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Book Review - Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen

2011-05-31T20:00:00.004-05:00

Here is a book review about "Water for Elephants" written by Sara Gruen.

Heather, my wife, posted that this book had the best ending ever. I can imagine reasons why she would particularly like this ending, but I don't want to spoil the story.

This book had just about everything I like, such as circuses, interesting historical detail, complex well developed characters, trains, a love story, and even languages.

I can see why they made it into a movie - the plot itself is gripping and compelling. Once I started it, I was quickly hooked - whether I wanted to or not.

The characters were often flawed, which made for more realism in the story. I really liked the authentic historical detail. There was enough detail to add interest to the story, but not so much as to distract from any of the stories.

There was also a good deal of jargon or slang that went with the circus. The story introduces these terms as our hero learns them. This particular story had more than one hero, but was told by the main "hero".

I was surprised by the ending, and I was also surprised by how much the author could fill out a character (such as Rosemary) with so few lines of description.

I would say this book is well worth reading, and not just while traveling or on vacation. I would suggest not starting it unless you have a few hours available to you over the next few days. It really will pull you in.

The book is published by Algonquin books of Chapel Hill, a division of Workman Publishing and runs 331 pages. The edition I had also included an Author's Note, an interview of the author, and book club questions.

Restaurant Review --- Django - Des Moines, Iowa

2011-03-14T22:38:00.003-05:00

Again I am breaking new ground with a Restaurant Review. We enjoyed this place in Des Moines over the weekend. The atmosphere is reasonably good, with lots of wood, dim lighting, and a comfortable temperature. It was a bit loud when we were there, but it was a Saturday night at 8 PM, after all.

This restaurant allows you to bring your own wine, so we brought a St. Croix and another bottle that I forget, although it was a decent wine as well. We had the cheese course, and really enjoyed the strong Gouda, cut into french fry shaped morsels, a Burgogne cheese that was to die for, and another which I unfortunately forget.

In particular, the Burgogne cheese, on a bit of crusty french bread, followed by a sip of the St. Croix was an unbelievable experience. The cheese was great, and the wine brought out even more flavor.

I had the seared scallops, which were awesome - large, plump, juicy, warm through and through, with a great sauce and bed of butternut squash. This was an unusual selection but I could not resist trying a creative squash entree.

Cost was about $80 for two, and we strongly recommend this restaurant.

book review - Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang - Chelsea Handler

2011-03-14T22:27:00.003-05:00

I think I've read all of Chelsea's books now, and I can honestly say that they are funny, diverting, and light reading. I'm sure not everyone will enjoy them, and particularly I would say you should avoid them if you dislike swearing, unsavory characters, and the like.

However, for anyone who has ever been embarassed by their relatives, or their car --- I think you'll enjoy them because you can relate. No foible is too small to be the butt of a joke.

The book was just right for a three hour plane ride, and it really made the flight zip by. I appreciate a good diverting book when I have to fold my long frame into a economy class seat.

In case you don't know who Chelsea Handler is, try tuning in to the E! network late at night to catch her talk show. The book is published by Hachette Book Group, although I can't imagine you'll have any trouble finding it. It is not great literature, although it is worth reading.

Book Review - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot

2011-03-14T22:18:00.005-05:00

This is a work of non-fiction. It is almost a documentary or perhaps a history book. It might also be called a biography but it is not entirely about one person, or about that person's entire life. It is more about the impact of Henrietta Lacks on her family, and on the world.

Although I am trained in the sciences and enjoy studying science, much of the science in this book was new to me. This is not to say that the book is a science book - the science, although integral to the story, is not difficult, is not the focus, and is not presented for pedagogical purposes.

This book is also partly a history or exploration (through one person) of medical ethics, and related law. With all of this introduction you might think that this book is bound to be crashingly boring, but it is a page turner. I didn't want to put it down, because it was so intriguing and informative. It was sometimes sad, but always relevant and compelling. Even as a side note, the glimpses it gave into the author's process were also interesting and worthwhile.

I highly recommend this book for any reader, but particularly for those who have at least an idle interest in science, or history, or the nature of humanity.

The book is published by Crown Publishing / Random House, and is 366 pages long. It took me more than a few hours to get through, although it was probably less than six hours. It was worth every minute.

Book Review - Aimee Bender - The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake

2011-03-05T21:49:00.003-06:00

This is another book that Heather suggested I read. I don't think she liked it, but she wanted me to give me her take on the book.

I think the book is a metaphor about a lot of different things. For example, throughout his life, the central character's father never went into hospitals. Now, there are a lot of people who don't like hospitals, but that wasn't the reason he didn't go into hospitals. It was because he was afraid of who he might become if he went in there. He didn't think it would be bad, and had some reason to think it might be good, but he was afraid of it, and literally didn't want to go there.

When I first began to read the book, it took a few chapters to really get into it, but once I did, I found I was reminded of "To Kill a Mockingbird" because the story was told from the point of view of a young girl, and perhaps because of the somewhat conversational, somewhat narrative way she speaks. She also seems to always be looking for hidden meanings, and makes a lot of observations.

For example, Rose (the young girl narrator) gives detailed descriptions of everything, even down to individual folding chairs. The most telling is the description of her mother, but I'll leave that for you to read the book. The descriptions are piled upon each other, layer by layer. You hear how her mother would describe Rose's father --- a plain gray boulder. You hear about his handwriting, the columns of figures in a journal, the occupation. All of this leads to a rich understanding of her father.

There are lots of insights into how this family interacts, and these insights allow you to look at how your own family works. There are subtle lessons here, about teenage crushes, about hidden talents, about the ability of people to deny the truth that stares them in the face every day, and others too numerous to mention.

Earlier today, I was thinking about what I would write in this review, and what most sticks with me about this book is how Rose analyzes everything. The central metaphor of the book for me is how Rose analyzes the taste of everything - such as the Lemon Cake in the title.

In the book, Rose analyzes deeper and deeper, until finally she understands even her father's behavior. I can relate to that since I analyze everything all the time. Sometimes I wish I could turn it off, but it seems like I just analyze all the time without even consciously doing it.

For Rose, she was analyzing in order to adapt to her particular ability. Perhaps that is what I need to do - to turn my ability to analyze on itself, to realize and cope with the consequences of "an over-analyzed life".

Hopefully I'll be as successful as Rose.

The book is published by Doubleday / Random House. I would recommend that you read it.

The Lost Hero - Rick Riordan - Book Review

2011-01-06T21:22:00.003-06:00

This book represents the beginning of another group of books in the world created for "Percy Jackson - the Lightning Thief", and I expect Percy Jackson will show up eventually. For now, only a portion of the supporting characters from "The Lightning Thief" figure in the story line of "The Lost Hero". This group is called "The Heroes of Olympus".

I have read all of the Percy Jackson group, and "The Red Pyramid", which is the first of another group, called "The Kane Chronicles". It took a couple of chapters to get into the first Percy Jackson book, but from there, I was hooked. I read the first five in my spare time on a three week trip. I tried to pace myself, and I was really busy --- but I couldn't stop. They were just that good.

I am not often prone to comparing one book or one author to another, because I don't think it tells you much - you have to know both authors, or know the one well enough to get something out of the comparison. Two people never have the same experience, so the comparison often becomes pointless. I have seen several references to "Percy Jackson" as the "next Harry Potter". Perhaps that is a useful comparison to many readers. My experience is that the Harry Potter books seem "made up" to me, while these Percy Jackson books seem to build on existing mythology in a clever way. Either way, I suppose, they are both just made up stories, but somehow I find the fact that the Greek gods exist in other poetic works somehow makes the books seem more real.

Please don't misunderstand me - I like the Harry Potter books well enough to re-read them, which is rare for me. I am a person who strongly feels the press of time and age, which limits the number of books I will ever be able to read. As a result, I consider carefully before reading a book again.

In the case of the Percy Jackson books, they seemed to be more enjoyable to me. They seemed to have a faster pace, or perhaps they were just more diverting. I recommend them strongly - and they are suitable for a good reader 10 and above, but yet still satisfying to me as an adult of 47.

The Lost Hero is 557 pages, and perhaps five hours to read. It's a book good enough to keep, and to read again. It's fun on several levels. Well recommended.

My Horizontal Life - Chelsea Handler - Book Review

2010-12-05T19:26:00.005-06:00

I don't think anyone will say that this is a significant book, like "WAR AND PEACE" or "The Grapes of Wrath", but it's not badly written, and it's based on the true events in the author's life.

Chelsea Handler has now written three books, and I've read and reviewed two of them. This one is her first, and it tells the story of how she came to grow up a little. In the process, she makes many (very funny) mistakes, and paints a picture of many (very memorable) characters.

I would say this is definitely an airplane book - you know, something to read to keep you preoccupied and not thinking about the thin air just outside the plane window. It could be a good beach book, too. I'm sure somewhere in there she reminds you to wear your sunscreen, probably by telling you a hilarious story about sun poisoning.

I could see clearly that there was a journey that Chelsea's character was taking through life - through the course of the book. It echoed so many "novels" I've read.

I also liked the love/hate relationship she seemed to be describing with one of her gay male friends. The experiences seemed like they were so close to true (even though they were clearly meant to be caricatures of the real thing) that they rang true.

I also could relate to Chelsea's experiences with her family members. I could relate to them, because even though your family members have known you for decades, they still act in ways that indicate they don't really understand you. I'm sure that's true for everyone.

