Book Review: 'On The Map' by Simon Garfield

Who here loves maps and can pore over a map of an unknown territory, real or fictional, for hours imagining the geography and the adventures to be had? Yeah you are one of those people, a lot of us are. In fact I'd hazard to say that a majority of geeks and nerds are. It's part of who we are and a natural expression of our imagination and deep passion for things.

In the last couple of years there has been a few books about maps starting to be published. It seems that we are all rediscovering our childhoods love of the atlas and also discovering that we weren't the weird outsider we thought we were. The last book on maps I read was a beauty, 'Maphead' by the wonderfully hilarious Ken Jennings (see my review on goodreads.com). Ken takes a look at several applications of mapping in the last few decades and engages with these activities, interviews people involved and just has a lot of fun.

'On the Map' provides a different and more traditional look at maps by presenting a chronological history of cartography via selected maps, or mapping techniques. Simon takes us on a journey from the very first attempts at mapping the known world, the Mappa Mundi, right through to GPS systems and mapping in video games.

It's hard not to compare Simon's work with Jennings' even though they take a different perspective upon the subject and do compliment each other. There were some points where I felt a little let down by Simon, but I'll get to those points after, because despite these, it was a damn good read. Simon has chosen by far some very interesting tales to tell about the history of cartography, and it seems he has done a great deal of research. Each chapter is clear and concise and very entertaining. It is clear that Simon is a great fan of maps and is enthusiastic to share.

But onto those niggling negatives, and there are only two. Firstly, there is a chapter on mapping in video games that is quite well-researched and he admits that the maps and geography in these games are intricate and the effort that goes into these works is astounding. Yet he writes derisively about these games being time wasters and infers that people who play these games are on the fringe of society. Surely he has heard of leisure activities and that normal people play these games not just unemployed stoners. Anyway, being a bit of a gamer, especially a fan of sandbox games, where mapping and geography get expressed in the most beautiful ways, I felt disappointed  that Simon did not express a greater understanding and appreciation of these points.

Secondly, there were instances when Simon interviewed  a person about a subject that he was writing about and mentions going to meet this person etc. But sometimes there was no more information about this meeting or person for more than a paragraph. I am supposing that most of what he talked to the person about made it into the text as pure information, but it seemed like that in a few instances I would have liked to have heard more from that person and about that person. I know I have written a lot about these negatives, but they are very small.

I purchased this book without looking at a single review and it was a great surprise that it was so good. I don't often purchase books blindly these days. Part of the motivation was that a few weeks previously I had visited a great exhibition of maps in Canberra (National Library for all the Australians. Go see it!). It was a great surprise to have a major part of a chapter about one of the highlights of that exhibition, the Fra Mauro world map, an imposing approx 3m X 3m intricately detailed 15th century map.

So Simon has produced a wonderful work that expresses deep love for the subject. It is both a fun and informative read that is also well-written. I'd recommend this book for anyone who loves maps. Yes you!

Book Review: "Heads in Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-Called Hospitality" by Jacob Tomsky

This read was a bit of a gamble. Written by a employee in the hotel business it professes to tell great stories, tips on getting the best service and an insider look behind the scenes. With many other writers this could have been quite dull, but Jacob's wit, heart and cynicism makes this a great read that does deliver on all the promises.

The memoir part takes up most of the book with a chronological tale of his employment from a valet parer in a luxury hotel in the southern U.S., through the lofty heights of management, and finally to a bitter front desk clerk in New York. You get to experience the differing hotel environments in each hotel he works in and see the direct effect of these styles on the staff, which of course reflects in the service of the clients.

Jacob has wonderful tales from his time in each hotel from the classy woman who only hires a New York room for 3 hours regularly, to the CEO client who stays multiple times a week and leaves a bag behind containing some interesting luggage.
So many funny and weird tales.

Interspersed throughout is Jacob's advice to us, the paying public. How do you get the best service and the added perks? What the fuck is up with minibars and how do you get stuff for free from them? And why do people constantly underestimate the power of the front desk clerk? This person has complete control over your stay and if you treat them like shit, they can make your stay hell. The methods for making a client's stay not so nice are rather funny and clever, but do not worry, you probably won't get to experience these methods unless you are an asshole to the clerk, or do something nasty in their presence such as treating your wife, girlfriend or especially kids like crap in front of the clerk.

This book is a wonderful and fun read, with the added advantage of being educational on what happens behind the scenes in the hotel industry and how you can make the most out of your next stay at a hotel.

Book Review: "Heretics: Adventures with the Enemies of Science" by Will Storr

In my mind Will Storr is the brilliant love-child of Mary Roach and Louis Theroux, both of whom I adore. I think Will may have to join their lofty heights in my respectability/adoration mind shrine.

Will's "Will Storr vs the Supernatural" was a wonderful and random find that I made several years ago. Will took it upon himself, Louis Theroux style, to get immersed in the lore and activity of the supernatural. What was different about the other supernatural books is that Will approached it from a skeptical point of view. His conclusions were  that most of what he investigated was utter bullshit, but there were a few instances that made him think. That book was much better than Mary Roach's approach taken in her book "Spook".

Anyway, this time Will has taken on the enemies of science. Well more like the enemies of reason. SO each chapter or two is dedicated to an interview or an activity with a fringe group or person. You start with a creationist preacher, move through to holocaust deniers and take on homeopathy. All sections are well-researched and Will approaches each instance with a sympathetic ear. That ear may not last long, but he does have the best of intentions.

All throughout Will is bringing this all back to the nature of belief and the apparent need for the human brain to make reliable sense of the world it exists in. So there is a greater message other than "Look at these dickheads" and a great attempt to try and understand human thought processes.

In it's own way I think that this book adds it's own to a religion vs. science argument and should be considered essential reading for anyone tackling this subject. It definitely should be as popular and as read as Dawkins' "The God Delusion" and makes a much more logical assay of belief than Hitchens' "God is Not Great". It had a die-hard atheist like myself thinking as opposed to going "right on!" to every point.

Book Review: 'Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal' by Mary Roach

Mary Roach has written yet another winner here. Her early books "Bonk" and "Spook" were a little flat and derivative, but ever since then she has delivered.

Yes, she chooses deliberately risque subjects and yes there is always a chapter on farts, but damn she can make things interesting. It seems she can make the fine balance of making a scientist such as myself happy, while also placating my inner 8-year-old. And really, all she is doing by telling us how artificial farts are made, and the size of Elvis' colon is saving us time; I know I'd be looking up articles to see if anyone has gas chromatographed a fart after reading this. Mary has already done the Not Safe For Work googling for us.

Mary's books are great for everyone. You do not have to be a scientist to enjoy them, and you do not need to be an 8-year-old boy either. If you are a bit squeamish and delicate about bodily functions, read this, get over yourself and enjoy the wonderful piece of biology that you occupy.

So everyone, get out there and read some Mary Roach. You'll laugh, learn, be amazed and there will be plenty of WTFs. May we have many more wonderful Mary Roach adventures!

Book Review: 'Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea' by Barbara Demick

 I have read very little directly related to North Korea over the years, picking up tidbits here and there referenced in broader works, where I have got the gist of the general history of the nation. But a recent article in New Scientist by an environmental scientist invited to a conference in the country astounded and intrigued me all once. The author described a landscape that has been scavenged bare by generations of a poverty stricken population. I guess the state of the country described by an environmental scientist was something new and appealed to a fellow scientist.

I saw this book on iBooks, and decided to give the preview a try (previewing, one of the reasons why I am an eBook convert of sorts), and after reading I was hooked and purchased the book (instant purchase of books, another reason of conversion).

Barbara tells the story of six North Korean refugees reconstructed from interviews she conducted. The stories are centred upon everyday life, but they are closely interwoven with the larger history of the country. Each story is personal and different, and you feel yourself empathising with this people, no matter how naive, brainwashed or anti-establishment they were. The imagery of the stories is strong; Barbara paints wonderful, yet ugly scenes. You can see the desolated countryside, the decaying silent factories and the gaudy statues.

The narrative takes the reader through the beginnings of the nation, under the rule of Kim Jon Il-Sung, through the rule of his son, Kim Jong-Il and onto Kim Jong-un. You experience the draconian laws effecting the lives of the citizens such as factory workers and a doctor. A highlight is the tales centred around the death of Kim Jong-Il and the fanfare that surrounded it.

A beautiful yet saddening non-fiction book recommended to both those who know little of the history of North Korea and those who may know the history but wonder about the people and their lives. An eye opening account of people living in a  totalitarian state.

Book Review: 'Because I Said So!' by Ken Jennings

Ken Jennings gets out his bullshit detector after telling his son that he shouldn't run and eat a lolly pop because a tragic accident would ensue. He realised he got this from his mother and wondered if there were any basis to other 'parentisms' such as chicken soup for a cold, don't eat cheese before bed because you'll have weird dreams, running with scissors and not swimming for an hour after eating.

Ken digs through medical journals, interviews experts and tirelessly researches each parentism to gauge the level of nonsense. But if you are worried that this would be dry, you always have Ken's humour to fall back on which is certainly up there in non-fiction humour with Mary Roach and Bill Bryson.

What is lacking compared to his other books is the geek charm. There are no long form interviews with weird people with weird obsessions. The short form of each section limits the charm factor.

While it's harder to love this book as much as his previous two ('Mapheads' and 'Brainiac'), it is still a funny and informative read that is top of my non-fiction reads for the year. So if you are a fan of Mary Roach, 'Mythbusters' or just a snarky 12 year old looking for material to come back at your parents with, get reading.

Book Review: 'Brainiac' by Ken Jennings

Ken Jennings stamped himself onto my psyche with 'Maphead', a book about geography and geo geeks, which I read last year. I adored this book for many reasons and I connected with Ken's sentiments about learning, obsession and being a nerd. I've now gone back to a previous book of his, 'Brainiac' which deals with the history and obsession of trivia and the events that made Ken a household name in the U.S.

For those of you not from the U.S. or who like 'Jeopardy!', Ken shot to fame by being a carry over champion on the game show a record 74 times. But that is not like being a champion on 'Wheel of Fortune', this is 'Jeapordy!', an intense and highly difficult quiz show where you answer with a question.

So you may be thinking "Why the hell would I want to read a book about this guy bragging about his conquest?". I can assure you that this is not what this book is about and Ken wouldn't do that type of thing anyway.

Ken does take us through his tale of 'Jeapordy!', but it is interspersed with his lifelong relationship with trivia and mainly the worldwide history of trivia. Like 'Maphead', Ken finds all different types of trivia nerds and connects with them and tells their stories also. We meet a U.S. town that goes trivia crazy once every year for 70 or so hours non-stop. We also meet a trivia writer fallen on hard times after a bad court case with the makers of the 'Trivial Pursuits' games.

What also makes Ken's books great is his voice. He is funny and self-deprecating, while being knowledgeable and insightful. He is everything I and every other geek aspires to be like.  I still can't believe he is a Mormon. He doesn't seem to have that glazed-over, I-married-my-cousin-at-the-age-of-nineteen-just-so-I-could-have-sex, we-all-float-down-here thing going on. And I totally agree with Ken when he says:
"It was nice to have someone on TV for a few months who was openly religious and yet wasn't (hopefully) the usual stereotypical mouth-breather or nut job."

You said it Ken. It is encouraging to find a religious voice that seems to be part of this reality and I can connect with.

And I want to quote Ken once more. Here a summary on geek:

"After all, we're currently living in a Bizarro society where teenagers are technology-obsessed, where the biggest sellers in every bookstores are fantasy novels about a boy wizard, and the blockbuster hit movies are all full of hobbits and elves or 1960s spandex superheroes. You don't have to go to a Star Trek convention to find geeks anymore. Today, almost everyone is an obsessive, well-informed aficionado of something. Pick your cult: there are food geeks and fashion geeks and Desperate Housewives geeks and David Mamet geeks and fantasy sports geeks. The list is endless. And since everyone today is some kind of trivia geek or other, there's not even a stigma anymore. Trivia is mainstream. "Nerd" is the new "cool.”"

Book Review: 'Quiet' by Susan Cain

I am introvert, hear me curl up and read a book!

This book is a great big "Fuck You!" to society and it's current worship of the outgoing, bubbly, fake, collaborating mindset. But the book isn't angry; it's a well-researched argument that delves into the last 100 years of psychological research to back up the arguments.

Susan questions how and why the outgoing gregarious type became the epitome of success in the last few decades. The rise of these values has given way to leaders who may have the loudest voice, but may not have the sharpest mind. The success of a person is defined in how well they can sell themselves and their work. These factors are no longer judged purely on their merit.

The book discusses the difficulties that an introvert faces in study, the workplace and in relationships while giving case-studies and examples throughout. Susan doesn't recommend that all us introverts curl up in a ball in the dark, she encourages us to push our boundaries; all the while questioning where these boundaries are set.





