The Checklist Manifesto

The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atul Gawande

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Written from the point of view of a surgeon, using advice and examples from the building and aviation industry, this is a call to utilize the much maligned checklists. The world is immensely complicated, and although our minds rebel against the idea, even the most brilliant, most experienced expert sometimes misses the simple things. Also as the world gets more complicated there is no longer a "master builder" there is simply too much information, many experts need to be able to work together and communicate the important things for success to happen. Also distinguishes between the READ-DO and the DO-CONFIRM checklist. The back has a checklist in how to create a good checklist. Studies from the finance industry show that some people, even when confronted with the success behind a good checklist still don't want to use them. I have long been a firm believer in a good checklist - so I say Bravo!



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The General and the Genius

Sorry this post is  late- finished the book late last night. 


The General and the Genius: Groves and Oppenheimer — The Unlikely Partnership that Built the Atom Bomb by James Kunetka

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed this book. Much of what I have read has either focused on the strictly technical/scientific aspect of the work, Richard Feynman's part of the work and how he dealt with his ailing wife during the project, the decision to use the bomb, and drop the second one, the after effects of dropping the bomb/having the bomb.

This book does delve into some of the technical aspects (arguments over the gun vs implosion, and the different detonating devices etc) but not in an overly technical way, so that people with no science or technical backgrounds will still understand it. It talks about the challenges, the sheer infrastructure and logistics involved in the challenge, the bottlenecks caused by uranium and plutonium productions, the arguments between people who would go on to be seen as geniuses in the field. It is a lot about personalities. How they interacted, how they reacted to different decisions and situations. It is mostly about the relationship between Groves, a hard driving, get it done goal oriented career military man who wanted the weapon to end WWII, before the Germans developed something and then after the Germans' surrender wanted to use the device before the Army invaded Japan - at the presumed cost of thousands of lives American as well as Japanese, and Oppenheimer, a brilliant scientist who lurked at the edges of the physics of his day, ambitious, but never quite achieving the peer recognition he aimed for, chain smoking, self doubting, nervous introvert not necessarily ready for the roll he was thrust in. It detailed the effort Groves put in to pump up, enable and shelter Oppie. Groves almost is a guardian/father to Oppie when he most needs the unwavering support.

The end of the book, wraps up with the post war hearings, the second guessing, the moral dilemmas, the vilification of some players, how Oppenheimer in his vocalizations for the need for control of these massive weapons, becomes shut out of the process, Groves pissing off and alienating Eisenhower. It tells of the "rest of life" summary of various key people, and it summarizes the legacies- not just in terms of atomic warfare and weaponry but also how this was the first large scale government funded scientific endeavor, the use of committees formed to make decisions and manage the different groups of people that are then disbanded and new ones formed as the project moves forward in science research.

Once again, I really recommend this book, I learned a lot, and not jsut about the building of a bomb.



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halfway Goodreads Challenge update:

The First Love Stories; From Isis and Osiris to Tristan and Iseult

Seven stories, each from a different ancient culture, each focusing on a different aspect of love.  The Egyptian, Isis and Osiris (one of the stories I got the book to read) on Love is greater than Nature.  Inanna and Dumuzi, the Sumerian tale of the cyclical nature of love, although since Inanna gets mad at Dumuzi and banishes him to the underworld, and it is his sister who loves him enough to trade off six months a year, so he can still be in our world, it may be more about sibling loyalty, since Inanna's love is all about her vuvla and in my mind lust.  Then the Hindu Shiva and Sati, the Passion of the mind.  The Song of Songs, a Hebrew love song in the Catholic Bible we read as kids??, is a sensuous yearning love.  The Greco-Roman Psyche and Eros is supposed to be about forging yourself - but I see it more as curiosity killed the cat, literally in terms of Psyche's sisters and almost Psyche herself.  Layla and Majnun, loving for love itself, from a distance, the madness of unfulfilled love (and in my opinion the most depressing story in the book - spoiler - everyone dies)  Finally the Celtic Tristan and Iseult (the other story that prompted me to read this book) Is about choosing duty and honor over love, king, country, promised marriage, yet loving until death do you join, also pretty depressing.

The book is well worth the read, because of references to these timeless stories, and it's good to know that lust and premarital relations was going on for thousands of years, not just today.

Stars of Fortune

Whenever Nora Roberts starts a new trilogy, I always say I'm going to wait until all three are out and read them at once.  Every time, every single time, I end up reading book 1 and then having to wait... I hate waiting.   Is this her best book ? No.  Is this kind of her formula? Yes.  Did I really enjoy reading it? Yes.  Am I waiting impatiently for book 2?  Yes. 

My predictions??  Book 2 has Sawyer and Annika hook up (if indeed Annika can hook up with a human). Book 3 as Riley and Doyle, something of finding the 3 stars and returning them will break Doyle's curse.  

potential spoilers so I'm adding a break here.

The Highlander Next Door

Ugh - I really hope Chapman is working on the sequel!  I'm so tied up in these characters.  I want to know if Hazel ends up with Claude or Sam, what's the deal with Silas French? How does Telos "mature" as a god - does he keep his communications with Birch and Niall?  how does the colony of Atlanteans do?  Does Atlantis get found???  We haven't seen much of Mac, Titus has been more at the forefront...

Why is this listed as the last book in the series???????

The Tempest

Didn't think you'd ever see me posting Shakespeare did you? There was a quote from the Tempest in a Physics article I read last fall, and it made me realize that I only grudgingly read Hamlet and MacBeth in school.  SO I decided to read the Tempest.  It was better than I thought (yes generations of literary people are rolling over in their collective graves). The 30 page intro to this section was extremely helpful, and I read all 30 before the play.  The side notes, were sometimes helpful in understanding terms, but at times distracting.  It was a relatively quick read, so I don't know if it is shorter than the other 2 I read, or if it was high school English teachers that made them go on forever.  I may get A Midsummer's Night Dream from the same series to try soon.

Spooky Action at a Distance

Spooky Action at a Distance: The Phenomenon That Reimagines Space and Time--and What It Means for Black Holes, the Big Bang, and Theories of Everything by George Musser

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Non-locality, galaxies on either end of our horizons who can't see each other because while their light reaches us, it hasn't had time to reach each other - yet they are eerily similar. Two subatomic particles, entangle and then later flip the same even though there is no time for them to communicate their actions. Black holes, mass goes up with area of event horizon not volume. There are clues on every level that the idea of "locality" things needing to touch to interact, doesn't stand up to the actual experimental evidence. Physicists since Einstein and Bohr have been arguing over what these clues mean, theorists and philosophers are trying to come up with new theories that can explain this phenomena. Both space and time will need to be redefined. Space may end up just an illusion.

These are complex, hard to imagine concepts, especially as we are "inside the box" trying to figure out the whole picture. People with PhD's are trying to wrestle with the topics and they often disagree.

Musser has done a great job at delving into the history of the problems as well as explaining the leading current theories on it. He introduces these thinkers as peoples not just as Dr So and SO from Wherever University. He does a remarkable job of explaining the basic ideas of these theories so that most somewhat educated people (unfortunately that isn't the whole of the general public) can understand. He doesn't overwhelm with mathematical equations or scientific jargon, so it is very approachable. If you want the equations and the math, this isn't your book. If you want a good overview understanding of space, time, really the fundamentals of physics is the fundamentals of everything, this is an awesome book.



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My Year in Books - Recorded by Goodreads

Vacation Read

Got this book for travel/down time on my trip to Chicago.  Two quick stories, the first city girl falls for spoken for country stud. The second big city cop, former bad boy, comes home to the small town he fled after High School, falls for the recently divorced older (3years) sister's best friend he spent most of his youth fantasizing about...  easy read, easy to put down and pick back up, perfect travel book. 

PS - there will be more posts from my recent trip now that I'm home and have the computer - my phone didn't like posting more than one picture at a time!!

