Category Archives: Books

I am Legend, by Richard Matheson

Just finished Richard Matheson’s I am Legend, the 1954 science-fiction novella about apocalypse, vampires, zombies, dust, life, death, loneliness, classical music,canned food, and a brief interlude with a dog. Hollywood has based three movies on the book, including The Last Man on Earth (1964), The Omega Man (1973), and most recently I Am Legend (2007).

It’s a must read in the science fiction genre, creative, well-written, and entertaining, telling a different story from the movies that it spawned.

Is it Shakespeare? No. More literate but less creative than Philip K. Dick.

“Touching Spirit Bear” By Ben Mikaelsen

Does Circle Justice work? That’s the main question asked in Touching Spirit Bear. After viciously attacking a classmate, young Cole Matthews is permitted to spend a year on a remote Tlingit island, facing hardship and seclusion, in hopes of avoiding a trial as an adult and the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence.

In a civilized society, when a person is convicted of a crime, there are sentencing consequences that may involve jail time, financial penalties, mandatory counseling, drug testing, community supervision, or even death. There are many considerations in what makes a just consequence for the criminal’s actions. Sentencing in the traditional state justice system includes considerations of at least punishment, rehabilitation, vengeance, and deterrence. Continue reading “Touching Spirit Bear” By Ben Mikaelsen

“The New New Thing” by Michael Lewis

Michael Lewis has a fascination with wealth and greed, evidenced by both his immensely popular LIAR’S POKER and THE NEW NEW THING. In LIAR’S POKER, greed, arrogance, and hubris take center stage in a funny, wicked, and entertaining tale. In THE NEW NEW THING, greed, arrogance, and hubris become supporting actors on a bigger stage. An older and more mature Mr. Lewis has captured a story that pits technogeeks against venture capitalists and, well, it would spoil the story to tell you who prevails. This book has it all: cult of personality, fortunes made and lost, suicide, luck, timing, largesse, personal failure, professional success, sailing off into the sunset and then returning, billion-dollar business plans scribbled on cocktail napkins with “a–hole” as the plan’s centerpiece–all told superbly by Mr. Lewis. It is neither as funny nor as wicked as LIAR’S POKER, but it is not intended to be. It is, ultimately, inspiring. If you want a book that leaves you less concerned about wicked greedy selfish bastards than LIAR’S POKER, you may find this book better than LIAR’S POKER. Or at least more satisfying.

“Secrets of Software Success: Management Insights from 100 Software Firms Around the World” by various authors

I am moderately familiar with the literature on software projects (e.g., Steve McConnell’s “Software Project Survival Guide”) and business success (e.g., Collins and Porras’, “Built to Last”). “Secrets” tries to merge the knowledge of both disciplines, and comes up short. Its greatest strength lies in distinguishing between and describing in some depth the authors’ views on the different kinds of software companies (mass products, enterprise solutions, and professional services). Its greatest weaknesss lies in committing the “common characteristics” analysis identified as “flawed” in Built to Last, p 13-15 (1997) (100 percent correlation between successful companies and having desks means having desks is a success factor).

“Secrets” adequately describes the conditions that its primary conduits (Navision, SAP, Intershop, Platinum) believe contributed to their successes. It is less obvious that these conditions, if copied, would increase the probability of success for any given company. The reader would surely be better off reading “Built to Last”, then following up with Software Project Survival, Peopleware (DeMarco, Lister), and Principles of Software Engineering Management (Tom Gilb) for starters. The right software product, software service, clients, and market couldn’t hurt . . .

“Dreaming in Code: Two Dozen Programmers, Three Years, 4,732 Bugs, and One Quest for Transcendent Software”by Scott Rosenberg

Don’t read this book unless you want to read about software project failure with lipstick on. Spoiler alert. Scott Rosenberg received access to Mitch Kapor’s (Lotus Development) dream team of open source programmers. The client-based project languishes. The architecture is re-designed several times. The scope is periodically scaled back. More bodies are thrown at development. After three years, Rosenberg decided to wrap up his book and publish it. Google does open source on line. Of that, you, the user, are the beneficiary. Of this book, you, the reader, are the victim.

If you want to learn something about software development, failure, and the culure of Silicon Valley, your time would be better served by reading Tracy Kidder’s “The Soul of  New Machine” followed by Michael Lewis’ “The New New Thing”.

Daylight Watch, Twilight Watch, Last Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko

Over the last several months I’ve completed those books in the “Night Watch” series that have been translated into English. Following his success of “Night Watch”, Sergei Lukyanenko continues to explore his Russian twilight word of demons, vampires, and others as they attempt to keep the balance between the forces of good and evil. I asked my friend Vasiliy his opinion of the books. Not as good as mine. However, he was unable to recommend anything better. One can only hope!

What is my opinion? My father would call them airport books. Easy reading, their momentum dependant in part on the success and creativity, however “turned out”, of the first one.

I suppose next the “Twilight” series set in Forks, Washington will be required reading. I wonder what’s cooking in Buffalo!

Nightwatch by Sergei Lukyanenko

Several weeks ago I finished reading Nightwatch by Sergei Lukyanenko, a Russian science fiction writer. The Russian movie by the same name, based on the book, is quite good. As is its sequel, Daywatch.

My decision to read the book after watching the movie violates one of my soft rules — read the book before watching the movie based on the book. I wonder if I had read the book first (a) if I would have seen the movie and (b) would have had a different impression of the book. Continue reading Nightwatch by Sergei Lukyanenko

The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart

My ten year-old son read The Mysterious Benedict Society (2007) (485 pages), and liked it. He asked me to read it. So, I did. It’s a well-written children’s book that may appeal to fans of the Harry Potter series or the Lemony Snicket drivel. It’s better written than the Lemony Snicket books, not as well written as Harry Potter. Themes include teamwork, diversity, intelligence, practical problem-solving, and family. Other themes include fear, brainsweeping, and thought-control. There is some donnybrook-esque violence, so may not be appropriate or understood by children younger than 10.