Worth reading: Yes, absolutely!

Summary: How long would the earth take to recover from the blight of homo sapiens?
Alan Weisman takes us on a journey of discovery that opens our eyes to the ravages we have inflicted on the planet, and how long it may take for nature to recover should we suddenly not be here.

In some cases it may only take a few years before grasses and other plants start to take back their ground from our concrete jungles. In other cases it may take millions of years to break down the enriched uranium we have in our nuclear power-plants.

Alan also looks at the impact humans have had on the megafauna and flora of the continents and how we may have extinguished more species that we realise.

What is plainly obvious from reading this book is that nature is a mighty and powerful organism, and given time it will erase all trace of humans from the face of the earth.

Fighting carbon emissions is only the first step, without another home to go to, the Earth can only sustain a finite number of humans. We may have surpassed this number already. Have a read and make up your own mind.

Tags: climate change, books

Worth reading: Yes. What the world could become.

Summary: It is around the year 25,000 AD. Man has thrown off the shackles of conquering aliens species, the Qax and the Silver Ghosts, and has chased the Xeelee to the centre of galaxy. Hustled around Chandra, the large black hole in the centre of the Milky Way, for 3,000 years the Xeelee have thwarted mans attempts of removing them completely.

Child soldiers have become mankinds weapon. Billions of them. Because of them we now hold an unsteady rule over our galaxy. Cannon fodder and taught to expect a short life and glorious death fighting the Xeelee, it is very rare for them to reach their 20th birthday. Taught not to show initiative but to follow the Doctrines, a short life burns brightly, until now.

A young ensign, in a desperate attempt to save his Greenship crew show’s initiative. In so doing he has condemned himself to hard labour. It is now up to his younger self, two years in the past, to show that mankind cannot stagnate, but must take the fight to the Xeelee and Chandra their home.

Excellent read and says a lot about today’s bureaucracies.

Tags: books, stephen baxter

Worth Reading: Yes.

Summary: Tandia is the continuation of the tale started with “The Power of One”. It resumes with Peekay and Hymie going to Oxford to study law.

The focus of the story - Tandia, is a young woman born in a very difficult circumstance. Her father is Indian and her mother is Africa. She is neither and scorned by both.

Her story starts with her rape at her fathers grave side, the day after he is buried. This puts her on a path that eventually leads to Peekay and his quest to become the Welterweight champion of the world.

Set in the early 60’s during the growing tensions between the black Aficans and the white Afrikaaners in South Africa.

Tags: books, bryce courtenay

Worth reading: Yes

Summary: The year is AD 922. Ibn Fadlan, courtier to the Caliph of Bagdad is hijacked from his mission as emissary to the King of Saqaliba by a group of Viking warriors, Northmen.

Fadlan has been chosen as the thirteenth warrior on a quest to rid a kingdom of the “Wendol” - monsters of the mist.

He tells his tale in an observational tone and makes comment on the gross personal habits of the vikings as well as their jovial demeanor in the face of certain death.

Ibn Fadlan may have started out a scholarly courtier, but through his adventures, his mettle is tested and he becomes a true warrior of the North.

Tags: books, michael crighton

Worth reading: Yes

Summary: What could occur when a corporation slaps a patent on your genetic line.

One man has a special set of genes, specifically a single gene. His gene has the ability to cure cancer. Without is permission and without his knowledge a company has filed a patent on that gene and it’s worth billions. But things have changed.

Litergation and lawyers have entered the scene and the cells obtained by the company, by fair means or foul, have been destroyed. They now want some more. The ownership of a persons cells is being called into question. Who has the right, and what rights does the indivicual have if their cells have been patented by a company? How does that extend to that persons family if they also carry the gene?

This is a fascinating insite to what could occur should the continuing practise of gene patents continue. Michael even lists at the end of this book, several things that should change so the sanctity of the human body remains intact and ownership with the soul that inhabits it.

Tags: books, michael crighton

Worth reading: If you’re interested in Ancient History, then Yes.

Summary: The introduction says this is a translation from French. The Indian civilisation has been around for many thousands of years and to write a single book on her culture would be to create a tombe. This work covers just the time frame from 200BC to 700AD, considered the “Golden Age”, and if you take the time to read it, you’ll discover a rather advanced people for their time.

This book is exactly as the title describes, a look at daily life in ancient India. It covers the traditions, religion, work practises, casts, morals, ethics, manners and a whole gammut of other details that formed the life and times of ancient india, and indeed it’s influence on the lives of Indians today.

It is quite an interesting read with lots of details of the history around why things were the way they were.

If you like reading about other cultures then this book is right up your alley.

Tags: books, history

Worth reading: Yes

Summary: Jack Reacher, hitching through the states drops in on a town called Hope. He’s got nowhere to be and plenty of time on his hands so he decides to head on to the neighboring town of Dispair.

Dispair looks like a town time forgot back in the 50’s. Trying to get a cup of coffee in Dispair sees him delivered to the county line by the local constabulary. Crime: vagrancy.

Reacher has never been evicted from a whole town. He decides to find out why.

Another action packed novel by Lee Child and well worth the read. I think Jack Reacher embodies the neanderthal man that all men wish they could be.

Tags: books, Lee Child, jack reacher

Worth reading: Yes

Summary: Mike Haller, defense lawyer. His office is the back seat of a Lincoln. His driver, one of his ex-clients.

His clients are the criminals looking to get off. His job is to create enough doubt, enough grey area, to get them off.

His latest client looks to be a windfall. A franchise client. One with a lot of money.

The victim is a street-walker. She has been seriously beaten and the evidence is pointing to Mike's client.

Twists and turns abound as Mike fights for his life both in the courtroom and out of it, and as the case unfolds Mike comes to face his greatest fear.. not recognising innocence when he's faced with it.

I usually find it hard to get into Lawyer tales but this one is a cracker.

Tags: books, michael connelly

Worth reading: Yes

Summary: Kate is sick. She's endured a life spent mostly in hospital fighting and then awaiting the return of leukemia. Kate was not expected to live past the age of 5. She is now 16.

Anna is 13 and isn't sick, but she is the reason Kate has been able to fight for so long. She has spent almost as much time in hospital as her sister. Anna was brought into the world to be the bone marrow match for Kate. She was conceived with that possibility in mind.

Anna has not been more that a step from her sisters side her entire life. Now Kate needs a kidney if she has any chance to survive her latest battle. Her chance of surviving is only slight and there's every chance she will not survive the next battle as her body continues to deteriorate due to intensive chemotherapy.

But the circumstances have changed. Anna's mother assumes the operation is a foregone conclusion. Anna has always been willing to help her sister in the past, but Anna's health could be seriously effected, both now and in the future.

And Anna has reservations. Reservations that will have dire consequences for the life of her sister.

Tags: books

Worth reading: Yes

Summary: After a bit of a scuffle in a bar with an off-duty red-neck police officer, Reacher has to make a quick exit from the small town. Hoping against hope for a lift by anyone to anywhere fast, he stands on the side of the road in the baking heat. Time is running out before the local constabulary see him, when he's picked up by a young woman.

Carmen has been driving around the state with the last dollar to her name in her purse. She's looking for someone. Someone scruffy looking, strong and looking like they need money. Someone to kill her husband. She finds just such a person standing on the side of the road in the baking heat.

Yet another unputdownable "Reacher" novel by Lee Child.

Tags: Lee Child, books, jack reacher

Worth reading: Yes

Summary: While on a hike with her older brother and mother, nine year old Trisha becomes tired of the constant bickering between the two.

To give herself a break from the squabble, she decides to take a shortcut through the bush and meet up with them on the next swtich-back of the path. But now she's lost.

Each step is taking her farther and farther away from them and before long she is lost and alone in the wilderness.

As she tries to find her way out of her predicament, she passes the time listening to broadcasts of the Boston Red Sox games, dreaming that her favorite player - Tom Gordon - will come to her rescue.

Hunger and exposure are not Trisha's only problems. Before long, she comes to terrifying realization. Something has been destroying the trees and leaving a trail of butchered animals in the woods.

Something real. Something dangerous. Something that may now be following Trisha's trail.

Something that is getting closer.

Yet another hard-to-put-down short novel from Stephen King.

Tags: books, stephen king

Worth reading: No, and I don't mean to be blunt.

Summary: I really can't summarize this one. I'm still not sure of what was going on.

This is the thirteenth "Sean Dillon" novel and I think I would have been better starting with book 1. Jumping into this series at book 13 was a mistake. But how was I to know? I've never read any Jack Higgins novels before.

Sean Dillon is seemingly one mean S.O.B but why is not clear and there is nothing in this book to point out why he is so "unstoppable", or what he's coming back from.

The characters are obviously familiar with each other but there is no explanation of them to the first time reader. Perhaps this is on purpose but for me it made for frustrating reading.

Because this was my first book from this author, and because it was so confusing, I will have difficulty picking up another Jack Higgins novel. That is unless someone can point out a good one to start with. This one has not made me feel like finding the first Sean Dillon novel and starting again.

I know I probably shouldn't, but I'm going to compare this "Sean Dillon" series of books with the "Jack Reacher" series from Lee Child. Lee does a much better job and, in my opinion, each book in his series can be read very successfully as a standalone. Each "Jack Reacher" book has some background on who he is and where he came from. Not so with "Sean Dillon".
However, I will say again that this is the first Jack Higgins book I've read. My apologies to his fans, but I'm yet to be convinced.

Tags: books

Worth reading: Yes

Summary: Zarafa was the first Giraffe in Paris.

This is her story from when she was caught and tamed as young calf in Ethiopia and her journey to the royal menagerie in France, captivating the world as she went.

Zarafa was a gift from the viceroy of Egypt to King Charles X of France.

The writing of this true tale is all over the place but the story is a very interesting one. Allin provides rich natural historic detail along with details of the turbulent times in which the event takes place.

Tags: books

Worth Reading: If you're a SK fan then yes it certainly is. For everyone else, I think it might be an acquired taste. This is a re-read for me. Indeed, I've read it countless times.

Summary: Tarker's Mills is a quiet town in Maine. Quiet, that is, until one winter on a full moon, a railway-man in the middle of nowhere has his throat ripped out.

Each full moon, as the attacks continue, the residents of Tarker's Mills become more terrified. The police have no clues as to what is killing the good people of the town.

Marty Coslaw, rider of the silver-bullet, has seen it. Marty has survived an attack - just.

And now, Marty knows who it is.

This is a very small novella from SK. If you're familiar with his longer works you'll understand. The story roughly follows the lunar cycle and is illustrated nicely. It may take you about 40 minutes to read and is worth the time.

Tags: books, stephen king

Worth Reading: It's an interesting read but I probably wouldn't pick it up again.

Summary: St Luke, an island for the tourists. For the locals it's a difficult place to live and work, unless you're rich.

Populated by the whole gamut of society, the rich, the poor, those just wanting or needing to fall off the map, St Luke has seen its share of drama. Now, two bodies have washed up on the beach.

Nothing ties the two bodies together, except they were murdered, and both are missing the right hand.

This is not a "who dunnit", you know from the start what's going on. Instead, you watch the scenario play out as the police team try to figure what's been going on and why. This is not really a style of writing I enjoy, which is probably why I doubt I'll read it again.

This is the first book from Jonathan Nasaw I have read and it is an interesting tale. The locals switching in and out of dialect adds a nice bit of colour, pardon the pun, and it is well written. But for me, there just isn't enough meat on the bones.

Tags: books

Worth Reading: Yes I think so. I really liked this book because it talks of life in South Africa and how the average person lived their lives back in the 1930's.

Summary: Peekay, A small white English boy in a rural world of black Africans and Afrikaner Boers. Raised by a black Nanny, he's a rooinek in a background of racism and mistrust from all sides.

His is the story of one boys dream. The hurdles he overcomes and the losses he endures as he sets himself on a path to becoming the welterweight boxing champion of the world.

Tags: books, bryce courtenay

16 December 1917 ~ 19 March 2008 (90)

One of the great technological seers of the 20th Century, and a fine author.

The worlds of Science Fiction, and Science Technology will miss him greatly, as will the World.

Tags: books, arthur c clark

Worth Reading: If you're a SK fan then yes it certainly is. If you're not, then this is a nice place to start your collection.

Summary: Edgar Freemantle. Successful building contractor, Father, and Husband. Until a serious accident on a worksite should have killed him, but instead takes his right arm, damages his brain and otherwise leaves him a broken man with a destroyed marriage.

Duma key. A sparsely settled key off the Florida coast. Long stretches of beach. A place where artists go to get away from it all. The place Edgar goes to recover, recuperate and heal. A place where Edgar finds new friends and a talent he never knew he had. A place that holds a secret. One that has remained buried for a long time. One that is waking up.

I'm a SK fan from way back. I think I have most of his books. He doesn't write them fast enough.

Tags: books, stephen king

Worth Reading: Yes but I recommend reading the first three in the series first.

Summary: Taita the slave has become master of the mystic arts, savant and upholder of the Truth. Pharaoh Nefer Seti has asked him to find the cause of the drying Nile and Taita must battle with a the powerful witch Eos, follower of the Lie.

The Quest is a continuation of the Egyptian series of Novels. It takes up the tale of Taita the Warlock, magus and master of magic. I have read a lot of Wilbur Smith's novels and really enjoyed the Egyptian series which consists of River God, The Seventh Scroll, and Warlock.
The Quest is written in the masterful story-telling way that Wilbur Smith has made his own. The Quest can be read as a standalone novel, but I highly recommend reading the preceding trilogy first. This will give a good background on Taita and where he came from, and all the adventures he has had up to this time. Taita and other members of his party make mention of events that occur in the earlier novels and it helps to understand them when making sense of the current circumstances he is in and the actions that he takes.
Well worth a read, as are all Wilbur Smiths Novels.

Tags: books, wilbur smith

Worth reading: If you are a fan of Top Gear then this is a good read.
Summary: Richard's battle back from brain damage and memory loss

I really like the BBC Top Gear series and was interested in the events surrounding Richard Hammond's crash while driving a jet-powered car. In his book, on the edge, he talks about the events leading up to the fateful moment and then his recovery after the fact.

What is rather interesting is the dual points of view. Richard's wife, Mindy, actually writes most of the book. It is from her point of view that we learn most of what Richard is going through. After all, he was suffering memory loss at the time and even now probably doesn't know what occurred during his recovery. As Richard is recovering we get both points of view, the frustration he shows at events and then subsequently, Mindy's view of the same situation.

Hats off to Mindy and the limitless support she has shown during and after his ordeal. If only we could all end up with a partner as strong as her. We also see the person who is "Richard Hammond" and insights into his family life.

What was also rather interesting was the tid-bits about James May and Jeremy Clarkson. I think the personas they portray as part of the very successful Top Gear show are not necessarily who they really are, and perhaps just what is needed to make the show the success it is.

To get a full appreciation for this book I recommend you watch the show and get an appreciation for the other characters. Richard's book is written for the fans.

Another Top Gear link.

Tags: books, top gear, richard hammond

Worth reading: Yes
Summary: What a parent will do to protect their child.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting much from this book. I admit that I gave the back cover only a cursory glance as I chose this one for a freebie in a "buy two get one free" deal at my local Angus and Robertson. I wasn't expecting much because I haven't read any of the other titles Jodi has written, nothing to do with the quality of the writing or the flow of the story, just that I'm not familiar with the author.

