'Over the Edge of the World: Magellan’s Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe' by Laurence Bergreen

Over the Edge of the World: Magellan’s Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe, Laurence Bergreen (4.0) 

This is a fascinating story with far more politics and internal strife than I ever imagined. The dangers of the journey – mainly trying to find the Spice Islands by going west and finding a strait that would cut through South America, which meant taking large ships to uncharted areas- was dangerous enough. Now top it with a large proportion of the sailors being Spanish and not wanting to follow their Portuguese Captain-General, and you have a mutinous situation from the very beginning. Also add a King of Portugal who wants to stop the fleet (Magellan went to him first, but he declined to support his countryman at the time) and sends out his own ships to stop them. Overall, as arrogant and wrong footed as Magellan could be, you definitely felt sorry for someone with so much working against him and felt somewhat relieved that he eventually gets the discovered straits and even two galaxies named after him! I both enjoyed and learned a lot reading this book.

'A Thousand Acres' by Jane Smiley

A Thousand Acres, Jane Smiley (3.0)

I enjoyed this book in the beginning, likely seeing the farming families similar to those I had grown up near in the Midwest. But mid-way the story turned dark and I found it tough to read. I didn’t like most of the choices the characters were making, some seeming to come out of the blue and quite disturbing. Maybe had I known it was a tragedy based on King Lear I would have come at it with that lens and enjoyed it more (King divvying up his kingdom to his 3 daughters). I saw the trappings of midwestern life and some of the stereotypes, but actions that didn’t make sense given how the characters were set up.  I can appreciate the quality of writing, but it’s a hard book to recommend as I did not find it enjoyable to read.

'How the World Really Works: A Scientist's Guide to our Past, Present and Future' by Vaclav Smil

How the World Really Works, Vaclav Smil (3.5)

Hyped as a book for non-scientists that helps to explain some of the basics of how humans use fossil fuels and supports the author’s contention that it is not possible to rid them from our lives anytime soon (or at as soon as many climate activists would like to see), this book is quite technical and filled with an inordinate number of numbers! I rarely complain about data, but Smil’s explanations swim in data- more than most people care about or can tolerate. As a Materials Engineer, I did enjoy a good illustration of the basics – that there are four major materials that our modern society cannot go without: steel, concrete, plastics and ammonia, all of which have a high level of fossil fuel involvement. The ammonia surprised me the most. I didn’t realize how prevalent it was in farming and general food production. Our dependence on these materials coupled with the exponential rise of middle class in China (and their subsequent use of them) is not something that can be replaced with solar panels and wind farms. I knew this book would be depressing – the problem is hard and will take coordination that is hard to imagine happening. He gives some ideas of improvements, but the book is to be read more to remind oneself of the basic facts, which can be difficult given our current media environment. Sadly, I agree with most of his data and theories.

'Lessons in Chemistry' by Bonnie Garmus

Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus (4.0)

I really enjoyed this book, though had to suspend belief at times. Set in the male dominated science world of the sixties, the main character, Elizabeth, fights her way for respect and a position to do her work. Along the way she meets many who stand in her way. At the core of the story, I found multiple love stories: woman and man, woman and child, woman and dog. I loved the way the main character interacted with each – never demeaning and always treating them as equals (which is what she strove for herself from others). A few of my pet peeves were present: did the author have to make her beautiful? Isn’t super smart and confident enough? Why make the misogynistic men two dimensional villains? Given those complaints and a few scenes that were very painful to read, the outcome was worth it.

'A Splendid Savage: The Restless Life of Frederick Russell Burnham' by Steve Kemper

A Splendid Savage: The Restless Life of Frederick Russell Burnham, Steve Kemper (4.0)

Frederick Burnham may be the most interesting person you’ve never heard of. His adventures span from the wild west of the US, to the newly discovered areas of Africa, finally to the Alaskan gold rush in the Klondike. His two passions were scouting (i.e. spying) and prospecting and he does both throughout his life across multiple continents. I particularly liked his description of the scouting/tracking. His powers of observation were remarkable. He even knew that smoking would hurt his sense of smell, an advantage to a good tracker. While it was difficult to read about the attitudes of the ‘conquerors’, the author does a good job of addressing this turn of the century mentality. Burnham was often surprised that the Native Americans or Africans were hostile to having their land taken over. Huh? There is a lot of interesting history of the time brought to life through an interesting character.

'The Constant Gardener' by John Le Carre

The Constant Gardener, John Le Carre (4.0)

I enjoy the detail in Le Carre’s writing. While it requires closer reading, the stories feel real and complex, like life. In this story, he moves away from his usual spy fare, though the British government bureaucracy that frustrates his MI6 characters looms large here. It centers on a British foreign serviceman stationed in Kenya. At the beginning his wife has been murdered while working with an NGO doctor to uncover a potential pharma scandal. He tries to sift through the gossip by the media and obfuscation by his office as he learns how deeply his wife was engaged in discovering the truth. Like his other books, here the main character’s feelings are deep while he shows little in typical English fashion. I also watched the movie and found it to lack the emotion of the book, though had moving scenes of Africa.

'The Warmth of Other Suns' by Isabel Wilkerson

The Warmth of Other Suns: the Epic Story of America’s Great Migration, Isabel Wilkerson (3.5)

The book spans the migration of African Americans from the Jim Crow south to the north from the early 1910’s to the 1990’s. This was a difficult book to read. Not only long but reading through the details of the many years of racism made one so disappointed in our history. That said, it was worth reading to acquaint oneself with the details of the three representative people who moved from the South LA, Chicago and NYC. Getting to know these people made their stories that much more real. Humans can distance themselves from generic groups, it is much harder from actual people. Ms. Wilkerson did a very good job of attempting to get empathy from her readers, if possible, sympathy at a minimum. She also addresses many fallacies attributed to the new migrants in their northern homes (such as negative things they brought with them).  I wasn’t thrilled with the degree of repetition and had to stop at times as my disappointment with people, in general, was overwhelming. 

'The Scarlet Pimpernel' by Baroness E. Orczy

The Scarlet Pimpernel, Baroness Emmuska Orczy (4.0)

This book has a soft spot in my heart as it was given to me by my parents in junior high. I’ve always enjoyed the history, love story and good twists. So, I will say it’s hard for me to be objective. I would also call it a softer version of one of my favorite books, ‘A Tale of Two Cities’. Both are set during the French Revolution and bounce between London and Paris. The eponymous character is an anonymous Englishman who leads a troupe who extract French noble families from the jaws of Madame Guillotine. Given the author’s title, you can assume all sympathies are with the Pimpernel and the people he is saving, not the revolutionaries. Therein lies my only issue with the book – the ‘bad guys’ are rather cookie-cutter and some prejudices are too obvious. But it is true to the era when it was written and a thoroughly charming little book!

'Project Hail Mary' by Andy Weir

Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir (4.5)

Another riveting book by Andy Weir. At first, I was hesitant to read this as it seemed like it was too similar to ‘The Martian’ (man is stranded somewhere in space and must MacGyver his way to survival) but found this to be much more speculative in nature. Yes, you first meet the protagonist, Ryland Grace, as he finds out he is stranded in space and has no recollection of who he is, where he is or how he got there. But where the story goes is much more than just a tale of survival. Throughout the reader discovers things as he does, with flashbacks as events trigger his memory. Some may find the science explanations long and uninteresting- it is very similar to ‘The Martian’ – and in both cases quite necessary to help explain much of what is happening. I don’t want to say more as I found the enjoyment of this book had a lot to do with going into the unknown with Grace.

'Listening Well: Bringing Stories of Hope to Life' by Heather Morris

Listening Well: Bringing Stories of Hope to Life, Heather Morris (2.5)

I was a bit disappointed in this book. Given the author’s previous books (novels based on interviews with Holocaust survivors), I thought she was well suited to write about how to listen well in order to bring those touching and tragic stories forward. The best parts of the book are when she discusses specific parts of those books and how the subjects open up to her. Unfortunately, the writing and/or editing is not very good. Items are repeated, which interrupts the flow; and often the sentence structure seemed lazy (e.g. the word ‘extraordinary’ is used twice in one short sentence). I did get some pointers on how she was able to bring out some of the most difficult stories from her subjects, but the writing was too distracting to enjoy reading.

'Beggars in Spain' by Nancy Kress

 

Beggars in Spain, Nancy Kress (4.0)

A unique and interesting speculative fiction story having to do with ‘otherness’, this story posits what would happen if we were able to alter a baby’s genes so that it didn’t have to sleep. It looks at both the type of parent who would want this and the culture of the kids that are ‘sleepless’. This idea of otherness is pertinent given our current social issues, though flipped as the ‘others’ have an assumed advantage. Would those few who are perceived to have an advantage be persecuted as immigrants of our day? The author mentions in the forward that she came up with the idea based on her jealousy of those who can function on less sleep – what would happen if you needed no sleep? Do you become more efficient, smarter? I enjoyed her exploration of both the subtle and major changes. While this book has gotten many awards, the next in the series is even more lauded. I look forward to it

'The Gray Man' by Mark Greaney

The Gray Man, Mark Greaney (3.0)

Spy stories can vary in terms of action, violence, skills, gadgets and spy-craft, which ultimately determine believability. Having watched the new movie based on this series, I was expecting a lot of action and violence. This was certainly the case – and the skills were so over the top that one’s skepticism needed to be suspended throughout the read (can someone with a deep stomach knife wound really keep assaulting others for hours?). I’m not giving away much as the front cover indicated this was ‘Gray Man 1’ so it was more curiosity to see how someone would survive the onslaught of 100 assassins after him. I could somewhat overlook the unbelievability, given the genre, but about 60% into the book more information is given about the motive of the bad guys and the whole plot falls apart - the reason for all the action becomes contrived.

'Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty' by Anderson Cooper and Katherine Howe

Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty, Anderson Cooper and Katherine Howe (2.5)

One of standard recommendation in writing is ‘show, don’t tell’. I found this book had an inordinate amount of telling. I skipped large paragraphs describing a ball (furniture, flowers, wall hangings, food and list of attendees), as I did not find the best way to show opulence to be long lists of items. Mr. Cooper gives a history of his family by highlighting specific people in the tree. He had a lot to choose from and it was not clear why he chose some over others or the detail some family members warranted (the chapter detailing the America’s Cup was interesting to me as someone who sails, not quite sure what its point was). This was a good partner to my last book as ‘The Age of Innocence’ was mentioned several times. While I found a few things interesting, overall, I was disappointed in the flow and writing.

'The Age of Innocence' by Edith Wharton

The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton (4.0)

Many people believe money brings happiness. Edith Wharton clearly proves that, at least with regards to the late 1800’s New York’s socialite families, old money and it’s societal rules can become a type of prison. This is articulated through the main character, Newland Archer, a young man from one of the main, ‘good’, NYC families. He knows the rules of society and generally appreciates them. That is until he meets his fiancée’s cousin and starts to appreciate her differences and the freedom from the rules that she eschews. As typical of novels of this time period, not a lot happens, plot-wise. The beauty is in the writing and the nuances. We watch Newland struggle with seeing the life he always felt he would lead versus one of passion while his family and their peers slowly bring the prison walls down. Although not exactly uplifting and optimistic, if read slowly, the words alone will be worth it.

'The Man Who Broke Capitalism'

The Man Who Broke Capitalism: How Jack Welch Gutted the Heartland and Crushed the Soul of Corporate America—and How to Undo His Legacy, David Gelles (3.5)

Tough book to read: depressing, disappointing with quite a bit of hyperbole. In the beginning, I was put off by the simplicity of ‘Jack Welch ruined everything’, but I’ll admit that Gelles does a good job at laying much of the blame at Welch and his protégés’ feet. He did more damage to GE than I realized at the time – particularly with the emergence of GE Capital and the focus on financial businesses and away from manufacturing. One big surprise for me was the M&A strategy of GE. I participated in the M&A process at Allied Signal under Larry Bossidy and we were required to justify thoroughly how our targets fit into our Business Unit and company strategy. Gelles’ assertion that GE was buying businesses that didn’t fit their BU’s strategy seemed odd. There were other assertions about companies and people I had met that were a little off (i.e. the Allied Signal/Honeywell merger had a lot of issues due to large culture differences, not stress over a possible GE takeover). Overall, I agree with many of his points and am glad to see the shift from shareholder value to the more important, and inclusive, stakeholder value. I’d say the book leans a little too heavy to one side, but eventually gets to the important points.

'Cloud Atlas' by David Mitchell

Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell (3.5)

I had this book in my ‘to read’ list for many years. The rave reviews and comparisons to Murakami and P.K. Dick intrigued me. While it had a unique way of telling a story, in the end it did not come together in the powerful way I had hoped for. The chapters are short stories, somewhat independent from one another, moving through time from the 1800’s to the future. Once we finish the last future chapter, they repeat in descending order advancing each story with some hints of how they connect. I enjoyed three of the six storylines and found they could stand on their own. The other three were less interesting. Descriptions of the book talk of reincarnation (the movie version apparently has Tom Hanks and Halle Barry playing characters in each story), but I did not get a strong feeling (except for a birthmark mentioned on various characters) for how that was determined by the reader. The synopsis talks about a killer reincarnated as a hero – frankly I only figured out who they meant by seeing which actor played those two roles in the movie. I don’t enjoy obvious foreshadowing, but this was a bit too cryptic for me!

'Box 88' by Charles Cumming

Box 88, Charles Cumming (4.0)

I really enjoyed this spy thriller. While ‘Mission Impossible’ like books may be a roller coaster ride, good espionage books for me are more complex and believable. Many people have compared Cumming to Le Carre and I agree. As the introductory volume to presumably many more featuring Lachlan Kite, a spy with a subversive group of CIA and MI6 agents, it fills in his background while embroiling him in a present-day perilous situation. The contrast with spy-craft from the 80’s to today was done well and most of the characters were well written. The progression of a quiet, observant, boarding school kid to extremely capable agent was interesting to read and much of what was enjoyable about the book. I hope Mr. Cumming can come up with an equally intriguing second book for Lachie!

'Writers and Lovers' by Lily King

Writers and Lovers, Lily King (3.0)

I found this book both interesting and a bit whingey. It reminded me a lot of a recent movie, ‘The Worst Person in the World’, which follows a young woman through career and romance decisions. Both seem to make it through, though just barely. In this case, the main character is a writer working as a waitress. As she tries to write her first novel, she gets involved with two guys in very different places in their lives. The best parts of this book for me were the descriptions of why a writer writes and the comments by readers on how to make the writing better. I found this a good summer read for those interested in writing.

'The Impossible Us' by Sarah Lotz

The Impossible Us, Sarah Lotz (4.5)

I really enjoyed this book, a refreshing romantic story with a good twist that completely surprised me, despite the foreshadowing. This book starts off very rom-com-ish with witty dialogue via email between two relatively unhappy people. While I normally find reading other’s emails annoying, the flow here was quite easy to read and I enjoyed watching the growing friendship turn flirty. Their lives are filled in around the email exchanges as you come to know the two main characters. When they finally decide to meet in person, things go wonky. I won’t ruin the twist, but even if you are somewhat put off by it, keep reading as the book is mainly about the question: what would you be willing to do for love?

'Origin: A Genetic History of the Americas' by Jennifer Raff

 

Origin: A Genetic History of the Americas, Jennifer Raff (3.5)

There are many things I found interesting about this book and would have given it 4 stars except for a few issues with the writing. Given the advances in DNA mapping, new data has emerged in the last 10 years concerning how and when people first came to the Americas. I appreciated how the author discussed the science both recent and past and how newer evidence has changed the theories of how and when the first peoples came to the Americas. She thoughtfully outlined what scientists theorized over many years and what the likely scenario is based on current information. My main complaint had to do with two writing techniques: outlining all you are going to tell us (in detail) prior to telling, and including short narratives describing possible stories of how the archeological evidence had come to that location. Given the author is a geneticist, the stories seemed forced and unnecessary.

'Billy Summers' by Stephen King

Billy Summers, Stephen King (4.0)

Stephen King is a good storyteller. His characters are unique and interesting, and his plots pull you in. You may like his scary tales (this is not) or those that just dip a toe into the supernatural pool. While this book has just a meager amount of crazy (really just Easter eggs to some of his classics), the plot and characters are strong. The main character, Billy, is a paid assassin who incorporates a ‘dumb Billy’ persona for those he works with. He enjoys being underestimated by his clients and the reader feels honored to be in the ‘know’. King does a great job of developing a character who does bad things (only to bad people, per Billy) and yet you will root for him throughout the story. This will be added to ‘11/22/63’ and ‘The Stand’ in my favorite King novel pile. 

'The Rules of Contagion: Why Things Spread - and Why They Stop' by Adam Kucharski

The Rules of Contagion: Why Things Spread - and Why They Stop, Adam Kucharski (4.0)

This book contained lots of good information of various contagious activity – from viruses to information – and reasons to be worried and not so worried. A key finding was that social media alone does not spread misinformation, it’s when the lie gets picked up by the media (i.e. ‘information laundering’), that it gets credibility and spreads more widely. Interestingly thosen with influence are not typically those who are highly susceptible to misguided theories. Also, online outbreaks are weak compared to biological ones which have a farther reach and higher probability of spreading. Which, of course was foreshadowing to our COVID situation. I was most amazed at how prescient the author was about pandemics, given this was published just prior to our recent one. My favorite comment: ‘a one-man riot is a tantrum’. 

'There There' by Tommy Orange

There There, Tommy Orange (3.5)

This is a book of many Native American characters in Oakland, CA who have a variety of histories and situations but come together at the first Oakland Pow-wow. I found this book and author an important voice to hear and the characters quite different. There was actually a lot ‘there’ here in terms of introducing urban Native American characters. I particularly liked the concept discussed concerning genes versus culture (i.e. are you a Native American if you were adopted into a Caucasian family with no idea of your birth culture?). It has been a long-standing issue with the diverse cultures of people who have come to America and were here to start with – how much do you assimilate; how much do you maintain? Despite the rave reviews, I found the writing to be good, but not great. Every chapter told from a different character trope is getting tiresome. I’m very glad I didn’t read this on my e-reader as I had to go back to the character list often. My biggest complaint is the ending – the reader is left at the climax with big questions unanswered. Not surprising, there is another book on the way.

'This is Your Brain on Music' by Daniel Levitin

This is Your Brain on Music, Daniel Levitin (3.0)

This book describes interactions of the brain (often through firing neurons) with music and discusses our relationship with music throughout our lives.  As with many non-fiction books, this book has many things one already knows and some interesting new pieces of info. In an attempt to posit a theory, the author needs to first give enough background for the reader to have knowledge to judge the theory. I found much of this background tedious to read. One of the most interesting points he makes is that our relation to music has only recently (last 500 years) included performers and audiences. Prior, everyone sang and made music regardless of what we now consider ‘talent’. I found this sad – how many people now only listen to music, when making music can be so liberating?

'Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law' by Mary Roach

Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law, Mary Roach (3.5)

As with all Mary Roach’s books, one gets a slew of interesting information about a relatively common topic (death, digestion, sex, etc.) delivered in a laugh-out-loud manner. The main difference with this book is the underlying sadness I felt. Here she covers the interactions of wildlife and humans, particularly when humans have encroached on the animal’s habitat and then label them ‘pests’ and move to eradicate them. In all cases the animals or birds are doing what they always do to survive, but it happens to inconvenience us humans. She tries to end on a positive note, but even with many funny asides, I found this book to be quite depressing.

'The Snow Leopard' by Peter Matthiessen

The Snow Leopard, Peter Matthiessen (3.0)

Rating this book was hard. It included some sections of beautiful writing, adventure and interesting cultural references. Sadly, the overarching sense of entitlement from the author cast a constant shadow. I often felt I was reading about a British gentleman in the 1800’s, not an American in the 1970s! Matthiessen describes his trip to the Himalayas in the early 70’s joining his friend who wants to observe and document the Blue Himalayan sheep and possibly the elusive Snow Leopard. The 2 western men were joined by 4 Sherpas and 14 porters in groups of 2 to 4 at a time over the journey. Throughout the book, both men treat the native men as second -class citizens, rarely taking their advice and remarking in surprise when they did something clever or interesting. My favorite parts included the descriptions of the hiking, of the flora and fauna, and of his mental health journey. It was like ‘unplugging’ in the 70’s – he was careful not to dive directly back into society and ruin the solace he had struggled to find on the journey.

'Cloud Cuckoo Land' by Anthony Doerr

Cloud Cuckoo Land, Anthony Doerr (4.0)

Readers tend to like books about libraries. This book celebrates libraries, librarians and books across time, culture and technology. There are several ‘main’ characters followed in a spectrum that goes from 1400’s Constantinople to a space-ship sometime in the future. A book written in the 400’s is the constant which ties all the stories together. I was a little worried that a 600+ page book might drag at times but found it to be a very quick and enjoyable read. While the reader needs to pay attention to the character and timeframe (both jump around frequently), patience will be paid off as all will be beautifully brought together at the end of a delightful journey.

'Czars: Russia's Rulers for Over One Thousand Years' by James P. Duffy and Vincent L. Ricci

Czars, Russia’s Rulers for Over One Thousand Years, James P. Duffy and Vincent L. Ricci (3.0)

While this book was written in 1995, reading it this year, given what is happening between Russia and the Ukraine, is timely. Starting with the first ruler (Rurik) in the 9th century up to the Romanov’s in the early 1900s, the book covers the basic history and transitions between the rulers of areas we typically consider Russian. Probably the most surprising is that the first ruler, Rurik, was a Viking, as were several thereafter. This all started in Kiev – so the interest in that area by Russia today becomes interesting. Though given all the various peoples who have affected the culture and ruled the area, defining Russia is quite murky and difficult to do. Also, as with most monarchies affiliated with Europe during the first century, the intermarriages gave Russia many non-Russia rulers throughout. Many did not have any Russian blood whatsoever. I found this book to be a little dry, but a great primer and reminder of the complexity that is Russia.

'Room 1219: The Life of Fatty Arbuckle, the Mysterious Death of Virginia Rappe, and the Scandal that Changed Hollywood' by Greg Merritt

 

Room 1219: The Life of Fatty Arbuckle, the Mysterious Death of Virginia Rappe, and the Scandal That Changed Hollywood, Greg Merritt (3.5)

For those unaware (or just too young), Fatty Arbuckle was a contemporary of Charlie Chaplin in silent movies who was very famous at the time, but due to a scandal (in Room 1219!) he was one of the first ‘cancelled’ celebrities. Prior, those in Hollywood enjoyed a private life that could be quite different from their on-screen personas. The mystery and trials around the death of the actress Virginia Rappe was one of the first times where the curtain was pulled back and the viewing public let their imaginations run wild. I particularly liked how the author walked through the trials and evidence, described the times before the incident and after and ultimately gave his opinion on what actually happened using only reliable background information. In many ways, the pre-internet celebrity had an easier time, though cancelled is still cancelled.

'Razorblade Tears' by S. A. Cosby

Razorblade Tears, S. A. Cosby (3.0)

I’ll give this story a ‘3’ for keeping my interest, moving quickly and having some memorable quotes (i.e. ‘revenge is just hate in a nicer suit’). Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy the constant violence, cartoonish stereotypes and mostly the foreshadowing that made the villain obvious early on. We start with two fathers who come together to determine who killed their married sons. They each represent a stereotype of someone who hates the LGBTQ community (African American previous convict and alcoholic southern white trash) who need to work together on their journey to exact revenge while coming to understand how much they loved their sons. The carnage doled out and ignorant character behavior are constant. The gay bashing is tiring.  I’m surprised how many ‘5’ ratings I see for this book- I can only imagine that many like to see a wrong righted – in that the book can be cathartic.

'The Metaphysical Club' by Louis Menand

The Metaphysical Club, Louis Menand (2.0)

I have a hard time describing what this book is about. It purports to describe the main thinkers (ala the Metaphysical Club) in the late 1800’s/early 1900’s who drove some of the main ideas and philosophies in the US. I found the beginning interesting and the end did a relatively good job of wrapping it up, but I will attribute my frustration to the large middle bit. I got lost in the myriad of characters, varying timelines and lack of a linking narrative. The title is a bit misleading – the club did not exist for very long and there are no records of what was discussed. It’s not even mentioned until half-way through the book. Given all the characters discussed, I have forgotten who theoretically participated.  In the end I found the discussion of the North’s issues entering the Civil War, the definition(s) of abolitionists and the initiation of academic freedom quite interesting, but so much else in this book did not stick for me.