Swag: A Novel

I picked up a copy of Swag by Elmore Leonard, because I am a fan of the author's writing, especially his Raylan Givens novels. I will admit right away, that I did not get as hooked on this novel as quickly as some of the others that I have read, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The story revolves around two holdup men, Frank and Stick, and their exploits in Detroit. At the risk of giving away too much of the plot, I will share that the novel focuses on their relationship and partnership. The story also has a couple of interesting twists which make it a fun read.

This novel would appeal to anyone who is a fan of crime fiction.

Swag: A Novel
 

Spartacus: Morituri

Spartacus: Morituri is the second of my pleasure reads in the past month and also the second of the Spartacus novels. Written by Mark Morris, the novel truly captures the spirit of the Starz television series. In the book, Batiatus' ludus is experiencing a general degree of malaise. The gladiators are weak and slow, a deficit apparent both on the training grounds of the ludus and the arena of Capua. In addition to troubles with his gladiator, Batiatus must also contend with a newcomer to Capua, a wealthy Greek with a powerful patron from Rome. The story is full of intrigue, action, and deceit, much like the TV series. I enjoyed this novel better than its predecessor.

Spartacus: Morituri
 

Spartacus: Swords and Ashes

Following a successful first semester in my doctoral program, I promised myself that I could read a few novels of a less academic nature than those I had read the previous semester. After a few pleasure reads, I will return to more studious reading. As such, I got two books based on the Starz series Spartacus off Amazon. The first one I read, Spartacus: Swords and Ashes by J. M. Clements, turned out to be a quick and somewhat fun read. The story deals with Batiatus traveling to Neapolis with several gladiators from his ludus in order to mourn the death of a childhood acquaintance. As with the show, the plot revolves around plenty of violence, talk of politics, and personal intrigue in the form of double-crossing.

To some degree, the book captures some of the spirit of the show, as in the aforementioned areas. However, the novel never quite catches the pace of the show and draws the reader in with quite the same sense of urgency as does the narrative on the TV series. However, the book does portray some interesting aspects of life in Roman culture and there are some rather interesting discussions on the nature of slaves and the relationship between slave and master. The book would likely be interesting to anyone who is a fan of the TV series.

Spartacus: Swords and Ashes
 

DIY U: Edupunks, Edupreneurs, and the Coming Transformation of Higher Education

I picked up DIY U: Edupunks, Edupreneurs, and the Coming Transformation of Higher Education by Anya Kamenetz on Amazon, after a suggestion from the site based on several recent purchases of books related to higher education. At the time, I was working on a project related to the impact of technology on higher education. This book seemed to be related to the project, but unfortunately, I did not have time to read it prior to the completion of the project.

I did, however, find some time to pick it up over the winter break. I found the book to be rather interesting, as Kamenetz accurately details some of the issues facing contemporary higher education. I was impressed at her ability to weave articles from the popular press and scholarly journals into a compelling narrative about the state of higher education in the US. She details the falling rank of the US in education compared to other countries, the rising cost of tuition, and issues of persistence and graduation. The author then offers several suggestions to address these concerns, most of which could be met through the innovative application of technology to the postsecondary educational paradigm. There are some interesting approaches suggested in the book and I found the arguments to be provocative.

This would be an interesting read for anyone interested in potential changes to higher education or the relationship of emerging technology and higher education.

DIY U: Edupunks, Edupreneurs, and the Coming Transformation of Higher Education

The Rise of Universities

I picked up The Rise of Universities by Charles Homer Haskins after seeing a recommendation on Amazon. I was looking for other books related to higher education and its history when I saw this book. The title intrigued me and I thought it might be an interesting read.

The book is a rather quick read, primarily based off of three lectures given by Haskins, a Harvard professor. The first chapter focused on the earliest universities, giving attention to Bologna, Paris, and Solerno. The second chapter provided insight into the mediaeval professor, focusing on textbooks teaching, and academic status. The third chapter focused on the mediaeval student, giving attention to sources of information, funding, letters, poetry, etc.

The book was interesting and provided a lot of a anecdotal information related to mediaeval universities. I regret reading it after the conclusion of the semester, as some of the information contained within would have been useful in one of my papers focusing on the residential college model. This book could have provided some interesting facts related to the mediaeval colleges.