Well, all that has changed.

The story flow and characters are excellently developed and I didn't really want the tale to end. I wanted to know more about what happens after, what happens now, a continuance if you like.
I'm going to hunt down a couple more titles from Jodi. If anyone can recommend some please let me know.

Perfect Match is the story of Nina Frost. She is a successful lawyer prosecuting the animals that molest children. Her life seems, if not perfect, then close to it. Husband. Son. Then, one day a horrible realisation hits Nina. Her five-year-old son Nathaniel has been sexually abused. Now she is not fighting for a child of another parent. She is fighting for her own son.

Nina's fight to protect her son at all costs shows us how blind to all else we can become, how easily we can jump to all the wrong conclusions, do all the wrong things, for all the right reasons. Just what a parent is capable of, should someone or something hurt their child.

I'm not a parent yet, but even I could empathise with Nina's anguish and the steps she took in trying to somehow right an abhorrent wrong.

Tags: books

Worth reading: Yes
Summary: Diary entries and notes from his experiences in Africa over 30 odd years.

Bob Geldof, I can take him or leave him. But, I do respect what he's doing to help the situation over all Africa. I've been to Africa myself and I agree with all that he says in this book, but still it is shocking to read of the atrocities being conducted by the warlords and self-styled leaders of most african countries. His insights into where the developed nations are going wrong as they attempt to help the situation are revealing and he shows his great depth of knowledge of the African cultures as he discusses ways to better aid them.

Regardless of what you may think of Bob, this book is well worth reading and well written. You can hear the Irish lilt in his words as you read them. His writing style will have you laughing one moment, shaking your head at the idiocies he encounters, and then almost crying the next as he describes the horrors he comes across.

Tags: books

Worth reading: Hell yes!
Summary: The world gone mad, a modern day Sodom and Gomorra.

I will never look at blogging the same way again. I am a recent blogger.. in the last couple of months. I used to wonder who reads all the crap that people blog about and why on earth would they read it? Now, I don't really care who reads it, I have fallen foul of the supposed anonymity of the Internet age. There are a group of us at work who blog about different things and it's interesting to read the thoughts that are put down. Sometimes I guess it's easier to write it than to say it. Would we blog about what we personally would consider private? I seriously doubt it. I do consider blogging as an interesting exercise in communication, however.

In Ben Elton's Blind Faith, blogging is now compulsory. In fact privacy is now considered unhealthy and is actually illegal. The world he describes has turned away from scientific reason and fact and instead has corrupted the word of God, and making it illegal to be an individual thinker. Vaccinations are outlawed as being blasphemous. One in two children die of preventable diseases for this is the will of God. By Law you are Famous. By Law you cannot be discriminated against regardless of the circumstance. You are required to blog at least once a day and stream your every waking moment to the net where it can be viewed by all and sundry, including the Temple and their Confessors who require it of you.

Ben Elton describes a scary world. One in the post apocalyptic time after the flood caused by global warming. A world that is oh-so-very-close.

Tags: books

Worth reading: Yes
Summary: FBI crime investigation

I've only just started reading titles by Lee Child in the last couple of months, and I have come to like them a lot. I can read several one after the other which I find difficult with most other authors. The key character in all Lee Child's books is Jack Reacher. Ex US MP of 13 years, now drifting around the country and world.

From the back of the book:
"Sergeant Amy Callan and Lieutenant Caroline Cook have a lot in common. Both were army high-flyers. Both were acquainted with Jack Reacher. Both were forced to resign from the service. Now they're both dead. Both were found in their own home, naked, in a bath full of paint. Both apparent victims of an army man. A loner, a smart guy with a score to settle, a ruthless vigilante. A man just like Jack Reacher."

If you like "who dunnits" with a common central character with lots of gratuitous violence then Lee Child and Jack Reacher are for you.

