Mini-Reviews of Books Read, June 2011

   Mini-reviews of books I read last month: a couple of novels, including
   probably the most violent book I've ever read, plus two non-fiction
   books.  All worth reading, though "Blood Meridian" may not be to
   everyone's taste.  Regarding "Simplicity": the process of writing
   reviews is an attempt to try to describe the books and express my
   thoughts as clearly and concisely as possible.  Unfortunately, I
   rarely muster the necessary skill and time to achieve those goals.


   1. "Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West"
      by Cormac McCarthy
     <http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Meridian/dp/0679728759>

   This novel is set in the mid-1800s in south-western US and Mexico.  It
   starts with the story of the Kid, a teenage boy who has run away from
   his home in Tennessee.  In Texas he witnesses a preacher get slandered
   and slaughtered by a mob.  Later he gets into a bar fight.  He joins an
   "irregular" army, which goes to Mexico only to be routed by Comanches.
   This last event is described almost completely in a single page-long
   sentence.  The Kid survives but finds himself in a Mexican jail.  There
   he is recruited into "Captain" Glanton's gang, hired by the local
   authorities to collect the scalps of Apaches who have been raiding
   Mexican towns.

   Included in this ragtag bunch is the tall, hairless, almost superhuman
   "Judge" Holden.  Lawyer, self-proclaimed "scientist" and philosopher,
   the Judge talks eloquently to the men about nature, destiny, morality
   and war.  He says: "War is the ultimate game because war is at last a
   forcing of the unity of existence. War is god".  Later he adds: "Moral
   law is an invention of mankind for the disenfranchisement of the
   powerful in favor of the weak".  The men may start out in awe of the
   Judge, but eventually they become wary of him.

   This is an extremely violent novel.  The brutality of the outlaws is in
   stark contrast to the breathtaking beauty of the natural surroundings
   which bear witness to their acts of horror.  Disturbingly, the story is
   based on historical accounts of the real Glanton gang, which rampaged
   through Texas, Mexico, Arizona and California.

   Despite the violence, I found it a compelling story rich with imagery.
   McCarthy's writing is distinctive and poetic.  While reading I was
   reminded of characters in his other novels.  The lawless Glanton Gang
   reminded me of the outlaws in "The Road".  The Kid reminded me of the
   tragic young runaway in "All The Pretty Horses".  And the ruthlessness
   of the Judge reminded me of the uncompromising Anton Chigurh in "No
   Country For Old Men".


   2. "The Laws of Simplicity" by John Maeda
     <http://www.amazon.com/Laws-Simplicity/dp/0262134721>

   This book describes ten laws of simplicity for business, technology, and
   design.  There are also three keys to achieving simplicity in the
   technology domain.  The laws include: reduce, organise, time, learn, and
   context.  These are summarised by the tenth law, "The One: Simplicity is
   about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful".  The book's
   website provides an overview of the laws:
     <http://lawsofsimplicity.com/tag/laws>

   This slim book includes many relevant examples, such as the evolution of
   the iPod scroll wheel and buttons and Google's search UI.  But, as some
   reviewers have pointed out, the author suffers from a failure to follow
   his own advice.  The author admits he trimmed down the number of laws
   down to ten, but even then there are still too many to remember easily.
   Also, the use of cute acronyms for steps or techniques actually
   complicates things: SHE -> "Simplify, Hide, Embody" (Reduce); and SLIP
   -> Sort, Label, Integrate, Prioritize (Organise).  These acronyms don't
   always appear to be related to the law.  That said, the book has some
   good, albeit obvious, advice.


   3. "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat" by Oliver Sacks
     <http://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Mistook-His-Wife/dp/0684853949>

   This is an eye-opening book, written by noted neurologist Oliver Sacks.
   Drawing from many cases over his career, he describes his patients'
   struggles with various neurological disorders.  While the cases are
   generally tragic, there are moments where some patients are able to
   transcend their condition and express themselves artistically or
   otherwise.  The cases also help readers get a better understanding of
   what's happening to sufferers of various conditions, such as amnesia,
   Parkinson's and Tourette's.

   Sacks references some of his predecessors, such as colleague and mentor,
   Russian neuropsychologist and developmental psychologist Alexander
   Luria.  He's written other books related to his work, including
   Musicophilia which I read and reviewed in 2009.


   4. "Dance Dance Dance" by Haruki Murakami
     <http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Dance-Dance/dp/0679753796>

   This is the followup to "A Wild Sheep Chase".  Set four years later,
   the narrator still hasn't come to terms with the disappearance of his
   girlfriend, Kiki.  He confesses: "I've lost and I'm lost and I'm
   confused".

   He suddenly feels the urge to return to the Dolphin Hotel on Hokkaido,
   where he last saw Kiki at the start of his "wild sheep chase".  When he
   arrives he discovers the quaint old hotel has been replaced by the
   imposing Hotel Dauphin, headquarters of a global chain of luxury hotels.
   There he meets two people who will have a big impact on him.  First, he
   meets Yumiyoshi, a receptionist at the hotel.  He falls in love with
   her, but fears she too will eventually "disappear".  She tells him about
   the time she inadvertently discovered a secret floor in the hotel.

   He also meets Yuki, a young girl who's been abandoned by her absent-
   minded mother and international photographer.  She just took off on
   assignment in Kathmandu, leaving her daughter alone at the hotel.  Since
   the narrator is about to return to Tokyo, Yumiyoshi asks if he can take
   Yuki back home with him.  He finds out Yuki's parents are divorced, so
   rather than leave Yuki alone he takes her to her father's home.  Her
   father happens to be a writer of bland best-sellers, named Hiraku
   Makimura (an anagram of Haruki Murakami in case you missed it).

   This novel features elements of the supernatural.  Yuki has some latent
   psychic abilities, and the narrator "sees dead people".  The Sheep Man
   returns in a few scenes, being a bit like a spiritual totem for the
   narrator.  In one of their "encounters", the Sheep Man says: "No
   promises you're gonna be happy... So you gotta dance.  Dance so it all
   keeps spinning".

   As expected, there are other familiar Murakami references, such as music
   (classical and classic rock, with the Eighties rock and pop preferred by
   the teenager) and cooking.  It also shares several themes, such as loss.
   Overall, I found the characters and themes were more satisfying than
   those in "A Wild Sheep Chase".

Mini-Reviews of Books Read, May 2011

   Mini-reviews of books I read last month: five novels and one non-
   fiction.  By coincidence, some of the novels have lead male characters
   in middle age, possibly having a crisis.  Some feature only children,
   who read.  Hmmm.  My highlight would probably be "The Sunset Limited".


   1. "Super Sad True Love Story" by Gary Shteyngart
     <http://www.amazon.com/Super-Sad-True-Love-Story/dp/0812977866>

   This novel is set in the near-future, when America's foreign debt
   reaches a critical level and social networks dominate the thoughts of
   post Generation Xers.  It's written from the points of view of the two
   lead characters.  Lenny Abramov is an overweight, forty-something
   salesman of "Indefinite Life Extension" to "High Net Worth Individuals"
   (HMWIs).  The only son of Russian-Jewish immigrants, he's the self-
   appointed "last reader on Earth".  Entries in his diary form the bulk of
   the novel.  The object of his affection is Eunice Park, a twenty-
   something daughter of Korean immigrants.  Her texts and emails accompany
   (and reality-check) Lenny's lovestruck narrative.

