Glamourous New Blog
Be sure to check out Virginia Postrel's new blog, Deep Glamour: At the Intersection of Imagination and Desire.
In addition to being pretty easy on the eyes, this new blog offers up a fresh perspective on what many may normally consider a superficial topic. Call it a more focused application of the "substance of style."
John's Reading Report (June 2008)
OK, here's what I've read over the past month, some of it unplanned:
Pattern Recognition, William Gibson
No More Mr. Nice Guy!, Robert Glover
In progress:
Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, Douglas R. Hofstadter.
Consciousness Explained, Daniel C. Dennett.
On deck (this is growing faster than my finished list):
My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey, Jill Bolte Taylor
Extraordinary Relationships, Roberta Gilbert.
Suite Francaise, Irene Nemerovsky.
Soul Made Flesh: The Discovery of the Brain--and How it Changed the World, Carl Zimmer.
Spook Country, William Gibson.
John's Reading Report (May 2008)
Over the past month I have finished:
The Martian General's Daughter, Theodore Judson
All Tomorrow's Parties, William Gibson
Oath of Fealty, Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
In progress:
Pattern Recognition, William Gibson
Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, Douglas R. Hofstadter.
Consciousness Explained, Daniel C. Dennett.
On deck:
Extraordinary Relationships, Roberta Gilbert.
Suite Francaise, Irene Nemerovsky.
Soul Made Flesh: The Discovery of the Brain--and How it Changed the World, Carl Zimmer.
Spook Country, William Gibson.
John's Reading Report (April 2008)
Over the past month I have finished:
Virtual Light, William Gibson.
In progress:
Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, Douglas R. Hofstadter. I'm really savoring this one this time around. It's taking me longer to read, but I am breaking it into more digestible chunks.
Consciousness Explained, Daniel C. Dennett.
On deck:
The Martian General's Daughter, Theodore Judson
Extraordinary Relationships, Roberta Gilbert.
Suite Francaise, Irene Nemerovsky. My wife loaned this one out, so I'll need to wait to start it later.
Soul Made Flesh: The Discovery of the Brain--and How it Changed the World, Carl Zimmer.
Spook Country, William Gibson.
John's Reading Report (March 2008)
Over the past month I have finished:
Flashman, George MacDonald Fraser. Not sure I've made up my mind whether I liked this or not. It was a fairly easy read.
The Forever War, Joe Haldeman. An interesting contrast to Heinlein's Starship Troopers or John Scalzi's Old Man's War.
In progress:
Virtual Light, William Gibson. I have neglected Gibson for the last 15 years or so. Time to catch up.
Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, Douglas R. Hofstadter.
Consciousness Explained, Daniel C. Dennett.
On deck:
Suite Francaise, Irene Nemerovsky.
Soul Made Flesh: The Discovery of the Brain--and How it Changed the World, Carl Zimmer.
Spook Country, William Gibson.
John's Reading Report (February 2008)
Here's what I've read since my last report:
Bill Bryson's The Life And Times of the Thunderbolt Kid.
Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential. I love his show No Reservations, and reading about life in the "culinary underbelly" was simultaneously fascinating and funny.
Orbit, John J. Nance. Surprisingly entertaining. I had low expectations, but the story grabbed me about half the way through and I couldn't put it down.
In progress:
Flashman, George MacDonald Fraser.
Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, Douglas R. Hofstadter.
Consciousness Explained, Daniel C. Dennett.
On deck:
Suite Francaise, Irene Nemerovsky. One offered up by the Amazon algorithm based on product searches and past purchases. I hope it is as compelling as the author's own story.
The Forever War, Joe Haldeman. I've been meaning to read this for, like, forever.
Soul Made Flesh: The Discovery of the Brain--and How it Changed the World, Carl Zimmer.
Still about five months' worth of Analog magazine.
John's Reading Report (January 2008)
OK, I am not quite the reading machine that Fred is, but I did do a little reading this last month:
I started and finished The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell. I first read this about seven years ago, and it had a bigger impact on me this time around. If you've read this and know me well, you'll know why. I usually don't read "literary" SF, but this one is well worth it.
I also continue to read my regular monthly magazines as they come, and am continuing to work my way through the Ana-backlog.
I am also currently about a third of the way through Bill Bryson's The Life And Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. I got this for Christmas, and wanted to read it as soon as possible. While aimed squarely at the Boomer generation (with a birthdate in 1968, I fall in that awkward midpoint: too young to be a Boomer, just a little too old to be as Gen-Xer), this book is providing me ample laugh-out-loud moments, which are really good for the soul.
Still in progress:
Consciousness Explained, Daniel C. Dennett. I'm going to have to re-read portions of this. My attention strayed from cognitive science during the Holidays to lighter fare. Now that we're back in the grim clutches of the post-Holiday work grind, I can get back to pondering existence and consciousness.
On deck:
Orbit, John J. Nance. A Christmas gift, and the next novel I'll be reading.
Suite Francaise, Irene Nemerovsky. One offered up by the Amazon algorithm based on product searches and past purchases. I hope it is as compelling as the author's own story.
The Forever War, Joe Haldeman. I've been meaning to read this for, like, forever.
Flashman, George MacDonald Fraser. Thanks to a plug by the Llamabutchers.
Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, Douglas R. Hofstadter.
Soul Made Flesh: The Discovery of the Brain--and How it Changed the World, Carl Zimmer.
Still about five months' worth of Analog magazine.
John's Reading Report (December 2007)
Late again! Hope to be better in the coming year.
Here's what I've read since my last report:
God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, Christopher Hitchens. Hitchens is one of those three people I would invite to dinner, although I think I would lock up the liquor ahead of time. His style is engaging and entertaining, but I think this polemic sometimes preaches a bit too much to the atheist choir. I don't think it would really change the minds of the religious (and to be fair, I don't think that is the goal here). Recommended whether you're faithful, faithless, or somewhere in between.
The current issues of Architectural Digest, Dwell, National Geographic, and one month of Analog magazine.
In progress:
Consciousness Explained, Daniel C. Dennett.
Still on deck:
Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, Douglas R. Hofstadter.
Soul Made Flesh: The Discovery of the Brain--and How it Changed the World, Carl Zimmer.
Still about five months' worth of Analog magazine.
John's Reading Report (November 2007)
OK, we're just a day or two late on this. Check out Fred's reading report here.
Meanwhile, here's what I've read since my last report:
The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick. This alternate-history novel was an interesting read, especially so soon after I read Philip Roth's The Plot Against America.
The current issues of Architectural Digest, Dwell, National Geographic, and two months' worth of Analog magazine.
In progress:
Consciousness Explained, Daniel C. Dennett.
God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, Christopher Hitchens.
Still on deck:
Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, Douglas R. Hofstadter.
Soul Made Flesh: The Discovery of the Brain--and How it Changed the World, Carl Zimmer.
About five months' worth of Analog magazine.
John's Reading Report (October 2007)
Here's what I've read since my last report:
Stumbling on Happiness, Daniel Gilbert.
The Plot Against America, Philip Roth. This is the first one of Roth's books that I've read. I don't usually seek out bestsellers or "literary" authors, but my prior alt-history reading habits led Amazon to recommend it for me. I liked it enough that I now intend to check out some of Roth's other books. If you're a fan, are there any that you would recommend?
The current issues of Architectural Digest, Dwell, and National Geographic.
In progress:
Consciousness Explained, Daniel C. Dennett. Dennett is a wonderful author, and I've recently discovered that he is on the advisory board of The Center For Naturalism.
God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, Christopher Hitchens.
Still on deck:
Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, Douglas R. Hofstadter.
Soul Made Flesh: The Discovery of the Brain--and How it Changed the World, Carl Zimmer.
About seven months' worth of Analog magazine.
John's Reading Report (September 2007)
Here's what I've read since my last report:
Making up the Mind: How the Brain Creates Our Mental World, Chris Frith.
The Man Who Sold the Moon, Robert Heinlein.
In progress:
Stumbling on Happiness, Daniel Gilbert.
Consciousness Explained, Daniel C. Dennett. This one is great, but a slow read. I keep re-reading sections to make sure I'm digesting them right.
On Deck:
God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, Christopher Hitchens.
Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, Douglas R. Hofstadter.
Soul Made Flesh: The Discovery of the Brain--and How it Changed the World, Carl Zimmer.
About seven months' worth of Analog magazine. (I read two issues this past month!)
John's Reading Report (August 2007)
Here's what I've read since my last report:
The Ghost Brigades, John Scalzi I love Scalzi's Colonial Union universe. I hope he is able to find a way to keep it interesting for himself, so that he will write more stories in this setting.
1776, David McCullough I don't know why I put this one off for so long. It was actually a pretty easy and informative read once I started.
Magician, Raymond E. Feist. I read this book many years ago and enjoyed it again as I was previewing it for my 13-year-old. I'm not much for swords-and-sorcery (I prefer hard SF), but this novel is set in a nicely-planned universe reflecting careful world-building and plotting. I may actually check out a few of the other stories set in this universe.
The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice, Christopher Hitchens. A quick read, inspired by the recent Time Magazine article about Mother Teresa's crises of faith.
In progress:
Making up the Mind: How the Brain Creates Our Mental World, Chris Frith. This is a good one so far, but needed some more careful editing (I've noticed several sloppy typos that aren't the kind to be caught by spell-check; they would require a human copyeditor).
Consciousness Explained, Daniel C. Dennett.
Amateur Telescope Making Book One, Albert G. Ingalls (editor)
On Deck:
God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, Christopher Hitchens. My Sunday School class may be discussing this one in the near future, so I'll be getting a head start.
Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, Douglas R. Hofstadter. Time to re-read this.
Soul Made Flesh: The Discovery of the Brain--and How it Changed the World, Carl Zimmer. I love Zimmer's science writing (check out his blog here). This is of a kind with all the other cognitive science reading I've been devouring this year. If I could find another way to pay for my 3 kids' college today, I would quit being a lawyer and go back to school for graduate work in CogSci. It's one of the most fertile areas of interdisciplinary study these days, and I have a very personal interest in learning more about how the brain works.
About eight months' worth of Analog magazine.
I am reading more than writing, still, and hope someday to condense some of my reading down into worthy blog posts. In the meantime, please continue to enjoy Planet Stories' excellent contributions around here.
John's Reading Report - July 2007
Here's what I've read since my last report:
Change: Principles of Problem Formation and Problem Resolution, Paul Watzlawick et al.
This one is well worth tracking down. I borrowed my therapist's copy, and wouldn't mind getting my own. Some very interesting observations on how people can get out of seemingly intractable problems that aren't responding to common-sense "solutions."
Teach Yourself Spanish Complete Course Package, Juan Kattan-Ibarra
This came in handy on our family vacation in Cozumel last week. (Pics and summary to follow).
Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon, Daniel C. Dennett
Dennett is highly readable and persuasive, even though I can't stand the "bright" neologism for freethinkers that he uses in this book.
The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer, Neal Stephenson
It took me a day or two to get into this, but then I was completely swept into the story; it kind of fell flat at the very end (it had a very abrupt finale), but I would still recommend it highly.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling
Stayed up all night reading this the day after I bought it. A satisfying conclusion to the series, though I wanted to see more from Snape's point of view throughout the book, instead of in just one chapter towards the end.
In progress:
The Ghost Brigades, John Scalzi
John Scalzi rocks; I am enjoying this as much so far as Old Man's War. I may have more to say about this sometime in the future. (I'm learning not to commit myself to hard timeframes or expectations here anymore).
Amateur Telescope Making Book One, Albert G. Ingalls (editor)
This is the classic reference, and I have needed it to do some figuring on the 8" Newtonian reflector that I made with my granddad about 25 years ago. My dad and I had built a somewhat bulky and shaky equatorial mounting for it, and as a consequence it never got much use. However, I recently got the mirror resurfaced, and am now building a new mount: a travel Dobsonian (somewhat like this one) in the hopes of getting out and doing some astronomy with my kids. I'll be posting pictures to chart my progress.
On Deck:
1776, David McCullough (Still...)
About seven months' worth of Analog magazine.
John's Reading Report - June 2007
Here's what I've read since my last report:
The Accidental Mind: How Brain Evolution Has Given Us Love, Memory, Dreams, and God, David J. Linden
In progress:
Change: Principles of Problem Formation and Problem Resolution, Paul Watzlawick et al.
Teach Yourself Spanish Complete Course Package, Juan Kattan-Ibarra
Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon, Daniel C. Dennett
The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer, Neal Stephenson
On Deck:
1776, David McCullough (Still...)
John's Reading Report - May 2007
Here's what I've read since my last report:
Time For the Stars, Robert A. Heinlein
The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins
I Am a Strange Loop, Douglas Hofstadter
In progress:
The Accidental Mind: How Brain Evolution Has Given Us Love, Memory, Dreams, and God, David J. Linden
Change: Principles of Problem Formation and Problem Resolution, Paul Watzlawick et al.
Teach Yourself Spanish Complete Course Package, Juan Kattan-Ibarra
On Deck:
1776, David McCullough (Still...)
Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon, Daniel C. Dennett
The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer, Neal Stephenson
John's Reading Report - April 2007
I've been doing a lot more reading than blogging recently. But that just means I've got lots of fresh material to write about.
Here's what I've read since my last report:
Old Man's War, John Scalzi (Excellent old-school SF! I wouldn't say he's derivative of Heinlein, but definitely writes in the same fine tradition. If you're reading me, you probably know that John Scalzi keeps a great blog, too).
The Stars My Destination, Alfred Bester (I'm surprised this one hasn't been made into a movie yet. [Wait - I wonder?])
The Years of Rice and Salt, Kim Stanley Robinson
The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography, Sidney Poitier
In progress:
The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins
I Am a Strange Loop, Douglas Hofstadter
The Accidental Mind: How Brain Evolution Has Given Us Love, Memory, Dreams, and God, David J. Linden
On deck:
1776, David McCullough (Yeah, I know it's been waiting on the "to read" list for 3 months now. Best intentions and all that...)
Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon, Daniel C. Dennett
I used to be extremely interested in the philosophy and science of human consciousness. When I graduated from high school in 1986, I planned to pursue a double major of Linguistics and Computer Science at UT and become a researcher in the field of artificial intelligence. I was a Doug Hofstadter disciple, reading and re-reading Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, studying formal logic, teaching myself different languages and alphabets. There's a story as to why that plan went off the tracks, but I'm not telling it yet.
Long story short, I am now (and again) very much interested in the science of thought and the mind. Having suffered a brain trauma of sorts 25 years ago (the abuse by my uncle), and having gone through a paradigmatic response to that trauma during the past 25 years, I am fascinated at how the hardware and software in my skull have operated. While I still believe in free will, I now see and want to better understand the deterministic elements of consciousness.
This month's Heinlein quote (which my illustrious co-blogger and I happened to independently choose, for entirely different reasons) echoes that theme, and I will be building on it in future posts.