Author Archives: Harry Katz
Talking to Strangers
I’ve read most of Malcolm Gladwell’s books and quite a few of his New Yorker articles. I love his podcast Revisionist History. He is a terrific writer and storyteller. Though he has a tendency to wander off on maddening digressions, … Continue reading
How To Be An Antiracist
How To Be An Antiracist By Ibram X. Kendi One World, New York, 2019 Donald Trump says he’s not racist. In fact, he claims to be the “least racist person that you have ever met.” In his latest book, How … Continue reading
Where the Crawdads Sing
Where the Crawdads Sing By Delia Owens G.P. Putnam’s Sons, New York, 2018 I don’t read much fiction these days, but it’s summertime and the last book I read was about the history of calculus, so I figured I’d try … Continue reading
Infinite Powers
Okay, I admit it, even for me this is a geeky book. Infinite Powers: How Calculus Reveals the Secrets of the Universe is about the history of calculus and its impact on science, technology, and society. Infinite Powers:How Calculus Reveals … Continue reading
#BeMore
Two unrelated events this weekend connected together to get me thinking about how we live our lives. On Saturday, my wife and I went to a celebration of life for a man named Dennis who died a couple of weeks … Continue reading
Losing Earth
Losing Earth By Nathaniel Rich Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, New York, 2019 The Sunday New York Times Magazine devoted its entire August 1, 2018 issue to a single article called Losing Earth: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change by … Continue reading
Diversity Explosion
In 2011, more minority babies were born in the United States than white babies for the first time. In 2015, 24 of the largest 100 metropolitan areas in the US were already minority white. By 2040 there will be no … Continue reading
Endeavour
Endeavour: The Ship and the Attitude that Changed the World By Peter Moore Chatto & Windus, London, 2018 Pop quiz: What does “endeavour” mean to you? a) To attempt, to strive, to exert oneself towards achieving some goal, b) The … Continue reading
The Palace of Illusions
Reading The Palace of Illusions felt like seeing the ocean for the first time. It’s beautiful and vast and awe-inspiring. It’s unexpected and unforgettable. And it beckons with the promise of undiscovered worlds beneath the surface and over the horizon. … Continue reading
Who Can You Trust?
Who Can You Trust? How Technology Brought Us Together and Why It Might Drive Us Apart By Rachel Botsman Public Affairs, New York, 2017 Trust is like engine oil: when it’s present everything runs smoothly, but when it’s not they … Continue reading
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