~ Books ~
Current Book
The Music Lesson (V. Wooten) Anyone at all familiar with the wonderful world of electric bass knows Victor Wooten. He's simply great. This book is a very mystical look at how he separated himself from the pack with the help of a mysterious teacher known only as Michael. A very different and enlightening way to look at a musician's development. I love it!
Apr
Confessions of an Economic Hit Man (J. Perkins) This is a bit dated (2004) but the true story of how an insider in the world of high finance, corporate skullduggery and politics (and others like him) manipulates the world stage. Former NY Times bestseller. A bit depressing, but very informative.
Mar
Prequel (R. Maddow) Rachel explores the Fascist movement in the United States leading up to WWII and into the 1950s. I've now thoroughly enjoyed all four books, though this one was a little scarier than the others. She'll just have to write another.
Feb
Holding the Note (D. Remnick) Remnick authored one of my fave books of all time, "Lenin's Tomb", a history of the fall of the Soviet Union. I thought of him as an outstanding writer, but what was he doing writing short biographies of musicians? Glad he did. From Aretha Franklin to Mavis Staples, from Bob Dylan to Bruce Springsteen, these were outstanding!
Jan
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.
Shin the Scholar - 2026
Last update: April 3, 2026
Books, DVDs and Other Scholarly Pursuits
~ DVDs & Other ~
Apr
Doing my taxes is always a learning experience. This year's fun? RMDs. If you know, my condolences. If you don't, keep it that way as long as you can.
Mar
I took the big step, trying to learn "Pro Tools" What a nightmare! Pro Tools is a music recording program, perhaps too complex for me. We'll see. [Time passes.] Yep, too complicated. I've switched to Apple's "Garage Band", far more manageable and so far, all that I need. I've recorded two songs so far. I want to polish them a bit, but I'll consider this one in the books for now!
Current DVD
None
~ Mo' Books ~