Bookshelfcurrent reading list2009-02-04T15:45:08-08:00Ozhttp://www.gedankenexperiment.dk/bookshelf.phpadmin@gedankenexperiment.dktag:gedankenexperiment,2009:bookshelfPivotCopyright (c) 2009, Authors of BookshelfCold War Intrigue2009-01-07T08:21:00-08:002009-01-07T13:21:00-08:00tag:gedankenexperiment,2009:bookshelf.803Spy Wars: Moles, Mysteries, and Deadly Games by Tennent H. Bagley ISBN 978-0300121988
This fascinating book proved great medicine while we were laid up with a cold over the recent holidays. The author was a counterintelligence officer at CIA in the 1950s and 60s, eventually rising to chief of counterintelligence for the Soviet Russia ("SR") Division and Division Deputy Director. While the book looks into many historical Tsarist and Soviet intel operations, the prime focus is on the case of a notorious KGB Soviet defector, Yuri Nosenko which the author was directly involved. The author also spends considerable time on the efforts (cover up?) by the CIA and others to rehabilitate Nosenko's bona fides as a genuine and valuable defector.
The bottom line is this - if you take the author at his word concerning the interviews and documents he was involved in, as well as those of others, there is no way one can see Nosenko as anything but a false defector. However, the question in my mind is why they would willingly send someone so blatantly unprepared - certainly they thought better of CIA than that? I have to wonder if the actual decision to 'defect' was in fact Nosenko's - he was a drunk and womanizer and going no where fast at KGB. His 1962 Geneva trip was probably a real KGB operation, but the subsequent trip could have seen Nosenko go off reservation figuring he had a ticket to a better life (ultimately) in the US if he defected rather than work in place as a 'double' as per KGB orders. This would have put KGB in quite the difficult situation.
Anyone interested in intelligence operations, especially those of the cold war period should read this book. We can only hope now that Nosenko is dead that the CIA will release *all* the files, at least those that were not destroyed in the late 1960s.Spy Wars: Moles, Mysteries, and Deadly Games by Tennent H. Bagley ISBN 978-0300121988
This fascinating book proved great medicine while we were laid up with a cold over the recent holidays. The author was a counterintelligence officer at CIA in the 1950s and 60s, eventually rising to chief of counterintelligence for the Soviet Russia ("SR") Division and Division Deputy Director. While the book looks into many historical Tsarist and Soviet intel operations, the prime focus is on the case of a notorious KGB Soviet defector, Yuri Nosenko which the author was directly involved. The author also spends considerable time on the efforts (cover up?) by the CIA and others to rehabilitate Nosenko's bona fides as a genuine and valuable defector.
The bottom line is this - if you take the author at his word concerning the interviews and documents he was involved in, as well as those of others, there is no way one can see Nosenko as anything but a false defector. However, the question in my mind is why they would willingly send someone so blatantly unprepared - certainly they thought better of CIA than that? I have to wonder if the actual decision to 'defect' was in fact Nosenko's - he was a drunk and womanizer and going no where fast at KGB. His 1962 Geneva trip was probably a real KGB operation, but the subsequent trip could have seen Nosenko go off reservation figuring he had a ticket to a better life (ultimately) in the US if he defected rather than work in place as a 'double' as per KGB orders. This would have put KGB in quite the difficult situation.
Anyone interested in intelligence operations, especially those of the cold war period should read this book. We can only hope now that Nosenko is dead that the CIA will release *all* the files, at least those that were not destroyed in the late 1960s.
Copyright 2004-2008 by Gedanken Experiment (previously Rant Street), all rights reserved. Full terms of use at www.gedankenexperiment.dk
]]>ministratorOn Nuclear Terrorism2008-07-01T22:03:00-08:002008-02-19T00:34:00-08:00tag:gedankenexperiment,2009:bookshelf.773On Nuclear Terrorism by M. Levi ISBN 9780674026490 If you are not a wonk, move on as this book is not for you. Thoroughly referenced, Levi's book goes into detail on the subject of nuclear terrorism and its defense. What might be surprising is that we now find ourselves somewhat more at ease than before reading it. The physics of nuclear weapons was not new to us yet much of the engineering aspects were and when viewed along side the various controls and defenses now in place, one begins to realize just how difficult a task building a very small rudimentary weapon would be to even the 'best' terrorist group. While not the fastest read due in part to the need to check the extensive footnotes, anybody who either needs to know or wants to know about this subject should read this book and not risk being lost in journalistic hyperbole or worse, government proaoganda.On Nuclear Terrorism by M. Levi ISBN 9780674026490
If you are not a wonk, move on as this book is not for you. Thoroughly referenced, Levi's book goes into detail on the subject of nuclear terrorism and its defense. What might be surprising is that we now find ourselves somewhat more at ease than before reading it. The physics of nuclear weapons was not new to us yet much of the engineering aspects were and when viewed along side the various controls and defenses now in place, one begins to realize just how difficult a task building a very small rudimentary weapon would be to even the 'best' terrorist group. While not the fastest read due in part to the need to check the extensive footnotes, anybody who either needs to know or wants to know about this subject should read this book and not risk being lost in journalistic hyperbole or worse, government proaoganda.
Copyright 2004-2008 by Gedanken Experiment (previously Rant Street), all rights reserved. Full terms of use at www.gedankenexperiment.dk
]]>ministratorVacuum Diagrams2008-07-01T22:03:00-08:002008-02-19T00:12:00-08:00tag:gedankenexperiment,2009:bookshelf.772Vacuum Diagrams by S. Baxter ISBN 9780061059049 Being a fan of hard Sci Fi and not the touchy-feely rubbish publishers push on the genre these days, Baxter's books looked very interesting. Checking quickly on-line for sequencing of his novels (there appeared to be an underlying theme related to an alien race called the Xeelee), we came across this quote from the author:
I’m not a great fan of books that end with cliff-hangers. So you could go in anywhere. One way would be to start with ‘Vacuum Diagrams’, a collection that sets out the overall story of the universe. Then ‘Timelike Infinity’ and ‘Ring’ which tell the story of Michael Poole, then ‘Raft’ and ‘Flux’ which are really incidents against the wider background, and finally ‘Destiny’s Children.’"Taking his advice, we are now about one-third into Vacuum Diagrams and we like it.Vacuum Diagrams by S. BaxterISBN 9780061059049
Being a fan of hard Sci Fi and not the touchy-feely rubbish publishers push on the genre these days, Baxter's books looked very interesting. Checking quickly on-line for sequencing of his novels (there appeared to be an underlying theme related to an alien race called the Xeelee), we came across this quote from the author:
I’m not a great fan of books that end with cliff-hangers. So you could go in anywhere. One way would be to start with ‘Vacuum Diagrams’, a collection that sets out the overall story of the universe. Then ‘Timelike Infinity’ and ‘Ring’ which tell the story of Michael Poole, then ‘Raft’ and ‘Flux’ which are really incidents against the wider background, and finally ‘Destiny’s Children.’"
Taking his advice, we are now about one-third into Vacuum Diagrams and we like it.
Copyright 2004-2008 by Gedanken Experiment (previously Rant Street), all rights reserved. Full terms of use at www.gedankenexperiment.dk
]]>ministratorSteidlmayer on Markets2008-07-01T22:03:00-08:002008-02-19T00:04:00-08:00tag:gedankenexperiment,2009:bookshelf.771Steidlmayer on Markets: Trading with Market Profile by J. Steidlmayer and S. Hawkins ISBN 9780471215561 Always looking for some new perspectives on trading, we decided to finally take the plunge and try to understand market profile. What better source than a book co-written (and blessed) by the man who created the technique, Mr. Steidlmayer? Recommended for any chartists who would like to incorporate this method into their trading.Steidlmayer on Markets: Trading with Market Profile by J. Steidlmayer and S. HawkinsISBN 9780471215561
Always looking for some new perspectives on trading, we decided to finally take the plunge and try to understand market profile. What better source than a book co-written (and blessed) by the man who created the technique, Mr. Steidlmayer? Recommended for any chartists who would like to incorporate this method into their trading.
