I nearly did not read this book by Matthew Miller after reading the introduction. I reacted that the author was saying the problems of the country would be solved if we just spent more on government. The subtitle “Fixing American’s Problems in Ways Liberals and Conservatives Can Love” made me decide to give it a try. The start of the book made me wonder whether I had made a bad decision. The book was published in 2003, and the first issue taken on was health care. That outdated chapter wasn’t encouraging, but I tried to plow ahead. I eventually ran into thoughtful discussions of the problems about failure to educate our children and the huge problems created by refusing to do something about the unfunded obligations for Social Security and Medicare. There are also interesting discussions of the failure of politicians to address problems because of unyielding ideologies that continue to get them reelected and the failure of the press to provide news that might actually educate readers about the problems. Continue reading
Category Archives: Reviews
The Lever of Riches
The subtitle of this book by Joel Mokyr is “Technological Creativity and Economic Progress.” I requested the book to be sent to my local library after reading a reference that sounded interesting in “A Case for Nuclear-Generated Electricity” (reviewed previously). The author of that book observed that Mokyr discussed how China transitioned from being a technological, military, and economic power to becoming a backward country pushed around by the world because, simplistically, it stopped embracing innovation. I wanted to learn more so I obtained Mokyr’s book. Continue reading
History of ‘Billy the Kid’
This short book (only 61 pages) was first published in 1920. It caught my eye because I live outside Silver City, New Mexico, where “the Kid” lived for a time and where his mother is buried. The author Chas A. Siringo, was “personally acquainted with him, and assisted in his capture”. His book is based on what he was told by Billy the Kid himself, and by others who knew the Kid.
Siringo’s style is Spartan. There are many one-sentence paragraphs. He presents facts of the Kid’s life with little explanation or description. I learned what the Kid did, but was left with no real understanding of what drove him through his violent life. Continue reading
Radiation What It Is, What You Need to Know
This is an excellent book for both student and adult readers by Robert Peter Gale, M. D., PH. D. and Eric Lax. Gale is a scientist and physicist who has been involved in treating victims from every major nuclear accident in the past twenty-five years. Lax is an author of non-fiction books. Together they have written a book that is factual and easy to read, and that does not push any political position. My one complaint is the lack of an index. The authors provide a fine discussion of topics including terminology, medical issues, irradiation of food, how people access risk, and discussions of several high-profile incidents (including Hiroshima, Chernobyl, and Fukushima). They have written an excellent reference book, including a website with links to articles on their main topics, and an index would make it easier to use.
The authors say “we live in a sea of radiation… Because radiation touches every aspect of our lives – it is, in fact, responsible for our lives – it is essential to know what radiation is, how it works and what it can and cannot do.” People “know very little about radiation… [and] most of us are unaccustomed to carefully weighing competing risks and benefits.” They address topics we read about in the media: nuclear power and power plant accidents, fallout from nuclear bomb tests, food irradiation, cancer, and birth defects.
The authors are concerned that people’s fears are disproportionate to the risks. People worry about the wrong things and can, therefore, ignore real risks. For example, people should not worry about radiation from their TVs or cell phones, but should worry about radiation from medical procedures and, in some areas, radon gas in their homes. Continue reading
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
This is another book recommended to me by my wife. Her recommendation once again led me to read a fascinating book. However, she continues to recommend books that don’t have a happy story or ending.
This book by Rebecca Skloot introduced me to a subject I hadn’t read about before. The book begins by describing how a doctor treating Henrietta’s cervical cancer shaved samples from cancerous and noncancerous areas. He gave the samples to George Gey, who had built a laboratory out of spare parts and had worked unsuccessfully for years to grow malignant cells outside the body. The cells were taken without Henrietta Lacks knowledge or permission and were labeled “HeLa.” Cells from the cancerous tumor began to replicate at an enormously rapid rate. When Gey finally determined that his lab had grown the “first immortal human cells” he began sharing samples with colleagues. The word spread and Gey was sending samples all over the country and then the world. A huge medical research industry was developed to grow cells and use them in experimentation that has resulted in the cure to many diseases. There is no way of knowing how many of Henrietta’s cells have been grown but it is estimated that there are several tens of metric tons. Continue reading
Killing Kennedy
This is the second book written by the Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard duo. Both of the books are worth reading. I thought “Killing Lincoln” was the better of the two books but my wife thinks “Killing Kennedy” was better.
The subtitle of this book is “The End of Camelot,” which refers to the assassination of Kennedy. However, I thought the best parts were and the insights given into the Kennedy clan (including all of the men being serial adulters), Jackie Kennedy (who was a secret chain smoker), and the many people in and out of government around them. The political trials faced by Kennedy, to include the Bay of Pigs fiasco and civil rights, make interesting reading. Kennedy made many enemies, including members of the mafia, some of which appear to have had good relations with the Kennedys before JFK was elected to be President. Continue reading