Gumption // Nick Offerman {Audiobook}

Why I'm reading
Two words: Nick Offerman.

Where I got the book
Audiobook from the Greenwich library, read by the author.

Expectations
I've seen interviews with him, so I know he's an odd mix of his Parks and Rec character and a stereotypical touchy-feely actor. Surprisingly not contradictory.

So how was it?

In Gumption, Offerman covers a hodge-podge group of "great Americans." He meanders from one to the other in a very conversational way, with all sorts of side notes and personal anecdotes. And, of course: meat, woodworking, politics, and manliness.

Recommendation
Fans of any kind of American history; he doesn't contain himself to the usual "great Americans."

Feels
Like a rambling one-sided conversation-cum-monologue, probably over a pint in a pub.

Favorites
Offerman includes a surprising number of women "great Americans," and it's not at all pandering.

Least favorites
I could've done with a little more structure.

Writing style
I haven't read Paddle Your Own Canoe, his autobiography, so I wasn't ready for the utter verbosity! He writes like someone with a thesaurus open at their elbow -- no, that's not right. He writes like someone who occasionally enjoys reading the thesaurus. Surprisingly not as annoying as it should be.

The Art of the English Murder // Lucy Worsley {Audiobook}

Why I'm reading
This somehow made it onto my to-read list while I was bookmarking Sherlock Holmes audiobooks. I needed something non-fiction after finishing the Hunger Games series.

Where I got the book
Greenwich/Overdrive.

Expectations
I barely read the title before clicking… but hey, Sherlock Holmes.

So how was it?

Once I got past my innate urge to start taking notes, this was pretty interesting! It explores the historical context behind the English murder-mystery genre: when it started, its predecessors (Gothic novels, penny-dreadfuls, melodrama, theater), historical and cultural contexts (capital punishment, crime, famous murderers, the development of police and detective agencies, literacy), and its continued influence and popularity. It was actually very appropriate for having just finished the Hunger Games series (even moreso than BBC Sherlock).

Recommendation
Fans of murder-mysteries and crime dramas (looking at you, CSI) will enjoy this -- but it’s  non-fiction, so no plot or drama.

I would actually recommend reading this after the Hunger Games series, if you need some time to recover -- both of them deal with the spectacle of death and murder.

Feels
Informative, but not too dry. Well organized.

Favorites
Reading about the development of police and police detectives was interesting -- something so obvious as a government-run police force, or even individuals who figure out crimes based on any kind of evidence (not just forensic evidence!), was apparently controversial. Like, “oh no, it couldn’t be him, he’s such a nice guy!” was a legitimate defense. The author also pays attention to women throughout the book, which is pretty cool. Female authors, female murderers, female detectives, and female readers are all included as part of the narrative, not as a side note or subsumed by the male perspective.

Least favorites
I’m surprised the book never really addressed Sherlock Holmes (or Agatha Christie, or Colombo, or any other detectives) in TV and movies. Insanely popular shows like CSI are a pretty obvious heir to the murder-mystery detective genre. This was published in 2013 so there’s really no excuse.

Lists of Note // Shaun Usher

Why I'm reading
It's a big, shiny book of random lists from throughout history... how awesome is that?

Where I got the book
I got this as a review copy for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

Expectations
Not entirely sure, since it's just so random.

So how was it?

First of all, this book is big, solid, glossy, gorgeous, and full of pictures -- exactly what you want in a coffee table book. I can't believe I got it as an early reviewer book, it's just so nice.

The content is a fun mix of all sorts of historical tidbits, from famous sources (Ben Franklin, Johnny Cash) to not-so-famous, to ancient and anonymous. Everything is transcribed, translated, and annotated as necessary, so you're not left staring blankly at 14th century vocabulary, cramped handwriting, or ancient Egyptian cursive.

It's not going to be everyone's cup of tea; I've definitely had to read through it in chunks, when I usually blow through books. But I'll take a slow read any day -- trying to force this stuff into a narrative would ruin the charm, and this book is so, so charming. It's everything it sets out to be, nothing more, nothing less.

My favorites so far, and I'm trying to limit myself... there's pretty much something for everyone in this book.

• Who killed JFK? : a handwritten list of potential JFK assassins written by his secretary of ten years, as she flew back to DC with the president's body. 
• Roget's thesaurus : handwritten!
• Heinlein's predictions : predictions from a great science fiction novelist for the year 2000; sadly, few have been realized.
• Wartime golf rules : how to handle WWII bombs and shrapnel on the golf course, in the spirit of "keep calm and carry on."
• Topics to be investigated : a list of topics that interested Leonardo da Vinci. Nothing has made me wish for a time machine more than this list. What is sneezing? What is yawning?
• .......

Imitation Game // Benedict Cumberbatch {Movie}

Why I'm watching
I could say that I think Alan Turing is awesome, and it wouldn't be a lie. But I’m really watching this because I’m (still) on a Benedict Cumberbatch kick. I love Turing, but a docu-drama probably wouldn’t normally interest me.

Where I got the movie
Borrowed from Greenwich.

Expectations
Nothing specific; Turing is awesome, Cumberbatch is awesome, Knightly is pretty awesome too. So… awesome. But tragic, all things considered.

So how was it?

Hmm. It pains me to say this, but… not so awesome.

I can’t believe this got an Oscar for screenplay. Worth watching for the acting, absolutely; but the story itself is painfully trite, romanticized, and nowhere near accurate.

The story follows Alan Turing (Cumberbatch), misunderstood mathematical genius, who applies for a job as a code-breaker during WWII. He works to break the German Enigma code, more or less single-handed, often having to fight the rest of his department to do so. The timeline sticks mostly to the WWII era, with a few flashbacks to childhood events, and a small amount of time on Turing's tragic end.

As for the accuracy, well... it's not. I didn’t know most of this when I watched the movie, but it still felt inaccurate because it was just such a textbook hero story. You can read a list of inaccuracies on Wikipedia. Slate also has an interesting article about characterization; I can't bring myself to blame the characterization problems on Cumberbatch, because the entire first half of the plot hinges on Turing being basically on the Autism spectrum. He couldn't have played it any other way (and indeed, when the plot stops harping on the Autism, he becomes a much more engaging character).

Recommendation
It's absolutely still worth the watch if you're interested in Turing's life, gay rights, WWII, cryptography, etc. Don't let my disappointment make this seem like a terrible movie. Just don't expect realism.

Feels
Deliberately classic. Insistently uplifting. Hollywood.

Favorites
Everything about the last few scenes. When Turing breaks down after the project is over, it’s heartbreaking. Apparently Cumberbatch was actually upset.

A police officer also finds him sweeping up cyanide from an experiment -- a nice reference to how historians now think he might have died.

I also appreciated the subtlety and dignity of Turing’s homosexuality. Somehow they got that right, when everything else is so ham-handed. Cumberbatch and Knightly have this fantastic non-sexual chemistry. He manages to deliver a desperate marriage proposal that has all this affection and honestly… and zero romantic interest.

Least favorites
The plot. It’s just so contrived. It tries so hard to be heartfelt, but you can't be heartfelt without being honest and human... which means not relying on a bunch of Heartfelt Tortured Hero tropes. The inaccuracies aren't just inaccuracies; they change the whole tone of the film.

So what did I really think?

Click "read more"... massive spoilers ahead!

(Sh)It Doesn't Just Happen // Bob Mayer

Why I'm reading
Seemed kinda interesting: a Green Beret's take on some famous historical disasters. The first disaster he covers is the Titanic, and I used to be huge into the Titanic in 3rd grade... yes, right before the movie came out, and no, I was not happy to discover it was a romantic drama instead of an IMAX documentary.

Where I got the book
Another free eBook from LibraryThing Early Reviewers!

Expectations
I didn't really go into this with a lot of expectations, but in retrospect I was expecting more thorough research.

So how was it?

This book might have turned out well -- if someone ran it through a very heavy-handed editor first. And I don't mean the kind of editor who decided you can't start a book with the word "shit," and certainly can't put it in the title. (Yeah, that little change makes the first few lines of this book relatively incoherent. Meanwhile, the word "shit" is censored to sh!t throughout the book -- was this written by a twelve year old?) I mean the kind of editor who will tell you when you haven't supported your argument or need to cut down on the lists. And fix the occasional typo.

The premise of the book -- military trained disaster expert commenting on various historical disasters -- is fairly interesting. I wouldn't think poorly of someone for enjoying it. But unfortunately, it's written and argued like a third grade persuasive essay. He actually ends his introduction by repeating what is clearly his 'thesis statement,' and follows it up with "That is the purpose of this book."

Mayer is heavy on number lists (humans love threes and sevens!). Rule of 7, seven catastrophes. Three reasons to read this book, three reasons to listen to me, three benefits of catastrophe thinking. He insists that it's always seven failures that lead to catastrophe -- never less! -- and fluffs most of his catastrophes to round out the number. He's also heavy on code words. Every single facet of an idea has its own code word, defined at the end of the chapter (the intro includes, but is not limited to: "No-do-over," "Sh!t Happens," "Cascade Event," "Final Event," "Delusion Event," "The Gift of Failure"). One code word is confusingly similar to a common cognitive bias ("Halo effect") but he's using it to mean something entirely different -- and he was a psychology major!

On top of this, he takes a lot of things on faith simply because they make sense to him. He points out that some experts think that binoculars wouldn't have made a difference in the Titanic's fate -- but dismisses it completely ("I'll go with the guy who was there.") Of course you will! If the binoculars wouldn't have made a difference, it invalidates your Rule of 7, that there are a minimum of seven "cascade events," and that stopping any one cascade event will stop the catastrophe!

There were all sorts of other things that drove me up a wall. Mayer counts Custer's failed extermination of Native Americans at Little Big Horn a "catastrophe." He doesn't understand what a Pyrrhic victory is -- I think he confused it with the word "futile." In places you can feel him bending reality to fit his own understanding of the world, like his tangent into how Custer doesn't really count as a real West Point grad (since that would upset his view of military training).

But ultimately, hey, I read the whole thing. The stories were interesting, kind of like reading a Cracked article.

Recommendation
This book would be really great for anyone in charge of disaster planning -- any sort of disaster planning, not just ships/airplanes/military/etc. But it has about as much historical worth as a Cracked article.

Feels
A little bit like an infomercial.

Favorites
I like the idea and the format. And yes, he does make some good points, mostly about disaster preparation (duh) and different ways people can mess up.

Least favorites
Honestly, it's a masterpiece in confirmation bias.

Writing style
3rd grade persuasive essay.

The Lays of Beleriand // J.R.R. Tolkien

Unfinished epic poems ; mainly the Ley of Leithian (following Beren and Luthien) and the the Lay of the Children of Hurin (following Turin). 

Where I got the book
A very expensive birthday and Christmas present.

Why I’m reading
I’ve loved Tolkien’s works since I read LoTR, but the Silmarillion really sealed my fate. The world he created is amazing.

Expectations
I’m halfway through this section right now. I remember expecting… well, more of the same, after finishing the BoLT. I was also expecting much more fragmentary works. 

So how was it?

The lays are… lays! They’re written as long poems. For some reason, I was not expecting that. I also wasn't expecting it to be so pleasant to read; I usually hate poetry. It reminds me of a fanfic drabble: every word chosen carefully, lots of rich details but nothing extraneous. Maybe when I have the house to myself I will read them aloud. {EDIT: I did, and it was amazing.}

"The Lay of Leithian" is the familiar story of Beren and Lúthien. The rhyming couplets are perfect for this story; I prefer it over all the other prose versions. It also has a lot more detail. "The Lay of the Children of Húrin" is in alliterative verse, and I enjoyed it, although maybe not as much. I don’t know a lot about poetry, but alliterative verse was a much better choice than rhyming couplets, since it’s a much darker story.

Favorites
Lúthien faces down Morgoth. She is brilliant as always, but it’s the characterization of Morgoth himself that gets to me: you can feel his hatred of the Valar, how convincing he can be, and how twisted his view of the world. [Lúthien faces down Morgoth. She is brilliant as always, but it’s the characterization of Morgoth himself that gets to me: you can feel his hatred of the Valar, how convincing he can be, and how twisted his view of the world. (hide spoiler)]

Least favorites
None of it is finished! Luckily we know how the stories end, but I would love to read them all the way through in verse.

Writing style
Alliterative verse and rhyming couplets.