admit that it's probably due to my lack of reading comprehension. Another solid book for the series, sad that there's only one book left.

2011-05-03T23:45:00.000-04:00

Book Log 2011 #10: Empire by Steven Saylor

The continuation of Saylor's series featuring the Pinarius family, following five generations as they deal with the empire - and often with the emperor - starting with Augustus. We see the family in its highs and lows, from being the right hand men of the emperor to being killed in a spectacle for being Christian. The scope of the work allows for hitting all of the major themes of Rome during this period, and is rounded out by the level of detail Saylor always provides.

This is more focused than its predecessor - not surprising given the greater span of history and the need to establish the story and characters - which helps as well. I still prefer Gordianus the Finder, but this is certainly an acceptable substitute.

2011-04-28T23:47:00.000-04:00

Book Log 2011 #9: Innocent by Scott Turow

Fifteen years is a long wait for a sequel, and typically sequels that come out long after the first book pale in comparison (consider Joseph Heller's Closing Time or Ray Bradbury's Farewell Summer). Thankfully, this is a case where the wait results in a fitting companion to the original.

Just as with Presumed Innocent, Tommy Molto is trying Rusty Sabich for the murder of a woman, in this case his wife, Barbara. She apparently died of natural causes, but a day-long delay in reporting the death raises suspicions, which quickly develops into a case based on a variety of evidence (much of it circumstantial).

As much fun as it is to see these two square off again, the book is really driven by the younger characters, such as Rusty's son Nat, Nat's girlfriend Anna (who is more involved in the case than he knows), and a young assistant DA whose rock solid belief in Rusty's guilt leads down some ethically problematic paths. This not only helps inject new points of view into the book, but helps underscore that these books have taken place more or less in real time, adding weight to the histories of all the characters.

And, of course, Turow is the best writer of legal fiction (I can't really use the word "thriller") going. I often lament the wait between books, but would rather have that than the "books by the ton" approach so often taken.

You should read this book, unless you've not read Presumed Innocent. In which case you should read that first and then read this book.

2011-04-28T23:04:00.004-04:00

Three things I was thinking about this whole President Obama birth certificate nonsense:

1. I feel fairly certain that the timing of the release was meant to give Donald Trump a boost. Because if you're the president, and you see a chance to have Donald Trump as your opponent in November, you'd do something to help along, wouldn't you? Even if he's just a free-spending loose cannon in the primaries, that's got to help.

2. Also smart timing in releasing the birth certificate while the rank and file are distracted by the royal wedding. The story was out of the news cycle by the time your late local news was giving you tips on appropriate pet attire for the nuptuals.

3. I was amused to hear Trump say he was pleased with himself over the release, as I think he's the sort of guy who is pleased with himself whenever he does something. I'm sure there are mornings when he gets out of the bathroom full of pride at the size and uniformity of color of his, uh, leavings.

2011-04-25T13:03:00.000-04:00

Lentorama 2011: Better Late than Never?

Days 1-40: The 40 Most Common Words in the Bible

OK, so I skipped the Lentorama this year, but after having a couple of people comment on its absence (at least one of whom I think is sincere about missing it), I figured I'd come up with something, even as half-assed as this is.

I should note that this list is based on the King James version, which is the one version where I could find a word frequency list. I know, fans of the New Revised Standard version will be disappointed.

Anyway, your list:

AND - 28364
THE - 28269
OF - 21257
THAT - 12044
TO - 11683
IN - 11285
HE - 9022
FOR - 8684
UNTO - 8326
A - 7582
LORD - 7365
HIS - 7127
SHALL - 6796
I - 6664
THEY - 6638
NOT - 6579
BE - 6568
IS - 6442
THEM - 6073
WITH - 5973
HIM - 5900
ALL - 5606
IT - 5431
THOU - 4563
BUT - 4487
WHICH - 4432
WAS - 4369
GOD - 4293
SAID - 3981
FROM - 3679
HAVE - 3608
AS - 3603
THY - 3581
THEIR - 3478
MY - 3441
ME - 3410
WILL - 3307
WHEN - 3237
THEE - 3162
YE - 3058
ARE- 2952

And as a little extra, I've even put these together into a fake Bible verse:

And the of that to in he, for unto a lord his shall I they not be. Is them with him all? It thou but which was God said “from have as thy, their my me will when thee ye are.” - Second Book of Ezenekiel, 3:17

Feel free to come up with your own in the comments.

2011-04-22T17:22:00.000-04:00

Book Log 2011 #8: A City So Grand by Stephen Puelo

Taking a wider look at Boston than Puelo's very entertaining Great Molasses Flood history Dark Tide, this book chronicles how Boston grew into national prominence over the latter half of the 19th century. From abolitionism to filling in Back Bay to creating the first subway in America, Puelo chronicles this fertile period in Boston history using both broad strokes and intriguing details that help develop those broad strokes (such as the story of Barney McGinniskin, Boston's first Irish cop).

If you're interested in the time period or the history of Boston, this should get on your list to read.

2011-04-08T17:31:00.001-04:00

Book Log 2011 #7: The Fort by Bernard Cornwell

I think I like the idea for this book - a retelling of the doomed Penobscot Expedition of 1779 - more than the execution. It's not a bad book, but it never quite clicked for me. Enjoyable, nicely written, but not especially memorable. But I do give him props for writing a story located in the wife's former neck of the woods, as I got to transpose the old names and locations into current ones http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif(though admittedly Cornwell does give a healthy dose of this at the start of the book).

My other observation is that there was a pretty big gap between The Given Day and this book, caused in no small part to an attempt to read The Count of Monte Cristo on Stanza. It is way too long a book to read on a phone. I don't expect that reading a physical copy of the book would have helped, as it was taking an awful long time for Dantes to get around to his revenge. I eventually bailed, leaving my main impression of the book to come from the Mr. Magoo adaptation.

2011-04-08T17:15:00.000-04:00

Book Log 2011 #6: The Given Day by Dennis Lehane

Outside of reading Mystic River I don't have much experience with Dennis Lehane's books, and passed on this one a number of times due to fears that it would be a predictable rehash of the sort of prejudices you'd expect in a book set in 1919 Boston. But when I finally relented and picked this up, I was happy to learn that while the prejudices are there - and really, they have to be in order for the book to be realistic - this is no rehash.

Instead, we get a sweeping tale where these prejudices run headlong into change, marked by the end of World War I, social and political changes caused by immigration, and the recurring tension of younger generations wanting to live out from under the strictures of their parents. That this results in violence - both personal and city-wide - is hardly surprising.

The story also benefits from using the occasional cameo, most notably the recurring appearance of Babe Ruth. It's interesting watching him cruise through the turbulent times, often unaware of the greater issues. In some ways it's refreshingly familiar - it fits with our notion of disinterested celebrities - but I also thought it gave a good general counterpoint to the intensely personal stories that make up the bulk of the book.

Worth the read, but it's approaching tome territory, so plan to spend some quality time working through it.

2011-03-13T22:01:00.004-04:00

I'd not written about this year's BU men's ice hockey team yet as i never quite got my finger on them. They started the year 6-0-4, grabbed the top spot in the polls, and then proceeded to tank, with a loss and tie Brown and a blowout loss to RPI. They lost all four games they played against BC, and became the first BU team in 31 years to finish last at the Beanpot. They turned things around a bit towards the end of the season, going on a run against the weaker teams in Hockey East, before playing Northeastern in both the final weekend of the regular season and the first round of the playoffs.

I write about them in the past tense as tonight they lost the deciding game in their playoff series against NU, and they are almost certainly not going to make the NCAA tournament (though I'll have to fiddle around with USCHO's Pairwise Predictor a bit to prove it). And while I'm never happy when a season ends, I think this probably the right ending for this team (as bad as it makes me feel for the two seniors on the team, who deserved better).

In some ways this year's team reminded me of the 2007-08 squad, another talented group that underachieved and missed the NCAAs. Both squads had skilled players, solid goaltending, and an apparent disinterest in playing a full game. Jack Parker called both teams out for a lack of effort and passion. Both teams had a sure-fire pro in his freshman year (Colin Wilson and Charlie Coyle) who put up good numbers but didn't seem present. There are differences between the teams as well - the '08 team had distinct captain issues, while this year's did not, for example - but in the end I think the similarities outweigh the differences.

Now, that '08 team came back the following year and put together what is probably the best season in BU history, winning every trophy they could en route to the national title. I don't know if this year's team has the same potential, but with almost everyone coming back, and hopefully coming back with a bad taste in their mouths for how badly they squandered this season, I am keeping my fingers crossed. The puck drops again in seven months.

2011-03-13T22:01:00.000-04:00

Book Log 2011 #5: The Trial by Franz Kafka

A classic tale of a man, Joseph K., arrested for a crime never revealed and judged by a government that is equal parts cruel, aloof and bureaucratic. Or at least that's what I understand happens, as I didn't get past Joseph's meeting with the wife of the courtroom attendant, which happens fairly early on. As much as I identified with his plight at the hands of forces he could not control, there were too many other times where I'd really question Joseph's actions, to the point where I'd figure he did something illegal and was too stupid to realize it.

This was another e-reader selection, and maybe that had something to do with my disdain, all of the page turning compounding my frustration with Joseph. Anyway, it didn't work for me.

