June 2002-October 2002

This is "a micro historical and economic study of the rise and decline of street railroads in Syracuse, New York, 1860-1941." Now you may be asking why I would ever bother trying to read such a thing. Well, let me tell you. Y'see, recently I've been tracing my family tree and my grandfather, as well as his mother, was born in Syracuse. Being into history, I wanted to read some of the history of the city from where my ancestors hailed. Unfortunately, the Seattle public library is not real strong in their Syracuse collection. I really didn't find any book that filled the bill for my purposes, but I did discover this little tome. Since my great-great uncle was listed as a street railroad conductor in 1900, I figured I'd check the book out. Maybe he'd be tucked into some picture somewhere. Well, I suppose it's possible that he was one of the few people pictured, but since nobody was named, I'll probably never know. I did enjoy reading this little book, though, in light of Seattle's own transit controversy. It shows that even 100 years ago, businesses existed to make a profit, not necessarily to benefit the common good. The infrastructures that have been passed down to us are rarely the result of unaltered, altruistic planning, but rather the remnants of political and financial projects, affected by market forces and public opinion. In reagrds to practical application, I still prefer to see a monorail in Seattle rather than the overbudget subway that's being pushed through, but I'm not going to feel so victimized if I don't get it. As for this book, it's really just waiting room material.
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When in the Course of Human Events by Charles Adams
Read in June of 2002

(This isn't the same guy who created the Addams family.) There are many hot topics out there on which people have strong opinions. It seems like one of the oldest is the whole question of the Civil War. Who were the good guys? Who were the villians? What the heck was all the fighting about? In my younger days, I wasn't aware there was a conflict. Being brought up in Illinois, I was definitely taught that the good guys wore blue, Lincoln was a saint and the war was fought to end slavery. It wasn't until the past decade that I ever heard the arguments for the other side or even considered this era in American history. Anyway, Chrales Adams has considered this and has definitely sided with the Confederacy. Mr. Adams is a Northerner and a scholar on the history of taxation. Not surprisingly he sees the cause for the war as economic -- the continuing rising tariffs which benefitted the the industrial north at the expense of the agrarian south. He tends to downplay the role of slavery, quoting various sources, including Lincoln himself. He also quotes some European sources, to get their more objective view of things. Overall, the book is very interesting, definitely worth checking out. But did he change my mind? Well, not entirely. Nobody is without bias, not even the Eurpoean thinkers of the 1860's, so I take Mr. Adams' words with a grain of salt. Adams didn't win me over to his views on slavery. Even if the Union government was originally willing to preserve that institution, slavery had been an issue from the country's inception and it certainly affected those planning and fighting the war. On the other hand, he did strengthen my opinion that the South did have a right to secede, and I agree with him that Lincoln and his compatriots made some substantial changes to the United States government. After reading this book, I probably would not vote for Lincoln were I given the chance to do so. Finally, this book did made me look at the War in the context of the spirit of "Manifest Destiny" that affected the U. S. in the 19th Century. (This is more a tangental thought on my part and not something clearly defined in the book itself.) There are many names for this conflict, and they reflect one's opinions about the war. I think I might start calling this the "The War of Enough Rope", where the ambitions of a people determined to master a continent were turned against themselves with some horrible consequences.
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The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting a Home-Based Business by Barbara Weltman
Read in June of 2002

I'm not starting my own business, honest. I did a stint as a freelancer in audio-visual production and learned that I am a horrible salesman. Much as I'd enjoy not having to follow someone else's rules, I have to admit that I would not be able to make a living in this modern world. So why read this book? Well, my wife is doing some teaching on a contract basis and I thought I should brush up on my small business accounting knowledge. This book was at the local library branch and contained a chapter on taxes and such. Print addict that I am, I ended up reading almost the whole thing. To those contemplating starting a business from home, I would have to say that this is a nice, complete introduction. She covers the whys and hows and gives a variety of tips regarding the process. Were I to give home business a go, I would probably seek out more in depth references, but this is enough to give one a start. Or scare one away, as in my case. All in all, it's good waiting room material.
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Quantum Leap: Mirror's Edge by Carol Davis with Esther D. Reese
Read in June of 2002

I used to be a fan of the TV series, Quantum Leap, at least before they started getting weird. (I suppose there's only so many interesting storylines you can eke out of the concept.) There are a number of novels based on the series -- this one is set right before the series finale. I picked it up because I wanted something to read on the plane. As far as plane reading material goes, it was okay. The author(s) captured the characters quite well and I could easily envision the story as if the actors were playing it out. The plot was a bit weaker. I was able to put the book down quite often. In the end I was rather dissatisfied. So I guess I have to say, read it at your own risk.
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Time Police: Vanished by Warren Norwood
Read in June of 2002

Even though I left the dream of being a writer behind, I still have a few story ideas that I occasionally kick around. One involves a stereotypical time travel organization -- but one that is trying to change history rather than preserve it. I had thought that this was a unique concept... until I found this book. Wouldn't you know it, the organization in this book -- the Time Police -- are looking to change history. Oh, well. The hero, Jackson Dubchek, is working for the Time Police agency when they appear to turn against him. He is totally confused, but manages to escape death and start to unravel some of the organization's shady dealings. Overall, things are kind of murky. Dubchek is never quite sure who are the bad guys or the good guys. (Truth to tell, I got confused myself at times.) In the end, the message seemed to be "Beware of bureaucracies." Of course, this is labeled volume 1, so maybe that message is incomplete. Anyway, I'll rate this one as waiting room material.
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The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Read in the Summer of 2002

This was a tough read. Not that the translation from the German was obtuse. No, what Herr Bonhoeffer had to say was quite clear. The difficulty arose from my conscience when Bonhoeffer talked about what is and isn't following Jesus. Like many, I like to think that since I trust Jesus to forgive my sins, the sins I do commit really don't matter. That just isn't so. As the book points out, when I sin, I stop following Jesus. That, friends, was a scary concept. I was resting comfortably on my salvation and to have that pulled out from under me was very troubling. So much so that the first time I attempted to read this tome I ended up putting it aside. This year I attempted it again and was able to handle it better. It's not that I'm less of a sinner now, but rather that confronting the harsh reality of the law forced me to take a look at God's grace. I realize that the forgivness that Jesus offers is for the unfaithful disciple as well as for those who don't know better. Which is not to excuse my failures and rebellions. I certainly deserve to rot in hell for all eternity. I'm grateful that I don't have to, that my eternal life depends on God's mercy rather than my obedience. This is a book written for Christians, so if you believe that God is willing to forgive you for Jesus' sake, then go ahead and read this book. I'm putting it on my shelf, where it's ready to be read again. If you don't believe, go read the Bible instead.
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The Year's Best Science Fiction edited by Gardner Dozios
Read in the Summer of 2002

It took me a few months to read this title. A co-worker lent it to me as he always sees me reading over lunch and I didn't feel comfortable taking it home with me. My review started writing itself when I skimmed the opening credits -- two of the names there were names that I recognized from my brief membership in the Teen Writers Organization of America. Fortunately for my ego, they were only editorial assistants and hadn't penned any of the featured tales. (Seriously, I don't even know if it's the same Jim Allen or Gordon Van Gelder who were in the TWO*A. Either way, my hat's off to their accomplishment.) Still it started me thinking of doing a long, drawn out rumination about my youthful ambitions and all that. But that just led me to think about the girl I met through TWO*A and, well, I haven't got to the point where I'm willing to talk about those youthful ambitions on the web. Even if it was more interesting than any writing I did with the group. But I digress. It's been a while since I've read a "best" collection of science fiction. This one, for 1999, crtainly lived up to it's title. I can only think of one tale that I found to be boring, and a number which were great to read. I'd give you titles and names of the best, but I don't recall them, and since the book was borrowed, I can't look them up. However, I think I'll keep my eyes open for a copy and get one to put on my shelf.
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What About Those Who Have Never Heard? by Gabriel Fackre, Ronald H. Nash & John Sanders
Read in the Summer of 2002

If you're an orthodox Christian, you believe that the only way to get right with God (and avoid an eternity in hell) is to believe in Jesus Christ as one's Lord and Savior. Meaning, of course, that you believe that you should follow His teachings and that His death on the cross has paid the price incurred by all the times you haven't followed His teachings. If you're any sort of a thoughtful Christian, you'll eventually wonder about what happens to people who never get a chance to hear about Jesus. (Sometimes this question will be brought up for you, should you associate with thoughtful non-Christians.) This book does not have the answer. Nor does it claim anything like that. This question has been with the church for centuries and the bottom line is that the Bible does not give an answer to it. It's one of those issues in which one just needs to trust that God is good and knows what He is doing. Anyway, the authors of this book look at three possible answers to the question. Each writes an essay on his own position on the issue and then the other two offer a short rebuttal. I didn't totally agree with any of them, but it was interesting to read their arguments and think about my own understanding of the issue. I was even tempted at one point to get myself a copy of the book, but later decided against it. Unless you're teaching a class in comparative theology, this issue is one that each Christian should answer for his or herself. This book can help you make or confirm that decision, so I would strongly recommend that you check it out.
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The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis
Read in the Summer of 2002

I needed a quick break before trying to tackle Democracy in America (below) again, so I thought I'd grab the next Narnia book. This is a step up from previous title, Prince Caspian. It's a wonderful travel tale in which Caspian (now King) sails forth to uncharted waters to seek seven friends of his father who had been exiled during the reign of Caspian's corrupt predecessor. The story is rather simplistic, but the different lands and perils are imaginitive and delightfully described. A truly worthy successor to the original and one I'm going to keep on my shelf.
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Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville, trans. by Harvey C. Mansfield & Delba Winthrop
Read in September of 2002

Genius. Sheer genius. It seems like any book about American politics or history that I've read has at least one quote from this book, so I finally figured I should read it. Man, is this ever great. It's fascinating on so many levels. As history, it's primary source observations of a Frenchman who studied the United States in the 1830's. As a book on politics, it describes our government in depth, giving not just the facts of how it operates but also the rationale and history behind it. As a sociological tome, it mirrors the attitudes and behavior of the American people as well as contrasting those to the English and French. As a booster seat, it's nice and thick. It took me weeks to read (over a number of meals), and every day or so I found some tidbit to make me stop and think about the people around me -- neighbors, co-workers, fellow church members. It's not a simple read, since Tocqueville, like other 19th century writers, is very lengthy and doesn't limit himself to one field of study. But it is definitely worth making an effort to read. Why I wasn't given this to read in high school, I don't know. Well, it's twenty years late, but I'm gonna put a copy on my shelf.
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The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis
Read in September of 2002

I wanted some light reading after tackling Democracy in America (above) so I figured I'd try some Narnia. I was not disappointed. This book is another quest/travel tale. Two children, Eustace and Jill, are brought to Narnia and sent to find the missing Prince Rilian. They are accompianied by Puddleglum, a Marsh-wiggle. (Marsh-wiggles, if you don't know, are somewhat frog like humanoids who live in the marshes of Narnia.) The three venture to the lands inhabited by giants and face a number of dangers as they get to the bottom of things. Along the way, the characters struggle with the hardships of the quest and their own personal shortcomings. It was a delightful tale, albeit not as enjoyable as The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Still, it was good enough to keep on my shelf.
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The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis
Read in September of 2002

The Last Battle. Armaggedon comes to Narnia. Having read all the previous books in the series I just couldn't wait to see how it ends. Would fire and brimstone rain down from the heavens? Would trumpets blast and tempests rage? Would Aslan descend and crush all evil beneath his mighty paw? Well, sort of. This is a children's book after all. There is death and destruction, but the book hardly dwells upon it. I think I remember hearing that Mr. Lewis' theology wasn't all that much "fire and brimstone" anyway. Be that as it may, I expected a wee bit more. An unreasonable expectation, I would have to admit. Still, there are plenty of excellent aspects to the book as it allegorizes disbelief, faithfulness and judgment. It's definitely a book to put on my shelf, and I intend to keep it there until I meet the real Aslan, face to face.
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A Preface to History by Carl G. Gustavson
Read in September of 2002

One of the benefits of being married to a college student is that I can hear about all what she's learning and not have to do the studying myself. Also, if my wife comes across a really cool book, then it's readily available for me to peruse as well. (The downside is that if there's a book that she wants me to read, it's difficult to avoid it.) A Preface to History was my wife's textbook for History 501. It's actually a photocopy of part of a textbook from 1955. (Reprinted for classroom use only through special permission of the publishers, of course.) The purpose of the book is to introduce freshmen college students to the thought processes of a historian. It assumes that the student has been spending the last number of years learning names, dates and places and now that the student has established this framework, he or she is now able to look at the ideas and forces that brought these events into being. I found the book quite interesting, despite the fact that I'm not part of its intended audience. (Or maybe because of that fact.) On one hand, my high school history education was not in the mold of the late forties and early fifties. I never received the full regimen of memorization to which Professor Gustavson alludes. I knew enough European history to follow the book, but many names and places that he quotes offhandedly I didn't recognize. It was interesting to experience a book of another time and culture slightly removed from my own. The second way I didn't fit the audience mold is in the fact that I am older, (hopefully) wiser and better read than the generic college freshman. Observing connections between various events and social forces is nothing new to me. I've read plenty of books that have done that and even back in high school I was being told of motivations behind the actions. (Thank you, Mr. Vogt!) It was good for me to have this approach to history systemized so I could recognize the various ideas involved, of course. If you're like me--an armchair history buff with little formal training--I definitely recommend you to check it out.
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HTML 4 for the World Wide Web by Elizabeth Castro
Read in the Autumn of 2002

If you've perused my little website here, you've probably noticed a lack of, shall we say, quality. I admit it. For the past few years this site has been constructed by me using SimpleText, the Macintosh system text editor, and the handful of HTML commands I have picked up off a list or deciphered from source pages. (Oh, last year I did ask the guys over at the Unearthed Ruminations message board how to make a link come up in a separate window.) Well, bit by bit I have been becoming dissatisfied with the status quo. I like keeping my code short and to the point, but I am getting tired of seeing the iCab frowny face on my web pages and being clueless as to how to fix it. What pushed me over the edge was the discovery of an old friend's personal web site which was quite beautiful in it's design. (It's now offline, alas.) I was a bit embarrassed to tell her about mine, knowing she might venture and gaze upon the ugly, ol' thing. Anyway, even though I got over that and rededicated myself to the motto "It's ugly, but it's fast", I did pick this book up from the library. It simply describes version four of the HTML code and takes you step-by step through using the various commands. It was very well written and organized. If I wasn't such a cheapskate, I'd buy a copy for myself. But then again, if I wasn't such a cheapskate, I'd probably be running a DSL modem and wouldn't give one thought to those running text only browsers. Anyway, if you want to learn HTML, check it out. I think the wisdom garnered from that tome will one day enable me to make iCab smile upon these pages. (Assuming I ever find time to recode them...)
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The Nitpicker's Guide for Next Generation Trekkers by Phil Farrand
Read in the Autumn of 2002

Y'know, last fall I picked up Phil Farrand's The Nitpicker's Guide for Classic Trekkers at the Friends of the Library sale and read it before all the other books I bought, as well as the ones I had already started. Now we witness deja vu, save that I managed to stretch this one out over a couple of more days. This book is very trivial, yet very entertaining. It basically goes through the first six seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation and points out all of the plot flaws, continuity errors and general oversights of each episode. Now this concept could make for the most boring book in the world, but this book is anything but. Phil, I mean, Mr. Farrand writes with such an engaging style that I get the feeling that I'm sitting at the kitchen table with a buddy, quaffing a sociable beverage and talking Trek. (I know, I know, that would be a very one sided conversation. But hey, that's how it usually is in real life. Now you know why I write.) Anyway, I'm putting this one on my shelf. Maybe next year I can get volume 2 or the Deep Space Nine book.
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Unpuzzling Your Past by Emily Anne Croom
Read in the Autumn of 2002

Whenever I get into a hobby (if I can dignify my ephemeral ineterests with such a term) I usually plunge right in and start messing with whatever has piqued my interest. A few months later, I then get a introductory book on the subject and use it to organize my newly gained experience and fill in some of the things I missed. If I really get into a hobby, I may even go out and buy a book. Anyway, I've confirmed genealogy and my web site as official hobbies by picking up the appropriate introductory volumes at the fall Friends of the Library sale. This is the genealogy one. It's nice enough and has some good, basic info. (as well as some forms to photocopy) However, it's geared toward someone who is writing a family history--complete with recollections and anecdotes. Me, I'm in the facts stage of things. I don't care what odd habits Lewis Graham had. I want to know what part of Canada he hails from and if he's really part Onandaga like my aunts and uncles claim. But then, I'm treating this all more like a puzzle to be solved than a heritage to be claimed. Anyway, I've got my 75 cents worth. If you're looking for an intro to genealogy, this is worth checking out, but I suspect there are other books out there which would serve just as well.
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Hitler Victorious edited by Gregory Benford & Martin Harry Greenberg
Read in the Autumn of 2002

This book is one I picked up on impulse at the Friends of the Library sale. When I hit the sale, I usually have a handful of books that I specifically look for. Then I peruse my favorite categories and finally I end up by skimming over the scince fiction paperbacks and snatching up a couple that catch my eye. This fall I grabbed Hitler Victorious, a collection of short stories that share the theme of "What if the Nazis won World War II?" I didn't know why I grabbed it, save that I enjoy alternate history tales. But now that I've read the introductory essay by Norman Spinrad, I have a clue. He ponders why Hitler and the Nazis have become such icons in our culture while Stalin, Tojo and Il Duce seem well on their way to becoming historical trivia. He has is own opinions, but the one that jumped out at me was that Hitler added an artistic touch to his Reich. To quote, "Hitler ... spent much time, energy, money and attention crafting symbol systems, ceremonies, color schemes, architecture, and even uniforms ...". It doesn't make him or his regime less monstrous, but it does explain why I would snatch up this volume as opposed to one about alternate Churchills or Elvises. Anyway, the tales themselves are fairly good. Most are rather dark, obviously, though a few present a pretty pleasant society... for the aryans, anyway. It's real good waiting room material, just nothing I would rush out to find.
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Studies in the Short Story edited by Julian L. Maline and James Berkley
Read in the Autumn of 2002

My personal library has been built in a variety of ways. This book is a leftover from high school. I think it was a literature class in my freshman year. I don't know why I hung onto it, as there are derogatory comments written on the contents page and in spots throughout the book--boring, dumb, gay. (Back in high school that was an insult...) But hang onto it I did, and now over 20 years later, I have actually read through the whole thing. This was a classic case of casting pearls before swine. As a literature text book, the volume is naturally full of stories that have stood out amongst others and posses a measure of quality. Storioes by Poe, Twain, Steinbeck, Faulkner, Wells, and other famous names. Back then I didn't understand them. The only story I recall actually enjoying was Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game". This time around however, there's not a clunker in the lot. I'm going to put it on my shelf and hopefully not wait another 20 years to crack it again. If this weren't a 35 year old texbook, I'd recommend you grab a copy too.
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Ghost World by Daniel Clowes
Read in the Autumn of 2002

Once again I'm bending my rules and reviewing a graphic novel. I had read a review of the movie they made out of this book and so felt inclined to check this out of the library and give it a read. Ghost World isn't one of the usual superhero funny books. It's a tale of two girls, Enid and Becky, making the transition from high school to adulthood. Well, at least that's as close as I could come to figuring out a plotline. On first read, the book comes across as more of a collection of vignettes from Enid and Becky's collective life. It is very well done. I immediately could see a reflection of my own attitudes at that age--struggling to look cool and find a persona with which to cover my own insecurities, gleefully pointing out the shortcomings of others while refusing to notice or acknowledge my own. Unfortunately, I couldn't see much hope in the book. I mean, I eventually grew up (at least I like to think I grew up) and learned to accept and even respect people for who they were. It was a change in the way I thought--rather than expecting people to match my own standard of beauty or wisdom, I learned to try and find the beauty, wisdom and other qualities that reside in each person. There's only the barest hint of that in Ghost World. The girls might eventually get a clue, but you don't know that for sure. Perhaps I'm subconsciously expecting a Hollywood ending. I don't know. Anyway, it is a good book and I can truly recommend that you check it out. Now I'll have to go and rent the movie.
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