The Rise of Universities

Teaching Naked: How Moving Technology Out of Your College Classroom Will Improve Student Learning

I received a copy of Teaching Naked: How Moving Technology Out of Your College Classroom Will Improve Student Learning by Jose Antonio Bowen from my friend Eddie Watson, after a lively discussion related to a research project on which we are working. Eddie serves as the Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning here at UGA. We were having a discussion about pedagogy and Eddie suggested the book, which was written by a recent guest speaker on UGA's campus.

As the title implies, the book is focused on providing college professors strategies for removing technology from the classroom in order to improve student learning. Bowen is by no means anti-technology, and actually advocates for its use in education, but he believes it should be used outside of face time with instructors. Essentially, Bowen's argument is to "flip" the classroom, using technology and digital media to deliver information that might otherwise be delivered through a lecture while students are away from the class. This allows in-class time to be dedicated to group work, attempting problems, and asking reflective questions. The book provides numerous strategies for positive implementation of this approach.

This book would be of interest to anyone interested in reading more about technology in higher education or student centered learning environments.

Teaching Naked: How Moving Technology Out of Your College Classroom Will Improve Student Learning

Changing Places

I received David Lodge's Changing Places as a gift last Christmas from Terry Papillon, Director of University Honors at Virginia Tech. Terry has a tradition of giving the Honors staff specially selected books during the winter holiday party each year. He indicated that he selected this particular book for me as he knew I was about to pursue my PhD in higher education. He told me he thought as it was a novel about higher education, that I should read it.

I'm glad that Terry shared this book with me. I found it to be rather entertaining, from several different levels. At times, Lodge's writing reminded me of Douglas Adams' satire, a form I greatly enjoy. I found myself laughing frequently. Additionally, Lodge uses different styles of writing during the various sections of the book, with the conclusion written as a screenplay. Finally, Lodge also shows his knowledge of varying campus typologies and his description and comparisons are equally humorous.

Set in the 1960s, the plot of the book focuses on two professors of English, one from a small university in England and the other from a large state university on the West coast, who swap positions for a semester. This changing of posts at the university ultimately impact more than just their academic careers and the resulting antics are what make up the meat of the novel.

This would be a good read for anyone who works at or studies institutions of higher education and is looking for a laugh.

Changing Places

State of the Union

I picked up Brad Thor's State of the Union in the bargain section of Barnes & Noble. I was intrigued by the cover of the book, which depicted a double headed eagle on some form of crest. It looked to somehow combine Masonic imagery with that of the American government. I did not read the description on the back, but as I enjoy political action/suspense novels, I purchased it without much other thought.

It took me a few months to get to it on my queue, but I finally found time to read the novel. Now that I am in my doctoral studies, I am aware that my time for pleasure reading will be significantly diminished. However, a colleague from Virginia Tech, who is a part-time doctoral student, advised me that finding time to occasionally read for pleasure is a gift to myself. As such, I thought that this would be a fun and accessible pleasure read.

I great enjoyed this story. I do not believe I have read any other novels by Brad Thor, and I was not aware that this was the third book in a series, but I found it easy to quickly become interested in the narrative. This story follows Agent Scot Harvath as he works to quickly stop a terrorist plot that threatens to severely cripple the United States as a player on the global scene. Harvath travels all over the globe in his efforts to do so. The book is full of action and adventure. I found it to be an enjoyable, and consequently quick, read.

State of the Union

Satan is Real: The Ballad of the Louvin Brothers

I'm not sure where I first heard about Satan is Real: The Ballad of the Louvin Brothers by Charlie Louvin with Benjamin Whitmer. It was likely while looking at other music (auto)biographies on Amazon. However, I know I had recently been listening to some Louvin Brothers on Pandora, so thought it would be a nice compliment to the music. And, as those who have previously read this blog will know, I am a fan of biographies about music or artists.

I found Satan is Real to be a rather interesting read. It is arranged mostly chronologically as Charlie Louvin recounts how the Louvin Brothers got their start. He recounts interesting stories of growing up on their parents' cotton farm, learning how to sing from his mother and at church, and sneaking out to see Roy Acuff. The narrative continues and provides detailed stories of the brothers' music careers. There are also interesting stories about Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Elvis, and Hank Williams. I found this to be one of the more fun and interesting autobiographies I have read lately.

