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A tad outdated here and there at this point, but still a great overall primer for those interested in a broad overview of blockchain technology.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

Review: University of Berkshire Hathaway: 30 Years of Lessons Learned from Warren Buffett & Charlie Munger at the Annual Shareholders Meeting

University of Berkshire Hathaway: 30 Years of Lessons Learned from Warren Buffett & Charlie Munger at the Annual Shareholders Meeting by Daniel Pecaut
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. The authors do a great job of summarizing what Buffett and Munger say, not skipping the pithy and entertaining asides and remarks. 

Just a few of my notes:

A good investment is a company with a product that costs 10 cents, sells for a dollar, and is habit forming. 

People get into much more trouble with a sound premise than an unsound premise.

example:  If I offered you Alaska beachfront property, you could dismiss this out of hand as nonsense. If I recommended Florida beachfront property, you might have an interest since the premise is sound. Yet many people have lost their shirts buying Florida land. 

"If investors only had to study the past, the richest people would be librarians"

Just investing in whatever BH invests in wouldn't work. One example: BH bought General RE in a stock sale, meaning it lowered its stake in Coca-cola (and other companies) by 18%, with no leveraging and no capital gains tax. 

On the other hand, another year BH bought a lot of Coca-Cola stock, and 80% of Coke's sales were in currencies other than the dollar, so this allowed BH to basically short the dollar. 

"When asked how he would teach business students, Buffett said, “For the final exam, I would take an Internet company and say ‘How much is this worth?’ And anybody that gave me an answer, I would flunk.”"

View all my reviews

Review: My Ántonia

My Ántonia by Willa Cather
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What an excellent book. After the disappointment of 'As I Lay Dying', by Faulkner, I wasn't really sure about reading another piece of late 19th century/ early 20th century Americana. 

But I'm glad I did read it. This was enjoyable throughout. From the talk of life in Nebraska for early pioneers, to the immigrant families of Swedes, Danes, Bohemians, etc., to the change from rural Nebraska to East Coast city life. And the story itself, and Antonia.

View all my reviews

Review: Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World

Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World by Fareed Zakaria
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Quite frankly I don't think there was anything earth-shattering here, but it is probably the best compendium of the state of the world up to this point, so should probably be required reading nonetheless. I haven't read a book by Zakaria since The Future of Freedom, and I remember that as being more of a 'quake book' than this. 

Regardless, be sure to read this if you are interested in the state of the world post-2020 (this was written in late 2020, so toward the end of the Trump presidency). 

View all my reviews

Review: The Great Passage

The Great Passage by Shion Miura
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a delightful book. I admit, I had this on my wishlist, but couldn't remember why, and, had I looked into the subject matter I may have skipped this. The idea of an entire novel centered around creating a dictionary seems a tad boring, quite frankly. 

But it turns out this was really nice. Each chapter is from the point of view of someone different, and every person seems to be a bit quirky in their own way, and it all fits in together nicely at the end. 

In terms of the translation, obviously a choice had to be made. Many references are made to Japanese terms, the definitions and the etymology, as well as expressions that, for one reason or another, are odd and need explaining. The translator could have decided to find equivalents in English (or as close to an equivalent as possible), or to stick with the Japanese terms and add explanations for the reader. I think the choice to stick with the original Japanese worked quite well. My Japanese isn't good enough to know any of the words, but I enjoyed the explanations and nuances. 

View all my reviews

Review: Endless Blue Sky

Endless Blue Sky by Lee Hyoseok
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a pleasurable read. Written in the early 1940s, a Korean novel taking place almost entirely in Manchuria (Harbin), which had been colonized by the Japanese (as Korea had been at the time). The story itself has more to do with relationships and love and life in general, with an ending that was beautiful in its own way (although very abrupt). 

Also, kudos to the translator and editor for including notes at the end of each chapter, which really helped. 

View all my reviews

Review: The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed

The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed by Sara Gay Forden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was excellent. I never really kept up with news about Gucci (although I obviously saw some of the main headlines as they occurred), but this was really fascinating. Frankly it reads like an opera, and I actually appreciated the details about the business (unlike some other reviewers) since their business was a roller coaster in all directions. 

Regardless, there's a bit of everything for everyone, and it is updated for 2021 (originally written in 2010). Apparently they are making a movie of this later this year, which will be interesting. 

View all my reviews

Review: Origine del tricolore. Da Bologna a Torino capitale d'Italia

Origine del tricolore. Da Bologna a Torino capitale d'Italia by Ito De Rolandis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Actually quite a fascinating look at the origin of the Italian flag and its colors. 

This was a "revolution" planned by Luigi Zamboni and Giovanni De Rolandis. They talked about how everyone was sick of the dictatorial church government (in Bologna) and how everyone would follow them and help them take down the government. They then went to spread the word, and 6 people ended up showing up (two of whom were convicts, obviously hoping that with a change in government they'd be free). 

In other words, it was a completely forgettable attempt at freedom in a random city of Italy. And yet, once they were captured they were tortured, put through a fake trial, and all their families' belongings were confiscated by the church and they were put to death (actually one of them died in prison, which they tried to make look like a suicide). It was these events, and the people's outrage at them, coupled with the subsequent arrival of Napoleonic troops kicking out the ecclesiastical government, that made the efforts stick. 

Their emblem was the "tricolore", which then became the flag of the Repubblica Cispadana, and then Italy. 

I confess, seeing the last name of the author made me a bit suspicious, and I am assuming he is somewhat biased, but regardless, this was very interesting stuff. If it is true, Italian students should be studying it in school. 

View all my reviews

Review: Diary of a Madman and Other Stories

Diary of a Madman and Other Stories by Lu Xun
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed all of these stories. The title story was interesting. I confess I don't see the political angle as much (this was written before there was a communist movement), although that doesn't mean it's not there. I do see a critique of historical values, as well as general paranoia. 

The other stories are all about people who are not well off, living outside of major metropolises. In other words, about those who had usually been neglected in literature. All his stories were written in the vernacular as well (白話), which adds to this effect. 

The last story (Forging the Swords) was in a different style, but also nice as a change of pace. 

I think my favorite is still The True Story of Ah Q (a re-read for me). 

View all my reviews

Review: First Snow on Fuji

First Snow on Fuji by Yasunari Kawabata
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The more I read by Kawabata the more I enjoy his stories. This was a collection of short stories, the best of which was First Snow on Fuji, but every story had something to it. 4.5 stars on average. 

View all my reviews

Review: Traversing the Frontier: The Man'yōshū Account of a Japanese Mission to Silla in 736-737

Traversing the Frontier: The Man'yōshū Account of a Japanese Mission to Silla in 736-737 by H. Mack Horton
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

I can't really rate this, since most of it was over my head. The actual travel account is from page 10 to 44 (with the Kanji and Japanese sounds transliterated as well). The rest is pretty much commentary. 

The first part is more or less an introduction, then the travelogue itself. Then "Traversing the Frontier", or basically a geographical tracing of where they (most likely) traveled. The sections after this (Internal contexts, Historical contexts, Literary contexts, Authorial and Editorial contexts) were pretty much over my head. I scanned some of the Historical contexts section, but even then I didn't absorb much. 

As for the travelogue itself, it isn't really a travelogue, but more a collection of poems and sentiments, most about how much they miss home and miss their wives. This was a bit disappointing, although I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy reading it. 

Still, obviously much work was done on this book, which from what I can tell is exhaustive and excellent, so hopefully someone more knowledgable than I am on the subject can give it a more thorough review. 

View all my reviews

Review: Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty

Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty by Daron Acemoğlu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a second read for me. I like to read books like this when they are a bit out of date to see if they stand the test of time. This one seemed to, at least re: China. 

I agreed with his premise, but disagreed with some of their examples, at least toward the beginning.

It is true that some countries will not prosper because it isn't in their leaders' interest to allow a democratic government. The authors seem against the idea that these leaders just "need to be educated" as to the correct strategy, a la IMF and World bank, and I tend to agree. 

The poorest parts of South America are the parts that were most under control of the conquistadores (is this true?)

Section 256 of Alabama's constitution still has segregation. Segregation is still law in Alabama. (This is still true today. I looked it up).

I like the idea that (Schumpeter's) Creative Destruction is required for an economy to persevere in the long term, i.e. past the downturns. 

All in all this was a good second read. I'm curious to see how these theories have been updated by the authors.

View all my reviews

Review: Before the Coffee Gets Cold

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm sort of amazed at some of the negative reviews here. Lately I've been disappointed by books with a great premise but sloppy follow-through (Like The Imagination library), but I didn't find this was the case here. 

This is more a collection of short stories dealing with regulars in a coffee shop. And it just so happens that this coffee shop allows for time travel, with certain conditions. 

Some of the stories were a bit of a stretch, but I'm still giving it 5 stars since it left me wanting more and I found it very original. I look forward to reading the second in this series. 

View all my reviews

Review: Four Queens: The Provençal Sisters Who Ruled Europe

Four Queens: The Provençal Sisters Who Ruled Europe by Nancy Goldstone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was alternately a confusion of similar names and extremely entertaining reading. I probably am not well versed enough in the history of this era to know much of what is going on. Having said that, the author did do a good job at differentiating all the various royal people with extremely repetitive names. 

Upon reading about Louis IX's crusade, I was immediately reminded of its account in Foucault's Pendulum, by Umberto Eco. If anything, the entire story, as told here, is even more comical. The entire endeavor (and its sequel) were blunder after blunder. I mean, they were complete tragedies at the time for the people involved, but hopefully enough time has passed by now. As the author stated: "The most virulent enemy of France could not have done a better job of decimating the French royal family than did Louis with his crusade".

As for the queens, considering the men they were stuck with, they were pretty much the ones running the show and/or cleaning up the messes. In some ways it reminded me of The Soong sisters (from the book The Soong Dynasty). 

All in all, a very interesting, if at times confusing, book about an interesting time. 

View all my reviews

Review: Running Wild

Running Wild by J.G. Ballard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I bought this entirely on spec from a used book store, and it didn't disappoint. It is a short book, a murder mystery and, ultimately, a critique of sorts. 

It will be interesting to read more by this author. 

Edit: Wow. I just saw that this author wrote "Empire of the Sun" and "Crash", both of which became movies (I had heard of the movies, but not the books). I'm glad I found out about him. 

View all my reviews

Review: Facing the Bridge

Facing the Bridge by Yōko Tawada
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really need to be in the right mood to read Tawada's books. This contained three short stories. I enjoyed reading all three, right until the end. They each seem not to end, but just to stop, without really saying or concluding anything. It is quite odd. 

Anyway, for the first story, I feel like she could have explained a bit more why Amo decided to do what he did at the end. In fact, I wasn't sure why Tamao was acting the way he was half the time either. 

In the second story, it seemed to be getting interesting, but abruptly ended (on a weird note). 

The third story was somewhat engrossing, and probably had more symbolism than I could catch. Once again the ending was very odd to me. 

Probably should have been a dnf, but I was curious about the last story since it was called "St. George and the Translator".

View all my reviews

Review: Billion Dollar Loser: The Epic Rise and Spectacular Fall of Adam Neumann and WeWork

Billion Dollar Loser: The Epic Rise and Spectacular Fall of Adam Neumann and WeWork by Reeves Wiedeman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After having read about Uber and Airbnb (The Upstarts), it was fascinating to read this book. There were many instances of deja vu, but all in all this was much more intense and crazy. 

The author did an excellent job in documenting all the facts and people, places and companies involved, at times even going through daily schedules of events from years ago. He obviously did his homework. 

On the other hand, you get the impression that he set out with a certain goal in mind (to show how ridiculous the whole situation was), and at times it makes him seem a bit biased. I will also admit, however, that there was a certain amount of schadenfreude on my part when reading as well. Adam (and Rebekah) just seem to be like those ultra-privileged celebrities who have lost all touch and deserve some sort of comeuppance. Although to be fair, if Masayoshi Son hadn't invested that much in the company it probably would have never gotten so bad (as the author mentions toward the end). 

Regardless, an excellent foray into what happened at wework. I heard there is a Hulu documentary out now, but I feel like it cannot go as much into depth as this book did. 

View all my reviews

Review: In the Suicide Mountains

In the Suicide Mountains by John Gardner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I told myself I would dnf any book that wasn't a 4 or 5 star this year, and I feel like I should have done so with this one. But I finished it since it was A) short, B) by John Gardner. I enjoyed Grendel a lot, but for some reason this didn't really do it for me. It seemed to be a modern twist on a fairy tale (the setting is not modern, just ambiguous, but it isn't your average fairy tale either), but maybe it was just over my head or just not my cup of tea. 

If the story sticks me with (as I see has been the case with other reviewers), I may change my rating, but there you go. 

View all my reviews

Review: Asleep

Asleep by Banana Yoshimoto
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I seem to enjoy Yoshimoto more and more the more I read by her. These three stories are not intertwined per se, but they definitely share many aspects, and sort of mesh together later on when remembering them. I enjoyed all three. 

I agree with another reviewer who said she enjoyed reading these at night. I would also recommend reading these in the evening or at night. It would lend well to the general ambience. 

View all my reviews

Review: Eisenhower in War and Peace

Eisenhower in War and Peace by Jean Edward Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is where my presidential biography journey will end. It is a fitting one, since this is a president I knew little to nothing about.

It is refreshing to have a biographer who is straightforward about when the subject was in the wrong. All too often I feel like they make excuses for the person they are writing about.

Interesting how, having experienced war as a general, Eisenhower was dead against starting new wars, entering Indochina, using the atomic bomb with china and Vietnam (as he was advised to do), because he was against these. But then let himself get manipulated into subverting democracy and have the CIA carry out coups in Iran and Guatemala.

I feel like the second presidential term and later years were rushed through, with little to no detail.

But all in all a great biography of a very interesting man, going through a pivotal time in United States history. Between the Korean war, desegregation, the cold war, in addition to Eisenhower's accomplishments during WWII, a lot of ground is covered here.

View all my reviews

Review: Eisenhower in War and Peace

Eisenhower in War and Peace by Jean Edward Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is where my presidential biography journey will end. It is a fitting one, since this is a president I knew little to nothing about. 

It is refreshing to have a biographer who is straightforward about when the subject was in the wrong. All too often I feel like they make excuses for the person they are writing about. 

Interesting how, having experienced war as a general, Eisenhower was dead against starting new wars, entering Indochina, using the atomic bomb with china and Vietnam (as he was advised to do), because he was against these. But then let himself get manipulated into subverting democracy and have the CIA carry out coups in Iran and Guatemala.

I feel like the second presidential term and later years were rushed through, with little to no detail. 

But all in all a great biography of a very interesting man, going through a pivotal time in United States history. Between the Korean war, desegregation, the cold war, in addition to Eisenhower's accomplishments during WWII, a lot of ground is covered here. 

View all my reviews

Review: The Tattoo Murder Case

The Tattoo Murder Case by Akimitsu Takagi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this noir-style thriller. Written in 1948, it takes place in post-war Japan and deals extensively with the tattoo lifestyle and subculture of the time. That alone intrigued me. 

The killing(s) and mysteries were interesting. I confess the answer being revealed by a "genius" toward the end, deus-ex-machina style, seemed a bit contrived. It would have worked better if the detective and/or his brother had arrived at it. Also, some of the clues seemed a bit of a stretch, but there you go. 

I still enjoyed the story and general ambience. I will probably look for more by this author. 

View all my reviews

Review: The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep

The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep by H.G. Parry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Right away I loved the idea of this book, and I started wondering about which characters I would like to bring out of books. Here are a few I settled on: 

Lady Sarashina, Charlotte Bronte (at least from my reading of Barker's "The Brontes), and Arnold Rothstein. In terms of fictional characters, Ludo (the kid from Helen Dewitt's The Last Samurai"), and Paloma, from "The Elegance of the Hedgehog". 

I'm sure there are others. Also, I would just like to talk to them and get an idea as to how they would act and react in my every day life. Not sure about going all (REDACTED DUE TO SPOILERS) and using them to my own ends. 

Anyway, having said that, this book was pretty quick-paced from the beginning. I confess I could do without some of the narrator's whining and prevaricating and doubting himself, etc., although  I understand that was part of the point. 

I look forward to reading more by this author. 

4.5 stars

View all my reviews

Review: Kino's Journey: The Beautiful World, Vol. 1

Kino's Journey: The Beautiful World, Vol. 1 by Keiichi Sigsawa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was recommended as a graphic novel that was reminiscent of a Murakami book. I can see why they said that, but it wasn't really the case. 

Regardless, it was interesting. I like how there doesn't seem to be any real overarching plot, but just a series of adventures. It makes this a relaxing and interesting read. If I happen across other volumes I'll get them. I may even order some in the near future. I'll see. 

View all my reviews

Review: Ethnic Minority Issues in Yunnan

Ethnic Minority Issues in Yunnan by Sam Mitchell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Extremely fascinating, although much of it is probably hopelessly out of date by now. I admit I am now fascinated by the Musuo people, but all of the studies of different people were interesting in their own way, although some were quite obviously written by students. 

Still, in my next lifetime I want to take some time during my studies to live in a village in Yunnan getting to know the local people. 

View all my reviews

Review: American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America

American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America by Colin Woodard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved the history here but I couldn't help disagreeing with many of the conclusions. They probably held water until around 50 years ago, but now I'm not so sure. As an example, I've lived in DC, Atlanta, Portland and Charlotte and I've found that, while these cities are all different and have their own flavors, the people there seemed to have more in common with each other than with people who might live just 30 miles away from their own city. I think the divide has changed to urban/suburban/rural now, or some variation thereof. He also argues that people naturally gravitate toward areas that suit them most, but I've moved everywhere mainly due to jobs or school. The one exception is probably Portland, but I really don't think that makes me more left-coaster. In fact, quite the opposite. 

He also says that much of the antagonism between Americans and Mexicans now (in the El Norte section) dates back to England's wars with Spain. But then how come modern England and Spain don't have the same animosity? 

Also some of his naming seemed odd. The fact that the "Yankee" region would not include New York (New Netherlands) seems rather weird. I agree with the fact, but maybe pick another name. 

However, as mentioned, the history is great. 

Interesting that John Adams basically abolished free speech "for the greater good". There was a difference between 'Freedom' and 'Liberty' back then, wherein one said everyone was free (more in the south and Appalachia, while the other said freedom was important for the community (more in the Yankee region). 

I would love an update for the post-Trump years. 

View all my reviews

Review: The Library Book

The Library Book by Susan Orlean
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had no idea what this was about at first, and kept thinking the history of the library was background for the story. Regardless, although it gets slow at points, much of it was fascinating. It made me very interested in libraries in general. 

I think my only issue was a sort of lack of closure with regards to the library fire, but there's not much the author could do about that. 

View all my reviews

Review: Candelora

Candelora by Luigi Pirandello
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My favorite stories:

La Camera in Attesa

La Rosa (sort of)

Da sé

Piuma

Ho Tante Cose da Dirvi

La Carriola

View all my reviews

Review: Malice

Malice by Keigo Higashino
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this. At times it seemed a bit far-fetched but it entertained me. A mystery novel unlike most mystery novels. I would like to read more Higashino.

View all my reviews

Review: Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination

Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination by Neal Gabler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow. This book was *extremely* well researched. It retained my interest throughout, despite the legal issues he had, and the ups and downs of his professional life. I found myself researching many of his old videos, as well as his animatronic Abraham Lincoln model (look it up). 

4.5 stars

View all my reviews

Review: Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen

Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The author basically equates your brand message with a movie, and, using movie plots, shows you how to structure the message. It seems a bit of a stretch, to be honest, but it is very well structured and I took quite a few notes so I'm curious to see how it works. We'll see...

View all my reviews

Review: The Rise and Fall of the Cleveland Mafia: Corn Sugar and Blood

The Rise and Fall of the Cleveland Mafia: Corn Sugar and Blood by Rick Porrello
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've been enjoying reading about the mob in peripheral cities (Milwaukee and Denver/Pueblo), and Cleveland was no exception. The author is a former policeman who is descended from one of the original Cleveland mafia families, so he seemed to have some good insight. 

I was amazed I hadn't heard more about the Cleveland Mafia, to tell the truth, seeing as how Capone, Luciano and others had dealings with it, and that Profaci, Mangano and others were arrested there for what seems like a precursor to the Appalachian conference. 

Regardless, if you're interested in reading about the Cleveland Mafia this will be a great book for precisely that. It could possibly do with an update, since Angelo Lonardo has died and presumably there have been further changes in the Cleveland Mafia. 

View all my reviews

Review: The Midnight Library

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very interesting premise. It slowed down a bit in the middle, but then picked up, and kept me thinking about the central idea for a few days after having finished it, although I did have a couple of issues with the ending. 

Let's say 4.25 stars

View all my reviews

Review: Celtic Mythology: Tales of Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes

Celtic Mythology: Tales of Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes by Philip Freeman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It is frankly too much to believe I'll remember the names and actions of even half of these myths. However, for the most part they were still entertaining, especially the Welsh myths. 

But so many problems could have been averted if the kings, warriors and rulers (all men) didn't have their misplaced machismo and didn't constantly want to prove how tough/manly they were. Then again, I guess this is true for myths of all cultures. 

View all my reviews

Review: Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter

Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter by 50 Cent
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This has some excellent advice with some incredible stories. 

As always, some of the advice can be found in other books, just packaged in a different way. But this book seems to be more self-aware than many. For example, 50 cent talks about how, after reading Robert Green's 48 laws of power, only one really stuck with him (never outshine your superiors), and it served him really well over the years. Likewise, he hopes we find at least one of his rules that resonates with us and we can carry along with us. 

Some of my notes:

“Fear dominates most people’s lives. Fear of loss. Fear of failure. Fear of the unknown. Fear of loneliness.”

The thing most people are comfortable with is fear. If you're afraid of flying, you don't fly. If you're scared of going for it, you don't go for it. This is very dangerous. 

“If you’ve put in the work, and know your shit, raise your damn hand!”

You can be really smart, but you need to speak up otherwise others won't know. 

You may out-rhyme me, and even out-smart me, but you'll never out-hustle me. 

The story about vitamin water is interesting

Very interesting how/why other rappers around him didn't make it

If he comes up with a good rhyme now, he'll give it to a young rapper with tight jeans and facial tattoos, because no one will want to hear it from him. 

His anecdote about Mike Pence's "won't eat with a woman without my wife present" is very interesting. 

He leaked his "album" to bootleggers to create buzz, which seems like a great strategy. 

He mentions how competition is good, and he seems to make use of it from the underdog point of view. He will shoot for something doing better (targeting GoT when he has his show Power). He knows he won't win that battle, but it will get him more viewers and more buzz. 

He also mentioned the tour in Switzerland where I saw him! (in passing but whatev)

And boy, what a life. 

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by 50 cent. 

View all my reviews

Review: Mycroft and Sherlock

Mycroft and Sherlock by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I wasn't at all sure what to expect, but I enjoyed this book throughout. I realize it isn't the first in the series, but I don't think it deterred from the story at all (I figured out pretty quickly Mycroft and Cyrus had had some adventure in Trinidad in the first one). 

This deals with Chinese immigrants in London, at a time when they first started appearing. 

4.5 stars

View all my reviews

Review: The Classical Music Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained

The Classical Music Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained by Katie Derham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I cannot for the life of me fathom why they would release an audiobook about classical music without any music. I understand this was originally a print book, but if they went through the trouble of professionally narrating it, and as far as I can tell pretty much every piece of music discussed is in the public domain, I don't understand why they wouldn't add the music. Especially given that there are certain lines like these: 

"The apparently unrelated chords of F, B, D# and G# form the basis for the work's harmonic instability." 

"...landing not merely in a key (E major) unrelated to the first chord (B flat), but a diminished 5th (a semitone less than a 5th) below it, resulting in a tri-tone, an interval in 3 tones"

"each chord is to be appreciated for the sensuality of its sound"

One can only really follow if they know the pieces by heart, or if they can listen to them. Granted, I can go online and find these (and I did for several), but I often cannot, like when I'm driving, etc. I can't help thinking it was just laziness. 

So, aside from this the book was very interesting, although much of it seemed to be over my head. 

Some of my notes:

Jacopo Peri apparently created the first opera (Dafne, and the first that still exists, Euripide). He worked for the De Medici family, which means the De Medici brought us the first opera, as well as, you know, the renaissance. 

Henry Purcell probably would have started opera in England had he not died early. In the end it was the german Handel (who performed for King George on a boat in the Thames). 

I want to read more about Stravinsky and the first performance of Le Sacre du printemps

"1912: Igor Stravinsky pastes a cord of a dominant 7th on E flat over a cord of F flat major and causes an outrage"

View all my reviews

Review: The Genesis Code

The Genesis Code by John Case
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you can get this at a decent price my recommendation is to read it without reading the blurb and without reading my review either. Not that I have any spoilers, but I think just diving into it is the best bet. 

That's what I did. I had had this book in my library forever (it had been on my Amazon wishlist since 2004), and had no idea what it was about (I thought it might be some biblical analysis). Anyway, it was worth it. 

Ok so, since this was written in 1997, the Davinci Code was definitely copied from this, right? 

I guess in many ways they're completely different, but still. 

Regardless, I'm pretty sure I enjoyed this much more. It did last a bit longer than I would have liked (how many countries did he have to travel to in Europe really?), but I really liked the denouement. 

View all my reviews

Review: Agostino

Agostino by Alberto Moravia
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A decent novel, but not much more. I admit I expected more from it. 

It is the coming of age summer for a 13 year old on the beach in Tuscany. But this coming of age involves mainly sexual undertones, and odd ones at that (verging on oedipal and verging on pedophilia).

The backdrop reminded me very much of my summers in Versilia. Local kids hanging around the beach with nothing to do, etc. 

View all my reviews

Review: White Flamingo

White Flamingo by Andrés Felipe Solano
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Quite a good short story. I'll be keeping an eye out for other books by this author. 

View all my reviews

Review: Myths, Lies and Half-Truths of Language Usage

Myths, Lies and Half-Truths of Language Usage by John McWhorter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another excellent book by John McWhorter. This one concentration on the English language, past, present and future. 

Here are some of my notes:

So apparently the Angles, Saxons and Jutes weren't the first Germanic people to cross over to England. At that time there were settlements of Frisians already living in the Southeast. I had no idea. Although now that I think about it it makes sense since English is in fact closer to Frisian than any of the other low German dialects. 

He mentions an Italian dialect called "Monese" which I cannot for the life of me find any trace of. If anyone knows where this could be from please let me know. The closest I could get would be Cremonese (maybe Creo-Monese and drop the Creo?) or possibly a dialect from Monno, although that would be the dialetto Camuno (a type of Lombard) I guess. 

You shouldn't say "Ain't I" if you're educated. But you shouldn't say "Amn't I", so what do you say? "Aren't I?". Except that is non-sensical (Are not I?)

I want to read more about Robert Lowthe and William Cobbett, and their prescriptive recommendations for English usage. 

View all my reviews

Review: Granta 127: Japan

Granta 127: Japan by Yuka Igarashi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Interesting collection, although in some cases the connection to Japan was tenuous at best. In fact, now that I think about it, the story Final Fantasy III by Tao Lin may have been making fun of this collection, as the author is a Taiwanese-American who needs to write a short story about Japan. 

My favorite stories were:

A Clean Marriage, Things Remembered and Things Forgotten, Spider Lilies, Pig Skin, Scavengers, and possibly After the War, Before the War. 

Anyway, here are some of my notes for each story (PROBABLY CONTAINS SPOILERS):

A Clean Marriage, by Sayaka Murata: Interesting, odd, weird. I liked it. A man and woman decide to have a "clean marriage" (completely platonic). Things get complicated when they decide to have a child. 

Breakfast, by Toshiki Okada: Kind of odd. I didn't dislike it. A wife leaves her husband to work in Fukushima. The story takes place when she returns to break things off forever with the husband. The husband is understanding. The narration is a bit odd (on purpose).

Variations on a Theme by Mister Donut, by David Mitchell. This is by David Mitchell, whose name I always notice in bookstores because I think it's the comedian. Anyway, interesting premise, involving the same incidents through various points of view, all taking place inside a Mister Donut. Maybe it's just me, but many of the characters seemed stereotypical portrayals. 

Linked, by Ruth Ozeki: By a half Japanese half american, about her grandfather, including a photo of him. 

Things Remembered and Things Forgotten, by Kyoko Nakajima: Probably my favorite thus far. A man goes to visit his brother suffering from Alzheimer's in an old folks' home. Told through the present and flashbacks. 

Final Fantasy III, by Tao Lin: Meh. A Taiwanese-American asks his parents their thoughts on the Japanese

Primal Mountain: I mean, ok...

Blue Moon, by Hiromi Kawakami. I'm a fan of Kawakami's. This story seemed more autobiographical than anything. The narrator gets diagnosed with a tumor (90% chance it is malignant, 10% chance of survival if it is). She then heads to a literature conference in Russia. 

The Japanese Firefly Squid, by Kimiko Hahn: A poem

Spider Lilies, by Hiroko Oyamada: I liked this one. I'm curious to read more by the author. Oh, I just realized she's the author of The Factory!

The Beauty of the Package, by Pico Iyer. Interesting. More of an armchair anthropological study of a Japanese wedding. 

Pig Skin, by Andres Felipe Solano: I enjoyed this one. A creative premise and follow-through. I'm curious about this author's other work

Printable, by Toh Enjoe: This story wrinkled my brain. It was too meta and labyrinthine for me. 

After the War, Before the War, by David Peace: Interesting. Seems to be the beginning of a (possible fictionalized) biography about Ryunosuke Akutagawa. I might want to read it all when it is written. Also, turns out I had written another piece by the same author in The Book of Leeds.

Scavengers, by Adam Johnson. Having visited North Korea, it was interesting to read about someone else's experience. And I'm glad I was able to actually obtain something made there (I think), unlike the author. 

The Dogs, by Yukiko Motoya: I had already read this one in Motoya's short story collection. 

Arrival Gates, by Rebecca Solnit: This was obviously a very important experience for the author. I'm not sure I felt the same. Although I really want to visit the Fushimi Inari Shrine now. 

Pink, by Tomuyuki Hoshino: That was weird. There was some symbolism there - I think for the evils of progress - which I didn't really get. It is ultra hot in Tokyo, so people start spinning clockwise to cool off. 

View all my reviews