Monty's Book Club

[PrivateI]

Hello. I am Monty. The thread title is a misnomer. I'm not encouraging us to all read the same books, but instead will be sharing my book adventures.

First, some background. I've always been an avid reader as a young man, but after college, I hit a habit of not reading. So in 2020, I decided to change that, which turned out to be an excellent decision for 2020. I started with a goal of a book each week that year, achieved that goal, and read 100 and 200 or more books each of the next two years, in 2021 and 2022.

For 2023, I decided to try something different. My goal would just be 150 books, but I would have to review each one to promote retention. In large part, that's worked, the short reviews I have written in 2023 have helped me retain a lot more of the books I've read. These reviews, again, are not full reviews, they're bite-sized "vibes" of how I feel after reading the books. I don't put the reviews on GoodReads or any aggregated area, I text them to a select group of friends and coworkers. After about 15 or so books this year, I began including a simple rating, ranging from two thumbs down to two thumbs up. Since this is not a random sample of books, but ones that I specifically choose to read, the median (and mode) review is thumbs up easily. I also occasionally include a sideways thumb.

As of now, i have read 303 books this year. The books are largely centered on science fiction and speculative fiction, and then in nonfiction on the subjects of politics, economics, and tech/science, with some young adult fiction thrown in for good measure. I find books to read by browsing the library (both physical and digital), my coworker book club, and recommendations from friends. As an aside, one goal I have with this is being able to give book recommendations, and I'm trying to read a diverse enough pool that I can have a recommendation for almost anyone. With that said, if you want a handcrafted recommendation, or have one for me, let me know here! The only thing I really don't read is romance, and I'll rarely if ever read historical fiction.

Now, the format. My plan is to check in with every fifty books, starting by working through the backlogs. I'll list in one place all fifty books, along with my abridged review. I'll also select ten books out of each set of fifty for expanded review, as my favorites in each set. I also want to know if you've read these books, disagree or agree with my ratings/rankings, and have any recommendations or questions. My next post, then, will be the first set of fifty books from this year.

[PrivateI]

#1: Thinking Inside The Box by Adrienna Raphel, January 3, 2023, NR
#2: Hype by Gabrielle Bluestone, January 3, 2023, NR
#3: Everything I Need To Know, I Learned In The Twilight Zone by Mark Dawidziak, January 3, 2023, NR
#4: How To Not Die Alone by Logan Ury, January 4, 2023, NR
#5: Date-onomics by Jon Birger, January 4, 2023, NR
#6: Sandworm by Andy Greenberg, January 5, 2023, NR
#7: Ticking Clock, Behind The Scenes at 60 Minutes by Ira Rosen, January 5, 2023, NR
#8: This Way To The Universe by Michael Dine, January 5, 2023, NR
#9: The Trial of Lizzie Borden by Cara Robertson, January 8, 2023, NR
#10: How To Take Over The World by Ryan North, January 8, 2023, NR
#11: The Secret History of Magic by Peter Lamont and Jim Steinmeyer, January 10, 2023, NR
#12: The Knowledge Machine by Michael Strevens, January 11, 2023, NR
#13: Beyond Measure by James Vincent, January 11, 2023, NR
#14: It's All A Game by Tristan Donovan, January 11, 2023, Thumbs up
#15: Westworld and Philosophy, edited by James South and Kimberly Engels, January 11, 2023, Sideways thumb
#16: The Babysitter by Liza Rodman and Jennifer Jordan, January 11, 2023, Thumbs up
#17: [REDACTED] by [REDACTED], an unreleased book which will come out later this year, January 11, 2023, Two thumbs up
#18: A Light In Dark Times by Judith Friedlander, January 11, 2023, Thumbs down
#19: When McKinsey Comes To Town, January 12, 2023, Two thumbs up
#20: Empire of Imagination by Michael Witwer, January 12, 2023, NR
#21: Word Nerd by John Williams Jr., January 12, 2023, Two thumbs down
#22: The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood, January 13, 2023, Sideways thumb
#23: The Long Alliance by Gabriel Debenedetti, January 13, 2023, Thumbs up
#24: The Last Greatest Magician In The World by Jim Steinmeyer, January 14, 2023, Thumbs up
#25: You're It! by Leonard Marcus, Eric McNulty, Joseph Henderson, and Barry Dorn, January 14, 2023, Thumbs down
#26: Pickleball for Dummies by Mo Nard, Reine Steel, and Diana and Carl Landau, January 15, 2023, Thumbs up
#27: Upgrade by Blake Crouch, January 15, 2023, Thumbs up
#28: Tracers In The Dark by Andy Greenberg, January 15, 2023, Two thumbs up
#29: The Husbands by Chandler Baker, January 15, 2023, Thumbs up
#30: So Say We All by Mark Altman and Edward Gross, January 15, 2023, Thumbs up
#31: Alpha Girls by Julian Guthrie, January 15, 2023, Thumbs up
#32: The Extractionist by Kimberly Unger, January 16, 2023, Two thumbs down
#33: American Predator by Maureen Callahan, January 17, 2023, Thumbs up
#34: In Deep by David Bohde, January 18, 2023, Sideways thumb
#35: The Loop by Jacob Ward, January 19, 2023, Thumbs up
#36: Accidental Saints by Nadia Bolz-Weber, January 19, 2023, Thumbs up
#37: The Library by Stuart Kells, January 19, 2023, Thumbs up
#38: Off The Edge by Kelly Weil, January 21, 2023, Sideways thumb
#39: The Book of Joan by Lidia Yuknavitch, January 21, 2023, Thumbs down
#40: Without A Prayer by Susan Ashline, January 21, 2023, Thumbs up
#41: The Atlas Paradox by Olivia Blake, January 21, 2023, Thumbs up
#42: The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett, January 21, 2023, Thumbs up
#43: Rebooting AI by Gary Marcus and Ernest Davis, January 22, 2023, Thumbs up
#44: Duped by Saul Kassin, January 22, 2023, Thumbs up
#45: American Sherlock by Kate Winkler Dawson, January 22, 2023, Thumbs up
#46: Conspiracy by Michael Shermer, January 22, 2023, Two thumbs up
#47: The Pilgrim's Regress by C.S. Lewis, January 22, 2023, Thumbs up
#48: Kochland by Christopher Leonard, January 22, 2023, Thumbs up
#49: Bad Data by Peter Schryvers, January 22, 2023, Sideways thumb
#50: Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Davis, January 22, 2023, Thumbs up

[PrivateI]

In no particular order, here's the ten I'll highlight from the first batch:

#17: [REDACTED] by [REDACTED]--This yet to be released book by a friend of mine (his fifth published book!) is a cozy Christmas mystery like no other. An isolated, relatable protagonist navigates the horrors of being in a community theater production of A Christmas Carol, until the real horror hits, and it's not the Ghost of Christmas Future. Instead, Christmas Present will serve up attempted murder and shenanigans galore. The book features excellent characterization and dialogue as well as a very fun, well-foreshadowed-but-not-too-obvious conclusion. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy. Two thumbs up.

#19: When McKinsey Comes To Town by Walt Bogdanich and Michael Forsythe--McKinsey consults for companies across a variety of industries across the world. In this book, the authors pierce the traditional shroud of secrecy around their contracts to give insight into the personalities that shape so much of our society. From rampant conflicts of interest in government contracts (including, notably, being paid by the FDA to consult on regulating tobacco companies while also consulting for many of the largest tobacco companies) to their distinct role in the opioid epidemic, the authors touch the surface of many areas where McKinsey has caused tangible harm. The most troubling revelations come from the work McKinsey has done to enable autocratic regimes, all in the name of efficiency. Hannah Arendt once wrote about the banality of evil, and this book encourages the reader to consider the PowerPoint slide deck of evil lurking today. Two thumbs up.

