Comments on the book "Direct Red" - A Surgeon's View of Her Life-or-Death Profession by Gabriel Weston
As the subtitle suggests, this book is about a medical doctor's training and experiences. My experience is that reading such books, especially by female doctors, is a great help in, at least, thinking about the medical side of my own life. The fact that the author is British is, perhaps, additionally interesting from an American point of view.
Gabriel Weston clearly states that her book is a "mixture of things that have happened and <> might happen," yet "entirely authentic," she hopes.
Some events seem to stand out as invented. Besides, the author was very careful to protect her confidentiality to her patients, as well as to her colleagues.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Experimental Blog #17
Comments on 2 books
"Chances Are" - Adventures in Probability by Michael Kaplan and Ellen Kaplan
For the most part, this book was for me very intriguing, thought provoking, and entertaining. The scope of the subjects that it touched upon was amazing. However, it is difficult for me to say very much in detail because the book was often somewhat, or more than somewhat, beyond my understanding.
It seems that our brains are constantly looking for patterns, order, or predictability in a more fundamentally patternless, disordered, and unpredictable world.
"The Last Days of the Romanovs - Tragedy at Ekaterinburg" by Helen Rappaport
The Soviet period of Russian history, about 71 to 73 years, is, as yet, far from being completely explained, but this book is an excellent first step at the very heart of the subject. The author's earnest attempt to unravel and describe Vladimir Ilyich Lenin's relationship to the massacre of the Romanov family and 4 others with them is very thorough and persuasive; and her detailed account of the last 14 days is, if not true, at least seems to be something very similar to what actually happened.
Helen Rappaport shows how Lenin knew all about the execution of all 11 people well in advance of the event, and allowed it to happen. And that he certainly would have executed the Tsar and Tsaritsa under any circumstances. Lenin was, at the time, very overburdened with many other matters, and the fate of the Romanov family and their household staff was of little concern to him.
The author also mentions that the three most active and influential party members who brought about the massacre; namely Yakov Sverdlov, Fillip Goloshchekin, and Yakov Yurovsky, were of Jewish origins; and that this generated much anti-Semitic commentary for several decades. The author seems to consider the importance of the Jewish backgrounds of these three men as only a coincidence.
Finally, as much as I appreciate the author's work, I don't think that she was very well informed, or informative, about permafrost{she wrote that there was permafrost in the Ekaterinburg region} or adrenaline{she referred to adrenaline to describe both sides of the massacre}, but I did enjoy her use of the word 'inscrutable', which I think I remember she used 3 times.
"Chances Are" - Adventures in Probability by Michael Kaplan and Ellen Kaplan
For the most part, this book was for me very intriguing, thought provoking, and entertaining. The scope of the subjects that it touched upon was amazing. However, it is difficult for me to say very much in detail because the book was often somewhat, or more than somewhat, beyond my understanding.
It seems that our brains are constantly looking for patterns, order, or predictability in a more fundamentally patternless, disordered, and unpredictable world.
"The Last Days of the Romanovs - Tragedy at Ekaterinburg" by Helen Rappaport
The Soviet period of Russian history, about 71 to 73 years, is, as yet, far from being completely explained, but this book is an excellent first step at the very heart of the subject. The author's earnest attempt to unravel and describe Vladimir Ilyich Lenin's relationship to the massacre of the Romanov family and 4 others with them is very thorough and persuasive; and her detailed account of the last 14 days is, if not true, at least seems to be something very similar to what actually happened.
Helen Rappaport shows how Lenin knew all about the execution of all 11 people well in advance of the event, and allowed it to happen. And that he certainly would have executed the Tsar and Tsaritsa under any circumstances. Lenin was, at the time, very overburdened with many other matters, and the fate of the Romanov family and their household staff was of little concern to him.
The author also mentions that the three most active and influential party members who brought about the massacre; namely Yakov Sverdlov, Fillip Goloshchekin, and Yakov Yurovsky, were of Jewish origins; and that this generated much anti-Semitic commentary for several decades. The author seems to consider the importance of the Jewish backgrounds of these three men as only a coincidence.
Finally, as much as I appreciate the author's work, I don't think that she was very well informed, or informative, about permafrost{she wrote that there was permafrost in the Ekaterinburg region} or adrenaline{she referred to adrenaline to describe both sides of the massacre}, but I did enjoy her use of the word 'inscrutable', which I think I remember she used 3 times.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Experimental Blog #16
Comments on the book "1989" - The Struggle to Create Post-Cold War Europe by Mary Elise Sarotte
This book is history from the very top. It summarizes all of the relationships, conversations, and negotiations of all the heads of state, their foreign ministers and secretaries of both Germanies, the Soviet Union, the United States, France, and Great Britain during the uncertain and extremely fast changing events from, mostly, the second half of 1989 and on into 1990. And it explains how some peoples' concepts and plans did not succeed while others' did.
The end results are well known; the fall of the Berlin Wall, the reunification of Germany, the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact alliances, and the transformation of Russia and its former satellite countries. And almost all of these things occurring with little or no violence.
The terrible wars and revolutions of the first half of the 20th century were finally resolved, for better or worse, and Europe began to move off in a new direction.
It may seem to have all been started by Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union, but it was Helmut Kohl of West Germany who managed to carry out and achieve his goals most successfully by far.
This book is history from the very top. It summarizes all of the relationships, conversations, and negotiations of all the heads of state, their foreign ministers and secretaries of both Germanies, the Soviet Union, the United States, France, and Great Britain during the uncertain and extremely fast changing events from, mostly, the second half of 1989 and on into 1990. And it explains how some peoples' concepts and plans did not succeed while others' did.
The end results are well known; the fall of the Berlin Wall, the reunification of Germany, the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact alliances, and the transformation of Russia and its former satellite countries. And almost all of these things occurring with little or no violence.
The terrible wars and revolutions of the first half of the 20th century were finally resolved, for better or worse, and Europe began to move off in a new direction.
It may seem to have all been started by Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union, but it was Helmut Kohl of West Germany who managed to carry out and achieve his goals most successfully by far.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Experimental Blog #15
Comments on the book "Ayn Rand - And the World She Made" by Anne C. Heller
When I was writing my comments in my last blog about the Ayn Rand biography by Jennifer Burns, I decided to save my major remarks until after I had read this biography by Anne Heller. This second book about Ayn Rand, which also came out in 2009, is much longer and more detailed. It was also very fascinating and educational.
However, other than agreeing with thousands, if not millions of other people, that Ayn Rand deserved to be called a genius of her age; which is demonstrated many times over by remarkable book quotations and other remarks; I don't see much point in my repeating what probably thousands of other people have said, or will say about her or her books, either positively or negatively.
I will only state that I was extremely affected by learning about Ayn Rand's literary and political life, especially during the late 1940s through the 1960s; and my own relationship to all of that in the 1960s and '70s. These are decades that can hardly be exaggerated for people of my age. Reading Jennifer Burn's and Anne Heller's Ayn Rand biographies helped me very significantly to understand my place and relationship to politics and in society in general.
My last remark is to wonder, "How much will people be reading and be influenced by Ayn Rand's books 50 years from now; compared to today, over 50 years after her books were written?"
When I was writing my comments in my last blog about the Ayn Rand biography by Jennifer Burns, I decided to save my major remarks until after I had read this biography by Anne Heller. This second book about Ayn Rand, which also came out in 2009, is much longer and more detailed. It was also very fascinating and educational.
However, other than agreeing with thousands, if not millions of other people, that Ayn Rand deserved to be called a genius of her age; which is demonstrated many times over by remarkable book quotations and other remarks; I don't see much point in my repeating what probably thousands of other people have said, or will say about her or her books, either positively or negatively.
I will only state that I was extremely affected by learning about Ayn Rand's literary and political life, especially during the late 1940s through the 1960s; and my own relationship to all of that in the 1960s and '70s. These are decades that can hardly be exaggerated for people of my age. Reading Jennifer Burn's and Anne Heller's Ayn Rand biographies helped me very significantly to understand my place and relationship to politics and in society in general.
My last remark is to wonder, "How much will people be reading and be influenced by Ayn Rand's books 50 years from now; compared to today, over 50 years after her books were written?"
Friday, January 29, 2010
Experimental Blog #14
Comments on 2 books
"The Blue Sweater" - Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World by Jacqueline Novogratz
Throughout this book the author demonstrates that she must be an exceptionally strong person, both physically and mentally. Although she had what must have been a very exciting and promising job at one of America's largest banks, she could not satisfy her desire to involve even the poorest people of world in our interconnected economy and society, by means of finding local "entreprenuers," that is, people with ideas and ability, and the new practice of "microfinancing," very small loans at very low rates of interest. By choice, it seems, she worked mostly with women.
This desire of her's led to a series of posts and projects, and ultimately revealing acquaintances with Rwandan women on both sides of, and both before and after, the genocide of 1994, which killed over 800,000 people; about 10% of the population.
The author's accounts repeatedly demonstrate the relationships, conflicts, and hopes of Africans and Western outsiders in our "post-modern" times.
"Goddess of the Market - Ayn Rand and the American Right" by Jennifer Burns
Although the author of this fascinating book writes that in the year 2008 alone the combined sales of Ayn Rand's four novels, all written over 50 years ago, exceeded 800,000 copies; I never read any of them, and I still have no plans to do so. However, Jennifer Burns outlines at least 3 of them so well, I feel that I already know something about them.
For me this book was filled with history and information about early Soviet Russia, Hollywood, and American politics, primarily conservative politics, from the 1930s to the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980.
All the philosophical and personal conflicts, disputes, and struggles involving Ayn Rand, and her "Objectivist" philosophy, and "libertarians," and various conservative factions was entirely new to {oblivious?}me, and very educational and enlightening.
The author also mentions the last television appearance of Ayn Rand on a well known, at the time, American "talk show," which occurred not long after the death of her husband of 50 years in 1979. I do remember watching that program.
"The Blue Sweater" - Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World by Jacqueline Novogratz
Throughout this book the author demonstrates that she must be an exceptionally strong person, both physically and mentally. Although she had what must have been a very exciting and promising job at one of America's largest banks, she could not satisfy her desire to involve even the poorest people of world in our interconnected economy and society, by means of finding local "entreprenuers," that is, people with ideas and ability, and the new practice of "microfinancing," very small loans at very low rates of interest. By choice, it seems, she worked mostly with women.
This desire of her's led to a series of posts and projects, and ultimately revealing acquaintances with Rwandan women on both sides of, and both before and after, the genocide of 1994, which killed over 800,000 people; about 10% of the population.
The author's accounts repeatedly demonstrate the relationships, conflicts, and hopes of Africans and Western outsiders in our "post-modern" times.
"Goddess of the Market - Ayn Rand and the American Right" by Jennifer Burns
Although the author of this fascinating book writes that in the year 2008 alone the combined sales of Ayn Rand's four novels, all written over 50 years ago, exceeded 800,000 copies; I never read any of them, and I still have no plans to do so. However, Jennifer Burns outlines at least 3 of them so well, I feel that I already know something about them.
For me this book was filled with history and information about early Soviet Russia, Hollywood, and American politics, primarily conservative politics, from the 1930s to the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980.
All the philosophical and personal conflicts, disputes, and struggles involving Ayn Rand, and her "Objectivist" philosophy, and "libertarians," and various conservative factions was entirely new to {oblivious?}me, and very educational and enlightening.
The author also mentions the last television appearance of Ayn Rand on a well known, at the time, American "talk show," which occurred not long after the death of her husband of 50 years in 1979. I do remember watching that program.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Experimental Blog #13
Comments on the book "The Name of War - King Philip's War and the Origins of American Identity" by Jill Lepore
The author of this book, the original scholar {from my point of view}, Jill Lepore, seems to have meticulously given all sides and opinions about this American event, which occurred over 325 years ago, and its subsequent affects.
I found the philosophical background to be especially interesting. The author says that the Dutch jurist and theologian Hugo Grotius was "deeply influential" in New England during this time, and he wrote that a "just war" must have two criteria; a "just cause" and "just conduct". She also mentioned St. Augustine, who said that a "just war" is "fair, legal, and limited", while a "holy war", a concept rejected by Hugo Grotius, is "sanctioned by God", or "divinely ordained and unrestrained".
The author also wrote at length about how American public opinion went seemingly from one extreme to the other about King Philip and his war. First he was a "treacherous beast", but then he was portrayed, especially in the 19th century, as a "noble, but doomed, hero, who must die." At the very same time the majority of Americans supported the "Indian removal" policy, often brutal, persued by President Andrew Jackson and all the following presidents.
The author of this book, the original scholar {from my point of view}, Jill Lepore, seems to have meticulously given all sides and opinions about this American event, which occurred over 325 years ago, and its subsequent affects.
I found the philosophical background to be especially interesting. The author says that the Dutch jurist and theologian Hugo Grotius was "deeply influential" in New England during this time, and he wrote that a "just war" must have two criteria; a "just cause" and "just conduct". She also mentioned St. Augustine, who said that a "just war" is "fair, legal, and limited", while a "holy war", a concept rejected by Hugo Grotius, is "sanctioned by God", or "divinely ordained and unrestrained".
The author also wrote at length about how American public opinion went seemingly from one extreme to the other about King Philip and his war. First he was a "treacherous beast", but then he was portrayed, especially in the 19th century, as a "noble, but doomed, hero, who must die." At the very same time the majority of Americans supported the "Indian removal" policy, often brutal, persued by President Andrew Jackson and all the following presidents.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Experimental Blog #12
Comments on 2 books
"The Map that Changed the World"- William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology by Simon Winchester
Another geology book that I read recently listed this book in the bibliography as somewhat "hagiographic", but still informative or worth reading. I found the book to be a very informative account of the life and sometimes amazing work of William Smith. However, the book did leave an impression that it was somewhat one-sided, and almost always, in favor of William Smith.
"Stories in Stone"- Travels Through Urban Geology by David B. Williams
When I finished this book, I could not get over the feeling that this book was one of the most impressive and informative books that I have read in a year or more. Reading it made me somewhat distressingly aware of my lack of, or miseducation, many years ago. Although, it is perhaps partly because geology and paleontology are also sciences that seem to have made remarkable advances or consolidation and interpretation of knowledge and research in recent decades, that is, in the last 30 years, or so.
"The Map that Changed the World"- William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology by Simon Winchester
Another geology book that I read recently listed this book in the bibliography as somewhat "hagiographic", but still informative or worth reading. I found the book to be a very informative account of the life and sometimes amazing work of William Smith. However, the book did leave an impression that it was somewhat one-sided, and almost always, in favor of William Smith.
"Stories in Stone"- Travels Through Urban Geology by David B. Williams
When I finished this book, I could not get over the feeling that this book was one of the most impressive and informative books that I have read in a year or more. Reading it made me somewhat distressingly aware of my lack of, or miseducation, many years ago. Although, it is perhaps partly because geology and paleontology are also sciences that seem to have made remarkable advances or consolidation and interpretation of knowledge and research in recent decades, that is, in the last 30 years, or so.
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