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Reading Diary for 2020
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  and earlier
"The Silent War"
by John Piña Craven
The Silent WarA fascinating, if utterly parochial, inside look at the development of U.S. (and Soviet) nuclear submarines. The author was part of the design team for both attack and ballistic missile subs, and later led the teams that developed deep-sea submersibles. He likes to blow his own horn in this memoir, but given the life he led and the work he did on behalf of his nation, why shouldn't he? Much of his work remained classified as of the writing of this book in 2001, bur what he can reveal, he does – with pride in the work he and his team did. What is also interesting is the underlying motivation for his life of service as a civilian contractor for the Navy: He never made it to the Naval Academy, like his father and grandfather before him, and while he served honorably on a battleship in World War II, it seems he was constantly trying to show he was good enough to have gotten into Annapolis.

"My Wars: Surviving WWII & the FCC"
by James H. Quello
My Wars: Surviving WWII & the FCCA breezy memoir by the longtime member of and former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. The first third of the book quickly covers his childhood in Detroit, then details his combat experiences in the European Theatre during the Second World War, where he served as an Army officer and participated in several amphibious assaults. The majority of the book is about his years on the FCC, from the early 1970s through the late 1990s. The strongest parts of the book are his behind-the-scenes details of how the FCC tried to figure out how to govern broadcasters in a changing landcape – first cable, then the Internet.

"A Maiden Weeping"
by Jeri Westerson
A Maiden WeepingTechnically the ninth entry in the Crispin Guest medieval noir series, this is in effect the first Jack Tucker mystery. Crispin's loyal apprentice, the orphaned former cutpurse finds himself having to uncover who is strangling prostitutes in 14th Century London while Crispin sits in Newgate Gaol, accused of the very crime. Seemingly related, a holy relic is claimed by two families both facing fading fortunes. As always, author Jeri Westerson does a masterful job of re-creating the London of the 1300s – not only the layout and architecture, but how human life was largely dictated by the rhythms of the sun, and how much Christianity imbued everyday living.

"How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming"
by Mike Brown
How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It ComingThis warm, personal memoir by the planetary astronomer whose discovery of a large Kuiper Belt object eventually led to the International Astronomical Union voting to hold that Pluto is not, in fact, a planet is ultimately compromised by an elitism that fails to recognize that astronomy is not just for astronomers. Brown does a truly wonderful job of weaving his budding professional career with his personal life: Falling in love, marrying, starting a family are clearly far more important to him than his work as an astronomer. But that utterly human grounding makes his impassioned defense of the vote to demote Pluto all the more baffling. One of the charms of theoretical physicist / author Lee Smolin is that he openly acknowledges that scientists owe their careers to the public that pays their salaries, either through university salaries or government research grants. It's why Smolin works so hard to write books about very difficult subjects that can still be inderstood by those of us who ultimately foot the bill. And give him credit – Brown is very bit as good as Smolin in explaining complex technology and concepts in easily understood language. But his ultimate conclusion that professional astronomers are best suited to decide what is and what isn't a planet, and the rest of us should bow to their expertise, frankly undercuts the logic he uses in making his case. After all, the solar system belongs to all of us.

"Past Tense"
by Jack Reacher
Past TenseJack Reacher realizes, as he works his way south from New England, that he's passing by the town his father had said he grew up in. Curiosity draws him in, and as he explores his family tree through old public records, his path becomes inexorably crossed with that of a distant relation engaged in a horrid scheme. Hint: Reacher wins.