Canone Inverso - Paolo Maurensig

"For you to understand what music is and where this tremendous passion can lead, I must tell you from the beginning the story of that violinist whose soul was imprisoned in his violin."

Music, perfection, and immortality are intertwined in this beautifully written short novel. The author tells us a story within a story creating a book I didn't want to put down. It was one of the rare books that made me want to read it again as soon as I finished.

The purchase of an antique violin leads the narrator into an intricate tale involving a collage of deep themes of human life. The book was a true pleasure to read, unlike many books which get burdened with complexity trying to cover the mysteries of life.

The book jacket calls this book "a forceful, sensuous masterpiece". I agree and am awed how the author does so with concise, poetic language while narrating a story.

Prague - Arthur Phillips

(Nadja, an elderly jazz piano player)

Nadja was off again, in rare and wonderous form, bewitching her audience with another recollection, exquisitely told, satisfying in its construction, lyrical and glamorous, slightly improbable but nowhere impossible. And John did not doubt its probability. Lives like Nadja's must exist; he had read enough to know this was true.

Arthur Phillips has created a very intelligent and ambitious first novel. Readers will find it no surprise that he was a 5 time champion on the game show Jeopardy. The book is witty and creative. The author experiments with different forms of writing and does it well. For those who enjoy the art and skill of writing, this book will be enjoyable to read. At times, the writing came off as too cleverly crafted. Mostly, however, I found myself smiling and often re-reading sentences which were bright and original.

The story takes place in Budapest in 1990. The title, Prague, refers to the city our characters would have prefered residing in. As Hungary begins its move toward capitalism, five ex-patriots, discover a sort of bohemian life in a city undergoing an upheaval. The period in time is short-lived and those who lived through it are challenged by its meaning.

From Edison to Enron - Richard Munson

Name the last century's greatest technical feat. You might suggest the automobile or the internal combustion engine. Maybe the airplane or the computer chip. No, say the professional engineers. The twentieth century's most significant accomplishment was to generate and harness an invisible stream of electrons.

First, let me confess that I read this book for a book club held by the Energy Division of the California Public Utilities Commission. It is certainly a topic of more interest to regulatory analysts than the lay public. That being said, the author does a nice job of describing the history of the electrification of America.

The most interesting parts of the book are found in the title- Edison and Enron. Edison was quite a character and not always a nice guy. His battles with Westinghouse to determine if America would be wired with AC or DC power are legendary. If you want see how nasty they got, try reading "Edison and the Electric Chair". The early years of electricity were wild times. The Enron scandal was no less wild and the author does a good job of briefly describing how the problems arose. He also offers a nice conclusion with ideas on to best move the US forward with our electric industry.

The book is written in a matter of fact style and takes a neutral position on most issues. It is meant for readers with a deep interest in the subject.

A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini

Jalil said she was his little flower. He was fond of sitting her on his lap and telling her stories, like the time he told her that Herat, the city where Mariam was born, in 1959, had once been the cradle of Persian culture, the home of writers, painters, and Sufis.
"You couldn't stretch a leg here without poking a poet in the ass" he laughed.

Hosseini has once again crafted a magnificent tale centered around Afgani culture. I loved the Kite Runner and, unlike many who say this second novel doesn't reach the same heights, I found this just as moving. While the Kite Runner focuses on a boy growing up, this book follows two girls growing up. The book covers the last thirty years of Afganistan's history as experienced by our two heroines.

Knowing the traumas and ordeals Afganistan has suffered, and the misogynist culture, a story about two girls lives will necessarily tear at your heart. This is not a book for the faint of heart. We experience the maturing of lives in the midst of horrible chaos. The story is beautifully woven between the two women and how their lives connect. Hosseini has an engaging ability to weave women's lives, history, culture into the tale. It affected me deeply.

Amerigo - Felipe Fernandez-Armesto

Subtitled- The man who gave his name to America

He was up to none of the ambitious roles he adopted. He was too unstudious to be a diplomat, too imprudent to be a great merchant, too incompentent to be a navigator, too ignorant to be a cosmographer. When he played the magus, he relied on sleight of hand to get him by.

The author gives us a little information about Amerigo Vespuci which is summed up in the above quote. The book reads like a thesis paper from an author overly impressed with his skills at finding inaccuracies and dispelling any material supportive of Amerigo. I was expecting more of a biography but this book is not that. The book is largely an exercise in showing us how much research the author has done and how he use words few readers will understand without a dictionary. This includes his use of what the Oxford dictionary calls the longest non-technical word in the english language (a word which Alex Trebek on Jeopardy gave up trying to pronounce). If want to learn a some new words, like hagiography (writing about saints) which he uses 5-6 times, get out your dictionary and read this book. Otherwise, read a short bio on Amerigo.