Spring 2022 Reading Notes

A quarterly roundup of books covering everything from 19th-century exploration to nuclear reactor physics, plus a few re-reads worth revisiting.

History and Biography

"Pathfinder: John C. Fremont and the Course of American Empire" by Tom Chaffin offers a comprehensive biography of Fremont centered on his cross-continent journeys of discovery. Though it drags at times, it provides a valuable window into a critical period of Californian history.

"Energy: A Human History" by Richard Rhodes traces human energy technology from medieval wood-burning to nuclear power and renewables. The writing is strong, though the book lacks a unifying thread to tie its many stories together.

Non-Fiction and Science

"Ingredients" by George Zaidan (subtitled "The strange chemistry of what we put in us and on us") takes an interesting approach to nutrition science. The content is solid, but the constant toilet humor and dirty jokes are off-putting.

"Missions to Mars" by Larry Crumpler provides a comprehensive account of every Mars exploration mission from the perspective of a planetary geologist who participated in some of them. It contains a lot of good material, though the delivery is dry — whether that's due to the prose or the audio narration is unclear.

"Quickstart Molecular Biology" by Philip N. Benfey is a short, fast-paced introduction to modern molecular biology. Some sections are very readable, others nearly inscrutable; it does cover some recent analysis techniques, which is a plus.

"The Pattern on the Stone" by W. Daniel Hillis (subtitled "The simple ideas that make computers work") is an okay book, but its intended audience is unclear. What was useful for engineering-minded readers in 1998 may have less relevance today, especially when Petzold's "Code" covers similar ground far better.

"How to drive a nuclear reactor" by Colin Tucker is a detailed, engaging explanation of Pressurised Water Reactors, from the underlying physics through the full suite of safety systems. The author's enthusiasm is infectious and the style is direct and clear. It goes deeper than most readers will need, but it's an excellent read for anyone curious about how nuclear power plants actually operate.

"The Science of Energy" by Michael E. Wysession is an audio course offering detailed coverage of energy production and consumption with plenty of concrete statistics. It avoids the drama that typically dominates press coverage. Though recorded in 2014, it's striking how much has shifted since — particularly the speed of renewable adoption and electric vehicle uptake.

"Rust for Rustaceans" by Jon Gjengset was disappointing given the quality of the author's other work. It mixes content better covered in the official Rust book with highly specialized material, and the exposition relies on dense prose with few diagrams or code samples. The snippets are rarely self-contained compilable projects. It may still serve as a useful reference down the road.

Fiction and Literature

"If Not Now, When?" by Primo Levi follows a group of Jewish partisans in Russia, Ukraine and Poland during WWII. The writing is beautiful and unusually realistic — this is not thriller-style fiction but something that feels much closer to lived experience.

"Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë is an excellent novel that this reader somehow missed until now. Apart from a final quarter that leans too fantastical, the writing and character development are superb — and it's easy to see why the 1847 work is considered an early feminist milestone.

"Out of my Mind" by Sharon M. Draper is a fine book for young readers about a highly intelligent 10-year-old girl with cerebral palsy.

"Less" by Andrew Sean Greer — picked up solely because of its Pulitzer, and it showed. This reader likely lacks the cultural context to appreciate it.

"The Lincoln Highway" by Amor Towles was anticipated after enjoying "A Gentleman in Moscow," but it turns out to be an odd one. The plot is confusing, muddled by multiple character viewpoints and lacking coherent direction. The writing is high quality, but it feels like the author is showing off skill rather than building a cohesive story.

"Anne of Avonlea" by L.M. Montgomery, the first sequel to "Anne of Green Gables," finds Anne as a 17-year-old school teacher with many familiar characters and some new ones. It blends children's literature with charming old-style romance and a healthy sense of humor, though the first book remains the better of the two.

Re-reads

  • "How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk" by A. Faber, E. Mazlish
  • "The Soul of a New Machine" by Tracy Kidder
  • "The Prince and the Pauper" by Mark Twain
  • "The rational optimist" by Matt Ridley