This Will Change Everything is a compilation of 125 essays written by some of today's most prestigious scientists. Mr. Brockman asked these thinkers one question, and had them write a 2-5 page essay on the topic. The question: What development do you expect to see in your lifetime that will change everything?
Many of the concepts and ideas are incredibly intriguing. The most interesting theories were the ones that involved space travel, and the discovery of life outside of planet Earth. The implications of discoveries such as these on humanity and life as we know it would be incredible, and it is very interesting to see what the leaders in fields such as astro-biology and evolution have to say about the matter.
Among the other theories about what the future might hold are the development of artificial intelligence, a cure to aging, creating life, advanced robotics, climate change, and planetary destruction. The advantage to the book is that anyone interested in any type of science will probably find at least one or two chapters incredibly interesting.
A disadvantage is that some of the scientists interviewed came up with some really far fetched notions, such as downloading consciousness into a computer, and living forever that way. Is it possible? Maybe. Is it likely in any of our life times? Probably not. Another disadvantage is that there are a handful of essays written by actors, artists, movie producers, etc. I was curious as to what these prominent figures in art were doing in a book about science. However, the majority of the essays were in fact written by scientists, and most of them did write about advances in their own fields.
Overall, I think this book is a must read for anybody who is interested in science, and who would like to get a glimpse as to what prominent scientists are working towards (or in some cases, working against) today. It is very informative, and it is exciting to see what advances may be in store for us in the not-so-distant future.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl
I loved Dante's Inferno. Yes, it was hard to read due to a rough translation, but I still thought it was a great work of Art, very powerful and influential, especially for it's time. So when I heard that there was a book called "The Dante Club", a murder mystery about a serial killer who kills his victims in accordance with the tortures in Dante's seven layers of Hell, I thought to myself "this is a can't miss"
I don't think I have ever been more wrong. I hated this book. I don't think I even got past the first few chapters. I tried, I tried really hard. But I just couldn't do it.
I felt that the author was more interested in filling the novel with gross gorey fluff for shock value than telling a good story. I felt nauseous while reading the description of the first murder scene. I am all for a lot of detail in a book, but this took it way to far. I tried reading on after that, but I was mostly bored and my mind kept drifting back to the gruesome description of the murder, so I couldn't focus on what was really going on in the story very well.
So I would recommend this book if you either want to be bored, or you want to be grossed out, but other than that I would pass.
I don't think I have ever been more wrong. I hated this book. I don't think I even got past the first few chapters. I tried, I tried really hard. But I just couldn't do it.
I felt that the author was more interested in filling the novel with gross gorey fluff for shock value than telling a good story. I felt nauseous while reading the description of the first murder scene. I am all for a lot of detail in a book, but this took it way to far. I tried reading on after that, but I was mostly bored and my mind kept drifting back to the gruesome description of the murder, so I couldn't focus on what was really going on in the story very well.
So I would recommend this book if you either want to be bored, or you want to be grossed out, but other than that I would pass.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
The Only Thing Worth Dying For by Eric Blehm
The Only Thing Worth Dying for is a true story that chronicles the mission of the first Special Forces Unit to hit ground in Afghanistan in 2001. This enthralling narrative is very well written and does not beat around the bush about what those brave men did over there.
The unit was dropped deep into enemy terrority in order to protect the leader of the rebellion against the Taliban in Afghanistan. This man, Hamid Karzai, would go on to become the President of Afghanistan, winning the support of the majority of the country due - in part - to the efforts of these Soldiers.
It is also a sad story about how machoism and eagerness to "get a part of the action" on the part of some service members and military leaders can lead to tragedy. It plays well to the idea that each member of the armed forces has a specific role and that they should stick to their own job (however benign it might seem) rather than try to take over the job of someone else who is better qualified (whether they be of a higher or lower rank). This book should be on the must-read list for any person in a leadership position, not only in the military but in any organization.
The Only Thing Worth Dying For is also a must-read for anyone who is oppossed to the war in Afghanistan and thinks that we do not make a difference over there. We have made a difference already, and we continue to do so.
Support the Troops!
And if you read it, let me know what you think.
The Only Thing Worth Dying For: How Eleven Green Berets Forged a New Afghanistan
The unit was dropped deep into enemy terrority in order to protect the leader of the rebellion against the Taliban in Afghanistan. This man, Hamid Karzai, would go on to become the President of Afghanistan, winning the support of the majority of the country due - in part - to the efforts of these Soldiers.
It is also a sad story about how machoism and eagerness to "get a part of the action" on the part of some service members and military leaders can lead to tragedy. It plays well to the idea that each member of the armed forces has a specific role and that they should stick to their own job (however benign it might seem) rather than try to take over the job of someone else who is better qualified (whether they be of a higher or lower rank). This book should be on the must-read list for any person in a leadership position, not only in the military but in any organization.
The Only Thing Worth Dying For is also a must-read for anyone who is oppossed to the war in Afghanistan and thinks that we do not make a difference over there. We have made a difference already, and we continue to do so.
Support the Troops!
And if you read it, let me know what you think.
