Lots of books!

First the reviews:

Ancestor, by Scott Sigler

Forty Signs of Rain, by Kim Stanley Robinson

Fifty Degrees Below, by Kim Stanley Robinson

Spillover, by David Quammen

Now the rest.

Yes, it's been 2 months since I've finished a book, for a variety of reasons. First, I didn't want to get involved in another nonfic book until I finished Spillover, which was loooong (but totally worth it). Fictionwise, I just didn't get into anything for a bit. On the homefront, I was busy knitting and Netflixing, and...

Life has gotten really weird and life-changing recently. When the summer started, Spouse and I were seriously contemplating leaving the New Orleans area. I couldn't find a library job, the state legislature is batshit insane, and Spouse thought it would be rather difficult to be a family attorney doing crazy things like trying to help women and gay people (crazy for LA at least, where change won't happen until at least 2 more generations die off, although between the chemical and oil industries that may happen sooner than later). We both applied for positions in the Bay area, and I made it to the second round of the hiring process for my wet dream medical librarian job when...

I got a library job here, at last, and everything changed once again. Because the position would involve a pay cut and because Spouse still doesn't have a professional job, keeping our house was simply untenable. So, with some cash from my 401K at former job, we're going to clean it up a bit and put it on the market this fall. We're on the sliver by the river, and I don't expect we'll have any problems selling. With the money from the sale, we can dig ourselves out of the financial hole that Spouse's delayed re-entry into Grown-Up Land has caused. And I can finally get to enjoy New Orleans again, going out with friends (I actually have some!) to eat and hear music and maybe Spouse if he's good.

And in the midst of all this, I was sending resumes, prepping for interviews, and doing the work of at least 2 people since we were so understaffed (for about 3 weeks, I brought editing home every night).

So it's been a busy, crazy summer, and the fall looks to be similarly stress inducing (getting the house ready to sell, finding a rental, seeing if Spouse graduates and registers for the bar exam, and digging in to the new job, which is going quite well so far). Hopefully it won't be another 2 months before I finish a book.

Quiet, by Susan Cain

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


For whatever it's logical flaws (judging from some of the other reviews), after finishing this book I felt like I could give it to other people and say "If you want to understand who I am, read this." (I've only had this reaction with one other book, Limbo by Alfred Lubrano.)



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The Canon

The Canon: A Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basics of Science by Natalie Angier

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Natalie Angier is one of my favorite science writers, and this book did not disappoint. While her writing style allowed me to understand the scientific concepts involved, it is not simple, eg, Science for Dummies. Her lush use of language, including metaphor, pop culture as well as historic references, and rapid-fire banter, paints a picture with words. I will never write with a pencil without seeing the chemical bonds breaking as the graphite molecules attach themselves to paper. Speaking of pictures, I found that to be one of the few flaws of the book (other than the fact that she couldn't cover the entire body of science). The complexity of the material involved could have used some well-done illustrations to better, well, illustrate the concepts she was discussing.



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Bonk, by Mary Roach

Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Like any good science reporter, Mary Roach transforms the jargon of scientific research into something understandable by lay readers while still being informative. With the subject of sex research, her sense of humor shines through while still presenting solid information. At the same time, you can't help but feel somewhat sad that human hang-ups about the topic have prevented really robust and useful research on the topic.



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The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson

The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Part mystery, part science, The Ghost Map addresses an 1854 cholera epidemic in one neighborhood in London and presents the route traced to identify its cause. At a time when medicine was based on superstition more than science, this journey to the truth was often blocked by everything from class prejudices to a lack of independent thinking. The author likewise weaves in the various sociologic and economic factors involved: the Industrial Revolution, urbanization, the history of cholera, colonization, world travel, morbidity/mortality statistics, and indoor plumbing. This book discusses a wide variety of disparate topics as they relate to the epidemiology of this particular outbreak, which is why the book worked so well. I found The Ghost Map well written and almost a page turner, but also I thought something was missing. I can't identify the missing element, but that's why I have this book a 4 rather than a 5.

Oh, and just a tip: This is not a book to read while eating. I have a far-from-weak stomach (working lunches on crime scene photography will do that to a gal), but lordy this one made me a bit queasy.



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"Global Weirdness" by Climate Central

Global Weirdness: Severe Storms, Deadly Heat Waves, Relentless Drought, Rising Seas and the Weather of the Future by Climate Central

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This impressive-in-information but tightly written book is probably the best nonfiction work about climate change for laypeople that I've read. Written in chapters that span only 2-5 pages, the folks at Climate Central lay out the evidence for climate change, starting with an overview of how various parts of the ecosystem work and then moving into what the current peer-reviewed research shows, in the context of the basic scientific information presented earlier. One of the key points made is that predicting what will happen in future years is very tricky, because current data are outstripping what the models are built to examine and because the system is just so complex. The book ends with the question on everyone's mind: "Can we avoid the risks of climate change?" Short answer: probably not.

This book is the sort that you recommend to your friends and family because every informed citizen of the planet should have this information. By writing a book in accurate-yet-simple language that even a 5th grader could understand, the team of authors has developed a terrific resource for everyone.




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Feynman, by Jim Ottaviani

Feynman by Jim Ottaviani

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The combination here of evocative artwork, carefully selected vignettes from Feynman's life, and well-written text brings a spark to the story of this amazing man that would have been impossible in a text-only biography. And, to its credit, this book made physics almost understandable to me (I never took physics in high school, to my everlasting regret, because I did not want to have to do a science fair project.)



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Book: Fallout, by Jim Ottaviani et al

Fallout: J. Robert Oppenheimer, Leo Szilard, and the Political Science of the Atomic Bomb by Jim Ottaviani

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Detailed look at some of what transpired during and after the making of the atomic bomb, as told through the perspectives of some of the key players. Ottaviani uses original documents as source material for much of the book, including the story of Oppenheimer's troubles with Communist witch hunts. Someone who isn't familiar with the Manhattan Project or the work (scientific as well as political) that preceded and followed it may be a bit lost though.



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