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Welcome to the beginning of a new year. Now, I was going to do a time travel month to celebrate this occasion but I hit a time anomaly of my own. Last December I started a book I was hoping would be Book 52 for last year. Only as the month dragged on I didn't think I could finish it in time. Only by the time I reached the end of the backup book I discovered I probably could have made it if I hadn't stopped to split my time my time between two books. D'oh!
Anyway - starting the year off right is very similar to "Highly Recommended Month" from previous years. Only this time it is not just letter writers who can make suggestions. It is just about anyone. This first recommendation was given to me several years ago by famed comic book writer J.M. DeMatteis. When in one of many discussions on books and literature he recommended this classic:
- The Brothers Karamazov By Fyodor Dostoyevsky:
I went into this book not knowing what to expect. What I found was a complicated story of betrayal, love, family and murder. Now instead of focusing on the murder aspect - or even the resolution - Dostoyevsky focuses on who these people are and why they do what they do. Each character is highly flawed. Those expecting a novel where you can stick with one character and root for them from beginning to end will be very disappointed. There isn't a single character that is absolutely likable. Even the saintly Alyosha Karamazov has moments where you aren't supposed to like him. Of course those rare moments are the only parts of the story where I actually did. Not because of the perverse human need to see the high and mighty brought low but because they were the only moments in the book where he seemed truly human. Now I could go on and on trying to explain this book. People with larger vocabularies than mine and PhDs in Russian Literature have written whole books on the subject. It all comes down to this: whatever your philosophical or religious viewpoint - you will find someone you can agree with in this book. You will probably find yourself hating that character at least once by the time the book is done. You will also find at least one character you can't stand. However you will find parts of the book where you will be on their side 100% percent. The book challenges ones preconceived notions. It encourages critical and independent thought about basic human ideas. It is by no means an easy read. It was a highly worthwhile one that I am glad I embarked upon it.
Now - several friends of mined suggested I travel from the depths of the human soul to the distant but far more concrete. The very depths of space -
- Space Chronicle By Neil DeGrasse Tyson:
This collection of essays shows exactly why Dr. Tyson is one of the most recognizable scientists in America. His passion for science is infectious. He's also a great communicator. He can take his knowledge and experience and translate it into something that a layperson can understand and appreciate. He is a master of making complexities of astrophysics seem both educational and fun. Not only that - he makes a compelling argument on why we should continue exploring outer space while having a very good understanding of why we aren't. Convincing someone like myself, who truly believes in this country and its space program, that America can and should return to space is preaching to the choir. His argument about why the Saturn V rocket should have been named one of the marvel s of the modern world is both simultaneously inspirational and the depressing. Inspirational in that it showed what human beings can accomplish. Depressing in that in almost 50 years no improvements have been made to its design. The book does plenty to explain why we needed NASA in the 1950s up to the 1970s and gives an amazing outline of what we could do in the future assuming some other nation doesn't beat us to it. If you want to learn about the history of human exploration of space and where we conceivably go next - I couldn't recommend a better tour guide than Neil DeGrasse Tyson.
And now to the depths of laughter.
- Making Money By Terry Pratchett:
What has always impressed me about Pratchett is how intricately he has built Discworld so that it is full of fantastic ideas and strange things that are paradoxically very much a part of our own world. This novel is perhaps his most prophetic. It was published in the spring of 2007 and is about con men running the bank. The Patrician puts Moist Von Lipwig (star of Going Postal), professional con man for the city of Ankh-Morpork on the case. The result is laugh out loud comedy. Normally when people hear a book is a comedy about economics they run for the hills. I assure you it's not a comedy aimed solely at Paul Krugman. It's not just about economics. Pratchett includes his full array or comedy and character driven action that have been hallmarks as Discworld began to take shape. (Pun not intended.) Really the one weakness is also the book's strength. As much as most of the later Discworld books try to be self-contained - they aren't. There are so many cameos from characters in the other subsections of the world that it is hard to keep track. Death appears in almost every Discworld book but there are also appearances by Mr. Dibbler, Ridcully, most of the City Watch and bunch of other Ankh-Morpork irregulars. They are great fun for long time readers but might confuse first timers. Especially Nobby. Even long time Discworld readers don't get him.
Yeah - only three books this month. Which means I'm behind already. I wish I had some sort of super heroes to come to the rescue. Oh wait - next month I do. Featuring the works of Phillip Wylie, Elliot S! Maggin and more.
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