John started reading How to Lose a Country by Ece Temelkuran
Another book on the challenges to Democracy, having some resonances (I suspect) with Corruptible:Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us.
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Retired scientist, I read a lot, fiction and non-fiction, on a wide range of subjects, though science, politics, philosophy, law, science fiction and historical detective stories are favourites.
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John started reading The Brethren by John Grisham
The Brethren by John Grisham
Drie Amerikaanse ex-rechters, die voor verachtelijke misdaden in een 'witte boorden'-gevangenis zitten, chanteren geheime homofielen, tot ze een verkeerd slachtoffer …
John quoted Song of the Cell by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Penicillin kills the bacterial enzymes that synthesize the cell wall, resulting in bacteria with "holes" in their walls. Human cells don't posses these particular kind of cell walls, thereby making penicillin a magic bullet against bacteria species that rely on the integrity of their cell walls.
— Song of the Cell by Siddhartha Mukherjee (15%)
John quoted Hassan by James Elroy Flecker (The Drama library)
ISHAK: We travel not for trafficking alone; By hotter winds our fiery hearts are fanned: For lust of knowing what should not be known, We take the Golden Road to Samarkand.
— Hassan by James Elroy Flecker (The Drama library) (Page 122)
Ishak is poet and companion to the Caliph of Baghdad, and is leaving the city in the company of Hassan and other members of the caravan.
John commented on Song of the Cell by Siddhartha Mukherjee
The chapter on The Visible Cell features the observation of 'cells' in cork by Robert Hooke, published in Micrographia, in 1665. This was shortly before the Great Fire of London, and shortly after that Ashes of London has a scene set in the laboratory of Charles II as well as giving some historical context to the science.
John finished reading Bit of a Stretch by Chris Atkins
Interesting view from the other side of the Justice System, agreeing with Nothing but the Truth on percentage of prisoners with mental health issues, and how Justice is a complex problem.
John finished reading The King's Evil by Andrew Taylor (Marwood and Lovett, #3)
The King's Evil by Andrew Taylor (Marwood and Lovett, #3)
A royal scandal… In the Court of Charles II, it’s a dangerous time to be alive – a wrong move …
John started reading The King's Evil by Andrew Taylor (Marwood and Lovett, #3)
The King's Evil by Andrew Taylor (Marwood and Lovett, #3)
A royal scandal… In the Court of Charles II, it’s a dangerous time to be alive – a wrong move …
John finished reading The Fire Court by Andrew Taylor (Marwood and Lovett, #2)
The Fire Court by Andrew Taylor (Marwood and Lovett, #2)
A time of terrible danger… The Great Fire has ravaged London. Now, guided by the Fire Court, the city is …
John started reading Song of the Cell by Siddhartha Mukherjee
John wants to read Song of the Cell by Siddhartha Mukherjee
John wants to read The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber
The renowned activist and public intellectual David Graeber teams up with the professor of comparative …
Another perspective on the history of humankind
John reviewed Democracy for Sale by Peter Geoghegan
Alarming but important reading.
4 stars
Democracy, like science and important software, needs to happen in the open for it to work. This book exposes some of the means by which some people attempt to obscure the process. I have a more complete review on my blog
John quoted The Fire Court by Andrew Taylor (Marwood and Lovett, #2)
A time of terrible danger… The Great Fire has ravaged London. Now, guided by the …
You could not destroy a city merely by destroying its buildings
— The Fire Court by Andrew Taylor (Marwood and Lovett, #2) (32%)
This is in the context of the rebuilding of London after the Great Fire of 1666, but still applies.
John started reading The Fire Court by Andrew Taylor (Marwood and Lovett, #2)
The Fire Court by Andrew Taylor (Marwood and Lovett, #2)
A time of terrible danger… The Great Fire has ravaged London. Now, guided by the Fire Court, the city is …