Books I Have Read

A Brief History of Infinity A good, but not great, introduction to the notion of infinity and its historical beginnings. Some of the explanations of the mathematics I couldn't understand. Rather than being too technical, it was too untechnical. To make it palatable for the average reader, mathematical concepts were only explained in the most general terms, using analogies wherever possible.	A Brief History of Infinity, by Brian Clegg.
The Adventures of Tintin at Sea. Despite the title, this is not another story in which Tintin has adventures in exotic locations. Rather, the authors examine a selection of maritime objects found in the illustrations of the many stories in which Tintin finds himself at sea. Hergé's notes show that many of his illustrations were based on specific objects in the real world. There are four main themes: ships, sailors, navigation and ports. The facts are interesting, but the editing is not very good. For example there are references to illustrations in the original stories but they are not included in this book. Nevetheless, it's an interesting book for Tintinophiles. (Feb 2006)	The Adventures of Tintin at Sea, by Yves Horeau and Michael Farr.
Casa Miragalo, the autobiography of Hugo Redivo, a German-Italian who immigrated to Penticton, BC in 1949 and became an accomplished photographer. This book begins with Hugo's childhood and continues with many anectodes of his life up to 1961, including his military service in WWII. Hugo knows how to write about the right things: small observations and anecdotes are intermixed with macroscropic observations like the context of wartime Europe, or his first impressions of Canada. Unfortunately the editing was not as good as it should have been. I was distracted by several typos that should have been caught. Two chapters are extracts from Hugo's wife's journal, but her writing style is so different that it doesn't fit well with Hugo's. Quoting short passages from the journal would have been a better way to include his wife's writing in this book.(Feb 2006)	Casa Miralago, by Hugo Redivo.
Simon Wiesenthal A good introduction to the life of Simon Wiesenthal up to the age of 85 (he died at age 96). After barely surviving WWII he struggled to track Nazis in the face of personal attacks from many, including the Jewish community. In part, this biography comments on how systemic Naziism was in Austria during and after WWII. (Jan-Feb 2006)	Simon Wiesenthal, by Hella Pick.
The Physics of Star Trek A look at the practicalities, possiblities, and impossibilities of various phenomena and inventions in the original Star Trek. Each chapter is methodical and thoughtful, not a snide criticism as one might expect. (1999)	The Physics of Star Trek by Lawrence M. Krauss
E=mc²: A Biography of the World's Most Famous Equation   "Biography" is a strange word to use in this title. "History" would have been more precise. The book gives a detailed background on the events leading up to Einstein's Theories of Relativity. Much of it covers the lives of scientists and others (maybe that's why it's called a biography) which piqued my interest in their own biographies. (2004)	E=mc²: A Biography of the World's Most Famous Equation by David Bodanis
Surely Youre Joking Mr. Feynman! These anectodes and stories from the life of Richard Feynman are extremely funny. At the same time it contains some interesting historical details of the Manhattan Project from an insider's point of view. The stories also leave you with a clear impression of Feynman's personality and modes of thought (1997)	Surely Youre Joking Mr. Feynman! by Richard Feynman
What Do You Care What Other People Think?   Another batch of stories and anecdotes from the life of Richard Feynman. A large portion of the book covers his role in the presidential commission into the Challenger explosion.(1997)	What Do You Care What Other People Think? by Richard Feynman
Tuva or Bust!   This is a posthumous story of Feyman and author Ralph Leighton's attempts to learn more about the obscure country of Tuva. This makes the book appealing to readers who are obsessed with learning stuff for its own sake. Their ultimate goal was to visit Tuva but Feynman died before he could go there. Leighton eventually travelled to Tuva and left a memorial to him.(2001)	Tuva or Bust! by Ralph Leighton

Books I Want to Read