Review: The Einstein Prophecy

The Einstein Prophecy by Robert Masello
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Meh. It's ok. Not very historically accurate. Pretty sure helicopters were either non existent or very very rare during the time period.

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Review: The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome

The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome by Susan Wise Bauer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a monster of a book. It took me months to get through it but man, it has to be one of the most thorough surveys of history out there. One of the amazing things is to notice how events and Beliefs keep repeating themselves even when hundreds of years have elapsed or two distant peoples are involved. Well written and engaging I highly recommend.

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Review: The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate—Discoveries from a Secret World

The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate—Discoveries from a Secret World by Peter Wohlleben
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a great book. Who knew you could write such a long book about trees? Well you can it is is intriguing and amazing. Every time I pass by a tree now I keep coming back to parts of this book. The author makes what you would think would be a boring topic into a compelling story about the life of trees, how they survive and why they are important. Recommend.

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Review: Stories of Your Life and Others

Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I know everyone raves about this author but he's not my cup of tea. Sorry. Too self important.

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Review: Nutshell

Nutshell by Ian McEwan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Without a doubt one of the strangest protagonists I have ever encountered. Once you accept it, it's a really interesting way to tell this mystery. Recommend.

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Review: The Last Days of Night

The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The ending was a bit contrived.

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Review: The Second Ship

The Second Ship by Richard Phillips
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Meh. Didn't believe the kids would act they way they did.

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Review: The Three-Body Problem

The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very good. You need to struggle through a couple of parts early where you will wonder what the heck is going on. But it gets very good. Recommend

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Review: The Fold

The Fold by Peter Clines
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The ending was hard to follow. Other than that, saying any more would be a spoiler but, I will say that the twist was predictable.

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Review: One Year After

One Year After by William R. Forstchen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It's ok. I read the first one so I figured I would read this one.

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Review: Protocol Zero

Protocol Zero by James Abel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Protocol Zero is a well written thriller in the vein of Tom Clancy and James Rollins. It is the second book in a series that follows the adventures of US Marine doctor Joe Rush. The book does exhibit a few of the standard faults of the genre, a main character who is a superman - a US Marine colonel who is also a doctor and expert in bioterrorism, clearly overqualified for his age and background - as well as some disjointed plot holes, the story is told at a good pace. A bit difficult to follow at the beginning, the plot does quickly pick up and smooth out. All in all a quick and exciting action thriller that does not get bogged down in techno babble or military minutiae. The real main character of the book is the arctic. The author has a real understanding of the arctic environment and peoples. I would recommend it if you like action thrillers.

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Review: Stress Test: Reflections on Financial Crises

Stress Test: Reflections on Financial Crises by Timothy F. Geithner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A lot of people hate Tim Geithner, thinking he was the man who put Wall Street ahead of Main Street during the Great Recession. His memoir tries to lay out why they are mistaken and convincing makes the case that his actions, along with Bush and Obama administration officials prevented the worst economic depression in history.

Regardless of what you think about the man, this is an important book as it lays out why and how decisions were made (and early on they were making up as the went along) and why the approach taken was the best of only a couple horrible options.

Tim Geithner grew up overseas and in U.S as his father worked in foreign aid. He went to Dartmouth. He started career as civil servant in treasury department. He quickly gained recognition and responsibility under Bush I and Clinton administrations.

Amazing enough he is not an trained economist but started his career a government GS-13 in the treasury department international division.

The book starts with a whirlwind tour of the Mexican and Asian financial crisis during the Clinton administration and is very dense. But this was where he cut his teeth in economic crisis management.

He was next hired by the federal reserve bank of New York. While there he recognized the trouble spots of the too big to fail banks but assumed nothing he could do about them.

As treasury secretary was probably thin on credentials for the job and most assuredly tarnished by the bailouts of 2008. His stress test plan was a shit sandwich - hated by both left and right - but he makes a good argument that the alternatives, and their were few, were worse. Amazingly it worked but neither he or Obama get any credit for it.

Overall he is happy with Dodd-frank financial reform. But says while there is more that needs to be done, there is no political will to do it. Implies that the shortcomings will have to be fixed on the fly when the next crisis happens.

The end of the book is a primer on comic crisis management that is likely to be required reading for economists and financiers of the future.

Overall this is well written and compelling book by probably the most important cabinet secretary in President Obama's first term.

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Review: Becoming Steve Jobs: The Evolution of a Reckless Upstart into a Visionary Leader

Becoming Steve Jobs: The Evolution of a Reckless Upstart into a Visionary Leader by Brent Schlender
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This puts the horrible Walter issacson "authorized" biography too shame. In my short review of that book I said that issacson wasted the access he had to Steve jobs near the end of his life because he did not understand technology and focused on the tribal and sensational. This book is the book about Steve jobs you should read. They get the tech and they get they man.

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Review: All the Truth Is Out: The Week Politics Went Tabloid

All the Truth Is Out: The Week Politics Went Tabloid by Matt Bai
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a really excellent book. Really puts into perspective the stupidity of the press.

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Review: Atlantic: Great Sea Battles, Heroic Discoveries, Titanic Storms & a Vast Ocean of a Million Stories

Atlantic: Great Sea Battles, Heroic Discoveries, Titanic Storms & a Vast Ocean of a Million Stories by Simon Winchester
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

slow at the start, gets better. very dense read.

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Review: Zone One

Zone One by Colson Whitehead
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Too clever by half. A dense frustrating read that was tough to get through.

Not recommended.

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Review: Brainrush

Brainrush by Richard Bard
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Meh. This book needed some editing. Unrealistic even for fiction.

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Review: A Delicate Truth

A Delicate Truth by John le Carré
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Always a struggle to get through Le carre. No different here. Really proves the fact that the British and Americans are two people separated by a common language.

As for the plot. Pretty good. Ends badly.

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Review: A Slight Trick of the Mind

A Slight Trick of the Mind by Mitch Cullin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A sad story about an ancient Sherlock Holmes who has lost almost everything.

Typically not the type of book I read. Very sentimental and subtle. However, as a sherlockian, I enjoyed it. Very plausible and fitting description of what the twilight days of Sherlock Holmes might be.

A film version is in the works staring Ian mckellen.

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Review: Running Blind

Running Blind by Lee Child
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Typical reacher. Obvious who done it though. Red herrings were good however

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