Table of Contents
And this just in...
Here's the part of my site where I get to tell you what I've been up to, what I'm currently doing, what I may be into down the pike, or anything I might feel like expressing in a somewhat public fashion. If you see something here and have questions or thoughts that you'd like to communicate to me, you can use my contact form or look up my contact info here.
Note that dates and times for posts are listed using the U.S. Eastern Standard time zone, and times are listed in 24-hour format (e.g. 7:04AM is 07:04, 7:19PM is 19:19, etc.).
Posts
Dark Prophecy
| Title: | Dark Prophecy |
| Rating: | |
| Author: | Anthony E. Zuiker |
| ISBN: | 978-0-525-95185-8 |
| Pages: | 389 |
| Format: | hardcover |
| Started: | ~2013-11 |
| Finished: | ~2013-11 |
[Short opinion coming soon…]
Year Zero
| Title: | Year Zero |
| Rating: | 4 |
| Author: | Rob Reid |
| ISBN: | 978-0-345-53448-4 |
| Pages: | 292 |
| Format: | ebook |
| Started: | 2013-10-14 |
| Finished: | 2013-10-21 |
I happened to read about a 99-cent sale of this ebook on ArsTechnica.com. At that price, even if it was a flop it wouldn't be a serious loss. Turns out, it was more that worth it. Year Zero reminds me of the “Hitchhiker's Guide” books in terms of style. It pokes fun at copyright, lawyers, and the music industry, by not only imagining “what if aliens pirated the entirety of earth's recorded music?”, but by going one step further and asking “what if they wanted to come clean and pay for the fines?”. Even if I hadn't read it, and just glanced through it, I would definitely have bought this had I picked it up in a bookstore!
The Rosie Project
| Title: | The Rosie Project |
| Rating: | 4 |
| Author: | Graeme Simsion |
| ISBN: | 978-4767-2908-4 |
| Pages: | 295 |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Started: | 2013-10-13 |
| Finished: | 2013-10-13 |
This was a fun little read! What happens when a nerd turns to science as a means of finding a spouse? And what happens when he falls in love with a woman who doesn't fit the “scientific” criteria? A whole lot of humour, that's what! It reads easy and light, but well worth it for the entertainment.
Near-Death Experiences, the Rest of the Story
| Title: | Near-Death Experiences, the Rest of the Story |
| Rating: | 2 |
| Author: | P.M.H. Atwater |
| ISBN: | 978-1-60671-205-4 |
| Pages: | 288 |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Started: | ~2013-09-29 |
| Finished: | 2013-10-12 |
I was disappointed by this book. I had hoped that it would be more useful, because it purports to be an observational analysis of near death experiences. Unfortunately, it also contains a bunch of unsubstantiated “New Age Hooplah”. As far as the observation goes, it does show that there are a lot of common elements in these experiences. But the hokum far outweighs the worth of the book. Don't bother taking it out of the library, and definitely don't buy it!
Steve Jobs
| Title: | Steve Jobs |
| Rating: | 5 |
| Author: | Walter Isaacson |
| ISBN: | 978-1-4516-4853-9 |
| Pages: | 627 |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Started: | ~2013-09-01 |
| Finished: | ~2013-09-29 |
I've known a little bit about Steve Jobs, but after reading this book (which my wife gave me as a gift), I'm surprised to find out just how driven and volatile the man was. Although he was a visionary, and managed to push some fantastic ideas into being, I have to say that I'm thoroughly and unpleasantly amazed at just how horrible he could be towards others. I have very strong mixed feelings after reading this book. There are some things about him that absolutely inspired me, and other things that are very much an example of how I do NOT want to be. It is definitely a powerful and moving book, and highly recommend reading it.
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