This month we are reviewing seven books. And we have moved the date to the 6th of June to commemorate D Day and link to our videos of the 75th Anniversary of D Day visit to Omaha Beach.

  1. “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” by Robert B. Cialdini, PhD. This and the next book go together. They have been on my reading table for about a year. I got burned-out on the subject and politics after the election and set them aside. I am back now and finished.
  2. “Win Bigly: Persuasion in a World Where Facts Don’t Matter” by Scott Adams. Yes, Scott Adams the creator and author of Dilbert. Adams pointed me to the seminal work by Cialdini in persuasion. Both books are outstanding. If you want to persuade someone, and that’s about all we humans spend our time doing, both are ‘MUST READS’. These techniques go back to ancient days, but Cialdini and Adams remind us of how important and POWERFUL they are. Note that the name I fumbled over in the video is “Godzilla” referring to Robert Cialdini. You can get the story in “Dilbert’s Scott Adams; Robert Cialdini Likely Advising Hillary Clinton”.
  3. “The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries” by Rodney Stark. Another recommendation from Pastor Jeff from his studies. I did finish this book and it is outstanding. If you are interested in the subject or in Ancient Rome this adds some interesting details. Two comments before the Floating Book Review: Stark approaches history through his (impressive) sociological background and uses those techniques to analyze history. He discusses this approach (strengths and weaknesses) at the beginning of the book. Two, I was unaware that the male/female ratio in ancient times was 1.3 due to the prevalent practice of female child infanticide and the death rate from pregnancy and birth. That is a startling fact; at least to me.

“The Chemistry of Powder and Explosives” by Tenney L. Davis: I bought this book based on a recommendation from this article. All the reviews said that it is, at best, just an introduction. The author admits this at the beginning of book calling it a summary for the knowledgeable chemist. And it was written in 1943 so is somewhat out of date. That said, there are interesting background facts about the inventors of the various materials and a lot of chemical equations. I finished reading the book. I would recommend it except for its historical value. If you’re interested in the subject the next book “Boom!…” is much better suited.

5. “Boom!: The Chemistry and History of Explosives” by Simon Quellen Field: This book was an outgrowth of the above book, “The Chemistry of Powder and Explosives” since it was recommended in the comments as a better resource. I’ve read a few chapters and it is extremely entertaining. I did finish the book and it is outstanding. If you’re interested in the history and chemistry of explosives this is the book to get. If you’re in the explosives aisle at The Home Depot here is a handy table comparing the power of various explosives:

6. “The Entrepreneurs Journey” by Hambleton Lord, Christopher Mirabile, Joseph Mandato. Previously we reviewed “Fundamentals of Angel Investing” by Hambleton Lord and Christopher Mirabile. This book is a series of case studies highlighting various aspects of angel investing.

7. “True Colors” by Alaric Bond. I read and reviewed the first two books in this British Naval Fiction, “His Majesty’s Ship”, “The Jackass Frigate”. I give them high marks. Now that I read the first three installment in the series, I like it even more. I learned that the author does not center the series and each book around the captain. All the other series are about the captain rising from humble or noble beginnings to the end of an illustrious career. In Bond’s world, he follows a cross section of the crew, from the lowest to the captain. You are never sure who will survive and who will not. In the first book, the captain, who I liked, died at the very beginning of the climactic battle. In this second, the captain, again who I like as a character, he survives. I hope to see him again. The other touch I like in these books is that the author gives insight into ‘minor’ details. For example, he discusses the construction and materials of a cello wielded by one of the lieutenants. He also discusses the construction and materials of a small, rifled pistol which plays a key role in the plot. I am looking forward to the fourth installment “Cut and Run”.

It is the anniversary of D Day. Here are the videos of our trip to the 75th anniversary celebration in 2019. We went with the Concordia Wind Orchestra of Concordia University, Irvine. You can read the whole story at “Opportunity Cost – 75th Anniversary of D Day Trip”.