Review: Lost

Lost by Michael Robotham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.25 stars. Kept me guessing throughout and kept me interested for the most part. 

View all my reviews

Review: The Infinite Machine: How an Army of Crypto-hackers Is Building the Next Internet with Ethereum

The Infinite Machine: How an Army of Crypto-hackers Is Building the Next Internet with Ethereum by Camila Russo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a must-read for anyone interested in Ethereum and, in fact, in the Crypto world in general, since it pretty much spans its entire existence. It is told as a story (Michael Lewis-style, as many other reviewers have mentioned), but also goes into quite a bit of detail, naming names and explaining intricacies (at least it seemed intricate for a non-technical person like me). 

This is probably canonical at this point in time, and seems to end in a way so that a part two, or an addition, can be tacked onto the end of this in the future. 

View all my reviews

Review: The Diary of Lady Murasaki

The Diary of Lady Murasaki by Murasaki Shikibu
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

I can't really leave a rating here. Suffice it to say I find these types of memoirs/journals/diaries fascinating. Not to mention there is an interesting (not entirely flattering) tidbit about Shikibu Izumi, who also wrote a diary, which I will hopefully be reading soon. 

Also, being the author of the Tale of Genji, it is quite insightful how she refers to a certain official as "No Genji". This might be some insight into her character development. 

View all my reviews

Review: Interpreter of Maladies

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ok I'm pretty embarrassed. I started reading this book and found myself really enjoying the first couple stories. In fact, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed them. So I started wondering why I was so surprised, and tried to remember what I had thought of previous Lahiri books. Only then did I realize this is my first Jhumpa Lahiri book. 

I've been calling myself a fan of hers for a while, ever since I heard her interview with Tyler Cowen, and read about how she moved to Italy, learned Italian, translated Starnone's "I Lacci" into English (which I then read), and then wrote her own novel in Italian, which she also then translated (and I have yet to read). 

But this is the first original work of hers that I have read. Usually short stories are always hit or miss for me, but I must say these were pretty much all hits. If I had to pick, I'd say my favorites were:

When Mr. Pirzada came to dine

Interpreter of Maladies

Mrs. Sen's

The Treatment of Bibi Haldar

The Third and Final Continent

View all my reviews

Review: Blockchain Technology Explained: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide About Blockchain Wallet, Mining, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Zcash, Monero, Ripple, Dash, IOTA and Smart Contracts

Blockchain Technology Explained: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide About Blockchain Wallet, Mining, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Zcash, Monero, Ripple, Dash, IOTA and Smart Contracts by Alan T. Norman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A tad outdated here and there at this point, but still a great overall primer for those interested in a broad overview of blockchain technology.

View all my reviews

Review: Power: Why Some People Have it and Others Don't

Power: Why Some People Have it and Others Don't by Jeffrey Pfeffer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The beginning doesn't seem promising. He said he would use peoples' real names unless necessary, and his first two examples are "Anna" and Beth" (Examples A & B?), with no other context. I hope future examples are more concrete.

****

Ok, actually the book did get better. I think this will be most useful to employees of corporations, or even heads of corporations. Maybe less so for entrepreneurs, but there are still some useful nuggets. 

3.5 stars

Some of my notes:

Large network of weak ties is good for innovation and new situations

Small network of strong ties is good for exploiting existing knowledge and tacit skills

First impressions stick. If you are seen as weak, or unfavorably, it might be best to find new people to meet, rather than try to change these peoples' impression of you. 

Try to network in many new places and see what sticks (Large network of weak ties)

View all my reviews

Review: Minding the Store: A Big Story about a Small Business

Minding the Store: A Big Story about a Small Business by Julie Gaines
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I think I discovered a (very niche) genre that I really like: autobiographical graphic novels. After having read this and 'Uncomfortably Happy', by Hong Yeon-sik, I think there's something I really enjoy about them. They aren't autobiographies by any means (they seem to deal with just a certain period, and are obviously non-exhaustive and just give a broad overview), but they help to get a quick feel for what the author experienced, and the graphics help because I don't overlay my own imagery, but see what the author saw and remembers. I'm not sure if that explanation made sense, but suffice it to say that I enjoyed this book a great deal and I look forward to reading more in this niche genre, if I can find any. 

I may even visit Fishs Eddy the next time I'm in New York, even though I confess it's not my style of store. 

View all my reviews

Review: Your mom's the better player

Your mom's the better player by Seolyeon Park
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great short story. I would like to read more by this author. 

View all my reviews

Review: The Hole

The Hole by Hiroko Oyamada
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was just reading a review of Dino Buzzati's 'il Deserto dei Tartari', which said he was the Kafka of Italy, and I guess that influenced my reading of this book as well, since I found the atmosphere quite Kafka-esque. Although, if you're expecting Kafka, that isn't what you're getting here. 

The atmosphere here was similar to Oyamada's other translated book, 'The Factory', despite the setting being entirely different. I enjoyed this one more, and I look forward to future books/translations by the same author. 

I also just looked up the translator, and it turns out he teaches at the university in my city. I'll have to look him up!

View all my reviews

Review: Invent and Wander: The Collected Writings of Jeff Bezos

Invent and Wander: The Collected Writings of Jeff Bezos by Jeff Bezos
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In essence this consists of 2 (or 3) different books. The introduction is by Walter Isaacson, and is an excellent broad overview of Bezos's life/career, albeit much too short. 

The second and third parts are Bezos's writings, first his annual letters to shareholders, and then other articles, speeches, etc. 

These were interesting, despite the repetitions. In fact, it was interesting to see how some anecdotes and lessons evolved over time. I found some of his later writings to be more interesting, since he knew he was writing more for posterity and with a wider audience, so he inserted more lessons and more context. 

Some of my notes (I wish I had taken more):

Get 70% of the knowledge and then make a decision

Are high standards teachable? If they weren't then all talk would have to be about hiring. 

View all my reviews

Review: Genesis of East Asia, 221 B.C.-A.D. 907

Genesis of East Asia, 221 B.C.-A.D. 907 by Charles Holcombe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This had been on my wishlist forever, and I'm glad I read it. If you've read a smattering of the history of East Asian countries, this is a good book to bring it all together and see how they all relate. The section on Vietnam, especially, was all new to me (as well as the Southern Chinese "Yue" culture). 

I could have done without the final chapter on evolution, Darwinism, etc. 

Some of my notes:

"This was especially true in a China where it is doubtful that anyone ever normally spoke the classical written language aloud in ordinary conversation. In traditional China, the written language - "the only real language in the minds of many" - had not the slightest things to do with the modern vernacular". (p. 65)

From the beginning of the (Tang) dynasty... an "unbelievably high proportion" of those who were registered turned out to be women, who were conveniently largely tax exempt. (p. 83)

An instructive recent parallel may be found in the creation of the "Manchu" ethnic identity at the time of the establishment of the Qing dynasty in China in the seventeenth century. "There was, in fact, no traditional 'Manchu' culture or identity." There had been no previous Manchu "nation". Instead, there had been only a scattering of relatively small Tungusics-speaking bands. (p. 113)

...in the early seventh century, it was possible to observe of Paekche that their "current language and ceremonial apparel are roughly the same as in Koguryo". (p. 175)

View all my reviews