A Place Called Ugly

A Place Called Ugly by Avi

A boy comes to a coastal vacation spot with his family every year. One year, they learn that their vacation home is set to be demolished to make way for a hotel. He does not take that well and wants to preserve it. He hangs out there and tries to convince the owner not to destroy it. He discovers the town doesn't like this idea when he gets beat up by some boys. He lives in the house in very spartan surroundings and seems to start a relationship with a local girl. As a final act of defiance, he paints the house with some unique paint scheme. Then right before it is to be bulldozed, he blows up the house (by filling it with natural gas and lighting it on fire.) The book is a short tale of teenage defiance and singular attachment to things. It seems to get lost on the way to its conclusion. Luckily, it doesn't take too long to get there.

The Berenstain Bears' Moving Day

The Berenstain Bears' Moving Day by Stan and Jan Berenstain

The Berenstain Bears move from a house in the mountains to a bigger tree house. There are challenges of losing all old friends, but they do get to meet new friends. The bears appear not to be very environmentally responsible as one of the reasons for moving is that they have deforested the area around the mountain. home as part of the carpentry business.

Three Little Hawaiian Pigs and the Magic Shark

Three Little Hawaiian Pigs and the Magic Shark by Donivee Martin Laird, illustrated by Carol Jossem

This book is the three little pig story with a Hawaiian twist. The magic shark takes the place of the big bad wolf. He appears disguised as various Hawaiian people, such as a Shave Ice salesman. The pigs do notice the shark by a fin or other feature, but their initial houses are two week. With the final pig, however, the shark tries to blow too much that eventually drains to be flat. It is over-the-top Hawaiian funniness.

A Light in the Attic

A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein

This is the typical Silverstein collection. There is a girl that says she will die if she doesn't get a pony - and then does die from it. There are poems with rhythm and rhyme and those without. There are also plenty of drawings - including one short poem with illustrations spanning 4 pages. It is hard to distinguish from other poetry books by the author, but still good.

The power of determination: Featuring the story of Ronald Reagan

The power of determination: Featuring the story of Ronald Reagan by Della Mae Rasmussen and Phyllis Collan

This book was not as bad as I thought it would be. It is a biography of Ronald Reagan. Most of the life events appear to be accurate. However, the reasoning and the "determination" may be far fetched. For some reason, there is a bird telling the story.

The book is fairly long for a kid book. It also ends with "everyone knows who he is" now. Alas it is now four decades after his election and he is not as well known.

The book tells the story of Reagan growing up in poverty in Illinois. He works hard and works his way through college. It is now the depression and he decides he wants to be a sports announcer. He does such a good job that he is encouraged to go to Hollywood. There he has success and has a good, easy life. He decides to go into politics.

The book presents his experiences being upset with discrimination and encouraging people to work hard. The book tries to have a humorous tone that does get a bit over the top. 

It's Thanksgiving!

It's Thanksgiving! by Jack Prelutsky (Author), Marylin Hafner (Illustrator)

People prepare for Thanksgiving and then enjoy the mail. After the meal, dad watches football. Then they need to eat turkey food for the next few weeks after Thanksgiving. It is arranged in "chapters", but each is just a poem and a picture.

The Mosquito Coast

The Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux

Dad is upset with society. He feels America is falling apart. There is too much materialism and too much control from external forces. He is also an inventor and a tinkerer. He feels he is not respected. 

He decides to take his family via boat to the middle of nowhere in Honduras. On the boat, he is remote, criticizing others. He also encourages his kid to do dangerous activities. Nobody seems to like him. However, he understands what is causing problems with the ship and offers to help fix it.

Once in Honduras, he buys a remote location from a German who was unable to succeed in business there. He tinkers and creates ice making machine and sends icebergs down the river. He refuses to use "natural" bug repellant, but works on various inventions. Most of the people abonden the village. Later three guys come to threaten them. They get locked in the ice maker, and shoot their guns, causing it to explode. This results in the death of the three as well as pollution in the river.

They move further out to more remote locations. Dad is convinced that the United States has been destroyed. He is upset that he keeps finding "civilization" and the missionaries that bring it. He eventually suffers his own demise.

The book is told from the point of view of the son. Dad seems quite stubbornly crazy, yet his family still respects him and goes along with his plans. The book is long and moves at a slow pace.

The Ramona Quimby Audio Collection

The Ramona Quimby Audio Collection by Beverly Cleary (illustrations by Tracy Dockray )

This is an audiobook collection of the Ramona books. She starts out as a preschooler and ends up in fourth grade. She is rambunctious and cares a lot about how people feel about her. However, she often reads people incorrectly. The books were written over a period of 44 years, with each book seemingly set in an idyllic version of those days - generally in anonymous Portland area.

Beezus and Ramona (1955)

This is the most distinct book in the Ramona series. It is more from the view of the other characters than Ramona herself. Ramona is always getting into trouble. She wants big construction equipment. She invites all of her preschool friends over for a party - without telling anyone else. She is just a big pain. However, mother and her sister had similar issues when they were young.

Ramona the Pest (1968)

Now the series is more from Ramona's point of view. She is in kindergarten. It is interesting that back then it was perfectly normal for kindergarteners to walk to school themselves.

Ramona the Brave (1975)

Now she is approaching first grade. Some kids call his sister a name and Ramona defends her - offending her sister. Ramona does other "brave" things.

Ramona and Her Father (1977)

Her father loses his job. Money is tight. He also smokes at home. Ramona and his sister work to get him to stop smoking. In the end, he gets a job at a supermarket. I was wondering what the smoking thread would be like. Looks like it was new enough to identify smoking as "bad". (Newbery honor book)

Ramona and Her Mother (1979)

Dad has a job he doesn't like. Mom still works her job. There is a fight with mom and dad over pancakes. Mom helps with some sewing. Beeezus wants a haircut from a beauty salon, but it ends up bad. There are other random episodes.

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (1981)

Romona has a degree of unintentional mischief. She cracks an egg on her head - only to find it is a raw egg. She throws up all over the school. She feels her teacher does not like her. However, it is all a misunderstanding. She is gradually growing up. 

Ramona Forever (1984)

Things start to change. Howie's uncle visits. He later becomes engaged to Ramona's aunt. Ramona's mom is pregnant. Ramona will now have to deal with being a big sister. Ramona and her sister also take care of burying the cat. Dad has teaching jobs far away. However, he decides to take a grocery store manager job instead so they can stay close.

Ramona's World (1999)

Ramona is now in fourth grade. She has a baby sister. She gets a new friend. While playing, she falls through the floor into the downstairs ceiling (and gets stuck there, only to be rescued.) She is old enough to cat sit - and even watch her baby sister for a bit. The world has moved on to be more modern. The author has done a nice trick of moving the life of the characters forward a year at a time, while keeping the setting "modern" as it moves a decade ahead.

George's Marvelous Medicine

George's Marvelous Medicine by Roald Dahl

George likes to eat good food. His grandmother doesn't like him to eat chocolate because it will make him grow. He tinkers around and makes a medicine. Grandma consumes it and grows huge. A chicken also grows big with the medicine. Others realize that they may be on to something. George tries to make more, but has trouble remembering exactly how it was made. The other ones don't turn out exactly as expected. Grandma sees one of the batches of medicine and treats it as her tea, consuming a megadose. This ends up making her shrink to a super small size. We feel that she got what she deserved. This is a short, typical Dahl book. The adults try to control children, but get their own medicine.

1587, a year of no significance: The Ming dynasty in decline

1587, a year of no significance: The Ming dynasty in decline by Ray Huang

By 1587, the Ming dynasty was in terminal decline. The government continued to function, however, the base to its legitimacy was fading away. This book is written in the style of somebody living through the empire and experiencing the decline. It is clear there are a multitude of forces involved. The empire is in a state where the ideal and communications are different from the actual. Humility and frugality are important. However, these are more principles than actual practice. Government officials will preach frugality, but live an ostentatious life. The empire has built on Confucian ideals. It has evolved to be too rigid and difficult to change. Even when actions diverge from the principles, they have been ingrained by the behavior. On the other hand, massive changes can occur when leadership changes. A high level government official can drive out those that they do no like and raise up their friends. Once they are out of power, the leadership changes again.

The book has a number of different chapters that focus on certain people that have a tie to 1587, the year o the Pig. The "year of no significance" has a double meaning. On one side, it can be taken literally because the year is not incredibly significant. On the other hand it can be treated as the imperial doublespeak for "the most important year." Nothing really did happen, but it was emblematic of the downfall of the empire. A chapter covers the young emperor and his disdain for protocol. Another chapter covers a tutor who assumed significant power with display of frugality while living a secretly extravagant life. One chater discovers an official who enforced rules and true frugality. He somehow got into a position of power, but had that taken away. Military officials and others all had their discussion. A system of rent-taking and doublespeak had come about as the society was declining. Through the civil service people from all walks of life had a possibility of entering the upper echelons of society.  However, this also left little continuity. With the enlightenment bringing intellectual changes, the empire has little left to support itself.

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.

A Matter-of-Fact Magic Book: Secondhand Magic

A Matter-of-Fact Magic Book: Secondhand Magic by Ruth Chew

Kids fly a kite. Then it turns magic. Somebody named Clem is also involved.

Midnight's Children

People that were born right at the time of India's independence were special. The closer to midnight, the more extreme the powers. This book chronicles the history of India together with that of the people. One kid had the ability to read other people's minds. He would have to endure hearing all the "adult" thoughts of people around him. People didn't believe the powers. Eventually kids banded together.

Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window

Totto-Chan is a free-spirited little girl that is a teacher's worst nightmare. She is delighted by the world around her and easily sidetracked. Even when obeying rules, she will do it in a way that drives the teacher crazy (such as repeatedly opening and closing the desk to complete small tasks.) She is kicked out of her her school and required to go to a new school. Luckily, she ends up at Tomoe Gakuen, with headmaster Mr. Kobayashi. He listens to what children have to say. He gives them the freedom to explore their interests. There are various rules and rituals that the students buy into. The school also includes a diverse group of children, including some with various deformities and disabilities. The children all learn to respect each other while learning academically. Alas, world war 2 intervenes and the school is destroyed. The child-focussed instruction by the headmaster remains as something that inspired his students.

God Emperor of Dune

What does it take to become a deity? What about a ruler? What would it be to live on forever? What would it be like to have a monopoly on water in a desert? In this Dune book, the leader has adopted a hybrid sandworm/human form and has ruled for thousands of years. The narrative structure relies on many "primary" sources and flashbacks. There is plenty of introspection in the book. Duncan Idaho comes in and tries to make changes. There is exploration of procreation and continuing on. Alas, success becomes pyrrhic. 

Little, Big: or, The Fairies' Parliament

Little, Big is a long fantasy novel. I don't do good with long fantasy. Why did I read it? It did come highly recommended. The story centers on people that live in Edgewood. They are a little bit "odd". At first this just seems the tale of some different people. However, gradually more fantastical elements pop up. There are bits about fairies. Somebody also makes a seemingly normal journey to the city. He is a fish out of water that eventually adapts to city life. It seems normal at first, but then also becomes fantastical. He ends up writing for a popular soap opera after the world fades. There is a war with Charlemagne as president. The odd people can help to make the world back to a better place. I think the problem I have with the fantasy is that the "real" people interactions don't feel real enough. When the fantastical is added, it makes it even more out of the realm of normal. If I didn't care before, I care even less now. And why do all fantasy works seem to involve an imminent end of the world that only a few people can help prevent? This novel does actually take place mostly in our world, so that is a plus. Though the soap opera as real life does seem a little trite.

Getting to Yes: Negotiating without Giving In

Getting to Yes presents "principled negotiation" as a negotiating strategy. Key to the strategy is a focus on interests and objective criteria rather than specific positions. Often "positional bargaining" can bring other sides to dig in and attempt to save face with their position. Instead, a principled negotiator will attempt to separate the person from the problem and acknowledge the common interests and let the solution suggest itself. Key to carrying out the negotiation is knowledge of "Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement". This differs from a "bottom line" in that it allows things to be adapted based on the result of negotiation. New ideas may be discovered during the process of negotiating that lead to solutions that were not intended earlier. Getting to Yes is filled with anecdotes of successful negotiating in action. Keeping your cool and resisting the urge to go into attack mode is an important part of the process. As the opposite party feels respected, they are less likely to come out with guns blazing. They can become more of a willing partner rather than an adversary. However, to succeed, they must also feel that the end result is valuable to them. If you come up with a result that is too beneficial towards you, then you may find yourself operating from a weaker standing in the future.

The Soul of a New Machine

Computers at one time were complex machines that only large businesses could afford to buy. Mini-computers brought down the cost of computing and started to allow even greater numbers of companies to adopt technology. Initially these computers were doing simple "rote" tasks (such as mathematical calculations.) However, they gradually grew to take on newer and more powerful tasks. (Alas, it does seem that some of these early programs from the 1980s can still be found in the wild today!)
The Soul of a New Machine goes back to the early days of computing when Data General was one of the powerhouse companies in the mini-computer field. The company was started by engineers that left Digital to form their bigger and better company. They recruited the hot-shot engineers that lived for computing, and pretty much drove them to burn out while they were in their twenties. The corporate misadventures and drive could easily be mistaken for a late 1990s dot-com, or a modern day social media company. However, this was an early 1980s computer company. They were making hardware and low-level operating systems instead of high-level webapps and software. They were also hidden out in a suburban Boston office park, rather than a central San Francisco office building. However, the internal drive was still the same.
The interleaves the stories of the personalities with the technical details of what they were doing. (Much of the technical discussion is still at the underpinnings of modern computing. However, today, there are but a few dominant players, such as intel, with most computers being assembled by what would be considered "OEMs" in this story.) There is also a turf war over "outsourcing". However, in this case it was a separate office set up in North Carolina, rather than one overseas. Eventually, the Boston team succeeds in creating their glamorous machine. The Eagle helped to save Data General and spur the company to a billion dollars in sales. The book ends with the high note. However, data general was to hit hard times afterwards as they failed to make inroads in the micro-computer industry. They introduced a legitimate laptop in 1984 - but were ahead of the times with a 3.5 inch disk drive. The company was eventually sold to EMC, who shuttered everything other than the storage lines. The dg.com domain name was eventually sold to dollar general, pretty much ending any traces of the company. (Digital did not fare much better. They did manage to launch Altavista, one of the best early search engines. However, it fell behind google and was sold. Digital eventually ended up being owned by HP, who also sold off the domain name.)