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July 3rd, 2008

Skylife

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Space Habitats In Story And Science

Edited By Gregory Benford and George Zebrowski

After watching Pixar’s WALL-E I was reminded of several classic short stories about people in generation ships or space stations. Classic stuff that seems dated now. The idea of flesh and blood humans living in space seems unlikely. It’s like fish of the Permian period building elaborate goldfish bowls or aquariums for living on land. I can see one fish telling another, “Here Bob, put on this suit and go plant a flag on the beach.” Humanity or whatever comes after us will have to adapt to that environment before they successfully live in space.

Copyright 2008 DJ Cline All rights reserved.

Posted by dj as Books, Reviews at 4:54 PM PDT [590 Views]

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July 1st, 2008

A Shovel Of Stars

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The Making Of The American West - 1800 To The Present

By Ted Morgan

The second half of Morgan’s state by state building of the United States. He focuses on the stories of particular individuals as they work to make their territory a state. Naturally I have mixed feelings about Manifest Destiny. The book breaks down by the time it gets to Alaska.

Copyright 2008 DJ Cline All rights reserved.

Posted by dj as Books, Reviews at 2:41 PM PDT [729 Views]

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June 30th, 2008

Wilderness At Dawn

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The Settling Of The American Continent

By Ted Morgan

The first part of Morgan’s state by state history of the United States. There are odd tidbits like German immigrants in colonial Georgia. Things that will be conversation starters at parties around the country.

Copyright 2008 DJ Cline All rights reserved.

Posted by dj as Books, Reviews at 4:57 PM PDT [583 Views]

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June 23rd, 2008

Get Smart: The Movie

I enjoyed the original TV series written by Buck Henry and Mel Brooks. Don Adams defined the role of Maxwell Smart. The James Bond films of the 1960s were so over the top that they cried out for ridicule. While Peter Sellers in Casino Royale and later Mike Myers as Austin Powers would parody the genre, Get Smart was more button-down biting satire. Text from DJCline.com. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by dj as Books, Reviews at 4:31 PM PDT [707 Views]

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June 21st, 2008

Round Up The Usual Suspects

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The Making Of Casablanca - Bogart, Bergman, And World War II

By Aljean Harmetz Text from DJCline.com Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by dj as Books, Reviews at 1:40 PM PDT [853 Views]

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June 20th, 2008

The Road North

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One Woman’s Adventure Driving The Alaska Highway 1947-1948

By Iris Woolcock Text from DJCline.com. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by dj as Books, Reviews at 1:40 PM PDT [705 Views]

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June 19th, 2008

Middle Eastern History Books

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Long before America existed and the first barrel of oil was taken from the ground there was trouble in the Middle East. Here are some books on the subject. Text from DJCline.com. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by dj as Books, Reviews at 4:55 PM PDT [640 Views]

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June 18th, 2008

Audition: A Memoir

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By Barbara Walters Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by dj as Books, Reviews at 4:59 PM PDT [674 Views]

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June 17th, 2008

Revolution In Time

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Clocks And The Making Of The Modern World

By David S. Landes Text from DJCline.com. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by dj as Books, Reviews at 1:39 PM PDT [807 Views]

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June 16th, 2008

Culture War Stories

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They called them the Culture Wars. It is a battle to decide who you are and how you can live your life. As of today any adult can get legally married in California. Soon it will be everywhere. Forty years after the US Supreme Court’s Loving decision and a month after the California Supreme Court’s decision, any adult of any race or gender can get married. On that note here is a grab bag of books relating to the subject. Text from DJCline.com. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by dj as Books, Reviews at 4:16 PM PDT [745 Views]

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June 14th, 2008

Rain Of Iron And Ice

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The Very Real Threat Of Comet And Asteroid Bombardment

By John S. Lewis

Meteors falling from the sky and killing everybody. Now we’ll never know how the TV show Lost ended. One more thing to keep you awake at night. I’m always afraid that they will make another big budget movie about it. That will put you right back to sleep.

Copyright 2008 DJ Cline All rights reserved.

Posted by dj as Books, Reviews at 1:39 PM PDT [736 Views]

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June 13th, 2008

The Play Goes On

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A Memoir

By Neil Simon

The second memoir picks up after the death of first wife and takes through his first divorce and last suicide attempt. Such pain from such a funny man.

Copyright 2008 DJ Cline All rights reserved.

Posted by dj as Books, Reviews at 4:01 PM PDT [615 Views]

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June 12th, 2008

Rewrites

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A Memoir

By Neil Simon

This first memoir starts after Simon left Sid Caesar’s show in the late 1950s until the death of his first wife in the early 1970s. It covers his most productive years as a playwright, starting out by fixing plays for other people and then striking out on his own with Barefoot In The Park and the Odd Couple. It is a very funny book until his wife gets sick. Still recommended.

Copyright 2008 DJ Cline All rights reserved.

Posted by dj as Books, Reviews at 4:39 PM PDT [675 Views]

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June 11th, 2008

L. Neil Smith Retrospective

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I enjoy meeting lots of people and hearing what they have to say. I know folks from all over the political spectrum, including libertarians. The irony of many libertarians is their disdain for bureaucracy and their encyclopedic knowledge of rules and regulations. Their coalitions never get big because they don’t want big. They always need money and never get elected. Text from DJCline.com. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by dj as Books, Reviews at 4:28 PM PDT [726 Views]

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June 7th, 2008

The Complete Cartoons Of The NewYorker

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Edited By Robert Mankoff

Foreword By David Remnik

Introduction By Adam Gopnik Text from DJCline.com Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by dj as Books, Reviews at 4:55 PM PDT [759 Views]

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June 6th, 2008

The Good Fight

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Hard Lessons From Searchlight To Washington

By Senator Harry Reid With Mark Warren Text from DJCline.com. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by dj as Books, Reviews at 4:57 PM PDT [575 Views]

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June 4th, 2008

The Short Bloody History Of Knights, Spies And Pirates

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By John Farman Text from DJCline.com. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by dj as Books, Reviews at 4:37 PM PDT [691 Views]

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June 3rd, 2008

Kaleidoscope

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By Harry Turtledove Text from DJCline.com. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by dj as Books, Reviews at 4:15 PM PDT [678 Views]

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June 2nd, 2008

Hunting Party

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By Elizabeth Moon Text from DJCline.com. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by dj as Books, Reviews at 4:14 PM PDT [681 Views]

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May 28th, 2008

Genius In The Shadows

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A Biography Of Leo Szilard The Man Behind The Bomb

By William Lanouette With Bela Silard Text from DJCline.com. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by dj as Books, Reviews at 4:15 PM PDT [700 Views]

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