2011-03-02T13:55:00.000-05:00

Book Log 2011 #4: The Great Typo Hunt by Jeff Deck and Benjamin D. Herson

This was, in theory, a book right up my alley. Two guys road trip to correct typographical errors in public signage, and along the way help everyone improve their grammar and learn something about America. It reminded me of One Red Paperclip, albeit with less of a financial reward at the end.

The only problem was that I couldn't get past the writing, which never found an adjective it didn't want to cram into a sentence to make it more descriptive. In some cases the excess verbiage was probably not the right word to use. This quickly went from annoying to unbearable, and I bailed. I didn't even make it to the start of the road trip.

2011-02-16T18:22:00.000-05:00

Book Log 2011 #3: The First Emperor by Steve Berry

Cotton Malone moves his landmark-destroying antics eastward in this latest novel in the series. The conflict this time comes with a secret society of eunuchs, who are trying to influence the selection of China's next leader by manipulating the two most likely candidates. Part of this involves proving that petroleum is created abiogenically, as ensuring China's energy resources would give a leg up to whatever person could claim it.

Unlike the other books in the series, this one starts off well into the adventure and then tells the story (mostly) in flashback, which is a nice change. I did think the story was better here than in the last book, and we've thankfully lost the two younger characters from that book who looked poised to become regulars. I still think the overall quality of the series has dipped from the beginning, but there's hope in this entry that things are rebounding.

(I also discovered on Berry's website that there's an original ebook that follows Cassiopeia Vitt as she tries to find the tomb of a Thracian king but stumbles across some sort of shadowy Russian mining interest. It's supposed to be a prequel to The First Emperor, and I'm just enough of a sucker to seek it out - though not enough of one to buy it.)

2011-02-16T13:17:00.000-05:00

A post on Baseball-Reference.com's website about Hall of Famers and All Stars sharing birthdays, and gave some expected averages for how many you'd find for a given day (for me, no Hall of Famers and six All Stars appearing in 17 games, which is above average). But the question that framed the post - the formation of a team of players all born on Valentine's Day - got me to thinking who would be on the team of players born on my birthday?

The lineup:

Catcher - Ron Karkovice

First Base - Jocko Milligan

Second Base - Cupid Childs

Third Base - Mike Ivie

Shortstop - Cecil Travis

Outfield - Al Woods, Jose Cruz, Frank Howard

Starting Pitcher - Toad Ramsey

Relief Pitcher - Ken Raffensberger

Ivie at third is a bit of a cheat - he played fewer than 100 games at third over an 11 year career - but my next best option was a guy named Vern Morgan, who put together 17 games at third over two seasons with the Cubs in the 1950s (the highlight of a career that saw him play in the minors for 15 seasons, mostly at the A and AA level).

I wound up employing a similar cheat for relief pitcher. Raffensberger is actually the winningest pitcher on my list, six ahead of Ramsey. But he also has the third-most saves with 16 (the leader has a whopping 29), and his ERA and WHIP are much better than the two guys with more saves. So I'm going with him.

2011-02-14T17:45:00.000-05:00

Book Log 2011 #2: The Murder of King Tut by James Patterson and Martin Dugard

This is billed as a "non-fiction thriller," though you'd not know if from the content, which is blissfully free of citations, source material, or pretty much anything suggestive of the research Patterson says was put into writing this thing.

The book is told in three story lines: one set in Egypt before, during and after Tut's reign, one that follows Howard Carter as he looks for an undisturbed burial site in the Valley of the Kings, and one that follows Patterson himself as he works on solving the murder of Tut.

I suppose Patterson's story line is truly non-fiction, although it pretty much winds up being him playing golf, thinking in his study, and calling Dugard to work on details. The Tut story is pretty much all fiction, as there is blessed little historical account of his reign, and the Carter story line, verifiable as it may be by contemporary accounts, adds nothing to solving the "mystery."

Patterson also gets overtaken by events a bit, as there's recent evidence from CT imaging that the hole in Tut's skull was created during mummifcation rather than during Tut's life (Patterson imagines an accidental head injury that is the original - but unused - method plotters used to kill Tut). Recent DNA studies also undermine the narrative details around Tut's wife, whose mummy was found in another tomb. Patterson has her body fed to crocodiles.

The vibe I get from reading this is that Patterson noticed that Tut's successors were court figures rather than family, and determined that they killed Tut to seize power. How this speculation leads to a "non-fiction thriller" is beyond me.

I can't say I'm a fan of Patterson's style, as it appears he never met three paragraphs he couldn't make into a chapter. I know there's a convention in thrillers to use short paragraphs to build tension and keep people reading, but the way its used here is almost a parody.

Give this one a miss.

2011-02-11T13:57:00.000-05:00

With the looming NFL work stoppage, there's been a prevailing attitude that there will be no football next fall. As I was reminded on Facebook (h/t Yostal), as long as Roger Goodell doesn't control the NCAA there will be some football, just not at the (officially) professional level.

Which got me to thinking - what if the NFL replaced each of its teams with the "best" college team that shares its nickname? Here's how I think it'd go:

AFC EAST

University of Colorado Buffaloes for the Buffalo Bills - there are no teams in the NCAA with Bills as a nickname, but as they have a buffalo on their helmet I opted to go with Colorado. Which, really, is trading on sub-.500 team for another.

Jacksonville University for the Miami Dolphins - JU, a FCS team, was nationally-ranked at the end of the season but did not make the playoffs. Which is better than the NFL team, which was out of playoff contention well before the season ended.

University of the Cumberlands for the New England Patriots - OK, I'm kind of breaking the rules here, as the U of C Patriots play in the NAIA. But most of the schools that use Patriots as a nickname don't play football, which seems un-American. George Mason plays club football, otherwise they'd be a shoo-in.

SUNY-Cortland for the New York Jets - only one school uses Jets as a nickname - Newman University - but they don't play football. We could then use its original nickname, Titans, but Tennessee gets to claim that (for what it's worth). The original owners wanted to buy the Chicago Cardinals, but obviously Arizona gets first crack. And as I'm getting sick of this, I went with SUNY-Cortland, which is where the Jets have summer camp. It's actually kind of fitting, as they are also a team with New York in their name that plays in New Jersey (well, in New Jersey Athletic Conference, which is good enough).

AFC NORTH

Benedictine College for the Baltimore Ravens - again, not a common nickname, and the best I could do is this NAIA school from Kansas. There is a NCAA school I could use - Anderson University - but Benedictine seems to have a better team based on their history of conference titles and playoff appearances.

Idaho State University for the Cincinnati Bengals - I was sorely tempted to use the University of Maine at Fort Kent here, but they don't have football (their men's sports: basketball, soccer and nordic skiing). They still may be better than Idaho State, who went 1-10 last season and haven't had a winning season since 2003.

Brown University for the Cleveland Browns - The closest thing to a school using Browns as a nickname is Lehigh University having an alternate nickname of the Brown and White. It's still used to refer to historic teams, but it's not really in current use, so I'm going with the next best option. Which, based on on-field performance, is probably the next worst option when compare to Lehigh. Cleveland gets screwed again.

East Carolina University for the Pittsburgh Steelers - Shockingly, there are no colleges using the Steelers nickname, so as the NFL team originally played as the Pirates, we'll go back to that. And really, that's not such a bad deal compared to the rest of the division.

AFC SOUTH

Tarleton State University for the Houston Texans - one school uses the Texans nickname, and while the school is much closer to Dallas than Houston I'm sure they'll make do. They had a down year this year, but until the NFL's Texans the TSU version has made the playoffs. They even won a game, too.

University of Dayton for the Indianapolis Colts - OK, the Colts pose a problem. There are no schools using Colts as a nickname (which surprised me), and moving to their previous nickname we get... Texans. And it doesn't as we go deeper. The best I can do is Tigers, which a long-ago precursor to the Colts used for one season before merging with the Boston Yanks. So my solution is that as the team can trace itself back to the Dayton Triangles, let's go with the school that's there (as, shockingly, there are no schools using Triangles as a nickname).

Southern University for the Jacksonville Jaguars - I really wanted to go with IUPUI here, but they don't offer football. And if nothing else, they've got a kick ass band.

Illinois Wesleyan University for the Tennessee Titans - there are a handful of schools using Titans as a nickname, but many don't play football. This is the best of the bunch, and all things considered they may even be competitive in this division.

AFC WEST

Boise State for the Denver Broncos - This may be the most perfect fit of all, between the nickname, uniform colors, and familiarity with playing at altitude (Boise being the Half Mile High City). I should be happy about the serendipity, but as I loathe the Denver Broncos I'm not.

Haskell Indian Nations University for the Kansas City Chiefs - no colleges use Chiefs as a nickname (which should prepare you for some sort of wackiness when we get to the Washington Redskins), and I tried to use Ursuline College in Ohio as they're the Arrows (playing off of Arrowhead Stadium). They don't play football. So I figured if you have a team that trades on Native American culture, why not have them represented by actual Native Americans?

Colgate University for the Oakland Raiders - Fitting, as I think Al Davis and William Colgate were frat brothers.

University of New Haven for the San Diego Chargers - The best of a middling bunch, though New Haven was a D2 power briefly in the 1990s when coached by current Dolphins head man Tony Sparano.

NFC EAST

Oklahoma State for the Dallas Cowboys - Once again, a team I despise gets a good NCAA replacement. I'll just have to enjoy the discomfort folks in the Metroplex will experience by being represented by a team from Oklahoma.

Millikin University for the New York Giants - Only one school uses Giants as a nickname - Keystone College - and they don't play football. Thankfully, Milliken uses Big Blue for a nickname, and as that's a common unofficial nickname for the Giants I'm going with it. It also turns out that they play in the same conference as Illinois Wesleyan, which is something I suppose.

Boston College for the Philadelphia Eagles - You can imagine how much I didn't want to make this substitution, but my only other real option was Eastern Michigan, and they've just not played in enough third-tier bowls to justify selection.

Carthage College for the Washington Redskins - Holy crap, there's still a school using Red Men as a nickname? OK, it seems that they've gone from Redmen (using a feather in their athletic logo) to Red Men, a reference to the all-red uniforms of early Carthage teams (they also replaced that pesky feather with a torch). I have a hard time believing the NCAA bought this, but I guess it's just stupid enough to work.

NFC NORTH

Baylor University for the Chicago Bears - They did make a bowl game this year, which I suppose gives them a leg up on Central Arkansas and Coast Guard. Even if in most seasons, games between Baylor and those two schools would likely have been competitive.

University of North Alabama for the Detroit Lions - I badly wanted to go with Columbia here. Both teams are the Lions, both have blue as a main color, and both are very, very familiar with gridiron futility. But I did say I'd go with the "best" team, and I have no doubt that if North Alabama played Columbia, the final score would be 57-0, and not in the Ivy's favor.

Tulane University for the Green Bay Packers - Green Bay presents the opposite problem from the Colts. There are no colleges using Packers as a nickname, and there's no wiggle room to use an historic nickname. The Packers have always been the Packers, no mergers, no moves, nothing. So rather than play around with coaches or whatever, I went with the best team whose nickname started with 'green.' Of course, the perfect substitution for the Packers are the Edmonton Eskimos.

Augustana College for the Minnesota Vikings - I was all set to hand this over to Western Washington, but they've apparently dropped football. I assume Jon Kitna is to blame. I was surprised that this Augustana - located in South Dakota - wasn't the one I was thinking of. That Augustana, in Illinois, won four D3 titles in a row in the 1980s. Still, this Augustana is better than my next option, Portland State, who have won 11 games over the last four seasons. Neil Lomax hangs his head in shame.

NFC SOUTH

Air Force for the Atlanta Falcons - This may be the only time in NFL history where a team can run the triple option and get away with it.

Pittsburgh for the Carolina Panthers - I think if you made this offer to Panthers fans they'd take it, even if there were no lockout.

St. Lawrence University for the New Orleans Saints - Not surprisingly, most of the schools with the Saints nickname are Catholic and not particularly large. It's fair to say that those schools that offer football don't exactly command a lot of media attention. So I went with the school I knew the best, even if it is for hockey. Gary Bettman would approve.

Beloit College for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers - I had already typed East Tennessee State in here, but then checked and saw that they don't play football. As an aside, their website touts that the world's oldest person is an alum, as if they had something to do with it. Anyway, I was then going to go with Charleston Southern, except they appear to stink. So it's Beloit, who may be D3 but can at least break even.

NFC WEST

Louisville for the Arizona Cardinals - Like Detroit, there is a team that better fits Arizona's history, and that's Ball State. Both teams enjoyed one recent season of surprising success before returning to their traditional sucking.

Colorado State for the St. Louis Rams - CSU has had some lean years of late, but I'm fairly sure they're still better than Fordham or URI. Perhaps we could schedule a round-robin just to make sure.

Gustavus Adolphus for the San Francisco 49ers - Two schools use the 49ers nickname - Long Beach State and UNC-Charlotte - and neither play football. So I tried to work off the Gold Rush angle, and the one school that actually uses Gold Rush as a nickname - Xavier University in New Orleans - also doesn't play football. So I figured I'd go with the school that had the oddest gold-inspired nickname, and thus wound up with the Golden Gusties of GAU.

Wagner College for the Seattle Seahawks - Because UNC-Wilmington doesn't offer football and Salve Regina's team is somewhat less successful than Wagner's.

Man, I should have broken this up by conference. I was going to try to predict playoffs, but I'm just going to leave well enough alone.

2011-01-31T16:26:00.005-05:00

As much of a football fan as I am, even I can't get myself interested to watch the Pro Bowl. After all of the usual talk about the lack of relevance for the game, I think it's time we try to focus on...

MAKING IT BETTER: The Pro Bowl

1. Import some CFL rules. If we're not going to have defense in the Pro Bowl, why not give the offense a chance to put up Arena-style scores? Unlimited motion would open up new possibilities for creative play calling, three downs to make a first would put more pressure on the offense to make yardage, and putting the defensive line a yard off the ball would help to open up the running game. Some would call it a travesty, but I would be happy if the Pro Bowl final score rivaled the NBA All Star Game final score.

2. Replace the game with skills competitions. About the only thing propping up all star games are skills competitions. Of the "Big 4" North American sports leagues, only the NFL doesn't have a skills competition. So let's add one, and instead of having it prop up an actual game, make the competition the actual focus of the weekend, allowing players to showcase what they do best.

Revive the Quarterback Challenge that used to be held in the off season. Have running backs and wideouts run an obstacle-type course to score a touchdown. Rig up a dummy for a hardest tackle contest. Have an open Punt, Pass and Kick competition. There are a number of options, and they'd all be more fun than watching guys go through the motions like they do in the actual game.

3. Combine it with other, non-football sports. I actually had this idea when reading Joe Posnanski's blog post about the game. He led off by talking about ABC's Wide World of Sports, and it got me to thinking that I'd watch the game if, say, Chris Johnson and Adrian Peterson had a best of five log rolling competition between the first and second periods. Or if you had a 10 lap ice motorcycle race at halftime involving all of the offensive linemen. Not sure where we'd get all that ice in Honolulu, but maybe rapid melting would only add to the fun.

4. Drop the conference split and embrace fantasy. It's rare to say that the NHL has trumped other leagues in something other than commissioner idiocy, but they nailed it when they allowed Nicklas Lidstrom and Eric Staal, the team captains, to have a fantasy draft to select teams.

This has obvious applications to the NFL, where fantasy interest is huge. Rather than use players, the two coaches could get together and draft their teams. They could even bring in fantasy experts as draft coaches. Make it even more fun by holding an auction draft so you have the subplots about players who feel snubbed because they were bought for $2. Then allow the coaches to trade players - even during the game.

5. Move the game to the third week in February. After two weeks of nothing but the drone of NBA, NHL and college hoops regular seasons, a football game, any football game, would be a welcome diversion. Moving it this late gives Super Bowl players a chance to play, allows injured players some more time to heal, and generally adds to whatever potential hype the league can muster for this thing.

2011-01-29T23:37:00.000-05:00

Book Log 2011 #1: Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather

A long-ago quizbowl question on this book got me interested in reading it, and I finally followed through (several years later, I should note). It's the story of the first archbishop of the Catholic diocese of Santa Fe, a French missionary priest transferred from Ohio to work in the territory ceded to the US from Mexico. Bishop Latour taps his friend and fellow missionary, Vaillant, to serve as his vicar.

The book then covers their life's work in New Mexico, from rooting out the local priests who are either too incompetent or too crooked to continue serving to gaining the trust of the locals (Hispanic and Native American alike) to adapting to the burdens of a large, thinly-settled diocese. The story is told in episodic fashion, which is kind of useful when you're reading during a commute.

The book is best known for its descriptions of New Mexico, and it does paint some vivid word pictures of the untamed land. The characters suffer for this a bit, I think, and I'd have preferred to have had the relationship between Latour and Vaillant get more depth earlier on rather than being put at the end when Latour is reflecting on his life.

There were some aspects of the book that surprised me, such as the genuine interest both priests had in respecting local culture and beliefs within a Catholic framework. We've been conditioned to think of missionary priests as being fairly severe in getting the natives to toe the line spiritually, so it was refreshing (and perhaps a touch optimistic?) to see the priests approach this problem in a more tolerant way, I think knowing that a slower approach would reap more benefits over the long term.

Overall, I liked the book quite a bit and will likely read more Cather in the future (I should just download O Pioneers already).

This was the second book I read using the Stanza reader for the iPhone. You can pretty much expect that any time I read something older or in the public domain I'm doing it on the phone. It's still a little distracting given how often you have to turn the page, but it's a nice option when I can't get to the library or have limited space to hold something.

2011-01-26T13:46:00.003-05:00

Barring a last-minute change, it appears that the coming Super Bowl will be the first one ever to not have cheerleaders, as neither Green Bay nor Pittsburgh have squads.

Really, what's the point of cheerleaders on the NFL level? The crowds are too big to have cheerleaders effectively lead cheers; odds are that most of the stadium can't even see them, much less respond to what they're doing. Really, they're there to look purty and give the TV cameras something else to shoot. Based on usefulness to the game as a whole, cheerleaders are the appendix of NFL football.

I know, the women on the squads are nice people and do stuff in the community and cheerleading is a traditional part of football and blah blah blah. But for me, they will not be missed.

2011-01-24T16:02:00.003-05:00

OK, I say I'm going to post more here and then promptly disappear for a little over three weeks. So much for my New Year's cyber-resolution.

