Review: Pumpkinflowers by Matti Friedman

Pumpkinflowers by Matti Friedman by Matti Friedman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a unique memoir. Friedman tells the history of a hill, called Pumpkin, in the Israel security zone within southern Lebanon. This is where Friedman himself served with the IDF, though he doesn’t start with his service. The first focus is on Avi, a soldier serving at the Pumpkin before Friedman. Then Friedman gets into his service, which was in the late 90s ending with the Israeli pull out of the Lebanon security zone. Then Friedman tells about his fascinating clandestine trip back to the area only a few years later.

The story is intensely personal and poignant. It also gives hints of the world that was to come: IEDs, video taping of terror attacks, the challenges of asymmetric warfare against a civilian embedded enemy. The memoir also gives us glimpses into the debate within Israel about the security zone and how this zone eventually unraveled.

The book is decidedly not political: it’s not about analyzing the arguments for or against the security zone or any other aspect of the conflict. It’s about the soldiers, their families, and their lives: how war impacts and shapes their lives. Though at times brutally honest about the soldier’s experience it is free from hyperbole or dramatics. It doesn’t demonize the enemy and it doesn’t glorify his own side. Like the soldiers on the hill, it just lives in the complexity of the conflict; just tries to survive it.

This is the third Friedman book I’ve read; they have all been amazing. I recommend all of them: Who by Fire: Leonard Cohen in the Sinai and Spies of No Country: Secret Lives at the Birth of Israel.


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Review: Convergence

Convergence by Zoraida Córdova
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In the end, I enjoyed Star Wars: Convergence. It moves along fairly well, the world building is very good, it has some good action, and some of the characters are compelling. Still, the High Republic remains overall a disappointment to me. Partly, I just don’t get the point. The stories can be fun, but overall it doesn’t really add that much to Star Wars. There is little adding to the lore or fleshing out of the Jedi or the Republic.

The Jedi, Gella Nattai, has promise. One of the main problems with the High Republic era is that most of the Jedi are caricatures, too good, too perfect. It’s very hard to get a feel for them, or make a connection. Gella is younger, not flawed as such, but still developing as a Jedi and her finding her way in the Force. I found it easier to connect to her character.

Axel Greylark is a fun character; in some ways he’s a caricature of the rich playboy type, but there’s more to him than meets the eye.

Xiri and Phan-Tu are more mixed as characters. There are interesting things about them, but their romance doesn’t work for me: too forced and too quick. As the book goes on, they seem to be there more for the story to happen then as drivers of the story.

Most of the other characters are pretty flat, indistinguishable, and not very memorable.
The Mother and the Path could be an interesting adversary; we’ll see how it goes as it develops in Phase 2.

The plot itself is kind of far-fetched: one never figures out why the two worlds are fighting, and then they come together far too quickly after what is termed a forever war. It’s very simplistic: as if war just happens and all that is needed for peace is for two people to stand up and declare it.
But once that is put aside and the story moves along, it does become more compelling and entertaining.


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Review: Romeo's Fight

Romeo's Fight by James Scott Bell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Of the four Mike Romeo books I've read so far, I think this one is the best. The plot is tighter and more focused. Previous installments have sometimes got a bit convoluted and involved too many plotlines. This one is more straightforward, though with some twists and turns. It's a fast, fun read with some interesting characters. Romeo is a hard hitting, philosophically-minded detective and knight-errant. His dialogue is peppered with quotations from philosophers, artists, and authors. I think the books could be improved if the philosophical ideas worked themselves a bit more into and where reflected in the plot. They are fun and helpf characterize Mike, but don't serve anything more substantive in the books.


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Review: The Book of Genesis

The Book of Genesis by Gary A. Rendsburg
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This course was quite fascinating. Over the course of 24 lectures, Prof. Rendsburg takes you through Book of Genesis. One aspect of the course I appreciated was that Rendsburg had lectures weaved into the overall progression of the book that focused on various issues needing special focus. For example, there are lectures that focused on the history of the Ancient Near East that are relevant for understanding the historical context of the Bible, another lecture on the literature structure of the Bible, one on the different ways of translating the Bible, and another on the dating of the Book of Genesis. These provide important theories and ideas for understanding Genesis, but also they help break up the lectures and avoids the tedium that can sometimes come in long Teaching Company courses.

Though most of the stories where familiar to me, and I imagine would be to almost anyone raised in the West, I learned a lot about the context of these stories, how they related to each other and to other parts of the Bible. I also developed a deeper appreciation for the language, structure, and construction of the Biblical text.

My main criticism would be that some of the discussion of the historicity of the stories could be too credulous. Most of the evidence for the events of the Biblical narrative is circumstantial at best and I think Rendsburg ought to have been clearer about that. Personally, I don’t think it matters all the much: the power of the stories and their meaning is not tied to their literal truth. Like fiction and mythology, the narrative can be meaningful and significant without historical accuracy.



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Review: When the Thrill Is Gone

When the Thrill Is Gone by Walter Mosley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love the rhythm and language of Mosley's writing. McGill, the main character, intricately describes the variations of color and shape of everyone he meets. At first, this might seem like Mosely's overly interested in race. But I think it's more about the way McGill sees the world, as a detective looking at every detail of the people he interacts with. McGill is a fascinating character; struggling with his past and his present, but always guided by trying to do what is right. And Mosley develops a cast of characters around McGill that are equally as interesting and engaging. I am not sure McGill is everyone -- his view of the world is a bit too malevolent for me at times -- and I can see that being a turn off for some. In the end, I think while McGill has a malevolent sense of things, the people around him subvert, through their actions (and his own) that view.

I do find at times, I get a little lost in the flow of the story. But, regardless, it pays off; and I really enjoyed how the plot of When the Thrill is Gone resolves itself.

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Review: Shadow of the Sith

Shadow of the Sith by Adam Christopher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Set between TROJ and TFA, this book fills in back story for the sequel trilogy, and in particular key aspects of TROS. Lando and Luke teaming up is interesting choice, but it works. One issue I've had with several Star Wars novels is that they can sometimes get bogged down; but Christopher does a good job moving things along. There is a good balance of exposition and action. I think he does a good job with Lando and Luke, capturing those original trilogy characters well. (Though Lando could have been a bit more dashing and swashbuckler-y.) Ochi struck me as quite different from the comic books, but he's been through a lot since the setting of those books.

Overall, I enjoyed it and recommend it for Star Wars fans. I don't think this adds all that much to the wider world of Star Wars, but it does explore the latter development of two beloved characters and that makes it worth while.

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Review: The Secret Lives of Sports Fans

The Secret Lives of Sports Fans by Eric Simons
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Although there are some interesting parts of this book, overall, I was disappointed. In many ways, the book felt like it was really a long form magazine article (like the Atlantic or the like) that got stretched into book. The flow of the book is mainly a series of anecdotes punctuated by interviews with scientists and other relevant experts. In themselves these were each usually interesting or informative, but they don’t hang together as a whole in a satisfying way. And there is no non-fiction equivalent of a denouement for the various strands of theories and ideas about fandom that Simons presents in the book.

That said, there are some worthwhile discussions of fan identity, how fans relate to each other, and how fandom intersects with other parts of our lives. And Simons and his interviewees do provide some useful social science and evolutionary biology that is relevant for thinking about fandom.


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Review: Making It Home: Life Lessons from a Season of Little League

Making It Home: Life Lessons from a Season of Little League by Teresa Strasser
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's a cliché that baseball is a metaphor for life; and yet there is little about this book that is cliche. Teresa Strasser tells the story of her son's championship little league season and how watching the season with her father helped them both to grieve their lost loves one and deepen their own relationship. Strasser's brother and mother died within four months of each other; and so both she and her father have a lot to process. But Strasser's relationships to her brother, her mother, and her father are, shall we say, a bit complicated; and that all comes out as Strasser tells the story of her son's little league season. Each chapter is a mix of baseball and flashbacks that tell you more about these relationships and the unique Strasser family situation. This is also usually tied together with a relevant metaphor or two from baseball. There are laughs and tears throughout. Strasser reads the audio and you can hear the emotion in her voice. The memoir doesn't hold back, there is a real honesty in Strasser's narrative as she struggles with her grief, her guilt, and her anger. And before you think this is just depressing, there is a lot of joy and happiness here as well.







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Review: The Brass Verdict

The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I always enjoy Connelly's books. Haller is an interesting character. Still, he's not Bosch. But Haller and Bosch meet and work together(somewhat) in this book. Seeing Bosch in this way is different: his terse and brash personality are bit less enduring from the outside! What I enjoyed most was Haller's struggles with his own place in legal system and how to deal with the ethical dilemmas he faces.

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Review: Menachem Begin: The Battle for Israel's Soul

Menachem Begin: The Battle for Israel's Soul by Daniel Gordis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Daniel Gordis presents us with a picture of Menachem Begin as a complex, principled, sometimes paradoxical man. Gordis shows us the full humanity of Begin. Gordis shows us why Begin ought to be honored and praised as one of the re-founders of Israel, while avoiding hagiography. Equally, Gordis presents us with many reasons to be sharply critical of Begin without lapsing into vilification or demonization.

The central theme of Gordis’ book is that Begin was deeply committed to the Jewish people and the restoration of the Jewish homeland. So much of what animated and informed Begin’s actions and decisions was Jewish history and thinking. The history of Jewish suffering and oppression was never far from his mind: he experienced all the 20th century threw at the Jews. He suffered the pogroms of Poland; the murder of his family by the Nazis, the tyranny of the Soviet Union, the restrictions and oppression of the British, and Arab hatred. Throughout it all, he remained steadfast in the need for Jewish freedom and Jewish sovereignty. These principles shaped the man and through him, they helped shape the country.

Another interesting motif running throughout the book is the troubled relationship between Begin and David Ben-Gurion. Though they at times despised each other; the two needed each other: Begin the principled and steadfast idealist; Ben-Gurion the pragmatist single-mindedly focused on building the state. Unsurprisingly in his own biography, Begin comes out getting the better of this fraught relationship.

Begin is sometimes and unfairly presented as harshly militant (even a terrorist). True, he did not shy from the use of force, especially when fighting the British. But he was willing to take big swings at peace (e.g. Egypt). He argued against the military administration for Israeli Arabs, engineered the rescue of Ethiopian Jews, and was the first major political figure to reach across Ashkenazi and Mizrahi lines.

Though his legacy was permanently tarnished by the Lebanon War, Begin’s impact on Israel is uncalculatable. Gordis’ biography captures this important man’s life and historic contributions.


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Review: Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789-1815

Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789-1815 by Gordon S. Wood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Woods’ Empire of Liberty covers the history of the early US, roughly 1789 to 1815. Starting with the reasons for the constitution and the early years of the new government, the first part of Woods’ hefty volume covers some fairly well-trodden areas. This is not to say it doesn’t offer some interesting analysis of the reasons for the new constitution as well as how it was interpreted and implemented in those early years. It is primarily focused on the presidential politics up to the election of 1800 that sees Jefferson come to power. The general theme here is the initial power of the Federalists followed by the rise and dominance of the Jeffersonian Democrat-Republicans. For those familiar with this historical period, it is fairly standard, but laid out masterfully and deftly.

The second half of the book is more thematic, rather than chronological. Here the chapters pick up a theme or topic and explores it. So, you have a chapter on religion in the early republic, another on the development of the Supreme Court and its power, one that looks at slavery, and one that looks the foreign policy and diplomacy of the period. Each of these provide a fascinating window into an aspect of the history of the period.

The book ends by providing a coda for the enlightenment. That is, as the War of 1812 ends and its consequences are felt, the 18th century ends and the Enlightenment ideas that inspired and influenced so much of the ideas of the founding generation give way to both a more pragmatic approach and the new Romanticism that takes root in the 19th century.

The overall, general theme of the book is the rising republicanism and egalitarianism in the early US. By that, it is meant that the central conflict, as it is convincingly presented by Woods, was between hierarchical, monarchial societies on one hand, and on the other, the push to individualize, democratize, and equalize society on the other. Today we think in terms of liberal and conservative, right and left. And while there are elements of that in the early republic, these dichotomies are mostly absent. The split is really primarily between those supporting more traditional social hierarchies (Federalists) and those with a more radical and flatter view (Jeffersonian Republicans). The former seeing these hierarchies as bulwarks against the ravages of both tyranny from above (kinds) and tyranny from below (mob-rule). The latter seeing individual liberty and an engaged citizenry as the real spirit of ’76.

All in all, I think this book is a well-balanced and important history of the early Republic. While probably a bit overly focused on the political history, it does capture the broad themes of the society more generally. It is important to understand this history: if only to see that all the controversies and issues and concerns we fret about today where all there in the early Republic. We got through that. We can get through the craziness of today too.


