May 26, 2009
The Genie in Your Genes – Dawson Church
This book was written to lay out a theory of Epigenetic medicine, a term I had never come across despite my fascination with science. A search on the internet for the term brings up quite a few references to this book, so I turned to it to find an explanation. The general thesis of the book is that humans have the ability to effectively ‘change their genes’ through their own thoughts,... read more
May 14, 2009
They Plotted Revenge Against America – Abe F. March
I started reading this book the day before the recent swine flu scare hit Europe. It was pretty ironic timing, as Abe F. March’s novel, They Plotted Revenge Against Amercia tells the story of a group of young Palestinians who, having cruelly lost their entire families in the continuing battle between US-supported Israel and Palestine, decide to join an organisation to seek revenge. That revenge was... read more
May 14, 2009
Making Light of Being Heavy – Kandy Siahaya
Obesity is so frequently hailed as a ‘problem’ and a ‘disaster for the country’ in the newspapers nowadays that it is no surprise that we assume that every overweight person is just one more statistic whose life will be cut short because their heart will give out by the time they are 20, and in the short years they are alive they will be so miserably unhappy that they will do... read more
Apr 29, 2009
The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet – Reif Larsen
Uncorrected proof copies of a novel can be of varying quality. Some I have received have had paper covers (although the shabby appearance belied the quality of the writing within). Others I have received looked no different to what I imagine the finished product would look like, although the illustrations may have been blurred or left out altogether. When I received my copy of The Selected Works of... read more
Apr 20, 2009
The Bethlehem Murders – Matt Rees
The truly wonderful thing about reading fiction is that it can transport you to places that you might otherwise never go to, and give you an insight into a culture, a country or a conflict which you simply cannot gain if you just read the news. The Bethlehem Murders is a murder mystery set in modern day Palestine, with a backdrop of violence, injustice and religious and political unrest. You might wonder... read more
Mar 27, 2009
Saffron Dreams – Shaila Abdullah
If your husband, who is a waiter in the Window on the World Restaurant in one of the Twin Towers, is killed during the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York, you would have every right to be angry at the perpetrators. You would have every right to hate them. You would have every right to express your anguish of your pain and loss. But if your husband, who is a waiter in the Window on... read more
Mar 25, 2009
Beat The Reaper – Josh Bazell
A single word came to my head when I finished this book. Wow. What a ride. This was a clever combination of graphic violence, black humour, thrills and empathy and it was a story which just kept you on the edge of your seat. For a first novel, it is an explosion from an author who has a fantastic way with words, the ability to craft strong characters and a knack for painting an image which is sometimes... read more
Mar 20, 2009
Deep Thinking The Human Condition: New Ideas We Can’t Do Without – S.A. Odunsi
In the modern world, why is it that half of the population lives in relative affluence, with abundant food, good housing, employment and luxuries, yet the other half suffers from persistent underdevelopment and poverty? How is it that with technological advances, ever increasing business and growing education that a large number of people spend each day merely trying to survive? This is the question that... read more
Mar 7, 2009
Irrationality – Stuart Sutherland
All humans are inherently irrational. ‘Except me!’ I hear you cry ‘I am completely rational. It’s everyone else who is irrational’. According to Stuart Sutherland, as much as you might like this assumption, that is all it is. As humans, we are all irrational and science has now proved it. This is an interesting examination of the irrationality of the human psyche. Sutherland... read more
Mar 5, 2009
Life of Pi – Yann Martel
Four years ago I bought a copy of Life of Pi by Yann Martel at a time when I was trying to read more modern fiction and prize winners. I remember loving it. I loved it so much that I recommended it to others without hesitation and it sat on my bookshelf waiting to be read again. Shift forward to the present day, and Life of Pi was handed out to us in our book group. I took it with pleasure, glad of the... read more