So what brings me back, if not to run a bunch of Book Logs by you? It's the news that Harvard's Hasty Pudding Club has tabbed Jay Leon as their man of the year. Jay Leno. Who wheedled his way back into hosting the Tonight Show, ousting Conan O'Brien. Who is a Harvard alumnus.

Maybe Conan pissed off the Hasty Pudding crowd when he was a student. Maybe he doesn't like dressing in drag. Maybe he called them out on having awards shows that are about as funny as Leno's work for NBC. Don't know.

I can't say I care greatly about this "honor" - to my eyes it doesn't do more than get the club some TV time and screw up Cambridge traffic - but the timing of the thing seems suspicious.

2011-01-01T23:31:00.003-05:00

So here we are on the first day of 2011, and I have but one resolution to pass along, and it's fitting to announce it in this location. My resolution is to have more posts here that aren't book related. This thing has become about 85 percent book logs, 14 percent Lent stuff, and one percent everything else. I'd like to go back to the way things were when I started this thing almost ten years (!) ago, at least in the breadth of topics if not style.

Not sure why I've become less prone to write stuff here, but I'm going to blame Facebook. It's easy to dash off thoughts as status updates, and looking at past posts the timing seems about right. On the flip side, more people see my Facebook status updates than likely read this, so perhaps I should be more interested in linking this to Facebook. I did try this once, and didn't care for how it dumped a bunch of older posts in, resulting in scores of updates related to "new" entries. So I think I'll just leave this separate for now, which will at least keep it away from the mercies of Mark Zuckerberg.

2010-12-31T23:56:00.000-05:00

Book Log 2010 #65: Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain

I've read a couple of reviews of this book calling it a follow-up to Kitchen Confidential, but I don't buy that. Unlike that book, which was a straight-up tell all about restaurant work and Bourdain's fairly tortured life as a chef, this book is more a reflection on the world of food from a many who, by his own admission, is no longer a chef (though he loves it when people call him one).

The book is also more conflicted, as Bourdain has to reconcile being part of the food entertainment complex that he spends a fair amount of time lambasting. Having now seen the other side of the coin, he is now more understanding (and even apologetic) towards some of his previous targets, while remaining quite able to write scathingly about those who he believes deserve it (his chapter on food critic Alan Richman is a classic example of this).

So I think of this book as less of a follow-up and more of a checking-in, allowing Bordain to address some topics from the first book while making new observations based on things he's seen and thought since the first book came out. It's also an interesting example of how someone can sand down their rougher edges without damaging their core. Bourdain may be nicer, more understanding, and perhaps even somewhat humble, but he's still able to call things as he sees them and write about them powerfully.

2010-12-31T23:54:00.000-05:00

Book Log 2010 #64: The High King of Montival by S. M. Stirling

This newest book in the Emberverse series sees Rudi Mackenzie, having gained the Sword of the Lady while on Nantucket, begin his return home as Artos, the high king of Montival (comprising most of the Oregon-based groups already introduced). Along the way he and his band make alliances with an eye towards a showdown with the Church Universal and Triumphant, whose powers have been blunted somewhat by the Sword.

While the book mostly sets up the coming war, I did like that it spent more time with characters and plot and less time messing about. One thing that did bother me, and seems to be a running issue over the last few books, is that the cover art. I assume the guy on the cover is supposed to be Rudi, but rather than getting the tall, muscular guy with curly reddish gold hair, the person on the cover is shorter and dark haired. I know this is kind of a fanboyish thing to get irritated with, but given how focused on detail Stirling is within the book, I'm surprised he's allowed the publisher to be so inaccurate on the cover.

2010-12-31T23:52:00.000-05:00

Book Log 2010 #63: The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett

Book theft among rare book dealers is not uncommon, but the response to theft might be, at least to outsiders. Dealers are loathe to report the crime for fear of being seen as incompetent or untrustworthy, and the mechanisms for reporting theft to other sellers who may also fall victim was, until recently, haphazard at best.

Enter book seller Ken Sanders, who took on the role of security chair for the largest association of dealers and developed a reporting system that proved effective enough to identify a significant thief who, using stolen credit information, was ripping off stores all over the west coast.

That thief, John Gilkey, was stealing not so much to make a profit but because he loved books and the idea that owning rare books would help elevate his social status. It's the obsessive nature of Gilkey's crimes that pull in Bartlett, who spends most of the book trying to sort out what drives Gilkey to steal (and, once out, to contemplate stealing some more).

The author does get to an interesting ethical line when she goes into a store with Gilkey, who doesn't steal anything but talks her through his thought process. There's at least one comparison to The Orchid Thief (I think in a blurb), which is apt. I do think the book loses steam towards the end, as the author becomes less comfortable working with Gilkey and as Sanders becomes less involved in security matters. But it's still a worthy read to get an insight into both the world of rare books and into the twisted logic of one book thief.

2010-12-31T23:50:00.001-05:00

Book Log 2010 #62: Crash Course by Paul Ingrassia

While the recent economic instability nearly wiped out at least two of the Detroit Three, the problems faced by GM, Ford and Chrysler have long historical roots, which long-time industry journalist Ingrassia displays with great clarity in this book. The picture that emerges is one where management, divorced from the rank and file and, in some cases, reality, made a litany of bad decisions, which compounded to put the companies into dire straits. The union contribute in equal measure, as their constant drive for benefits out of line with rationality and consistently combative relationship with management helped to create an environment where jobs weren't tied to performance, to the point where members didn't even have to work to collect nearly all of their pay (the Jobs Bank concept may be one of the singularly worst ideas ever).

While the history is interesting and quite instructive, the end sections on recent events help to clear up what was, at times, a confusing process. Both the government and Ford come out as winners, the former for helping the industry survive as a whole, and the latter for being the one automaker who didn't take any money.

A good book for people interested in the industry, and probably a better book for people who don't know as much but are looking for a clear overview of how the auto industry went into meltdown.

2010-12-31T01:36:00.000-05:00

Book Log 2010 #61: Three Stations by Martin Cruz Smith

This latest Arkady Renko novel is set at the Three Stations in question, a railroad terminus for three major lines. Renko, already on thin ice with his superiors, forces their hand when he continues to investigate the death of a young woman in a construction trailer as if it were a homicide - which it shortly becomes. While this is going on, Renko's sort-of foster son, Zhenya, gets mixed up with a girl who comes off of one of the trains claiming her baby was kidnapped, but gets little help in trying to track her down.

More than the other books, this one is more about the current state of Russian society than Renko and his crime-solving. The killing he investigates winds up tying into the new moneyed class and the slow collapse of their house of cards, thanks to the global economic crisis and a crackdown on oligarchs by the same government that helped them earn billions. The other half of the story takes us into the lost generation of Russians, kids who band together to form something that's part gang, part family and all desperate.

Zhenya's part of the story does a nice job of showing how similar he is to Renko, from his dogged pursuit of the case to his (likely doomed) personal feelings for Maya, the girl whose baby is missing.

It's a worthy addition to the series, but one that's a little different.

2010-12-31T01:20:00.000-05:00

Book Log 2010 #60: The Town that Food Saved by Ben Hewitt

On the face of things, Hardwick, Vermont is a depressed little town. It's unemployment rate and per capita income are both well below the state average. But in the face of the worst economic crisis since the Depression, the town and its immediate environs saw a huge growth in food-related businesses, from a purveyor of heirloom seeds to artisinal cheese producers to a guy trying to start a soybean industry. And while this hasn't solved the town's problems, it's a start that a lot of towns aren't getting.

Hewitt sets out document this turn of events, but is struck almost immediately by the complexity of defining just what is going on. Are the new businesses actually helping when they mostly focus on value-added products rather than primary ingredients (cheese versus milk, for example)? How will the new businesses interact with older ones? Can food really have saved the town when many of the products are priced well above similar items produced by the industrial food system? He does set up a framework for answering the main question about food saving Hardwick, but by the end it's no clearer if there's actually an answer.

Which in and of itself is OK, given the people we meet along the way. They provide an intriguing cross-section of the community, which helps to put some of the questions into starker relief. By the end of the book I didn't think that Hardwick was being saved, but did believe that the area is developing into an example of how we can move away from corporate agribusiness and towards something more personal. It's just not clear how long it will take to develop completely.

2010-12-31T01:03:00.000-05:00

Book Log 2010 #59: The Girl Who Played With Fire by Steiger Larsson

The second entry in the Millennium trilogy picks up some time after the first book ends. Mikael Blomqvist is back at Millennium and working on an expose about the sex industry with a freelancer and his soon-to-be Ph.D. fiancee. When both are shot as part of a triple killing, the only hard evidence - fingerprints on the murder weapon - point to Lisbeth Salander as the killer.

Salander, recently returned to Sweden after nearly a year abroad, works to clear her name and to settle some old scores. We also learn a great deal more about her background, which winds up having a direct tie to the sex trade investigation and the murders. Blomkvist adds his help, running down leads and appearing at just the right time as needed.

I did think this book took more time to get going than the first one in the series - it seemed to take a couple of hundred pages to set up the rest of the book - but once things got going they moved quite nicely. The background information into Salander's past was also quite welcome, as it put "All the Evil" into context, and goes a fair way into explaining Salander's social maladjustment and strong (if peculiar) sense of morality.

Kind of sad to think there's only one more book in the series.

