Saturday, December 31, 2016

Lights Out by Ted Kopple

The book “Lights Out” hits very close to home.  I have several decades of computer programming and risk management background and the situations that the author describes are a real threat.  The ability to hack into nearly any system is not only an on-going issue but with each new development or technology introduced the exposure continues to grow and becomes a higher risk each day.  The continued attacks are not going away and the deregulation of the energy business has exposed many areas of inadequate systems that lack the ability to stop from being hacked.  The key concern is not only the hacking of the systems but what happens when those systems are shut down.  How many of us will be able to live without electricity, running water or the ability to dispose of sanitary waste.  After weeks or even months of critical systems being down the ability to live in the manner we have become use to disappears and is replaced with the basic needs of survival.  This book is hoping to alert people that the threat is real and bring this topic up so that we will take it seriously.

I received a free copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah in exchange for my honest review of this book.  

Friday, December 16, 2016

Tune In the Beatles: All These Years Vol. 1 by Mark Lewisohn

Finally, the first volume has been released and the level of information is fantastic. Over 800 pages of details behind each of the members of the Beatles band.  Where and how they grew up, family lives and how they finally got together.  The author starts with the history of how the Beatles families arrived in Liverpool and then goes all the way to the end of 1962.  Their trip to famous is an interesting, unusual journey and a fascinating read.  The author has researched nearly everyone who knew or worked with the Beatles, be it friends, family, musicians, associates. In addition to the amazing facts the author could unearth he was also able to locate many photos never been seen before.  I cannot wait for the next volume to come out.  A must for all music lover and baby boomers.

I received a free copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah in exchange for my honest review of this book.

Sunday, December 4, 2016

In Such Good Company by Carol Bernett

While some of the younger generations will have no idea who Carol Burentt is or that she was one of the first woman to break the boundaries of TV entertainment that was dominated by men at the time.  The book is more of a stroll down memory lane but with a little more behind the scenes of what really happened.  She explains how she got in to the entertainment business, the breaks she needed to start her own show and the many stories behind what happened during some of the live taping of the show.  For the younger generations, back then there was no taping, editing and replaying it, what you saw on TV is what was happening including the flubs, goofs and bloopers.  I remember watching Tim Conway on several occasions entering the stage and within minutes does an ad lib, breaking up the cast members and then the audience goes into hysterics.  For those of us who remember watching her show you will be very interested in the behind the scenes stories that she has and the interesting relationships she developed over the eleven years she was on TV.  A must read for all baby boomers.

I received a free copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah in exchange for my honest review of the book.