Author Archives: Harry Katz
Book Review: Thomas Jefferson – The Art of Power
Thomas Jefferson: The Art of PowerBy Jon MeachamRandom House, New York, 2013 Despite weighing in at over 500 pages, Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power, by Jon Meacham, seems to be just an introduction to the man. It’s not that … Continue reading
Book Review: Good Prose
Good Prose: The Art of Nonfiction By Tracy Kidder and Richard Todd Random House, New York, 2013 I’ve read a few books about writing over the years. They seem to come in two flavors. Some, like Writing Down the Bones … Continue reading
Book Review: Stealth of Nations
Stealth of Nations: The Global Rise of the Informal Economy By Robert Neuwirth Anchor Books, New York, 2011 Stealth of Nations is about the “informal” economy – the underground, unregistered, unlicensed, untaxed and often unlawful economy. Author Robert Neuwirth calls … Continue reading
Book Review: Winner Take All
Winner Take All: China’s Race for Resources and What It Means for the WorldBy Dambisa MoyoBasic Books, New York, 2012 Dambisa Moyo’s latest book, Winner Take All: China’s Race for Resources and What It Means for the World, is supposed … Continue reading
Book Review: The Presidents Club
The Presidents Club: Inside the World’s Most Exclusive FraternityBy Nancy Gibbs and Michael DuffySimon & Schuster, New York, 2012 Zillions of books have been written about individual US presidents and their times in office; biographies, autobiographies, histories, and critiques. The … Continue reading
Underground New York Public Library
I came across this article about New York photographer Ourit Ben Haim’s project photographing people reading books on the New York Subway. Her blog is http://undergroundnewyorkpubliclibrary.com/. If you click on any of the photos, you’ll get taken to her Flickr collection. … Continue reading
Book Review: 17 Equations That Changed the World
In Pursuit of the Unknown: 17 Equations That Changed the WorldBy Ian StewartBasic Books, New York, 2012 17 Equations That Changed the World: It’s a greatest hits collection! 17 of your all-time favorite equations from the worlds of mathematics, physics … Continue reading
Religion for Atheists
Alain de Botton thinks religion is too useful to be left entirely to the religious. In his latest book, Religion for Atheists: A Non-Believers Guide to the Uses of Religion, he looks at some of the “best bits” of religion … Continue reading
Good weekend for articles on writing
From the NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/the-neuroscience-of-your-brain-on-fiction.html?_r=1&pagewanted=1&ref=opinion “Reading great literature, it has long been averred, enlarges and improves us as human beings. Brain science shows this claim is truer than we imagined.” Flipping it around, there are some hints here for writers on … Continue reading
Book Review: Reinventing the Sacred
Reinventing the Sacred By Stuart A. Kauffman Basic Books, New York, 2008 I really admire the scope and boldness of Stuart Kauffman’s 2008 book Reinventing the Sacred. Prof. Kauffman is a biologist and complexity theorist. He sets out not merely … Continue reading
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