   The first few pages were promising.  Lenny starts his diary off by
   declaring "I am never going to die".  Recent advances in pharmaceuticals
   mean people can extend their lives indefinitely, as long as they have
   enough money.  He challenges the idea that "life is a journey", and
   critiques Whitney Houston's song "Children are the Future".  Having
   decided to live forever, he states he wants to spend it with Eunice.
   But first he has to win her love.

   The first two thirds of the novel describe the sad state of the world:
   the decline of culture, shallow social interactions, and rampant
   consumerism.  We also learn more about the characters, their friends and
   family.  The early promise of something fresh starts fading.  When the
   inevitable economic/political crisis hits, the story seems to fall
   apart.  Lenny's self-obsession becomes unbearable, although Eunice
   partially redeems her shallowness and immaturity somewhat.

   Ultimately, the novel failed to live up to the hype.  Hailed by some as
   a modern reinvention of Orwell's "1984", I found it more in the vein of
   Ben Elton's dystopian novels: entertaining with some clever satire, but
   not a classic.  Lenny's mentions of works by Chekhov and Kundera were
   not enough to make up for the overall disappointment.


   2. "Lo stralisco" by Roberto Piumini
     <http://www.amazon.com/Lo-stralisco/dp/8879268678>

   The story is set a few hundred years ago in Turkey.  Sakumat is a
   painter with a reputation for depicting vivid scenes in an otherwise
   dull part of the world.  His fame spreads, and one day the lord of a
   nearby region requests an audience.  Sakumat travels with an envoy to
   Ganuan's palace.

   The lord's young son, Madurer, suffers from a rare condition which
   confine him to the palace.  Ganuan wants Sakumat to paint the interior
   of the palace so that Madurer can at least see pictures of things beyond
   the palace.  Sakumat accepts, and he and Madurer spend many days
   talking, designing and painting the walls.  Eventually, every available
   bit of space is covered with colourful scenes inspired by books,
   memories, or simply from their imagination.

   This is a short novel, mainly aimed at young readers.  The story is
   rather simple, but engaging and powerful nonetheless.  Unfortunately, it
   hasn't been translated into English.  The title, "lo stralisco", refers
   to a type of plant that glows in the night.


   3. "The Sunset Limited" by Cormac McCarthy
     <http://www.amazon.com/Sunset-Limited/dp/0307278360>

   This novel is set in a room in a tenement in New York.  There are only
   two characters in one extended scene.  "Black" is an ex-convict who has
   found faith.  "White" is an atheist professor.  More than simply
   referring to skin colour, the choice of names reflects the opposing
   extremes of their views on life.  Black has just rescued White who had
   jumped into the path of the Sunset Limited train.  Black takes White to
   his room and they engage in an intense debate about life, faith,
   intellectualism and meaningfulness.  Black tries to convince White that
   life is worth living.  White remains adamant that life has no meaning,
   and is determined to end his.

   The story has been staged as a play, and was recently made into a movie
   starring Samuel L. Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones.

   Given the subject matter, the dialogue gets very deep at times.  But
   it's not a long novel, and the earnestness of the characters keeps the
   story moving.  Definitely a thought-provoking book.


   4. "Poor People" by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
     <http://www.amazon.com/Poor-People/dp/1843910233>

   This short novel is set in St Petersburg in the mid 19th century.  It's
   written as a series of letters between the two main characters.  Makar
   is a middle-aged bachelor working as a lowly copyist in the civil
   service.  Varenka is a sickly, unfortunate young woman, struggling to
   make ends meet.  After Varenka is cast aside by a suitor, Makar resolves
   to restore her honour by marrying her.  They start writing letters to
   each other, and he sends her money to help her get by.  But as his own
   situation worsens, he begins to lose hope and turns to drink.  In one
   letter Makar writes: "Poor people are capricious - that's the way nature
   arranges it".  Things get so bad that she ends up having to send him
   money.

   This was Dostoyevsky's first novel.  Written from the points of view of
   everyday "poor folk", it became quite popular in its day.  There are
   references to earlier great Russian writers as well as lesser
   contemporaries.  In fact, Makar shares the same job as Gogol's antihero
   in "The Overcoat".  Dostoyevsky takes a more sympathetic stance to his
   character's plight.  It offers a taste of the themes that would be
   examined in more detail in his later masterpieces.


   5. "South of the Border, West of the Sun" by Haruki Murakami
     <http://www.amazon.com/South-Border-West-Sun/dp/0679767398>

   The narrator, Hajime, is in his thirties and is having a midlife crisis.
   He's married to the daughter of a wealthy businessman, has two young
   daughters, and runs some popular nightclubs.  But he's haunted by the
   memories of girlfriends past.

   His first childhood girlfriend, Shimamoto, was an only child like he
   was.  She had a lame leg.  They both felt like outcasts and quickly
   formed a friendship in school.  However, they lost touch when he changed
   schools.  His next girlfriend is Izumi.  They're together through high
   school, but he cheats on her.  They break up by the time he leaves for
   university.  A series of meaningless relationships follows, continuing
   when he starts a boring job.  He feels that he keeps making the same
   mistake, hurting other people, and in doing so hurting himself.

   Eventually he meets his wife.  With the support of his wealthy father-
   in-law, he takes a risk and opens a jazz club.  The club becomes a big
   success.  His life seems to finally be on track.  But then he starts
   thinking about his first loves.

   This early Murakami novel shares much of the intimate, introspective
   feel of "Norwegian Wood".  But there are some surreal touches: Shimamoto
   usually appears on the scene when it happens to be raining heavily.  As
   in the rest of his work, music features heavily:  The title references a
   jazz hit, jazz bands perform at Hajime's clubs, and classical pieces are
   mentioned.  Overall, another enjoyable and thought-provoking work by
   Murakami.


   6. "Being Geek: The Software Developer's Career Handbook"
      by Michael Lopp
     <http://www.amazon.com/Being-Geek/dp/0596155409>

   The book's subtitle sums it up quite well.  The author has worked for
   some of Silicon Valley's leading companies (Apple, Netscape, Borland)
   over the past twenty years.  Using the pseudonym Rands, he has a popular
   blog, "Rands in Repose", covering software development and management:
   http://randsinrepose.com/ .

   The book has a good mix of anecdotes and solid advice.  Topics include:
   how to prepare for interviews; how to deal with difficult managers,
   coworkers and subordinates; and when to start looking for your next gig.
   For "normal" readers, the book includes a handy chapter that describes
   how to understand the geeks in their lives.

TED Talk Picks

   Lately I've been watching a lot less television.  Instead I've been
   listening to various podcasts and watching stuff via the internet.  One
   particularly rich source of interesting and instructive content is TED:
   "Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world"
     <http://www.ted.com/pages/about>
   "TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out
   (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds:
   Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever
   broader."

