Undersea Kingdom

Undersea Kingdom with Ray "Crash" Corrigan, 1936 Serial

This is a fun 12 episode serial. Crash Corrigan travels with a small party in a submarine. While they were planning to investigate earthquakes, instead they find themselves in the lost world of Atlantis. Atlantis under the ocean, is a dry, dusty, sometimes cloudy place with feuding natives who sport great costumes and even better hats. There are chariots, plenty of horses, robots, a tank, and a sort of flying chariot. The best part? Through many of the episodes Ray "Crash" Corrigan wears small, shiny panties that appear to be covered in large sequins.

When Science Goes Wrong

When Science Goes Wrong: Twelve Tales from the Dark Side of Discovery by Simon LeVay was originally published in April, 2008. My paperback copy has 304 pages, including the preface and chapter sources. In this book each chapter is a different story of science gone wrong. As LeVay writes in the preface, "Mostly we here about science's triumphs....But for every brilliant scientific success there are a dozen failures....Once in a while, though, science doesn't just fail - it goes spectacularly, even horribly, wrong."(pg.1) Rather than being comprehensive about scientific mistakes made in one specific area of study, he presents twelve examples from a wide variety of disciplines. Even if every story doesn't interest you, certainly several will. In the quotes I will include a quote from the beginning of each chapter after the title.
When Science Goes Wrong is highly recommended.

Chapter 1 - Neuroscience: The Runner's Brain

"...Max didn't know much about Parkinson's disease, but Kay was well aware that it was a progressive and potentially fatal disorder of movement." pg. 7

"So he decided that Truex should undergo....a transplant of cells from the brains of human fetuses." pg. 13

Chapter 2 - Meteorology: All Quiet on the Western Front

" 'Earlier on today apparently a woman rang the BBC and said she heard there's a hurricane on the way,' said Britain's best-known weatherman, Michael Fish, on an October evening in 1987. 'Well, if you're watching, don't worry - there isn't.' Then the hurricane struck." pg. 37

Chapter 3 - Volcanology: The Crater of Doom

"Volcanoes demand respect, but they don't always get it. In 1993, when geologist Stanley Williams led a party of scientists to their deaths in the crater of an active volcano, he triggered an eruption of controversy and blame." pg. 59

Chapter 4 - Neuroscience: The Ecstasy and the Agony

"In 2002, when a neuroscientist at John Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore published a study on the toxic effects of the drug Ecstasy, the findings bolstered a political campaign against recreational use of the drug. Only much later did it turn out that the findings were the consequence of an almost laughable laboratory blunder." pg. 78

Chapter 5 - Engineering Geology: The Night the Dam Broke

"These monoliths serve as memorials to the victims of America's worst civil-engineering disaster of the twentieth century, the failure of the St. Francis Dam [in California] on March 12, 1928." pg. 99

Chapter 6 - Gene Therapy: The Genes of Death

"Before there were stem cells, there was gene therapy." pg. 121

Chapter 7 - Nuclear Physics: Meltdown

"McKinley was one of three men....who died in a nighttime explosion [on January 3, 1961] at the National Reactor Testing Station..." pg. 143

Chapter 8 - Microbiology: Gone with the Wind

"During the six-week period starting on April 6 [1979]...at least sixty-six persons died [in Sverdlovsk, now Ekaterinburg, Russia] What killed them was anthrax." pg. 161

Chapter 9 - Forensic Science: The Wrong Man

"Although they were behaving innocently enough, the two youths were stopped by police, handcuffed, and placed in the back of a squad car. Sutton didn't see freedom again for four and a half years." pg. 181

Chapter 10 - Space Science: Off Target

"In fact, no signal was ever received from the spacecraft again. The Mars Climate Orbiter was lost and the mission was a total failure." pg. 199

Chapter 11 - Speech Pathology: The Monster Study

"Tudor's mission [on January 17, 1939] was to discover the cause of stuttering. She didn't accomplish her mission, but the methods she used in her attempt to do so are now - sixty eight years later - the subject of a multimillion-dollar lawsuit and the focus of fierce ethical controversy." pg. 221

Chapter 12 - Nuclear Chemistry: The Magic Island

"In August 1999, nuclear chemists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory announced the creation of three atoms of a new 'super-heavy' element, element 118. Two years later they had to retract their claim and a firefight broke out that cost a star scientist his career and sullied the reputations of several others." pg. 246

Arctic Drift

Arctic Drift by Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler was originally published in 2008. My hardcover copy has 515 pages. This is the twentieth book in the Dirk Pitt Series, so at this point the characters are well established and developed through the whole series. It was an interesting storyline, but not as good as some in the past. Let's be honest, though, fans are going to read Cussler for the next Dirk Pitt adventure no matter what. It seemed to me that Dirk Cussler did a better job writing with Clive this time around, however, and that is hopeful. In the past, the Dirk Pitt Jr. and Summer Pitt characters could be more annoying than anything else. Their role was smaller this time and they weren't as bad. Note to either Cussler: If you're going to keep the twins around, continue striving to make them individuals. They need to break free of the twin thing, toughen up, and do their own research, independent of each other, with NUMA.

Highly recommended, especially for fans of the series

Synopsis from cover:

A potential breakthrough discovery to reverse global warming . . . a series of unexplained sudden deaths in British Columbia . . . a rash of international incidents between the United States and one of its closest allies that threatens to erupt into an actual shooting war . . . NUMA director Dirk Pitt and his children, Dirk. Jr. and Summer, have reason to believe there’s a connection here somewhere, but they also know they have very little time to find it before events escalate out of control. Their only real clue might just be a mysterious silvery mineral traced to a long-ago expedition in search of the fabled Northwest Passage. But no one survived from that doomed mission, captain and crew perished to a man—and if Pitt and his colleague Al Giordino aren’t careful, the very same fate may await them.

Quotes:

"The cry rattled through the ship like the howl of a wounded jungle beast, a mournful wail that sounded like a plea for death." first sentence

" 'It's something on the ship driving them mad'..." pg. 6

"With her disappearance, the saga of Fitzjames's mad crew would be obscured from history. But unbeknownst to her commander, the ship held a greater mystery, one that over a century later would impact man's very survival on the planet." pg. 18

"Ahead off the port bow, he noticed an unusually thick cloud rolling along the water's surface. Fog was a common companion in these waters, but there was something peculiar about this formation. The color was a brighter white than that of a normal fogbank, its billows heavier." pg. 23

" 'I fear we are at a tipping point, Jim, in terms of both the economy and the environment. Disaster awaits if we don't take the right steps.' " pg. 35

"Dirk had immediately pegged the inspector as a frustrated lawman trapped in a job too small for his ambitions." pg. 43

" 'When I met with the family, the deceased man's uncle kept crying that the Devil's Breath had killed him.'

'What did he mean?'

'He said that the devil had decided his time had come and cast down a cold white breath of death that killed him and everything around him.' " pg. 55

Quantum of Solace

Quantum of Solace

Bond film # 22; PG-13
Director: Marc Forster Cast: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Judi Dench

Daniel Craig is a new kind of James Bond. He's not as smooth and upper-class as previous Bonds, but we like him. Most of the traditional Bond gadgets are gone and we are left with James Bond as a ruthless killing-machine, sort of like a British Jack Bauer. We like him and Jack. Quatum of Solace is a continuation of the story line in Casino Royale and moves at a break-neck pace. Bond is considered a rogue agent bent on revenge by M (Judi Dench) and she is trying to get him out of the field. Our only complaint is perhaps too great a role for M, although I guess if you have Dame Judi Dench playing M you are obligated to give her a larger role. Another great addition to the James Bond collection.

Panic in Level 4

Panic in Level 4: Cannibals, Killer Viruses, and Other Journeys to the Edge of Science by Richard Preston was originally published in 2008. My hardcover copy has 188 pages. As Preston notes in the introduction: "In this book, we are embarking on a deep probe through the realms of the vanishingly small, where, at times, all we can say is, 'There be monsters.' The chapters in this book were originally published in The New Yorker, but I've expanded, updated, and linked them." (pg. xxxvii) Since the chapters in Panic in Level 4 are all basically independent nonfiction articles, I'm writing this review a little bit differently, placing the quotes included after the title of the chapter they are from.
Very Highly Recommended - one of the best

Chapters in the book, including quotes:

Introduction: Adventures in Nonfiction Writing

"Biosafety Level 4, also known as BL-4 or Level 4, is the highest and tightest level of biosecurity in a laboratory. Laboratories rated at Biosafety level 4 are the repositories of viruses called hot agents - lethal viruses for which there is no vaccine or effective cure." pg. xv

"We know that the Ebola virus was one of the more powerful bioweapons in the arsenal of the old Soviet Union....in 1991, bioweaponeers had reportedly been experimenting with aerosol Ebola - powdered, weaponized Ebola that could be dispersed through the air, over a city, for example." pg. xvi

"In narrative nonfiction writing, taking notes is an essential part of the creative process. We tend to think of a reporter's notes as being a transcript of the words of someone speaking to the reporter. If you who are reading this happen to be a student of journalism, remember that you can take notes about anything. It can be quite useful to jot down observations on any and all details of a person and a scene, including sights, smells, and sounds, as well as the emotional aura of the scene." pg. xx

The Mountains of Pi

"When he was thirty-six, Gregory Volfovich Chudnovsky began building a supercomputer in his apartment from mail-order parts. Gregory Chudnovsky was a number theorist, a mathematician who studies numbers, and he felt that he needed a supercomputer to do it." pg.3

A Death in the Forest

"Invasive species of Microbes, plants, and animals are changing ecosystems all over the planet in a biological upheaval that may affect almost everything that lives. The cause of the upheaval is the human species. Life on the planet is being homogenized by the expanding human population and the frequent and rapid movement of people and goods, which carry invasive organisms with them. pg. 51-52

"In effect, the trees of North America have been hit with all sorts of Ebolas of their own." pg. 53

The Search for Ebola

"Months later, when the epidemiologists finally arrived, they traced the threads of horror back to one man, Patient Zero, who became known only by his initials, G.M. The threads converged on one little spot in the world. It was a sinuous patch of forest called Mbwambala." pg. 71

The Human Kabbalah

" 'He's an idiot. He is a thorn in people's sides and an egomaniac,' a senior scientist in the Human Genome Project said to me one day. The Human Genome Project was an ongoing nonprofit international research consortium that had been working to decipher the complete sequence of nucleotides, or letters, in human DNA. " pg. 88

"To the intense surprise and wonder of the scientists, nature was turning out to be an uncharted sea of unknown genes. The code of life was far richer and more beautiful than anyone had imagined." pg. 120

The Lost Unicorn

"In 1998, The Cloisters - the museum of medieval art in upper Manhattan - began a renovation of the room where the seven tapestries known as The Hunt of the Unicorn hang. The Unicorn Tapestries are considered by many to be the most beautiful tapestries in existence. They are also among the great works of art of any kind." pg. 132

The Self-Cannibals

" 'This is a very horrible disease, and a very complex brain problem.... It is also one of the best models we have for trying to trace the action of one gene on complex human behavior.' " H. A. Jinnah, pg. 155

"There is still great uncertainty about how much of a role genes play in major, common conditions such as depression or bipolar disorder. One wonders where obsessive-compulsive disorders come from, or such behaviors as compulsive hand-washing, compulsive neatness. Do some people suffer from OCDs that are caused by misspellings in their code? What about borderline personality disorder? How many mental illnesses are the result of errors in the code or certain combinations of errors?" pg. 159

Planet of the Apes marathon

Planet of the Apes, 1968
Beneath the Planet of the Apes, 1970
Escape from the Planet of the Apes, 1971
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, 1972
Battle for the Planet of the Apes, 1973

(I'm glad this marathon is done and won't need to be repeated for awhile.)

The Six Sacred Stones

The Six Sacred Stones by Matthew Reilly was originally published in 2008. My paperback copy is 577 pages. What can I say? First, Reilly makes it clear in a author interview included in my copy that he is planning a series of books featuring Jack West Jr. and other characters found in 7 Deadly Wonders and The Six Sacred Stones. The Six Sacred Stones is a continuation of the story found in 7 Deadly Wonders, so read 7 Deadly Wonders first. You also need to know that The Six Sacred Stones ends in a cliff hanger, so you will have to wait for the next book to finish the story. (That was a wee bit cruel, Reilly.) I actually felt that Reilly did a better job writing The Six Sacred Stones. He still overuses exclamation points, italicized words, etc, but it seemed to be less distracting. I'm wondering if this is due to the difference in reading Reilly in paperback versus hardcover? If that is the case, read him in paperback. All American's aren't evil now, just some random rogue groups. Do not expect realism or accuracy in details, and you won't be disappointed. (Basically, everything said in my 7 Deadly Wonders review still applies.) Yet again, this is a book that my nephew, Movie Dude, will really love because it reads like a movie. I did enjoy The Six Sacred Stones in spite of all the obvious flaws.
Recommended for action/adventure junkies that don't require accurate details

Synopsis from back cover:

The end of the world is here.
A mysterious ceremony in an unknown location has unlocked a catastrophic countdown to Armageddon. Now, eighteen months after his heroic bid to save humanity from an ancient curse, supersoldier Jack West Jr. and his loyal team of adventurers must find and rebuild a legendary device known only as "the Machine." The clues to their mission can only be found in the fabled Six Sacred Stones, but the team must go on a wild race around the globe to find the relics...even as the deadliest enemies they've ever encountered threaten them at every turn.

Quotes:

"Note death of Australian specialist Oakes in Iraq. The power of Tartarus has been nullified. Someone has the other Capstone." pg. xiii

"Wizard had seen the Mystery of the Circles perhaps a dozen times around the world - in Mexico and Egypt, even in Wales and Ireland - and in various forms: from crude scratchings on bare rock walls to artistic carvings over ancient doorways, but none of those renderings was anywhere near as beautifully and elaborately carved as this one." pg. 3

"The area was also known, however, for certain unusual events.

The Roswell of China, for hundreds of years it had been the site of numerous strange sightings: unexplained celestial phenomena, swarms of shooting stars, and aurora-like apparitions." pg. 5

"He snapped to look back out the kitchen window, saw Lily and Alby still playing out by the barn. Then he saw the hazy orange sky beyond them, glorious in the morning sun -

- as it began to fill with falling figures, dozens and dozens of them, figures that issued blooming parachutes above them, slowing their falls.

Paratroopers. Hundreds of paratroopers.

Coming for his farm." pg. 25

" 'The file summarizes his research into a set of six stones called the Ramesean Stones and their relationship with six oblong blocks known as the Pillars of the World, or sometimes, the Pillars of Vishnu.'

'Vishnu?' Abbas said, recognizing the word. 'As in...'

'Yes,' West said. 'As in I am Vishnu, Destroyer of the World.' " pg. 61