This's the story of the tensions in Massachusetts immediately before the Revolution, from the Intolerable Acts through the Battle of Lexington and ConThis's the story of the tensions in Massachusetts immediately before the Revolution, from the Intolerable Acts through the Battle of Lexington and Concord. Britain had already totally lost control by summer-fall 1774; the Patriots were governing everywhere General Gage's army wasn't currently standing on. Gage knew he couldn't suppress the entire countryside with his small army; it's to his credit that - despite a total lack of support from Britain - he delayed hostilities as long as he did. All this comes out with amazing stories in this book....more
Laura and her husband are again in her hometown to direct the Christmas play her annoying cousin's organized, when one of the actors is murdered. ThroLaura and her husband are again in her hometown to direct the Christmas play her annoying cousin's organized, when one of the actors is murdered. Through a confluence of events, Laura is asked to help the police chief investigate.
This's by far the funniest book in the series so far, switching between the sobriety of the investigation and the comic situations of the rehearsals. Plausibility feels stretched to get Laura into the investigation, but once that happens things proceed well - and I do like the ending....more
When some suspicious people are trying to buy the cloth mill in her hometown, Laura is called to investigate them. And then - as the town, and Laura'sWhen some suspicious people are trying to buy the cloth mill in her hometown, Laura is called to investigate them. And then - as the town, and Laura's family, choose sides about the purchase, the suspicions turn into murder.
Kelner has mostly regained her touch here, with Laura's family coming back as central characters, still more interesting characters added, and a fast-moving plot. The mystery still depends on clues not shown till very late, and enough information is hidden at the climax for a couple final twists. But, the tension of the story profits from that....more
Only a hundred years ago, many children did not reach their first birthday - let alone adulthood. And that was still an improvement over two hundred yOnly a hundred years ago, many children did not reach their first birthday - let alone adulthood. And that was still an improvement over two hundred years ago, when it would have been "most." This book tells the story of the public health doctors and interventions that, point by point, fought away each avenue of death.
I'd heard of a lot of these before, but it was great seeing them spelled out on the page. The telling isn't the most organized or engaging, but it's a story well worth reading....more
This book is a cozy story of a growing friendship between two university dormmates in a science-fiction galaxy. They're aliens from extremely differenThis book is a cozy story of a growing friendship between two university dormmates in a science-fiction galaxy. They're aliens from extremely different backgrounds, with different telepathic powers. Over the course of the book, they learn to respect and trust each other, stop dancing around each other's reserve so much, recognize their friendship is worth preserving, and learn to help each other figure out where to go in life.
It's a very slow burn, with hardly any actual action. There's clearly a lot of background to the universe here, much of which gets gradually revealed. But neither of those is the point; the focus is the characters and their friendship.
If you're in the mood for that, it might be worth reading. I'm happy to have read this, but it took me a couple weeks of dipping in when I was in the right mood, and I'm not planning to continue the series....more
I enjoyed this as a kid; I enjoyed it again now. A family on the Moon buys their own rocket ship and travels the Solar System - for fun, say the adultI enjoyed this as a kid; I enjoyed it again now. A family on the Moon buys their own rocket ship and travels the Solar System - for fun, say the adults, but our protagonists the resourceful twins insist on bringing trade goods and turning it into a business venture. Yet, Heinlein throws twists and challenges at all of them, making a very fun story.
Around the margins, we get tastes of Heinlein's classic banter - but this's Early Heinlein, who hadn't yet gone off the deep end; we don't even get a single lecture of the sort we see in his later works.
I'm left enjoying the characters and setting both, and wanting more....more
This's the anthology of all Asimov's short stories about robots. Here we see the origin of Asimov's famous "Three Laws of Robotics," and here we see dThis's the anthology of all Asimov's short stories about robots. Here we see the origin of Asimov's famous "Three Laws of Robotics," and here we see dozens of stories playing with them, exploring their interactions and their unexpected twists, and also - even more so - exploring how robots and robots' Three Laws interact with human nature.
It's been argued, correctly, that the Three Laws are of next to no use to AI alignment. But if people had actually read Asimov, they wouldn't need that argument. Robots here repeatedly make tremendous errors because of the Three Laws, and avoid worse errors only because they're too stupid to understand so many things about what would "through inaction, allow a human to come to harm." Because of that stupidity, Asimov has failed to anticipate so much of modern computing.
The stories themselves are of varied quality. Many of them are, or could be, detective stories solved by someone understanding how the Three Laws interplay leading to counterintuitive behavior. The stars of the collection are where that lets Asimov's human characters show off their character. Though, there're a few stories where the robots themselves steal the show with charming extrapolations of character....more
This's a book-by-book survey of what the Bible has to say about money and posessions. For all its grand premise, the conclusions it reaches are surpriThis's a book-by-book survey of what the Bible has to say about money and posessions. For all its grand premise, the conclusions it reaches are surprisingly restrained: rich people are often referred to approvingly, but every rich person approved in the text is described as giving significant amounts to the poor or otherwise to God's work.
