Baltimoremick.com » Books

Reading Rainbow for Adults

JJT — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 01:34:06 +0000

I am not doing much mindless watching of the television with my mother around as a guest. Most of my TV watching comes in chunks when I can catch up on my DVR'd television shows--the exception being 24. There have been a couple of books that I have read and am working through, and a third is waiting.

PANIC The Story of Modern Financial Insanity is a book edited by Michael Lewis. I finished this in mid-January after receiving it for a Christmas gift. Lewis examines four recent financial panics in the last two decades: the market crash of 1987, the death of Long Term Capital Management and the collapse of the Russian and Southeast Asian currencies, the Internet Bubble, and the recent housing crisis.

Panic is not a deep analysis of each of these crises. Each section contains a narrative describing what has happened, then articles from various authors as to what has transpired or some other analysis. What it does display, though, is the growing tendency of the market as information becomes much faster and more global to be much more prone to fits of panic. I think it also presents the case of the growing intricacy of financial instruments--the concept of strategists who conceive of ways to make money in the market, the growth of hedge funds, and the ascendancy of mortgage-backed securities. It's a quick read for anyone interested in the topic, and I recommend it for anyone interested in the current crisis with an eye to recent history.

The other book I am reading is Tim Weiner's Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA. If the history of the CIA is of any interest, this book is quite exhaustive and a good read. It makes a very cogent case for the roots of the failure of the intelligence community through the Cold War and into the new century. For anyone who has an interest in the CIA, this book is quite a good read.

The next book on the list is See No Evil by Robert Baer. I have not started on this one yet, but it is the book that inspired the movie Syriana. Again, with an eye toward recent history and intelligence-gathering, I am looking forward to this book.

With that, I feel like a much older version of Levar Burton in Reading Rainbow.

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Mmm…Barbecue!

JJT — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:19:58 +0000

As I finally finished The Andromeda Strain,* I can now turn my attention to one of the great reasons for this time of year. Yes, indeed, it is time to immerse myself in barbecue. Specifically, thanks to the largesse of NPR Junky, I am now reading through The Barbecue! Bible by Steven Raichlen.

In the words of the immortal Homer J. Simpson, "Mmmm.....BBQ"

Feeding the Need

JJT — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:09:48 +0000

While I was preparing for my time at jury duty last week, I decided to buy some books in advance of my interminable wait. My book purchase was going to feed a need--specifically, my need for some 24. The writer's strike postponed a new season of 24 until January 2009, and much like any addict prevented from enjoying their vice, I am suffering a bit of withdrawal.

A bit of Googling gave me a couple of leads, and I promptly hit the local Barnes & Noble. I picked up the following 24-themed books:

The first two and last books of this list are works of fiction, and I will admit to the last book being an impulse buy. The third book, though, has been an interesting read. Very similar to another book I have--The Simpsons and Philosophy--it takes the issues and characters in the show and examines them through various essays applying different philosophical ideas and notions. So far, it has been quite enjoyable.

I will admit to a bit of fanboism here, but I really miss my usual Monday night ritual and truly needed something to fill the gap. The fiction novels were very quick reads, and it was nice to partake in some mindless reading, something I have not done in a while.