Serendipitous Reader v2.0

This little book is a heavy read. The injustice described is heart-breaking and astounding. It's appalling that this type of action by our justice system continues... and yet it does... We still see it in the news almost daily. Bryan Stevenson and his team at the Equal Justice Initiative (eji.org) are heroes for doing this very hard and very important work.

This book is amazing!! One of my favorite books of all time. Churchill said his whole life up to his becoming Prime Minister (at the age of 65) was preparation for that role - and it certainly seemed to be true. He was an amazing person, who - despite his flaws - was the right person at the right time in history to have an almost unbelievable impact. I had no idea how close Germany came to completely overrunning Europe. In 1940-41, without Churchill's staunch refusal to engage with the German in any way except all-out war, and without a handful of strategic military errors by the Germans, the world might look very different today.

I mentioned Churchill to a British friend of mine who immediately raved about this book. I was skeptical about a book written by Boris Johnson, but that was my mistake...  The writing is actually very good, and the book is entertaining, easy to read and fascinating. It's not a traditional "linear" biography, and in some places, Johnson discusses Churchill's impact on historical events without providing much detail about the event itself. So for those of us who aren't well-versed in British history, there were times when I felt like I wasn't "getting it" as much as someone who knew more about the broader context. Regardless, the more I'm reading about Churchill, the more there is to admire about him and this book was well worth reading.

What a great book! I knew very little about Churchill and this was a fantastic introduction to a fascinating man. His leadership during his first year as Prime Minister was astounding, and it's likely not overstating it to say that the world would be a very different place without Churchill as Prime Minister in 1940-41. I still don't have the appetite to tackle Manchester's monster biography, but as I "shelter at home" and watch the unfortunately entirely expected lack of leadership in the White House, I can't wait to learn more about Churchill. ("Lack of leadership" seems so bland... is there an opposite of leadership??)

Like the first Rosie book, this is light, fluffy and very entertaining. Rosie is pregnant, and Don's preparation for becoming a father is hilarious. I often found myself laughing out loud. 

After his late entry into the Presidential race in 2020, as we headed toward Super Tuesday, I first read Bloomberg's own book, and then the recent biography by Eleanor Randolph. His own book was surprisingly honest, and Randolph is obviously a fan of his, but her biography seems well-balanced. Bloomberg is incredibly impressive, and I enjoyed both books. I think he would have made an excellent President, but unfortunately, the disaster currently occupying the White House has used the "billionaire" card for the foreseeable future.

After reading multiple books about nuclear bombs and nuclear disasters, I was looking for something lighter and a friend recommended Bear Town. I enjoyed it, though it's not as good as A Man Called Ove. The first part of the book is relatively predictable (small, dying town that revolves around a high school sports team), but the second part is great. 

This is on Bill Gates' list of recommendations. I've never been a David Foster Wallace fan and this book didn't change my mind. A couple of the essays are "ok"; one or two of them were just a slog to get through; I enjoyed the one about Federer. 

Continuing in my nuclear theme ... This book is excellent. After watching the HBO miniseries and listening to the companion podcast, this offered a more detailed recounting of what happened at Chernobyl and left me even more horrified than I had been previously. The author attributes the origins of the disaster to "scientific, technological, socioeconomic, and human factors" unique to the USSR. Astoundingly, the remaining 3 reactors at Chernobyl continued to operate after Reactor 4 melted down - both immediately (Imagine being an operator at one of the other reactors at this power plant in late Apr 1986 and having to continue to show up for work!!) and for another 14 years. BTW, there are still 11 reactors of this design operating today in Russia.

This is John McPhee's book about writing. While some sections are on the dry side, it includes wonderful stories about his career and experiences. The stories about the culture at the New Yorker in 60's and 70's are great. What a different world that was! And - of course - it's beautifully written.

Interesting book about the Manhattan Project and the relationship between Leslie Groves and Robert Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer was clearly a genius and did an amazing job managing the scientists, but I was again struck by Groves' remarkable leadership.

After watching the horrifying HBO mini-series, Chernobyl, and listening to the companion podcast, I wanted to go back to the beginning of nuclear power and hear the story from one of the key players. I'd started this book a couple of times over the years but never got past the introduction. This time, I got into it and couldn't put it down.... It's an astounding account of project management and leadership, and all the people (and companies) that stepped up to help make this extraordinary achievement happen. Groves was the just-promoted Army General who ran the Manhattan Project. The scope of his responsibilities was astounding - including engineering, construction and operation of the plants to make the bomb materials, R&D (he hired Oppenheimer to manage the science), security and counter-intelligence as well as global intelligence related to atomic activities, selecting the target cities and managing the execution of the actual delivery of the bombs. Ironically, whe...

I read Sacred Hoops by Jackson years ago, and really enjoyed it. So I had high expectations for this book - but I had a hard time finishing it. I'm not a huge basketball fan, so maybe the detail was lost on me but I found it too detailed in places and somewhat disjointed.

Taking the wide (and long) view of innovations in 6 areas, and their impact through history: glass, cold, sound, clean, time, light. The connections are fascinating and the impact is amazing. I was particularly blown away by the chapters on glass and cold. Quick, easy read.

Light, fluffy and very entertaining. A socially inept genetics professor sets up a project plan to help him find a wife and then meets a woman who doesn't meet many of the criteria, but intrigues him anyway.

I don't read much fiction anymore and I picked up this book because it was literally next to the bed when I forgot to take a book with me for a weekend... And I really enjoyed it. About a curmudgeonly old man and the neighbors and people in his life who keep interfering with his well-laid plans. The writing is great.

Interesting perspective and advice on being an entrepreneur. He addresses situations and problems that are more colorful and nuanced than most business books. 

An interesting overview of the history of the universe from a multi-disciplinary perspective. I really enjoyed the first half of the book - the Big Bang through the appearance of humans. The second half of the book was tougher to get through - possibly because I'm more interested in cosmology/physics/chemistry than in anthropology.

I bought it because I was amused by the title, and I enjoyed this little book. It offers a friendly, easy-to-read, bite-sized overview of astrophysics for anyone who's curious. Not a lot of depth - but that's not to be expected in a "bite".  Fun, quick read.

Good book to read with my daughter... about being present and focusing on the journey/task and persevering... A very quick read.