Title: Back of Beyond
Author: C.J. Box
Did I listen or read?: library audiobook
When did I finish?: April 22, 2013
When was the book published: Aug, 2011
Main Characters: Cody Hoyt, alcoholic detective, partner Larry, Hank Winters (sponsor,) sun Justin, Bull Mitchell, retired trail guide, Sullivan and 2 daughters, Gracie and Danielle, Jed Peterson, trail guide, assistant Dakota
What happens? Cody has moved to detective in Montana, and his sponsor is murdered in a cabin which is torched, making it look like he drank and killed himself. Cody and Larry figure out that there is a string of similar murders around the country. All evidence leads them to a guided trip out into Yellowstone, and Cody's son is on the trip, with his soon-to-be stepfather.
How long was this? About 10 hours
Did I like this? Yes this was a great story. The viewpoints of Jed, Dakota, Gracie are all mixed in, great writing, dialogue, characters. Box makes his lead characters very human and not one-sided, which can be difficult.
Overall grade: A-
Friday, April 26, 2013
Friday, April 19, 2013
Fallen Angel by Daniel Silva
Title: Fallen Angel
Author: Daniel Silva
Did I listen or read?: Library book
When did I finish?: April 18, 2013
When was the book published: 2012
Main Characters: Gabrial Allon, wife Chiara, Uzi Navot, Avi Shamron, Eli Lavon (archaelogist friend), the Pope, Luigi Donati (pope's secty,) Carlo Marchese, Massoud Rahimi
What happens? Claudia Andreatti is found dead, a possible suicide, in a chapel in Vatican City. Gabriel is asked by the pope's secty to investigate. Claudia is researching the provenance of antiquities owned by the church, and her murder exposes illegal trade in antiquities that leads to middle Eastern terrorists.
How long was this? 399 pages
Did I like this? Good story. A bit overblown in dramatics, and the level of detail about Jerusalem (and Vatican) history was educational, but not always interesting. Well done, though.
Overall grade: B+
Did I listen or read?: Library book
When did I finish?: April 18, 2013
When was the book published: 2012
Main Characters: Gabrial Allon, wife Chiara, Uzi Navot, Avi Shamron, Eli Lavon (archaelogist friend), the Pope, Luigi Donati (pope's secty,) Carlo Marchese, Massoud Rahimi
What happens? Claudia Andreatti is found dead, a possible suicide, in a chapel in Vatican City. Gabriel is asked by the pope's secty to investigate. Claudia is researching the provenance of antiquities owned by the church, and her murder exposes illegal trade in antiquities that leads to middle Eastern terrorists.
How long was this? 399 pages
Did I like this? Good story. A bit overblown in dramatics, and the level of detail about Jerusalem (and Vatican) history was educational, but not always interesting. Well done, though.
Overall grade: B+
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
The Black Box by Michael Connelly
Title: The Black Box
Author: Michael Connelly
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: April 5, 2013
When was the book published: Nov, 2012
Main Characters: Harry Bosch, partner David Chu, new boss O'Toole, victim of shooting during the LA riots Annika Jesperson, a troop of truck drivers from the National Guard, Harry's girlfriend Marilyn
What happens? Harry is on the scene when Annika is murdered during the rodney king riots. Her case is unsolved 20 years later and Harry gets it again. Harry has to deal with O'Toole trying to run him off the force for visiting Marilyn's son in prison while investing the murder.
How long was this? 403 pages
Did I like this? Not Connelly's best, but a compelling story that I finished in 5 days.
Overall grade: B+
Author: Michael Connelly
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: April 5, 2013
When was the book published: Nov, 2012
Main Characters: Harry Bosch, partner David Chu, new boss O'Toole, victim of shooting during the LA riots Annika Jesperson, a troop of truck drivers from the National Guard, Harry's girlfriend Marilyn
What happens? Harry is on the scene when Annika is murdered during the rodney king riots. Her case is unsolved 20 years later and Harry gets it again. Harry has to deal with O'Toole trying to run him off the force for visiting Marilyn's son in prison while investing the murder.
How long was this? 403 pages
Did I like this? Not Connelly's best, but a compelling story that I finished in 5 days.
Overall grade: B+
Calico Joe by John Grisham
Title: Calico Joe
Author: John Grisham
Did I listen or read?: audible book
When did I finish?: April 9, 2013 on my ipod
When was the book published: don't know
Main Characters: Narrator Paul Tracey, his father - Mets pitcher Warren Tracey, Joe Castle - Calico Joe, Clarence Rook, editor of the paper where Joe lives.
What happens? Joe Castle joins the Cubs in 73 and has the greatest start of any rookie ever. Warren is a mediocre pitcher with a bad temper and their paths are destined to cross, and it destroys them both.
How long was this? 4.5 hours
Did I like this? Great story, well written and performed. Back and forth between 2003 and 1973, telling the story. Great characters.
Overall grade: A-
Author: John Grisham
Did I listen or read?: audible book
When did I finish?: April 9, 2013 on my ipod
When was the book published: don't know
Main Characters: Narrator Paul Tracey, his father - Mets pitcher Warren Tracey, Joe Castle - Calico Joe, Clarence Rook, editor of the paper where Joe lives.
What happens? Joe Castle joins the Cubs in 73 and has the greatest start of any rookie ever. Warren is a mediocre pitcher with a bad temper and their paths are destined to cross, and it destroys them both.
How long was this? 4.5 hours
Did I like this? Great story, well written and performed. Back and forth between 2003 and 1973, telling the story. Great characters.
Overall grade: A-
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
The Panther by Nelson DeMille
Title: The Panther
Author: Nelson DeMille
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: April 2, 2013
When was the book published: 2012
Main Characters: John Corey, wife Kate Mayfield, boss Tom Walsh, in yemen: Chet Morgan, CIA, Buck (Buckminster Harris), bad guy Bulus ibn al-Darwish, aka al Numair, aka the Panther. his helper, Nabeel. Paul Brenner, station chief in Sa'ana, Howard Fensterman, legal attache.
What happens? The Panther is a murdering psycho terrorist holed up in Yemen, and the CIA hatches a plot to have Corey go over there and be bait to lure him out, while pretending to research the sinking of the Cole in the harbor in Yemen. Corey and Kate agree, while he suspects that they are not being truthful with him, and that the Operation Clean Sweep includes killing him and Kate because they killed CIA agent Ryan (previous book) and know about a CIA plot to nuke the middle east.
How long was this? 629 pages
Did I like this? I read it in 5 days, great plot, moves fast. Corey's continuous jokes and wisecracks make it move fast. The plot seems kind of linear and inevitable, but is well done and exciting. I am a bit sick of reading about Arab terrorists, but this book really goes into who they are, how they work.
Overall grade: A-
Author: Nelson DeMille
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: April 2, 2013
When was the book published: 2012
Main Characters: John Corey, wife Kate Mayfield, boss Tom Walsh, in yemen: Chet Morgan, CIA, Buck (Buckminster Harris), bad guy Bulus ibn al-Darwish, aka al Numair, aka the Panther. his helper, Nabeel. Paul Brenner, station chief in Sa'ana, Howard Fensterman, legal attache.
What happens? The Panther is a murdering psycho terrorist holed up in Yemen, and the CIA hatches a plot to have Corey go over there and be bait to lure him out, while pretending to research the sinking of the Cole in the harbor in Yemen. Corey and Kate agree, while he suspects that they are not being truthful with him, and that the Operation Clean Sweep includes killing him and Kate because they killed CIA agent Ryan (previous book) and know about a CIA plot to nuke the middle east.
How long was this? 629 pages
Did I like this? I read it in 5 days, great plot, moves fast. Corey's continuous jokes and wisecracks make it move fast. The plot seems kind of linear and inevitable, but is well done and exciting. I am a bit sick of reading about Arab terrorists, but this book really goes into who they are, how they work.
Overall grade: A-
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Little Bets - How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge from Small Discoveries by Peter Sims
Title: Little Bets
Author: Peter Sims
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: March 28, 2013
When was the book published: 2011
Main Characters: My daughter Jenny pointed me toward this book. It is a great presentation of how taking lots of small steps is much better than trying to plan a giant perfect step. You have to learn how to accept failure. You have to learn how to be playful to be creative. You have to look for Problems, and recognize that Questions are the new answers. You have to learn from a lot, be inquisitive, get lots of viewpoints, take in all kinds of opinions. You have to learn to listen to the experts (the early adopters, the evangelists) as well. You have to look for small wins. People who view setbacks as learning can succeed with this approach. Praise people not for their intelligence but for their hard work, and they will be much more open to grow and explore.
