All the Light We Cannot See

Book #5 - The Amateurs - ***



Great literature?  No.  But a great story?  Yes!  There is that group of people in the world that labor ceaselessly, obsessively for no reason other than their passion.  The rowers in Halberstam's book are in this group.  The book spends a lot of time discussing the individual personalities of the rowers vying for the single sculls spot representing the US in the 1984 Olympics.  There is not a normal person in the bunch, although this is not an indictment.  It takes a "special" person to be a good sculler, apparently.    Americans have seen this kind of obsessive passion in running and other sports, but rowing appears to be a whole 'nother level of focus.  

Book #6- All The Light We Cannot See - *****



Every so often you discover a heck of a writer you knew nothing about.  Someone who is an excellent storyteller and an excellent prose writer.  Doerr is one of those writers that comes along rarley.   Not since Mark Helprin's "In Sunlight and In Shadow" have I read a book with such beautiful, entrancing descriptive narrative.   The plot is never really that important in such books - they capture the essence of what is good about life.  A don't miss read.

The Innovators and The Ten Word Game

Book #3



Maybe I am an Anglophile, but I do enjoy clever British writing.  While this is not great literature, the protagonist is a slightly cockney, too smart by half antiques dealer who manages to get through life by his wits and the kindness of women.  If you like Dick Francis, you will like this series.  Rating:  3 stars


Book #4



Walter Isaacson has written a great book.  I have read his previous books and this one is just as good.  He is able to take a lot of information, some of it boring (sorry, computer nerds!) and make it a compelling read.  I will read anything this guy writes. Rating:  4 stars

Books 1 & 2 - The Boys in the Boat; A Book Forged in Hell

 

This is my first read of 2015.  It is an enjoyable read if you like stories of determination, underdogs and the Olympics.  It made me think that people were tougher then than we are now.  I was also struck by how many people attended live events before there was the mass media we have today.



Book #2.  If you have any interest in religion this is a very compelling read.  Spinoza dealt with issues of the effect of secular religion on citizens and nation states, but it is applicable today to anyone who seeks a simpler, more direct relationship with God.   The author is a gifted writer and explains complex concepts in a concise and easily understood way.