Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Perfectly Legal by David Cay Johnston


I've been very slowly reading David Cay Johnston's Perfectly Legal: The Covert Campaign to Rig Our Tax System to Benefit the Super Rich - and Cheat Everybody Else!

I really enjoyed reading Johnson's 2007 Free Lunch (click here to read my entries on that book) but have had a much harder time getting through Perfectly Legal; while the material in each book is different, they book have the same feel and I guess I've had enough of hearing about how the super-rich are profiting from ordinary middle class and lower class Americans.


To find out more, click here to read James K. Galbraith's New York Times review of this book titled " Nothing Is Certain but Death" and published in February 2004 or click here to read an excerpt from the author's website for this book.

Click here to read Johnston's articles published in the New York Times.

Freerice.com

So this isn't exactly related to books and reading, but i figure anyone who loves to read would also be interested in freerice.com.

I'm a big dork and ever since a friend first told me about freerice.com last summer, I've made it my default website when I need a quick break.

It's basically a multiple choice vocabulary quiz and for every word you get right, 20 grains of rice is donated to the UN World Food Program.

Makes me think of studying for the SATs back in high school and how much more fun it would have been to learn words on freerice.com than by studying the Princeton Review's Word Smart.

What's so cool about it is that it adjusts based on your vocabulary level. When you get a question right, you get a harder word; and if you guess wrong, you get an easier word. There are 60 levels in all, but it's rare for people to get above level 50.

Freerice.com claims that learning new vocabulary has tremendous benefits. It can help you:

  • Formulate your ideas better

  • Write better papers, emails and business letters

  • Speak more precisely and persuasively

  • Comprehend more of what you read

  • Read faster because you comprehend better

  • Get better grades in high school, college and graduate school

  • Score higher on tests like the SAT, GRE, LSAT and GMAT

  • Perform better at job interviews and conferences

  • Sell yourself, your services, and your products better

  • Be more effective and successful at your job


Have fun!

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Books for Artists

I still haven't received any recommendations for books on Non-profit Management, and I've been sorting out the Consulting Books I was told to read, and these Books for Artists came with the highest praise:

What do you think?

Any others I should tell my artist friend to read?

Or are some of these listed above not worth reading?

Monday, July 28, 2008

Vegetable Gardening - eggplant

As you well know, I started my first attempt at fruit and vegetable gardening in May -- after reading Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals and Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future by Bill McKibben I couldn't possibly just go on buying all my produce at the local grocery store.

I had been worried about my Bambino hybrid eggplant since some of the leaves had large holes in them. But the few small blossoms have delightfully resulted in several beautiful and delicious eggplants!

These small 1 1/2" to 3" diameter round eggplants are so stunning that they almost look too good to eat.

I cook my eggplant like I do my summer squash -- sauteed in olive oil, salt, and garlic -- and I've recently discovered a new method of preparing both. Coat with buttermilk, dredge in corn meal or flour or both, and pan fried!

Yum!

Sunday, July 27, 2008

The Holographic Universe by Michael Talbot

Last weekend I read Michael Talbot's The Holographic Universe, a New Age book based on the work of physicist David Bohm and neurophysiologist Karl Pribram.

While it was certainly interesting to read, this book and the science behind it was unconvincing. It seemed to me that the book was more interested in describing paranormal phenomenon and stating that the only explanation of such events is that we live in a holographic universe.

I'm open to the idea that paranormal phenomenon (out of body experiences, near death experiences, psychokinesis, past life memories, etc) may exist, but Talbot's writing did not make it clear how such phenomenon proves the holographic universe idea.

Also, Talbot explained basic quantum physics as I learned it in high school and at MIT but I did not think his use of these principles provided adequate support for his argument.

I'll have to research some of the scientists and their research to better assess the truth of this book.

Click here to read an article by the author that summarizes many of the ideas in this book.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring by Richard Preston

I enjoyed reading The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring by Richard Preston, which I borrowed from my local library.

This master of the nonfiction narrative started this book out strong weaving the personal stories of these skywalkers (tree climbers) with their unexpected discoveries of tall trees rising more than thirty-five feet above the ground and the miraculous life growing in their canopies but The Wild Trees loses steam by Part 5 Into the Deep Canopy, particularly as Preston turns the book into a call for eco-action.

And reading about sex in trees (see page 199) just doesn't do it for me.

Still, the book was a fascinating look into the ecology of temperate old growth rain forests tree canopies.

Who could have guessed that currants, elderberries, huckleberries, trees, salamanders, and even crustaceans grow on the crowns of coast redwoods?

And the beautiful drawings of trees and forests scattered throughout the book are just spectacular.

Some of the names these scientists have given the trees are fittingly majestic while others are downright silly. Given the eccentric personalities featured in this book, I suppose the variety in the names they chose shouldn't be surprising: Atlas, Dyerville Giant, Cat Scratch Tree, Graywacke, Gray Poison, Thuderbolt, Crossroads, Paradox, Springing Buck, Laura Mahan, Bamboozle, Logjam, Thor, Bushy Toe, Warm Winds, Harriett Weaver, Alice Rhodes, Humboldt / Telperion, New Hope, Gaia, Icarus, Neptune, Screaming Titans, Earendil, Elwing, El Viejo del Norte, Lost Monarch, Flood Line, Mosque, Obsidian, Pig Snout, Pinnacle, Wounded Knee, Tranquility, Cloud Nine, Obelisk, Tosca, Helios, Hyperion, Tenador, Trifecta, Dome Top, Lone Fern, Radford Stovepipe, and Millennium.

While I'd only mildly recommend this book, I do feel it leaves readers with a sense that there is more to the world than we know -- I think we'd all be better off if we felt that more often.

