Brian's 2013 Book Log

[Athena]

I hope you had fun yesterday .

[Brian.]

I hope you had fun yesterday .

 

Thanks. The game was pretty one-sided which is always a bit of a shame but as usual I enjoyed it all.

[Brian.]

Forget You Had a Daughter by Sandra Gregory

 

Synopsis

Following two years of living abroad in Thailand, Sandra Gregory suddenly became desperately ill and as her medical bills began to mount, her bank account dwindled. In exchange for $2,000 she agreed to carry 89 grams of heroin to Tokyo for a friend, but before she even boarded the plane she was caught by Bangkok Airport security and ultimately sentenced to 25 years inside the infamous Lard Yao prison. In this shocking account, Sandra details the four and a half years she spent in Thai prison and describes scenes of horrific brutality and suffering. She tells of her daily fight for survival, of the many women who died with no medical care or loved ones around them, and of her acceptance of her guilt and ultimate redemption. Amidst the pain and torture, this honest recollection shows how Sandra fought for survival, and prevailed.

(taken from goodreads)

 

My Thoughts

I bought this book in the Kindle store after it caught my eye while browsing the site during a lull at work. I have read a few books in the past about people being locked up in a foreign country and I always found them to be good books. In particular, The Damage Done by Warren Fellows, Marching Powder by Rusty Young and Hotel K by Kathryn Bonella were fantastic books. This book gets very good reviews so I really looked forward to getting stuck into it.

 

The story starts in a familiar way, with a young woman traveling through Thailand who falls on hard times. Although she had enjoyed her travels things start to go wrong and she decides that she should head back to the UK. The problem is lack of money and she can't afford her airfare back home. She is too proud to ask her parents for the money and decides to tough it out and see if she can raise the money herself. As is common in these tales she had been offered work smuggling previously but turned it down due to the risks involved.

 

However, when she is struggling financially she bumps into the acquaintance again and is convinced that she should do this one job. She is told that she will be traveling with her friends and that customs have been paid off so everything will be fine. Everything is not fine and she gets caught and arrested. What follows is a very emotional tale of a young woman struggling to survive in a foreign jail where killing is a regular occurrence. She battles to say safe and sane in a prison where brutality is the order of the day and there is no defined end to the sentence.

 

The second part of the book takes place back in the UK where she is transferred to serve out the rest of her sentence. It turns out that she is considered a high risk prisoner and is kept in the same conditions and prison as serial killer Myra Hindley. She is also serving a sentence far longer than that of convicted murders. If she had been convicted in the UK she would have only served a few years.

 

This was a decent read but I think I maybe have a bit of 'Banged Up Abroad' fatigue. None the less, I would recommend this book as it was very interesting.
 

3/5 (I liked it).

[frankie]

I've spent the day trying to move things around in my lounge so I can have a bit of office space. I don't have a whole lot of room in my apartment and I have far too many unread books. I arranged another pile of books to give away and the thought crossed my mind 'Why not give them all away?'. I've spent the last few hours looking to see what books are either available on my kindle or from my local library and so far there is only 1 that isn't available. So I've now got to decide whether to give them all to charity and 'borrow or digital' only, or not.

 

I read that first sentenced and paused to think if you've ever actually posted pics about your bookcases and books. And was going to ask you to post pics. Then I read the rest    You are very brave if you will be able to give all the books away... There's something very appealing in a more ascetic apartment...

 

 

It is in the UK too - it's an understandable error as men are usually Joe, not Jo. 

 

I remember when I watched Melrose Place back in the 90s and one of the characters had moved out, and they'd heard that a Joe was going to move in. And everyone was really weirded out when Joe was actually a woman, Jo The silliest things you remember...

 

 

 

[Brian.]

I read that first sentenced and paused to think if you've ever actually posted pics about your bookcases and books. And was going to ask you to post pics. Then I read the rest    You are very brave if you will be able to give all the books away... There's something very appealing in a more ascetic apartment...

 

 

 

I remember when I watched Melrose Place back in the 90s and one of the characters had moved out, and they'd heard that a Joe was going to move in. And everyone was really weirded out when Joe was actually a woman, Jo The silliest things you remember...

 

 

 

 

I think I did post a picture somewhere in the lounge on the 'bookshelf' topic. I'm still donating book but I'm doing it bit by bit so that the shops don't get overwhelmed by the amount. I don't feel so oppressed by the huge amount of books I own anymore as well which is good. I've still got Alone in Berlin for you and another which will remain secret that I know is on your wishlist.

[frankie]

I think I did post a picture somewhere in the lounge on the 'bookshelf' topic.

 

I've totally forgotten about it then

 

I'm still donating book but I'm doing it bit by bit so that the shops don't get overwhelmed by the amount. I don't feel so oppressed by the huge amount of books I own anymore as well which is good. I've still got Alone in Berlin for you and another which will remain secret that I know is on your wishlist.

 

Oh yes! Wow, I think about the Donnie Brisco every now and then and how I should get it in the mail and somehow have never gotten around to it   Plus Buddha of Suburbia! One of these days...!!! I swear

[Brian.]

I've totally forgotten about it then

 

 

Oh yes! Wow, I think about the Donnie Brisco every now and then and how I should get it in the mail and somehow have never gotten around to it   Plus Buddha of Suburbia! One of these days...!!! I swear

 

There is no rush so don't feel pressured to do it in a hurry.

[Brian.]

No Easy Day by Mark Owen

 

Synopsis

From the streets of Iraq to the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips in the Indian Ocean, and from the mountaintops of Afghanistan to the third floor of Osama Bin Laden's compound, operator Mark Owen of the U.S. Naval Special Warfare Development Group--commonly known as SEAL Team Six--has been a part of some of the most memorable special operations in history, as well as countless missions that never made headlines.

No Easy Day puts readers alongside Owen and the other handpicked members of the twenty-four-man team as they train for the biggest mission of their lives. The blow-by-blow narrative of the assault, beginning with the helicopter crash that could have ended Owen's life straight through to the radio call confirming Bin Laden’s death, is an essential piece of modern history.

In No Easy Day, Owen also takes readers onto the field of battle in America's ongoing War on Terror and details the selection and training process for one of the most elite units in the military. Owen's story draws on his youth in Alaska and describes the SEALs' quest to challenge themselves at the highest levels of physical and mental endurance. With boots-on-the-ground detail, Owen describes numerous previously unreported missions that illustrate the life and work of a SEAL and the evolution of the team after the events of September 11. In telling the true story of the SEALs whose talents, skills, experiences, and exceptional sacrifices led to one of the greatest victories in the War on Terror, Mark Owen honors the men who risk everything for our country, and he leaves readers with a deep understanding of the warriors who keep America safe.

(taken from goodreads)

 

 

My Thoughts

This book was bought for me as a gift last Christmas and had sat on the shelf sadly neglected until now. I have to admit that I was afraid of two things with this book. The first is that it may have been a poorly written and rush attempt at cashing in on the death of Bin Laden. The second fear I had, and I apologise in advance if this offends anyone, was that is may contain loads of frat boy esq, chest thumping, uber patriotic nonsense. I don't like that kind of thing at the best of times and especially not where any form of combat is involved.

 

I am very happy to report that these fears did not apply to this book. There is no chest thumping, just the confidence that comes with knowing that you are extremely good at what you do. It is also very well written and I got sucked into the action every time I picked it up. There isn't a huge amount of autobiographical information in the book which is probably for a combination of security requirements and sticking to the main story. Owen covers some of the training which is involved at making it as a Navy Seal and then covers a few earlier missions that he and his men carried out. Interestingly enough this included the rescue of captain Richard Phillips which has recently been made into a movie staring Tom Hanks.

 

The failures and successes of the Bin Laden operation are covered equally and Owen is keen to make sure the reader knows that he is one part of a larger machine. In particular he praises the helicopter pilot who managed to crash his helicopter in such a way that no one was hurt. The mission could have been over before it had started but despite this accident the men on the ground improvised and overcome.

 

At the end of the book Owen also shows a keen appreciation of the politics behind the operation and the effect that success or failure would have had in the political arena. This is a really nice addition that a lot of military memoirs leave untouched unless they have an axe to grind.

 

This is a very enjoyable book.
 

4/5 (I really liked it).

[Brian.]

I think I might have to put The Plague by Albert Camus aside for a while, I just can't engage with it since I've hit the second part. It's a shame because today is his birthday but I am really struggling with it.

[Marie H]

I think I might have to put The Plague by Albert Camus aside for a while, I just can't engage with it since I've hit the second part. It's a shame because today is his birthday but I am really struggling with it.

 

I hope that you can read The Plague sometime in the future, as it is a wonderful book, that I still think about it every now and then. One of the best existential novels,imho  . I still have an old Penguin Classic of Camus' The Outsider that I haven't read, yet another in a TBR list...

[Brian.]

I hope that you can read The Plague sometime in the future, as it is a wonderful book, that I still think about it every now and then. One of the best existential novels,imho  . I still have an old Penguin Classic of Camus' The Outsider that I haven't read, yet another in a TBR list...

 

I'm sure I will come back to it at some point, I'm just not feeling it at the moment. I'm having to pick what I read very carefully at the moment because I'm struggling to get going with many books.

 

I've still managed to exceed my target of 70 books this year though

[Athena]

I've still managed to exceed my target of 70 books this year though

x

That's excellent ! Congratulations!

[Brian.]

Buddhism Without Beliefs by Stephen Batchelor

 

Synopsis

Those with an interest in Buddhism will welcome this new book by Stephen Batchelor, former monk and author of Alone With Others and The Awakening of the West. But those who are just discovering this increasingly popular practice will have much to gain as well for Buddhism Without Beliefs serves as a solid, straightforward introduction that demystifies Buddhism and explains simply and plainly how its practice can enrich our lives. Avoiding jargon and theory, Batchelor concentrates on the concrete, making Buddhism accessible and compelling and showing how anyone can
embark on this path regardless of their religious background.

(taken from goodreads)
 

 

My Thoughts

I have probably read this book more times than any other book I have owned. If I had to take a guess I think 10-15 would be about right, I think I have read it about once a year since I first bought it. I initially bought it because I had an interest in Buddhism and it was a small book. I didn't want to buy something which was full of religious insights or concepts that I would find strange.

 

The first time I read this, I was working away from home, living in a hotel and so I had plenty of time to read it slowly and take it all in. Batchelor stays away from using dogmatic terms and only uses one Sanskrit word in the whole book. This time around I read it quite quickly and one thing struck me that hasn't struck me in previous readings, its a pretty wordy book. Its fairly academic in places and while that lends itself to the 'without beliefs' aspect of the book it can make reading it a bit of a effort at time.

 

I also think that because meditation and concepts in the book are no longer new or mysterious to me that some of the love I had for it initially has faded. This is of course only natural but I have decided to base my rating on this reading in isolation, more for my own reference than anything else.

 

Batchelor really does drill down into the heart of Buddhism by looking at the 4 noble truths from an agnostic point of view. This makes the basic guidelines of Buddhism very simple to understand but will be of little use to someone who already knows this. He mentions of the varying traditions of Buddhism (Zen, Mahayana, Theravada & Tibetan) but doesn't look at the at all so if you want this kind of information, again, this book isn't for you.

 

This book is a great starting point for anyone with an interest in Buddhism, especially for those who are agnostic/atheist in nature.

 

3/5 (I liked it).

[Marie H]

I'm sure I will come back to it at some point, I'm just not feeling it at the moment. I'm having to pick what I read very carefully at the moment because I'm struggling to get going with many books.

 

I've still managed to exceed my target of 70 books this year though

 

Yes, I can understand that, and The Plague is not the easiest or enjoyable book to read at the best of times   .  Congrats for breaking your 70 books target .

 

Edit: Liked your review of Buddhism Without Belief . I've been interested in Eastern philosophies (mostly Taoism and Zen Buddhism) for a few years. I use the term Eastern philosophies instead of the term Eastern religions with particular care, as I am a non-believer of any belief system. 

Edited November 12, 2013 by Marie H

[Brian.]

x

That's excellent ! Congratulations!

 

Thanks Athena, I'm in awe of your number, its massive

 

 

Yes, I can understand that, and The Plague is not the easiest or enjoyable book to read at the best of times   .  Congrats for breaking your 70 books target .

 

Edit: Liked your review of Buddhism Without Belief . I've been interested in Eastern philosophies (mostly Taoism and Zen Buddhism) for a few years. I use the term Eastern philosophies instead of the term Eastern religions with particular care, as I am a non-believer of any belief system. 

 

I read a fantastic book on Zen called Zen Mind, Beginners Mind by Shunryu Suzuki when I had a particular interest in that tradition. If you haven't read it yet I would recommend it highly.

[Athena]

Thanks Athena, I'm in awe of your number, its massive

x

Thanks .

[Marie H]

I read a fantastic book on Zen called Zen Mind, Beginners Mind by Shunryu Suzuki when I had a particular interest in that tradition. If you haven't read it yet I would recommend it highly.

I hadn't read any of Batchelor’s books before, so I had a browse and then bought the ebook of Alone with Others:An Existential

Approach to Buddhism, as that sounded very interesting.

Thanks for the recommendation  .  I haven't read any of Shunryu Suzuki work either, so Zen Mind, Beginners Mind is now on my wishlist.

I'm very tempted to buy it soon, as The Hive has it at the best price at £8.77, and is in stock at the moment.  

[Brian.]

Poor Economics by Adhijit Banerjee & Esther Duflo

 

 

 

Synopsis

Why do the poor borrow to save? Why do they miss out on free life-saving immunizations, but pay for unnecessary drugs? In "Poor Economics," Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo, two practical visionaries working toward ending world poverty, answer these questions from the ground. In a book the "Wall Street Journal" called "marvelous, rewarding," the authors tell how the stress of living on less than 99 cents per day encourages the poor to make questionable decisions that feed--not fight--poverty. The result is a radical rethinking of the economics of poverty that offers a ringside view of the lives of the world's poorest, and shows that creating a world without poverty begins with understanding the daily decisions facing the poor.

(taken from goodreads)
 

My Thoughts

I don't recall where I picked this book up but I definitely didn't read the back of the book properly. I had thought it was about the economic decisions faced by people living in the UK and more specifically on council estates. I made that assumption based on the picture of the front cover and I thought that it would have some interesting way that money is saved.

 

I should have read the cover properly because as it turns out I was incorrect. It is based on the economic activities and decisions faced by the very poorest people in the world with the focus being on India. The main focus is on the bare economics and the way aid can both be helpful and unhelpful at the same time depending on how it is implemented. There is also a look at the psychology behind some of the seemingly bizarre decisions that these people make. One example that stood out for me was the fact that when researchers paid off the debts of groups of traders they would inevitably get back into debt before too long. It wasn't that these people had to get into debt from a financial people of view but that they were so used to being in debt they didn't see it as an issue to get into debt again.

 

Government agencies were looked at from the point of view of corruption. They point out that the big problem with corruption is that it is everywhere and a normal part of life for many. There is no point in investing millions on improving a road when the truck drivers can pay a small bribe to be allowed to drive an over weight truck on them and ruin them.

 

This is quite an interesting book but I found it a little dry and repetitive in places.

 

3/5 (I liked it).

[Kidsmum]

Sounds like an interesting read Brian like you i think i'd be more interested in reading a book that focused on the UK but i'm curious to know why you say... "more specifically on council estates" 

[Brian.]

The copy I own has a different cover and it has what looked to me to be the old style high rise council estates on the cover so I assumed that was the social area the book would be based on. I think from an economists viewpoint that that social demographic would make a fascinating book.

 

This is the cover on my copy.

 

[frankie]

Buddhism Without Beliefs by Stephen Batchelor

 

 

 

Great review Brian, this one's going on my wishlist!

 

And congratulations on making it past your target of 70 books this year, and you still have over a month left...

[frankie]

Happy Birthday Brian!       Do you have anything special planned?

[chaliepud]

Happy birthday Brian! :)

[Athena]

Happy Birthday !! I hope you have a great day.

[Kidsmum]

   Brian. Did you get any book pressies