January in books
Okay, it's a bit late, but I'm back for another year full of reading and reporting. Actually, last month was kind of light in terms of reading; I blame back-to-school season.
But, without further ado, onwards to books!
1. Guards! Guards! (Discworld #8), Terry Pratchett
Yes, it's a Discworld book. I have actually only read one other Discworld book to date, and my friend Eric sought to cure me of this unfortunate gap in my sci-fi reading. The plot in a nutshell: a mysterious, not-particularly-adept cult summons a dragon to the city, and only the not-particularly-adept Watchmen can stop them. Oh, and there's a librarian who's been transformed into a monkey, who can navigate L-space (library-space) to go back in time. If I'm sounding disjointed, it's because the book often reads that way as well. Final verdict: it's a fun Pratchett novel, and almost exactly what you'd expect from a Discworld book.
2. Overtime, Tom Holt
Also lent to me by Eric, Holt reads like Pratchett if someone had sat Pratchett down and forced him to concentrate on a single thought for more than 30 seconds. The plot is equally odd: a World War II fighter pilot follows Brodel, a 12th century minstrel through space and time in search of the lost Richard the Lionheart, using "Employees Only" doors to navigate the interconnectedness of space-time. On the other hand, it's highly enjoyable. Holt uses the appreciate trope of the confused main character, so that the reader may learn as he does. But it works. Final verdict: an enjoyable read for a few afternoons when you've got nothing better to do, assuming you don't mind being confused for a while.
3. Quirkology: How We Discover the Big Truths in Small Things, Richard Wiseman
And now back to non-fiction. In this book, Wiseman describes the scientific study of extremely quirky things: how can you tell if someone is lying (shorter phrases, less use of the word "I" and fewer emotional words); does your birthday affect your personality (yes, but only if you believe in astrology); and, a la Monty Python, is there a world's funniest joke (while some jokes are definitely funnier than others, there is none that appeals to everyone). Through all this, Wiseman describes his experiments, often large-scale and featured in major research publications, in great detail, giving the reader a real sense of what actually happened. Final verdict: a wonderful read, recommended for anyone interested in the quirks of human behaviour.
4. Boom, Bust & Echo: How to Profit from the Coming Demographic Shift, David K. Foot
This book was recommended by my microeconomics teacher, and I found it second-hand at a used book sale. While there is a newer edition, this one is slightly out of date (from 1996). Foot essentially argues that "demographics can explain 2/3 of anything," from the real estate market, to consumer trends, to family values. Foot examines not only the Baby Boom generation, but also the "baby bust" generation that followed them and the "echo boom" that followed in some parts of Canada. He proceeds to state what trends he thinks will dominate over the next few decades, based on this demographic information. (For more updated information, you can visit his website.) Final verdict: thought provoking and recommended for people who are interested in why society is the way it is.
And that's it for now. More next month!
But, without further ado, onwards to books!
1. Guards! Guards! (Discworld #8), Terry Pratchett
Yes, it's a Discworld book. I have actually only read one other Discworld book to date, and my friend Eric sought to cure me of this unfortunate gap in my sci-fi reading. The plot in a nutshell: a mysterious, not-particularly-adept cult summons a dragon to the city, and only the not-particularly-adept Watchmen can stop them. Oh, and there's a librarian who's been transformed into a monkey, who can navigate L-space (library-space) to go back in time. If I'm sounding disjointed, it's because the book often reads that way as well. Final verdict: it's a fun Pratchett novel, and almost exactly what you'd expect from a Discworld book.
2. Overtime, Tom Holt
Also lent to me by Eric, Holt reads like Pratchett if someone had sat Pratchett down and forced him to concentrate on a single thought for more than 30 seconds. The plot is equally odd: a World War II fighter pilot follows Brodel, a 12th century minstrel through space and time in search of the lost Richard the Lionheart, using "Employees Only" doors to navigate the interconnectedness of space-time. On the other hand, it's highly enjoyable. Holt uses the appreciate trope of the confused main character, so that the reader may learn as he does. But it works. Final verdict: an enjoyable read for a few afternoons when you've got nothing better to do, assuming you don't mind being confused for a while.
3. Quirkology: How We Discover the Big Truths in Small Things, Richard Wiseman
And now back to non-fiction. In this book, Wiseman describes the scientific study of extremely quirky things: how can you tell if someone is lying (shorter phrases, less use of the word "I" and fewer emotional words); does your birthday affect your personality (yes, but only if you believe in astrology); and, a la Monty Python, is there a world's funniest joke (while some jokes are definitely funnier than others, there is none that appeals to everyone). Through all this, Wiseman describes his experiments, often large-scale and featured in major research publications, in great detail, giving the reader a real sense of what actually happened. Final verdict: a wonderful read, recommended for anyone interested in the quirks of human behaviour.
4. Boom, Bust & Echo: How to Profit from the Coming Demographic Shift, David K. Foot
This book was recommended by my microeconomics teacher, and I found it second-hand at a used book sale. While there is a newer edition, this one is slightly out of date (from 1996). Foot essentially argues that "demographics can explain 2/3 of anything," from the real estate market, to consumer trends, to family values. Foot examines not only the Baby Boom generation, but also the "baby bust" generation that followed them and the "echo boom" that followed in some parts of Canada. He proceeds to state what trends he thinks will dominate over the next few decades, based on this demographic information. (For more updated information, you can visit his website.) Final verdict: thought provoking and recommended for people who are interested in why society is the way it is.
And that's it for now. More next month!