Books That I Recently Read (Page Still Under Construction)

Non-fiction

• The Commanding Heights : The battle between government and the marketplace that is remaking the modern world by Daniel Yergin and Joseph Stanislaw : 4 stars
• Ever Since Adam and Eve : The Evolution of Human Sexuality by Potts and Short: 4.5 stars
• A History of Cambodia by David Chandler : 4.5 stars
• It Ain't Necessarily So by Richard Lewontin : 4 stars : A collection of book reviews by Richard Lewontin (of New York University and co-author of the famous paper "The Spandrels of San Marco and the Panglossian Paradigm: A Critique of the Adaptationist Programme"). This is an interesting book which provides a good insight into Lewontin's view of evolutionary biology. Lewontin is a good identifier of sloppy scientific thinking which is found in abundance in the rather questionable field of sociobiology. The largest review on the book which was about some of the justifications given for the Human Genome Project identifies the hyperbole involved but does a disservice in that it also seems to identify the hyperbole with the real research. The hyperbole exists for marketing purposes which are unfortunately necessary. A lot of the reviews heavily criticise the adaptationists, sometimes unfairly. IMHO, both sides in this debate usually end up attacking strawmen representing the other side in the dispute which is quite unfortunate.
• Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond : 5 stars : A brilliant book on the history of the human race which does a good job of identifying the factors involved in the progress or otherwise of various peoples around the world. The analysis is very good and detailed and provides a view of history quite unlike any other I have ever seen. Until I read this book I used to think of history as generally just an analysis of ancient documents and monuments with an overemphasis on personalities. This book has completely changed that impression of mine.
• The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli : 5 stars
• Darwin's Dangerous Idea by Daniel Dennet : 4 stars :
• Wall Street Capitalism by Ray Canterbery : 3.5 stars
• The Seven Fat Years by Robert Bartley : 3 stars
• Going For Broke : how banking mismanagement lost thousands of billions by Russel Taylor : 4.5 stars
• Money by Andrew Hacker : 3.5 stars
• Diplomacy by Henry Kissinger : 5 stars
• Freedom at Midnight by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre : 4.5 stars
• From Lucy to Language by Donald Johanson and Edgar Blake : 4.5 stars
• What is Sex? by Lynn Margulis and Dorian Sagan : 4.5 stars
• The Secret Family by David Bodanis : 4.5 stars
• Money Meltdown by Judy Shelton : 4 stars
• The End of Racism by Dinesh D'Souza : 4 stars
• The Time Before History by Colin Tudge : 4.5 stars

Fiction

• Utopia by Sir Thomas More : 5 stars : Probably should be in the non-fiction section but it is technically a book of fiction. Very incisive for its day.
• Psmith in the City by P.G. Wodehouse : 5 stars.
• Full Moon by P.G. Wodehouse : 5 stars : One of the best non-Jeeves stories.
• Uneasy Money by P.G. Wodehouse : 4.5 stars : One of the better non-Jeeves stories.
• Swami and Friends, The Bachelor of Arts and The English Teacher by R.K. Narayan : 5 stars
• Carry On, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse : 4.5 stars : Superb except when Jeeves becomes the narrator in the last story.
• Pearls, Girls and Monty Bodkin by P.G. Wodehouse : 4.5 stars : Very good, but not still in the class of the Jeeves novels IMHO.
• The Mating Season by P.G. Wodehouse : 5 stars : One of the best!