Leni Zumas's writing crackles. Her books are sharp, bleak, funny, and possibly dangerous. When her collection of short stories, Farewell Navigator,...
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Old time Pasadena, JPL, L Ron & Scientology, strapping rockets to planes so they'll go faster -- and it's non-fiction. This is quite the read. As a resident of the area, I was fascinated as the story unfolded, yes the home of the famous Rose Parade was also once the home of large commune-like houses where the residents dabbled in the occult and other non-Rose Parade-friendly behavior. That the Jet Propulsion Lab's location was essentially motivated by the premise of "have those wacky guys play with their exploding rocket ideas out where they won't bother anyone." Another example of truth can be stranger than fiction. Reading the book left me wanting to do a bit of secondary research to understand "is this really non-fiction?" but my light investigation didn't surface any major red flags on that front. Go figure.
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I stumbled upon this book at the Sequoia National Park gift shop. As much as a "History of" book might seem daunting to the casual reader, I found this a very accessible and engaging review of the Sierras - ranging from the Europeans circling around them in the early-mid 19th century, the Donner family-era attempts to cross them from the east, thru the establishment of Yosemite, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks. Throw in the origins of the Sierra Club and John Muir's efforts, and this is a nutritious and entertaining review of a gorgeous area of U.S. geography. The chapters are relatively short and well footnoted, making it an easy read for anyone with a casual interest in the subject matter.
You'll pick up this book because you watch House and like the show, think Laurie's character is engaging, but to my mind, this is a well-constructed mystery / detective / thriller-type read that you'll enjoy regardless of its origins. Written back in the day when the word terrorism wasn't in the news daily, there's a time capsule-like feel to the story line, but not in a way that makes the story feel overly dated or trivial. I found myself getting a bit tied up in terms of who's who as far as the cast of characters were concerned, but that aside, I found it a very imaginative, entertaining read.
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John Kimble has commented on (3) products.
Strange Angel: The Otherworldly Life of Rocket Scientist John Whiteside Parsons by George Pendle
John Kimble, September 1, 2011
Old time Pasadena, JPL, L Ron & Scientology, strapping rockets to planes so they'll go faster -- and it's non-fiction. This is quite the read. As a resident of the area, I was fascinated as the story unfolded, yes the home of the famous Rose Parade was also once the home of large commune-like houses where the residents dabbled in the occult and other non-Rose Parade-friendly behavior. That the Jet Propulsion Lab's location was essentially motivated by the premise of "have those wacky guys play with their exploding rocket ideas out where they won't bother anyone." Another example of truth can be stranger than fiction. Reading the book left me wanting to do a bit of secondary research to understand "is this really non-fiction?" but my light investigation didn't surface any major red flags on that front. Go figure.(0 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
History of the Sierra Nevada by Francis P. Farquhar
John Kimble, September 1, 2011
I stumbled upon this book at the Sequoia National Park gift shop. As much as a "History of" book might seem daunting to the casual reader, I found this a very accessible and engaging review of the Sierras - ranging from the Europeans circling around them in the early-mid 19th century, the Donner family-era attempts to cross them from the east, thru the establishment of Yosemite, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks. Throw in the origins of the Sierra Club and John Muir's efforts, and this is a nutritious and entertaining review of a gorgeous area of U.S. geography. The chapters are relatively short and well footnoted, making it an easy read for anyone with a casual interest in the subject matter.The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie
John Kimble, September 1, 2011
You'll pick up this book because you watch House and like the show, think Laurie's character is engaging, but to my mind, this is a well-constructed mystery / detective / thriller-type read that you'll enjoy regardless of its origins. Written back in the day when the word terrorism wasn't in the news daily, there's a time capsule-like feel to the story line, but not in a way that makes the story feel overly dated or trivial. I found myself getting a bit tied up in terms of who's who as far as the cast of characters were concerned, but that aside, I found it a very imaginative, entertaining read.(2 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)