You rented what?? on your Italian excursion??

My Italian Bulldozer by Alexander McCall Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ah, a *new* McCall Smith series--yeah! This is my first read in the new Paul Stewart series--he who is a food/wine writer. I like it a lot. Funny, touching, and filled with the usual interesting characters who have such interesting/engaging conversations. Paul takes a trip to Tuscany to complete a new book on Tuscan cuisine--and had some adventures along the way, including the unusual adventures of his, ahem, rental vehicle. What a hoot! And then there are all the women who end up descending on the little town where he's hole up doing his writing--and the drama that goes along with that. I won't spoil the fun--check it out. But, sometimes the very thing you're looking for has been right there, under your nose, for many years. A call to open our eyes & minds--to look at the world & people around us with clear vision.

Read on my Kindle--borrowed (thank you!) from the library. I'm ready soon to read #2 in the series.


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What a hunt--what a monster!

Hunting Eichmann: How a Band of Survivors and a Young Spy Agency Chased Down the World's Most Notorious Nazi by Neal Bascomb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is my second Neal Bascomb book--both of them related to WWII. It was excellent--an engaging, informative, historical account that was a real joy to read. Well, parts of it were sickening, given the evil schemes hatched in the minds of the Nazi leaders who carried out the intended genocide of the Jews with a vengeance. Eichmann was at the very pinnacle of the so-called & horrific "Final Solution" plan to wipe out the Jews of Europe (though the plans ultimately even went further than that). What Eichmann engineered with tone-deaf & steeled precision against the Jews of Hungary is simply unconscionable. The families ripped apart; the lives of children and women extinguished without so much as a thought of their value as human beings with their lives before them. The plunder of their goods. Eichmann was Hamaan from the Book of Esther in the Old Testament resurrected.

It was so satisfying to read about those who never gave up searching for Nazi war criminals who had escaped justice at the end of WWII. So amazing to read of the intricate planning & man hours & resources involved in the mission of Israel's Mossad (with help from Shin Bet & others) to track down, capture, hold, and bring a monster killer like Eichmann to meet justice & the hangman in Israel. So many things that could have gone wrong; so many alternate plans that needed to be arranged--as well as ingenious ways that their presence & footsteps were deftly covered. The use of the first El Al flight from Israel to Argentina was carried off with aplomb and was amazing to read about. Overall--a well-written historical account of one of the biggest undercover missions ever carried out by a spy agency; which was kept secret for some 40+ afterwards. Bascomb does an excellent job in giving an account of this complex & superb mission.

Borrowed this from the library--read it on my Kindle. I had previously watched a film on Netflix based on the book that was also very well done--and adheres very closely to the book & historical account. Worth a watch--and this book well worth the read.


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The Singer will appear--in The Finale

The Finale by Calvin Miller
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The 3rd part of Calvin Miller's Singer Trilogy. This one is said to mirror Revelation; it chronicles a/the great last battle between Satan (World Hater) and the Singer or Troubadour who returns to wrap things up with Terra One--bringing with him a new Terra Two. The War of Fire ends with the World Hater bound & chained and pushed over the cliff's edge into the abyss--where he will spend eternity.

I'm giving this a 2-1/2 stars in my Reading Log. I didn't like it as much as The Singer or The Song; I sort of wished it had followed a little more of Revelation. But, it was creative and definitely fit in with the mood & characters & on-going conflict & plot of the previous volumes.

The cry echoes down through the ages:
"He comes in power,
Rejoice, the hour of
Jubilee is near.
Lift up the cry
Before we die,
our Singer will appear."


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COVID-19 Pandemic Wake-up Call

Deadliest Enemy: Our War Against Killer Germs by Michael T. Osterholm
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is not my favorite kind of reading--it was lots of medical/scientific talk and focused lots on epidemiological research. Not fun, easy reading. But, given the COVID-19 pandemic--yes, a true pandemic of worldwide, shattering proportions, such as I've never experienced in my lifetime--this was a very relevant, insightful, and "frightening" book. The signs have all been there for years: a global pandemic has been set to break out any year--and the world was very, very unprepared for it. Not due to no warming signals; due to other priorities and lack of cooperative efforts that are needed--on a Marshall Plan (WWII) scale.

Osterholm should know--as he's been doing epidemiology work for 40+ years. And he's done his part in warning the US government, as well as others, for years. His clarion call gets summed up at the end of the book, and I'll include it here. These are issues, steps, goals that need to be heeded & taken soon--we've had fair warning. As Osterholm states, "Our ultimate goal should be to have a dose of game-changing influenza vaccine for every human being on earth."

"...Willis Towers Watson polls 3,000 insurance industry executives each year for what they consider the greatest risks to their industry...At the top of the list is “Pandemic: A new, highly infectious and fatal disease spreads through human, animal or plant populations worldwide.” That pandemic is most likely to come in the form of a deadly influenza strain. [ah, well, it's ALREADY come in 2020]

He declares that "we also have no illusions about what must be done if we are to make our world a safer and healthier place for our children and grandchildren, where pandemics do not threaten our way of life on every level imaginable, where infections caused by drug-resistant microbes do not kill for lack of an effective treatment, where drinking water does not become a vehicle of death, and where the emergence of new infectious diseases does not become a public health crisis because we are not prepared to rapidly stop them."

And here's the recap: "To review, our greatest threats are: 1. Pathogens of pandemic potential, which essentially means influenza and the downstream effects of antimicrobial resistance. 2. Pathogens of critical regional importance, which include Ebola, coronaviruses like SARS and MERS, other viruses such as Lassa and Nipah, and Aedes-transmitted diseases such as dengue, yellow fever, and Zika. 3. Bioterrorism and dual-use research of concern (DURC), and gain-of-function research of concern (GOFRC). 4. Endemic diseases that continue to have a major impact on the world’s health, particularly among emerging nations, including malaria, tuberculosis, AIDS, viral hepatitis, childhood diarrheal diseases, and bacterial pneumonia.

The Crisis Agenda:
Priority 1: Create a Manhattan Project–like program to secure a game-changing influenza vaccine and vaccinate the world. We would hope other national governments, philanthropic organizations, vaccine manufacturers, and the WHO would readily join the effort. Our best guess is that we would need to invest $1 billion per year for seven to ten years to make this happen.
Priority 2: Establish an international organization to urgently address all aspects of antimicrobial resistance.
Priority 3: Support and substantially expand the mission and scope of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness and Innovations (CEPI) to fast-track comprehensive public-private vaccine research, development, manufacturing, and distribution for diseases of current or potential critical regional importance.
Priority 4: Launch the Global Alliance for Control of Aedes-Transmitted Diseases (GAAD) and coordinate with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s malaria strategy, “Accelerate to Zero.”
Priority 5: Fully implement the recommendations of the bipartisan report of the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense.
Priority 6: Establish an international organization similar to the National Scientific Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) to minimize the use of DURC and GOFRC to transmit pathogens of pandemic potential.
Priority 7: Recognize that TB, HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other life-threatening infectious diseases remain major global health problems.
Priority 8: Anticipate climate-change effects.
Priority 9: Adopt a One Health approach to human and animal diseases throughout the world.

Hopefully, the powers that be will get busy as a result of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic to accomplish these priorities, ensuring a better world for our descendants. I borrowed this book from library; read it on my iPad.


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Liked these Camino Winds better

Camino Winds by John Grisham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have to say that I really enjoyed this sequel of Grisham's to his earlier Camino Island. I thought it was much better; more involved/complex plot, developed characters, interesting setting (what with the unexpected hurricane that blows in to wreak havoc--and become part of the plot). It pulled me along and keep me reading to find out how things were going to be solved--and what was going to come out and/or be revealed as Bruce the book man dug deeper & deeper. Borrowed it from the library (actually, my wife was the borrower on this one) and read it on my Kindle.


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The Actor's Life--by a likable working actor

The Actor's Life: A Survival Guide by Jenna Fischer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I thought it would be interesting to learn more about the journey that took an unknown midwestern girl to Hollywood stardom in the comedic hit series, The Office--which I loved. Pam was so good as Michael's secretary, especially the way she so sardonically put up with all his shenanigans. I loved her disapproving & quizzical looks.

This book was not exactly what I expected, though if I'd read the subtitle, I would have seen it was a practical manual for budding actors. It was pretty good overall. It did include interesting tidbits on Fischer's background and struggle to make it as a working actor. Mostly, though, it focused the nuts & bolts one needs to know to have a chance at making it in show biz--if that's what should happen (there's no guarantee, as Fischer makes clear--and it's a long, hard road to any kind of success). There were some funny stories of the struggle over her first eight years to land as an actor on a regular show that did more than pay the bills. And what a show & run it was on The Office! I enjoyed also the stories of the four other actors Fischer interviews and includes at the book's end. Making it as an actor--a working actor who makes their living from acting--is a tough row to hoe; not for the faint of heart, for sure. This book made me appreciate all that goes into getting to where those whom we think of successful finally get. I also enjoyed having Fischer herself narrating her story in this audiobook. Borrowed from the library; listened to it on my iPhone.


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Invitation to a Journey of Spiritual Formation

Invitation to a Journey: A Road Map for Spiritual Formation by M. Robert Mulholland Jr.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Read this as a read-aloud devotional book each evening with my wife. Some very good insights into how to develop a more deeply spiritual life/walk. Mulholland focused on aspects of both personal spiritual formation, as well as community ones, including the importance of our corporate testimony to the world (Babylon). He discussed various personality types--using the Myers-Briggs assessment's terminologies/definitions--demonstrating how we all have inherent strengths, as well as weaknesses--which is why we so desperately need each other in The Church (the Body). I really liked his look at the book of Revelation and the various characteristics & issues of the Seven Churches, relating that to our current church situations--as well as to our testimony to the corrupt world around us. Mulholland had some good/powerful quotes from a guy named Leech--need to look him up & do some reading from him. We read this on my wife's iPad.


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Selections from the illuminable Thomas Howard (of Christ the Tiger fame)

The Night Is Far Spent by Thomas Howard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thomas Howard is a treasure. A wordsmith like few others. His books were some of my early favorites, when I started reading again in my college days. He expanded my vocabulary like no other author and gave me wonderful insights into the likes of classic writers like C.S. Lewis & Charles Williams. His classic books--that all should read: Christ the Tiger; Chance or the Dance; Hallowed be This House; The Achievement of C.S. Lewis; The Novels of Charles Williams. Soak those up one of these days; you won't regret it. Howard used to teach at Gordon College--where a number of my family attended. I remember with righteous jealousy hearing from my mother that she was in a course taught by the illimitable & illuminable Tom Howard--and was getting his insights & lessons into C.S. Lewis' works on a weekly basis. If only I could have joined her, but alas, I was in college at the same time and only home on school breaks--when she was also out of class. After becoming a Roman Catholic--which I still don't completely understand and don't agree with--Howard left Gordon College and taught for many years at St. John's Seminary.

My parents did know his sister--the wonderful Elisabeth Elliot--and got to housesit for her one time, up along the beautiful North Shore of Boston. Alas, I wasn't around in those days to also enjoy that adventure. I would love to drop in on Thomas Howard one day; does he live on the North Shore as well? I recently have enjoyed some interviews that Eric Metaxas--also a huge Howard fan--did with Tom Howard (in his home!--which looked, from the short glimpses of it, like a classic New England structure) on his Socrates in the City program. Well worth watching.


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Very relevant to the COVID-19 Pandemic going on now

Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World by Laura Spinney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A well-written & documented history of the Spanish Flu of 1918--it's genesis, causes, effects, and the lessons we should be learning from it. Just in case there's another flu pandemic...oh, like the one we're in right now with COVID-19. Spinney is an engaging writer who takes what could be boring history and enlivens it with good stories, illustrations, historical insights, and also does a great job in then drawing out lessons that need to be learned.

Borrowed this from the library (had to borrow it 2x--there's a long line for it right now, go figure); read it on my Kindle.


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Och!--What a Read in Angela's Ashes

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Och, what a read! Had heard about this memoir for years (from my wife who'd read & enjoyed it)--finally got around to reading it. What a childhood--what a sad situation McCourt and his brothers (siblings who survived) find themselves in, not to mention his mother, Angela. Drunken father who basically abandons his family and drinks up his wages--leaving them nothing. Oh, he was a character and did have some decent interactions with his wife & kids. But, most of the time, it was after coming home in a drunken stupor, singing old N. Irish battle songs--and waking the kids up to teach them the songs, while marching them around the house in the middle of the night. He surely instilled a hard-nosed, daring-do mentality in the kids, as they had to basically fight for every scrap of food & coal to heat their miserable, flooded, cold tenement in the stinky lane in old Limerick, Ireland--where they'd had to return to after emigrating to the US (and then running out of money/job, when the Depression hit NYC & the US in 1929).

Amazing that McCourt made it as a kid. The stories/insights into the R.C. Church and its practices and folk religious beliefs are quite interesting, and, frankly, comical. Actually, there's a lot of comic relief in McCourt's attitude to all the horrible situations he finds himself in growing up so downtrodden and poor. You have to hand it to the R.C. Church for at least helping the family "on the dole" with food & clothing at various times. Not much, but better 'en nuthin' for sure. Och!--what a shame. What insight too into the not-so-underground hatred of the English--who had oppressed the Irish, as they loved to repeat to each other--"for eight hundred years."

McCourt has an enlivened & engaging writing style that grabs you from the first paragraph & doesn't let go til the last one, as he makes his way, finally at the age of 19, back to NYC. McCourt was obviously a smart kid, who, despite his atrocious--in many ways--upbringing, goes on to use his smarts & persistence & assiduousness to become a successful private school teacher in NYC. And, later, a world famous author--who wins the Pulitzer Prize, no less. Good on ya, lad! Let's lift a pint to toast your success--but, hey!, don't get too familiar with those pints (remember your father's terrible example). Yes, what a great city/country you made it back to in the end--'Tis!

I did something different with this book: I mostly read our old paperback copy of it, but then thought: ah, maybe there's an audiobook available from the library that's read in a real Irish accent? I checked--and, not only was there, but it was read by the author himself!--so I finished the book's last several chapters via the wonderful audiobook on my iPhone, with the lyrical Irish accent of the author himself (who passed away in 2009). Nice way to end the book.


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The Glacier Meets the Desert/Drought

The End of the Ocean: A Novel by Maja Lunde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Read this book on the recommendation of a friend (thanks, Steve!)--he said he'd been reading a dystopian novel. Well, with the COVID-19 pandemic, I have felt I'm living in some version of a dystopian world, so I thought this might be a good read. Well, I was pleasantly surprised--and really enjoyed the book. There are 2 parallel story tracks--that for the longest time don't seem connected at all (alternating chapters), and they aren't...till they are and everything falls into place. I figured there was going to be some way the stories & characters converge--despite the radical differences in their contexts/situations, and yes, they did converge, but not in the way I'd thought they would. And, I think it was just a few pages before the "big reveal" that I finally realized how they had converged and how the actions of one of the parties turned out to be hugely influential in the lives of the other party of people. Interesting--and probably timely, as water & drought seems to be a growing issue in our world, as a result of growing climate change & global warming.

Very disparate contexts; very interesting character developments & life histories. It was engaging the whole way through. I borrowed this from the library and read it on my Kindle.


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The Kept (boring...)

The Kept by James  Scott
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was an Amazon First Reads book, so we got it for free. Well, you get what you pay for, right? This book had an interesting concept, but was poorly written & developed. It dragged & dragged, on & on, without much plot or really character development. At times, it would sputter and seem to come to life, only to fall flat again and become boring & dull. There were often sections that shifted imperceptibly from the present to the past, not always clearly, making for some confusion in the time/context. I think it could have used an editor and more rewriting. Read this aloud--well, my wife did, on her iPad, in the evenings. We both were anxious for it to end, which it finally did, rather disappointingly. What? That's it...after all that?


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The Crucified Life -- A Paradox to be Lived Out

The Crucified Life: How To Live Out A Deeper Christian Experience by A.W. Tozer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've always loved & appreciated A.W. Tozer's writings. He was a very thoughtful, powerful preacher/teacher in his day--and his insights & teachings based on the eternal Word of God still speak powerfully today. This was a cheap audiobook I got from chirp.com and listened to on my iPhone. It was refreshing & challenging--focused around Paul's seemingly paradoxical declaration in Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (ESV) Tozer presciently points out problems evangelicals of his day were experiencing with the weakening of their faith--and the compartmentalizing of their walk into the "sacred" & "secular." The descent into the belief that people of faith didn't need to take any risks or need to be inconvenienced in any way on account of their faith and choices. A "giving into" the pressures of the culture around them; a "conforming to," rather than a "transforming of" lifestyle.

One of the things I loved about this audiobook was that at the end of each chapter, there was an audio selection from one of Tozer's actual sermons. Great to hear his voice of passion & clarity.


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Tools of Titans

Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers by Timothy Ferriss
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My second Tim Ferriss book-after Tribe of Mentors. More insightful & interesting advice & ruminations from a wide variety of people who have had some kind of impact. I liked the rather free-floating format of the book--mostly based around podcast interviews from the Tim Ferriss Show, but also including asides and/or background info & comments from Ferriss' personal perspective. Also included some extra info at the end from the various subjects that they had later submitted by email/text. Lots of good quotes, book recommendations, food & exercise likes/dos & don'ts. One of the most useful things was hearing from people who had done well in their chosen field on their struggles, victories, setbacks, persistence, etc.--on the real process of getting from nowhere to somewhere. I bought this book cheap; read it on my iPad.


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"Your end is a dead blue wren"

Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm giving this debut novel 5 stars--I thought it was pretty brilliant overall. What a riotous, rockin', rambunctious affair--with so many colorful & memorable characters! I listened to the audiobook--borrowed from the library--and just couldn't get enough of the Aussie accents the narrator put into the characters. The story revolves around a Brisbane (Queensland) family with 2 sons--August (Gus) and Eli Bell. Their broken family has had its ups & downs--prison sentences, drug dealing, divorce, alcoholism, etc. Eli--the protagonist--is determined to get beyond his family's craziness & to become a journalist (and buy a nice house in the suburbs, where they have lots of cul-de-sacs). It's quite an adventure--including interactions with Brisbane's shady underground drug dealers and body guards, etc. Some shady deals and characters. But Eli wants to be get beyond that--and wants to be "good." He often asks characters in the book if they are "good people." His heart, from an early age, is set palpitating by a female crime-reporting journalist, who Eli longs to connect & work with. And you'll just have to see how the story turns out for the young whippersnapper..."Your end is a dead blue wren." Read it to find out how the mystery unfolds...


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Awe: Why It Matters for Everything We Think, Say, and Do

Awe: Why It Matters for Everything We Think, Say, and Do by Paul David Tripp
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another very good book by one of my favorite writers--Paul David Tripp. He's so honest, down-to-earth, real. We all have a problem--we've got bad cases of "awe amnesia." We're not just law-breakers ("for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God"--Rom. 3:23), we are all awe-breakers: we are too easily distracted and lose our sense of awe (fear) of the Almighty Creator God.

Here's the way Tripp nicely summarizes things at the end of the book:
"In this book, we have focused on a theology of awe, and here’s how that theology relates to you. Good theology doesn’t just define who God is; it also defines who we are as his children. It’s not just that God is in every way awesome in glory, but that he is all that he is for you by grace!...you forget who God is (i.e., you misdirect your awe), you will not know who you are as his child (i.e., you will lose your identity), and you will look horizontally for what you have already been given vertically. Now here’s the application to the topic of this chapter: because work is such a huge and significant dimension of our lives, it becomes very tempting for us to look for our identity there. And when you look to work for your identity, you will find it very hard to resist its challenges, demands, and promises of reward.
The Horizontal Identities of Work:
1. Identity in achievement/ success. “I am what I have accomplished” is a very tempting place to look for identity. Success makes you feel able and competent. A trail of achievement seems to make a statement about who you are and what you are able to do.
2. Identity in power/ control. “I am in control; therefore, I am” is a seductive place to look for identity. In a world where most of us have so little control and where our lives often seem out of control, control is a very powerful thing...it is tempting to see the “good life” as predictable and controlled . So how do you assure yourself that you will have the good life? The answer is easy: by working yourself into a position of power over people and things.
3. Identity in affluence/ possessions. “ I am the size of the pile of stuff I have accumulated” is a dangerous place to look for identity."

