So many heroes in this story! (Even one of Hall's daughters, who is named "Hero"!) I am super-impressed by how many people helped to save the author'sSo many heroes in this story! (Even one of Hall's daughters, who is named "Hero"!) I am super-impressed by how many people helped to save the author's life, and to make it livable again.
Why, in the first place, would someone want to be a war correspondent? In the case of Benjamin Hall, he "wanted to experience and record extreme events in far-flung places -- life at its very edges." I think that both of his parents contributed to his aspirations. His father saw action in the Phillipines during World War II, and was saved in a dangerous situation. And Benjamin Hall's mother took him and his brother all over the world, exploring non-touristy places. She instilled a wanderlust in both of them.
The first half of the book covers Hall's travels before his trip to Ukraine. He witnessed mind-jarring events, and was struck by the stark contrast between the horror of war, and then being able to retreat to a nearby swanky hotel.
The second half of the book describes how he was severely injured while traveling in a car in the outskirts of Kiev. The car was blasted, and all the other occupants died. Hall was able to crawl out of the car, and was retrieved by a brave Ukrainian soldier. At the time, Hall was working for Fox News. In the past year, I have acquired a strong distaste for Fox News. This story, however, raises my opinion about Fox News somewhat. The organization went all-out to help their employee in a desperate situation.
There was heroism every step of the way. Incredible measures, plus a few miracles, helped to get Hall to some decent hospitals in Ukraine for immediate triage and short-term fixes, and then a BIG miracle to transport him to Poland. After that, he had some incredible friends--and a host of strangers who would become friends--who helped get him back to a livable state.
I picked up this book from the library. Hall's picture is on the front cover. He looks perfectly normal. Another photo is on the back cover, and I thought it odd that he would be wearing short pants, instead of long pants. It wasn't until the third time I picked up the book, and stared at the photo on the back cover, that I understood the reason why. (Clue -- I am not very observant!)
I sort of wish that the book could have told more of the stories from Hall's earlier career, and spent less time concerning his recuperation. Nevertheless, I highly recommend the book. It is a very human story, and inspirational on many levels....more
This is a short, fun book about the author's recollections of working for John D. MacArthur. During the 1970's, MacArthur was the second-richest man iThis is a short, fun book about the author's recollections of working for John D. MacArthur. During the 1970's, MacArthur was the second-richest man in the United States. He lived at his "Colonnades Beach Hotel" in Palm Beach Shores, Florida. He became the largest landowner in the state.
The author, Bob Sanford, was the bartender at the hotel, and was in charge of the beverage department. He relates all the eccentricities of his employer. MacArthur was frugal to the n'th degree. As one example, when the elevator carpet needed to be replaced, he had his staff move one of the hotel beds aside, cut out a piece of carpet, and install it in the elevator.
When I listen to NPR radio, I often hear that a show was sponsored by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Now I understand a bit more about this couple and their lives....more
This is a unique book; it is written by 17 women who overcame adversity, who led wildly different lives, with wildly different outcomes. They each becThis is a unique book; it is written by 17 women who overcame adversity, who led wildly different lives, with wildly different outcomes. They each became an entrepreneur, taking control over their own lives in ways they would never have predicted at an earlier age. I love this quote by one of the authors, Christine Merriman: "Our wounds are invaluable lessons that each of us, uniquely, must learn from."
These remarkable women all sound sincere, and remarkably resilient. They faced a wide range of types of adversity: Disease, blindness, childhood trauma, sexual abuse, parental abuse, addiction, violence, accidents, stress, and self-doubt.
