Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Reviews

The Serpent's Shadow (Kane Chronicles, #3)


Great end to the trilogy but I didn't like how the love triangle ended up.


Toil and Trouble (Jolie Wilkins, #2)


Hard to put down.  The love triangle kept going back and forth.  I didn't expect the plot twist.


House Rules (Chicagoland Vampires, #7)


It was a good transition book of what everything that is going on with the GP and what I think it's hinting for the next books in the series.


Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, #1)


Love this series more than the mortal instruments.

Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices, #2)


Love triangle got kind of annoying.  Can't wait for the next book.


Falling Under (Falling Under, #1)


This book was OK.  It was kinda predictable and the story wasn't developed as well as it could have been.


Rapture (Fallen, #4)


Good finish to the series.  I didn't expect the plot twist.


Perfect Scoundrels (Heist Society, #3)


IT wasn't like all the other books in the series but still good.


The Selection (The Selection, #1)


Awesome series; first book.


The Elite (The Selection, #2)


It wasn't as good as the first book.  The main character became annoying.


The Husband List


Nice quick historical romance book.


Catch of the Day


Not as good as her other books.  The main character was sometimes annoying.


Unclean Spirits (The Black Sun's Daughter, #1)


Awesome first book in an urban fantasy series.


Simply Irresistible (Chinooks Hockey Team, #1)


Nice quick romance book.


Fair Game (Alpha & Omega, #3)



Awesome book in the Alpha and Omega series.  The ending left a huge cliffhanger in what will happen in this series and the Mercedes Thompson series.


City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments, #4)


I liked that more of the story lines of the secondary characters were added but it wasn't a good transition book in the series.  I didn't like the obvious references to the Infernal Devices series.


Storm Front (The Dresden Files, #1)


I like the wit and humor in this book.


The Opal Deception  (Artemis Fowl, #4)


I like how these books seem to come together at the end.  Sad that a main character dies though.


Uglies (Uglies, #1)


I like the different set up for this series.



The Lost Colony (Artemis Fowl, #5)


This book started out slow but had a good ending with different possibilities for the next book.


The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization


The author appears to aspire to draw contrasts between globalization (personified by the Lexus) and traditional cultural values (the Olive Tree).  Sadly that presumed objective is not achieved in the work. 
The bulk of the work deals with the effects of communication and technological advancement for advancing and accelerating the process of globalization.  Of course, modern pride dismisses the effects of the industrial revolution, improved shipping of goods and materials, improvements in political harmony, and colonialism as precursors.  That said, the author makes a good case, and has done an excellent job of looking forward.  I am pleased that I did not read this work when published, as it is much more interesting as a backward facing review.
The attempts of the author to characterize interaction between globalization and traditional cultural value systems falls far short.  Perhaps an anthropologist would have been better able to advance that cause; this reviewer's training does not allow a firm judgment to that end.
The balance of the work deals with the author's recommendations to support and advance globalization.  Some of the recommendations appear to be well thought out; others betray the author's day job as an associate with the highly liberal New York Times.
This somewhat dated work is interesting as to the prophetical powers of the author which are startling.  I recommend this work as an interesting read, presuming that the reader not take recommendations of the author with great seriousness.

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