Review of
Sideways, DVD version
Four out of five stars
The label on
the case states “Best comedy of the year,” but from my perspective it was hard
to see the justification for that comment. Paul Giamatti plays Miles and Thomas
Haden Church plays Jack, and both are in some form of mid-life crisis. Miles is
still struggling to come to terms with his divorce and Jack is due to be
married on the upcoming weekend. As a form of coping with the changes, they embark
on a wine-tasting trip through the California wine country.
Miles is a teacher
of English and a true wine aficionado, while Jack is clueless about the
subject. Miles is also a struggling novelist; he has submitted a manuscript to a
publisher and is awaiting a publication decision. Jack is basically on the hunt
for women for both of them.
These are two
guys that have serious problems in many aspects of their lives, yet there is
one constant, their loyalty to each other. This is one of the most intense
bromances I have ever seen, no matter what Jack does, Miles will aid him, even
to the point of letting Jack wreck his car in order to construct an alibi.
This is a movie
about the complexity of adult relationships, when they have ended, when they
are beginning and when they are constant. On that level, it is successful,
these are two guys with serious issues in their lives, sometimes you empathize and
other times you are uttering the phrase, “You pathetic buffoon!” There is
nothing amusing about coming to the realization that you are not going to
achieve your lifelong dream.
I loved the
ambiguous ending that is reminiscent of the classic Frank R. Stockton story, “The
Lady or the Tiger?” It is presented as an ending rather than as a cliffhanger to
leave viewers begging for a sequel.
Review of
Football Champ,
by Tim Green ISBN 9780061626890
Five out of five stars
This is the
third book in the Football Genius series, where Troy White is a football
savant. All he has to do is watch a football team in action for a few series
and he is capable of predicting what play they will run next. It took some
time, but once he convinced Atlanta Falcons linebacker Seth Halloway and the
Falcons coaching staff of his ability, they were sold. Troy now stands on the
sidelines next to the defensive coordinator and when he sees the personnel and
the formation, he tells the coach what the play will be. The coordinator then
sends in the signal to Seth who informs his teammates regarding what defense to
play.
Troy’s mother
now works in the PR department for the Falcons and she is involved with Seth.
Troy’s two best friends Nathan and Tate(female) are his schoolmates and
football teammates. Nathan is a lineman and Tate is their placekicker. Seth is
now the coach of Troy’s football team and they are poised to make a run for the
state championship.
Things start to
unravel when a nasty reporter named Peele spots Troy on the sidelines and
starts digging into his role. The public explanation is that Troy is a ball boy,
but he never leaves the coaches side. Peele has a deep grudge against Seth, for
it was a hit by Seth that injured Peele and effectively ended his football
career.
There are two
main tracks to this story, Troy’s role with the Falcons and his place on his
youth football team. There are complications regarding how Troy’s mother got
her job with the Falcons, accusations of steroid use by Seth and a nasty man
and his equally nasty son, where the father used to coach Troy’s team. Troy
gets a quick education on the dark facts of life regarding fame and where it
puts you in the public eye.
This is a great
story, made even better because Tate is depicted as an equal to Nathan and Troy.
She is decisive and when a powerful running back is about to return a kick for
a touchdown and decides to just run her over, she knocks him on his A. When difficult
things need to be done, Tate never takes a pass. The story also ends with a
cliffhanger regarding Troy’s absent father that is a tickler, making you want
to read books four and five.
Review of
Pacific Island Bastions of the United
States, by Herold J. Wiens
Four out of five stars
This is a broad
overview of the islands in the Pacific that are now part of the fundamental
defensive perimeter of the United States. It opens with a history of the
islands, from their first inhabitants, and followed by the arrival of the
European colonizers and controllers. The actions of Japanese expansion in World
War I and II follow, and that section concludes with the ascendency of the United
States as the dominant naval power.
The next
section deals with the geography of the Pacific Islands, from how rainfall is
generated by the mountains to how climates throughout the Pacific are
determined by the prevailing ocean currents. The dynamic forces that create the
currents and the trade winds are also briefly covered. The last chapter deals
with the role of island fortresses in the age of nuclear arms and missiles
capable of delivering them thousands of miles with an error of at most a few
miles.
A great deal of
blood and treasure was expended over control of the islands in the Pacific, arguably
the most per acre of land acquisition in history. This book is a solid, if
brief history of those conflicts and why they took place.
Review of
Robert B. Parker’s The Bridge,
by Robert Knott ISBN 9780399171130
Five out of five stars
Territorial
Marshals Virgil Cole and Everett Hicks are living in Appaloosa and they are
fairly settled. There is the routine crime that they and their deputies have been
dealing with, but nothing major. That changes in a dramatic way, starting with
a man with a gun chasing some men down the street until Everett intervenes.
