Live Wire by Harlan Coben (2009)

The character arcs and continuing adventures are well-written and gripping. Tight story & deep mystery.  This one is a little too melodramatic. 5/5 Stars.

A Tempest at Sea by Sherry Thomas (2023)

Well-crafted story with many of our favorite characters from the series.  Fun mystery. I look forward to the next story in the series!  I am also glad that Sherry Thomas is another book in this series. 5/5 Stars.

The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky (2021)

I did not like this one.  The magic system was terrible and there were too many plot contrivances. 1/5 Stars.

Insistence of vision by David Brin (2016)

I read some of the stories before but I enjoyed this compilation and the author's introductions. 5/5 Stars.

Beyond the Reach of Earth by Ken MacLeod (2023)

I like the continuation of the story and the character arcs.  Fun. 4/5 Stars.

Steel World by B.V. Larson (2013)

I think a 12-year-old version of me may have enjoyed this book; however, the writing is horrible. The politics are awful, I did not like any of the characters, and the story is meh at best. 1/5 Stars.  Reminder to self: do not buy any other books by this author.

The Talented Mrs. Mandelbaum by Margalit Fox (2024)

This captivating, concise, and well-crafted tale follows a crime boss "fence" who ruled the redistribution of stolen goods during the wild, violent 19th century in the USA. The characters burst with color and intrigue, drawing the reader into vivid slices of life across New York's diverse social classes. This historical fiction echoes Amor Towles' style, brimming with authentic dialogue and era-specific slang. 4/5 stars.

The Lindy Effect of public Internet Information and Object Permanence

The Lindy effect aka "Lindy's law" is the theory that the momentary future life expectancy of an idea or technology (object) is a Pareto probability distribution proportional to the current age of the object. So the longer something has existed, the longer its remaining life expectancy.  This idea also applies to some species of life, but subpopulations of animals frequently follow lognormal distributions instead of Pareto.

The short and shrinking lifetime of trending ideas and technology is nowhere more evident than Internet blogs, web sites, AI companies, and memes.  I discovered that jwz published a pair of scripts to make your URLs a little more permanent.  One rewrite URLs to use archive.org and the other crawls your wordpress blog to rewrite all links to point at archive.org.  

archive.org is the prime target for takedowns; in fact, the Lindy's Law link above was taken down!  Luckily, other preservation sites are filling the gap for wayback machine functionality. There are many web sites like archive.ph, stillio, perma.cc, mementoweb, and archivebox that can fill the gaps, but the longevity of these archive sites is also questionable.

Beyond the Hallowed Sky by Ken Macleod (2021)

I think I finally found another space opera series that I really like!  I enjoyed this book. 5/5 Stars.

Die Haarteppichknüpfer von Andreas Eschbach (2021)

Ich habe das Buch wirklich genossen. Die Art und Weise, wie die Welt aufgebaut ist, fand ich spannend und einzigartig. Die zentralen Themen – Macht, Autorität und die Grenzen persönlicher Einflussnahme – sind beeindruckend und regen zum Nachdenken an. Alle Charaktere sind sorgfältig ausgearbeitet und ziehen einen sofort in ihren Bann. Jede ihrer Geschichten trägt auf schlüssige Weise zum Gesamtbild bei. Das Science-Fiction-Setting sorgt für eine faszinierende Atmosphäre voller Staunen, die den Hintergrund lebendig macht, ohne jedoch für die eigentliche Handlung entscheidend zu sein. Insgesamt vergebe ich 4 / 5 Sternen.

The Technological Republic by Alex Karp (2025)

Great book with interesting ideas and a refreshingly new perspective.  Alex Karp is emerging as a new intellectual thought leader among patriotic but rational, civil leaders in the USA.  His ethics and ideas are sometimes overly simplistic; and his expression of win/lose  Realpolitik is harsh. Thought-provoking and worthwhile, 5/5 Stars.

Red Dust by Yoss (2020) translated by David Frye

The story has a lot of action and fun science fiction, with interesting politics from a Cuban perspective but set in a space opera. The homages are a bit shallow and trite.  It is very short, dense, and enjoyable. 4/5 Stars.

