Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, & technology book reviews, plus social, political, & economic commentary
It’s not your imagination: America really is awash in conspiracy theories. Trump, UFOs, the JFK assassination, Elvis, “crisis actors,” Obama, Hillary, George Soros (or was it George Clooney?) grabbing for your guns — take your pick. The current warning shouts of the looney toons can keep you on edge and looking over your shoulders 24/7 … Continue reading Why Do We Have So Many Ridiculous Conspiracy Theories?
The Milli Vanilli Condition Essays on Culture in the New Millennium Eduardo Espina Arté Publico – paperback “When we see Justin Bieber, we do not see a person. We see a haircut,” says Uruguayan poet and writer Eduardo Espina in this insightful and entertaining collection of 13 essays that delve into various aspects … Continue reading THE MILLI VANILLI CONDITION: Faking it, without much consequence, in the 21st century – #bookreview
The Mob and the City The Hidden History of How the Mafia Captured New York C. Alexander Hortis (Prometheus Books, Kindle, hardcover) Forget The Godfather, its sequels and numerous other, famous “Mafia” movies. This excellent book cuts straight through the hype, fictions, and glamorizations to tell “the hidden history of how the street … Continue reading The Mob and the City: The Hidden History of How the Mafia Captured New York – #bookreview
Beautiful LEGO Mike Doyle (No Starch Press – paperback, Kindle) Wow! That’s one of the best words to describe the snap-together works of art that can be created using LEGO plastic bricks. Mike Doyle’s excellent new LEGO art book offers some 400 color pictures of everything from a rotary-dial telephone to a Thanksgiving turkey, plus … Continue reading Beautiful LEGO – Photos and insights from some of the LEGO world’s top artists – #bookreview
Lunch with Buddha Roland Merullo (PFP/Ajar, Kindle, paperback) To be honest, I was not really aware of Roland Merullo until his publisher contacted me offering a review copy of an enticingly titled new novel, Lunch with Buddha. I could blame my “Who?” reaction on my intense focus toward reviewing technology books over the past two … Continue reading Lunch with Buddha – An entertaining, engrossing, thought-provoking American road-trip novel – #bookreview
Designing Games A Guide to Engineering Experiences Tynan Sylvester (O’Reilly – paperback, Kindle) If you design video games, if you hope to become a game creator, or if you work for a company whose lifeblood is creating and maintaining successful video games, you need to read this excellent book. Tynan Sylvester provides a comprehensive overview … Continue reading Designing Games – A well-written, comprehensive guide to video game engineering – #bookreview
No Starch Press recently has released three new books aimed at the world’s millions of LEGO™ builders: The Unofficial LEGO™ Builder’s Guide, 2nd Edition The LEGO™ Adventure Book, Vol. 1 The Unofficial LEGO™ Technic Builder’s Guide. Here are short reviews of each. The Unofficial LEGO™ Builder’s Guide, 2nd Edition Allan Bedford (No Starch, paperback – … Continue reading LEGO Bonanza — Stack ’em up: 3 hot new books for LEGO builders – #bookreview
Enterprise Games: Using Game Mechanics to Build a Better Business Michael Hugos (O’Reilly, paperback – Kindle) Can 21st-century games and gamers attack and destroy the top-down, assembly-line thinking that still keeps many businesses firmly rooted in the previous century? Michael Hugos’ compelling new book makes a solid case that they can. Game mechanics, he argues, can … Continue reading Enterprise Games – How to build a better 21st-century business with game mechanics – #business #bookreview
Daily Decadence: The Art of Sensual Living Sherri Dobay (Flying Archer Press, paperback, Kindle) You might quibble with a few of the food and wine pairings in this entertaining book on sensual living. But there is no denying Sherri Dobay’s bright, cajoling spirit. She wants us to try harder to make unfettered time for ourselves … Continue reading Daily Decadence: The Art of Sensual Living – Make your day go better with a little wine, art, food & love – #bookreview
Dance All Night: Those Other Southwestern Swing Bands, Past and Present Jean A. Boyd (Texas Tech University Press, hardback, list price $65.00; paperback, list price $39.95) Fans of 1930s and 1940s western swing will find plenty to enjoy in this entertaining book by Jean A. Boyd, a Baylor University music history professor and native of Fort … Continue reading Dance All Night: Those Other Southwestern Swing Bands, Past and Present – #bookreview #in #music
Books, Commentary, & More 