2010-12-31T00:52:00.000-05:00

Book Log 2010 #58: The Information Agent by Mark Mills

I think I'm developing a taste for World War II books set outside of the usual theaters. First there was Robert Wilson's The Company of Strangers, set in Portugal (and which, like all of his books, is excellent). Then it was Ken Follett's Hornet Flight, set in Denmark. Now there's this book, set on Malta during the earlier days of the war.

The main character (the information officer of the title) is tasked with keeping the propaganda front up for the British, mostly aimed at keeping the Maltese as allies in the face of Germany's bombing campaign against the island. He then gets dragged into the killing of a local woman, apparently by a British soldier. Facing official pressure to bury the case, the officer winds up undertaking his own investigation into what appears to be the latest in a line of serial killings. And on top of this he has his own romantic problems to deal with, though they soon enough become part of the case as well.

The strength of the book is its depiction of Malta at war, from the regular German attacks to the fatalism of the Britons on the island to the almost business as usual nature of the Maltese (who, historically, are used to the threat of invasion). The mystery itself unfolds at a nice pace, but I did feel that the ending was a little forced, with the actual killer cropping up out of the group of suspects almost at random. Admittedly I did read through the ending fairly quickly, but I did go back and re-read some sections to see if I'd missed something. Recommended, with an apology if my thinking about the ending is inaccurate.

2010-12-22T13:58:00.000-05:00

Book Log 2010 #57: Soccernomics by Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski

This is just what it sounds like - a Freakonomics-styled book that tries to use economic theory and quantitative data to answer soccer questions, from why England loses so much to what countries may come to dominate soccer in the coming decades.

It's not as well done as the inspiration, and the quality (or perhaps just the readability) of the chapters seemed to tail off at the end. All that being said, the early chapters, which take on some of the well-established "truths" of soccer (particularly those that surround English national team and club soccer), are pretty fun. Unless you're an England fan, in which case they're probably depressing (short version: England isn't going to win the World Cup any time soon, but the Prem will be great - as long as the morons who run the clubs don't get in the way).

Not much value for anyone who isn't a soccer fan.

2010-12-22T13:37:00.000-05:00

Book Log 2010 #56: City of Dreams by William Martin

When The Lost Constitution, the last book featuring action antiquarian Peter Fallon, took a decided turn towards politics at the expense of story, I was worried about the future of the series. Thankfully, my fears were premature. Mostly.

This time around, Fallon and his fiancee, travel writer Evangeline Carrington, get caught up in the search for Revolutionary War bonds worth over a billion dollars in current money - assuming they can be redeemed. Along the way they tangle with mobsters, financiers, self-styled patriots and a mysterious bag lady, all of whom have an interest in the bonds.

I will say that Martin does a better job of injecting politics and current events into this book than he did with The Lost Constitution, which was disappointing. This is more in tune with Martin's other Fallon books, but with a higher body count.

If you liked Harvard Yard or Back Bay you'll like this book. Even if it is set in New York.

2010-12-22T13:17:00.001-05:00

Book Log 2010 #55: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

A couple of summers ago it didn't seem like I could travel on the T without encountering someone - usually a woman - reading this book. I didn't think much about it, assuming it was some form of chick lit, albeit an odd one given the title (no mention of shopping, dating or fashion), cover art (abstract, title in plain bold font), and author (male). I eventually sorted out that the books were more of a general audience mystery/thriller, and even more eventually landed a copy.

I did enjoy the book quite a bit, especially the interplay between the main characters, the strait-laced journalist Mikael Blomqvist and the Aspergery hacker genius Lisbeth Salander. Together they unravel the disappearance (and potential killing) of a teenaged girl several decades ago, at the behest of a well known industrialist. The other story line - involving Blomqvist's libel sentence, jail time and the impact it has on the magazine where he works - doesn't do as much for me, but it's an interesting juxtaposition to the increasingly dark history unearthed in the missing person investigation.

It's pretty easy to see how this book appealed to women, given Salander's intelligence and independence. That she functions as she does given her obvious issues - she trusts no one, has no social graces and was clearly damaged by something she calls "All the Evil" - add layers of complexity that make her character that much more intriguing.

By all means give this a read.

2010-12-10T21:02:00.000-05:00

Book Log 2010 #54: Super Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner

More of the same from Levitt and Dubner, who turn their quantitative eyes towards a variety of other issues, ranging from the economics of prostitution (echoes of the previous book's section on drug dealers) to global warming. And, once again, it's surprising to see how the data demonstrate the theme of incentives shaping behavior.

I vaguely recall being dissatisfied with the global warming chapter, but I don't recall why. So with that half-baked caveat, feel free to read away.

2010-12-08T17:43:00.000-05:00

Book Log 2010 #53: The Man Who Loved China by Simon Winchester

Moving ahead three centuries-plus we encounter another wandering intellectual in a foreign land. Joseph Needham was a career academic, establishing himself at Cambridge as a preeminent biochemist. In 1937 three Chinese scientists came to work with him, which led him to learn Chinese and develop a deep interest in Chinese science and the question of how China was overtaken by the West in science when China had developed an early lead. Needham would redirect his interest from biochemistry to this question, becoming a respected expert on China and the author of the multi-volume Science and Civilisation in China.

The real interest in Needham's story, though, comes from his trips to China (both as an academic and as a representative of the British government during World War II) and his unorthodox (for the time and place, certainly) personal life. Needham was a naturalist, a committed leftist and incorrigible womanizer (he would marry his longtime mistress, one of the Chinese scientists he met in 1937, after his wife of nearly 60 years died in 1987). Needham did have some trouble with his political views, but otherwise his interesting personal life did not seem to diminish from his professional accomplishments.

Winchester spent several years living in and writing about Asia, and that background helps him explain various details of Chinese history, language and culture in a way that someone less knowledgeable (like me) can understand. He also has developed a very approachable style for non-fiction, as seen in his fantastic earlier book about the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary, The Professor and the Madman.

This isn't a book I would have normally picked up, but it was on the shelf of "good reads you might have missed" that our library offers, and I have to say it was rightly placed there.

2010-12-08T17:12:00.000-05:00

Book Log 2010 #52: Heresy by S. J. Parris

A really engaging historical mystery featuring monk turned philosopher and astronomer Giordano Bruno as its main character. As in his actual life, Bruno travels to Oxford in the company of Philip Sidney to participate in a debate on the nature of the universe (and, on the side, do what he can to uncover any Catholic plots against Elizabeth I). But in the book, his time in Oxford is punctuated by a series of killings with a sinister ritualistic bent to them. When the college administration tries to hush up the murders, Bruno strikes out on his own to figure out who is behind them.

Bruno is a great character for historical fiction, as he has to balance his intellectual curiosity with his personal ethics and his own brand of faith. That tension is always at hand in the book, as Bruno has to fight off the English who see him as a tool of the Vatican and the secret Catholics who consider him a traitor. His interest in truth - both with the murder and with greater questions - regularly leads him into trouble, and he knows that, but he also knows that he can't settle for less.

I really hope this turns into a series of some sort. The characters and time period certainly give plenty of material to work from, if nothing else. Worth a look, certainly.

2010-12-02T17:19:00.000-05:00

So while the Internets are blowing up over Qatar being tapped to host the 2022 World Cup, let's take a second to look at three reasons why this might not be a bad idea:

1. Money. Qatar has pledged to spend over $50 billion dollars to prepare the country for the event, which is a good thing given that they do not at present have anything close to the infrastructure necessary to host the tournament. And that money is more or less guaranteed, as the country's economy is based on oil and natural gas (neither of which seem poised for a drop in price any time soon) and its ruling family clearly has the will to run the thing, as they've made international sports a focus (they're hosting the Asian Cup in 2011 and hosted a WTA event for much of the previous decade).

2. Regional and international goodwill. This was apparently a large part of the Qatari presentation to FIFA. They pitched the hosting as a way to bring the wider world and the Middle East together, to help dispel stereotypes and serve as a bridge to better understanding. It also helps that Qatar is, by local standards, moderate. And, once the tournament is over, Qatar says it will disassemble the stadia they've built for it and send them to developing nations. Who, I'm sure, will have the resources necessary to run the under-field air condition systems.

3. Better viewing hours. Qatar offers the best viewing experience for Europe, with the bulk of the continent only being two hours earlier. It's also, theoretically, going to be a better experience for those of us in the Americas, or at least better than what we went through when South Korea and Japan co-hosted. An 8 pm start in Doha airs on the East Coast at noon, which isn't too bad. And you have to figure that there are going to be plenty of 8 pm starts.

Of course, there are also three (at least) reasons why this is a terrible idea:

1. Lack of almost everything besides money. It's a good thing that Qatar has 12 years to prepare for the Cup, as they have to build all but one of the stadia needed for it, and probably invent some technology to help handle local conditions as well. They're also short on hotels, decent local soccer leagues and international success. The national team is currently ranked 113th in the world, nestled between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Thailand, two countries that aren't that much less prepared to host the World Cup at this point than Qatar.

2. Mother Nature. The average high temperature for Qatar in June is 106 degrees. In July? 115. The average lows don't drop below 80. One description of the summers there mention alternating periods of dryness and humidity. Don't know how humid it gets, but one of those average June days with 50 percent humidity feels like 137 degrees. I don't think they'll be dumb enough to schedule games at the height of the day, but you get a sense of what players and fans will be up against.

And then there's also the chance of dust storms and the general lack of drinking water to worry about. Hopefully the winds stay down and the desalinization plants stay up.

