Category Archives: Book Reviews

Book Review:  The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War by Erik Larson

I wouldn’t say I have a particular penchant for Civil War stories, but this book caught my attention due to its relevance to the modern era of political antagonism and uncertainty. The author researched and wrote the book during the … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review:  The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech’s Hype and Create the Future We Want by Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna

The year 2023 saw the publication of The Internet Con by Cory Doctorow, which explains how big tech creates monopolies for their products so that consumers needing to access them have a dearth of options. This exclusivity allows tech companies … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review:  The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami

I have already read and appreciated several of Murakami’s books, including the novels Kafka on the Shore and Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage and short story collections Men Without Women and First Person Singular. I like his … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review:  The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life by Suleika Jaouad

In a literary marketplace that is surfeited with imitations and imitations of imitations, The Book of Alchemy is a startlingly original book. It concerns the value of journaling, both as a therapeutic device and as an art form. However, it … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews, On Writing | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History by Ned Blackhawk (Part Two)

This is a tragic story of greed and betrayal, certainly a black spot and cause for shame in the nation’s history. As I read it, I wondered whether humankind was capable of truly evolving. Sure, we can come up with … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review:  The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History by Ned Blackhawk (Part One)

One of the enduring friends I made when I attended the Clarion West science fiction writing workshop in 1973 was the late Russell Bates, a Kiowa Native American who’d already sold several indigenous-themed stories to magazines and anthologies and went … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review:  We Do Not Part by Han Kang

Han Kang is a South Korean author who was awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature. This novel is my first exposure to her work, and I should clarify from the outset that We Do Not Part is well-written, atmospheric, … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review:  Poor Things by Alasdair Gray

I realize that the film version of Poor Things is highly acclaimed, but I started watching it not long ago and I couldn’t get into it. I didn’t like the grainy black and white photography. It would be different if … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Book Review:  Zen Under Fire: How I Found Peace in the Midst of War by Marianne Elliot

After working for two years for a human rights organization in the Gaza Strip and six months for another organization in Kabul, New Zealander Elliott finds what she refers to as her dream job with the U.N. in Afghanistan. She … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review:  Close to Home: The Wonders of Nature Just Outside Your Door by Thor Hanson

If this book had been a type of gardening guide or something similar I would not have been interested. However, Hanson goes beyond merely extolling the beauties of nature you can find close at hand; in fact, his writings have … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment