The Enchanter

The Enchanter by Vladimir Nabokov

Nabokov wrote The Enchanter in Russian while living in Paris. It was among his last works written in Russian. The novella is somewhat similar to Lolita, but much more disturbing. A man is attracted to a teen girl. He marries her mother. The mother dies. Now the man has custody of the girl. They have a flirtatious,  relationship. He fantasizes about taking the relationship to the next level and attempts to make a move one night when she is sleeping. She wakes up and starts to scream. He realizes how evil he has and runs away to attempt to destroy himself. 

Refugees, Terror and Other Troubles with the Neighbors: Against the Double Blackmail

Refugees, Terror and Other Troubles with the Neighbors: Against the Double Blackmail by Slavoj Zizek

This book was written in response to the French nightclub terrorist attacks. Many of the refugee populations are fleeing an area where terror is a "normal" activity. They may seek out the benefits of a culture like Norway. However, they can never find it. It is an ideal that doesn't exist in the world. They also likely only want parts of it. 

The terrorists and the anti-immigrants have some in common. The end result of the activities is similar. It is our duty to work together to help others rather than isolate. We can try to hide from other problems, but they will still exist until they can be resolved.

Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead: What Every Business Can Learn from the Most Iconic Band in History

Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead: What Every Business Can Learn from the Most Iconic Band in History by David Meerman Scott and Brian Halligan

This short book already feels dated. It also shows how much that technology has changed. The book explores the career of the Grateful Dead and how each aspect of their marketing strategy has been applied in the "modern" world. The Dead were a band of a different era. Cassette tapes, mail newsletters and VW busses were the tehch of the day. It is interesting to read how the Dead went their own way and created a loyal following. The tech companies mentioned as "modern" companies are less interesting. Most of the examples are still around in some sense, but out of the positive zeitgeist. Going counter-culture can be useful, but it must come from a company's internal DNA rather then being slapped on. 

The Winner Effect: The Neuroscience of Success and Failure

The Winner Effect: The Neuroscience of Success and Failure by Ian H. Robertson

Dopamine helps lead people to take risks and seek to be winners. There are some drugs that can lead people to be compulsive gamblers. High level leaders need to seek greater and greater control. This can sometimes lead to them being out of touch. (The car company CEOs that flew on corporate jets to Washington DC to ask for a bailout are an example.)

The book contains a number of examples of how the neuroscience leads to people making risks in the name of "winning", however, it feels somewhat disjointed and overly long. 

The Royal Ranger: The Ambush at Sorato: Ranger's Apprentice: The Royal Ranger, Book 7

The Royal Ranger: The Ambush at Sorato: Ranger's Apprentice: The Royal Ranger, Book 7 by John Flanagan

This is a Royal Ranger book. However, it feels that Will has a more important role than Maddie. In this book, the rangers are in a pseudo-Italy. Their is a tribe of horse-born raiders scouting out the area. The rangers work with the local inhabitants to set up a plan to repel the raiders. This includes getting some mercenary crossbow-men to help out. The leader of the mercenaries is greedy, cruel to his underlings and not good at following orders. This will eventually lead to his downfall. 

Will comes up with the plan to scare them away. However, he is willing to listen to others to make changes as needed. There are a few challenges. Maddie is nearly caught in one of her missions, and has to make some trick moves to escape. One of the local leaders is caught and needs to be rescued. Then there are the mercenaries that abandoned their posts early. It does turn out that they still got the results, but Will needed to have his temper restrained. The "good guys" are not perfect. The enemies are not fully evil. There is respect for each other. The only ones that are not respected are those that believe they know everything and will not accept criticism. 

Unsettled Ground: The Whitman Massacre and Its Shifting Legacy in the American West

Unsettled Ground: The Whitman Massacre and Its Shifting Legacy in the American West by Cassandra Tate

Marcus Whitman was once viewed as a bold leader who gave his life to help pave the way for the foundation of Oregon Territory and Washington State. In modern times, he is viewed as a cruel imperialist who tried to destroy an innocent Indian population by forcing his beliefs and practices on them. The truth is much more complicated. This book attempts to show the balanced view of the Whitmans as people of their time.

The Whitman's were devout east coast protestants. They viewed their brand of Christianity to be the only path towards salvation. They felt a need to convert the Indians so that they could also have the blessings and would not suffer eternal damnation. The existing native culture and religion were viewed as negative practices that needed to be stomped out. Even Catholicism was a danger that would impeded salvation. These people traveled across the continent to help save people.

Marcus Whitman was also a doctor. He used his skills to help both the Indians and the White missionaries. This would also lead to his death. In the native culture of the area, the doctors were viewed as people skilled in mysterious arts. They had skills of healing as well as of causing harm. If somebody died after being treated, it was a common practice to avenge the death by killing the doctor. Alas, there were many infectious diseases for which the Indians had little immunity. After many natives had died, there was justification in killing the doctor.

Relationships between "Bostonians" and "Indians" had also been having problems. The cultural norms of privacy and gift giving were very different. The Whites saw themselves as superior and were reluctant to adopt any local customs.  There was an unatoned for recent of Christian Indian by a White settler in a different areas.  The territory was also being overrun with White settlers from the east. The missionaries had been spending much of their time supporting these immigrants. They viewed these people as helping spread the higher culture. They also saw additional trade as supporting their mission by allowing them to financially independent. To Indians living there, these were more people encroaching on their land without payment.

With the current conditions, even the missionaries viewed the conditions less than ideal. They were ambushed by some Indians who killed many of them and held others as hostage. Retribution for this was significant. Five Indians were tried, convicted and executed. The tribe was confined to a reservation - that was reduced in size. The land became the Oregon territory and became overrun with huge numbers of settlers.

The book paints a picture of many flawed people that thought they were doing right. The Missionaries themselves had strong opinions of right and wrong. They did not get along well with each other or with the natives. The strong beliefs that drove them to missionary work also hurt the work itself. Had they better learned the culture and language of the locals, they would have likely had better experience in spreading their religion. Would this have changed the history of the Pacific Northwest?

1919

1919 by John Dos Passos

1919 is an interesting amalgamation of stuff. There are a few stories of characters. Most of the focus is on the working class characters with an attraction to Marxists. They live their lives. They don't tend to do anything special (though they may show up near significant events.) There are interspersed factual events and "multimedia dumps." Stylistically, it feels ahead of its time. There is enough attention to detail to the locations to make it feel accurate. I felt enough sympathy with the characters to want to continue to read their escapades, but not enough to want more.

Neighborhoods and Urban Development

Neighborhoods and Urban Development by Anthony Downs

We all live in neighborhoods, yet defining one could be a challenge. With smaller towns, the neighborhood is coterminous with the community boundary. Larger cities often have a large number of neighborhoods. These may have overlapping boundaries. The neighborhood is often where people live and participate in some acts of social life. There may or may not be a responding council or government entity. The author acknowledges the ambiguity of the term neighborhood. However, we can generally understand what one is and what we can expect from it.

The book was written nearly a half-century ago. Some of the details have changed, but the general process and challenge remain. Neighborhood undergo a life-cycle. The neighborhood is born of new development. It is generally well-maintained at first. Later it may fall on harder times. It is not the newest part of the metro area. It might experience a rebirth and become the trendy new area. Or more likely it moves down the income ladder. Most neighborhoods will stay here. Some neighborhoods will fall precipitously. Rents don't cover maintenance. Property tax becomes a burden for homeowners. The building stock is crumbling. It may be abandoned. For many, (especially frame houses), the best solution is to bulldoze it. There may be a chance to redevelop, but it is hard.

Race poses some interesting twists. Often, a neighborhood will not change due to "flight", but instead due to lack of white replacement. Neighborhoods have a common rate of regular turnover when people move in an out each year.  A homogenous neighborhood will see similar people replacing those that move out. However, after a few people of a different group move in, the next move ins are more likely to be from the minority than the original group. As more natural move outs occur, the neighborhood pivots to a new minority. The book gives the example of white/black switch, but this is seen in other racial or ethnic groups.

Also interesting is the display of black/white income and location. The highest income white areas are furthest from the white areas. Then income goes steadily lower until the integration zone is reach. Then a higher income black zone starts that steadily decreases. The black zone has a higher income than the adjacent white zone. (This is similar to what I have observed in Chicago.) However, the pioneer black homeowners often don't capture the premium. They pay more for the house in the transitioning neighborhoods. Some mixed neighborhoods do remain, but it often requires external forces to keep them integrated. The book gives an example of building racial quotas. Other cases may be places like Hyde Park in Chicago. The neighborhood is home to a black well-to-do (such as Obama). The University helps to balance it out with a regular influx of students and professors of other races. 

Government intervention has contributed to the hard times of the central city. The government helps subsidize new roads, sewers and buildings, yet does little to help for the maintenance of what already exists. The natural migration leaves the central city with some of the poorest neighborhoods and most needy population. It also maintains many of the region-wide amenities (sports stadiums, parks, concert venues, etc.) The city often has higher tax burdens. 

The poorest people also suffer from lack of housing. Building codes set a floor on quality and size of housing. This often prices people out. of even the cheapest housing. To provide housing, cities must subsidized housing for the lowest income residents or let them live in "substandard" housing (often through selective code enforcement.) Suburbs will often add even more requirements, making housing even more unaffordable.

The book has a very straightforward look at neighborhoods and their conditions. It is not afraid to tell things as they are and present solutions from different sides. Often the problem can come from opposite directions, as can the solution. It is important to be open to different options. Injecting huge sums of money may not help if it doesn't lead to a turn around of the underlying issues. On the other hand, sometimes just talking about a policy can be enough to turn things around. Neighborhoods are complex.

The Soul of A New Machine

The Soul of A New Machine by Tracy Kidder

Back in the late 1970s, minicomputers were the rage. Boston was on par with Silicon Valley. Engineers would devote years of their time to solve their problems in development. The adventure came was one of the first "video games", and also a good test of the reliability of a system. Data General was the "upstart" competitor of the established Digital Electronics. This book details the people and the work behind one of data generals new computers. While the specific problems they solved were different, the human interactions feel quite similar to those at today's aggressively growing tech companies.

Daily Rituals: How Artists Work

Daily Rituals: How Artists Work by Mason Currey

Each artists works in his (as there are only a small few women in this book). Many of the "rituals" are downright weird. Some of these men had spouses that helped an supported them despite fairly controlling or objectionable behavior. There did not seem to be much to get out of this book. It feels more like you are being a Peeping Tom than gaining actionable insight.

The Sol Majestic: A Novel

The Sol Majestic: A Novel by Ferrett Steinmetz

This novel has a science fiction setting, but feels more like Kitchen Confidential. The Sol Majestic is a super posh restaurant in outer space. The novel centers around an outsider who comes there as well as the people involved in the restaurant. They have different goals and are involved in different schemes and activities there. There are details of some of the fictional dishes they are preparing that make it feel almost real. The characters were working for individual needs that would occasionally match up with common goals. I had trouble caring.

Trust: The Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity

Trust: The Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity by Francis Fukuyama

Different cultures have different degrees of trust. Some have a very narrow trust network, with trust primarily in family members. Others have a larger level of trust to an organization, the entire culture or beyond. The level of trust influence the structure.

Low levels of trust are shown in places like Southern Europe and China. In Southern Europe, with primarily familial trust, family business is important. Organized crime, like the Mafia is based on family units. In China, the family trust is shown in many small, family run businesses. This trust levels can continue to be reflected in some degree in the immigrant populations.

High trust levels are more present in Northern Europe and Japan. This influences formation of larger corporations. In Germany, the guild system has influenced corporate structure. In high school, people are routed to professional or vocational paths. Vocational employees spend significant time in training on the job. They also have the opportunity to move on to more professional level roles. The government tightly regulates the workplace rules. In Japan, the corporations typically provide lifelong jobs. The company is dependent upon the school one attends. Organizations have relationships with each other that help influence deals. Most of the workplace rules are "unwritten".

Trust levels don't dictate how the economy will evolve. However, they are strongly influential. Low trust countries have produced large companies, and high trust ones have family owned businesses. This book has significant description of companies and trust levels, yet identified few absolutes. Somebody with a different trust level than a population may have challenges in doing business - but may also be able to succeed where natives cannot.

Down to Earth: Politics in the New Climatic Regime

Down to Earth: Politics in the New Climatic Regime by Bruno Latour

Despite having some good points, the tone of this short books makes it nearly unreadable. The author proposes that elites realize the earth is on a bad and want to suck out all the resources before they die. That view is "globalization-" in his parlance. He complains that ecological parties need to focus on the earth, while many are two left-aligned. However, his proposals seem to come up fairly left. There is also encouragement of local, which could backfire. Purely local solutions could be even worse. If a locations feels it would benefit from climate change, then it would be smart to encourage it.

The River at the Center of the World: A Journey Up the Yangtze, and Back in Chinese Time

The River at the Center of the World: A Journey Up the Yangtze, and Back in Chinese Time by Simon Winchester

Things can change a lot in two decades in China. Today, you could take a nonstop train from Shanghai to Tibet. The two day journey will take you overland and let you enjoy the scenery.  No need to struggle on back roads. If you want to stick closer to the Yangtze, you could take the high speed rail to get to Chengdu in less than 12 hours. There are also numerous flights available that can take you quickly in comfort.

However, speed is not the point of this voyage. The author wanted to stick close to the river and explore the various cities and features along the way. Some of these isolated farming areas are still there, mostly unchanged. Some areas are now among the many villages inundated by the Three Gorges Dam. Some places remain in a sense, but are now far ahead technologically, with high rise buildings and cell phones available. Some of the traditional practices have faded away, while others remain. Even Tibet has become more technologically advanced (and a bit more Chinese.)

The book is a travel book, interspersed with historical background. He sets up to travel the length of the river. Along the way, he gives history of interesting parts. He meets up with people and has struggles on the travel. It is by no means a complete account of the areas, but provides instead highlights of what is interesting to him. British imperial activity and Maoist actions are primarily covered. Other parts of historical significance are mentioned only in passing. The actions and reactions of the people are also of interest. It seems the world has tried to "abandon" China at times, only to have China say "fine, we'll do it our way."

Pool Party!/Ready-to-Read Level 2 (A Click Clack Book)

Pool Party!/Ready-to-Read Level 2 (A Click Clack Book) by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin

This is one of the better "Duck" books. Rather than having a derivative story, it is simply a counting book at the pool. The animals (and farmer) jump in the pool in groups, going up from one, two, three four. Then they get out in similar ways. 

Pandemic! & Pandemic! 2: COVID-19 Shakes the World & Chronicles of a Time Lost

Pandemic! & Pandemic! 2: COVID-19 Shakes the World & Chronicles of a Time Lost by Slavoj Žižek

This book already feels incredibly dated just a few years after publication. There were things that we cared about during the covid-19 pandemic that do not feel relevant at all today. At the onset, it was supposed to be only a brief lockdown until infection rates fell. Then it was extended and extended. Some people working in "essential" industries kept working - and suffered from significant infection rates. The professional class was able to work from home. The working class lost their livelihood. The pandemic also occurred during a US election year. And we had various riots worldwide. 

Many parts of the response and actions analyzed in this book feel largely irrelevant today. Perhaps the only conclusion that can be drawn in retrospect is that world did a horrible job of responding (or even understanding how to respond.) Our society is so tightly independent that a full lockdown is just not possible. The porous lockdowns likely did more harm than good. What seemed to be obvious benefits during the pandemic now need to be re-evaluated. This book, written during the pandemic is now a historical artifact.

Improvement of Human Reason

The Improvement of Human Reason: Exhibited in the Life of Hai Ebn Yokdhan ( حي بن يقظان ) by Ibn Ṭufayl

This is a fairly text which feels religious. A boy is isolated in the wilderness. He discovers much about other living things and himself. It feels that he is logically uncovering the basis for religious beliefs. Only after many years does he meet another human. The librivox recording is not bad, but it does require focus to listen to.

Evil Spy School

Evil Spy School by Stuart Gibbs

The protaganist gets kicked out of spy school due to an "issue" with a mock battle. Back in regular middle school, he gets chased by bullies who somehow stop chasing him. The "evil spy" leader has saved him and wants him to join them. He agrees (after realizing that his friends might have intentionally framed him to get him to infiltrate the bad guys.) The bad guys have their spy school (including a girl that barely missed the olympic gymnastics cut.) They have a base disguised as a gated community with missile silos in septic tanks. The good guys barely win.

The pacing works fairly well, though seems a little too long. There are plenty of interesting elements that seem almost plausible, but are clearly played for laughs.

Think, Write, Speak

Think, Write, Speak: Uncollected Essays, Reviews, Interviews, and Letters to the Editor by Vladimir Nabokov

The strength of this collection of miscellaneous writings is the purely chronological arrangement. This provides an "unfiltered" biography of Nabokov. During his lifetime, he published another collection (Strong Opinions). This work is the "leftovers" that he chose not to include in that one. Some of the writings are pretty much junk, but there are some gems in there. I found myself rapidly skimming through much of the early writings. In the middle I became engage, and then the interest started waning towards the end.

The book starts with works by an obscure Russian writer who had fled the Bolshevik revolution. Many of the "works" are reviews of obscure Russian works or obituaries for now unknown Russians. It is very difficult to stay interested in the work. There are hints of strong opinions and stubbornness. He has no love for Freud or the Russian Communists. He likes "good writing", but hasn't really come into style of his own.

In the middle, he has left Europe for America. You can see how pedantic he is in some of the letters to the editor requiring minor corrections. Some gems of essays appear here, such as one on learning the Russian language. Then Lolita becomes popular. He loves his work, but tries to appear surprised at the popularity. Some of his "Crotchety Old Man" views start to come out. He doesn't like hippies. He sees men as stronger than women. He doesn't care much for what others think. He also loves butterflies (and has a few "butterfly" interviews included.

In the end, he seems to just get tired of it all. There are a number of interviews where he says almost nothing. Many of the same questions are asked in multiple interviews. His acerbic manner finally starts to tone down shortly before his death. The questions about what language he thinks in are telling. At first his response is that "nobody thinks in words, it is all images". Eventually, he comes to say that he thinks in images. (Though he still criticizes those who mouth words as they read.) I'd almost be ready to diagnose him with mild Aspergers. He states numerous times that he expects to get back to America, but he never seemed to make it. 

Street Trees of Seattle

Street Trees of Seattle: An Illustrated Walking Guide by Taha Ebrahimi

During the Covid-19 pandemic, people took to more individual outdoor pursuits in their neighborhoods. The author of this book decided to explore street trees. The book explores trees in a few different neighborhoods. Each neighborhood has a "focus" tree with some other trees to explore. One minor fault is that the map of Seattle omits the northern part of the city. (Even though there are no trees shown there, the map could at least show the neighborhoods!) There is some interesting history, as well as a reference to the millenia's old "tree" in Utah.

We’re Losing Our Minds: Rethinking American Higher Education

We’re Losing Our Minds: Rethinking American Higher Education by Richard P. Keeling and Richard H. Hersh

Colleges should focus on improving learning outcomes, rather than "all that other stuff." To do that, they need institutional change. All faculty should teach, and they should be provided appropriate training to do it well. Assessments should be valuable data that could be acted upon. A standard curriculum should encourage broad-based development of intellectual skills, rather than just be tedious "generals." Advising should be an important part of education. Students also need "immersive" education opportunities.

These plans all seem nice, but the authors seem to be too buried in academia. In numerous occasions, in this short book, they criticise the possibility of three year degrees. What benefit does four years give over three? What are students trying to learn? The plan seems to be great for those going to undergrad on the way to a doctorate. But what about others? College has become a "checkmark" item to get a good job. However, these jobs rarely use the knowledge gained in college. What are the skills and thought patterns that would be useful for future work? What type of intellectual learning would be useful? Do we spend more time teaching people how to learn rather than boring them? The authors identify an important problem, but their solution is off the mark.

