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Black Dogs by Ian McEwan |
McEwan is so readable. Everything he turns his attention to is lit by his intelligence and sensitivity, and becomes interesting. The story centres on the lives of Bernard and June, parents of the narrator's wife. He uses flashbacks to tell their story, and to unravel the political, moral and religious ideas that shaped their lives. There is some lovely descriptive writing, especially of southern France. A very good read.
(bwl 61 Summer 2011) |
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Play it Again: An an Amateur Against the Impossible by Alan Rusbridger |
Rusbridger, editor of the Guardian, started piano again in middle age; then on a course for amateurs he heard a fellow student play Chopin's first Ballade and challenged himself to learn this very difficult piece and perform it within a year. The book is the story of his battle with the Ballade interspersed with fascinating accounts of what was going on in his day job, such as Wikileaks and the phone hacking story.
(bwl 68 Spring 2013) |
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Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You by Marcus Chown |
Anyone who likes to try and keep abreast of the latest theories and discoveries in particle physics or astronomy would find this book interesting. It is short, readable, free from formulae and higher mathematics, and full of amusing analogies to help appreciate the more bizarre consequences of Quantum Theory and Relativity. You will be surprised what a weird universe we seem to inhabit.
(bwl 45 April 2008) |
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Sviatoslav Richter - Notebooks and Conversations by Bruno Monsaingeon |
A must for pianophiles. The conversations take place during the making of Monsaingeon's film about Richter, and tell the extraordinary story of his life in Soviet Russia until he finally burst upon the west in 1960.The notebooks are the pianist's personal journals containing reactions to concerts, other artists and his own recordings. Monsaingeon's film, 'Richter the Enigma' (available on video) is even more enthralling.
(bwl 22 February 2004) |
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The Algebraist by Iain M Banks |
I'm not a science fiction addict but this one captivated me. I loved the galaxy-wide scale and sheer imaginative power of it. However it's not the easiest read. Flashbacks sometimes confuse and the strange names of people, places and institutions are difficult to retain. (Old age?). In fact I read it twice to be sure I had got it straight! Perhaps that is some sort of recommendation?
(bwl 40 June 2007) |
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The Long and the Short of it: Finance and investment for normally intelligent people who are not in the industry by John Kay |
This book was a step into foreign territory. Recommended as a straightforward guide for the uninitiated, so it turned out to be. John Kay covers difficult concepts with clarity and a nice sense of irony.It is factually accurate up to October 2008 and so covers most of the recent upheavals in the financial markets. There are a couple of chapters that are tough going - skip them and come back later if you're really keen.
(bwl 51 May 2009) |
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