The Battle of $9.99: How Apple, Amazon and the Big Six Publishers Changed the E-Book by Andrew Richard Albanese As an owner of the original Kindle (it doesn't work anymore but I still have it), I fondly remember the day when every E-book was $9.99. I did not appreciate how much this price upset book publishers, even though they still earned 80% of the hardback whole-sale price and Amazon sometimes lost money. Along came Apple with a new model that did away with the $9.99 price ceiling but also violated anti-trust laws. Very interesting book and a Kindle short. Grade: B
I Wear the Black Hat: Grappling with Villains (Real and Imagined) by Chuck Klosterman Chuck Klosterman is one of my favorite writers, especially when he is writing about hair bands from the 80's. In this book, he gives his perspective on individuals that either are bad or are perceived as bad. The best chapters involve music -- the Eagles, etc., but the whole book is pretty good. My favorite thing about this book is that you can find a Spotify channel with the music that inspired the book. Not Chuck's best work, but still good. Grade: C+
The Upstream Doctors:Medical Innovators Track Sickness to Its Source by Rishi Manchanda Another Kindle short, this book advocates for having doctors and healthcare workers focus more time and energy on the homes and communities in which their patients live because these places have such a significant impact on health. I generally agree with the thesis of the book and found it very persuasive. I'm less optimistic about the prospects of changing a virtually unchangeable healthcare system. Grade: B
Vultures' Picnic: In Pursuit of Petroleum Pigs, Power Pirates, and High-Finance Carnivores by Greg Palast A book about the supposed super-evil of petroleum companies. I found the book unconvincing, the author extremely arrogant, and the book poorly written. Just so you know, Greg Palast is fully convinced that he is the only thing between us and world domination by big oil. I couldn't finish the book. Grade: F
Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn One of the many Star Wars books set in the time period after Return of the Jedi. The book was pretty good, but I felt like the author invented too many gimmicks to tell the story -- for example, the little critters that repel the force? Whatever. Grade: C-
The Pioneer Detectives: Did a distant spacecraft prove Einstein and Newton wrong? by Konstantin Kakaes Another Kindle Short and easily the best book I've read in a month. This book is a must read for any scientist. I describes an interesting set of data, and the careful use of the scientific method to understand that data. Great, easy read. Grade: B+