Friday, July 25, 2008

Working Longer: The Solution to the Retirement Income Challenge by Alicia H. Munnell and Steven A. Sass

I just read a review of Working Longer: The Solution to the Retirement Income Challenge by Alicia H. Munnell and Steven A. Sass -- "Who Wants to Retire Later? (Don’t Laugh)" by Harry Hurt III published in the New York Times on July 20, 2008.

These two highly qualified individuals -- Sass is associate director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College and Munnell is director of the Center for Retirement Research, the Peter F. Drucker Professor of Management Sciences at Boston College’s Carroll School of Management, and a former member of the president’s Council of Economic Advisers under President Clinton -- estimate that people who retire at age 65 today can expect Social Security to provide the equivalent of only 39 percent of their incomes after deductions for basic Medicare contributions while those who plan to retire later can expect declining net benefits.

Clearly, Social Security will not be available for people in my generation and it will be interesting to see how our parents generation copes with retirement or lack of retirement.

Click here to view the table of contents or click here to read an excerpt -- both courtesy of Brookings Institute Press (the publisher).

Thursday, July 24, 2008

FREE: The World is Flat by Thomas L Friedman

Tomorrow through August 4th, Farrar, Straus and Giroux and Macmillan Audio will be offering the audio edition of Thomas L Friedman's The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century for free!

Click here to read the 1st chapter of this book on globalization or click here to read an article by Thomas L. Friedman from the NYTimes about some of the concepts in the book.

I haven't read the book, only the article linked above and I'm thrilled to receive a free audio version of this book!

To get the audiobook in three easy-to-download sections (and as a bonus an exclusive prepublication audio excerpt of Friedman's Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America to be released by Farrar, Straus and Giroux on September 8th), visit Thomas L Friedman's website or simply click here.


Starbucks Store Closing

So I was misinformed.

My favorite Starbucks store will be staying put after all.

Though I realize I was unclear in my first post -- there are probably six Starbucks within a three mile radius of my house (three within one mile) and I frequent all of them.

There's one store that I like to go to when I'm in a rush -- the one with the drive through; another that I go to during work hours; yet another that's near a bookstore I frequent; and then there's my favorite Starbucks closest to my house.

By my estimates, this one is one of the poorest performing Starbucks in the area -- it's very rarely busy and frequently empty. And so the employees are friendlier and get to know you by your order and sometimes your name. When you use the Wednesday free iced coffee card at this Starbucks more than once in a day, they don't get all huffy. And sometimes they'll even kick in free stuff!

The staff at this Starbucks is just simply the friendliest and most generous in the area.

And that is why I was sad when I was told that this store would be closing.

In reality, these are the greater Baltimore stores that are closing:
  • 5911 York Road inside Belvedere Square
  • 301 S. Light St. inside the Gallery at Harborplace
  • 1433 Reisterstown Road in Pikesville

And these are the other Maryland stores that are closing:
  • 2 Park Place in Annapolis, MD
  • Collington Plaza store at 3524 N. Crain Highway, Bowie, MD
  • Beltsville I-495 in College Park, MD
  • Easton Dudrow Far in Easton, MD
  • Montgomery Village Plaza on Contour Road, Gaithersburg, MD
  • Cloppers Mill Shopping Center on Mateny Road, Germantown, MD
  • Fairwood Green Village Center, Glenn Dale, MD
  • Saint Charles Town Center Mall, Waldorf, MD
  • Westfield on Viers Mill Road, Wheaton, MD

Click here to view the full list.

I think it's time for a coffee break.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

NYTimes.com - Bottlemania by Elizabeth Royte

Yesterday I read Michiko Kakutani's "Distilled From Water, Designer or Tap: High Anxiety," yet another New York Times review of Bottlemania (this one published July 18, 2008) -- last month I read and wrote about Lisa Margonelli’s “Tapped Out,” a review of Bottlemania: How Water Went on Sale and Why We Bought It (by Elizabeth Royte) published June 15, 2008 in the New York Times.

It's interesting to compare these two review published by the same newspaper.

Whereas Margonelli's review focuses on the role of marketing in American's newfound love for bottled water, Kakutani's review concentrates on overall water quality and water rights in both the United States and abroad.

Either way, having read Kakutani's review I'm more likely to pick up a copy of Bottlemania.

Getting Started in Consulting by Alan Weiss

I just read Getting Started in Consulting by Alan Weiss (Summing Consulting Group) and while I'm certainly no consultant, this book seems to have lots of useful information for budding independent consultants.

Some topics discussed:
  • importance of low overhead
  • why working from a home office and without staff is just fine
  • how to finance a consulting practice
  • how to write proposals
  • negotiating to close a deal
  • how to set fees and how to maximize fees
  • marketing yourself through paid and free channels
  • how to set up billing and bookkeeping

I’m still considering entering into a consulting arrangement with a medium sized private company and this book has come in handy with the negotiation process.

Click here to view the table of contents and click here to read an excerpt.

Books on Consulting

I haven't received any recommendations for Books for Artists or on Non-profit Management, but these books were championed for Consulting:

Thoughts?

The list is a little overwhelming and I'd like to pare it down to the essentials.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Vegetable Gardening - tomatoes

As a consequence of reading Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals and Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future by Bill McKibben, I started my first -- and fairly successful -- attempt at fruit and vegetable gardening in May.

I've harvested some of my yellow pear and grape tomatoes and they were delicious! My favorite way to eat them is in a salad -- halved and mixed with olive oil, red wine vinegar and/or lemon juice, minced shallot, freshly ground sea salt and black pepper, and fresh basil picked from my garden. It's been a big hit at every summer party I've served it at.

I still haven't bought any gardening books but I'm pretty satisfied with the advice I've been getting from friends and family!

Monday, July 21, 2008

Mind of the Raven by Bernd Heinrich

I finally finished Bernd Heinrich's New York Times Book Review Notable Book of the Year in 1999 Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures with Wolf-Birds (click here to read all my entries about this book) and wanted to share this humorous Eskimo tale that Heinrich used to end Chapter Twenty-One "Tulugaq":
The practice of following ravens must once have been common, because it has inspired humorous Eskimo tales. I presume any truly humorous tale must have a highly serious antithesis. In "The Raven and the Hunter" tale, a raven tells a hunter who wants to settle near some seal breathing holes he has found precisely where to camp. The hunter foolishly heeds the raven and camps where directed. There in the night he is killed by a boulder falling from the mountain above. The raven then flies down and pecks out the hunter's eyes, saying, "I don't know why all these hunters believe my silly stories."

Just one example of how Heinrich uses personal stories and mythology, not just science and research, to teach readers about ravens in this captivating book.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Non-profit Management

I'm involved with many non-profit organization on a volunteer basis and would like to read a book or two on non-profit management.

Any advice?

Suggestions on books relevant to non-profits in general would be appreciated as well!

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Modern Library's Best Books

Just came across Modern Library's 100 Best Novels and 100 Best Nonfiction, first published in The New York Times on Monday, July 20, 1998, and the Radcliffe's Rival 100 Best Novels List.

I've read few from all three of the lists and wondered what folks think about these "best books" lists.

Of the ones I've read, I agree that some belong on a "best books" list but others I just hated reading.

Any thoughts?

I've pasted the 100 Best Novels and 100 Best Nonfiction below.