What happens? Most writers are used to writing a really bad first draft. Just write it and get it out of the way. Constraints are necessary for creativity (i.e. the architect.)
How long was this? 150 pages plus resources
Did I like this? Top notch, the stories did not always match or were a bit too obvious. Really recommended for my college student kids.
Overall grade: A-
Further Readings and Resources
Daniel Coyle - The Talent Code
Carol Dweck - Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
Leander Kahney - Inside Steve's Brain
Daniel Pink - A Whole New Mind
David Price - The Pixar Touch
TED - Ken Robinson Says Schools Kill Creativity
TED - Elizabeth Gilbert - creative process
Henry Chesborough - Open Innovation
Clayton Christensen - The Innovator's Dilemna
Jim Collins - How the Mighty Fall
Jim Collins and Jerry Porras - Built to Last
Peter Drucker - Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Jeffry Liker - The Toyota Way
Everett ROgers - Diffusion of Innovation
Keith Sawyer - Group Genius
Robert Sternberg - Handbook of Creativity
Eric von Hippel - The Sources of Innovation
David Bayles and Ted Orland - Art + Fear
Mihaly Csikzentmilhalyi - Creativity
Edward de Bono - Lateral Thinking
John Maeda - The Laws of Simplicity
Patricia Stokes - Creativity from Constraint
James Webb Young - A Technique for Producing Ideas
Tim Brown - Change by Design
Tom Kelley - The Art of Innovation (IDEO)
Roger Martin - The Design of Business
Bill Moggridge - Designing Interactions
Adam Richardson - Innovation X
Scott Belsky - Making Ideas Happen
Jason Fried and David Heinemeir Hansson - Rework
Greg Gianforte and Marcus Gibson - Bosstrappping your Business
Muhammad Yunas and Alan Jolis - Banker to the Poor
Frans Johansson - The Medici Effect
A.G. Lafley and Ram Charam - The Game-Changer
Riat McGrath and Ian MacMillan - Discovery-Driven Growth
Joshua Cooper - The Age of the Unthinkable
Peter Senge - The Fifth Element
Nassim Taleb - The Black Swan
Stefan Thomke - Experimentation Matters
Michael Tushman and Charles O'Reilly - Winning Through Innovation
Carl von Clausewitz - On War
Twitter feeds
@brainpicker, @conanobrien,@frogdesign,gruber,harvardbiz
ideo,nntale, orenjacob
techcrunch,sirkenrobinson,stanfordschool,the99percent,ycombinator
Author: Peter Sims
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: March 28, 2013
When was the book published: 2011
Main Characters: My daughter Jenny pointed me toward this book. It is a great presentation of how taking lots of small steps is much better than trying to plan a giant perfect step. You have to learn how to accept failure. You have to learn how to be playful to be creative. You have to look for Problems, and recognize that Questions are the new answers. You have to learn from a lot, be inquisitive, get lots of viewpoints, take in all kinds of opinions. You have to learn to listen to the experts (the early adopters, the evangelists) as well. You have to look for small wins. People who view setbacks as learning can succeed with this approach. Praise people not for their intelligence but for their hard work, and they will be much more open to grow and explore.
What happens? Most writers are used to writing a really bad first draft. Just write it and get it out of the way. Constraints are necessary for creativity (i.e. the architect.)
How long was this? 150 pages plus resources
Did I like this? Top notch, the stories did not always match or were a bit too obvious. Really recommended for my college student kids.
