Weekend Bookshelf – Dec 9, 2018

      “I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.”

                                                                                                Jorge Luis Borges                                                                                             

The pitfalls of making a reading list

     Time for an update on my autumn reading list (see here).  So how much progress did I make on my reading list?  Practically none!  I started reading “Down the Great Unknown”, but quickly set it aside and picked up “Spain to Norway on a Bike Named Reggie” by Andrew P. Sykes instead.  After that, I downloaded book #6 of the Expanse series, “Babylon’s Ashes” by James S.A. Corey, on to my Nook.  When I was finished with that I started “On My Own Two Wheels: Back in the Saddle at age 60” by Irish writer Malachi O’Doherty.

     At first I was a little frustrated with myself for not following through on my reading plan.  I was bewildered by my resistance to reading the books on my list.  Obviously the books interested me because I purchased them.  So what gives?

     It took a little introspection but I finally figured it out.  I am not usually in the habit of making such lists.  I realized my reasons for not doing so is two-fold.  One, my reading habits tend to follow whatever I happen to find interesting at that point in time.  Today my interests might be Civil War history, whereas next week I might be in the mood for a mystery.

      The second reason is because a reading list conjures up in my mind too many connotations of the mandatory reading assignments we were given in school.  I read because I get pleasure out of reading.  Thus I have no desire to start reading a book just because it’s on some sort of self-imposed homework assignment.  Life is too short for that shit.

     So will I ever read the books I put on my list?  Absolutely.  When I am damn well good and ready.

Book Review:  “Heretics and Heroes” by Thomas Cahill.

     “Heretics and Heroes” is book VI in Thomas Cahill’s Hinges of History series.  Mr. Cahill is a “popular historian”, meaning his books are not scholary tomes but history for the masses.  Mr. Cahill’s books focus on different periods of Western history, such as the Irish monks after the fall of the Roman Empire (How the Irish Saved Civilization) and the impact of the Jewish diaspora on Western Civilization (Gift of the Jews).

     “Heroes and Heretics” covers the people and events of the Renaissance and the Reformation.  Mr. Cahill goes into great depth of the personalities and egos of this historical period.  While he focuses the genius of these individuals, he also delves into their flaws and weaknesses.  This makes the reader aware of just how amazing such figures at Donatello, da Vinci, the Medici’s and other really were.  For in spite of their all too human failings, they were still able to create such amazing masterpieces.

     In addition to the biographies of the major players in the era, Mr. Cahill goes in to great detail about the changing mores and culture that led to the explosion of artistic creativity and religious reforms.  This helps the reader to understand how Western civilization went from a God-centered universe to a Man-centered one.

     Thanks to “Heretics and Heroes”, I finally have a fuller appreciation for the arts and literature of the era and why they still have such a profound effect on our own culture even to this day.

     Now for the caveat:  I wanted to give this book four thumbs up, I really did.  But Mr. Cahill commits a sin that seems to becoming all too common in modern non-fiction.  He just had to inject his personal political opinions into his work.  Several times throughout the book he strains mightily to compare situations of several hundred years ago with current events and political controversies.

     This has the jarring effect of pulling you out of the past into the modern era, and it also immediatly makes the book dated.  Imagine somebody 20-30 years from now wanting to learn about the Renaissance and picking this book up.  He or she will be scratching their head trying to figure out who Dick Cheney was and why he appears in this book.  That would be like one of us picking up a book to learn about the rise and fall of ancient Egyptian dynasties and in the middle of the book the author going on a rant about President Eisenhower preventing the British and French from seizing the Suez Canal (true story).  It’s gratuitous and unnecessary.

     So, even with the political bullshit, I still give “Heretics and Heroes” three and a half thumbs up.  It’s a very informative and entertaining read of one the most fascinating periods of Western history.

What I’m Reading Now: “On My Own Two Wheels: Back in the Saddle at age 60” by Malachi O’Doherty.

     I have found a kindred bicycling spirit in Malachi O’Doherty.  Both of us were avid cyclists in our younger days.  Both of us took up cycling again in our “golden years”.  Both of us approach cycling as something to enjoy and savor, and not worrying how fast or how far we ride (he calls this type of riding “tootling”).

