Author Archives: Harry Katz
We Don’t Say Goodbye Anymore
A while ago I was watching an episode of Murdoch Mysteries, a detective series set in Toronto in the late 1890’s. At the end of the episode our hero, Detective William Murdoch, says goodbye to the visiting Egyptologist who was … Continue reading
Blackfish City
Blackfish City By Sam J. Miller HarperCollins, New York, 2018 A warrior woman comes to the city of Qannaq in a small skiff accompanied by an orca and a polar bear. Who is she? Why has she come? What’s her … Continue reading
Crucial Conversations
Have you ever had a conversation with someone and they suddenly got defensive? Maybe you were talking with your partner or your child and you brought up some behavior of theirs that you found annoying or troubling. They took it … Continue reading
Principles
I don’t often read books by celebrity CEOs. They can be jejune; more a testament to the author’s ego and less about providing any real insight or substance. Principles by Ray Dalio is a partial exception. There’s ego here for … Continue reading
Fast Train to Mordor: Trump v. Hawaii
Reading through the Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. Hawaii – the Muslim travel ban case – is like drifting off to sleep on an ordinary commuter train headed for home and then being jolted awake when it shudders to … Continue reading
Carpenter v. United States
Today, instead of a book review, I’m going to take a plunge into law review. I want to look at the decision of the United States Supreme Court in a case called Carpenter v. United States announced on June 22. … Continue reading
Seven Books in Seven Days
I recently did one of those social media challenges where you’re supposed to post one thing each day for seven days. In this case, the “one thing” was the cover of a book you love. I thought I’d recap my … Continue reading
Fascism: A Warning
When she spoke to an adoring, packed house at Seattle’s Paramount Theater on the evening of April, 24, 2018, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright stated clearly that she was not accusing President Donald Trump of being a Fascist. But, … Continue reading
All the Light We Cannot See
All the Light We Cannot See By Anthony Doerr Scribner, New York, 2014 I’m not quite sure what to make of this book. It’s beautifully constructed, like an intricate puzzle box. All the pieces fit together with precision and artistry. … Continue reading
Tom Wolfe: A Tribute
I first encountered Tom Wolfe’s writing, or at least his books, as a young child, when a hardback copy of The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby arrived at our house in Oakville, Ontario, about 25 miles west of Toronto. If I … Continue reading
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