Of course, the author does point out that - by historical standards, or modern global standards - all us Western Christians are rich. He doesn't attempt any more specific modern application. By implication, of course, all of us should therefore be giving away significant sums. My immediate question is, what does that look like? But this author doesn't venture any answers there....more
I appreciated this famous work recounting economic problems of government intervention, and urging libertarianism as the solution. I'm not sure what tI appreciated this famous work recounting economic problems of government intervention, and urging libertarianism as the solution. I'm not sure what to say about the arguments on the object level; I don't know enough to respond on that level, and much of the details are surely out of date by now. (The book was originally published in 1962.)
This's a very practical sort of argument for libertarianism: not that it's justified in the abstract, nor even that it will give better results than a theoretical ideal dictator, but that it will over time give better results than any real-world government you'll get in practice. I can't dispute that....more
This's the story of the British military presence in Boston in the late 1760's, leading up to the Boston Massacre. It was brought about primarily by iThis's the story of the British military presence in Boston in the late 1760's, leading up to the Boston Massacre. It was brought about primarily by internal British politics causing a larger army than was needed; it resulted in radicalizing Boston and setting them on the road to independence.
It isn't a major point of this book, but I kept chewing on how quartering soldiers and high taxes were just a fact of life in Europe, but in America they were impositions pushing toward revolution. In modern terms, America was privileged. But the solution wasn't to lose our privilege; it was to uphold it and exort Europe to gaining it for themselves....more
Weyrich, a conservative political activist active in the W. Bush administration, writes in defense of public transit from a conservative perspective. Weyrich, a conservative political activist active in the W. Bush administration, writes in defense of public transit from a conservative perspective. As a conservative who likes public transit, I read it eagerly.
His arguments are sometimes cogent and always interesting. He favors express buses and light rail because they're the highest in choice riders; I would very much like to have seen him debate some of the progressive transit activists about system design. But his strongest and newest point is that most shopping trips were never made by public transit. A hundred years ago, they were mostly made by foot; now, without neighborhood stores, they're usually made by car. So, he argues, transit modeshare statistics should ignore them.
I can't believe all of Weyrich's arguments, but I would like more transit activists to speak like him....more
On another visit to her relatives in small-town North Carolina, Laura's aunt pulls her into investigating a murder at the local flea market. There's aOn another visit to her relatives in small-town North Carolina, Laura's aunt pulls her into investigating a murder at the local flea market. There's a new cast of characters here, who are interesting in their own right - Kelner does paint memorable characters. The twists in the mystery are also good, and perhaps Kelner's best on an intellectual level.
But, I still think this's the weakest book in the series so far. Laura our detective is clearly an outsider here; the plot has very little emotional impact on her. She's merely an observer to the mystery. As Sayers said once, that brings down the quality of the best story. And here, the other characters' emotional revelations rarely lead to arcs - perhaps due to their not having the relationships among themselves we've seen in Kelner's previous books (where they're usually family or coworkers).
I'm interested to see where Kelner's next books will go; I hope she'll return to her previous better formula....more
This's a short book on pleading in prayer God's promises: bringing them before Him. On one level, this's reminding Him to (as David put it) do what HeThis's a short book on pleading in prayer God's promises: bringing them before Him. On one level, this's reminding Him to (as David put it) do what He's promised to do. But on another level, God hasn't forgotten; the pleading is to remind yourself of the promises and encourage yourself to trust in God to fulfill them.
Unsurprisingly, I can use this book's reminder to look up from my immediate circumstances to God's faithfulness. He's promised to be faithful; I can depend on him to be faithful in the medium things in my life as well. Yeakley urges his readers to keep a list of a few seemingly-impossible prayer requests they're willing to trust God to fulfill, and he tells stories of people who've gotten them unbelievably fulfilled. I'll do the same, and now I just need to remember to keep praying over that list....more
This is a sad story. I knew that going in, but I didn't anticipate all the ways in which it would be sad.
While I knew how the Polish government-in-exiThis is a sad story. I knew that going in, but I didn't anticipate all the ways in which it would be sad.
While I knew how the Polish government-in-exile (first in France, then London) was betrayed by the Western powers who courted the Soviet alliance, and I knew the political pressures behind this betrayal - I didn't know how naive the Poles were. Until the start of 1945, they continued to naively believe that Churchill and Roosevelt would defend their rights. They had little more than vague political statements to go on, but they refused to see the betrayal that was already happening as Britain and America kept brushing them aside from their Soviet relationship.
What could have been different? Perhaps little; trying to make deals with Stalin was always a fool's errand. But if the Polish government had tried to accomodate themselves in hopes of getting something... perhaps they could have gotten something? But then the nobility of their lonely flying of the flag in London through 1990 would have been lost. Or, more hopefully, if Roosevelt had pressed in 1941 for Stalin to at least pretend to honor Polish rights... maybe he would have only gotten empty words, but perhaps it would have been something?
