The Comet and The Tornado by Don Marinelli

     Don Marinelli discusses his account of forming Carnegie Mellon University's Entertainment Technology Center in The Comet and The Tornado. He also calls upon his time spent with the late Randy Pausch. Don (the right-brained tornado) sheds light on the struggles and triumphs of working with Randy (the left-brained comet) in their creation of CMU's dream fulfillment factory.

    The Comet and The Tornado is a short-read that could be accomplished in a couple of hours. Short but meaningful. For me, Don Marinelli's book did three things:

1. Gave examples of the importance of story telling, something I am currently studying. One realization that Don has is that Randy's life resembled that of the monomythic hero, in which transformation is required for the hero to become legendary.
2. Painted a well-rounded picture of Don Marinelli, someone who I hope to meet someday.
3. Reminded me of the most important thing in life, love. It really is that simple. You never know how much time you have left. Life is too short not to love what you're doing and who you're with.

     Don's final four chapters discussing the end of Randy's life and the legacy he left behind had me in tears (in a coffee shop in downtown Pittsburgh no less). Randy's courage in the face of death, his care for his family, and the love Randy showed others exemplified how life should be lived. Thank you Don and thank you Randy for reminding me and millions of others about the important things in life. The Comet and The Tornado has been a worthwhile read; one that I shall not forget.

The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses by Jesse Schell

This is an excellent read for all things game design. The Art of Game Design carries the knowledge of a text book, but reads like an adventure novel. My initial reaction: I am very happy to have read this Ragged Manifesto.

Lost

   

 What is the show Lost about? I have spent 121 hours of my life trying to answer that question and still haven't figured it out. Oh, before I go any further, if you plan on watching the show and haven't yet, stop reading now. There will be spoilers. With that said, as far as I can tell, the plot of Lost contained the struggles of good vs evil, science vs religion, the meaning of life, and how you can get a bunch of people killed by not knowing which man you are trying to win over *cough *cough, KATE! Seriously though, she is easily the most annoying character. But I digress.

    The writers of Lost have a unique ability to take the smallest plot advancement and stretch it the entire length of an hour long episode. Even when the plot advances, the viewer is usually left with more questions than answers. I don't think answers started coming until season five of the six season show. At the end you are given the satisfaction of knowing that everyone is dead, but again that just turns into more questions. How long have they been dead? Did the island even exist or was it some kind of purgatory? Why didn't Ben Linus go with everyone else into the afterlife? Where was Michael? Does the tardiness of Ben and Michael mean they were going to a different afterlife then the rest of the characters (i.e. hell)? How can I feel sadness, confusion, anger, and hunger at the same time (oh yeah, it's because I skipped a meal while marathon watching the last 3 episodes in hopes of finally getting some answers).

     If someone were to ask me, "should I watch Lost?" I would probably give them the same answer I would to someone who wants to try a cigarette, "It's addicting, bad for you, and just ends in death. Don't do it." Alright, I'm being a little dramatic here. Lost is certainly an interesting show worthy of study for years to come. I'm just glad I had the freedom to watch the show at my leisure and not have to wait each week for the next episode to air (thank you Netflix). To live in anticipation and confusion for six years would have been agony, especially since the last episode was no more resolute than the first (depending on how you look at it).

     At first I thought the title of the show described the condition of the characters in it, now I realize instead it is the feeling the viewer has throughout the entire run. JJ Abrams, you did well in getting people hooked, like junkies to heroine. Now I just need to figure out what to do with all this free time and feeling of confusion after going cold turkey. 

The Cardinal of the Kremlin by Tom Clancy

     In Clancy's third installment of the Jack Ryan series, a former Russian military hero takes on his final CIA operation. Colonel Mikhail Filitov, also known as "Cardinal," is the CIA's highest placed operative, with 30 years of spy experience inside the Kremlin. The colonel's final operation involves the construction of BRIGHT STAR, a ground based nuclear missile defense system and Russian equivalent to America's STAR WARS system. The Cardinal leaks detailed information of BRIGHT STAR to the Americans, compromising himself in the meantime. With the defense systems marking a new chapter in the Russian and American arms race, the Cardinal's capture is sure to cause a scandal, on the eve of a Russian election that could be the difference between peace and war in the world's future. Enter Jack Ryan to save the day.
     As part of the committee overseeing the latest arms treaty, Jack once again puts himself in an advantageous position to diagnose and confront the dilemma. Jack comes up with a plan to blackmail the evil head of the KGB into releasing the Cardinal into US custody which causes an exciting metaphorical chess match between the desperate KGB chairman and the CIA. The Cardinal's rescue operation encounters various hiccups, as many rushed operations do, but ultimately ends in success. Jack gets the Cardinal out, blackmails the KGB chairman into defecting, and earns another "W" in his CIA career.
     The Cardinal of the Kremlin has been my most anticipated book of the series so far. The Cardinal character had been alluded to in The Hunt for Red October as the source of extremely valuable information. In my mind, I pictured the Cardinal to be some sort of young Russian super agent, instead of an old colonel. I was picturing a Pierce Brosnan James Bond and instead got Sean Connery. Colonel Filitov was a broken old man who was trying to do what was best for his country, even though it was considered treason. I wouldn't say that I was disappointed with who the Cardinal turned out to be, just not ready for it.
     This will most likely be my last review in this style. It is very academic, as if I am writing a forced one page paper for a book report. My future goals include getting into a highly competitive master's program with a creative focus. With my creative writing experience limited, I will use this blog to practice creative writing techniques whilst still reviewing the things I completed. I will be killing two birds with one stone, just like Jack Ryan did when he rescued the Cardinal of the Kremlin.

   

The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan

I found this review I wrote in college for the Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan. Apparently I wasn't too fond of the book:

 

   The Demon-Haunted World is a very intelligent book that demands respect in its thoroughness and longevity. Carl Sagan identifies today’s misconceptions and systematically picks them apart piece by piece. That being said, I believe The Demon-Haunted World to be repetitive and somewhat insulting in its processes.
     The repetitiveness of Sagan’s book is most likely due to its format and origin. The Demon-Haunted World is a collection of essays, and being so does not feel uniform or smooth in its transitions. When I say that the book does not feel uniform, I mean each chapter doesn’t assume that you’ve read the chapter before it. There is a knowledge build up with most books that you read, but each chapter in The Demon-Haunted World has its own introduction and explanation of concepts which were explained in the previous chapter and the chapter before that. This leads to a sort of irritation and reluctance to keep reading.
     In one of the opening chapters, Sagan points out that one of the top box office movies during the time that he was writing his book was Dumb and Dumber. He also tells the reader that a very popular television show of this time is Beavis and Butthead. Sagan presents both of these pieces of information and alludes to a decline in 21^st century human intelligence. This makes Sagan seem like a bitter old man pointing out the flaws with the whippersnappers of the current generation while he reminisces upon the golden age of his hay day.

     To be specific Sagan states, “The dumbing down of America is most evident in the slow decay of substantive content in the enormously influential media, the 30-second sound bites (now down to 10-seconds or less), lowest common denominator programming, credulous presentations on pseudoscience and superstition, but especially a kind of celebration of ignorance.” What Sagan sees as a celebration of ignorance, I see as an escape from multitasking mania. In the go-go-go world that we live in today, where it’s nearly impossible to accomplish everything that we need to without multitasking all of the time, it’s nice to turn your brain off for an hour or two to watch some mindless entertainment.

     The Demon-Haunted World is a fantastic book with valuable processes, quotes, and cautions, however I do not agree with all of Mr. Sagan's views. I would consider it somewhat dangerous to think of everyone of Sagan’s notions as gospel. Sagan says it best himself, “if we can’t think for ourselves, if we’re unwilling to question authority, then we’re just putty in the hands of those in power.”

Patriot Games by Tom Clancy

     The events in Patriot Games take place before The Hunt for Red October. The story begins with Jack Ryan and his family in London. Jack stumbles upon a terrorist attack and manages to disarm the situation, saving members of the royal family in the process. While this puts Jack and his family in the good graces of British royalty, it marks him as an enemy to the Ulster Liberation Army (ULA), an Irish terrorist organization. Jack teams up with the CIA to unravel the mystery of the ghost-like ULA. Jack doesn't have to look far, as the organization makes two attempts on his family, the final of which results in the capture of the ULA members.
     While Jack is cracking the code on the ULA, he is simultaneously being recruited by the CIA to be more than just a consulting analyst. Jack struggles with an internal conflict while considering the job offer. Knowing the information he dissects will be used to capture and kill other humans does not sit well with Jack. It is not until terrorists nearly succeed in killing his own family that Jack comes around to accept the job offer.
     I found myself on-edge for the duration of the novel, hoping that Jack and his allies would piece together all the clues before it was too late. The threat posed on Jack's family had me despising the antagonist, more so than if Ryan alone had been in danger. My emotional investment into Patriot Games is the result of excellent character development by Mr. Clancy. Clancy goes out of his way to describe how lovely Jack's little girl and pregnant wife are. "Nothing better happen to Jack's family," repeated in the back of my mind as I read.
     As I mentioned in my recap of The Hunt for Red October, one of my favorite attributes of the main character Jack Ryan is how undeniably human he is. Jack is not omniscient and pieces together information slowly with the help of others. He falls down, breaks bones, gets shot, says what he is thinking, and learns lessons along the way. Having a main character who is so normal, helps the reader identify with the character and creates more emotional tie in. I'm interested to find out if Jack will become less clumsy and more confident as his work with the CIA continues.
     The Cardinal of the Kremlin is the next book in the series. Let's see if my interest will hold for another Clancy novel. I plan to watch the Patriot Games movie as well. I was not impressed with Alec Baldwin's impersonation of Jack Ryan, let's see if Harrison Ford can do any better.
   

The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy

   

     I decided to read Tom Clancy's "Jack Ryan" series in the order which the books were released. The Hunt for Red October is the first book of the series, and an exciting one at that. I was skeptical at first as to how much excitement there could possibly be in a book about submarines. Tom Clancy does an excellent job in telling the story of a defecting Russian submarine from various points of view. You could feel the difference in cultures when Clancy shifts from American to Russian point of view.

     Another great part of the book is how human Jack Ryan is. Jack starts off as an analyst who does consulting work for the United States Navy and the CIA. Jack is soon after recruited as a field agent for the CIA. Circumstance brings Jack deeper and deeper into the unraveling story of the Red October. He fumbles through scenarios on various Navy vessels encountering sea sickness, minimal sleep, and clumsily steering the Red October in its final battle. Jack ultimately saves the day, but in a clumsy, nerdy way. 

     Clancy does a good job in describing the intricacies of the military world in which The Hunt for Red October is framed. I do feel that someone who has more familiarity with the US military would more easily picture the scenes in which Clancy describes. I am fortunate enough to come from a military family and have prior knowledge to some of what Clancy describes, military aircraft in particular.

     Overall, I like this book very much. I had to re-read certain parts more than once in order to comprehend what exactly was taking place. Clancy tells the political side of the story, the military strategy aspect, and Jack Ryan's personal side for character development. It is sometimes difficult to keep track of all the moving pieces and character names, especially when they are in Russian.

     The only thing left to do now is watch the movie. Although, I don't know if I want Alec Baldwin taking the image of Jack Ryan in my mind for the rest of the series. Patriot Games is the next book in the series. I may alternate to the next book in another series before returning to the Jack Ryan saga. This helps keep me from getting burnt out on the characters.