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"Primary Inversion (The Saga of the Skolian Empire)" by Catherine Asaro

Primary Inversion is an odd novel. I enjoyed it well enough but I an unsure if I will read any of the sequels.

Asaro has created a universe split in three. There are two nations at war, one based on militarism that evokes the Nazi party, one based on physic powers, while the weakest nation is neutral.

Psychic powers are central to her world. The evil nation is ruled by defective psychics who need to torture real psychics. The good nation is ruled by a royal family with super-psychic powers who run a massive supercomputer with their brains. The neutral nation has no psychics.

In addition to a massive psychic super computer/network, Asaro describes faster than light travel, and warfare at relativistic speeds in space. So there is some sci-fi fare in here.

Like her 3-part universe, this book is divided into 3 parts.

The first third is the least interesting. It is your basic hard-as nails, kill or be killed space marine story. We meet the main characters, learn about the war, read about some fighting, and the whole thing ends with a rather abrupt and unsatisfying "crisis" for the main character.

The second third is totally different in tone and content. This part of the book focuses on torture, the long-term effects of torture, and treatment.

I have to say, I dont enjoy stories about torture. You can read all you want about real torture in the news. There are a lot of sci-fi and fantasy stories that include torture but they do so in some simplistic "if it doesnt kill you it makes you stronger" kind of way. Not here. Asaro's main character is permanently damaged by being tortured and the story takes place 10 years after the event.

The other unusual thing about part two is the discussion of therapy. This book has the most accurate depiction of psychotherapy that I have ever read in a book (for fun).

The third section of the book is yet another type of story. Take the space marine, add the therapy to fix her, and then put her into Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The third section is an action-adventure love story about two people who are meant to be together but can never be because of their families. There is a lot of action in this section but it is also where the novel gets its reputation as a romance novel.

All in all, an interesting read that left me wondering what she would cover in the sequel but not good enough to get me to purchase the sequel.

While I finaly settled on a $15 pair of headphones from Target to use with my iPod when I exercise, I was left looking for good headphones for other situations. After a few months of use, I am ready to recommend three pairs for three occasions.

glasses + headphones = ear pain

The first thing I should note is that I wear glasses. Glasses totally change the headphone experience because you now have two things on your ears. Most headphones compress my glasses into my head and ears which quickly becomes painful, even unbearable. The reality for me is that comfort is really more important than sound. You can check a lot of other sources for sound reviews: my focus is on comfort along with good sound.

Headsets have two styles: on the ear (supra-aural) or around the ear (circum-aural). The differences is supposed to be in comfort and ability to block out ambient, ie room, sounds.

Since I have a big head, big ears and wear glasses - three strikes for headphones - I knew it would be tough to find a pair that were comfortable but I did.

headphone heaven

In the past, I would go to a big box retailer and look at their selection. Then someone tipped me off to HeadPhones.com. I was very impressed with the site, which I highly recommend. Headphones.com provides good data for research plus editorial opinions/suggestions and good prices. They have replaced Newegg as my retailer of choice for things audio.

PC gaming

The first reason I wanted headphones was PC gaming. I needed the relative silence from headphones but I also needed a microphone. After doing some research, I settled on the Sennheiser PC160.

The 155 and 165 models are the same as the 150 and 160 models except that they include a USB adapter which uses an "integrated sound card chip" instead of a soundcard. There is a big price difference for the USB feature ($38 vs $82 for the PC150/155 at Newegg) which seemed unnecessary for me.

The 160 model has slightly different specs than the 150 but mainly has an XXL earpiece vs XL earpeace. Without trying them on, its hard to know if that is worth a difference. I opted for the larger model.

I am reasonably pleased with these headphones but they are not the most comfortable for me. The microphone works well, and the sound is good. I like the single, long cord but it is very thing - just the kind of thing my cat likes to chew through.

Unfortunately, the ear cushions are not very soft and they apply enough pressure that they definitely irritate my ears because of my glasses. Not perfect but since I dont wear them for long periods, they fine.

Travel & the office

I was surprised by how much I liked the Sennheiser PX100. This pair looked like every other cheap pair of headphones but I don't think they are and I highly recommend them.

This is a very light pair of headphones which I use for commuting on the train and at the office. They sound great, they fold up and come with a hardshell case, and they are comfortable to wear all day long. A great buy!

My only complaint with this pair is the cord. It is plenty long for walking around but it is too short for the office. Sad, since that is where I use them 95% of the time.

Even so, this pair is highly recommended.

General listening

Although I don't use them nearly as much as the PX100's, my favorite pair are the Grado SR60. At $60, this was the most expensive pair I bought but it was worth it.

They sound terrific, they fit terrific, and they have a very high-quality, thick cord that is 9 feet long! While this pair does not cover your ears, the speakers are very soft and very large. More importantly for me, the headphones are quite wide and fit very well on my bulbous mellon such that I can wear them for long periods without pain from my glasses.

If you are looking for a great pair of headphones for your living room listening pleasure, treat yourself to the Grado SR60.

In business school, we talked a lot about the "razor and razor-blade model". We also joked about the razor wars - one blade, to two blades, to three blades, to four blades...

I have a full beard and grew up with 2-blades. But shaving was not a perfect experience for me. I have a tough beard on my cheeks but a tender neck which often breaks out in a rash. When you are a kid, you dream of shaving but the reality of shaving pretty much sucks.

My grandfather used to shave with a single-blade. Do you remember those old razors where the blade was this paper-thin piece of metal that came in a little metal box and you would switch the blades every so often? When I heard that those razors actually irritate the skin less than the modern multi-blade models so I got curious.

For Christmas in 2006 I asked for an old-school razor and received one as a gift. (Thanks, Mom :)

After 6 months of using it, I can say that I'm done with the razor wars. The old-school single blade razor is by far the best shave I have ever had and I am happily sticking with it. No more $15 blade refills for me.

Steppin' Razor

The first few shaves were a bit unnerving. This is a real razor blade! The kind you normally keep in a tool box in the basement not the bathroom. Moreover it feels TOTALLY different from the disposables. After the first few harrowing shaves, it took about a month before I got used to the new system. Since that trial period, I have grown quite fond of the single-blade and have no plans to switch back.

My main issue with the old razor was razor burn. I almost never get irritated skin with this new single blade so that was a big win.

Another issue with double-blades was that they got clogged up. Long before the blades got dull, they would get full of whiskers and the blades would bend. Once bent, the new blade angle would totally irritate. This was an even bigger problem if i didnt shave for a few days (as in every week).

I am happy to say that this problem is moot with the single blade. Whether I shave once a day or once a week, the single blade cuts the same and never plugs up. In fact, I much prefer taking a longer period between shaves because it makes my whiskers easier to cut. Even shaving once a week with a thick beard is a breeze now (as long as you soften your beard in a hot shower first).

An added bonus is that the razor cuts body hair easily - something men in their late 30's and 40's might (discretely) appreciate.

Along with the new razor, I stopped using shaving cream. Instead of buying a $4 can every month, I bought a single brick of expensive, imported shaving soap. The soap was not easy to find but it works great. And I have used maybe a quarter of the bar in half a year -- rather economical.

The one downside is that this blade will cut you. I dont think I had ever bled with my 2-blade but that happens now. For me the main problem is my prominent adams-apple (Thanks, god!). This razor is very hard to shave an irregular shape like that and I occasionally pull out the 2-blade just for this operation.

So next time you are annoyed with your multi-blade performance (or the huge expense), check out your grandfather's old razor. Sometimes new is not the same thing as better.

"Deathstalker" by Simon R. Green

Can you have too much of a good thing?

I had never heard of Simon Green before but this book came recommended by Amazon so I tried it. What a ride. Like a big summer blockbuster movie, this book has everything - every single thing from every other sci-fi story in the past 20 years.

