July Books

Good month, and Worldwide arrived with a delivery of all new material that should get me through the summer. I've switched to a higher fat/lower carb diet after Big Fat Surprise, and I  rolled through War and Peace more quickly than expected. The full list for 2014 is here.

War and Peace

by Leo Tolstoy

Tolstoy's epic masterpiece intertwines the lives of private and public individuals during the time of the Napoleonic wars and the French invasion of Russia. The fortunes of the Rostovs and the Bolkonskys, of Pierre, Natasha, and Andrei, are intimately connected with the national history that is played out in parallel with their lives. Balls and soirees alternate with councils of war and the machinations of statesmen and generals, scenes of violent battles with everyday human passions in a work whose extraordinary imaginative power has never been surpassed. 

The prodigious cast of characters, seem to act and move as if connected by threads of destiny as the novel relentlessly questions ideas of free will, fate, and providence. Yet Tolstoy's portrayal of marital relations and scenes of domesticity is as truthful and poignant as the grand themes that underlie them. 

In this revised and updated version of the definitive and highly acclaimed Maude translation, Tolstoy's genius and the power of his prose are made newly available to the contemporary reader.

Note

Sprawling epic, written with the passion and detail that only the Russians seem to be able to manage. Loved the historical overlay of Napoleon's catastrophic invasion, which I embarrassingly did not know until recently was the novel's backdrop. The 19th century is a fascinating time--the gap between Napoleon and WW 1 is equal to the gap between that war and today. Too much perspective?

Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto

by Chuck Klosterman

Countless writers and artists have spoken for a generation, but no one has done it quite like Chuck Klosterman. With an exhaustive knowledge of popular culture and an almost effortless ability to spin brilliant prose out of unlikely subject matter, Klosterman attacks the entire spectrum of postmodern America: reality TV, Internet porn, Pamela Anderson, literary Jesus freaks, and the real difference between apples and oranges (of which there is none). And don't even get him started on his love life and the whole Harry-Met-Sally situation. 

Whether deconstructing Saved by the Bell episodes or the artistic legacy of Billy Joel, the symbolic importance of The Empire Strikes Back or the Celtics/Lakers rivalry, Chuck will make you think, he'll make you laugh, and he'll drive you insane -- usually all at once. Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs is ostensibly about art, entertainment, infotainment, sports, politics, and kittens, but -- really -- it's about us. All of us. As Klosterman realizes late at night, in the moment before he falls asleep, "In and of itself, nothing really matters. What matters is that nothing is ever 'in and of itself.'" Read to believe.

Note

The most interesting disquisition of Saved By the Bell I've ever read, and I mean that in every way possible. Not for everybody, but if you were wasting a lot of time in the 90s, this will resonate.

Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China

by Evan Osnos

A vibrant, colorful, and revelatory inner history of China during a moment of profound transformation

From abroad, we often see China as a caricature: a nation of pragmatic plutocrats and ruthlessly dedicated students destined to rule the global economy—or an addled Goliath, riddled with corruption and on the edge of stagnation. What we don’t see is how both powerful and ordinary people are remaking their lives as their country dramatically changes.
   

  As the Beijing correspondent for The New Yorker, Evan Osnos was on the ground in China for years, witness to profound political, economic, and cultural upheaval. In Age of Ambition, he describes the greatest collision taking place in that country: the clash between the rise of the individual and the Communist Party’s struggle to retain control. He asks probing questions: Why does a government with more success lifting people from poverty than any civilization in history choose to put strict restraints on freedom of expression? Why do millions of young Chinese professionals—fluent in English and devoted to Western pop culture—consider themselves “angry youth,” dedicated to resisting the West’s influence? How are Chinese from all strata finding meaning after two decades of the relentless pursuit of wealth?
    

 Writing with great narrative verve and a keen sense of irony, Osnos follows the moving stories of everyday people and reveals life in the new China to be a battleground between aspiration and authoritarianism, in which only one can prevail.

Note

Fascinating, but I'd hoped for more. Lots of state repression, patriotism and human rights crusading, but I wanted to meet a few more entrepreneurs on the lower end.

