Mary Caperton Morton, travel writer and geologist, shares her love affair with North American geology in Aerial Geology: A High-Altitude Tour of North America's Spectacular Volcanoes, Canyons, Glaciers, Lakes, Craters, and Peaks. Starting with a basic introduction to geology and the forces that have shaped the North American continent, she points out that "geology is best understood from the air. . . . the higher you go, the more you see, and the more you see, the more you learn." So Aerial Geology is filled with pictures of geological features taken from mountain tops, airplanes, and all the way up to space.
Her point is well taken. I have hiked around and visited several of the locations she covers. It's tough to beat the feet-on-the-ground experience, seeing a place with your own eyes. But to get the full picture of geological forces and formations, the high-elevation perspective is indispensable. Besides the elevation perspective, Morton also has a great perspective on geological time. She writes that "all these [geological] processes are ongoing. . . . [G]eologic time includes now." When she discussing the timing and time frames of events, it sounds as natural as "The Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776" or even "My niece was born on October 15th of last year." Obviously the time frames of the formation of mountain ranges or tectonic shifts are much greater, but she has a way of making it all sound familiar. This includes projecting toward the future: "Visitors [to Cape Cod] should enjoy this area while they can. Geologists estimate that the peninsula will disappear altogether in a few thousand years. . . ."
While the photographs are great, sometimes downright stunning, this is more than just a coffee table book. For each of the 100 geological formations she features, she provides a brief but insightful account of its history and significance. On one level, she inspires me to pay a visit to some of these places. (How have I never heard of the Uinta Mountains? I want to go!). But taken all together, Aerial Geology sheds a lot of light on the big picture of the geology on the continent I call home. With its soaring mountains, expansive plains, canyons and rivers, this is a fascinating place, made even more fascinating by Morton's beautiful and informative book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Friday, September 29, 2017
Theology in Three Dimensions, by John Frame
Leading Reformed theologian John Frame believes that he idea of triperspectivalism can be transformative for Christian belief. In Theology in Three Dimensions: A Guide to Triperspectivalism and Its Significance, Frame provides a relatively brief introduction to triperspectivalism. By this he means three perspectives: the situational, the normative, and the existential. These are "three ways by which we may interact with experience, three emphases of our study. . . . each includes the other two." He draws on his collaborator Vern Poythress's work.
Frame gives some examples of reading scripture from a triperspectival position. He writes, "The significance of triperspectivalism is that it keeps us focused on the biblical bottom line, that God is nothing less than the Lord, and that his lordship is fully revealed in Jesus Christ."
Drawing from a wide array of philosophical and theological sources, Frame packs a lot into a small book, but keeps it accessible to the educated lay reader. But accessible doesn't necessarily mean helpful. He did a much better job of describing the concept than convincing me that it matters.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
Frame gives some examples of reading scripture from a triperspectival position. He writes, "The significance of triperspectivalism is that it keeps us focused on the biblical bottom line, that God is nothing less than the Lord, and that his lordship is fully revealed in Jesus Christ."
Drawing from a wide array of philosophical and theological sources, Frame packs a lot into a small book, but keeps it accessible to the educated lay reader. But accessible doesn't necessarily mean helpful. He did a much better job of describing the concept than convincing me that it matters.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
Thursday, September 28, 2017
No Middle Name, by Lee Child
Lee Child is best known for his Jack Reacher novels, two of which have been made into movies. To fill in some of the gaps between novels, and to add to Reacher's back story, Child has, over the years, written a number of short pieces. These are now collected in one volume, No Middle Name:The Complete Collected Jack Reacher Short Stories.
This collection has quite a range of stories, including the "Reacher gets in trouble in a small town but ends up exposing a criminal conspiracy" story; the "Reacher as Army investigator" story, the "Reacher as a child" story, and some stories that include Reacher as a secondary character. (I found the latter to the most entertaining, simply because it's a departure from the usual Reacher story.)