Things
literally and figuratively explode when a major bridge under construction is
blown up in a clearly professional job. There are several obvious winners and
losers as a consequence, but it is clear to Cole and Hutch that it is the
non-obvious winners and losers that likely matter more. Their investigation
takes them on long journeys in horrible winter weather and of course they face
potential mortal danger.
Knott holds
very true to the Parker tactic of keeping minimal word usage by Cole and Hicks.
There are a lot of one- or two-word utterances. There is a great deal of
personal interaction between Colt’s female companion Allie and the two marshals,
making this a personable novel. The requisite gunplay is also present, for their
adversaries are brutal and sadistic, even to their allies.
Knott does an
excellent job in keeping to the Parker mode in this book. I am not sure that if
I was given a random segment of the book that I could identify it as written by
Knott.
Review of
Starship Troopers 2: Hero of
the Federation, DVD version
Four out of five stars
Insects
have been on the Earth for millions of years before humans and they have
evolved complex and very successful survival strategies. The collective
intelligence of an insect colony can be considerable. If life has evolved on
other planets in a manner similar to Earth, it is reasonable to believe that insects
would emerge as the highest form of life, capable of developing their own
version of a technological society. If there was contact with humans, it is
nearly inevitable that there would be conflict. That was the premise of the
classic work by Robert Heinlein, “Starship Troopers.”
This
movie continues the story in the first “Starship Troopers” movie that ended
with the humans capturing a “brain bug.” The obvious conclusion was that the
humans now had the upper hand in the war against the bugs. As one would expect,
the bugs adapted and are now an even greater threat.
It
opens with a small band of troopers on a rise of land on a largely desolate
planet fending off a massive attack of bug soldiers. They learn that there is
an abandoned Federation outpost nearby and while a small band remains behind to
fight a rearguard action, the remaining troopers take off for the outpost.
They arrive there and are able to make it
reasonably secure against attack. However, there are other, more dangerous
menaces from within. When they are inside, they discover a human prisoner named
Dax that has an extremely checkered service record. Once an officer, he is now
a pariah and up on charges.
The
action is intense and sometimes very gory, for this is a battle to the death of
one of the species. In keeping with the first movie, male and female soldiers
are treated equally, fighting and dying side-by-side. There are some touching
human-to-human moments, but they are light. The focus is on fighting the enemy.
No one knows if there will ever be an
interstellar war where humans fight another species. If it were to happen, the
side that adapts the fastest will likely win. Throughout this movie, you never know
if the humans will be victorious, even at the end.
Review of
The Uncanny X-Men,
graphic novel ISBN 0812510216
Five out of five stars
The X-Men are a
collection of human mutants where the differences are expressed in the form of a
superpower. As befits their abilities, they regularly do battle with villains
that also are extremely powerful. In this graphic novel, they do battle with
formidable adversaries Those opponents are so capable that they can even
penetrate the grounds of Professor Xavier’s School for the Gifted and do battle
on the X-Men’s home turf. They are also capable of kidnapping individual
members of the group.
The last story
features the villain Arcade, a madman that is modeled somewhat after the DC
character Joker. To him, the battles with the X-Men are as much for giggles and
the challenge as it is for supremacy. In the end, Arcade proves to be a man
with an odd sense of honor. In my opinion, the best super villains are in it
for much more than the money.
I understand
the reason why the panels are in B & W rather than color, which would
dramatically increase the cost. Yet, the comic aficionado cannot help but
wonder how the panels were colored in the original versions.
Review of
Beerfest, DVD full screen
edition
Three out of five stars
Many drinking
games are featured in this movie, it could in fact be the genesis for many
other such games. It is a movie packed with frat-boy level humor, for the plot
is based on extreme consumption of beer. The premise is that the two American descendants
of a German brewer encounter a mysterious man while they are in Germany and
become involved in an underground contest known as “Beerfest.” The skills
needed to win are simple, be able to drink a lot of beer in a very short time.
They lose the
contest but vow to spend a year in training with their buddies and come back to
win the contest. Of course, their training is based almost exclusively on
downing massive amounts of beer. Most of the alcohol-based humor is mindless
and dull, yet there are some very witty lines. My favorite is uttered by Cloris
Leachman, who plays an elderly woman with significant mileage on intimate areas
of her body.
There are of
course some gratuitous scenes of topless females that add a bit of interest but
are interludes only. I generally find humor based on alcohol or slapstick dull
and did so here. However, there were some lines of dialog that were absolutely brilliant,
if the writers could have kept that up this would have been a hysterical movie.