The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet

by Nina Teicholz

In The Big Fat Surprise, investigative journalist Nina Teicholz reveals the unthinkable: that everything we thought we knew about dietary fat is wrong. She documents how the low-fat nutrition advice of the past sixty years has amounted to a vast uncontrolled experiment on the entire population, with disastrous consequences for our health.

For decades, we have been told that the best possible diet involves cutting back on fat, especially saturated fat, and that if we are not getting healthier or thinner it must be because we are not trying hard enough. But what if the low-fat diet is itself the problem? What if the very foods we’ve been denying ourselves—the creamy cheeses, the sizzling steaks—are themselves the key to reversing the epidemics of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease?

In this captivating, vibrant, and convincing narrative, based on a nine-year-long investigation, Teicholz shows how the misinformation about saturated fats took hold in the scientific community and the public imagination, and how recent findings have overturned these beliefs. She explains why the Mediterranean Diet is not the healthiest, and how we might be replacing trans fats with something even worse. This startling history demonstrates how nutrition science has gotten it so wrong: how overzealous researchers, through a combination of ego, bias, and premature institutional consensus, have allowed dangerous misrepresentations to become dietary dogma.

With eye-opening scientific rigor, The Big Fat Surprise upends the conventional wisdom about all fats with the groundbreaking claim that more, not less, dietary fat—including saturated fat—is what leads to better health and wellness. Science shows that we have been needlessly avoiding meat, cheese, whole milk, and eggs for decades and that we can now, guilt-free, welcome these delicious foods back into our lives

Note

Fascinating look at how President Eisenhower's heart attack spurred researchers to establish a link between fat and heart disease--a relationship that makes sense, but does not in fact appear to be supported by real evidence. Big food just like big tobacco in their ability to frame the narrative in a way that maximizes profits and reduces competition. I will never look at the word "hydrogenated" the same way again.

Paul's Boutique (33⅓ #30)

by Dan LeRoy

Not only did "Paul's Boutique" transform the Beastie Boys from frat-boy
novelty to critically lauded hip-hop giants, its groundbreaking collage
of rhythm and recycled soundbites made it one of those rare releases
that forever alters the course of popular music. Through interviews with
Mike D, the Dust Brothers, and legendarily reclusive producer Matt Dike,
among others, Dan LeRoy uncovers the story of this outrageous era in
Beastie history

Note

Enjoyable riff on what has become an iconic album in hip hop. Didn't learn much, except maybe that luck played a bigger role than you might think, and that the LA production was even more chaotic and debauched that I'd imagined.

People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (33⅓ #47)

by Shawn Taylor

One of the finest hip-hop albums ever made, A Tribe Called Quest's debut record (featuring stone-cold classics like "Can I Kick It?" and "Bonita Applebum") took the idea of the boasting hip-hop male and turned it on its head. For many listeners, when this non-traditional, surprisingly feminine album was released, it was like hearing an entirely new form of music.

In this book, Shawn Taylor explores the creation of the album as well as the impact it had on him at the time - a 17-year-old high-school geek who was equally into hip-hop, punk, new wave, skateboarding, and Dungeons & Dragons: all of a sudden, with this one album, the world made more sense. He has spent many years investigating this album, from the packaging to the song placement to each and every sample - Shawn Taylor knows this record like he knows his tattoos, and he's finally been able to write a fascinating and highly entertaining book about it.

Note

More memoir than review, but enjoyable nonetheless. Made me appreciate how different ATCQ was from everyone else in hip hop--even the rest of the native Tongues family.

June Books

Remember when, "What are you doing; reading War and Peace?" used to convey one's impatience with another person's slowness? I haven't heard it in awhile, so I'm not sure the younger generation would know what to make of it. But since I am reading War and Peace right now, and unlikely to finish it before Monday, here is my list of books for the month. The complete list for 2014 is available here.

The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark 
by Carl Sagan 

How can we make intelligent decisions about our increasingly technology-driven lives if we don't understand the difference between the myths of pseudoscience and the testable hypotheses of science? Pulitzer Prize-winning author and distinguished astronomer Carl Sagan argues that scientific thinking is critical not only to the pursuit of truth but to the very well-being of our democratic institutions.

Casting a wide net through history and culture, Sagan examines and authoritatively debunks such celebrated fallacies of the past as witchcraft, faith healing, demons, and UFOs. And yet, disturbingly, in today's so-called information age, pseudoscience is burgeoning with stories of alien abduction, channeling past lives, and communal hallucinations commanding growing attention and respect. As Sagan demonstrates with lucid eloquence, the siren song of unreason is not just a cultural wrong turn but a dangerous plunge into darkness that threatens our most basic freedoms.

Note

Series of short essays about a scientific approach to various phenomena. Clear and cogent, but I didn't come away with much, although the manual for detecting witches was shocking. Spoiler alert: you're going down Broom Hilda. Your innocence confirms your trickery.

The Innovator's Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book That Will Change the Way You Do Business
by Clayton M. Christensen 

In this revolutionary bestseller, innovation expert Clayton M. Christensen says outstanding companies can do everything right and still lose their market leadership—or worse, disappear altogether. And not only does he prove what he says, but he tells others how to avoid a similar fate.

Focusing on “disruptive technology,” Christensen shows why most companies miss out on new waves of innovation. Whether in electronics or retailing, a successful company with established products will get pushed aside unless managers know when to abandon traditional business practices. Using the lessons of successes and failures from leading companies, The Innovator’s Dilemma presents a set of rules for capitalizing on the phenomenon of disruptive innovation.

Find out:

When it is right not to listen to customers.
When to invest in developing lower-performance products that promise lower margins.
When to pursue small markets at the expense of seemingly larger and more lucrative ones.
Sharp, cogent, and provocative, The Innovator’s Dilemma is one of the most talked-about books of our time—and one no savvy manager or entrepreneur should be without.(

Note

Why making your product better and listening to your customers will never lead to disruptive change, and how knowing the market is not always a help. A little slow at times, but worth the effort.

Guerrilla Radio: Rock 'N' Roll Radio and Serbia's Underground Resistance (Paperback) 
by Matthew Collin 

This is a book about a group of Belgrade's young idealists and their pirate radio station B92, who began with the naive desire to simply play music, but ended up facing two wars, economic sanctions, violent police and government crackdowns, the attentions of armed gangsters and neo-Nazi politicians, and ultimately became the leaders of an opposition movement forced into exile. Before Milosevic was finally ousted in October 2000, B92 would be shut down and resume broadcasting four times as, through an inspired combination of courage, imagination, and black humor—and a playlist, from The Clash's "White Riot" to Public Enemy's rap manifesto, "Fight the Power," which in sound and spirit, echoed the street fighting in which they sometimes took part—it somehow persisted in disseminating the truth. Matthew Collin knows the founders of the station well and has had extraordinary access to the key personalities and their archives. He first reported on the station as part of a feature on Belgrade's mass street protest in 1996. The book is based on in-depth, first person interviews and exhaustive background research. "Matthew Collin captures the conviction of a generation whose culture and identity were under siege...."

Note

Romantic picture of the rebels who helped bring Milosevic down. I still have only a fuzzy understanding regarding the death of Yugoslavia and the related wars, but this helped me understand the degree of opposition faced by the regime, especially in Belgrade.

To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others (Hardcover) 
by Daniel H. Pink

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, one in nine Americans works in sales. Every day more than fifteen million people earn their keep by persuading someone else to make a purchase.

But dig deeper and a startling truth emerges:

Yes, one in nine Americans works in sales. But so do the other eight.

Whether we’re employees pitching colleagues on a new idea, entrepreneurs enticing funders to invest, or parents and teachers cajoling children to study, we spend our days trying to move others. Like it or not, we’re all in sales now.

To Sell Is Human offers a fresh look at the art and science of selling. As he did in Drive and A Whole New Mind, Daniel H. Pink draws on a rich trove of social science for his counterintuitive insights. He reveals the new ABCs of moving others (it's no longer "Always Be Closing"), explains why extraverts don't make the best salespeople, and shows how giving people an "off-ramp" for their actions can matter more than actually changing their minds.

Along the way, Pink describes the six successors to the elevator pitch, the three rules for understanding another's perspective, the five frames that can make your message clearer and more persuasive, and much more. The result is a perceptive and practical book--one that will change how you see the world and transform what you do at work, at school, and at home.