     The first part of this book were actually a bit of a slog.  The reminisces of bicycle riding in his younger days, while helpful exposition, goes on too long and isn’t really all that interesting.  I don’t mean to sound harsh, but a lot of it feels like filler.

     But now that I have reached the part of the book where he details the joys and pitfalls of getting back on the bike after decades away I am enjoying this book immensely.  I’ll do a review when I finish it.

What Really Grinds my Gears:

     A big problem that has developed over the past 20 years in the science fiction/fantasy genre is huge, multi-book epics that never seem to reach satisfactory conclusions.  The author of the “Wheel of Time” series, Robert Jordan, died before he completed his epic and another author had to be brought in to finish it.  George R.R. Martin’s “Game of Thrones” series has ground to a halt; so much so that the HBO’s T.V. series had to strike out on it’s own to film the series finale.

     Worst of all, Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden series seems to have sputtered out as well.  I love the Dresden novels but in a few months it will have been 5 YEARS since the last book in the series was published, and I am starting to lose interest in continuing on.

     This is what grinds my gears:  if authors are going to start these huge multi-tome epics, they owe it to their readers to finish them.  Whatever happened to writing one book about something and then moving on to a different story?  Not every book in the genre needs to be the next Lord of the Rings.

     O.K., rant over.

Epilogue:

     So that’s it for this week.  Comments, suggestions, tips and recommendations are always welcome.  If you don’t wish to post comments on this site, feel free to email me at:  Mrvintageman2@gmail.com.

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What’s on Tap: Karl Strauss Brewery (San Diego)


I recently got to hang out in San Diego for a few days, and I sampled a few brews whilst I was there.  Last time I was here on the west coast I reviewed several local brews (see here).  Today we are going to take a look at a couple more options for the next time you visit sunny Sandy D.

     Both of todays reviews are from Karl Strauss Brewery.  Back in February I awarded the Karl Strauss Red Trolley Ale (an Irish Red) four belches.  So I was very excited to try more beers from this local craft brewery.

Columbia Street Amber: this amber beer has been a staple of Karl Strauss brewery since they opened in 1989, and it’s easy to see why.  It’s flat out awesome.  Coming in at only 18 IBUs, Columbia Street Amber is a crisp and malty beer.  Flavorful, mellow and bready in other words.  Just the way I like my beers.  With only 4.5% alcohol per volume, it is a beer you can enjoy several of in one sitting.

5 belches:  

 

Oktoberfest: this beer on the other hand is not so tasty.  I do love me some Oktoberfest, but for some reason this one leaves me cold.  I can’t quite put my finger on what is wrong.  It’s definitely flavorful, but even though it only comes in at 20 IBUs, it might be just a tad too hoppy for a Marzen beer.  Karl Strauss Oktoberfest might do in a pinch, but I think you can find better elsewhere.

3 belches:  

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Weekend Bookshelf: First Day of Autumn 2018

     “That old September feeling, left over from school days, of summer passing, vacation nearly done, obligations gathering, books and football in the air … Another fall, another turned page: there was something of jubilee in that annual autumnal beginning, as if last year’s mistakes had been wiped clean by summer.”

                                                                                                            Wallace Stegner

Autumn To-Read list & progress on my reading plan

     Ah, sweet Autumn has arrived at last.  The season of pleasant weather, mellow beers, bonfires in the fire-pit and nature’s grand finale is finally here.  Because of the shorter days and cooler nights, my time spent in the garden will begin to wind down until the growing season finally comes to an end.  Being a fair-weather bicyclist, my time spent on the saddle will soon begin to wind down as well.

     We are compensated for the less time we have to spend on outdoor activities by the time we now gain to spend reading!  I have set aside several books that I intend to read during the chilly nights ahead.  Normally I’m not one to schedule what books I read, but since I’ve started my plan to reprogram my brain’s reading habits I thought setting goals will help me along.

     Oh, as to my 25 page a day reading habit:  I am doing fairly well.  I’ve had some setbacks and I’ve backslid a couple of times, but for the most part I have met my goal.  I’ve completed three books since I started this plan.  One thing I have found that helps me is to focus on one book at a time.  I tend to read several books at the same time, which can be distracting and sets me back.

    Below is a list of books that I have set aside to read this Fall.  This list may seem daunting at first, but I have calculated that there are 89 days in autumn this year.  Multiply 89 x 25 (pages a day) and I should be able to read 2,225 pages by the time the winter solstice arrives.  Easy-peasy, right?

“Blood and Thunder” by Hampton Sides.  The life and times of Kit Carson.

 

 

“It’s Not About the Tapas” by Polly Evans.  Ms. Evans has written several travel books, but this was her first.  Tapas is her account of her bicycle journey through Spain.  I’ve had this book awhile, but have been put off by some of the poor reviews on Goodreads and Amazon.  I’ve decided to find out for myself if the book is good or not.

 

“Depth of Winter: Longmire Mystery #14” by Craig Johnson.  “Western Star: Longmire Mystery #13”, ended in a cliffhanger.  Anxious to see if ol’ Walt Longmire is able to deal some overdue justice on a longtime nemesis.

 

“Down the Great Unknown” by Edward Dolnick.  John Wesley Powell is one of those individuals who if he were a character in a fiction book would be considered “unrealistic”.  A Civil War veteran, who lost his arm in the war, travels down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon in wooden boats and lives to tell the tale.  He and his crew weren’t shooting the Colorado’s rapids for thrills, but for scientific inquiry.  “Down the Great Unknown” is their story.

     There ya go, the books I intend to read this autumn.  How about you?  What books are you looking forward to reading during these crisp autumn evenings?

Book Review: “An Empire on the Edge: How Britain Came to Fight America” by Nick Bunker.

“Empire” is an engrossing look at the mistakes made by Lord North and the rest of the British government that helped lead to the American Revolution.  The book starts off fairly slow, as the author delves into a recession that started in the early 1770’s.  A recession that wasn’t helped by the possibly catastrophic failure of the East India Company.

     But this part of the book is important, because it lays the groundwork for why the British government allowed events in the colonies to spiral out of their control.  In school we were taught that the British levied taxes on the colonies to make them help pay for the French and Indian War.  While this is true insofar as it goes, the British government had far larger concerns.  Due to speculation on tea by the East India Company, the British had more tea than what they knew what to do with. A failure of the East India Company could have led to the collapse of Lord North’s government well before the Revolution ever occurred.  So the British government came upon the brilliant plan to send the tea to the colonies thus forcing them to pay the tax that would pay for the bailout of the East India Company.

     Once this groundwork is laid, the book becomes a fascinating account of missteps taken by the British government and its gross misunderstanding the colonies.  Right up until the end, King George III and Lord North believed that the troubles in New England were caused by a few selfish hotheads, and were genuinely shocked when all the colonies rebelled against them.

     Excellent read for American Revolution junkies and for general history buffs.

     4 out of 4 thumbs up:

 

What I’m reading now: “Heft on Wheels” by Mike Magnuson.

I picked this book up at a local Barnes & Noble on a whim, because I like bicycling and I am trying to lose weight.  “Heft on Wheels” details how Mr. Magnuson was able to lose 75 pounds, quit drinking (apparently, he was a borderline alcoholic) and quit smoking simply by taking up bicycling.  So far it has been a quick and breezy read; but it’s not quite the inspirational tome I was hoping for.  Mr. Magnuson, put simply, has an addictive personality.  He traded three unhealthy addictions for one theoretically healthier one.

     I say theoretically, because for one thing his new addiction nearly leads to him getting run over and killed by a truck. Whether by cancer from smoking or getting smacked by 2-ton vehicles, dead is dead.  For another, his addictive personality leads him to extremes.  He admits to riding up to 250 miles a week!  That is mileage a professional bicycle racer puts in, not something you usually see in a university professor with a wife and children.  Such a hardcore exercise regimen can lead to chronic injury, illnesses or divorce.

     Still, it is humorous and mildly inspirational, even if I have no intention of following in his footsteps.

Epilogue:

     So that’s it for this week.  Comments, suggestions, tips and recommendations are always welcome.  If you don’t wish to post comments on this site, feel free to email me at:  Mrvintageman2@gmail.com.

     Enjoy this fine autumn season and have a great week!

 

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