Book Review

[sir archely]

all fantasy reviews should now be placed in the Fantasy Catalogue - Reviews. Thank you.

[sir archely]

Enough by Bill McKibben

Publisher: Times Books; Henry Holt and Company, 2003
Pages: 227 (+notes and index)
Genre: Journalistic - On Technology - Genetic Engineering, AI, and others.
Price on cover: $25.00 (US) (hardcover)

We are on the verge of crossing a line--from born to made, from created to built. Sometime in the next few years, a scientist will reprogram a human egg or sperm cell, spawning a genetic change that will be passed down into eternity. We are sleepwalking toward the future, and it's time to open our eyes...[snip]
...[Enough] confronts the most basic questions that our technological society faces: Will we ever decide that we've grown powerful enough? Can we draw a line and say this far and no further?
McKibben answers yes, and argues that only by staying human can we find true meaning in our lives. A warning against the gravest dangers humans have ever faced, this wise and eloquent book is also a passionate defense of the world we were born into, and a celebration of our ability to say, "Enough."

I had to read this book for my seminar class that's discussing artificial intelligence and genetic engineering. I'm quite glad I did, it was extremely informational. Setting aside the sustained argument McKibben is trying to make for a second, this book is full of startling, and current, information about the state of technology today. Some of the tidbits he has dug up will probably shock you to hear about. It's amazing, really, how much has been done behind closed doors and without media circuses. (Anyone want a glow-in-the-dark rabbit?)

However, besides just reporting, McKibben is also trying to build a case against going forward with technologies that we are just now starting to grasp. Nanotechnology, cloning, genetic engineering of humans, AI...McKibben sees these as perhaps the greatest threats to humans...ever. His view is that humanity needs to 'mature' in its technology, and learn to say when we've gone, or are going, too far. Some of the individual arguments he makes against certain things work well, i'll give him that. As a sustained argument, however, it's my feeling that it leaves something to be desired. McKibben certainly gives us reason to avoid certain technologies, but he definitely doesn't succeed in saying that we should stop all of these things and go with what we have.

His argument is, for the most part, based on specific examples of where things have gone bad. As an argument strategy, this isn't usually very successful. As a journalistic report, it's great. As an argument, it's simply weak. He can give us examples as to when golden rice hasn't helped in the past, but that certainly doesn't mean the technology is useless, or dangerous, just that it didn't work in that situation.

All in all, i'd say it's a good read. I enjoyed it, the level of reporting is very high, and you can tell McKibben has done his homework. The extensive notes give great sources in case you want to check out something in further detail. However, I don't think McKibben is successful in his goal. While he makes some good points, parts of his argument are weak, and he fails to tie it all together. Interesting read, got me thinking about different issues.

I'd recommend it, especially if you have an interest in the type of technology i've mentioned, or if you just are curious about it and want to maybe have an entry crash course on what's going on right now.

Also by Bill McKibben:
The End of Nature
The Age of Missing Information
Maybe One
Long Distance: A Year of Living Strenuously
The Comforting Whirlwind
Hundred Dollar Holiday
Hope, Human and Wild

[Anita Blake]

I don't have the book on-hand, so bear with me as I try to sum it up.

This is a book that I recently had the privelege of getting signed by the author last weekend. And thusly i begin my review.

For those who don't already know (where are you, under a brick somewhere?!) Michael Moore is the Oscar-winning director of the documentary Bowling For Columbine (about the culture of fear in the USA), the acclaimed director of documentary Roger & Me (about GM firing half of Moore's hometown Flint, Michigan), and the driving force behind the TV series The Awful Truth, a docu-style show that tried to change the world by attacking big corporations who do their utmost to turn a profit whatever the cost. He recently wrote a new book called Dude, Where's My Country. The reason I really do have to go into such background on Moore himself is that the book is really more like a 1st person letter from Moore to the people of the USA.

Moore is an American, and he loves his country. What he doesn't love is fat cats bilking honest, hard-working citizens for all they are worth just so the rich guys can go yachting all summer. What he also doesn't love is George W. Bush.

Stupid White Men was orginally supposed to be released in mid September, 2001. It was very nearly shelved after 9/11, primarily because it actively criticizes the Bush administration, belittles the president, and generally badmouths the regime in control of the USA. Thankfully, this book was released (a small, fanfare-free release to be sure) and was quickly bought up by the thousands. It has consistently been on the bestseller list since then. Currently, Moore's new book is #1 in Canada, and Stupid White Men is #2, to give you an idea of the staying power and impact of this book.

Stupid White Men chronicles humorously, insightfully, and factually, exactly how George W. Bush stole the election in 2000. I say factually, because all his facts are cited, this is not a work of fiction. In some ways, the book is a personal crusade against Bush the Lesser, as Moore often calls him. It's almost as if Bush and Moore went to school together, and Bush was a bully, and Moore is only now fighting back. It's almost that personal. Moore quite simply, detests Bush. He despises all that the man stands for. He speaks loudly and proudly against the unelected president.

He speaks against the culture that America has been growing against African-Americans and other non-whites. He claims that everything that is wrong in America today can be laid at the feet of Stupid White Men. Corporate CEOs who simply don't care about their employees, who put profit before people without realizing that people ARE profit.

Moore is for health-care. He's for a higher minimum wage. He's for daycare's in the workplace. In short, it's like he's a Canadian in hiding.

As harsh as his criticism is of the Republican party, he is equally as critical of the Democratic party, putting forth his case for why the Democrats are really just Republicans with no spine. He tells us that as bad as W. seems, Clinton was in fact worse, just more charming, and clever enough to set things up for Bush to look like a baddy. He calls Al Gore evil, and wonders what is wrong with a country that is forced to choose between someone who tells you a pretty lie and then stabs you in the back, or someone who tells you they'll stab you in the back and then ... stabs you in the back.

In short, this is an opinionated book full of high ideals. Some of them are feasible, some are not. The ideas are all interestingly laid out, and entertaining. Moore tackles serious, hard issues with a light sense of humour and a wry touch. I generally find political books dry, dull, and boring, but Stupid White Men gives facts mingled with opinion and good story-telling technique. Moore knows his audience: he speaks to ordinary people, he's not writing to political analysts. He's got a message to the public of America, and that's who he sends it to ... you, me, ordinary citizens who might not know anything about the state of politics in America.

The book is clearly laid out and easy to read. I don't agree necessarily with everything he says, I think he's a great person, and has great goals, but i think he's wrong-headed to a fault sometimes, but the book is an excellent, eye-opening read. However, beware: Moore is a master of manipulation, his films are deeply and aggressively manipulative, and his book is no different. The truth is all there, but sometimes you have to read between the lines of Moore's own delusions and biases.

overall,
8 out of 10

[sir archely]

anita

[Amos]

lol@canadian in hiding

[Jennifer]

While I was in Thailand, I had plenty of time to read, since I couldn't really talk to anyone. I re-read Insomnia, The Stand, and It, by Stephen King. Three of my favorite books by him, maybe because the characters are just so real to me. I have pictures of each major character in those books in my head. The kids in It remind me of some of my childhood friends.

I also read Memoirs of a Geisha, by Arthur S. Golden. I really enjoyed the story-telling style of this book. I seriously forgot that I was reading a work of fiction and not an actual true life account. The story is told from the point of view of a young Japanese girl who's father sells her and her sister to a man, who in turn sells them to a woman who trains geisha (simplified version). Mr. Golden did a great job of telling the story from a woman's point of view, and from what I've read about this book, it is very historically accurate in regards to the actual life of a geisha.

Another one I read was She's Come Undone, by Wally Lamb. Another on another book written by a man in a woman's perspective. The girl in this book is so...human. I don't know how else to describe it. In many books you read, the main character are often not very flawed. But the girl in this book has so many flaws, and you can't help but love her for them. I was able to relate with some of the things that happened to her in this book, and the way she dealt with them was much the same way I did. It made her very real to me.

So for a little non-fantasy reading, I'd definitely suggest those two books. Normally I don't read books like these two, but a good friend of mine loaned them to me with high recommendations, so I went ahead and humored her. I'm glad I did.

[sir archely]

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

Publisher: Doubleday; (2003)
Pages: 454 Hardcover
Genre: Fiction - "Suspense - Mystery"
Price on cover: $25.00 (US) (hardcover)

I don't have the book on hand, so i won't give you the blurb from the cover.

In any case, for starters, don't listen to this book on tape, or CD. On a long drive I had with my sister, we listened to it, and, me being me, i had to read it afterwords. It was pretty much my first book on CD, and boy was it disappointing. I don't know if they do this with all, but I found out, to my horror, that many small parts were cut from the CDs. Nothing like butchering up a book for the sake of some other media to get my ire up. (Abridged... ~cringe~) Not to mention that the guy reading it does horrible voices for women, and they plagued me throughout the read.

