FREAKONOMICS - STEVEN LEVITT

FREAKONOMICS 

 

- Steven Levitt -

 
Being a business major in university I really like economics. It was just one of those things that made sense to me. As I took more and more economics classes I got past the basics and into the really interesting questions - I recall a class about tax rates and how they affected the quality of life. I remember using real data. The conclusion was that there were better and fairer ways of taxing to make life better for everyone - increase tax rates to the super rich for eg. So, why were we not doing this? It brought up other question that could not be explained by economics...it was an awesome moment for a bright, young, budding mind that wanted to change the world.

And, that is kind of scenario was what I thought Freakanomics would delve into. And, the book started that way with a look at the crime wave of the 90s and the connection with abortion laws. Wild and wacky questions for an economics book.

Then there was the economics of drug dealers - a look of the distribution of wealth and the motivations and economic realities behind drug dealing. Again, fascinating.

The numbers and data used in those examples used sounded legitimate.

But, then it got murky for me.

The next few topics such as standardized testing in the Chicago school board and proving that teachers were cheating. Boring.

And, the parenting topic. Do parents matter? No answer to that, just a look at the names parents choose. How names change over time and are statistically associated with a different class / income level of people. This struck me as common sense. I guess the point was to prove names matter more than parenting. But, I didn't feel the data was conclusive...it seemed like a picking and choosing kind of data set.

I guess in the end I was dissappointed by the book. It started out ok, but, it quickly lost its appeal to me. And, it was wordy and repetitive. Overly wordy and repetitive. I mean really, really, wordy..and repetitive.

Unless you are stuck at an airport on the way to an economics convention I'd stay clear of this book.

If you doubt me, go ahead and pick up this book on Amazon - FREAKONOMICS
 
 

STAR TREK - LOG TEN

STAR TREK LOG TEN

- Alan Dean Foster -

I found this retro book at the Bibles For Missions thrift store. A classic Star Trek, mint condition, written by Alan Dean Foster, and the best part - it was only 50 cents! See why I couldn't resist buying it. Unfortunately, I have to say the highlight of this book was the buying process.

I've read a bunch of Star Trek books and what I like about them is the action - the phaser shooting, the tension of an intergalactic warship standoff, the no named Redshirt who dies a dramatic/outrageous death. This book had very little of that. The main story was a war of words around a negotiating table...boring.

Also, the twist of this book was that during a transporter malfunction some of the crew switch bodies, ie Kirk is in Uhulas body, Sulu in Spocks body etc. Ok idea, except I kept getting the characters mixed up. It was hard to keep track or enjoy the 'normal' behaviour of my favourite characters.

The writing was also bad. A lot of awkward sentences. Choppy. One of those books where you find yourself trying to decipher a sentence every once in awhile. Perhaps the book was rushed. It felt rushed.

Overall, not good. Keep the cover, frame it, stick it in a scrapbook...throw away the rest.

RATING: Do Not Read

ME TALK PRETTY ONE DAY

ME TALK PRETTY ONE DAY

- David Sedaris -

A strange trip through David's life. One of those essay type memoirs with a mix of childhood stories, then a bounce to adulthood to recount David's trips to France where he attempted to learn the French language. It would have to be filed under 'Humour', but, I found it kind of lacked laughability.
Depending on how you look at your childhood it can be funny. I'm sure we all have stories about how strange our parents behaved, or that time you innocently said something completely inappropriate, or that you had a lisp.
Sedaris had a lisp. He talks all about it. Then he moves onto how, no matter how hard he tried, he could never grasp the French language - even when he moved to France and spent years there! The way he made fun of himself and the situations he found himself in was amusing. The mistranslations were the highlight - 'me talk pretty one day' as an eg.
I was, however, a bit disappointed with this book. It started off making me laugh, a little, and then nothing. It lacked any, er, edge. Ya, no edge. Sometimes writing on the edge can be funny. The only other book I'd read by Sedaris was Squirrel seeks Chipmunk, which was ten times edgier. It was at times, in fact, too edgy. I suppose this was what I was expecting. Not a light romp through french mistranslations.
I may read other Sedaris books in the future and benchmark them against Squirrel seeks Chipmunk (which is actually kind of scary). As of now, if for some reason you have to read a Sedaris books, I'd wouldn't recommend this one.

RATING : DO NOT READ*

*As stated above, if you are looking for an edgier read, do not read this book, instead read Chipmunk seeks Squirrel.

THE WINDUP GIRL

THE WINDUP GIRL

- Paolo Bacigalupi -

I've been meaning to read this book for about two years now. It was one of those highly acclaimed, sci-fi, Hugo award winning, much talked about books that 'everyone' needs to read. Which was why it was on my radar. This month is dystopian novel challenge month, which is my real motivation for finally getting around to cracking this one open. And, I have to say it is not a book that 'everyone' has to read. It is one of those books you will either love or hate.

Set in the near future the world is a wreck, mostly because of genetically modified foods and the genetically modified viruses that destroy that food. It is a tough look at corporate greed and the potential disasters we could face if the food scientist go too far. We have a contrasting crowd of characters from questionable corporate men, corrupt politicians, zealous military officers, slum dogs, illegal immigrants, to the 'windup girl' (a genetically modified test tube baby).
I have read a lot of this genre, the dystopian type book, and I have to say this one did feel original. Not your typical post apocalyptic journey through wasteland or an overly aggressive government who's mustached face is all up your face. The difference was subtle. Perhaps it was the writing style, how the differences between our real world and this futuristic dystopian world were told through examples in the storylines. There was no one thing in particular that I can pull from this novel, just the general feel I guess?
One thing I was not impressed with was the entire storyline. It didn't go anywhere. Actually that is not true, the storyline did a complete loop of the block. Started with a corrupt government, turned the corner with a revolution, came back to the original corrupt government situations and put it in park. It was a bit of a journey, but, nothing too mindblowing. Which surprised me since this book was a Hugo award winner.
On a bit of an aside note (more like rant) I haven't been impressed with any 'award' winning book that I have read in the past couple of years. You'd think if a book won an award it would be outstanding. But, I'm beginning to realize that is not the case. If a book wins an award that seems to mean only that the book is not terrible.
Another problem I had was the setting. Set in Thailand was a big downfall for me. I have very little knowledge of the country, it's people, the culture, even the geography. Paolo did a fair job of explaining the flooding problems, the neighboring countries, and the religion issues when needed. But, I didn't feel drawn into the setting at all. Which makes me think if it had been set on another planet or fantasy world it would have felt more real, had a bigger impact on me. Instead of leaving me half guessing and hoping for more.
So, a bit of a downer review I realize. But, I just didn't get the warm and fuzzies from this dystopian type book. Yes, that implies I do get the warm and fuzzies from other equally sad and scary tales. Again, the book was ok it just didn't meet my expectations.

RATING : DO NOT READ

THE ANDROID'S DREAM

THE ANDROID'S DREAM

- John Scalzi -

I had been meaning to read Scalzi for awhile now. From all of the praise I had heard about him I thought his writing style would be an ideal match for my reading, er, style. And, it turned out to be about 5/8 on. I did enjoy some of the tounge-in-cheek comments sprinkled throughout the book. I liked the satirical takes on politics. I liked the futuristic ideas he made up. I ended up liking the serious action scenes.

Oh so many things on the 'like' side.

Any check marks on the 'dislike' side. Yes. The actual story.

I ended up filing this one away under my 'did not meet expectations' folder. I found the story a bit too confusing, mostly b/c there were a lot of similar characters. We had some FBI, we had some Dept of Defense, we had some White House folk...essentially they all played the same role (face of Earth's government) and they all had generic names like Phillip or Robert. I could not keep them straight.

I do have to say that Scalzi did a pretty good job at 'world building', creating a whole universe of alien creatures and a new kind of planetary UN system. That was the highlight of the book for me.
The humour was there but, for me, was lacking. When it did come up it was a lot of tongue-in-cheek type stuff that was...subtle...weak...not all that funny. For eg. the plot revolves around a race of aliens that can communicate by scent. They become offended by one character who has a fart machine installed into his body which lets out gas that conveys insulting messages to these aliens. Haha, a smart body function joke. Then we have a scene in a mall where bodies are smashing through windows with, wait for it, signs that super Nike shoes are 33% off. Again, funny and subtle.

However, for most of the book I just felt lost. I could not follow the characters, I wasn't laughing (that much or that hard), and the overall plot did not interest me. I would say, it is a smart sci-fi book with a dive into DNA and artificial intelligence, but, was overall a lackluster novel for me.

Perhaps, if I try Scalzi again, I will go with his much hyped (and award winning) Old Man's War, instead of just randomly grabbing any of his titles off the library rack.



RATING : DO NOT READ

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY

- EL James -

I started this book for the sole purpose of being able to chat about it around the water cooler. About a year ago it seemed that everyone was reading this book, and being a self proclaimed 'bookworm' it was almost a requirement to be up to date on the most popular book in a generation. So, I started it June 12th, 2012...it has taken me almost a year (and 50 odd books later) to finish it. That should speak (metaphorical) volumes about the writing. I'm still left wondering why millions of people read THIS book?

To help you out, I will outline all of the important points of the book...so, you do not have to read it, but, can still be part of the conversation if it were ever to come up again.

1) A bright budding College grad, named Anastasia, has a chance encounter with hard nose business guru Christian Grey. She ends up giving him what nobody else seems to be able to give him - a challenge, a fight, some backtalk...this interests him.

2) He pursues her on the sly. It seems an unlikely thing as he is a man-of-the-moment business celebrity and she is a volkswagen drivin', converse shoe wearin', college girl.

3) Against the odds they 'hook up'...and it's mindblowing...and graphic!

4) They continue the mindblowing 'stuff' and it turns kinky...here is where the GREY TIE comes in. It's silk. He ties her hands to a bedpost.

5) Christian then shows her his 'playroom' which has all sorts of whips, chains, and torturous sounding things...against all logic Anastasia stays.

6) Now comes the CONTRACT. Yes, there is a contract written up on exactly what Anastasia is expected to do. Mirroring Christian Grey's personality, it is very controlling, right down to what she can eat, how much she is to sleep...again, against all common sense Anastasia signs.