Each woman writes in her own voice, with her own words. So as a result, each chapter has a different writing style. This only adds to the authenticity of the stories, and to the book as a whole. This is a book you can read in one sitting, or spread it out by reading a short chapter every once in a while....more
This pair of books (Persepolis Volumes 1 & 2) is my very first graphical novel. It is an autobiography, by Marjane Satrapi, of her early life. In VoluThis pair of books (Persepolis Volumes 1 & 2) is my very first graphical novel. It is an autobiography, by Marjane Satrapi, of her early life. In Volume 1, she humorously and poignantly describes her early life in revolutionary Iran, and in Volume 2, she tells her story as she is sent to live in Germany. Satrapi was a headstrong youngster, with a zest for life and expressing her opinions. She comes from a well-off middle-class family in Iran. She rebeled against the society's strait-jacketing of women's rights. Her parents saw that this was only leading to deeper and more serious trouble, so she was sent to live in Germany. She had difficulties adjusting to life in Germany, and rebeled there, too.
This is a heart-warming story about a girl who becomes a young woman, with a rebellious streak. I enjoyed the book very much!...more
This is a truly fascinating autobiography, written by a former prime minister of Israel. He outlines his life, up to the present day. Ehud Barak grew This is a truly fascinating autobiography, written by a former prime minister of Israel. He outlines his life, up to the present day. Ehud Barak grew up in a kibbutz, which formulated a liberal outlook on life. Barak volunteered to go into a special army unit, and that began his career. He goes into some detail about many of his missions. They are spellbinding. His descriptions held me at the edge of my seat. He became a 3-star general, as he was gaining enormous experience about how to deal with Israel's enemies. He always had a logical outlook that strong security does not equate to a hawkish approach.
It wasn't until later in life, when he got into politics. He became the minister of defense, and later was elected to become prime minister. His most important contribution was to withdraw Israeli troops from Lebanon. He saw troops in Lebanon as a liability, and withdrawing gave Israel a number of advantages.
Barak gives a detailed description of his negotiations at Camp David, with President Clinton and Yaser Arafat. He compromised and compromised, without any reciprocal compromises from Arafat. The negotiations failed to lead to peace with the Palestinians. But Barak did not regret his involvement, because "he just had to try."
I highly recommend this book. It is a riveting account of his personal challenges, as well as the challenges that have arisen in Israel and neighboring Arab countries. ...more
This fascinating book is about paleoanthropologist Tim White, and his team's discovery of Ardi--short for Ardipithecus ramidus. Tim White had a reputaThis fascinating book is about paleoanthropologist Tim White, and his team's discovery of Ardi--short for Ardipithecus ramidus. Tim White had a reputation--a pretty bad reputation, actually--of being a very blunt, salty, arrogant scientist. But he was the most learned, obsessive, meticulous, aggressive, and far-seeing scientist of his time. He really and truly "knew his stuff".
Every year during the 1970's, 1980's, and 1990's, Tim White participated in or led an expedition to East Africa. At first he worked with Richard Leakey in Kenya, and then worked primarily in Ethiopia. He searched for fossils of early hominids; the ancestors of modern humans. This was not easy work. First, he had to obtain grant money to fund the expeditions and research. Then he had to go through a maze of bureaucrats in Ethiopia to get permission to search in a certain area. This could take months or even years, as Ethiopia went through political turmoil. Then, after finally getting all set up, he would take a caravan of vehicles on a several-day trip through the desert. He went through the homelands of various warring tribes, and sometimes had to dodge bullets and deal with gun-crazy people!
White found the remains of Ardi, a 4.4-million year old set of fossils that predated the bones of "Lucy". He began studying the fossil remains for many years. He was meticulous, and documented every nuance and detail from his very incomplete collection of fossil bones. He deduced that Ardi was bipedal--she was an upright walker--even though she could also grab onto tree branches. White deduced from multiple clues, that modern humans are more closely related to Ardi than to modern apes. When he finally published his findings, the scientific community was aghast. They just did not believe White--they didn't want to believe him! The scientific community criticized White--perhaps just as much because of White's personality, as his paradigm-shifting views.
It took many years for scientists to finally recognize how correct White had been. The book mentions the aphorism that "science advances when old professors die." In this case, it is probably true.
The most interesting parts of the book, are those that describe the detective work that scientists performed, to discover the secrets of the origin of humans. It was also engaging to hear how expeditions faced danger and desert heat to uncover the tiny fossil fragments. I highly recommend this book!
Oh--I did not read this book. I listened to the audiobook, narrated extremely well by Roger Wayne. He spoke so well that I could distinguish who was speaking, just from listening to his voice. What a delight!...more
In 1845, at the age of 59, Captain Sir John Franklin set out to discover the Northwest Passage. A veteran of multiple Arctic explorations, he was consIn 1845, at the age of 59, Captain Sir John Franklin set out to discover the Northwest Passage. A veteran of multiple Arctic explorations, he was considered to be an old man, and not considered a good candidate for the rigors of multi-year adventures in the Arctic. He set out with 134 sailors officers aboard two ships. They never returned; this book is about the numerous attempts to find them and to learn their full history. In fact, it wasn't until 2014 and 2016 when the ships were re-discovered, underwater and well preserved.
Much of the book centers on the numerous expeditions to discover the whereabouts of Franklin and his crew. These expeditions traveled to various places in the Arctic, and interacted with the local Inuits. These explorers were unintentially misled by Inuits, as they have a different spatial referencing system. Their directions (north, south, etc.) are not based on the earth's coordinate system, but instead one based on local geography, and a coordinate system whose origin is "home". Also, differences in culture and language hampered these expeditions.
This book was an eye-opener into a chapter in history. I had never heard of Franklin before this book, and the energy and inducements that were poured into them. The dangers of early Arctic exploration and the interesting interactions between two cultures make this a fascinating book....more
Years ago, I enjoyed Lebrecht's book, Who Killed Classical Music?: Maestros, Managers, and Corporate Politics. Most of his other books are also about Years ago, I enjoyed Lebrecht's book, Who Killed Classical Music?: Maestros, Managers, and Corporate Politics. Most of his other books are also about music, but this book is about a very different subject; it is about the lives of Jews who were very influential across the century 1847-1947. What is most surprising to me, are the names. Of course, I realized that Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Albert Einstein, Leonard Bernstein, and Aaron Copland were Jewish. However, I had not recognized a host of others who significantly influenced our civilization, were also Jewish.
For example, Rosalind Franklin was a key player in the discovery of the role of DNA in biology. (I think she was cheated out of becoming a co-winner of the Nobel Prize.) Paul Ehrlich won the Nobel Prize for his work in immunity, and made important discoveries in cancer research and the invention of chemotherapy. Siegfried Marcus invented one of the first gasoline-powered automobiles. Gustav Mahler, Arnold Shoenberg, and Stephen Sondheim were extremely influential composers. The list goes on an on, perhaps a hundred miniature biographies, with their lives often intertwined in interesting ways.
On the large scale, the book unfolds chronologically. But on the small scale, the book often bounces around. Many times a personage is introduced first at a dramatic stage in his (or her) life, and then backtracks to his early life story. Time is also played with, because the entire book is written in the present tense! The book is an interesting read, and certainly engaging. Fascinating anecdotes are slipped in, and the pace never slows down....more
Moses ben Maimon, or more popularly, Maimonides, was one of the greatest thinkers of his time. He was born in Muslim-ruled Spain in 1138, and lived moMoses ben Maimon, or more popularly, Maimonides, was one of the greatest thinkers of his time. He was born in Muslim-ruled Spain in 1138, and lived most of his life in Cairo, Egypt. This book details his life, the history and culture of his time, his works, his influence, and his writings. I am just amazed by how much is known about Maimonides. His life was intertwined between Jews and Muslim Arabs.
The times he lived in were tumultuous. He left Spain, because of Muslim pressure to convert from Judaism. He went to Cairo, which actually was a much more tolerant civilization at that time. He lived through the Crusades. The Crusaders were kidnapping people, including Jews, and holding them for ransom. Maimonides felt that it was his duty to raise ransom-money from his community, in order to rescue fellow Jews.