Courting Carolina

Not as good as the first 2 Spellbound Falls books, but OK.

Made my goal of 50 books - and it's only September!

Between cutting back on knitting time and my library sending me emails that a book I wanted was available, I've read 50 books this year!  I have 4 that I'm actively reading now.  I pushed all my other requests into Oct-Dec and some of those will probably get pushed even further out.  It's going to turn into my knitting queue!!

Under Magnolia

 I decided to read this book, because I read Under the Tuscan Sun and although I don't remember much about the book , I remember that I enjoyed it.  Also the concept of growing up in the  South is an interesting one for me, and although I still enjoy vacationing there, I'm not sure I would want to move back... although that is more due to the intense bone melting heat of summer, the absolute unmoving heavy dead air, and the spider and bugs.

While Mayes is 25 years older than me, much of what she described still existed in my childhood South, good and bad.  The way she remembers and describes is masterful.  Reading her descriptions, you could be transported to the brackish rivers, the breezy spring verandas.  Her chaotic haphazard upbringing,  her helpless shooting star mother, her father who was both loving, yet volatile - especially around her mother. (Do people substitute arguments and dramatic fights to replace passion when they run out? They kind of remind me of my grandparents in a way) Her bully of a grandfather, who got the last say  even into the grave.  And especially resonating for me, was her closeness and attachment to the family maid Willie Bell, who was "lost to the North".  Kids to get attached, have emotions and then experience loss when an "employee" leaves and is lost in time and geography. 

Definitely worth the read.

Been reading

Read the next book in Maggie Sefton's Knitting mystery series Needled to Death.  Nice quick read, pegged the murderer earlier in this book.  Colorado is more dangerous than Seaside Bay, two people seem to get killed everytime a murderer strikes!  I really get annoyed at Kelly's negligence over the actions of her rottie Carl, dogs need/want obedience training!!! Untrained dogs - especially larger ones - give all dogs a bad rap and cause needless fear of dogs in children!!! Big pet peeve!!!  You can't "discuss with the dog" and expect it to do what you want!!!!  And I think it takes a fictional character to be as addicted to coffee as I am in real life.

Next I also read 2 books in the Spellbound Falls series by Janet Chapman.  Also quick and easy, with a touch of magic without serious evil pitted against it... and no murders!!  Maximillian Oceanus is a theurgist, who is technically thousands of years old but appears in his early thirties, his father Titus built Atlantis.  He goes to Maine to a camp run by Olivia to connect with the six year old son, Henry, he didn't know he had.  (I'm pretty sure since he can choose what time to be in - Henry was actually born in Feudal England) He falls for Olivia and literally moves mountains for her.  

The second book has Mac and Olivia taking Henry and Sophia (Olivia's daughter) on an RV trip to California so Sophia can donate bone marrow to her half brother, who came out in the first book.  This leaves us alone to watch Duncan and Peg try not to fall for each other, while Duncan (who's father was an 8th century Scottish Laird who had been transported to this one - not leaving all his antiquated beliefs behind) discovers that he is not the only member of his clan without magic, but must convince Peg to help him obtain it.  I really do like how Peg is able to handle her own battles, because really the whole helpless female, big strong male thing is annoying- I have no issues with big, strong males - but why do the women have to be so freakin useless sometimes??

 

Another Murder in Sea Harbor

Ben & Nell's 40th wedding anniversary, everyone competing for time with baby Abby, Beatrice runs for mayor against Stan, Izzy and Sam put Izzy's old house on the market, Cass is mad that Danny is spending time with gorgeous vacationer Jules, and Jeffrey "The Bartender" gets murdered in a potting shed. Just your average fall in Sea Harbor

The Soul of an Octopus

I have to admit - octopuses (yes that is the correct plural - the "i" at the end is a Latin plural and octopus is of Greek origin) fascinate me.  They are one of the most intelligent animals in the sea, but their intelligence evolved in a very different way than the animals we usually interact with. They are the alien intelligence we have right here on Earth.

