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With about 150,000 miles each
year in airplanes, I have a bit of time for reading... |
| On the bookshelf -
in order that I read them... |
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Memoirs of the Second World War (An Abridgement of the Six Volumes of the
Second World War)
By Winston Churchill
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Now
Reading...
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Einstein: His Life and Universe By Walter Isaacson
September 2007
|
You don't have to be an Einstein to
enjoy this book but I sure wish that I would have taken physics instead of
chemistry at junior college...Isaacson did a good job of trying to dummy up
Einstein's discoveries so that JBODS like me could appreciate his genius but
I do admit to having re-read a few sections here and there...
Forget the geeky stereotypes that one leans toward when thinking of
scientists - Einstein was a rebel and cool in every sense of the word.
His humanity and adherence to the principle of individual freedom made him a
great man beyond just the science that he pioneered.
I especially enjoyed the way that religion, philosophy and science came
together when developing and testing new theories. And the last
chapter about Einstein's brain was entertaining in a macabre kind of
way...Read this book! |
The Catcher in the Rye By J.D. Salinger
July 2007 |
5 books in one month!
I always enjoy reading the classics and this one did not disappoint. I
can just imagine my English Lit. professor talking about the language,
messages, etc. If you missed it in your school years like me,
definitely put it on your list. |
Transgressions Vol. 2:
The Ransome Women By John Farris
The Things They Left Behind By Stephen King
July 2007 |
Never judge a book by its cover! I saw Stephen
Kings name on the cover and threw it into my Target shopping basket only to
find out later that Stephen King's novellette was only 50 pages long!
The other novellette was just a tad better than grabbing the dated USA Today
paper on United 890. While the story was mildly interesting, phrases
like 'Stop! I am the police' somehow did not feel 100% natural. Unless
your the unfortunate person who found the copy of this book that I left in
seat 25B, don't bother. |
Blaze By Stephen King (writing as Richard Bachman)
July 2007 |
Stephen King dug this out of his bucket of
previously unpublished books and I am glad that he did! It's nice to
have a few fun books in between the more serious books that I lean towards.
The storyline centers around a small-time criminal who tries to make it big
by kidnapping the child of a millionaire. However, Blaze (the bad guy)
has a bit of a mental problem and I find myself empathizing with him despite
his crime. Reading this book for me was like watching an episode
of your favorite TV show...Thanks SK. |
Blink By Malcom Gladwell
July 2007 |
Finally, a book that validates snap decisions!
I always knew that preparation and hard work were overrated!
In his highly popular book, Gladwell explores the process of quick decisions
and posits that in some cases, a quick decision is every bit as good as one
that is carefully analyzed. But, even though these decisions are
automated, it does not mean that there is serious experience and thought
behind successful snap decisions. In fact, without the right
background, a snap decision can have disastrous effects. So, use your
newly found powers wisely after reading this book!
The book is an easy read. The anecdotes make it easy to understand the
concepts and provides a fair amount of entertainment. I finished it in
two days (beat that!). Definite thumbs up. |
|
The Colorado Kid By Stephen King July 2007 |
I admit. If Stephen King published his
grocery list, I'd probably buy. Despite the poor reviews that this
audio book drew, I rather enjoyed listening to the story for two sessions on
the elliptical machine at the gym. The story basically has no end and
unless you've a die hard King fan (like me) I would pass. |
Stationary Bike By Stephen King
June 2007 |
I actually listened to this audio book while on
the elliptical (almost a stationary bike!) and was thoroughly absorbed in
this imaginative journey towards fitness. |
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
By Conrad Black
June 2007 |
This one was a tough read - 1134 pages and a
couple of laps around the world later I finished - but it was definitely
worth the time. While not as readable as David McCullough, Conrad
Black not only tells the amazing story of FDR, but also puts you right in
the middle of this pivotal time in American History. Sometimes
vindictive, often underestimated, FDR's ability to lead and leverage public
opinion is unmatched by any modern day president. The complicated
relationship between Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill was navigated with
great expertise. The personalities surrounding him - Eleanor, Teddy
Roosevelt's side of the family, Stimson, Smith, MacArthur, Patton,
Eisenhower, etc. are cause to hit the Barnes and Noble shop again soon for a
few more biographies. If you like American history and biographies,
this book comes with my recommendation. |
|
Angels and Demons By Dan Brown |
From the author of The Da Vinci Code, this book
follows a similar story line. However, I found this one even more
engaging and tough to put down. I really like how Dan Brown explores
the relationship between science and religion. |
|
Lisey's Story
By Stephen King |
The latest from my all-time favorite author.
Starts out slow, but I really like the reference to the author's pool of
ideas... |
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The World is Flat
By Thomas L. Friedman |
This is the best business book I ever read.
The author does a fabulous job of exploring globalization. I
particularly like how the global economy is presented as a huge potential for
American businesses - if they can embrace it rather than fear it. |
|
Lincoln
By David Herbert Donald |
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James Madison and the Struggle for the Bill of Rights By Richard
Labunski |
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Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times
By H.W. Brands |
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T.R.: The Last Romantic By H.W. Brands |
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The Da Vinci Code By Dan Brown |
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Benjamin Franklin: An American Life By Walter Isaacson |
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1776
By David McCullough |
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Lord of the Flies By William Golding |
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His Excellency: George Washington
By Joseph J. Ellis |
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Everything's Eventual
By Stephen King |
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Truman By David McCullough |
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To Kill a Mockingbird
By Harper Lee |
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For Whom the Bell Tolls By Ernest Hemingway |
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Alexander Hamilton
By Ron Chernow |
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John Adams
By David McCullough |