{{Albert-László Barabási}}’s book “{{Bursts}}: The Hidden Patterns Behind Everything We Do, from Your E-mail to Bloody Crusades” is fascinating. In the same overall genre as {{Malcolm Gladwell}}’s {{Outliers}} (review) – pop psychology and pop science – {{Bursts}} is a great read: bringing highly technical and dense topics to the masses in a manner that [apparently] …
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Category:review
the art of seduction by robert greene
Warning: This book contains, in places, intense terminology, and is directed at mentally-mature audiences Now back to our regularly-scheduled bog post After having read {{The 48 Laws of Power}} (and enjoying it), I decided to read some of {{Robert Greene}}’s other popular works. So, I read {{Mastery}}. And then I read {{The Art of Seduction}}. …
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cloud computing in easy steps by david crookes
In my ongoing hunt to find worth-while tech books (most recently in the field of cloud computing), I’m here today to write about {{Cloud Computing in Easy Steps}} by {{David Crookes}}. First to note – this book is NOT about how to deploy cloud computing. It is about how to use lots of free and inexpensive options if you …
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cloud computing bible by barrie sosinsky
The first comment I have about {{Barrie Sosinsky}}’s book, {{Cloud Computing Bible}} is that it’s the first one I’ve read that doesn’t appear to have any sucky parts. This is a plus. {{Hybrid Cloud for Dummies}} was pretty much a waste of time. {{Deploying OpenStack}} was even worse. {{Sosinsky}}’s work, though, is not only less …
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hybrid cloud for dummies by judith hurwitz et al
Many years ago, I started programming C++ with a friend of the family and member of my home church. We dove in with {{Borland C++ for Dummies}} by {{Michael Hyman}} and {{Stephen Prata}}’s {{C++ Primer Plus}} (Waite Group). Prata’s book was fantastic – if you were at the advanced high school / collegiate level. While …
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google apps: the missing manual by nancy conner
{{Google Apps: The Missing Manual}} by {{Nancy Conner}} was a great book. In 2008. Today? Not nearly so much. So much has changed in the Google landscape in the last few years (or even months) that, sadly, much of the content is now quaint, or just out-and-out wrong. It’s too bad – because the book …
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mastery by robert greene
In {{Mastery}}, {{Robert Greene}} continues in the style of his excellent work, {{The 48 Laws of Power}} (which I previously reviewed and have been posting excerpts from). Sadly, it is not quite to the level of The 48 Laws – though it still a good book. Unbeknownst to me, I’ve already been practicing most of what …
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deploying openstack by ken pepple
Where do I begin? How about with this being perhaps the most overpriced tech book I have ever seen. At just under 70 pages, and a penny shy of $25, {{Deploying OpenStack}} by {{Ken Pepple}} exceeds the cost per page numbers I can remember from college. Wow. Thankfully, I did NOT pay for this book – I …
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the basque history of the world by mark kurlansky
I have long been interested in the Basque people; first introduced to them nearly 13 years ago in an introduction to terrorism class (a year and a half before it was “cool”) with the separatist group {{ETA}}. So it was with great interest I grabbed {{The Basque History of the World}} by {{Mark Kurlansky}} off …
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ghosts in the fog by samantha seiple
For much of my life I have been interested in WWII – my grandpa Myers was in the Navy in the Pacific theater on a mine sweeper. My dad read extensively on the war, largely because of his father, and passed along an interest in military history – the navy in particular – and intriguing stories …
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the art of war by sun tzu
{{The Art of War}} by {{Sun Tzu}} is one of the oldest texts in the world, and the oldest known treatise on warfare. It has become de rigueur in war colleges, business schools, and other venues. Most people have incorporated at least part of Sun Tzu’s teaching and thinking in their lives as leaders – …
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the richest man in babylon by george s clason
{{The Richest Man In Babylon}} by {{George S Clason}} is one of the few audio books I have enjoyed – and one that I think everyone should read/listen to frequently: it’s the early 20th century version of {{Dave Ramsey}}’s {{Total Money Makeover}} (another great book). The advice/suggestions in this book are things I didn’t listen …
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the 48 laws of power by robert greene
Unlike my previous book reviews, I’ve decided to approach {{The 48 Laws of Power}} by {{Robert Greene}} in a slightly different manner. Mr Greene’s collection of historical observations into a neatly-distilled, easily-readable format should make everyone who reads it want to put a copy on their desk – and reread [parts of] it frequently. The …
