Part 2 continues with fascinating insights into multiple ideas and inventions that occurred at or because of Bell Labs including satellite communication theory, masers and lasers, the Echo and Telstar satellites, Unix, and cell phones. Other creations were missed by Bell Labs, but occurred because of their earlier research such as integrated circuits and fiber optics. Bell Labs soon worked on those as well. Many more people are introduced such as Bill Baker, Bill Jakes, John Pierce, Joel Engel, Dick Frenkiel, Phil Porter, and many others.

But then it begins to wind down as the book discusses the de-regulation of AT&T and all its various components including the ultimate demise of Bell Labs as it once was. While it can sometimes be sad to see things go, it’s important to know, as the book notes, that some things just can’t survive in certain times – because of different people, different governments, and a different atmosphere. The world had changed and the setup, the formula, of Bell Labs no longer had a satisfactory outcome.

My favorite sentence of Part 2 is located on page 260, “In retrospect, of course, the evolution of technology looks like an ever-ascending staircase, with one novel development set atop another, leading incrementally and inevitably to all the benefits of modern life.” And thus is The Idea Factory laid out with the creation of vacuum tubes, then transistors, then integrated circuits or telephone wire, undersea cables, then satellites, and mobile networks. Each technology is described in an interesting and well-described way – and then later, how those technologies piggyback onto each other. The book can be read by any layman and understood. Mr. Gertner’s prose gives you the confidence to believe you actually understand, in brief terms, how all of this came together and how the components work.

Despite being a 422-page history of a place I’d never even heard of before, I was never never bored. High praise indeed.

Thank you, Mr. Gertner.

Disclaimer and Affiliate Links

• [Amazon] The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation
• [IndieBound] The Idea Factory

Part 1 of The Idea Factory unfolds the history of Bell Labs, AT&Ts innovative and creative laboratory, through the years of the 1920s through the 1950s. It starts slowly, setting up the many fascinating (and sometimes quite eccentric) people that you will meet along the way and describes the AT&T monopoly in simple terms. The founding of the labs and the initial drive of the company to create a unified communications system – universal – throughout the U.S. and eventually even further was the focus of the first portion of the book. The discovery of vacuum tubes (something my husband, an electrical engineer, has exclaimed about to me before in excitement) is unfolded. Then, it moves on to the war and all the inventions and ideas worked on in that time including radar and sonar. Next up, the discovery of how to create transistors out of semiconducturs, then information theory and sharing and cryptography, the creation of Theseus Mouse and his circuitry, the Nike Project and the anti-aircraft missile systems, creation of inefficient (but interesting) solar cells, and the first transatlantic cable. You learn about people such as John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, James Fisk, Claude Shannon, William Shockley, Frank Jewett, Harvey Fletcher, Mervin Kelly, and many others.

All along the way, Part 1 never ceases to be interesting, surprising to me when I’m reading a book which I have no practical knowledge about or really avid interest in (prior to reading it), which is in part due to the conversational flow of the text. I feel like I’m watching a video as it showcases the history of Bell Labs – the good and the bad.

My favorite description is that of Claude Shannon on pages 132-133: “…but those who knew him and extended a hand of friendship realized that he would inevitably fail to reciprocate. They had to seek him out. And in calling on him (knocking on his door, writing, visiting) one had to penetrate his shyness or elusiveness or – in the case of expecting a reply to a letter – his intractable habits of procrastination and his unwillingness to do anything that bored him.” I wish that I could take the label of genius eccentric to explain my own habit of introversion.

At the conclusion of Part 1, I summarized my thoughts into one word: delight. Delight at having this inside look into something that so drastically shaped American history and ultimately the world.

Thank you, Mr. Gertner.

Check back tomorrow for the review of Part 2.

Disclaimer and Affiliate Links

• [Amazon] The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation
• [IndieBound] The Idea Factory

The first part of the book covers what sounds like a very strenuous and near-impossible-to-pass Certified Master Chef (CMC) exam given by the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). This ten day grueling exam covers the fundamentals of cooking, but in such a way that even the tiniest mistake can make you fail. Mr. Ruhlman observes seven chefs and the judges as they work together to finish the process.

I found this section to be rather dry and somewhat boring; more like a documentary without a soul than a description of a prestigious – in some circles – test. Mr. Ruhlman launched into in-depth discussions about the menus or cooking methods which did not have a lot of pizzazz. I didn’t even really want to finish reading the section until about page 100 when I was just so frustrated because I just wanted to know who passed the test! We found out on page 115 and I just felt immense relief that the section was over.

The second part of the book covers the (then) rising star of Michael Symon who is now known as Iron Chef Michael Symon. Ruhlman describes Symon at two different stages of his restaurant career – when he was working for someone else and when he opened Lola with his then girlfriend. Escapades abound and Ruhlman writes about a couple of times where Symon had to put on his best for critics and magazines. However, Ruhlman advises us readers that Symon puts out the same quality every night and doesn’t do anything special for those critics and reviewers.

This was a very interesting read. If I could have skipped the entire first section (which really focused on whether or not a chef was innate) and instead read the second section (which focused on how the personality of a chef differs and exuberance is better than militant), I would have. I loved this section for its descriptive language, quick pace, and great story. Instead of a documentary, this was a story.

The third part of the book covers the story of Thomas Keller, owner of French Laundry. Ruhlman discusses how Keller got to the point where he became the owner of the restaurant, which was rather a bumbling tale of not an actual lot of success as one would typically measure it. He pointed out the characteristics Keller displays and how those translate into the restaurant business. He mulls over the philosophy of a good cook – he believes that it is about striving for perfection in all things. Cleanliness, precise, ordered. This section was a bit longer than I would have liked it and rambled. However, there were a lot of good quotable moments and lessons to be learned.

While I can’t say that it was the most entertaining book I’ve read in recent times, it was a good solid read – it is a time-consuming read that requires a thoughtful mind and patience. If you have the time and interest, you may enjoy this book. My recommendation is to skip the first section if you can.

Thank you, Mr. Ruhlman.

I give this book a 4 out of 5.

Disclaimer and Affiliate Links

• [Amazon] The Soul of a Chef: The Journey Toward Perfection
• [IndieBound] The Soul of a Chef

Erin Brockovich

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing – I’m one to enjoy a good Statham flick every now and again, but if you are expecting something wildly different from the movie about Ms. Brockovich, you are going to be disappointed. All of that said, this is a very simple and entertaining read. It is quick paced and it pulls you along with it as you journey through a story about a nuclear plant producing medical isotopes which has gone through some curious things. The owner is concerned about the potential bad press, so he hires renowned environmental fighter AJ Palladino to come and spin up some good media relations by, oddly, telling the truth. He invites her to take a good look at his plant and see where he can make improvements. Meanwhile, AJ is fighting with her son’s grandfather and is battling her own attraction to her lifelong friend, Ty. Add in a hitman and you’ve got a thriller.

The best thing about the book is that the story seems imminently plausible. Ms. Brockovich and Dr. Lyons announce in the acknowledgements that they did write in scenarios that “actually could happen,” to the consternation of the nuclear engineers that they consulted while writing the book. In order to soothe any security headaches, they did create a fictional design for their reactor. But, again, they threw in some realism by utilizing real-life contamination breach events as the guide for the ones in the book.

As always, I’m a sucker for a strong character, so I immediately threw in with Ty. That’s no surprise to anyone who has read even one of my reviews, I’m sure. (How many times can I type a paragraph like this, I wonder?)

I think the most interesting statement about the book is that the good guy doesn’t always win, but then he does. The authors show that sometimes we don’t win in the ways that we think we will and that we can’t sometimes solidly chalk something up as a win at all, but it isn’t precisely a loss. This is far more reflective of my life experience than the novels that have perfect endings with all the ribbons tied up into a perfect bow of goodness. There is no perfect bow of goodness here. There’s only a lopsided bow with a half-moody sense of eternal optimism.

I like that.

In an interview with takepart.com, it is written that Erin Brockovich stated that she wanted people to realize “That they will be their own hero. Nobody is coming to save you, but you can save yourself. And when you save yourself, you save everyone.” Ah. A half-moody sense of eternal optimism.

Thank you, Ms. Brockovich and Dr. Lyons.

Disclaimer and Affiliate Links

• [Amazon] Hot Water
• [IndieBound] Hot Water

Yes. I really just typed that.

No, really. Read it again.

Okay, now that we’re all on the same page, I’d like to mention a few things about Screams and Whispers.

First, it’s the fifth book in the Cape Islands series. I have not read any of the others. There is nothing quite like throwing yourself head first down the gullet of a book and hoping that you make it out the other end intact. I did. That’s a good thing. Second, the book really is as spectacularly out there as it sounds. Set in Vietnam, it explores an entirely different world. Given that I’ve never been to Vietnam nor do I know anything about it, I have no idea how accurate the book is. It’s definitely entertaining though in its description of a location vastly different than my own. Third, there is a cast of characters that are just… well, characters. Case in point (pg. 258):

Seriously. Fuck a duck. My eyes widen and I slightly snicker every time I read that. (Reminds me of Sweet Home Alabama‘s love a duck but more gritty. Or just profane. Yeah, let’s go with that.)

Fourth, the entire book is written in the present. He sees, [He]‘s already turning back, Wen-Ling cocks an eyebrow. Fifth, I now want to end “la” to the end of all my sentences. Sixth, like Faithful Place, it has interspersed words in various languages. I like that as a literary device.

If you want to take a walk on the different side with a book summed up by my very second sentence, definitely check out Mr. Peffer’s Screams and Whispers. You may regret it. You may not. Me, I’m just impressed.

Thank you Mr. Peffer.

I’m torn between gifting this book three stars and four stars, but I think I’m going to give it four just for its sheer audacity. I love that. Therefore, I rate this book a 4 out of 5!