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Quick book reviews
(Disclaimer: Links to go Amazon; if you buy with the link, I get a kickback. Which I will use to buy more books. Please, allow me to buy more books.)
1. Every Hand Revealed by Gus Hansen: Hansen has a bad image among poker watchers as a complete maniac. Which, let's face it, he is, but he's a maniac with smarts. This book is a recounting of his 2007 Aussie Millions tournament win, in which Hansen noted down every hand he played and reconstructs them for the reader, including his reasoning and his strategy, and it reveals that the times when he looks to be craziest, he's actually quite conservative -- if you know his reasoning. This is not for the poker novice -- if you don't understand the concept of "pot odds" and basic hold 'em strategy, for instance, you'll be totally lost -- but if you follow poker at all, it's a fascinating look into the mind of a pro, and Hansen proves to be capable of not only educating, but producing surprisingly solid writing. (Poker.)
2. Gaming the Vote: Why Elections Aren't Fair (And What We Can Do About It) by William Poundstone: Sarah brought this home from the library tonight randomly (the library messed up her reserve; she was aiming for another of Poundstone's books) and I read it over dinner; I couldn't put it down. Poundstone's book lies at the intersection of game theory, economic theory, and political theory, and it takes as his premise the challenge: plurality voting is obviously broken, so what would be broken less? He does a great job of explaining the theoretical problem for a layperson, a fantastic job of illustrating the pros and cons of alternate voting systems, and a pretty good job of mapping this onto the real-world American political process without partisan bias; the only place he falls down slightly is making the case for his preferred system, which was the shallowest of all the sections. His sense of humor rounds out the equation and carries the sections that would otherwise be quite dry. (Political game theory)
3. Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichel: This is the memoir of Reichel's years as the New York Times food critic -- both her struggle to broaden the range of restaurants that the Times reviewed, and her struggle to experience each restaurant as the average reader would and not as the "New York Times Food Critic" would. It's one part professional memoir, one part personal memoir, and one part meditation on class and privilege as it plays out in America (and particularly the American restaurant industry); in the hands of a lesser writer, this would be a horrible mishmash, but in Reichel's hands, it proves an excellent read indeed. (Memoir)
4. Moving Violations: War Zones, Wheelchairs, and Declarations of Independence by John Hockenberry: I like to crack that this is an absolutely stunning 275-page book that unfortunately clocks in at a merely-good 350 pages, which is glib but true; Hockenberry could have used an editor in a few places, and prompting to expand certain bits while paring down others. Still, this is a fabulous read; Hockenberry tells the tale of his years as the NPR correspondant in the Middle East (including through the first Gulf War). The catch? Hockenberry has been a paraplegic since a car crash at age 19. Like Reichel's book, this is one part personal-disability memoir, one part professional memoir, and one part meditation on American foreign policy and how Americans (particularly disabled Americans) are treated abroad; the glue holding this together is a little weaker, but still fabulous. Honest and candid, with both humor and rage driving it. (Memoir)
5. Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely: "Behavioral economics" is a pretty new science; it deals not with how markets move, but the factors that influence and shape choices. The classic application of behavioral economics is in financial markets, but Ariely argues that the principles apply to just about every decision we make -- and he argues it pretty well. This is a short, quick read that's a must for anyone who works in any decision-making capability to help you understand the unconscious biases that are playing into your logical (or "logical") thought patterns -- and a double must for anyone who's working in marketing or wants to learn how to be more resistant to it. (Behavioral economics)
6. Once Upon A Number: The Hidden Mathematical Logic Of Stories by John Allen Paulos: Don't let the word "math" throw you; this is more theory-of-statistics than mathematics. Paulos does a lot of work on "math for math-haters" (his book Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences, which I link as a two-for-one here, is deeply angry at the state of math education, but does a fabulous job not only of pointing out what causes lack of math ability in your average American and why it's dangerous, but also explaining a lot of the things that people have problems with in a clear and completely understandable fashion). This is a good example; he connects math and storytelling in an interesting and engaging way, and oddly enough, reading this made me a better writer. (As a dyscalculaic who loves the concept of math, but has zero competence in the execution of math, trust me: if I can follow it, just about anyone can.) (Math)
7. Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky: Kurlansky is a systematic historian; he sees and synthesizes connections that might not be apparent to others, and more than that, he does so in a way that makes those connections obvious and self-evident when you read them. This is one of his best books; it traces the influence of salt on history through everything from politics to war to science to (obviously) cooking. Clear, cogent, and entertaining, as well as providing a bunch of fun anecdotes for your next dinner party. (History)
8. A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage: I'm not sure if I entirely buy Standage's theory that each era of history has had its signature beverage and that beverage was a major driving force in the development of that era -- but he argues the hell out of it, and it's an entertaining read. Like Kurlansky's book, this is an overview of anecdotes, and it falls shallow on detail in a few places, so if you're already a systematic-history buff you might not find much new here -- but it's still a good read. (History)
9. Blue Blood by Edward Conlon: This is a memoir of Conlon's time on the NYPD, from rookie to detective, including a whole section on his experiences on 9/11. It's brutally honest and unapologetic about the realities of cop life, both the good things and the bad things, and Conlon doesn't try to play for good impressions (or try to cadge political favor). He has a strong voice, and navigates through historical, political, and personal-memoir levels of detail at varying points; this isn't so much a collection of "cop stories" as a snapshot of Conlon's life, which means that people who are just there for the cop stories might find that it drags, but I came away from this liking Conlon as a person as well as a storyteller. (Memoir)
1. Every Hand Revealed by Gus Hansen: Hansen has a bad image among poker watchers as a complete maniac. Which, let's face it, he is, but he's a maniac with smarts. This book is a recounting of his 2007 Aussie Millions tournament win, in which Hansen noted down every hand he played and reconstructs them for the reader, including his reasoning and his strategy, and it reveals that the times when he looks to be craziest, he's actually quite conservative -- if you know his reasoning. This is not for the poker novice -- if you don't understand the concept of "pot odds" and basic hold 'em strategy, for instance, you'll be totally lost -- but if you follow poker at all, it's a fascinating look into the mind of a pro, and Hansen proves to be capable of not only educating, but producing surprisingly solid writing. (Poker.)
2. Gaming the Vote: Why Elections Aren't Fair (And What We Can Do About It) by William Poundstone: Sarah brought this home from the library tonight randomly (the library messed up her reserve; she was aiming for another of Poundstone's books) and I read it over dinner; I couldn't put it down. Poundstone's book lies at the intersection of game theory, economic theory, and political theory, and it takes as his premise the challenge: plurality voting is obviously broken, so what would be broken less? He does a great job of explaining the theoretical problem for a layperson, a fantastic job of illustrating the pros and cons of alternate voting systems, and a pretty good job of mapping this onto the real-world American political process without partisan bias; the only place he falls down slightly is making the case for his preferred system, which was the shallowest of all the sections. His sense of humor rounds out the equation and carries the sections that would otherwise be quite dry. (Political game theory)
3. Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichel: This is the memoir of Reichel's years as the New York Times food critic -- both her struggle to broaden the range of restaurants that the Times reviewed, and her struggle to experience each restaurant as the average reader would and not as the "New York Times Food Critic" would. It's one part professional memoir, one part personal memoir, and one part meditation on class and privilege as it plays out in America (and particularly the American restaurant industry); in the hands of a lesser writer, this would be a horrible mishmash, but in Reichel's hands, it proves an excellent read indeed. (Memoir)
4. Moving Violations: War Zones, Wheelchairs, and Declarations of Independence by John Hockenberry: I like to crack that this is an absolutely stunning 275-page book that unfortunately clocks in at a merely-good 350 pages, which is glib but true; Hockenberry could have used an editor in a few places, and prompting to expand certain bits while paring down others. Still, this is a fabulous read; Hockenberry tells the tale of his years as the NPR correspondant in the Middle East (including through the first Gulf War). The catch? Hockenberry has been a paraplegic since a car crash at age 19. Like Reichel's book, this is one part personal-disability memoir, one part professional memoir, and one part meditation on American foreign policy and how Americans (particularly disabled Americans) are treated abroad; the glue holding this together is a little weaker, but still fabulous. Honest and candid, with both humor and rage driving it. (Memoir)
5. Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely: "Behavioral economics" is a pretty new science; it deals not with how markets move, but the factors that influence and shape choices. The classic application of behavioral economics is in financial markets, but Ariely argues that the principles apply to just about every decision we make -- and he argues it pretty well. This is a short, quick read that's a must for anyone who works in any decision-making capability to help you understand the unconscious biases that are playing into your logical (or "logical") thought patterns -- and a double must for anyone who's working in marketing or wants to learn how to be more resistant to it. (Behavioral economics)
6. Once Upon A Number: The Hidden Mathematical Logic Of Stories by John Allen Paulos: Don't let the word "math" throw you; this is more theory-of-statistics than mathematics. Paulos does a lot of work on "math for math-haters" (his book Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences, which I link as a two-for-one here, is deeply angry at the state of math education, but does a fabulous job not only of pointing out what causes lack of math ability in your average American and why it's dangerous, but also explaining a lot of the things that people have problems with in a clear and completely understandable fashion). This is a good example; he connects math and storytelling in an interesting and engaging way, and oddly enough, reading this made me a better writer. (As a dyscalculaic who loves the concept of math, but has zero competence in the execution of math, trust me: if I can follow it, just about anyone can.) (Math)
7. Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky: Kurlansky is a systematic historian; he sees and synthesizes connections that might not be apparent to others, and more than that, he does so in a way that makes those connections obvious and self-evident when you read them. This is one of his best books; it traces the influence of salt on history through everything from politics to war to science to (obviously) cooking. Clear, cogent, and entertaining, as well as providing a bunch of fun anecdotes for your next dinner party. (History)
8. A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage: I'm not sure if I entirely buy Standage's theory that each era of history has had its signature beverage and that beverage was a major driving force in the development of that era -- but he argues the hell out of it, and it's an entertaining read. Like Kurlansky's book, this is an overview of anecdotes, and it falls shallow on detail in a few places, so if you're already a systematic-history buff you might not find much new here -- but it's still a good read. (History)
9. Blue Blood by Edward Conlon: This is a memoir of Conlon's time on the NYPD, from rookie to detective, including a whole section on his experiences on 9/11. It's brutally honest and unapologetic about the realities of cop life, both the good things and the bad things, and Conlon doesn't try to play for good impressions (or try to cadge political favor). He has a strong voice, and navigates through historical, political, and personal-memoir levels of detail at varying points; this isn't so much a collection of "cop stories" as a snapshot of Conlon's life, which means that people who are just there for the cop stories might find that it drags, but I came away from this liking Conlon as a person as well as a storyteller. (Memoir)
