Guest Blogger: Karl’s Summer Reading List

by Karl Bridges

A brief selection of my summer reading–ranging from technology to terrorism to, well, trash.

Malone, Michael S. (Michael Shawn), 1954- Infinite loop: how the world's most insanely great computer company went insane / Michael S. Malone. Location: Bailey/Howe Books (3rd Floor) HD9696.C64 A8657 1999

A brief history of Apple Computer and, incidentally, modern computing. Ever wonder why Macintosh, despite its brilliant marketing, has such a paltry share of the computing market? This explains it.

Green, Henry, 1905-1974. Pack my bag. Location: Bailey/Howe Books (3rd Floor) PR6013.R416 Z468 1952

A brief memoir of life in an English boarding school. Fifty years ago Henry Green was someone everyone read. Now no one has heard of him. Green was a brilliant modernist who combined a life as a writer with a second career as a manufacturer of brewing and distillery equipment. He wrote a whole series of novels – Blindness, Loving , Nothing – notable for their wonderful use of language. Highly recommended.

Phares, Walid, 1957- Future Jihad : terrorist strategies against America / Walid Phares. Location: Bailey/Howe Books (3rd Floor) HV6432 .P493 2005

Remember the war on Terror? This is a great one volume introduction to why we are where we are now with intelligent suggestions about what happens next. Points out that, because of our lack of understanding of language and culture we miss the point: There isn’t widespread disagreement in the Arab world that the West must be destroyed – just an argument over the means and timing.

The Bible

I read this every day. One cannot understand western civilization and culture without having a good knowledge of this text. Without it most of English literature, at least until the late 19^th century, will be largely not understood.

Anthony Trollope The Warden. PR5684 .W26 1859

The most perfect novel ever written in the English language. Period. Full stop.

McMorris, Jenny. The warden of English : the life of H.W. Fowler / Jenny McMorris. Published: Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2001. PE64.F69 M36 2001

And speaking of periods. The life of the author of the classic book Modern English Usage. A fascinating look at a life in words. Nowadays no one cares much about spelling (or grammar) but once it mattered. This was the man who defined proper usage for several generations.

And, seeing as how no summer reading list is complete without trash, I suggest the following:

Matthew Reilly, Ice Station

Conspiracy, combat, mutants, and secret government projects – set in Antarctica. A high stakes, high action thriller. Lots of guns, explosions, and killing – and a deadly Marine named Scarecrow out to save the day. (and if you like it, this is the first of a series and arguably the best) Available at our local Barnes and Noble since we don’t have any of his novels. (cough, cough, hint, hint)

Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, Lucifer’s Hammer. PS3564.I9 L8 1983

By now this book seems somewhat dated. However, if one is able to overlook the more or less 1970s environment of the novel it’s a great read about what happens when a comet strikes the Earth and ends Life as We Know It.