Review of
Albert Gallatin and the Oregon Problem,
by Frederick Merk
Five out of five stars
This book
covers an issue in the territorial expansion of the United States that does not
receive enough attention. It is the dispute that the United States had with
Great Britain over the sovereignty of what was then known as the Oregon
Territory. Like nearly all land encountered by European travelers, once they
set foot on it, it was claimed for their country. The fact that people were already
living there was of little to no relevance.
The first
documented visit by Europeans of the area in dispute was by the Spanish in 1777,
closely followed by the British and Americans. In the minds of those of European
descent, this meant that all three countries would make a claim to ownership. The
Spanish quickly dropped out as they were in the process of losing most of their
American possessions. Therefore, by the second decade of the nineteenth
century, the dispute was between the United States and Great Britain. This book
covers the issues during the administration of James Monroe and into that of
John Quincy Adams.
What is most
interesting about this book is the discussions of the roles of the two mighty
companies of the time, The Hudson Bay Company and the mightiest of them all the
East India Company. One of the most astounding facts of all time is that at one
time the East India Company controlled half of the world’s trade. Their goal of
a monopoly on Asian trade limited what the British government could do in their
negotiations. The tendrils of the Hudson Bay Company also extended down to
Oregon.
Another
interesting fact is that many of the political figures of the time considered
the Oregon Territory to be so remote from the eastern United States that in
their view it would eventually become an independent republic.
The years after the War of 1812 were a time of
reconciliation between the United States and Great Britain and while there were
hotheads in the dispute over the Oregon Territory, one can discern the strong desire
of both sides to settle their differences through negotiation. This is a good
book about one aspect of Manifest Destiny.
Review of
Fantastic Four Ultimate Collection Three,
by Waid & Wieringo ISBN 9780785156574
Four out of five stars
The lead story
is one that reflects the confused politics of the modern era. Dr. Doom, a man
responsible for a great deal of woe in the world and the absolute ruler of the
small Eastern European kingdom of Latveria, has been deposed by the Fantastic
Four. After many years of being subjugated and with no voice in how they are
governed, the people of Latveria now have no functioning government. The
Fantastic Four led by Reed Richards steps into the power vacuum, simultaneously
cleaning up and processing the technology left by Doom and ruling Latveria.
This is not a
situation that all approve of, especially the governments of the neighboring
countries and the United Nations. The story opens with the Hungarian army about
to invade Latveria and reclaim the territory that was once taken from them.
Nick Fury, the head of S. H. I. E. L. D., gives Reed an ultimatum for relinquishing
power and being subject to arrest. There is a great deal of dissension in the
group as Reed keeps the other three members in the dark. Even though the Fantastic Four stabilized what
could have been a disaster, they are reviled in the American press and face significant
retribution from the American government. While superheroes have their powers,
sometimes they have it rough.
Ben Grimm as
the Thing is killed, but Reed is determined to save his life, keeping the body
in a stasis field. It is at this point that things get weird and take on a religious
bent. Sue, Johnny and Reed use one of devices to literally transport themselves
to heaven in order to “rescue” Ben, who appears normal. There are many odd
twists to this story, some of which deeply religious people might disapprove
of.
In one of the
oddest and most ironical plot twists I have ever seen in a comic, the Fantastic
Four meet a man that appears to be the almighty and he is drawing comic panels.
When he ends one of his statements with “’nuff said,” all Marvelites will understand
the reference. It was an unexpected but very nice moment.
Review of
Splice, DVD version
Five out of five stars
The title of
the movie is based on the actions of the two main characters, they are
scientists and their specialty is splicing genetic material of different
species to make hybrid and unusual creatures. They are a male-female couple and
work for a major pharmaceutical organization. They are under great pressure to
synthesis new compounds and when the movie opens, they have created slug-like
creatures that move by amoebic-like shape alterations. It is hoped that their
creations will synthesize the compounds they need.
Pleased with
their success, the two scientists decide to go for the ultimate creation, an organism
that contains human DNA in combination with that from other animals. They are
successful and when their major creation is “born,” it is just another large
amorphous blob creature like the others. It grows rapidly, developing into something
that is human-like above the legs, albeit with a tail with a stinger at the end.
The legs are lizard-like and very powerful. The two “parents” are at first
disturbed by their creation and ponder killing it, but they quickly develop
affections and treat it like their child.
There are many
twists, unexpected and sometimes frightening events. Although the two creators
treat the “child” as a human, it is not, even though it is intelligent and has
human-like emotions. It has some of the predictability of humans but retains
the unpredictability of creatures with intelligence that are not human. There is
a climactic struggle near the end and the movie ends with a powerful visual
cliffhanger.
This is a great
movie; genetic splicing is already a powerful technique and will grow more so
in the future. It is accurate in the sense that no one really knows what will
happen if gene splicing is successfully done with multiple species, one of
which is human. There will be the natural desire to treat the results as human
when they will not be.
