Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Epidemics: Opposing Viewpoints - Mary E. Williams (2 of 5 Articles Not About Malaria)

Hm...well. Don't read this book if you're looking for information on malaria...and especially if you're doing research for a college paper.

The serious lack of malaria material in this book created a mental block the size of Montana so I pretty much didn't enjoy anything about this book. I probably shouldn't have gotten anything from the juvenile non-fiction section with the intent to use it in my college research paper. Lesson learned. Most of the points here were fluff and not pertinent.

Only read this if you are in your early teens wanting to know about HIV/AIDS.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Walden Pond - David Thoreau (4 of 5 Deliberate Swallows)

This book has been on my list of stuff to read for a very long time. I was almost able to finish it before having to return it to the DC library before I left. I missed the last few chapters...oops. Chances of finishing the book anytime soon are slim. First, I have very little extra time to read books not required for my college classes. Second, I really don't want to finish the book.

The introduction and first few chapters are quite profound. Thoreau describes the benefits of living the simple life. He shows how someone can shrug off many of the unnecessary cares of life - something that is quite desirable for one such as me that can't even find time to tie his shoes some days. Elder Perry did a great job of summarizing and expounding upon these chapters in his talk in the October 2008 conference.

The rest of the book drags on forever and ever. You can only read so many pages about squirrels before you want to puke and go read something else. For all of you out there that actually made it to the end - props.

A Mathematician Plays the Stock Market - John Paulos (3.5 of 5 Shares of WorldCom)

Sorry to leave these blank posts floating out here for so long. Embarrassing, no? I suppose it's kind of like walking around in public with your zipper down. I've spent the last week trying to adjust to Utah life, return to work and start school. Tonight is my first break. Oh well. So it goes.

When I saw this book at the library a few months ago, I was anticipating a John Nash Beautiful Mind experience...well...not quite. Not that exciting. Instead, you get to hear Mr. Paulos whine several times about his dumb decision to buy WorldCom at it's peak and then the dumber decision to hold it until he had lost almost all of his money. Hm...poor guy...probably made it all back from publishing this book.

It's not all bad. You will get some interesting discussions of the probabilities surrounding the buying and selling of stocks. Some knowledge of calculus might be needed to follow all of the mathematical computations, but he explains everything in basic terms at the end. He also spends a lot of time covering the psychological aspects of investing.

If you don't go in expecting too high of a return, you'll probably enjoy this book. Cheers.

The Importance of Being Earnest - Oscar Wilde (5 of 5 Well-timed Letters from Mr. Bunbury)

Man...why do I even write reviews? You've got five posts up before I even get anything on the page. Thanks for the contributions!

I'm at a lost for words. It's as if I was telling a joke and you all beat me to the punch line. It's a wonderful play. I've seen it, listened to it, read it, and seen the movie. Each time has been a great experience. I always finish wanting more. Thanks for the recommendations of Wilde's other works.

The grand plot line is somewhat predictable, but I don't really care. Wilde makes up for it the line by line banter. Love it.

I'd write more but I just received a text from my poor cousin Mildred. She's stuck on I-15 with a flat tire. I'll be back in a few days... :)

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Dead Aid - Dambisa Moyo (5 of 5 Locally Produced Bed Nets)

Dead Aid is a provocative look into the failure of aid to Africa over the past 60 years. The author Dambisa Moyo, originally from Zambia, provides a first-hand account of the efforts of the West. Her resume is quite impressive; she holds a bachelors degree in Chemistry and an MBA in Finance from American University, a Masters from Harvard and a PhD in Economics from Oxford. She has worked for both the World Bank and Goldman Sachs. Earlier this year Time magazine named her as one the top 100 most influential people in the world.

The first half of her book describes the reasons why aid has failed to awaken the African continent. She argues that not only has it not helped, but it has exacerbated the problems in Africa. She believes that the primary reason why aid does not work is that it promotes government corruption. Leaders of autocratic regimes quickly become accustomed to receiving large lumped sums of cash from foreign governments. Because they are not expected to pay back the loan, they feel no need to use the money wisely. Much of it is simply funneled out of the country into the corrupt leader’s foreign bank account. Zaire’s president Mobutu is purported to have taken nearly US $5 billion. The rest of it is squandered in ineffective government programs. Very little of it is ever seen by the citizens of the country for which the money was intended. The prospect of overthrowing the corrupt leader to take control of the aid channels causes frequent civil wars. The atmosphere created by the corrupt politicians makes foreign and domestic investment unattractive. Without these investments the country descends deeper into dependency on foreign aid.

