The Falcon's View

I've just completed an excellent book titled Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert. The subject matter amounts to the tricks the mind plays on itself through use of the imagination. While it covers quite a bit of solid scientific ground, it is written in a particularly accessible and engaging manner. Gilbert's humor helps infuse the otherwise intriguing subject with an extra snappiness that you won't find in textbooks. Highly recommended!

I finished reading former President Jimmy Carter's latest (and allegedly controversial) book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid late last week. It is an absolute must-read for anybody interested in Middle East politics. What I found most enlightening about the book is that his storytelling is not filtered through the typical western media lens, meaning we actually get to see real history from the first person. Quite striking is how this differs vastly from the reality presented to us on a daily basis. The bottom line to the book is this: Israel has done everything possible to undermine the peace process over the last 30 years, actively working against anyone and everyone. They've gone so far as to instigate armed conflict on the precipice of historic peace agreements, quite possibly to spawn a violent response that could be used to manipulate their own people into supporting irrational, non-peaceful behavior.

I recently completed reading Freud's The Future of an Illusion, which is essentially a diatribe against religion in society, on the premise that we've evolved beyond the point of needing it. He makes some interesting points, such as that rules that frame civilization should be couched in a context of bettering society, not based on a religious epithet. Nonetheless, his own self-arguments in the book (he plays devil's advocate with himself) end up being as dissuasive of his point of view as anything. Ultimately, I think the question is from whence we derive our concept of "good for society"? It needs to be based on some sense of right and wrong. Anyway...

He also accuses himself of essentially positing an alternative belief system (religion) when he's advocating to remove religion. This is somewhat true, depending on when "philosophy" becomes "religion."

I've just finished reading The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More by Chris Anderson. It's an excellent book, relatively straight-forward read, and really hits on the benefits that the Digital Information Age brings with it. I've written about it previously (here and here). I don't really have too much more to say about it, really, other than that everybody working in the business world should immediately go read it. Frankly, if you combine what you learn in this book with the lessons of Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't, then you should be able to go out and do good things with a company.

Up next in my reading queue:
    * Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid
    * The Myth of Homeland Security

I've just completed reading Marcus Ranum's The Myth of Homeland Security. Overall, I found this an interesting book, though it's now nearly 4 years old. Basically, Marcus (a well known security guru) did a bunch of research into the current Department of Homeland Security initiative and found that the initiative is doomed to bureaucratic failure. Completely unsurprising, since this is the federal government that we're talking about here. Anyway...

"Because technology can evolve much faster than we can, our natural capacity to process information is likely to be increasingly inadequate to handle the surfeit of change, choice, and challenge that is characteristic of modern life. More and more frequently, we will find ourselves in the position of the lower animals -- with a mental apparatus that is unequipped to deal thoroughly with the intricacy and richness of the outside environment. Unlike the animals, whose cognitive powers have always been relatively deficient, we have created our own deficiency by constructing a radically more complex world." (Influence, p.277)

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (Collins Business Essentials)

This work fascinated me from an information security perspective. One of the primary threats to average users today is from phishing and spam, which often lead to various types of fraud. These attack vectors often leverage one or more of the six methods, as I'll describe below. Following are my notes from the reading, with additional thoughts and anecdotes added as applicable.

You'll have to forgive my lack of posts, I've been deeply ensconced in a very important endeavour: I've been trying to re-read the first 6 Harry Potter books before the new book comes out this weekend. Given that my wife will get first read of HP#7, I figure I have a little over a week left to get this done. I've thus far completed the first 2 books and am about a third of they way through the 3rd. Hmmm... If it comes down to packing for Europe and reading Harry Potter, I'm not actually sure which will take higher precedence... :)

Speaking of Harry Potter, we watched the latest HP movie last week at a midnight showing and it was pretty good. Obviously, much had to be trimmed from the 700+ page book, but it seemed to cover the story adequately. Once I finish re-reading the original six, I may come back and post commentary on the differences between the books and the movies... maybe... we'll see if time permits...

On the return flight from Europe, I was able to read the 7th and final Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7). This was yet another strong work from J.K. Rowling and a fitting end to an overall series. Before getting into my thoughts on the book (including spoilers below the crease!), I wanted to recap some of my thoughts on the movies compared to the books.

In the couple weeks preceeding HP7, I re-read the original 6 books. What I found most striking is that the first 3 movies stayed fairly true to the writing. However, the 4th book (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4)), was significantly different in film. First and foremost, the movie makes Neville Longbottom out to be something other than awkward and bumbling, providing Harry with information on gillyweed and displaying phenomenal dance prowess. Just the opposite is true in the book.