Review of
Breathing: Poetic Chronology,
by Gary L. Mathews
Three out of five stars
Some of the
most difficult books to analyze and review are self-published collections of
the publisher’s poetry. Like all books that contain poems written by a single author,
there is a significant variation in the quality. Some of which is genuine and
some of which is the personal taste of the reader. All of the previous points
are true in this case.
The poems in
this collection are generally only a few lines, although a few take up several
pages. Some are avant-garde in style and there is not a great deal of
traditional rhyming. The topics are all over the human experience spectrum,
from an affectionate puppy to the failure of best intentions.
There are no
great poetic moments in this book, just the thoughts of a person moving through
life, sometimes with success and other times not.
Review of
The Vietnam War: A Graphic History,
by Dwight Jon Zimmerman and Wayne Vansant ISBN 9780809094950
Five out of five stars
This graphic
novel is an excellent way to be introduced to the history of the American
version of the Vietnam War. The battle for control of the country began in
earnest when the Japanese surrendered to end World War II. There was a great
deal of cooperation between the French in Indochina during World War II and there
was Japanese assistance in the French regaining control after the Japanese
surrender. For the Vietnamese, war never ended in 1945, their struggles just
shifted to a new set of opponents.
The American
involvement in Indochina in general and Vietnam in particular was based on an
anti-communist ideology and what was called the “Domino Theory,” where the fall
of one country to communism would lead to a succession of other nations going
the same way. It was largely nonsense, three countries, Vietnam, Cambodia and
Laos all became communist and the world changed very little. In fact, Vietnam
invaded Cambodia to oust the Pol Pot regime over their internal genocidal
policies. Former allies Vietnam and China also fought a significant border
skirmish.
The brutality
of the war is generally captured, although there is little coverage of the
massive civilian casualties. Most of the ink spent in covering that aspect deals
with the communist killings in Hue and the American killings in My Lai. One
point that is made and should have been emphasized more is that the North
Vietnamese would never have quit. They understood that their tolerance for
casualties was much higher than that of the American public.
One very
positive point is the coverage of the Tet Offensive in early 1968. While it was
an unquestioned military defeat of the communist forces, it was an incredible
public relations victory in American public opinion. After being told that an
American and ARVN victory was within reach, the images of fighting on the
streets of Saigon and Hue convinced many in America that victory was
impossible.
This is a great
synopsis of a very complicated issue; the Vietnam War and the consequences
still hold a great deal of power in American and international politics.
Review of
The Ruble War: A Study of Russia’s Economic
Penetration versus U. S. Foreign Aid, by Howard K. Smith and
five other correspondents of CBS News.
Five out of five stars
The context of
the publication of this book in 1958 is set by the famous line uttered by
Soviet First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev
to Western diplomats in 1956. The phrase was likely mistranslated as “We will
bury you,” when in fact it should have been something like, “We will outlast
you.” The point was that the command economy structure of the communist states
led by the Soviet Union would outperform the capitalist economies of the west.
Thirty years after the sudden collapse of the
Soviet Union and the dissolution of its’ Eastern European empire, the notion of
the west ever losing the economic struggle with communism seems absurd.
However, those with greater depth of understanding will realize that the
ideological struggle between capitalism and communism is not yet over. In only
a few decades the People’s Republic of China has risen from an economically
backward nation to one having what is arguably the largest economy in the
world. No political figure in the world wields as much internal power as
Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The authors of this book briefly describe the
competition between the United States and the Soviet Union in seeking influence
among other nations by providing economic aid and assistance through investment
in infrastructure. At the time, there were many reasons to believe that the
Soviet Union would prove to be a stiff competition to capitalism. With the
messiness of having to extensively debate issues in democracies before any
action can be taken, the authors state that this would fall behind a system
where the leader can “make it so” by stating their position and giving the
order.
This book is a fascinating look back to a time
when communism was considered a real threat as an alternative economic and
political system and there was reason to believe that it would eventually prove
to be superior to capitalism.
Review of
Games and Puzzles,
by Saalfield Publishing Company
Five out of five stars
This short
collection of simple puzzles will entertain and challenge you. Like all such
books, the level of difficulty varies widely, often based on the mindset of the
person attempting to solve them. Solutions to the puzzles are not included, so
you are on your own and cannot cheat even if you want to.
There are
wordplay puzzles, interpreting pictures as objects, moving objects in a grid to
obtain a pattern and one that is operating with numbers. While the games and
puzzles are old, they never grow old and uninteresting.
Review of
Harriet Powers Journey from Slave to
Artist: Sewing Stories, by Barbara Herkert ISBN 9780385754620
Five out of five stars
Harriet Powers was born into slavery, but her artistic
skills were a natural talent. Her mother was one of several slave women that did
seamstress work for their master. Yet, they were occasionally allowed to work
on their own projects and held quilting bees. Their products were quilts that
told detailed stories.
Harriet’s
lifespan covered the American Civil War, which freed her and her husband from
bondage. Better off than many when the war ended, they were able to buy a few
acres of land and work for themselves rather than sharecrop. Through this time,
Harriet continued her quilting and so impressed a woman named Jennie Smith that
she eventually purchased one of her quilts and once it was seen by others, people
at Atlanta University commissioned another quilt. In 1902, Atlanta University
held a conference called “The Negro Artisan” and Harriet’s work may have helped
inspired it.
Written at the
level of the late middle school child, this is a book that tells a story of how
artistic skill triumphed over adversity, even the power of slavery over people.
Review of
Jenny Dean: The Secret of the Invisible
City,
by Dale Carlson ISBN 0448190044
Three out of five stars
This is
fundamentally a juvenile adventure book with the main character a girl and
having a plot based on a science fiction premise. While it is interesting to
read an adventure book where the main character is a teenage female, the
premise is weak.
Jenny is in Kansas and Thanksgiving is fast
approaching. There is a sudden, massive cyclone that passes through, totally
out of character with the fall season. After it is over, Jenny is out riding a
horse when she encounters an invisible barrier. It is the border of a city called
Krishna-La and it is populated by space aliens. The cyclone was just the manifestation
of their landing on Earth.
The aliens
prove to be very adept at manipulating the thoughts and emotions of humans,
starting with Jenny. When her friends and family encounter unusual manifestations
such as a Masai warrior, Jenny begins to suspect that the aliens are laying the
foundation for a takeover of Earth. While the issue is resolved, it is not done
with great style or flair. Another
character is Mike, Jenny’s juvenile love interest, his presence does not
advance the plot a great deal.
With such a weak
premise and lackluster writing, this is a book that you will read and enjoy a
bit. After that you will likely forget about it.
Review of
Look And Find Superman,
by Joe Edkin ISBN 0785313540
Five out of five stars
This is an instance
of an image search book where the reader is given a set of images that they are
to search for and find in an oversize two-page picture. The theme is of course Superman,
and it features him in action with friends and foes. What is different about
this book is that the list of images to find is small, 6-8.
As is the case
with all such books and viewers, a few of the images are found almost
immediately, while the remainder often require a systematic sector by sector
scan. With such a large picture and so few images to find, there is a great
deal of opportunities for similar distractors and the creators have done that.
This is a fun
book to look through, providing entertainment for people of all ages. It is not
necessary to understand the Superman history to enjoy it.
Review of
Studies in Iowa History: The Negro In Iowa,
by Leola Nelson Bergmann
Four out of five stars
Published by
the State Historical Society of Iowa in 1969, this pamphlet is generally a factual
recollection of the numbers of African American people in the state of Iowa from
the time the territory was opened to white settlement. Since many of the early
settlers migrated up from southern states where slavery was legal, some slaves
accompanied those migrants. However, they were few, yet the intense dialog
regarding the future of slavery was part of the social and political fabric of
what was to become the state of Iowa.
There are
several pages devoted to the social and economic actions of the African
Americans, from the early days there were African American professionals,
although most worked as laborers or domestics. It is interesting to note that
there were many firsts, from the awarding of advanced degrees to the holding of
state and local political offices.
One of the most
interesting topics covered is the town of Buxton, Iowa. Created as a consequence
of the local coal mines, the peak population was between eight and ten thousand
people and it was fully integrated. It was a company owned town, yet all
workers were treated equally. Many black people that grew up there said they
never experienced discrimination until they moved to other areas of the
country. Unfortunately, the collapse of the coal industry led to it being a
ghost town by 1927.
There is much
in this book that will make Iowans proud of their heritage of how black people
were historically treated in the state.
Review of
Catwoman starring Halle
Berry DVD version
Five out of five stars
A fellow fan of
superhero comics once asked me my opinion on the hottest female superhero and
my answer was the She Hulk. After watching this movie, my answer will now be
Catwoman with Halle Berry in the role. Dressed in a sultry and revealing
leather costume with a body as lithe as a cat and a sultry demeanor, she
embodies sensuality. Unlike the earlier version that was a super villain, this
iteration is fighting evil, specifically a cosmetic company that is about to
release a new product. Their research has demonstrated that the product is
dangerous to use, but the lure of massive profits is too great.
The movements
of Catwoman are a triumph of special effects, she leaps and walks on narrow
surfaces like a cat and sometimes eats like a starved animal. Action scenes are
intense and amazing to watch without there being too much smashing and bashing.
Catwoman relies more on her avoidance skills than she does on simply whacking
on her opponents.
There is a
dynamic love interest along with a best female friend that adds significant
humor to the movie. The friend is not a sidekick in the usual sense, just a
friend with a humorous bent that helps keep the alter ego of Catwoman thinking
and acting like a human female.
This is a fun
movie to watch, one of the few superhero movies where women will enjoy the
chic-flick aspects.
Review of
Robert B. Parker’s Lullaby: A Spenser Novel,
by Ace Atkins ISBN 9780399158032
Five out of five stars
This Spenser story
by Atkins captures the essence of the main characters, including Hawk. For my
taste, I was pleased that the sidekick roles was once again filled by Hawk
rather than the lesser Z. Joe and Gerry Broz appear, although they are much
older and well past their prime. Old adversaries and allies such as Vinnie
Morris, Tony Marcus, Quirk, Epstein, Rita Fiore and Belson appear and fill their
standard supporting roles. Susan is also prominent in supporting in her own sometimes
detrimental way.
A
fourteen-year-old girl named Mattie Sullivan walks into Spenser’s office and
wants him to investigate the murder of her mother four years earlier. She does
not believe that the man convicted of the crime is guilty, but she cannot pay.
Her mother was a drug-taking prostitute and the investigating officers did very
little investigating. Wearing his heart of gold on his sleeve, Spenser takes
the case, even though he has no expectation of making a case. Mattie lives with
her drunken grandmother and is essentially raising her younger twin sisters.
After a bit of
prodding and poking as only Spenser can do, he quickly realizes that he is rapidly
getting into conflict with some major criminal players. With Hawk’s help, they
protect Mattie and track their way through a very dangerous trail. Spenser is
also forced to battle a man named Connor, a federal agent that seems more
intent in protecting his turf and being a liability than actually solving a
cold case.
The dialog is
so good that it could have been written by Parker himself. This is the first
Spenser book by Atkins that I could not put down.
Review of
The Supermanager: A Short Story About the
Secrets of an Extremely Successful Manager, by Greg Blencoe
ISBN 978-1460980323
Five out of five stars
This pamphlet contains a great deal of wisdom
that can lead to managerial success, the problem is of course that the people
that will most benefit from it will either not read it or ignore it if they do.
For it contains principles that the weaker personalities in positions of
authority are unable to implement.
The two main characters are Andrew Hernandez
(student) and Leon Cook (teacher.) They met shortly after Andrew graduated from
business school when Andrew traveled to Nashville to attend an elite management
training program. Full of confidence before he arrived, it was not long before
Andrew is terrified of the situation he finds himself in. Fortunately, he goes
to a fast food restaurant and is impressed by the attitude of the employees. He
asks to speak to the manager and there he meets Leon Cook. Leon agrees to tutor
Andrew in the basic principles of being a successful manager.
Through examples and exercises, Leon
introduces Andrew to his seven fundamental principles that will make you a
supermanager. They are:
*) Surround yourself
with high-quality employees.
*) Train employees
well.
*) Communicate the end
result you want, then empower employees to achieve it.
*) Lead by example.
*) Listen to employees.
*) Praise good work.
*) Manage each employee
differently.
These are hardly new or original principles,
and they will lead to managerial success. However, they require the manager to
immerse themselves in situations where they are at risk. Hiring smart people
and then empowering them means relaxing controls, something that many people
are reluctant to do. It is a situation where to gain power you must be willing
to give it up. This is a powerful book that managers should read and take very
seriously.
Review of
Journey to the Center of the Earth,
by Jules Verne Illustrated Now Age Version ISBN 0883011352
Four out of five stars
Given the
significant weakness in the science behind the plot of this book, I have always
considered this one to be fantasy rather than science fiction. The idea that
people could go deep under the Earth and encounter oceans, storms and dinosaurs
is so contrary to the reality that one must pass into the fantasy realm rather
than remain within the realistic scientific one.
Originally
published in 1864, the main character is German Professor Otto Lidenbrock, a man that believes
that the Earth is partially hollow and that 15th century explorer Arne
Saknussemm entered an extinct volcano and traveled deep into the Earth. Along
with his nephew Axel and guide Hans, Lidenbrook enters the Snæfellsjökull volcano. Rather than encounter significant heat
and increasingly narrow passages, the three of them find themselves in an
environment where plants and animals thrive, most of which have been extinct on
the surface for millions of years. There is ample light and a massive sea that
they must sail across. There is a massive storm that includes lightning and giant
creatures that resemble humans. After surviving many near-death experiences,
the three of them are ejected from the Earth in Italy, hundreds of miles from
where they entered.
This story is loosely based on the legends of
underground creatures found in many cultures. It has been presented as a work of
science fiction, when it is in fact not. The only scientific principles that
are cited appear only to be dismissed. For example, the comments about how the
air temperatures they encounter are in fact not increasing.
Yet, this book is a classic in the literature
of western civilization, so much so that two feature length movies have been
made using it as the basic plot. I am a strong proponent of the “by any means
necessary” method of introducing modern readers to the classics of literature.
This graphic novel is an excellent way to introduce middle school students to the
writings of one of the pioneers of imaginative fiction.
Review of
The War of the Worlds,
by H. G. Wells Graphic novel ISBN 0883011379
Five out of five stars
While there are
many classics of science fiction, H. G. Wells’ masterpiece “War of the Worlds”
ranks as one of the best. It was the source material for what was a social panic
when Orson Welles made his famous radio broadcast and it was the basis of two
major motion pictures. It was also one of the first writings to feature poison
gas, something that was a primary weapon in World War I, which began 17 years
later.
This rendition
of the classic story of interplanetary warfare is presented in graphic novel
form. While it does not precisely follow the original story, it is close enough
to be considered a reasonable facsimile. The terror of the invasion and humanity’s
seeming inability to effectively fight the menace are conveyed using the
terminology and infrastructure of late nineteenth century Britain. In the end,
human’s often mortal enemies are the weapon that defeats the Martian invaders.
I am a fan of “any
means necessary” in achieving the goal of getting people interested in the
classics of literature. In this case, the graphic novel form works quite well.
Review of
Early Autumn,
by Robert B. Parker ISBN 0440022487
Five out of five stars
This Spenser
novel is the one that introduces Paul Giacomin, a character that reappears in
subsequent Spenser stories. He is fifteen and his parents are fighting over his
custody, but in reality, they are fighting each other, and Paul is simply a
convenient tool. His mother Patty hires Spenser to “spring” Paul from his
father’s custody, a task that he finds easy.
Spenser quickly
learns that Paul is a listless waif and the product of bad parenting and he
decides to change that. He enlists Susan’s help, which she is very reluctant to
provide. She is depicted as jealous and cold toward Paul, speaking in derisive
tones to Spenser and Paul.
This being a
Spenser novel, there is of course far more than just a bitter battle between
divorced people. Both parents have sordid pasts and presents, including some
involvement with organized crime. When the mob muscle arrives, Spenser contacts
Hawk to gain his assistance. Hawk is presented as a bit of a mercenary, even
potentially acting as a hired killer.
Spenser is once
again depicted as a man of high principles, aiding a directionless young man
over the objections of Susan. When faced with danger, he refuses to shoot
people at times when it is in his best interests. There is no Spenser story
that depicts him as a thug with a heart more than this one.
Review of
I Already Know I Love You,
by Billy Crystal ISBN 0060593911
Five out of five stars
This book for
children is a message from a prospective grandpa to his expected grandchild.
Crystal uses references to baseball, circuses, fishing, playing games,
instructing and just basically hanging out. The general form is four lines of
verse per two-page image where the second- and fourth-line rhyme. It is a list
of many of the things that the anticipatory grandparent hopes to do with their
upcoming grandchild.
This book is
delightful, worthy of being read and re-read to all grandchildren. I also
recommend it to all expectant grandparents; it will warm their hearts for what
is to come.
Review of
Lucky Seven,
by Matt Christopher
Four out of
five stars
Christopher is best
known for his series of books of adolescent sports fiction where the main
characters are young people. This is in contrast to many of the other main
writers of sports fiction for young people where their stories feature adults,
often professional players.
This book
contains a set of short stories within his usual genre of young people at play.
Most of the stories feature the standard sports like baseball or football, but
there is a notable exception. The last story, called “Full Throttle,” is about
racing model cars on tracks.
The stories are
in the usual Christopher style of working hard, playing fair and having some
sort of moral. They are all easy to understand, both in terms of the basic plot
and the lesson that Christopher is trying to impart. This book is one that you
read for pleasure and leisure.
Review of
Cast Away,
DVD version starring Tom Hanks
Five out of five stars
Literally from
the moment when humans began traveling the seas and oceans out of the sight of
land, there have been tales of people being shipwrecked and marooned. Sometimes
it is small groups of people on an uninhabited island, other times there are
natives on the island and in a few cases, it is one person all alone. Different
and more expanded versions of this story arose in science fiction after
interplanetary travel became plausible. The recent hit movie “The Martian” is
the best-known example of the lone person marooned.
This movie is
one where a single person somehow manages to survive a destructive plane crash
and wash up on the beach of an uninhabited tropical island. Tom Hanks stars as
Chuck Nolan, an engineer with FedEx that is a hard driving, yet somewhat
personable individual. He is flying as a passenger in a company cargo jet when they
encounter a violent storm and there is an onboard explosion of some kind.
Once on the
island, Nolan needs to immediately satisfy his basic needs of food, water and
shelter. He struggles to get a fire going, open a coconut and other basic tasks
with no modern tools. Fortunately, a few packages from the plane wash up on the
beach and he finds some useful items in them. After four years, he realizes
that if he does not leave the island, he will die there alone and largely
forgotten.
This movie is
nearly all Tom Hanks and he does a superb job of playing the increasingly eccentric
exile in an odd form of solitary confinement. In order to keep himself sane, he
must go a little insane, inventing a semi-imaginary companion to talk to. It is
a worthy addition to the story of how humans can adapt in the most strenuous of
circumstances and with no hope of any assistance.
Review of
Clearing the Bases,
by Mike Schmidt ISBN 9780060854997
Four out of five stars
This book by a
Hall-of-fame baseball player is part autobiography and part his philosophy
about the history and mystique of baseball. The sections about his life and
career are interesting, but not as riveting as his comments about Pete Rose and
the use of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) in baseball.
Schmidt
provides some real insight into the issue of whether or not Pete Rose should be
admitted to the Baseball Hall of Fame. There is no question that his
performance on the field more than warrants the honor. However, his betting on
his own team and his failure to admit it has so far doomed his chances. Schmidt
was one of the intermediaries between Pete Rose and the Commissioner’s office,
so his knowledge is firsthand. He explains that there are members enshrined in
the Hall of Fame that are adamant that Rose be denied enshrinement for
violating the rules about betting on baseball.
Schmidt also
says a great deal about the problem of PED use in baseball, specifically the
use of steroids. While he does mention possibilities and accusations and
describes how “some players” dropped a great deal of weight that was muscle
mass after the crackdown on steroids took place, Schmidt never specifically accuses
a player of taking them that has not admitted to doing so. He is also adamant
that records are what they are and should never be subject to an asterisk based
on other factors such as PED use.
Schmidt puts
forward a proposal to deal with the most complex of issues facing baseball at
the time of writing and in the future. He proposes the formation of an Otsego Committee,
which would be a small group selected from the current living members of the Baseball
Hall of Fame. This group would serve as an arbiter of issues such as Pete Rose’s
entry in the Hall of Fame and serve as an arbiter of major labor conflicts such
as drug testing and pension issues. It
is a proposal that has merit, for there are some obvious flaws in the current
system where decisions are made.
This is a book where Schmidt is honest about
his opinions, even about himself. He is open in relating to how his ego was
often a bit fragile and he suffered from insecurities, even when he was leading
the league in homers and runs batted in. Throughout though, he expresses his
reverence for baseball.
Review of
Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome,
DVD version starring Mel Gibson and Tina Turner
Five out of five stars
In general, the
third film in a sequence tends to be underwhelming compared to the first two.
That is not the case here, Tina Turner stars as Aunty Entity and turns in a
superb performance as the protagonist to Max. Unlike in the first two movies,
Aunty Entity is not a brutal, evil person, in her own way she is a savior of
humanity and civilization. She has created a civilization out of the ruins of an
apocalyptic war, giving the people hope for a future. Aunty Entity has given
the world the rule of law once again, brutal though it may be.
Max is once again
a vagabond loner where circumstances give him no choice but to act as an agent
of Aunty’s bidding. The ultimate in surviving, Max joins forces with a group of
children that survived the crash of a 747 and are living in an oasis in the
middle of a vast and nearly impenetrable desert.
The chase scene
is once again an incredible thing, this time there is some humor amidst the
fighting to the death. In this case it involves a train to nowhere, where the
day is saved by a man and his son with a plane. Max proves that he is very much
a hero, risking his life to save a group of children.
As was the case
in “Road Warrior,” the supporting characters in this movie do much more than
that. They provide tension, light moments and do more than is usual in making
this movie the entertaining powerhouse that it is. There is Robert Grubb as “Pigkiller,”
a man given a life sentence for killing a pig for food, Frank Thring as the “Collector”
the front man for Bartertown, he is the one that decides what goods are worth
and who gets to enter the town to conduct their business. Bruce Spence as “Jedediah
the Pilot,” a role similar to the one he had in “Road Warrior.” Angry Anderson
as “Ironbar,” one of the commanders of the troops controlled by Aunty and perhaps
the best was Angelo Rossitto as “Master,” the genius that designed and managed
the infrastructure of Bartertown.
This is an
entertaining and thoughtful movie, pointing out one unfortunate fact about the behavior
of humans. Even after being nearly wiped out, there will still be struggles for
power and control over what meager structures are rebuilt after the
destruction. The action and character interactions are exceptional.
