Out of Oz

This book is a fantastic conclusion to Maguire's series.  It ties up all of the loose ends of the plots from all three of the earlier books and brings all of the characters to dramatic, and unexpected endings.  I enjoyed it much more than any of the other stories in the series.  4/5 stars, very thrilling.

The Israel Solution

I was disappointed by the book, mostly because of the editing, but also because of the shrill tone and superlative adjectives.  The scholarship is fantastic and the reasoning is sound.  It is important for anyone who cares about the politics in Israel to read and understand the information.  However I have higher expectations for a book than Caroline's journalist writing style and I was hoping her editors would tone down her fire a little to emphasize the awesome analysis and the straight facts.

When I read Paul Johnson's A history of the Jews, I cried frequently at how horribly unconscionable the genocides, pogroms, torture, tyranny, deprivations, and systematic, evil societal malevolent practices were throughout the centuries.  I had a vague understanding of some of the history but Johnson illuminated the facts dispassionately, which made the story more horrific.  Caroline's style is not as literary or cogent.  She retreats to bromides and insults.  It pushed me out of the book a little.

The information and analysis is extremely important and a fantastic illumination of facts that few people have realized.  3/5 Stars.  If you care about politics in Israel, you really owe it to yourself to read the book and follow the footnotes to read the source articles.

The Medusa Chronicles

Fantastic book by great authors worthy of continuing Arthur C. Clark's award-winning novella and story collection. 5/5 stars

The Oz Principle

People at work recommended this one when I asked about good audiobooks.  It is old but still relevant.  There are much deeper concepts behind accountability than the simple bromides and quick-fix slogans.  The book is long, deep, and detailed and worth reading all the way through. 

4/5 stars.

Out of the Black

Book four was just as exciting as the first three and the space opera keeps the space combat thrills flying fast and thick.  I am really enjoying the series now and appreciate the mysterious awe, wonder of the vague background mysteries.  4/5 stars, can't wait for book five.

Ready Player One

Fantastic, as good as people said.

Despite the dystopian negative pessimism I enjoyed the book and recommend it.  5 out of 5 stars.

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mfw@wyle.org | 1.425.249.3936

Troika

​I am a huge fan of Alastair Reynolds' space operas.  Troika does not disappoint.  It has enormous "awe and wonder" at a glimpse of amazing technology we cannot understand.  It has great "Soviet Russia" characters and situations.  The story is compressed into a dense short novella, a quick 2-hour read.  5/5 stars.

Foundation and Chaos

The 21st century foundation trilogy sponsored by Asimov's Estate employed fantastic authors -- the "killer B's," Benford, Bear, and Brin."  But the first book published in 2000 was bad, 2/5 stars and messed up the entire trilogy.  I really dislike the "sims" (simulated personalities of Voltaire and Jean d'Arc).  And the introduction of extra new elements, including tiktoks, mentalics with specific super-powers, new casts and cultures, and especially worm holes really messed up everything.  If you write inside a masters universe, don't completely change his universe.  So anyway, Bear's novel was not as terrible as the first one, 3/5 stars.  I am now on to Brin's final book in the series. . .

Start with Why

Pretty good ideas and very similar to all the career advice books, but for business culture and organizations. 4/5 stars.

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mfw@wyle.org | 1.425.249.3936

Trojan Horse

Finally finished the last Russinovich thriller.  It was pretty good and holds up, despite the rapidly-changing cyber-warfare changes in real life.  4/5 stars, probably the best of his three books.