I wouldn't put this book on your bucket list, unless you work for Chelsea, but it's fun. It is published by Bloomsbury. I don't doubt you can find it at www.chelsea-handler.com.

Book Review - The School of Essential Ingredients - Erica Bauermeister

2010-09-25T11:25:00.004-05:00

This is the first book I've read by Erica Bauermeister. Heather suggested it to me. (Heather is my wife, for those of you new to my blog.)

I REALLY enjoyed this book. It has a lot of cooking in it, as you might expect from the title. But, it has a lot of good stories about the individuals who attend the cooking school mentioned in the title. Some are sad, even tragic, most are uplifting in a way you didn't expect.

The chef who runs the school has an interesting life, and there is an element of mystery about her. The book is very engaging, and it is easy to read several chapters without noticing the time or anything else around you.

The story is told from multiple points of view - the students from the class each have their own story. The author weaves the stories together as the students attend class each week. I think only one of the stories has a flash back, but that one is not too hard to keep straight.

The book is strongly recommended.

Liquid Poetry - Wine Review - Monte Alegre

2010-09-24T06:57:00.004-05:00

Well, this is a first for me. A wine review. I must say though that when you run across something good enough, it just makes you want to say something to someone.

I was first introduced to the marvelous wine called port, in that dreadful but somehow irresistible cheese spread our grandparents all seemed to keep a tub of in their refrigerators. I remember looking at it and passing it by, since it seemed (like many things in my grandmother's refrigerator) to have somehow spoiled and not been noticed.

But eventually I tried it and was hooked, on the cheese spread that is, still not ever having tried the wine itself.

Trying the wine itself would have to wait several years for my good friend Anita, who suggested it for dessert at one of our get togethers. I liked it - how it was sweet, yet complex, and full of rich but distinct flavors.

Well, recently, we were in Carbondale Illinois, of all places, visiting a friend and trying out one of the wineries. The tasting was wonderful, with the owner giving us many samples, along with bits of the right accompaniment for that particular wine - a bit of apple with one, a bit of chocolate with the port. So, I highly recommend Monte Alegre winery, and good port wine. In this case, the port wine is called "Liquid Poetry", which is so appropriate.

I recommend you try port for dessert, or with dessert. Alternate sips of the port with bits of the dessert. It is for sipping, not drinking. I hope you enjoy it.

Book Reviews - Practical Demonkeeping - Christopher Moore

2010-09-23T21:28:00.003-05:00

This is Christopher Moore's debut novel, and now that he has 12 novels out, and I've read some of the later ones, I can see that this one is not quite as good, but still fun.

The books are funny, creative, and have a reasonable plot progression. Sometimes they are a little bit predictable, but you stick with it just to see what happens. They vary from light fare to tougher stuff.

I would say they are irreverent at times, but other times right down the middle of the strike zone, if you know what I mean. Perhaps the old observation is true that you see in a book what you bring to it.

For me, these books are fun, inventive, irreverent, sometimes unpredictable, wry, amusing, and sometimes inexorably predictable in a perplexing kind of way.

I commented to a friend recently that part of why I write book reviews is because I read them, and want to make the most of my limited opportunity to read books. I want to know if a book is worth slogging through for 600 pages. Sometimes you can't really tell early in a book.

I read a book many years ago by Robert Silverberg called "Dying Inside" that really illustrates this point. I had tried to read it several times. I didn't enjoy the book each time I tried, although I could somehow sense that the author was really good. Finally I made it to the last 7 pages, and the payoff was there.

I would not read "Dying Inside" again because only that last 7 pages was worth it, and the book was so impactful that I'll never need to read it again - I won't forget the lesson.

In a different way, I am glad that I read "Practical Demonkeeping", but I am equally sure that I won't read it again. Other books by Moore are better, so if I read some of his books again, it will be other selections.

A New Baby Boy on the way

2010-09-12T18:04:00.002-05:00

Now is a very exciting time in the story of Kurt and Heather. We are adopting a baby boy! All of the usual excitement about decorating the nursery, making sure we have at least one of every thing, plus the usual nervousness about being a parent!

On top of all this are the complexities that are involved in adopting a baby. Nowadays you have to pass numerous background checks. We heard just a few days ago that we passed our FBI background checks. Our home study is basically complete, and we are just days away from the birth of our baby.

We weren't worried, since we have nothing untoward in our background, but it's a bit unnerving to think that all of these government agencies (DHS, FBI, Child Abuse Registry, et cetera) have their eyes on us... .

We have been matched with a young mother who feels that she can not care for another child properly, and so she is making an adoption plan for this new baby. So, we are expecting a baby in a very literal way. We are waiting for her call, and each time she texts or calls, we wonder "is it now?"

Sometime in the next few weeks, we'll be getting that call, dropping everything, grabbing our last few items, and jumping in the truck to drive to another state, and just hope we can get there in time to see our baby's birth.

Please be thinking of us at this exciting and nerve wracking time!

book review - 7 things he'll never tell you

2010-06-28T00:00:00.004-05:00

7 things he'll never tell you

{but you need to know}

by Dr. Kevin Leman

Here's another book by an author I've never read before. It's a "relationship" book published by Tyndale House Publishers, and it is a Christian oriented book, by which I mean that it quotes the occasional Bible verse, and has an essentially fundamentalist view of relationships. However, I think that the author does a good job of talking about marital relationships without depending too much on authority (meaning Bible verses) or too much on logic (since the only logic in human relationships is not the usual kind).

I picked it up at the airport when I was looking for something to divert myself for the flight from Dallas to Tucson. I read most of it on the flight. It's really pretty well written, and makes simple points. It's actually written for a woman to read, but I found it accessible without being offensive - no male bashing to speak of, at least none that wasn't good humored.

I finished it up over supper, and found myself thinking of concrete ways I could apply the message in my own life. To me, that's a good sign that the book is easy to read and easy to apply in one's life.

The author is a trained psychologist, radio and television personality, humorist, and speaker. I had never heard of him, but perhaps I don't listen to the right stations. But, the insight and advice given rings true. From my perspective, the advice seems like things that would be helpful in my own life.

I'd recommend the book, and found it enjoyable to read, even humorous from time to time. It took me about three hours to get through it. I'm sure I'll read it again in a year or two.

I can't say that much for most "relationship" books. Most of them I have a hard time getting through in the first place, much less reading them again.

Book Review - The Outer Limits - Volume 1

2010-06-26T20:45:00.004-05:00

The four authors involved in this volume are Harlan Ellison, Diane Duane, John M. Ford, and Howard V. Hendrix.

These four stories in volume 1 are associated with the television series, either the original or the revival.

These stories are good examples of the reason I read science fiction. Each has its particular sub-genre - whether that is a war story, horror story, or even a variation on a famous theme - in this case a Frankenstein story and an "it came from outer space" story. But all of these stories are unique and original in their own way. Each makes you think and imagine and reconsider the world around you as if it might not be quite what you thought it was.

I have read a number of Harlan Ellison's works, and his is a staggering talent and imagination. I would highly recommend you read at least a few of his stories.

Diane Duane is a competent writer and I've enjoyed several of her books. They are worth reading, and she seems able to work within and respect whatever world or assumptions she starts with. Perhaps that is a mark of a truly great writer.

The other two authors I am not familiar with, although their work in this volume is very good.

If you are not familiar with the television series "The Outer Limits", it ran in the mid-1960's, and then a decent revival in the 1990's. Although it only ran a season and a half in its original incarnation, it has proven to be a classic and seems to be available every so often on the Sci Fi channel or elsewhere on cable TV.

At the time, I don't think there was anything else like it, or if there were things in the same general bent, they didn't seem to be as serious and thought-provoking. The series is well worth looking up. These four stories are either the stories upon which the teleplays were based or vice versa, stories that were written based on the teleplays.

It's worth a read. I've read it twice myself. The book is published by Prima Publishing.

Book Review, Race Against Time, by Piers Anthony

2010-05-28T18:55:00.003-05:00

I picked this up at the half price book store a few days ago. It's been an easy read, and although I don't know if other reviewers would classify it as a juvenile book, I think it would be accessible to the teen age reader. The central hero is a teenaged boy, and there is another teenaged character as well.

I mentioned it to my kids as something they might like to read - they like Piers Anthony's other book groups.

This book has several historical themes, and various built in commentaries on the concept of race, and the sweep of history. It also has an element of mystery in it as the characters find their place in the world. I would say most people would classify it as science fiction, although the science plays a part in the story, but not a dominant one.

I enjoyed it, and found it to be a quick read. It is 224 pages in paperback, and was written in 1973. It is published by TOR books.

I liked it enough to recommend it to others, and I would say I might read it again some day.

Book Review, Darwin's Children, Greg Bear

2010-05-16T20:23:00.002-05:00

I had read several other Greg Bear short stories and one novel, "Blood Music" so I was somewhat familiar with his work. I was prepared for a liberal dose of science in the book. In addition, a friend had recommended "Darwin's Radio", the previous book in this story line. I never got around to reading it, and I think I even gave the book away.

I think I'll go back and read "Darwin's Radio", now that I've read this book, although it might be anti-climactic. The book "Darwin's Children" has real pathos, and as a parent myself, I could really relate to the strain that raising children puts on a marriage, as dramatized in the book.

Of course, there is a lot more to this book. It is science fiction, if you like your science fiction with a lot of science in light touches throughout the book, including the "e-paper" and of course the many biological concepts that are central to the story.