We need to intentionally cultivate our sense of awe--of God & His creations. Of His goodness & mercy. Of His sovereignty & His salvation--of which we are undeserving. No, we're not in control. No, we don't decide our fate or the end of things. God alone does. Here's another great reminder of these things from Tripp's insightful book:

"It’s important to humbly admit that all these things tempt us. I know they tempt me. I tend to be driven and tend to take too much personal credit for my achievements. I forget that every achievement points to God’s awesome glory. I could not achieve anything without the body that he has given me, the gifts he has bestowed upon me, the control he has over me and my world, and the grace that daily rescues me from me. My successes should depend on my awe of him rather than tempting me to be in awe of me...[I] become an awe amnesiac, and when I do , I tend to work way too hard at trying to get from the people, situations, and things around me what I can only get from the God of awesome glory, who is my Savior. Workaholism is not a need problem . It’s not a schedule problem, a gift problem, or an opportunity problem. It happens when the awe of God is replaced by the awe of something else. When I forget that God in all his awesome glory is all that he is for me by grace, I will look for life somewhere other than in him. When you require yourself to gaze upon and consider God’s awesome glory, it will teach you things that will help you put your work in its proper place.
1. The gifts that you employ in your work come from and belong to God.
2. The time that you invest in work belongs to the Lord. I must recognize that God, in his awesome glory, is the only being in the universe who exists in timelessness.
3. You are called to live for something bigger than yourself. Awe of God teaches me that my life is enormously bigger than merely my life. By grace, God has connected me to things that are huge and eternal.
4. Success is not about accruing power but about resting in God’s power. The most successful person is the person who knows his place. The most successful person is the person who humbly submits all that she has and all that she does to the power of One greater than her.
5. God is too wise and loving ever to call you to one area of responsibility that will necessitate you being irresponsible in another. Awe teaches me that I can never blame God for the consequences of my bad choices. God will never call me to a work life that makes biblical commitments to my family and my church impossible.
6. By grace, God welcomes you to rest in the knowledge that you will find everything you need in him. Awe of God teaches me that, by grace, my life of work can now be an expression of rest and not worry."

Yes, as C.S. Lewis so eloquently stated:
"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."


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The End of Copycat China

The End of Copycat China: The Rise of Creativity, Innovation, and Individualism in Asia by Shaun Rein
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm giving this book a 3-1/2 stars in my Reading Log. An interesting look at China's recent economic developments--especially at how various markets have advanced beyond the simple copying of established Western business models. It's incredible to read how fast & far China's economy has developed, especially since the late 1990s. It has taken off even more with the internet & smart phone economy--and in so many different sectors. A very different place from where China's economy was back when we lived there in the 80s-90s!


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Home to Holly Springs

Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's been awhile since I read my last Karon book in the much-loved Mitford series, and, this one turns out to be quite different overall, as it hardly takes place in Mitford at all. Instead, Father Tim heads south with his good ole friend, big-dog Barnabas, to visit his hometown & roots--from which he's been gone for 38 years. All this based on an anonymous note he receives saying "Come back." Quite an adventure; quite the meetings & catching up with old friends, and some very interesting real-life findings from his past family's life that come out of the blue and do a bit of upside-downing of Father Tim's life. I identify with this adventure, as I finally returned after 30+ years to places where I'd grown up, to find how things had changed and/or moved on since I'd been there.

Borrowed the book from the library; read on my Kindle (only to find out the day I finished it that we actually have a copy of it on our bookshelf!). Oh well.


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Discontent and its Civilizations: Dispatches from Lahore, New York, and London by Mohsin Hamid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another Mohsin Hamid book in the log. I appreciated--for the most part--these insightful & enlightening essays by Hamid that were originally published in various magazines/newspapers around the world. Hamid is a multicultural Pakistani who grew up in Pakistan, was schooled in the US, worked/lived in the UK, and went back to live in Lahore, Pakistan with is family. Lots of these essays centered on or around the great pivot of 9/11 and the consequent impacts that have reverberated through Pakistan. While I appreciate Hamid's insights into the diversity of both Pakistani cultures and Islamic expressions--as well as his acknowledgment of the varieties of Islam in Pakistan, as well as its Christian & Hindu communities--I think Hamid downplays the mess that has taken place across Pakistan, as a result of its bent towards extremist expressions of Islam (intentionally pushed by former President/General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq.

My biggest complaints with Hamid's presentation of Pakistan concerns its connection following 9/11 and the situation with Afghanistan--which, also, reverberated back onto Pakistan and its people. Yes, there is a complex relationship here connected with Pakistan's on-going serious tussles with its hated Hindu neighbor, India. But, I don't believe Hamid mentioned the all-powerful, shady/wily intelligence agency--ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence)--one time by name, though near the end he obliquely referred to it; he mostly mentions Pakistan's military forces. Pakistan's governing powers--mostly through its shadowy ISI connections--have been duplicitous & complicit in actively & intentionally interfering in the post-9/11 situation in Afghanistan, both through the sanctuaries it has offered extremist Islamic terrorists (al Qaeda, Taliban, Haqqani, etc.) and its arming, training, and planning of terrorist attacks inside Afghanistan--against both the Afghan government & coalition forces.

I think Hamid also plays down the reasons behind the strategic drone attacks targeting the terrorist sanctuaries along the Pakistan/Afghan border (which, yes, was arbitrarily imposed on Afghanistan by the British prior to Pakistan's splintering from India). It's a complicated mess, for sure, with multiple factors behind why such sanctuaries even exist, but please don't minimize the duplicitous & weak ways Pakistan's government/military have handled this situation (for 70 years now). Hardly a mention made also of ISI's clear connections to the training of terrorist attacks on India--like on the Parliament & the city of Mumbai (especially horrific as it intentionally & brutally targeted civilians).

Though Hamid does recognize the need for Pakistan's government to severe its attachments to these extremist militants, he doesn't seem to recognize the direct connections between the fiery & extremist brands of Islam that are both encouraged & supported by that very government. And the fact that it's mostly the fault of that very same Pakistani government/military complex that has stirred up this hornet's nest inside its own home, to the detriment of all the peoples/ethnicities that make up the Pakistani nation.

Overall, I like Hamid's writing (and have enjoyed his novels) and think people in the West especially need to read him in order to get a truer/bigger picture of what makes up a complex country like Pakistan. I also agree that Islam is not a monolithic religion (though it tends that way--whether one likes it or not), but has a variety of expressions and, for the most part, should not automatically be equated with terrorism/terrorists. I also agree that Pakistan, with such a rich cultural heritage, has so much potential--but that it has, unfortunately, squandered so much of its potential.


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The Song by Calvin Miller

The Song by Calvin Miller
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I'm giving this 2-1/2 stars in my Reading Log. I was expecting it to be better and to have more connection to the book of The Acts of the Apostle. It didn't. Creative, for sure, and brought out more of a focus on the "clash of civilizations" (between Rome & its gods and Christianity & its God) and the persecution that entailed in the first 300 years after Jesus' ascension and the birth of the Church.


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Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming by Naomi Oreskes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a very educational read. It was also maddening to see what a few bad apples with power & high government/political connections can do in misleading & obfuscating facts/science for the greater public. The authors lay out fact after fact regarding the nefarious ways these "merchants of doubt" have **intentionally** set back efforts to curb the damages from the tobacco industry, from DDT/pesticides, from CFL emissions which have caused holes in the ozone layer, and these & other toxic emissions which have caused global warming. The state of California has been a great example in recent years of how these toxic emissions can be noticeably reduced--without damaging jobs and/or the economy. These naysaying merchants of doubt need to be corrected & shut down. They need to be exposed for what they are & what they try to do--they are frauds, bought-and-paid for mercenaries of wanton & selfish capitalism run rampant.

Don't let the merchants of doubt continue to cause obfuscation & confusion & undocumented fact-muddling for the purposes of causing inaction. They want us to continue "feasting" without paying the bill; by ignoring the bill & impact. We have been given a stewardship by God to take care of this world & its environment--which is a beautiful, but ultimately fragile, world--and should take that responsibility seriously. Shame, shame, shame on the main characters & industries that were highlighted in this book--and to those politicians, local & federal, who have bent their ears to their nonsense (money, money, money).

Borrowed from the library; read on my iPad. A book every American should read.


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Anything for Billy by Larry McMurtry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have loved all the McMurtry books I've read so far--though none have been as good as Lonesome Dove (which I need to read again sometime). This one has probably been my least favorite, though it wasn't bad. It's a creative look at the life & times of Billy the Kid. Most things written about him, of course, are legend & legendary. McMurtry takes a pretty interesting angle in his story-telling, creating a dime novelist who comes out West all the way from Philadelphia to traipse around with the Kid. Some very interesting characters swirl around the book's action, journeys, and gun fights/killings. There's a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor in the retelling, for sure.


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The Lost History of Christianity by Philip Jenkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jenkins has done a great service to Christendom in writing this book on its "lost history." Yes, so much of the Middle East, Central & East Asia, and N. Africa were once vibrantly Christian. Jenkin's historical trek through the centuries & characters of these formerly Christian majority areas is very insightful, as well as encouraging. He does a great job of asking the questions of why things changed--and what caused the demise of Christianity in these areas; there are complex reasons & answers to those questions. Jenkins also does a great job in showing that there were a variety of expressions of Christianity in these areas--some more indigenous than others. But, there are good lessons to be learned from all of them and the history--whether good or bad--of each of them. I read this book in conjunction with another insightful book just reviewed: Transcending Mission, by Michael Stroope. Very interesting to read these 2 books side by side, as they cover some of the same territory, especially in regards to the idea & history of "mission." I got this ebook as a birthday present. Read on my iPad.


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Transcending Mission: The Eclipse of a Modern Tradition by Michael W. Stroope
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had been looking forward to reading this book for awhile--finally got it as a birthday present (thanks, Mom!). It wasn't exactly what I was thinking it would be, though it was a great & insightful trip down through history and the various usages/corruptions of the word/concept of "mission." It gets quite technical in places; quite academic. I wish there had been more on various modern interpretations of mission--and new concepts & methodologies, from a big picture perspective, that have thankfully evolved in recent years, but there wasn't. Couldn't agree more that we need to be wholly focused on the Kingdom of God and all that this means, following the revolutionary words of the Messiah & King of Kings who came saying: "The Kingdom of God is (now) in your midst." Read on my iPad.


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You're Not Listening: What You're Missing and Why It Matters by Kate   Murphy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hey there!--are you listening?--this is an excellent read and will be worth your time. Are you hearing me, or too busy trying to multitask with your laptop/iPad/iPhone while also "talking" to someone else you're now having coffee & a "conversation" with somewhere? Maybe virtually?

Murphy has done a great service through this book for people & their relationships. She very deftly & interestingly points out all the research showing how critical it is that we listen to each other--and the benefits this will have it ours & our friends' lives. There is a dearth of listening--these days more than ever before. Too many distractions; too much distortion! Put that phone in your pocket, please! Or in your purse or backpack! Don't even leave it on the table when you're meeting & conversing with someone. Show them some respect and give them your full attention. And, shut up sometimes for awhile; yes, don't jump in & cut people off before they've finished sharing their story or thoughts. And, don't sit there "zoning out" and thinking about your next story or retort or reply...or statement that you think will show how smart & hip you are. Just chill, man! Then, when you actually answer & speak up--and I'm surely talking to myself here as well!--you might just have something really relevant to say, which just might truly encourage your conversation partner and take your relationship (whatever it is) to a deeper, more meaningful level.

Remember that "the ancient Greek philosopher Epictetus said, “Nature hath given men one tongue but two ears, that we may hear from others twice as much as we speak.”

As Murphy so wisely states: "To really listen is to be moved physically, chemically, emotionally, and intellectually by another person’s narrative...Reading this book, you’ll discover—as I did—that listening goes beyond just hearing what people say. It’s also paying attention to how they say it and what they do while they are saying it, in what context, and how what they say resonates within
you. It’s not about simply holding your peace while someone else holds forth. Quite the opposite. A lot of listening has to do with how you respond—the degree to which you elicit clear expression of another person’s thoughts and, in the process, crystallize your own."

Well put, as is pretty much the whole book. I borrowed this book from the library; read it on my Kindle. And have a lot to now seek to actively put into practice.


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Your Blue Is Not My Blue: A Missing Person Memoir by Aspen Matis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

How long did it take you to see the juxtaposition on the cover? The two intertwining images? I'll sheepishly admit that I had looked at it numerous times only had only seen the bare trees at night--with stars in the background...until I had almost finished the book and got another view: ah, the profile of Manhattan, with buildings lit up at night! That's an awesome cover--really. And, overall, I thought a pretty awesome book on the author's journey from a young girl trekking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) to a mature adult woman breaking out as a credible & published writer in New York City. I thought her story was well told and poignant, beautifully describing the aches & pains along her life journey as it unfolded. Some tense moments, suspense--will she actually finish the manuscript? what happened with her husband just up & disappearing--and why? will she get kicked out of her Manhattan apartment? Will she reconcile with her parents, especially her mother, whom she felt angry & upset with for years and whom she ignored? Great to see how her college writing class teacher slowly became her mentor, over long late night walks around Washington Square and late night cafes. How her mentor pushed her, questioned her, and steered & encouraged her in pursuing her vision for becoming a writer with something to say.

Did her mentor also tell Matis that she needed to sprinkle her prose with lots of color/colorful words, to spruce up the page and attract readers' attention. Probably, IMHO. While you're reading--just take not of all those color words. Well, just look at the title. I think, overall, they do help brighten up the story. I also loved the settings for the unfolding story: the PCT, the AT (Appalachian Trail), NYC, San Fran or Berkeley, Los Angeles, Colorado, and Boston, to mention a few. What bummed me out about Matis' story was what seemed to be her rather casual acceptance of Justin--her husband's--disappearance and ghosting. I mean, why didn't she at least track him down (she did eventually find out where he was living) & go to him to try to work things out face-to-face? Why give up so easily and put in the divorce papers, before making every effort to save the love they really seemed to have? I was pulling for Matis to do more to at least attempt to save her marriage...