Satan is Real: The Ballad of the Louvin Brothers

Riding the Rap

Those who know me know that I am a fan of FX's show Justified, about US Marshal Raylan Givens as he returns to his childhood stomping ground of Harlan County Kentucky and deals with numerous outlaws in the area. As such, it should be no surprise that I read another of Elmore Leonard's books featuring Raylan. This time, the novel is Riding the Rap. This book features Raylan Givens investigating the kidnapping of his "friend" Harry Arno. The novel features some incredibly interesting characters including a Latino gardener turned bounty hunter, a Caribbean man who used to pretend to belong to the Nation of Islam, and a psychic. As usual, Leonard's dialogue is gritty and real. The book was a fun read.

Riding the Rap

The Everything Home Recording Book

I picked up The Everything Home Recording Book by Marc Schonbrun after Eddie and I made plans to do some demo recording in his basement. While recording studios and project studios are topics and concepts I am familiar with from my undergraduate education, it has been about 7 years since I have done anything hands-on with them. I wanted something that could easily job my memory and hopefully refresh my knowledge. And, Eddie has ProTools, with which I do not have a lot of familiarity.

The book served its intended purpose, at least from my perspective. Admittedly, it is written for beginners with little-to-no experience with recording, so hopefully I would understand it after studying it in college for four years. It presented the various concepts with clarity and helped to refresh my memory about microphones, recording technique, and effects usage in the recording process. Of course, nothing actually tops hands-on experience in recording, but I now feel that I can handle some basic recording with relative ease.

This is a great book for those interested in learning about home recording, or like me, who wish to refresh their memory.

The Everything Home Recording Book

Bad Luck and Trouble

Bad Luck and Trouble  finds Jack Reacher called to Los Angelos to investigate the death of a close friend and member of his Military Police Unit. Reacher teams up with Neagley (featured in another one of the stories), as well as two other friends to look into the mysterious circumstances surrounding their colleague's death. The story brings up memories from the past, as well as demonstrates the bonds Reacher still has with old comrades. The story focuses on the team unraveling the mystery, as well as dealing out some renegade vengeance.

It's worth a read.

Bad Luck and Trouble

One Shot

Lee Child's  One Shot  is another novel in the Jack Reacher series. It is the novel on which the Jack Reacher movie (starring Tom Cruise) is based. This novel finds Reacher investigating a killing spree in a small Indiana town perpetuated by a sniper who is believed to have been someone Reacher knew in the Army. There are a number of interesting twists to this novel, which made it rather fun to read. It has some differences from the motion picture, which I saw first, but is a definite thrill ride. I found this to be one of the stronger novels in the series. I definitely recommend the book for fans of the series, the film, or action/mystery novels in general.

One Shot

Start With Why

I starting reading Simon Sinek's  Start With Why as part of a reading group within the Division of Student Affairs at Virginia Tech. A number of staff members from various units within the Division gathered to read  and discuss one section of the book every other week. The book had previously been read as a staff development tool by some other departments and the Division of Student Affairs brought Sinek to speak to the staff.

I found the book to have some similar characteristics to other "self-help" or "personal development" books, but it also had a number of useful ideas related to leadership. Sinek's entire premise is that business needed to start with the "why" of what they do. He argues that too many businesses focus on "what" they do and "how" they do it. He clearly is a fan of Apple and Harley-Davidson as companies who understand their "Why." He uses them as examples throughout the book.

Overall it is a good book for someone who wishes to refocus on the "why" of what they do.

Start With Why

Life

I picked up Life by Keith Richards after hearing several of my friends speak highly of it. I picked up the book and put it on my queue, but it took awhile to actually read it. Having now read it, I regret not picking it up and reading it sooner. This is probably one of the most interesting rock (auto)biographies I have read in quite a while. Richards is a brilliant raconteur, spinning captivating stories that keep the reader engaged.

Richards tells of his early life growing up in post-war England, the formation of the Rolling Stones, his love life, friendships with various stars, and stories about being on tour. He pulls no punches, chronicling his drug use, fights with Mick Jagger, and frequent run-ins with the law. The stories are witty, irreverent, funny, and charming. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, especially as Richards described his love of music and the almost spiritual connection he has with it.

This is definitely worth a read for any music fan, even those who are not fans of the Rolling Stones.

Life

The Haunted Hillbilly

I came upon The Haunted Hillbilly by accident. I came across an album called Songs from the Haunted Hillbilly, which was an alt-country soundtrack to a musical. The songs were witty and rather interesting, so I wanted to read the book which inspired the songs and musical. The book, written by Derek McCormack, is quick read. The story is basically told through short vignettes or scenes that carry the plot along. The story is a retelling of the life of Hank Williams, as he is manipulated by a vampire tailor named Nudie. Obviously, the characters in the book are based on historical characters in country music world. McCormack, however, takes artistic liberty in this macabre comic book narrative.

Overall, the book was a fun read, even if it was a bit unsettling at times.

The Haunted Hillbilly

Inferno

The choice to buy and read Dan Brown's Inferno was an easy one to make. Having read and enjoyed The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons. Based on previous browsing and purchases, Amazon alerted me to the release of Brown's latest release.

Inferno is the fourth installment of Brown's Robert Langdon series. This novel once again follows the fictitious symbologist as he follows a series of clues and riddles hidden in ancient art. This time, he is in Florence, following a mystery related to Dante's Inferno and racing the clock to stop a severe threat.

While this was an enjoyable book, I did not find it as intriguing as the previous Robert Langdon stories. There did not seem to be as much depth in the clues and riddle in the art and architecture of the story. However, this might have had a more twisted plot line than some of the previous novels and did manage to stray from the formula that Brown had started to create for the series.

Overall, it was fun and certainly worth a read.

Inferno

On Stranger Tides

I bought  On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers because of it's shared title with the fourth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise. And, while it does share some components, Blackbeard and the search for the Fountain of Youth, the books is largely different from the movie of the same title.

This book is, however, still a great work of pirate fiction. There is plenty of magic, reminiscent of  Pirates of the Caribbean. The books focuses on a young man named John Chandagnac, who is captured by pirates and takes the name Jack Shandy. The story follows Shandy as he becomes one of the pirate crew and becomes acclimated to his new surroundings in the Caribbean. Throughout his adventures, Shandy tangles with Blackbeard, British authorities, other pirates, and magicians.

Overall, it is a rather entertaining book and well worth the read, if you are a fan of pirate novels.

My Word is My Bond: A Memoir

I picked up My Word is My Bond: A Memoir by Sir Roger Moore from the online bargain book bin at Barnes & Noble. I've always been a fan of the James Bond franchise and it looked like it might be interesting. Admittedly, I've never been a huge fan of Roger Moore films, as I have found them to be rather campy. I tend to prefer the Sean Connery films and the newer Daniel Craig movies. However, I thought that this may be an interesting book.

I'm glad I picked the book up. It turned out to be a rather fun and interesting read. Moore is a conversational story-teller. He is good at spinning a great story and making it somehow relatable. The book provides some incredibly interest stories about Moore's childhood and rise through stage acting. He then recounts his early film and television career, which was actually rather robust. I, for instance, had no idea that he starred in the televisions series The Saint and Maverick. Moore proceeds to tell about his experiences as the world's most famous secret agent. Finally, he tells about his involvement with UNICEF, which started because Audrey Hepburn asked him to join. Throughout all of these stories, Moore share tales about his fellow stories, some of which can be a bit risque. He shares stories about practical jokes he played while on set and misadventures that happened while on location. It was a fun read.

I would imagine that anyone who is a fan of the Bond franchise would enjoy this book. It would also be enjoyable to anyone interested in the golden age of film.

My Word is My Bond: A Memoir

Flowers in the Dustbin: The Rise of Rock and Roll, 1947-1977

This marks the third time I have read Flowers in the Dustbin: The Rise of Rock and Roll, 1947-1977 by James Miller. As with the last time I read it, it was for class. This is the final textbook for my class "Black, White, and Blue: Race Relations in the U.S. through the Blues." And yes, while this book does cover rock and roll, it also does a fine job of discussing race and the development of rock and roll out of the blues.

Miller takes an interesting approach to this book by breaking it into various sections that offer vignettes on various songs, artists, or milestones in the creation and rise of rock and roll. Some favorites on which Miller focuses are Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones. One of the things I like about this book is that Miller takes time to also describe what is happening socially in addition to what is happening in the world of music. Sometimes these descriptions are rather brief, but they are important in providing context around the music and musicians.

This is a great book for anyone interested in reading about rock and roll and the progression of the music industry. Miller does a great job of bringing some important figures in the world of rock to life and can also make the reader wish to revisit some of these old songs.

Flowers in the Dustbin: The Rise of Rock and Roll, 1947-1977