Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, & technology book reviews, plus social, political, & economic commentary
Staying Sane & Entertained While Forced to Hide from the Coronavirus Charles Dickens likely did not have a deadly global pandemic in mind when he wrote the “best of times, worst of times” opening for his novel, A Tale of Two Cities. He was contrasting life in profitable, peaceful London with grim life in revolution-torn … Continue reading Worst of Times, Best of Times
Make an Arduino-Controlled Robot Michael Margolis (O’Reilly – paperback, Kindle) Technology now makes it relatively easy to build simple robots that can be controlled remotely or can control themselves autonomously using built-in sensors and software. This engaging how-to guide focuses on how to build and program a small robot that can roam around, sense its … Continue reading Make an Arduino-Controlled Robot – #diy #bookreview
Think Python Allen B. Downey (O’Reilly, paperback – Kindle) First, a confession. My favorite book for learning Python is Head First Python by Paul Barry. It literally does throw you head-first into Python programming. By page 10, it has you working with nested lists. By page 30, you are creating a function that you will save and turn … Continue reading Think Python – A gentle and effective guide to learning Python programming – #programming #bookreview
Illustrated Guide to Home Forensic Science Experiments: All Lab, No Lecture Robert Bruce Thompson and Barbara Fritchman Thompson (O’Reilly, paperback – Kindle) Movies, TV shows and detective novels have elevated forensic science to a cultural fascination. And in real life, a clue uncovered with a microscope or a chemical test frequently is the one that … Continue reading Illustrated Guide to Home Forensic Science Experiments – Real CSI basics – #bookreview
The Manga Guide to Linear Algebra Shin Takahashi, Iroha Inoue, and Trend-Pro Co., Ltd. (No Starch Press, paperback, list price $24.95) Linear algebra is one of the reasons I fled engineering school and became a writer many years ago. Mathematical abstractions and my mind just do not seem to know how to mix. I would … Continue reading The Manga Guide to Linear Algebra – Love, karate & mind-bending math in a helpful comic book – #bookreview #in
Illustrated Guide to Home Biology Experiments: All Lab, No Lecture Robert Bruce Thompson and Barbara Fritchman Thompson (Make:Books/O’Reilly Media, paperback, list price $34.99; Kindle edition, list price $27.99) This is serious science in the form of a 359-page workbook devoted to 30+ lab experiments that can be performed at home, with the right equipment and materials. … Continue reading Illustrated Guide to Home Biology Experiments – Serious science for homeschoolers and biology hobbyists – #bookreview
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