The overarching theme appears to be the story of Buddha - a rich kid who grew up with privilege while others suffered in pverty. He has a n experience where he finds out how everyone else lives and it changes the way he sees things and he decides to change his life. Instead of remaining a vapid rich person, he becomes a crusader for good.

The environment for the story's events is a corrupt (space-age) Roman empire. A brutal society with rigid family structure, an evil empress, a gladiatorial games, and much family intrigue. (Something like the backdrop for Asimov's Foundation).

Take the story of personal crusade for justice, put it in a corrupt empire and add every sci-fi element and cliche you can think of and you get Deathstalker. Sort of a twisted Lake Woebegone, where the men are all handsome, amazingly proficient with weapons and feats of strength and the women are the same.

You like aliens? He's got aliens like the movie Aliens plus mysterious unseen aliens from other galaxies with mysterious technology and moives.

You like computers? He's got computers like the movie Matrix as well as rogue AI's and hackers. There are "family" AI's as personal servants and even a planet of AI's who fight the empire.

Like Han Solo? Just about everyone, man and woman, is a swashbuckling Han Solo character, complete with blaster and sword. It is a large cast of characters where every one of them is tougher than everyone else alive (which makes from some interesting battles). Not to mention the bounty hunters, cyborgs, undead wariors with chemical blood.

Technology runs the gamut from amazingly powerful "artifact' tech from the past to amazing powerful alien tech from the future. There are also people with ESP, force screens, hyper-space, personal shields, incomprehensible aliens gizmos and an all-power device that extinguishes suns in an instant.

This is one of those summer reads. A fun book with constant action. I enjoyed it, especially the novelty of it. I couldn't believe how much stuff he kept throwing into the mix. A fun read but im not sure I will pick up one of the numerous sequels.

"The Forever War" by Joe Haldeman

This book is at the top of many sci-fi recommendation lists so I finally bought it and read it.

*engh*

It was entertaining but not amazing. I did like its description of space combat and travel. The lack of heat, the confinement, the physics and particularly time dilation (as in people traveling at the speed of light age differently from the rest of us).

But overall the book felt a little dated. It seemed to take neato facts of the day and project them forward. Einstein's theory of relativity and time travel for instance. Not to mention the fact that Hair is a musical 300 years from now. Hair?

I found the grim predictions about the future interesting but again dated. The big issues predicted involved food shortages and communism. Both seem quaint in light of the global warming crisis today.

But the idea I found most funny was his prediction of homosexuality. Boy the author really seems hung up on homos. I have to say, birth control is a lot easier way to control population than homosexuality.

Worth a read and I might read a sequel but not the amazing book I was expecting after all the hype.

"The Summer Tree (The Fionavar Tapestry, Book 1)" by Guy Gavriel Kay

Have you ever noticed how some books just dont hold up over time?

Tolkien manages to be timeless but I re-read "The Sword of Shannara". *ugh* I loved that book, what twenty years ago, but re-reading it, I was struck by what a transparent rip off of Tolkien it was. Needless to say, it did not hold up over the years (although it was enough to create a writing career for Terry Brooks).

The Summer Tree on the other hand does surprisingly well. Reviewers say that it is a retelling of Arthurian legend but I was struck (once again) with the amazing creativity of the Mr. Kay. Dwarves and elves are there as are the "forces of evil" but Kay includes so much more. And published in 1984, the story still holds up after twenty years which says a lot.

While not as good as Kay's more recent works, his signature writing style and story techniques are definately there, including strong likeable characters, the forces of gods and nature, and a real flair for tales of fantasy. The Summer Tree was a quick, pleasant read I look forward to the next two volumes.

"Lost Planet: Extreme Condition"

I just finished Zonk's review of Lost Planet, which reminded me that I should finish my own.

In a nutshell:

After hearing such praise about this game, ("It's THE Xbox game to play after Gears!") I was excited to buy it; which I did as a personal treat on the day it came out. I brought the game home and was immediately turned off by it but vowed to play it more just in case. After two days, I put it down for a week. Then I tried it again, and put it down for a month. Then I tried it one more time and got so frustrated, I gave it to my wife so she could sell it before it loses too much of its value.

I dont have exactly the same issues as Zonk but I had the same reaction - dont waste your time.

The basic game mechanic here: die, die, die some more until that one time you dont die. It is quite possible that I just dont have the mad skillz to play this game but it felt more like punishment than fun. Even with a walkthough to tell me exactly what I should do (since the game doesnt give you much help in that regard).

What usually keeps me going is the story and finding out why things are happening, but the story here was consistently panned by others as being nonsensical so why continue? (And I do agree with Zonk that the characters are terrible.) There are a lot of mindless games out there where you shoot flashing lights that represent people, or monsters or aliens. The game may be pretty but pretty isn't enough.

"Foundation and Chaos: The Second Foundation Trilogy (Foundation Trilogy Series)" by Greg Bear

I read the Foundation and Galactic Empire books by Isaac Asimov in middle school, like a million years ago. (At that time, I was also playing Traveller and painting miniatures if you really must know.) They were short books with big type and simple stories. Approachable yet fun. As I recall, Asimov based the books on the fall of the Roman Empire (and it seemed like he wrote them as quickly as I read them :).

Take that, Ral Partha!

A fan of Bear, Benford and Brin, I was curious about these tribute novels that elaborate/retell the Foundation story. (In fact, David Brin was my favorite author for a while but after he had children, his stories began to revolve around children, albeit alien ones - blech!) The reviews were not all positive but I decided to give one a try.

And it wasnt half bad. This book is much wordier and complex than the original Asimov books. I enjoyed the story although I felt like I was missing a lot because I do not remember the original books nor did I ever read Asimov's Robot stories. The ending however was weak and a little too convenient, like a TV show.

All in all, worth a read if you dont have something better to do.

"Into the Darkness (World at War, Book 1)" by Harry Turtledove

Over many years of perusing the sci-fi section of bookstores, I kept seeing (and passing over) this Harry Turtledove guy. The civil war? Not my thing.

Perhaps it is a sign of my age, but at some point I got curious about these alternate history war books so I bought one. Then it sat on my bookshelf for years...

Recently I made the decision to either throw it out or read it so I read it. And I actually enjoyed this book. Turtledove basically took WWII and reworked the story with a fictitious world and fantasy elements replacing real elements. Dragons instead of planes, behemoths instead of tanks, leviathans instead of submarines, etc.

I had fun trying to figure out which leader and which country was England, Germany, Italy, etc. When I finished the book, I went to Amazon to read reviews of the follow on books - which were all quite negative. I'd be willing to read another book that wrapped up the story but Im not down for thousands of pages.

So I enjoyed this book but wont be continuing the saga. Not sure if I will be reading another of his books either. Civil war? I think I would rather read some actual history books first.

"Gears Of War"

After hearing people sing the praises of "Gears Of War" for months (and choking on the $60 price), I finally got to try it for myself. I got the game as a Christmas present and when we got back from our holiday travels, I popped it in.

Since I am new to console gaming, this was my first FPS experience, console-style. FPS games on the PC have been one of my favorite game categories for many years but this was my first time without a mouse and keyboard. A new game; a new experience.

Overall

Gears is your standard FPS clone which borrows heavily from the games before it. Gears has very strong influences from "Starship Troopers" (space marines who fight "bugs" but without the power-armor), "Halo" (space marines who fight "bugs" with armor and vehicles but without the power-armor), id games (space marines and monsters that combine machines and living creatures), and "Half Life".

In addition to the tried & true space marine story line, you will find the obligatory vehicle mission, the stationary machine gun spots, and the monsters your cannot kill with normal guns. If you have played other FPS games, you will know what to do from the get-go (although I actually read the small manual for a change).

