Evolution by Stephen Baxter

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Overall, this was a good book. It was very slow at times and I put it down for periods of a couple weeks a few times while reading it. Apparently Baxter is not known for the quality of his characterization or his compelling plots but there were some real gems within the many stories that were contained in the book.

The author clearly states in his closing words that the book is not 100% scientifically accurate. Although it was vetted by some scientists in the field, he chose to make some decisions about the story and characters based on the quality of the story rather than sticking closely to the science. I’m okay with this because, from what I know, the overall picture that it paints is pretty accurate.

The last quarter of the book is quite compelling as the author moves the plot into the future. I won’t give anything away but it was very interesting and contained some interesting twists. For me, this is what saved the book from being a long, mostly boring read.

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• A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson – Another great book by Bill Bryson. The author really does touch on just about everything in nature in some way or another including the creation of the Universe, the solar system, life on Earth and the all that these things are made of. Although the reading could be slow and boring, it’s quite entertaining. If you’re feeling a little let down by life or bored, this makes a great read because I was left with the impression that I (and everything and everyone around me) am quite lucky to be a conscious being on this little rocky planet.
• Ringworld by Larry Niven – I was kind of surprised that this book was considered to be a classic of science fiction because after reading a few things by Arthur C. Clarke, I was expecting more like the serious tone of Clarke’s style but Niven’s approach was quite different and rather humorous at times. Certainly, the star of this story is the Ringworld itself which is so enormous in size that the reader can’t really comprehend – at least I couldn’t. Anyway, the story was interesting but there were plenty of ups and downs where my interest waned. I don’t think I enjoyed it enough to continue with the sequels.
• The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court by Jeffrey Toobin – I never thought that I would be intrigued by a history and biography about the recent Justices and pivotal cases of the Supreme Court but this caught my eye at the library and it was great. I did a lot of additional research to fill in gaps in my knowledge during and after reading this book so that’s always a good thing.
• In addition, I’ve been reading lots of training-related material; going back to some books that I’ve had for a long time but haven’t picked up in a while.

• Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke – I’ve heard that this is one of his best.
• Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger – This was recommended by a sort-of martial arts acquaintance as an interesting and sort of mind-expanding read. I’m not exactly sure what the connection between this book and
• Revolution in the Valley by Andy Hertzfeld – A really fun look at the creation of the Apple Macintosh by those who actually participated.
• 1776 by David McCullough – I understand why this book was on the best seller list for so long. McCullogh writes in a simple, straightforward style that engages the reader and makes history fun and interesting. There is a lot that I don’t know about the Revolutionary War and the founding of our country so this was a good look at that first year of the revolution. I wish I could find another, equally interesting history of the rest of the war!
• Touching History by Lynn Spencer – Perhaps a little too detailed is how I would review this one. This is the story of what happened in the air on the morning of September 11th, 2001 from the perspective of the FAA, DoT, National Guard and many of the pilots who were in the air that day. It’s really well documented and shows just how unprepared the US air defenses and air transportation systems were for an event of this type.

The Audacity of Hope by Barak Obama. In an effort to get some insight on the man who may be our next President, I figured this would be worth a read. And it is! It’s a great look at all of the things that are wrong with politics and politicians and with the direction in which America is headed. It’s also a look at what is good about politics and politicians. Of course, it’s also details Barak Obama’s plan to right the wrongs and restore the people’s faith in the President. Not finished yet, but it’s a good read.

The Happiest Toddler on the Block. Yeah, it’s another book about parenting. This once came recommended by our pediatrician. There are some great ideas from the author of The Happiest Baby on the Block in this follow-up. Sure, speaking “Toddlerese” makes one feel pretty silly, but it’s kind of fun and does seem to get some response from my kids. I rented the DVD from Netflix as well, but it’s really too short to get into the meat of the book. I’m sure there are some helpful tips that I’ll retain.

In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto by Michael Pollan. I find that I’m really into these books about food and eating that began with Fast Food Nation a few years back. This is Pollan’s follow up to The Omnivore’s Dilemma which I have yet to read (it’s super popular and is always checked out when I go to the library). In dissecting the modern “Western Diet”, the author explains that we no longer eat food per se, but nutrients that come from various, mostly processed, stuff available in grocery stores today. It totally makes sense and presents a strong argument. The hardest part is looking at one’s own diet and figuring out how to get out of this rut. Obviously, I’m not there yet.

Ninjutsu: The Secret Art of the Ninja by Simon Yeo. Haven’t gotten to this one yet, but I had to add it to my collection.

Ninja Volume 6: Secret Scrolls of the Warrior Sage by Stephen K Hayes. A new addition to the venerable Ninja series by SK Hayes. It’s a look at the Bujinkan from Hayes’s point of view. Interesting….

Unarmed Fighting Techniques of the Samurai the long awaited “training manual” from Hatsumi sensei. As I’ve been saying “it’s all there.” If you buy this book, you will have, in your hands almost all of the unarmed kata from the main schools of the Bujinkan. Of course, なればなしーなければあり　(“if there is something, there is nothing – if there is nothing, there is something”) so you probably aren’t getting much besides a cool reference manual and the usual great insights and photos from Sôke.