But I don't want this blog to decay. So I'll sporadically write short updates on what I've read and add them here for general interest. Here's what I've read this autumn. The books are in reverse sequence (newest first), and perhaps the sequence itself says something of my changing routines.
Lethal White by Robert Galbraith (J. K. Rowling) - The best in the series so far. Explores complex themes like power, class and camaraderie in the frame of a murder mystery. What's more, there is a fun and unexpected left turn midway that takes the story in an exciting direction. Much better than the HBO adaptation.
A Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith (J. K. Rowling) - The weakest link in Rowling's detective saga. Too long by half and repetitive in its delivery. Feel free to skip this one and move on to Lethal White. The Goblet of Fire is the most apt comparison. Luckily Rowling has been able to make up for plodding narratives in later entries to both series.
The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith - The second outing for private eye Cormoran Strike and his partner Robin Ellacott. The first (The Cuckoo's Calling) was set in the world of high fashion. In a twist as good as any, The Silkworm is a macabre fantasy murder that revolves around a scandalous roman-a-clef. You'll have to read it to know what I'm talking about. It's as if Rowling decided to push the boundaries of detective fiction just to see if she could pull it off. It works well enough.
Range by David Epstein - Epstein makes the compelling case that specialisation is damaging to the modern world. Generalists are needed to bridge knowledge between distant domains, but generalism itself is rarely rewarded. Range is an easy target for criticism - it makes broad claims about diverse topics like sports, science and business - but personally, I consider it a study in being specifically wrong but generally right. An excellent read if you have the patience to look past some obvious weaknesses in its arguments.
The Premonition by Michael Lewis - I enjoy Lewis's writing as much as the next reader, and the Premonition doesn't disappoint. But it does show the limitations of his approach. The characters are, again, the heart and soul. Yet, The Premonition is not the definitive story of the pandemic like The Big Short was of the financial crisis. It's a character driven drama focused on a few aspects of the defining global event of the decade. I'm still waiting for an equivalent to Too Big to Fail to come out for COVID.
Behave by Robert Sapolsky - A masterpiece and probably more useful than a Bachelor's degree in Biology. One of the first chapters starts with the remark that those who haven't studied neurology should turn to Appendix 2, a 45 page introduction to the brain. That's more or less all you need to know. Comprehensive, intellectually titillating and almost unending in length. I hope to add a full review some time in the future.
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries - I'm embarrassed to admit that I had not read The Lean Startup before. It's a central work in understanding modern companies (or perhaps emulating them) and I sort of hope my boss doesn't read this blog (Slack me if you do!). Eric Ries lays out many of the principles that I need in my day-to-day work in a tech company. Much of the content is familiar from work that came later - and the general zeitgeist! - so The Lean Startup is not as mandatory as it used to be.