"Sid Meier's Railroads!" by Take 2

I am totally possessed by this game. Even though the game feels unfinished in some ways, I think about playing all day and when I sit down to play I lose track of time until it is 2AM. The funny thing is, I wasnt even that interested in the game. I tried it out for a friend - but he is gonna have to buy his own copy.

Unlike Pirates!, the last Sid Meier title I tried, Railroads! is a totally addicting game that is well worth the $40. With a little more love (like a major patch), Railroads! might make my Great Stuff list.

"Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth 2" by Electronic Arts

Instead of buying the RTS everyone is raving about, "Company of Heroes", I thought I would save myself a few bucks and pick up LotR: Battle for Middle Earth 2. I guess you get what you pay for.

Before I talk about the game itself, I want to add a few comments about my personal bias. The truth is that I am not a real RTS fan anymore; I prefer turn-based strategy games that don't depend on zooming the camera around constantly and clicking the mouse furiously. The last RTS that I really LOVED was "Myth: The Total Codex" and "Myth 2: Soulblighter", back before Bungie got borged by Microsoft. (Although I also liked Homeworld by Relic, who also made Company of Heroes.)

That said, BFME2 is an RTS clickfest. If that is your kind of game, your experience will be different from mine as my experience was not all that positive.

"Sid Meier's Pirates!" by 2K Games

As a rule, I dont buy games unless I play (and like) the demo first. I was eager to try Pirates! for a long time but Firaxis/Take2 never released a demo... so I never pulled the trigger. Recently, the price n Pirates! dropped to $20 and I was feeling the need for a new game so I put my rule to the test and learned that I made that rule for a reason.

After really looking forward to playing this game, I was disappoined. Pirates! is more of a collection of mini-games than a real game. Maybe a hit with kids but I found it wanting.

"1UP Yours Show

"CGW Radio

If you enjoy video games, you will enjoy these two podcasts from 1UP. I've been listening to them both through iTunes for about 6 months now and really look forward to each episode.

The two shows are a study in contrasts and complement each other nicely.

"The First $20 Million is Always the Hardest: A Novel" by Po Bronson

First off, I just love Po Bronson's writing style. It is very personal and eminently readable. Having said that, this book sat on my shelf for months before I read it. The title just didn't interest me as I assumed it was another interview book about Valley millionaires. Yes, I judged a book by its cover and (once again) was wrong.

"Mac OS X Internals: A Systems Approach" by Amit Singh

Although I havent written any actual code in years, it turns out there is still a little geek inside me. I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. Who rubs his hands greedily a the prospect of reading about an operating system? I need help...

My motivation was largely nostalgia and curiosity. I have been a MacOS user for about 2 years now and I can say without reservation that it is the best personal computer experience in existence. Today's MacOS offers a fantastic user experience which only promises to get better wit next years update.

Having said all that, the MacOS world includes a ton of jargon that I was unfamiliar with. Cocoa, Carbon, Aqua, Darwin, Quartz, etc and so on. As a user, I dont need to know what this stuff is but I was curious. Hence my interest in the book.

And I wasnt disappointed.

"Strip Tease" by Carl Hiaasen

Have you read of Carl Hiassen's books? His books are very much in the style of Elmore Leonard with a twist. Cops, dumb crooks, crooked politicians, strong women, sex, graft, corruption and long strings of chaotic chance-circumstances where the good guys triumph in the end. (Even when it seems impossible for things to work out.)

The twist is that Hiassen's books are based on real people, real politicians, real events. All of them in Florida.

"Neuromancer" by William Gibson

I just finished reading Neuromancer again. This book is from 1983 (I read it first in 1992) and is the grand-daddy of what became the cyber-punk genre. It's a quick read and holds up surprisingly well after all these years.

What really surprises me is that there hasnt been a movie version of the book. To be sure, "The Matrix" and others have stolen Gibson's ideas (Gibson coined the term "the matrix") but it still seems like Gibson's novels are ripe for movies. Bold characters, lots of action, and room for trailer-ready special effects about technology and futuristic visions like BAMA, the Boston-Atlanta Metropolitan Area.

I've read several of Gibson's book and this is still the best one. If you havent read it, you should.

"Texas Thunder Soul 1968-1974" by Kashmere Stage Band

Back in the 1990's swing music was the craze and I loved it. I love the big band sound and I loved the dancing.

NPR recently did a story on some high school band from Tejas called the Kashmere Stage Band. Their music was big band funk. Intrigued, I picked up the CD from Amazon...

"Tigana: 10th Anniversary Edition" by Guy Gavriel Kay

A year ago, I was reading Brad DeLong's blog and he mentioned this book called Tigana. I was curious what kind of book Brad would enjoy so I decided to buy a book by Guy Gavrial Kay. Instead of Tigana, I bought Sailing to Sarantium - and absolutely loved it.

It has been a long time since I read a book for fun so while on vacation this month, I read Tigana. This book is not as good as StS but it was still a fun read.

"Theory of Fun for Game Design" by Raph Koster

It has been several months since I read this book, which is a shame, because I have forgotten what I wanted to say about it. So I will just say that it was worth a read and has appeal beyond "gamers".

Raph tries to understand what people find to be fun and why, and I agree with a lot of his observations.

People are basically learning machines. We enjoy learning, in all kinds of ways, and games and fun are an extension of this innate desire. The hard part for game designers is finding the balance between challenging/interesting and tedious/boring/impossible. A challenge all game players have experienced first-hand.

So send a few bucks Raph's way and buy his book.

"Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion (DVD-ROM)"

The last single player RPG that I really enjoyed was Fallout. That was YEARS ago. I played Neverwinter Nights, but I kind of had to force myself to finish.

As I have written before, I find solo PC games like RPG's kind of depressing. After a while I start to wonder why I dont have any friends to play with and I start to feel guilty and anti-social. After Everquest, I just dont want to play this kind of game alone anymore.

Until now.

"The Fifth Discipline : The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization" by Peter M. Senge

In terms of personal growth and seeing the world more accurately, "The Fifth Discipline" is one of the best books that I have ever read. It had a huge impact on me back in the early 1990's and although I cannot remember all five "disciplines", I did internalize a lot of it. :)

"Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money--That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!" by Robert T. Kiyosaki, Sharon L. Lechter

"Cashflow Quadrant: Rich Dad's Guide to Financial Freedom" by Robert T. Kiyosaki, Sharon L. Lechter

It has been a few years since I read these books (really they are one book, split in two to double the sales revenue). Even so, I credit these two books with fundamentally changing the way I think about money, about my career, and about investing.

I believe that American's are generally ignorant when it comes to money and investing. You cannot even have a discussion with most people because their are so full of misinformation and so emotional about it, they arent open to change. Our schools do a woeful job of educating people about money even though our economic system requires a great deal of financial acumen to prosper. (The cynic in me says that this state exists for exactly this outcome: a few winners supported by a lot of losers.)

If you want to succeed in a capitalistic society, you NEED to understand capital and investing. If you believe that your house is your "best investment", then you are one of these misinformed people and you would do well to be proactive about it ASAP.

"Solis Crema SL 70 Espresso Machine" by Solis

"Do we neeeed an espresso machine? Will you really use it? [Or will it just sit here gathering dust?]"

Of the course the answer to my wife's question is no, I didnt need it. But I wanted it and now several years later I can honestly say that it didnt gather dust. I have really enjoyed the machine and I regularly make myself coffee with it (or chai tea with real steamed milk).

The twist on this story is that I actually called Aabree to purchase a different machine. The woman in their sales department told me that I was making a mistake and would regret the purchase. Instead she recommended another machine, a cheaper one no less, and that is the one I bought. It has performed famously and I was really impressed with a company whose employees cared enough about me to speak up.

I mentioned Aabree on the very first Confab but that show never aired so I thought they deserved another plug. I will definitely purchase from them again should I ever need another espresso machine. Use the Internet to support good, small businesses.

"A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 4)" by George R. R. Martin

I just started this book, the 4th in the series. My brain hurts after just the first 10 pages! Who are all these characters? That is a familiar name but who was it? It has been a few years since I read the previous book and I had forgotten how complex the story was. All I do remember is that I loved the previous books (except for the desert storyline) and that I have been waiting a long time for this book to (hopefully) conclude the storylines.

I will write more when I finish. I hope the book was worth the wait.

...

It was.

Once it got going, I couldn't put the book down. Now I find myself eagerly waiting for the next one. Again :)

"Dragonsbane" by Barbara Hambly

Considering you can now purchase a used copy of this little book for 1 penny on Amazon, I have to say it is definately worth the money. :)

Lord knows how many years this book has been sitting on my bookshelf (my copy is a 1987 printing), but I finally read it. And greatly enjoyed it! This is a quick, light read but less predictable than many and more enjoyable than most fantasy books.

It is your basic Barbara Hambly recipe: dark haired, unattractive woman who struggles with her insecurity only to find out she is really great in the end. Now there is also a male character or two, a political story, a discussion of magic, and some fun stuff with dragons. Why do dragons like gold? What are dragons like? Read the book and find out.

"Rome Total War Gold Edition"

"Shogun: Total War" is one of my all time favorite PC games. The sequel, "Medieval:TW" is another matter. Medieval was an example of more actually being less. It had a bigger map and tons of units but the gameplay was very tedious and boring.

Turn-based strategy games that I can play with my friends is one of my favorite genres. Which is to say that my biggest complaint with Medieval was that the game did not include multiplayer so I couldn't play it with friends. I swore never to buy another Creative Assembly game until they added true multiplayer. (To be precise, the game had multiplayer for the combat but not the strategy map. By only supporting half of the game, they dont support multiplayer in my book.)

I held to my pledge for a few years but eventually broke down and bought Rome:Total War even though it STILL doesn't have real multiplayer. (What can I say, there just arent enough strategy games. Civ4 is great but it isn't really a war game. And the reviews for Rome were glowing.)

"Dungeons & Dragons Online: StormReach" by Atari

DDO's greatest strength as a game is that it is different from all the rest. In terms of market appeal, tat difference is also its greatest weakness. DDO is the closest game I have seen to playing an RPG with actual pen and paper (and beer). You cannot solo and playing with strangers is a mixed bag. This makes the game harder than most.

I play with old friends and have been having a blast. The game seamlessly merges dice rolling with arcade FPS action. You have to position yourself and swing before you get a dice roll and I love that. The world tries to be realistic in terms of physics and graphics models, which I also enjoy. For instance, plate armor looks like plate armor not chainmail or splintmail or cartoons. Archery actually involves aiming (what a concept) and theifs are required as there are bona fide traps.

The game does have some rough edges which they will surely improve upon - assuming it survives. Everyone talks about World of Warcraft (which I hate) but I hope DDO is here for a long time.

"Sid Meier's Civilization IV"

Civ4 ties with DoD:S for best game of 2005. Definitely the best of the Civilization games which go waaay back to my college days and the Amiga computer.

When you buy the game, go straight to the end of the manual and read the letter from the producer. It is a good history of the game development as well as a great overview of what they changed and why. This game was a total rewrite and it shows. Often games just add fancy eye-candy graphics and the gameplay sucks - this team reworked the graphics and the gameplay. Even more impressive was their openness to aftermarket mods and their use of open standards like XML and Python.

If you are looking for a way to lose weekends building an empire, look no further. Civ4 is a must have for any PC gamer.

"The Geography of Thought : How Asians and Westerners Think Differently...and Why" by Richard Nisbett

This book is one of the best books that I have read in business school. The book itself has nothing to do with business and everything to do with people, but since business IS people, there is a connection.

Not everyone in class liked the book as much as I did but I found it to be a fantastic explanation for why and how Easterners and Westerners think. As a China watcher, I know enough to know that I just dont understand the Chinese. This book gave me some real insight into the reasons. Needless to say, East and West both have internally consistent but dramatically different views about how the World works.