I've enjoyed Robert Ludlum's "Jason Bourne" movie series, which starts with the first in the trilogy, The Bourne Identity (Movie/DVD). After watching the most recent movie (The Bourne Ultimatum), I decided to read the books, starting with The Bourne Identity (Book). In particular, I was very curious to see how they compared.

To summarize, let me say this: it's easier to highlight the similarities than the differences. Namely, they both feature Jason Bourne, a former government assassin. All other details are essentially different between the book and the movie. Curious? Read on... :)

This is the first non-fiction book that I've (mostly) read in a while. A lot of my reading is online these days, but it's good to mix it up. I say "mostly" because I skimmed the last third (or so) of the book. Unfortunately, this looked like the more interesting information, but I just couldn't gut it out for another month after spending 2 months on it already.

The book posits a new theory of intelligence. Fundamentally, it's a discussion about the old nature vs. nurture arguments. Flynn puts forth that base intelligence is genetic, but that environment introduces a social multiplier such that intelligence can be increased beyond the base genetic capabilities.

He also talks extensively about how intelligence tests quickly fall out of norm, and thus either require to add a time calculation to compensate, or be re-baselined on a regular basis. In my mind, this is akin to the difference between "real" and "nominal" values in economics. The nominal score would be the actual score in a given year. The real score would be normalized to the year of the last baseline. As part of his model, Flynn includes a method for calculating these offsets.

Overall, I found this book to be quite interesting, though definitely a dry read - especially for someone with at most a hobbyist's background in cognitive psychology. Nonetheless, I would recommend it as what appear to be a very worthy attempt to unify previous theories. Also, for academia, he provides several tests that can be exercised to validate his theories (Flynn says he does theory, not experimentation).

I've just finished reading a rather interesting book on global climate change (or global warming for those who like the mass media). Lomborg's discussion is quite reasonable, whether you agree with his conclusions or not. In a nutshell, he calls for calm and rational, "sensible" discussion of the best way to approach improving civilization. He very much disagrees with focus and extremist propaganda behind reduction of carbon emissions, pointing to the IPCC's own report that indicates global warming will not destroy the planet, that curbing carbon emissions will not actually have all that great of an effect, and that these proposals (such as Kyoto) represent such an egregiously expensive approach to a less than worthy "solution" that it should be immediately discarded in favor of alternatives that actually improve society. I've quoted him below to better articulate his points.

Before I get to the quotes, though, I think it warrants pointing out the level of hype and polarity associated with this topic. Lomborg himself comments on it throughout the book; namely, that anybody takes issue with the carbon emissions reduction approach is immediately decried as a heretic. Ironically, Lomborg agrees that global warming is occurring and that science has reasonably linked the increases to humanity. Where he disagrees in the conclusions drawn by way of an action plan forward. With this I have to fully agree. This issue has become akin to the abortion "debate," wherein nobody is listening to anybody any more, but just taking one side or the other and screaming incoherently.

I recently completed reading The Bourne Ultimatum, the third book in the Bourne Trilogy by Robert Ludlum. Overall, the book was fine, though it seemed like it was reaching a bit too much. I mean, honestly, how many times can Jason Bourne and Carlos the Jackal foil each other and avoid death? So, in the end, I guess, it was rather a boring, repetitive end to the trilogy. If you've read the first two books, then I suppose you might as well finish the trilogy, but it's not absolutely necessary. The first two books are much better than this third attempt.

In keeping with my pattern of alternating between fiction and non-fiction, my next reading project is the non-fiction work Security Data Visualization: Graphical Techniques for Network Analysis. Thus far it's fairly interesting and, despite how heavy it is, seems to be a rather short, brief read.

I've just completed reading Greg Conti's well-written work Security Data Visualization: Graphical Techniques for Network Analysis. It's very important to note the subtitle there: "Graphical Techniques for Network Analysis" because, after introducing the topic of visualization in the first couple chapters, the book turns into network analysis full-bore. In general, this seems to be a good, useful book. Specifically, I think that it would be a very good textbook for a network security course, as the text spends a considerable amount of time in the earlier chapters introducing the reader to the basics of networking and network analysis, including providing high-level coverage of port scanning and network assessment with tools such as Nmap, Nessus, and Metasploit.

I have a signed first edition signed copy of Oliver North's autobiography, Under Fire, that I've put up for auction on eBay. Would you like to buy it? Please? :) In all seriousness, I bought it after hearing him speak on his book tour, many moons ago, when I considered myself a Republican (before the betrayal of the so-called "conservative movement" that is anything but conservative). I found it while going through some old boxes of stuff in my parents' basement over Christmas.

So, come on, you know you want it. Bid Here! :)

Just a grab bag of links across the spectrum of things I've been reading today. Enjoy!

* Best Buy recalls infected picture frames: Some Insignia-branded digital picture frames seemed to have been shipped with a computer virus. Oops!
* LEGO Brick's 50th Anniversary: It's the 50th anniversary of the LEGO brick. Check out this site with a cool graphical timeline. :)
* Disabled Spy Satellite Threatens Earth: Duck and cover! A US spy satellite seems to have lost its propulsion system and is projected to come crashing back to Terra Firma some time in the next couple weeks. It's rumored to contain sensitive data, and to be toxic. I wonder if the "toxic waste" warnings are designed to keep people away from the sensitive data? :)
* Code Red: An Economist Explains How to Revive the Healthcare System Without Destroying It: Tyler Cowen recommends this book if you're curious about the economics of health care and how to solve the problems.
* Happy Data Privacy Day!: Per SANS, the IAPP has declared today Data Privacy Day. Protect your data, identity, and shred stuff. More importantly, fight the rollback of civil liberties.
* New 4100 Lumen Flashlight Can Set Things On Fire: Looking for a portable way to fry everything in sight? Check out this new flashlight, capable of 4100 lumens. It can burn paper, melt plastic, or fry an egg. Fun stuff! :)

Referenced in this article here, The Logic of Life: The Rational Economics of an Irrational World sounds like an intriguing read. It's on my "wish list" at Amazon now, so we'll see when I can get to it. I only have 19 other books in front of it, plus the one I'm currently reading, plus all the news rags I've gotten for free that pile up on a weekly basis (Time, btw, is worthless and has been cancelled - maybe more on that another time).

I've finally finished reading Barack's Obama's book The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream. It's taken me far too long, mainly due to the amount of "other" reading I do in a given day (blogs, news, a few weekly print news magazines, and so on). Oh, and of course the whole "work" thing. :)

Suffice to say, I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend this book. Prior to reading the book, I thought Obama seemed like a decent chap, but tended to back John Edwards as a political candidate (you just have to like Edwards' anti-corporate spunk:). With Edwards out, I'm pleased to say that I fully support Barack Obama's efforts for election as the next president of the United States. His book is just that good. Let me explain in more detail.

I've been diligently working on a few articles, plus fighting a cold, over the last few days, so you'll have to excuse the decreased blog output (or not - feel free to hold a grudge for a while, if it makes you feel better:). Anyway, I ran across a few articles today that were interesting enough to make me want to talk about them. So, here's a hodge-podge of topics, ranging from politics to infosec to cool new technology, including a brief review of the latest book I've read, The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot by Naomi Wolf.

I finished A.J. Jacobs' book The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible this week, and I highly recommend it! In the book, Jacobs divides his time between the Old Testament (8 months) and New Testament (4 months). His attention to detail in identifying the "laws" by which to live is quite impressive, as is his arrayed panel of experts, ranging across most major sects of Judaism and Christianity. My only disappointment with the book was in the NT section. It felt very light and rushed, which I potentially attribute to his inability to connect and commit to the text given his roots, combined with the challenges of having a wife in her 3rd trimester with twins, and then the delivery of said twins. My guess is that "little" event absorbed most of the final 4 months of the project.

At any rate, if you have any historical interest whatsoever in the roots of Judaism and/or Christianity, then this is a good book to read. Jacobs provides historical context and explanations, from a layman's perspective, throughout, in a manner that is accessible and reasonable. He openly admits his biases, and talks much about his mental challenges in overcoming these biases.

Some of my favorite moments include his realization that the Falwell clan at Thomas Road Baptist Church aren't all hellfire-brimstone all the time, that the Christians who speak in tongues and handle snakes are still decent folks, his realization that there is an important social angle of religion that he missed out on, and that, really, in the end, people and the sects to which they subscribe tend to pick and choose the rules they like, leaving the rest behind. Good stuff!

My next reading project is the George Orwell classic, 1984, which already has an eerie resemblance to modern times.

I've just finished reading the Signet Classics version of George Orwell's eerie novel, 1984 (also see here). Hands-down, this is the most disturbing work that I've read in recent memory. What I found so disconcerting is that it was published in 1949, yet in many ways could be describing modern times and the future-path that we're on. At several times throughout the book I wondered if Rove and the Neoconservatives have based their entire approach to governing on the principles represented by the Party. I'll come back to this thought with the quotes below.

This is a definite MUST-READ book for anybody interested in a lot of the modern concepts and terms that we use, particularly with regard to politics. Concepts like doublespeak, and the various abuses of human rights and civil liberties all have a lingua franca derived from this book. Beyond that, the level of technical insight is intriguing. For instance, Orwell envisioned the surveillance society, complete with the Internet and flat-screen televisions. In his vision, the Thought Police (another concept originating here) monitor all members of the Party through their "telescreens." Other concepts discussed include oppression, war, the role of fear, hate, and anger in motivating conformance, and the willingness of a people to turn over power to an oligarchy.

