Book – Page 10 – Made by Mikal

In A Sunburned Country

Post author:mikal
Post published:June 2, 2015
Post category:Book

This is the first Bill Bryson book I've read, and I have to say I enjoyed it. Bill is hilarious and infuriating at the same time, which surprisingly to me makes for a very entertaining combination. I'm sure he's not telling the full story in this book -- its just not possible for someone so ill prepared to not just die in the outback somewhere. Take his visit to Canberra for example -- he drives down from Sydney, hits the first hotel he finds and then spends three days there. No wonder he's bored. Eventually he bothers to drive for another five minutes and finds there is more to the city than one hotel. On the other hand, he maligns my home town in such a hilarious manner I just can't be angry at him. I loved this book, highly recommended.

Ancillary Justice

Post author:mikal
Post published:May 7, 2015
Post category:Book

I loved this book. The way the language works takes a little while to work out, but then blends into the background. The ideas here are new and interesting and I look forward to other work of Ann's. Very impressed with this book.

Command and Control

Post author:mikal
Post published:February 22, 2015
Post category:Book

I finished this book a while ago and it appears that I forgot to write it up. This book is by the author of Fast Food Nation and it is just as good as his other book. The history of America's nuclear weapons and their security (or lack thereof) is as compelling as it is terrifying. I found this book hard to put down while reading it, and would recommend it to others.

The Martian

Post author:mikal
Post published:December 31, 2014
Post category:Book

I bought this book because of a review I saw online recently, and I have to say I loved it. Its interesting, humorous, and a generally fun read with a story line that I haven't seen before. Its refreshing to encounter a new author who has some genuinely new ideas to explore. I highly recommend this book.

Ghost

Post author:mikal
Post published:December 15, 2014
Post category:Book

Trigger warning, I suppose. This like a Tom Clancy book, but with weirder sex, much of it non-consensual. Also, not as well thought through or as well researched or as believable. I couldn't bring myself to finish it.

The Human Division

Post author:mikal
Post published:November 26, 2014
Post category:Book

I originally read this as a series of short stories released on the kindle, but the paperback collation of those has been out for a while and deserved a read. These stories are classic Scalzi, and read well. If you like the Old Man's War universe you will like this book. The chapters of the book are free standing because of how they were originally written, and that makes the book a bit disjointed. The cliff hanger at the end is also pretty annoying given the next book hasn't been released. So, an interesting experiment that perhaps isn't perfect, but is well worth the read.

Fast Food Nation

Post author:mikal
Post published:November 17, 2014
Post category:Book

I don't read a lot of non-fiction, but I decided to finally read this book having had it sit on the shelf for a few years. I'm glad I read it, but as someone who regularly eats in the US I am not sure if I should be glad or freaked out. The book is an interesting study in how industrialization without proper quality controls can have some pretty terrible side effects. I'm glad to live in a jurisdiction where we actively test for food quality and safety. The book is a good read, and I'd recommend it to people without weak stomaches.

Lock In

Post author:mikal
Post published:October 9, 2014
Post category:Book

I know I like Scalzi stuff, but each series is so different that I like them all in different ways. I don't think he's written a murder mystery before, and this book was just as good as Old Man's War, which is a pretty high bar. This book revolves around a murder being investigated by someone who can only interact with the real world via personal androids. Its different from anything else I've seen, and a unique idea is pretty rare these days. Highly recommended.

The Decline and Fall of IBM: End of an American Icon?

Post author:mikal
Post published:September 27, 2014
Post category:Book

This book is quite readable, which surprises me for the relatively dry topic. Whilst obviously not everyone will agree with the author's thesis, it is clear that IBM hasn't been managed for long term success in a long time and there are a lot of very unhappy employees. The book is an interesting perspective on a complicated problem.

Don’t Tell Mum I Work On The Rigs

Post author:mikal
Post published:August 22, 2014
Post category:Book

I read this book while on a flight a few weeks ago. Its surprisingly readable and relatively short -- you can knock it over in a single long haul flight. The book covers the memoirs of an oil rig worker, from childhood right through to middle age. That's probably the biggest weakness of the book, it just kind of stops when the writer reaches the present day. I felt there wasn't really a conclusion, which was disappointing. An interesting fun read however.