As you might expect from any collection of short stories, especially one that spans 18 years of a writer's career, some of these stories are better than others. But I enjoyed all of them. "Too Much Time" is the only story that hasn't appeared elsewhere. Reacher fans will consider it worth the price of the book.
This collection has quite a range of stories, including the "Reacher gets in trouble in a small town but ends up exposing a criminal conspiracy" story; the "Reacher as Army investigator" story, the "Reacher as a child" story, and some stories that include Reacher as a secondary character. (I found the latter to the most entertaining, simply because it's a departure from the usual Reacher story.)
As you might expect from any collection of short stories, especially one that spans 18 years of a writer's career, some of these stories are better than others. But I enjoyed all of them. "Too Much Time" is the only story that hasn't appeared elsewhere. Reacher fans will consider it worth the price of the book.
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Paradox Bound, by Peter Clines
Peter Clines tackles the complexity and fun of time travel in his new novel Paradox Bound. Eli lives in a tiny, inconsequential (he thinks) town that time seems to have forgotten. Over the years, he has several encounters with the same mysterious woman passing through town. On her last stop, he convinces her to take him along. Turns out she travels through history in search of the American dream.
In Clines's world, the American dream is an actual artifact that was lost many years ago. Eli's friend Harry (short for Harriet) is one of dozens, maybe hundreds, of people criss-crossing the continent and traversing history in search of it. To keep things interesting, a group of mysterious, faceless (literally) special agents pursure the dream hunters with deadly force.
Eli teams up with Harry, learning the ways of the road and the history of the search. As they wander the country, pursuing leads, Harry meets some surprising figures (John Henry, James Dean, and, to his surprise, the owner of the company he used to work for) while gaining perspective on American history. As Harry explains to Eli, the Freemasons had a large role in the founding of the United States, and they, in turn, were empowered by some Egyptian gods. Eli said, "'So the whole American Revolution happened because of an Egyptian God?' 'Such a silly idea, I know,' said Harry. 'If it was true, there'd be huge obelisks in the nation's capital, pyramids on the currency, noticeable things like that, wouldn't there?'" Good one!
Why do they want to discover the dream, and why do the faceless men want to prevent them from finding it? Harry explains, "If one person actually possessed it, held it, the entire United States--and all its people--would all be whatever that one person dreamed. They could impose their will on the whole country." If all of this sounds far-fetched, abusurd, and maybe a bit stupid to you, you won't enjoy Paradox Bound. But if you like a good adventure, if you don't mind suspending disbelief for some time-travel fiction, and if you have a few hours to kill by losing yourself in a fun novel, Paradox Bound might be up your alley. I enjoyed it like I might enjoy a good mindless action movie. It's fun, but not something that will stick with me for a long time.
Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
In Clines's world, the American dream is an actual artifact that was lost many years ago. Eli's friend Harry (short for Harriet) is one of dozens, maybe hundreds, of people criss-crossing the continent and traversing history in search of it. To keep things interesting, a group of mysterious, faceless (literally) special agents pursure the dream hunters with deadly force.
Eli teams up with Harry, learning the ways of the road and the history of the search. As they wander the country, pursuing leads, Harry meets some surprising figures (John Henry, James Dean, and, to his surprise, the owner of the company he used to work for) while gaining perspective on American history. As Harry explains to Eli, the Freemasons had a large role in the founding of the United States, and they, in turn, were empowered by some Egyptian gods. Eli said, "'So the whole American Revolution happened because of an Egyptian God?' 'Such a silly idea, I know,' said Harry. 'If it was true, there'd be huge obelisks in the nation's capital, pyramids on the currency, noticeable things like that, wouldn't there?'" Good one!
Why do they want to discover the dream, and why do the faceless men want to prevent them from finding it? Harry explains, "If one person actually possessed it, held it, the entire United States--and all its people--would all be whatever that one person dreamed. They could impose their will on the whole country." If all of this sounds far-fetched, abusurd, and maybe a bit stupid to you, you won't enjoy Paradox Bound. But if you like a good adventure, if you don't mind suspending disbelief for some time-travel fiction, and if you have a few hours to kill by losing yourself in a fun novel, Paradox Bound might be up your alley. I enjoyed it like I might enjoy a good mindless action movie. It's fun, but not something that will stick with me for a long time.
Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Three Jack Reacher Novellas, by Lee Child
Like many a Jack Reacher fan, I will read anything Lee Child writes. He never disappoints. Three Jack Reacher Novellas gathers stories that have been published elsewhere and give a bit of insight into Reacher's earlier years.
Deep Down (included in the paperback edition of A Wanted Man). Reacher is recruited to investigate a potential leak on a team that is acquiring a new sniper rifle for the U.S. military. Posing as a special forces sniper, he sits in on the tail end of their deliberations. His assignment: socialize with the women on the team and see what he can find out. He has no problem with the socializing part, but soon he learns that his cover may not be as strong as he had hoped. Lucky for Reacher, he's smarter than the other side (as always).
Second Son (published in 2011 as a Kindle single). As the new kid on base, young Jack Reacher is targeted by the local bullies and meets up with a cute girl from across the street. When Reacher's brother is accused of stealing the answer key for a school placement test, and his father is accused of losing an important code book, Reacher is on the case. This story shows Reacher's young toughness and his precocious investigative skills. (I was reminded of Encyclopedia Brown.)
High Heat (included in the paperback edition of Never Go Back). While on summer break, sixteen-year-old Reacher leaves Korea to visit his brother at West Point. Passing through New York, on his way to catch a bus, he sees a man slapping a woman. Of course he intervenes, and of course it turns out to be more complicated. The guy is a mob figure, the woman is an FBI agent. Despite the threats, Reacher can't stay away, and helps shut down the mobster's operation. Oh, and he also happens to help with the Son of Sam investigation. This one seems to give even Reacher too much power and insight as a sixteen-year-old tourist, but it's fun how Child places the story within the events of the New York blackout of 1977 and the Son of Sam investigation.
Reacher's Rules (2012). This is a fun compilation for Reacher fans. Child puts together rules for living, quotes, and a few aphorisms collected from Reacher's experiences. I got a kick out of the rules, in part because I can't see Reacher himself compiling it; it's just how he lives. Some of the "Things You'll Never Hear Reacher Say" are amusing, like "Can you carry my bags?" or "I'll have to ask my wife." Many of the tips, like "How to Open a Locked Iron Gate with a Chrysler" or "The Science of Burning Down a Building" are taken from the novels, of course, but told in a more analytical, detached way. If you have read and enjoyed the Reacher novels, you will probably love Reacher's Rules. If not, I'm sure you'll find it rather bizarre.
Three Jack Reacher Novellas don't have the punch and import of the full-length novels. They are, however, enjoyable, especially for Reacher fans who like to hear Reacher's backstory. The legend of Reacher continues.
Deep Down (included in the paperback edition of A Wanted Man). Reacher is recruited to investigate a potential leak on a team that is acquiring a new sniper rifle for the U.S. military. Posing as a special forces sniper, he sits in on the tail end of their deliberations. His assignment: socialize with the women on the team and see what he can find out. He has no problem with the socializing part, but soon he learns that his cover may not be as strong as he had hoped. Lucky for Reacher, he's smarter than the other side (as always).
Second Son (published in 2011 as a Kindle single). As the new kid on base, young Jack Reacher is targeted by the local bullies and meets up with a cute girl from across the street. When Reacher's brother is accused of stealing the answer key for a school placement test, and his father is accused of losing an important code book, Reacher is on the case. This story shows Reacher's young toughness and his precocious investigative skills. (I was reminded of Encyclopedia Brown.)
High Heat (included in the paperback edition of Never Go Back). While on summer break, sixteen-year-old Reacher leaves Korea to visit his brother at West Point. Passing through New York, on his way to catch a bus, he sees a man slapping a woman. Of course he intervenes, and of course it turns out to be more complicated. The guy is a mob figure, the woman is an FBI agent. Despite the threats, Reacher can't stay away, and helps shut down the mobster's operation. Oh, and he also happens to help with the Son of Sam investigation. This one seems to give even Reacher too much power and insight as a sixteen-year-old tourist, but it's fun how Child places the story within the events of the New York blackout of 1977 and the Son of Sam investigation.
Reacher's Rules (2012). This is a fun compilation for Reacher fans. Child puts together rules for living, quotes, and a few aphorisms collected from Reacher's experiences. I got a kick out of the rules, in part because I can't see Reacher himself compiling it; it's just how he lives. Some of the "Things You'll Never Hear Reacher Say" are amusing, like "Can you carry my bags?" or "I'll have to ask my wife." Many of the tips, like "How to Open a Locked Iron Gate with a Chrysler" or "The Science of Burning Down a Building" are taken from the novels, of course, but told in a more analytical, detached way. If you have read and enjoyed the Reacher novels, you will probably love Reacher's Rules. If not, I'm sure you'll find it rather bizarre.
Three Jack Reacher Novellas don't have the punch and import of the full-length novels. They are, however, enjoyable, especially for Reacher fans who like to hear Reacher's backstory. The legend of Reacher continues.
Monday, September 25, 2017
Understanding Trump, by Newt Gingrich
Can anyone understand President Donald Trump? If anyone can, in a political sense, it's Newt Gingrich. The former Speaker of the House and congressman from Georgia, Gingrich was an early supporter of Donald Trump's presidential ambitions and became an advisor to his campaign. His book Understanding Trump tells a bit of the story that got Trump to the White House, discusses some of Trump's agenda and perspectives, and lays out policy prescriptions for a way forward for the Trump White House.
The story of Trump's entry into the presidential race and the first days of his administration is familiar to most readers. Less known is Gingrich's role. Gingrich gives a nice summary of Trump's background, primarily his business life, while emphasizing the skills Trump gained in the private sector which he can apply to presidential leadership. Trump has been known more for his "art of the deal," his practical approach to getting things done, and his emphasis on the bottom line more than for his ideological commitments. I hope Gingrich is right, and that Trump will apply his business instincts to reducing waste and mismanagement in government projects and operations. One example that stood out is the huge amount of money that the federal government spends to maintain vacant real estate space around the country. Since real estate has been one of Trump's fortes, why not use his experience to sell or lease space, rather than let it sit and drain the treasury?
Gingrich spends some time talking about Trump's opposition in the press and academia. There is no question that the press, as a whole, is vindictively out to get Trump and harm his presidency. Gingrich recounts some of the remarkable examples of lies and half truths the press perpetuates in the interest of discrediting Trump. The influencers of the nation are full of intellectuals yet idiots, the IYIs whose ideological commitments hold sway over facts and logic. Gingrich recounts the rise of the IYIs and the hardening of the left; the Democratic Party of today has little resemblance to the party of LBJ and JFK, as it has become more and more driven by collectivization and identity politics.
Gingrich strikes a great balance of personal insight, historical perspective (his is an historian by training, with a Ph.D. in history), and policy experience. Much of the latter portion of Understanding Trump is very wonky. In fact, this is the best part of the book and of Gingrich's connection with Trump. Gingrich's work in the congress brought a broad coalition together to pass significant legislation, and his conservative bona fides are strong. In my opinion, the more influence Gingrich can have on Trump, the better. I don't know what their current level of communication is, but Trump would be wise to keep those channels open.
If you're looking for criticism of Trump, you won't find much in Understanding Trump. But if you truly do want to gain a greater understanding of Trump from an insider's perspective, whatever your personal political inclination, Understanding Trump is essential reading.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
The story of Trump's entry into the presidential race and the first days of his administration is familiar to most readers. Less known is Gingrich's role. Gingrich gives a nice summary of Trump's background, primarily his business life, while emphasizing the skills Trump gained in the private sector which he can apply to presidential leadership. Trump has been known more for his "art of the deal," his practical approach to getting things done, and his emphasis on the bottom line more than for his ideological commitments. I hope Gingrich is right, and that Trump will apply his business instincts to reducing waste and mismanagement in government projects and operations. One example that stood out is the huge amount of money that the federal government spends to maintain vacant real estate space around the country. Since real estate has been one of Trump's fortes, why not use his experience to sell or lease space, rather than let it sit and drain the treasury?
Gingrich spends some time talking about Trump's opposition in the press and academia. There is no question that the press, as a whole, is vindictively out to get Trump and harm his presidency. Gingrich recounts some of the remarkable examples of lies and half truths the press perpetuates in the interest of discrediting Trump. The influencers of the nation are full of intellectuals yet idiots, the IYIs whose ideological commitments hold sway over facts and logic. Gingrich recounts the rise of the IYIs and the hardening of the left; the Democratic Party of today has little resemblance to the party of LBJ and JFK, as it has become more and more driven by collectivization and identity politics.
Gingrich strikes a great balance of personal insight, historical perspective (his is an historian by training, with a Ph.D. in history), and policy experience. Much of the latter portion of Understanding Trump is very wonky. In fact, this is the best part of the book and of Gingrich's connection with Trump. Gingrich's work in the congress brought a broad coalition together to pass significant legislation, and his conservative bona fides are strong. In my opinion, the more influence Gingrich can have on Trump, the better. I don't know what their current level of communication is, but Trump would be wise to keep those channels open.
If you're looking for criticism of Trump, you won't find much in Understanding Trump. But if you truly do want to gain a greater understanding of Trump from an insider's perspective, whatever your personal political inclination, Understanding Trump is essential reading.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
Sunday, September 24, 2017
Texas Hill Country, by Eric W. Pohl
The words "the Hill Country" are sure to fire the imagination of any Texan. There are lots of pretty spots across this great state, but the region with the most is surely the Hill Country. Photographer and native Texan Eric W. Pohl is a lover and resident of the Hill Country. He photographs and shares some of its beauty in Texas Hill Country: A Scenic Journey.
With his gorgeous photography, he captures impressive vistas, beautiful landmarks, a few man-made spots, waterways, and, of course, plenty of wildflowers. If you have a favorite spot in the Hill Country, you'll likely find it here. Fredricksburg, Enchanted Rock, the Frio River, Pedernales Falls, Hamilton Pool, Lost Maples, and Garner State Park are some of my favorites that he pictures. You will certainly find some places to visit or revisit.
Texans know what a treasure we have in the Hill Country. Unfortunately, many others are discovering it as well. Pohl's book focuses on the undisturbed, undeveloped landscapes. Hopefully development and popularity won't ruin it for future generations. And if you can't get there, stuck in the city or stuck out of state somewhere, Pohl's book will call you back.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
With his gorgeous photography, he captures impressive vistas, beautiful landmarks, a few man-made spots, waterways, and, of course, plenty of wildflowers. If you have a favorite spot in the Hill Country, you'll likely find it here. Fredricksburg, Enchanted Rock, the Frio River, Pedernales Falls, Hamilton Pool, Lost Maples, and Garner State Park are some of my favorites that he pictures. You will certainly find some places to visit or revisit.
Texans know what a treasure we have in the Hill Country. Unfortunately, many others are discovering it as well. Pohl's book focuses on the undisturbed, undeveloped landscapes. Hopefully development and popularity won't ruin it for future generations. And if you can't get there, stuck in the city or stuck out of state somewhere, Pohl's book will call you back.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
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