As an aside, I've always preferred science fiction books where the science makes the story possible - in other words, the science is integral to the story. I also prefer science fiction where the story lets you see how technology would alter society. I have seen that happen in real life as I have aged, and it is interesting to see what the author comes up with - to see where his or her thinking takes him, and what that might mean about their viewpoint.

I can see myself reading this again in a couple of years, so I'd call it a good book. It definitely required some concentration, so it might be iffy for travel, but it was engaging, and I didn't really get tired of reading it.

The book is published by Random House, and runs 380 pages.

Book Review, The Summer Guest, Justin Cronin

2010-05-01T19:03:00.003-05:00

This book was recommended by my wife, H. The author is a Hemingway Award Winning author. The blurb on the back cover is effusive in its praise of the book, with several authors and reviewers giving praise. It is a multigenerational story, beginning with a patriarch on the battlefields of Italy, which we see in flashback.

It took me a while to get into the book, and based on the blurb, I was determined to get through it and get the payoff. The author certainly is skilled in describing the scenery, the emotions of the characters, and evoking an image of what life was like at each point in time. The characters are well drawn and easy to picture as well. Several times I had an "ah hah" moment where I could really identify with the person and their struggles.

The book is written in rotation between major characters - one chapter may be from Harry's point of view, another from Joe's, then Kate's, etc. At times I found this confusing. I also struggled with the flashbacks. After each flashback I could tell the author was revealing things at the same pace that the other characters were learning about them, but sometimes it seemed just a bit too contrived.

The characters also seemed a bit too - well, noble. Wouldn't real people complain a bit more? Hesitate? Prevaricate? It certainly was very clear that the characters learned and lived and loved just as you would expect. Equally clear is the author's command of the language, and admiration for the back woods of Maine. But I just didn't enjoy it.

There were several interesting historical points which reminded me of my own experience, such as the characters' comments on President Nixon, or the way the Vietnam War draft dodgers were woven into the story. I remember evening news reports about these things when I was growing up.

So, I'm going to categorize this one as "won't read again" and "might try another from this author".

The book is published by Bantam Dell, and runs 369 pages.

book review - Chelsea Handler - Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea

2010-04-18T20:31:00.006-05:00

I would be the first one to admit that this book is not great literature (no offense, Chelsea), but I enjoyed it nonetheless. There are parts of this book that are laugh out loud funny, others that are sad, others that shed light on Chelsea's personality.

If making you want to read other books by the same author is a mark of a good book, then this one gets my vote. I want to read the other books, now that I've read this one. I must say she seems like an unlikely author, but she does have a lot to say, and knows how to say it.

This book was a quick read, and I didn't want to put it down. When I finished, I mentioned to my wife that it reminded me of another friend's situation. She pointed out three major differences between Chelsea's experience and our other friend's situation. I suppose that Chelsea's book made her experiences relateable to other people. I assume that's why I could see other people experiencing similar problems in their own life.

Any thoughts, anyone?

Walking in Circles Before Lying Down, by Merrill Markoe

2010-04-03T15:48:00.006-05:00

When I first took a look at this book, I didn't really expect much out of it. My darling wife said it was "okay", so perhaps that is why.

But once I got a chapter into the book, I found that I didn't want to put it down. The characters are vivid and believable, and the central heroine is sympathetic, to say the least.

Someone commented to me the other day that they didn't know I was a dog person, but I guess I am. I've had a dog several times in my life, and much prefer them to cats. If you are a dog person, then you'll be more likely to enjoy this book.

There are two things that stand out in my mind about this book, and the first is that the dogs in this story talk to our heroine. I found them to be pretty believable. I mean, once you get past the whole dogs talking thing. In other words, if dogs really did possess the capacity to speak, and remained dog-like in all other ways, it seems like this is how they would speak.

The other thing that stands out about the book is how realistic the relationships between men and women seem to be. Seriously, her first boyfriend in the book is such a jerk. But, I've heard people say things nearly the same in real life. And, it's likely they don't realize how they sound.

I really enjoyed the book, and recommend it for when you want something light, or for when you think your life sucks and you want some diversion.

My favorite quote from the book: "Throw the ball. You know you want to."

I recommend the book.

"To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee

2010-03-25T19:16:00.005-05:00

My daughter's teacher mentioned that they had read this book in class. I mentioned that I had never read it. She was incredulous. All I can say is that we read other books in our high school.

So, she lent me a copy and I read it. It's a good book. I understand it is the only book Harper Lee ever wrote. It is worth reading. It is a good story about growing up, and delves into themes of racism and the different kinds of people who surround you. I can see how some would possibly call this their favorite book, or a "classic". I don't think it's good enough to buy a copy for myself, but I think it should be on your "to read" list, and perhaps on your "must read" list.

The copyright date is 1960, but it seems like it is set in an earlier time, since it mentions one of the men getting a WPA job, which would put it in the 1930's. It doesn't seem dated, even now.

The copy I read was published by Warner Books, and runs 281 pages. I'm glad my daughter's teacher recommended it.

The Third Twin by Ken Follett

2009-09-07T00:37:00.004-05:00

The Third Twin by Ken Follett. Fawcett Crest, 467 pages.

This book has some science in it, so I suppose it could be called science fiction, but it is all current science. It was published in 1996, so I should say it is current science now, and was cutting edge then.

I enjoyed the book - but I wouldn't call it great literature. It's a beach book, or an airplane book. It moves along well and keeps you entertained. I liked the central theme of "nature vs. nurture". In many ways a satisfying book.

I have read at least one other Ken Follett book, "The Pillars of the Earth" but I don't believe I've reviewed it here.

I think "Pillars" has more heft to it, and not just because it is long.

I recommend "Pillars" for a vacation book - where you have a bit more time to invest, and "Twin" for an airplane ride.

PostSecret by Frank Warren

2009-01-18T06:30:00.002-06:00

This is the first of (four at this time) Post Secret books. There is a corresponding web site. If you haven't seen this site, I think it is worth a look. The contents are updated every Sunday morning, so it varies from week to week.

www.postsecret.com

Frank Warren has asked people to share a secret, anonymously, usually via postcards sent to an address in Germantown, Maryland. The instructions are simple - tell a true secret about yourself, that you have not shared with anyone.

The results go far beyond what you might imagine. Initially, you might just be curious what is going on in other people's lives. Instead you find that other people often have the same secrets you have. For me, that takes away a lot of the power such secrets hold. If other people struggle with the same things, then in a sense, we're all in this together, right?

Some of the secrets are disturbing, others seem somehow petty - but at the same time you realize that the thoughts being expressed may be all too common. For me, that gives me some empathy for other human beings, and perhaps some admiration for the way people seem to keep on trying.

It's worth a look.

Book Review - Welcome to Your Brain - Aamodt and Wang

2008-12-07T09:28:00.002-06:00

This book is sub-titled "Why You Lose Your Car Keys but Never Forget How to Drive, and Other Puzzles of Everyday Life".

The authors are two Ph.D. neuroscientists.

This book is right down my alley. By that I mean it has plenty of good solid science, but not a lot of complex verbiage that just slows down the reader. It is arranged in 31 chapters that tackle the typical myths and misunderstandings that pervade popular culture.

One of these misunderstandings or myths is the idea that we only use 10% of our brain.

Unfortunately, this is not true. If it were true, then 90% of car crashes involving head injury would result in no harm done to the person involved. Perhaps my logic is slightly flawed, but I think you see the point. Even minor head injury seems to result in permanent consequences in terms of lost memories, lost coordination, motor skill defects, or personality changes. So, I think we can clearly see that we use all of our brain.

The authors debunk a large number of myths, but they also give a lot of good information based on thorough research, such as how to best avoid jet lag (the opposite of what I did on my recent trip to Manila) or how to make dieting easier.

Just to whet your appetite, here's what to do to make dieting easier:

1) make sure you keep your metabolism up high, through diet or careful food choice
2) do something to keep your stress level down - yoga, massages, a hobby
3) spread your eating out as much as possible - six slices of pizza eaten at six different times is much better for you than eating six slices all at the same time
4) eat breakfast - this kind of goes with #3, but basically it kick starts your metabolism first thing in the morning

In the book, the authors go through the hormonal and metabolic reasons that these strategies work. All of the bodies hormones are controlled by the brain and its mechanisms.

There are plenty of additional valuable insights in this book - for this reason, I recommend it to everyone. It is easy to read, written for the lay person, and fun as well.

The book is published by Bloomsbury USA, and distributed by Macmillan.

Book Review - Dreams from My Father - Barack Obama

2008-12-07T07:53:00.011-06:00

This is Barack Obama's first book, written before he became Senator, while he was in law school, and after he had become the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review.

He talks about his childhood and teenage experiences, and his trip to Kenya. He also talks about his experiences as a community organizer. I was reminded of another book that I've read - "The Color of Water", by James McBride.

I don't know what to say about this book. It made me uncomfortable - with how much race has divided us as a country and a planet. It made me more comfortable with Mr. Obama - with how his experiences have helped prepare him to be President, and more importantly, with how they have prepared him to be a good leader.

I think I understand race better as a result of reading this book. I think I understand why people feel divided and discriminated against even when they aren't. And, I can see how they are discriminated against extensively.

And the book has a number of episodes that I can relate to, such as the one of page 104-105, from Mr. Obama's first year of college at Occidental:

Her voice evoked a vision of black life in all its possiblity, a vision that
filled me with longing - a longing for place, and a fixed and definite history.
As we were getting up to leave, I told Regiona I envied her.
"For
what?"
"I don't know. For your memories, I guess."
Regina looked at me and
started to laugh, a round, full sound from deep in her belly."What's so
funny?"
"Oh Barack, " she said, catching her breath, "isn't life something?
And here I was all this time wishing I'd grown up in Hawaii."

I can relate to this quote. I think all of this envy others, or feel left out for one reason or another. In this case, Mr. Obama didn't feel like he fit in with whites or blacks, because he didn't share their experiences, when in some cases others envied him for his experiences.

I think it is impossible to sum up this book, for you need to read it to really absorb the message in a way that will stick with you. Mr. Obama does a good job of summarizing, or at least concluding, in his epilogue, page 439:

"In my legal practice, I work mostly with churches and community
groups, men and women who quietly build grocery stores and health clinics in the
inner city, and housing for the poor. Every so often I'll find
myself working on a discrimination case, representing clients who show up at my
law firm's office with stories that we like to tell ourselves should no longer
exist.
... at some point both plaintiff and witness decide that a
principle is at stake, that despite everything that has happened, those words
put to paper over two hundred years ago must mean something after all (referring
to the bill of rights - my comment inserted). Black and white, they make
their claim on this community we call America. They choose our better
history."

That, I believe, is what leadership is all about - all of us choosing our better history, and making our better future. Choose what is right about our history, and choose to carry that right forward into our own future, and our children's future.

Mr. Obama is a good writer, and the book is easy to read, but thought provoking. It is published by Three Rivers Press, a part of Crown Publishing, http://www.crownpublishing.com/, which is in turn a part of Random House, Inc.

Dan Brown - Angels and Demons

2008-11-25T19:47:00.004-06:00

Here's a quick book review of the book I just finished.

"Angels & Demons" is the first adventure of Robert Langdon, who is familiar to most readers and movie goers as the hero of "The Da Vinci Code".

I thought this was a quick read, and very accessible, even though it was over 700 pages.

The plot got a little muddy at the end, with, I thought, more twists than necessary. It almost seemed like a science fiction story to me, except that the author made a couple of classic mistakes when including the science.

One classic mistake you often see a mainstream writer make when they attempt to include science in a story is to bend the science to fit the plot, instead of the other way around. In this case, the design of the "containment vessel" was needlessly complex, in a way that no practical scientist would have done. However, it was needed for the plot, so that is how it was written.

There were a couple of neat themes that Mr. Brown included, such as a sideline discussion of why there is a conflict between faith and reason. The plot gives us several answers.

He also had the odd way of including some ideas in a prominent way, that didn't seem to advance the story at all. The high speed airplane was one such idea. I don't see how it advanced the story at all.

I think this was a good book but not a great one.

The paper back is published by Pocket Books.

Making Stuff Up

2008-11-16T08:51:00.003-06:00

In the past few weeks, my wife and her sister have suggested that I make stuff up, and pass it off as the truth.

Of course, from my perspective I don't do this at all, but as I think about it, I think I know what is happening.

Sometimes I come up with an observation, or an opinion, and I don't say it very clearly, and it comes off like a statement of fact.

Other times, I am passing along something I read in a book, and agreeing with it, so I'm making someone else's opinion sound like a fact.

For example, in the book "Freakonomics", the authors make a case for legalized abortion having reduced the crime rate in the United States. They quote from detailed studies which analyze several economic and social factors, and which show a correlation between the rate of abortions in a large number of urban areas, and subsequent drops in crime rate 10 to 20 years later. The curve of drops in crime closely correlates to the curve of abortion rates.

I won't go into the idea further here, since I couldn't do a good of job as the authors, Steven Levitt, and Stephen Dubner, but mostly because that's not the point I'm discussing here.

I've discussed this idea with several friends, and I can see from the benefit of hindsight that I talked about the idea as if it were a fact, instead of an interesting correlation. I think that the idea has merit, and that it is a likely phenomenon that seems plausible, but neither of these observations means that it is a fact. I also believe the authors made a convincing argument, and I am convinced that there is some sort of link between the two phenomena. Again, that doesn't make it a fact.

My sister-in-law suggested another occurrence of this recently. I made some comments about calculating global carbon emissions. As I remember it I was just making an observation based on some ideas that had occurred to me just then. I don't remember exactly what I said, but it was something about a way to measure carbon emissions by inventorying all sources of carbon emissions. I must have made it sound like this was an obvious and easy thing. In reality it is tedious, uncertain, and incomplete. In essence, my statement was a hypothesis, and not meant to be fact.

I will be more careful in the way I speak in the future.

Agents of Light and Darkness by Simon R. Green

2008-10-12T15:45:00.004-05:00

I was looking for something fun to read this morning, and found this book on the shelf. I've read it before and enjoyed it, and thought enough of it to keep it, instead of consigning it to Goodwill, or the Library book sale.

It's a quick read, at least the second time through, only about three hours counting breaks to grab some food.

This is part of a series, and usually I don't like to jump into the middle of a series, because it often seems like you miss some of the subleties. In this case, the series is "The Nightside". The author doesn't spend any discernible time bringing you up to speed either, which is a clever trick. He uses his description of the Nightside as part of the description and setting of each scene, so you learn about the world as you go. However, I never felt like he was springing something on me because he just realized he needed a plot twist.

Instead, it is almost as if he is giving you the picture one piece at a time, so that you can get used to each idea as he builds up your picture of the Nightside. The ideas that make up this story are pretty big - the agents of light referred to in the title are agents of good, as in Good with a capital G. That in itself may not seem very big - but he goes to significant effort to show you a glimpse of the power that the supernatural really would be.

I have read several stories of the supernatural, and this is the first one that seems to live up to the "super" part of the term. By "super" in this context I mean "beyond" or "exceeding" the natural.

I won't spoil the story by saying more, except for this: Normally in a novel the character undergoes a transformation or growth. In this novel, a character in the story other than "our hero" undergoes a growth, and it is only our understanding of the main character that evolves.

I recommend this book strongly.

Now I understand

2008-09-11T06:25:00.004-05:00

Now I understand what my parents were feeling when they would talk about Kennedy's assassination. They would say, "I'll never forget what I was doing when I heard Kennedy had been shot."

For me, 9-11 is one such moment. I'll never forget when I first heard about it. I had just arrived at work around 10 to 8 Iowa time, and a co-worker said a plane had just hit the World Trade Center. We happened to have a satellite based training system in our conference room, and it had Bloomberg on it, so we turned that up and watched for the next hour, transfixed by events.

I remember thinking and talking about how it was such a freak accident. We were all pretty complacent, and could not even conceive of being attacked. In fact, until the second plane hit, we didn't even have an inkling that it was an attack. And we questioned it then. That tells you something about how America felt about itself at the time.

I remember feeling sad later that day, when I realized what had happened. The terrorists had used our own planes, and our own freedoms, against us as a weapon.

They had entered our country, trained as pilots, bought plane tickets, then hijacked the planes and turned them into weapons. I felt sad that our freedoms had been perverted in such a way.

Until 9-11 I didn't really understand my parents. Now I understand them better.

Can Iowa Catch A Break?

2008-09-08T22:07:00.003-05:00

Here are some of the challenges that have faced our state in the past year:

1) a winter with near record high snowfalls, and
2) a flood that damaged hundreds of city blocks in Cedar Rapids, and
3) widespread flooding that damaged crops throughout the state
4) high oil prices that doubled and in some cases tripled fertilizer and other costs for farmers

So, guess what?

Tonight's low temperature is predicted to be nearly freezing.

This is at least four weeks early, and is likely to stunt crops that are already expected to be later than normal at reaching maturity.

Can we catch a break?

Bloodsucking Fiends, by Christopher Moore

2008-08-31T20:23:00.007-05:00

This isn't the first Christopher Moore book I've read, so I was prepared for some of the recurring characters, and I enjoyed the San Francisco setting, since I've recently traveled there.

He clearly studies the history of any topic he takes on, and then twists it to his own particular humorous bent. In this case, the topic is vampires, and love stories. There are plenty of twists and twisted humor in this book. And, perhaps it is hard to believe, but there are poignant moments in this book as well, such as the end of chapter 20.

There are also moments where you find yourself thinking: "He couldn't have made these characters up out of whole cloth, could he? He must have known some people like that, or worked at that job, or something."

One of the strengths of Moore's writing, especially well done in this book, is the depth of characterization. These characters are full of dimension, and idiosyncrasies of their own. And they behave in such a human, and humorous way, without even trying to be funny.

The book is published by Simon & Schuster, and they have a web site at http://www.simonsays.com/, where you can get more information about this and other books.

I highly recommend this book, I laughed out loud several times, and it is a fast read.

Lamb, by Christopher Moore

2008-08-24T20:33:00.005-05:00

This is a humorous alternate gospel of Jesus Christ, as told by Biff, Christ's childhood pal.

If you are a person who views the Bible as the literal Word of God, inerrant in word and spirit, to the extent that the contradictions in the Bible are mysteries, instead of typographical errors, you will be unlikely to enjoy this book.

If on the other hand you realize that God, after all, does have a sense of humor, then you should pick up this book and read it. In fact, there is a quote from Voltaire at the beginning of Chapter 1 that expresses this idea better than I could:

"God is a comedian playing to an audience that is afraid to laugh."

This was the first Christopher Moore book I had ever read, and I was a bit skeptical that such a book could be respectful to the spirit of Jesus' life while still being humorous. I found that in fact, it is possible to be respectful while being side-splittingly humorous.