3. Tough neighborhood. For all the feel good Kumbaya talk, the Middle East is still, with reason, considered a difficult place for outsiders. The laws are restrictive, customs are significantly different, and there is a not insignificant percentage of people who want to kill you if you pray less than five times a day and drink the occasional beer. As much as Qatar is comfortable with the west, hosting this event does present a juicy target to those who are not so comfortable with the west.

And what if Israel qualifies for the tournament? It's not inconceivable. They are currently 55th in the world rankings, which is among the lower-ranked teams in Europe, they've been putting together mid-table finishes in qualifying events. Some better talent and a favorable group and we could have an interesting situation on our hands. Qatar is cozy with Hamas and Iran, and cut ties with Israel over the Gaza conflict. A lot can change in 12 years... except when Israel is involved.

If nothing else, the 2022 World Cup will not lack for storylines.

2010-12-01T17:34:00.000-05:00

Book Log 2010 #51: Beautiful Assassin by Michael White

A Russian sniper who kills to avenge those she's lost to the Nazis is plucked off the front lines and put into the murky world of espionage in this wartime thriller.

The assassin (who I keep picturing as Rachel Weisz in Enemy at the Gates) possesses a combination of physical beauty, Nazi-killing acumen, and devotion to the cause to make her a perfect propaganda tool, which the Soviet state exploits first by using her as a rallying figure for the Red Army, and secondly by sending her to a student conference in the US with an eye towards using her to spy on various figures, most notably Eleanor Roosevelt. Confusing matters is a burgeoning romance with the Air Force interpreter assigned to her.

I like that the book keeps the main character's spy work at a fairly appropriate level. While she has to deliver a couple of envelopes, and is pressured greatly to provide information gleaned from (and about) the First Lady, she's never put into the deep end of the pool, which many books in this genre would do to artificially build tension. It's not a perfect book - the main character seems almost clinically dense regarding espionage - it does provide an interesting glimpse into how wartime allies were already looking ahead to their inevitable clash, and how each willingly used individual lives to further national goals.

2010-11-28T23:54:00.000-05:00

Book Log 2010 #50: Cheesemonger by Gordon Edgar

When the focus of this book is on cheese or on the store where the author works, it's prety good. It gives a good sense of how he got his cheese education, and how he matured into someone whose passion for the product is tempered by the needs of running a department in a larger store. It's also a good look into a worker-owned grocery store in an urban environment (San Francisco), which is something most people never really experience, either as a worker or as a shopper.

I think the book works less well when it gets political, as the author frequently references his younger days when he was into punk music and activism. It's not that these topics have no place in the book, as those experiences led him to want to work in his particular store, and his personality clearly colors his experiences with cheese (from consumer to buyer to seller). It's just that there are some places where the political talk dominates, and even though it's attempted to tie it in using a cheese metaphor (there's one chapter where he compares his activist work to rennet, a coagulant that helps separate out curds from whey) it doesn't work for me.

There are also cheese recommendations at the end of every chapter, either cheeses discussed in the chapter or ones that are related to the subject matter, which is a nice bonus.

Overall, it's sufficiently different from other food books to be worth a look.

2010-11-18T13:50:00.001-05:00

Book Log 2010 #49: The Eastern Stars by Mark Kurlansky

The town of San Pedro de Macorís in the Dominican Republic may be the worldwide per capita leader in creating major league baseball players, as they've sent 76 young men to the majors, with countless more in the minors. Why this is so is the central question of this book.

Kurlansky identifies several factors, including the area's general poverty, its reliance on the fickle sugar industry, the influx of people from outside the DR to work in sugar, the will of the dictator Trujillo to use baseball to consolidate his power, and the operation of "academies" by several major league teams looking to develop new talent on the cheap.

It should be an interesting read, given Kurlansky's ability to turn the mundane into the fascinating, but it's not. Things get too muddied between talking about the country, baseball (which Kurlansky almost always describes as if the reader knew of baseball as a concept but not as a sport), food, and other asides. The whole winds up being less than the sum of its parts, which is unfortunate.

There are a variety of books out there about Dominicans and baseball. It'd probably be better to start with one of those.

2010-11-18T13:16:00.004-05:00

Two thoughts on Donald Trump running for President:

1. Will his hair have its own Secret Service protection and code name?

2. If elected, will he make Carolyn Kepcher Chief of Staff? And if so, can we get her some live CSPAN time so we can watch her smack down various undersecretaries? I know she doesn't work for Trump anymore, but this is the only possible reason I'd have for voting for the man. That and watching him turn the White House into a 118 story tower covered in glass and gold-toned accents.

2010-11-10T13:41:00.000-05:00

Book Log 2010 #48: The Monuments Men by Robert Edsel

Recent news about a cache of sculptures unearthed in Berlin decades after the Nazis seized them for being "degenerate" is a reminder that, on top of all their other, more obvious crimes, the Nazis also stole a staggering amount of art, ranging from the official state organ that relocated works from all over Europe to the individual greed of high ranking party members (most notably Hermann Goering).

This book recounts how a handful of US and British soldiers were charged with the protection and recovery of Europe's cultural treasures. Getting little to no logistical support, these men put in long hours over the months and years of their service to protect what was still in place and find that which the Nazis had moved back into Germany (or former German territory).

The book focuses on France and Germany, leaving Italy for a future book. That's probably for the best, given the number of people involved and the scope of art that went missing during the war. The book follows a couple of major pieces specially, tying the hunt for them into the larger story of the Monument Men. This includes a healthy dose of biography and letters to loved ones at home, giving the Men greater depth and underscoring that they had a personal stake in the success of their mission, given that all of them were art or design professionals in their civilian lives.

The book does touch on works that are still missing, but generally in passing and in the context of what was recovered. I would have found a little more discussion on the missing pieces interesting.

Still, it's a very interesting book about a facet of World War II that isn't that well known (at least in the details), and it reads pretty smoothly, not getting bogged down in too much military or artistic detail. I'm looking forward to the companion piece on Italy.

2010-11-01T00:52:00.000-04:00

With the silly season of midterm elections drawing to a close, time to hand out some endorsements.

Governor While there are four candidates in the race, it's a two person fight between incumbent Deval Patrick (D) and former Harvard Pilgrim CEO Charlie Baker (R). Baker's followed the GOP playbook for these elections, blaming the incumbent for not solving the economic mess and touting his plan, which as far as I can tell is the usual cut taxes to spur job growth line.

And with people as apparently pissed as they are, it should be working for Baker. But it's not, at least to the extent he wants. The recession, as bad as it's been, has not hit Massachusetts as hard as other states. There's been some talk that we're getting out of the recession earlier than other states as well. This sort of talk makes the economic angle harder to sell, as it becomes more nuanced, and there's nothing less capable of discussing nuance than someone running for office. It doesn't help that Baker's public demeanor can be charitably described as flippant. He's trying to improve his image, but it may be too late.

Patrick hasn't exactly showered himself in glory over his four years, and whatever case he makes for his role in the recovery gets overshadowed by the tax hikes, most notably the sales tax increase to 6.25%, which are not popular. Patrick's ads are marginally less annoying, as he keeps it mostly positive. He just comes off as a little too earnest. I won't even get into the third party ads, which are awful. Thanks again, Citizens United.

For those finding neither of these guys to their liking there's the independent, Tim Cahill, and Green-Rainbow regular Jill Stein. Cahill, the state treasurer, broke from the Democratic party, apparently over tax hikes, though it wasn't hard to read that an indepdendent may do well this cycle. Of course, Cahill has never been able to capitalize, as he's never found a consistent message. It didn't help when his running mate defected and backed Baker, or when some of his strategists did the same thing, leading to a lawsuit. Cahill's numbers are now in the single digits.

Stein, for her part, continues to do what she's done in all of her campaigns: speak consistently (if occasionally buzzwordily) about the issues and policies that impact the most vulnerable Massachusetts residents. She's also not run any TV ads that I've seen, which is a nice change from the wall to wall crapfest we've had for the last couple of weeks. Which is why Blogalicious endorses Jill Stein for governor.

Treasurer - The race here pits long-time Democratic fundraiser Steve Grossman against Republican state representative Karyn Polito. Polito has run most of the ads, again stressing the lower taxes more jobs mantra. She's also made a point of noting she's against politicians receiving pensions, which is the sort of issue that gets talk radio all hot and bothered but isn't something you'd gain widespread traction with, even with the need for pension reform.

The only thing I can think of for Grossman is that he wants to put the state's checkbook online. It's a nice move for transparency, but isn't much to go on.

A late-breaking story about Polito's role in getting low numbered Red Sox/Jimmy Fund license plates to her family, friends and other associates is finding a little traction, but it's hard to tell how big a deal this is. It hurts Polito's attempt to paint herself as a reformer and watchdog (which she stressed in an ad where she appears with a Great Dane, who had better line delivery), but it's also the sort of issue that has become more or less expected from people in state government. So it just could be more white noise.

Grossman, meanwhile, is a long-time back room guy for the Democrats, and is a former chair of the DNC. That's going to leave a number of people cold, but I suppose better the devil you know. Blogalicious endorses Steve Grossman for Treasurer.

Auditor - the last of the competitive state-wide races features female candidates for both major parties, with former state secretary of labor Suzanne Bump (D) takes on former Turnpike Authority board member Mary Z. Connaughton (R). This is the first time in a statewide race that the major party candidates are women, which drags the political culture here well into the 1970s.