Got this book through our Amazon First Reads, I believe. Read it on my Kindle.


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Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I might have read this book years & years ago--but can't really remember. I decided to do the audiobook and though it seemed to take a bit to get into it, thought it was an interesting future take on where the world might go, from back in Huxley's day. Everything meticulously engineered, clinical, controlled, expunged, carefully edited, geared towards keeping the plebes happy & juiced-up on what they call soma. Of course, Huxley paints a great picture of the contrasts with the modern, brave new world ("Oh, thank Ford!") and the old, quaint one of the savages--who are still stuck in special savage "reservations," where modern folks can go on vacations to get a taste of the old, disgusting ways & modes. "Mothers--who actually give birth to babies...and are married to one person exclusively??..." Disgusting to the moderns of the brave new world. Quite a sharp contrast in philosophy painted by Huxley as well--as we learn about the old philosophical literary works that are now banned. And a world where the deeply human, morally complexities of life as seen in literature by Shakespeare has been totally lost/abandoned. A world without God--where science rules. Really points out how vapid and lifeless things have devolved into, though touted as being better than ever now. I think there's some lessons for people in this day & age to learn. Listened to this on my iPhone; borrowed from the library.


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The Singer by Calvin Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is my 2nd reading of Calvin Miller's classic re-telling of the Gospel narrative in poetic free form. It's been 30+ years since I last read it, so was refreshing to read through & see its creativity. There was nothing like this before Miller--in 1975--got the inspiration in the middle of the nights and started writing down what flowed through him. Miller wrote this while a pastor of a rather small church in Omaha, Nebraska; it exploded on the Christian publishing scene and Miller never looked back. I'm looking forward to reading the other 2 parts of what become The Singer Trilogy--The Song, and The Finale. I was inspired to read this after recently working through Miller's excellent memoir, Life is Mostly Edges. We've carried this paperback trilogy bookset around the world with us since 1987, as it has our old book stamp with my wife's childhood IL address in it. Amazing. Both that little tidbit--and the book itself.


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Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold by C.S. Lewis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I believe this is actually the 3rd time I've read this C.S. Lewis classic retelling of the Greek mythology of Psyche & Cupid. This time it was listening to it as an audiobook, though, which was a bit different. I liked some of it this way--but I think overall, I more appreciated the book/telling of the story while reading it. It's a long complaint to the gods--for the way the main character, Psyche's sister, feels she's been treated by the gods unfairly. Her complaint--for which she has an opportunity to orally plead before the gods--ends up being the turning point of her "seeing" things for properly for the first time. A realization dawns that through all she'd experienced up till that point, as she stood before the gods, she'd not truly had a "face"--knowledge of who she truly was in God's economy of things. A vision finally granted...a siren warning & call for all those who might be caught up in similar situation as hers, feeling that they'd got the wrong end of the stick & were treated unfairly, or, unjustly. The "gods," thank goodness, she finally realizes, were not just in what they did to her; it was not what she deserved...


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The Bomb: Presidents, Generals, and the Secret History of Nuclear War by Fred  Kaplan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodness--sometimes I think it's better that you don't know what you don't know, or haven't been told. The Bomb--nuclear/hydrogen/atomic--has been around for 70+ years now, and it's really a miracle that it hasn't been used since its first two uses over Hiroshima & Nagasaki, which brought WWII to an end. There have been plenty of opportunities for it to be deployed again--and, for sure, after reading this insightful & truly, in some ways, frightening book--plenty of back door nuclear weapons discussions & strategy plans devised/revised for its use.

One's mind is boggled by the actual plans that the US government has had over these years for deploying these weapons of mass destruction. As if these generals and political figures could even comprehend the devastation their deployment--in the numbers they planned for--would have caused; horrific, unspeakable. Yet, they seem to have routinely tossed these numbers of missiles and plans for mass destruction around like talking about dropping off newspapers on a doorstep. This account of the secret history of nuclear war goes right up into the Trump administration of recent days--and the sabre-rattling between the US/Trump & N. Korea/Jonu-un. And it's scary; it's maddening. It's inhumane. It's downright frightening.

The latest high-level US government/military discussions were regarding updating/upgrading the deployment & use of "low yield" Trident II nuclear missiles aboard US subs. These missiles **each** carry a nuclear payload of 8 kilotons...OK, what does that mean? "The conventional bombs that leveled buildings in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere in the first two decades of the twenty-first century had the explosive power of 2,000 pounds of TNT. The low-yield Trident II warhead would explode with the blast power of 8 kilotons—meaning 8,000 tons, or 16,000,000 pounds—plus the heat, smoke, and radiation that would spread like toxic wildfire." Yes, one of them would release the power/destruction of 16 million pounds of TNT. Unimaginable. That conversations about these kinds of destructive powers have been *routine* up till today--and over the past 75 years--is simply incomprehensible in many ways. Madness and madmen, methinks. The consequences of what President Eisenhower warned would would result from the "military-industrial complex." Each service fighting for its share and influence; each congressman/woman & senator fighting for their part of the pie...

Borrowed from the library; read on my iPad.


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The End of October by Lawrence Wright
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Scary, very scary, especially considering the eerie closeness of this fictional account of a pandemic to the current pandemic the world is experiencing. Wright was amazingly prescient in his predictions, not 100%, by any means--it's a novel & has to have a little more action/suspense--but amazingly close in many ways to our current worldwide conditions under the COVID-19 (novel cornoavirus) pandemic. Saying the novel's plot/setting is very believable would be an understatement. Yes, scientists have been predicting something like this for years now...and of the need for better preparations. And now we're in the middle of a pandemic with huge issues due to poor planning & preparations worldwide. And no vaccine in sight, well, at least for months & months.

This was a very well-written, well-paced story, primarily following a scientist from the CDC who stumbles onto the initial outbreak in Indonesia of a terrible disease that becomes a pandemic. He ends up going to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, where the annual Hajj is taking place with millions of Muslims from around the world--including one from Indonesia who carried the virus with him. Thought that was a very interesting twist to get the pandemic rolling & panic & fear breaking out (those 2+ million hajjis didn't like being stuck in tent camps for who knows how long). The protagonist, Henry, gets stuck there, as the country closes down travel in/out. He ends up getting out in a very interesting manner, which ends up becoming a large part of the on-going story of the conflicts unfolding around the world, having huge impacts on various countries' economics & politics.

Borrowed this from the library (it's hot right now & hard to get)--read on my Kindle. Everything I've ready by Wright has been so well done; looking forward to reading more of his writings soon.


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Space by James A. Michener
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I haven't read a Michener book for a long time, and then again, I've not really read many Michener books at all; I think the last one was Caravans. But, after reading Space, I'm ready to read more Michener. His books--often historical fiction--are of epic proportions, and are well-researched. I loved how Space combined historical characters & events--and facts about space & NASA & the Apollo Moon Program, etc.--with fictional characters, and intertwined them, making a very believable story. Space sets the historical context for the US space program by first following historical & fictional characters in WWII. Rocket scientists & engineers who designed the dreaded V2 rockets and had even bigger aspirations to make intercontinental rockets; also military characters who fought in the Battle of Leyte Bay in the Philippines, against all odds with the Japanese Navy.

Interestingly, this book was first published the year I was married, and this paperback copy is a book we've been carrying around with us since around its 6th printing in 1985--before we headed off to NW China in 1987. Wow--been hauling this around for a long, long time--and now it's finally been read and greatly enjoyed!


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Let Go Of The Ring: The Hope Chapel Story by Ralph Moore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had never heard of Hope Chapel before reading this book; now, I don't believe I'll ever forget about Hope Chapel, or, more accurately, the hundreds of Hope Chapels that have been planted across the US (big in Hawaii) and internationally. It was fascinating to read how has God used Ralph Moore & his wife & family-beginning with a small, struggling church started in the wake of the California Jesus Movement--to begin a movement of disciples & church leaders/planters that literally spans the globe. So interesting to see how their idea of "Minichurches" was so key to the identifying & training of leaders who then often became church planters for new works in new areas. Basically these minichurches were house churches within the Hope Chapel churches--training grounds in the midst of real body life taking place in a larger congregation.

A great image--"letting go of the ring" (of power/control)--for capturing the empowering of the members of each fellowship for the work of ministry/outreach/growth that took churches from addition to multiplication. A great countercultural trend against the megachurch--where "the bigger the better" and we will "build it and they will come" (to our multi-million dollar facility), with parking for a sports stadium. So healthy; so impactful. What "church growth" should really be all about. Disciples making disciples and grouping/growing together--for the purpose of being a transformation that has transforming impact on the communities & cultures around us.

Ralph Moore now works with https://exponential.org/ which has a lot of good resources. I really liked the fact that Moore--whose significant church planting work was done with the Foursquare Church denomination--never made it about Foursquare and never sought to especially highlight any kind of Pentecostal theology/theological tenets. He kept things focused on The Bible--and on ordinary, saved people. Bought the ebook cheap; read on my iPad.


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Life Is Mostly Edges: A Memoir by Calvin Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved this memoir by the great writer/poet Calvin Miller. Best known for his breakout 1975 book--The Singer (eventually part of a Trilogy--Singer, Song, & Finale)--much of Miller's life on the edges was spent as a pastor, at only 2 churches. He spent 25 years at a church in Omaha, Nebraska, from which he almost resigned, given the way his congregants had been treating him & his wife up till then. But on the advice of a friend, he bared his heart & emotions in his final/farewell sermon, and a revival practically broke out...and he ended up staying for 20+ more years and seeing that church grow from a couple hundred to over 2,000 members. Lots of that happened after his groundbreaking (for the Christian book market--thanks, IVP, for taking the chance on Miller!) book The Singer came out, which was a re-telling of the Gospels & Jesus' life in poetic form. Miller went on to publish some 40+ books over his lifetime and was a creative writer & thinker.

Loved the beginning of the book where Miller (who passed into Glory in 2012) described the idea behind the title of this memoir:
"Given the size of the universe, the world I have lived in is quite small, and I have lived it out mostly along its edges. This is not surprising, for life is mostly edges. It is small—like a postage stamp. So small that it all but disappears against the busy days it devours...I do remember enough to know I liked the middle of my stamp more than the edges. This is not unusual. We all like the middle. The middle is safe. You can’t fall off the middle. Only the edges are dangerous. The great lessons, the deep tragedies, the storms of unbearable heart-quakes always happen along the edges. We don’t cry much in the middle, but then we don’t laugh much there either—at least with any belly-deep laughter. Still, every day, nine to five, we suit up for the only contest that can be played along the unsafe edges of our years." Yes, life "on the edges" is risky, dangerous, but also very rewarding and fulfilling.

Miller also spent a number of years on the faculty of Southwestern Baptist Theo Seminary, mostly during the rough & tumble 1990s when the battle against liberals & the conservative resurgence was on. I found this section very refreshing--and quite insightful, not to mention humorous--as Miller writes about his interactions with students, deep friendships that developed, and heartaches that occurred in some of the slash & burn going on among the faculty. Miller finally ended his teaching days at Beeson Theological Seminary in Alabama.

This memoir is very poignant, well-written, and full of wisdom grown & garnered through many years of ministry & teaching experience--and is full of Miller's subtle and inimitable humor. Well done, good & faithful servant. I borrowed this from the library; read it on the Kindle.


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The Day the Revolution Began: Reconsidering the Meaning of Jesus's Crucifixion by N.T. Wright
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read this book as part of my Lenten 2020 readings--though it took a lot longer than 40 days for me to work through it, since I was reading it slowly. I liked the book overall, and liked the focus on what Christ's death on the cross meant for history--yes, it was revolutionary & was at the crux of God's redemption plan for the human race. But, a couple criticisms: 1) I thought it was too long & could have been probably halved & still made the same points well, and 2) I thought Wright spent too much time & energy stressing that Jesus' death on the cross was not only about God punishing Jesus in our place so we could go to heaven. I agree with his point that the western viewpoint, at least the modern view, too often "Platonizes" what occurred, making it revolve around believers "going to heaven." Wright stresses that the cross opened the possibility for humans to now be radically forgiven & transformed--and the calling to now be representatives of God's transforming Kingdom, in the midst of the enemy of humans' souls who still seeks their destruction.

Wright's emphasis felt at times that it bordered on an amillennialistic perspective--that the church now builds the Kingdom of God slowly over time as it brings transformation to the whole world. I don't believe that's what he believes, but it felt like it at times. Yes, we as the church--the Body of Christ on earth-are called to work towards transforming ourselves, our families, our communities, but we are also aliens/strangers here who know that we have "no lasting home" here. And we know that our best efforts will not bring about a total transformation of society--or an earthly Kingdom of God or theocracy. The trend of sinful human nature, the Bible makes clear, will ultimately drag down humankind into further & further open rebellion against God & His ways/rule. Of course, we also must keep in mind that God's Word says clearly that He does not want "anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." So we as His representatives/ambassadors work toward that end, as God uses us to be His witnesses.

I got this book as a birthday gift; read it on my iPad.


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The Emperor Far Away: Travels at the Edge of China by David Eimer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fascinating account of Eimer's seven plus years of living in China & traveling around its very edges--where most of the minority peoples live. Section on Xinjiang was very intriguing to me, as we lived there for many years. Things have gotten even worse now across Xinjiang with the government detaining millions of Uighur in labor/re-education camps, with the intention of repressing the Uighur's culture, religion, and ethnic spirit. Tibet has been repressed for years as well. This was an enlightening & intriguing account; well-written, with many personal stories. You don't make this kind of stuff up. Interesting how Eimer notes the flip-flop of the economic situation in the far NE of China, along the border with Siberian Russia. Read on my Kindle; got as a birthday present.


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Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An intricate delve into the life of a Renaissance genius from Florence, Italy (who spent more years living/working in Milan). His range of curiosity & investigation spanned multiple disciplines--and the notes that he left behind detail much of these and were available for posterity. A man of humble beginnings--who was never legally adopted by his father. A man way ahead of his time in his ideas, solutions, visions, inventions, scientific & artistic understanding, and just plain ole curiosity about how things work and/or could be improved. Such prodigious reflections, musing, & investigations on such a wide assortment of phenomena. Isaacson yet again does a masterful job at giving readers a deep dive into the character, context, and ideas of a man for all times.

Lessons that Isaacson draws from the genius of da Vinci: 1. Be curious, relentlessly & randomly curious; 2. Seek knowledge, for its own sake; 3. Retain a childlike sense of wonder; 4. Observe; 5. Start with the details; 6. See things unseen; 7. Go down rabbit holes (730 findings about the flow of water!); 8. Get distracted; 9. Respect facts; 10. Procrastinate (let ideas marinate); 11. Let the perfect be the enemy of the good (Steve Jobs was similar); 12. Think visually; 13. Avoid silos; 14. Let your reach exceed your grasp; 15. Indulge fantasy; 16. Create for yourself, not just for patrons; 17. Collaborate ("innovation is a team sport; creativity is a collaborative endeavor"); 18. Make lists, and be sure to put odd things on them; 19. Take notes on paper; 20. Be open to mystery ("not everything needs sharp lines").

I'm giving the book 4-1/2 stars in my Reading Log. I listened to the audiobook on my iPhone; borrowed it from the library (had to check it out a 2nd time). Enjoyed the accompanying PDF of da Vinci's paintings & illustrations & doodles (written in Italian mirror script, which wasn't so helpful--thanks, Isaacson, for the translations)--make sure you follow along in this if you do the audiobook; otherwise, you'll miss a lot.


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Blood: A Memoir by Allison Moorer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Whew--heavy, really heavy. Blood--a symbolic title to Moorer's memoir. It's about her family--her own blood ("I've got your blood running through my veins," she sings in the title song to the album of the same name that came out in 2019)--but it's also about the blood spilt when her father shot & killed her mother, before killing himself. Moorer was fourteen years old. Like I said, heavy, heavy stuff. Moorer spends most of the book looking back at her growing-up years and the fear that she grew up with, as a result of an alcoholic & violent father. Her father was also a buddy country singer-songwriter who never made much headway in the music industry; her mother was also very musical. The family sang a lot together in those growing up years--and it surely paid off in the end, what with both Moorer and her sister, Shelby Lynne, becoming professional country singer-songwriters, who have reaped numerous musical awards in their careers. There's a lot of deep heart-searching in this memoir--a looking back at what happened, attempting to figure out why it happened, and thinking over the various scars & impacts it all left on two young girls who were left all alone. Sad and sorrowful. To see alcohol's ravaging of a family like Moorer's is horrible, it's sickening. Two lives cut short--two lives linked by blood who've struggled and been shamed by the impact for their entire lives. Sin is at the core of it all, of course. Sin & selfishness only leads to shame & sorrow. The shattering impact on others' lives comes through so clearly in these pages. And it won't be cured by meditation or yoga, or more musical or literary awards. It's only possible if the core damage to everyone's heart by sin is acknowledged--and a transformation of hearts takes place by all that has now been made possible through Jesus' revolutionary death & resurrection. In one of the songs on the Blood album, entitled All I Wanted (Thanks Anyway), Moorer sings: "All I wanted was your love..." That summarizes it up pretty succinctly--and, Allison, I just want you to know that God has always loved you & demonstrated His love for you in Jesus' giving up His life on the cross for you, while you (& I & all of us) were yet sinners/broken people.


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White Mountain: A Cultural Adventure Through the Himalayas by Robert Twigger
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I thought this book would have more Himalayan climbing stories & characters, given its title and cover photo. It had some, and had some decent historical background on the area, but not enough of a story thread to be really engaging. It was much more focused on the Tibetan/Buddhist perspectives found by various peoples of the Himalayan--including much on folk beliefs/practices. I felt like it was a typical 20th-century PC look at the mystic cultures of far-off lands, where supposedly everything was so perfect for thousands of years & the people ever-so-happy & contented, until modernity arrived in the guise of British, Russian, or Chinese imperialism. Not that there were bad things done by those imperialists and their condescending viewpoints & supposed cultural superiority--but it was just all too overplayed. Like the Dalai Lama is the answer to every modern ill. So much lostness, darkness, sadness, poverty & subservience to gods-who-are-NOT-God. Got tired/bored of it all. Can't recommend this book to anyone, sorry. Give me some good straight-on climbing stories/experiences!


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The Last Dance by Martin L. Shoemaker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I don't read a lot of science fiction, but saw this book for cheap (from BookBub, I believe) and picked it up. Well, I loved it and think it is quite well written. Very interesting story involving Earth-Moon-Mars commerce & interplanetary travel based on the Aldrin Cycler concept (using gravity & no-stop recycling loop to lessen fuel usage). There's been a ship captain charged with mutiny and a newly appointed Inspector General arrives on the scene to try to get to the bottom of things. Chapters are narrated with alternate characters sharing their insights & perspectives on the case and captain. Enjoyed the unraveling of all that had happened over the preceding years, building up to the current time (2080's), and involving some unfortunate incidents as the space ship swings around Mars--where shuttle landing crafts descend to the Martian surface & base. Read on my Kindle.


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Steve McCurry: A Life in Pictures by Bonnie McCurry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Excellent expose on the life & times & photography of one of the world's most eminent photographers, Steve McCurry. Written by his sister--who is also his business partner--this beautifully packaged volumed gives one an inside picture into what makes McCurry tick--and on how his career developed over the years since he took off for 2 years on a photographic journey of India. One of his earlier focuses turned out to be Afghanistan and the Afghan Mujahedin, who were at that time (1980s) fighting a David-Goliath battle against the Afghan Communist government & its Soviet Union backer--or, maybe more correctly, the Soviet Union and its puppet Afghan Communist government. Never quite as anachronistic a name/concept = Afghan & Communist. That was doomed to die from the beginning. McCurry's beautiful, elegant, charged photographs are iconic and always expressively packed with feeling & emotions--revealing hints of a greater story going on. This huge & heavy book was a loving gift from my wonderful wife--who secretly carted it across the world to me.


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Elevate: Push Beyond Your Limits and Unlock Success in Yourself and Others by Robert Glazer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Some good leadership principles & stories in this slim volume on how to raise your game.


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