On to the actual book.

Regardless of the brands of suspense, and mystery for this book, i really didn't find it to be all that suspenseful or mysterious. The puzzles are fairly easy to figure out, and frankly, the identity of the "teacher" is far too easy to figure out. One thing i hate about Dan Brown's writing is the "romance" aspect to it. It's a puny thing, underdeveloped, and he would be better to either leave it out entirely, or devote some time to it. Ugh. Looking at it purely as a novel, i don't think it's all that great at all. Plot is definitely stretched to breaking at some points, the riddles aren't challenging, and there's almost no suspense.

The somewhat redeeming factor of this book is the content of the story. Dan Brown, it seems to me, is clearly writing around the material he wants to present, not including the material in a story. This is rather interesting, but people would do well to remember that this is a novel, a work of fiction. While things about it are true (as in many novels) it doesn't come close to being an academic work or a reference book. It should not be thought of as such. Dan Brown uses this story to bring up some interesting topics, but he does not analyze them or give you the whole story by any means. At best, i can hope this book will be used as a launching point to delve further into real research about the things he brings up. Unfortunately, I don't think that's how it's being treated by people in general.

I'd say it's worth a read, but it comes nowhere close to living up to all this hype about it. And if you don't care about the topics, there are much better novels to find.

Edit: One thing i forgot to mention. I think this will probably be a good movie. It seems more like a written movie adaptation than anything that started out as a book anyway.

Also by Dan Brown:
Angels and Demons
Deception Point
Digital Fortress

[sir archely]

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown

Publisher: Doubleday; (2003)
Pages: 569 Paperback
Genre: Fiction - "Suspense - Mystery"
Price on cover: $7.99 (US) (paperback)

World-renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to a Swiss research facility to analyze a cryptic symbol seared into the chest of a murdered physicist. What he discovers is unimaginable: a deadly vendetta against the Catholic Church by a centuries-old underground organization -- the Illuminati. Desperate to save the Vatican from a powerful time bomb, Langdon joins forces in Rome with the beatiful and mysterious scientist Vittoria Vetra. Together they embark on a frantic hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and the most secretive vault on earth... the long-forgotten Illuminati lair.

So after reading The Da Vinci Code, I decided to give Dan Brown another try, and read this earlier adventure of the Robert Langdon character, which is alluded to at least once in the Da Vinci Code. My advice to anyone considering doing the same, having already read the Da Vinci Code... don't. It's a waste of time. The two are essentially the same book. And the romance in this one is even worse because if you've read the other, you already know Langdon hooks up with Vittoria and then between stories it fizzles to make way for the new love. So the pitiful romance in this one is even less effective than the other. Though, independently, they're around the same crappy level.

One difference, for me at least, was that the riddles were harder. Though, that's really only a function of them being specific to a couple things... mostly the geography of Rome, and works of Bernini... two things i'm not all that familiar with.

I will say this though, by far the best part of this book are the ambigrams, which i haven't run into before, and i thought were damn cool. If you're curious, i bet they have them pictured on whatever website dan brown's got. and i'm sure he's got one somewhere.

This one held my interest less than Da Vinci Code, only because i've never been very interested in the Illuminati theories and things. It is a fast read however, mostly due to how thin it is. By thin i don't mean few pages, just... thin. Same thing, i expect it'll make a good movie, because it's already written like one. "Bad guy" should be fairly obvious again, and the feeble attempts at twists Dan Brown tries to write just make you want to wince.

Anyway, read at your own risk.

Also by Dan Brown:
The Da Vinci Code
Deception Point
Digital Fortress

[epiph]

i thought i'd transfer my old review from wotism over...


the seven daughters of eve by bryan sykes

hardcover: 320 (also available in paperback)
publisher: w.w. norton & company
genre: non-fiction/literary non-fiction

i'm not gonna quote the back or the flap because if you really want, you can read them on amazon. ok, so this book was incredibly interesting. night before last, i stayed up all night reading. it's an account of sykes' journey to his conclusion that all modern-day europeans, or people of european descent, are descended from seven women. he tracked it through mitochondrial dna, which is passed only through the maternal line (thus the seven women, and not men).

it's divided into essentially two sections: the scientific, and the fictional. first, sykes goes through his journey, so to speak, to arrive at this conclusion of his, detailing all the projects he worked on and the little jumps of discoverty that eventually lead to his conclusion. this is the part that the book excells in and is intensely interesting. the second part is sykes' fictional account of the lives of the seven matriarchs. he obviously did a lot of research for these accounts, because he's not an archeologist, and the accounts are, heh...historically accurate, as far as i'm aware, and relatively detailed, but it's also pretty apparent that this isn't his field. while they're somewhat interesting just because i know i'm descended from one of them, sykes' gift is not fiction.

i would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys science and/or history, but i'd love for one of you genetics guys to read it and tell me what you think.

other books from bryan sykes:
The Human Inheritance: Genes, Language, and Evolution

[Anita Blake]

Smoke and Mirrors is a collection of short stories, poems, and other fictional sagas written by Neil Gaiman. Many of them are centred, as the title would imply, on illusion, the things that are and the things that aren't.

If there has ever been any shred of a doubt that Gaiman is a brilliant writer, this collection should dispel that notion rapidly. His stories are compelling, interesting, and just really damn well written. Some are wild flights of fancy, others, cautionary warnings. Death is present here. Hell too. Demons innumerable, and ordinary people living ordinary lives too.

One of the wonderful stories is early on in the book, about an old lady who buys the Holy Grail at a junk store and puts it on her mantle because it looks nice there, until Sir Galaad comes to reclaim it, and she treats him and his holy quest the way she would treat any young man who was pestering her for one of her trinkets. The writing of the tale is what makes it so wonderful, as is true of so many of Gaiman's work. It could be translated to film, but it is his words that make it beautiful.

His characters are unfailingly real, identifiable and close, and yet at the same time they are faery and fantastical. But above all, it is his use of language that enchants and draws you in.

Some stories are barely a page long, others dozens of pages, some written in iambic pentameter, some in novelistic prose. Almost all are superb. I'm running out of glowing adjectives, so i will just finish off by saying that if you havent' read this book, you should.

[Apoc]

~tiptoes in quietly~

well Anita, you certainly know how to sell a book I'll pick it up tommorrow..or when I next visit the bookshop...or...whenever...but I will pick it up.

~bows low to the book mistress~

[sir archely]

An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales by Oliver Sacks

Publisher: Vintage Books (Random House), 1995
Pages: 296 (+bibliography and index)
Genre: non-fiction, neurological 'disorders'
Price on cover: $14.00 (US) (paperback)

To these seven paradoxical tales of neurological disorder and creativity, Oliver Sacks brings the profound compassion and ceaseless curiosity that made Awakenings and The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat international bestsellers. He transports us into the uncanny worlds of his subjects, including an artist who loses his ability to see (or even imagine) color; a surgeon who performs delicate operations in spite of the compulsive tics and outbursts of Tourette's syndrome; and an autistic professor who holds a Ph.D. in animal science but is so bewildered by the complexity of human emotion that she feels "like an anthropologist on Mars."
Through these extraordinary people, Sacks explores what it is to feel, to sense, to remember--to be, ultimately, a coherent self in the world.

I picked up this book mostly because i've been wanting to read it. I enjoyed other books by Oliver Sacks very much (Awakenings, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, The Island of the Colorblind) and was eager to check this one out. I wasn't disappointed at all.

Oliver Sacks' writings are always a little questioning, a little curious of the deeper implications and meanings of what we would normally term a "dysfunction" or a "disorder." His eye seems to see things a little differently, and that comes through in his books. Although he writes like analyzing case studies, the words are still powerful and have meaning behind the technical analysis. These books can be powerful perspective altering tools, especially when dealing with a friend or loved one who has a typical "disease."

Defects, disorders, diseases, ... can play a paradoxical role, by bringout out latent powers, developments, evolutions, forms of life, that might never be seen, or even be imaginable, in their absence. It is the paradox of disease, in this sense, its "creative" potential, that forms the central theme of this book.
Thus while one may be horrified by the ravages of developmental disorder or disease, one may sometimes see them as creative too--for if they destroy particular paths, particular ways of doing things, they may force the nervous system into making other paths and ways, force on it an unexpected growth and evolution.

The premise that challenge provides growth and creation is not exactly a new one. However, Sacks' application of this idea to the neurological diseases that he discusses seems to shake up ideas of what is a disability. The case studies he takes us through provide extreme examples of this, but it is no less pertinent to nearly any case. I highly recommend this book. It's interesting even if you don't get anything else out of it.


Also by Oliver Sacks:
Seeing Voices: A Journey into the World of the Deaf
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat
A Leg to Stand On
Awakenings
Migraine