(There is a third candidate, physics professor Ned Fortune (G-R), who will be luck to get more than 200 votes.)

The mini-scandal here is that Bump has been getting tax breaks on a "primary" residence in Great Barrington and a "principal" residence in Boston. She claimed that she checked on this beforehand and was told it was OK, but it turns out that might not be the case (she got her advice on the Boston house from an aide to the tax assessor rather than the assessor himself). As this is likely the only thing the average voter will have heard about the auditor's race, it's not going to help Bump.

Also not helping: Connaughton is an actual financial professional. Probably doesn't hurt to have an auditor who has actually performed an audit. Which is why Blogalicious endorses Mary Z. Connaoughton for auditor.

Attorney General - Incumbent Martha Coakley (D) is not a comfortable candidate. She proved that in spades in her incredibly inept run for the US Senate, and has made small strides in this race, in that she is actually out meeting the public (if only in a somewhat awkward fashion).

Luckily for Coakley, her opponent, James McKenna (R), is an even worse candidate. He doesn't appear to be all that well prepared, and his public appearances are often painful to watch. He won the nomination via a write-in campaign (the Republicans had no official candidates in their primary), and you get the sense watching him why the party didn't solicit him to run.

Coakley, for all of her campaigning faults, is a reasonably good AG, so Blogalicious endorses Martha Coakley for attorney general.

Secretary of State - Incumbent Bill Galvin (D) is running against William Campbell (R) and James Henderson (I). Interesting fact: Galvin won re-election in 2006 by beating Jill Stein, who garnered just over 18 percent of the vote. I imagine the two opponents in this race will fare better, but not by much. For no good reason other than entropy, Blogalicious endorses Bill Galvin for secretary of state.

OK, let's power through the rest of the ballot.

Ballot Questions - Question 1 would restore the sales tax exemption for alcohol, which is an issue I don't care about greatly as I rarely buy alcohol anymore. Still, I'll throw a bone to the retailers along the New Hampshire line and endorse a Yes vote on Question 1.

Question 2 would repeal the state law requiring affordable housing construction as part of larger developments. There is a flaw to the current law, but a wholesale repeal isn't the way to fix it. All of the governor's candidates are against the repeal, marking the one thing they all agree on. A no brainer - No on Question 2.

Question 3 would roll the state sales tax back to 3 percent. No one's really psyched about the hike that took it from 5 to 6.25 percent, but there's been little talk from the folks in favor of the question on how we could forego the 2 to 3 billion in revenue that we'd lose with the rollback. There's been vauge talk of eliminating waste and sweetheart jobs, which isn't enough. Blogalicious thus endorses a No vote on Question 3.

US House - interesting race in the 6th district, as incumbent John Tierney (D) takes on Bill Hudak (R). Tierney is fighting to get clear of his wife's involvement in money laundering, which claims he was unaware of. I can kind of see this, as I go home to my wife every day and have no idea how she does the finances. Still, in this climate, it's enough of an issue to drive voters to your opponent.

Unless you don't want to vote for an opponent who had a lawn sign that put Obama's face on bin Laden's body, or who has given aid and comfort to the birther crowd. Hudak's done both, which is enough to keep me away. Sadly, there's no third party candidate, so hoping there's no future indictments, Blogalcious endorses John Tierney for US House, MA-6.

State House - the 6th Essex district sees two newcomers, with Jared Parisella (D) up against Brett Schetzsle (R). I tend to think the biggest problem on Beacon Hill is that the legislature is 90 percent from one party. That puts an awful lot of power into the hands of the Speaker of the House, and given the string of them who've been indicted I'm not comfortable in having power concentrated in that office.

More diversity would help spread the power around, which is why Blogalicious endorses Brett Schetzsle for the Massachusetts House, 6th Essex district.

State Senate - And now I'm going to be a total hypocrite, as Blogalicious endorses Fred Berry for the State Senate, 2nd Essex district. Berry, the incumbent Democrat, does have Republican and independent opponents in Richard Jolitz and Matthew Fraser, respectively, but knowing nothing about them I figure stick with the person I know.

The rest - both Governor's Council and District Attorney have people running unopposed, so Blogalicious endorses writing someone in in both races. For Sheriff, Blogalicious endorses Damian Anketell, mostly because I met him when he was collecting signatures and seemed like a nice guy. I don't know if that'll be enough to unseat the Republican incumbent, Richard Cousins, but it's something, I suppose.

2010-10-20T17:23:00.000-04:00

Book Log 2010 #47: The Kingdom of Ohio by Matthew Flaming

A man moves to New York after being raised out West, and as he tries to adjust to his new life digging the tunnels for the New York subway he meets a woman who claims that she is the daughter of the King of Ohio, a country formed by a French nobleman who saw that the coming revolution in his own country would cost him his position.

What comes of this is an intriguing mix of history and science fiction, as the duo try to put together what's actually happened while meeting with (and trying to avoid, at times) figures like Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison and J. P. Morgan.

The book is actually partially set in the present day, as an older man with a vested interest in the story tells about his life and work to gather information on the kingdom. It doesn't take long to sort out how the parts are connected, though the modern sections are fairly coy about it for a while.

It's not quite an alternative history, and it doesn't quite lie squarely in the historical fiction or sci-fi camps, either, but it's a good read if you don't mind a little genre-bending.

2010-10-14T00:38:00.000-04:00

Book Log 2010 #46: Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner

I'm pretty sure I'm the last person in America to read this book, which was all the rage when it came out in 2005. Its chapters look at various issues with the idea that decisions people make on them are guided by whatever gives the maximum incentive to act (for example, what incentives exists that would lead to teachers cheating to improve the standardized test scores of their students). For all issues, Levitt (a University of Chicago economist) looks to ask the right question and then use data rather than theory to find answers.

As someone who has bailed out of several books that try to explain economics to laypeople, I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised by the approach taken here. Levitt's method makes more sense to me than the usual onslaught of curves, as I think using quantitative data leads to results that, while unexpected, have a foundation in the real world. Having Dubner, a journalist for the New York Times, as a co-author helps to make the prose that much more approachable.

There is controversy here - one chapter delves into the question of a relationship between legalized abortion and crime - and the approach may strike some with a better grip of economics as being too popular. But for me, this is easily the most approachable book on economics that I've ever read. I expect to get around to SuperFreakonomics much sooner than I did the original.

2010-09-30T23:26:00.002-04:00

Book Log 2010 #45: Conspirata by Robert Harris

The second book in his series featuring Roman orator and politician Cicero, it picks up at the start of the consulship Cicero won at the end of the first book. The joy of gaining the position is quickly dashed when a ritual murder leads to the uncovering of a plot that puts both Cicero and Rome in peril. How Cicero deals with the plot colors the rest of the book, which covers a span of five years (his one year consulship and four years following).

Harris does a great job of showing the precarious nature of Cicero's existence at this point, as he aligns with the patricians who don't really accept him against the populists whose quest for ultimate control offends his belief in a republican Rome. We also see how individual decisions can completely change one person's life, as Cicero faces increasingly realistic threats to his life based on those choices.

Balancing it all are the glimpses of Cicero's home life, his cool but absolutely critical marriage, his love for his children, and the dependence he has on his slave Tiro, who is the narrator. This adds emotion and depth to what, in lesser hands, could wind up as an average historical thriller.

It's been four years since the first book in the series came out, which was way too long (he interruped writing this one to write The Ghost, which didn't really justify the delay). Thankfully, the final book will be out next year. If Romans and/or political intrigue are your thing, read this series.

2010-09-29T00:04:00.000-04:00

Book Log 2010 #44: Resurrection by Jim Dent

Notre Dame defined college football success in the 1940s, producing four national titles under coach Frank Leahy. The only problem, from the school's point of view, is that the team became bigger than the school. The players - and their head coach - were national celebrities, and consorted with the types of people not generally approved of by stern clerics trying to mold young Catholic men in deepest Indiana. Thus, when a new president was named in 1952 he led the charge to de-emphasize football. This opened a bleak decade of football, when incompetent coaches led ill-prepared teams to few wins.

While this was going on, a young coach named Ara Parseghian was leading a football revival at Northwestern, then as now not considered a powerhouse. He led the team to 36 wins in his eight seasons, including four straight wins over Notre Dame. Even with his success, Parseghian was squeezed out in 1963, and Notre Dame saw an opportunity to get back to winning with a coach used to working at a school with a strong academic focus.

This is the set-up for this book, which takes us through the down period of the '50s and into Parseghian's inaugural season in 1964. We get a great deal of recollections from Parseghian, his assistants, Notre Dame staff and alumni, and from players who were reborn when Parseghian took the helm. We then go through the '64 season game by game. You can guess based on the title how things went.

There's a lot to like about this book (unless you're a Notre Dame hater, in which case you'd never pick this up, would you?), especially in seeing how Parseghian ticked. There was much to his personality that feels similar to what we get from current coaches, from round the clock work during the season to tightly planned practices to his handling of the media. It's also interesting to see how Parseghian dealt with two prejudices that seem quaint by today's standards - his not being of the Notre Dame family and not being Catholic.

It's not all wonderful - the writing gets a little hokey for me at times - but Dent's familiarity with college football, especially of the period, comes through clearly (he also wrote The Junction Boys about one particularly hellish summer training camp that Bear Bryant held when he was coaching Texas A&M).

