All Consuming : ktismael

A story about "Surviving Justice: America's Wrongfully Convicted and Exonerated"

nobody@allconsuming.net (ktismael) — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 17:14:02 GMT

Surviving Justice: America's Wrongfully Convicted and Exonerated

Fantastic so far. I found this because of a Dave Eggers interview on the RU Sirus show, and its incredible and heartbreaking all at once. True stories of the falsely imprisoned, which is hard to read, but still somehow provides hope that these stories can help bring about the change needed to reform this system that would kill the innocent out of laziness.

Save for last (rated 5 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (ktismael) — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 17:03:56 GMT

The Cat Who Walks Through Walls

by Robert A. Heinlein

This is a great Heinlein book, but should definitely not be read early in your Heinlein consumption. A real appreciation requires a familiarity with the characters and the history present in previous books. As this was one of the last written, its best to wait to read this one after you’ve been through most of the rest. You should at least get through Stranger, Time Enough for Love, and Number of the Beast, although there are probably more that I haven’t read yet either.

I did feel the end flagged a bit as it got bogged down in the backstory, and I would have liked to see this book stand alone from the previous Lazarus universe. But it was still quite good.

A review of "Beyond This Horizon" (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (ktismael) — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 16:58:04 GMT

Beyond This Horizon

by Robert A. Heinlein

A good opportunity to see Heinlein’s early writing before he had attained the mastery he showed much later. The narrative is a bit loose and the characters aren’t fully developed though you can clearly see the beginnings of archetypes he’d return to again and again and introduces some of his themes that will return later as well. Best read after the other classics (Stranger, Starship Troopers, Time Enough for Love, etc.)

A story about "The Sign of The Four (Collected Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (ktismael) — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 20:02:42 GMT

The Sign of The Four (Collected Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

A much better effort than Study in Scarlet in terms of keeping the story going without unnecessary explication.

A story about "Study In Scarlet Sir Arthur Conan Doyle"

nobody@allconsuming.net (ktismael) — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 20:31:26 GMT

Study In Scarlet Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

by Arthur Conan Doyle

A good intro to Holmes, but the whole Utah scene is seriously taxing to get through for not enough payoff. I’m told that Doyle’s style improves along the way.

A story about "Steppenwolf: A Novel"

nobody@allconsuming.net (ktismael) — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 20:27:18 GMT

Steppenwolf: A Novel

by Hermann Hesse

Awesome, but slow going at first. Keep going its gets much better and crazier. I thought it would be painful to get through (like the last 100 pages or so of Magister Ludi) but by once I finally hit “Treatise” it just flew from there on.

A story about "The Glass Bead Game: (Magister Ludi) A Novel"

nobody@allconsuming.net (ktismael) — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 17:42:17 GMT

The Glass Bead Game: (Magister Ludi) A Novel

by Hermann Hesse

Intriguing if more than a little slow exploration of education and the way the exceptional are treated in most societies. Also gets into the nature of intelligence. Takes some effort but worth it.

A story about "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius"

nobody@allconsuming.net (ktismael) — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 17:00:24 GMT

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

by Dave Eggers

Astonishing.

A story about "Humanity: A Moral History of the Twentieth Century"

nobody@allconsuming.net (ktismael) — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 17:00:11 GMT

Humanity: A Moral History of the Twentieth Century

by Jonathan Glover

Very interesting examination into ethics as demonstated by the events of the last hundred years.

A story about "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! (Adventures of a Curious Character)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (ktismael) — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 17:00:08 GMT

Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! (Adventures of a Curious Character)

by Richard P. Feynman

Classic and an insight into the elegant simplicity of Feynman’s genius.

A story about "You Shall Know Our Velocity"

nobody@allconsuming.net (ktismael) — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 17:00:03 GMT

You Shall Know Our Velocity

by Dave Eggers

Really incredible, mind-bending, heart-breaking, painfully immediate read.

A story about "The Da Vinci Code"

nobody@allconsuming.net (ktismael) — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 16:59:58 GMT

The Da Vinci Code

by Dan Brown

Not particularly well-written, but interesting to read nonetheless.

A story about "Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclair's Youth (Perennial Classics)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (ktismael) — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 16:59:56 GMT

Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclair's Youth (Perennial Classics)

by Hermann Hesse

An interesting and quick read about individuality and society.

A story about "Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclair's Youth (Perennial Classics)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (ktismael) — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 16:59:55 GMT

Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclair's Youth (Perennial Classics)

by Hermann Hesse

Just started, but I’ve enjoyed Hesse’s other books, so i thought I should try this one out.

A story about "Irish Fiction, The Penguin Book of"

nobody@allconsuming.net (ktismael) — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 16:59:51 GMT

Irish Fiction, The Penguin Book of

by Various

Still haven’t made it out of the 19th Century. It’s really big!

A story about "Sick Puppy"

nobody@allconsuming.net (ktismael) — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 16:59:49 GMT

Sick Puppy

by Carl Hiaasen

Another Hiassen classic. Loved it.

A story about "When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?"

nobody@allconsuming.net (ktismael) — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 16:59:47 GMT

When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?

by George Carlin

It’s just Carlin. I do think he should take his “Men are Stupid, Women are Crazy” essays and turn them into a self-help book. It would be more useful than anything else out there.

A story about "The Pleasure of Finding Things Out and the Meaning of It All"

nobody@allconsuming.net (ktismael) — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 16:59:46 GMT

The Pleasure of Finding Things Out and the Meaning of It All

by Richard Phillips Feynman

interesting insight of both the personal and scientific musings of Feynman