The Story of China: The Epic History of a World Power from the Middle Kingdom to Mao and the China Dream
by Michael Wood
Fascinating history back to the beginnings of the state.
The Psychology of Police Deadly Force Encounters
Laurence Miller
Lots of psychology and other social science research is reviewed. Amazing how much cognitive and social psychology is relevant to the gun world, police, use of force, etc.
Book recommendation.. I’m reading a book called “Quick Money” for dummies - by Robin Banks
Just finished rereading Waugh's Sword of Honour trilogy for the 8th or 10th time or something like that. Taken as a whole, it may be better than Brideshead Revisited, which I think many people take for granted as Waugh's best. None of the 3 books on their own are at that level, but the trilogy as a whole I think may be. Most of the time. The three novels are Men at Arms, Officers and Gentlemen, and The End of the Battle.
Actually, one significant difference between these novels and Brideshead is that these are funnier. There are very few laugh out loud scenes in Brideshead, but there are many in Sword of Honour. If I ever start a band, I will push hard to call it Apthorpe's Thunderbox. That will probably not seem hilarious to those who haven't read Men at Arms.
Anyway, Waugh is--apart from Tolkien obviously--probably the best English writer of last century, and I think the trilogy is underappreciated. So there's my book(s) recommendation.
O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts, And men have lost their reason.
The Museum of Desire: An Alex Delaware Novel
Spoilers -
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What a disappointment. Kellerman is burned out on the characters. The plot is boring and characters actions are now repetitive and stereotypes of their former selves.
What bugged me:
1. Poor Milo - so dependent on Alex to solve his crime. Only Alex comes up with the clue and figures out the motive. A long time homocide LT is clueless. Always depicted as inferior to God Alex. Milo is fat, must gorge, has crumbs on his clothes which are grubby. Can't fight. In one book, Milo gets caught in a front choke and is helpless. Alex has to karate kid to save him.
2. Alex plays pseudo-cop which I can't believe would be allow. Interrogates suspects on his own. Drives along all the time.
3. This really got me in this book. They finally find the two serial killers (man and woman couple) and they are at a fancy pants restaurant eating outside. There are three cops available and Alex. Milo has turned down a turnout from a local department. They don't want to make a scene. Alex and Milo note that they are wearing white summer clothes so there is no place to have a weapon. Yeah, right. Pocket guns, knives, etc. Milo doesn't know how to approach them, so God Alex plans the approach with his great psychology. Cop doesn't know how.
So they go over to talk to them, rather than something more forceful, saying you have to go with us. The killers refuse. Surprise. Milo takes out his cuffs. Bad guy reaches into his pocket. No move from the law. But he takes out a pill box and takes out a mint. Takes the mint (turns out to be poison) and surprise picks up the steak knife (Hey, no one noticed that) and kills his partner. What a tragedy.
Thus, totally dumb.
So stupid.
I will. @feudist recommended it to me.
Just a dog chauffeur that used to hold the dumb end of the leash.
This is just a real quick "Thanks!" to whoever recommended Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun. I just finished it yesterday and really enjoyed it. It took me a little while to get into the rhythm of the writing, but once there it was captivating. Good stuff!
Ill Made Knight was so enjoyable I immediately picked up The Long Sword https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and have been enjoying it as well.
Side note, my free Amazon Prime membership (paid for by Navy Federal because of the Flagship credit card) is making me money. I usually don't need anything I order that quickly, so I break my orders up and select the slower shipping to get the digital reward money. I bought both of these books with my slower shipping credits and still have some.
Sorta around sometimes for some of your shitty mod needs.