His writings were both in Arabic and Hebrew. Maimonides wrote the 14-volume Mishneh Torah in Hebrew. These books have survived to this day, and have had enormous influence on Judaism, even to this day. He also wrote the book "Guide for the Perplexed" in Arabic, using Hebrew letters. The guide discusses how religious people should think about God, and he warns not to think of God as if he were a human.
Maimonides was also a lawyer, a judge, and a physician. People liked to use his medical services because he ascribed to Hippocrates' edict to "do no harm." This was quite contrary to the majority of physicians of his time.
This book is very long and detailed. It seems to be rather dry in style, and did not engage me. The sentences often use awkward phrasing that just seem too scholarly for my taste. I did not read this book--I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Sean Pratt. His reading is good, but it irked me that his pronunciations of some of the words are just plain wrong, in any language....more
While most of this book is a set of biographical essays, there are a few chapters that are simply historical essays. So, it sort of feels like a set oWhile most of this book is a set of biographical essays, there are a few chapters that are simply historical essays. So, it sort of feels like a set of essays that David McCullough put together from his writings over the years. There is no single theme holding the book together.
Most of the essays are interesting; the book contains essays about Alexander von Humboldt, Charles Lindbergh, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and lesser-known people. Then the book wanders off into an essay about Washington, DC and an essay about the US Senate of bygone years. Like other books that I've read by David McCullough, the book is enjoyable, but some of the essays simply didn't retain my interest.
Perhaps my neutral attitude toward this book is guided by the fact that I listened to this book as an audiobook. The problem is that the author reads his own book, and his narration has no spark. And as he reads, his voice drifts off toward the end of each sentence, and becomes difficult to hear. I suggest reading the book instead of listening to it....more
Leonardo was truly one-of-a-kind. He had a truly scientific outlook, fueled by his insatiable curiosity. His powers of observation were incredible. Just as an example, he was able to observe that the front wings of a dragonfly beat in the opposite direction from the rear wings. How could he see that?
His scientific mind was continuously trying to learn new things, and he left thousands of pages of manuscripts and notes for us, today. But he did not publish; he did not see science as something to disseminate to others; he only pursued it for his own sake, to fill his thirst for knowledge and understanding.
Leonardo was also a great artist. He saw painting as the highest form of art. And his papers became truly outstanding when he married his remarkable art skills with science. His drawings of human anatomy, as well as a myriad of other subjects, were his expression of beautiful art portraying his scientific observations. Where Leonardo especially excelled, was in his understanding of fluid dynamics, and his realistic art portrayals of fluid flow.
I had not realized that Leonardo spent a good part of a year in the company of Cesare Borgia and Machiavelli. Borgia was an inhumanly cruel and treacherous politician who hired Leonardo to devise military weapons against his enemies. Machiavelli admired Borgia, yet actually left him earlier than did Leonardo, perhaps out of disgust for his cruelty. Leonardo seemed all too happy to comply with Borgia's wishes, as he thought of himself, first and foremost, as an inventor of military innovations.
I highly recommend this book. Walter Isaacson illuminates the life and accomplishments of Leonardo. While Leonardo did have a few foibles, Isaacson shows how he excelled in so many aspects of life, and gains an understanding of his motivations, ambitions, and passions.
I listened to the audiobook edition of this book, narrated by Alfred Molina. He does an excellent reading of the book, and helped make this a very enjoyable experience....more
In this book, Michael Chabon relates the deathbed memoirs of his grandfather. But the book reads like a novel, with only occasional interjections fromIn this book, Michael Chabon relates the deathbed memoirs of his grandfather. But the book reads like a novel, with only occasional interjections from the author, as well as tangents related to the author's mother. How much of the story is true? Maybe all of it. Maybe none of it. It really doesn't matter. It is fiction, after all. But, this novel is told in a structure that is unlike anything I've ever read. I listened to this book as an audiobook, narrated by George Newbern--he does an excellent job bringing the characters to life, in an unaffected manner--and it was not at all difficult to follow the storyline, even though it does not flow chronologically.
