BOOK REVIEWS
This section contains Dennis McDonald’s occasional book reviews.
- An index of book reviews is here.
- Scroll down for recent entries.
Anthony Lewis' FREEDOM FOR THE THOUGHT THAT WE HATE: A BIOGRAPHY OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT
This little volume is packed with an amazing amount of readable information about the history of the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment, libel, privacy, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press.
Dennis D. McDonald
in History, Non Fiction, Law, Politics
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Helen Nicholson's THE CRUSADES
I assigned three tags to this book review:
Dennis D. McDonald
in History, Non Fiction, War, Religion
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Evelyn Fox Keller's THE CENTURY OF THE GENE
Cloning, evolution, and the Human Genome Project are often in the news. One of my 2008 New Years’ Resolutions was to learn more about genetics and molecular biology. I had resolved to “get smarter” about DNA and its role in evolution and in generation-to-generation stability and inheritance.
Dennis D. McDonald
in Non Fiction, Science
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Arturo Pérez-Reverte's CAPTAIN ALATRISTE
“Captain” Alatriste is an ex-soldier in 17th Century Madrid who scratches out a living via odd jobs and spends part of his time gabbing and drinking at a local bar. An old “friend” tosses him a job which is initially to scare a pair of English travelers but turns out to be a contract for murder.
Dennis D. McDonald
in Fiction, Spain
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Lisa Jardine's INGENIOUS PURSUITS: BUILDING THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION
Late 17th Century London and the Royal Society provide the setting for this book. It concentrates on the “great men” who lived, worked, and created modern science.
Dennis D. McDonald
in History, Non Fiction, Science
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Shelby Foote's SHILOH
This novel follows several Confederate and Union solders during the two days of the 1862 battle of Shiloh in Tennessee.
Dennis D. McDonald
in History, Fiction, War
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Stephen Jay Gould's ROCKS OF AGES
Scientist Gould in this short book attempts to demonstrate both (a) how Science and Religion can learn to co-exist and (b) how efforts to control Science through Religion-imposed limits are prime examples of the two “magisteria,” as he refers to Science and Religion, transgressing on each other’s territory.
Dennis D. McDonald
in History, Non Fiction, Science, Philosophy, Religion
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Stephen Alter's FANTASIES OF A BOLLYWOOD LOVE THIEF: INSIDE THE WORLD OF INDIAN MOVIEMAKING
This book is a great read if you are at all interested in the nuts and bolts of film production.
Dennis D. McDonald
in Non Fiction, Movies, Bollywood
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Will Eisner's THE PLOT: THE SECRET STORY OF THE PROTOCOLS OF THE ELDERS OF ZION
It is common knowledge that the book The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, which tells about a sinister Jewish plot to take over the world, is a 19th-century fabrication that emerged in Europe during the time of the infamous Dreyfuss affair.
Dennis D. McDonald
in History, Non Fiction, Graphic Novel
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Chiara Frugoni's BOOKS, BANKS, BUTTONS, AND OTHER INVENTIONS FROM THE MIDDLE AGES
Beautifully translated by William McCuaig from the original Italian, this lavishly illustrated book tells the surprising story of the many important inventions that emerged from Europe during the Middle Ages.
Dennis D. McDonald
in History, Non Fiction
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