Tom Clancy is one of America's best storytellers. The insurance salesman turned author has, over the past two decades, created a world of intrigue where ordinary men do extraordinary things. Each of Clancy's novels have used the current globalpolitical situation as a backdrop. Through the Cold War, the uncertainty of the fragmentation of the Soviet […]
It took me about a day and a half, but at about 6 a.m. this morning I finished the latest Harry Potter book. It was much longer than the previous ones, but it doesn't lag. I'll also say this for the editors -- I only saw one minor copyediting-related mistake. It was much better than […]
I recently finished reading Larry Witham's By Design: Science and the Search for God. It's an excellent book on the history and changing thought in the scientific community on the origins of life. For those looking for a defense of creation science or the latest in design theory, this isn't the book. What it is […]
I just finished reading Simon Singh's "The Code Book." It covers the history of cryptography from Mary Queen of Scots to modern encryption that is used to ensure the security of things such as online shopping. While the book does talk a little about the math of cryptography, the non-math reader should have no problem […]
I'm on vacation this week and I spent much of the day reading Nicholas Sparks' latest book, "The Guardian." Like the rest of Sparks' books, it's a romance (yes, I'm a hopeless romantic, I plead guilty), but unlike most of his other books, there is thriller aspect to the novel as the main characters have […]
Alterman's take on Bernie Goldberg is to nickel-and-dime the former CBS newsman to death. Anyone who's read Goldberg's book knows it's not a scholarly work. It is a series of recollections on a subject. Goldberg is loose with his language, which is not surprising. Alterman punishes him for it, which is also not surprising. However, […]
As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I recently received a review copy of Alterman's new book and began reading it. I got through about 2 1/2 chapters when I realized that I should be reading with a pencil in hand. Every few sentences, Alterman would make some claim that I would find unfounded […]
I've finished reading the latest entry in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, "Crossroads of Twilight." Sorry to say it, but I'm disappointed. I began reading Jordan's series back in college -- 1991 if I recall correctly -- and the guy can tell a story. I've also been impressed over the years at the depth […]
I finished reading Stephen Coonts' latest paperback novel America yesterday. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Coonts' work, the 1991 movie "Flight of the Intruder" was based on his novel. Where Tom Clancy has Jack Ryan, Coonts has Jake Grafton. The reason I enjoy many of today's techno-thrillers, as the genre is commonly […]
Bestselling author Stephen E. Ambrose died today. I've read several of Ambrose's books, most recently "Band of Brothers," and he was an excellent author. In recent months, there was an uproar over some passages in Ambrose's books that were apparently lifted directly from other sources. But, setting that aside, Ambrose will be remembered for doing […]