Review: Another Man's City

Another Man's City by In-ho Choi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Part Living in a simulation, part Truman Show, part Glitch in the Matrix. This book is definitely not what I expected. Also I think it's the earliest Korean "sci-fi" that I've read. 

4.5 stars. I look forward to reading more by this author. 

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Review: The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I can't remember when I read this last, but it was definitely more than 10 years ago. Regardless, it definitely holds up. It is actually quite interesting to read after having read "A Moveable Feast", and seeing what Hemingway had to say about Fitzgerald. 

Also interesting to read after having read Frank Costello's biography, since there is a theory that Jay Gatsby was based on him. Although I'm not convinced about this (Costello never threw lavish parties), there are definite similarities, and Costello certainly would've been the big gangster of New York during the time of writing. 

Regardless, a good read. I wonder if I should watch the movie now. 

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Review: Il fascismo eterno

Il fascismo eterno by Umberto Eco
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Excellent essay on fascism in all its guises. Particularly handy was the list of 14 points that all Fascist states will have in common (available here: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Il_fascismo_eterno). 

Now read through that list and see which countries you think they apply to (these days, definitely to Russia, and I can think of a couple others). 

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Review: Words on the Move: Why English Won't—and Can't—Sit Still

Words on the Move: Why English Won't—and Can't—Sit Still by John McWhorter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another great entertaining book by John Mcwhorter, narrated by the author. 

As always, I enjoy listening to his books/lectures, especially when they have to do with the English language (sometimes I find his conclusions re: other languages a bit of a stretch). 

In essence, unless you speak in a way others don't understand you, there is no "incorrect" way of speaking. 

e.g.:

In defense of "Irregardless":

It might seem like it's a redundancy to say "Ir-regardless", but "overwhelm" is a redundancy too. 

Does the word "whelm" exist? Well, it did (you can find it in Moby Dick). And it meant overwhelm.  "Overwhelm" was the irregardless of its day. 

Rise up, sink down, enter into. These are also redundant, but people don't have a problem with them. 

Of course, how you speak says something about you. So one should know how to speak in a manner society perceives as "proper". Just as you tuck in your shirt for a job interview, you should 'tuck in'  your double negatives and 'irregardless's as well. 

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Review: The Old Woman with the Knife

The Old Woman with the Knife by Gu Byeong-mo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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While this was entertaining, I can't say it was my favorite book. I thought the premise was quite interesting (an aging female assassin, and the problems that arise). But I couldn't help feeling something was missing. For example, she didn't want to retire, but was she planning on doing so one day? Obviously someone in that line of work cannot keep performing it into their 80s, but she seemed to have no plan. Maybe she was expecting (hoping?) she would die on the job, but still. 

Secondly, without giving away too much, her ultimate nemesis seems to make quite a few mistakes himself, while only her mistakes seem to cause any attention. Also, there is no real closure (she never finds out who her nemesis really is, although we do). 

Anyway, maybe it just wasn't my style. Still, as I mentioned, it kept me entertained. 

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Review: The Golden Cage

The Golden Cage by Camilla Läckberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Macabre, intense, and pretty satisfying ending. Still, some pretty odd things, like the heroine finding it extraordinarily easy to make millions quite quickly. Plus she does some pretty bad stuff to some innocent people (no spoilers). 

Regardless, I'll probably check out the next book in this series at some point. 

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Review: Revenge

Revenge by Yōko Ogawa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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I enjoyed this a lot.

These are all somewhat eerie stories, slightly intertwined with each other. And why was there a sort of Paul Auster feel to it? 

It would be excellent if someone created a diagram showing how the characters/locations from the various stories are all connected. 

I confess I almost took a star off due to the title. Revenge was definitely not a recurring theme (it featured a bit, off and on), and I saw how the original Japanese title had nothing to do with revenge. I'm not sure why they came up with that title in English. Am I missing something? 

Still, great collection (I'm still a bit lost by the weird off-connection between the last and first stories, but I guess it would include spoilers, so I'll keep it to myself). 

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Review: Bricchiche fiorentine - Parte seconda

Bricchiche fiorentine - Parte seconda by Foresto Niccolai
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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Another excellent book detailing many places. This also covers the mainstays (Duomo, Piazza della Repubblica, etc. etc.). I basically saved a bunch of spots on google maps with interesting tidbits in the notes for each. 

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Review: Lakota America: A New History of Indigenous Power

Lakota America: A New History of Indigenous Power by Pekka Hämäläinen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Absolutely excellent. A history of the Lakota, but told from their perspective more than an outside one discussing different people. This is all-encompassing, at least as far as it can be with the knowledge we have. Highly recommended.

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Review: Lakota America: A New History of Indigenous Power

Lakota America: A New History of Indigenous Power by Pekka Hämäläinen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Absolutely excellent. A history of the Lakota, but told from their perspective more than an outside one discussing different people. This is all-encompassing, at least as far as it can be with the knowledge we have. Highly recommended. 

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Review: Walmart in China

Walmart in China by Anita Chan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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I actually thought this would be the story of Walmart in China, i.e. how it entered, who was involved, how it is structured, who is in charge, how it has changed over time, etc. Basically like a biography of the company in China. It isn't that at all. It is a collection of essays grouped by subject matter. The first section discusses factories in China used by Walmart USA, and the subsequent ones discuss various aspects of Walmart China.

There were some interesting tidbits, such as how many parallels there seemed to be between Walmart's culture/ethos and Mao's communist ethos. Things such as trying to get rid of hierarchies, the slogans, the cult of personality, putting the masses at the top, and the infringements on it.

Also there was an interesting aside on the origin of the term "sweatshop" (p. 72)

Some notes I took:

""Walt Disney's large retail business has its headquarters, not in Los Angeles, but in Rogers, Arkansas, right next door to Bentonville." (p. 14)

"between 2001 and 2006 Walmart accounted for 9.3 percent of total US imports from China" (p. 29)



"Today, 80 percent of its thousands of global suppliers are based in China and 70 percent of the merchandise sold in Walmart stores is assembled from China" (p. 36)

"The inverted pyramid - putting the masses at the top - is strikingly evocative of the revolutionary class hierarchy of Maoist Socialism" (p. 122)

All-in-all I can't say I recommend it, despite the interesting points. It would have been nice to at least include a precursory history of the company in China, or describe what impact is has on the Chinese economy, what difference it has made, what difference its unionization has made, etc. etc.

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Review: Walmart in China

Walmart in China by Anita Chan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I actually thought this would be the story of Walmart in China, i.e. how it entered, who was involved, how it is structured, who is in charge, how it has changed over time, etc. Basically like a biography of the company in China. It isn't that at all. It is a collection of essays grouped by subject matter. The first section discusses factories in China used by Walmart USA, and the subsequent ones discuss various aspects of Walmart China. 

There were some interesting tidbits, such as how many parallels there seemed to be between Walmart's culture/ethos and Mao's communist ethos. Things such as trying to get rid of hierarchies, the slogans, the cult of personality, putting the masses at the top, and the infringements upon it. 

Also there was an interesting aside on the origin of the term "sweatshop" (p. 72)

Some notes I took:

"Walt Disney's large retail business has its headquarters, not in Los Angeles, but in Rogers, Arkansas, right next door to Bentonville." (p. 14)

"between 2001 and 2006 Walmart accounted for 9.3 percent of total US imports from China" (p. 29)

"Today, 80 percent of its thousands of global suppliers are based in China and 70 percent of the merchandise sold in Walmart stores is assembled from China" (p. 36)

"The inverted pyramid - putting the masses at the top - is strikingly evocative of the revolutionary class hierarchy of Maoist Socialism" (p. 122)

All-in-all I can't say I recommend it, despite the interesting points. It would have been nice to at least include a precursory history of the company in China, or describe what impact it has on the Chinese economy, what difference it has made, what difference its unionization has made, etc. etc.

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