As the next generations will truly be global generations, I highly recommend this book for just about anyone. It will help you on your cross-cultural teams at work and it will help you make sense of the global political systems.

"How Would You Move Mount Fuji? Microsoft's Cult of the Puzzle" by William Poundstone

A friend of mine recommended I read this book before my interview with Microsoft so I started the book expecting another dry "job search" book. I was wrong and pleasantly surprised.

The book is very readable and enjoyable. It covers the much larger topic of intelligence and how to measure intelligence and the history of IQ tests in the USA. I found this storyline fascinating.

The book also covers various puzzle questions that are used in interviews. The puzzles were fun and the tips for dealing with these questions seemed useful (although I have not tried them in practice yet).

Overall I highly recommend this book for anyone interviewing in the technology industry. It gives a lot of insight into Bill Gates, Jr's personality and by extension, the culture of Microsoft - one of the most influential companies in tech. Even if you dont plan to interview at Microsoft, the material here is both useful and generally entertaining no matter where you interview.

"The Golden Age (The Golden Age)" by John C. Wright

Well, it took me weeks and weeks to read this book. While it had some very interesting ideas, I just found it hard to get into the book. However I was enjoying myself by the end when the story suddenly ended with my least favorite conclusion - "Be sure to read (and buy) volume two!" Bah humbug. Frankly I have had enough of those endings from Tad Williams, Robert Jordan and now Neil Stephenson to last a lifetime.

The book takes place in the far, far future and has all kinds of fantastical technology. The main question of the book seems to be about the ultimate fate of humanity and technology. Whatever. This is a huge topic, of interest to philosophers and people with a longer attention span than myself.

"Day of Defeat: Source" by Windows

What makes a great game? Sometimes it is novel gameplay. Sometimes it is just something "fun". But a really great game is one you come back to night after night after night.

In terms of hours spent, DoD is my favorite game of all time. In terms of enjoyment per dollar, DoD is like a singularity :) Unlike Everquest, it takes almost no money to enjoy DoD for months on end.

I thought the original DoD was fantastic but the sequel based on the Half-Life2 engine came out at Thanksgiving 2005 and it is even better. There is no story here, just instant and total online multiplayer action. You can play for 20 minutes or 8 hours at a stretch. If you like realism and teamwork in your FPS games, DoD:S cant be beat.

Whether you buy it at Amazon or as a download, BUY IT. Developers of such great products deserve the money!(And if you do buy it, you can shoot me as Silver9 on the 1st CPB server. Im not a member but I usually play there.)

"Lord of Emperors (Sarantine Mosaic, Book 2)" by Guy Gavriel Kay

After finishing "Sailing to Sarantium", I just couldn't wait to see how the story ended. I enjoyed this sequel just as much as the first book although the ending was a little Hollywood. I was sad to see the story end but I look forward to reading more books by Mr Kay.

"Sailing to Sarantium (Sarantine Mosaic, Book 1)" by Guy Gavriel Kay

Sailing to where? It took me a long time to start this book. I think I actually bought it because of a recommendation on the blog of Brad De-Long, the Berkeley economist. I assumed it would be some kind of dry history thing.

WOW! This book was a total page turner and a hugely pleasant surprise. I LOVED IT. Best fiction book I have read in years.

Even though the book ends with a sequel, it is no never-ending story in 9 installments. Just two books and wonderful tale.

"Dyson DC 14 Upright Vacuum" by Dyson

After buying a Dyson a few years ago, I began to LOVE to vacuum the house! It may seem strange but I get a real pleasure from seeing all the carpet fibers, hair and tiny dust particles that this amazing machine sucks out of our carpets.

This vacuum cleaner is expensive but worth every penny. And be sure to read the company history - the fact that the inventor couldn't get anyone to make it because it didnt sell vacuum bags also makes it a good cause.

When people actually do build a better mousetrap, we should support them.