7) Kinky things happen; whips, spankings...I guess a look into the world of S&M (sic, not sure of the exact term?)

8) There is a lot of repetition, not to be too graphic, but, yes on that front, and on the 'relationship' part. The typical, "does he love me or does he love me not?" is in endless cycle here.

9) Finally at the end Anastasia gives up trying to live this extreme life and comes to the conclusion that Grey is beyond help.

There's a quick outline of the book. If you find yourself in a conversation about this book just remember to blurt out the key words - "contract", "grey tie", or "playroom" and I have no doubts that someone will take that topic and run with it. 

I found at many points throughout the book the writing was very bland and mediocre; both the prose and the actual plot. Which is what left me wondering what the buzz was all about? Really, the only thing that made this book different than a cheap paperback romance was the graphic sex scenes. The characters did not seem all that believable, with the exception of Mr. Grey - he was a well written character who did come across as truly controlling and messed up to the nines.

If you never get around to reading this book don't worry about it, you are not missing too much.

RATING: DO NOT READ

TUBES

TUBES

A Journey to the Centre of the Internet

- Andrew Blum -

Following that cord from your computer to the 'internet' is the general idea behind this book. What would it look like? How does it actually work? Good idea, me thinks. Andrew Blum does a great job at describing it all. But, (yes, a big but)...this would have made a lovely magazine article. As it turns out making a book about it was taking it just a few steps too far.

Overall, there is very little to the 'internet'; little variety that is. The internet is huge and spreads across the entire globe, but, as it turns out there is really only wire and a surprisingly low number of routers. This books shows us that...from a dozen different angles.

Turns out if you send an email from your computer it goes through your home router, down a wire, to the local provider's router, down some more wire, to an 'exchange' (code for another router), where it goes along some more wire, to another exchange (aka router), along even more wire, to the last router, where it is pushed up a wire to its destination. So, let me sum it up in easy-speak-chant : 

*clears throat* wire, router, wire, router, wire, router, wire, router...

There. That is pretty much the bones of this book. 

Blum tries to add some interesting guts to these bones, but, he doesn't have much to work with. He describes the uniform routers and wire that make up the internet in extreme detail and poetic prose, but, again I can sum it up in easy-speak-chant:

*clears throat* black cable, blinky router lights, yellow cable, blinky router lights, thick cable, blinky router lights, underwater cable, blinky router lights...

Even when he starts to describe the people who work on the 'internet', they are surprisingly bland - computer nerds in hoodies leaning over a laptop (they all seem to have very little social skills as well). There is one spark of life when Blum goes on an overnight shift with some blue collar cable layers under the streets of NYC. But, for the most part the IT people sounded very boring.

I was left hoping for more. Again, Blum does a great job at describing the limited parts of the internet, I can picture how beautiful a refrigerator sized router can look bathed in the soft glow of fluorescent lights, but, you can only read so much of the same thing. It wasn't his words that were repetitive, it was the content. I'd say read Andrew Blum, but, just not this book.

RATING: DO NOT READ

PETER BLUE

PETER BLUE

- Max Brand -

Max Brand is, as the cover of this novel states, the most celebrated western writer in the world. Hmm...

If this implies Max Brand is the best western writer of all time, I may have to disagree.

I've been reading a lot of Louis L'Amour lately and there is no comparison. This book was lacking the whole western atmosphere. The cowboy lingo, the descriptions of hot deserts, and the countless gunfights. It lacked the galloping pace L'Amour sets and is left in the dust.

For eg. Peter Blue is a legendary gunfighter whose draw hand has been shot. In an attempt to avoid future gunbattles, which he is sure to lose, he hides out in a shack overlooking some trees and a meadow. He ends up falling in love with the local sheriff's daughter and befriending a near senile old timer who likes to plow fields all day...where is the action I say? Eventually, after what seems like a hundred pages, there is a small skirmish that leads to a duel. The duel is to happen...oh, in another hundred pages. Finally, in the last few pages of this novel Peter Blue comes barreling into town shootin' with his left hand.

That's it. No dusty deserts, no saloon brawls, and only two small gun fights.

Not what I expected from a 'Western'. I expect more action, at least twenty shot up bad dudes, and maybe a mention of a cactus or a tumbleweed. Now, it's not that Brand is a bad writer, I wouldn't have made it through the book if he was, it's just that it lacked that Western flair. Maybe it was this particular book? Maybe it was me? I'll try more Max Brand at some point, but, I wouldn't recommend Peter Blue to any of my friends.

RATING : DO NOT READ

Pecked to Death by Ducks

PECKED TO DEATH BY DUCKS

- Tim Cahill -



This book has a number of pros and a number of cons. My opinion flip flopped from good to bad as I read through the 300 or so pages. I eventually settled on a Do Not Read...although there were many parts I enjoyed...so it's a very tentative Do Not Read. In other words, I might recommend it to a specific person but not to everyone I know.
The title is what initially drew me in. Pecked to Death by Ducks - that sounds funny. I noticed a comment on the cover comparing Cahill's writing to Anthony Bourdain and P.J. O'Rourke. Great, I was in the mood for a snarky, wit filled, pithy travel log. The book's prologue is an explanation of the title where Cahill suggests he has a great sense of humour and that is why his books have such funny titles. Great, a humour book..or in this case, my first expectation shot down.
The first chapter is intense. Very well written, not in a funny way, but in a shocking way that pulls you right in. Cahill describes a trip to Kuwait post Iraq war. Dead bodies, eerily quiet abandoned beachside resorts, and the flaming hells of the oil fires. It's a scene out of the apocalypse. What a great start to the book. A five star rating...but, that chapter soon ended and the book never made it back to that level.
Many many more stories followed. From quick snippets of Cahill's trips to strange and exotic South Pacific islands to mundane accounts of his local travels through Montana. A handful of his travel accounts were interesting, but, the majority were mediocre and bland. Perhaps it was because I don't rock climb or take part in 'rope work' (there were more than a few chapters dealing with his mountain climbing or cave dropping) that I lost interest rather quickly.
The humour and wit that was advertised on the book's cover was non existent from what I could tell. The few attempts at sarcasm, witty references, or jokes fell flat (like my souffles or Flat Stanley). I was very disappointed because my expectation was for a funny travel journal.

RATING: Do Not Read

I have started a new reading challenge for the months of July and August. I call it the dewey decimal countdown. I'm reading a book from the 900 section, then a book from the 800 section, and so on. This was my 900 choice. 900 consists of History, Geography, and Travel...so, kind of a tough section to start off. I have a feeling my 800 choice will actually be hilarious. 800's include Literature. And, for some reason Red Green falls under the literature section?

Cool Water

COOL WATER

- Dianne Warren -

I read this book because it won an award, the Governor General's Award in 2010. My challenge this month is to read award winning books, so this one fit the bill. I thought I'd take a stab at something out of my typical genres. It was ok, but, I'm just a bit surprised this book won such a prestigious award. It is a good book, but, I didn't find it outstanding - or in my opinion award-worthy. The actual writing was ok; clear, concise, and beautifully descriptive. But, for me, the story lacked any real movement. I felt like I read an entire book and the characters only took one step forward. Maybe I'm just used to a faster paced tale where in a few hundred pages the characters move thousands, even millions of steps. Maybe the story was deeper than I realized? There seemed to be a lot of references to sand and water, how they constantly shift and change the landscape. Therefore, I'll chalk this up as a good book, but, I'm too ignorant to really appreciate it.
What I did connect with was the setting and landscape in the book. Set in Saskatchewan I can picture the exact locations Warren describes. Having lived there when I was young I recall the trips out to the middle of nowhere, the 'desert', where some of the story takes place. I can picture the tumbleweeds sticking to the barbed wire fences, the sand dunes, and the coulees that seem to be the only place on the plain that grow trees. As for the small town, the cafe, and the main street I picture the TV show Corner Gas.
As for the actual story, I had a hard time connecting with it. A few dysfunctional relationships/people that seem to go nowhere. They just seem to sit there and ponder their situations until something dramatic happens like a sudden death or a runaway child. Even with those extreme situations I didn't find myself getting excited or more interested in the story or characters...I kind of just wanted it to end. Again, I need a bit of action.
Overall, this foray out of my 'comfort' zone did not pay off. Oh well, maybe next time.

Rating: Do Not Read.

THE LIFE OF PI

- Yann Martel -

This is one of those books I've been hearing about for years. It has won a Mann Booker award, it is always on people's lists of favourite books, a recommendation for a book club book...and to top it off it was mentioned on one of my favourite TV shows Corner Gas. That funny episode where they form a bookclub and Lacey doesn't believe Brent could have read such a high brow literary book. Well, if he read it so could I! Why not, we had a copy of this book in our bookshelf downstairs, one of the many treasures from the 'box of books for $5' from that wonderful auction, where it was just waiting to be read.

All this hype gave me great expectations...I mean, especially if the book was recommended on a sarcastic Canadian comedy show. And (drum roll) ... the book did not live up to all this enthusiastic chatter. It was well written, no argument there, but the whole plot seemed very short and uninspiring.

In a sentence the plot goes: boy gets stuck in lifeboat with a tiger for hundreds of days floating in the middle of the ocean. So, there is the survival aspect (which I found slightly interesting), the fear aspect (what, with a tiger only 10 feet away from you), and the hours of lonely solitude to reflect on life and religion (the main part of the story I found boring!). I guess I'm more partial to action - no storming of castles on the backs of Dragons in this book. The ending did bring the book up a notch. It's a surprise so I won't spoil it for you.

You could tell the book was written by a storyteller. By that I mean definitely falls under literature, where one thing really means another. Obviously there is deeper meaning in everything, and I'm sure if you spent some time analyzing, like what or who the Tiger represents or what the heck that magic meerkat island was supposed to have to do with anything, the book would be much richer and a more worthwhile experience. I did not do that, nor could not come up with anything that made any sense...I'm thinking it has to do with religion. There is a lot of comparisons between the worlds religions. This is a subject I have very little knowledge or interest in.

What I did like was the Canadian connection. Had no idea this was written by a Canadian and is in part a 'Canadian' book. The lifeboat boy is headed to Canada, Winnipeg to be exact, before he is stranded on the ocean. Just surprised me when I started reading it.
I guess I'm mostly mad that my expectations were set really really high and then I was left feeling disappointed. If I take a neutral step back and revisit the book, it was ok overall, I wouldn't recommend it, but I can see the appeal of it for some.