According to Dambisa Moyo, the first step to fixing Africa is cutting all aid to the continent. She believes that this will open up greater possibilities for foreign direct investment. She spends a significant portion of the book describing how China is already leading the way in investments in Africa. While much of China’s actions are the result of its need for oil, it has provided much needed infrastructure to several African countries. Many Africans see China’s influence as more positive than the US. Moyo also proposes the institution of micro-credit organizations patterned after the Grameen Bank in India as well as decreasing taxes on African remittances, allowing funds to be transferred directly to the people who need it most.

While the data that Dambisa Moyo offers makes it quite apparent that aid is part of the problem, it is difficult to believe that all aid is detrimental. Employees of the non-profit group where I am interning have indicated that the malaria programs in African have been some of the most effective programs in utilizing foreign aid. Very real successes have been achieved in the country. Malaria rates in each of the 15 target countries of the President’s Malaria Initiative have been reduced. This has allowed families to dedicate their resources to economic growth rather than pills to kill the malaria parasite.

This doesn’t mean that malaria programs are flawless. The administrative pyramid of the President’s Malaria Initiative is extremely complicated. Several layers of bureaucracy separate the source of funding and center of disease control from the African child receiving his or her first dose Artemisinin pill. A reduction of levels and additional correlation meetings between the non-profit organizations using the funding could greatly improve the efficiency with which the funding is used.

Dambisa Moyo also points out that when giving aid to Africa, foreign governments have a tendency to give finished products directly to the people putting many local producers out of a job. Manufacturing plants producing bednets in America can easily undercut start up groups in Africa. When considering an increase to the funding for combating malaria, American organizers should divert funds to local producers whenever possible in order to stimulate economic growth while simultaneously promoting better public health.

Fantastic book. Quick read. Find it. Read it. Love it. Live it.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Um, No, just no, you did not, C-? C-? Really? Shirley, you jest! Oh wait your name isn't Shirley, its Tara, I wish it was Shirley, because then you wouldn't be Tara who insulted one of the best and most influential science fiction books ever written.

Allow me to back that statement up. First, lets look at just how daring and original this book is. Published in the 60s this is one of if not the first book of the genre to have a young female protagonist. On top of that it quite adequately empathizes with the feelings of a bright young person who doesn't fit in and and toward whom resentment is directed from their peers. Ender's Game is the only other book I have read that reaches that type of person. Not only that but this book revels in the individuality of its characters.

Rather than dictating that the kids fit into a pigeonhole it expresses that Calvin is uncomfortable with being characterized as a jock and is capable of being more than just an athlete, Meg thrives when she does things her own way, and Charles Wallace doesn't care what anybody thinks about him, he is a sport and he loves it. The idea of mindless conformity is condemned as the goal of IT, or rather the forces of evil. So, take into account that Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys and Leave it to Beaver were en vogue when this was published and I dare you to say "meh" to this book.

The next topic I will address is sheer creativity. The author creates stunning panoramas in the mind of an imaginative reader, and the interaction between the characters is engaging. The Mrs. W's are hilarious at times. The creatures are really unique as well, not merely borrowed from some other mythology.

A Wrinkle in Time is more than just a fluff fiction book, it stimulates thought, it contains original ideas, it teaches that science and math have practical application, it encourages the expansion of the reader's vocabulary, and beyond that it manages to entertain and inspire. Madeline L'Engle wrote what children should be reading instead of pointless adventure stories with fantastic (fantastic-ridiculous, not fantastic-good) plot lines that end all happy and good conquers evil forever. Oh, and her book doesn't end with "everyone lives happily ever after" it ends with the idea that God has a purpose for us and that we need to have faith and love and then after we do our part, things will be ok.

To sum things up, only a square would call this book "somewhat entertaining". I give this book a A+ and consider it required reading for the young, and everyone else too.

Monday, August 10, 2009

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

We've recently tackled the topic of "classics" so it seemed appropriate that I just finished what most consider a children's class--Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time. I am positive I read this book when I was younger but my only memory of it is a mass of confusing bits and pieces. Today I was headed to the lake for some fishing and decided to give it another go.

Meg Murray's father has been missing for over a year. He's on some classified mission for the government and the family is left in the dark as to his whereabouts. So Meg, her incredibly intelligent younger brother Charles Wallace, and new friend Calvin O'Keefe set out to cross time and space to bring him back. They're helped by some mysterious guardian angel types--the Mrs. W's--and also find aid on a variety of other planets. Spoiler alert? They're successful and everyone lives happily ever after (at least in this book...the first in the "saga").

I'm guessing there are many of you who read this as a kid. If you're thinking about giving it another try like me...don't. I'd give it a solid "Meh." Its not terrible. Its somewhat entertaining. But I'm not sure why people like it so much. There's a strong Christian message in it, and "love conquers all" in the end so maybe its parents who push it so much. No idea. I just know I wasn't all that impressed.

C-

Friday, August 7, 2009

The Princess Bride - William Goldman (4 of 5 Empty Flasks of Iocane Powder)

I really wish I could have read this book prior to seeing the movie. It's always hard to erase the images you have in your mind (especially with this movie, having seen it just under a bazillion times). Rather than enjoy the book for what it was I found myself constantly skimming over the parts in the movie to find the new content. Most of this new content was back story to the characters, some scenes which are quite hilarious. The rest of the new stuff was William Goldman interrupting his own story. Some of his comments were quite funny. Some could have been left out. They get old after a while.

If you get the 25th anniversary edition you'll also get the first chapter of the sequel "Buttercup's Baby." This story follows Wesley, Buttercup, Fezzik and Ignacio as they flee from Prince Humperdink after storming his castle. There are a couple funny moments, but it seems like nothing more than an afterthought - not really worth your time.

If you haven't seen the movie, go get the book as soon as you can. If you're from the Mormon Heartland and have seen this movie at least once every few months for most of your childhood, you might want to think twice before checking it out from the library.

The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Constitution - Kevin Gutzman (3 of 5 Coniving Supreme Court Justices)

Same deal as the other politically incorrect guide. I got through almost all of this book at the copy machine. I would have finished it all, but one of the CDs wasn't working.

Like the other one it started off being interesting, but it quickly got old and I had to push myself to get through it. The book attempts to show that the laws of the United States are not quite as idealistic as we all hope they would be. Using several examples from the foundation of the nation to the present, Gutzman shows that the evolution of law in the United States was heavily influenced by the personal interests of the supreme court justices. Simply put, it left a bad taste in my mouth for government. If this is what you're looking for, have at it.

The Politcally Incorrect Guide to Capitalism - Robert P. Murphy (3 of 5 Piggy Banks)

First off, I must confess that I didn't actually finish this book. I kept putting off the review hoping that I would finish it, but I never got around to it. I have to take the CDs back now that I'm leaving DC, and frankly I don't feel that it's worth it to go find the discs back in SLC.

I started it a couple of months ago during my long days at the copy machine at work. In the beginning it was quite interesting. I was intrigued by the author's arguments about the value of pure capitalism. Murphy energetically campaigns against any kind of government intervention/regulation based on the belief that the market place will automatically regulate itself. Consumers will buy only that which they feel is desireable. And so it goes. You probably already know the rest.

Yes it was interesting. Yes it got old after a while.

The Fever Trail - Mark Honigsbaum (3.5 of 5 Ripe Cinchona Trees)

Mark Honigsbaum’s Book The Fever Trail is extremely comprehensive look at the first efforts to find a cure for malaria. The story begins in 1638 with the mysterious cure of the Spanish princess Dona Francisa Henriquez de Ribera. While visiting Peru she contracted what appears to have been malaria. A Jesuit priest that was passing through the area heard of her illness treated the disease with an infusion bark from the cinchona tree. She quickly recovered from the disease and returned to Europe to spread the news.

The quinine extracts from the bark effectively lower the temperature of the body enough to prevent the reproduction of the parasite in the body, breaking the cycle of fevers. Unfortunately the species of tree from which this powerful drug was derived was only found in Peru and Bolivia along the Andean fault line. A few British scientists recognized the value of transporting the seeds to Europe where mass production could begin. Among them were Richard Spruce (1817-1893), Charles Ledger (1818-1905), and the Sir Clements Markham (1830-1916). Several attempts were made by each to acquire the seeds. They were often foiled by the South American winters, sickness, and the governments of Peru and Bolivia that carefully protected the rare crop of trees. The bulk of The Fever Trail centers on these travels.

Each of these men hoped to accrue great wealth from the developing a crop of Cinchona trees in the West. After great personal hardship Spruce managed to transport a small quantity of seeds to India where a small plantation was developed. To his disappointment the British government offered him little in compensation. As the plantation matured, it was discovered that the variety of tree that Spruce had bought back was ill suited to the conditions and produced very little quinine.

Ledger’s seeds switched hands a few times before ending up in the possession of the Dutch. With time it was discovered that the variety was far superior to Spruces. By the early 1900s the Dutch plantation in Java was producing nearly 66% of the world’s supply of quinine and reaping significant returns on its investment. After years of petitioning on behalf of Ledger, the upper class Markham succeeded in convincing the Dutch to offer the poverty stricken finder of the tree a small yearly sum of £100. Honigsbaum hopes to give these men their long-due credit for finding the first cure for malaria.

The one downfall of this book is that it was published in 2001. A lot has changed since then in the field of malaria. Honigsbaum indicates toward the end of the book that the Plasmodium Falciparum strain of malaria is beginning to show signs of resistance to quinine. Over the past eight years this level of resistance has increased significantly. Pharmaceutical companies have been forced to seek other treatments to combat the disease. Artemisinin is at the top of the list. While Chinese natural healers have been using the drug for over a thousand years, it has only recently been mass produced to treat malaria. This new drug has been shown to clear the parasite faster than any other drug yet discovered. The plant from which the drug is derived is Artemisia annua, which grows in many parts of the world, including along the banks of the Potomac River in Washington DC.

The use of combination therapies has also become much more common since Honigsbaum finished his book. This is the practice of using multiple drugs in tandem to combat the malaria strain. The benefits of this strategy are that the parasite is killed more rapidly and the development of resistance is slower. Artemisinin is commonly combined with sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine or lumefantrine, depending on condition of the patient. The use of Artemisinin or its derivatives Artemether or Artesunate as a monotherapy is strictly outlawed by the World Health Organization for fear that resistance will render this compound ineffective. Signs of early resistance have already been seen in South Asia. Pharmaceutical companies continue to seek new treatments. While there have been some attempts to develop a vaccine to the disease, none have been successful.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Robert Henry Hinckley: Getting to Know Him - Bae B. Gardner (4 of 5 Votes)

So...before you get too deep into this post, let me remind you of my purpose for maintaining this website - why do I always avoid calling this thing a blog? Here, there, doesn't matter who I'm talking too. Blog is such an ugly word. Can anybody back me up on this? I know it's short for weblog, but it's such an ugly word. It seems so...geeky. Is there anything attractive about the word blog? Do I gain any clout for owning a blog?...or seven for that matter...sheesh. What a mess. Am I the only one that thinks this way? Does anyone else cringe whenever the hear the word blog or are forced to utter its horrid name? Perhaps it's because the blogosphere...yuck, exploded while I was a missionary (or so I claim). Maybe that's why. I missed the boat. I'm like an old man ashamed that he can't use a keyboard. Mystified. Paralyzed. Why can't they come up with a more debonair title like...well...um...like...I don't know...siphon. Yeah. We'll call it siphon.

Jake walks into the apartment.

Dan: "Hey. Nice drop on the siphon today."
Jake: "Thanks. I'm glad I siphoned it."
Dan: "Yeah. You've had a lot of great posts on your siphon lately. Lots of siphoners too."
Jake: "Yeah. No kidding. It's probably because I started calling it a siphon."
Dan: "Yeah. Probably. What are you going to be siphoning about tomorrow."
Jake: "Don't know. Depends on how siphony I feel after work."

Friends, Romans, Siphoners, lend me your ears. Let it be known from here on and hereafter that the object before know as a bl...yem....that website thingy...will henceforth and forever be known as a siphon. That's right folks - a siphon. Knowledge, opinions, recipes and scrapbooking ideas can all be siphoned from the internet by you, the intrepid siphoners. Let the stream of water dribble out or come gushing from the pipe. Take it with you. Tell your fellow siphoners after all of the great ideas you've found on the siphonet. Oh yeah...like that...the siphonet. Siphon, siphon, siphon. Siphon. Have no fear to speak of the siphon with family, friends, coworkers, girlfriends, even your goldfish. Everybody loves the sound of siphon. It slips slyly so softly succulently soff syour stongue. Put your Star Trek and WoW shirts back in the closet. Pull out the titanium cufflinks and the Armani suit cause we are going out on the town baby. Siphon!

Oh dear.

Um...well...I think I had too much mac and cheese tonight...sorry about that. I'm not quite sure what came over me. Um...well...Robert Hinckley? Yeah. Great guy. Started the Hinckley Institute at the University of Utah. Want to know more? Go read the book!

Do you like the word blog? If so, why? If not, what would you rather call them?

Monday, August 3, 2009

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

Let me start by publicly saying that I love Goodreads.com. If you aren't yet a member, you should be. Its a great website where you can create bookshelves for yourself (helps me keep track of the books I want to read), write reviews, read reviews, and generally just be part of a great reading community. And it was on Goodreads that I first heard of The Mysterious Benedict Society.

This piece of young adult fiction revolves around four children who all answer an odd ad found in the paper--encouraging gifted children to come be a part of "special opportunities." Turns out these opportunities land them on a special team of kids who are to go undercover and help stop a crazy person from doing crazy things and taking over the world. I guess that was sort of a spoiler but hopefully vague enough it won't give too much away.

As is usual with me and books I love, I found the characters in Stewart's novel absolutely DE-lightful. Bald little Sticky Washington, pint-sized Constance Contraire, the mysterious Mr. Benedict and his green suit...all inviting characters, well-written enough that I could picture them without illustrated help. The story moves along at a pretty good clip. My only complaint was that I could often predict what was going to happen before it did. I'm a fan of true "twists" that leave me shocked. Little of these twists did. Still, the book was an entertaining-enough read that I would recommend it to most anyone. Fun for all ages!

B+