All Consuming : davewells

A story about "Harvey's Heart : The Discovery of Blood Circulation"

nobody@allconsuming.net (davewells) — Sun, 29 May 2005 06:43:39 GMT

Harvey's Heart : The Discovery of Blood Circulation

by Andrew Gregory

Quite interesting, both for its main subject matter and its glimpse into Renaissance scientific methods and attitudes. Not particularly well-written, though.

A story about "A Smattering of Ignorance"

nobody@allconsuming.net (davewells) — Sun, 29 May 2005 06:43:39 GMT

A Smattering of Ignorance

by Oscar Levant

A delightful mix of anecdotes and real commentary on (mostly) American music. Levant presents personal encounters with great musical figures of the early-middle 20th century. As a musician who worked variously in the realms of classical, Broadway, jazz, and Hollywood, Levant presents a well-rounded view of the state of American music.

A story about "The Remains of the Day"

nobody@allconsuming.net (davewells) — Sun, 29 May 2005 06:43:39 GMT

The Remains of the Day

by Kazuo Ishiguro

A somewhat depressing reflection on a life of cold efficiency and emotionless servitude. A well-written and interesting book, though.

A story about "Make No Bones"

nobody@allconsuming.net (davewells) — Sun, 29 May 2005 06:43:38 GMT

Make No Bones

by Aaron J. Elkins

Decent light fiction – a good quick plane read.

A story about "The Moral Animal: Why We Are, the Way We Are: The New Science of Evolutionary Psychology"

nobody@allconsuming.net (davewells) — Sun, 29 May 2005 06:43:38 GMT

The Moral Animal: Why We Are, the Way We Are: The New Science of Evolutionary Psychology

by Robert Wright

A very interesting, but at times difficult, read. The use of Charles Darwin as an example case is especially good. Wright seems overly cynical at times, but he backs up his cynicism with facts and sound theory. The degree to which evolutionary psychology relates to and encompasses other fields – evolutionary biology, psychology, morality, religion, etc. – is intriguing.

A story about "Mr. Darwin's Shooter"

nobody@allconsuming.net (davewells) — Sun, 29 May 2005 06:43:38 GMT

Mr. Darwin's Shooter

by Roger MacDonald

An interesting work of historical fiction that focuses on a person who is basically a footnote in history. One is forced to winder if McDonald’s interpretation of Covington’s (the shooter) involvement in Darwin’s work could be accurate. How many others has history wrongfully brushed aside? The book presents the creationism vs. evolution struggle in an intriguing light, pitting the main character’s beliefs against his observations and contributions to science.

A story about "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"

nobody@allconsuming.net (davewells) — Sun, 29 May 2005 06:43:37 GMT

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

by C. S. Lewis

Lewis has a wonderful narrative style. He incorporates just enough asides to make the reader feel as if he or she is listening to a storyteller. While this is a children’s book, there is much to appreciate for the adult reader.

A story about "Voyage of the Dawn Treader"

nobody@allconsuming.net (davewells) — Sun, 29 May 2005 06:43:37 GMT

Voyage of the Dawn Treader

by C. S. Lewis

I am reminded of the Odyssey – both tales involve stops on multiple mysterious/magical islands. However, Caspian’s journey is one of exploration and success, whereas Odysseus’s journey was out of necessity and fraught with hardship.

A story about "The Silver Chair"

nobody@allconsuming.net (davewells) — Sun, 29 May 2005 06:43:37 GMT

The Silver Chair

by C. S. Lewis

The allusions to Aslan as God seem more prevalent than in the previous volumes of the Chronicles.

A story about "The Last Battle"

nobody@allconsuming.net (davewells) — Sun, 29 May 2005 06:43:35 GMT

The Last Battle

by C. S. Lewis

This book, especially the last few chapters, really smacks you in the face with Christian allegory. While each book in the Chronicles of Narnia contains allegory, none is as preachy as this volume.

A story about "The Horse and His Boy (Chronicles of Narnia)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (davewells) — Sun, 29 May 2005 06:43:35 GMT

The Horse and His Boy (Chronicles of Narnia)

by C. S. Lewis

The Horse and His Boy is somewhat of a non-sequitur within the Chronicles of Narnia. It breaks the continuity set up in the first four books, and deals very little with the country of Narnia itself. Children from our world appear only as Narnian Royalty, having largely forgotten about their origins. The main characters from this book are only given brief mentions elsewhere in the Chronicles – near then end of The Last Battle. I suppose Lewis had a specific allegorical reason for writing this story, but why did he break from the continuity of the other six books?

A story about "State Of Fear"

nobody@allconsuming.net (davewells) — Sun, 29 May 2005 06:43:34 GMT

State Of Fear

by Michael Crichton

Once again, I’m impressed with the amount of research that goes into Michael Crichton’s novels. This is the only novel I can remember reading that has footnote citations. Unlike many of his other books, this does not focus on what could go wrong with science. It is more about what is wrong with science now. This novel is less entertaining, yet more compelling, than his last few books.

A story about "The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror"

nobody@allconsuming.net (davewells) — Sun, 29 May 2005 06:43:32 GMT

The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror

by Christopher Moore

Perhaps not as good as some of Moore’s other novels (Lamb is my favorite), but still quite funny.

A story about "Natural Acts : A Sidelong View of Science and Nature"

nobody@allconsuming.net (davewells) — Sun, 29 May 2005 06:43:32 GMT

Natural Acts : A Sidelong View of Science and Nature

by David Quammen

An entertaining whirlwind tour through a number of less celebrated topics having to do with the natural world. Quammen’s scatterbrained style is generally comical, but can get annoying at times. The most satisfying pieces are those which did not start life as magazine columns – they tended to be more focused and in-depth.

A story about "Hopes and Impediments: Selected Essays"

nobody@allconsuming.net (davewells) — Sun, 29 May 2005 06:43:31 GMT

Hopes and Impediments: Selected Essays

by Chinua Achebe

An interesting collection of essays on a variety of topics relating to literature. Some deal with specific literary works, and I believe a reader would benefit from a familiarity with those works (which, except for Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, I do not possess). Achebe has very interesting things to say about literature’s role in society, both in ways specific to his native Nigeria, and to mankind in general.

A story about "Coyote v. Acme"

nobody@allconsuming.net (davewells) — Sun, 29 May 2005 06:43:31 GMT

Coyote v. Acme

by Ian Frazier

Very bizarre. Some of the pieces are bizarrely funny, while others are just plain odd. Frazier’s practice of concocting stories inspired by short quotations is interesting, and at times, quite entertaining.

A story about "Napoleon's Buttons (pb reprint)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (davewells) — Sun, 29 May 2005 06:43:30 GMT

Napoleon's Buttons (pb reprint)

by Jay Burreson

Excellent. Le Couteur and Burreson do not merely tie together chemistry and history; they weave an interdisciplinary web that includes biology, medicine, genetics, politics, and sociology. They illuminate chemical connections between seemingly disparate substances. This book is extremely well-researched and well-written. The prevalence of chemical structural diagrams, while initially somewhat daunting, is a welcome aid to understanding the relationships between different molecules.

A story about "Brimstone"

nobody@allconsuming.net (davewells) — Sun, 29 May 2005 06:43:30 GMT

Brimstone

by Douglas Preston

A real page-turner, as can always be expectred from Preston and Child. I felt that the motive of rht e crimes sort of came out of left field, though. Hints continue to be dropped about a forthcoming book expanding on Pendergast’s great uncle’s experimentation.