The grandfather, who is never named, is an exceptional character. Toward the end of World War II, he is charged with the job of leading a team of soldiers to search out German rocketry--the actual rockets as well as the scientists and engineers who built them, especially Wernher von Braun. The grandfather builds up a love/hate relationship with the German rockets and their builders. Nothing is black and white. We also see what happens during "liberation" of towns; sometimes the townspeople do not want to be liberated, and we see what happens during the liberation of Nazi concentration camps.
The most charming part of the novel is the love story between the grandfather and his French-born grandmother, the terrible things she endured during the war, and her eventual mental illness. The most endearing part of the novel, is his description of his mother when she was a young child. When Chabon continually calls the little girl "my mother", it just brings out a humorous twist that makes me think--even our parents were once children.
I certainly recommend this book to all fans of Michael Chabon. The structure of this novel is so different, and the charm of the numerous stories is sure to captivate any lover of good fiction....more
Humans grab between 25% and 40% of the entire world's output of land plants and animals. All other species rise and eventually die out. Are humans special? Is there any evidence that humans might be a magical exception? This is a major theme of the book; are humans headed for extinction, or can some strategy save our species?
This is the story of two opposite visions of how to set right the problems of our environment. The stories are told of two scientists who were early advocates of these two opposing visions. William Vogt held the view that our problems are due to overuse of our environment. Our populations are too big, our land is over-used for farming and left poor in nutrients, and our water supplies are over-used. We pollute the environment, causing all sorts of problems like climate change, and depletion of our natural resources. Vogt's answer was to cut back on consumerism, over-farming, and over-population.
Norman Borlaug saw the same problems, but offered a different solution; technology and human invention can overcome these problems. People need to work smarter, not grow less food for fewer people. It could be said that Borlaug was personally responsible for saving millions of people from starvation.
Vogt was an amateur bird-watcher. In 1933 he observed an over-abundance of black ducks at Jones Beach. The reason was the suburbanization of Long Island, which displaced the ducks. Later, Vogt was hired by a Peruvian guano company to discover why cormorants were decreasing in numbers in the islands off Peru. After Pearl Harbor, Vogt was hired by the U.S. State Department to travel through South America, to report on the level of support for Germany and Japan. In 1943 he headed the Conservation Section of the Pan American Union. He visited cities in all of the countries in North, Central, and South America. Outside the cities, he discovered environmental nightmares. He found that over-consumption was stripping nature bare. Vogt wrote, "Unless humanknid controlled its appetites for procreation and consumption, there can be no peace."
In the early 20th century, ecological issues were seen as a right-wing conspiracy. It was seen as an outcome of a belief in racial superiority. Vogt and others transformed conservation into a liberal cause. He wrote the book Road to Survival, which was a big success. The book stated that the problem is an inter-connected world-wide issue, not something merely local or national. The book became a blueprint for today's environmental movement. It helped inspire the writing of the books Silent Spring by Rachel Carson and The Population Bomb by Paul Erlich.
The Rockefeller Foundation sent Norman Borlaug to Mexico in 1944 to breed disease-resistant wheat in the central highlands. He encountered destitute farmers who had been mistreated by authorities, and kept in the stone ages by superstitions planted by those in power. Here, Borlaug acquired a sense of mission. While Vogt saw the carrying capacity of the land as the central issue, Borlaug saw farmers as being central. To Borlaug, the problem was not the land, but the lack of tools and knowledge.
