Sunday, July 22, 2012
The One and Only Dream Team
I just finished Jack McCallum's book, Dream Team, how Michael, Magic, Larry, Charles, and the greatest team of all time conquered the world and changed the game of basketball forever.
I remember the Dream Team like it was yesterday. I still have a few of the old McDonalds commemorative cups around somewhere. As a young basketball fan at the time it was the best possible idea to put all of the very best ballers together to re-establish our dominance. As a side-effect, however, it grew the game and led basketball to global popularity.
It was fun reading about the stories behind the scenes (how Jordan refused to play if Isiah Thomas was on the team and how no one blamed him as one example) and how the players interacted. I remember watching every game they played and I never turned it off just because Team USA was up 50. The whole tournament was a coronation!
It was a farewell to Magic and Bird for their previous greatness and a worldwide affirmation of the unquestioned status of Michael Jordan as the world's best basketball player. Charles Barkley provided comedy relief "(I don't know nuthin bout Angola, but I know Angola's in trouble") as well as the only international incident (a vicious elbow thrown that started a "should we send him home" debate). You have to love Chuck.
I had USA Basketball shorts and we played hoops all summer long while talking endlessly about the star power on that team.
There was a famous scrimmage that became known as the "greatest game nobody saw" and the book documents it from a VHS tape of that scrimmage that survives. It was fun to hear about how Magic stubbornly refused to yield the torch to Jordan and then see how helpless he was to deny the younger MJ.
It was a trip down memory lane and reminded me how much fun it was when that team was formed and then crowned. Nothing put that memory into perspective more than a brief summary of the subsequent Dream Teams, none-of which deserved the name.
Monday, July 16, 2012
What the Heck is Going On?! (Midpoint Review)
I am late on my annual mid-point review, which will then lead to our annual argument over whether this effort is worthwhile or not. Either way, I carry on.
This year's installment even includes highly-rated sci-fi and fantasy. What the heck is going on?
So, with that in mind, I have categorized the books to reflect this crazy year of reading. As usual, I give my preliminary top 5, marked with a star. I will also note my assignments.
I READ SCIENCE FICTION?
Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein -- So much for my opening premise. I didn't really like this book.
The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury -- Not nearly as dated as you would think. An enjoyable collection of stories about Mars. I finally read Ray Bradbury and it was just before he died this year.
I READ FANTASY?
* Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin (Kindle) ASSIGNMENT -- I have already posted about this. I can't believe I loved a fantasy book. And I have already started book two. (P) Imp Daddy!
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, by J.K. Rowling (Out loud to Jacob) -- I am not sure how many more of these Jacob will be able to make it through. They are getting longer and, although he loves them, I might be testing the edges of his patience. On the other hand, Jacob is still into book 5 and it's almost 900 pages, so it's all good. I know what to expect from these books.
CLASSICS
* The Gambler, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Kindle) -- I finally read it! My quota for dead Russian authors was met again this year!
* As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner (Kindle) -- Seriously messed up book that gets funnier and funnier as you go. That makes no sense unless you have read this book. "Shoulda done brought them cakes."
FICTION
Sabbath's Theater, by Phillip Roth (Kindle) -- I think we've covered this topic enough. I even broke down its smut empirically.
* The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, by Michael Chabon (Kindle) ASSIGNMENT -- I understand why many would not like this book, but I loved it. It was very well written. Actually, it was so well written that it often felt like poetry. It took me way too long to read because it can be tiring to read. It will wear you down because of the language and the story. There are some really drastic time-changes and some surprising developments. It deals with some very intense concepts. For some reason I did not think to consider the dynamic of "survivor's guilt" until late in the book when it was revealed and suddenly put so many things into perspective. A phenomenal work. It deserved the Pulitzer it won.
Room by Emma Donoghue (Kindle) -- A very interesting concept. It was pretty good. There isn't much more I can say about it.
* The Sense of an Ending, by Julian Barnes (Kindle) -- I loved this book. It does a fantastic job of illustrating how different individuals process their own histories. I also love a book that will purposely choose the mundane over the extraordinary. I distinctly remember thinking "this is where the author will jump the shark and create some messed up and very unlikely plot twist to try to wow me..." and it never happened. The "reveal" could have been a cliche, but Barnes took the more realistic path. It is more likely that someone got all worked up over something insignificant to everyone but that character. Barnes had the stones to pull that off.
BEHAVIOR SCIENCE
The Power of Habit, by Charles Duhigg (Kindle) -- I love these books, but they are getting a little cliche. Still, my post earlier holds up.
What Every Body is Saying, by Joe Navarro (Kindle) -- Interesting, but the act of reading people's body language will probably cause them to indicate discomfort. So, interesting, but ultimately unhelpful.
A few Seconds of Panic, by Stefan Fatsis (Kindle) -- A forgettable season of Denver Bronco football, but I did get some dirt on Bradlee Van Pelt and can call him a whiner all I want because I have proof.
I Want My MTV, by Craig Marks (Kindle) -- Behavior science? Yes. How David Lee Roth and other 80s hair-band singers get women to sleep with them. It's a pretty detailed account, actually. I remembered almost every video and I learned how exactly Billy Squire was ruined by his own horrible dancing. That was fun.
42 Fallacies, by Michael LaBossiere (Kindle) -- A fun refresher course in logic.
As Goes Texas, by Susan Collins (Kindle) -- Behavior Science? Well, it will teach you how to be a stubborn and unreasonable jerk. Sorry, but it's true. "How Texas Bullies the Rest of Us and Yet Wants to Secede Because that isn't Good Enough" would be as good a title.
The Reason for God, by Timothy Keller (Kindle) -- A great application of logic to religion that does an admirable job of being even-handed. Most books in the area on both sides (anti and pro religious alike) tend to ultimately just sling arrows. This is the closest to even handed I have found.
NONFICTION
Hiroshima, by John Hersey -- Dated and ultimately not very good.
Belle De Jour, by Anonymous (Kindle) -- Really, this is about what it is like to be a prostitute in England (where it is legal) sprinkled with fairly graphic sex stories and tales of interesting "logistics."
Let's Pretend This Never Happened, by Jenny Lawson (Kindle) -- Funny at times. Otherwise it was just OK.
I suck at Girls, by Justin Halpern -- Not as good as his first book, but some good laughs. "One minor head injury from eating his own shit" is a phrase I will absolutely use. As in, "D.J. Williams and Elvis Dumervil are one minor head injury from eating their own shit." That feels right.
SEAL Target Geronimo, by Chuck Pfarrer (Kindle) -- SEALS rock.
Don't put me in Coach, by Mark Titus (Kindle) -- Funny. It was a good break to read this book.
Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72, by Hunter S. Thompson -- Great read. HST is nutty. And not much has changed as far as elections go.
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, by Bill Bryson (Kindle) -- A very good memoir / comedy.
This year's installment even includes highly-rated sci-fi and fantasy. What the heck is going on?
So, with that in mind, I have categorized the books to reflect this crazy year of reading. As usual, I give my preliminary top 5, marked with a star. I will also note my assignments.
I READ SCIENCE FICTION?
Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein -- So much for my opening premise. I didn't really like this book.
The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury -- Not nearly as dated as you would think. An enjoyable collection of stories about Mars. I finally read Ray Bradbury and it was just before he died this year.
I READ FANTASY?
* Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin (Kindle) ASSIGNMENT -- I have already posted about this. I can't believe I loved a fantasy book. And I have already started book two. (P) Imp Daddy!
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, by J.K. Rowling (Out loud to Jacob) -- I am not sure how many more of these Jacob will be able to make it through. They are getting longer and, although he loves them, I might be testing the edges of his patience. On the other hand, Jacob is still into book 5 and it's almost 900 pages, so it's all good. I know what to expect from these books.
CLASSICS
* The Gambler, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Kindle) -- I finally read it! My quota for dead Russian authors was met again this year!
* As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner (Kindle) -- Seriously messed up book that gets funnier and funnier as you go. That makes no sense unless you have read this book. "Shoulda done brought them cakes."
FICTION
Sabbath's Theater, by Phillip Roth (Kindle) -- I think we've covered this topic enough. I even broke down its smut empirically.
* The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, by Michael Chabon (Kindle) ASSIGNMENT -- I understand why many would not like this book, but I loved it. It was very well written. Actually, it was so well written that it often felt like poetry. It took me way too long to read because it can be tiring to read. It will wear you down because of the language and the story. There are some really drastic time-changes and some surprising developments. It deals with some very intense concepts. For some reason I did not think to consider the dynamic of "survivor's guilt" until late in the book when it was revealed and suddenly put so many things into perspective. A phenomenal work. It deserved the Pulitzer it won.
Room by Emma Donoghue (Kindle) -- A very interesting concept. It was pretty good. There isn't much more I can say about it.
* The Sense of an Ending, by Julian Barnes (Kindle) -- I loved this book. It does a fantastic job of illustrating how different individuals process their own histories. I also love a book that will purposely choose the mundane over the extraordinary. I distinctly remember thinking "this is where the author will jump the shark and create some messed up and very unlikely plot twist to try to wow me..." and it never happened. The "reveal" could have been a cliche, but Barnes took the more realistic path. It is more likely that someone got all worked up over something insignificant to everyone but that character. Barnes had the stones to pull that off.
BEHAVIOR SCIENCE
The Power of Habit, by Charles Duhigg (Kindle) -- I love these books, but they are getting a little cliche. Still, my post earlier holds up.
What Every Body is Saying, by Joe Navarro (Kindle) -- Interesting, but the act of reading people's body language will probably cause them to indicate discomfort. So, interesting, but ultimately unhelpful.
A few Seconds of Panic, by Stefan Fatsis (Kindle) -- A forgettable season of Denver Bronco football, but I did get some dirt on Bradlee Van Pelt and can call him a whiner all I want because I have proof.
I Want My MTV, by Craig Marks (Kindle) -- Behavior science? Yes. How David Lee Roth and other 80s hair-band singers get women to sleep with them. It's a pretty detailed account, actually. I remembered almost every video and I learned how exactly Billy Squire was ruined by his own horrible dancing. That was fun.
42 Fallacies, by Michael LaBossiere (Kindle) -- A fun refresher course in logic.
As Goes Texas, by Susan Collins (Kindle) -- Behavior Science? Well, it will teach you how to be a stubborn and unreasonable jerk. Sorry, but it's true. "How Texas Bullies the Rest of Us and Yet Wants to Secede Because that isn't Good Enough" would be as good a title.
The Reason for God, by Timothy Keller (Kindle) -- A great application of logic to religion that does an admirable job of being even-handed. Most books in the area on both sides (anti and pro religious alike) tend to ultimately just sling arrows. This is the closest to even handed I have found.
NONFICTION
Hiroshima, by John Hersey -- Dated and ultimately not very good.
Belle De Jour, by Anonymous (Kindle) -- Really, this is about what it is like to be a prostitute in England (where it is legal) sprinkled with fairly graphic sex stories and tales of interesting "logistics."
Let's Pretend This Never Happened, by Jenny Lawson (Kindle) -- Funny at times. Otherwise it was just OK.
I suck at Girls, by Justin Halpern -- Not as good as his first book, but some good laughs. "One minor head injury from eating his own shit" is a phrase I will absolutely use. As in, "D.J. Williams and Elvis Dumervil are one minor head injury from eating their own shit." That feels right.
SEAL Target Geronimo, by Chuck Pfarrer (Kindle) -- SEALS rock.
Don't put me in Coach, by Mark Titus (Kindle) -- Funny. It was a good break to read this book.
Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72, by Hunter S. Thompson -- Great read. HST is nutty. And not much has changed as far as elections go.
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, by Bill Bryson (Kindle) -- A very good memoir / comedy.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Game of Thrones
I finally caved and read Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin, which I now know is the first book in the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series. More accurately, I feared for my safety and decided to read it before one of the dozen people needling me to read it thought to do something rash.
The first book was amazing, and my family can rest easy without fear of reprisal.
*** SPOILER ALERTS BELOW ***
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