<i>Green Mars</i> by Kim Stanley Robinson

After reading the rather lousy sci-fi of The Puppet Masters, this book was a welcome change. Looking back on my notes at what I liked about Red Mars (the first book in this sci-fi trilogy that I read about 2 years ago), I liked similar aspects of this book. I had forgotten all of the characters---only faint scenes remained (much like the first 100's memories---I can sympathize in that regard). The characters came back as their stories were told.

I completely fell back in with Sax as one of my favorites---predictable, as he is the "pure science" character. I sympathized with his attempts at slight personality modification, so he could better integrate with society---i.e. hide in plain sight, not drawing attention to the fact that he was indeed *the* Sax Russell. It turns out, though, that he can't hide his scientific introverted self and inclinations for too long.

I had more trouble connecting with Nadia this time around. She was so well communicated in the first book and I had really identified with her (a female engineer who just wanted to be working on useful projects), but I couldn't find that same connection in this book. It may have been because the section of the book in her voice was so near the end of the book.

I liked how Robinson split the story telling task up between the various characters (each character had a collection of sequential chapters where were from their perspective) and didn't bounce around between perspectives in each chapter as some authors do. Though it does mean that the reader only sees one perspective of each scene, it gives a more coherent narrative and a stronger voice to each character. Additionally, it would have been exceedingly difficult to write such a planet encompassing story from only a single perspective---many of the varying view points would have been lost.

The question of what happens to the power structure when we colonize other planets is a compelling question. Robinson answered it with something akin to the American Revolution, where distance trumped force. It like that, as it seems a likely outcome when colonists are there fore more than just extracting riches, and generations have grown without stiff, defined authority from the mother planet/country.

Robinson's writing is clear, descriptive and scientifically reasonable. I had trouble with some of the words he coined, but was able to gather the gist through context. Also, the geography of Mars and the settlements was very difficult to follow at times. In those regards, a map and glossary would have been helpful. Other than that, I enjoyed the book emensely.

9/10

<i>The Puppet Masters</i> by Robert A. Heinlein

I can't remember where I picked up this book, but I had reasonably enjoyed Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land---at least the sci-fi aspects---so I figured this might be a good read. Overall, it was alright, though rather pulpy. I was a bit annoyed with the main character: he was really rooted---values-wise---in the era the book was written (the early 1950s), though they did have a very capable female agent (who, of course, ended up marrying the main character).

The plot was similar to countless invasion stories, where a virus kills the aliens in the end. I did like the "puppet master" aspect where the "slugs" were controlling the bodies and minds of the humans. It was different than some of the other mind control methods I have read and seen. The funny part of that was the "masters" didn't know how to run the humans. It reminded me of how the Sims need to be taken to the bathroom, put to bed and made to eat.

Heinlein's writing was nothing to speak of. It reminded me of detective novels that I have read from the same time period, with a nonchalant though-guy attitude. It was a bit annoying at times, but moved the story along quickly.

6/10

<i>Notes of a Native Son</i> by James Baldwin

One significant omission in my knowledge of American history that I realized upon reading this collection of essays is the state of race relations from Reconstruction through to the Civil Rights Movement in the 60s. I will put that omission up to the focus of US high school history on wars and any of my own teacher's focus on their youth and young adulthood in the 60s and 70s---and, frankly, my own acceptance of this gap.

Baldwin groups his 10 essays into three parts. The first deals with literature, movies and black America's place within each. Included in this section is an excellent assessment of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Baldwin notes that it is a protest novel and, as such, cannot be considered in a any way to be a well written work of fiction.

The second group are about Baldwin's experiences (and those of his family) as a black man (Negro, in his time period) in America. One story he tells in this section is about his brother's experience campaigning for the progressive party in the South. His family is from Harlem and the reason his brother went with the campaign in the first place was to sing, but he was more-or-less forced to campaign. This episode highlighted what Baldwin described as a complete lack of interested from any black American in the politics of the time, since promises made to them were never kept and they knew they never would be.

Also in this second group is an excellent essay about his father's death. In particular, a scene that sticks with me is Baldwin being led up to see his father's body in the casket by a well-meaning church member. He had little desire to see the body in the first place and no desire to do so with a non-family member. This essay also described some riots in Harlem that occurred the day after his father's death. It is funny, as I think to myself now, of course there were riots and other demonstrations of poor race relations, otherwise the movement of the 60s would never have happened. I, though, never even thought enough about it to wonder about the origins.

The final group, and the group I liked the best as a whole, were about Baldwin's stay in Europe. Much of it---and particularly his description of his stay in a French prison---reminded me of Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London. I particularly liked the descriptions of the difference of being black in the US vs. in Europe. The baggage is different between being a colonial citizen and the descendant of a slave. Also, the idea of not being able to trace one's ancestry back beyond a bill of sale is one of the more thought provoking ideas about what it means to be black in America that I've heard (today, of course, with DNA they are able to find out what part of Africa the ancestors of modern American blacks came from---but that means little when you can't follow the direct family tree back there).

I enjoyed Baldwin's writing and will look for some of his other works. His prose is strong, clear, engaging and intelligent.

8/10

<i>45 Things You Do that Drive your Boss Crazy and How to Avoid Them </i> by Anita Bruzzese

This book was recommended by a career blog for 20-somethings. After my own recent experience of not really understanding what bosses generally want out of employees, I thought it might be a useful read. I was correct. On the same trip to the library, I also picked up Work 101 by Elizabeth Freedman (Ms. Freedman found it necessary to include MBA after her name, which gives a sense of the intended audience for this book).

Work 101 was recommended by the same blog. It focuses almost exclusively on how to behave in the super-corporate setting of trading companies, ad-firms and other places where an MBA is the currency. As a result the advice is all given in this context and it is hard to suss out the information that is relevant to me in my engineering-centric world.

45 Things, on the other hand, looks more fundamentally at problems that occur when people are in subordinate relationships. Most of the recommendations are common sense---use correct spelling in your emails, don't lie, don't argue about politics or religion at work---but are good to be reminded of. Others were suggestions that weren't obvious to myself---watch who you hang out with at work, as bad attitudes can easily rub off, how to stand up to bullies---but make sense now that I've read them.

Overall, what I learned was:

• Be consistent.
  
• Don't be too weird.
  
• Be respectful all the time.
  
• Think for yourself.
  
• Be nice.
  

I'd definitely recommend 45 Things for anyone who, like myself, doesn't always "get" a lot of human interaction stuff, but can learn to. Work 101 is best left for those looking to climb the corporate ladder.

<i>The Bonfire of the Vanities</i> by Tom Wolfe

I had trouble believing this book was set in the 1980s for about the first 300 pages. Wolfe's descriptions and people seemed out of the 1950s or 60s. It wasn't until a character was said to have AIDS that it really became clear to me. From then on I was able to place the story in the correct temporal context.

I struggled a bit with the outcome of the story. Despite the NYC that Wolfe was trying to show where the old-boys-club is breaking down, I have a significant amount of trouble believing that its true. Wolfe painted money---or having money---as being fundamentally useless if your crime takes place in the Bronx, but I would think, even in such a case as described in this book that money would be able to get the individual out of trouble. It may not be legal, it may be underhanded, but it seems more likely for an anonymous rich man (not Paris Hilton) to buy his way out.

I was frustrated by Sherman's lack of a backbone in doing the right thing: going to the cops when it first happened. Wolfe had to put "the other woman" in the car with him, or else Sherman *would have* gone to the cops, as he was one who believed in and respected authority. I was still, though, frustrated with the guilt that he felt, but I guess the situation was intended to show: although Sherman was a bear with bonds he couldn't stand up to himself otherwise.

At the end Sherman is able to break through that barrier, but it seems a bit inauthentic to me: I can't believe demonstrators would be allowed in the courtroom. That may have a modern bias based on the current security checkpoints. Aside from that, the judge and the jury are intended to decide based on the facts, not on the emotion of the crowd.

Wolfe's writing in some respects remind me of Charles Dickens. Excessive detail that makes you wonder if he is getting paid by the word. Wolfe also uses his metaphors over and over again so you understand *quite clearly* that the Bronx courthouse is an island fortress. He does carry the reader along on a brisk ride, and I was able to stay reasonably engaged with the characters throughout the book.

The only other books of Wolfe's I've read are non-fiction. Looking back, I rated both of those---The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test and Hooking Up---well and have memories of liking each. Based on that, I would have to say that I like Wolfe's non-fiction better than his fiction.

5/10

<i>Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things</i> by William McDonough and Michael Braungart

I like the material of this book---both the content and the material the pages were made of. The entire book is made of PET. As Dave said, you can read it in the tub. I never took advantage of that property.

The book is made out of PET to demonstrate a new idea in design (the design of everything---products, houses, cars, rugs, etc.) where the item when "used up" is not "thrown away" or downcycled (the authors' replacement term for recycling since most products that are recycled do not become products of the same quality of the original since the materials being recycled degrade on each cycle), but is instead completely reused in the same product it appeared in originally. Or the material becomes a "technical nutrient"---a material that took a lot of time and energy to extract originally and therefor is valuable if it can be maintained. With most current materials this is not possible due to chemicals used in processing. It turns out not to be very good for one to wear a shirt made out of old plastic bottles due to the chemicals used in bottle making---they were never intended to be worn against the skin.

The authors propose that designers consider this as they come up with product and choose materials and processes that are appropriate for long-term reuse. I like this idea, but I see it as very difficult to actually change, as even when pilot tests are run in large companies and prove these ideas out, the inertia of the management chain makes it very disheartening to think about.

The book is well written and easy to read. I like the brightness of the PET pages as well. The biggest fault I see with the book is that it doesn't give much of a call to action. Nothing really tells me what I can do as a consumer to improve the situation.

7/10

<i>The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts</i> by Maxine Hong Kingston

This book was again recommended by Slate.com. It was given as an example of a memoir where fantasy and history are mixed to better convey the memories. Kingston does this by seeing herself, for a portion of the book, as Mu Lan, the female Chinese warrior, avenging the deaths in her village. One of the interesting aspects of the book, demonstrated by this, is the tie to the old world of China through her parent's stories and beliefs. Her parents do not think of the US as their home: home is China, even for all the children (all of them born in the US). It isn't until the communists completely change the lives of the villagers in China that the parents gave up on returning and bought chairs to replace the fruit crates in the kitchen.

Related to that, was the use of the term "ghost" for any Americans. I know in Hong Kong the term "gweilo" is used (derogatorily) for whites and means "ghost". It seems on the west coast in Chinatown, it was used to refer to all things American: black, white, otherwise. Anything not Chinese.

The two cultures colliding in Kingston's head appeared difficult for her to reconcile. She had the history, culture and stories of China as strongly in her life as if she was in China, including the attitudes toward women (girls are worth nothing; men can have multiple wives). She was, though, interacting in the American world with "ghost teachers" and pleasing them with the work she was able to do.

Kingston's writing is strong, vivid and precise. I felt her angst and shame as I read. I enjoyed the stories about her mother's life: about becoming a doctor in China; about forcing her sister to see her (her mother's sister's) estranged husband; about her reaction to retirement and an empty house (working in the California fields as a day laborer picking tomatoes). Her mother is a strong woman, even pushing to the front of a memoir about childhood.

8/10