Book Review - Rewired: An Unlikely Doctor, a Brave Amputee, and the Medical Miracle That Made History by Dr. Ajay K. Seth

I am a big fan of biographies, history, science, and technology. I'm also a big fan of science fiction becoming science fact. It's not often these five areas come together in one story.

Rewired: An Unlikely Doctor, a Brave Amputee, and the Medical Miracle That Made History by Dr. Ajay K. Seth is a nonfiction short novel about one woman losing an arm and then regaining feeling and function via surgery and a prosthetic. It is available as an eBook, Audiobook, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Story. This book tells the story of a woman who is bitten by a racoon, her arm becomes severely infected to the point it has to be amputated, and then a new, never-before-performed surgery restores sensation and motor functions to the art. The story itself is pretty remarkable, because everything that happens is pretty basic and ordinary, and yet the results of every event and every action was not the usual or even the expected. There were also many unexplained and seemingly impossible twists in the story.

Telling. The author is the doctor who performed the amputation and the surgery to restore sensation and function. He does a remarkable job detailing the events in a very interesting way. His ghostwriter(s) should probably credited on the cover as well.

Technology. This book discussions cutting edge technology and surgical techniques that not long ago were strictly in the realm of science fiction. It was a lot of fun to see them move into the light of science fact.

The Bad

Stops too Soon. This book stops too early. There is still so much more to this story, but I suppose the author wanted to get the important part out there for all to read, and maybe we'll have a sequel to finish the tale.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I really want to know what happens next. Does the main character get a new prosthetic, and does it work like a real arm?

Overall

Rewired: An Unlikely Doctor, a Brave Amputee, and the Medical Miracle That Made History by Dr. Ajay K. Seth is a nonfiction short novel about one woman losing an arm and then regaining feeling and function via surgery and a prosthetic. The story itself is pretty remarkable, because everything that happens is pretty basic and ordinary, and yet the results of every event and every action was not the usual or even the expected. There were also many unexplained and seemingly impossible twists in the story. The author is the doctor who performed the amputation and the surgery to restore sensation and function. He does a remarkable job detailing the events in a very interesting way. His ghostwriter(s) should probably credited on the cover as well. This book discussions cutting edge technology and surgical techniques that not long ago were strictly in the realm of science fiction. It was a lot of fun to see them move into the light of science fact. This book does stop too early. There is still so much more to this story, but I suppose the author wanted to get the important part out there for all to read, and maybe we'll have a sequel to finish the tale. Overall, it is a fascinating story. I highly recommend this book and give it 4.5 out of 5 eReaders.

  

Audiobook Review - Listen To The Signal: Short Stories Volume 1 by

I love short stories and radio dramas! And I love stories that focus on concepts. And I love original stories that take a different angle on stories.

Listen To The Signal: Short Stories Volume 1 by Rob Dircks is a science fiction short story anthology. It is available as an eBook, audio book, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Today I Invented Time Travel. 3.5/5 This was a fun idea that needed more development.

End Game. 5/5 Video game addiction and its effects on society. Even without this twist, the story is really entertaining and fun.

November 8, 2016. 4/5 A look at people's inherent worth vs. the perception of their worth.


Horatio Breathed His Last. 4/5 An author and his creator. A story I've heard before, but well told.

Purgatory. 5/5 Suicide and alien abductions that don't go how you think they'll go.

Out of the Blue. 4/5 Reality is a giant computer simulation which explains why things that have happen happened.


Rose. 2/5 Miracle plant that can bring the dead back to life and a disappointing romance.

Red Parka. 4.5/5 A new take on psychics that can see the future. Fun story.

Mister Personality. 4/5 This is a story about AI. It takes a different twist on what it means to be human.

Christmas in Silver Peak. 4/5 This is a first contact story at Christmas. While the ending isn't original, I didn't expect that twist with this particular story.

The Bad

Dakō. 1/5 One person looks for a deceased loved one. The "twist" is obvious and been done too often.

Quick Fix. 2/5 Science opera engineering that had potential but didn't go far enough with it.

Tick Tick Tick. 2/5 Man gets a tick which transform him. Okay, unoriginal, and doesn't really go anywhere.

Bloop. 2/5 An alien contact gone wrong, almost as wrong as this story went. Clever approach.

Their DNA Was No Longer the Same. 2/5 This is an exploration of a recent discovery about time in space changing DNA.

The Last One. 2/5 The apocalypse and inborn talent that goes nowhere interesting.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I loved the originality of the stories, but I wish they had been more developed and thought out.

Overall

Listen To The Signal: Short Stories Volume 1 by Rob Dircks is a great science fiction short story anthology. I loved the originality of the stories, but I wish they had been more developed and thought out. This collection has more good than bad and covers a wide range of science fiction and science fantasy with several commenting on society. I highly recommend this book and give it 4.5 out of 5 eReaders.

     

 

Book Review - The Aviators: Eddie Rickenbacker, Jimmy Doolittle, Charles Lindbergh, and the Epic Age of Flight by Winston Groom

I'm a big fan of history, especially from the gay 90s thru the roaring 20s and into the 30s and early 40s. I also love early aviation. So how could I not pick up this book.

The Aviators: Eddie Rickenbacker, Jimmy Doolittle, Charles Lindbergh, and the Epic Age of Flight by Winston Groom is a satirical, comedic, science fiction legal thriller. It is available as an eBook, Audiobook, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Stories. The stories the author chose were incredible, and while the men mentioned didn't really work together or have the same background, their stories parallelled in interesting ways.

Writing. The stories were so well told. The writing didn't get in the way of the narrative. The author was very objective presenting the stories as history and not trying to push a particular view or political position.

The Bad

Narration. The narration was good, but it wasn't great. It didn't take away from the story, but it certainly didn't add anything to it.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I'd love for this to be adapted to film.

Overall

The Aviators: Eddie Rickenbacker, Jimmy Doolittle, Charles Lindbergh, and the Epic Age of Flight by Winston Groom tells the story of three incredible pioneers of early aviation and their lifetimes of contributions even after their initial fame and history-making exploits. The three men didn't work together or even follow the same path, yet their stories have several parallels that I wasn't aware of. The writing was strong, the storytelling masterful. I couldn't put this down. I give this book 5 out of 5 eReaders.

    

Movie Review: Ready Player One

I rarely watch romantic movies. They tend to be too melodramatic for me. But I saw the trailer for this movie and was really interested in watching it. There just seemed to be a good story and good chemistry.

Ready Player One is a 2018 science fiction action film based on the book of the same title. It is rated PG-13 and is appropriate for tweens and up.

The Good

Action. The action in this movie is great! It's exciting, it's fast paced, and there is the right amount of it.

Pacing. This movie has a great pace. I never found myself getting bored nor getting lost. It moved quick enough to hold my interest but slowly enough I understood what was going on.

Visuals. This movie is beautifully shot with eye-popping visuals. Both the real world and the fantasy world are a treat to behold.

Story. While the movie isn't as fleshed out as the book and the stories aren't as well developed, it is still a solid story that introduces interesting characters and you get caught up in the quest.

The Bad

Puzzles are too easy. There were two really fun aspects of the book. The first was the puzzles the characters had to solve. They took a lot of thought and obscure knowledge of early video games and 80s nostalgia. The puzzles in this movie are completely different and very simple to solve.

No Nostalgia. The other fun part of the book is the 80s and early video game nostalgia. This movie instead uses random, unconnected pop culture references that while fun to see don't make any sense together or evoke any era of nostalgia.

Weak Villain. I'm not sure what the filmmakers were thinking. The main villain is a laughable, bumbling, cartoon character who would never become the head of any major corporation or present any real menace or threat. It took away from the conflict and made the quest seem too easy.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish there had been more video game references and more 80s nostalgia like the book.

Overall

Ready Player One is an exciting science fiction action flick with great action and great visuals. The filmmakers did an excellent job squeezing the essential elements of the book into a film without making it feel rushed or incomplete. The challenges are solved fairly easily and the villain was a laughably incompetent cartoon character which made the stakes seem low and the threat not very threatening. And the film lacks the nostalgia of the book. What pop culture references they do make appear too briefly and too randomly to really enjoy. I give this film 4 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.

   

Book Review: Smashing Physics by Jon Butterworth

I love learning about science and reading books about the latest discoveries. I've followed the story of the Large Hadron Collider in the news, but wanted to hear the real story from someone actually involved in the project

Smashing Physics is a nonfiction history / science book written by Jon Butterworth. It's available as an audiobook and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

Overview

Jon Butterworth is one of many particle physicists working at CERN on the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). He tells the story of how the LHC came to be, about the failure of the first attempt to turn it on, and the benefits of waiting a year. He then discusses the search for the Higgs boson and the media coverage surrounding it.

The Good

Honesty / Lack of Dogma. I used to subscribe to Scientific American, but only read it for a year, because the writers were so full of themselves and so dogmatic that they twisted any facts or discoveries to fit their preconceived notions instead of being open to new discoveries. Jon Butterworth does not suffer from such hubris. He is a truly honest scientist that wants to discover the facts whether they agree with his beliefs or not. He is also honest about the limitations of science and how science can never prove anything or lead us to truly know anything. He is also honest in admitting particle physics doesn't actually deal with or detect the particles but the results of their interactions with the particles being conjectured from those results.

Behind the Scenes. The author was at CERN working on Atlas from the beginning and saw much of the work first hand. He also understands what is actually happening and what it means. It's nice not having to read the story thru the media's uneducated and biased glass.

Bigger Picture. The author is aware that particle physics isn't the only area of study of value in the world. He also recognizes the importance of politics, media coverage, and practical applications, and he puts the work at CERN in its proper perspective. This is very refreshing.

The Bad

Explanation of Science. This book seems to be targeted to the layman who isn't an expert in particle physics.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the author had collaborated with someone who knows how to tell an interesting story and explain scientific concepts in a clear and understandable way.

Overall

Smashing Physics by Jon Butterworth tells the story of the Large Hadron Collider and the search for the Higgs boson from someone who was actually there and worked on the project. It's highly technical and will confuse the layman, but for those who want the real story without all the media misinterpretations, this is a great book. I give it 4 out of 5 eReaders.

      

Book Review - The Art of Invisibility: The World's Most Famous Hacker Teaches You How to Be Safe in the Age of Big Brother and Big Data by Kevin Mitnick

Edward Snowden's revelations weren't really revelations to me, because I assumed the government and others were spying on me, but it still made me think about Internet privacy and what I could do to make it harder for others to see what I'm doing.

The Art of Invisibility: The World's Most Famous Hacker Teaches You How to Be Safe in the Age of Big Brother and Big Data is a nonfiction reference guide to maintaining privacy in a world of technology. It's available in all formats: eBooks, Audiobooks, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Information. This book is chuck full of information both on how your privacy is in danger and steps you can take to protect your privacy.

Ray Porter. Ray Porter is a great narrator who is easy to understand and puts such emotion in his performance that you feel every emotion the author is trying to convey.

The Bad

Reads Like a Reference Manual. This isn't a story but a reference manual that has stories to illustrate the points. The stories are really interesting, and the information is really good, but to read it cover to cover is not the most interesting thing to read. Also, technology is always changing, so some of the information was out of date before the book was published.

Focuses ONLY on Perfect Invisibility. This book focuses on perfect invisibility and how to achieve it through very extreme measures. Most people don't need that nor could they maintain it. It would be helpful to have more practical tips for a moderate amount of privacy you can achieve.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish this had been more interesting, but I'm not sure how to do that and still be a valuable reference manual. I also wish the author had given more levels of privacy and security. His point was absolute invisibility, which is impossible and requires extreme measures that are all for not if you make even one slip up.

Overall

The Art of Invisibility: The World's Most Famous Hacker Teaches You How to Be Safe in the Age of Big Brother and Big Data is an interesting book with a lot of good information on privacy and how much others are really watching you. There are many good tips for improving privacy, but being a book it won't be as up to date as a website could be, and many of the steps are too extreme for most people and most situations. I give it 3.5 out of 5 eReaders.

   

Book Review - For We Are Many: Bobiverse, Book 2 by Dennis E. Taylor

Sequels are an interesting challenge. The author has to balance including the elements readers enjoyed from the first story with something new to justify a second book. Most of the time they don't succeed as well as the reader would like. But sometimes they do.

For We Are Many: Bobiverse, Book 2 is science fiction, philosophical adventure written by Dennis E. Taylor. It's available in all formats: eBooks, Audiobooks, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

Overview

The "Bobs" have found several new worlds capable of sustaining human life and have begun transporting the survivors on Earth to Vulcan and Romulus even though they know they don't have the resources to transport everyone before the Earth become uninhabitable. But new dangers continue to emerge including a Borg-like species determined to strip mine the galaxy and new "Bobs" feeling less and less connection to or responsibility for humanity.

The Good

Philosophical Discussions/Dilemmas. While this is a science fiction story and space opera and includes a lot of cool scifi elements, the real story is about the nature of existence, identity, and the interactions of societies. This author does an excellent job of taking a well known scifi idea the readers will quickly be able to understand and be comfortable with and uses it to explore these philosophical and sociological ideas in great detail. Star Trek couldn't do any better.

Comedy. This book is filled with great humor and pop culture references.  For those who are into those, you won't be disappointed.

Ray Porter. Ray Porter may just well be the greatest reader ever. He is able to convey so much emotion without every going overboard or sounding over dramatic. He also reads so well that you feel like he is talking to you and not reading to you. The man can do no wrong.

The Bad

Character Uniqueness. The "Bobs" are all supposed to be copies of the original, but all of them exhibit unique characteristics and become unique individuals. This presents fascinating philosophical implications. Unfortunately, they aren't unique enough and there are so many of them that they aren't immediately recognizable, so when the author switches to a new "Bob" each chapter, it takes a few pages to realize which one it is, because all the reader has is a name which isn't enough.

No Exposition. This story picks up right where the first novel ended with no exposition or explanation. I had just finished the first book a couple of weeks before, so the characters and action were fresh in my mind, but for anyone who took a measurable amount of time between books, they may find themselves confused.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the characters were a little more unique so that I could more easily follow what was happening. Each chapter shifts to a new "Bob", but it takes several pages to realize who it is and what he was doing because they aren't unique enough to be immediately remembered.

Overall

For We Are Many: Bobiverse, Book 2 is a great follow up further exploring the themes and ideas from the first book and continues right where the first book left off with no explanation or catch up, so you need to read the first one to understand what is going on here. It contains the same philosophical discussions and comedic tones readers enjoyed in the first book. The story is advanced while new elements and conflicts are introduced. I give it a solid 4.5 out of 5 eReaders.

     

Book Review - When the Air Hits Your Brain: Tales from Neurosurgery by Frank T Vertosick Jr., MD

I really enjoy reading about other people's lives and getting a peek at what they go thru and how they arrived at where they are at. I also enjoy science and learning more.

When the Air Hits Your Brain: Tales from Neurosurgery is collection of autobiographical stories with a few personal essays in between written by Frank T Vertosick Jr., MD. It's available in all formats: eBooks, Audiobooks, and those paper things your grandparentused to read.

The Good

Author's Attitude. The author isn't the typical conceited doctor who thinks he's god and can do no wrong. He is, instead, a bit of a psychopath. He even devotes an entire chapter to how it may be necessary to be a successful surgeon. He is also irreverent and sees the medical practice as some giant cult with the old doctors the high priests that demand all entrants be initiated in the same manner they were. His whole attitude really added to the reading experience and gave a whole different perspective that was refreshing and amusing and brings the necessary but otherwise boring exposition to life.

Visceral Nature of the Stories. The author selected only the most extreme experiences to share and tells each one so masterfully to elicit the maximum emotional response. He does include a disclaimer that names and details have been changed to protect patient privacy, so some of the drama may be imagined.

Personal Philosophy. The author stops every so often to deliver his personal philosophy about some aspect of life. I find his views very insightful and well thought out. He definitely has his views, but I never felt he was trying to force them onto the reader or tell the reader his views were wrong. He merely presented what he believed and why with great conviction.

Afterword. This was written in the 90s about experiences mostly in the 70s and 80s, so some of the information is a little dated. Many advances have been made, and the author takes time at the end to address those, show how parts of the practice have progressed and how others haven't changed since the 50s.

The Bad

Ummm...

Warning

Mostly Focuses on Negative. Most of the stories the author tells are quite horrific and upsetting. I really enjoyed them, and they help the reader understand just how dangerous and amazing and unpredictable surgery is. I'm glad he included them; I just want those with weaker constitutions to beware.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

Honestly, I think it's just right.

Overall

When the Air Hits Your Brain: Tales from Neurosurgery is a fascinating collections of stories from one neurosurgeon at different points in his career. The stories go from the grotesque and gut wrenching to absolutely stunning and heart warming. Each is well told and elicits the maximum visceral response. The author's irreverent attitude brings even the most mundane parts to life. I give it a solid 5 out of 5 eReaders.