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1401 argentinean bistro
Wow. It’s truly that good. This week I was working in Fort Lauderdale. It’s been over 4 years since I was last in the area, and I’ve always wanted to visit Miami – at least once. As I am wont to do, I checked-out OpenTable to see what interesting food places were available. One of them was …
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netherland by joseph o’neill
I finished reading {{Netherland}} by {{Joseph O’Neill}} Tuesday. It’s a “novel” in the same sense that {{One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest}} or {{Where the Heart Is}} are novels – it’s a story. The story unfolds in a rambling fashion as a the memoirs of Hans van den Broek. It’s a story of one man’s life …
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melting pot – but better-er :)
Earlier this week my wife decided to surprise me with a dinner she thought-of more-or-less on-the-spot. We are both big fans of The Melting Pot. Tuesday she popped out to Kroger and bought a small package of potatoes, some various broths, and an absolutely AMAZING meat rub spice mix. Also she found some strawberries (on sale – …
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square foot gardening by mel bartholomew
Years ago, my mom and I would routinely try to catch episodes of {{Square Foot Gardening}} (SFG) on PBS. Hosted by {{Mel Bartholomew}}, a retired civil engineer, SFG was a program whose aim was to enable gardening by the masses in confined spaces (though, naturally, if can be implemented in larger settings as well). Mr Bartholomew’s …
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world war z by max brooks
{{Max Brooks}} is likely the world’s foremost authority on zombies – how to survive them, what to do if there is an uprising, etc. In “{{World War Z}} – An Oral History of the Zombie War”, he tackles the issue of reporting on what happened by interviews with those who survived. From first-hand accounts from a …
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1421 by gavin menzies
I enjoy histories – especially when delivered in the format that {{Gavin Menzies}} employed in “{{1421}} – The Year China Discovered America”. The only other history I have read in the past 5 years I can recall reading so fast was Gideon’s Spies. Gavin makes a compelling presentation, interpretation, application, and conclusion of a host …
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producing your own power by many
Rodale Press published a collected works book entitled “{{Producing Your Own Power}} – How to make Nature’s Energy Sources Work for You” in 1974. There are a host of now-humorous segments of the text: “The US government estimates that by 1980 1 percent of our country’s land will be covered with utility companies’ equipment” {viii}. The contiguous …
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applied cryptography, 2d ed by bruce schneier
As recently promised, here is my review of {{Bruce Schneier}}’s seminal work, {{Applied Cryptography}} (2d edition). I received my now-signed copy of Applied Cryptography (2d ed) for my 16th birthday – about a year after it was published. Of all the “odd” books I asked-for when I was younger, this single volume had to take …
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the personifid project
It’s not often I read Christian fiction – too often some (or even most) the doctrines embraced and promulgated by the authors are not ones I agree with. I was very pleasantly surprised to fine that {{R E Bartlett}}’s book, {{The Personifid Project}} was not like that. It’s even a great example of science fiction, …
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pascal’s pensées
{{Blaise Pascal}}, the famous mathematician, philosopher, and part-time theologian, is a fascinating member of history to me. Several years ago I borrowed a copy of his “{{Pensées}}” from a friend, and skimmed it. At the time, I was impressed more with the randomness of the collection than with anything specific he wrote. A few days ago, …
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the codebreakers by david kahn
My interest in cryptography has extended, now, for more than 15 years. The first book I read on the topic was {{David Kahn}}’s seminal work, {{The Codebreakers}}. Several years later, I received a copy of the book for Christmas, which I promptly reread. Kahn’s writing style is eminently inviting, sucking the reader into an extensive …
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flatland by edwin a abbott
I have read, and reread, {{Flatland}} several times. It’s subtitle, “A Romance of Many Dimensions”, would most likely have been surprising when it was originally published in 1884. {{Edwin A Abbot}} weaves a tale of exploration, heresy, discovery, enlightenment, geometry, and more in a mere 81 pages (in the copy I have). We are introduced …
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