Clearly one to read for college football fans who aren't ND haters. Though I suppose the haters could read the early parts about the team's down years and then stop once Parseghian is hired.

2010-09-28T00:01:00.000-04:00

Book Log 2010 #43: Mint Condition by Dave Jamieson

Great book about baseball cards and collecting, giving a good history of the giveaway (and its place alongside other cards and novelties), with stops along the way to meet collectors, printers, artists, independent graders, and other people who populate - and potentially ruined - the pastime. There are also a few forays into non-baseball cards, with the most entertaining tangents looking at a gruesome set of Civil War cards and "counterculture" sets like Mars Attacks! and Wacky Packages.

The one thing I would have liked more of is the one thing that most books like this overdo - personal input from the author about his collection. His taking repossession of his cards from his parents frames the start of the book, and he does write personally about cards throughout, but I would have liked more, or perhaps more concentrated doses at appropriate points. Still, it's a very minor quibble. Very much recommended.

2010-09-24T16:49:00.000-04:00

Book Log 2010 #42: The King's Best Highway by Eric Jaffe

From native footpath to blueprint for highways, the history of the Boston Post Road (which ran from Boston to New York using both inland an coastal routes) is retold here in great detail. Not surprisingly, the history of the road is a history of American transportation in microcosm, developing into a more modern road before becoming the template for new rails and roads. The book follows a similar path, as the book becomes less about the road as the American transportation system becomes less and less reliant on it. I also tended to find the book got less interesting as this happened, either through greater familiarity with the more recent history or by comparison with the really interesting early days of the road.

Still, there's a good deal here to recommend itself to anyone interested in colonial/early US history or transportation. My only quibble with the book's writing is the continued use of "the Bay" as a shorthand reference to Boston and the Boston area. I've lived in Boston or the Boston area all my life and have never heard anyone here use "the Bay" as an offhanded reference to the city or the region. Outside of that annoyance, though, I enjoyed the book quite a bit.

2010-09-24T00:17:00.000-04:00

Book Log 2010 #41: Yellow Blue Tibia by Adam Roberts

In the post-WWII Soviet Union, Stalin brings together a group of science fiction writers to create an alien menace that can be used to give the Soviet people a common enemy when the decadent and corrupt United States inevitably falls by the wayside. The group gets to work, but several months in are told to stop working, go home, and not mention anything about this assignment to anyone. Ever. Or else.

Jump ahead about 40 years, and one of those writers finds himself being drawn in by both a group of UFO believers and another of the writers (now in the KGB) with the suggestion that the alien menace created for Stalin is actually coming to pass.

What follows is an interesting, and often humorous, story about aliens, the crumbling Soviet Union, the nature of space and time, and one man's longshot at redemption and love (the title is a reference to a group of English words that, when said together, sounds like the Russian for "I love you."). I was very pleased with how the book delivered on its unusual plot, and would recommend it, at least to other sci-fi dilletantes like myself.

2010-09-16T23:46:00.000-04:00

Book Log 2010 #40: The Lunatic Express by Carl Hoffman

While Hoffman often travels for his work as a journalist, he decided to take one long trip around the globe on his own to experience the most dangerous forms of transportation, from ferry lines known to have boats sink due to overcrowding to dodgy airlines to unpaved mountain roads where one mistake would send an entire bus careening off a cliff. There was also danger in many locations due to crime and political instability, where being an American abroad could lead to kidnapping or murder.

But as Hoffman makes his way around the globe, he discovers two things. First, as questionable as these forms of transport are, they most often get to where they need to go, allowing people - many living on the fringes, making little money - to take necessary trips to find work or sell goods. The other thing he discovers is that even for people living a hand to mouth existance, there's a warm humanity that bridges gaps and allows for a level of understanding that's impossible on a macro level. Granted, not everyone is that friendly, but there's a connection Hoffman gets with people on his voyage that never quite occurs when traveling domestically in the US.

With travel writing I always mentally compare writers with Paul Theroux, given that I've read most (if not all) of his stuff. There's some similarity here in that both authors make strong connections with locals (natives and expats), and both take their journeys in the shadow of problems with the wife. Hoffman seems a little less willing to take a risk than young Theroux when it comes to seeing the country and how people live, but he makes up for it by being less negative about people.

I did like the book, but I admit that towards the end I may have been looking forward to the conclusion at least as much as Hoffman, as I thought the end dragged a bit. Still, very solid read.

2010-09-16T23:25:00.000-04:00

Book Log 2010 #39: It Was Never About the Babe by Jerry Gutlon

The idea that the Red Sox went 86 years without winning a World Series due to a curse put upon the team when they sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees is, of course, ridiculous. But it was an easy and appealing way to explain nearly nine decades of futility, especially in the hands of local sports writers.

Gutlon's book aims to show how the failures of the Red Sox sprouted from actual mismanagement, from the financial problems of early owners through Tom Yawkey's racism and the poor decision making of those who followed (up until the current owners, at least). It's a good topic, one that's been broached but worthy of deeper examination.

But I don't know if this book does the subject justice, as I wound up bailing on the book. It felt rushed, like it needed one more good going over by the author and editor but got sent out to print instead. It's more an issue of mechanics than content. Not to mention the typesetting looked like it was straight out of MS Word. I swear it was set in 12 point Times New Roman with a one inch margin.

Still, if the subject is of interest I'd say pick it up. If it works for you, so much the better.

2010-09-16T23:07:00.000-04:00

Book Log 2010 #38: The Italian Secretary by Caleb Carr

Written with the blessing of the Arthur Conan Doyle estate, this is a new adventure of Sherlock Holmes. Two men working on renovations to Holyrood House, a royal residence in Scotland, are killed, and Holmes and Watson are called in to investigate. Their investigation takes a turn for the supernatural when some locals ascribe the killings to the ghost of one of Queen Mary's retinue, the Italian secretary of the title.

It's been some time since I've read any of the Holmes stories, but based on my memories I think this addition holds up relatively well to the originals (moreso than Michael Chabon's The Final Solution, which wasn't bad but was too non-traditional for me). I suppose the real question is if it compares well to the other book-length stories, which I've not read in a good 20 years, so I won't make that call. But I did enjoy the book, for the most part, which I suppose is what matters.

One thing this book does do is make me wonder when (or if) we'll get a new book from Carr using the characters from The Alienist.

2010-09-16T00:15:00.002-04:00

Book Log 2010 #37: Union Atlantic by Adam Haslett

The conflict between a financial titan and a retired teacher over the construction of a gigantic house on what was public land (donated by the teacher's family) supposedly forms the main plot of this book. But its really more of story about our transition from post-9/11 paranoia to financial crisis, as main character Doug Fanning takes us from the Gulf (he was serving on the USS Vincennes when it shot down an Iranian civilian airliner) to a bank he built into a major financial services company by means that aren't always legal.

Fanning's life unravels as the book moves along, as he gets sued over his house, encounters a major problem at work, and enters an ill-advised physical relationship with a teenaged boy. It doesn't help that the teacher's brother is the chairman of the New York Fed, and that a friend of the teenaged boy is Fanning's boss.

I don't buy that much interconnection, and I think that was the foundation of a general discomfort I had with the book. The story line involving the house didn't do much for me, either on its face or metaphorically. I much prefered the similar conflict that was the basis for a book involving a bridge that was set locally (I could swear that I mentioned it here, but I can't fid the post).

It could be that I was permanently put off by the over the top praise for the book on the inside flap of its dust jacket. I quote: "Prescient, ambitious and irrestably complex, Union Atlantic is a deeply affecting portrait of the modern gilded age - the first decade of the 21st century. It is a singular work of fiction that is sure to be read and re-read as a classic of the times." There's almost no way the book could live up to that statement, and as it predictably failed to do so I think I felt more negative about the book than I would have otherwise.

2010-09-14T00:14:00.000-04:00

Book Log 2010 #36: The Kings of New York by Michael Weinreb

Stefan Fatsis' Word Freak set the standard for a new genre of non-fiction, where writers delve into a subculture focused on a specific game or pastime and examine on set of (usually very good) practicioners to show the depths of their particular obsession.

(OK, this may not be an actual genre, but it does seem like more of these books showed up after Word Freak. Maybe I'm just more aware of them.)

Anyway, this book takes a year to follow the chess team at Edward R. Murrow High School in New York, a group of multi-ethnic oddballs whose focus on chess is fostered by the school's open approach to learning, nurtured by city programs such as the one the brings chess into elementary schools, and guided by a coach whose interest in the game and the students eclipses his own skills.

As with many of the books, the actual events of the season pale against the personalities of the players and their interactions. For example, the growing feud between the team's top two players brings an interesting subplot, one often seen in sports that never gets considered in more intellectual pursuits. That they both seem to feel that the school team is increasingly beneath their talents turns up the tension.

There's a fine line between writing about teenagers making a serious pursuit and exploiting the kids to get good copy from their idiosyncracies, but the line is traveled well here. The result is a great balance between the "year in the life" aspect of the story - will they win another national title? - and the conflicts within each player regarding their love for the game, its impact on their academics and personal lives, and relationships with teammates, teachers and family. And, from a technical standpoint, you really don't have to know how to play chess to follow the story, as explanations are made quite clearly as needed. Very much worth a read.