Alienated America: Why Some Places Thrive While Others Collapse

Alienated America: Why Some Places Thrive While Others Collapse by Timothy P. Carney

Timothy Carney is a conservative commentator, but in this book he outlined the playbook for Democrats to overcome Trumpies. The Democrats have tended to move far to the left and disregarded the religious, assuming they will just go for Trump. However, while the regular church-goers tend to be very conservative, they supported Trump much less than they supported other Republicans. They tend to vote for him because he is lesser of evils. The Democrats have written off the religious and pandered to the left with many policies and priorities that are offensive to the religious. This leaves them voting for Trump.

As for the Trumpies, most of them tend to be those without hope that live in hard-hit areas with little sense of community. They tend not to be regular church-goers or to have any significant community involvement. There is little industry and little hope. However, they still have a desire to be independent. They don't want the government to tell them what to do.

The left includes the wealthy urbanites. They tend to have many social groups. They are involved with school groups, children's sports teams, churches and more. The "conservative right" also tends to be heavily dialed into church and community. Even in areas with struggles, the community keeps them together as they work to help each other. People that claim a religious affiliation, yet rarely attend church tend to be the most alienated and the most Trumpy.

Churches have historically been a primary part of community. That is were people of all backgrounds in a city worshipped and socialized. The church provides community benefits and a way to both serve and be served. Church schools provided a place for people to learn together. Government has taken upon many of the functions that churches had provided. However, this has come at the expense of community. The government provides the schools and the welfare for all in need. Government even restricts churches and others from engaging in similar activities. (You can get in trouble for opening a homeless shelter in your house.) However, government imposes it from on high. There is no worship or service. The community is lacking and thus the despair is increased.

The Democrat approach is often to attack the financial aspects of despair, but that does little to fix the core problems. Trump uses scapegoats, like immigrants, to help entice those longing for the good 'ol days. This seems like a path forward, but will also likely not help very much. We need a better approach to get community back,

The Demon Next Door

The Demon Next Door by Bryan Burrough

A teenage Danny Corwin in Temple, Texas committed a couple rapes, including one in 1975 where he kidnapped the girl and stabbed her. However, his family had important connections in the town through the First Presbyterian Church. There were key figures in the school administration as well as media in the congregation. The family was fairly respected and the teenager seemed upstanding and always worked to please adults. Rather than support the girl, the people accused her of being a whore. (The details of her wounds were not well known to the public.) The girl was reluctant to testify for fear of being disparaged. Corwin entered a plea deal and was sentenced to 40 years.

In prison he was a model inmate and was released after 9 years. He got a job, enrolled in Texas A&M and was in a relationship with a girl that had visited him in prison. However, things began to unravel. The girl broke up with him. He flunked out of school (but still pretended to attend classes.) Then he got the rape and murder bug. He killed three women, including a mom who was at the car wash with her young daughter. Despite many tips, he was not traced to any of those murders. Then he carjacked a girl at the Texas A&M parking lot and took her to under-construction Lick Creek park to rape her and slit her throat. She played dead until he left. Then he wandered up to the street where she was found and received medical help. She could not talk, but a police artist was able to create a drawing of Danny by communicating with her. He was then found and linked to the crime via fingerprints and later confessed to the other crimes. He was eventually sentenced to death.

The book is a short audiobook only release that has sufficient details to place things well in the locations. The perpetrator did appear to have mental illness that was well hidden. What would have been the best way to prevent future problems?

The Princess in Black, Books 4-6: The Princess in Black Takes a Vacation; The Princess in Black and the Mysterious Playdate; The Princess in Black and the Science Fair Scare

The Princess in Black, Books 4-6: The Princess in Black Takes a Vacation; The Princess in Black and the Mysterious Playdate; The Princess in Black and the Science Fair Scare by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale

These books blurred together. It is less than an hour at slow speed for all three together. The one that stood out was the one where two princesses adopt secret identities to fight monsters, without letting each other know of their alter egos. There is also a monster that serves as the science fair project. Not quite sure what the right audience is for these.

I Survived The Great Molasses Flood, 1919 (I Survived #19)

I Survived The Great Molasses Flood, 1919 (I Survived #19) by Lauren Tarshis

Some Italian immigrants in Boston live close to big molasses storage tank. They hear the sounds from the tank and sometimes taste the molasses before they are ushered away. The young girl's father has died, leaving her to live with some friends. She is worried she will be sent back to Italy. Then she gets caught in the molasses flood. She survives, and then finds out that her grandmother had come to see her. The actual flood event occurs quite quickly.  Most of the details of the flood are in the afterward. The company was found guilty for taking shortcuts in the storage tank set up. (They tried to blame it on a bomb, but that did not fly.)

The Big Race. Who will Finish First?

The Big Race. Who will Finish First? by Shelly Rollins and Joseph Rollins

The cars are in a race. They have some conflicts. Eventually they complete the race. The illustrations are richly done. The text has a "not quite there" feel to  it with some "rhymes" that may look close on paper but are far from it. This is likely a self published book that could use an editor.

