narj

• Rated 4 stars

“http://booktripper.blogspot.com/2012/02/dangerous-lives-of-altar-boys.html”

narj wrote this review 19 hours ago. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“I thought I was abnormal or something (LOL) but after reading this, there's nothing really to be afraid of. Unless the book's principle is severely flawed, I was still normal (and a dork) after all. If the authors' (Tadahiko Nagao and Isamu Saito) aim in publishing this book is to promote fun without diverting from science and at the same time for the reader's learning or reflection, then I can say that they hit the goal with a positive mark. Highly recommended for friends, lovers, and enemies alike.”

narj wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“In all of these initial experiences within the world of espionage fiction and seeing how readers today love popular fiction, I drew a hypothesis that there can only be two kinds of a spy novel: the first kind bores you to death because the politics are realistic (if not allusive), and the second one entertained you to life because of cheap thrills, gadgets, and naked chicks.

This made Le Carre novels apparently boring to younger readers and Ian Fleming's, commercially viable to novice readers. Nothing much to blame, politics (or history) is exclusive only for the mature readers.

But now that I am an 'old' reader, it's quiet different. Global politics did not bore me anymore, it was very informative and it opened my eye. The chick is never dumb though simple, still you would want to fall for. There are action scenes but they are not the center of the novel. The center of the novel is about this dark mantra--the philosophy of any espionage work. This mantra states that in the real world there is no such thing as "black and white." Always been and will always be. Grey areas will never go and nothing can change that.

The most important attribute of this novel is its unpredictability--in a very good and thrilling way. Originally published in 1963, the setting is in the 1950's revolving on the post WWII espionage and counter-espionage conflicts between the communist East Germany and the monarchic Great Britain. It was a classic spy war, an unseen showdown between the Abteilung and the Circus. The Berlin Wall still exists here and I like it when Le Carre started the story there, and also ended it all there. Perfectly symbolic. A good closure, a return to zero when you draw that proverbial, circular line. And you will enjoy this in a light reading pace of 223 pages.

Now I know why this book is heavily regarded as the top espionage novel of the past century and why Time Magazine inducted this thriller in its list of 100 Best Novels of the modern era.

Le Carre's credibility as a former member of Her Majesty's Secret Service--the MI6 is unquestionable and his deep insight into the complex world of espionage is unfathomable. This is perhaps, his signature book but we hope for more as long as he still writes realistic and complex stories highly relevant through the ages. That makes a novel classic.

(see my full review here: http://booktripper.blogspot.com/2011/09/spy-who-came-in-from-cold.html)
”

narj wrote this review Sunday, September 11, 2011. ( reply | permalink )

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 4 stars

“Light and Darkness.

These two sides constantly watch each other's move like two dueling chess masters, planning a strategy against the enemy under the limits of a treaty, a treaty that impose balance between the two sides and the future of human civilization. And between the pages, you can see and enjoy the tension and gravity between the two sides as they try to outfox each other until another group emerges from the blinds, and the rise of a potential sorceress that threatens to tip the scales-- the balance of power.

The elements may not be original from Fantasy stories but the characters and actions are told in a refreshing perspective that will only leave you with delight and sympathy for the characters. Though I recommend this book to mature readers, it may appeal to young adults. Because the reading is over before you know it, and you will crave for more.”

narj wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“Lived up to the expectations as one of the more recognizable strategy and creativity books out there. I never heard of Dr Robinson's original speech that summarized this book but no need, this is substantial enough to inspire unique individuals sharing the passion to become successful in their own chosen field and domain.

Just like what Paulo Coelho said: "True Love never keeps a man from pursuing his own personal Legend." Thanks for the good set of advice, Coelho and Dr Robinson! ”

narj wrote this review Sunday, April 24, 2011. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“Awesome book! It deserves to be adapted into a film. Purely for mature and open-minded readers only. Stieg Larsson is smart in weaving a complex tale that wont disappoint you in finally solving a "murder" mystery and corruption. Can't wait to get a copy of the second and third book and finish reading them all.”

narj wrote this review Sunday, February 6, 2011. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“With this book, the PacMan reiterates why the negotiations for the fight between him and Mayweather resulted in a stalemate. Manny is not against blood testing, contrary to what Floyd believes. Manny is against the timing of the blood tests (especially when done hours before the fight) because it weakens him just like what he experienced in his first fight against Morales. Manny did took a blood test in his first bout with Morales and if he was indeed taking the 'power pellets' (as Floyd asserts in his latest video stream for his fans), the world would have already known it after that Morales fight. But Manny's record remains clean as previously tested by the NSAC and TSAC, and Floydie remains a pussy and a paranoiac as shown in his recent legal misdeeds with his wife and children.

