What I'm Reading

Moving On

2005-09-18T16:57:00.000-04:00

There is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven. Or at least that's how the song goes. This is the notice that this blog is moving to the emerald isle. You can find me in Ireland at “What I'm Blogging”

We're Moving HERE.

Blogger.com has been a terrific home for my blogs and I since September of 2003, however I'm thinking about trying something new. I'm also thinking about consolidating all the various different blogs I run into one, and this will let me do that.

Hope to see you at the new place.

Cheers,
Ric

Red Cross - Donate if you can

2005-09-01T05:59:00.000-04:00

American Red Cross

DONATE if you can

Collected Works of Grey Owl

2005-06-12T22:13:00.000-04:00

(Available at Amazon Canada, US and UK)

Grey Owl. The Collected Works. Prospero Books ; ISBN: 1552095908.

Started Reading: June 12^th, 2005
Finished Reading:

Men of the Last Frontier
Pilgrims of the Wild
Sajo and the Beaver People

Small Gods

2005-06-10T00:09:00.000-04:00

Pratchett, Terry. Small Gods. Corgi ; ISBN: 0552138908.
(Available at Amazon Canada, US and UK)

Started Reading: May 23^rd, 2005
Finished Reading: Friday June 10^th, 2005

Pratchett delivers yet again. In this merry romp through Discworld we explore religion and god; belief versus behaviour; truth versus fundamental truth; faith versus knowledge; eagle versus tortoise. We follow the journey of Brutha, a simple novice in the chrch of the great god Om, as he comes to grips with the reality of his faith and that things are not always what they seem. A entertainingly funny read that makes you think. Highly recommended.

P.S. The turtle moves

Death of a Charming Man

2005-05-23T17:15:00.000-04:00

Beaton, M. C. Death of a Charming Man. Warner Books ; ISBN: 0446403385.
(Available at Amazon Canada, US and UK)

Started Reading: May 16^th, 2005
Finished Reading: May 23^rd, 2005

I'm not a huge fan of mystery novels, however, I am a huge fan of Scotland in general and of the BBC series Hamish Macbeth in particular. The many novels of M.C.Beaton are the formation of the Hamish Macbeth series. The novels are slightly different than the TV shows. Many of the endearing highlanders we have come to know and love are not in the novels - TV John McIver, Lackie & Son, the McLopes clan, et al. The novels do justice to the character of Macbeth, a small town constable, irresistible to the womenfolk, who wants to avoid promotion and the big city at all costs. Unfortunately he keeps drawing attention to himself by investigating solving strange murders in and about the highlands around Lochdubh.

I enjoyed this book a great deal

Oryx and Crake

2005-05-15T22:01:00.000-04:00

Atwood, Margaret. Oryx and Crake. Seal Books ; ISBN: 0770429351.
(Available at Amazon Canada, US and UK)

Started Reading: April 3^rd, 2005
Finished Reading: May 15^th, 2005

I picked this one up on impulse. If truth be told, the thought of reading a Margaret Atwood novel was a little daunting. I was forced to read Atwood in high school. Forced to read an author I was not ready to appreciate. It left a bad taste in my mouth, and I was reluctant to read anything by Atwood again.

Well I'm glad I got over my “atwoodophobia”, because I really liked this book. It is a cautionary tale about what can go wrong if we sit back and let business and scientific elites tell us what's good for us. It is a tale of the aftermath of the unconscious society's plumet to extinction. It is a tale told with wit, humour and an understanding ofthe urges that drive us. Well worth the read.

Eats, Shoots and Leaves

2005-03-20T13:46:00.000-05:00

Truss, Lynn. 2004 Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. Gotham ; ISBN: 1592400876. (Available at Amazon Canada, US and UK)

Started Reading: March 19^th, 2005
Finished Reading:April 3^rd, 2005

This is not so much a book on punctuation, current and historical, it is rather a religious tract on the urgent need to preserve an endangered species - written english. Using wit, wisdom and a wealth of examples, Lynn Truss shows us how much richer our reading experience is for having proper punctuation. It is richer in clarity; it is richer in subtlety; it defines and refines our very thoughts.

So rise up sticklers, for this is your manifesto for the defense of the birthright of your written tongue.