Note

Anytime you are trying to get someone to do something, you are "selling." Something to keep in mind at home and work.

The Tyranny of Experts

One of this month's books is The Innovators Dilemma, a book about disruptive innovation and how listening to your customers doesn't necessarily work, and incremental product improvements are just a slow march toward obsolescence.

I read it because it is an oft-cited classic in the "new economy"--the world of the internet, smartphones and robot butlers--and I certainly don't want to be left behind; but it left me unsatisfied.

This morning I read Jill Lepore's New Yorker article on innovation, which essentially repudiates much of the story the author used to make his case. I also read Scott Adams report from Silicon Valley about how the new term in Startupland is "pivot," where you just keep trying new stuff until you find something that works.

I'm reminded of that famous statement by William Goldman about the movie business: "Nobody knows anything," and of Nassim Taleb's maxim that you should not place your trust in literature that has not been validated by history. Hamlet, sure. Avatar? We'll see.

Those books that explain how stuff works are seductive. But predictions are hard, especially about the future.

May Books

The full 2014 list is here.

On Conan Doyle

by Michael Dirda

A passionate lifelong fan of the Sherlock Holmes adventures, Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Michael Dirda is a member of The Baker Street Irregulars--the most famous and romantic of all Sherlockian groups. Combining memoir and appreciation, On Conan Doyle is a highly engaging personal introduction to Holmes's creator, as well as a rare insider's account of the curiously delightful activities and playful scholarship of The Baker Street Irregulars.

Note: For hardcore Conan Doyle fans only, and even they might find it a little boring. The longest short book I have read in some time.

How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big: Kind of the Story of My Life

by Scott Adams

Scott Adams has likely failed at more things than anyone you’ve ever met or anyone you’ve even heard of. So how did he go from hapless office worker and serial failure to the creator of Dilbert, one of the world’s most famous syndicated comic strips, in just a few years? In How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, Adams shares the strategy he has used since he was a teen to invite failure in, embrace it, then pick its pocket. 

Note: Not a lot new for readers of his blog (of which I am one) but recommended nonetheless. A very funny and inquisitive guy who looks at various aspects of life in interesting and creative ways.

To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others

by Daniel H. Pink

Whether we’re employees pitching colleagues on a new idea, entrepreneurs enticing funders to invest, or parents and teachers cajoling children to study, we spend our days trying to move others. Like it or not, we’re all in sales now.

Note: Makes the excellent point that anytime you're trying to convince someone to do something they are not sure about, you are in sales. Then goes on, a little bit less successfully to document the best ways to make a sale. I've read many of the books he recommends on sales (Cialdini's Persuasion, for example) and recommend all of those ahead of this one, once you've grasped his basic premise.

The Last Shot: City Streets, Basketball Dreams

by Darcy Frey

It ought to be just a game, but basketball on the playgrounds of Coney Island is much more than that — for many young men it represents their only hope of escape from a life of crime, poverty, and despair. In The Last Shot, Darcy Frey chronicles the aspirations of four of the neighborhood’s most promising players. What they have going for them is athletic talent, grace, and years of dedication. But working against them are woefully inadequate schooling, family circumstances that are often desperate, and the slick, brutal world of college athletic recruitment. 

Note: Heartbreaking account of the lives and dreams of aspiring high school ballers on Coney Island. One, Stefon Marbury, went on to a checkered success in the NBA. Things didn't work out so well for the others

Confessions of an Advertising Man

by David Ogilvy

David Ogilvy was an advertising genius. At the age of 37, he founded the New York-based agency that later merged to form the international company known as Ogilvy & Mather. Regarded as the father of modern advertising, Ogilvy was responsible for some of the most memorable advertising campaigns ever created. Confessions of an Advertising Manis the distillation of all the Ogilvy concepts, tactics, and techniques that made this international best-seller a blueprint for sound business practice. 

Note: Confident and sage advice from a true Mad man. Apparently well known in the trade, and for obvious reasons. A quick read with lots of good tips for any workplace.

