Read THIS 2

November, 2020

Before I bore you once again with my reading list, I thought it would be a good idea to reflect on how far we’ve come on behalf of pALS. The following is from Julie Scurich who is a Case Manager with the Golden West Chapter of the ALS Association:

“I loved your latest blog. When I started working with ALS patients 22 years ago there was no way to read books unless. you had a special book set up with an electronic switch activated page turner if you could not use your hands. They cost $5,000! I knew only 2 people who had them. There was no access to books online. People would get the books on tape offered by the libraries but the selection of books was very limited. Reading your blog today reminds me just how far we have come with technology. In those days there was no insurance coverage for AAC and only one primitive eye gaze device available that you would have to pay out of pocket for…..about $20,000! A friend of mine who lost his speech early on at the age of 28 saved his money for 3 years to be able to afford a computer that would speak for him!”

Hopefully in another twenty years I’ll be able to write using just my paltry brainwaves. In the meantime, eye can keep producing these blogs and you can keep ignoring them. Especially this next one which continues discussing the absolutely riveting contents of my Kindle library.

Because I can no longer play music, reading about it has become a source of some comfort. A favorite are the books by Ted Gioia. Music: A Subversive History is a must read for anyone curious about how music developed throughout human history. Starting with postulating that human’s facility in producing sound provided an evolutionary advantage, Gioia explores the growth and use of music. Although Gioia is an academic, the book is a nonacademic read and delights in poking holes in cherished misconceptions. One memorable segment describes an attempt by JS Bach to secure reimbursement for several barrels (yes, barrels) of beer while.on what was presumably a business trip. I knew there was a reason I liked the guys music. The book is long but reads easily and is good for you. Highly recommended.

The History of Jazz by the same author is an encyclopedic survey of the genre suitable only for jazz geeks like me. Why he doesn’t discuss Gershwin, however, is beyond me.

If you’re still interested in my library, it’s time to leave the invisible arts and jump into the unknown. Up until a year or so ago, I had not been super interested in the offerings in speculative fiction (my pretentious term for science fiction), tomes by Gibson and Stephenson being notable exceptions.

Recently my bro-in-law shot me a write up on new speculative fiction out of China. I immediately got hooked on the work of Liu Cinxin. I jumped in with both feet by reading his Three Body Problem trilogy aka Remembrance of Earth’s Past. The scope of this work is just immense, and it would be perfect for those long holiday plane flights you are no longer taking. Starting during the Cultural Revolution, it tells the story of humanity’s first contact with an alien civilization. Suffice it to say said contact ain’t pretty. The ideas, plot twists, and characters fly at warp speed and the translation keeps the prose smooth for the most part.

If you would like to dip your toe in the Liu Cixin water before diving in, check out The Wandering Earth, a collection of his short stories. A bit of a mixed bag, the stories provide a good sample of his style.

My colleague Nelson suggested The Expanse series by James Corey. Never read the books but have become insatiably addicted to the video series on Amazon Prime. This one fires on all cylinders. The political intrigue mixed with classic SciFi themes is just delicious. Can’t say enough good things about The Expanse except that I can’t wait for the new season.

Satire and speculative fiction are a match made in the heavens. I’m really getting into Set My Heart to Five by Simon Stephenson. It’s about a robot dentist who (which?) develops feelings after watching old movies. Writing just drips Vonnigut and casts a keen eye on human foibles. Definitely a fun read.

Because I’ve bored everybody to tears by now, and there’s likely no one left reading my attempt at Waldo’s Review of Books, I’ll take the hint and put this segment out of its misery. If you liked this blog then you didn’t read it closely enough. If you didn’t like it then blame Jack because it was his idea.