The Story of Russia

The Story of Russia by Orlando Figes

Stafan Rudniki narrates many of Orson Scott Card's science fiction works. Hearing his voice on a historical audiobook was an interesting experience. I half expected an alien invasion to suddenly occur.

This comprehensive history of Russia starts at prehistoric times and goes to Putin and the current days. For today, a thesis is that Russians look back with positive nostalgia at the communist times. Putin has been able to use that experience to help build his support. It is also clear that Russia has long had a chip on it's shoulder. It has felt inferior to other European countries. The Asian portion of the country is more "colony" than anything else. Ukraine has an interesting history that is claimed by Russia as part of the "birth" of the culture. Despite many political systems coming and going, Russians seem to always find themselves ruled by a dominant boss.

The Messenger: Moderna, the Vaccine, and the Business Gamble That Changed the World

The Messenger: Moderna, the Vaccine, and the Business Gamble That Changed the World by Peter Loftus

Moderna started out as a brash biotech, trying to find uses for a novel mRNA technology. The company was able to raise significant amounts of funding, but did have a bad IPO. It also had a reputation for working employees very hard. When the COVID-19 pandemic came about, they were ready to quickly develop a vaccine. Then they came to the challenges of running a big clinical trial and produce large quantities. With the government assistance, they they were able to go through the process must faster than normal. The vaccine was a success (though Pfizer beat them to market with a similar mRNA vaccine.) The vaccine worked and mRNA seemed to be better than "old" vaccine technology. Will this be the future of vaccine development? 

Garden Revolution: How Our Landscapes Can Be a Source of Environmental Change

Garden Revolution: How Our Landscapes Can Be a Source of Environmental Change by Larry Weaner and Thomas Christopher

How can a garden best take advantage of the natural environment. Rather than have a number of isolated plants, a natural garden can have many interrelated plants that work together both spatially and temporally. Some plants grow at different times. Some grow well within the spaces between others. Natives can work together to overcome weeds. They can also take advantage of the "natural seed bank" to disperse and grow. It is best to use plants that are native the individual area that can thrive there. It is not a "do it and ignore it" garden. There is work needed to help coax the plants. The author recommends against pulling weeds and instead cutting them. (That way they need to re-spend effort, and don't disperse seeds.) Mulch, irrigation and fertilizer are also frowned upon. This book includes man pictures and has some great guidelines for natural meadows. However, an expert is probably still needed for implementation.

10% Less Democracy: Why You Should Trust Elites a Little More and the Masses a Little Less

10% Less Democracy: Why You Should Trust Elites a Little More and the Masses a Little Less by Garett Jones

Political systems can be improved by reducing democracy. On the surface, this appears controversial. However, there is already evidence of the success of many "democracy limiting" moves. Elected judges are objectively worse than appointed one. Those that are elected tend to pander to their constituents, and often are likely to give higher damages against non-constituents. They are also more subject to external pressure. Similarly, elected treasurers are generally less competent and more likely to engage in risky behavior. A independent central bank is less likely to print money and has less inflation, while also doing a good job of controlling unemployment.

While some independence are well supported, other democracy limitations are more controversial. Adding some education requirements can improve the quality of elected officials. Requiring a high school diploma or equivalent could be a good basic level. (Preventing felons from voting inadvertently helps serve this role, as many in prison have little education.) Limited the electorate helps to ensure that there will be more that are knowledgeable about what they are voting for. Providing longer terms is also beneficial. Politicians spend significant time campaigning for re-election. Typically more quality legislation happens early in terms, while the end of the term is spent doing things to "look good" for election.

Ironically, some "improvements" can make things work. Eliminating earmarks can reduce quality. Often an earmark is put in place to help trade for approval of other legislation. Without earmarks, it is more challenging to get "good" legislation through.

The book presents a lot of common sense to improve our government, with plenty of studies to back it up. It also provides the case of Singapore with "50% less democracy." However, they are a lucky case - they have a "good" dictator. That gives us our goal. The best government is a high quality dictator. What can we do to have the highest quality leadership, while also having the ability to easily remove a bad quality leader?