September 29, 2011, South Amboy
Paperback 2011, 416 pages.
This book is about how two agents-turned-Private Investigators got involved in an attempt, by the Head of Homeland Security and a certain defense contractor, to destroy a competitor defense contractor. It involves some (to me) far-fetched technology involving one single Analyst doing his job with all available information given to him. Nonetheless, the plot is quite well thought out, and the action, especially towards the end, quite gripping.
One complaint is the book started a bit slowly, and the attempts at humor were a bit contrived.
Overall a good book.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
The Confession by John Grisham
September 24, 2011, Tai Po, Hong Kong.
Paperback 2010, 515 pages.
This is a rather straightforward accounting of how an innocent person was executed and how the attempt to save him during the last few days failed. The only suspense, so to speak, is whether Donte Drumm would be executed. Thus this is an undramatic book by the usual Grisham standards.
One wonders whether the author had an anti-death penalty philosophy and thus used the story to illustrate his point. Since I don't need much convincing on this point, I am okay with that. My other observation is the last part of the novel basically was simply a straightforward accounting of what happens to the various characters in the novel. As Grisham tends to have trouble finishing his novels anyway, this is to be expected, and is perhaps a technique he should use more often.
Overall an average, easy-to-read novel.
Paperback 2010, 515 pages.
This is a rather straightforward accounting of how an innocent person was executed and how the attempt to save him during the last few days failed. The only suspense, so to speak, is whether Donte Drumm would be executed. Thus this is an undramatic book by the usual Grisham standards.
One wonders whether the author had an anti-death penalty philosophy and thus used the story to illustrate his point. Since I don't need much convincing on this point, I am okay with that. My other observation is the last part of the novel basically was simply a straightforward accounting of what happens to the various characters in the novel. As Grisham tends to have trouble finishing his novels anyway, this is to be expected, and is perhaps a technique he should use more often.
Overall an average, easy-to-read novel.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
God and Stephen Hawking by John C. Lennox
September 8, 2011, South Amboy, NJ.
Paperback 2010, 96 pages.
An easy-to-read rebuttal of some of Hawking's arguments in the book "Grand Design."
Paperback 2010, 96 pages.
An easy-to-read rebuttal of some of Hawking's arguments in the book "Grand Design."
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow
September 7, 2011, South Amboy, NJ
Hardcover 2010, 198 pages
Hardcover 2010, 198 pages
Thursday, August 11, 2011
The Devil’s Punchbowl by Greg Iles
August 11, 2011, South Amboy, NJ
Paperback 2009, 710 pages.
The setting of the story is Natchez, Mississippi. The mayor’s boyhood friend comes to him with disturbing information about dog-fighting activities going on as part of a local casino’s illegal operations; his friend ends up dead. The story is about how the mayor finds other people to help him take down the ruthless people behind such activities. The story ends with a fight on the casino (a riverboat) and one of the villains being eaten up by alligators. Some of the scenes are quite graphic and difficult to get through.
It is a rather good book, but does it have to be so long? It’s not quite “War and Peace”, after all.
Paperback 2009, 710 pages.
The setting of the story is Natchez, Mississippi. The mayor’s boyhood friend comes to him with disturbing information about dog-fighting activities going on as part of a local casino’s illegal operations; his friend ends up dead. The story is about how the mayor finds other people to help him take down the ruthless people behind such activities. The story ends with a fight on the casino (a riverboat) and one of the villains being eaten up by alligators. Some of the scenes are quite graphic and difficult to get through.
It is a rather good book, but does it have to be so long? It’s not quite “War and Peace”, after all.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Machu Picchu 100 Years: Summit of the Empire by Walter H. Wust
July 18, 2011, South Amboy, NJ.
Paperback 2011, 80 pages.
We bought this book at Cusco for Sol 40 (about $15). It was for sale at the Lima airport for Sol 100, so it was a bargain.
Mainly a picture book with four sections: The Discovery, Treasures in the Mountains, A Walk with the Incas, and The Tree of Life.
In a time span of 18 months, the author and other photographers spent quite a bit of time to capture these images. MP is so picture-perfect that we got some very good pictures, having spent only one day there. We are sure we can get pictures of similar quality if we could spend a couple more days there, although we are not quite ready to climb some of the nearby mountains to get some specific shots.
Nice coffee table book.
Paperback 2011, 80 pages.
We bought this book at Cusco for Sol 40 (about $15). It was for sale at the Lima airport for Sol 100, so it was a bargain.
Mainly a picture book with four sections: The Discovery, Treasures in the Mountains, A Walk with the Incas, and The Tree of Life.
In a time span of 18 months, the author and other photographers spent quite a bit of time to capture these images. MP is so picture-perfect that we got some very good pictures, having spent only one day there. We are sure we can get pictures of similar quality if we could spend a couple more days there, although we are not quite ready to climb some of the nearby mountains to get some specific shots.
Nice coffee table book.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Reckless by Andrew Gross
May 15, 2011, Hong Kong
Paperback 2010, 476 pages.
The story is about how a private investigator Ty Hauck and Treasury agent Naomi Blum worked together to uncover what initially was thought as a terrorist plot to bring down the financial system of the world. It turns out the plot was hatched by a group called Gstaad headed by none other than the Treasury Secretary and his former and current colleagues at a particular investment bank company Reynolds Reid. The chase got the agents to travel to various countries and do different types of detective work. While luck was always on the side of our protagonists, the plot is by and large plausible.
One may wonder whether political correctness led to the author’s choice of the ultimate villains, or he thought this would just add yet another twist to the story. I would not be disappointed if he had simply stuck with terrorism, but the plot line he used was okay.
Gross’s credits include working with James Paterson. He is certainly a better writer than Paterson (based on this one book). To the senior author’s credit, he endorses the book.
Paperback 2010, 476 pages.
The story is about how a private investigator Ty Hauck and Treasury agent Naomi Blum worked together to uncover what initially was thought as a terrorist plot to bring down the financial system of the world. It turns out the plot was hatched by a group called Gstaad headed by none other than the Treasury Secretary and his former and current colleagues at a particular investment bank company Reynolds Reid. The chase got the agents to travel to various countries and do different types of detective work. While luck was always on the side of our protagonists, the plot is by and large plausible.
One may wonder whether political correctness led to the author’s choice of the ultimate villains, or he thought this would just add yet another twist to the story. I would not be disappointed if he had simply stuck with terrorism, but the plot line he used was okay.
Gross’s credits include working with James Paterson. He is certainly a better writer than Paterson (based on this one book). To the senior author’s credit, he endorses the book.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
The Bricklayer by Noah Boyd
Paperback 2010, 382 pages
April 16, 2011
South Amboy, NJ
From what I could tell, this is the first novel written by the former FBI agent. It is about the group Rubaco Pentad which extorts money ($5M total) from the FBI by killing and threatening to kill various people if its demands are not met. The FBI calls in a former agent (who works as a mason, hence the title of the book) Steve Vail to help solve the problem. The bad guys keep throwing in mental and physical challenges at Vail which he meets, and in the process kills many (or all, I forget) of them, including the mastermind Victor Radek.
The general technique of escalating challenges works quite well for the writer, but he seems to go to the same well a couple of times too many. The final twist (that the outgoing Deputy DA is involved) is quite unnecessary and not well-developed; the author uses a short narrative to describe what happened. If I were his editor, I would say either cut out that part of the story or make it more central and elaborate on it.
It would have been a much better book if the storyline ends say 2/3 of the way; as it is it drags on a bit. Nonetheless I enjoyed this book, and would gladly read other books by the same author.
April 16, 2011
South Amboy, NJ
From what I could tell, this is the first novel written by the former FBI agent. It is about the group Rubaco Pentad which extorts money ($5M total) from the FBI by killing and threatening to kill various people if its demands are not met. The FBI calls in a former agent (who works as a mason, hence the title of the book) Steve Vail to help solve the problem. The bad guys keep throwing in mental and physical challenges at Vail which he meets, and in the process kills many (or all, I forget) of them, including the mastermind Victor Radek.
The general technique of escalating challenges works quite well for the writer, but he seems to go to the same well a couple of times too many. The final twist (that the outgoing Deputy DA is involved) is quite unnecessary and not well-developed; the author uses a short narrative to describe what happened. If I were his editor, I would say either cut out that part of the story or make it more central and elaborate on it.
It would have been a much better book if the storyline ends say 2/3 of the way; as it is it drags on a bit. Nonetheless I enjoyed this book, and would gladly read other books by the same author.
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Kindle Edition 1996, 512 pages
January 28, 2011, UA839 enroute LAX-SYD
This is the first Amazon Kindle book that I read. I still have to get used to the device.
I saw the Musical Oliver in London, all I remember was the scene that he ran away and I thought the staging was quite clever. Of course I also remember his being exploited by various people. I did forget his background was eventually cleared up and that he was the illegitimate son of a rich person and thus inherited a substantial amount of money
Between the “olde” English, new reading device, and reading a few pages here and there, I can’t quite form an opinion whether this is a great book. I do remember some passages (usually the more graphic ones) are quite compelling.
January 28, 2011, UA839 enroute LAX-SYD
This is the first Amazon Kindle book that I read. I still have to get used to the device.
I saw the Musical Oliver in London, all I remember was the scene that he ran away and I thought the staging was quite clever. Of course I also remember his being exploited by various people. I did forget his background was eventually cleared up and that he was the illegitimate son of a rich person and thus inherited a substantial amount of money
Between the “olde” English, new reading device, and reading a few pages here and there, I can’t quite form an opinion whether this is a great book. I do remember some passages (usually the more graphic ones) are quite compelling.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
for one more day by Mitch Albom
Paperback 2006, 197 pages
March 29, 2011
South Amboy, NJ
Anne read this book in preparation for a discussion she would lead, so I picked it up also.
The protagonist Chick was about to commit suicide but had an accident instead. In his dazed state, he saw his dead mother for about a day. During the time, he re-evaluated his life and learned a few things about himself. He survived the accident, and reconnected with his daughter (her not inviting him to her wedding was one trigger for his suicide). Chick died a few years later, and the story was narrated by his daughter.
Since the story is fiction, involves ghosts, visions, and someone hurt in an accident, the plot doesn't hang together, nor does it need to. Still, I think the author could do a better job of writing coherent scenarios.
Based on this book, I don't understand why Albom is so popular. Perhaps there are so few books that tugs on the audience's heartstrings, so anything close to doing it is regarded as great writing? The writing style certainly helps, it's relaxed and easy reading. I did enjoy some passages, but then I tear up reading dinner menus and phone books.
March 29, 2011
South Amboy, NJ
Anne read this book in preparation for a discussion she would lead, so I picked it up also.
The protagonist Chick was about to commit suicide but had an accident instead. In his dazed state, he saw his dead mother for about a day. During the time, he re-evaluated his life and learned a few things about himself. He survived the accident, and reconnected with his daughter (her not inviting him to her wedding was one trigger for his suicide). Chick died a few years later, and the story was narrated by his daughter.
Since the story is fiction, involves ghosts, visions, and someone hurt in an accident, the plot doesn't hang together, nor does it need to. Still, I think the author could do a better job of writing coherent scenarios.
Based on this book, I don't understand why Albom is so popular. Perhaps there are so few books that tugs on the audience's heartstrings, so anything close to doing it is regarded as great writing? The writing style certainly helps, it's relaxed and easy reading. I did enjoy some passages, but then I tear up reading dinner menus and phone books.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
A Chronology of Boating on the Navesink River by Hendrik F. van Hemmen
Paperback 2010, 96 pages
March 10, 2011
South Amboy, NJ
Author is Vice President of the Navesink Maritime Association. Book is gift from Stuart.
March 10, 2011
South Amboy, NJ
Author is Vice President of the Navesink Maritime Association. Book is gift from Stuart.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
ー歩ー歩學箴言 ‐ 作智慧人。劉少平 著。
- 學習怎樣ー歩ー歩走出愚眜, ー級ー級邁向智慧
上册243頁 (2009)
下册267頁 (2009)
Completed January 26, 2010, South Amboy, NJ.
上册243頁 (2009)
下册267頁 (2009)
Completed January 26, 2010, South Amboy, NJ.
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