yet another book thread

The Fastest Show On Earth: The mammoth book of Formula 1 edited by Chicane

Chicane is apparently some Euro publisher of F1 stuff


600+ pages of everything one would care to know about F1 from 2015. History of F1 with an emphasis on why it is just now a thing in the USA. All the teams, drivers & circuits. Chapters on everything technical... aerodynamics, brakes, big data, Fuel, lubricants, power unit, safety & tires. A glossary of F1 terms and the end of the book features excerpts from other books covering many aspects of F1 from the people on the inside.

I particularly liked the essay 'Bernies Game' & 'the Piranha Club' but there were a half dozen others.


the explanation of the power unit was amazing. Where the ERS was a bolt on to a 'traditional' ICE the PU has the ER stuff integrated into the design.

@Tennessy XO

 

The Commanding Heights : the battle between government and the marketplace that is remaking the modern world by Daniel Yergin & Joseph Stanislaw - 1998

fascinating book that was the basis for this documentary



the book is a snapshot of the triumph of capitalism in 1998. Communism had recently swept itself into the ashbin of history & socialism had proven, yet again, to be implausible in the long run. Capitalism had defeated both in the marketplace of ideas and the straight up marketplace.


Reading the book 20 years on was kinda sureal in a lot of ways. I am aware of the economic crisis of 08 fueled by the deregulation the book claims is the best path going forward for everyone. I am also aware that that crisis has passed also thanks to capitalism.


Back to the book. Mostly a history book about how capitalism was the backbone of western democracies allowing military victory over facists & communists multiple times by straight up out producing them.

My favorite part was early on when Hyek vs Keynes was explained. Good stuff... just like this video that explains Hyek vs Keynes...



anyways... book gives indepth political breakdown of the major powers and many minor ones with a great wrapup towards the end.


interesting thing I learned... want to measure how an economy is doing and really dont have time for that mess? The price of eggs. They have a limited shelflife and broad appeal. Quick measure of how things are going.

 

The War To End All Wars: World War I by Russell Freedman


executive level overview of WW1 with pictures. I think my daughter got this for me. She volunteers at the library and buys a crap ton of books during their sales.

Anyway ... from Sarajevo to Hitler the book mostly sticks to the basic facts. Got political talking about 1919 peace treaty, WW2, Hitler...

it was a nice cloud level review of WW1 and I have zero idea why any publisher would think a book like this is necessary at all. Literally dozens upon dozens of similar books sitting on sad shelves at the back of used book stores everywhere. Can buy them for the prices of shipping on Amazon all day long. Freedman brought exactly zero insight into this 'work'

 

just found this... hilarious

all you millennial Keynesians suck

 

The Hour of The Dragon by Robert E. Howard
aka Conan the Conqueror


JUST WOW!

best damn adventure book I have ever read. King Conan and his fight for the crown of Aquilonia.

I will give no spoilers but if anyone is looking to read an adventure story with an amazing battle described masterfully the Hour of the Dragon will not disappoint

 

Coyote Rising by Allen Steele
the second title in the first Coyote Trilogy


I raved over Coyote a while back. This book was not quite as good and clearly a 'bridge' book ( LOL ) I will explain in the spoiler.


In this one the focus shifts about but essentially the original settlers of Coyote, fleeing a totalitarian government, are forced to flee when 1000s of Socialists attempt to 'relieve' Captain Lee of duty in Liberty. Nigel Kent leads the rebellion against the matriarch of Liberty. There are traumatized religious leaders, cannibalism, disgruntled socialists, shady cybogs and a volcano eruption.

So far I can highly recommend Coyote as a rare Science Fiction work that puts the science ahead of the fiction.

Spoiler

one of the main elements of the story is the destruction of the matriarch's bridge.