Tags: books, Lee Child, jack reacher

Worth reading: Yes
Summary: Chasing down Dracula

This is a rather interesting read. It is another work concerning the tale of Dracula. Elizabeth Kostova has blended fact with a fictional story line. This tale is told by the daughter of the Historian. She is reading the notes and letters from her father who has suddenly gone missing, who in turn is recounting the search for his Professor who was snatched by Dracula years before.

The story traces the family line back through several generations and uncovers a family's connection with an evil past.

For me, this was a slow read for the first half of the book and at times the characters can be frustrating. But this aside, it is still an excellent book and well worth the time.

Tags: books

Finally an actual BotTF entry. I hope no one was holding out for one. I'm actually cheating a bit with this one. I read it for the second time several months back after a discussion with one of my friends prompted me to pick it up again.

Thermopylae - Battle for the West, recounts the tale of the three-day battle for the pass at the "Hot Gates" of Thermopylae. This tale was most recently told in the Hollywood over-simplification-but-still-impressive block-buster "300".

If you're not familiar with the story, the then King of Sparta, Leonidas, played a devastating yet suicidal delaying tactic to hold the advancing Persian army of Xerxes. This gave the Greeks time to settle their differences and prepare for the coming onslaught.

Thermopylae - Battle for the West, also covers the lead-up to the battle at the Hot Gates, and the final crushing defeat of of the Persian army at Plataea that ended the Greco-Persian wars, where the Spartans once again showed their superior military tactics and training.

This is a very compelling read for anyone interested in Greek history. This battle, and the resulting defeat of the Persian army is what defined the western world.

Tags: books, history

Picked this up on the weekend while passing through Gympie.

This Motorcycle atlas has 100 top rides of Australia. I've been browsing through it over the past couple of days and it looks rather good.

This is the Third Edition and the Author Peter Thoeming covers not only the top rides of Australia, but also some guidelines on what to pack and how to pack it. It's also full of imagery of the ride areas.

Most of the "Top" rides in Queensland are right around where I live, so I have no excuse not to try them out.

Many of the top rides in Queensland, New South Wales, and Tasmania I have already covered by car and so I know they're good.

I just have to do them on the bike.

So here's waiting for Summer to end and Autumn to start so the temperature drops a little. I don't find it too much fun riding in the 30+ heat. Don't get me wrong, it's all fun, it just could be funner... ahem, more fun.

Tags: books, motorcycles, road trips

I am a voracious reader. It's not uncommon for me to have up to four books on the go at any one time. Just of late I've slackened off the pace a little and am reading just one. I won't go into the authors I tend to gravitate towards, with the exception of Stephen King. I only mention him because I've already mentioned him in another blog, and he's my favourite author.

Book of the Time Frame (BotTF) will be a section I will update with each new book that I finish. I will attempt to provide a review of said book and give some indication of whether I think it might be worth your book-time...or not. Book of the Time Frame is so-called because I don't want to be held to any specific number of books or to any specific period of time.

I was going to start with a review of my current read, however I'm staring at the bottom of my second GT for the evening and the words are starting to swim on the screen. I had a feeling that last one may have been a bit strong...pity the feeling didn't hit me till just now.

Tags: books

I'm a rather big Stephen King fan. A fan in the sense that I've read almost everything he's ever written more than once, and everything he's ever released in Australia... more than once. As I was hunting around for the contents of the previous blog entry I came across the Gunslinger Litany. I had this tucked away on a CD from years back.

It always reminds me of Clint Eastwood, or rather the character of Roland reminds me of Clint Eastwood (greatest western gunslinger ever created..You can thank me later Clint). Can you imagine a world where everyday people took this type of thing seriously? I can, I look forward to it. To me it seems a much simpler life.

The Gunslinger Litany
( ...as recited by Roland of Gilead, last of the Gunslingers)

I do not aim with my hand.
He who aims with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.
I aim with my Eye.

I do not shoot with my hand.
He who shoots with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.
I shoot with my Mind.

I do not kill with my hand.
He who kills with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.
I kill with my Heart.

Tags: books, stephen king