The Girl in the Spider’s Web, A Lisbeth Salander Novel   David Lagercrantz
An attempt to continue the magnificent series by Stieg Larsen. Disappointing that Lisbeth herself is, until the very end, just a minor character. Many characters, somewhat convoluted and interesting plot, and well-enough written, but there isn’t the power of Lisbeth’s personality or Larsen’s original narratives. But enjoyable enough. Glad I read it, even glad Lagercrantz is doing a series.

A Leap in the Dark: The Struggle to Create the American Republic   John Ferling
Outstanding single-volume history of the American Revolution from 1754-1800. It’s amazing that Ferling could cram so much useful information, covering so many crucial years, into a well-written, compelling narrative. This is a very good book. Really enjoyed it and learned a lot.

Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex   Mary Roach
I read this book because years ago I saw a very entertaining Ted Talk by Roach on the same subject. I didn’t find any of this book nearly as interesting, or maybe there was just too much of it. She loves the nitty-gritty of experimentation, even participating as a subject. I’m much more interested in what we can understand from it. It all got kind of tedious for me, even her delight in much of the apparent absurdity of it all. Too bad.

Complexity: A Guided Tour   Melanie Mitchell
Interesting book about complex systems even though the author is unable to come up with a definition of complexity or even a way to measure it. She says, though, that “modern complex systems science is… still not a unified whole but rather a collection of disparate parts with some overlapping concepts”, at least as of 2009 when the book was published. Found the fact that human metabolism and the immune system are complex, self-organizing systems most fascinating. Really enjoyed the sections on networks and evo-devo (evolutionary development). Found the idea fascinating. Overall, good, glad I read it.

Marx's Das Kapital: A Biography   Francis Wheen
Outstanding overview of one of the most important and influential books of western culture. Very well written, very well organized, packed with insights, thoughtful analysis, and lucid history. More and more, it is clear to me that Marx was a genius. A very good introduction. Really enjoyed it.

American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic   Joseph J. Ellis
Problematic popular history of the creation of the United States from 1776 – 1803. After claiming that it would be a mistake to view the founders and what they did through the socio-political lens of the 21^st Century, Ellis proceeds to do just that. He is especially disparaging of Jefferson. Good information about attempts to deal with native American populations in the territory acquired in the 1783 Treaty of Paris, and the intrigues of the Louisiana Purchase. Tone and self-referential disingenuousness disturbing.

Pump Six and Other Stories   Paolo Bacigalupi
A wonderful, beautifully-written collection of stories that take place primarily in brutal, harsh future dystopias destroyed by climate, disease, and human despair. Completely convincing. I am still haunted by “Pop Squad” about policemen who exterminate illegal human children. Powerful, unforgettable, and very, very good.

The American Revolution: A History   Gordon S. Wood
Another excellent analysis of the American Revolution. Like his other books, Wood is writing political history, discussing the arguments and ideas that propelled British colonies from the 1740s into a full-blown republic by the late 1780s. Little about the war or society, much about the political mutations that occurred. Very good, very readable.

Revolutionary Characters: What Made the Founders Different   Gordon S. Wood
Much more a discussion and analysis of the political ideas of the founders than history or biography. Most interested in Jefferson, Madison, and Burr. As usual with Wood, highly intelligent, thorough, and insightful. Some of the intricacies of their political arguments got a little tedious, but an excellent work. Very good.

The Annotated U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence   Jack N. Rakove
Nice volume that contains copies of the two founding documents of the United States with facing-page, paragraph-by-paragraph commentary. Having just read several histories about the creation of both, I didn’t need the annotations, but very well done. Great review.

The American Revolution: A Concise History Robert J. Allison
Concise indeed, but full of useful information. Filled in gaps for me about the southern campaign of the Revolutionary War, and provided a good introduction to the postwar struggles for statehood, a constitution, and against the Amerindians in the western territories the Americans wanted. Nicely written. Very glad I read it.

The Historical Atlas of the American Revolution   Ian Barnes
Outstanding narrative and collection of maps and diagrams, showing the social, political, and military causes and issues of the revolution and war. Found the descriptions of the battles especially useful. Filled in gaps in other narratives. A lot of really good information about areas of the war outside North America, and native American involvement, as well. Very, very informative.

Timeline of the Revolutionary War   Charlie Samuels
Brief, but very useful outline of the main points of the Revolutionary War from the causes to the aftermath. It includes some good narrative, as well. Very helpful in seeing the sequence of the major battles.

Patriots: The Men Who Started the American Revolution   A. J. Langguth
Excellent narrative history of the origins and progress of the American Revolution through the treaty of Paris in 1783. While there must be gaps in a book only a little over 600 pages that covers such a complicated subject, there is a lot of good information. Very well written in a clean, simple style. For me, it was like reading an engrossing novel. Very useful, really liked it.

Revolutionary Summer: The Birth of American Independence   Joseph J. Ellis
Well-written and interesting history of the summer of 1776 as the war of independence heated up and the continental congress wrote and published the Declaration of Independence. The battles are covered in less detail than in McCullough’s 1776, but the information about the congress filled in gaps for me. Focuses on Adams, Washington, Jefferson, and the Howe brothers. Very profitable and enjoyable.

Common Sense, the Crisis, & Other Writings from the American Revolution   Thomas Paine
Common Sense is the pamphlet that influenced pretty much everyone who helped bring about American independence and was read by hundreds of thousands of common people. Embarrassed to say I had not read it until now. Especially interesting to read The Crisis issues as I read about the events Paine, who was fighting with the colonial army at the time, discusses. One of the founding intellectual documents of the United States.

The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution   Bernard Bailyn
Outstanding examination and history of the ideas that caused, and were, the American Revolution. As usual with Bailyn, very well written and highly intelligent. Details the development of ideas (e.g., logic of rebellion, representation and rights, sovereignty, sources of power, the contagion of liberty) and the reasoned arguments, primarily through the omnipresent pamphlets of the time, that helped develop them. Highlights the reasoned and highly intelligent thinking, one of the things about this period of history that I like so much. Excellent, couldn’t put it down.

1776   David McCullough
Wonderful history of probably the key year of the American Revolution when Americans declared what was already essentially a fact and came within a hair’s breadth of losing it. Well written, thorough, non-mythical, I especially liked that it relied very heavily on primary, first-hand accounts such as diaries and letters. Fascinating and full of good information. Loved it.