Strangely compelling. I'll be damned if I know what it was all about, but I'm glad I read it. This was my first Murakami. It won't be my last.Strangely compelling. I'll be damned if I know what it was all about, but I'm glad I read it. This was my first Murakami. It won't be my last....more
Belongs in the canon of espionage literature for revealing, as the best espionage fiction usually does, the moral bankruptcy of both sides in the ColdBelongs in the canon of espionage literature for revealing, as the best espionage fiction usually does, the moral bankruptcy of both sides in the Cold War....more
I enjoyed this one more than the first one, perhaps because Lisbeth's character was better developed.I enjoyed this one more than the first one, perhaps because Lisbeth's character was better developed....more
Mosley's masterpiece: a lovely meditation on death, memory, family,loyalty and transcendent love.Mosley's masterpiece: a lovely meditation on death, memory, family,loyalty and transcendent love....more
Breathtaking. Disturbing, yet so familiar. Should be required reading for high school social studies students. This book illuminates one of the darkesBreathtaking. Disturbing, yet so familiar. Should be required reading for high school social studies students. This book illuminates one of the darkest chapters in our history. ...more
This is the fourth in the Falcon series, set in Seville. It's not as good as the first two, but that is a high bar. (I haven't read the third yet, altThis is the fourth in the Falcon series, set in Seville. It's not as good as the first two, but that is a high bar. (I haven't read the third yet, although I imagine I will eventually.) It is a very engaging series - excellent characters, complex plots, and intelligently crafted moral dilemmas. If you like Graham Greene or John Le Carre, you'll like Wilson's Falcon series....more
Yeah, I read it, just like the rest of the planet. Yeah, I liked it. And yeah I'll probably read the other two. But not right away. After all, there aYeah, I read it, just like the rest of the planet. Yeah, I liked it. And yeah I'll probably read the other two. But not right away. After all, there are only three -- gotta make 'em last awhile....more
Very accessible and non-technical explanation for how we got into this mess and how to begin getting out of it. Johnson and Kwak are right to describeVery accessible and non-technical explanation for how we got into this mess and how to begin getting out of it. Johnson and Kwak are right to describe the problem as one of politics - the banking oligarchy in the US is totally out of control. Only politics will get us out of the mess the oligarchy created through three and a half decades of financial deregulation. The only way to beat organized money is organized people, and before people (the 99%) can organize institutions that can counter the power of the banking oligarchy (the 1%) they need books like this to help them understand the problem. Anyone sitting around waiting for the regulators or the Democrats to solve things will be waiting a long time....more
Just as good, if not better, than the first Alan Furst I ever read. They're all excellent.Just as good, if not better, than the first Alan Furst I ever read. They're all excellent....more
Here is a sampling of the provocative ideas in this mostly readable, occasionally inscrutable, book: words matter in politics; repeated exposure to poHere is a sampling of the provocative ideas in this mostly readable, occasionally inscrutable, book: words matter in politics; repeated exposure to political metaphors actually changes the brain chemistry; humans are hard-wired for empathy and cooperation; there are two uber-metaphors that distinguish conservatives (father as authoritarian) from progressives (family as protective and nurturing); conservative thinkers in particular have waged successful "cognitive campaigns" that predate policy initiatives, sometimes by decades.
There is a lot to chew on here. I found myself applying his ideas about metaphors and "cognitive campaigns" to the largely successful project by conservatives to deregulate the world's financial markets and then blame the ensuing bailouts on liberals. There are countless other examples one could cite to demonstrate how conservatives have waged and won cognitive campaigns, sometimes before progressives even sensed the ground was shifting. Caught in our "old enlightenment" rationalism, progressives never even join the real battle - the battle for the brain - instead fighting rearguard actions against conservative policies.
His theses are presented as if they are the uncontroversial result of scientific consensus. I suspect the reality is otherwise. Not to worry: Lakoff summarizes the science and provides ample citations for those who wish to delve into the scientific debates.
Whether the science holds up or not, this book is a gallant attempt to help progressives understand how to engage people's brains, not just their minds. ...more
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