Modern Library's 100 Best Novels

  1. ULYSSES by James Joyce

  2. THE GREAT GATSBY by F. Scott Fitzgerald

  3. A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN by James Joyce

  4. LOLITA by Vladimir Nabokov

  5. BRAVE NEW WORLD by Aldous Huxley

  6. THE SOUND AND THE FURY by William Faulkner

  7. CATCH-22

  8. DARKNESS AT NOON by Arthur Koestler

  9. SONS AND LOVERS by D.H. Lawrence

  10. THE GRAPES OF WRATH by John Steinbeck

  11. UNDER THE VOLCANO by Malcolm Lowry

  12. THE WAY OF ALL FLESH by Samuel Butler

  13. 1984 by George Orwell

  14. I, CLAUDIUS by Robert Graves

  15. TO THE LIGHTHOUSE by Virginia Woolf

  16. AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY by Theodore Dreiser

  17. THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER by Carson McCullers

  18. SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE by Kurt Vonnegut

  19. INVISIBLE MAN by Ralph Ellison

  20. NATIVE SON by Richard Wright

  21. HENDERSON THE RAIN KING by Saul Bellow

  22. APPOINTMENT IN SAMARRA by John O'Hara

  23. U.S.A. (trilogy) by John Dos Passos

  24. WINESBURG, OHIO by Sherwood Anderson

  25. A PASSAGE TO INDIA by E.M. Forster

  26. THE WINGS OF THE DOVE by Henry James

  27. THE AMBASSADORS by Henry James

  28. TENDER IS THE NIGHT by F. Scott Fitzgerald

  29. THE STUDS LONIGAN TRILOGY by James T. Farrell

  30. THE GOOD SOLDIER by Ford Madox Ford

  31. ANIMAL FARM by George Orwell

  32. THE GOLDEN BOWL by Henry James

  33. SISTER CARRIE by Theodore Dreiser

  34. A HANDFUL OF DUST by Evelyn Waugh

  35. AS I LAY DYING by William Faulkner

  36. ALL THE KING'S MEN by Robert Penn Warren

  37. THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY by Thornton Wilder

  38. HOWARDS END by E.M. Forster

  39. GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN by James Baldwin

  40. THE HEART OF THE MATTER by Graham Greene

  41. LORD OF THE FLIES by William Golding

  42. DELIVERANCE by James Dickey

  43. A DANCE TO THE MUSIC OF TIME (series) by Anthony Powell

  44. POINT COUNTER POINT by Aldous Huxley

  45. THE SUN ALSO RISES by Ernest Hemingway

  46. THE SECRET AGENT by Joseph Conrad

  47. NOSTROMO by Joseph Conrad

  48. THE RAINBOW by D.H. Lawrence

  49. WOMEN IN LOVE by D.H. Lawrence

  50. TROPIC OF CANCER by Henry Miller

  51. THE NAKED AND THE DEAD by Norman Mailer

  52. PORTNOY'S COMPLAINT by Philip Roth

  53. PALE FIRE by Vladimir Nabokov

  54. LIGHT IN AUGUST by William Faulkner

  55. ON THE ROAD by Jack Kerouac

  56. THE MALTESE FALCON by Dashiell Hammett

  57. PARADE'S END by Ford Madox Ford

  58. THE AGE OF INNOCENCE by Edith Wharton

  59. ZULEIKA DOBSON by Max Beerbohm

  60. THE MOVIEGOER by Walker Percy

  61. DEATH COMES FOR THE ARCHBISHOP by Willa Cather

  62. FROM HERE TO ETERNITY by James Jones

  63. THE WAPSHOT CHRONICLES by John Cheever

  64. THE CATCHER IN THE RYE by J.D. Salinger

  65. A CLOCKWORK ORANGE by Anthony Burgess

  66. OF HUMAN BONDAGE by W. Somerset Maugham

  67. HEART OF DARKNESS by Joseph Conrad

  68. MAIN STREET by Sinclair Lewis

  69. THE HOUSE OF MIRTH by Edith Wharton

  70. THE ALEXANDRIA QUARTET by Lawrence Durell

  71. A HIGH WIND IN JAMAICA by Richard Hughes

  72. A HOUSE FOR MR BISWAS by V.S. Naipaul

  73. THE DAY OF THE LOCUST by Nathanael West

  74. A FAREWELL TO ARMS by Ernest Hemingway

  75. SCOOP by Evelyn Waugh

  76. THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE by Muriel Spark

  77. FINNEGANS WAKE by James Joyce

  78. KIM by Rudyard Kipling

  79. A ROOM WITH A VIEW by E.M. Forster

  80. BRIDESHEAD REVISITED by Evelyn Waugh

  81. THE ADVENTURES OF AUGIE MARCH by Saul Bellow

  82. ANGLE OF REPOSE by Wallace Stegner

  83. A BEND IN THE RIVER by V.S. Naipaul

  84. THE DEATH OF THE HEART by Elizabeth Bowen

  85. LORD JIM by Joseph Conrad

  86. RAGTIME by E.L. Doctorow

  87. THE OLD WIVES' TALE by Arnold Bennett

  88. THE CALL OF THE WILD by Jack London

  89. LOVING by Henry Green

  90. MIDNIGHT'S CHILDREN by Salman Rushdie

  91. TOBACCO ROAD by Erskine Caldwell

  92. IRONWEED by William Kennedy

  93. THE MAGUS by John Fowles

  94. WIDE SARGASSO SEA by Jean Rhys

  95. UNDER THE NET by Iris Murdoch

  96. SOPHIE'S CHOICE by William Styron

  97. THE SHELTERING SKY by Paul Bowles

  98. THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE by James M. Cain

  99. THE GINGER MAN by J.P. Donleavy

  100. THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS by Booth Tarkington


Modern Library's 100 Best Nonfiction




  1. THE EDUCATION OF HENRY ADAMS by Henry Adams

  2. THE VARIETIES OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE by William James

  3. UP FROM SLAVERY by Booker T. Washington

  4. A ROOM OF ONE'S OWN by Virginia Woolf

  5. SILENT SPRING by Rachel Carson

  6. SELECTED ESSAYS, 1917-1932 by T. S. Eliot

  7. THE DOUBLE HELIX by James D. Watson

  8. SPEAK, MEMORY by Vladimir Nabokov

  9. THE AMERICAN LANGUAGE by H. L. Mencken

  10. THE GENERAL THEORY OF EMPLOYMENT, INTEREST, AND MONEY by John Maynard Keynes

  11. THE LIVES OF A CELL by Lewis Thomas

  12. THE FRONTIER IN AMERICAN HISTORY by Frederick Jackson Turner

  13. BLACK BOY by Richard Wright

  14. ASPECTS OF THE NOVEL by E. M. Forster

  15. THE CIVIL WAR by Shelby Foote

  16. THE GUNS OF AUGUST by Barbara Tuchman

  17. THE PROPER STUDY OF MANKIND by Isaiah Berlin

  18. THE NATURE AND DESTINY OF MAN by Reinhold Niebuhr

  19. NOTES OF A NATIVE SON by James Baldwin

  20. THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ALICE B. TOKLAS by Gertrude Stein

  21. THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE by William Strunk and E. B. White

  22. AN AMERICAN DILEMMA by Gunnar Myrdal

  23. PRINCIPIA MATHEMATICA by Alfred North Whitehead and Bertrand Russell

  24. THE MISMEASURE OF MAN by Stephen Jay Gould

  25. THE MIRROR AND THE LAMP by Meyer Howard Abrams

  26. THE ART OF THE SOLUBLE by Peter B. Medawar

  27. THE ANTS by Bert Hoelldobler and Edward O. Wilson

  28. A THEORY OF JUSTICE by John Rawls

  29. ART AND ILLUSION by Ernest H. Gombrich

  30. THE MAKING OF THE ENGLISH WORKING CLASS by E. P. Thompson

  31. THE SOULS OF BLACK FOLK by W.E.B. Du Bois

  32. PRINCIPIA ETHICA by G. E. Moore

  33. PHILOSOPHY AND CIVILIZATION by John Dewey

  34. ON GROWTH AND FORM by D'Arcy Thompson

  35. IDEAS AND OPINIONS by Albert Einstein

  36. THE AGE OF JACKSON, Arthur Schlesinger by Jr.

  37. THE MAKING OF THE ATOMIC BOMB by Richard Rhodes

  38. BLACK LAMB and Grey Falcon by Rebecca West

  39. AUTOBIOGRAPHIES by W. B. Yeats

  40. SCIENCE AND CIVILIZATION IN CHINA by Joseph Needham

  41. GOODBYE TO ALL THAT by Robert Graves

  42. HOMAGE TO CATALONIA by George Orwell

  43. THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MARK TWAIN by Mark Twain

  44. CHILDREN OF CRISIS by Robert Coles

  45. A STUDY OF HISTORY by Arnold J. Toynbee

  46. THE AFFLUENT SOCIETY by John Kenneth Galbraith

  47. PRESENT AT THE CREATION by Dean Acheson

  48. THE GREAT BRIDGE by David McCullough

  49. PATRIOTIC GORE by Edmund Wilson

  50. SAMUEL JOHNSON by Walter Jackson Bate

  51. THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X by Alex Haley and Malcolm X

  52. THE RIGHT STUFF by Tom Wolfe

  53. EMINENT VICTORIANS by Lytton Strachey

  54. WORKING by Studs Terkel

  55. DARKNESS VISIBLE by William Styron

  56. THE LIBERAL IMAGINATION by Lionel Trilling

  57. THE SECOND WORLD WAR by Winston Churchill

  58. OUT OF AFRICA by Isak Dinesen

  59. JEFFERSON AND HIS TIME by Dumas Malone

  60. IN THE AMERICAN GRAIN by William Carlos Williams

  61. CADILLAC DESERT by Marc Reisner

  62. THE HOUSE OF MORGAN by Ron Chernow

  63. THE SWEET SCIENCE by A. J. Liebling

  64. THE OPEN SOCIETY AND ITS ENEMIES by Karl Popper

  65. THE ART OF MEMORY by Frances A. Yates

  66. RELIGION AND THE RISE OF CAPITALISM by R. H. Tawney

  67. A PREFACE TO MORALS by Walter Lippmann

  68. THE GATE OF HEAVENLY PEACE by Jonathan D. Spence

  69. THE STRUCTURE OF SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTIONS by Thomas S. Kuhn

  70. THE STRANGE CAREER OF JIM CROW by C. Vann Woodward

  71. THE RISE OF THE WEST by William H. McNeill

  72. THE GNOSTIC GOSPELS by Elaine Pagels

  73. JAMES JOYCE by Richard Ellmann

  74. FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE by Cecil Woodham-Smith

  75. THE GREAT WAR AND MODERN MEMORY by Paul Fussell

  76. THE CITY IN HISTORY by Lewis Mumford

  77. BATTLE CRY OF FREEDOM by James M. McPherson

  78. WHY WE CAN'T WAIT by Martin Luther King by Jr.

  79. THE RISE OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT by Edmund Morris

  80. STUDIES IN ICONOLOGY by Erwin Panofsky

  81. THE FACE OF BATTLE by John Keegan

  82. THE STRANGE DEATH OF LIBERAL ENGLAND by George Dangerfield

  83. VERMEER by Lawrence Gowing

  84. A BRIGHT SHINING LIE by Neil Sheehan

  85. WEST WITH THE NIGHT by Beryl Markham

  86. THIS BOY'S LIFE by Tobias Wolff

  87. A MATHEMATICIAN'S APOLOGY by G. H. Hardy

  88. SIX EASY PIECES by Richard P. Feynman

  89. PILGRIM AT TINKER CREEK by Annie Dillard

  90. THE GOLDEN BOUGH by James George Frazer

  91. SHADOW AND ACT by Ralph Ellison

  92. THE POWER BROKER by Robert A. Caro

  93. THE AMERICAN POLITICAL TRADITION by Richard Hofstadter

  94. THE CONTOURS OF AMERICAN HISTORY by William Appleman Williams

  95. THE PROMISE OF AMERICAN LIFE by Herbert Croly

  96. IN COLD BLOOD by Truman Capote

  97. THE JOURNALIST AND THE MURDERER by Janet Malcolm

  98. THE TAMING OF CHANCE by Ian Hacking

  99. OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS by Anne Lamott

  100. MELBOURNE by Lord David Cecil

Friday, July 18, 2008

The China Study by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell II

Last weekend, a friend reminded me about yet another book related to nutrition and health that I've been meaning to read: The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell II.

Drawing on the studies in rural China, this book (published in 2005) examines the connection between nutrition and heart disease, diabetes and cancer and the confusion surrounding nutrition caused by powerful lobbies, governments, and scientists.

Also, I've been meaning to take a look at these other books related to nutrition and health (recommended by Michael Pollan):

I'm sure if I read any of these books I'll want to expand my small fruit and vegetable garden even more!

Click here to read an excerpt of The China Study.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Starbucks Store Closing

As I'm sure you've heard, Starbucks announced on July 1 that it will close 600 "underperforming" stores in the U.S. and lay of nearly 12,000 employees -- approximately 70 percent of these stores were opened since the beginning of fiscal 2006.

An just last week, I found out that my favorite Starbucks store -- the closest location to my house -- will be one of those stores.

Why do I care?

Starbucks is one of the places outside of my home that I enjoy reading.

Oftentimes, I'll spend an afternoon at Starbucks in one of their cushy chairs with a book and a Caramel Macchiato.

I have no doubt that this is the right decision for Starbucks -- there are at least 5 Starbucks locations within 2 miles of my home.

But will I still read at Starbucks if they continue to close more stores near my home? Probably not -- the used bookstore near my house has lots more space and unlimited free coffee.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

NYTimes.com Book Review - Chinese Novels

This week's NYTimes.com Book Update includes yet another Chinese novel: Beijing Coma by Ma Jian (NYTimes article "Circling the Square" by Jess Row published July 13, 2008)

It feels like Chinese novels are being translated to English and published in the United States more and more in the past few years. Just a few months ago, three of the books from the NYTimes.com Book Update were novels written by Chinese authors in Mandarin and translated to English.

Click here to read an excerpt of Beijing Coma or click here to read Michiko Kakutani's review titled "A Broken Body in Shiny, New China" and published July 3, 2008.

Is this just a result of the world's increasing fascination with China? Or evidence of a China that is becoming less and less communist?

Any thoughts on why Chinese novels seem to be all the rage?

More Library Books

I went to the library today to return a few books and as usual I left with six more.

Yup, after a three month hiatus, I've gotten back into reading business books.

I plan on skimming the last two books -- they seem more like how-to / reference books than like books worth reading for their literary value (click here to read the table of contents for The Art of Project Management and click here to read the table of contents for Persuasive Business Proposals and you'll see what I mean). Though Persuasive Business Proposals does seem like it'll have some practical advice.

The first book, The Wild Trees, is by the author of The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story (click here to read an excerpt of this dramatic true story of an Ebola virus outbreak in a Northern Virginia laboratory), one of my favorite books growing up. The Wild Trees is about the California Redwood Forest (with trees taller than 350 feet and some of them thousands of years old) and the primeval kingdom of plants and animals that only a handful of people have ever seen. Click here to read an excerpt or check out the author's website for more.



As for the remaining middle three, The Opposable Mind was published by the Harvard Business School Press (for what that's worth), the author of If at First You Don't Succeed (click here to read an excerpt) was the New York Times small business editor, and Founders at Work tells the story of startups like Firefox, TiVo, WebTV, Craigslist, Hotmail, Adobe, and others.

Of those, The Opposable Mind seems the most interesting -- with research from psychologists and profiles of several companies that have been successful in utilizing integrative thinking -- including Four Season Hotels, Procter & Gamble, and Red Hat.

Books on Consulting

Any recommendations for books on consulting?

I'm considering entering into a consulting arrangement with a medium sized private company -- I've never formally worked as a consultant before -- and could use some advice!

I'm a big fan of David Maister (The Trusted Advisor, Managing The Professional Service Firm and Strategy and the Fat Smoker: Doing What's Obvious But Not Easy) and Charles Green (The Trusted Advisor and Trust-based Selling: Using Customer Focus and Collaboration to Build Long-Term Relationships) but I'm looking for more practical / how-to / nitty gritty books.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Mind of the Raven by Bernd Heinrich

I am finally about done with Bernd Heinrich’s Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures with Wolf-Birds — click here to read all my entries about this book.

It's really been a intriguing and educational read -- I've just taken so long to get through it because I haven't had as much time to read these past few weeks.

Henrich is really an inquisitive, dedicated and natural researcher.

His professional research and personal experiments with ravens written with the full joy and wonder of a truly passionate scientist and intertwined with drawings he's made of ravens is just remarkable.

I don't even like birds and I've never seen a raven but I've enjoyed this book.

Hope to finally find the time to finish it this week!

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Best of the Booker - Salman Rushdie

Just read that Salman Rushdie won the "Best of the Booker" prize last Thursday, which was decided by an online poll.

I haven't read either of his Booker (winning books -- Midnight's Children or The Satanic Verses -- and now I think I will have to finally read one or both of these famous books.

The only other nominees were Pat Barker (The Ghost Road), Peter Carey (Oscar and Lucinda), J.M. Coetzee (Disgrace), J.G. Farrell (The Siege of Krishnapur) and Nadine Gordimer (The Conservationis).

Carey (True History of the Kelly Gang) and Coetzee (Life & Times of Michael K) had each won two Booker Prizes -- it is awarded each year to the best novel each year by a writer from Britain, Ireland or a Commonwealth country.

Thoughts on Salmon Rushdie? Particularly on the controversial Satanic Verses?

Vegetable Gardening - summer squash

In May, I started my first attempt at fruit and vegetable gardening -- the influence of reading Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals and Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future by Bill McKibben.

My summer squash plants (Raven, Yellow Straightneck, Peter Pan) are huge -- definitely as large as the 3 to 4 inches wide or 4 to 6 inches tall that you should harvest them at -- and while I haven't been brave enough to try deep frying any squash blossoms (I'm just awful with recipes that require frying), the squash taste fantastic just cooked in olive oil, salt, and garlic and the squash blossoms make a yummy addition to pasta sauce.

It's really been a joy to grow a bit of my own food. I never would have guessed how easy it is! Just till up the soil and mix in "good' soil, plant, keep an eye on them, prune when necessary, but otherwise just harvest and enjoy!

I haven't had to water any of my plants on my own -- it's rained pretty frequently here and I've been warned that novice gardeners tend to over water their plants.

I'm looking forward to enjoying more of my home-grown fruits and vegetables!

Friday, July 11, 2008

The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius

My favorite websites for free classic books is Bartleby.com. Named after the title character from Herman Melville's Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-Street -- one of my all-time short stories -- it was founded by by Steven H. van Leeuwen as a personal classic literature on the website of Columbia University. It's funded by revenue from web advertising which allows Bartleby.com to provide access to the collection free to users. On Bartleby.com, you can find books, poetry, quotations, presidential speeches, and more.

Last night I decided to take advantage of this fabulous website and read part of Marcus Aurelius's Meditations, available on bartleby.com here. Written in 167 A.C.E., it is truly an amazing work. It's easy to see why it is still revered as a literary monument to a government of service and duty.

I think I may finally purchase a copy for my exceedingly large collection of books.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

VOIP service - Ooma

Okay so this isn't related to books or even remotely related to reading.

I was once a customer of sunrocket.com before they went bankrupt taking a full year's worth of service fees with them and I've been without a home phone line since.

I've been seriously considering signing up with Ooma but haven't heard many good or bad things about it.

Any advice or thoughts?

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Imagining MIT by William J. Mitchell

I just received Imagining MIT: Designing a Campus for the Twenty-First Century by William J. Mitchell as a gift.

Having been at MIT for many of the construction projects mentioned in the book -- Kevin Roche's Zesiger Sports and Fitness Center, Steven Holl's Simmons Hall, Frank Gehry's Stata Center, Charles Correa's Brain and Cognitive Science Complex, and Fumihiko Maki's still-unrealized project for the Media Laboratory -- I'm excited to read about the process behind the buildings.

Click here to view the table of contents or click here to read a sample chapter or click here to watch a lecture by the author on the book!

Monday, July 7, 2008

Permaculture & "Green" Books

Last night, I mentioned to an acquaintance my attempt at vegetable gardening and my enjoyment of Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals and Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future by Bill McKibben and she recommended four books:

The last one seems a bit too fearful for me -- I don't think Armageddon is in our near future -- but the others sound interesting.

Not sure if I'll pick them up but I'd be interested in hearing what other folks have to say about these books!

Arthur & George by Julian Barnes - Book Club Discussion

Last month I read Julian Barnes's Arthur & George for one of my book clubs (click here to read all entries related to this book) and we've just started discussing it.

While I enjoyed the book, my lit sisters were less than impressed with it. Generally, they thought the book was well constructed, well researched but tedious to read.