Hegemony or Survival

2005-03-06T09:34:00.000-05:00

Chomsky, Noam. 2004 Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest for Global Dominance H.B. Fenn & Company ; ISBN: 0805076883
(Available at Amazon Canada and US)

Started Reading: March 5^th, 2005
Finished Reading: March 25^th, 2005

Chomsky is at it again, telling us in no uncertain terms that the emperor has no clothes. This work details how American policies are aimed towards the perpetuation of a global hegemony. Politics, diplomacy, economics are all harnessed to the goal of American supremacy. Chomsky details the development of this Pax Americana from post World War II to the present time. He goes into great depth examining how America's own actions have directly resulted in the terrorist attacks that have come back on America in recent times, and in how America only judges it's enemies against a strict assessment of terrorism, where as similar American instigated actions in Cuba, Nicarauga and elsewhere would, judged by the same criteria, be considered State Terrorism.

Not to everyone's tastes I know, but I found it a good read.

Contrast with Colossus: The Price of America's Empire by Niall Ferguson who advoates an American empire.

Lake Wobegon Days

2005-02-24T14:35:00.000-05:00

Keillor, Garrison. Lake Wobegon Days. Penguin ; ISBN: 0140131612.
(Available at Amazon Canada, US and UK)

Started Reading: February 24^th 2005
Finished Reading: March 28^th 2005

Well it's been an on again off again kind of thing with this book. I started it. I stopped. I started again, but that's OK. Like the town of Lake Wobegon, this read marches to it's own pace. There is no rush to finishing it.

I love the way Keillor creates a unique small town atmosphere where the neighbours are quirky but they genuinely care for each other. There is a rich tapestry in the unsurveyed part of Minnesota and Keillor makes us fall in love with it, and at the same time lets us get in touch with our own small town roots and feel a sense of pride again.

Microserfs

2005-01-09T16:35:00.000-05:00

Coupland. Douglas. Microserfs. HarperCollins Canada. ISBN 0006485898.
(Available at Amazon Canada, US and UK)

Started Reading: January 2nd 2005
Finished Reading: January 9th 2005
The recent birthday of Douglas Coupland and some comments exchanged with fellow bloggernaut Cedia have prompted me to start reading this book again.

What I liked about this book: I first read this book in the nineties when I was an indentured serf at IBM. It captured the hopes and dreams of the programmers working around me. We all wanted to strike out on our own, make a mint in the dot com bubble, and retire early. This book captures that feeling in a nutshell.

What I disliked about this book: The way it reminds me, through no fault of its own, that the boom went bust, and that I'm still an indentured serf for someone else. But that's my mid life crisis. The book is still a good read.

Homegrown Democrat

2005-01-09T16:20:00.000-05:00

Keillor, Garrison. 2004. Homegrown Democrat: A Few Plain Thoughts from the Heart of America. Viking. ISBN 0670033650. (Available at Amazon Canada and US )

I was hoping that someone would give me a copy of this for Christmas, however, things being what they are, economically speaking, that hope was not realized. I did manage to read the first four chapters of the book when they were available on the Prairie Home Companion website, and I instantly loved it. What's not to love? It is written with warmth, humour, compassion and conviction, in short all the things that make Keillor's writing so wonderful. What's more wonderful is that it gives one a good feeling about being liberal and progressive again.

I'm eager to read the rest. I suppose it could show up by my birthday. Here's to hope.

Home From the Vinyl Cafe

2004-12-14T21:49:00.000-05:00

McLean, Stewart. 1998. Home From the Vinyl Cafe. Penguin Canada. ISBN 0140277439. (Available at Amazon Canada, US and UK)

What I liked about this book: This is a collection of short stories organized in a seasonal pattern of Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. The stories are part of the Vinyl Cafe series that follows the often humourous lives of Dave and Morley, their daughter Stephanie, there son Sam, and countless other friends and neighbours that make up the neighbourhood. The stories are a wonderful window on urban community life in contemporary Toronto. They are warm, funny, and completely endearing. A must read.

What I diskihed about this book: I am used to the stories being read on the CBC radio program The Vinyl Cafe. There is a wonderful quality to Sturat McLean's voice that gives each of the stories a resonance that I miss when reading them in silence. There is an added power to these stories when they are heard, whether it's listening to them on the radio, or reading them aloud to a loved one, or even to yourself. So for full enjoyment, I was forced to move my lips and utter sounds. I haven't really done that since grade 3.

Future: Tense

2004-11-29T11:31:00.000-05:00

Dyer, Gwynne. 2004. Future: Tense; The Coming World Order. McClelland & Stewart Ltd. ISBN 0771029780.
(Available at Amazon Canada, and UK)

What I liked about this book:This book should be seen as a counter point to the Colossus entry. While the premise in Colossus is that America should willingly take on the mantle of empire and global policeman, Future: Tense: argues that such action is a return to large international power blocs like we had prior to the First World War. By acting unilaterally and by ridiculing established international structures, America is planting the seeds for a return to imperial power blocs.

Dyer outlines the various influences in today's political climate that are working to create a crisis in international cooperation. The Islamicists who are trying to goad the USA into a hopeless conflict like the Soviets in Afghanistan. The American Neo-Conservatives looking for a sovereign state to invade contrary to establish international law to demonstrate the policy of Pax Americana. Both groups absolute adversaries. Both groups feeding on each other, and in the failure of the international order, power blocs forming in Europe, China, and India. It's the good old, bad old days, of fingers on the buttons again.

What I disliked about this book: My inability to get Gwynne Dyer's voice out of my head while reading him. Anyone who has watched him on the CBC or in his documentary film "War" will know what I'm talking about. One of the best parts of his writing is listening to him speak it in his own words. The effect is a little haunting while reading him in the comfort of your own home.

The Truth

2004-11-23T16:27:00.000-05:00

Pratchett, Terry. 2001. The Truth. Corgi. ISBN 0552147680.
(Available at Amazon Canada, US and UK)

I actually finished this book a long while ago, however, things being what they were I didn't get a chance to update the post.

What I liked about this book: Another fun romp through the streets of Anhk-Morpork. This time he is dealing with the weighty issues of politics, police powers, as well as the freedom and responsibility of the press. If it's printed, it must be true. I enjoyed the read immensely and as always Pratchett entertains while delivering a message about our own society.

What I disliked about this book: At times, the beak neck speed of the action. Sometimes I like to curl up with a book that will let me relax and coast with it. Pratchett does not allow this in his work. You need to pay attention or you miss things. Not his failing, but mine.

Voltaire's Bastards

2004-10-23T17:37:00.000-04:00

Saul, John Ralston. 1993. Voltaire's Bastards: The Dictatorship of Reason in the West. Penguin. ISBN 014015373X.
(Available at Amazon Canada, US and UK)

What I liked about this book: I originally read this book when it was first published in 1993. I bought it in hardcover at the World's Biggest Bookstore in Toronto, and then I devoured it. It is witty, intelligent and for the first time opened my eyes to the "reasons" the world is the way it is - ratioanlism taken to extremes, exercised by technocrats, to the ruin of freedom.

Saul... argues that the Age of Reason, now nearing 500 years old, displaced medieval society with a reason-based state-corporate structure in which there are no values--and power became the new religion. Reason without values left the citizenry confused and yearning for meaning, Saul writes, and the new ideology was exploited by the ambitious to seize and justify power. “Knowledge became the currency of power,” he says. "The most common characteristics of our elites are cynicism, rhetoric and the worship of both ambition and power. These were also the characteristics of eighteenth-century courtesans."

What I disliked about this book: nothing at all.

Monstrous Regiment

2004-10-22T21:30:00.000-04:00

Pratchett, Terry. 2004. Monstrous Regiment. Corgi.
ISBN 0552149411.
(Available at Amazon Canada, US and UK)

What I liked about this book: This is pretty much the definative Pratchet statement about the stupidity and foolishness of war. Couple that with the stupidity and foolishness of religious fanaticism. Add a troll, a vampire, an Igor and the wackiest platoon since Kellys Heros. We're not looking for a few good men, we're looking for a few good women. As much a morality play about our times as anything else. Very enjoyable read.

What I disliked about this book: The ending. On one level, I wanted the book to keep going on and on. On another level I wasnt pleased with the resolution of the story. A great blow for equality yes, but isn't it just the old cycle with new players? I'll leave it at that.

Colloquial Scottish Gaelic

2004-10-12T10:51:00.000-04:00

Spadaro, Katherine & Graham, Katie. 2002. Colloquial Scottish Gaelic: The Complete Course for Beginners. Routledge. ISBN 0415206774.
(Available at Amazon Canada and US )

In my quest for a better understanding of my ancestors, I'm attempting as best I can to learn Gàidhlig or Scottish Gaelic. This is a wonderful beginners set that comes with an Audio Cassette and an Audio CD to aid with pronunciation. It is set up in a modular format with each building on the last. I'm having a blast with it, and if it is of interest to you, I'm sure you will enjoy it also.

Colossus

2004-10-09T13:27:00.000-04:00

Ferguson, Niall. 2004. Colossus: The Price of America's Empire. Penguin Books. ISBN 1594200130.
(Available at Amazon Canada and US )

I'm not so much reading it, but watching the author lecture on it while watching the TVO "Big Ideas" series. It is fascinating and equates America with Rome. For clarity, review follows;

"The United States today is an empire—but a peculiar kind of empire," writes Niall Ferguson. Despite overwhelming military, economic, and cultural dominance, America has had a difficult time imposing its will on other nations, mostly because the country is uncomfortable with imperialism and thus unable to use this power most effectively and decisively. The origin of this attitude and its persistence is a principal theme of this thought-provoking book, including how domestic politics affects foreign policy, whether it is politicians worried about the next election or citizens who "like Social Security more than national security." Ferguson, a British historian, has no objection to an American empire, as long as it is a liberal one actively underwriting the free exchange of goods, labor, and capital. Further, he writes that "empire is more necessary in the twenty-first century than ever before" as a means to "contain epidemics, depose tyrants, end local wars and eradicate terrorist organizations." The sooner America embraces this role and acts on it confidently, the better. Ferguson contrasts this persistent anti-imperialistic urge with the attitude held by the British Empire and suggests that America has much to learn from that model if it is to achieve its stated foreign policy objectives of spreading social freedom, democracy, development, and the free market to the world. He suggests that the U.S. must be willing to send money, civilians, and troops for a sustained period of time to troubled spots if there is to be real change—as in Japan and Germany after World War II--an idea that many American citizens and leaders now find repulsive. Rather than devoting limited resources and striving to get complex jobs done in a rush, Americans must be willing to integrate themselves into a foreign culture until a full Americanization has occurred, he writes. Overall, a trenchant examination of a uniquely American dilemma and its implications for the rest of the world. --Shawn Carkonen

Walden

2004-10-01T16:16:00.000-04:00

Thoreau, Henry David. 2004. Walden: Or, Life in the Woods. Dover Publications Inc . ISBN 0486424723.
(Available at Amazon Canada and US )

What I liked about this book: Walden is an old friend. I first read it when I was seventeen years old. I admired Thoreau's message of simplicity and the way he could abandon everyday society to a fulfilling life by the pond. There were times I wished that I had the courage to do the same. Now as I read the work again, I am picking up more of the subtle nuances that I had missed due to youth. It is a wonderful rediscovery.

What I disliked about this book: Same as when I was seventeen. The nineteenth century English is a little heavy at times.

The Art of Natural Building

2004-09-30T23:07:00.000-04:00

Kennedy, Joseph & Smith, Michael & Wanek, Catherine eds. 2002. The Art of Natural Building: Design Construction Resources. New Society Publishers. ISBN 0865714339.
(Available at Amazon Canada and US )

What I liked about this book: This is a wonderful book for those who are starting to think about how the types of buildings and architecture affects our environment and our daily lives. This book has a wealth of information in it about making better, more environmentally healthy living spaces that do not cost an arm and a leg. It dove tails very nicely with the earlier book I reviewed Home Work. That book showed you what a home could look like, this book will help you with the information to build it.

What I disliked about this book: The one factor I disliked was that the book was not self contained. I suppose one can ask for too much, but one isn't going to get it. This book is a starting place only. If you are looking for complete and full detailed plans, this book will only point you in the right direction for your research.

Meditations

2004-09-11T01:44:00.000-04:00

Aurelius, Marcus. 2002. Meditations. Modern Library. ISBN 0679642609.
(Available at Amazon Canada and US )

The study of philosophy and other scholarly pursuits were the things that Marcus Aurelius loved most of all, but it was his lot, as emperor of Rome between 161 and 180 A.D., to spend most of his reign fighting barbarians far from home. The hardships of living in an army camp did not stop him from writing, though. His Meditations have survived and are popular amongst those who study the Stoic philosophers. Stoicism is a fundamental world view. It was most vigorously espoused and popularized by the best of Rome's hard-headed intellectuals. The Meditations praise independence of thought. They demonstrate the importance of the idea that a person is responsible for his own actions and that everything beyond his control is not worth worrying about. For Aurelius and for us, life is a matter of choices, and one must always choose the good.

What I liked about this book: I liked the fact that while I was reading it, I felt as though I was being spoken to directly even though the author has been dead for well over a millenium.

What I disliked about this book: I found the introductory material a little dry, and not in the good way that a gin martini is.

Home Work

2004-09-07T09:47:00.000-04:00

Kahn, Lloyd. 2004. Home Work: Handbuilt Shelter. Shelter Publications. ISBN 0936070331.
(Available at Amazon Canada and US )

What I liked about this book: This is an absolutely luscious photo essay on the topic of hand made shelters and homes. The structures span the globe and each has an enchanting magical quality that blends it to the surrounding environment. The photos are warm and inviting and you wish that you could dive into them and live in these buildings if only for a day.

What I didn't like about this book: Of all things, the binding. It is a softcovered book and I would have preferred a hardcover coffee table style. This was inconsequential, however, because the contents more than make up for it.

Wyrd Sisters

2004-09-01T16:09:00.000-04:00

Pratchett, Terry. 1998. Wyrd Sisters. Corgi.
ISBN 0552134600.
(Available at Amazon Canada and US )

What I liked about this book: Ok What's not to like? It is the classic Pratchett style which means that drinking any kind of liquid whilst reading this book will result in same said liquid shooting out of your nose uncontrollably as you laugh yourself to death. The theatrical & pop culture references and inside gags run the gamut from Macbeth and Henry V to the Marx Brothers and Charlie Chaplin. The one thing to remember is not to piss off witches, because when they break the rules, they break them hard with hilarity as the result. Highly recommended!

What I disliked about this book: Not enough appearances of Death and his mighty steed "Binky"

Seven Steps on the Writer's Path

2004-08-28T16:39:00.000-04:00

Pickard, Nancy and, Lott, Lynn. 2003. Seven Steps on the Writer's Path: The Journey from Frustration to Fulfillment. Ballantine Books. ISBN 0345451104.
(Available at Amazon Canada and US )

What I liked about this book: This book has been a kind of epiphany for me. It is not so much a book about writing, it is a book about being in the mindset to write. The author's trace the various stages that writers go through which they number as seven (hence the title). Those stages are; Unhappiness, Wanting, Commitment, Wavering, Letting Go, and Fulfillment. Each stage is explained with examples from the lives and experiences of authors great and lesser known. This book could well be about any topic as it's great strength is in helping the reader visualize the goal and removing the self-imposed barriers. I may never write anything, but I've gleaned a great many nuggets of wisdom for dealing with plain old life.

What I didn't like about this book: Nothing. Well written and thoroughly entertaining.

Fire and Ice

2004-08-27T09:31:00.000-04:00

Adams, Michael. 2003. Fire and Ice: The United States, Canada and the Myth of Converging Values. Penguin Books. ISBN 0143014234.
(Available at Amazon Canada and US )

What I liked about this book: I think the things that I liked most about this book were the humour (it's pretty funny) and the hope for the future that it inspired. Too often we are bombarded by the media about how Canada is becoming more and more like the United States. This book shows, rather sharply, that this is not the case. It also has good background information on the historical differences between our two nations; "Life, Liberty and Happiness" as opposed to "Peace, Order and Good Government". Very entertaining.

What I disliked about this book: While it was informative, and funny, there were times when it read like a sociology textbook. I suppose that is to be expected when covering a topic like sociology, but there were sections in it where I found myself mumbling "blah blah blah" and then fell promptly asleep. But I struggled through and it was worth the read.

The Corporation

2004-08-26T16:55:00.000-04:00

Bakan, Joel. 2004. The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power. Penguin Books. ISBN 0670889768.
(Available at Amazon Canada and US )

What I liked about this book: It's a well thought out and explained essay on the origin, growth and function of the corporation as an institution. It is also a warning that, if left unchecked, the corporate form will seek to maximize it's influence and profits at the expense of the public good and the ruin of democratic institutions.

What I disliked about this book: It was far too short...