#28: Tracers In The Dark by Andy Greenberg--I've already read one of Greenberg's books this year (Sandworm), but this book has made me a true fan. A global scale and frantic pace underscore Greenberg's revelations about cryptocurrency in general. He doesn't get bogged down in the technical details, but quickly moves from one investigation to another, with one underlying message--cryptoassets are not as safe as folks believe. While revealing the triumphs and failures of international investigations into crypto services in the last decade, Greenberg also brings out serious privacy-related concerns: the breakthrough that brings down a notorious child porn site can just as easily (maybe easier) be used to target sex workers, dissidents, and the like. At once thoughtful and riveting, this is a masterful work. Two thumbs up.

#33: American Predator by Maureen Callahan--Hoo boy, I'm not going to sleep well tonight. This is a harrowing read, a deep dive into what is known about Israel Keyes, one of the most methodical serial killers of our time. The reader is in the trenches with investigators as Keyes' final murder is examined, and Keyes eventually is taken into custody. This story doesn't have a happy ending. Keyes would kill victims around the country, completely randomly, using them for his own ends, and did so with a casual brilliance and work ethic that would be admirable if not for the whole, y'know, death thing. To this day, much of Keyes' career is under wraps, but with this book, there's a start. Thumbs up.

#40: Without A Prayer by Susan Ashline--Methodically paced and researched, this book details the Word of Life Christian Church, how it became a cult, and the devastating death and subsequent fallout that ended it. Many elements of this book rang true to me, making it a tougher read. From the curriculum and school environment used to some details of the church's communication requirements and the general obsession with hyperbaric chambers, it hit a little too close to home. But this book does a great job of explaining not just the tragic events that happened, but why they happened, and how these groups can come to be in the first place. Thumbs up.

#45: American Sherlock by Kate Winkler Dawson--Riveting and unsettling, this book brilliantly tracks the work of Edward Heinrich, a pioneer of forensic science. Heinrich spearheaded the invention and use of lie detector tests, fingerprint analysis, handwriting analysis, ballistics, and bloodstain pattern analysis, among others. It's fair to say that there's likely no one who's has as big of an impact on today's crime scene investigation techniques than Heinrich. With that said, while reviewing a series of cases Heinrich worked on, the author charts an embattled man, struggling with the press, the court system, and his own personal finances. Additionally, his techniques, while novel, are used today despite their lack of reliability, with many innocent folks convicted because of their misuse, as the author documents. Thumbs up.

#46: Conspiracy by Michael Shermer--This is one of the best books I've read on conspiracy theories. Shermer, the publisher of Skeptic magazine, presents here an overarching review of conspiracy theories, claiming that conspiracies are believed for three primary reasons. He shows the types of people likely to fall into conspiracy theories, uses a framework for evaluating new conspiracy theories, and gives evidence-based frameworks for bringing people out of conspiracy theories. The book is dizzying in scope but remains accessible. Two thumbs up.

#4: How To Not Die Alone by Logan Ury--Ury is a "Director of Relationship Science" at Hinge, and this book is compelling evidence why. She uses data and anecdotes from her experience as a dating coach to create a colorful, effective guide to dating and relationships in the modern era. The concepts are sound--this is a book I'll be revisiting in the weekend to come. This is one of the more impactful books I've read in the last year.

#9: The Trial of Lizzie Borden by Cara Robertson--The proceedings of the Lizzie Borden trial arguably kicked off true life courtroom dramas in American history. In this book, Robertson brings the story to a new generation, complete with contemporary media accounts, (some) files from the respective attorneys, and analysis of the legal tactics used by both sides. Despite the crime occurring over 150 years ago, the story occasionally reads as fresh as today's court filings. I learned a lot I hadn't known about the case from this book.

#29: The Husbands by Chandler Baker--Slice of life meets Stepford Wives. This book has a slow, foreboding burn (in more ways than one) with an ending that's satisfactorily broadcast from the beginning. The protagonist, Nora, an attorney, wishes her husband would help out more with everything around the house. Then their search for a new home leads them to a community with powerful working moms and husbands who work as well but also dote on their wives. But a murder needs to be investigated, and the paradisiacal community may not hold up to close scrutiny. Thumbs up.

[Mist7676]

ego

[Ythan]

Ego too

[PrivateI]

Time for another check-in!

#51: American Radical by Tamer Elnoury and Kevin Maurer, January 23, 2023, Thumbs up
#52: Burn-In by P.W. Singer and August Cole, January 23, 2023, Thumbs up
#53: Pale Horse Rider by Mark Jacobson, January 23, 2023, Thumbs up
#54: The Genius Plague by David Walton, January 24, 2023, Thumbs up
#55: Great Minds Don't Think Alike edited by Marcelo Gleiser, January 24, 2023, Thumbs up
#56: The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan, January 24, 2023, Thumbs up
#57: Superspy Science by Kathryn Harkup, January 24, 2023, Thumbs up
#58: Genius Makers by Cade Metz, January 24, 2023, Thumbs up
#59: For Profit by William Magnuson, January 25, 2023, Thumbs up
#60: Wendy, Darling by A.C. Wise, January 26, 2023, Thumbs up
#61: What Would Gen Z Do? by John Schlimm, January 26, 2023, Two thumbs down
#62: The Twist of the Knife by Anthony Horowitz, January 26, 2023, Thumbs up
#63: The Constitution in Jeopardy by Russ Feingold and Peter Prindiville, January 27, 2023, Thumbs up
#64: On The Clock by Emily Guendelsberger, January 27, 2023, Thumbs up
#65: Antisocial by Andrew Marantz, January 27, 2023, Thumbs up
#66: breaking/_and/entering| by Jeremy Smith, January 28, 2023, Thumbs up
#67: Justice In Plain Sight by Dan Bernstein, January 28, 2023, Thumbs up
#68: Dark Persuasion by Joel Dimsdale, January 28, 2023, Thumbs up
#69: Five Days At Memorial by Sheri Fink, January 30, 2023, Two thumbs up
#70: Modern Ethics in 77 Arguments edited by Peter Catapano and Simon Critchley, January 30, 2023, Thumbs up
#71: Merchants of Doubt by Naomi Oreske and Erik Conway, January 30, 2023, Thumbs up
#72: Think Like A Monk by Jay Shetty, January 30, 2023, Sideways thumb
#73: Dreyer's English by Benjamin Dreyer, January 30, 2023, Thumbs up
#74: River of the Gods by Candice Millard, January 31, 2023, Thumbs up
#75: Dying For A Paycheck by Jeffrey Pfeffer, January 31, 2023, Thumbs up
#76: Superminds by Thomas Malone, February 1, 2023, Thumbs down
#77: Servants of the Damned by David Enrich, February 1, 2023, Two thumbs up
#78: The Believer by Sarah Krasnostein, February 2, 2023, Two thumbs up
#79: Doctors From Hell by Vivien Spitz, February 2, 2023, Thumbs up
#80: In Defense Of Elitism by Joel Stein, February 2, 2023, Thumbs up
#81: The Skeptic's Guide To The Future by Stephen, Bob, and Jay Novella, February 3, 2023, Thumbs up
#82: Under the Influence by Robert Frank, February 3, 2023, Thumbs down
#83: Meme Wars by Joan Donovan, Emily Dreyfuss, and Brian Friedberg, February 3, 2023, Two thumbs up
#84: Thank You For Being Late by Thomas Friedman, February 4, 2023, Sideways thumb
#85: Duped by Abby Ellin, February 5, 2023, Thumbs up
#86: Hooked by A.C. Wise, February 5, 2023, Thumbs up
#87: Benjamin Franklin's Last Bet by Michael Meyer, February 5, 2023, Thumbs up
#88: Dark Objects by Simon Toyne, February 5, 2023, Thumbs up
#89: Going Clear by Lawrence Wright, February 8, 2023, Thumbs up
#90: Newsroom Confidential by Margaret Sullivan, February 9, 2023, Thumbs up
#91: Being Online by Jian Wang, February 9, 2023, Thumbs up
#92: The Men by Sandra Newman, February 10, 2023, Thumbs up
#93: With A Mind To Kill by Anthony Horowitz, February 11, 2023, Thumbs up
#94: Evangelical Anxiety by Charles Marsh, February 11, 2023, Thumbs up
#95: The Atlas Paradox by Olivia Blake, February 11, 2023, Thumbs up
#96: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, February 12, 2023, Two thumbs up
#97: Brotherhood by Mike Chen, February 12, 2023, Thumbs up
#98: Bitwise by David Auerbach, February 12, 2023, Thumbs up
#99: In The Valleys of the Noble Beyond by John Zada, February 13, 2023, Thumbs up
#100: All The Secrets of the World by Steve Almond, February 13, 2023, Thumbs up

[PrivateI]

#77: Servants of the Damned by David Enrich--Enrich is one of my favorite writers, having written Dark Towers, about Deutsche Bank's relationship with President Trump, and The Spider Network, about the rise, cheats, and fall of LIBOR. This book is no exception. It's thoroughly researched, and every chapter is more jaw-dropping than the last. Enrich details the work of law firm Jones Day, charting their rise as one of the first real law firms to their work with many current prominent political figures, culminating with an almost strident subservience to President Trump. Enrich discusses the rotating door of regulators to lawyers who defend clients regulators seek to bring to justice and back to regulators again, a story that's certainly not unique to Jones Day, but was kicked into overdrive with that firm during the Trump presidency. The book doesn't mince any words and is a superb work overall. Two thumbs up.

#78: The Believer by Sarah Krasnostein--Beautiful, and filled with meditations on belief and loss, this book profiles a variety of folks with deeply held beliefs. Among them, a death doula, a ghost hunter, a UFO enthusiast, a young-earth geologist, a recently released woman who murdered her husband after domestic violence, and a Mennonite family. The author does a phenomenal job of telling these stories and tying them together, with brief interludes to meditate on the nature of human experience in general. It's an impressive, empathetic work. Two thumbs up.

#69: Five Days At Memorial by Sheri Fink--Harrowing and inquisitive, this book breaks down five terrifying days at a hospital in New Orleans post-Katrina. As water rises and help seems inaccessible, doctors and nurses are pushed to make otherwise unfathomable decisions. The book breaks down the situation, at times minute-by-minute, as generators fail, supplies dwindle, and information about the rest of the city comes in, garbled and often wrong. A discussion of medical ethics and palliative care in improbably bad scenarios bolsters the book, and it's very well researched. Two thumbs up.

#83: Meme Wars by Joan Donovan, Emily Dreyfuss, and Brian Friedberg--I've had more than a passing interest in the QAnon movement for the last few years. Partially because of a personal connection to it, partially because I remain concerned about the future of it, it's something I keep tabs on. This book is a phenomenal primer to QAnon and to memes leading to January 6, in no small part because it takes the time to dive into small battles in detail. The Occupy Wall Street movement, Gamergate, Charlottesville, they're all topics focused on here, and the authors avoid one of the big mistakes of their contemporaries by making sure to include memes in their book of memes. Pepe, Joker, Nazi punching take center stage, fleshing out people, places, and individual eras of the Internet that feel like a lifetime ago, despite occurring in the last decade. It's an impressive work. Two thumbs up.

#96: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin--I rarely get so into a fictional world that I'm actually moved by it, but this book did that for me. The story is about a lot of things: the idea of narratives themselves, loss, friendship, destiny. And spanning it all are two game designers immersed in one of the craziest world of them all--game design over the last few decades. Read it to feel, read it to hurt, read it for joy, but whatever you do, read it. Two thumbs up.

#85: Duped by Abby Ellin--Vulnerable and sharp-witted, this book discusses the author's romantic engagement with a man who was creating an intricate story of international espionage and high stakes brain surgery. After she learned that he was lying, she left, encountering others who had had the same experience. This is a collection of those stories, but Ellin roots it in the science of what we know--and don't know--about lying. Why can't people detect lying, who tends to lie more, how do you catch someone in a lie--Ellin went to the ends of the earth to find out. It's well-written. Thumbs up.

#71: Merchants of Doubt by Naomi Oreske and Erik Conway--This book compares the techniques and people used to obscure the health impacts of tobacco used to those used to attack climate change and the institutions of science. The narrative deftly traces the people and processes employed by tobacco companies and shows how they're still being used today, primarily using connections in the White House and Congress. DDT, acid rain, and the strategic defense initiative are all up for discussion in this book that champions science as an institution. Thumbs up.

#67: Justice In Plain Sight by Dan Bernstein--Exquisitely researched and hyperfocused, this book details a small town newspaper's fight against the American court system in the Press-Enterprise I and II cases. The author winningly tells the story of California's court system at the time, often closed to the public (and the press) at critical points. One plucky newspaper owner decided to fight this, spawning wide-spanning Supreme Court cases that have set the precedent for open courts across the nation in most scenarios. The book benefits from its research, in addition to talking to the lawyers who argued the case, the author also gained access to notes from oral arguments and the conferences on the cases, giving insight into both sides of the bench in these landmark cases. Thumbs up.

#60: Wendy, Darling by A. C. Wise--A classic tale set loose from the binds of copyright gets bastardized and turned into horror for pure nostalgia engagement farming. It's happening as we speak to Winnie the Pooh, Bambi, and many other properties. Fortunately, this story breaks the mold. This revisiting of the Peter Pan story weaves a dark tale, to be sure. Lost Boys, Wendy, Captain Hook, and more in the thrall of a creature that can't age and can shape their wills like putty. At the same time, this story exists in the early 1900s in England, with the pain that war, insane asylums, and racism/sexism have wrought. Wise weaves a tale that's a joy to rediscover amid its darkness. Thumbs up.

#56: The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan--Somehow simultaneously scathing and sympathetic, Sagan states societal skepticism is superior to the siren song of senselessness. This book looks at a variety of cultures and traditions through history, and expresses concern at the relative rise of pseudoscience in the "information age". Writing the year I was born, Sagan eloquently argues for a healthy dose of skepticism in society. 25 years later, however, one has to wonder if that was the right track to take. Some of his warnings were heeded--STEM majors have skyrocketed in popularity, for example. But skepticism coupled with polarization have made for strange bedfellows indeed. Regardless, the book is a clear-minded guide to testable hypotheses while retaining wonder in the world. Thumbs up.

[Invisibility]

thassa lotta books!

[PrivateI]

thassa lotta books!

What is your favorite book?

[PrivateI]

#101: The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi, February 13, 2023, Thumbs up
#102: Suburban Hell by Maureen Kilmer, February 13, 2023, Thumbs up
#103: Qualityland by Marc-Uwe Kling, February 14, 2023, Thumbs up
#104: After Alice by Gregory Maguire, February 14, 2023, Sideways thumb
#105: Mirror, Mirror by Gregory Maguire, February 14, 2023, Thumbs up
#106: The Last Resort by Michael Kaufman, February 17, 2023, Thumbs up
#107: The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean, February 18, 2023, Sideways thumb
#108: The Family Next Door by John Glatt, February 18, 2023, Thumbs up
#109: Dangerous Ideas by Eric Berkowitz, February 19, 2023, Thumbs up
#110: Culture, The Story Of Us by Martin Puchner, February 19, 2023, Thumbs up
#111: The Marriage Lie by Kimberly Belle, February 19, 2023, Thumbs up
#112: The Perfect Predator by Steffanie Strathdee, February 19, 2023, Thumbs up
#113: The Twelfth Commandment by Daniel Torday, February 19, 2023, Thumbs down
#114: Scatterings by Resoketswe Manenzhe, February 19, 2023, Thumbs up
#115: The Gospel of J. Edgar Hoover by Lerone Martin, February 20, 2023, Thumbs up
#116: Dread Nation by Justina Ireland, February 20, 2023, Sideways thumb
#117: The Awakening by Nora Roberts, February 24, 2023, Thumbs down
#118: Money by Jacob Goldstein, February 24, 2023, Thumbs up
#119: Strength in Numbers by G. Elliott Morris, February 27, 2023, Sideways thumb
#120: Tears of the Silenced by Misty Griffin, February 27, 2023, Thumbs up
#121: Extra Life by Steven Johnson, February 27, 2023, Two thumbs up
#122: Neuromancer by William Gibson, February 27, 2023, Thumbs up
#123: The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu, February 28, 2023, Two thumbs up
#124: The Doomsday Show by Mark Alpert, February 28, 2023, Two thumbs down
#125: In Plain Sight by Tom Smart and Lee Benson, February 28, 2023, Thumbs up
#126: Atomic Habits by James Clear, February 28, 2023, Two thumbs up
#127: Freezing Order by Bill Browder, February 28, 2023, Thumbs up
#128: Confident Women by Tori Telfer, March 1, 2023, Thumbs up
#129: The Fifth Domain by Richard Clarke and Robert Knake, March 2, 2023, Two thumbs up
#130: Parasite by Mira Grant, March 3, 2023, Sideways thumb
#131: The Dark Forest by Cixin Liu, March 3, 2023, Two thumbs up
#132: Death's End by Cixin Liu, March 3, 2023, Two thumbs up
#133: Let The Lord Sort Them by Maurice Chammah, March 4, 2023, Thumbs up
#134: The Suspect by Kent Alexander and Kevin Salwen, March 4, 2023, Thumbs up
#135: Some Remarks by Neal Stephenson, March 4, 2023, Thumbs up
#136: You Should Have Left by Daniel Kehlmann, March 4, 2023, Thumbs up
#137: Pirate Utopia by Bruce Sterling, March 4, 2023, Sideways thumb
#138: Cell by Robin Cook, March 4, 2023, Thumbs down
#139: Spell it Out by David Crystal, March 4, 2023, Thumbs down
#140: Laboratories of Autocracy by David Pepper, March 4, 2023, Sideways thumb
#141: For Blood and Money by Nathan Vardi, March 4, 2023, Thumbs up
#142: Poster Girl by Veronica Roth, March 5, 2023, Sideways thumb
#143: The Digital Silk Road by Jonathan Hillman, March 10, 2023, Thumbs up
#144: Retail Gangster by Gary Weiss, March 10, 2023, Thumbs up
#145: Wool by Hugh Howey, March 11, 2023, Thumbs up
#146: Mrs. Sherlock Holmes by Brad Ricca, March 12, 2023, Thumbs up
#147: Ghost Fleet by P. W. Singer and August Cole, March 12, 2023, Thumbs up
#148: Wired for War by P. W. Singer, March 12, 2023, Thumbs up
#149: The Big Door Prize by M. O. Walsh, March 12, 2023, Thumbs up
#150: Prisoner's Dilemma by William Poundstone, March 12, 2023, Thumbs up

[PrivateI]

#144: Retail Gangster by Gary Weiss--This nonfiction account of Crazy Eddie and his empire of New York electronics stores is gripping and touching. It hits on every element of the American Dream. A group of immigrants from Syria try to find a better life in America. A family, tightknit by their lived experiences, starts a business. That business finds real success by sheer force of scrappiness. And then things get weird. Messy divorces, tax evasion, and outright fraud take center stage as Crazy Eddie becomes a fugitive from the law. It's a well-written account. Thumbs up.

#143: The Digital Silk Road by Jonathan Hillman--This book makes a compelling case that China's efforts to gain control of the physical infrastructure undergirding the modern world (cables) poses a significant threat to the United States' future dominance. Hillman gives a comprehensive look at different arenas where the battle for control over information dispersal is taking place, from oceanic cables to LEO Internet satellites. His conclusions are grim, and the potential policy prescriptions he outlines are so idealistic as to be basically science fiction. Thumbs up.

#129: The Fifth Domain by Richard A. Clarke and Robert K. Knake--The authors' respective resumes are unimpeachable, and this book is as well. Drawing from experience in Republican and Democratic White House administrations and a variety of public and private interests, the book details the current and future state of cyber warfare. From Russia and China to homegrown threats, the authors deftly explores the inherent problems with defending cyber systems, including common sense tools and tips for the average person to follow. Most informative are the author's policy proposals, detailing specific steps for national and local governments, corporations of all sizes, and the military specifically, to take in order to prepare for both the present and the future. Two thumbs up.

#126: Atomic Habits by James Clear--I was skeptical of this book when it was first recommended to me. I'm coming off a long run of self-help/pop psychology books that were just wholly ineffective. But this book spoke to me in a way that few books have. I've always personally used psychological tricks to motivate myself into and out of certain behaviors, and this book helped me understand how to better implement changes and understand why what I've been doing for years works. Two thumbs up.

#123: The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu--Beautifully written and translated, this book takes place primarily in China, as top scientists are being recruited for a task of incomprehensible proportions. The book is thoughtful and stoic, with a slowly accelerating pace that leads, in the end, to sheer wonder. It's extremely well-done, setting up future books well. Two thumbs up.

#121: Extra Life, A Short History of Living Longer by Steven Johnson--Exuberantly optimistic, this book explores the innovations, techniques, and statistics behind the near-miracle of our increased life expectancy in the modern era. Johnson focuses on the twenty thousand additional days that the typical human will live compared to when life expectancy first began to be calculated. His refreshing focus on networks of information rather than "heroes" of science paints even familiar inventions like vaccinations in a completely new way. The book is short but thorough, cautious and hopeful, and is well worth a read. Two thumbs up.

#118: Money by Jacob Goldstein--This book deftly explores humanity's historical relationship with money through the modern day, from inventions of currency in general through stocks and bonds, steps away from the gold standard, cryptocurrency, and modern monetary theory. The book is well-researched, filled with relevant anecdotes, and informative. Thumbs up.

#115: The Gospel of J. Edgar Hoover by Lerone Martin--It's rare that I'm flabbergasted by a book, but this one did a pretty good job of it. Martin systematically unveils the white Christian nationalism that J. Edgar Hoover instilled in the FBI. From mandatory annual revivals to religious pledges that new special agents had to take, Hoover united the agency with evangelical Christianity in a wholly new way, and the ramifications remain to this day, at least that's what Martin alleges. Thumbs up.

#111: The Marriage Lie by Kimberly Belle--Engrossing and thrilling to the last page, this book focuses on a perfect marriage. Perfect, at least, until Iris' husband passes away in a freak plane crash. As her husband's web of lies comes crashing down and the sinister motives around the accident become center stage, every chapter is riveting until the mystery is finally revealed. Thumbs up.

#103: Qualityland by Marc-Uwe Kling--Scathing and hilarious, the idea for this book appears to be 1984 meets Douglas Adams meets Amazon. As the world proceeds as scripted by the algorithm, one person who's erroneously shipped a dolphin vibrator for his own convenience sets out to change the world. Along the way, deep discussions of AI and ethics, algorithms and privacy, and politics and choice are permeated by a surprising amount of fun. Solid book. Thumbs up.

[Invisibility]

thassa lotta books!

What is your favorite book?

that's a difficult question! But I really like This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. I also quite love Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh