Sorry for the blog silence, life and work have me loaded down.  I hope to get out from under things soon.  In the meantime here are some books to check out.

--> A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World by Tony Horwitz

Kirkus Reviews

Irreverent, effervescent reexamination of early exploration in the Americas by peripatetic, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Horwitz (The Devil May Care: 50 Intrepid Americans and Their Quest for the Unknown, 2003, etc.). What do Americans really know about the discovery of their continent? Visiting the sadly puny Plymouth Rock prompted this energetic, likable author to delve into the historic record and sniff out the real story behind America's creation myth, from one section of the country to the other. The Vikings arrived first around 1000 CE, when Leif Eiriksson settled for a spell in Newfoundland, enjoying the grapes and mild weather before being run off by the native Skraelings. Horwitz sought out the probable descendants of these natives, the Micmac, who invited him to a cleansing ceremony in their sweat lodge. Next, the author studied the mixed-up voyages of Columbus, whose ignorance of the globe led him to believe that the eastern Bahamas, where he first landed, was the Orient.

While the Spanish were claiming the Caribbean, Mexico and Peru, Ponce de Le-n, a veteran of Columbus's second voyage, struck Daytona Beach in 1513 and named the land La Florida. Alvar Nu-ez Cabeza de Vaca made inroads through Florida and Texas between 1528 and 1536, while ruthless Hernando de Soto cut throughout the South a pitiless swath of destruction and slaughter of natives. These voyages came long before Sir Walter Raleigh sent English colonists to settle on Roanoke Island, Va., in 1585. By 1540, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado penetrated the Southwest from Mexico in search of fabled cities, and in Florida, a little-known Huguenot settlement established in 1564 at La Caroline was wiped out by Spanishinvaders. The author revisited all of these sites to speak to the locals, who are often as colorful as the forgotten history he was tracking. Accessible to all ages, hands-on and immensely readable, this book invites readers to search out America's story for themselves.

--> The Strong Man: John Mitchell and the Secrets of Watergate by James Rosen

Publishers Weekly

Casting the 66th attorney general and Watergate felon as the most upright man in the Nixon administration is faint praise indeed, to judge by this biography. Fox News correspondent Rosen applauds Mitchell for his tough law-and-order policies, school-desegregation efforts and hard line against leftist radicals, and for enduring wife Martha's alcoholic breakdowns and raving late-night phone calls to reporters. The book's heart is Rosen's meticulous, exhaustively researched study of Mitchell's Watergate role, absolving him of ordering the break-in and most other charges leveled against him. Instead, Mitchell is painted as a force for propriety who was framed by others—especially White House counsel John Dean, who comes off as Watergate's evil genius. (Rosen also claims Watergate burglar James McCord was secretly working for the CIA and deliberately sabotaged the break-in.) Unfortunately, Rosen's salutes to Mitchell's integrity and reverence for the law clash with his accounts of the man's misdeeds: undermining the Paris peace talks, suborning and committing perjury, tolerating the criminal scheming in Nixon's White House and re-election campaign. Mitchell may have blanched at the Nixon administration's sleazy intrigues, as Rosen insists, but he seems not to have risen above them.

--> The Natural History of the Bible by Daniel Hillel

Publishers Weekly

That environmental factors affect our daily lives is disputed by no one. But can environment, climate and topology play a part in the development of a religious community? Hillel, professor emeritus of environmental studies at the University of Massachusetts and senior research scientist at Columbia University's Center for Climate Systems Research, says yes. He comes to the subject immersed in the lore of ancient Israel, from his grandfather's instruction to his own years living in modern Israel. He sees the Jewish belief system as an amalgam of ideas emerging from an interplay of human beings with both the land and its peoples, "absorb[ing] all the cultural strands... from all the ecological domains of the ancient Near East... and assimilat[ing] them into their own culture." He divides sacred history into seven "domains," dispensations based not on some theological construct but rather on the terrain in which the Israelites lived. What emerges is a largely naturalistic explanation of Israel's beliefs and laws, with a strong emphasis on the impact of culture and environment on the evolving Jewish religion. Hillel recounts, in a richly detailed and beautifully told manner, the origins of the Hebrew Bible in a new and satisfying way.

First let's talk about cost.  $400 is a lot of money.  I would not have spent the money myself.  It was a Christmas gift and a wonderful one.  If the price is too high for you I can respect that.  I don't really want to get into a debate about whether it is "worth" $400 or not.  That is really up to the individual to decide.  But considering what people spend on cell phones, PDAs, Mp3 players it doesn't strike me as ridiculously over-priced by any means.

The no brainer type for this device is an avid reader who travels a lot.  If you read a lot of bestsellers or popular books and you are on the road a lot the Kindle would be awesome.  You can bring an incredible amount of reading material in one handy device that is about the size and weight of a trade paperback.  Plus, if for some reason you run out you can buy more instantly.  As a bonus you can listen to music and do some basic web surfing. I can't imagine why a book addict traveler wouldn't find the Kindle a wonderful tool.

But I am not a frequent traveler, so why do I love the Kindle?  Convenience.  The basic advantage is the ability to have access to a wide array of reading material in a small light weight form.  With the Kindle it is easy to never be without something to read.

Let's start with books.  And let's start with a few caveats: 

- Yes, not all books are available.  This is a drawback. I wish more books were available.  But a lot of books are available and more are being added every day.

- There are still some books I want to read in hard copy format.  Books where the illustrations, the look and feel of the book, are part of the process of reading it.  But this is a limited set of books so it isn't a big problem.  I don't need to read everything on the Kindle just enough to make it worthwhile.

- I really haven't had much trouble inadvertently hitting page forward buttons or anything else.  But it does take a little time to get used to handling it given the location of the buttons.  At first I thought it would be a problem, but I just seemed to get used to it.

Now on to the positives.

One of the great things about the Kindle is the instant nature of the process.  Find out one of your favorite authors just came out with a new book?  Buy it on your Kindle and read it seconds later.  Imagine if the Kindle was around for the Harry Potter books.  The moment the book came out you could start reading it.  I find that cool.  No running to the store or waiting for Amazon to ship it to you.

More below.

One of my favorites series along these lines is the Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley. They are creative, fun, easy reads, with a touch of suspense and have great illustrations. What's not to like?

The latest in the series (book six) has recently come out, and Tales from the Hood is a delightful addition to the sister's adventures.

For those of you unfamiliar with the premise of the series, it is that the famous Brothers Grimm were not capturing folktales and fairy tales but actual history. As the world turns away from believing these stories the magical creatures involved end up sequestered in a sleepy town in upstate New York called Ferryport landing.

The central characters, Daphne and Sabrina Grimm, are long last relatives of the brothers and they end up in the family business: solving the crimes and mysteries of the magical residents of their new home town known as "Everafters." A group of the Everafters known as the Red Hand, however, resent the Grimms for their role in trapping them in Ferryport. They kidnap Daphne and Sabrina's parents and put them in a deep sleep. The arc of the series is driven by the Grimm's quest to rescue and awaken them. Each book resolves a smaller mystery while keeping this over-arching mystery just out of reach and ends with "To Be Continued."

For more on book six see below.

- Meagan McArdle offers ten reasons why she loves her Kindle

- James Joyner is still not a believer.

The Kindle, BTW, is now available for immediate shipping!

That being said, Flabbergasted is an interesting read and a family friendly one at that. It is refreshing to read a book that doesn't treat becoming a Christian like joining a weird cult or as a fig leaf for a warped psyche. Given the bias and antagonism that much of our culture has towards faith Blackstone provides a nice counter-balance. He paints a picture of real people living real lives yet doing it in within the context of church and faith. Jay's path to faith may seem a little trite at times but it is honest and sincere. Not everyone needs to go through a "dark night of the soul" to come to faith in Christ.

Blackstone has gone on to write a number of novels including two sequels to Flabbergasted. His latest book, Par for the Course, caught my eye because of its subject matter: golf and politics. I thought it would be interesting to see what Blackstone could do with two of my hobbies.

Here is the set up for the book:

In PAR FOR THE COURSE, Chris Hackett owns and operates Hack's Golf Learning Center, an eccentric golf range in Charleston, SC. Chris jumps at the chance to step up his game when an attractive new student and political correspondent, Molly, suggests that Chris capitalize on the current, highly polarized, presidential election. This pitting of right versus left means even more income, plus a sharp new girlfriend, and soon Chris, his sidekick, Cack, and their unique golf range are the talk of the town . . . until someone takes the political insults too seriously. Will Molly stick around as Chris learns the true meaning of "playing politics"? And will Chris realize how much he wants her to?

Like Flabbergasted, Par for the Course has dating as a focus. And obviously Blackstone is still writing for a Christian perspective. But the faith element is largely missing from the story. Instead it focuses on Chris and his interaction with women.

The hook for the story, having golfers try to hit a specialized golf cart while Cack hurls partisan insults at them is interesting. And Blackstone handles the set up pretty smoothly - although, a plot line about a feminist speaker never really goes anywhere - and adds in some tension when the plan backfires with disastrous results. Before things turn ugly, however, Blackstone delivers some funny moments.

Chris is an interesting character in many ways. A nice guy who couldn't quite make it as a professional golfer who really wants a family but lacks confidence when it comes to the opposite sex. Blackstone uses him to explore the discussion men have about relationships as well as the challenges of dating and career.

But like Flabbergasted, the question comes down to one of taste (I feel like a broken record on this point). If you are looking for lighthearted, squeaky clean, and slightly cheesy fare then you will probably enjoy Par for the Course.

If you prefer your fiction a little deeper and with a more literary bent then you will probably be disappointed. Blackstone avoids dark or difficult topics and wraps everything up in a nice happy bow. His style makes for a quick read and his main characters are likable if corny. But, IMHO, they require little of the reader and don't make much of an impact.

To me they are Christian fluff, pleasant and family friendly, but fluff nonetheless.

Allow me to steal PW's plot summary:

In the basement of a Southern California yogurt shop one hot summer night, Jonathan, a down-on-his-luck fro-yo slinger, discovers several young, beautiful naked women encased in glass and suspended lifelessly in a milky mixture. Jonathan's boss, Spinner, catches him nosing around and reveals his experiment: acidophilus, yogurt's active culture, has the uncanny ability to preserve and nourish life, he explains, and the women bobbing before Jonathan's wide eyes are making "an investment in their future." When foul play suddenly makes the women Jonathan's wards, he has to see if he has the right stuff to care for them-and perhaps free them.

This is a succinct plot summation and it gives you an idea of the comic nature of the story.  But the real focus of the novel is Jonathan's inability to do anything right and the flawed perception and self-deception that is at the root of his problems.

Jonathan is certainly an unreliable narrator.  He presents each of his actions and decisions as rational and well intentioned even as each ends in disaster and failure.  At the start of the story, Jonathan sets out to save a dog unjustly imprisoned and facing euthanasia.  Despite his good intentions, however, this rescue attempt ends in death and mayhem and the release of a dangerous and vicious dog.

Once he finds the women in the basement, Jonathan once again proceeds with a plan to rescue them and once again things end badly.  This is a pattern in his life.  In fact, one of the women suspended in yogurt resembles a girlfriend Jonathan may or may not have left on the side of the road in Mexico.

Jonathan as lovable loser provides some comic moments.  You have to chuckle as he tries to manage the increasing mess he has made of his life with only the feeblest of mental and social skills.  As things come crashing down around him he seems convinced he is just one lucky break away from solving his problems.

What made Girl Factory more intriguing, at least for me, was whether Jonathan was really a bumbling idiot or whether there was something a little more sinister at work.  Is he just stupid - unable to see his lame ideas and rationalizations for what they are - or is he really a sort of psychopath who rationalizes his violence by acting like everything is just an honest mistake or misunderstanding?

Jonathan beans an employee at the dog shelter with a crowbar, plays a role in the death of the women in the yogurt shop basement, and might have abandoned his girlfriend in the middle of nowhere while on a road trip in Mexico.  You don't have to be a conspiracy theory nut to wonder if the bodies pilling up around Jonathan are more than just accidents.

And all of this is wrapped up in this comic, almost absurd, story about women suspended in yogurt and whether Jonathan can resuscitate them with some combination of soap and water.  Krusoe never reveals the answer to any of the questions but lets the reader attempt to work it out on their own.

And let's be honest, Krusoe may take things to an absurd level, but I think we can all admit that perception plays a huge role in our lives and it isn't always easy to spot the difference between harmless rationalization and dangerous self-deception.

However you come down on what the story is really about, Girl Factory is certainly entertaining.  And short enough to be considered a novella, with a quick and engaging style, it is a quick read.  Its wry humor and insightful descriptions of human nature and American culture will bring a smile to your face and occasionally a chuckle. 

But I bet it will also leave you pondering what it was really all about.

Business degree in hand, Logan enters the immense Universal Systems building and is hired as an organizational analyst — a trouble-shooter. His job: evaluate the company’s five divisions, each on a separate level and each operating on startlingly unique principles. Which set of principles is successful? Why is most of the company’s profit generated by one tiny division? What is real profit, anyway? And who is the enigmatic executive that Logan ends up reporting to? Logan engages in a life-changing pursuit for The Next Level–a fascinating parable that will help you answer some of life’s most perplexing and vital questions. Joining Logan in evaluating each level’s approach, you’ll be inspired to consider the big picture of your own life from an entirely different perspective — one that holds the key to life’s ultimate purpose. No matter where you are now, get ready to embark on your own passionate pursuit of The Next Level.

Publishers Weekly

Returning from the story collection Do the Windows Open?(1996) and novel, The Unprofessionals(2003), Hecht's married, childless photographer is still stuck in her mid-40s. Diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and counting the Nantucket days until she can see her psychiatrist again, she quietly frets the summer away over the course of seven expertly heartbreaking tales. The narrator has mastered her issues, but only to the point that her horror-of other people's meat eating, of their bodily flaws and of almost everything else about them-surfaces in only the mildest passive-aggressive forms; what goes on beneath that surface is what comprises the book. "Over There" chronicles two visits to an elderly hard-of-hearing neighbor: its tacit comparison of the narrator's ways of accommodating her illness with her neighbor's accommodations of old age is exquisite. "Being and Nothingness" records the narrator's use of an Emerson biography and of taking the flag down as an antidote to the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal. Elsewhere, she intervenes in a gay actor-waiter acquaintance's health regimen, and instructs her intractable Jamaican "cleaner helper" Norma on the dangers of radiation-and on how to dress for her job. A life that consists entirely of neurotic avoidance produces a peculiar pathos, and Hecht nails it unfailingly.

--> Havana Gold: The Havana Quartet by Leonardo Padura

Publishers Description

Twenty-four-year-old Lissette Delgado was beaten, raped, and then strangled with a towel. Marijuana is found in her apartment and her wardrobe is suspiciously beyond the means of a high school teacher. Lieutenant Conde is pressured by "the highest authority" to conclude this investigation quickly when chance leads him into the arms of a beautiful redhead, a saxophone player who shares his love for jazz and fighting fish.

This is a Havana of crumbling, grand buildings, secrets hidden behind faded doors, and corruption. For an author living in Cuba, Leonardo Padura is remarkably outspoken about the failings of Fidel Castro's regime. Yet this is a eulogy of Cuba, its life of music, sex, and the great friendships of those who elected to stay and fight for survival.

When I first heard about the new novel from Adam Gittlin, The Deal, I thought it had an interesting hook: big time commercial real estate in New York City. Seemed like an interesting backdrop to a thriller. That turned out to be true, but the heart of The Deal isn't real estate but trust and priorities. Who can you trust and what is most important to you.

The Deal is an fast paced thriller with an interesting setting and a creative twisting plot. But I will confess that the main character turned me off and this hampered my enjoyment of the book.

Here is the publishers tease that sets up the plot:

Everything about Jonah Gray screams success movie-star good looks, expensive clothes, a Park Avenue penthouse, and a seven-figure income. A cutthroat, rainmaking New York city commercial real estate broker, Jonah craves opulence and power. He beds models, romps the globe on the weekends and sees the world as his for the taking. Jonah Gray has it all. Or at least he had it all.

When a friend presents Jonah with the deal of a lifetime, Jonah jumps at the chance. All Jonah has to do is act quickly, invest half a billion dollars in prime NY office buildings, and collect a huge payoff.

But this golden opportunity is anything but. Within days of signing on, Jonah is mysteriously thrust into the epicenter of an international and personal scandal.

Forced to explore a whole new territory where he can trust no one, and where danger, death and deception lurk at every corner, Jonah will learn some painfully hard lessons about the quest for easy money.

Closing this deal could mean losing everything.

The commercial real estate business in New York provides the setting for the novel and it also helps introduce us to the central character Jonah Gray. Jonah not only works in the business but grew up around it as his father is a mover and shaker in the same field. Jonah's life and career is centered on this world. And a central aspect of the plot is focused on a real estate deal.

But once the plot really picks up steam the real estate aspect begins to fade away. At this point the traditional thriller aspects take over and the setting is just background. In some ways this is natural, and the setting provides a creative way to kick the plot off. But the author, who works in the business, also spends time having the character talk shop in ways that cause the plot to drag and may not interest readers.

I realize there is a fine line between a realistic setting and too much background, and the shop talk involved wasn't that distracting, but Gittlin might find the industry more fascinating than the average reader. For me, the book took a while to really get in a rhythm. Once it hit its stride it was a fast paced story and quick read, but it dragged a bit in setting the stage.

For more click the link:

Professor: Does everyone know who Robert Bork is?

Student: Yes, he is a fascist!

Why do I bring this up? It came to mind while watching Jonah Goldberg discuss his book Liberal Fascism at Denison University Monday night. This sort of exchange has been witnessed by nearly every conservative in America. If they haven't been called a fascist of some sort they have had one of their intellectual heroes (Reagan, William F. Buckley, etc.) called one.

Tired of constantly hearing about how the threat of fascism, if not its actual existence, was from conservatism Jonah decided to write a book to correct this glaring popular misconception. And Monday night he outlined his arguments for a gathering of college students and what seemed to me like a number of adult Goldberg fans (they actually ran out of books to be signed).

Long time readers will be aware that I am not exactly an unbiased observer in the controversies that have erupted surrounding Jonah's book. Jonah helped me get my start in online Journalism at National Review Online and I had the opportunity to read Liberal Fascism in galley form.

So feel free to take my opinion with whatever grains of salt you feel are appropriate, but I think Liberal Fascism (LF) is a fascinating, timely, and important book. I meant to write about the book, the controversy surrounding its publication, and even interview Jonah but a variety of factors led to that not happening. Hearing Jonah's talk Monday night made me feel a little guilty for not having put my thoughts down on paper when the book came out.

So I am belatedly attempting to remedy that today. More after the jump.

Publishers Weekly

Historian Freeman (The Philosopher and the Druids: A Journey Among the Ancient Celts) paints a flattering portrait of Caesar in this admirable biography, exalting his cunning, military skill, political insights and allegiance to the plebeian class. In fast-paced prose and detailed historical sketches, Freeman traces Caesar's life from early youth onward, covering his marriage and service as a priest (or pontifex); his election to pontifex maximusin 63 B.C.; his command of Roman forces in the Gallic Wars; his ascension to leader of the republic; and his famous assassination. Drawing on Caesar's own writings, Freeman portrays him as a brilliant military strategist whose defense of Roman land in the Gallic Wars extended the rule of Rome from Italy to the Atlantic. Caesar returned to Italy in 49 B.C. and became dictator three years later, seeking to improve the republic through civic reforms, including the taking of a proper census, the building of a library, the codification of Roman law and the conversion of Rome to a solar calendar. Although Freeman's biography reveals little new information about Caesar, his cultural and historical knowledge bring the emperor to life and humanize him in a way no writer before him has succeeded in doing.

--> Horse: How the Horse Has Shaped Civilizations by J. Edward Chamberlin

The Washington Post - Jane Smiley

While Horse is not as detailed and informative as I might wish for, it is well worth reading for the way Chamberlin builds his argument and his energy, and for the way that, yes, even rational humans who might never buy a horse or watch a horse race might be brought to appreciate what horses have done for us and meant to us for thousands of years.

--> Magnifico: The Brilliant Life and Violent Times of Lorenzo de' Medici by Miles J. Unger

Publishers Weekly

Although a well-mined biography topic, the Medici dynasty continues to fascinate, and critic Unger (The Watercolors of Winslow Homer) offers a smart, highly readable and abundantly researched book, making particularly good use of Medici family letters and earlier biographical sources such as Machiavelli's writings. Heir to a vast international banking empire and trading cartel with branches in Venice, London and Geneva, Lorenzo de' Medici (1449-1492) was born to rule. Naturally sociable and charismatic with a common touch, famous temper and cynical world view, the teenaged Lorenzo excelled in classics, riding, arms, archery and music. He pursued liaisons with both women and men, represented his sickly father, Piero, on an important diplomatic mission and thwarted his father's enemies during a legendary ambush. His accomplishments do not stop there: as Florence's de facto ruler, Lorenzo actively collaborated with the artist Botticelli, was a master tactician and diplomat, and survived a papal-sanctioned assassination attempt that claimed the life of his beloved brother. Renaissance Florence-where wealthy aristocrats rubbed shoulders with the poor on narrow city streets and whose art and intellectual life dazzled Europe-is itself an intriguing character, proving Unger's mastery over his facts.

--> Pennsylvania Avenue: Profiles in Backroom Power by John Harwood and Gerald Seib

Kirkus Reviews

There are plenty of centrists in America, but to judge by Wall Street Journal stalwarts Harwood and Seib, there are very few in Washington. These profiles of 16 of the capital city's fixers, fundraisers, spin doctors and assorted movers and shakers reveal that they agree on little except that they disagree. Americans have always known political divisions, the authors aver, but "today the divisions have taken on a new character. Power is so divided between the two parties that, in a very real sense, nobody has enough control either to paper over differences or to roll past them. Nobody is in charge." Moreover, Republicans and Democrats no longer hang out in the same bars and restaurants, as they once did. Indeed, many, such as Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas, no longer hang out in Washington, preferring, in essence, to commute from their districts rather than become dreaded inside-the-Beltway insiders.

The furor over the Dubai Ports World affair, whereby a foreign-owned (and Arabic-speaking) company would be in charge of several American seaports, is just one of the partisan cases in point. There was so much shouting involved that few sat down to discuss if there was any merit to awarding the contract to a company that, after all, managed ports all over the world. Some lament the death of collegiality; some true believers applaud it. But the real movers and shakers, this book makes plain without quite saying so, are a tribe unto themselves. Ken Mehlman, one-time Republican Party chairman, is the law partner of one-time Democratic Party chairman Robert Strauss, and he is given to wondering why the two contingents have yet to really make common cause against the "Islamic fascists . . . themost anti-Semitic, sexist, homophobic, religiously intolerant force in the world."The culture may change soon. It may not. Policy wonks will enjoy this solid, well-reported portrait of life in the District, while insiders will look for their names in the index.

What if a fascinating stranger knew you better than you know yourself? When her husband comes home with a farfetched story about eating dinner with someone he believes to be Jesus, Mattie Cominsky thinks this may signal the end of her shaky marriage. Convinced that Nick is, at best, turning into a religious nut, the self-described agnostic hopes that a quick business trip will give her time to think things through. On board the plane, Mattie strikes up a conversation with a fellow passenger. When she discovers their shared scorn for religion, she confides her frustration over her husband’s recent conversion. The stranger suggests that perhaps her husband isn’t seeking religion but true spiritual connection, an idea that prompts her to reflect on her own search for fulfillment. As their conversation turns to issues of spiritual longing and deeper questions about the nature of God, Mattie finds herself increasingly drawn to this insightful stranger. But when the discussion unexpectedly turns personal, touching on things she’s never told anyone, Mattie is startled and disturbed. Who is this man who seems to peer straight into her soul?