Of the books listed in the May 2009 edition of this series, the only one that I'm still working my way through is Practical Mathematics (all others were finished). However, two other books have been started and finished since I posted my May list:
The Two Income Trap by Elizabeth Warren and Amelia Warren Tyagi, as I've already written about previously.
The Next 100 Years: A Forecast for the 21st Century by George Friedman - This is an interesting attempt to predict what the world stage will look like in 2020, 2030 and so on, right through 2100. Friedman describes his approach as being based on historical patterns while resisting the urge to take the reasonable path (since "future history" rarely ends up conforming to our expectations), which I think was a wise choice. I fully expected to read that the U.S.-Islamic battles would dominate the coming decades and that China and India would eventually become the next superpowers, but instead he elevated such unlikely countries as Japan, Turkey, Poland and Mexico to leading roles! I can't imagine that he'll really get things right, but at least he provides some well-thought out arguments for each of his cases. (Note: I read this 250-page book in the span of a single day, which isn't something I do very often!)
As for books that I'm in the middle of right now, those would be:
The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge, M.D. - This was recommended by a friend, and has turned out to be a fascinating read. It's all about neuroplasticity, which is the property of the brain that allows it to alter itself. Each chapter covers a different aspect of neuroplasticity, with such engrossing cases as: a treatment for people who feel as if they're constantly falling, alleviating pain that amputees experience in their "phantom limbs", and stroke victims overcoming their paralysis through the use of extremely simple exercises. I'm particularly looking for insights that may help in the area of learning, given my role as a tutor these days.
The Chrysalids by John Wyndham - I've read several Wyndham science fiction novels before, and always enjoyed them. So I picked this one out of Vicki's immense SF library because it was one I hadn't encountered before, and it's proving to be entertaining. I wouldn't say it's one of Wyndham's best, but it's gotten better as it's gone along. I think, however, that I'll follow it up with a return visit to The Kraken Wakes or Day of the Triffids, both of which I've loved in the past.
The Batcave Companion by Micheal Eury and Michael Kronenberg - This is one of those "everything you ever wanted to know about ____" books, but on a subject that a) I already know a lot about, and b) I'm always interested in knowing more. I've only just started this today, so I can't say whether it's any good or not yet. But it does have a great, new Neal Adams cover, which is almost enough to warrant the price of admission alone!
(And yes, I'm shocked that I "only" have 3+1 books on the go right now, too!)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment