Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Thank goodness.

From Forbes.

"Five years after the financial crisis sent the fortunes of many in the U.S. and around the world tumbling, the wealthiest as a group have finally gained back all that they lost."

Friday, September 13, 2013

Book Review: Girl w dragon tattoo who played with fire and kicked the hornet's nest


Books Reviews: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (Who Played With Fire, and Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest), By Stieg Larsson

The Premise:
Ace reporter, Mikael Blomkvist, investigates a mystery that brings him into contact with Lisabeth Salander, a reclusive computer hacker with an even more mysterious past.

The Good:
Mr. Larsson keeps the action moving and creates an impressive amount of fleshed-out characters along the way. He isn’t one to shy away from putting those characters in uncomfortable or even dangerous situations and that makes for a gripping yarn. The writing style is easy-to-follow and descriptive, but not laborious. While this isn’t particularly challenging literature, it is robust enough for a hearty summer’s read.

The Bad:
Dragon Tattoo has several explicit/graphic scenes that are not for the faint of heart or squeamish. After that, Fire and Hornet’s Nest are a bit easier to take—there is still violence, but it’s more in the vein of action-adventure. Because of the length of the books, some of the subplots seem rather unnecessary (there is a subplot in the third book that seems like it was created just to give one character something to do).

The Verdict:
Read ‘em. If you can handle some explicit violence early on, you’ll be rewarded with a fully realized story that moves briskly though its three acts.

Friday, September 6, 2013

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

If you only remember one thing.

Wet cement should have the consistency of cookie dough. It should clump together, but not be too dry or else it will crumble when it sets. Too wet and it won't hold its shape. Forget the ratios; think cookie dough (but don't eat it)!