Category Archives: Books & Reviews

Salt

Posted on March 31, 2012 by sinyaw

Unlike oil, salt and water are reusable and also among the most abundant elements on earth. There is no shortage of either one to last humanity through eternity. Except without energy, we just can’t make good use of them. This … Continue reading →

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I am a sucker for sequels..

Posted on February 27, 2012 by sinyaw

The 2nd and 3rd of the Stieg Larsson trilogy are really one book. Stop when you have finished the first, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and prepare yourself to read two books in a row. Otherwise, just don’t start … Continue reading →

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三國(6): 楊修之死

Posted on February 10, 2012 by sinyaw

一句”食之無味,棄之可惜”, 楊修就被曹操給宰了. 後人說他的故事, 都在他聰明的地方. 只是”恃才放曠“, 惹毛了老闆曹操, 才丟了腦袋. 太多人聰明一世,只錯在一點: 做事的後果沒搞清楚. 也不需要有太長遠的考慮,只要眼前的後果就行了. 美國總統候選人Mitt Romney拒絕公開他的稅單,這有可能嗎? 要選總統,還有不公開的選擇? 公司有個員工,差旅報銷,不但高過準則,數目字還不符,還用了五年前的發票. 這不是想被炒嗎? 曹操定軍山敗了,進退兩難,真不知道該不該打劉備,說了句”雞肋”. 被楊修聽出來了他的心意. 但也不能老羞成怒,硬幹. 找敗戰. 羅貫中的看法,曹操早想殺楊修了. 最重要的原因,是楊修在幕後干預了曹操立嗣,扶佐曹植. 曹操不要別人知道他在選嗣. 楊修不但看出來了,還決定去挺曹植.他看出曹操心意沒說,決定挺曹植也沒請准. 也就是說他替曹操下了立嗣的決定. 這不是找死?

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Do you want to be a genius?

Posted on February 3, 2012 by sinyaw

The good news is that you can be as brilliant as Tiger Woods, Warren Buffet, or even Mozart! The bad news is that you are probably a bit too late. But don’t despair, there is still hope. Geoff Colvin’s book, … Continue reading →

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The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Posted on January 8, 2012 by sinyaw

I have been avoiding this curiously titled book for a long time. When Kid produced a paperback version and asked me, “Donate or keep?” I put it on my physical reading queue (as opposed to my digital one on my … Continue reading →

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Four Fish

Posted on December 8, 2011 by sinyaw

The medical industry recommends 2 servings of fish every week; preferably one fatty kind, like Salmon or Tuna, and another white fish. This, they say, is good for our health. If everyone on earth followed that advice, we would extirpate … Continue reading →

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三國(5): 既生瑜,何生亮

Posted on November 27, 2011 by sinyaw

周瑜和諸葛亮的競爭,是三國中的個小插曲. 最後,周瑜長嘆,認輸了. 書中描述周瑜是個文武雙全的美男子. 他娶了美女小喬. 又是吳國軍方第一把. 也就是說,他是天之驕子,世界上該有的:名,利,外表,內涵,權勢,美妻,他都有了. 幹嘛還跟諸葛亮爭什麼爭呢? 因為”贏”的追求是個無底洞,永遠不會滿足的. 赤壁之戰,周瑜大勝. 但幾次他要殺諸葛亮都沒成. 徣完東風後,諸葛亮飄然而去. 周瑜知道這下不好搞了. 一氣周瑜是諸葛亮巧取南郡,稱周瑜鬥曹:”用計策，損兵馬，費錢糧＂他趁虛而入圖了個現成. 再氣周瑜是有名的”賠了夫人又折兵”. 用美人計不成,反賠了個孫權的妹妹孫尚香.最後,諸葛亮識破周瑜”假途滅虢”計,又大敗瑜於荊州.把周瑜氣到巴丘而亡. 成了三分天下. 周瑜如果誠心聯劉破曹,是有成功的機會的. 但他一心想先吃下劉備,壯大東吳後,再攻曹操. 這策略也不能說是錯了. 畢竟聯軍不如自己一國方便. 何況劉備羽翼未成,乘弱先吃也好. 不幸栽在諸葛亮手下,大計不成. “既生瑜,何生亮”,遺憾而亡.

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Edgar Sawtelle

Posted on November 10, 2011 by sinyaw

Wow! Really. Wow. Go get this book and read it. It is that simple. If you are a dog lover, that is an extra bonus. It entered Oprah’s Book Club in September of 2008 and soon became a bestseller. The … Continue reading →

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三國(4): 赤壁

Posted on October 25, 2011 by sinyaw

奇怪. 曹操一世奸雄,才以少勝多,贏了袁紹. 回頭來大兵打劉備,孫權,卻又被他們少勝多打敗. 三國中,赤壁是最精彩的一段鬥智. 首先孔明”舌戰群雄”. 反面,曹操下個”檄文”,逼腦了孫權. 一來一回,促成孫劉聯盟. 第二是中了周瑜計,錯殺了蔡瑁,張允. 曹兵中沒了水戰人才. 這點是他準備不週,要打東吳,怎能沒水將呢? 沒帶一個來,也得練個出來啊. 第三是又中了周瑜的”打黃蓋”苦肉計,加上龐統的”連環計”把船綁在一起,墊下日後被火攻的種子. 這點倒不能怪曹操,冬天不該有東南風,東吳不該有火攻的可能. 所有的成敗,都是一連串的事件,一步步演出來的. 曹操連錯三步,但有十倍兵力. 應該還是穩操勝算的. 赤壁的最後決勝,在孔明的”借東風”. 小說裏寫成如鬼似神. 不論如何,這是決定的關鍵. 但是曹操再意料不到,他為什麼連提防都沒呢? 在江上要滅火應該不難,鐵環連鎖,也應該能解. 但兩步都沒準備. 一語道之,驕兵大意.

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The Price of Everything

Posted on October 16, 2011 by sinyaw

The table of contents aims to rouse curiosity. It promises to reveal the prices of life, happiness, and even women! Further, it goes into areas that make you very curious. What’s the price for “free?” Isn’t the answer obviously zero? … Continue reading →

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