Tag Archives: China

Daniel Yergin’s superb new book: a brilliant survey of energy issues

A review of The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World, by Daniel Yergin. @@@@@ (5 out of 5). A survey of virtually every significant aspect of energy in today’s world, touching on every energy source, every significant energy-related technological development of recent decades, and every major location of energy resources, including a short history of each element. Continue reading

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1493: When the Old World met the New, and nothing was ever the same

A review of 1493: Uncvovering the New World Columbus Created, by Charles C. Mann. @@@@@ (5 out of 5). One after another, this brilliant book brushes away a host of cherished myths that have grown up in the shadows of history. Continue reading

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What history teaches us about climate change

Thoughts while reading Why the West Rules – for Now: The Patterns of History, and What They Reveal About the Future, by Ian Morris. Ian Morris’ extraordinary book has led me to a surprising conclusion: that climate change has been one of the most profound determinants of the course of human history. Continue reading

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The Man From Beijing, by Henning Mankell

A review of The Man From Beijing, by Henning Mankell @@@@@ (5 out of 5) Before Stieg Larsson and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, there was Henning Mankell, the long-reigning Swedish king of crime fiction with his internationally popular … Continue reading

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Filed under Mysteries & Thrillers

Typhoon, by Charles Cumming

@@@@ (4 out of 5) “Professor Wang Kaixuan emerged from the waters of the South China Sea shortly before dawn,” and so begins this well-constructed tale of high-stakes espionage, betrayal, and unforeseen consequences set in modern-day China. The story revolves … Continue reading

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Filed under Mysteries & Thrillers