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July 06, 2008
Books : Books 2008/07/07
Current count of books pending to be read: 99
Read four, punted one, purchased none, borrowed one
Yipee! The count of books to be read is down to double digits!
Books finished this week:
Little Brotherby Cory Doctorow
A political statement in novel form. In addition to being a Science Fiction writer, Cory Doctorow is also a cyber-rights (and more generally human-rights) activist as can be seen in his contributions to the excellent blog Boing Boing. He has spoken often against the Patriot Act and how the free flow of information on the internet world-wide is a key guard against tyranny. This book is essentially a synthesis of his two occupations.
The story is about a high school computer hacker who gets picked (with 3 friends, one of which is injured) up in a Department of Homeland Security sweep after a terrorist attack on the Bay Bridge in San Francisco. After being “aggressively interrogated” he is released; but his injured friend has disappeared (the DHS do not acknowledge that they ever had him). So the main character decides to make war on the DHS – and in the process shows the futility of several real-world techniques to find terrorists. While Cory’s own opinion is obvious, he does take time to let his characters explain other points of view as well.
The book is a great read as just a novel. As a political tract, it succeed in both warning against the inevitable abuse of power that comes with many kinds of “security” legislation and showing how it is easy to waste the governments money on techniques that can be spoofed by real terrorists with minimal effort.
Great Giveaway, The: Reclaiming the Mission of the Church from Big Business, Parachurch Organizations, Psychotherapy, Consumer Capitalism, and Other Modern Maladies
by David E. Fitch
The book is about how the Modern Church has yielded much of its historical responsibilities to society at large. I liked his description of the problem very much, although I am less convinced by his solutions. As an example – I agree that much of what passes for “worship” in church is really secular entertainment with Christian words; but I do not agree (at the moment at least) that the solution is to return to liturgical forms of worship. Worth reading if for no other reason than to clarify where you stand on the issues the author raises.
The Great Warming: Climate Change and the Rise and Fall of Civilizations
by Brian Fagan
In the years 800-1200 (roughly) there was a well documented increase in global mean temperatures. This book is a survey of the consequences of those warm years on civilizations around the world – with implications on what kinds of things might happen is our current trend of increased temperatures continues. The book struck me as well researched and presented.
The English Languagesby Tom McArthur
A survey of all of the various forms of “English” spoken around the world and a discussion of where English as a language (or a family of languages) might be headed. Well written.
Physics as Metaphorby Roger S. Jones
This book was strongly recommended by another book I read and liked, so I really wanted to give it a chance; but I got though about a third of it and skimmed the rest. It is essentially a Zen Buddhist view of Physics. If the world is a product of our minds, then the laws of physics are just metaphors scientists have created to explain ourselves. Yet another attempt to use the idea of an “observer” from the Copenhagen interpretation of Quantum Physics to justify metaphysics.
The one point in the book that I did appreciate is the author’s observation that Science does so well at explaining things because it chooses to describe those things that Science is good at describing. By selecting behaviors that are inherently measurable and ignoring those that are not, Science stacks the deck for its own success. But, the book argues, we should not then assume that Science is good at explaining everything.
Computer Games Played: LotRO
DVDs Watched: AtS S2 D1-3
Next Book: The Myth of a Christian Nation
Posted by Steven at July 6, 2008 09:26 AM
Comments
>>> The one point in the book that I did appreciate is the author’s observation that Science does so well at explaining things because it chooses to describe those things that Science is good at describing...
I'm a scientist in a lot of way and, you know, it is sad to admit that I never realized this. Once pointed out, however, it is very true...
Posted by: roland at July 7, 2008 10:14 AM