Borlaug labored for years and years, cross breeding varieties of wheat using an unorthodox method known as shuttle breeding across different climates. His thought was that he did not want to breed a variety of wheat that could be grown in just a single Mexican climate; he wanted a variety that could be grown everywhere in the country. He made many attempts to develop wheat that could resist many types of rust, produce good grain with good milling quality. By 1962 Borlaug had bred an all-purpose wheat that could be grown anywhere in Mexico. It was short, fecund, disease-resistant, and grown in rich or poor soil. The only requirement was that it needed to be watered well and fertilized. His wheat tripled the per-acre yield in Mexico, and then in India and Pakistan. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970.
The book goes on to describe the history of the movement for organic farming, the development of better rice, activism against genetic engineering, enormous water projects in Israel, the problem of carbon dioxide's role in the progression of climate change, pollution due to burning coal, and the green revolution. It is a remarkable book in terms of its depth, and comprehensive history of all of these different aspects of environmentalism, conservation, and the future needs for water, food, and energy. Charles Mann captures the controversies between prophets--who demand reduction in the use of resources--and wizards, who rely on technology to increase the supply of these resources. I recommend this book to everyone who is interested in these issues, and how we came to this point in history....more
Michael Lewis has written another incredibly entertaining book about people exploiting the the latest technologies. A teenager becomes a target of theMichael Lewis has written another incredibly entertaining book about people exploiting the the latest technologies. A teenager becomes a target of the SEC, for attempting to manipulate the stock market. When confronted by a bunch of SEC officials, the boy simply throws their logic back at them, showing them that their criteria for "manipulation" are nonsensical in today's environment. Another teenager becomes one of the most respected dispensers of legal advice on the Internet. A youth develops peer-to-peer file shaping, for use by companies like Napster. Some guys in a garage develop the technology for TiVo. The developers persuade the big television networks that, despite the ability to skip ahead across commercials, the technology could actually help increase their viewership and profits.
Michael Lewis is a great author. His stories are convincing, entertaining, humorous at times, and informative....more
The basic premise of this book, is that innovators and inventors do not create new concepts solo. They are almost always collaborators. But, there is The basic premise of this book, is that innovators and inventors do not create new concepts solo. They are almost always collaborators. But, there is not a surplus of collaboration described in this book. This was a fun, entertaining book to read. In the beginning of the book, the innovators were described in detail, in historical order. But, as the chronology approached the present day, less and less space was devoted to individual innovators, and more to the innovations.
I really enjoyed an earlier book by Isaacson, Benjamin Franklin: An American Life. In that book, I really was able to understand the man and his accomplishments. However, this book covers too much ground, and ends up being less than satisfying. I ended up understanding the life of the first personality covered in the book, Ada Lovelace, but not much else. Perhaps if the author had not tried to cover every single person he considers to be an innovator, and to go into depth about the most interesting biographies, it might have been better....more
I greatly enjoyed this book. Chris Hadfield is a remarkable man; his achievements speak for themselves. Despite his remarkable life, he comes out sounI greatly enjoyed this book. Chris Hadfield is a remarkable man; his achievements speak for themselves. Despite his remarkable life, he comes out sounding rather humble. He always lets the reader know that each space flight is an incredible team effort. Being an astronaut is not mainly about going into space; it is about the process of training, learning, practicing, undergoing grueling difficulties, and helping others. It means taking a back seat to one's ego. It is about seeing other astronauts "cut in line" in front of you, and helping them in their projects and prospects.
