Review: The Vanishing Man, by Alma Katsu
This very short novella is available on Amazon Kindle for free — apparently one doesn’t buy the book, but “borrow” it. What a great idea. It’s the first part of a trilogy of short fiction…
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Review: How Finland Survived Stalin – From Winter War to Cold War, by Kimmo Rentola
I once asked a young Finnish historian which side Finland was on during the Second World War. His answer consisted of two words: “It’s complicated.” It is indeed. This book tries to make sense of…
Georgia: For democracy and a European future
One week after the Georgian elections, the situation has become somewhat clearer. The evidence that the election was not “free and fair” has been mounting. There has been widespread condemnation and concern from the international…
Putin’s victory – Georgia’s Nightmare
Even if you know nothing about the republic of Georgia and were completely unaware of its elections last week, the fact that Vladimir Putin is celebrating should be cause for concern. Make no mistake about…
Evolution Gaming: This strike matters
In mid-July, hundreds of workers at Evolution Gaming in Tbilisi, Georgia walked off their jobs. Evolution, a Swedish-owned company, had refused to negotiate with the workers over their wages and working conditions. Since then, the…
Review: Murder on the Orient Express, by Agatha Christie
Many, many years ago I read dozens of Agatha Christie’s novels. Here’s what put a stop to that: I began marking the page where I felt for sure that I knew who the murderer was….
Review: Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders and the Rise of Social Engineering, by Malcolm Gladwell
From what I can tell, I’ve read all of Malcolm Gladwell’s books. And before reading this one, which is a kind-of sequel to his best-seller from 25 years ago, I read a blistering review attacking…
If Trump wins, this is why
With the American elections on a knife edge, it is worth asking why that is the case. Whatever one thinks of Kamala Harris and the Democrats, Trump represents something that is far, far worse. And…
Review: Orwell’s Roses, by Rebecca Solnit
In 1936, George Orwell planted roses in the village of Wallington. I visited that village a few years ago and saw his cottage, but not the roses. It turns out that Orwell was an avid…
Review: Titanium Noir, by Nick Harkaway
Imagine if Raymond Chandler wrote near-future science fiction. That pretty much sums up this book. A detective who helps the police but is not a part of the police, with incredible fighting skills and a…