Darwin's Ghosts: The Secret History of Evolution   Rebecca Stott
Beautifully written account of the long history, starting with Aristotle, of the idea of evolution, or as it was called, transmutation. I love this kind of intellectual history. Read the whole thing in the Nook app on my tablet. Really enjoyed it.

A Death in Summer   Benjamin Black
Forth novel in the Quirke series. This time, he is investigating the apparent suicide of a very wealthy businessman. He gets involved with the widow, and as usual, his investigations get other people hurt. Beautifully written, in-depth characterizations, and a good plot. Nice ending. Really enjoyed it.

A Darwinian Left: Politics, Evolution, and Cooperation   Peter Singer
Brief, ineffectual attempt to establish left politics on Darwin rather than Marx. Completely unconvincing. First Singer I’ve read and, most likely, the last.

The Difference Engine   William Gibson and Bruce Sterling
Overlong, but interesting, novel that started Steampunk. An alternate history Victorian England where Babbage’s difference engine became pervasive. Unfortunately, the middle sections of the book don’t really connect with the narrative begun in the first third and that resumes in the final third. But good enough nonetheless.

The Wrong Quarry   Max Allan Collins
Guilty pleasure of a book about an assassin who kills other assassins. Plenty of violence and sex, and a good plot with a big twist. What more could a guy ask for. Well executed, and a lot of fun.

Zero History   William Gibson
Gibson’s most recent novel continues the exploits of Hollis Henry in the employ of Bigend. Brings back all the people from Spook Country, and even, Pattern Recognition. Beautifully written, very interesting, and loved the characters again, especially Hollis, Milgrim, and Heidi. Couldn’t put it down. I’ve now read all of his fiction. Wish he had another one.

Free Will   Sam Harris
Unfortunately, this is a dumb book. Harris never develops a coherent argument, makes numerous logical mistakes, and looks down on his readers from a mountainous self absorption. Even though brief, this book is a waste of time. Too bad.

Death of the Black Haired Girl   Robert Stone
She dies about half-way into this dark novel. The prose is so beautifully manufactured that we are reminded of the author’s skill in every sentence. Not such a good thing. I disliked every character, probably, again, because Stone dislikes them. Even with all its accomplishment, didn’t like this book at all.

Marxism and Literary Criticism   Terry Eagleton
Very well written, highly informative, though brief, introduction to Marxist literary criticism. Marx, Engels, Trotsky, Lukacs, Macherey, Benjamin, Brecht, Althusser, and a couple of others are covered, as well as the important ideas. Excellent.