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Queen of Angels
Jun. 22nd, 2019 12:10 amGreg Bear - Queen of Angels
(This is repost from LJ)
The year 2047 is coming. Nanotechnology is commonplace and forensic investigators can examine the crime scene molecule by molecule. Recycled organic waste has replaced oil.
( Nanotech in four storylines )
(This is repost from LJ)
The year 2047 is coming. Nanotechnology is commonplace and forensic investigators can examine the crime scene molecule by molecule. Recycled organic waste has replaced oil.
( Nanotech in four storylines )
Winter World
Jun. 4th, 2019 10:50 pmBernd Heinrich - Winter World
(This is repost from LJ. This was the first BookCrossing book I received, from the NYC. Reading it in the middle of the local heat wave felt somewhat paradoxical…)
Bernd Heinrich is an US biologist I had only heard about before I received this book. In this particular book he writes about various wintering habits of various animals, partially based of his own experiences in New England and Vermont. Heinrich uses mostly the metric system but does present a conversion table. He has illustrated the book himself.
It may sound Heinrich is somewhat callous when he honestly tells about some of the research methods (in addition to saying that the sample birds were "collected" he also states that they were in fact shot.) However, personally I might have picked the injured turtle down, not driven over it and decapitated it…
Some animals resist freezing when others promote it, both in order to stay alive over winter. Some of these include changes in the animal metabolism like squirrels having supercooled blood and still preventing brain death; turtles buffering their blood with potassium and calcium ions to reduce the lactic acid; muskrats carrying more oxygen in their blood; frogs have glucose that restrict ice-crystal formation outside the membrane cells; and so on.
Clinical interest may outweigh intellectual curiosity if some people effectively want to turn into bears to maintain their muscle tone in passivity, like the bears do during their hibernation (effectively recycling waste products to keep their muscles healthy.) I bet pro-cryogenic transhumanists would read that with glee.
Book is also full other details of animal life, including kinglets who incubate their eggs by warming their feet, squirrels reusing bird nests, packs of hibernating turtles under the ice and multispecies bird flocks.
In addition to quoting others in his field, Heinrich also has his own theories, including speculation that that feather's originate as insulation against cold and wetting before becoming flying aids. However, I disagree with Heinrich's assertion that there are no theistic entomologists.
(This is repost from LJ. This was the first BookCrossing book I received, from the NYC. Reading it in the middle of the local heat wave felt somewhat paradoxical…)
Bernd Heinrich is an US biologist I had only heard about before I received this book. In this particular book he writes about various wintering habits of various animals, partially based of his own experiences in New England and Vermont. Heinrich uses mostly the metric system but does present a conversion table. He has illustrated the book himself.
It may sound Heinrich is somewhat callous when he honestly tells about some of the research methods (in addition to saying that the sample birds were "collected" he also states that they were in fact shot.) However, personally I might have picked the injured turtle down, not driven over it and decapitated it…
Some animals resist freezing when others promote it, both in order to stay alive over winter. Some of these include changes in the animal metabolism like squirrels having supercooled blood and still preventing brain death; turtles buffering their blood with potassium and calcium ions to reduce the lactic acid; muskrats carrying more oxygen in their blood; frogs have glucose that restrict ice-crystal formation outside the membrane cells; and so on.
Clinical interest may outweigh intellectual curiosity if some people effectively want to turn into bears to maintain their muscle tone in passivity, like the bears do during their hibernation (effectively recycling waste products to keep their muscles healthy.) I bet pro-cryogenic transhumanists would read that with glee.
Book is also full other details of animal life, including kinglets who incubate their eggs by warming their feet, squirrels reusing bird nests, packs of hibernating turtles under the ice and multispecies bird flocks.
In addition to quoting others in his field, Heinrich also has his own theories, including speculation that that feather's originate as insulation against cold and wetting before becoming flying aids. However, I disagree with Heinrich's assertion that there are no theistic entomologists.
How to build a mind
Jun. 4th, 2019 10:46 pmIgor Aleksander - How to Build a Mind
This is repost from LJ
Igor Aleksander is a South-African-born British engineer and cybernetist. At the time of writing this book, he was a Professor of Neural Engineering Systems at the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in London. The main theme of this book is what is consciousness and can we build a conscious machine.
( Not building terminators )
This is repost from LJ
Igor Aleksander is a South-African-born British engineer and cybernetist. At the time of writing this book, he was a Professor of Neural Engineering Systems at the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in London. The main theme of this book is what is consciousness and can we build a conscious machine.
( Not building terminators )
Jeffrey Eugenides - Middlesex
Cal(liope) Stephanides is a intersexual (to be exact, a pseudohermaprodite male with mixed genitalia) whose Greek-born parents raised as a girl. And that's about it.
( ”Misleading )
Cal(liope) Stephanides is a intersexual (to be exact, a pseudohermaprodite male with mixed genitalia) whose Greek-born parents raised as a girl. And that's about it.
( ”Misleading )
The Sinister Pig
Jun. 4th, 2019 10:45 pmTony Hillerman - The Sinister Pig
(This is a repost from LJ. Note that I have read most – if not all – original stories so I compared this to them)
When a shot white man appears in a strange place, the FBI is in a hurry to declare it their business, take it off the hands of the Navaho law enforcement and then mainly keep quiet about all the evidence. This arouses suspicions of both Jim Chee and Jeo Leaphorn. But this time they are fated to be in the background.
( This is not a whodunit but a semblance of a political thriller )
(This is a repost from LJ. Note that I have read most – if not all – original stories so I compared this to them)
When a shot white man appears in a strange place, the FBI is in a hurry to declare it their business, take it off the hands of the Navaho law enforcement and then mainly keep quiet about all the evidence. This arouses suspicions of both Jim Chee and Jeo Leaphorn. But this time they are fated to be in the background.
( This is not a whodunit but a semblance of a political thriller )
City of the Iron Fish
Jun. 4th, 2019 10:44 pmSimon Ings - City of the Iron Fish
(This is a repost from LJ)
( Is there only the city and nothing else? )
(This is a repost from LJ)
( Is there only the city and nothing else? )
American Gods
Jun. 4th, 2019 10:41 pmNeil Gaiman - American Gods
(This is a repost from LJ. Yes, I know there is the TV series now but I have not seen any episodes.)
Shadow, a very small-scale criminal, is released from prison couple of days early when his wife dies in a car crash. On his way home he meets a strange man who calls himself Wednesday who recruits him as his aide. Wednesday is gathering support for a confrontation between the old gods - most of them from the Old Continent - and modern gods of television, highways and computers.
( Mixture of European gods in the USA )
(This is a repost from LJ. Yes, I know there is the TV series now but I have not seen any episodes.)
Shadow, a very small-scale criminal, is released from prison couple of days early when his wife dies in a car crash. On his way home he meets a strange man who calls himself Wednesday who recruits him as his aide. Wednesday is gathering support for a confrontation between the old gods - most of them from the Old Continent - and modern gods of television, highways and computers.
( Mixture of European gods in the USA )
Soldiers' Tale
May. 22nd, 2017 06:28 amSamuel Hynes - The Soldiers' Tale
This is a book about war narratives - not war as such. Even if Hynes wrote one himself.
( Did he study too few narratives? )
This is a book about war narratives - not war as such. Even if Hynes wrote one himself.
( Did he study too few narratives? )
The Long Road Home
May. 22nd, 2017 06:26 amBen Shephard - The Long Road Home
After World War Two ended, there were still lots of people who were not where they wanted to be, where they were supposed to be or were in a situation where they would still be killed in short order if they did not move.
( Post-WW2 refugee movements were bit bigger than the current ones )
After World War Two ended, there were still lots of people who were not where they wanted to be, where they were supposed to be or were in a situation where they would still be killed in short order if they did not move.
( Post-WW2 refugee movements were bit bigger than the current ones )
A War of Nerves
May. 22nd, 2017 06:24 amBen Shephard - A War of Nerves
Warfare causes more than just physical wounds – but the mental side of the toll of war was really not studied for centuries (mainly because common soldiers were expendable anyway). So the study really started only around the World War One. Ben Shephard traces some of those developments, mostly based of Western European and US records.
( From shell shock to PTSD )
Warfare causes more than just physical wounds – but the mental side of the toll of war was really not studied for centuries (mainly because common soldiers were expendable anyway). So the study really started only around the World War One. Ben Shephard traces some of those developments, mostly based of Western European and US records.
( From shell shock to PTSD )
Somebody Else's Kids
May. 22nd, 2017 06:23 amTorey Hayden - Somebody Else's Kids
(This is repost from LJ)
In this book Torey Hayden has officially lost her class to inclusion laws that force kids of special needs to go the classes with other children (that's sometime in the 1970's somewhere in the East Coast of USA, I presume, but could as well be Finland of the 1990s). First she does only some extra teaching but eventually Hayden ends up with a small, new class to call of her own. And in the process she ends up being accused of idealism more than once.
( Kids becoming Hayden's problem )
(This is repost from LJ)
In this book Torey Hayden has officially lost her class to inclusion laws that force kids of special needs to go the classes with other children (that's sometime in the 1970's somewhere in the East Coast of USA, I presume, but could as well be Finland of the 1990s). First she does only some extra teaching but eventually Hayden ends up with a small, new class to call of her own. And in the process she ends up being accused of idealism more than once.
( Kids becoming Hayden's problem )
Mindplayers
May. 22nd, 2017 06:22 amPat Cadigan - Mindplayers
(This is repost from LJ, And this is just one of the first written by Queen of Cyberpunk)
Alexandra "Deadpan Allie" Haas, this world's equivalent to a drug junkie, is caught red-brained using an unlicensed psychosis and the Brain Police gives her a choice - train yourself to become a shrink or go to jail. So she goes to J. Walter Tech to become a professional.
( Cyberspace the psychiatrists' way )
(This is repost from LJ, And this is just one of the first written by Queen of Cyberpunk)
Alexandra "Deadpan Allie" Haas, this world's equivalent to a drug junkie, is caught red-brained using an unlicensed psychosis and the Brain Police gives her a choice - train yourself to become a shrink or go to jail. So she goes to J. Walter Tech to become a professional.
( Cyberspace the psychiatrists' way )
Illegal Aliens
May. 22nd, 2017 06:20 amNick Pollotta & Phil Foglio: Illegal Aliens (1989)
(This is repost from LJ)
Spherical alien ship lands on the Central Park of the NYC and teleports a group of test subjects inside to test their suitability to enter the Galactic League. Or that's what they say. The humans just happen to be a gang of street thugs. And the hilarity ensues.
( Not the kind of First Contact the SETI people would probably wish for )
(This is repost from LJ)
Spherical alien ship lands on the Central Park of the NYC and teleports a group of test subjects inside to test their suitability to enter the Galactic League. Or that's what they say. The humans just happen to be a gang of street thugs. And the hilarity ensues.
( Not the kind of First Contact the SETI people would probably wish for )
The Shadow of the Wind
May. 16th, 2017 12:05 amCarlos Ruiz Zafon - The Shadow of the Wind
(This is a repost from LJ. The following books of Ruiz Zafon have not been as good as this one).
Everything begins in Barcelona in 1945 when the scars of the Spanish Civil War are still evident. Old bookstore owner takes his 10-year-old son Daniel to the Cemetery of the Forgotten Books. Daniel selects a novel The Shadow of the Wind by an unknown author Julian Carax. And thus begins the tale of tragedy, deception and passions.
( Mystery of the unsuccessful author )
(This is a repost from LJ. The following books of Ruiz Zafon have not been as good as this one).
Everything begins in Barcelona in 1945 when the scars of the Spanish Civil War are still evident. Old bookstore owner takes his 10-year-old son Daniel to the Cemetery of the Forgotten Books. Daniel selects a novel The Shadow of the Wind by an unknown author Julian Carax. And thus begins the tale of tragedy, deception and passions.
( Mystery of the unsuccessful author )
Thomas Quasthoff - Die Stimme - Autobiographies (The Voice - Autobiography)
(This is is repost from LJ. It is based of the Finnish translation)
Thomas Quasthoff is a German tenor, lied singer and thalidomide victim. There is an official site. Even if he is profiled as a classic music singer, his last record was a jazz album Watch What Happens. Unfortunately, I have never heard him sing myself.
( Small man with a great voice )
"You can get pity for free but you must work for the envy"
(This is is repost from LJ. It is based of the Finnish translation)
Thomas Quasthoff is a German tenor, lied singer and thalidomide victim. There is an official site. Even if he is profiled as a classic music singer, his last record was a jazz album Watch What Happens. Unfortunately, I have never heard him sing myself.
( Small man with a great voice )
"You can get pity for free but you must work for the envy"
The Lost Lizard of Melancholy Cove
May. 16th, 2017 12:03 amChristopher Moore- The Lost Lizard of Melancholy Cove
Some people have been saying for years that since I read Carl Hiaasen, I should try Christopher Moore. So when I noticed this one when putting things back to library shelves, I decided to give him a try.
( I kind of wish this is not his best )
Some people have been saying for years that since I read Carl Hiaasen, I should try Christopher Moore. So when I noticed this one when putting things back to library shelves, I decided to give him a try.
( I kind of wish this is not his best )
Afghanistan
May. 16th, 2017 12:00 amStephen Tanner – Afghanistan – A military history from Alexander the Great to the Fall of Taliban
( War with not much peace in Afghanistan )
tags:
( War with not much peace in Afghanistan )
tags:
