timkane.com

Books

timkane.com

OK, let's face it ... I will never have time to write book reviews for all the books I am reading. The best I can do is list a few of the best and hope to recommend them to friends & guests to this site.

Vernor Vinge is one of my favorite SF authors. This collection of shorts is solid, but even better are his novels, especially newly released editions of "The Peace War" and "Stranded in Realtime" ... think I got those titles right. If you dream of space travel, you should make sure to read FIRE UPON THE DEEP and DEEPNESS IN THE SKY. More recently, I read A MOTE IN GOD'S EYE consider one of the finest space operas ever (by Pournelle?).

MONEYBALL is like FREAKONOMICS for Sports Buffs. A fun, quick read, that should make any data geek proud.

Postrel's FUTURE AND ITS ENEMIES is a good summary view of how politics often obscures deeper tensions. Both major U.S. political parties have progressive elements as well as traditionalist elements. Very informative.

THE NEW DIVISION OF LABOR is much more wonky, but is the best I have seen on how technology is reshaping labor, at least from a hard economics perspective. Also good reads in this line, but from a more user-friendly writer is everything by Tom Friedman, notably THE WORLD IS FLAT. I also enjoyed Dan Pink's WHOLE NEW MIND and FREE AGENT NATION.

For fiction, I am now reading GUNS OF THE SOUTH by Turtledove. That is long overdue, and highly recommended by many friends over the years. Solid history, and a very fun take on how things might have changed, if only General Lee had AK-47s. Disclaimer: I'm a big fan of Abe Lincoln and the whole matter of ending slavery.

TRUMAN is a classic - listend to the book on tape over and over -- read by the author -- great writing, perfect delivery.

RIGHT NATION is a intense look at the conservative movement, and it features my home (The Heritage Foundation) and colleagues. I agree with much of the analyis, but not all of the predictions. In my estimation, Democrats really are bankrupt for innovative ideas, and that is a problem. I predict decline, mirrored by a stronger GOP that is filled with internal strife (why ARE we spending so much?)

IN LOVE AND WAR -- my wife and I both read this in 2002, right after I lost the primary. Sybil Stockdale endorsed me, and I had the honor of meeting Admiral and Sybil Stockdale then. They are amazing people.

ELSUIVE QUEST FOR GROWTH is the best primer on the economics of growth for lay readers, period. I studied this topic for my PhD, taught it at UCSD, and nothing comes close to Easterly's masterful summary (and brief).

BONE -- I have to admit a newfound addiction to this graphic novel series.

THE END OF HISTORY is the book that changed the way I see the world. I was in East Berlin a few months before the wall fell. Fukuyama makes it make sense. A bit difficult, but worth it if you want to understand grand history.

WHAT IT TAKES still rings in my mind as one of the best presidential campaign books that exist, and I have read most of them. Ironically, it was published during the heat of the 1992 campaign, but the topic is the '88 campaign -- excellence still takes time. The book that really sold me on politics as a noble calling was Peggy Noonan's WHAT I SAW AT THE REVOLUTION, her first great book. It is about the Reagan years.