Perhaps the Stars by Ada Palmer (2021)

Scattered and unsatisfying. Ridiculous characters and terrible world building. 1/5 Stars.

personal

https://photos.app.goo.gl/44mA1k4rToh9dQGHA

Mash Up edited by Gardner Dozois (2016)

I had read and was looking for the story in this collection by Allen Steele.  The rest of the stories were also ok; some were very good.  I enjoyed them all and I enjoyed re-reading the hilarious story "The Big Whale." 4/5 Stars.

Midnight in Moscow by John J Sullivan (2024)

The book offers a compelling and insightful recounting of the American ambassador's experiences in Russia during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the tense prelude and early stages of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. For me, it was an eye-opening narrative. I've always found it perplexing how international dynamics can unravel when leaders become so entrenched in their own perspectives that they lose sight of reality. This story highlights a recurring failure of imagination—an inability to grasp the clear, unvarnished actions and motives of their counterparts on the global stage. 4/5 Stars. 

Klara and the Sun Kazuo Ishiguro (2021)

I finally read an Ishiguro book that I enjoyed!  The author's Nobel Prize winning writing in my favorite genre of science fiction, coupled with great psychological, sociological, and metaphysical explorations is great. 4/5 Stars.

New Foundland The Long Haul (2021)

Neal Stephenson's dialog and some plotting shine in this fantasy story Radio Play. I don't like swords and sorcery fantasy but this dramatic audio presentation is fun. 4/5 Stars.

Excerpt from the Third and Last Volume of "Tribes of the Pacific Coast" by Neal Stephenson (2008)

As a Neal Stephenson fan, I am always looking for more of his earlier writing and collaborations that I may have missed.  I found this story, which appears to be an expansion of material originally removed during the editing process of  Diamond Age.  It is a fun return to the NeoVictorian world of Diamond Age nanotech with fun plot elements and asymmetric military conflict. 4/5 Stars.

On Liberty by John Stuart Mill (1859)

This gripping, long-form essay is clear, approachable, and relevant in 2025.  The concepts are timeless and universal.  Our modern politics and rhetorical discussions now among the ruling class elites would benefit enormously from the civics concepts and reasoning in this essay.  In particular the balance between the "Tyranny of the Majority" and individual rights in a society are fantastic.  Highly recommended, 5/5 Stars.

Against a Dark Background by Ian M Banks (1993)

Despite the nihilistic, dark themes and the gratuitous, purposeless violence, I enjoyed this space opera. The world building is reminiscent of the beloved Culture series. The plot is unpredictable, the writing is great, and the awe-and-wonder is dominant. 4/5 Stars.

First they came for the Copy Editors. . .

Apologies for abusing the famous Holocaust poem in the title, I noticed today that the genAI bubble is making enormous progress at replacing developers.  I, personally, enjoy chatting with AI chatbots to accomplish many tasks and I am collecting my own personal sets of prompts and meta-prompts.  However, I cannot imagine what it would be like for a non-coder to use a genAI to write code because I already can code.  I suppose it would be akin to my using a genAI to compose and sell Hindi poetry and Hindi songs.  I speak no Hindi, have no sensibility for Hindi audiences' taste in music or how to earn money in a Hindi-speaking music market, etc.  The phenomenon is also like the Chinese Room thought experiment.

Side note on the title of this post

Niemöller famously and poetically articulated the wave of the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (Nazi) popular Zeitgeist ideology that swept across the population of Germany and led to death camps, extermination of people, etc.. Although there are many variations of the poem, the most common written version in Holocaust museums is:

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me--and there was no one left to speak for me.

However, Niemöller likely used the word "Communists" in the original oration.

Travel

I enjoy leisure travel.  As I mentioned previously here, 

I want not only to see the sites when I travel, but also smell the diesel fumes, taste authentic street food, and hear the "flavor" of local dialects.  But more than that I want to feel and viscerally experience the attitudes, values, opinions, and sensibilities of the locals, to "get into their heads."  I love to experience the culture, not just observe it.

So when I came across this (long) gem of travel tips from the founder of Wired magazine, I read it with much interest.  Kevin Kelly breaks travel down into "rest and relaxation" (R&R), engagement and experience (E&E), and business travel.  He gives many small bits of advice for each type of travel with wisdom gained from his own hard-won "quantity time" traveling and thoughtful introspections.  If you enjoy traveling, check out the article.

Poor Charlie's Almanac by Charles Munger & Peter Kaufman (2008)

Fantastic!  I don't care about stock picking or investing, but the wit and wisdom of Charles Munger in these engaging dialogs and speeches are fantastic. Highly recommended! 5/5 Stars.

Trusted Execution Environments and Byzantine Fault Algorithms

After Reading Martin Kleppman's famous book I became fascinated by Byzantine Faults and algorithms. These concepts and applications are used mostly for space probes and other hostile environments. This new paper on trusted execution environments (TEE) therefore caught my attention. We are finally looking at more and better hardware to provide security guarantees.  It's a great survey paper.

Backyard Starship by J.N. Chaney and Terry Maggert (2021)

One of the genAI chatterbots recommended this series based on my reading history and ratings so I read the first book in the series.  The series is better-suited to an 11- or 12-year-old. 2/5 Stars.

The Lessons of History by Will & Arielle Durant (1997)

This extremely dense collection of aphorisms and pearls of wisdom is a very thin shell of the 11 volume The Story of Civilization that won the Durants so many accolades and awards.  My buddy Senthil recommended it so I picked it up.  It is so dense and profound, the reader must constantly pause and ponder.  Now I am curious about Will Durant's magnum opus. 4/5 Stars.

Attack Surface by Corey Doctorow (2020)

Fun thriller with odd twists and turns but I found the characters and events contrived and unrealistic. I do not recommend this one.  Doctorow has written better books in the same genre. 2/5 Stars.

Lawvere's Fixed-point Theorem blows my mind

Lawvere's fixed-point theorem explains why self-reference is unavoidable in any system that allows for functions to be applied to themselves. It provides a mathematical way to understand the idea of "I" in self-reference.

Think of it like this:

• A statement that refers to itself.
• A program that reads and modifies its own code.
• A formula that says, "If proving me means I'm true, then I'm proved."

These kinds of self-referential structures often seem paradoxical or nonsensical. Lawvere's theorem helps us understand why these paradoxes arise.

The Core Idea: Russell's Paradox and Self-Reference

Imagine a set that contains descriptions of everything. Now, try to define the set of all things that don't describe themselves. Here's the problem:

• If the description includes itself, then it shouldn't be in the set.
• If it doesn't include itself, then it should be in the set.

This is Russell's paradox. The same kind of paradox appears in many areas of logic, mathematics, and even computer science.

Cartesian Closed Categories: The Setting for Lawvere's Theorem

Lawvere's theorem applies in a structure called a Cartesian closed category (CCC). Here's what that means:

1. Multiplication of objects (taking products).
2. A special object (terminal object) that acts like a "unit."
3. Exponentials: For any objects X and Y, you can form an object Y^X, which represents all possible maps from X to Y.

In standard set theory, Y^X represents all functions X → Y. In category theory, exponentials serve the same purpose, but in a more general setting.

There is also an evaluation map:

ev:(YX)×X→Y

which takes a function from X to Y and applies it to an input X. This evaluation behaves in a universal way, meaning it can describe every function application in the category.

Category theorists use this abstract approach because they prefer not to "look inside" objects. It's like how a strict vegan insists on keeping their lifestyle separate from certain foods—they avoid breaking the rules even when it might be convenient.

How Lawvere's Theorem Works

Lawvere's theorem uses exponentials to model self-reference. Here's how:

• Suppose we have an object X in a CCC and a function

  f:X→XX

  This means each element of X is assigned a function from X to X.

• Now, combine f with the evaluation map to define:

  δ:X→X

  This δ is called the diagonal map or self-application map.

• Lawvere's theorem states that if δ acts like a fixed-point operator (meaning there exists an x such that δ(x) = x), then there must be an element x such that f(x) maps x to itself.

In simpler terms:

• The object X contains a self-referential element.
• This element must describe itself in the way f defines.
• Self-reference is forced by the structure of the system.

Why This Matters: Gödel, Tarski, and Halting Problems

In set theory, this theorem explains diagonal arguments, like those used in:

• Gödel's incompleteness theorem: "This statement is unprovable."
• Tarski's undefinability theorem: "Truth cannot be defined within the same system."

The key idea is that once functions themselves become objects (via exponentials), self-reference becomes inevitable.

For example:

• Gödel's theorem builds a function from X to X^X that represents "provability" inside the system.
• Tarski's theorem does the same for "truth" inside the system.
• The Halting problem constructs a function that tries to analyze its own ability to decide halting.

Each case involves embedding a system inside itself, forcing it to evaluate its own rules. This always leads to contradictions or limitations.

The Big Picture

Lawvere's theorem tells us that any system capable of defining functions from objects to themselves will eventually run into paradoxes. You cannot build a system that fully captures its own behavior without creating a self-referential feedback loop.

If you try to define something like "this program decides if another program halts," you're inherently creating an arrow X → X^X, which lets the system analyze itself. That's exactly how Gödel's and Tarski's results work.

In the end, Lawvere's theorem formalizes why self-reference is inescapable. It proves that if you have a system rich enough to describe itself, paradoxes aren't just possible—they're guaranteed.

Fwd: Miss Moriarity, I presume? by Sherry Thomas (2022)

I am enjoying this series. This book is another fun adventure that includes the mysterious super-villain (Moriarity). 5/5 Stars.  

Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell (2024)

I almost always enjoy Gladwell's stories and books.  This one is fantastic and highly recommended. 5/5 Stars.

Needle by Hal Clement (1949)

I liked this story. There are many contrivances and holes in the plot but the magic system is great and the characters are all compelling. I also enjoyed the dated science of 1949 including our lack of understanding of viruses back then. 4/5 Stars.

If I betray these words by Wendy Dean and Simon Talbot (2023)

This book presents a fascinating and in-depth collection of vignettes that highlight the dedication and idealism of medical professionals. It vividly illustrates the struggles these devoted doctors face against the encroachment of private equity firms and other large corporate entities that destroy the integrity of patient care.

Through these narratives, we witness firsthand the detrimental impact of prioritizing shareholder value over patient well-being. The most valuable aspect of the book lies in the authors' insightful recommendations for how physicians can effectively navigate these challenging circumstances to ensure high-quality care for their patients.

Overall, this book is a thought-provoking examination of the intersection between medicine and corporate interests, offering both inspiration and practical guidance for healthcare professionals. 4/5 Stars.

Hellconia Spring by Brian Aldiss (1952)

I did not like this book. There is no plot. None of the characters is likeable.  There is gratuitous and needless violence. 2/5 Stars.

Die Kinder der Finsternis von Wolf von Niebelschütz (1959)

Normalerweise genieße ich Geschichten, die den Leser in einen Schnappschuss aus dem Leben eintauchen lassen. Und ich bin neugierig auf das 12. Jahrhundert in der europäischen Geschichte, insbesondere auf Friedrich I. (Barbarossa) und das Heilige Römische Reich. Der Schreibstil ist sehr gut. Die Charaktere sind interessant. Mir gefiel die interessante Formalität, mit der die Leute miteinander sprachen. Der Grund, warum mir dieses Buch nicht gefallen hat, ist, dass das Eintauchen zu tief war. Es gibt eine ständige, böse, brutale, beiläufige Gewalt und Machtmissbrauch, die sehr deprimierend ist. Jeder hatte ein bizarres Glaubenssystem und eine grundlegende Wahrnehmung der Realität. Die Heiden, Christen und Muslime lebten in einer Fantasiewelt und leugneten die offensichtliche objektive Realität. Ich glaube, diese Beschreibung ist wahr, aber ich wollte mehr über das Gesamtbild erfahren, nicht nur über die kleine Provinz. 2/5 Sterne.

The Wanted by Jason Anspach and Nick Cole (2024)

I did not enjoy this one as much as the earlier books.The characters and dialogue were not good and the plot twists are a little too complicated and contrived. 2/5 Stars.