Fiona Flamingo

Fiona Flamingo by Rachael Urrutia Chu, illustrated by Kate Jeffery

A flamingo is uncomfortable with things. She gets lots of different colors in her feathers. This seems to be tied to her emotions. She then becomes comfortable with all the different colors. The book tries to teach a message. It went over my head.

We're Not from Here

We're Not from Here by Geoff Rodkey

Earth has been made uninhabitable. A few people have made it to Mars. However, the conditions are not great. They are down to eating some bland engineered chow and living in lower oxygen. Luckily, an inhabited planet with a viable atmosphere has been identified. The various sentient species living there invite humans to come life there. The humans take a 20 year trip in stasis. However, when they arrive the government has changed and humans are no longer welcome. After much debate, the aliens let one family come on a trial basis. They have everything stacked against. The aliens do not want the humans there and run anti-human propaganda. The humans gradually learn about the aliens (such as how they show emotions through scents and that one species had been exterminated due to their horrid singing.) After some challenges, the humans are able to share art (especially music and comedy) with the aliens, overthrow the reactionary government and live peaceable on the planet. It is a lighthearted book with a somewhat dark subject matter.

The Spider Heist: Spider Heist Thrillers, Book 1

The Spider Heist: Spider Heist Thrillers, Book 1 by Jason Kasper

A down on her luck woman, Blair, is fired from her waitressing job again. Luckily(?) a man approached her with an opportunity to butter up a banker who is suffering from esteem issues. She reluctantly agrees and then finds herself in a much more complex situation. She was recruited as a "innocent" part of a heist team. However, she was former law enforcement and nearly escapes and destroys the heist. She eventually realizes that the heist team may be better than trying to go back to law enforcement. She had to serve time after being manipulated to falsify an investigation by her coworker/lover. He is after her in this investigation also. The team does manage to complete the heist and get away. The woman now wants "in" on the team.  The money was actually just a "front" for the real heist that involved an electronic "spy" placement. It is a "spider" heist. The book is a fast-paced riveting story that has many turns that leave you guessing, before tidying up nicely.

Deep Medicine: How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Healthcare Human Again

Deep Medicine: How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Healthcare Human Again by Eric Topol

Health care is in a bad state now. There are huge numbers of people working in the field, yet doctors only spend a few minutes with their patients. They spend time working with (proprietary) medical record systems. They are encouraged to maximize the value units that they produce. There is an emphasis on treating conditions without a focus on the overall quality of life. Doctors are also people and more likely to see what they know or have seen recently.

How can technology help? Currently, technology has allowed for all sorts of fancy testing, images and procedures. But these may be done excessively. AI can help with some of the more tedious parts of health care. AI is getting good at transcribing conversations and can enter medical records. AI can also provide various bots for interacting with patients. (People are even more willing to share details with AI than with real people.) AIs can also take over much of the "grunt" work in radiology. AI can identify many of the suspected issues. Radiologists would then focus on the more unique aspects. They would also have more time to speak with others. AI can also help in scrubbing medical records to help provide more accurate diagnosis. 

In the ideal world, AI will come to take over much of the routine aspects of healthcare, leaving doctors to focus on the personal interactions. Will this come to fruition? Or will AI bots just come in as a substitute way for the health industrial complex to make more money?  Can the system really pivot to focus on overall health and quality of life? 

The Book of Delights: Essays

The Book of Delights: Essays by Ross Gay

During a year, the author records his many "delights". These include many brief experiences as well as seeds for essays. Sometimes the "delight" is a contrary experience that then serves as the basis for the ways that things happen at other times. The anecdotes can get vulgar and at times deal with racism and other types of differing experiences.

A Fistful of Shells: West Africa from the Rise of the Slave Trade to the Age of Revolution

A Fistful of Shells: West Africa from the Rise of the Slave Trade to the Age of Revolution by Toby Green

In the forward, the author details why is writing the history and the challenges of doing so. Then the introduction repeats the same points. Then the history gets started. West Africa was once fabulously wealthy. However, much of the historical records for the last half-millenia is spread all over the world. The details of Africa were seen as secondary to other colonial endeavors. Africa has had many small groups that have been in conflict with each other. Slaves, like shells and metals have all served as units of trade.

In the transatlantic slave trade, most of the slaves were African sold by other Africans to Europeans. However, this was often one group selling their captured enemies, no their compatriots. One political leader was sold into American slavery and was able to free himself and return back home. That provides one first-hand story of the trade.

The culture in Africa was later influenced by both American and European culture and agriculture. Slavery had been used by Europeans as justification for interacting in Africa. Europeans helped propagate widespread slavery, then later felt they were the ones that would help end slavery.

This book has some interesting paragraphs, but feels much too long and disorganized.

Other Words for Home

Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

A girl comes with her family from war-torn Syria. She thought she spoke English well, but struggles in Cincinnati. She lives with her relatives who are fully Americanized. These relatives don't know Arabic and don't go to mosque. The girl tries to adjust to life in school and even tries out and makes the school play. She becomes friends with one of the drama weirdos. 

Things get worse when terrorist attacks occur on US soil. People shout slurs at her because she was Arab. She also has to defend her desire to wear a head scarf after she reaches womanhood. She is not forced, but does it because she wants to. 

It is a short tale of the struggles of adapting to a new culture and seeing the difference in perception and skills.

All About Chameleons

National Geographic Guided Reader - Level D: All About Chameleons by Liza Charlesworth

This short book has pictures and text about chameleons. It is fairly easy to read (once you get past the title word.)

Randomize: Forward collection

Randomize: Forward collection by Andy Weir

Quantum computing has made casino's random numbers predictable. The only solution is to install a quantum computer. However, the wife of the installation tech has entangled the long term storage, allowing her to know the values the casino uses. She plans to make off with a fortune. Alas, the casino checks her background and plans to arrest her. She tries to talk her way out of it by offering to partner to sell tech to other casinos. It ends with her getting escorted to her room. Was she really set free? Or is there more to come. Quantum computing can really cause issues with the security we currently rely on.

Dead Voices

Dead Voices by Katherine Arden

The protagonist's father gets to bring people up to a new ski resort for a pre-opening. There is a bad snow storm, so they are the only ones to make it out there. The next day a "journalist" appears - though he is a ghost hunter. The place is haunted. Looking in mirrors can cause people to end up in the netherworld. They think they are stuck there. In the end, they find having something both in and out of the netherworld can free them. A fire helps get them out. Story is well written, but not up my tree.

Three

Three by Stephen Michael King

Three is a three legged stray dog that wanders around exploring the world and viewing animals with different numbers of leg. He eventually finds his way to the country where there are many different legs he hasn't seen before. He gets adopted by that family and lives happily ever after. He is a cute little dog, but the story is lackng.

Willful: How We Choose What We Do

Willful: How We Choose What We Do by Richard Robb

Why do we do what we do? Rational choice theory explains that we take everything into account and make the best decision. However, people rarely do it. They have certain beliefs and values that they often stubbornly cling to - even with new information available. Sometimes we do things altruistically. We may seek to benefit others, even if it doesn't help us. 

Sometimes we do things that just don't make sense. Holding the poor open for a subway rider is a case. That will save one stranger a few minutes wait time, while delaying hundreds of strangers a few seconds. The net loss for everyone exceeds the net gain for the one. Yet people will still do it. We may mow our own lawn, even though it would be more efficient to pay somebody to mow it. However, we would not offer to mow our neighbor's lawn for the same cost. Even though it is easy to identify the cost, there is joy in doing things that comes into the calculation.

The book presents many examples, including those from the author's personal experience. Economics explains things rationally. However, people are slow to change believes. Sometimes they do things that they want to do, even though they know good maximize benefit via other means. People work even though they could likely earn more be spending some of the time focussing on personal finance and investments. People enjoy the experiences of life and are not always trying to maximize 100%.

Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation

Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation by Stuart Gibbs

The narrator has a near-whisper voice that makes it hard to understand. (The "other" characters she voices have a much clearer narration than the main voice.) Charlie Thorne is a 12 year old genius girl. She is brought in to help find Einstein's last equation. This can theoretically help give the holder huge strategic advantage. Both the CIA and Israelis are trying to find it, as well as bad guys. Charlie uses her smarts to identify various bad guys and actions and discover where Einstein hid it. She sees the equation, but then it is destroyed. There are various chases and narrow escapes. She is smart, but not a great fighter. Book was fairly good, but gets knocked down due to the audiobook narration.

The Next Mormons: How Millennials Are Changing the LDS Church

The Next Mormons: How Millennials Are Changing the LDS Church by Jana Riess

This book analyzes people that had identified as Mormons or former Mormons. The author initially performed a large survey and then performed in-person interviews with select participants. The participants were divided into generational cohorts and also analyzed by basic demographic standards. General religious and cultural questions were asked (and compared with other stories.) There were also various analysis of Mormon-specific characteristics (such as temple garments, Word of Wisdom, missions, etc.)

The general results seem to show that Mormons do tend to represent their generation. The church leaders are from older generations and the church policies tend to be closer to those. The younger generations of church members tend to be leaving religion as do others of younger generations. Later teens/ early 20s seem to be the primary area when they leave. There is also a variation in the interpretation of various church policies and doctrines. It is also interesting that the strong centralized conservatism of the church is somewhat recent. Older members remember a time when there was more individual control and differentiation. It is also interesting that sexual and gender identity do play a role in many people disaffiliation. Yet, there are those that still remain in spite of being "outside the norm". Young people as a whole tend to be less binary than older people.

What will the future hold? Perhaps most of interest is areas where there is more divergence between former and current members. Women that leave skew much more strongly towards wanting female priesthood than those that stay. Those that leave are also more politically liberal. Will the church become a strong narrow enclave or a large diverse group? The book does focus on America. I wonder what the difference would be looking worldwide?

Lonely Planet Kids World's Cutest Animals

Lonely Planet Kids World's Cutest Animals by Anna Poon

This book is all about the picture. Turn the page and there is another super cute animal on one page, with a short description on another. You can just grab it and read a few pages or the whole thing.