My book club found George's character and his family incredibly boring, though most did feel sorry for him once Arthur became involved in his defense.

However, I was in agreement with the group that George Edalji's father's refusal to defend his son against the terrible accusations made against him, the family's bizarre sleeping arrangements, and their total denial about any racial motivation behind the strange persecution they lived with for years were baffling.

The discussion continues this week . . .

Sunday, July 6, 2008

The Laws of Simplicity by John Maeda

Just read about The Laws of Simplicity by John Maeda (published 2006) on the MIT Press website, where you can buy the book and a simplicity t-shirt for just $25.00!

Maeda is a professor in MIT's Media Lab and a world-renowned graphic designer and this book explores the question of how we can redefine the notion of "improved" so that it doesn't always mean something more -- makes me think of Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future by Bill McKibben.

I've long been a proponent of simplicity so I'm curious to learn more about this book.

From viewing the author's website, it seems like you can simply view the website instead of purchasing and reading the book. So I'm not sure if I'll even borrow it from the library or just learn what I can online.

Click here to view the table of contents or here to view a summary of the ten laws.

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Books for Artists

I'm trying to help an artist friend get his business going.

Anyone have any suggestions for books for artists on art as a business?

I don't have a clue where to begin so any advice would be appreciated!

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Books to Celebrate 4th of July

honor of our nation's birthday, I recommend the following books:

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin - One of our nation's Founding Fathers, Franklin was a world-renowned author and printer, satirist, philosopher, political theorist, politician, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman and diplomat.

This unfinished record of Benjamin Franklin's life written by himself from 1771 to 1790 was published after his death and  this work has become one of the most famous and influential examples of autobiography ever written.

So much so that I read it in high school and two different classes in college!

Part One of the autobiography is addressed to Franklin's son William, at that time (1771) the Royal Governor of New Jersey.

If you are an American who has not read this book, you've got no excuse! It's available in its entirety online!

Click here to read this classic piece of Americana.

Letters of a Nation: A Collection of Extraordinary American Letters edited by Andrew Carroll - This is an extraordinary collection of more than 200 letters from the arrival of the Pilgrims (September 1630 when John Winthrop, governor of Massachusetts, wrote to his wife in England) to August 1996 ( Michelle Song, a young adopted woman wrote a moving letter to her yet-undiscovered birth mother).

Written by men and women from all walks of life -- including George Washington, John Adams; Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt, Mother Jones, Frederick Douglass, Malcolm X, Ernest Hemingway, Amelia Earhart, General William T. Sherman, Mark Twain, and Richard Nixon -- these unforgettable voices provide fascinating and heartrending accounts of our nation's history and insights into American culture over the 350 years covered in this collection.

The letters are grouped into the following ten categories:
  1. Arrival, Expansion, & Exploration
  2. A New Nation
  3. Slavery & the Civil War
  4. War
  5. Social Concern, Struggle, & Contempt
  6. Humor & Personal Contempt
  7. Love & Friendship
  8. Family
  9. Death & Dying
  10. Faith & Hope

Click here to read the table of contents; or click here to read the foreword by Marian Wright Edelman; or click here to read chapter one.

Yay for Independence Day!

My First Vegetable Garden - squash blossoms

In May, after reading Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals and Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future by Bill McKibben, I went out and bought plants for an ambitious attempt at fruit and vegetable gardening.

I still haven't bought any gardening books but my garden is looking pretty good!

My yellow pear and grape tomatoes have started producing fruit -- very small and green but I'm still thrilled!

My summer squash plants (Raven, Yellow Straightneck, Peter Pan) are huge and they all have all sprouted small squash and blossoms.

A friend of mine fell in love with squash blossoms in Italy and sent me a few recipes that I'm just dying to try.
Spaghetti with Poblano Chile & Squash Blossom Sauce
* 1 pound spaghetti
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 large cloves garlic, peeled & finely chopped
* 1/2 medium white onion, peeled & finely chopped
* 2 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded & cut or torn into strips
* 1 bunch squash blossoms (be sure to remove the pistil)
* 1 cup mexican crema or sour cream
* 2 sprigs epazote, chopped
* 4 ounces cotija, aƱejo or parmesan cheese, grated
* salt to taste

Cook the spaghetti according to package directions until al dente. While the spaghetti is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet, add the garlic and onion, and cook until the onion is transparent.
Add the poblano strips, squash blossoms and epazote, and cook until the blossoms wilt. Add cream and heat through. Add salt to taste.
Toss with the cooked pasta, top with the cheese and serve immediately.
Serves 4.

Cheese Stuffed Squash Blossoms
* 8 good-sized summer squash flowers, pistils removed, with a tiny zucchini attached if possible.
* 1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
* 1 large egg
* 1/4 cup (1/2 ounce) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
* 1 small clove garlic, minced
* Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
* 2/3 cup flour
* 1 cup carbonated mineral water or seltzer
* Olive oil & vegetable oil
* Sea salt

Wipe the squash blossoms clean if necessary. If a small summer squash is attached, slice it lengthwise in thirds like a fan, leaving it attached to the blossom.

Mix together the ricotta, egg, cheese, garlic, nutmeg and a pinch of salt in a medium-size bowl.

Spoon or pipe the filling into the squash flowers, handling them gently. Each flower should have 2 generous tablespoons of filling.

Preheat the oven to very low. It will be a holding oven.

Place the flour in a large bowl & whisk in the water until smooth. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

Heat the oil in a small, deep skillet to a temperature of 375 degrees -- if you drop in a teaspoon of batter it should float quickly to the surface &turn golden.

Dip one of the flowers in the batter, making sure it is evenly & thoroughly coated. If it has a small summer squash attached, make sure it is coated as well. Hold the flower over the bowl to let any excess batter drip off, then lower it gently into the oil and cook just until the batter is crisp and golden, up to four minutes, if that.