Overall grade: A-
Further Readings and Resources
Daniel Coyle - The Talent Code
Carol Dweck - Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
Leander Kahney - Inside Steve's Brain
Daniel Pink - A Whole New Mind
David Price - The Pixar Touch
TED - Ken Robinson Says Schools Kill Creativity
TED - Elizabeth Gilbert - creative process
Henry Chesborough - Open Innovation
Clayton Christensen - The Innovator's Dilemna
Jim Collins - How the Mighty Fall
Jim Collins and Jerry Porras - Built to Last
Peter Drucker - Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Jeffry Liker - The Toyota Way
Everett ROgers - Diffusion of Innovation
Keith Sawyer - Group Genius
Robert Sternberg - Handbook of Creativity
Eric von Hippel - The Sources of Innovation
David Bayles and Ted Orland - Art + Fear
Mihaly Csikzentmilhalyi - Creativity
Edward de Bono - Lateral Thinking
John Maeda - The Laws of Simplicity
Patricia Stokes - Creativity from Constraint
James Webb Young - A Technique for Producing Ideas
Tim Brown - Change by Design
Tom Kelley - The Art of Innovation (IDEO)
Roger Martin - The Design of Business
Bill Moggridge - Designing Interactions
Adam Richardson - Innovation X
Scott Belsky - Making Ideas Happen
Jason Fried and David Heinemeir Hansson - Rework
Greg Gianforte and Marcus Gibson - Bosstrappping your Business
Muhammad Yunas and Alan Jolis - Banker to the Poor
Frans Johansson - The Medici Effect
A.G. Lafley and Ram Charam - The Game-Changer
Riat McGrath and Ian MacMillan - Discovery-Driven Growth
Joshua Cooper - The Age of the Unthinkable
Peter Senge - The Fifth Element
Nassim Taleb - The Black Swan
Stefan Thomke - Experimentation Matters
Michael Tushman and Charles O'Reilly - Winning Through Innovation
Carl von Clausewitz - On War
Twitter feeds
@brainpicker, @conanobrien,@frogdesign,gruber,harvardbiz
ideo,nntale, orenjacob
techcrunch,sirkenrobinson,stanfordschool,the99percent,ycombinator
The Rage by Gene Kerrigan
Title: The Rage
Author: Gene Kerrigan
Did I listen or read?: softcover, donated by Sabine
When did I finish?: March 20, 2013
When was the book published: 1998 (2011 edition)
Main Characters: Sergeant Bob Tidey, good samaritan Maura Coady, bad guy Vincent Naylor, his brother, Noel, partners-in-crime Kevin Broe and Liam Delayney, his partner Rose Cheney, criminal boss Mickey Kavanagh
What happens? Maura notices a car being left as a getaway car, and Vincent's brother gets nailed in the cross fire, and Vincent goes into The Rage to avenge him. The crime is pretty well planned - Vincent gets all the security detail from an armored car guy, kidnaps a different guy, and they steal 3 or 4 drops before they quit.
How long was this? 293 pages
Did I like this? OK, interesting look at Ireland, characters were interesting, plot was not great
Overall grade: B
Author: Gene Kerrigan
Did I listen or read?: softcover, donated by Sabine
When did I finish?: March 20, 2013
When was the book published: 1998 (2011 edition)
Main Characters: Sergeant Bob Tidey, good samaritan Maura Coady, bad guy Vincent Naylor, his brother, Noel, partners-in-crime Kevin Broe and Liam Delayney, his partner Rose Cheney, criminal boss Mickey Kavanagh
What happens? Maura notices a car being left as a getaway car, and Vincent's brother gets nailed in the cross fire, and Vincent goes into The Rage to avenge him. The crime is pretty well planned - Vincent gets all the security detail from an armored car guy, kidnaps a different guy, and they steal 3 or 4 drops before they quit.
How long was this? 293 pages
Did I like this? OK, interesting look at Ireland, characters were interesting, plot was not great
Overall grade: B
Running the Books by Avi Steinberg
Title: Running the Books
Author: Avi Steinberg
Did I listen or read?: softcover, purchased by Mom from Amazon, first read by Paul
When did I finish?: March 10, 2013 ??
When was the book published: 2010
Main Characters: Avi Steinberg, prison librarian
What happens? young harvard grad (formerly orthodox jew) has no direction to his life, so he takes a job as the prison librarian. He tells the tale of his many adventures there, where both men and women are housed, where "kites" are letters stored inside the library for others to read. He has trouble with the guards, and with the prisoners, and tells his story.
How long was this? 398 pages
Did I like this? Pretty good, rambles a bit, but a fascinating look at a place where a book (or a floppy disk) can be made into a weapon.
Overall grade: B+
Author: Avi Steinberg
Did I listen or read?: softcover, purchased by Mom from Amazon, first read by Paul
When did I finish?: March 10, 2013 ??
When was the book published: 2010
Main Characters: Avi Steinberg, prison librarian
What happens? young harvard grad (formerly orthodox jew) has no direction to his life, so he takes a job as the prison librarian. He tells the tale of his many adventures there, where both men and women are housed, where "kites" are letters stored inside the library for others to read. He has trouble with the guards, and with the prisoners, and tells his story.
How long was this? 398 pages
Did I like this? Pretty good, rambles a bit, but a fascinating look at a place where a book (or a floppy disk) can be made into a weapon.
Overall grade: B+
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)