~ Books ~
Current Book
The Principled Politician (A. Schrager) This book was cited heavily in Rachel Maddow's podcast "Burn Order". It tells the story of Ralph Carr, WWII governor of Colorado, who stood against the internment of Japanese citizens during that war. An ugly but important part of U.S. history.
Dec
There Is No Antimemetics Division (S. Hughes, aka qntm) This is a shot in the dark sci-fi novel. I wanted some escapist reading. Hughes explores the realm of conscious thoughts and memory by means of invaders who thrive on eating them. Pretty convoluted, but kinda fun.
Nov
Enshittification (C. Doctorow) Doctorow is my favorite author right about now. The rest of his stuff that I've read has been fiction, but this is his real-world observations about why so much high-tech enterprise is going bad and what we might do about it. Difficult to understand at times, but worth the struggle. The guy is brilliant and the topic important.
Sep
Picks and Shovels (C. Doctorow) Another in his Martin Hench series. Marty is a forensic accountant, strange profession to base high-tech suspense thrillers on, but Cory makes it work. This one takes the protagonist back to his roots, dealing with the early days of the PC boom and a less than ethical computer manufacturing company. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Aug
Hot, Flat, and Crowded (T. Friedman) A number of years ago, I read his "The World Is Flat", Friedman's take on the state of the world at the time, 2006. Brilliant. This is a 2008 follow-up I found in one of the many birdhouse libraries in my neighborhood. Again, very insightful and well-written, but I feared pretty much dated.
Keeping the Dream Alive (T. Ahwal) The author doubles as the wife of Bob Morris, friend from my youth and author of a couple of books I've read. The two recently came to California and I saw a film for which Terry was responsible. This book is a memoir, the first half of which recounts the first fifteen years of her life as a Palestinian, much of which during the Israeli occupation after the 6-Day War. Utterly terrifying. A real eye-opener. The second recounts her life after coming to the US and her ongoing fight for justice for Palestinians. Definitely an eye-opener.
Jul
The New Conservatives (O. Cass) Cass is a non-Trumpian conservative and founding member of think-tank "American Compass." I became aware of him when he was a guest on Bill Mahar's "Real Time." Reading this is a plod because it's heavy economics, but worth the struggle. His take on the term "investment" opened my eyes. He takes on current conservatives as much as liberals. I'm found it worth the struggle.
Jun
Blowout (R. Maddow) In this book, Rachel takes on the Oil industry. Enlightening to say the least. Fracking, international corruption, yikes!
Shin the Scholar - 2025
Last update: December 19, 2025
Books, DVDs and Other Scholarly Pursuits
~ DVDs & Other ~
Current "Other"
None
Dec
Burn Order (R. Maddow) This is a podcast. It describes the WWII internment of thousands of Japanese, how it happened and its impact. A sad chapter in U.S. history. I visited one of the internment camps in 2011 (see my travel section, 58 County Pledge, #3). I knew the basic story, but hearing the details was worth the listen.
Nov
Everything Music Theory Book (M. Schonbrun) I got half way through this book but realized it would take more concentration than simple reading. Also access to a piano and guitar. But yeah, I'm finally learning the theory behind something I've done all my life. Moved from the "Books" column Oct. 2, 2025.
Jul
I learned a software package, "Crescendo" so I could work out harmonies for a church music project. Pretty easy and effective.
Current DVD
None
~ Mo' Books ~
May
Red Team Blues (C. Doctorow) This time, Cory is setting his mystery (same central character, Marty Hensch as in "The Bezzle") in the cryptocurrency business. Again, Doctorow draws on his expertise in matters technical, sometimes leaving me a bit lost, but I pick things up again and find the exploration fascinating.
Apr
The Bezzle (C. Doctorow) I've been a fan of Cory Doctorow since a friend introduced me to to "Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom". I've really liked some of his stuff, not so much some others. This one was good, and serves as a warning about privatizing the prison system. Actually, Cory has written quite a bit in the last few years. I think I'll try another.
Mar
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (H. S. Thompson) I found that "Lake Wobegon Days" without Garrison Keillor's voice didn't do it for me, so I put it aside and read its polar opposite. I found it to be as fun a read as I've ever encountered. WAY strange, but fun.
Feb
The Presidents and the People (C. Brettschneider) Although I didn't care for the writing style, the thesis was interesting: Presidents who overextend their reach are less constrained by the courts and other institutional guardrails than they are by we the people. We build "constitutional constituencies" to fight back. He starts with John Adams and the Alien and Sedition Acts and goes through Nixon, leaving us with where we are today.
Jan
Drift (R. Maddow) I'm a big fan, and loved "Bag Man", the story of VP Spiro Agnew's corruption. (I didn't like living through having Agnew as VP, it was the book that I liked.) "Drift" tells the story of our military's getting away from its original mission as described in the constitution and more and more being used by presidents to serve their political interests. And like the saying goes, things are more like they are today than they've ever been before.