Copyright 2004-2008 by Gedanken Experiment (previously Rant Street), all rights reserved. Full terms of use at www.gedankenexperiment.dk
]]>ministratorCalculus Of Variations2008-07-01T22:08:00-08:002007-01-31T01:45:00-08:00tag:gedankenexperiment,2009:bookshelf.639L.E. Elsgolc, Addison Wesley 1962 (translated from the original in Russian),LOC 61-14038 This book was recommended background reading for topics using functional analysis such as advanced quantum mechanics and quantum electrodynamics. As far as math books go, it is actually concise and clear. As we are about to embark on a few Feynman texts, this is a handy little item. Note there are paperback copies available at low cost but also many complaints of illegible print so get the Addison Wesley hard cover edition of you can find it.L.E. Elsgolc, Addison Wesley 1962 (translated from the original in Russian),LOC 61-14038
This book was recommended background reading for topics using functional analysis such as advanced quantum mechanics and quantum electrodynamics. As far as math books go, it is actually concise and clear. As we are about to embark on a few Feynman texts, this is a handy little item. Note there are paperback copies available at low cost but also many complaints of illegible print so get the Addison Wesley hard cover edition of you can find it.
Copyright 2004-2008 by Gedanken Experiment (previously Rant Street), all rights reserved. Full terms of use at www.gedankenexperiment.dk
]]>ministratorFrom The Shadows2008-07-01T22:05:00-08:002007-01-31T01:15:00-08:00tag:gedankenexperiment,2009:bookshelf.638The Ultimate Insider's Story Of Five Presidents And How They Won The Cold War by Robert M. Gates, Simon & Shuster 1996 ISBN 0684810816 Written by the new US Secretary of Defense, this book details his time at CIA and the NSC from the mid 1960's through his appointment as DCI in late 1991 and his view of the events and men who fought the Cold War. While there is an undercurrent through much of the book which leads you to believe it may be in response to an earlier autobiography by long time Reagan Secretary of State George Schultz, on the whole it was very informative. Gates, in addition to climbing the ranks of CIA, also served twice in the NSC and hence had direct access at the highest levels to both political decision makers as well as the most important military and economic intelligence on the USSR. Ironically, we had just finished the section dealing with the Ford presidency at the time of his death and because of this book knew Ford had much more on his plate than Watergate and cleaning up loose ends in Viet Nam. Beyond the historical importance, this is also a valuable resource into the thinking of the man now in charge of (hopefully) extracting some degree of success out of Iraq.The Ultimate Insider's Story Of Five Presidents And How They Won The Cold War by Robert M. Gates, Simon & Shuster 1996ISBN 0684810816
Written by the new US Secretary of Defense, this book details his time at CIA and the NSC from the mid 1960's through his appointment as DCI in late 1991 and his view of the events and men who fought the Cold War. While there is an undercurrent through much of the book which leads you to believe it may be in response to an earlier autobiography by long time Reagan Secretary of State George Schultz, on the whole it was very informative. Gates, in addition to climbing the ranks of CIA, also served twice in the NSC and hence had direct access at the highest levels to both political decision makers as well as the most important military and economic intelligence on the USSR. Ironically, we had just finished the section dealing with the Ford presidency at the time of his death and because of this book knew Ford had much more on his plate than Watergate and cleaning up loose ends in Viet Nam. Beyond the historical importance, this is also a valuable resource into the thinking of the man now in charge of (hopefully) extracting some degree of success out of Iraq.
Copyright 2004-2008 by Gedanken Experiment (previously Rant Street), all rights reserved. Full terms of use at www.gedankenexperiment.dk
]]>ministratorShadowmarch2008-07-01T22:06:00-08:002006-10-04T02:52:00-08:00tag:gedankenexperiment,2009:bookshelf.575Tad Williams, ISBN 0756403596 The first installment in a new fantasy trilogy by an accomplished author in the genre. Williams has paid close attention to detail beginning with his first work, Tailchaser's Song and this story is no exception. Halfway through, the character development is excellent while the plot line is gradually building up steam. This installment looks to finish well and judging by his past works, the time reading this trilogy (first book 796 pages) will be well spent.Tad Williams, ISBN 0756403596
The first installment in a new fantasy trilogy by an accomplished author in the genre. Williams has paid close attention to detail beginning with his first work, Tailchaser's Song and this story is no exception. Halfway through, the character development is excellent while the plot line is gradually building up steam. This installment looks to finish well and judging by his past works, the time reading this trilogy (first book 796 pages) will be well spent.
Copyright 2004-2008 by Gedanken Experiment (previously Rant Street), all rights reserved. Full terms of use at www.gedankenexperiment.dk
]]>mmiskFundamental Astronomy2008-07-01T22:08:00-08:002006-10-04T02:25:00-08:00tag:gedankenexperiment,2009:bookshelf.574Springer 3rd Edition, eds. Karttunen, Kröger, Oja, Poutanen and Donner ISBN 3540609369 This introductory survey began as lecture notes from a class that Oja taught in the late 1980's in Helsinki. Additional work was added by other Finnish academics as well as the editors who were also responsible for the translations to English and German. The book is concise and clear and is a good refresher text. An updated 5th edition is due out this October.Springer 3rd Edition, eds. Karttunen, Kröger, Oja, Poutanen and DonnerISBN 3540609369
This introductory survey began as lecture notes from a class that Oja taught in the late 1980's in Helsinki. Additional work was added by other Finnish academics as well as the editors who were also responsible for the translations to English and German. The book is concise and clear and is a good refresher text. An updated 5th edition is due out this October.
Copyright 2004-2008 by Gedanken Experiment (previously Rant Street), all rights reserved. Full terms of use at www.gedankenexperiment.dk
]]>mmiskFaces Of A Nation2006-10-04T01:49:00-08:002006-10-04T01:49:00-08:00tag:gedankenexperiment,2009:bookshelf.573The Rise And Fall Of The Soviet Union, 1917-1991, by Baltermants and Von Laue ISBN 1-55591-262-1 This oversized hardcover is a history of the Soviet Union told through the camera of Dmitri Baltermants and text of historians Theodore and Angela Von Laue. Baltermants (1912-1990) was an eminent photographer who served in an official capacity for the Kremlin as well as the news magazine Ogonyok, beginning his work in 1939 for Izvestiya. His photographs capture many facets of Soviet life from military action to daily life to politics and flow through an interesting and well written account of the circumstances of the rise and fall of the cold war nemesis of the United States. RecommendedThe Rise And Fall Of The Soviet Union, 1917-1991, by Baltermants and Von Laue ISBN 1-55591-262-1 This oversized hardcover is a history of the Soviet Union told through the camera of Dmitri Baltermants and text of historians Theodore and Angela Von Laue. Baltermants (1912-1990) was an eminent photographer who served in an official capacity for the Kremlin as well as the news magazine Ogonyok, beginning his work in 1939 for Izvestiya. His photographs capture many facets of Soviet life from military action to daily life to politics and flow through an interesting and well written account of the circumstances of the rise and fall of the cold war nemesis of the United States. Recommended
Copyright 2004-2008 by Gedanken Experiment (previously Rant Street), all rights reserved. Full terms of use at www.gedankenexperiment.dk
]]>mmiskRelativity2006-08-22T16:49:00-08:002006-08-22T16:49:00-08:00tag:gedankenexperiment,2009:bookshelf.554The Special And The General Theory, Einstein. Reprint by Tess Press, hardcover ISBN: 9781579125158 (custom) Reprint of the original 1916 and 1952 addition to Einstein 'common man' classic. Not much to be said that isn't already known; small hard cover format is nice.The Special And The General Theory, Einstein. Reprint by Tess Press, hardcover ISBN: 9781579125158 (custom) Reprint of the original 1916 and 1952 addition to Einstein 'common man' classic. Not much to be said that isn't already known; small hard cover format is nice.
Copyright 2004-2008 by Gedanken Experiment (previously Rant Street), all rights reserved. Full terms of use at www.gedankenexperiment.dk
]]>ministratorComputer and Digital System Architecture2006-08-22T17:01:00-08:002006-08-22T16:37:00-08:00tag:gedankenexperiment,2009:bookshelf.553William D. Murray, Prentice Hall 1990 ISBN: 0131657216 Yawn. A bit dated and not quite what I expected, but was only a couple bucks in the Borders sale bin. Had hoped for a bit more nuts and bolts but getting better after the first few very dry chapters. Probably will end up skimming the rest and looking for something more recent and perhaps one design level lower.William D. Murray, Prentice Hall 1990 ISBN: 0131657216 Yawn. A bit dated and not quite what I expected, but was only a couple bucks in the Borders sale bin. Had hoped for a bit more nuts and bolts but getting better after the first few very dry chapters. Probably will end up skimming the rest and looking for something more recent and perhaps one design level lower.
Copyright 2004-2008 by Gedanken Experiment (previously Rant Street), all rights reserved. Full terms of use at www.gedankenexperiment.dk
]]>ministratorAlexander Hamilton2006-08-22T17:01:00-08:002006-08-22T15:46:00-08:00tag:gedankenexperiment,2009:bookshelf.552Ron Chernow, Penguin Press ISBN: 0143034758 Biographies and other historical books are generally not high up on our list of books to read as most to our taste are quite boring. However, Hamilton received high praise from a number of sources so we picked this tome up on sale at Borders. And it is a tome at 731 pages (excluding notes) in trade paper back with not an especially large font! Yet it is by far the best biography we have read - a high level of relevant detail but done such that the story flows at a very good pace. Read at night, it tends to keep you awake rather than put you to sleep which is certainly praise worthy for this genre.
As to the content, it now amazes me how little attention is paid to Hamilton in our schools as he was directly responsible for much of what we now call the Federal government and not just the idea of a central bank. In many ways he was a Clintonesque character except he actually delivered on the promise his compatriots saw in him. This book is well worth reading, even if it takes you a few weeks (or months!) to finish.Ron Chernow, Penguin Press ISBN: 0143034758 Biographies and other historical books are generally not high up on our list of books to read as most to our taste are quite boring. However, Hamilton received high praise from a number of sources so we picked this tome up on sale at Borders. And it is a tome at 731 pages (excluding notes) in trade paper back with not an especially large font! Yet it is by far the best biography we have read - a high level of relevant detail but done such that the story flows at a very good pace. Read at night, it tends to keep you awake rather than put you to sleep which is certainly praise worthy for this genre.
As to the content, it now amazes me how little attention is paid to Hamilton in our schools as he was directly responsible for much of what we now call the Federal government and not just the idea of a central bank. In many ways he was a Clintonesque character except he actually delivered on the promise his compatriots saw in him. This book is well worth reading, even if it takes you a few weeks (or months!) to finish.
Copyright 2004-2008 by Gedanken Experiment (previously Rant Street), all rights reserved. Full terms of use at www.gedankenexperiment.dk
]]>ministratorNot a Good Day to Die2006-06-01T04:22:00-08:002006-06-01T04:22:00-08:00tag:gedankenexperiment,2009:bookshelf.505The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda, by Sean Naylor ISBN 0425207870 This book is a must read book, period. It is written and extensively referenced by an imbedded reporter (101st Airborne) during Operation Anaconda, the last major battle of the Afghan war in early 2002. The author has also written for Army Times. Don't expect a Clancy-like page turner; its not that kind of book. The level of detail at times is overwhelming as the cast of characters was large and from diverse operational units. The best word to sum up this book is disturbing. You should take your own impressions from this book, but I will say it goes a long way to explaining the situation in Iraq.The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda, by Sean Naylor ISBN 0425207870 This book is a must read book, period. It is written and extensively referenced by an imbedded reporter (101st Airborne) during Operation Anaconda, the last major battle of the Afghan war in early 2002. The author has also written for Army Times. Don't expect a Clancy-like page turner; its not that kind of book. The level of detail at times is overwhelming as the cast of characters was large and from diverse operational units. The best word to sum up this book is disturbing. You should take your own impressions from this book, but I will say it goes a long way to explaining the situation in Iraq.
Copyright 2004-2008 by Gedanken Experiment (previously Rant Street), all rights reserved. Full terms of use at www.gedankenexperiment.dk
]]>ministratorFeynman Lectures on Computation2006-06-01T04:02:00-08:002006-06-01T04:02:00-08:00tag:gedankenexperiment,2009:bookshelf.504Richard Phillips Feynman (editors Anthony J. G. Hey, Robin W. Allen) ISBN 0201489910 Taken from lecture notes of a class titled Potentialities and Limitations of Computing Machines given in the early 1980's at Cal Tech, this book again shows the genius of Feynman both in the breadth of his knowledge and his ability to convey it succinctly to others. A large portion of the material covers Turning machines and the limits of what can be computed (computability) while other chapters tackle issues related to coding theory, thermodynamics and quantum computers. While concentration is required, this is not a text filled with formulas and esoteric math. The bottom line is: if Feynman wrote it then it is worth reading, even if some of the points may be dated.Richard Phillips Feynman (editors Anthony J. G. Hey, Robin W. Allen) ISBN 0201489910 Taken from lecture notes of a class titled Potentialities and Limitations of Computing Machines given in the early 1980's at Cal Tech, this book again shows the genius of Feynman both in the breadth of his knowledge and his ability to convey it succinctly to others. A large portion of the material covers Turning machines and the limits of what can be computed (computability) while other chapters tackle issues related to coding theory, thermodynamics and quantum computers. While concentration is required, this is not a text filled with formulas and esoteric math. The bottom line is: if Feynman wrote it then it is worth reading, even if some of the points may be dated.
Copyright 2004-2008 by Gedanken Experiment (previously Rant Street), all rights reserved. Full terms of use at www.gedankenexperiment.dk
]]>ministratorJawbreaker2006-06-01T04:01:00-08:002006-06-01T03:50:00-08:00tag:gedankenexperiment,2009:bookshelf.503he Attack on Bin Laden and Al Qaeda: A Personal Account by the CIA's Key Field Commander by Gary Berntsen (w/Ralph Pezzullo) ISBN 0307237400 A short, heavily redacted book by the primary field agent during the key period of the war in Afghanistan. While Bernsten can be a bit hokey in his descriptions of people, he does a good job of conveying how the operation went down and the key, if not primary, role the CIA and other clandestine operatives played. While it was disappointing to see so much material redacted (some of which the author says is available in other published accounts), what is most disappointing is the failures of higher leadership both in the intelligence community and the defense department to close the deal when repeatedly given the chance. The desire not to take casualties or offend the native population clearly held sway even in the immediate aftermath of 9/11.he Attack on Bin Laden and Al Qaeda: A Personal Account by the CIA's Key Field Commander by Gary Berntsen (w/Ralph Pezzullo) ISBN 0307237400 A short, heavily redacted book by the primary field agent during the key period of the war in Afghanistan. While Bernsten can be a bit hokey in his descriptions of people, he does a good job of conveying how the operation went down and the key, if not primary, role the CIA and other clandestine operatives played. While it was disappointing to see so much material redacted (some of which the author says is available in other published accounts), what is most disappointing is the failures of higher leadership both in the intelligence community and the defense department to close the deal when repeatedly given the chance. The desire not to take casualties or offend the native population clearly held sway even in the immediate aftermath of 9/11.
Copyright 2004-2008 by Gedanken Experiment (previously Rant Street), all rights reserved. Full terms of use at www.gedankenexperiment.dk
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