My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Impressive but somehow unsatisfying.
Novel
A Review of Now, The Physics of Time
Now – The Physics of Time by Richard A. Muller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A wonderfully written book about deep subjects. Muller offers an explanation of time that I found feasible. The author does not prove his case, but that lack of hard physical proof is part of his argument. The explanatory power of physics is powerful but not total. There are things, important and real, that physics cannot address. Just as there are mathematical statements that may be true but cannot be proven with conventional mathematical methods.
Muller suggests that our perception of time is one of these true but not fully explainable experiences. The uncertainty principle makes it impossible to fully predict the future and thus gives us free will.
I cannot say that I understood everything in the book. I never do with this kind of book. But I understood more at the end of the book than at the beginning, and that is the point.
Review: Footfall
Footfall by Larry Niven
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A very solid thriller, only slightly tarnished by the passage of time.
Review: Rewinder
Rewinder by Brett Battles
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Review: Myth in Human History
Myth in Human History by Grant L. Voth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a meta-approach to myths. It explores the patterns that occur in myths around the world. Very interesting.
Review: The Sixth Idea
The Sixth Idea by P.J. Tracy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A perfect read for a warm, sunny summer day. Old friends pursuing new ideas. What could be better.
Review: Forever Peace
Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The The Forever WarThe Forever War was incredible. It holds up under multiple readings. I cannot imagine reading Forever Peace again. It is good but several steps down from its predecessor.
Review: Ender’s Game
Review: Soleri
Soleri by Michael Johnston
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is a good, but not a great read. All of the elements of epic fantasy are present, but the whole is not greater than than the sum of the parts. The story is well constructed, but the seams are quite visible. Nothing surprised me. The characters seem to go through the motions rather than come alive. The plot twists are interesting but not earth shattering. The language does not soar. This could have been much more than it was.
This is obviously the first of a series and I will probably read the follow-on books. I hope that the quality goes up. There are open questions that will draw me in.
Review: Adulthood Rites
Adulthood Rites by Octavia E. Butler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A little weird but still interesting.
Jon Stonecash, Writer 