<i>Logicomix</i> by Apostolos Doxiadis and Christos H. Papadimitriou

I like these graphic novels with a historical basis. It gives me a quick read covering a historical topic in a manner that sticks with me a bit more as it is visual.

This graphic novel, much like Persepolis, covers a topic knew little about going into: Bertrand Russell and his work. While I have heard of Russell,I had no knowledge of his area of expertise, other than him being an intellectual.

This book tells the story of his intellectual development from his youth up through his older age, including his encounters with other logicians and mathematicians. I particularly liked the coverage o his youth, how he spent his time wondering around his grandparents's place. One other scene that was great and took advantage of the graphic novel format was a fist-fight between a group of mathematicians. it went from a discussion in one block to a BIFF! BAM! comic book fight. Amusing and effective in conveying the passion they had in their beliefs.

Although I enjoyed the book overall, I was a bit distracted by how the authors and artists were inserted into the story. I, personally, don't like that device, as I tend to immerse myself in the book, so stepping out breaks my concentration on the story more than, I think, the authors intend. I know they are trying to provide a certain perspective when using such a device, but I find it rarely works for me.

Here, I also felt the device wasn't as effective as intended. Including more context through more tales of Russell would have gone further and kept me engaged in the story. Also, since the story of Russell was told in a flashback, there were already to layers tot eh story. Coming out to the level of the authors added a third, further distancing me from the real point of telling this story: to teach people about logical modes of thought and Russell's work.

7/10

<i>Snow Crash</i> by Neal Stephenson

This is a first for me: a cyber-punk novel that I didn't lose my place in or otherwise lose the plot at some point. I was able to keep track of teh characters and understand what was going on for the entire book. Though I loved The Diamond Age, I lost the plot for a bit in the last 100 pages or so.

.There were a few interesting ideas that stuck with me. The first being the franchises. These took the corporate participation in American politics to a rather frightening conclusion. Unlike the traditional country with boarders, America is more a huge collection of individual corporations with individuals holding citizenship with them. There is no overall set of laws---each franchise controls its own land with its own force and internal rules.

Another was the visualization of cyberspace with a main street and houses, businesses, etc. Instead of logging on, you goggle-in, using a type of VR to interact with the cyber-world. a type of Second-Life, but with more people and more meaningful actions occurring.

I really liked the details Stephenson gave to some of the technology, like Y.T.'s skateboard, with all of its add-ons and exciting features. The wheels, in particular, which adjust to any surface to give a smooth ride---an adaptive surface. Very cool.

The mystery itself about the fundamental basis of language in the brain was interesting. I liked how Stephenson tied it tot he Tower of Babel story and how the story built on the myths regarding language and society's development. I think Stargate may have looked here a bit...

Great sci-fi. 8/10

<a href="http://www.happiness-project.com/"><i>The Happiness Project</i></a> by Gretchen Rubin

This book chronicles Gretchen's year-long attempt to try out happiness ideas, to see if they do, in fact, make her happier. Each month of her project has a theme (for example: Boost Energy, Remember Love, Be Serious About Play...), and she selects three to five resolutions related to that theme to add to her chart where she daily keeps track of how well she has stuck to each resolution.

It sounds like it could be really dull, but I actually enjoyed reading this book, and have tried to take on a few of Gretchen's resolutions. One thing she suggests is making your bed each morning, so that first thing you will have accomplished something (also, it's nice to go to bed in a made bed). Another is to tackle nagging tasks - I cleaned out my email inboxes yesterday and feel lighter. She also resolved to exercise more, which I am also attempting to do, but that's not really a direct result of having read this book.

Overall, this is a book I feel comfortable recommending to almost anyone - it's a quick, informative read, that I think I will probably read again with a notepad next to me. I liked a lot of the ideas she has, as well as am interested in looking up some of her sources.

7/10