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Review: The Blade Itself

The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Abercrombie has a created a fantasy world that is interesting and fresh, with deftly crafted characters, avoiding hackneyed types. The story is a slow burn, but never boring, driven by the characters and how they are dealing with the circumstances they find themselves in. The subtle world-creation is great; Abercrombie dribbles out bits and pieces as it makes sense to the characters; it is never forced or just for the sake of world-building itself. The characters are really what makes this book shine. They so well-drawn, compelling, funny, and intelligent. As for the greater story of the trilogy, and why these characters are coming together, little is revealed but there are lots of hints. The book ends with the stage set for the next round without telling us all that much.

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Review: How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book

How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book by Liel Leibovitz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a wonderful book. It is funny and playful, and yet profound and meaningful. Leibovitz makes relevant this ancient book (if you can call it that) and shows how its wisdom is important and needed for our lives today.

Leibovitz starts each chapter with some contemporary and seemingly un-Talmud (even un-Jewish) like story (e.g. the friendship of Tolkien and Lewis; the spy Aldrich Ames; Billie Holiday; etc.). But then he finds a way to draw the connections between these and the stories the Talmud tells; and then ends the chapter discussing the underlying enduring truth or deep meaning convened by both the Talmud and the contemporary story. Along the way one learns about the history and construction of the Talmud, the role it plays in Jewish life, and some of the lessons it teaches. Moreover, Leibovitz demonstrates what makes the Talmud so unique. It is not just a legal text or law book; not is it just stories and myths. And it’s not just the idiosyncratic structure of the Talmud: it’s meandering style, it’s replication of the debates and arguments of generations of Rabbis, it’s commentary on itself that is contained within its own pages. It’s all of this and more that makes the Talmud unique, eternally engaging, and meaningful.

The Talmud is able to capture something very human: we are rational beings, but also emotional and story loving beings; and it also captures the paradox of being both particularistic and universalistic (something that runs through so much of being Jewish and Jewish history). The Talmud convenes truths that are universal, but convenes them in particularistic ways of stories, parables, and disputations about arcane legal matters.

I may never actually read the Talmud (I’ve tried; it can be a slog at times), but if I do, it’ll be because of books like this.


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Review: The Ethics of Sports Fandom

The Ethics of Sports Fandom by Adam Kadlac
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'll be posted a more thorough review of this book on The Sports Ethicist soon, so this will be short. Overall, I liked Kadlac's book. It is clearly written, free of jargon and doesn't get dragged down into minutia. It is well situated in the philosophy of sport literature on the various issues, but also personal and relatable. My main issues are that I don't think many of the arguments Kadlac makes work: that is, either I think the premises are inaccurate or the reasoning doesn't establish the conclusions he thinks they do. That said, Kadlac does a good job of balancing his arguments and conclusions with nuance and perspective: he is not dogmatic or intellectually arrogant. I'd recommend it to someone who's interested in philosophical and ethical issues related to being a sports fan. I also think it would be good as a text or supplemental resource for a class on those topics.

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Review: A Deadly Shade of Gold

A Deadly Shade of Gold by John D. MacDonald
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I continue to develop my love for this series. McGee is such a fascinating character: the knight-errant anti-hero type. He likes to think he prefers life on his boat, taking retirement in installments; but deep down he has a need to help heal the world one piece at a time. He's not out for justice, per se, but he does tend to set things right (or more right than they were) that have gone wrong.

This novel felt much more "noir" than earlier entries. It's darker and no one comes out better off than before(and many don't make out at all); but there is a kind of justice done.

McGee's cynicism (and thus underlying idealism) shines through here even more than in previous books. I think he's often a lot harsher than he needs to be when passing judgment on the 1960s American society; but there is truth in there as well. There is much McGee says that could easily be a comment on our current society and politics. In many ways, not much as changed. I think that though much in the novel is dated and of the 60s, the novels have lasting power because they are at core dealing with timeless issues.



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Review: The Olympic Games: The First Thousand Years by M. I. Finley

The Olympic Games: The First Thousand Years by M. I. Finley by Moses I. Finley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The book covers the main features of the ancient Olympic games. It doesn't get into any great detail, but covers the site at Olympia, the history and development of the program, the spectators, and officials. The authors also cover the political aspects of the ancient games and contemporaneous criticisms of the games. There are several interesting things covered: in particular, the lack of amateur/professional dichotomy moderns are seemingly obsessed with, and the deeply intertwined relationship with ancient religious rituals. It leaves a lot of questions unanswered; in particular, why do the Olympics get and then maintain the prestige and prominence in the ancient world that they do? It's a short book, but worth the quick read for anyone interested in the history of the ancient Olympics.

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