Fry no more than 2 flowers at a time. Use a slotted spoon to remove the flowers from the oil and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven with the door slightly ajar to keep the finished flowers warm while you prepare the rest.

Arrange 2 flowers on each of 4 small, warmed plates. Dust lightly with sea salt and serve.

Let me know if you've got any great squash blossom recipes!

Also, I'm a little confused about whether harvesting the blossoms with reduce squash production. Any advice?

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Leap of Faith by Queen Noor

I felt mesmerized reading Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life by Queen Noor (click here to read all my posts about this book), which I finished a few days ago.

Queen Noor is really a remarkable woman and role model. She is an international humanitarian activist and an intelligent and outspoken voice on issues of world peace and justice -- she has worked with the World Wildlife Fund International, Seeds of Peace, United World Colleges, Landmine Survivors Network among many others.

The beautiful love story of King Hussein and Queen Noor nearly brought me to tears.

As someone who feels rather uneducated when it comes to issues of the Middle East, I was grateful to learn the differences between Shi'a and Sunni Muslims (Shi'a are a minority and believe that only direct descendants of the Prophet Muhammad may have spiritual or political rule over the community), what the term Hashimite means (direct descendants of Muhammad), and about the tragic and complex history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

I urge you to read this thoughtful intelligent memoir.

Joy Wilt Berry's "Let's Talk About" Series

Have you heard of Joy Wilt Berry's "Let's Talk About" Series books for children?

Berry's books are illustrated educational children's books intended to teach kids to assume responsibility for themselves and their actions.

I haven't read any of the books myself but they sure sounds like good books for kids!

Let's Talk About Series

  • Accepting "No"

  • Being Away from Your Parents

  • Being A Bad Sport

  • Being Afraid

  • Being Bossy

  • Being Bullied

  • Being Careless

  • Being Destructive

  • Being Fair

  • Being Forgetful

  • Being Greedy

  • Being Lazy

  • Being Mean

  • Being Messy

  • Being Rude

  • Being Wasteful

  • Breaking Promises

  • Cheating

  • Complaining

  • Disobeying

  • Fighting

  • Gossiping

  • Interrupting

  • Lying

  • Needing Attention

  • New Situations

  • Overdoing It

  • Playing with Others

  • Saying No

  • Showing Off

  • Snooping

  • Stealing

  • Tattling

  • Teasing

  • Throwing Tantrums

  • Whining


Let's Talk About Series - Interpersonal Feelings


  • Feeling Cheated

  • Feeling Disappointed

  • Feeling Embarrassed

  • Feeling Frustrated

  • Feeling Guilty

  • Feeling Inferior

  • Feeling Jealous

  • Feeling Lonely

  • Feeling Rejected

  • Feeling Worried


There are also several other series by Joy Wilt Berry . . .

Alerting Kids to the Danger Zones Series


  • Abuse and Neglect

  • Children's Book on Sexual Abuse

  • Danger of Kidnapping


Good Answers to Tough Questions Series

  • About Change and Moving

  • About Death

  • About Dependence and Separation

  • About Disasters

  • About Divorce

  • About Handling Traumatic Experiences

  • About Physical Disabilities

  • About Step Families

  • About Substance Abuse

  • About Weight Problems and Eating Disorders


Living Skills Series

  • A Social Skills Book About Being Good

  • A Good Manners Book About Being in Public

  • A Safety Book About Being Prepared

  • A Fun and Easy Book About Cleaning Your Room

  • A Kid's Money Book About Earning an Allowance

  • A Good Manners Book About Eating


Ready-Set-Grow

  • A Children's Book About Emotions : Handling Your Ups and Downs

  • A Children's Book About Manners:  May I? Please? Thank You!:

  • A Kid's Guide to Making Friends: A Children's Book About Social Skills

  • A Kid's Guide to Managing Money: A Children's Book About Money Management

  • A Kid's Guide to Understanding Parents: A Children's Book About Parent-Child Relationships


Survival Series for Kids (Ages 7 - 10)

  • Be Careful!

  • Be Good!

  • Be Good While You're There!

  • Be Kind to Your Guests!

  • Be Prepared!

  • Clean Yourself Up!

  • Do Something Besides Watching TV!

  • Do Your Homework!

  • Don't Hang Around the Wrong Crowd!

  • Don't Overdo With Video Games!

  • Don't Slurp Your Soup!

  • Earn Your Allowance!

  • Get Good Grades!

  • Go To Bed!

  • Help!

  • Make Your Breakfast and Lunch!

  • Stand Up Straight!

  • Take Care of Your Clothes!

  • Turn Off the Water and Lights!

  • We Can't Afford It!

  • What Should You Say, Dear?

  • Write to Grandma!


Teach Me About Series (Ages 1 - 2)


  • Bathtime: A Special Times Book

  • Bedtime: A Special Times Book

  • Boredom

  • Brothers and Sisters

  • Crying

  • Getting Dressed

  • Illness: A Safe and Sound Book

  • Mealtime: A Special Times Book

  • Mommies & Daddies

  • Potty Training: A Growing Up Book

  • Security Objects

  • Separation: A Growing Up Book

  • Smelling

  • The Babysitter

  • Travel


Winning Skills Series, Get over It! Series (Ages 11 - 12)


  • Bad Habits

  • Criticism and Rejection

  • Fear

  • Rude People

  • Stress

  • Tough Situations


Winning Skills Series, Go For It! Series (Ages 11 - 12)

  • Be Beautiful


Winning Skills Series, Work It! Series (Ages 11 - 12)

  • Achieve Goals

  • Be Assertive

  • Be Creative

  • Be In Control

  • Be Smart

  • Be Organized