Of course, Hadfield goes into some detail in describing what life is like in space, especially in the International Space Station. But most of the book is about his life on Earth, and the lessons that we can all draw from his experiences. His most basic lesson is "do sweat the small stuff." In space, of course, it is the details that make or break success, indeed, make or break survival. But here on Earth, also, Hadfield believes that it is the "small stuff" that makes life more fulfilling....more
This is a wonderful biography of a man about whom I knew very little. Today, in the United States, his name is practically unknown, despite being a woThis is a wonderful biography of a man about whom I knew very little. Today, in the United States, his name is practically unknown, despite being a world-wide celebrity in his day. Humboldt was a great explorer and scientist. He saw nature as a unified whole, an "organism in which parts only worked in relation to each other." His approach was holistic, and was entirely against the reductionist approach to science. Perhaps because of the influence of Goethe, Humboldt strongly advocated merging of art and science. In 1806, his writings were about evolutionary ideas, long before Darwin. In fact, Darwin took Humboldt's seven-volume book Personal Narrative of a Journey to the Equinoctial Regions of the New Continent along with him during his voyage aboard the Beagle. In his book Views of Nature, Humboldt wrote about how weather and geography influence the moods of people--and this was a revelation. He inspired generations of scientists, writers and poets, including Thoreau, Emerson, Darwin, and Jules Verne. Humboldt was also a strident abolitionist: He equated colonialism with slavery and "European barbarism." He befriended and greatly influenced Simón Bolívar's efforts to free South America from the tyranny of its colonial status. He was the world's foremost expert on Latin America.
When Humboldt was young, he yearned to participate in adventures and exploration. At the age of 27, he went off on an exploration of South America, an adventure that lasted five years. He survived terrible conditions, jungle heat, mountain cold, high-altitude sickness, and the torment of mosquitos. He did not take a large retinue, but only traveled with one scientist friend and a couple of guides. Along the way he took copious notes, a multitude of measurements with his scientific instruments, and lots of specimens of flora and fauna. He sent them back to Europe at regular intervals, in case he never made it back home alive.
Humboldt invented the concept of isotherms, that enabled a global understanding of climate. Back in Europe, he gave many free lectures in Berlin, encouraging people of all classes to attend. Half of the attendees were women. His lectures were unique, connecting "seemingly disparate disciplines and facts." He talked about the complex web of nature with "extraordinary clarity." He organized a remarkable conference of 500 scientists from all across Europe.
When Humboldt was 59 years old, he went on an expedition to Siberia. After analyzing the geology of certain areas in the Ural mountains, he predicted that he would find diamonds, and everyone thought he was crazy. But, he did find them!
He was at heart an environmentalist. He wrote a lot about the destruction of forests and long-term changes to the environment. He described three ways in which humans change the climate; deforestation, ruthless irrigation, and through steam and gas in industrial centers. He proposed a global network of stations to measure the Earth's magnetic field, and when it came about, he collected two million measurements over a three-year period.
Humboldt was a great explorer. He strongly encouraged explorers and artists to travel. He decried people who tried to do arm-chair science. He aided less fortunate scientists and explorers, giving them funds even though his own financial position was precarious. One American travel writer wrote that he "came to Berlin not to see museums and galleries, but 'for the sake of seeing and speaking with the world's greatest living man.'"
In this book, Andrea Wulf does much more that merely narrate the life of Humboldt. She also goes to great lengths to give the biographies of some other amazing people who were strongly influenced by Humboldt. In this way, we get a picture of how important Humboldt was, and still is. Humboldt was one of the first environmentalists and wrote so much about ecology. The book is well-written, well-organized, and fun to read. The descriptions of Humboldt's travels are gripping, as she writes about the dangerous climbs, diseases, and predators all around. I highly recommend it to everyone interested in nature, science, and exploration....more
I am not a football fan; I don't voluntarily watch football, and I try to leave the room if someone has a game playing on TV. But I had read other booI am not a football fan; I don't voluntarily watch football, and I try to leave the room if someone has a game playing on TV. But I had read other books by Michael Lewis, and enjoyed them all. And, like his other books, In Michael Lewis' hands, this story of NFL football player Michael Oher is fabulous, even inspirational. They even made a movie out of the book, starring Sandra Bullock. [image] Growing up in Memphis without a father, and with a non-working, addict mother and thirteen siblings, Michael Oher drifted from one foster home to another, and was often homeless. With the help of a friend's father, he became enrolled in a Briarcrest Christian School, a college prep school. Michael did not fit in, to put it mildly. But his incredible sports abilities were discovered. He was eventually taken in by the well-to-do Touhy family, and after a while was adopted. Intensely quiet and unassuming, Michael opened up to only two people; his adopted mother, Leigh Anne and his adopted little brother, Sean Junior. It is a testament to the Touhy family, that they were able to raise Michael, and help him against odds to break into "the system".