Rating: Do not read.

LOVE TIMES THREE

Love Times Three

- Darger Family -

A real life account of Joe and his three wives. They try to bring to light the life of a modern polygamous family; from their fears of social and legal punishments to their daily challenges raising a big family.

This book attempts to erase the stereotype of a polygamous. You know? The ultra conservative, high necked dress wearin', child abusin', male dominated, oppressive, backwoods, cult. The Dargers (Joe, Vicki, Alina, & Val) tell stories about their modern life, which sounds very middle class - they live in the suburbs, have cell phones, go shopping at the mall and Costco, and have jobs (yes, even the women). If you've watched the HBO show Big Love, a show about Bill and his three wives, you'll get a pretty good idea of what the Darger's life is like...well, without all the overdramatized 'compound' stuff.

In my mind there were three parts to this book. The first part was the Darger family explaining why they wanted to 'go public' on this semi-illegal socially shunned lifestyle. What sorts of things they have done so far, like radio shows and Oprah (yes, Oprah!). And, what they hope to achieve by coming out. Already being a liberal minded person, it was like preaching to choir.

The second part of this book is Joe and his wives all telling the story of how they met and became the family they are. This part is a little repetitive; Joe tells the story, Alina tells the story, Vicki tells the story, then Val tells the story. Interesting in a way, BUT, could have been condensed a bit to save on trees.

The next part of the book is what I found the most interesting. Tales of their day to day life, mostly the logistics of a huge family of 24 (or more)! The stats are mind boggling - Ten loads of laundry a day, 5 dozen eggs at brunch, ten cars, kids of all shapes and sizes ranging from the age of two to twenty two! Poor Joe's Sunday 'to-do' list was pages long, ranging from changing lightbulbs to small construction projects. There are also accounts from the children telling their stories on how 'normal' their life is. All of the kids seemed to love their huge family, but, surprisingly not all of them intended to pursue a polygamous life.

I found this book was great to read in conjunction with watching Big Love. There is a bit of jargon used in the book and on the TV show that we don't hear much in life - righteous, priesthood holder, LDS, Fundamentalist. I found since I've watched most of Big Love I already had a good idea what these words meant. So, strangely, I'd recommend watching TV over reading in this case - to really be able to put the jargon into context.

I did not find the writing in this book to be all that wonderful. The stories were not that dramatic and didn't leave that big of an impression on my mind. But, I think it would be a great book to read in a book club. It brings up so many issues that could be discussed.

1. Should Polygamy still be considered illegal? Should it be legalized?


2. Is it even ethical?


3. Have your views on Polygamy changed after reading this book?


4. Compare and contrast the gains and losses of polygamy for the husband and wife(ives).


5. Large families, like this one of 20 odd members. Beneficial or a hindrance for children?


6. How would you deal with one of your children coming to you one day and saying they are marrying into a polygamous family?


7. Compare and contract this book with Big Love.

Even though I'd recommend this book for a book club, I wouldn't say it's a 'read'. There are many books out there that are a better read than this one.

Rating: Do not read

MEDIUM RAW

MEDIUM RAW

- Anthony Bourdain -

If you want a book that is written well, by a full-of-himself jackass, with some heavy New York city crass...well, this is your book. The writing style is wonderful. You can't argue that Bourdain has a way with words (and uses the four letter ones more than most) and can pull you into a story, even if the contents is worlds away. But, when the content is just Tony griping about 'sell out' celebrity chefs and cream of the crop food critics it makes for less than appetizing reading.

In my mind the book was split into three parts. The first dozen or two dozen pages were great. A quick story about eating an Ortolan Bunting (read the wikipedia link, it's very interesting). It's a 'meal' where you shove an entire bird in your mouth and eat it all except the feet, which is kind of used like a handle to put the bird in. You cover your head with a napkin, b/c I'm sure it is disgusting to watch. Anthony writes in graphic detail about the tastes and the textures and the brains. His attitude is bang on Bourdain - I'm part of this elite club of 'chefs' who eat endangered birds in the most disgusting way possible and I think I'm so cool about it. The kind of content that makes your blood boil, but, keeps your eyes glued to the page to see what other egotistical things Tony is going to say.

He then opens up a bit and loses his elitist attitude. He talks about his struggles with drugs and the breakdown of his marriage. It is raw writing, not medium raw (if you'll forgive the pun). I actually felt a bit of compassion for the guy and was drawn in. Then you flip a page and boom the attitude hits you.

The second part of the book, the next two hundred or so pages (about 95% of the book) were pretty raw too. But, this kind of writing was not baring your soul raw, it was ripping someone's arm off raw...with a lot of swearing in the process. Bourdain bashes countless people, with extreme overuse of profanity - just to prove he is a bad boy I suppose? He fries up The Food Network. He burns celebrity chefs. He cuts up chefs I've never heard of, but, probably would know if I were in the food business. He broils up a pan full of food critics. He even hacks a piece off of the meat slaughtering industry. Two hundred pages of his rantings. He is mad at the world for some unknown reason and his misplaced anger leads to the bulk of this book. Sum it up, the content is bland...but, the prose is excellent. If you get past the lack of a story or any sense of purpose (and that 'I'm a badboy' attitude) the actual writing is wonderful. Bourdain makes great analogies, and his descriptions of places and food is hard to beat.

The last dozen pages or so are also wonderful. Again, Anthony drops the attitude and the anger and just shares a couple of memories. I love his stories of strange things that happen in the kitchen or even stranger people that work them - that is what made Kitchen Confidential so great to read. This 'sequel' was another book I've thrown on the sequels-that-sucked bookshelf.

RATING: DO NOT READ*

*Actually, just read the first few pages and the last few pages.

I think this link will give you at least an attempt at understanding Bourdain's attitude LINK

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk

SQUIRREL SEEKS CHIPMUNK

- David Sedaris -

Strange. Funny. Original. It's hard to describe this book the way I want to. While reading it I went from laughing (out loud) to almost vomiting in disgust...what book can do that, all while keeping a light airy feel to it? Overall this is a humourous book that delves into the really dark humour a fair bit. But, the content is just...strange at some points. It kind of reminded me of a mix of Monty Python type humour and some no-name crude stand up comedian who relies on swearing and sextalk to make jokes. So, appealing to all people in some way!?

I found it in the short story section in the library. The book has a strange set up, almost like chapters but almost like short stories. The book is a made up of about a dozen small stories/jokes, some range from a few pages to maybe twenty. They are all quips from different animal's points of view. There are birds, dogs, mice, hippos...and to top it off, there are some illustrations from Ian Falconer (you may know him from the best selling children's series Olivia the pig). The stories/jokes are definitely one's that will stay with you for awhile. They are not easy to retell, say around the water cooler at the office, but they are satisfying jokes to read.

The jokes/stories seemed to favour stereotyping. When read they make you laugh, but, then upon further reflection, I found them almost a jab at humanity - how cruel and awful we can sometimes be.

There was a joke about a black watersnake and a white duck who makes a mistaken racist remark. A faithful dog who is sold out to breed purebreds, but, comes home to his 'wife' everynight. Birds who migrate south and complain about the lazy southern birds. The namesake, a squirrel and chipmunk who cannot date because the parents do not believe in inter-species mixing. These were a few I found laughable.

However, there were many I felt were just strange and didn't leave a good taste in my mouth. The one I found the most disturbing was the sick rat & healthy rat.

The healthy rat is put in a cage with this other rat who has cancer and all these tumors or whatnot. The healthy rat gets on his soap box and rants about how the sick rat should have made healthy choices in life and that cancers and such are a direct result of lifestyle...turns out these rats are in a lab that pumps chemicals into them causing these cancers for research. Anyone order some extreme dark humour? Disturbing in a way, but, so easy to relate to! Turn it around and throw a human in there...how cruel!

RATING: DO NOT READ*

*Unless you want to be left with a strange feeling of disturbed happiness.

The Bourne Supremacy

The Bourne Supremacy

- Robert Ludlum -

The second installment of the Bourne series is again full of action. However, the old proverb - about sequels never being as good as the original - is true.

Wordy! This book just has too many words. It could be a quick two or three hundred page fast movin' action packed paperback, instead of the 600 page mammoth it turned into. Now, there were many scenes that put you on the edge of your seat and kept you turning those 600 pages. There were the expected car chases, the identity changes, the occasional explosions and gun battles that I was expecting (and hoping for). But, there was also so much more...pages to read that is. Pages and pages of dialogue that seemed to drag on and on and on...like one of those phone messages you might get, you know that ones that time out they are so long...

Hey! Hello? Oh, you must not be home? Oh well, it's me. Me! Haha. Calling on my cell. I was calling to set up a meeting time. So, I'll leave a message I guess, haha. Call me on my cell and hopefully you will get me and won't have to leave a message and I won't have to call you back and leave a message haha. Anyway, again just had a moment so I thought I'd call. You know I forget sometimes, so when I do remember I just call. But, looks like you are not home...

You get the idea, a whole lot of blabbering, repeating, and droning on. At points while reading I wanted to yell at the book, "get to the point already! Or, at least move on to a car chase or something!"

I also found the entire storyline a bit too unbelievable, even for an over the top spy thriller. In this novel an assassin has been murdering top Hong Kong business men and diplomats, all the while leaving the calling card of Jason Bourne. The copy cat had to be stopped. The FBI/CIA guys get together and form a plan to motivate the real Jason Bourne to come out of retirement (aka witness protection program) and take on this killer. He is the only person in the world with enough skill to do it.

The plan is to kidnap his wife, whom you may remember as the tough as nails Canadian economist from the first novel? The plan goes a bit haywire after Marie escapes. Jason turns crazy thinking his wife is dead...all making great fodder for an explosive story. Unfortunately, the story gets bogged down with the long drawn out conversations between the government/FBI/CIA folks and the Hong Kong government guys. There conversations try to tell a bigger story about the Chinese wanting to cause a major crisis in Hong Kong so they can take it back over. However, there is a real chance this will turn into a something much bigger - WWIII!!

A big far fetched you say? I was lost too. After reading the 300 or so pages outlining the collapse of the East I was really bored, annoyed, and had eye strain. This, consequently, left me with the feeling that this book was really slow and not that good overall.

Another bone I have to pick with Ludlum is that error on Canadian geography! He writes that Marie is a tough ranch girl and their family has a ranch in Calgary. Makes sense, there are ranches out in Calgary. Calgary is in the province of Alberta which is wide open ranch country. Where the mistake comes up is that Ludlum keeps mentioning the ranch is in Ontario (not Alberta!) Every time he wrote something about Marie being a tough Ontario ranch girl I would cringe. I'm still left wondering how an editor did not catch something like this?

Rating: Do Not Read*

*Unless you are working on increasing your page count, let's say if you are in a contest such as 'who can read the most pages this month'.

WORLDBINDER

WORLDBINDER

- David Farland -

I praise books for many reasons. I praise books that I can relate to, like Farley Mowat's Born Naked, since it's almost like reading my own biography. I also praise books I can see myself writing, like Robert Asprin's Myth series, with all the puns and satire. Worldbinder, is not a book I'd ever see myself writing; it's very serious and in depth. I cannot relate to this in a personal way, mostly because it takes place in a made up universe where wizards and kings rule. In fact, this book is the exact opposite. I have some pretty wacky far out ideas whizzing through my head, but, the idea behind this book of two worlds combining has never been one of them...which is very interesting to me, ie I'm praising this part.

Now, for the non-praising. Being one of the most frugal people I know (as fancy Nancy says, frugal is a fancy word for cheap) I have another measurement I use to determine if I think a book was good. If I pay full price for it I like it...I never buy books full price unless I've read them before and I want to have them forever. If I get the book from the library and I manage to accrue an overdue charge and I'm not cheesed-off, then I like it. Worldbinder was a book I forgot to return to the library for a week past the due date. 70 cents worth of overdue charges made me realize I didn't like the book.

I think the problem, for me, was that I wanted more of the same ol' Runelord stories I've been reading up to this point; adventure, blood and gore, endowments. But, this book took a different story path. I do not know for sure what will happen, but, I can make an educated guess. From the few hundred pages I read, this book seems like the start of a long drawn out story that will end with a family reunion type ending...like Star Wars, "Luke, I am your FATHER!"

There were many many new characters, and with the combining of the two worlds it seemed like everyone was somehow related. The story was dragging along really slowly as the characters discovered how things and people had changed with the binding of worlds. I guess I'm a bit impatient? But, it's spring and I can finally go outside after a long cold Canadian winter. The NHL playoffs are in full swing, which means hockey every night on TV! Plus, househunting. This leaves only little stretched of time for reading, and I think this is the type of book you need to devote some serious time to. The story is long and drawn out, which can be wonderful if you have the time...but, is a hindrance if you don't.

I think if I really connected with the story I would have made time to read it. Since I didn't I'm afraid I will have to give it my 'do not read' rating...ouch, I'm sure that hurts.

RATING - DO NOT READ*

*Unless you have lots of time, and spending upwards of 70 cents on a book does not bother you. As well, this is not a rating on the entire Runelord series, just this particular book.

EAT THE RICH

Eat The Rich

- P.J. O'Rourke -

This is a book that I keep hearing about. I first ran across mention of this book while reading some random article about 'the best humour books' that came across my webfeed thingy on the top of my email (at work I might add...I read it on my lunchbreak ok?). Then it turns out to be February's bookclub book on the BBC's radio program The Strand. So, I instantly went to the library's website and looked it up...yes! It was in! I could start my humourous journey through the world of economics. Yes, I'm that dorky!


Just before starting this book I read through an issue of MAD magazine. Remember MAD? Well, our library has a few copies, they are in the basement in the 'teen' section...yes, I'll admit it, I was wandering through the teen section, but, I like to make full use of all areas of the library. Funny though, I should read MAD and then start Eat the Rich. They are strikingly similar. Both are satires to the extreme...and in fact, I wouldn't be surprised in the least if O'Rourke was a writer for MAD.


Back to the world of economics in Eat the Rich. O'Rourke dishes out a very tongue-in-cheek summary on the basic theories of economics. You may be familiar with a few; supply & demand etc. Being a business major in university I had the joy of taking the required micro/macro economics for years so I found this sarcastic view of economics very funny. As for the non-business minded people - you won't understand a thing. When he starts into the theory of comparative advantages I'm sure all you'll get is that he is insulting John Grisham and Courtney Love through a chart somehow! Actually, this is only one small section that is laid out like a textbook with graphs and charts (this is the part that made me think of MAD the most) which look almost exactly like my first year econ book. O'rourke's charts end up making funny jokes like point B and point S make BS (haha). This is funny, but, I have a real world example that made this even funnier. In my first year econ we had a 'cool' prof. She let us have cheat sheets, told us exactly what was going to be on the exam, and get this : she made charts with the supply/demand curves for funny things likes smokes and booze! How cool was she!?


PJ also takes us on a trip through the world looking at different economies to try and figure out which one is the best. Being an American seems to have tainted his vision a bit, er a lot. His travels consist of criticizing the country he is visiting and slyly comparing it to the overwhelming success (his opinion) of the US. The only positive visit he had was to Wall Street! He thought those screaming/rushing/greedy stockbrokers were just wonderful guys. The polite reasonable citizens of Sweden did nothing for him. In fact, their generous 'welfare' state benefits (like maternity leave) were almost criminal in his mind. How can a country just pay people to 'not work'? Then he berates their high taxes and their word/philosophy 'lagom' (which means something similar to 'just enough', as in not greedy not impoverished just good...er just click the link). From the ol' capitalist point of view I can see his argument that money in the US may make more profit than that in Sweden...but, strangely he completely left out any of those surveys/rankings that put quality of life in Sweden in the top few countries, while his precious US always hovers around the double digits. There is a lot more to life than money O'Rourke! Ok, enough with my soap box speech back to the book.

There were a few good points to the book. The wide range of vocabulary PJ uses is astounding. He sent me searching through my dictionary a couple of times - per page! Unfortunately, many times the word did not show up. I guess many of his words were quasi-fictitious words, as in understandable but not dictionary-worthy (see I can make up words too!). Even with all these rarely used words, in a veiled attempt to confuse the reader, the writing was clear.

Now onto the 'bad' parts. How about we start with O'Rourke's remarks about Canadians? The only mention about Canadians in this book is when PJ is visiting Cuba strangely enough. While explaining the tourist industry in Cuba he throws some off-colour remark about the only visitors seem to be Canadians who's idea of a good time is visiting the all-you-can-eat salad bar for seconds. How insulting! Even before this hurtful comment I noticed the book had a very negative tone. Most of the 'witty' comments/jokes were just blatant insults of other countries.

I did manage to catch part of the BBC's bookclub when they had their interview with O'Rourke and I was a bit taken back. He sounded nice! No insults, no negative comments...in fact, he said he felt very positive about the future of the world, even after the 'economic meltdown' in the US. It was a complete 180 from his writing in Eat the Rich!

Rating: DO NOT READ*

*Only read if you have run out of MAD magazines and want to hear more American-centric world views...and it helps if you have a degree in Economics and can catch the subtle econ-jokes.

FAT BALD JEFF

FAT BALD JEFF

- Leslie Stella -

I believe this was one of many books I obtained at an auction/barn sale. Fill a box with books for $5 allows you to grab books you'd never buy at a bookshop (even a used bookshop). This one has a laughable cover which, for some odd reason, appealed to me. A quick glance at the back cover description sold me. The five second skim told me this book was a humorous look at life in the office. Well, I work in an office, I enjoyed the few episodes of The Office I have watched, and the movie Office Space makes me crack up.
I will say this book was an easy read, as in not a whole lot of substance. Which, can sometimes be a good thing; when you're tired and don't want to get into something complicated for instance. This is not a book that will keep you up until the wee hours of the morning. That said, there were a few parts I did find very funny. The beginning was kind of reminiscent of the Shopoholic series (Kinsella). There were a few common laughs; mostly the over dramatic letters conversations, and the wacky obsession with fashion. I was hoping for more office politic jokes though. There were a few doozies in the beginning of the book, but, they soon fizzled out. I also had a problem relating to the main character - a self absorbed, elitist, fashion disaster, whiny, & erratic...which strangely, are qualities that could make a wonderful character. It just never panned out for me.

The main story line was plausible. A couple of disgruntled workers pull a 'wikileaks' and post some embarrassing pictures and expense reports showing how sleazy and corrupt the management and executives are. These two mavericks are successful in causing a lot of chaos, and a choice boss to get fired. But, they do not end up better people for it...sadly.

For all the cubicle citizens out there, this scenario sounds like a daydream, especially around evaluation/pay raise/bonus/the day you run out of vacation, but, again there was not a lot of substance in the story. It wasn't awful. It wasn't a bad read. It's not that is was unbelievable...there was just no build up, no big shocking climax. There were just a few chuckles here and there.

There were a few side stories, attempts to paint a picture of our protagonist and her common (yet, sadly depressing) life. Her thrift store treasures, her cramped apartment on the rough side of town, her dysfunctional relationships with her mother, roommate, boyfriend, pretty much everyone she comes into contact with. I did enjoy the stories of her upbringing. They consisted of short memories revolving around her hippie parents and how their parenting choices made her the whining, disgruntled person she is. What I found hilarious was the many 'crazy' things her parents did were things I agree with and do in my own life. The 'weird' food her mother made her eat - organic leafy things. No processed hotdogs for her. The homemade toys, the dolls without faces. No Dora or Disney either. This was the only part of the book that made me think; am I creating a monster like this disgruntled employee? Maybe, I should save this book and reread it in 20 years and compare...I have a feeling I'll be ok.

My rating: Do Not Read*

*Unless you get this book in a $5 fill a box (a big box at that) AND you are a disgruntled employee who constantly dreams of overthrowing your current cubicle world...then again, you might be better off spending the three hours it would take you to read the book daydreaming about your own cubicle revenge.

Book Club Questions:

1) What is your ultimate office daydream?

2) Is the main character believable? Who has that many temper tantrums past the age of 2?

3) What is up with the mustache obsession?

If you have any additional bookclub questions feel free to comment and I may add them.