Mike Munhall

I just finished the fifth Harry Potter. This was another fun and easy read. You really fly through these books. I feel sort of guilty because I keep feeling that I need to read something more difficult, but I’m really enjoying these books and don’t want to stop.

After the fourth book, I thought the story was just about to really take off, and it does in this fifth one. I had planned on putting down the Potter books for a while and move on to the Endymion books or Red/Green/Blue Planet, but I feel invested in the Potter story and need to continue.

I still don’t care for the artwork on the covers of the Harry Potter books. The artwork is okay, it’s just it seems silly. The Order of the Phoenix cover art isn’t too bad, but the Goblet of Fire cover still irks me. I’ll get over it though.

I have to go read now.

The only thing I did not like about this book, like the others, is the cheesy illustration on the cover. Otherwise, this was another fun, easy read. The previous books set up the story of Harry Potter, but with Goblet of Fire, the story starts to take off. It’s becoming a bit more sinister, too. I’m looking forward to the next one.

When Dorrie and I first started dating, she knew I had a hankering for mathemetics and science. So, when she ran across a book about Richard Feynman while perusing the new non-fiction section at Tattered Cover, she pointed it out to me and recommended him as a subject to read about. She was right. Over the next year or so I devoured every writing about Feynman that I could find, including the definitive biography, Genius.

Over that year of reading about Feynman, I developed an interest in the science, the people and the politics of the Manhatten Project and the two or three decades prior to that time. That was when I learned about J. Robert Oppenheimer.

I finished today the first of the many Oppenheimer books I purchased recently, American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer. I have to say that I enjoyed this biography just as much as the Feynman biography. The authors did a marvelous job of portraying the genius and the quirks of Oppenheimer, the gargantuan effort involved in building the first atomic bomb and the hysteria of the McCarthy era.

I went into this book knowing only that Oppenheimer was the lead physicist on the Manhatten Project and that his career and much of his personal life was eventually ruined because of left-wing past. I did not know anything about Oppenheimer’s awkward early years or the heavy political influence he carried after the bombs dropped on Japan in the 1940’s. All of this amounts to a fascinating and haunting story about a fascinating and haunting individual. I recommend the book to anyone interested in physics, psychology or politics.

Dorrie and I finished the loft this weekend. The loft is being used as a library. Along with the books we have various games and puzzles and a stereo for the iPod. This is definitely my favorite room in the entire house. The only thing missing is the photos and artwork on the walls. That will come later.

This is why Dorrie and I avoid book stores. On the way home from an afternoon with friends, we decided to make a quick trip to Tattered Cover for a crossword dictionary. As usual, Dorrie and I separated as we walked through the entrance, each of us immediately discovering something captivating. 15 minutes later we ran into each other, not more than 20 or 30 feet from the store entrance. Both of us had a half dozen books in our arms and we hadn’t even begun to look for the crossword dictionary.

We did, eventually, find the crossword dictionary. But not after adding two additional crossword references and a few gifts to the already large stack of books we were lugging around with us. Our final tab came out to $230.

Stop the madness.

Oh, how I long to write something at least “quasi-” technical. Well, no time. Too busy trying to keep up with the calculus class, plan our move out of the condo, and plan our move into the house.

I finished Prisoner of Azkaban yesterday. Hey, this was a fun book. I need the easy reads right now, and this was certainly easy and entertaining. I particularly liked the ending in this one. I wasn’t expecting it. I can’t wait to see how Sirius plays out in the rest of the books. For sure he has to play a role somehow.

OK… that’s all. Must study math.

My sister-in-law loaned this book to me last week. With the hunt for a new home, the selling of our current home, school and work, I really didn't have time for another book (I'm currently reading Harry Potter: The Prisoner of Azkaban). But, she put it in my hand and gave it a good recommendation so I read the first page and just never stopped. Luckily it is only 225 pages, so I got through it quickly.

Orbiting the Giant Hairball describes the author's methods for dealing corporate bureaucracy (read: corporate bullshit). If, like me, you tend to feel stifled by the corporate workplace, this book might offer you a fresh perspective on how to make it through your day.

My employer subscribes to the "Fish" philosophy and firmly believes that our culture has improved because of it. I suppose the Fish philosophy has value, but it seems to have been developed more from the perspective of the employer rather than the employee. Orbiting the Giant Hairball provides a similar perspective on workplace culture, but from the perspective of the employee.

It's full of silly illustrations and a few anecdotes that promoted a few audible chuckles from me on train on my way to work. If you have a couple hours free on an afternoon and want some ideas on how to deal with the corporate B.S. in your job, give this book a shot. If nothing else, it's mildly entertaining.

I’m done. My journey to the Dark Tower with Roland, Eddie, Jake, Susannah and Oy is over. I reached the end of the seven volume epic at this afternoon at 4:02 p.m. while sitting on a rock in the shade at the Denver Botanic Gardens (ironically, for those that have read the books, not far from the rose garden). How long have I been reading these books? Has it really been two years since buddy Nate introduced me to Stephen King’s life work?

I’m not going to give a review of the books. That would be too much. I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed each book in the Dark Tower series even though there were a few parts of the story that could have been condensed (”and they walked through desert and walked and walked and walked and walked and…”). I’m not a big fan of Stephen King, nor do I particularly care for his writing style, but he does tell a good story. I may end up reading one or two more King books. One of the most interesting things about the series is how the story intertwines with other King novels outside of the series. That may be a reason for me to pick up another King book.

What now? Ummm… nothing. No reading for a couple days. I’m burned out and don’t want to think about it for a while.