I listened to the audiobook version of this book, narrated by Stephen Hoye. I highly recommend his beautiful reading of this book....more
This is an excellent book about the inventors of the airplane. David McCullough is a great admirer of the Wright Brothers. He mentions, over and over This is an excellent book about the inventors of the airplane. David McCullough is a great admirer of the Wright Brothers. He mentions, over and over again, how passionate and single-minded they were. They focused on their purpose; to develop the science of aeronautics to the point where flight would become possible. They worked very very hard, all day long, under less-than-optimal conditions. I did not realize that for a few years they flew only gliders at Kitty Hawk, before attempting to use an engine for powered flight.
Both of the Wright Brothers were detail-oriented. They had to be, because the alternative would have been failure or worse; fatal. When they gave demonstrations of their inventions, they did not give any thought about the celebrities or leaders in the spectator stands; if conditions were unfavorable, they would just pack the airplane back into the hangar, and wait for more favorable winds.
Wilbur was a true Renaissance genius. He had a broad range of knowledge about virtually every subject. And Orville was mechanically brilliant. Over the course of several years, the two of them developed the science and their inventions; living for months at a time under primitive conditions at Kitty Hawk, their activities and materials cost them a total of about one thousand dollars. They did not really care about fame or fortune. They did, however, care that they receive proper credit as the inventors of the airplane, and protected their interests through patent lawsuits. The book also discusses their sister Katherine, who was indispensable to their journey.
Their flights were risky; any number of components could malfunction, leading to a crash. They were reluctant to take passengers who were national leaders. In fact, they were reluctant to fly together, lest a crash would kill them both without someone to carry on their work.
After reading this book, it is hard not to be extremely respectful of the amazing dedication of the Wright Brothers. David McCullough has done an excellent job of helping us understand the brothers and their family. I listened to this book as an audiobook; the author is the narrator, which is a bit unfortunate. He is not a bad narrator, but he does not bring a polish to the reading, either.
This book is the autobiography of Philip Glass, a world-renowned composer of art music. I have not really appreciated his minimalist style of music, bThis book is the autobiography of Philip Glass, a world-renowned composer of art music. I have not really appreciated his minimalist style of music, but I truly enjoyed his story. This is a guy who really paid his dues, over and over again, before becoming world-famous. He grew up in Baltimore, and was strongly influenced by the modern music he listened to, in his father's record store. He went to Peabody Institute, University of Chicago, Julliard School of Music, and finally, with a Fullbright Scholarship, studied under the tutelage of the famous Nadia Boulanger, in Paris.
While he composed his music and produced performances and operas, he worked as a furniture mover, a plumber, and a taxi cab driver in New York City. With his wife, he toured through Pakistan and India, learning about Indian music with Ravi Shankar, and Eastern culture.
Glass tells his story with humor and excitement. I loved the episode where his mother, Ida Glass, worried so much about his financial future as a composer. When she attended one of her son's concerts for the first time, there were only six people in the audience. The next time she attended her son's concert, there were four thousand people in the audience!
Philip Glass composed a lot of music, and some of it is very experimental. He wrote many operas, symphonies, a lot of chamber music, and scores for films. He produced some of his earliest operas on a shoestring budget, but were sold out. His opera Einstein on the Beach lasts four and a half hours!
As a composer myself, I thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of enthusiasm and love for music that he conveys throughout the book. I recommend this book to anyone who might be interested in a biography of a very interesting person....more
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