Reading in 2008
This is what I read in 2008 in reverse-chronological order. It's mainly for my own future reference but you can keep track of what I'm reading at http://bkkeepr.com/people/tristanf
12 Books That Changed the World by Melvyn Bragg
3*. Interesting selection of books from history - like In Our Time but in book form. Note that it's "12 Books" not _The_ 12 Books.
The Plenitude - Creativity, Innovation and Making Stuff by Rich Gold
4*. Very short but good thoughts on innovation and overlaps between disciplines. I wish I could count myself as an artist, designer, engineer and scientist as he does.
Snow by Orhan Pamuk
2*. I didn't really engage with this, possibly because it was about two things I don't really get - poetry and religion. The "My Name is Red" adaptation on Radio 4 was great though.
Middle Sea: A History of the Mediterranean by John Julius Norwich
4*. Always good to learn and it's best to read stuff like this when you're actually there (Sicily in this case).
The Shock of the Old: Technology and Global History Since 1900 by David Edgerton
2*. There was lots I didn't agree with but occasional interesting insights.
Sweet Honey, Bitter Lemons: Travels in Sicily on a Vespa by Matthew Fort
2.5*. It's always good to read about food and Italy, particularly when you're visiting there, but this was slightly annoying and not brilliantly written. Still, it's got recipes.
On Deep History and the Brain by Daniel Lord Small
4*. An exploration of whether history should include "prehistory". Lots of interesting stuff about how history is studied and how it can include new developments in linguistics, neuroscience and genetics.
The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
4*. Kind of as expected but good nevertheless. A bit worried that it's reinforcing my prejudices.
Spook Country by William Gibson
3*. Usual intertwingling stories leading up to the denouement but this time set in the recent past - he's going backwards! Still not quite sure what it was all about though.
The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature by Steven Pinker
4*. Fascinating - using language as the best way to study how the brain works.
A Very Private Life by Michael Frayn
4*. A very short fairy tale of the future.
The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism by Naomi Klein
4*. Eye-opening and controversial.
World War Z by Max Brooks
4*. Gripping and a bit too realistic.
In Praise of Slow by Carl Honore
2*. I like the concept but it was a bit of a disappointing read featuring a lot of fairly trivial examples, some if which weren't particularly convincing. He completely lost me on the alternative medicine chapter I'm afraid.
That Awful Mess on the Via Merulana by Carlo Emilio Gadda
3*. This was hard-going but interesting Italian detective novel, but don't expect to find out who did it.
Batman: Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller
4*. V.cool. What graphic novels should I read next (mainly done Alan Moore so far)?
Serendipities: Language and Lunacy by Umberto Eco
3*. It was slightly hard but there was some interesting stuff on languages.
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
4*. A good story, hard to get your head around at times and very moving.
Mediated: How the Media Shape Your World by Thomas Zengotita
5*. Reread this, makes me think.
This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel Levitin
3*. It was OK - I felt like it should have been fascinating but there was nothing amazingly new in there.
Voices by Arnaldur Indridason
2*. Not particularly good and not a very good translation either. And seeing as Iceland is the country that sells the greatest number of books per capita where are the good/interesting Icelandic authors?
Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon by Daniel Dennett
2*. OK, but a bit dry and hard to get through at times.
Idoru by William Gibson
4*. Good, gradually making my way through all his books.
The Future Eaters: An Ecological History of the Australasian Lands and People by Tim Flannery
4*. A natural history of Austalasia. Did you know that there were no mammals on NZ until humans arrived? I read this while travelling around Australia and NZ - perfect.
That's 25 in total, a lot less than last year which I didn't expect, consisting of 10 fiction and 15 non-fiction. Best book? Not sure but how about Deep History to learn new things and World War Z for some fun.
I'm currently reading Tokyo Year Zero by David Peace
Already on the stack for 2009 are...
Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks
The Blank Slate by Steven Pinker
Life: A User's Manual by Georges Perec
Heat by George Monbiot
The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science by Richard Holmes
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