Review : Ancestral Machines
Smugglers/space pirates meet up with a planet stealing thief who steal their ship. And another planet or two. Then there is the ruthless alien warrior who has a half dozen voices in his head of his deceased predecessors and leads the loyal military that enslaves the worlds of the War Cage. There’s a sentient drone, a sentient computer, space battles, bad guys, good guys, and really nasty evil guys.
You’ll feel a bit like you’ve ended up with the crew of the Serenity but without all of Mal’s neuroses. There are some very funny parts.
A definite the
Review : Silence
Seventeenth century Portuguese Jesuit missionaries go to Japan where Christianity has become outlawed. Those who are ousted as Christians are forced to apostasize through cruel and inhumane methods. Several priests have been tortured into apostasy. This book covers the journey of one such priest who was able to minister to Japanese Christians for awhile before he is caught.
A recommend
Review : NeoroLogic
A book about how our brain works. Different parts of our brain do different things. It also looks at how the plays a role in certain neurological and mental disorders.
The biggest issue is that the author equates religious belief and behaviors to a mental disease/neurological disease that must be eradicated.
A recommend with reservations
Review :
A book about how our brain works. Different parts of our brain do different things. It also looks at how the plays a role in certain neurological and mental disorders.
The biggest issue is that the author equates religious belief and behaviors to a mental disease/neurological disease that must be eradicated.
A recommend with reservations
Review : The Case for Jesus
I first heard of Brant Pitre on Bishop Robert Barron’s Facebook page and Word on Fire website (wordonfire.org). Pitre is seminary professor in Louisiana.
In The Case for Jesus, Pitre looks at how the Gospels are actually written by whom they say they are by looking at both internal and external evidence. He covers how they were written, who wrote them, and why they are written the way they are. Pitre then goes over how Jesus did indeed know that he was God and evidence can be found in all four Gospels, not just John’s. He places this all in how the Jewish people would have understood who and what the Messiah was.
A definite recommend
Review: In A Different Key
If you’ve ever wondered about the development of autism as a diagnosis, this book covers its first ‘discovery’ (not a good term; it’s more like recognition that autism exists and is validly recognized as a condition to engage with) in the 1930s here in the US until the present day. It doesn’t cover everything but does go over the controversies about who and how to diagnose (there are still issues), how Aspberger (whom Aspberger Syndrome was named after) actually supported the Nazis and murdered children through Eugenics, how various treatments grew in popularity and then fizzled out, and the whole vaccine debate (vaccines do NOT cause autism). Personal stories are spread throughout so that instead of a dry history you end up with a real glimpse into the realities of autism and those who deal and live with it.
A definite recommend
Review: In A Different Key
If you’ve ever wondered about the development of autism as a diagnosis, this book covers its first ‘discovery’ (not a good term; it’s more like recognition that autism exists and is validly recognized as a condition to engage with) in the 1930s here in the US until the present day. It doesn’t cover everything but does go over the controversies about who and how to diagnose (there are still issues), how Aspberger (whom Aspberger Syndrome was named after) actually supported the Nazis and murdered children through Eugenics, how various treatments grew in popularity and then fizzled out, and the whole vaccine debate (vaccines do NOT cause autism). Personal stories are spread throughout so that instead of a dry history you end up with a real glimpse into the realities of autism and those who deal and live with it.
A definite recommend
Review: Orphan X
He doesn’t know where he came from but at age twelve is recruited into the Orphan Program. Years later, he leaves the program and sets himself up in LA helping people for free. But his past catches up with him.
If you’re familiar with Jason Bourne or James Bond, this is pretty similar. It’s billed as a thriller. It is engaging and entertaining but it isn’t high literature. If you want an easy read and a lot of action, this is your book.
A recommend
Review : The Knightly Art of Battle
This is not an actual book about the knightly art of battle. It is a look at one of the folios about the topic that is at the Guggenheim Musuem (I think, it’s been a while since I read it). It covers how the folio author illustrated his work, the use of gold leaf, how a lot of things were left out because the recepient would have already have known much before reading this art of battle.
A recommend
Review :
This is not an actual book about the knightly art of battle. It is a look at one of the folios about the topic that is at the Guggenheim Musuem (I think, it’s been a while since I read it). It covers how the folio author illustrated his work, the use of gold leaf, how a lot of things were left out because the recepient would have already have known much before reading this art of battle.
A recommend
The Library Made Me Do It 