The story framework is that this book attempts to fill in what Jesus was doing between his famous visit to the temple and his public ministry in his 30's. It is told through the viewpoint of his childhood pal, Biff, who is the 15th apostle, depending on how you count. Biff's real name is Levi, and he met Jesus at age six, and stayed with him until the end.

There are many things that amaze me about this book. The first is how believable it all is, even the stories of the boys' misadventures in their younger years. The second is how poignant it all becomes. The third is how it illuminated my faith.

The author has a web site at www.chrismoore.com. The book is published by Harper Perennial.

Six Prayers God Always Answers by Mark Herringshaw & Jennifer Schuchmann

2008-08-17T08:22:00.009-05:00

I was browsing at Barnes and Noble's and came across this book. I picked it up and read it a bit while sipping my Cafe Mocha.

Heather and I often do this - going to the bookstore, picking out a tall stack of likely looking books, then reading a few pages of each while drinking foofy coffee or creme' drinks, leaving the losers behind to be reshelved and taking a few winners with us.

Religious books are a small category for me, but I've read more than a handful over the years. It always takes something meaningful to me before I'll make the effort to read a religious book. This time it was no different. I started reading and found something that caught my eye.

The thing that caught my eye was that somehow the authors had qualified what makes a "bona fide" prayer. They talked about what prayer is, and what prayer is not. They talked about it in such terms that it triggered a memory for me. It's odd that I can remember the experience exactly but not what year it was, although it was probably 2001.

At the time, I was living with my first wife east of Marion, and we had just returned from Wisconsin where she had purchased some lambs of a rare breed. While they weren't terribly expensive it was money and we didn't have a lot of money. While we were unloading them, one was terribly scared and started running around the yard. My wife told me to go catch it so that it wouldn't hurt itself. I suggested that we should just leave it alone - that trying to catch it would be more traumatic for the lamb than just leaving it alone.

She told me that we had to catch it, even though it was in a fenced enclosure. So I dutifully went to catch it, and spent several minutes making it more and more scared. Eventually it butted its head against the wire fence until it broke through, and ran the 100 yards down the lane and across the busy highway into the quarry across the road. Remarkably it did not get hit by a car.

My wife (at the time) asked me to go over and get it. So I went over and found it easily enough, but couldn't get close to it. I waited half an hour, and called it with a lamb's bleat until I was within six feet of it, then it made a break for it and went down by the lake. Remember, this was a large quarry so there was a large lake. I wandered down there and it jumped in the water. So, to add nonsense to nonsense, I peeled off my shoes and other leather items and jumped in to swim after it. Unfortunately, I should have peeled off everything except my briefs, so about 20 yards out in the lake I discovered that my wet clothes were literally dragging me under.

I finally made a good decision, and turned to head for shore. Each stroke was harder and harder, and I realized that I had not swum for years, so I was out of shape, and probably poor form to boot. Soon the water closed over my head and I was swimming under the surface, rapidly approaching that point where I would black out from no air. I redoubled my efforts, only to find I was still slowing down, and going farther below the surface. I could barely see the sun through the black water. I said to myself, "I don't want to die here, now, chasing a stupid lamb." Then I made a bargain and said: "God, if you will make it possible for me to reach shore alive, I will make a change in my life."

At that point, it could have gone either way. But I resolved that, if God would make it possible, I would do my part. I stroked as hard as I possibly could with my leaden arms and cramping legs, and the sun became closer, bit by bit until I broke the surface and could take one desperate breath, then a few more strokes and my feet touched the sandy bottom of the lake and I stumbled forward into a half-standing position and just breathed heavily for about five minutes. I could see stars and black spots in my vision and knew just how close it had been.

I knew that I would live, and would begin to make the necessary changes in my life. I looked over, and saw the lamb gasping for breath on the opposite shore. I shook my head, making the first decision of my changed life, and began to gather my things to stagger across the road and return to the house.

This was a huge turning point for me in my life, and it was the result of a bargain I made with God, in that life changing moment. I may share more about that life changing moment in the future. But for now, this book had reminded me of that life changing moment, so I picked it up and kept it.

In the book, the authors describe six types of prayers that God always answers. One of those types is the bargaining prayer that I had made. The example is given of the Biblical story of Abraham bargaining with God against the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, with Abraham hoping to save Lot and his family.

I'm not sure I enjoyed this book, but I think it did me some good. The authors use examples that are much more accessible than most of the usual religious books out there. The typical religious book will take a Bible verse and analyze it to death, saying a variety of things about it that are frankly difficult to understand and sometimes difficult to believe.

In "Six Prayers" the examples are drawn from movies you have at least heard of, if you haven't seen them; from popular TV series like "The Simpsons"; from classical mythology, and from popular science. So, this is a much more effective book in many ways. I was left understanding prayer in a more personal way, and also understanding more deeply how that swim in the lake had affected me.

The authors have a website at www.sixprayers.com, and the book is published by Tyndale House Publishers. At 277 pages it is not a long book, but I think it will take you a while to get through it, at least if you stop to think along the way.

Nature Girl by Carl Hiaasen

2008-08-16T19:13:00.003-05:00

This is the first book I've read by Carl Hiaasen. I wanted something light to read on the plane ride to Louisville, since I figured the business meeting I was going to was not going to be pleasant.

I've got to say this book was hilarious! It was just what I needed at the time. There are characters here to despise, admire, relate to, and pity. And most of all, to laugh at.

The humor here was subtle, gross, physical, and puns. Some of the humor was situational, some of it was just laughter at the human condition.

After reading this book, I certainly will never treat a call from a telemarketer the same.

Since I work in telecommunications, some of the fun was stuff I could personally relate to, so maybe that made it better.

The book is from Hachette Book Group, and is 399 pages. It's a fun fast read.

Red Thunder by John Varley

2008-08-16T16:24:00.006-05:00

The Washington Post said it well - "A realistic and funny novel."

John Varley reminds me a bit of Robert Heinlein, and I found out later was influenced somewhat by him in his career.

This book has unforgettable characters, believable plot lines, and a thrilling conclusion.

The best of science fiction, in my opinion, takes the world as we know it, and makes one changed assumption, and then proceeds logically from there. As you can figure out for yourself, how well any given book "proceeds logically" from there is dependent on the author's ability to explain the steps of his reasoning. It also depends on whether he can tell a story without the explanation getting in the way.

Without giving the story away (since it says so on the cover) this is a "trip to Mars" story. The characters in the story do a believable job of making that happen, and give an interesting perspective on the role of technology in space travel while they do it.

The one changed assumption has to do with energy. It takes a while for the author to get there, but the trip includes some very memorable characters, so I didn't mind the wait.

I would say this is a good book for young adults to read. It isn't too cerebral, and there is fun along the way to keep you engaged in the story.

It is a Penguin book, and 411 pages long. I recommend it for your kids, or for a plane flight.

On the book cover the blurb compares it to a "comic caper of Carl Hiaasen", quoted from Science Fiction Weekly. I've recently had the chance to read a Hiaasen book, and would agree.

Variable Star by Robert Heinlein and Spider Robinson

2008-08-16T14:55:00.003-05:00

This novel has been written by Spider Robinson from an outline by Robert Heinlein.

When I sat down to read it I felt like it was going to be a special experience because I figured it would be the last new Heinlein novel I would ever read. The book cover describes it as a powerful and passionate tale of two young lovers driven apart by pride, power, and the vastness of interstellar time and space. It is that story as well as it is a novel.

To me, a novel is defined as a story in which the protagonist goes through a series of experiences which lead to personal growth or at least change. This story certainly qualifies as that. It also encompasses a lot of of by-the-way ideas, or ideas which at least seem as by-the-way ideas. I think this novel is different from Heinlein's novels in that some of the by-the-way ideas in Heinlein's other books seeem truly to be by-the-way ideas.

In Variable Star, these ideas and observations all seem to be essential to the story, even if you don't know it at the time. Even the small plot elements become important to the story later.

In the introduction and after note, Spider Robinson talks about how he came to know and enjoy Heinlein's books, and how he got to know Heinlein himself. It is interesting to me as a fan to know a little bit more of the background. I don't think I'll ever go to a convention, but I am interested in some of those human elements.

I would venture to say that this is a better book because Spider Robinson worked so hard on it to live up to his opinion of Heinlein.

It's in paperback from Tor, and is 339 pages. It is perhaps denser prose than other Heinlein books, so it read a little bit slower for me. But, I think that is because Spider put more into it, and made it more intricate. I really could relate to the main character, Joel, and feel for his emotions as he went. Spider also references 9-11-2001 and Star Wars. Those references alone are worth the read, and make this a uniquely post-Heinlein take on a Heinlein idea.

I would say this is the best book I've read in a long time.

Revolt in 2100 / Methuselah's Children / Robert Heinlein

2008-08-15T19:55:00.005-05:00

I originally had read these two novels some years ago, perhaps as early as 1985. It has been long enough that I had forgotten the names, but not all of the plot details. Now that I've re-read them I know that they are certainly among the most enjoyable of the Heinlein future history stories, and they are also among the shorter, if an off-hand judgment serves as an indication.

This particular pair of books deals with the post-Prophet period, and the early interstellar space exploration period. As always with Heinlein, there are many sub-texts and these are instructive and interesting by themselves. There are also a few very memorable alien species and swashbuckling characters, such as the remarkable Lazarus Long.

I was at the airport on the way to Manila reading Revolt in 2100, and a fellow traveler said that she had read it, under protest, at the suggestion of her husband, and she had really liked it.

Combined paperback edition from Baen at 480 pages.

