A Little Ludwig Goes a Long Way

A smattering of opinions on technology, books, business, and culture. Now in its 4th technology iteration.

Recent Books -- Roman Blood, Master and Margarita, Moonbound, On Desperate Ground, Finding Dorothy, Advanced Portfolio Management, Steel Fear, Seven Blades in Black, A Half-built Garden, The Holocaust: An Unfinished History

10 August 2024

  • Roman Blood by Steven Saylor. A historical mystery set in ancient Rome. Quite the page turner. Apparently a lot of true history in here.
  • The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. Very well regarded, but I may not be Russian enough, and I do not like farce. Hard to get into.
  • Moonbound by Robin Sloan. There are a few books that let you peek into a vast strange world and have a fun adventure, and hint at much much more. The Hobbit was one of those books for me. This is another. A fascinating world, a classic hero’s tale, just a lot of fun.
  • On Desperate Ground by Hampton Sides. The story of the Chosin Reservoir campaign in the Korean War. A brutal story, a brutal war. War sucks, and hubris and incompetence make it suck more.
  • Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts. I am on the fence here. I did finish the book, but I never really felt like I found Dorothy. There is a story in here somewhere about how Dorothy is a representation of the women in Baum’s life, but it never quite clicked for me.
  • Advanced Portfolio Management: A Quant’s Guide for Fundamental Investors by Giuseppe Paleologo. Solid and short explanation of the mathematical basics of portfolio management. The math is not intimidating at all, a good read.
  • Steel Fear by Brandon Webb and John David Mann. Super fun thriller, reminds me a little of the Alistair MacLean books I loved as a kid, only more modern and better depth.
  • Seven Blades in Black by Sam Sykes. So I enjoyed this as escapist fare, but it is annoying that every chapter seems to feature an even more fearsome enemy, and the hero discovers a power every chapter that just happens to top that enemy.
  • A Half-Built Garden by Ruthanna Emrys. An interesting exploration of a eco friendly future, but WAAAAY too long. Too much description, not enough story.
  • The Holocaust: An Unfinished History by Dan Stone. Not a happy book at all! A re-examination of the Holocaust, how widespread the perpetrators were, and how it there are still echoes in our societies today.