Defending Science-Within Reason: Between Scientism and Cynicism by Susan Haack
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A wonderfully clear-sighted account of science, what it is, how it is distinguished (but not separate) from other sorts of inquiry, and why it can (but isn’t guaranteed to) produce real knowledge of the world.
The Passage of Power by Robert A. Caro
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Wow, what a series. I can’t believe I can’t just go read the next one, I hope it comes out soon.
This volume documents LBJ’s loss to JFK and his acceptance of the vice-presidency, a position in which he languished, miserable and powerless, for three years until Oswald’s bullet put him in the office he had been striving for all his life. The final half of the book documents what LBJ did in the next 7 weeks during the “passage of power”, a remarkable period in US history in which LBJ engineered the passage of the most significant civil rights legislation since the Civil War.
The Concrete Blonde by Michael Connelly
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Pretty good, though a bit predictable and long-winded at times.
The Black Ice by Michael Connelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Great series for reading on a trip.
The Western Way of War: Infantry Battle in Classical Greece by Victor Davis Hanson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
An extraordinary account of the experience of a Greek hoplite during the moments of battle.
The Whites by Harry Brandt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Whew, Richard Price sure knows how to write a police procedural. I love this guy’s writing.
The Honor Code: How Moral Revolutions Happen by Kwame Anthony Appiah
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Appiah examines the role of honor codes in moral behavior by looking at three profound historical changes in social relations – the end of dueling, foot-binding, and slavery.
Red, White, and Brew: An American Beer Odyssey by Brian Yaeger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A fun road trip across the US, stopping frequently for beer.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Well-paced, but a bit too carefully constructed for dramatic effect.