Sy Montogmery is a naturalist who gets to know several octopuses at the new England Aquarium. Athena, Octavia, Kali and Karma each have a different "personality" or would that be pusonality?  She gets to know them on their terms and in their time.  She also befriends people that work and volunteer at the aquarium with the octopuses.  She tries to explore the question of what it might be like inside their "brains" especially considering each arm has it's own brain that is bigger than the central brain and can act on it's own - if you want a champion multitasker get an octopus.

an octopus can get through any opening bigger than it's beak!

octopuses love to play!

She learns some of their color pattern's meaning.       (if you see a living octopus that is white - it's relaxed) goes diving on an octopus study - discovering wild octopuses can be playful with humans too.

I will tell you I cried at Octavia's death.  I so want a pet octopus - even more now!

Way Too Hot - so read 3 by the AC

Sam and Izzy are having a baby, Izzy keeps getting weird premonitions over an abandoned baby car seat.  Aunt Nell is in hovering overdrive, a 19 year old ne'er do well and a blind old fisherman get murdered, there's pot being grown in the roof of a building in town.  All these must be solved a nd wrapped for Izzy's baby to come into a peaceful world.  If you must go to Sea harbor - go as a tourist, it only seems to be people connected to the town that keep getting murdered!  Good quick summer read - I had the killer's spouse not the killer in my sights.

Several people suggested Maggie Sefton to me, so I read the first in her Knitting Mystery series.  I almost gave up on it several times - but as it was the only book I had in my car at lunch times, and my phone didn't charge properly one night, so I stuck it out.  Ms Sefton doesn't build her characters or suck you into their lives as quickly as other authors seem to do. At about 25% of the way through the book, my favorite character was Carl, the Rottweiller.  Just over 1/3 of the way through, I started to want to know who did it, and by the last 1/4  I read straight through until I got to the end.

I've requested the next book in the series for both series, but dated them for August.  I've gotten to want to know whats up with Goldenbaum's Seaside Knitters and I'm going to see if the character  build in Sefton's next book is any faster (after all I already know the key players) 

Quick update - I've read 41 books so far this year for the Goodreads reading challenge. 
 

Castaway Cove

quick easy summer read... wonder if there are going to be any non-vets in town by the time Ross is finished..stuck with the theme of the man wants a commitment and has to convince the woman she does do.. although Mac does fight it at first...

A Holiday Yarn.. Sally Goldenbaum

Cute book,  good for lazy reading when you can't knit.  Two murders in town now? Over the holidays.  I really am never visiting this town!! People must stay because all this crime drives real estate prices down and they can't afford to leave..  I totally had the murderer wrong. Of course that's really nothing new.

I wish along with the patterns (that I'm never going to knit) the author would include some recipes.  Nell's Thursday Knit Night suppers sound so yummy, her Friday night suppers on the deck with her friends sound soooo good, and now Kevin the chef at the new bed n breakfast is making breakfasts that make my mouth water!!  If you can describe the food this well add some recipes!!

Moon Spinners by Sally Goldenbaum

A nice quick summer read (it's been too hot for anything else since I can't knit or crochet for more than 10 minutes at a time and need to keep my elbow mostly straight)  It's book 3 in the Seaside Knitters series, so as you know I love series where you can follow the characters from book to book.  

I really, really love Birdie the elder matriarch of the group, she has so much spunk and goes after things, I want to be like her when I get old.  The Endicott's remind me of a couple - Nancy and Wil I knew when the Angie was younger. And even though I get seasick at the drop of a hat - I really love Cass - the lobersterwoman.  I really want Sam and Izzy to hook up in a book soon!

The only thing is that after 3 murders in 3 years- you would think the town would get a handle on things and stop acting like ostriches with their heads in the sand or just plain shocked.  Clearly, not a town to visit or move to if you've potentially pissed people off.  

I've already ordered book 4 from the library - so we'll see who gets the axe next!