Category: Misc

Kubrick: An Odyssey by Robert P Kolker & Nathan Abrams

A fairly straightforward telling of Kubrick’s life and films. Well researched and interesting. 3/5

Mercury Rising: John Glenn, John Kennedy, and the New Battleground of the Cold War by Jeff Shesol

The early days of US manned spaceflight centered around the story of John Glenn and to a lesser extent JFK. Interesting with a good hook. 4/5

Cities in the Sky: The Quest to Build the World’s Tallest Skyscrapers by Jason M Barr

A continent-by-continent tour of the history of Skyscrapers. Good coverage of developers, governments and economics. 3/5

Troublemakers: Silicon Valley’s Coming of Age by Leslie Berlin

The stories of seven important but lesser known pioneers in personal computing, video games, advanced semiconductor logic, modern venture capital, and biotechnology during the 1960s-1980s. 4/5

My Scoring System

• 5/5 = Brilliant, top 5 book of the year
• 4/5 = Above average, strongly recommend
• 3/5 = Average. in the middle 70% of books I read
• 2/5 = Disappointing
• 1/5 = Did not like at all

Churchill: A Life by Martin Gilbert

Fairly but not exhaustively detailed, it is readable to someone casually interested. Authorised so generally positive towards Churchill 3/5

Tyranny of the Minority: How to Reverse an Authoritarian Turn, and Forge a Democracy for All by Steven Levitsky Daniel Ziblatt

How various parts of the US constitution thwarts the will of an expanding multicultural majority in favor of a shrinking rural white minority. Interesting 3/5

The Human Tide: How Population Shaped the Modern World by Paul Morland

Explains the demographic transition and how it has flowed from the UK to Europe to the rest of the world and how this has and will influence history. 3/5

Accidental Astronomy: How Random Discoveries Shape the Science of Space by Chris Lintott

Covers the last 60 years so many less well-known stories. Fun and interesting read 4/5

My Scoring System

• 5/5 = Brilliant, top 5 book of the year
• 4/5 = Above average, strongly recommend
• 3/5 = Average. in the middle 70% of books I read
• 2/5 = Disappointing
• 1/5 = Did not like at all

We Are the Nerds: The Birth and Tumultuous Life of Reddit, the Internet’s Culture Laboratory by Christine Lagorio-Chafkin

A history of reddit up to 2018. A little gushing and gossipy but mostly interesting. 3/5

Truman and the Bomb: The Untold Story by D. M . Giangreco

Fifty percent about the historical controversy rather than the events themselves. Lots of sniping at opponents. For friends of the author only. 2/5

Lakes Their Birth, Life, and Death by John Richard Saylor

Delivers on the title. Interesting explanations of types of lakes, how they came to be and how they evolve. Great writing and lots of interesting information 4/5

Running The Show: Television from the Inside by Jeff Melvoin

A Veteran TV Writer and Showrunner writes about his career, the business and how to make it as a TV writer and possibly eventually a showrunner. Excellent 4/5

My Scoring System

• 5/5 = Brilliant, top 5 book of the year
• 4/5 = Above average, strongly recommend
• 3/5 = Average. in the middle 70% of books I read
• 2/5 = Disappointing
• 1/5 = Did not like at all

Pandora’s Box: How Guts, Guile, and Greed Upended TV by Peter Biskind

Covers the rise HBO, Cable channels and Streamers since 1990. Lots of Gossip and corporate shuffles but not the best book on the subject. 3/5

Redshirts by John Scalzi

A Star Trek parody from the POV of five ensigns who realise something is very strange on their ship. Plot moves steadily and the humour and action mostly work. 3/5

The World Before Us: The New Science Behind Our Human Origins by Tom Higham

An account of the discover and lives of Neanderthals, Denisovans and others hominids who shared the earth with Homo sapiens in the last 300,000 years. 4/5

My Scoring System

• 5/5 = Brilliant, top 5 book of the year
• 4/5 = Above average, strongly recommend
• 3/5 = Average. in the middle 70% of books I read
• 2/5 = Disappointing
• 1/5 = Did not like at all

Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I’d Known Earlier by Kevin Kelly

A short book of lots of one-line pieces of advice. Might work best as a page-a-day printed book. 2/5

Our Moon: How Earth’s Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are by Rebecca Boyle

Fascinating book about the Moon and it’s influence on Life and Human civilization. 4/5

Whatever Happened to the Metric System?: How America Kept Its Feet by John Bemelmans Marciano

Largely a history of the metric system and standardisation. America only gets about 0.1 of the book despite the title. Worth reading however. 3/5

My Book Scoring System

• 5/5 = Brilliant, top 5 book of the year
• 4/5 = Above average, strongly recommend
• 3/5 = Average. in the middle 70% of books I read
• 2/5 = Disappointing
• 1/5 = Did not like at all

Bush by Jean Edward Smith

A biography of President George W. Bush mostly concentrating on the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq. Openly hostile to the subject. 3/5

The Longest Campaign: Britain’s Maritime Struggle in the Atlantic and Northwest Europe, 1939–1945 by Brian E. Walter

A very good overview of the navel war that covers almost all aspects and actions. 4/5

Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman

The author’s experiences and thoughts on screenwriting and the Hollywood movies business. Lots of interesting stories. 4/5

My Scoring System

• 5/5 = Brilliant, top 5 book of the year
• 4/5 = Above average, strongly recommend
• 3/5 = Average. in the middle 70% of books I read
• 2/5 = Disappointing
• 1/5 = Did not like at all

Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears by Michael Schulman

The evolution of the awards sprinkled with lots of stories of campaigns and shows in a changing Hollywood. A fun read. 4/5

The Master Switch: The Rise and Fall of Information Empires by Tim Wu

A chronicle of the America’s Radio, Phone, Film and TV industries and how they all ended up as monopolies or cartels. 4/5

Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen

A minute by minute account of a present-day nuclear war with other chapters explaining background to what is happening. Pretty good 4/5

The Shadow Puppet by Georges Simenon

After a businessman is robbed and murdered, Maigret is convince one of the residents of an adjoining apartment building is responsible. 3/5

My Scoring System

• 5/5 = Brilliant, top 5 book of the year
• 4/5 = Above average, strongly recommend
• 3/5 = Average. in the middle 70% of books I read
• 2/5 = Disappointing
• 1/5 = Did not like at all

The Time Traveller’s Guide to Regency Britain by Ian Mortimer

England 1789–1830 written as a guide on what a visitor would see and should know and do. Quite fun. 4/5

Charles III : The Inside Story by Robert Hardman

Covers the death of the Queen through to the first year of the new King’s reign. Semi-authorised. Recommended for those with interest in the topic. 4/5

Nuts and Bolts: Seven Small Inventions That Changed the World (in a Big Way) by Roma Agrawal

Cover the development of 7 inventions their spinoffs and refinements. An easy and interesting read. 4/5

My Scoring System

• 5/5 = Brilliant, top 5 book of the year
• 4/5 = Above average, strongly recommend
• 3/5 = Average. in the middle 70% of books I read
• 2/5 = Disappointing
• 1/5 = Did not like at all