Reality, as it was, was a sad story. It seemed even more sad in this 1979 book, published during the Communist rule. At least now we know the government-in-exile triumphantly handed over authority to their freely-elected successors....more
This is - in my opinion unfortunately - not Wild Physics Egan, but Philosophical Egan. Here, he explores imperfect computer simulations of humans in aThis is - in my opinion unfortunately - not Wild Physics Egan, but Philosophical Egan. Here, he explores imperfect computer simulations of humans in a near future world.
A game company designs AI NPC's. It trains an AI system off the general motor activity in an athlete's brain, to mimic his sports skills. Then, a dying father wants to train an AI system off his brain, to help inspire his young son. Do these work? In some ways, yes. They perform to spec within the system of the game.
In other ways - it's not sufficient. In other plot threads, Egan shows us how actual humans can act outside their normal systems, in ways unpredictable to others who've watched their general behavior. And what's more, people deserve the right to act as they will. If AI's are actually imitating people - shouldn't they have some rights too?
This wasn't as fun as most Wild Physics Egan, but it did make me think more than most Philosophical Egan. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, but I'm glad I read it....more
With an amazingly intricate mess of noncontiguous states, how did borders work in the Holy Roman Empire? Scholz writes about how they worked in a veryWith an amazingly intricate mess of noncontiguous states, how did borders work in the Holy Roman Empire? Scholz writes about how they worked in a very different way from modern borders. Rulers largely didn't care about keeping people out of their borders, but simply ensuring that they passed through tollhouses at some point to pay tolls.
The big point where borders did come up was with formal escorts offered to distinguished visitors or merchants, which were a huge point of pride for rulers in the Empire. They frequently conscripted their peasants into these escorts, and even resorted to violence to enforce their rights to escort travelers.
This book has a wealth of interesting anecdotes and pictures. Where it falls short is in context. How did this system change over time? How did merchants respond to it? Questions like those must unfortunately wait for another book....more
This book digs into people's fear responses in disaster, how they often impede survival, how fellow victims or emergency responders can push to overriThis book digs into people's fear responses in disaster, how they often impede survival, how fellow victims or emergency responders can push to override that and help people survive, and how training or better design can avert such counterproductive responses. Ripley tells chilling stories from disasters like 9/11, airplane crashes, mass shootings, and building fires.
I have to admit, I'm nowhere near as prepared as she talks about being, and I don't plan to. Also, I suspect some of her recommendations would fail cost-benefit analysis. But, her points about how building codes' safety requirements fail to account for actual behavior in crowds should be fixed if true - as airplane design has been....more
This starts out a fun story about a boy and his very large alien pet who one day goes blundering through town crashing through buildings. It then turnThis starts out a fun story about a boy and his very large alien pet who one day goes blundering through town crashing through buildings. It then turns into a legal evasion drama as he and his girlfriend try to keep the government from condemning the beast... and then turns into a curious political drama as some aliens arrive who're interested in this beast.
Every part of the story is fun, but I wish Heinlein had blended them together better rather than turning from one type of story to another. In the end, he brings up some interesting themes about government and how to govern a people that isn't ready for policy on a larger scale - but with no good answers. This could be taken to be allegorically in tune with a story that shifts from one type of tale to another... but if so, Heinlein has merely underwritten his characters' statement that the situation is inherently unstable.
In the end, I'm on the cusp of recommending this book - but I can't quite do it because it's not any one type of story....more
This's a history of piracy and privateering, from the point of view of their collaborating communities on shore, whether in Britain itself or in AmeriThis's a history of piracy and privateering, from the point of view of their collaborating communities on shore, whether in Britain itself or in America. In real life, pirates didn't bury their plunder when they had any other option; they wanted to sell it - whether for carousing or for retirement on land. Many communities on the periphery of global trade (whether 1500's Cornwall or 1600's America) were happy to buy it, because pirates provided needed goods.
Up until the 1700's, piracy was viewed as a patriotic temporary job. Most pirates sailed under a privateer's commission (usually not strictly valid) and plundered other countries' ships. With such incentives, the imperial government struggled to enforce its laws at all.
This's a fascinating view of incentives and trade in the margin of law....more
In this installment, a mystery comes to Laura's door in Boston: her old college boyfriend dies outside her door, while on the edge of being fired fromIn this installment, a mystery comes to Laura's door in Boston: her old college boyfriend dies outside her door, while on the edge of being fired from the startup he helped found. As she digs in, she uncovers more and more secrets of her old college friends in the startup.
The characters aren't quite as vivid here, but Kelner makes up for it with a picturesque portrayal of a mismanaged computer startup. It was founded around a self-proclaimed lone genius who doesn't even check in his code to a version control system... so, after he's murdered, they need to actually decompile the product to move forward! And that's just one of many entries.
The book isn't deep, but it's fun. Kelner's shown she can write Boston almost as well as small-town North Carolina. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series....more
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