   Here's a selection of TED talks I've enjoyed watching recently...

   1. "Benjamin Zander on music and passion"
     <http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/benjamin_zander_on_music_and_passion.html>
   "Benjamin Zander has two infectious passions: classical music, and
   helping us all realize our untapped love for it -- and by extension,
   our untapped love for all new possibilities, new experiences, new
   connections."
   BTW the piece featured is Chopin's Prelude in E Minor, Op. 28 No. 4.

   2. "Dan Pink on the surprising science of motivation"
     <http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation.html>
   "Career analyst Dan Pink examines the puzzle of motivation, starting with
   a fact that social scientists know but most managers don't: Traditional
   rewards aren't always as effective as we think. Listen for illuminating
   stories -- and maybe, a way forward."

   3. "Barry Schwartz: Using our practical wisdom"
     <http://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_using_our_practical_wisdom.html>
   "In an intimate talk, Barry Schwartz dives into the question 'How do we
   do the right thing?' With help from collaborator Kenneth Sharpe, he
   shares stories that illustrate the difference between following the
   rules and truly choosing wisely."

   4. "Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi on flow"
     <http://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_on_flow.html>
   "Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi asks, 'What makes a life worth living?' Noting
   that money cannot make us happy, he looks to those who find pleasure and
   lasting satisfaction in activities that bring about a state of 'flow.'"

   5. "Alain de Botton: A kinder, gentler philosophy of success"
     <http://www.ted.com/talks/alain_de_botton_a_kinder_gentler_philosophy_of_success.html>
   "Alain de Botton examines our ideas of success and failure -- and
   questions the assumptions underlying these two judgments. Is success
   always earned? Is failure? He makes an eloquent, witty case to move
   beyond snobbery to find true pleasure in our work."

   6. "Dan Gilbert asks, Why are we happy?"
     <http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gilbert_asks_why_are_we_happy.html>
   "Dan Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness, challenges the idea that
   we’ll be miserable if we don’t get what we want. Our 'psychological
   immune system' lets us feel truly happy even when things don’t go as
   planned."

   7. "Clifford Stoll on ... everything"
     <http://www.ted.com/talks/clifford_stoll_on_everything.html>
   "Clifford Stoll captivates his audience with a wildly energetic
   sprinkling of anecdotes, observations, asides -- and even a science
   experiment. After all, by his own definition, he's a scientist: 'Once I
   do something, I want to do something else.'"

Mini-Reviews of Books Read, April 2011

   For a few reasons, April turned out to be bit of a lean reading month.
   Quite by chance, all four of the novels I did manage to read were the
   first novels for each author.  My pick, if you're up to something
   challenging, is "The Solitude of Prime Numbers", the debut novel by
   Paolo Giordano.  For something a little easier, try Chekhov's "The
   Shooting Party".


   1. "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe
     <http://www.amazon.com/Things-Fall-Apart/dp/0385474547>

   The novel is set in the late 19th Century in Umuofia, a fictional
   village in what is now Nigeria.  Okonkwo is a proud, tradition-bound
   warrior and prominent clansmen of his tribe.  Early in life he sought
   to make amends for lazy, debt-ridden and "unmanly" father.  After
   gaining prestige in battle, and working hard on his farm, he achieved
   an important rank in the community.  However, his hot-temper causes an
   incident that would bring dishonour and exile.

   Greater challenges await for Okonkwo after his return from exile, with
   the arrival of white colonists and their new ways.  Okonkwo fears tribal
   culture is unravelling, and wants to prevent this.  In the face of
   change, he is an immovable object about to be met by an irresistible
   force.

   This was an interesting and thought-provoking story.  The author doesn't
   try to glorify pre-colonial life in West Africa, but rather he describes
   it as it was.  The novel was well-received when it was published in
   1958, and is apparently widely read in schools.


   2. "The Shooting Party" by Anton Chekhov
     <http://www.amazon.com/Shooting-Party/dp/0140448985>

   Chekhov is mostly renowned for his short stories and plays.  This story,
   while not very long, is his only "full-length" novel.  It's a murder
   mystery, told in the form of a story within a story.

   Zinovyev, a former investigating magistrate, visits an editor with a
   novel he has written about one of his old cases.  In that novel, a young
   woman, Olga, has been found murdered, and Zinovyev is entrusted with the
   investigation.  The actual murder doesn't take place until well into the
   novel.  The plot leading up to the murder and the subsequent "investi-
   gation" portrays most of the characters in an unflattering light.  In
   fact, several of the main male characters have had their eye on the
   beautiful, but sadly now dead "girl in red".  First, there's the jilted
   husband, Urbenin, estate manager for Count Karneyev.  The Count was
   Olga's latest beau and she had recently moved in with him.  We also
   learn that Zinovyev (i.e. the author) had had an affair with Olga.
   Drunkards, gypsies and uncouth peasants also round out the cast.

   It's obvious to the reader (and this includes the editor) that the
   magistrate has a conflict of interest, which influences both the
   investigation and the telling of the story.  After the "inner" story
   ends, the editor confronts Zinovyev with his theories about the murder.

   I enjoyed this novel.  It's nowhere near as long as novels by Chekhov's
   Russian contemporaries, so that's not an excuse.  My only real complaint
   is that the translation of Russian peasant speech as Cockney English did
   grate a bit.  This seems to be common for British translations of
   Russian novels set in the 19th Century.  Fortunately it doesn't detract
   too much from this entertaining novel.


   3. "The Solitude of Prime Numbers" by Paolo Giordano
     <http://www.amazon.com/Solitude-Prime-Numbers/dp/B0040RMEEO>

   This is the story of two damaged individuals, both haunted by events in
   their childhood.  Alice, left with a permanent limp after a skiing
   accident, develops an eating disorder.  Mattia, who feels responsible
   for the disappearance of his twin sister, inflicts pain on himself.  The
   pair meet up in high school, and an unlikely friendship begins.

   Mattia has managed to take advantage of his solitude, developing an
   interest in numbers into a promising career as a mathematician.  After
   completing his degree, he accepts a research post at a foreign
   university.  This is an opportunity to escape his parents and his past
   Alice doesn't do quite as well scholastically, but manages to use her
   passion for photography to get a job as an assistant for a commercial
   photographer.

   The relationship between Alice and Mattia is close but they're not a
   typical girlfriend/boyfriend.  At various times they individually
   consider taking things further, but circumstances always intervene.  At
   one point Alice reflects: "she and Mattia were united by an elastic and
   invisible thread that could exist only between two people like
   themselves: two people who had acknowledged their own solitude, each
   within the other."  Mattia sees themselves as two prime numbers, close
   but always separated by at least one other number.  As the book's title
   suggests, Mattia's meditations on prime numbers get right to the core
   of the novel's theme.

   This is a challenging book.  In addition to the two main characters,
   many of those around them have their own flaws and issues with
   intimacy.  The story is told through a series of key episodes in the
   lives of Alice and Mattia, rather than as a single, flowing narrative.
   Overall, it's an unforgettable and poignant story about flawed and
   enigmatic individuals.

   In 2008 Giordano received the Premio Strega, awarded to the best work
   of prose fiction by an Italian author.


   4. "The Big Sleep" by Raymond Chandler
     <http://www.amazon.com/Big-Sleep/dp/0394758285>

   Philip Marlowe is the original private eye.  For $25 a day plus
   expenses, he'll go about his work discreetly.  Poor old General
   Sternwood has a couple of tearaway daughters, Vivian and Carmen, who
   look for trouble and never fail to find it.  One of his daughters is
   the subject of a blackmail attempt, so the General hires Marlowe to
   get to the bottom of it.

   Set in Los Angeles' underworld of the late 1930s, the brash characters
   and snappy dialog keep the story moving at a fast clip.  Maybe a bit
   too fast, since it does get a little confusing at times.  Marlowe seems
   to stumble across guns-out action wherever he goes.  Yet luck always
   seems to be on his side.

   In its day it was hailed as a new, distinctive type of crime novel.
   While it mostly still holds up, the long trail of imitators and its
   ongoing influence in film and television have diminished its impact
   these days.  For example, growing up I've watched a lot of PIs on TV:
   The Rockford Files, Charlie's Angels, Magnum P.I., Moonlighting,
   Remington Steele, etc.  While set in different eras, they do share
   the plot twists, wisecracks and underworld intrigue.

   A movie was made in 1946, starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.
   I don't remember having watched it, but with those stars, one can
   imagine the fireworks.

Eskimo Joe - A Rough Guide

   From Wikipedia:
   "Eskimo Joe is an Australian rock band formed in East Fremantle, Western
    Australia in 1997. The band consists of vocalist and bassist Kavyen
    Temperley, drummer and guitarist Joel Quartermain and guitarist Stuart
    MacLeod."
     <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eskimo_Joe>

   I was a bit late in fully appreciating Eskimo Joe.  "Black Fingernails,
   Red Wine" was the track that initially got me interested.  I listened to
   the band's second and third albums around that time, and while I liked
   the music, it wasn't until recently that it completely resonated with me.
   Funny how things turn out.

   The band's official web site:
     <http://www.eskimojoe.net/>

   The links in the guide below are to YouTube movies.  If the links are
   blocked, you can listen to selected tracks via the band's website, or
   search for tracks on SoundCloud:
     <http://soundcloud.com/search?q%5bfulltext%5d=eskimo+joe>

   The "rough guide" ...

   1. "Black Fingernails, Red Wine"
     <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5nKvwPtY3E>
   This is the title track and first single the band's third studio album
   "Black Fingernails, Red Wine".  I picked this track to start the guide
   because, as mentioned earlier, it's the song that made me first notice
   the band.  It was the band's first top ten hit, was awarded Single of
   the Year in 2006, and came in at number two in the Triple J Hottest 100.
   This clip is apparently the original version, which was replaced by a
   less sinister one for official release.  The concept for the video is
   explained in the comments.

   Eskimo Joe's debut single, "Sweater", was released in 1998.  A self-
   titled EP followed in 1999.

   2. "Head Hurts"
     <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGPue3eAWuk>
   This is the opening track from the band's debut album, "Girl", released
   in 2001.  I've chosen this track, rather than the singles "Wake Up" and
   "Who Sold Her Out", because it has a harder edge musically, and the
   lyrics are more interesting.

   3. "Liar"
     <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxb3IrObNTc>
   This is the official video for the fourth single from the debut album.
   The director of the clip, Nash Edgerton, would become a regular
   collaborator in later videos.

   4. "Driver"
     <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwaUfwq7idU>
   This is the closing track from "Girl".  It starts with quiet verses
   which build to wailing choruses.  Not surprisingly, the band members are
   Pixies fans.

   Other highlights on the band's impressive debut include "Take A Rest"
   and "Just Like Me".

   5. "Come Down"
     <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iMkuOVPz4k>
   The band released its second album, "A Song Is A City", in 2004.
   According to the band, the inspiration was drawn from Fremantle.  This
   is another great album opener.

   6. "From The Sea"
     <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzAUyjmedCA>
   This is the official video for the first single from "A Song Is A City".
   It was the band's first top 40 hit in Australia, was nominated for
   Single of the Year, and was number three in Triple J's Hottest 100.

   7. "Older Than You"
     <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwP_peXAtM4>
   This is the third single from "A Song Is a City".  The official video
   was shot over 14 hours using a time-lapse technique.

   Other highlights from the band's second album include "I'm So Tired",
   "Life Is Better With You" and "Smoke".

   8. "Comfort You"
     <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-2U2G3KIu4>
   The band's third album, "Black Fingernails, Red Wine", was released in
   2006.  This is the opening track.  The lyrics are almost non-existent,
   just some oohs and a few words repeated.  But I like the haunting piano
   backed by the distorted guitar.  Simple stuff, but very effective.

   9. "London Bombs"
     <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhyTMyyYG5c>
   This is the fifth single from "Black Fingernails, Red Wine".  The
   official video has some neat visual effects, and the use of sepia tones
   gives it a nostalgic touch.

   10. "Breaking Up"
     <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjiAgrF1aWk>
   This is the video for the fourth single from "Black Fingernails".

   Deservedly, the album was the band's first Australian ARIA Albums Chart
   Number 1.  There are many highlights on this solid album, including the
   singles: "New York" and "Sarah", plus "This Is Pressure" and "Beating
   Like A Drum".

   11. "Foreign Land"
     <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI9GWamslKU>
   "Inshalla", the fourth studio album by Eskimo Joe, was released in 2009.
   This is the official video for the first single.  As the title suggests,
   there's an exotic feel to the song.  The video features some Whirling
   Dervishes.

   The album debuted at number one in Australia.  It was nominated for the
   ARIA Album of the Year Award in 2009.  This was the first album where the
   band used an outside producer, the renowned Gil Norton, who had produced
   three albums for the Pixies.

   12. "Losing Friends Over Love"
     <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6eO_PbzP2k>
   This is the official video for the second single from "Inshalla".  Catchy
   tune with a nice bit of animation.

   13. "Don't Let Me Down"
     <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFwlbbYxQOY>
   This is the third single from "Inshalla".  Quite a different sound for
   the band.  In fact, I thought it was a cover of an eighties song.  As if
   to emphasis this, the clip starts with a woman carrying a boom-box.  The
   rest of the clip is a touch risque.

   Other highlights on the album include "The Sound of Your Heart", "Losing
   My Mind" and "Morning Light".

   The band has contributed some covers on soundtracks and tribute albums.
   A new album, tentatively titled "Ghost From The Past", is expected to be
   released in July.

   Bonus track:

   "To Look At You" (with INXS)
     <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1ZyMcUwZdM>
   Last year, lead singer Kav Temperley contributed vocals to a remake of an
   INXS classic.

Mini-Reviews of Books Read, March 2011

   Mini-reviews of books I read last month.  Three each of fiction and non-
   fiction this time.  My pick of the novels is "No Country for Old Men" by
   Cormac McCarthy.  Of the non-fiction books, music lovers should consider
   "The Music Instinct".  "Blunder" is also recommended.


   1. "No Country for Old Men" by Cormac McCarthy
     <http://www.amazon.com/Country-Old-Men/dp/0307387135>

   This novel is set in 1980 in west Texas, near the Mexico border.
   Llewelyn Moss, Vietnam veteran and welder by trade, is out hunting on a
   borderland plain.  He comes across the scene of a drug deal gone wrong:
   shot up trucks and dead bodies are everywhere.  After finding a case
   full of hundred dollar bills, he decides to take the money and run,
   knowing that he's probably putting his life in jeopardy.  Sure enough,
   it doesn't take long before associates of both parties to the failed
   deal come looking for the money.

   Anton Chigurh is one of the guys hunting Moss and the money.  We learn
   early on that he's a ruthless, sociopathic killer, with a collection of
   unusual but effective weapons.  He's a strong believer in fate, driven
   by strict principles leaving no room for mercy.  His only concession is
   to occasionally allow a coin toss to decide the fate of anyone who has
   "inconvenienced" him.

   The story is accompanied by the reflections of an old-school sheriff,
   Ed Tom Bell.  Approaching the end of his career, he is forced to deal
   with murder and mayhem the likes of which he's never seen before in his
   formerly quiet and peaceful county.

   Given the level of violence, this novel is not for the faint-hearted.
   However, the writing and themes make it another great novel by Cormac
   McCarthy.  It was recently made into a solid movie, with a worthy Oscar-
   winning performance by Javier Bardem as Chigurh.


   2. "Pinball, 1973" by Haruki Murakami
     <http://www.amazon.com/Pinball/dp/B003C1DVGE>

   This is Murakami's second novel, which was never intended to be
   translated and released outside of Japan.  Set in the late 1960s to
   early 1970s, it consists of two parallel storylines.  The main narrative
   features Boku, a recent uni graduate whose day job is working in his
   translating business.  He shares an apartment with a pair of quirky twin
   female students, that he can only tell apart by the tops they wear.  His
   life is pretty ordinary, save for his obsession with pinball.  He has a
   favourite machine, the rare Spaceship, on which he managed to get the
   highest score.  Unfortunately, the parlour where the machine was located
   closed down.  Boku decides to find out where the machine ended up in the
   hope of playing with it again.  The search for the pinball machine
   doesn't take up much of the novel - it's just one of several that make
   up the book.

   The parallel storyline is about the Rat and his struggles with finding
   out what he wants to do with his life.  He regularly visits a bar run
   by J, and a friendship forms as they discuss life, the universe and
   everything.  By the end of the novel, the Rat has decided to leave town
   and start fresh somewhere else.  Along with Boku, these three enigmatic
   characters who would feature in the later "Wild Sheep Chase".

   Overall, not a bad book.  It's interesting to see Murakami's style start
   to develop.


   3. "The Bridge of San Luis Rey" by Thornton Wilder
     <http://www.amazon.com/Bridge-San-Luis-Rey/dp/0060580615>

   This short novel is set in Peru in the early 18th Century.  A visiting
   Franciscan friar witnesses the collapse of a bridge, causing the deaths
   of five people.  Brother Juniper, who narrowly avoided the same fate,
   sees this event as an opportunity to investigate whether or not the
   deaths of the five people was part of some divine plan, or just a
   random accident.

   The life stories of the five victims are revealed.  They were neither
   saints nor sinners, but ordinary people with the usual human frailties.
   As it happens, their lives do intersect via shared acquaintances and
   events.  It's not clear if Juniper was successful in proving his point,
   but in the telling of the story, perhaps we find out something else.

   This Pulitzer-winning novel is short, and perhaps hasn't aged well given
   the era we live in.  But I found it an interesting idea for a novel.


   4. "The Music Instinct: How Music Works and Why We Can't Do Without It"
      by Philip Ball
     <http://www.amazon.com/Music-Instinct/dp/0199754276>

   As its subtitle suggests, this book is largely about what makes music
   tick.  The motivation for the book is to refute the claim by linguist
   and cognitive scientist Steven Pinker that music is merely "cheesecake
   for the mind".  Philip Ball argues that music is much more important
   than that.

   The book begins by describing the building blocks of music: notes,
   chords, melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre, etc.  Examples ranging from
   nursery rhymes to classical, jazz and rock music are used to illustrate
   the concepts.  The book is best read in conjunction with listening to
   music samples on the book's website:
     <http://www.bodleyhead.co.uk/musicinstinct/>
   (Hover over and click on the notes).  The site also includes links to
   full performances of pieces mentioned, though some have been removed
   from YouTube for copyright reasons.

   The book covers many other aspects of music: how our ears work, how our
   brains respond to the sounds, artistic interpretation and theories on
   what exactly is being communicated by music.  Along the way it describes
   how Western music in particular has evolved over the past few centuries.
   A must-read for anyone who likes music.


   5. "Stuck: Why We Can't (or Won't) Move On" by Anneli Rufus
     <http://www.amazon.com/Stuck/dp/B00403NGI6>

   This somewhat controversial book is about the many ways we get "stuck":
   personal habits, nostalgia, hedonism, doing jobs we don't like, being in
   unhealthy relationships.  Amazon customers seem rather divided about the
   book.  This might be due to the very personal and political views
   presented by the author, some which may be seen as extreme.

   Rufus seems to target Sixties hippies in particular.  She also takes a
   hard line against addicts, especially when they're treated as victims.
   I don't necessarily agree with many of her views, but she does make some
   interesting general points elsewhere in the book.  Regardless of one's
   political or social views, it's always worthwhile taking time-out to
   reassess your personal goals, relationships, work and life in general.


   6. "Blunder: Why Smart People Make Bad Decisions" by Zachary Shore
     <http://www.amazon.com/Blunder/dp/1596916435>

   The author is a professor of national security affairs.  He's studied a
   fair bit of history, particularly regarding diplomacy and the military.
   He's concluded that despite obvious high levels of intelligence, people
   can still make catastrophic mistakes.

   According to the author, there are several different categories of
   blunders people make: exposure anxiety, causefusion, flatview, cure-
   allism, infomania, mirror imaging and static cling.  Some of these
   labels for the types of cognitive traps are a bit too cute, and would
   make linguists squirm.  But the use of extensive examples from history
   and literature to back up the author's argument make up for that.

   Overall, I found this a very interesting book.  The arguments were
   convincing, and the author offers good suggestions on how to avoid the
   various cognitive traps.  The historical focus of this book makes it a
   good companion to other books I've read that focus on the psychological
   and behavioural aspects of human decision making.

Douglas Engelbart - The Demo (1968)

   This post follows up on one of the books I reviewed last week.  "From
   Memex to Hypertext" included a report by Douglas C. Engelbart, "Program
   on Human Effectiveness".  The full text of that report is available
   online:
     <http://sloan.stanford.edu/mousesite/Archive/Post68/PrHumanEffectiveness.html>

   The program's aim was "to bring significant improvement to the real-life
   problem-solving effectiveness of individuals".  The culmination of this
   program was a live demonstration in 1968, retrospectively dubbed the
   "Mother of All Demos", where the computer mouse made its public debut:
     <http://sloan.stanford.edu/MouseSite/1968Demo.html>

   "On December 9, 1968, Douglas C. Engelbart and the group of 17
   researchers working with him in the Augmentation Research Center at
   Stanford Research Institute in Menlo Park, CA, presented a 90-minute
   live public demonstration of the online system, NLS, they had been
   working on since 1962. ... This was the public debut of the computer
   mouse. But the mouse was only one of many innovations demonstrated that
   day, including hypertext, object addressing and dynamic file linking, as
   well as shared-screen collaboration involving two persons at different
   sites communicating over a network with audio and video interface."

   Some highlights:
   * Clip 8: Doug demonstrates working with a graphic file tagged with
     hyperlinked items. Clicking on a link in the graphic, Doug jumps to
     separate items, such as texts, linked to the graphic.
   * Clip 11: Doug describes the goals of NLS (online system).
   * Clip 12: Describes the mouse in more detail... "I don't know why we
     call it a mouse. It started that way and we never changed it."
   * Clip 22: Doug illustrates how NLS can be used to construct,
     collaboratively modify, and ultimately publish reports and papers.
     (including hypertext linking)
   * Clip 25: In this segment Doug shifts to two-person collaboration.

   Another page about the Demo:
     <http://www.dougengelbart.org/firsts/dougs-1968-demo.html>

   This page includes links to 30th and 40th anniversary panel discussions,
   plus links to related publications.


   [If links in this email are garbled, try viewing the post on the blog
    <http://b-list.posterous.com/> ]

Mini-Reviews of Books Read, February 2011

   Mini-reviews of books I read last month.  The highlight was definitely
   "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy.


   1. "Zero History" by William Gibson
     <http://www.amazon.com/Zero-History/dp/0399156828>

   This book completes what has become known as the "Bigend" trilogy.
   Hollis Henry, formerly of art band "The Curfew", has been lured by
   marketing big-gun Hubertus Bigend to find out who's behind the exclusive
   underground "Gabriel Hounds" fashion label.  Other characters from
   previous books in the trilogy, such as translator/codebreaker Milgrim,
   also feature.  Eventually the plot develops from a simple search for a
   denim designer into a battle for the very existence of Bigend's Blue Ant
   agency.  The hostage swap climax at the end of the novel arguably makes
   good action movie material, but comes across as contrived and
   unbelievable.

   Gibson's recent trend of brand name-dropping continues in this novel.
   This time everyone's using iPhones and MacBook Airs, posting to Twitter.
   Very current, at least for 2010, but even an Apple fanboy like myself
   found this irritating.  Why would a so-called "visionary" author date
   his work so readily?  Maybe he should ditch his MacBook and go back to
   using a typewriter, thus forcing him to think in more abstract terms
   again?  Or maybe he's tired of the cyberpunk label, and wants to be
   recognised for writing "serious" literature?  The problem is, his recent
   work fails to satisfy me on any level.  I think this book confirms that
   I no longer consider myself a William Gibson fan.


   2. "The Snow Goose" by Paul Gallico
     <http://www.amazon.com/Snow-Goose/dp/0394445937>

   This short story is about the unusual friendship between a reclusive
   hunchback, a young girl and a snow goose.  The girl found the wounded
   bird, and took it to the man who has a reputation for healing injured
   birds.  The snow goose recovers and soon flies off to join its fellow
   migrating snow geese.  But the bird never forgets what the man did for
   him, and often returns to the lighthouse where the man lives.  Later,
   when the man volunteers to help evacuate stranded soldiers on the
   beaches of Dunkirk, the snow goose flies with him, acting as a lookout.
   Possibly a bit sentimental, but still a good fable about friendship and
   courage.

   The edition I read included a second short story: "The Small Miracle".
   Set in post-WW2 Assisi, it's a story about a young orphan.  He wants
   to take his sick donkey to the crypt of Saint Francis and ask for a
   miracle to cure her.  But before that can happen the boy has to deal
   with the Church hierarchy to get approval.  In a way the boy's situation
   parallels Saint Francis' own struggles with authority.  Another simple
   but uplifting story, about faith and perseverance.


   3. "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy
     <http://www.amazon.com/Road/dp/0307476316>

   "Nights dark beyond darkness and the days more gray each one than what
   had gone before.  Like the onset of some cold glaucoma dimming away the
   world."  These lines are from the opening paragraph of "The Road", a
   story about an unnamed young boy and his father struggling to survive a
   nuclear winter.  The world has become a bleak, unforgiving place, and
   the lack of food has turned some survivors into lawless savages who do
   terrible things.

   The pair are travelling along a road in search of somewhere warmer.
   Flashbacks are used to fill in some of the back-story.  Nothing is said
   about what caused the end of civilisation as we know it.  The focus is
   not on the global event, but rather on the personal story of the man and
   his son.  The precariousness of their situation is clear: "Borrowed time
   and borrowed world and borrowed eyes with which to sorrow it."

   The author received a Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2007 for this novel.
   It's not hard to see why.  While some may find the storyline depressing
   and often disturbing, it is told in an engaging way.  The words are
   well-crafted, and the themes about human strengths and weaknesses
   (mostly the latter) are so compelling that you want to read on.  The man
   knows he will die eventually and worries how his son will cope without
   him.  They are "good guys", carrying "the fire" (or flame of humanity).
   Ironically, in protecting his son, the man sometimes does questionable
   things.  The boy seems to realise this, and starts asking things like:
   "We'll always be the good guys, right?" There may be hope, after all.

   The book was made into a movie, and is well worth a look if you don't
   have much time to read.  The movie is faithful to the original story,
   with solid performances and a great soundtrack by Nick Cave and Warren
   Ellis.  I found it helpful watching the movie a couple of weeks after
   finishing the book.  I'll probably read more work by Cormac McCarthy in
   the coming months.


   4. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Six Other Stories"
      by F. Scott Fitzgerald
     <http://www.amazon.com/Curious-Benjamin-Stories/dp/0143105493>

   This is collection of seven short stories by Fitzgerald, a preeminent
   writer of the Jazz Age (between the World Wars).  "The Great Gatsby" is
   one of my favourite novels.  The title story was recently made into a
   movie.  I haven't seen it, and apparently there are major differences.

   A varied collection of stories.  The twist in "Head an Shoulders" is
   amusing, and the title story touches on some interesting themes about
   age-related prejudices.  Other stories are cautionary tales.  Overall,
   an entertaining mix, although not always politically-correct.


   5. "Inviting Silence: Universal Principles of Meditation"
      by Gunilla Norris
     <http://www.amazon.com/Inviting-Silence/dp/0974240508>

   This book provides simple advice on how people can use mediation to help
   cope with the challenges of everyday life.  The need to be constantly
   entertained and stimulated seems to make us afraid to embrace silence.
   However, silence and meditation are useful.  The use of meditation is
   common to various faiths, but this book doesn't focus on meditation
   just as a religious aid.  It's a more general-purpose technique that can
   help anybody deal with an otherwise busy lifestyle.

   I found this book by chance while looking for something to read on a bus
   trip home.  By coincidence, I had recently decided to cut down my TV
   viewing (I still regularly watch a handful of programs, but usually
   time-shifted).  This book reinforced what I'd experienced: quiet time
   free of distractions not only helps me clear my mind and focus, but also
   makes me feel less stressed and rushed.  As they say, it's the pause
   that refreshes.


   6. "From Memex to Hypertext" edited by James M. Nyce and Paul Kahn
     <http://www.amazon.com/Memex-Hypertext/dp/0125232705>

   This books collects essays written or inspired by Vannevar Bush, a
   pioneer of the modern "information revolution".  Bush developed early
   electromechanical computers, starting in the 1930s.  Later he started
   thinking about the nature of education and scientific research, and
   devised ways to help extend human ability using technology.  Key essays
   "As We May Think" and "Memex 2", written for mainstream press, described
   a literal desktop machine (i.e. the whole machine was built in the form
   of a desk).  He called it the Memex, or memory extender.  The goal was
   to provide a complete library in miniature, with tools to bring together
   existing content and create new content, linked together in "trails".
   Such machines, he argued, would help us learn as well as promote the
   development of new ideas.

   While the vision proved prescient, the technology described by Bush was
   biased by his work with electromechanical or analog computers.  Instead,
   interconnected digital computers would eventually deliver much of the
   vision.

   The book also contains essays that expand or restate Bush's vision, for
   example "Program on Human Effectiveness" by Doug Engelbart and "As We
   Will Think" by Ted Nelson.  Consequently, this book brings together the
   foundation works on hypertext, a key component of the World Wide Web.
   Well worth a read for anyone interested in the Web and technology in
   general.

Vivaldi - A Rough Guide

   "Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741), nicknamed il Prete Rosso ("The Red Priest")
   because of his auburn hair, was an Italian Baroque composer, priest, and
   virtuoso violinist, born in Venice.  Vivaldi is recognized as one of the
   greatest Baroque composers, and his influence during his lifetime was
   widespread over Europe.  Vivaldi is known mainly for composing instru-
   mental concertos, especially for the violin, as well as sacred choral
   works and over 40 operas.  His best known work is a series of violin
   concertos known as The Four Seasons."

   See Wikipedia for more on the life and music of Vivaldi:
     <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Vivaldi>

   The links in the guide below are to YouTube movies.  For brevity, I've
   only included one movement for each of the pieces.  Apologies in
   advance for any annoying ads :(  Ad-blocking options are available for
   most browsers ;)
     <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_blocking>

   If the links are blocked, you can try listening to the pieces via
   Wikipedia or elsewhere, e.g.
     <http://www.last.fm/music/antonio+vivaldi>

   The "rough guide" ...

   1. Lute Concerto in D, RV 93: II. Largo
     <http://splicd.com/D5twHP_johQ/0/309>
   This arrangement for guitar, performed by Eduardo Fernandez with the
   English Chamber Orchestra, is the first version of RV 93 I heard.  I
   couldn't believe this was composed by Vivaldi, almost 300 years ago!
   I know this is a rearrangement rather than the original lute, and the
   tempo is slower, but the underlying melody is sublime and timeless.  It
   got me started chasing up more compositions for lute and mandolin by
   Vivaldi, some of which will feature later in this guide.  BTW the handy
   Splicd service is used to specify an end time for the clip, so only one
   movement plays.

   2. Violin Concerto in E, RV 269, "La primavera" (Spring): I. Allegro
     <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypBRrZt1Lqg>
   The Four Seasons ("Le quattro stagioni") is a set of four violin
   concertos. As you can probably guess, each season has a concerto, with
   three movements per concerto.  An interesting exercise is to listen to
   each "season" and try to associate the music to the time of year.  A
   set of sonnets accompany the concertos, so if you want to cheat, visit:
     <http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Four_Seasons_Sonnets>
   Spring kicks off the Seasons, with its upbeat, festive first movement.
   The conductor of this performance is Riccardo Muti.

   3. Violin Concerto in G Minor, RV 315, "L'estate" (Summer): III. Presto
     <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N00XKtROddc>
   Often nicknamed "The Storm", the sonnet for this dynamic third movement
   of "Summer" is: "The Heavens thunders and roar and majestically.  Cuts
   the head off the wheat and damages the grain."  Unfortunately there are
   no details on the performers in this clip.  At least the visuals are
   stunning.

   4. Violin Concerto in F, RV 293, "L'autunno" (Autumn): I. Allegro
     <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fOrGCZM38I>
   With the late summer storm is over, it's time to celebrate the harvest.
   This version of the first movement of "Autumn" features "unconventional"
   violinist, Nigel Kennedy.

   5. Violin Concerto in F Minor, RV 297, "L'inverno" (Winter): II. Largo
     <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dggfA9Vo64U>
   The beautiful second movement of "Winter" is accompanied by the sonnet:
   "Spending quiet contented days by the fire while the rain outside
   drenches people by the hundreds."  This performance is by Itzhak Perlman
   with Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

   6. Trio Sonata in C, RV 82: III. Allegro
     <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxXKofQHzEg>
   The popularity of the lute was declining when Vivaldi started composing,
   but fortunately he did produce a handful of pieces for this predecessor
   to the guitar.  Performed by Rolf Lislevand with the Kapsberger
   Ensemble.

   7. Trio Sonata G Minor, RV 85: I. Andante molto
     <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXwZi3btQTQ>
   Another early piece featuring the lute, also performed by Rolf Lislevand
   with the Kapsberger Ensemble.

   8. Mandolin Concerto in C, RV 425: I. Allegro
     <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StNAG4gCIxY#t=20>
   Towards the middle of his career, Vivaldi wrote a few more pieces for
   the mandolin, another precursor to the guitar.  This performance is by
   Detlef Tewes on mandolin with the orchestra of Ettlingen.

   9. Concerto for Two Mandolins in G, RV 532: II. Andante
     <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47KEpWLBAjk>
   A modern, slower arrangement for two guitars, performed by Duo La Barre
   with a string quartet.
     <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=302UBVz0wWc>
   For comparison, here's a closer-to-the-original arrangement for two
   lutes and orchestra, performed by Fabio Biondi with Europa Galante.

   10. Violin Concerto in E, RV 271, "L'amoroso": I. Allegro
     <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfND02F5o-Q>
   Vivaldi was primarily a violinist, so I should include at least one more
   violin concerto.  Here's a favourite, with a clip that features some
   historical paintings and more recent photos of Venice.  I can't verify
   the performers, but this sounds like the version I have by i Musici.

   11. Concerto per l'Orchestra di Dresda in G Minor, RV 577: III. Allegro
     <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU4Ygy6S9Lo>
   This is a piece for multiple instruments, performed by the Taverner
   Players conducted by Andrew Parrott.

   12. Bassoon Concerto in B-Flat, RV 502: II. Largo
     <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGQT-Dtl1m8>
   Another Vivaldi highlight.  Performed by the London Chamber Orchestra,
   lead by Christopher Warren-Green.

   Vivaldi began writing operas late in his career.  Since I'm not an opera
   fan, I'll leave it to you to follow up if you're interested.  He also
   wrote several religious pieces: only fitting since he was also a priest.

   Encore: Lute Concerto in D, RV 93: I to III
     <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBJ8BmFPt3U>
   To finish up, I want to return to probably my favourite Vivaldi
   composition, all three movements presented in full.  This version was
   recorded at the Royal Alcazar Palace, Seville in Spain, featuring
   Australian-born classical guitarist John Williams.

Mini-Reviews of Books Read, January 2011

   Mini-reviews of books I read last month.  In some ways it was a month of
   manifestos, with a Murakami novel thrown into the mix...


   1. "You Are Not a Gadget: A Manifesto" by Jaron Lanier
     <http://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Not-Gadget/dp/0307389979>

   This attack on the state of the Web was written by a bohemian pioneer of
   virtual reality technology in the 1980s.  He's also a composer, visual
   artist, and author.  He isn't anti-Web, just opposed to the way many
   sites and technologies try to commoditise us.  He believes the internet
   should be a place where individuals can flourish, and not a tarpit of
   mediocrity that it has become: Web 2.0 or the social web is dominated
   by trolling, trivialisation, low quality content and outright lies.
   There are damning critiques of Google, Wikipedia, Facebook and Twitter,
   among others.  I have to say I agree with many of his points.  He
   concludes the manifesto with proposals for an alternative model for
   technology and the Web.

   In an age where some multinational corporations try to con(vince) us
   that they are paragons of openness and freedom, this book is a timely
   reminder that all is not what it seems.  The book's website:
     <http://www.jaronlanier.com/gadgetwebresources.html>

   BTW when I saw the book at the library, its title reminded me of this
   interesting observation:
   "If you are not paying for it, you're not the customer; you're the
    product being sold."
     <http://www.metafilter.com/95152/Userdriven-discontent>
   While this was in response to criticism of social news site Digg's
   redesign, it has general application, for example to companies that
   provide "free" stuff so that they can sell your eyeballs to the highest
   bidder, er, advertiser.  "Beware of geeks bearing gifts".


   2. "The Cult of the Amateur" by Andrew Keen
     <http://www.amazon.com/Cult-Amateur/dp/0385520816>

   This book has similar themes ands criticisms to Lanier's, but frames the
   arguments more from an economic than a philosophical perspective.  Keen
   argues that the "wisdom of the crowd" in the form of amateur bloggers,
   musicians and moviemakers doesn't always result in quality.  The book's
   provocative subtitle is "How Today's Internet is Killing Our Culture and
   Assaulting Our Economy".  Quality content takes time and money to make,
   and traditional producers are having their content devalued and their
   businesses threatened by low-quality content.  I don't completely accept
   the last point: maybe "old media" deserves a shake-up, but he does make
   some valid points.

   He also cites addiction, online gambling, file-sharing and plagiarism as
   nasty side-effects of the new world order.  He's particularly damning of
   Google: "they have figured out how to magically transform other people's
   free content into a multi-billion-dollar advertising machine."  He
   concludes by proposing some solutions: curation of content, regulation
   and enforcement.  Of course these suggestions will never fly with those
   who demand unfettered openness as a means to "democritisation".  But
   then it's easy living in an idealised world.

   Irony?  In true Web 2.0 fashion, the book been uploaded by someone:
     <http://www.scribd.com/doc/47721560/Keen-Andrew-The-Cult-of-the-Amateur>
   and Google's index helped me find it.


   3. "The Perfect Egg and Other Secrets" by Aldo Buzzi
     <http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Egg-Other-Secrets/dp/074757930X>

   This is a great little collection of food-related essays by late Italian
   architect/screen writer/author Aldo Buzzi.  The first part of the book
   gathers together recipes from the author's travels around the world.  I
   guess you need a bit of an open mind as to what other cultures consider
   delicacies, e.g. pigeons and crows.  Each brief chapter presents a
   recipe as well as some related anecdotes, trivia and cultural notes.

   The second part concentrates on the home cooking of the author's German-
   born mother.  Overall another entertaining read, especially if you're
   interested in food and cooking.


   4. "Sputnik Sweetheart" by Haruki Murakami
     <http://www.amazon.com/Sputnik-Sweetheart/dp/0375726055>
     
   In this Murakami novel the main character is a young teacher who finds
   that his love for his friend Sumire, a wannabe writer, is unrequited.
   In fact, she has become infatuated with her new boss, Miu, a prominent
   and married businesswoman.

   The first part of the novel sets the scene and establishes these three
   characters.  I don't want to say much more about the actual plot to
   avoid spoilers.  I'll just say there is a major turning point midway
   through, and the second half becomes an interesting look at loneliness.
   Towards the end the main character, when counselling a young pupil,
   describes being all alone as "the feeling you get when you stand at the
   mouth of a large river on a rainy evening and watch the water flow into
   the sea".  He also warns that thinking just by yourself for too long can
   hold you back, can keep you to a single viewpoint.

   It almost wouldn't be a Murakami story without the presence of cats,
   wells, music and cooking, all with a hint of the supernatural.  These
   elements all make an appearance, but as usual it's the characters,
   themes and plot which carry the story.  Overall, another excellent
   novel, confirming Murakami as my favourite Japanese author.


   5. "Party of One: The Loners' Manifesto" by Anneli Rufus
     <http://www.amazon.com/Party-One/dp/1569245134>

   The author is a confessed and proud loner.  She argues that the term
   "loner" has become a negative label, when in fact some types of people
   actually need some "alone" time.  She notes that many great writers,
   artists and inventors were loners, and we benefit from the fruits of
   their solitude.  She contrasts the voluntary "loner" with the
   involuntary "outcast", and points out that many notorious loners were
   actually social people who were rejected.  These "pseudoloners" often
   did drastic things to take revenge or seek notoriety.

   As an introvert who requires alone time, I found this book refreshing
   and reassuring.  Not everyone is a social butterfly, and there's nothing
   wrong with shutting yourself off occasionally to get some peace and
   quiet.  In fact, in appropriate doses it can help keep you sane.
   Extroverts should read this book too, so they can better understand the
   rest of us.


   6. "The Four Agreements" by don Miguel Ruiz
     <http://www.amazon.com/Four-Agreements/dp/1878424505>

   As the subtitle mentions, this book is a "practical guide to personal
   freedom".  It is based on the Wisdom of the Toltec.  The four agreements
   are straight-forward and hard to fault:
    (1) Be impeccable with your word.
    (2) Don't take anything personally.
    (3) Don't make assumptions.
    (4) Always do your best.

   The author argues that we can achieve personal freedom and happiness if
   we make and hold these agreements.  There's much in common with other
   moral codes and philosophies, so it's hard to argue against them.  I
   guess one criticism is that these agreements, like any moral codes,
   beliefs and principles, are also subject to the environment we live in.