Anyway, this book is about Manny and not about Floyd. His story gives hope to the hopeless and the underdog. I use Hopeless and the Underdog as it applies to the Filipino and the rest of the Asian race. Manny Pacquiao is a success story built from zero to hero and from the grassroots to the stars. His faith is also solid. I hope he remains a humble person and I also hope that he use that wisdom to see beyond the masked flattery and unsolicited advice by the people who surround him (and earning from him) every day.

He is a good source of inspiration and he needs nothing more to prove it. The only flaw of this book is that it reads like a build up book for his political career. Pacquiao for President? I don't think so even if it's too early to ask. He fits perfectly well being the Humanitarian and not the Politician. Politics is the dirtiest job on the planet and Manny will inevitably face some enemies. As a fan, I prefer for him to become a boxing instructor and strategist while he can still help the poor by building livelihood foundations, schools, hospitals, and gymnasiums. The country still owns no gold in the Olympics and it's not that far for him to give a helping hand (or fists!) to the young and aspiring athletes. Everybody wins if he do that.

This book also needs some editing after seeing misspelled words and lost phrases. The best nugget from this book though, is the maternal wisdom of Mommy Dionisia. "The strongest terms, my mother warned me that begging is not the right way to live. Work was our first option. Prayer was the second. Begging was not an option." Indeed, there really is no substitute for hard work.

What is Manny's secret in maintaining his speed? He develops his core strength. This core strength connects his mind with his hands and feet, back and forth. "I attend to my core strength because everything in boxing is based from your core: lower back strength, toned sides, strong abdominal muscles, and flexible, strong hips. When your core is tight and strong, your legs are able to pull from this base. If you just develop strong legs then you will tire quickly. The key is to develop the middle of your body first and then the upper body, including shoulders and arms, plus your upper back."

Every boxing fan is amazed on how Manny fights and how he climb the weight classes without losing his speed. Some say he's a Freak of Nature while boxing trainer Emmanuel Steward says Manny is a Machine. I think Manny is not a machine nor a freak, but simply a Force of Nature. A storm coming from the Pacific.
”

narj wrote this review Sunday, January 30, 2011. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“How on earth had the Mexicans who live in the land where corn was first domesticated, become dependent on imports of US corn? How did the Philippines---a once primary rice exporter, became the world's biggest importer of rice, regularly sourcing 1-2 million tons of its annual rice requirement in the international market? Why did the structural adjustment in Africa failed so miserably, a contention that is no longer disputed by the World Bank? Why did the Chinese Communist Party need to regain the peasant confidence after joining the World Trade Organization? These questions are actually not mine. But any geopolitical eyes can perceive it, and it's in the book carefully dissected, analyzed, and ultimately answered by the professor from UP.

Though I deeply sympathize with the displaced and dispossessed peasants and farmers(including the Korean farmer Lee Kyung Hae who took his own life in protest against the WTO in 2003), there are still a lot of "new" thoughts (or maybe late realizations) in this book that really made me think again of my personal views on this currently hyped Global Age. Perhaps, this might be the best description of this book and I encourage you all to read this one.

Here are examples of those points:

---Agrofuel (biodiesel, ethanol, etc.) as a renewable source of energy still contributes to global warming and cannot be considered as a solution (or the lesser evil, if you want to push it) to climate change.
---The best solution to Global Warming is still, cut the energy consumption. We are all guilty of overconsumption.
---Unless they make policies in favor of the peasants, the World Trade Organization will always be nasty. And the World Bank-IMF, nastier.
---The biggest investor in the Philippines is...the government itself!
---There are double standards in the international free trade rules and it sucked.
---The Food Sovereignty paradigm proposed by Via Campesina and their advocates is a sound plan that values the back-to-nature principles of farming and the community-centered food production. This will be the biggest headache of the transnational capitalists and profit-centered policymakers.
---Agrarian Reform Program in the Philippines will never succeed as long as the lawmakers (Members of the House of Representatives) are landlords themselves. The President PNOY himself is also a landlord!
---Land is now the desired commodity




This book is an eye-opener, and a paradigm shifter too. Too bad, we are living in an extremely Capitalistic World and majority of the people will never understand him...”

narj wrote this review Friday, December 31, 2010. ( reply | permalink )

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 5 stars

“There is a great danger in man's obsession with historical theories and other self-fulfilling prophecies. Time and time again the power of conviction without a solid proof is in his blood because man by nature, is a believer. There's nothing wrong with believing. The problem is in the person when he becomes obsessed.

Umberto Eco's FOUCAULT'S PENDULUM warns us of that danger. This intellectual adventure story of the first order warns us about the number of writers employing the strategy on tackling historical theories and claiming that they are true (like Dan Brown did and the rest of his clones). There is a thin line that separates entertainment from truth, but when spiteful reactions spawn irresponsibly from the unproven conviction of this never ending search for the truth about the Templar Knights and other secret societies, the damage is already done to the global consciousness and the once united structure are breaking into pieces and factions before we know it. Rephrasing a nugget from the late Martin Luther King Jr,-- humanity must learn to live together as brothers if we don't want to perish together as fools.

Back to the novel, the novel actually starts near the ending and zooms you back to its origin. From that, you will take a roller coaster ride deeper into diverse narrative genres of detective stories, commentaries on the publishing world, philosophical discourses, social realism and science, nationalism, romantic love, comradeship, historical theories, fanaticism, religion, and adventure. Eco did it effectively without sacrificing his sage-like witticism and sarcasm and for that, this novel entered the literary status. If you're intimidated by the page blurb from Time saying that it's endlessly diverting, I advise you not to believe in it. The series of historical (and Jewish) addendum is important (including those medieval and hermetic quotes in the form of their original languages) for they only add up to the novel's unique atmosphere of the arcane and the secret knowledge. I consider this book as more of a Speculative History than Historical Fiction and I enjoyed the verbal antics of the major characters.

If you're hungry for historical conspiracy theories, this book is a repository of them. And if you see yourself overwhelmed by the labyrinthine chase in history on who-dun-it and predator-prey dichotomy (the main characters talk on lots of eccentric, shadowy, historical characters like Marx, Aleister Crowley, Count Cagliostro, De Molay, et. al.) don't worry, there is an Enlightenment chapter, the main character Casaubon will summarize it all.

Another good part of this novel are the parallel stories on Casaubon's romantic struggles with Amparo, and then with Lia, and also Belbo's struggles with Lorenza and other women, and his childhood love and war stories in an undisclosed European countryside. This is surely a man's book and I will miss reading it. Eco depicted Casaubon's wife Lia to be an ideal woman. She's not scared of saying you're an idiot, and she always know how to enlighten and clear a fuzzy mind of a man absorbed in his day's work with care. Smart, gutsy, nerdy, and practical chick--an opposite to Lorenza's tempting and sultry character.

Diotallevi's wisdom of a dying man is also highly memorable, because he sees the major folly of playing with historical facts and turning them into more dangerous theories--The Plan, that their readers will easily believe without a doubt. Fanatics feed their own beliefs and Diotallevi is remorseful of that. Karma is employing Science against Diotallevi, and I admire him for being brave in facing it. It all started with The Plan; the three writers of the arcana--- Belbo, Casaubon, and Diotallevi started it all upon obtaining a secret list from an aging Colonel Ardenti, and Belbo's final resolution for all of this in facing the inevitable alone is also highly admirable. His tragic end at the Pendulum is highly symbolic.

Overall, the novel's major message is that there can only be two answers to a secret. The first answer is a major disappointment (secrets not so very grand and epic), and the second is there's actually no secret at all.

Tragicomic it may sound, but that is the final answer to the biggest secret of them all.”

narj wrote this review Wednesday, October 27, 2010. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“Do not ever mess with a dreamer, who happens to belong to the lower class 'coz he can easily kick your sorry a##...

Sakto ang maikling kuwentong ito na naisulat ni Norman Wilwayco para masungkit ang parangal ng Palanca. Tragicomedy ang kuwento nito at manghihinayang ka dahil hindi na magiging Inhinyero ang kaawa-awa at astig na bida.

Rating: LIMANG karneng losyang sa LIMA

”

narj wrote this review Monday, June 21, 2010. ( reply | permalink )