Children’s Blizzard by David Laskin

2008-08-02T08:08:00.002-05:00

This review is a guest post by my lovely wife, Heather.

This book is the gripping account of the sudden, devastating blizzard that struck the Dakotas in 1888. It is sometimes referred to as the Children’s Blizzard because of the number of children that froze to death trying to get home from school. Some of their bodies weren’t found for months.
I was delighted to find this story as it has special meaning to me. I’ve always had a love of genealogy. My maternal great-great grandparents were homesteaders in Dakota territory in the 1880's. My great great grandpa Samuel was 33 in 1888. His parents had come to America in 1851 through New York. His parents settled in Wisconsin. I would guess that the offer of free land is what drew he and Hettie to Dakota.
I’ve always heard the story of how Sam was caught in the Blizzard of ‘88. He froze his tear ducts and was never able to produce tears again.
Laskin’s story is non fiction but with some liberties in imagining what particular victims may have felt or thought as they were caught in this tragic weather event.
Wessington Springs, SD is featured in the story of May Hunt, a school marm, and her seven students at the country school. The storm hit around noon. By 4 pm the school had run out of fuel. She had to choose whether to stay and freeze or try to make it to one of the farmsteads a mere 140 yards away on the other side of steep gully. An older student offered to scout it out. When he made it back unscathed the eight set out. They were quickly overcome with the freezing temperatures. Their eyelashes, eyes, and nostrils filled with ice. They were finally able to seek shelter in a haystack just a few yards from the invisible farmstead. However, they were not yet safe. You’ll need to read the story yourself to see if they live or die.
The storm hit on January 12. It started as an unseasonably warm day. People were able to come out of their sod houses for the first time in weeks and breathe fresh air. Children went to school for the first time in weeks, many dressed in little more than cotton shirts and pants with no sweaters or jackets.
The Blizzard affected the entire center of North America. The cold front dropped the temperature 18 degrees in 3 minutes. Farmers were caught outside caring for their animals. A single cow or pig might be all these families had to keep them going. It was imperative that the animals be saved. The homesteaders were immigrants from Northern Europe lured to America with the promise of 160 acres and freedom from persecution. Many had no idea what they were getting into on the wide, endless, harsh prairie. But they had spent everything and risked their lives just to get here. Many had nothing to go back to - if there was something for them there was no way they could afford to return to their homeland.
Laskin has done deep research into his subject. He read historical accounts, spoke with victims’ families, scoured old news papers as well as read scientific research about the weather phenomenon.
I suppose this might be a bit dry for some readers. I found it fascinating. Perhaps it’s because of my family connection to the event. I recommend the tale to anyone who has an interest in history or in understanding what the promise of America used to be. It’s relatively short with just under 300 pages.

Timothy Zahn - Night Train To Rigel

2008-07-04T17:50:00.003-05:00

It would be easy to under-appreciate this book. At first look, it's a classic mystery novel, with a former spy in the lead role, set on a train trip. It's even a bit predictable, in a science fiction plot of a scary alien race bent on galactic domination. What makes this a decent book is the way the author delivers it, and the plot twists along the way. While many science fiction enthusiasts would see this as just a variation on a theme, there are a number of interesting ideas thrown in along the way.

For one, the concept of a network of "hypertubes" or "wormholes" to travel the galaxy has been done before, but to put it in the context of a framework of trains is a neat twist.

For another, the necessary background and experience to be a successful spy in a galaxy filled with fifteen alien empires is neatly realized, and figures in to the realism and pacing of the story many times along the way. Alien empires aren't new, but this is well done.

Finally, he keeps some things about the protagonist hidden until the final quarter of the book, adding to the suspense.

I have read several other Timothy Zahn books, such as the Star Wars (TM) trilogy - Heir to the Empire.

I would say this one is competently done, worth reading once, but I doubt I'll read it again. The others were better, but this one had plenty of neat ideas.

Citizen of the Galaxy, by Robert A. Heinlein

2008-06-26T22:37:00.004-05:00

I always consider it a great day when I come across a Heinlein book that I haven't read yet. I think I picked this one up years ago in a library and read a few pages, always meaning to get back to it. I remember the early part of the story where the young boy is being sold at a slave auction for a rediculously small price.

I really enjoyed this book, and found myself rooting for the protagonist. There are two characteristics that are often found in Heinlein's books that are found in great amounts in this one:

First, there are all sorts of observations about the nature of culture, and how arbitrary that our customs sometimes are, and yet how critical they are to proper functioning. Some people have no respect for customs, and act as if it doesn't matter whether they follow custom at all.

Second, there is a strong father figure in this story, not unlike Jubal Harshaw in "Number of the Beast", or "Stranger in a Strange Land". There is also an element of how such a father has to manipulate his son for the sake of the son.

There is also a progression - in a sense that the protagonist can not absorb all of the knowledge about himself all at once, but must accumulate it bit by bit.

I also was struck by the number of times Heinlein comments that people are able to ignore facts that are right in front of them, or even horrific facts if they are separated by enough time or distance.

This book was first published in 1957, and at 282 pages, I would say it is of middling length for a Heinlein story. There are several that are much longer. It is one of only a few books that I've been reading that my son Nick has picked up and read.

It is well recommended.

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

2008-06-22T19:03:00.004-05:00

At first the average guy might think this is a "woman's" book, and be unlikely to seriously consider reading it.

Or, if you are skittish of such topics as meditation, divorce, depression, gurus, and so forth, it might scare you off.

But I think it would be a mistake to let any of those things keep you from reading this book. I myself put it off for a while, but once I had read just three chapters, I knew I would finish this book gladly.

For one thing, the author is truly going through an adventure, spending four months each in Italy, India, and Bali. For another, the author is simply a likeable person, and you can derive vicarious enjoyment from her experiences. Further, there is enough good solid heft to this story to satisfy the most demanding mind. In essence, this story is as deep as you care to take it.

Along the way, you learn many interesting details about life in each of these countries, and Elizabeth makes a fun person to serve as the point of view for experiencing these places.

The book has 108 chapters for an interesting reason, and you'll find that out when you read it. I found much to relate to in the book, including her experience with divorce and her joy in travel. My reading of the book was interrupted for a couple of weeks with our floods in eastern Iowa, but I found it easy to get back into and enjoy again.

Perhaps this is a book that only needs to be read once, if you read it carefully, but it was fun enough to enjoy reading again - perhaps on one of our own trips.

My final comment is that this book answers the question of how you can have everything but still be unhappy.

"Cross" By James Patterson

2008-05-31T22:07:00.004-05:00

Heather told me "read something light!" so I read this book.

I was also in need of something to read on the flight back from San Francisco, and Heather had this along.

First, some nuts and bolts. The story is 377 pages long and available in paperback. It is the 12th book featuring "Alex Cross" as a character. The same author wrote "Kiss the Girls".

Heather asked me what I thought of the book, and my gut response was "it's a bit sparse". What I meant by that was that it didn't have a lot of flowery words or fancy vocabulary, which means it is pretty readable, and the action moves quickly.

The book is a thriller, a police story, a detective story, a murder mystery, and it appears to carry the Alex Cross character forward in a compelling way. The bad guy is truly bad, in a memorable way. The author also moves back and forth between the bad guy and our hero, so that sometimes you know things the good guy doesn't, which adds tension to the story. I would say that the book is competently written, but not real heavy. I don't think there were any obvious gaffes in the book, so I didn't have any moments where I wanted to put it down.

I would recommend it when you have time to fill, or need a break from something heavier.

Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides

2008-05-28T20:15:00.003-05:00

Heather, my wife, recommended this book after running across it at the bookstore. We happen to be thinking about a trip to Manila this summer, and so I read it in hopes of learning more about the history of the area, in particular the World War II history.

I figured it would be a dry history, and given that I'm not much interested in battle strategy and the like, I doubted I would finish it. Instead, I found it to be a real page turner, and a compelling read. I learned a lot about the war, and about the Filipino people. I was truly impressed by the suffering our soldiers went through, and the suffering of the Filipino people.

The author did a tremendous amount of research to make the story as accurate as possible. It's a thrilling book, and comes highly recommended. The only thing I can nit pick about the book is that I got a little confused by the setup in the beginning of the book. Just watch the dates on the sections when you read it. It's worth it to get that background - it makes the rest of the book even better.

The book left me wanting to visit the cemeteries and pay my respects when I'm in Manila this summer. It also left me wanting to read some of the other books about the period. A great read.

Job: A Comedy of Justice

2008-05-25T11:32:00.003-05:00

Or, perhaps, I should call this "Job: Revisited".

This book is a retelling of the story of Job from the Bible. For those of you not familiar with the story, Job is an upright man of God, and God decides to put him to the test, to determine if he will keep his faith, under distress. God proceeds to cause, or allow to be caused, many calamaties to befall our poor hero, Job.

The author is Robert Heinlein, who is a master science fiction storyteller who has written many great works, with religion being a theme of many of his books, although not generally the primary theme.

Along the way, Robert often debunks popular myths, such as the popular interpretation of the commandment against lying. In this particular case, the popular understanding of the commandment is "Thou Shalt Not Lie". The protagonist is struggling with the dishonesty his struggles are putting him through - namely that if he admitted that he believes God is persecuting him, he would probably be labeled a crazy person and confined to an institution. So, he comforts himself by reminding himself that the commandment is actually "Thou Shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor." (Exodus 20:16.)

When I say he debunks popular myths, I am referring to a strict interpretation of the ninth commandment, in the sense that no lie is ever acceptable. When I look around at the world, I see something quite different - it seems almost as if people lie all of the time, and it is merely a matter of degree - whether it is pretending you like someone just to be polite, or whether it is stating an opinion about a matter for which you have no knowledge, or simple white lies like "you look fine".

Heinlein's books often make me think, by scattering nuggets like the above throughout the text, often prompting me to do research later on what the Bible text says, and what other thinkers have to say about it.

In the Biblical story, along the way we discover many attitudes that are uncomfortable today, such as the concept that Job is finally rewarded for his faith by being given new wives and properties, and particularly that he is happy with these. In other words, wives and children are generic and interchangeable. He is not given his original wives back, but new ones, and he is well pleased by the quantity and quality of these new wives.

In the Heinlein story of Job, we find other ways to be uncomfortable. The hero in this story is one Alexander Hergensheimer, who has long been the successful fund raiser for an ecumenical brotherhood of Christians. Unfortunately, the works of this brotherhood are not the praiseworthy (in my mind) comforting of the sick, feeding of the hungry, and housing of the poor. This brotherhood works for political change and counts a long list of accomplishments, among them the outlawing of abortion, banning of birth control, censoring of books, and so forth. Future plans include the ghetto for black people, bans on Catholic churches, and similar ideas which would not currently be regarded as examples of Christian love.

However, Alexander proves that he is faithful to God, and refuses to curse Him, no matter how many trials he is put through. He continues to work for the salvation of others, and is in a perfect state of grace, kneeling penitent in prayer when the Trump and Shout occur, and he is taken bodily up to Heaven.

The book is excellent, thought provoking, and a great read. I recommend it highly. I'd love it if others would read it and post their comments.

The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt

2008-05-09T23:08:00.002-05:00

Author of "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil"

Non-fiction.

This book is about Venice. But it is also about decay, moral and otherwise. It is a finely wrought story weaved out of the fabric of life in Venice. You will encounter unforgettable characters, both tragic and heroic. Most of us are not familiar with Venice, or Venetians, but after reading this story, you'll have a taste of them, or distaste for them.

Heather and I are planning a trip to Venice for later this year, hopefully when fewer tourists are present. The book refers to the huge flow of tourists almost as a plague or scourge. The great popularity of Venice as a tourist destination certainly has distorted its economy and damaged its beauty.

I think that I recognized people I know in the book, even though all of it is nonfiction about the real world Venice. I think the themes and characteristics of people that John Berendt discovers in Venice are like people everywhere else, even if on the face of it they seem unique to Venice.

I didn't expect to like this book, but once I got to the third chapter, I found that I could not put it down, and the hours of my trip passed quickly.

There is a lot of history here, and the prose is engaging and very readable. It may not be an important book, but it is a good book, and one that I think will stand up well to the test of time.

One piece of advice from the author is one I'm glad we're already planning to follow, even without knowing it ahead of time - we are going for several days, not just a day to say we've been to Venice, but several days - to have a hope of getting to know the city and its people.

But perhaps I already do.

Start Late, Finish Rich - By David Bach

2008-05-04T00:05:00.001-05:00

A No-Fail Plan for Achieving Financial Freedom at Any Age

By David Bach

I picked up this book because I felt like it was too late for me to have a comfortable retirement. I filed bankruptcy several years ago, and basically started over from scratch. With only a few thousand in a new 401(K) plan, I thought it was going to be a pretty tight budget in my retirement years. With the ideas presented in this book, I can see that if I make good financial decisions, I can still have a comfortable retirement.

The book itself is an easy read - nothing too complicated. And, where the ideas are a bit complicated, or hard for the average person to believe, Mr. Bach has charts and examples. In a lot of ways, the author is your "financial cheerleader".

A lot of the material here can be found elsewhere, as Mr. Bach points out, but the difference is that in this book you are actually given some motivation to believe that you really can do it. Mr. Bach includes a number of success stories to help motivate you and help you believe that success is within your grasp, if you'll take the steps that he tells you about.

Further, he covers some common financial pitfalls that keep people from succeeding - such as the myth that you have to pay off your debt before you start saving. He advocates a 50/50 approach - make some cuts in your lifestyle to free up money, then divide that money between debt reduction and savings. Heather and I have decided to reduce our eating out to one meal a week. It will be a nice one (after all, we're just doing it once!) but even a $50 meal will be cheaper than eating a $20 meal three times. Heather and I have also realized that eating out often is our least healthy meal of the week, if only because it's a big one. Mr. Bach's point is that by doing a 50/50 split, you'll see yourself making progress on both goals - which is motivational. If you don't make progress in both places, then the awareness that you're failing in one of them leads to discouragement, and discouragement leads to giving up on the plan.

Some of the things Mr. Bach talks about are things I already knew, and was doing. Both Heather and I participated in 401(K) plans where available, and Mr. Bach strongly encourages you to participate to the maximum allowed by law, and by your company. I participate to the maximum allowed at the company I work for, although not from the start. I increased it this past January.

He also talks a lot about real estate, and why you should own instead of rent. There is a great section in there about how to be successful in real estate. Heather has always owned, which is great. I have owned as well. Recent tax law changes make it even more attractive.

There are two other sections to the book - making more money, and living more. The making money section has a good coverage of direct selling, franchising, and eBay, among others. The final section has some great ideas about how to teach your children these ideas. We've made some money on eBay, and I've had success through side businesses before. I've also experienced businesses that failed, and learned from that as well.

This book really helped me see that it's not too late for me, and gave me concrete ideas to make a difference in my own financial outcome. We are making decisions every day that can make a long term difference in our efforts to "finish rich". But he also talks about living well, and how you shouldn't wait until retirement to live well. Heather and I are taking some trips this year. We are being as careful as possible about the costs, but also making sure that we make the most of the trips we are taking - by planning ahead, reading, discussing, and then making sure we enjoy it when we go - and not waste time or energy worrying or complaining.

My final observation is that the only remaining obstacle to financial success would be regret about the past. I made mistakes, some of them big ones. But the biggest mistake would be in letting past mistakes keep me from saving money, making money, and finishing rich!

God's Problem - Bart D. Ehrman

2008-04-05T23:41:00.005-05:00

In a certain way, I purchased this book in an attempt to solve "Kurt's problem", my problem, which is why I fell away from the Catholic faith of my childhood. My life parallels Mr. Ehrman's - strong in my faith as a young man, active in my church, and then eventually as I learned more about the Bible and my faith, becoming more and more disaffected, until finally I dropped away entirely.

In the book, God's problem is the problem of suffering - namely how the world can be filled with suffering if God is who he is said to be - omniscient, omnipotent, and benevolent. The Bible speaks about this topic at length in many contradictory ways. Mr. Ehrman's book is thorough, easy to understand, and easy to read. He walks you through his arguments, and analysis, without truly taxing your thinking skills. However, he does tax your faith.

My way of dealing with the obvious contradictions throughout the Bible was to conclude that the primitive men who wrote the stories in the Bible were just trying to understand God in their own way, and that I could choose not to believe in a God who would willingly drown thousands of Egyptian soldiers just so slaves could escape. I would instead believe that the Israelites wrote the story that way because they were so angry at the Egyptians, and would tell the story of their utter defeat at the hands of the enslaved Israelites. I preferred to think of a God who could push the Egyptians back gently and irresistibly, but without catastrophic bloodshed. I preferred to think of a God who could produce great results without small interventions, that is, who could work with God-like efficiency.

I probably spent five or six hours reading the book, and more thinking about it. Mr. Ehrman recounts and analyzes several key stories, such as the book of Daniel, the book of Revelation, the book of Ecclesiastes, the writings of Paul, and finally, significantly for me, the book of Job.

As a young man preparing for confirmation, I was stung by the criticism of a fellow student at the public school I attended, who stated that Catholics did not study the Bible like Protestants did. As a result, I picked up a Bible and began reading. After reading the book of Job, I sought out this student to ask what the story meant, since it seemed like gibberish to me. As it turned out, this student had not read it, and was simply echoing a piece of prejudice about Catholics, no doubt learned from his parents' mouth.

So, I remember studying the book of Job, and not making sense out of it. In "God's Problem", Mr. Ehrman analyzes the book of Job, and points out that the current version of the book of Job is actually assembled from the work of two different authors, who have different styles, and who wrote in different dialects. The two parts of the story actually contradict each other, which no doubt explains why an inexperienced Biblical scholar like myself couldn't understand it.

You will have to read the book to find the explanation Mr. Ehrman provides for this story.

The book also includes relations of the central discussion about suffering to other literary work, both religious, like the apocryphal books of the Bible, and not, such as "The Brothers Karamazov".

I am drawn to the same conclusion that Mr. Ehrman reaches, and for the same reason. He feels most comfortable with the theology of Ecclesiastes, as do I:

"This is what I have seen to be good: it is fitting to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of the life God gives us; for this is our lot. (Ecclesiastes 5:18-19)"

I can not recommend this book more strongly. It is an excellent book.

Boundary Waters

2008-03-28T21:37:00.002-05:00

The book is 'Boundary Waters - The Grace of the Wild' by Paul Gruchow.

I originally received this book as a gift from my lovely wife, Heather. I read it hoping for some history about the boundary waters canoe area, which I had visited for a canoe trip many years ago, in 1984. There was a little history in this book, and it was nice, but not the real value of this book.

I was also hoping that the book would remind me of some of what I felt when I visited the Boundary Waters, and there is some of that, particularly at the end, when Paul writes about seeing a moose walk through water. A similar moment is one of my most cherished memories of my trip.

Paul speaks about the nature of teaching and education, and about the book "Walden" by Thoreau. He intersperses his observations and comments as a sort of thread throughout the book, as the ideas occurred to him in his life.

Since this book wasn't quite what I thought it would be, it took me more time and effort than usual to get through it - perhaps six or seven hours. But it is a good book, a deep book, a worthwhile book.

The real value of this book, I think, to others, will be the nuggets of thought that are scattered throughout the book. Many readers may not have visited the Boundary Waters area of far northern Minnesota and southern Canada, so they will read it for different reasons. One such nugget concerns the nature of names, near the end of the book:

"Names can be both blessings and curses. ... they can be reductive ... a form of acknowledgment ... a way of establishing ... connection ... Names could be seen ... as ways of calling upon the things we name ..."

It's a good book, one I will read again some day.

Book - The World Without Us

2008-03-24T22:05:00.001-05:00

This book is by Alan Weisman. It took a few evenings to get through - probably four hours for me. It isn't hard to read, just so thought provoking that you have to pause now and then to think about the ramifications of what you've just read.

The book is filled with facts that I had not heard of elsewhere, such as the underground cities in Turkey, or that Norway is already using underground carbon sequestration, which is the subject of proposals for study here in the U.S. Others I knew about, but didn't realize how important an issue it was until I read this book.

There are several concepts I have learned over the years, that I was finally convinced were false, after reading this book. One was that the "first americans" or "native Americans" lived in harmony with nature, without intruding upon it. I certainly can see how it was a harmony, but it certainly was one of their own making. Even the great plains of our central west were a human artifact - a result of controlled burns to keep the plains open for buffalo and other game.

It is a remarkable book. I am glad I read it. I recommend it to any student of history, of man, or simply any eco-minded person.

Book - Man's Search for Meaning

2008-03-10T07:00:00.002-05:00

I finished this book last night. It is by Viktor Frankl, who is a psychiatrist and concentration camp survivor. The first part of the book is a recounting of some of his experiences in the Nazi concentration camps during World War II. It talks about the nature of suffering, and why some inmates in the camps were able to survive while others perished.

The second half of the book is a brief outline of logotherapy, a type of pyschotherapy, or school of thought within psychiatry.

The book itself took only a few hours to read, but I think its impact will be long felt. I found myself highlighting passages, just like I was in school again, and needing to remember certain passages for the test. In this case, the test is likely to be how well I utilize this material in my own life.

There are many possible quotations from the book, but here is one possible guiding principle for your life:

"Live as if you were living for the second time and had acted as wrongly the first time as you are about to act now."

I can truly say this is one of the most meaningful books I have read.

An Event (or Two) and a Book

2008-03-08T07:25:00.001-06:00

I have decided to start blogging the books I read, and possibly an event or two in my life. This past week, my car died, and I decided to sell. Ordinarily this wouldn't be that big of a deal, but it was my grandmother Marcile's car, which she had for about five years, so it has sentimental value.

But, we don't need three cars any more, since my 17 year old son decided to move out. He decided he had had enough of my parental interference. He will be 18 on April 14th, so it isn't all that early, I guess. I have mixed feelings of relief and sadness.

Now for the latest book I've read. This one is by Janet Evanovich, who is a new author for me - I've not read any of her books. My wife suggested it: "Visions of Sugar Plums". It was funny, a quick read, and basically a fantasy. There are memorable and lifelike characters. My favorite is the grandmother. It took about an hour to read, I think.

My comment to Heather (my wife) as I was reading it was: "and you make fun of me for reading science fiction?"

I said that because some of the events in the book seemed science fantasy-like.

Change is a constant

2007-03-25T21:04:00.001-05:00

I am known as a person who loves to recap. At the end of each day, I often make a list of what happened, and mark off what was good, and what was bad. Well, change has been a constant from the fall of 2002 to now, the spring of 2007.

The latest change is that we are looking for a puppy to adopt. We had our beloved Lewis, who was a Shetland Sheep Dog. As Grandpa Howard said, "He was a darn good dog!"

Lewis passed away on November 13th. That was very sad. We are still not quite over it, but it is far enough behind us that we can think about a new puppy.

So, some time soon a new voice will be added to the orchestra of voices at our house.

Nicky and Christy were on the 3.0 honor roll this past term, and Alex was on the 4.0 honor roll. We are proud of them all.

I love my wife. The changes she has made in my life are the biggest, most important changes of all.

She has filled my heart with love, when five years ago I was not sure I would ever love again.

Change is a constant, and change has been good!

You Can't Always Get What You Want

2006-11-18T18:13:00.000-06:00

You can't always get what you want, but sometimes you get what you need.

This is the end of our first complete week of having primary physical custody of our children. In this case we wanted to improve the lives of our children, and we did. They are now in school, live in a clean roomy house, and are adequately clothed, fed, and given medical care.

The kids are not all cheerful about this change. The youngest is upset that she is spending so much time away from her mother, and that she has to go to school.

It is great to see them well cared for, but I somehow had hoped they would be cheerful.

Running For Joy

2005-08-20T00:21:00.000-05:00

We went on vacation on Tuesday, or as Christy put it, "We're finally going on vacation." We were out front loading the rental van when Christy finally couldn't take the excitement any more and started running up and down the sidewalk in her new tennis shoes.

We asked her what she was doing. She said "I'm running for joy." Priceless.

Vacation was one bit of excitement after the other. We went to the state fair on Tuesday, and experienced the usual heat and a bit of crowding. We parked at a nearby high school and rode the bus. Fred had a hard time understanding why he should give up his seat when others got on the bus. I tried to explain it at the time, and a bystander started arguing with me. I told her "Thanks for the support." She apologized briefly then shut up. At the end of the bus ride she apologized more.

The best part of the fair was the chocolate dipped frozen cheesecake on a stick. Oh my goodness that was yummy.

We went to a Big & Rich concert Tuesday night while the kids enjoyed watching TV and playing Runescape on the computer. That was a really good concert, and a beautiful night.

More about our adventures later as time permits.

SCHOOL COMING SOON

2005-08-15T10:06:00.000-05:00

The biggest thing that happened for us this month is registering the kids for school. As some of you know, my kids have been home schooled by my ex-wife for the past four years. It was originally my idea, so I have to share the blame for it not working out. We had our kids in a private school for eight years, starting with Fred in first grade. The school started going in a different direction with its instruction, and I was having difficulty coming up with tuition for four, so my then wife and I discussed it and started home schooling.

Unfortunately, while the idea can be great, especially if you're a certified teacher, or have a lot of education classes, and are suited to BE a teacher, not everyone is fit to be a teacher. As it turned out, my now ex-wife was not suited to be a teacher. She is not a self-sacrificing person, and over a period of time, the kids turned into little servants for Mom, instead of Mom's students.

My ex provides the kids with a list each day, of what they are to do. The first year of home schooling, these lists had school at the top, and things like "clean your room" at the bottom. By the second year, work for my ex's farm operation became part of the list. By the third year, the farm work was at the top of the list, and studying was something you did while you minded the shop. By the fourth year, you were lucky if there was any studying at all on the list for the day, and if it was on the list, there was so much to do ahead of it that you had no hope of getting there.

The worst part is that my ex put no priority on education. She would occasionally ask if you got some studying done, but never check. She was critical of public schools, private schools, internet learning, etc. Basically she doesn't trust authority OR respect it.

The good news is that, by pushing my ex all summer long, I've apparently pushed hard enough to get her to allow the kids to go to public school this year. Christy will be in 5th grade, Nicky in 6th grade, and Al will be in 9th grade.

We just spent the weekend buying new clothes and school supplies for the kids. Very expensive to buy a new set of clothes for everyone. But well worth it if they can be clean and comfortable in school, so they can learn.

Heather and I are nervous that my ex has something up her sleeve to sabotage the public school experience for the kids. But we have them for vacation this week, so we can prepare them for school without interference. Hopefully they will be well rested and ready to go when school starts next week.

I feel a real sense of accomplishment that we (Heather and I) were able to do something to improve our children's lives. Heather helped a lot. She truly earned the title of "Bonus Mom".

Into Every Life A Little Rain Must Fall

2005-07-22T06:52:00.000-05:00

So, our air conditioner died Wednesday, and yes it IS the hottest time of the year. Luckily it was only the blower motor, quickly and inexpensively repaired (less than $200).

So, my darling true companion turned the air back on. Unfortunately she set the thermostat to 64 degrees. So, at 4 AM I'm shivering and trying to get MY share of the blanket back from her. Finally at 6:15 I give up and come down stairs.

The windows are fogged over. I have to open a door to see what the weather is outside. Because I can't SEE!

Cold is good.

Another weekend comes to an end

2005-05-08T21:27:00.000-05:00

I feel like my kids go to school at a really bad boarding school, and I only get to see them on the weekends. In reality my kids go back to their mom's house during the week.

This weekend we did a little gardening, took a long walk at the George Wyth state park (well really Alex and Nick skated, and Christy rode her bike), and went to the Cinco de Mayo festival in downtown Waterloo. Rikki and Amy and Robin and Tisen met us at the festival.

I really miss my kids when they are at the farm.

Live Well - Laugh Often - Love Much

2005-04-10T17:17:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my blog! I'm just getting started, but welcome anyway!

I'm the very lucky partner of Heather, and we have a wonderful blended family of four children, one dog, and a slightly crowded house!