I Love the 80s

Serbian radio stations--at least the ones I hear--seem to be stuck in the 1980s. Since those were my salad days (and Yugoslavia's as well, I suppose), that's not such a bad thing, but sometimes it can get a little ridiculous. Yesterday, at my hotel in Nis at breakfast, and while I was doing some work in the lobby, I heard the following chestnuts, among others:

• Gary Numan, Cars
• Sheena Easton, Morning Train
• J. Geils band, Freeze Frame
• Quarterflash, Harden My heart
• Toto, Rosanna
• Tommy Tutone, 867-3509
• Laura Brannigan, Gloria
• Flock of Seagulls, I Ran

That playlist arguably demands a post, but a subsequent event sealed the deal. In a conversation with the Chief Judge of the Basic Court, it somehow came up that he was a music expert, and he spent some time telling me what a vibrant scene the town had, particularly in the 1980s. When I mentioned the radio programming, he nodded knowingly:

"Oh yes, that European pop was huge," he told me. "Kajagoogoo was extremely popular."

I couldn't manage the witty riposte that formed on the tip of my tongue about one-hit wonders. Too shy, I suppose.

Younger This Year

Younger Next Year was a Worldwide Christmas gift last year, and a quick read. There wasn't much in the book that was new to me, but one of the recommendations--in conjunction with my current situation--got me to thinking.

Belgrade is a popular destination for medical tourism. A combination of low costs, good English and educated professionals make it an attractive destination for those seeking certain procedures.

Like laser-assisted, teeth whitening, which was something the book recommended, and something I'd never done. Ever. And when I saw myself on TV recently, and thought about all that coffee and red wine over the years, I decided to look into it.

One of my colleagues recommended her dentist, and I met with her last month. She explained the procedure and confirmed that I would be a good candidate. She would apply a gel to my teeth and blast it with a laser. It would take about an hour and cost about $400.

Why not? I'm always seeking new experiences, and this one seemed more productive than getting bit by a poisonous snake. So yesterday, I went over to the dentist's office for my scheduled appointment. She wedged a sort of reverse mouthguard into me and painted my teeth with some sort of gel. Then they stuck a light in front of my face, put some amber glasses on me and turned it on for 15 minutes. This procedure was repeated three more times, and I was done.

I'm quite pleased with the results. I'm not sure that the picture shows them properly, or if I'd do it again. But I definitely look better. I feel a little weird--like a bit of a fraud when I smile, and is it obvious that I've had some, er, "work done." But it's another entry into my book of experience.

April Books

Full 2014 list is here

A nervous splendour

by Frederick Morton

4.0 of 5 star

Book didn't work for me despite being about a really interesting period and revolving around a fabulous story. Dashing, reform-mided prince in fin-de-siecle Vienna is stymied by an autocratic father, kills himself and his 17 year old lover in a murder suicide pact that the palace tries to hide from the public. Dull writing and a disjointed attempt to interweave the lives of other prominent Viennese (Freud, Mahler, Brahms, Klimt) into parallel storyline keep me from recommending the book, but do do look into the life and times of Prince Rudolf. 

Fire in the Hole 

by Elmore Leonard

Got this to read the story that inspired Justified, a show I'd been mildly enjoying until Netflix discovered I'm in Serbia. Pilot was surprisingly faithful to the story, and the others are just as cracking. Leonard made writing and storytelling look incredibly easy, both of which are deceptively difficult.

Energy Myths and Realities: Bringing Science to the Energy Policy Debate

by Vaclav Smil

Clear, if somewhat dull look at energy alternatives and the prospect for transition from coal and oil. Apparently the replacement of oil with switchgrass is going to take longer and do less than its champions would have you believe.

Stop Me If You've Heard This: A History and Philosophy of Jokes

by Jim Holt

Short, very readable book. Didn't say much, but historical examination of humor was fun.

Deep Sea and Foreign Going: Inside Shipping, the Invisible Industry That Brings You 90% of Everything

by Rose George 

Not as interesting as I had hoped, but enjoyable nonetheless. The number of people and ships lost at sea each year is far higher than one might guess, and the registration of ships with dodgy countries is appalling.

Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her

by Melanie Rehak 

Might have worked better as an essay, as a lot of internecine quarreling was a little tedious. The influence of the suffrage movement on the development of the teen sleuth's character, and of one man on the committee of writers who created the books (as well as the Hardy Boys, Bobsey Twins and others I'd never heard of)was especially interesting.