Category Archives: book
The Half-Life of Facts
In The Half-Life of Facts (2012), author Samuel Arbesman argues that “everything we know has an expiration date. It’s basically an argument in favor of Internet search engines over rote memorization, and a reminder that the world changes as much … Continue reading
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Bananas
Peter Chapman’s Bananas (2008) tells the story of how the United Fruit Company pretty much ran Central America for a good part of the 20th century. A good read that will help explain why “Banana Republics” became the norm in … Continue reading
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The Quants
“The Quants” (2010), by Scott Patterson, brings to mind the adage “To err is human, but to really screw things up you need a computer.” The subtitle tells you what you need to know: How a New Breed of Math … Continue reading
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The Fish that Ate the Whale
The well told story of the Russian immigrant who competed against, sold out to and then took over the United Fruit Company. By Rich Cohen, author of the memoir “Sweet and Low” and “Tough Jews.” Read reviews from the NY … Continue reading
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Gone Girl
A wife goes missing from a troubled marriage, in a story told from his and her perspectives. A very enjoyable read. Read reviews from the Chicago Tribune and the New York Times.
Dealers of Lightning
Michael Hiltzik tells the story of the Xerox scientists and engineers who established the company’s Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), where many of the fundamental innovations underlying computer networking, graphics, and Internet were invented. Xerox could have been on the … Continue reading
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The Watchers
In The Watchers: The Rise of America’s Surveillance State (2010), Shane Harris explains the modern world of “signals intelligence,” and how it got to be this way. To summarize the current state of affairs, some arm of the U.S. government … Continue reading
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The Invisible Gorilla
In The Invisible Gorilla (2010), psychology professors Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons build on their famous “Invisible Gorilla” experiment that won them the 2004 Ig Nobel Prize. Their web site provides a good synopsis of the book: Reading this book … Continue reading
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Modern New York
In Modern New York (2012), Crain’s New York columnist Greg David offers an insightful history of New York City and its economy since 1965. David demonstrates how tourism has filled the gap left by the decline of the city’s manufacturing … Continue reading
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Fooling Houdini
Fooling Houdini (2012) is an interesting peek into the history and subculture of magicians. I found the author’s side trips into the world of three card monte and psychology much more enjoyable than his forays into clown school and his … Continue reading
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