I finished reading Terri Irwin's memoir, Steve and Me: Life with the Crocodile Hunter, on Wednesday evening. Those who know me probably know that I tend to be an emotional fellow. Well, this book certainly brought out the water works (and no, I'm not embarrassed by that). Plainly put, this is a story about a truly remarkable man, much maligned by the media, who did everything in his power to be the best exemplar of conservation, a fearless role model, and a wonderful father and husband. The strangeness of how he was lost makes the story that much more shocking. The premonitions leading up to it are even more intriguing.

Perhaps what I found most interesting about this book was that we finally get to learn more about Terri. Steve's life was so large that she often got lost in the background (I felt). In truth, she is just as much of a conservationist as he was, and had already established her professional life as such before she met him. They were a perfect match, only really differentiated by her knowing fear where he knew none.

Overall, I highly recommend this book to everybody. It has funny parts and sad parts, but it is age appropriate for everyone. The pictures in the middle are great, too.

Next up: Richard K. Morgan's Broken Angels.

I've just finished reading Richard K. Morgan's Broken Angels, the second in his Takeshi Kovacs series of novels (the first being Altered Carbon). Overall, I thought that the book was decent. The basis of the book is that human civilization has made leaps in technology and space travel beyond what is normal by evolutionary standards, likely reaching a point where the technology is too advanced for humans to grasp. This leg-up is granted through the discovery of "Martian" outposts, long since abandoned, though with no clear indication of the circumstances. At one point, Kovacs makes an interesting point, that humans and machines/computers are locked into this evolutionary competition, alternating superiority. At one point in time, AI will provide better and faster analysis, but then bio-engineering will advance and thus make humans the better analysts again. There are certain parallels with humans, at least in the foreseeable future (think IDS, log management, etc.).

If you're into Science Fiction, then this series (thus far) may be of interest to you. Be forewarned that the novels tend to get a bit gory and graphic in certain places. I can only imagine what these novels would look like on the big screen. Suffice to say, though, that if you like the notion that humans are just one of the latest evolved life forms in the universe, then you'll undoubtedly find these books entertaining.

Up next: "Economics and Strategies of Data Security", by Dr. Dan Geer, Jr., Sc.D.

I've just finished reading Dan Geer's Verdasys publication Economics and Strategies of Data Security. It's a very interesting read, though hastily printed without adequate proofing and editing (i.e. several typos). Overall, this is a good read, though it devolves into arcana at times in performing calculations on mean time before failure (MTBF) and cost-benefit ratio (CBratio). The first half of the book is well-targeted to infosec execs, while the last half is probably best left to infosec techies who aspire to be CPAs. You can see Richard Bejtlich's review of the book here.

As I like to do with non-fiction books, below are some quotes that I found particularly interesting from the reading.

Well, I've reached the point of quitting my current non-fiction reading project. I've been working on A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World (Princeton Economic History of the Western World) for almost 6 weeks now and read an entire 40 pages (2 chapters). It was interesting, and something I'd like to come back and read some day, but I just could not get into it. It's Economic History, after all, so not exactly engaging. I wish that I could have found a way to get through it. Unfortunately, every couple paragraphs I was falling asleep.

In order to compensate, I've decided to take up an alternative non-fiction work: Steve Martin's Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life. Thus far, I've already ripped through a couple chapters in an hour and found it quite enjoyable. I've read Steve Martin's novels and enjoyed them, so I'm glad to take on a lighter non-fiction work, even if it doesn't expand my vocabulary very much.

If you're a fan of economics and history, then you'll definitely wanted to read Farewell, while if you're a fan of stand-up comedy (and that wild and crazy guy), then you should definitely reading Born Standing Up.

The sign of a good book, for me, is when I can read straight through it in a few days. This was the case with Steve Martin's memoir, Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life. I've greatly enjoyed reading Martin's novellas (Shopgirl and The Pleasure of My Company), and found this memoir to be equally engaging and smooth reading. Sometimes you need a nice and easy read, and all of Martin's seem to fit this bill, while not being tawdry crap. That is to say, these don't need to be guilty pleasures. He uses a real vocabulary and everything! :) Notable quote from the book:

"I continued to pursue my studies and half believed I might try for a doctorate in philosophy and become a teacher, as teaching is, after all, a form of show business." (p86)

Anyway, I highly recommend this book - especially if you like that "wild and crazy guy." :) Up next: unsure, but I think it'll be Freedom House's Today's American: How Free?.