pm221
Calgary Public Library
pm221's Completed Shelf
Patient H.MPatient H.M, BookA Story of Memory, Madness and Family Secrets
by Dittrich, LukeBook - 2016Book, 2016
Added Sep 19, 2021
The BodyThe Body, BookA Guide for Occupants
by Bryson, BillBook - 2019 | First edition.Book, 2019. First edition.
pm221's rating:
Added Sep 19, 2021
Comment:
Great historical detail, including many key figures I was unaware of. Just as readable as all his books, in spite of the text book format. Yes there are some errors, but they do not detract from the experience.
Science in the SoulScience in the Soul, BookSelected Writings of A Passionate Rationalist
by Dawkins, RichardBook - 2017 | First edition.Book, 2017. First edition.
pm221's rating:
Added Sep 08, 2021
Comment:
Blessedly free of the worst of Dawkin’s attacks on religion, some of the articles are excellent, others rather pedestrian.
UpheavalUpheaval, BookTurning Points for Nations in Crisis
by Diamond, Jared M.Book - 2019 | First edition.Book, 2019. First edition.
pm221's rating:
Added Sep 08, 2021
Comment:
Using a framework of twelve characteristics to evaluate national behaviour as contrasted with personal characteristics seems very artificial, but that does not detract from the valuable insights into historical details of several of the seven countries analysed. The lessons for the USA are glaring, and not left to the reader to draw out.Using a framework of twelve characteristics to evaluate national behaviour as contrasted with personal characteristics seems very artificial, but that does not detract from the valuable insights into historical details of several of the seven…
Which Side of History?Which Side of History?, BookHow Technology Is Reshaping Democracy and Our Lives
Book - 2020Book, 2020
pm221's rating:
Added Sep 04, 2021
We Need New StoriesWe Need New Stories, BookThe Myths That Subvert Freedom
by Malik, NesrineBook - 2021 | First American edition.Book, 2021. First American edition.
pm221's rating:
Added Aug 27, 2021
Comment:
A good article on political correctness.
A World Without WorkA World Without Work, BookTechnology, Automation, and How We Should Respond
by Susskind, DanielBook - 2020 | First edition.Book, 2020. First edition.
pm221's rating:
Added Aug 27, 2021
Comment:
An alarming look at what happens when AI and robots drastically reduce the need for old fashioned work. Not only do we lose the signal the work competency provides for resource allocation, the big drawback of UBI, but also run into the problem of meaningful and rewarding occupation in the absence of work.An alarming look at what happens when AI and robots drastically reduce the need for old fashioned work. Not only do we lose the signal the work competency provides for resource allocation, the big drawback of UBI, but also run into the problem of…
Life UnfoldingLife Unfolding, BookHow the Human Body Creates Itself
by Davies, Jamie A.Book - 2014 | First edition.Book, 2014. First edition.
pm221's rating:
Added Aug 27, 2021
Comment:
The author communicates the complexity of embryonic development without going into any of the complexities of biochemistry or genetics. The emphasis is always on the ability of cells to communicate between themselves, and their ability to use feed back and feed forward methods of control. Very thorough and informative.The author communicates the complexity of embryonic development without going into any of the complexities of biochemistry or genetics. The emphasis is always on the ability of cells to communicate between themselves, and their ability to use feed…
Lost in MathLost in Math, BookHow Beauty Leads Physics Astray
by Hossenfelder, SabineBook - 2018 | First edition.Book, 2018. First edition.
pm221's rating:
Added Aug 21, 2021
Some Assembly RequiredSome Assembly Required, BookDecoding Four Billion Years of Life, From Ancient Fossils to DNA
by Shubin, NeilBook - 2020 | First edition.Book, 2020. First edition.
pm221's rating:
Added Aug 21, 2021
Comment:
We have got used to punctuated equilibrium, here is the story behind the punctuation marks. Entertainingly written, this book makes the well known story new and interesting.
A History of the Human BrainA History of the Human Brain, BookFrom the Sea Sponge to CRISPR, How Our Brain Evolved
by Stetka, BretBook - 2021Book, 2021
pm221's rating:
Added Aug 17, 2021
Comment:
Relying heavily on research on primate behaviour, this is not so much a history of the development of the human brain as of human culture and behaviour. There js a brief introduction on the structure of the brain, but none of the expected (by me at least) description of the evolution of the neuronal biochemistry and structure that determine the operation of our brains.Relying heavily on research on primate behaviour, this is not so much a history of the development of the human brain as of human culture and behaviour. There js a brief introduction on the structure of the brain, but none of the expected (by me at…
Is That A Fish in your Ear?Is That A Fish in your Ear?, BookTranslation and the Meaning of Everything
by Bellos, DavidBook - 2011Book, 2011
pm221's rating:
Added Aug 17, 2021
Comment:
Much meatier than the Hitch Hikers Guide title implies, this is a serious book on the manifold intricacies involved in translation. It provides both insight into Japanese poetry and at the other end of the scale into the EU approach to translation of regulations. The author demonstrates an extensive knowledge and appreciation of multiple languages through his native Hungarian to Russian, French, British English plus insights into various others.
PS. Ignore previous comment from Peter07. He must have read a different book.Much meatier than the Hitch Hikers Guide title implies, this is a serious book on the manifold intricacies involved in translation. It provides both insight into Japanese poetry and at the other end of the scale into the EU approach to translation…
pm221's rating:
Added Aug 17, 2021
Comment:
A nice refresher on last 300 years of history, makes me wonder how much gets taught in schools these days. The later section on current geopolitics was less interesting.
Repeal the Second AmendmentRepeal the Second Amendment, BookThe Case for A Safer America
by Lichtman, Allan J.Book - 2020 | First edition.Book, 2020. First edition.
All copies in useView location availabilityView location availability for Repeal the Second Amendment, Book, All copies in use
Holds: 0 on 1 copy
Holds: 0 on 1 copy
pm221's rating:
Added Aug 07, 2021
Comment:
Excellent background for those interested in the history of the 2nd Amendment, or somewhat less so for the background of the NRA. Nothing of course to explain the American insanity over guns.
Stealing FireStealing Fire, BookHow Silicon Valley, the Navy SEALS, and Maverick Scientists Are Revolutionizing the Way We Live and Work
by Kotler, StevenBook - 2017 | First edition.Book, 2017. First edition.
pm221's rating:
Added Aug 04, 2021
Comment:
Wide ranging and, yes, fascinating, but throughout I was gripped by visceral resistance to the idea of messing with my mind.
BullspottingBullspotting, BookFinding Facts in the Age of Misinformation
by Collins, LorenBook - 2012Book, 2012
pm221's rating:
Added Aug 04, 2021
Comment:
Thorough rather than gripping, this work tries too hard to be encyclopedic.
BullspottingBullspotting, BookFinding Facts in the Age of Misinformation
by Collins, LorenBook - 2012Book, 2012
pm221's rating:
Added Aug 04, 2021
SupersurvivorsSupersurvivors, UnknownThe Surprising Link Between Suffering and Success
by Feldman, David B.Unknown - 2014Unknown, 2014
pm221's rating:
Added Jul 30, 2021
Comment:
Don’t expect any kind of conclusion from this list of varied stories of the ability of the human spirit to transcend tragedy, or the threat of it. That makes the book ultimately unsatisfying, one would expect at least some analysis or theorising from professional psychologists.Don’t expect any kind of conclusion from this list of varied stories of the ability of the human spirit to transcend tragedy, or the threat of it. That makes the book ultimately unsatisfying, one would expect at least some analysis or theorising…
The Spirit LevelThe Spirit Level, BookWhy Equality Is Better for Everyone
by Wilkinson, Richard G.Book - 2010 | Rev. ed.Book, 2010. Rev. ed.
pm221's rating:
Added Jul 27, 2021
The Finance CurseThe Finance Curse, BookHow Global Finance Is Making Us All Poorer
by Shaxson, NicholasBook - 2019 | First Grover Atlantic hardcover edition.Book, 2019. First Grover Atlantic hardcover edition.
pm221's rating:
Added Jul 27, 2021
KochlandKochland, BookThe Secret History of Koch Industries and Corporate Power in America
by Leonard, ChristopherBook - 2019 | First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition.Book, 2019. First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition.
pm221's rating:
Added Jul 27, 2021
The Universe Speaks in NumbersThe Universe Speaks in Numbers, BookHow Modern Math Reveals Nature's Deepest Secrets
by Farmelo, GrahamBook - 2019 | First edition.Book, 2019. First edition.
pm221's rating:
Added Jul 01, 2021
Comment:
An exhilarating ride through some of the very latest work on the frontiers of maths and physics, showing how the two are converging. Much more interesting than the usual recitation of details of the standard model and basics of relativity, this relates how the relationship between the two is catalysing the latest research.An exhilarating ride through some of the very latest work on the frontiers of maths and physics, showing how the two are converging. Much more interesting than the usual recitation of details of the standard model and basics of relativity, this…
This View of LifeThis View of Life, BookCompleting the Darwinian Revolution
by Wilson, David SloanBook - 2019 | First edition.Book, 2019. First edition.
pm221's rating:
Added Jun 27, 2021
Comment:
Why didn't anyone think of this before? This makes the perfect follow-on from Dawkins's "The Extended Phenotype", but will no doubt be panned by deniers of group selection. Essential reading for anyone interested in how we got to be the way we are.
Bad DataBad Data, BookWhy We Measure the Wrong Things and Often Miss the Metrics That Matter
by Schryvers, PeterBook - 2019Book, 2019
pm221's rating:
Added Jun 27, 2021
Comment:
Nice to have something from a local author, but I have to admit I found it a bit thin. As usual totally lackadaisical proof reading infuriates me, unit conversions are particularly horrible.
pm221's rating:
Added Jun 27, 2021
Comment:
Great fun. The author's "daytime job" as a professional fact checker makes him indisputably well qualified to take on this subject, and he does so masterfully.
Comment: