Quarterly Reading Notes: Jan–Mar 2021

The first quarter of 2021 brought a mix of maritime adventures, scientific histories, and biographical stories. Below are brief notes on each title, along with a few re-reads from this period.

Fiction and Biographies

"The Boy Tar" by Mayne Reid – This maritime adventure spends most of its length with a protagonist trapped in a ship's hold, carving through cargo and surviving on crackers, rats, and water. While original, the premise grows tiresome despite solid writing.

"One of Ours" by Willa Cather – The story follows Claude Wheeler from a Nebraska farm to the trenches of WWI. Rich characters carry the narrative, though the Pulitzer-winning novel left this reader expecting more.

"The Passage of Power" by Robert Caro – Volume 4 of Caro's LBJ biography covers the vice-presidential years and the first months after JFK's assassination. The book also profiles the Kennedys and JFK's cabinet, offering insight into how much authority a VP actually holds—only what the president grants.

"Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder – A biography-travelogue following infectious disease specialist Dr. Paul Farmer, who works to bring quality TB treatment to patients in Haiti and Peru. The subject is genuinely inspiring and well-served by Kidder's prose.

"The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig – A predictable feel-good story about a woman near suicide who explores alternate versions of her life where key decisions went differently.

Science and Engineering Reads

"Flying to the Moon" by Michael Collins – Collins's autobiography, aimed at young readers, covers his journey to Apollo 11 and the mission's preparations. The writing is direct and packed with technical detail.

"Mr. Tompkins in Paperback" by George Gamow – A playful survey of mid-20th-century physics by a prominent scientist. The concept is clever but the execution doesn't fully deliver.

"Breath from Salt" by Bijal P. Trivedi – A comprehensive history of cystic fibrosis, from its early scientific characterization through decades of improving care to recent treatments effective for most patients. The book is highly informative, blending human stories with an explanation of how disease-focused non-profits fund research and why advanced drugs are costly. Strongly recommended.

"JavaScript for Kids" by Nick Morgan – A thoughtful introduction to programming for children, progressing from basics to building a snake game. The 2014 edition feels dated given how much JavaScript has evolved, and more exercises would help beginners.

Notable Dissapointments

"The Electric War" by Mike Winchell – Marketed for young readers, this book spends over 200 pages on the AC/DC electrical system rivalry without ever explaining the actual technical difference or the pros and cons of each. It dwells on gory details of electric chair executions and animal electrocutions, focusing on personal drama rather than the technology. The author's message is unclear.

The Wright Brothers

"The Wright Brothers" by David McCullough – A detailed and enjoyable account of the Wright brothers' experiments that changed aviation. The book leans heavily on their exhibition flights, especially in France, but offers limited technical detail about what made their flyer superior to French contemporaries and how successive airplane versions differed. The focus on guests and events can feel excessive when readers want more on the engineering itself.

Re-reads This Quarter

  • "Hillbilly Elegy" by J.D. Vance
  • "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins
  • "Oliver Twist" by Charles Dickens
  • "A Study in Scarlet" by Arthur Conan Doyle – the first Sherlock Holmes story, a great nostalgic revisit.