Books Read in 2002
I retired at the end of 2001 and so I had a lot of time to read in 2002.
Many of these books were listened to as audiobooks.
- Biological science
- A natural history of the senses by Diane Ackerman -- she manages
to talk about almost everything because what don't we apprehend with our
senses? Interesting.
- The Beauty of the Beastly : New Views on the Nature of Life by
Natalie Angier -- I like Angier's writing. Clear, interesting descriptions
of biology. - Why elephants have big ears : understanding patterns of life on earth
by Chris Lavers -- about why some animals are warm-blooded and some are
cold-blooded. Interesting.
- A natural history of the senses by Diane Ackerman -- she manages
- Computers, complexity and mathematics
- How Nature Works Per Bak -- this guy did the studies of avalanches
in sand piles. Interesting work in complexity and what he calls self-organized
complexity. - Linked : the new science of networks by Albert-László
Barabási -- a fascinating look at the properties of large networks
like the Internet, power grids, friendships, cells, etc. - Ubiquity: the science of history ... or why the world is simpler
than we think by Mark Buchanan -- another book on self-organized complexity
and how it applies to many areas. This is better and more interesting
than Per Bak's book I though. - The Computational Beauty of Nature: computer explorations of fractals,
chaos, complex systems, and adaptation by Gary William Flake -- good
introduction to these topics. Very interesting. - Fire in the Mind: Science, Faith, and the Search for Order by
George Johnson -- about the development of complexity. A lot about the
Santa Fe Institute and New Mexico history. - Emergence: the connected lives of ants, brains, cities, and software
by Steven Johnson -- a good explanation of emergent properties in things
like ant colonies. An aspect of complexity. - Interface Culture:how new technology transforms the way we create
and
communicate by Steven Johnson -- okay but not as good as I had hoped
it would be. About computer technology. - The polar bear strategy : reflections on risk in modern life
by John F. Ross -- about the mathematical theory of risk and how people
do not understand it. - A New Kind of Science Steven Wolfram -- Wolfram has no lack of
self-confidence. I only read half of it (it is over a thousand pages)
but it is an impressive work. It may be revolutionary. Only time will
tell.
- How Nature Works Per Bak -- this guy did the studies of avalanches
- Physics
- E=mc2: A Biography of the World's Most Famous Equation by David
Bodanis -- interesting book on how Einstein developed the equation, his
life afterwards, and the development of the atomic bomb. - Lucifer's Legacy: the meaning of asymmetry by Frank Close --
not as good as I hoped. Mostly about symmetry in physics. - The Illustrated A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking --
Hawking writes popular science very clearly. Here he explains modern ideas
of the Universe. - Six Roads From Newton: Great Discoveries in Physics by Edward
Speyer -- good popular physics.
- E=mc2: A Biography of the World's Most Famous Equation by David
- Social commentary, social science and politics
- Iron John by Robert Bly -- an book about boys and men, from 1990.
Forget your prejudices about the "men's movement", there is
no drumming in the woods here. Bly is literate and wise. - High and Mighty: SUVs: the world's most dangerous vehicles and how
they got that way by Keith Bradsher -- how car manufacturers used
influence in Washington to allow them to sell vehicles not that consumers
really wanted but that would make them large profits. - Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By In America by Barbara Ehrenreich
-- about how hard it is to live on a minimum-wage job. - Cod: a biography of the fish that changed the world by Mark Kurlansky
-- who would have thought a book about a fish could be fascinating but
it was. Cod really did change the world. - Stupid White Men by Michael Moore -- full of things about Bush
and his buddies that will make you angry. The rabid style put me off a
bit but it is good to hear this stuff. - Generation X goes to college: an eye-opening account of teaching
on postmodern America by Peter Sacks -- not that good. A rant about
how the younger generation is going to the dogs. - The War Against Boys: How Misguided Feminism is Harming Our Young
Men by Christina Hoff Sommers -- a rehash of her book bashing feminism.
I followed up on one of her statistics and found them to be misleading
and misused to form false conclusions. She is either ill-informed or dishonest.
- Iron John by Robert Bly -- an book about boys and men, from 1990.
- Other science
- Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini --
a review of psychology experiments showing how marketers influence you.
Includes tips on how to see through and defeat their tricks. - Wind: how the flow of air has shaped life, myth, and the land
by Jan DeBlieu -- covers every topic related to weather, storms and wind
that you can imagine. Interesting. - The substance of civilization : materials and human history from
the stone age to the age of silicon by Stephen Sass -- about materials
science. Somewhat interesting but how interesting can materials science
be? - The Beak of the Finch by Jonathan Weiner -- explains evolution
clearly and in detail and how it occurs in the scale of a few years.
- Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini --
- Mysteries
- High Five by Janet Evanovich -- an okay mystery.
- Kill the Shogun by Dale Furutani -- an average mystery but the
parts about life in Japan around 1800 are fascinating. - The First Eagle by Tony Hillerman -- another good Navajo mystery.
- The Mamour Zapt and the Night of the Dog by Michael Pearce --
an average mystery but interesting background about life in Egypt around
1900 under British rule.
- Plays
- All's Well That End Well by William Shakespeare -- what can I
say about Shakespeare? - A midsummer night's dream by William Shakespeare -- ditto.
- Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw -- if you liked My Fair Lady,
as I did, you will love this because Show's original is even better.
- All's Well That End Well by William Shakespeare -- what can I
- Novels
- Emma by Jane Austen -- I read three Austen books this year and
liked them all. - Mansfield Park by Jane Austen -- Nabakov developed some famous
lectures on this book for a literature course he taught. Thought to be
one of her best books. I liked it but not as well as I liked Pride
and Prejudice. - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen -- amazing and delightful
insights into society and people in general. - Year Of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks --
novel of a town in England that quarantined itself in the year of the
plague (about 1640). Based on an historical event but completely made
up. The main character is too perfect but I still liked the story. - The Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier -- light but
interesting throughout. Insights into painting and life in Holland in
Vermeer's time (the 1600s). - Rising Sun by Michael Crichton -- dated but a good story.
- Heart of Darkness (Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism) by
Joseph Conrad -- I was very impressed at how good this was. Probably the
best short novel in English. Then the book used five different critical
methods on the novel which was also interesting. - The Body Artist by Don DeLillo -- a short book and an unusual
story. Haunting. - A Passage to India by E. M. Forster -- a classic and very powerful
novel. - Disobedience by Jane Hamilton -- a story of infidelity from the
viewpoint of her son who reads her email. - Catch-22 by Joseph Heller -- still good and relevant after all
these years (since 1961). - About a Boy by Nick Hornby -- funny and insightful story of a
guy rejoining the human race. - High Fidelity Nick Hornby -- Hornby is always good. More insights
into the male psyche. - How to Be Good by Nick Hornby -- not Hornby's best but still
has lots of humor and insights. - Le Mariage by Diane Johnson -- I like Diane Johnson and she is
good here. She also wrote Le Divorce but the stories are not related. - At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon -- I didn't like this one.
- Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac -- one of Kerouac's best books. The
usual frenetic, interesting characters. About his experiences with the
Zen, beat poet Gary Synder. - On the Road by Jack Kerouac -- exhausting but fascinating story.
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver -- my favorite book
this year. Good writing and a wonderful story. - Mr. Phillips by John Lanchester -- I loved his Debt to Pleasure.
This is good but not nearly as good. - Fragrant Harbor by John Lanchester -- a story of an English man's
life in Hong Kong. Interesting. - The Diagnosis by Alan Lightman -- I loved Einsteins's Dreams.
This is nothing like it but the story is interesting. - Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman -- the reviewer's phrase "beautifully
imagined" is appropriate here. Vignettes of 30 worlds where time
works differently in each one. Astounding. - If you lived here, you'd be home by now by Sandra Tsing Loh --
a humorous novel. - This is not a novel by David Markam -- an "experimental
novel" which consists of hundreds of interesting facts about history
and authors that Markam has picked up over the years. Fascinating. - Hotel Pastis by Peter Mayle -- novel about a hard-driving insurance
man who moves to Provence. - The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus -- light
and fluffy and consists of a lot of rich people bashing but it is a lot
of fun. The nerve of these rich people is astounding. - The Center of Things by Jenny McPhee -- a charming novel about
physics and lots of other thing. - The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brian -- short stories about
the war in Viet Nam actually. I enjoyed them all. - The Shipping News by Annie Proux -- one of her best books. The
story is depressing at the beginning but gets much better when he gets
to Novia Scotia. - Fury by Salmon Rushdie -- lots of cultural and literary references,
and those were just the one I happened to get. - The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve -- light but an interesting
story. - Snow Crash by Neil Stephenson -- all his books are good and this
one is no exception. - The Fellowship of the Ring J. R. R. Tolkien -- a classic that
is still great. - Back When We Were Grownups Anne Tyler -- another good novel.
- Maus: a survivor's tale by Art Spiegelman -- A graphic novel.
The author's father's story of surviving the Holocost. Very moving. Excellently
done. - Maus II: a survivor's tale by Art Spiegelman -- Sequel. Also
very good.
- Emma by Jane Austen -- I read three Austen books this year and
- Humor
- Lost Continent by Bill Bryson -- one of his funniest books. The
fake place names he comes up with are hilarious. - Neither here nor there by Bill Bryson -- Bryson's travels in
Europe. Very funny. - A Walk in the Woods Bill Bryson -- about the Appalachian Trail.
Not as funny as his other books but not meant to be. Still a good story.
- Lost Continent by Bill Bryson -- one of his funniest books. The
- Tales From Rhapsody Home Or, What they don't tell you about senior
living by John Gould -- mildly amusing rants of a cantankerous old guy
complaining about living in a retirement home. - French Lessons: adventures with knife, fork and corkscrew by Peter
Mayle -- short pieces about food festivals around France. Pretty funny. - Driving Mr. Albert : a trip across America with Einstein's brain
by Michael Paternit -- a funny story of a road trip with Einstein's brain
and the pathologist who happened to have it. A very good road-trip story. - A Year In Van Nuys by Sandra Tsing Loh -- very funny book about
living in Van Nuys. - History
- The Crusades by Anthony Bridge -- the story of the hundred years
of Crusades. Interesting. - Days of Infamy: Military Blunders of the 20th Century by Michael
Coffey -- interesting stories of military blunders. It gets tedious about
two thirds of the way through but I still liked it overall. - Populuxe by Thomas Hine -- A book of 1950's style. Very interesting.
- The Renaissance: a short history by Paul Johnson -- okay but
a little too much recitation of facts. - Brunelleschi's Dome: how a renaissance genius reinvented architecture
by Ross King -- about the dome and life in Florence at the time (around
1400). - The Year 1000: What life was like at the turn of the first millennium
by Robert Lacey and Danny Danziger -- the subtitle tells it all, except
that it only talks about life in England. Interesting. - What Went Wrong? by Bernard Lewis -- an excellent history and
analysis of Islam. - Anatomy of a miracle : the end of apartheid and the birth of the
new South Africa by Patti Waldmeir -- more than I wanted to know about
the subject. - A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn -- a good
source for alternative viewpoints on history than what you probably got
in high school.
- The Crusades by Anthony Bridge -- the story of the hundred years
- Memoirs and biography
- Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom -- overly sentimental but
still a moving story about a man dying of ALS. The philosophy of life
presented is not profound but useful to remember anyway.
- Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom -- overly sentimental but
- Nietzsche in Turin: an intimate biography by Lesley Chamberlain
-- an interesting biography of Nietzsche. - The Souls of Black Folk by W. E. B. Du Bois -- a seminal book that
influenced many but I did not find it that interesting today. - Why Sinatra Matters by Pete Hamill -- about Sinatra and his music.
- 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff -- Larry McMurtry hated
it and it is a bit sentimental but I liked this story of her long relationship,
starting around 1950, with the people at an English bookseller's. - Gilbert & Sullivan and their Victorian world by Christopher
Hibbert -- a biography of the two men and their collaboration and invention
of musical comedy. - Seldom Disappointed: a memoir by Tony Hillerman -- Hillerman is
modest and straightforward and has interesting things to say. A lot about
his experiences in World War II. - Cherry: A Memoir by Mary Karr -- a very good coming-of-age story
of a girl growing up in the 60s and 70s. - Lake Webegon Summer 1956 by Garrison Keillor -- fiction/memoir
of growing up in America in the 1950s. His insights and memories are right
on. - The Street Where I Live by Alan Jay Learner -- about the making
of My Fair Lady, Gigi, and Camelot. A must if you love musical comedies. - Under the Tuscan Sun: at home in Italy by Frances Mayes -- story
of a couple living in Italy. Full of descriptions of the pleasures of Italian
life. - A Year In Provence by Peter Mayle -- fascinating and interesting
story of a couple moving to Provence. - Walter Benjamin at the Dairy Queen by Larry McMurtry -- McMurtry's
memoirs of growing up in Texas and becoming a writer and books collector. - Other
- God's Debris by Scott Adams -- yes, this is the Scott Adams who
writes "Dilbert" but this is a serious book explaining his philosophy.
It is quite interesting and very close to what I believe. - Sonic Boom: Napster, MP3, and the new pioneers of music by John
Alderman -- history of Napster and mp3s. Okay but not that insightful.
Nothing too surprising. - The Koran: a very short introduction by Michael Cook -- an excellent
introduction to the Koran. - What Do You Care What Other People Think? by Richard P. Feynman
-- Feynman is always delightful. This includes his account of his tenure
on the space shuttle inquiry committee which is a fascinating story and
makes you wonder about the integrity of any commission of this sort. - The elements of effort: reflections on the art and science of running
by John Jerome -- interesting insights into exercise. - Chant by Katherine Le Mee -- I have always liked Gregorian chant
and this book tells you a lot about it. I liked it. - Beyond Good and Evil : prelude to a philosophy of the future
by Frederick Nietzche -- I found this hard to read but it has its good
points and inspired me to read other people's descriptions of Nietzsche
which I found much more interesting. - The 100 Greatest American Essays of the 20th Century Joyce Carol
Oates (ed.) -- I read some parts of this. A great collection of essays
- God's Debris by Scott Adams -- yes, this is the Scott Adams who