Die Fahrt von Sibylle Berg (2009)

Dieses Buch erinnert mich an James Micheners The Drifters aus dem Jahr 1971. Beide Romane stellen eine Gruppe junger Menschen und ihre Erfahrungen in verschiedenen Kulturen in den Mittelpunkt.

Bergs Buch entführt uns auf eine Reise um die Welt und legt den Fokus auf benachteiligte Menschen, die nach dem Sinn des Lebens suchen und darum kämpfen, ihre Lebensumstände zu verbessern. Als jemand, der Geschichten aus dem wahren Leben besonders schätzt, empfand ich Bergs Schreibstil als äußerst fesselnd. Jede Vignette zog mich tief in die Welt der Charaktere hinein.

Allerdings ist der gesamte Ton des Buches recht düster. Im Gegensatz zu Micheners Werk, das seine Auseinandersetzung mit sozialen Problemen durch Momente der Hoffnung ausgleicht, präsentiert Berg eine durchweg pessimistische Perspektive. Obwohl die Beobachtungsgabe und der Erzählstil des Autors beeindruckend sind, empfand ich den ständigen Fokus auf Leid und die scheinbare Aussichtslosigkeit, dauerhaftes Glück zu finden, als belastend.

Trotz der Schwere seiner Themen regt das Buch zum Nachdenken an und ist handwerklich gut geschrieben. Wenn Sie anspruchsvolle Lektüre schätzen, die einen ungeschönten Blick auf globale Ungleichheiten und menschliche Probleme wirft, werden Sie Bergs Werk vermutlich fesselnd finden. Wenn Sie jedoch eine aufbauende Geschichte suchen, ist dieses Buch möglicherweise keine geeignete Wahl.

Ich bewundere Bergs schriftstellerisches Talent und die Intensität seiner Erzählweise. Dennoch hinterließ die unnachgiebige Trostlosigkeit des Buches bei mir einen bedrückenden Eindruck. 3 von 5 Sternen.

The Pope at War by David I Kertzer (2024)

Drawing on new materials from the Vatican released in 2022, the author addresses myths about Pope Pius XII. The book details how Pius XII supported the Axis powers and helped send all of the Italian Jews to death camps. It also notes his lack of support for Polish Catholics and other Catholic clergy in countries occupied by Germany during WWII. I found the book depressing. 3/5 Stars.

Hope for the best; plan for the rest by Hsien Seow and Sammy Winemaker (2023)

Similar, but not as good as Atul Gawande's Being Mortal, this book explains how and why most of us should prepare for our inevitable end-of-life and also for being a good team member of care-givers for loved-ones who approach end-of-life.  Gawande's book approaches the choices and tradeoffs, while this book provides a framework for navigating the system assuming you (or loved-one) has a clear understanding of the choices and tradeoffs. 3/5 Stars.

Translation state by Anne Leckie (2023)

Interesting world-building and ideas, odd rogues gallery of characters, bad pacing, contrived plot, terrible and inconsistent magic system. 2/5 Stars.

Nexus by Yuval Harari (2024)

Puke awful, terrible. I put the book down after suffering through half of the text. 0/5 Stars. Harari should spend 1/10th the time he spends meditating on a modicum of scholarship.  His definitions of "information" and "networks" are brain dead stupid. A rational 10-year-old could be more rational. His definition of political "democracy" is equally naive, inconsistent, and stupid. I am upset I wasted so much time on this drivel. Reminder to self:  Do not read anything by Harari.

Murder on Cold Street by Sherry Thomas (2020)

This fifth book in the series continues to entertain with great character progression and fun Sherlock Holmes deductions.  The B plots are fun. The whining and moral anachronisms are getting worse, however. 4/5 Stars.

The Boy from the Woods by Harlan Coben (2020)

Fun, tight mystery with colorful characters, 4/5 Stars.

Growth: From microorganisms to megacities by Vaclav Smil (2019)

Not one of his Smil's best efforts but still very interesting. I appreciate the first chapter that outlines the math models of growth for fitting observations to the data and extrapolating. The author's scathing attacks against GDP growth as an indicator are also fantastic. 3/5 Stars.