Category: Books

Revolt In 2100 And Methuselahs Children by Robert A. Heinlein. I’ve always enjoyed Heinlein’s works – his libertarian ideals and positive, if not conflict free, future visions have always made for appealing literature. Also, I really like the fact that much of his work is based in a consistent universe where one work leads into or foreshadows others. Sometimes the writing can be a little pedantic, especially where he’s trying to draw distinctions between the sexes, but this is just a ‘nit to pick in an overrall enjoyable science-fiction tale.

“Broca’s Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science” is a series of essays by Carl Sagan. I’m rather a fan of Carl Sagan’s works and got this book expecting that it would be more of a focused book rather than the variously directed chapters that it turned out to be. I absolutely loved “The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark” and was a little disappointed by this work. Not some of Sagan’s best work but still worth a read if you really enjoy his writing and can overlook when he starts to wander into the realm of overly zealous green supporter.

The following are books that I read before September 2005. I’ve just decided to start listing them in a different manner rather than on a separate page they will just be part of the blog itself.

My preference in entertainment books tends toward Science-Fiction (as opposed to Fantasy). I have some interest in mystery fiction (a la Sherlock Holmes), but my heart is in new and interesting worlds where you can experiment with current societal issues in new and different contexts.

The books listed below are those that I’ve read recently or (where indicated) favorites that I want to share with you. The dates at the bottom indicate when I started reading a particular book. My scale is Don’t Bother, OK, Good, Very Good and Excellent. If I’m really impressed I’ll even review the book.

August 2005	August 2005	August 2005 Excellent	August 2005 Very Good
July 2005 Excellent	July 2005 Don’t Bother	June 2005 OK	June 2005 Very Good
June 2005 Excellent	May 2005 Very Good	December 2004 Excellent

I’ve been working my way through this book for the past couple of months. It’s a major undertaking, but I have to say that it’s been extremely satisfying. I was really only acquainted with a few of Shakespeare’s works from my High School English classes. And, of course there are loads of derivative works out there that use Shakespeare’s stories as springboards from which to launch their own established characters into new and compelling situations.

The book comprises two volumes – First the Greek, Roman and Italian plays and then the English plays. I have to say, the first volume was by far the more interesting. Asimov does a wonderful job in providing you with the context with which the educated Elizabethan would have enjoyed these plays. And in doing so, he explores and articulates many facets of mythology associated with the play being examined. There is a lot that I have encountered in my other reading that existed as “orphan” knowledge that this book has helped me tie together. Particularly with respect to the chronology of events and the meanings of turns of phrase and expression that I have heretofore taken for granted.

This is not a Cliff’s Notes nor is it a compendium of Shakespeare’s works. It is, rather, a valuable aid to understanding the motivations of the characters and circumstances driving the events of Shakespeare’s plays.

On completing this book, after a brief Shakespeare hiatus, I intend to pick and choose my way through several of the plays that seemed especially interesting and read them for the first time with this rich background laid out for me. As well, I will be revisiting some of my favorite Shakespearean works with an eye towards the many nuances that completely passed me by because of my lack of classical / historical knowledge.