Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky, 1866)

I hadn't ever read this famous work.  I can see why it's so well-regarded.  I was positively nervous throughout the entire book (well, except perhaps during the entertaining passage when Luzhin's erstwhile friend serves as a caricature for liberal/progressive thought that rings as true today as it must have in 1866).

This book (and this book) had interesting discussions about Romanticism, including the idea of the man-above-history; how Napoleon was despised for his actions yet revered for his "above history" status.  In "Crime and Punishment," the protagonist (Raskolnikov) compares himself to Napoleon, and (in an overwrought mental state) commits a crime in an unsuccessful effort to prove to himself that he merits the comparison.  (That being said, this book isn't categorized as "Romantic" literature, at least as I think of it, both on timing and content.)

I suppose the main feature of the book - and what made it stand out at the time - is the compelling descriptions of what was going on in Raskolnikov's head.   And others, the viewpoint shifts around sometimes.

I particularly liked that Dostoyevsky developed so many characters so well.  Sonya's drunkard father's description of the path that led to Sonya's profession is just heartbreaking.  The trials of the drunkard's well-born wife, at odds with the German landlady.  Raskolnikov's sister and mother, who come to St. Petersburg.  Luzhin, who wishes to marry Raskolnikov's sister but is a smug fool.  The lecherous Svidrigaïlov, who follows Raskolnikov's sister to St. Petersburg and plays a surprisingly large role in the story.  Raskolnikov's colleague (Razumikhin); the police detective (Porfiry); etc.

This afternoon I took a 30-minute break to finish the book, I simply couldn't wait to see how it turned out.

It was written early in Dostoyevsky's career.  In installments for magazine serialization - odd to think that so many important novels were presented in that manner.

Three Comrades - A Novel of Germany Between the Wars (Erich Maria Remarque, 1936)

Remarque is renowned, for good reason, for "All Quiet on the Western Front."  This is a much different work.  The dust jacket suggests that it focuses on three young men in the difficult times in Germany in 1928, with storm troopers swaggering in the streets as the Weimar Republic totters; one of the three falls in love. 

But the book reads much differently.  I liked it very much.

Remarque used a spare writing style to great advantage in All Quiet.  Same approach here.  He says a lot (almost 500 pages) but I think leaves a lot unsaid; leads the reader to fill in his or her own thoughts and feelings.

The description of Robert's love affair with Patricia Hallman is really well done; not necessarily what I'd expect from someone I incorrectly considered to be a military writer.  He captures the uncertainty, jealousy, companionship, wondrous-ness, etc.  As good a description as any I've read.

Robert has two close buddies from WWI:  Lenz and Koster.  They work in an auto shop and race around in "Karl."  They drink together, and look out for each other above all else.  Plenty of other characters are developed (Ferdinand the painter; Alfons, the restaurant keeper; Gustav the cab driver; the owner and working girls at the bar where Robert sometimes plays piano; the various folks in Robert's boarding house; etc.)

These three comrades survived WWI when so many of their buddies didn't; now live in an economy where acquiring any level of security or wealth is hopeless; mostly as a result of the war but also because of the postwar situation, they very much lived in the moment (with Patricia having a particular reason for doing so); it made me think about this continual balancing act, perhaps we/I focus too much on the long term in comparison.

Remarque was a big deal; was married many years to Paulette Goddard.  I had no idea Hollywood did a movie based on this (starring Robert Taylor); I liked the book so much I'm afraid to look at the movie (which could easily be mawkish).

The Fate of Africa (Martin Meredith, 2005)

I blew through this pretty quickly.  It was interesting - just intensely repetitive in terms of outcome.  The awful stories across Africa since the days of independence vary greatly by country, don't seem to vary much in terms of moving backwards.

The author pretty much just recounted the stories.  I was hoping for more analysis or explanation, and maybe even a little reason to hope that things might be getting better.  But no.  I guess it's useful to absorb some of the factual background as a starting point.

The author reports that most African countries have a lower per capita  income than in 1980 and, in some cases in 1960.

Aid workers, government workers, government cronies are the only folks that generate steady income or wealth.

This made me think about a few things:

1.  My sense is that the "bourgeois virtues" - as discussed so interestingly in this book - are almost entirely absent in Africa.  I don't know much about Africa but would guess that there wasn't a reason to develop them.  Absent the bourgeois virtues - how is wealth going to be generated there?

2.  Governments ran things in Africa - private sector basically absent.  For the most part, funds and resources have been allocated for personal and political purposes much moreso than for sound business or economic purposes.

3.  The United States and plenty of other countries are currently debating how many (more) $$ to turn over to governments - do we continue the trajectory?  Resources run through governments inevitably are allocated through politics and access.  We can talk all day about how different our situation is from Africa's, and capitalism's imperfect allocations.  But still.

There are so many awful African occurrences noted in this book.  To list a few:  Ethiopia/Mengistu/Biafra/famine. Rwanda/Burundi.  Somalia.  AIDs.  Mobutu.  Mugabe.  Sudanese civil war.  Islamist parties.  South Africa. Rhodesia.  One-party states.  Big Men rule.  Corruption, diversion of aid.  Angola.  I had forgotten how Cold War politics led to Cuba, USSR and US, among others, intervening in pointless episodes.  Ugh.  

The Bourgeois Virtues - Ethics for an Age of Commerce (Deirdre McCloskey, 2006)

I don't know quite how to characterize this book, but it certainly gave me all sorts of ideas (including many I hadn't really put together before).  About 500 pages, and I found it ok to skip/skim a bit - without derogation of the whole.  It's part of a longer series of books, and I think I should pursue more.

In this book, McCloskey notes something odd:  the merchant/bourgeoisie class regularly exhibits the classic and Christian virtues while simultaneously generating the wealth that pays for kings (or "governments", as known today), priests, artists and professors - yet is universally reviled by these groups, to the point of cliche.  McCloskey points out that this trend took root following the intellectual-led revolutions that swept across Europe in 1848.  When I think about it - Balzac, Dickens and the rest did delight in portraying the bourgeoisie as venal, grasping, etc.  Not to mention Marx et al.  And this trend has continued - almost like an accepted truth that is badly in need of being un-accepted.

(In a related vein, Larry Ribstein sometimes blogs about Hollywood's portrayal of businesspersons as almost invariably evil - he can't really explain it - speculates that the "artists" believe themselves to be the new religion/priesthood (certainly a trend since the Romantic era), and resent that movies can't be made without the funding from the low-class, money-grubbing businesspersons.  Perhaps it's the same effect as discussed in this book?)

How odd - the university community of professors and students overwhelmingly comes from bourgeois or aspire-to-bourgeois roots, and overwhelmingly return to a bourgeois lifestyle after graduation - and lives largely off bourgeois profit while in the university cocoon - and all the while revile the bourgeoisie.  

McCloskey converted to Christianity at some point in her adulthood, and doesn't make any attempt to disguise this. To her credit (Christianity not essential to the narrative, but what are referred to as the "Christian" virtues do apply outside Christianity; I prefer authors that are upfront about this kind of thing).

Some ideas:

1.  How capitalism has generated the wealth that has improved the lots of the poor - in a way that no other system has come close to accomplishing.  And is reviled for it.  Perhaps due to envy - since it is absolutely true that successful capitalists end up with more wealth than the average person.  Yet no system of kings, priests, government handouts or artists has ever come close to doing more for the poor.  Should these systems - demonstrably less effective on behalf of the poor, and certainly ineffective in achieving "equal" distribution - be favored because wealth in a capitalist system doesn't end up perfectly equally distributed, either?  See #6 below.

2.  The "evil" of profit - listen to our current president's tiresome harangues, repeating the conventional, unthinking "wisdom" - yet without "profit" - how would anything ever be paid for?  I think this has been demonstrated repeatedly.  Where would the funds come from that have raised living standards to the benefit of all (well, at least "all" who live in societies that encourage bourgeois behavior - forget communist and other state-dominated systems, for example) in the last couple centuries (or whatever measurement period applies)?

3.  The notion that persons of "noble" blood would never grub for money or hold a job - no, they earned their wealth simply by force of arms, or by inheriting wealth taken by force of arms by their ancestors.  Yet this is constantly portrayed as "honorable"!  Why?  The indolent gentlemen who disdains work and profit-seeking - worthless yet revered for so long - how was this character's positive image created and maintained for so long?  The violent conqueror of new territories - this behavior also is revered!

4.  Businesspersons do not stay in business for long unless they abide by the traditional virtues.  They can't take wealth by force, as "nobles" did and modern governments do.  They can't take wealth by "appeals" to "charity" or threats of damnation - as religions do. They thrive via voluntary exchanges - not by force.

(Can I dispense with the disclaimer that businesspersons often are dishonest, especially those looking for a quick hit rather than a long-term enterprise?  Yes, it's anything but a perfect system.  That this occurs does not disprove the benefits to society of pervasive bourgeois virtues.)

5.  The notion that artists - like the nobility - are "above" grubbing for profit.  Fine - many wonderful things are created.  But:  who finances this?  What society could indulge in serious art unless some producers generated the wealth to support it?

The crazy notion that heroes like Achilles embody the highest virtues - but this is just courage without prudence, temperance, etc. - where would that leave a society?

6.  That making profit in a capitalist system is not - notwithstanding the NY Times writers and all the other purveyors of conventional wisdom (including vote-chasing politicians) - a zero sum game.  The economy is not like a room in which a parent places two kids with 10 toys, and the stronger kid prevails at the expense of the weaker.  Voluntary exchanges typically make everyone better off, i.e. they all participate in the "profit", if at different levels.  Compare the noble requiring the peasant to turn over a big chunk of his crop (or a government expropriating assets) - much closer to zero-sum.  (Even recognizing that the peasant may have gotten some protection against others who sought to steal from him.)

7.  So many economists have gone off the rails - looking at "prudence only".  The virtues need to go beyond this - justice, temperance, and courage.  The three Christian virtues round out the group:  hope, faith, love.  You can't explain human behavior with "prudence only". 

8.  That other disciplines (in addition to economics) look to reduce behavior to a single overriding principle.  Utilitarianism. Or to reduce it to an exercise in pure reason (sound familiar from undergrad philosophy?) divorced from common sense observation of the complicated impulses of actual humans.  The ancients had it right - a blend of multiple virtues is involved.

9.  Look at the countries that haven't developed or permitted an active bourgeoisie class - have the poor (or any other class, setting aside government rent-seekers) ever been better off in these societies that were "cleansed" of the evil profit motive?

10.  Today's glorification of "non-profit" organizations - many of which merit skepticism.  Any organization not facing market discipline is in dangerous territory.

The seven virtues make a lot of sense.  Demonizing the bourgeoisie doesn't - unless you're a Huey Long type pursuing power, or a rent-seeker feeding off the Huey Longs (invariably in the name of the "little guy").

Mary Colter - Architect of the Southwest (Arnold Berke, 2002)

PJ bought this for me as a gift upon our departure from the Colter-designed La Posada during our recent (and most enjoyable) visit.  I was interested in the book primarily due to Colter's connection to La Posada and to various buildings (including Phantom Ranch) in the Grand Canyon area.  I will have a better appreciation for these upon future visits, which we surely shall make.

The book gave me lots of ideas, including:

1.  Colter grew up in Minnesota.  A chance gift stirred her interest in the Southwest.

2.    She began as a designer, and moved into architecture.  Not widely recognized during her career; the author suggests, plausibly, that this was attributable in part to her being a woman, and being perceived as a designer.

3.  It's fascinating to think that the Fred Harvey Company working in tandem with the Santa Fe Railway - both of which Colter worked for over the course of so many years - pretty much invented the American Southwest as it came to be known to decades worth of tourists, with impressions persisting to this day.  Very few roads, very limited access, very limited knowledge.  These companies marketed very effectively.  They essentially invented the widespread demand for Navajo rugs, Native American jewelry, etc.  I don't know details, but this doesn't strike me as a bad thing.  Even if some of the techniques employed then would be considered politically incorrect today.

4.  Colter didn't work on El Tovar - it was already in place.  She did work on Bright Angel Lodge, Phantom Ranch, Hermit's Rest (which we've not visited), the "watchtower" at the east rim (which we've been around but not in), and plenty of other structures in the Grand Canyon area.  She had a great knack for incorporating local styles, placing buildings into a natural setting, while meeting the marketing goals that drove the entire engine.



5.  One of her first assignments at Grand Canyon was the gift shop ("Hopi House") that sits just opposite El Tovar.  I've been in there a number of times but now need to revisit with a different eye.

6.  The book includes a long description and many great photos of La Posada in Winslow.  PJ and I just loved the place, and the descriptions help explain why.  Colter lived through the decommissioning of the building (and remarked about how sometimes folks "live too long"), but didn't see its renaissance.

7.  Interesting discussion of the rise and fall of passenger railroads.  People preferred cars.  Colter was around for the glory days - various lovely train stations roughly along the Route 66 corridor - and  the quick decline.

I liked this book a lot, and definitely will consult it as we make visits to the various Colter buildings in future years.

Gallery opportunities

Two galleries recently.  I like taking cell phone photos (click to enlarge), if lousy, to help remember what we saw.

When visiting Kerry in DC, we had a chance to stop by the National Gallery (if briefly):

Monet (Houses of Parliament)

This is not from the art gallery.  But I like it.  If I had been around in WWII, I definitely would have joined a car-sharing club.

Also not from the art gallery.  This is from the WWII Italian campaign, made me think about what Irvin Bormann probably encountered in some form.

When visiting EPG in Santa Monica, we had a chance to stop by the Getty Center:

I like the Dutch landscape folks

Detail - another Dutch landscape

Rembrandt - detail from the Abduction of Europa - I like to enlarge and look at this.

Italian - composite of the story of Joseph (Old Testament) - starting with being cast into the well in upper left corner.  The characters look like Italian merchants . . . including, perhaps, contemporary patrons . . .

El Greco

In the galleries . . .

Brueghel the Elder - animals going into the ark

Unbroken (Laura Hillenbrand, 2010)

This book was a father's day gift from Nicole.

It is a remarkable story - yet another instance where if a novelist tried to sell a story like this, it would seem too farfetched to succeed.  I can scarcely believe that I've never heard a word about the subject of the biography - Louis Zamperini.

Some thoughts about Zamperini:

1. In early years:  basically a juvenile delinquent in Torrance, CA.
2. Older brother figured out that Louis could succeed as a track athlete.  As a high school graduate (!) - he competes in the 5000 meters at the Berlin Olympics.  And has an interaction with Hitler.
3. Several amazing missions in the South Pacific following Pearl Harbor - his crew, or at least most of it, survives.
4. But his crew next ends up taking an undesirable plane - the B-24 Green Hornet - on a search and rescue mission.  It crashes.  Louis and two others are on a raft for weeks.  Fighting off sharks.  Learning how to catch birds and fish.
5. Experiences in various prison camps - particularly when the "Bird" identifies Louis as a high-profile target and regularly abuses him.  In camps in mainland Japan when B-29 incendiary bombing starts, and when the atomic bomb is dropped.
6. Challenges - severe - in returning to civilian life.  Ultimately figures it out.  
7. And how cool:  he runs a segment of the torch run for the 1998 Olympics at age 81 - in Nagano, Japan.

The author did a great job - made the difficulties for the soldiers, prisoners and families come to life.

Ethan Frome (Edith Wharton, 1911)

Short novel, read it on the recent plane flight to DC.

I really enjoy Edith Wharton's books (see list here). This particular novel is well known for, among other things, being very different than Wharton's other works. I liked it quite a bit, but would say it isn't what I was really looking for in a Wharton novel.

This one is tense and sad. Ethan Frome is isolated in rural Vermont; had to take care of ailing parents. Ends up marrying a hypochondriac. Very limited economically; loveless marriage. All the more difficult to deal with given that he had a brief glimpse of life on the outside during a short college stint.

The hypochondriac wife needs help, and her cousin is brought to live with Ethan and wife. The cousin is the opposite of what Ethan has suffered with - pretty, lively, optimistic. They hit it off. Hypochondriac of course becomes jealous and arranges a replacement helper. Bad things ensue.

The Man Who Was Thursday - A Nightmare (G.K. Chesterton, 1908)

Short work, read it on the recent plane flight to DC.

I didn't know much about Chesterton, and still don't. He converted to Catholicism - seems like several of these English authors did - and there is some kind of message of hope and goodness here.

But mostly the story just struck me as weird.

The protagonist (Syme, a/k/a "Thursday") is a policemen who infiltrates a council of anarchists - seven folks, each named for a day of the week, and led by the formidable Sunday. Syme figures out that almost everyone on the council is not what he expected.

Plenty of well-written passages and sayings. I liked Syme's speech when he is being recruited to join the anti-anarchist department of the police force . . . "Yes, the modern world has retained all those parts of police work which are really oppressive and ignominious, the harrying of the poor, the spying upon the unfortunate. It has given up its more dignified work, the punishment of powerful traitors in the State and powerful heresiarchs in the Church. The moderns say we must not punish heretics. My only doubt is whether we have a right to punish anybody else."

The anarchist council, using Sunday's idea, conducted their business in plain sight (for example, discussing bombings in an open-air restaurant setting). This was thought to reduce suspicion.

Brideshead Revisited (Evelyn Waugh, 1945)

This book is quite well known - partly due to a TV series and movie - and shows up on "100 best" lists. But I can't say I found it all that compelling. I liked Waugh's short stories better.

Waugh wrote this after an injury while in WWII service. The story is told through the eyes of Charles Ryder - in the army, then narrating his earlier encounters with the Marchmain family (aristocratic and Catholic). Ryder becomes great friends in college with Sebastian Flyte (who pretty much is an unhappy drunk); meets the rest of the family (sister, Julia - physically resembles Sebastian; somewhat domineering mother, absent father, dorky older brother); later marries (unhappily); becomes quite well reacquainted with Julia Flyte; the father returns to Brideshead to die as WWII is breaking out.

Themes include Catholicism, grace, changing times (aristocracy on the way out).

A War Like No Other: How the Athenians and Spartans Fought the Peloponnesian War (Victor Davis Hanson, 2005)

It was easy to see why this book has received so many glowing reviews. It constantly presents interesting ideas. And reinforces the notion that so very little has changed over the course of the centuries since (and preceding) this war.

Plus I finally was able to straighten out some basic geography about Attica (surrounding Athens), Corinth, and the Peloponnesian peninsula itself (Spartan territory). And the timetable for famous folks such as Aristophanes, Socrates etc. - the outburst of artists and philosophers probably made possible by the immense trading wealth of Athens created prior to a concerned (agrarian, conservative, sitting on large helot class) Sparta making the preemptive strike that kicked off the war.

Athens (under Pericles) had an interesting strategy - outlast Sparta by avoiding direct confrontation with the elite Spartan hoplites, and rely on city walls (including the long walls to Piraeus) plus incoming tribute from satellite states to keep things going. The author thinks this would have worked but for the devastating plague experienced early in the 30+ year conflict, which drastically reduced Athenian manpower, killed Pericles, and had a strong psychological impact.

The war had a large number of modern elements - including the realization that it was very important to inflict direct pain on the non-combatants who supported the military effort. Athens wouldn't engage Sparta in large-scale hoplite conflict, and Sparta wouldn't engage Athens in a large-scale naval battle. So a great deal of energy was expended ravaging the countryside, attacking (and punishing) cities, etc. This change from traditional tactics was decried by Socrates/Plato and many others.

Athens had extreme democracy - all citizens (well - except women, slaves, etc.) - could vote. Which led to great influence by demagogues. (Sounds familiar.)

Cavalry was almost a hobby element - hoplite/infantry courage was considered the most admirable. Only rich folks could afford horses, and they fluttered about the perimeter of battles for the most part (most Grecian territory wasn't suitable for horse maneuvering). Then came the battles on Sicily - open country, devastating cavalry.

Neither side was very effective at breaking through city walls - this wasn't a traditional element of Greek fighting.

The author says cavalry types were maybe 5'6", 120 pounds - riding what we would consider to be small ponies. No stirrups.

Lots of interesting discussion about trireme warfare, how it might have felt to be an oarsmen, etc. Lots of skill was involved - a key Athenian advantage. Triremes were limited - had to stop on land each night to forage for provisions. Very expensive to build and maintain.

Things fell apart for Athens on the ill-fated attack on Syracuse - otherwise it may have achieved stalemate notwithstanding the plague.

Things were never the same following this war - a weakened Greece eventually was susceptible to the brilliance of the Macedonians (Philip and his son, Alexander the Great).

Short Novels by Leo Tolstoy (Modern Library)

This volume had similarities to the recently-completed Chekhov compilation. In both cases, these are somewhat unusual works in terms of length.

In the case of this edition of Tolstoy works, they were written prior to 1862 - it's easy to see some of the themes that are more fully developed in Anna Karenina and other of this longer works. And it's enjoyable to read Tolstoy's earlier works - before some of the preachiness set in. So I liked this quite a bit.

Five short novels:

1. Two Hussars. This was least interesting of the five - a hussar's son repeats some of the same moves of the father in the same town about 30 years later - with the daughter of the woman the old man had romanced.

2. A Landlord's Morning - this resonates more with Tolstoy's own life and some later writings. A young landowner idealizes peasant life, tries to lift up the peasantry, accomplishes little. Similar to Tolstoy's own efforts to free and educate his serfs. The descriptions of the serfs - and portrayal of poverty - are pretty compelling.

3. Family Happiness - a young girl and a friend of her deceased father - who happened to be in charge of the family's financial affairs - fall in love. There is an age difference, and a bit of a falling out while the young girl goes through the stage of pursuing life in society. But these are two appealing characters, and the ending works. I like Tolstoy's descriptions of the relationship, falling in love, etc. (though not as much as the way he did it in Anna Karenina).

4. Polikushka - another story centered on serf life - this was a very strong story - the titular character was a serf with a reputation for dishonesty. The out-of-touch female landlady tries to reform him, trusts him to fetch a large cash payment and bring it back home. Detailed descriptions of the serf residences, the serf overseer, etc. Including persons selected for conscription - always a very bad day for 19th century Russians. One serf with cash wasn't inclined to buy a substitute for his nephew who had been conscripted.

5. The Cossacks - this story had the power - it felt a bit like the story of the Steppe in the Chekhov compilation. A Moscow dandy heads south to take up a commission in the Caucasus, with the goal of starting a new life (things not having gone well in Moscow). Tolstoy was with the army in this part of the country as a young man. Great descriptions of the friction - even then - with the Chechens (described as "braves" per the North American term); Cossack life ("Old Believers" allied for the most part with the Russian imperialists, but identifying with the Chechens and Circassians); Lukashka and Maryenka; Daddy Eroshka - these are three great characters. The Moscow dandy likes Maryenka but of course can never fit into the Cossack life.

1491 - New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus (Charles C. Mann, 2005)

I wasn't even aware of this book until seeing favorable reviews of the author's next book - titled "1493", of course. This one is simply full of interesting ideas about what may have been going on prior to arrival of Europeans in 1492, many things I've never thought or heard about, many things not very well "proven".

My take-away on "1491":

1. He makes the point that an incredible amount of new research and thinking have taken place in recent decades, yet most folks carry around a few simplistic ideas in the form taught in the 1960s or 70s. Count me in that group.

2. Inca very much top-down. Northeast Indians more democratic. Likely that settler observations of these Indians influenced European thinkers advancing individual rights. Interesting idea - that Europeans learned from the Indians, rather than strictly one-way.

3. A different take on the deaths-by-disease - this author (and some others) believes that massive depopulation via European disease occurred between the time of Columbus's landing (and the other early arrivals) and the later arrival of settler groups. Early arrivals talked about all the settlements and Indians that were observed; those arriving say 100 years later talked about how empty the country was. This is quite interesting, if quite unproven. It's quite possible that the widely held idea of a lightly populated wilderness wasn't accurate.

4. Another very interesting idea - that the Indians somehow lived in beatific harmony with an untouched primeval wilderness - this idea has been widely accepted (probably going back to the day of the "later arrivals" per preceding paragraph) but may well be false. Author discusses widespread use of fire to promote forests with limited underbrush, preferred trees actively promoted by the Indians, etc. Also applied to Amazonia and elsewhere. The environmental crowd may not like this approach, but it seems that even the Indians actively managed their landscape.

5. Discussion of Clovis and Folsom in reference to the Siberian land bridge . . . not sure where this ends up.

6. The amazing-ness of Peru - along the coast, in the uplands - so much discovered since my school days. Widespread use of cotton - then rare in Europe - via irrigation. Europeans loved ditching wool for cotton. The flukes of Pizarro and Cortez.

7. The amazing-ness of Maya country. And Aztec country. Genetic engineering to come up with maize - a wonder product in terms of nutrition that took over much of the world.

8. Some ideas about animal and plant life . . . similar to rabbits in Australia - how an odd event led to odd consequences ("breakout" event). Passenger pigeons and buffalo may have exploded in population between the first European arrivals and later arrivals, as depopulated Indian groups no longer managed these species. Who knows?

The Complete Short Novels (Anton Chekhov, various dates 1888 - 1896)

I knew almost nothing about Chekhov. I did remember a photo of him visiting a very old Tolstoy. I see he was born in 1860 and mostly wrote short stories and plays. These works (called "short novels" by the translators) are probably the longest works he wrote - five stories, each in the range of 100+ pages.

He was born and raised in a town near the Sea of Azov; his father wasn't very nice it seems, plus bankrupted the family; Chekhov thus grew up quickly and took a lot of responsibility for the family. Became a doctor but didn't do a lot with it; gradually became very well known for his writing.

I liked these novels, a lot.

The first was The Steppe - very different from the other four. Atmospheric, plus. A small boy travels across the steppe to live with a relative and go to school following the death of his mother; he is in the company of a priest, a merchant and then various folks crossing the steppe. Chekhov knew the steppe from growing up and this is a delight to read. The plot, such as it is, is secondary to setting the scene. I probably liked this best of the five.

The Duel was recently made into a movie; it's in the Netflix queue.

The Story of an Unknown Man - this is about someone who poses as a servant to gain information about an enemy, ends up in love with his master's paramour.

Three Years - wealthy Moscow merchant marries a provincial (Yulia) who is not in love with him. They persevere, nice ending.

My Life - Young nobleman doesn't want to undertake a noble profession and falls out with his father. Paints house roofs. Marries the engineer's daughter and they undertaking farming (along with a sobering effort to raise up the serfs (resonant with Tolstoy). Ends up looking out for his sister's daughter (a variant of this theme happened three times in these five stories.)

The Invisible Gorilla - And Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us, (Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons, 2010)

Very quick read. Very unusual type of book for me to select, but the reviews were good.

The authors put together a test that involves counting the number of passes made by basketball players. Hard to believe, but in countless administrations of the test, there are always about 50% of the viewers who don't see that well.

The test is in the video below - it's worth taking.

The book goes on to demonstrate that we shouldn't particularly trust our memories, our eyewitness evidence, etc. How we can and do convince ourselves that we remember being present at events where it isn't the case. About "flashbulb" memories ("where were you when you heard John Kennedy was shot" for people of my generation), and how even these are often inaccurate.

It took the authors lots of pages to make just a few points. Important points, but ones that any reasonably observant person should have a pretty good handle on, at least if they've lived long enough.

Still, a quick read and worth the little time that it took.

Here's the video: