Books Read to December 2011

Introduction to Cloud Computing (in about 1,000 words) - Timothy Chou
Assumes you already know the technical background - was not an introduction - hard to understand.

The Everything Potluck Cookbook - Linda Larson
You kind of have to "read" cookbooks on the Kindle - you can't flick as you would a "normal" book.  This had a lot of recipes I want to try.

Duct Tape Bags - Instructables Authors
Fun stuff - but an awful lot of bother to avoid sewing.

Tribes - Arthur Slade
A young adult book really, but very clever and funny and sad, set at the very end of High School.  The main character is sees himself as an anthropologist, observing the world of school and all the interesting tribes to be found there.

On the Run (The Gregory Series) - Sue Fineman
A good, fun, free, mystery from Amazon.   Maintains the tension (both the sexual tension and the "whodunnit" tension) very well.

Boost Your Memory (52 Brilliant Ideas) - Darren Bridger
Some great ideas - the sort to dip into and try.  Helpful summary of relevant research.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot
Walk - don't run - to the library or bookshop for this one.  What seems like a dry and boring topic (growing cells in a lab) is an enormously important story.  Skloot writes like a dream, making the science understandable, and posing difficult questions such as - do we own our cells?

Gingerbread Cookbook - Gooseberry Patch
For future reference.

Kindle Superuser - 101 Ways to Get More From Your Kindle 3 - Gary McLaren
Picked up a few handy tips - stored for future reference.

A Thousand Lies Every Good American Must Believe - D W St John
More of a cynical exercise in reactionary propaganda - no explanation, evidence or argument advanced for any of the "lies".

The Sense of an Ending - Julian Barnes
This year's Booker winner - he is always worth reading, but this was just great.   Deceptively simple, but so powerful.

Cookie Swap Cookbook - Gooseberry Patch
Loved reading all the cookies I will make...one day!

Circle of Friends Cookbook - 25 Savoury Pies - Gooseberry Patch
Yum, yum, yum - I'm cranking up the oven right now...

Circle of Friends Cookbook - 25 Dips and Spread Recipes - Gooseberry Patch
Perfect for entertaining.

Blood Bones and Butter - Gabrielle Hamilton
A renowned chef in NYC, she took herself off to writing school in Iowa and penned a kind of episodic memoir.  Patchy quality, with lots of raw honesty and some superb descriptions of what it's like in the blast furnace that is a  commercial kitchen.


15 Lessons on Personal Success (Collection) - F T Press Delivers
There's nothing like case studies to inspire - lots to think about.

The Career Explorer's Journal - Paul Diamond
Carries the metaphor of "explorer" a bit too far, but some stories to motivate and get people thinking and planning holistically about their future work - rather than just applying for another job.

Read This Before our Next Meeting - Al Pittampalli
Aims to streamline meetings and make them more productive - plenty of good sense, but of course will only work in some organisations.

Stick Dog Wants a Hamburger - Tom Watson
Stick dog is sooo cute - this is a funny comic.