'Exact Thinking in Demented Times: The Vienna Circle and the Epic Quest for the Foundations of Science' by Karl Sigmund

Exact Thinking in Demented Times: The Vienna Circle and the Epic Quest for the Foundations of Science, Karl Sigmund (3.0)

I read a review for this book that criticized how the writing focused social aspects (i.e. who doesn’t agree with or get along with whom) and lauded when it focused on each scientist’s theories. Maybe because it is written by a professor who walked the same hallways as the famous thinkers of early 20^th century Vienna, people expected more about the theory. Oddly I enjoyed the biographic parts of the book much more than the drier explanations. That said, I am surprised that this book gets such strong reviews overall. While the times and people highlighted are interesting, the writing was quite hard to follow. Mr. Sigmund did not follow a logical timeline – so when we got close to an interesting time, such as WWII, he would jump to another time with different characters. I will admit, I was familiar with only 30-50% of the scientists, so a timeline would have helped me follow who was part of which ‘circle’ – yes, there are more than one. The book did make clear the amazing number of great scientists who knew and worked together in Vienna prior to WWII. Given the descriptions and obvious love the author has for Vienna, I wish I had read this book before we visited a few years ago!

'Moloka'i' by Alan Brennert

Moloka’i, Alan Brennert (3.0)

As an historical fiction novel that describes a life of a young Hawaiian girl’s odyssey after being diagnosed with leprosy, this book is touching and interesting. I have visited Moloka’i and knew the leprosy colony existed, with its isolated and foreboding location, but this book brings the experience into focus. What I really liked about the book was that the depressing overall experience was highlighted in a readable way that showed the possible light of life someone could have. It wasn’t sugar coated (though convenient that the protagonist had a certain ‘type’ of leprosy), but it also wasn’t maudlin. Mr. Brennert does this by showing an entire life lived with experiences both good and bad. I’m not particularly compelled to read the sequel, but I would like to read more non-fiction about the time and experience.

'The Electric Kool-aid Acid Test, by Tom Wolfe

The Electric Kool-aid Acid Test, Tom Wolfe (2.0)

This was a tough book to read. It’s as if Mr. Wolfe wanted to give the reader the experience of actually taking acid. I certainly don’t feel the need to do it after reading this – not exactly a pleasant experience. Wolfe follows Ken Kesey (author of ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo Nest’) and his band of Merry Pranksters as they use, somewhat abuse, and introduce LSD to others while traveling around the country in their bus. I found the most interesting element having to do with how they were introduced to the drug (the VA hospital in Menlo Park paid Stanford students to undergo experiments) and their various dealings with the law. Unfortunately the lack of plot and writing dissonance distracted me and ruined any possible enjoyment of the book.

'Alive' by Scott Sigler

Alive, Scott Sigler (3.0)

This was a fair dystopian YA novel, but not as compelling as many I’ve read and managed to remind me of most of them. I am surprised how many reviewers LOVED this book. While there were a couple of unique aspects (which the author requests reviewers not ‘spoil’ for the new readers), the behavior of the main character often was either very predictable or very odd. I won’t give away the plot or the twists, but suffice it to say that the book is about a group of young adults in a strange, unknown place. They can’t understand when or how they got there and it feels somewhat like a prison that they need to escape from. Yes – similar to ‘The Maze Runner’, ‘The Hunger Games’, ‘Divergent’….which frankly, are all better books. The book stops at a natural point, but I’m not sure I’ll be reading the rest of the trilogy.

'The Death and Life of the Great Lakes' by Dan Egan

The Death and Life of the Great Lakes, Dan Egan (4.0)

It’s hard to imagine living within miles of Lake Michigan for many years of my life and not knowing the large variety of ecological issues brewing. We definitely knew the stink of the dead alewives on the beaches, but I guess as a child, it took something so sensory to have impact. The degree to which the lake ecosystem was being tinkered with was below our radar. As a journalist for the Milwaukee Sentinel, Dan Egan followed the health of the lakes closely. With grants he was able to go back into history to fill in some of the ‘hows’ as well. While the book is quite scary with regards to the disregard many have had when making changes to the lakes (introducing new species both inadvertently and purposefully, making significant changes to ingress and egress points, etc.) Egan does give you hope that if the lakes have made it through these horrific episodes, all hope is not gone. What is possibly more frightening is how easily some of these invasive species have made it over the continental divide and now threaten many smaller lakes in the West. I found this book both interesting and important and highly recommend it for everyone.