This book was affirming and even though I am proud of my personality, it gave me more confidence in who I am and that my behaviours are normal and should not be viewed negatively.

Book Review: 'Death by Black Hole' by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Neil is without doubt one of the greatest scientific communicators alive. He is erudite and hilarious with no apparent effort and can always bring the 'wow'.

I enjoy his podcast and have probably watched near all videos on youtube that feature him. This is the first time that I have tried his written work and I am very pleased with the results.

This work is a collection of editorial pieces that Neil writes for a periodical. They are intended to be short, punchy scientific stories and not form an ongoing dialogue.

In this respect Neil did a brilliant job. I dipped in and out of this book over the last couple of weeks and it was simple to pick up again after each break. I read it while doing experiments in the lab, and I read it while on the toilet.

What let the collection down (just the tiniest smidgen) was that some material was covered twice. Fine for an ongoing column and understandable for a collection, but still, a little work could have been taken to cull and back reference sections.

Don't get me wrong, I adored this book. And anyone who has not discovered love for Neil needs to read it immediately. You'll definitely connect with him if you are sceptical, scientific or just a spotter of bullshit.

 

This book left me wanting more. I want some long form stories, woven into a larger narrative. I have 'The Pluto Files' on my shelf. Maybe it won't be long before I open it.

Book Review: 'Exploding the Phone: The Untold Story of the Teenagers and Outlaws who Hacked Ma Bell' by Phil Laspley

Read from May 24 to 26, 2013

 Alongside the age of space exploration in the 60s, 70s and 80s exploration of another type of space was underway. However it was not physical space, but a communication network, possibly the largest communication network at that time. The adventurers were random geeks, way before being a geek was considered cool, who had discovered properties of the phones around them and proceeded to experiment, poke, prod and hack.

At the time the US only had one telecommunications company, AT&T, who monopolised the market, dictating pricing and the level of service. The problem with AT&T is that the communication infrastructure was thrown together with little planning, and the system ran on a simple series of multiple frequency pulses. Added to that fact, the company was ignorant of any possibility of security issues and even published journals with technical details and frequency values for all their system. When a generation of intelligent yet bored teens come along, fun was to be had.

The history of this subculture is wonderfully bought to life by Lapsley. He has taken years of research, including interviews and original documents from both parties, the phreaks and AT&T. The emphasis is upon the characters that played a role in this history, each bought to the page with individuality and verve. The book abounds in  wonderful anecdotes that brings a little romanticism to the culture and time.
'Exploding the Phone' left me feeling a little jealous that I was born twenty years too late and in the wrong country. In the 21st century, are the systems that surround us in everyday life too far beyond the understanding and ability for an amateur to explore? 

This wonderful homage to a unique subset of geek is essential reading for anyone who professes to be a geek or who is interested in hacker or maker stories. 'Exploding the Phone' is a wonderful and romantic non-fiction read that deserves to be widely read.

Book Review: 'Mad Science 2' by Theodore Gray

Thanks to Netgalley and Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers for a copy of this wonderful book to review.

I feel envious of any science geek yet to discover the wonderful works of Theo Gray. But not that envious as I have had the pleasure of having them in my life for the last few years. Theo's books speak volumes about the simplicity and beauty of the elements and chemistry in general.

Theo is a chemist, educator, element collector, photographer and a mad man; so essentially a scientist with a camera. But he is much, much more than the rest of us.

His latest book carries on from his first 'Mad Science' Book  by showing great backyard science experiments coupled with his unique, yet effective safety message which boils down to "just don't be a dickhead". Some of these experiments could be tackled by anyone, some are aimed more at the chemist, and others are given with the message "REALLY don't do this no matter who you are."

Highlights involve making tomato puree between two neodymium-iron-boron magnets, burning diamonds, floating an aluminium foil boat on a volume of sulfur hexafluoride, X-ray photography with radioactive sources, extracting bismuth from Pepto-Bismol... I might just end up naming everything in the book if I carry on.

The first project that I'm going to tackle is photography with a radioactive source. I have a piece of trinitite in my collection that would come in handy for a source. Also Theo suggests potassium chloride, which is sold as "diet salt", as a source due to the relatively high abundance of potassium 40.

I'd recommend this book and all Theo's books to science geeks especially chemists.  The 'Mad Science' books would also be great for people who love to tinker and have sheds. But I think the best recommendation would be to buy these books for young teenagers who have any interest in science. You'll be setting them up to be great scientists.