Author Archives: Harry Katz

Twitter and Tear Gas

Posted on September 12, 2021 by Harry Katz

The brutal murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer on May 25, 2020 sparked widespread protest across the US. In Seattle, where I live, demonstrations centered in an area called Capitol Hill. For nearly a month protesters occupied … Continue reading →

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Finding the Mother Tree

Posted on August 29, 2021 by Harry Katz

I’m not much of a hiker or outdoors person, but I’ve done enough walking through the forests of the Pacific Northwest to appreciate their beauty and complexity. I kind of knew, in a vague abstract way, that the trees and … Continue reading →

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Invisible Women

Posted on August 15, 2021 by Harry Katz

I strongly recommend Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men to half the people of the world – the male half. Women may not need to read this book as much because they are, unfortunately, living it. … Continue reading →

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Atlas of AI

Posted on August 1, 2021 by Harry Katz

Whether you know it or not, artificial intelligence has become a pervasive force in our everyday lives. When your favorite online retailer shows you “products related to this item,” or the GPS system in your car guides you along the … Continue reading →

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The Overstory

Posted on July 18, 2021 by Harry Katz

A simple description of The Overstory by Richard Powers is that it’s a novel about nine people and their relationships with trees. Sounds weird, right? Well, The Overstory is definitely an unusual novel. But it’s much more, and much stranger … Continue reading →

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US Supreme Court continues its attack on voting rights

Posted on July 4, 2021 by Harry Katz

In this post I’m taking a break from book reviews and making one of my occasional forays into reviewing decisions by the US Supreme Court. (Disclaimer: I’m not a lawyer and I don’t have any formal legal training. The opinions … Continue reading →

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Calling Bullshit

Posted on June 27, 2021 by Harry Katz

I knew I was going to like Calling Bullshit: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World right from the opening paragraph: “The world is awash in bullshit, and we’re drowning in it. Politicians are unconstrained by facts. Science is conducted … Continue reading →

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The Climate Diet

Posted on June 20, 2021 by Harry Katz

Climate change is such an overwhelming problem it’s hard to know what individuals can do about it. It’s hard to see how we can have any impact at all. But there are meaningful steps we can take to both modify our … Continue reading →

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Livewired

Posted on June 13, 2021 by Harry Katz

Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain left me feeling both awed and comforted by the astonishing capabilities of the human brain. Consider this: Your brain can listen to music, learn to play the violin, read sheet music, translate … Continue reading →

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The Zoologist’s Guide to the Galaxy

Posted on June 6, 2021 by Harry Katz

This is the first book in a long time that I DNF – did not finish. I was attracted to the book by its title: The Zoologist’s Guide to the Galaxy: What Animals on Earth Reveal About Aliens – and … Continue reading →

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