Until I read this book, my entire knowledge of Rene Descartes consisted of the stanza from Monty Python's Philosophers Song. Accordingly, I approached Descartes' Secret Notebook by Amir Aczel with almost no preconceptions about Descartes.
The title refers to an encoded notebook found in Descartes' possessions after his death. A student philosopher, Leibniz, was allowed to copy some of Descartes' papers, including a few pages from the notebook. A few years later, the notebook was lost and was never seen again.
The majority of the book is a somewhat cursory biography of Descartes. As the actual notebook was only 16 pages long, and the only remaining copy is just a few pages of that, it would be difficult to spend an entire book on the notebook.
Instead, most of the book follows Descartes in his travels around Europe. The biography works to explain Descartes' intense need for secrecy and generally succeeds. Descartes lived in a turbulent, dangerous time when studying physics and math could bring down the wrath of the Catholic Church upon him. Accordingly, he delayed publication of some of his books, and significantly altered others in an attempt to avoid persecution.
The author returns to the notebook at the end of the book, and discusses what was found within. This part is apparently somewhat controversial, judging from some of the angry reviews I found on Amazon. I found it plausible and well-explained, and the author ties it in with some current cosmology theory in an interesting discussion.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. If I were more familiar with Descartes, I probably would have found the biography brief and lacking. As it was, I found that the book served as an excellent introduction to Descartes, and got me interested in finding out more about the time period.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
612: Balance
Balance : in search of the lost sense by Scott McCredie has been a quick, enjoyable read. The book explains the vestibular system, how proprioception works, and the importance of balance in everyday life. The author explores the evolution and origin of balance, and how it provided an evolutionary advantage for primitive man.
Along the way, the author discusses balance in a very wide range of topics, from Van Gogh's ear to circus acrobats and even a possible explanation for the death of John F. Kennedy, Jr. The writing is clear and informative, and the chapters are well organized.
The author has carefully documented his writing with actual studies and discussions with researchers in the field. Where the claims are more speculative, such as the possible links of the vestibular system with cognition and memory, he makes it very clear that it's just a theory, and a disputed one at that.
A fascinating read, and one that will benefit everyone from athletes to the elderly. Highly recommended.
Along the way, the author discusses balance in a very wide range of topics, from Van Gogh's ear to circus acrobats and even a possible explanation for the death of John F. Kennedy, Jr. The writing is clear and informative, and the chapters are well organized.
The author has carefully documented his writing with actual studies and discussions with researchers in the field. Where the claims are more speculative, such as the possible links of the vestibular system with cognition and memory, he makes it very clear that it's just a theory, and a disputed one at that.
A fascinating read, and one that will benefit everyone from athletes to the elderly. Highly recommended.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
791: Filmmaking
I have never attended film school, so I can't say for certain if What They Don't Teach You at Film School, by Camille Landau and Tiare White lives up to its title. The book consists of a series of tips (161 of them) pertaining to video film production. Each tip is a page or two, and they have the feel that they came from the authors' own experiences.
Most of the tips are on interpersonal relations (i.e., managing your crew, finding investors, schmoozing, begging for free stuff, etc.) as opposed to filming techniques or script writing. The authors anticipate you'll probably be trying to film a short on the cheap, with people donating their time. Accordingly, they bring up a long list of possible complications and problems, from how to approach investors to why you never hire people in pairs (because if one doesn't work out, you'll lose both of them at once).
It was a bit of a tough read, as the tips did not really flow into one another. Instead, each read like a separate chapter. They were organized into broad categories, but that didn't help much with the readability. The book's target audience appears to be a newly graduated film student living in Los Angeles working on getting their short film done, which I am not. Not a bad book, but not exactly what I was looking for.
Most of the tips are on interpersonal relations (i.e., managing your crew, finding investors, schmoozing, begging for free stuff, etc.) as opposed to filming techniques or script writing. The authors anticipate you'll probably be trying to film a short on the cheap, with people donating their time. Accordingly, they bring up a long list of possible complications and problems, from how to approach investors to why you never hire people in pairs (because if one doesn't work out, you'll lose both of them at once).
It was a bit of a tough read, as the tips did not really flow into one another. Instead, each read like a separate chapter. They were organized into broad categories, but that didn't help much with the readability. The book's target audience appears to be a newly graduated film student living in Los Angeles working on getting their short film done, which I am not. Not a bad book, but not exactly what I was looking for.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
On suggestions
My thanks to everyone who has posted a book to the suggestions list!
All suggestions that are submitted are stored for my approval first before they show up on the suggestion list. That's in case some wise guy starts posting a few too many suggestions in the 306.77 category. Rest assured, I get all of your suggestions.
I'm planning to update the suggestion list to provide columns to give a little feedback on if a book was accepted or rejected, and why. The most common reasons I would reject a book are:
I currently have about 30 books on the book list. My goal now is to expand the list to 100 books, with coverage across all categories. This will make it easier to analyze new suggestions, and decide if they should be added to the reading list.
All suggestions that are submitted are stored for my approval first before they show up on the suggestion list. That's in case some wise guy starts posting a few too many suggestions in the 306.77 category. Rest assured, I get all of your suggestions.
I'm planning to update the suggestion list to provide columns to give a little feedback on if a book was accepted or rejected, and why. The most common reasons I would reject a book are:
- Already read it, so I can't use it.
- Already read something in that category. One book per category, remember?
- I already have too many picks in that category on the book list. I don't mind having a couple choices in each category, but once I have a couple good choices I will be very reluctant to accept more.
- Not to be rude, but it sounds boring. This challenge is going to be hard enough as it is. I'm have to focus on fascinating books that can keep my interest.
- It's too long. That's a horrible reason to not read a book, but I have to have some limits. If my list fills up with 900 page volumes, this is going to take two decades, not one.
- My local library doesn't have it. This shouldn't happen very often, as the library is connected to a large network of bigger libraries. But if it's particularly rare or oddball, then it might happen. I'll probably leave it on the suggestion list until I can find a copy myself.
I currently have about 30 books on the book list. My goal now is to expand the list to 100 books, with coverage across all categories. This will make it easier to analyze new suggestions, and decide if they should be added to the reading list.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
158: On quitting
No, I haven't given up already. I finished my second book a few days ago, but just didn't get around to writing the review for it.
My second book is from 158, Applied Psychology. The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When To Quit (And When to Stick) by Seth Godin, is all about quitting at the right time. It's a quick read, but an interesting one. Godin's books tend to be short and focused on a single topic, and this one is no exception, weighing in at a mighty 80 pages.
Most new ventures, from businesses to mastering a skill, start out fun and exciting, but that doesn't last. You inevitably hit a decline. The business expands, and suddenly you're dealing with lots of hassles and less of the fun stuff. You reach a point where you're not progressing any more. What then?
The conventional wisdom is to never quit. "Winners never quit and quitters never win," as the quote from Vince Lombardi goes. Godin skewers this cliche, and amply demonstrates that there are times where it does make sense to quit, and to quit early.
It's a fun read, and recommended.
My second book is from 158, Applied Psychology. The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When To Quit (And When to Stick) by Seth Godin, is all about quitting at the right time. It's a quick read, but an interesting one. Godin's books tend to be short and focused on a single topic, and this one is no exception, weighing in at a mighty 80 pages.
Most new ventures, from businesses to mastering a skill, start out fun and exciting, but that doesn't last. You inevitably hit a decline. The business expands, and suddenly you're dealing with lots of hassles and less of the fun stuff. You reach a point where you're not progressing any more. What then?
The conventional wisdom is to never quit. "Winners never quit and quitters never win," as the quote from Vince Lombardi goes. Godin skewers this cliche, and amply demonstrates that there are times where it does make sense to quit, and to quit early.
It's a fun read, and recommended.
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