Category Archives: Essays and thoghts.

On the Uselessness of Reading

Posted on February 18, 2012 by

The book club has been reading about Persia/ Iran for the last two months. We’ve read The History of Iran, by Daniels, The Ayatollah’s Democracy by Majd and the All the Shah’s Men by Kinzer. Some of us have even read Creation by Gore Vidal, … Continue reading →

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My favorites of 2011

Posted on December 26, 2011 by

The year is not quite over, but while I was putting in Max Hasting’s Inferno, in my list this morning I did a quick review of what I read in 2011. My two favorite books of the year bookended it … Continue reading →

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Why historical fiction is better than history.

Posted on November 26, 2011 by

I’m reading a good book about food –the Taste of Conquest, the rise and fall of the three great cities of spice - by a fellow named Krondl. The book is a history of Venice, Lisbon and Amsterdam, and I’m still … Continue reading →

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I am a pacifist.

Posted on November 17, 2011 by

I just added Jan de Hartog’s book, The Captain to my best 100 list. I’ve been especially bothered by unthinking patriotism this past veteran’s day. I also listened to a lecture by an intelligent and good man about how to make … Continue reading →

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Modern Life

Posted on September 28, 2011 by

A mind boggling experience yesterday morning. I lay in bed, found a book at the library, checked it out and started to read it, all in amatter of minutes, still in my pajamas. I may give up on paper books.

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George R.R. Martin is the devil

Posted on September 9, 2011 by

Well, I’ve wasted my summer reading “Game of Thrones” and all the published sequels, when I could have been reading about Japan. A lot of my thinking is expressed in this column by Verlyn Klinkenborg in the NYT — http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/07/opinion/trapped-in-george-rr-martins-tapestry-of-ice-and-fire.html?_r=1&ref=verlynklinkenborg. … Continue reading →

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Good Series, Bad Series

Posted on April 2, 2011 by

I just read the Seventeenth Stephanie Plum novel by Janet Evanovich. A couple of genuinely funny moments, not a waste of time, but led to some reflections. I’m really disappointed in this series as it has progressed. At first I … Continue reading →

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WWII Germany, fiction and reality.

Posted on March 26, 2011 by

I’ve been a fan of Alan Furst’s novels of pre-WWII germany, as as usual with things I like, there’s never enought. So I started a new series by David Dowling with Zoo Station.  Cooincidentally, I’m about mostly finished with Germany … Continue reading →

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