The Only Thing Worth Dying For: How Eleven Green Berets Forged a New Afghanistan
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Favorite Book of all Time
So I decided that my first book review should be of my favorite book ever. I know it is going to sound cheesy, hokey, and completely out of place for someone who claims to have read many of the "classics", but my favorite book ever is Stephen King's It. That is right. IT.
This book is an extremely powerful story about love and friendship. What makes it even better is that it is wrapped up in a suspenseful horror/sci-fi setting.
The basic premise of the book is that 7 grade school outcasts develop a friendship with each other and band together to fight a powerful evil. The evil returns 30 years later, and they have to return to their hometown, rekindle their forgotten friendship, and destroy the evil for good.
Stephen King's novels are often hit or miss on character and plot development; with many of them not having any at all. This novel, however, is in my opinion one of his greatest achievements (only to be surpassed by the Dark Tower series). You can't help but fall in love with the characters, feeling their pain and their triumphs. You are completely immersed in the story as if you were one of the 7, fighting to save your loved ones.
The downside of IT is that it is over 1000 pages long. There were also various "diary entries" scattered throughout that added to the length of the story but in my opinion were not necessary to the plot. They serve the purpose of adding background information for the plot, but skipping them all together would not cause the reader to miss out on any of the story elements. I will admit that I skip those portions when reading the book.
Overall though, even for being over 1000 pages it is a very easy and enjoyable read. The first time that I read this book I was in 6th grade, and I was able to finish it in a few weeks. I am well out of college now and I still read this book every few years, and still find it just as enjoyable.
One word of caution though - if you saw the movie, please do not hold it against the book. That was one of the WORST book-to-movie renditions I have ever seen in my life. The movie did not capture the love and friendship that existed within the group, it did not explain what IT really was (it didn't even try, it wasn't even in the wrong ballpark, but the wrong sport!), and it didn't develop the plot or characters in any way that made the watcher care at all. The book is much different, and much better. The movie does it absolutely no justice.
So give it a chance, read it, and let me know what you think:
This book is an extremely powerful story about love and friendship. What makes it even better is that it is wrapped up in a suspenseful horror/sci-fi setting.
The basic premise of the book is that 7 grade school outcasts develop a friendship with each other and band together to fight a powerful evil. The evil returns 30 years later, and they have to return to their hometown, rekindle their forgotten friendship, and destroy the evil for good.
Stephen King's novels are often hit or miss on character and plot development; with many of them not having any at all. This novel, however, is in my opinion one of his greatest achievements (only to be surpassed by the Dark Tower series). You can't help but fall in love with the characters, feeling their pain and their triumphs. You are completely immersed in the story as if you were one of the 7, fighting to save your loved ones.
The downside of IT is that it is over 1000 pages long. There were also various "diary entries" scattered throughout that added to the length of the story but in my opinion were not necessary to the plot. They serve the purpose of adding background information for the plot, but skipping them all together would not cause the reader to miss out on any of the story elements. I will admit that I skip those portions when reading the book.
Overall though, even for being over 1000 pages it is a very easy and enjoyable read. The first time that I read this book I was in 6th grade, and I was able to finish it in a few weeks. I am well out of college now and I still read this book every few years, and still find it just as enjoyable.
One word of caution though - if you saw the movie, please do not hold it against the book. That was one of the WORST book-to-movie renditions I have ever seen in my life. The movie did not capture the love and friendship that existed within the group, it did not explain what IT really was (it didn't even try, it wasn't even in the wrong ballpark, but the wrong sport!), and it didn't develop the plot or characters in any way that made the watcher care at all. The book is much different, and much better. The movie does it absolutely no justice.
So give it a chance, read it, and let me know what you think:
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Intro
Hello!
I am a reader. I love to read. Anything. Eveything. If it has words on it, you can bet that I either want to read it or have already read it. So, I've decided to start a blog about the books that I've read. Every time I read a new book (and trust me, thats a lot!), I will post a review. I will also post reviews of books that I've already read (especially when I'm reading a long one...War and Peace took me a few months to finish, I have a real job too!)
I have a very eclectic taste in books, I've read everything from Stephen King to Jane Austin, Harry Potter to The Secret History of the World. I tend to focus on the classics (because I have a nerdy personal goal of reading 100 of the most inluential novels ever written) and on non-fiction things like history and astrophysics (because I'm a big nerd and think it's fascinating!) But I also read sciene fiction, fantasy, new fiction, and anything else that I think might be interesting.
Enjoy the reveiws!
I am a reader. I love to read. Anything. Eveything. If it has words on it, you can bet that I either want to read it or have already read it. So, I've decided to start a blog about the books that I've read. Every time I read a new book (and trust me, thats a lot!), I will post a review. I will also post reviews of books that I've already read (especially when I'm reading a long one...War and Peace took me a few months to finish, I have a real job too!)
I have a very eclectic taste in books, I've read everything from Stephen King to Jane Austin, Harry Potter to The Secret History of the World. I tend to focus on the classics (because I have a nerdy personal goal of reading 100 of the most inluential novels ever written) and on non-fiction things like history and astrophysics (because I'm a big nerd and think it's fascinating!) But I also read sciene fiction, fantasy, new fiction, and anything else that I think might be interesting.
Enjoy the reveiws!
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