Nobel Prize Winner Daniel Kahneman writes about how to make better decisions. Based on thirty years of research, Kahneman says our minds operate in two modes: System 1 and System 2. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional. It developed through evolution to keep us alive when quick, life-and-death decisions needed to be made. But we also have System 2, which slower, deliberative, logical, and rational. Kahneman suggests that many times we don’t allow System 2 to operate. We make snap decisions based on flawed System 1 thinking. System 2 can also be lazy and ignorant. We have to work to develop System 2 skills. That’s where education comes in. I found this book fascinating. Although it’s dense with research findings, Kahneman provides real-life examples and illustrates the main concepts. Thinking, Fast & Slow is wonderfully insightful and worth pondering long after you finish it. GRADE: A

Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame never showed up on any of the Western NY movie screens so I had to buy the Blu-ray when it became available. As far as I can tell, this Detective Dee is loosely based on the Judge Dee of the Van Gulik books. Very loosely. We first meet Detective Dee in prison. He’s there because he spoke out against the Empress Wu. But when a series of deaths occur where people spontaneously burst into flame, the Empress is forced to turn to the greatest detective in China to solve the mysterious murders. Plenty of over-the-top martial arts conflicts punctuate the plot to uncover the conspiracy. The production values are very high especially in the giant Buddha statue. People bursting into flames, relentless action, hidden cities, secret plots, what’s not to like. GRADE: A-

Christopher Hitchens died last week and I figured the best way to honor him was to read his latest collection of essays, Arguably. This 816-page tome contains some of Hitchen’s best writing on politics, literature, and religion. Hitchens led a colorful and controversial life and it all shows up in these essays. My favorite essays in this volume include Hitchen’s insightful essay on Charles Dickens and Hitchen’s analysis of the science fiction of J. G. Ballard. There’s plenty of political commentary, but some of that will become dated. Hitchen’s polemical writing on religion generated plenty of animosity over the years, but Hitchen’s was a natural debater and reveled exposing phoniness wherever he found it. Christopher Buckley once called Christopher Hitchen’s “the greatest living essayist in the English Language.” Hitchens may be dead, but much of his writing will live on. GRADE: A

The screenplay to The Girl in the Cafe was written by Richard Curtis, the guy who wrote Love Actually (one of my favorite romantic comedies) and Four Weddings and a Funeral (another favorite). This love story involves Bill Nighy as a bland bureaucrat who meets the mysterious Gina (Kelly Macdonald). Suddenly, Nighy’s life is turned upside down (love will do that to you). The Girl in the Cafe is a clever and subtle movie with a political message. This movie never showed up in Western NY so I had to track down the DVD. It was well worth the effort. GRADE: A-

Linda Eder appeared in a concert at the SUNY at Buffalo Center for the Arts last night. We were in attendance and enjoyed Linda Eder’s singing. For those of you who haven’t heard Eder’s music, she works the same side of the street as Barbra Streisand: Broadway music, standards, and mellowed out pop music. Eder put out a Christmas CD a couple years ago so we heard some of those songs. Eder’s latest CD, Now, provides a nice sample of her style. Check out the video below. GRADE: B+
TRACK LIST
1. Not Gonna Fall This Time (Lyricist Jack Murphy)
2. No Finer Man (Lyricist Leslie Bricusse)
3. Ordinary People (Lyricist Brenda Russell)
4. Heat of the Night (Lyricist Jack Murphy)
5. What Did You See Inside The Stars? (Lyricist Nan Knighton)
6. Now (Lyricist Maury Yeston)
7. The Mad Hatter (Lyricist Jack Murphy)
8. A Woman In His Arms (Lyricist Nan Knighton)
9. Goodbye (Lyricist Jack Murphy)
10. What s Never Been Done Before (Lyricist Nan Knighton)
11. More Than Heaven (Lyricist Robin Lerner)
12. Living In The Shadows (Lyricist Leslie Bricusse)

For starters, there are two unpublished Hercule Poirot stories in this wonderful book. When Agatha Christie died in 1976, Christie’s daughter, Roslind, found 73 handwritten notebooks full of lists, notes, and outlines of Christie’s novels, plays, and stories. John Curran deciphered Christie’s handwriting and organized the mountain of material into a useful volume for a Christie fan. I learned something new about Christie’s work on every page. If you’re a fan of Agatha Christie, this is a must-buy. If you’re a casual Christie reader, you’ll find plenty of interesting material here to make your reading experience deeper and more enjoyable.

Diablo Cody wrote the screenplays for Juno and the just released Young Adult. But, before she became an A-list script writer in Hollywood, Diablo Cody worked in the sex industry in Minnesota. Yes, she did it as a lark and a chance to do some “research” but like her the dialogue in her movies, Candy Girl offers plenty of sly humor and irony. I enjoyed the whole lurid experience. If you’d like to read more about Diablo Cody and her reaction to Young Adult just click here. GRADE: B+

Some people would choose James Wood as the best living literary critic. But I’d put my money on young Adam Kirsh. Kirsh’s latest book, Why Trilling Matters not only defends Lionel Trilling’s literary legacy, but Kirsh manages to perform a virtuoso performance of criticism. It’s hard to believe that Trilling was considered one of the greatest literary critics back in the 1960s. Today, Trilling seems to be forgotten. Yet Adam Kirch explores Trilling’s works in this slim volume and shows that Trilling’s classic, The Liberal Imagination, merits reading (and rereading). You’re not going to read a more persuasive, informative, and lucid book of literary criticism anytime soon. GRADE: A

Stan Burns alerted me to this value Blu-ray: four Jackie Chan movies for the price of one. I bought this on AMAZON for $13.49. If you’re in the mood for action, Operation Condor, Operation Condor 2, Project A, and Project A 2 will give you an adrenaline rush. And this would make a great stocking stuffer for the martial arts fan on your gift list! Check out the wacky highlights to Operation Condor below.

After one of the panel discussions at the BOUCHERCON in St. Louis last September, I spoke with Dick Lochte about audio books. As a reviewer of audio books, Dick Lochte had plenty of strong opinions. When I asked him about his favorite book narrators, Lochte said, “If you haven’t listened to John le Carre, you’re really missing something.” And, of course, I hadn’t listened to John le Carre. It took me some time, but now I’ve finally listened to le Carre narrate one of his recent books, Absolute Friends. Ted Mundy and and his friend Sasha were radical students. Later, they both became involved in spying. Years later, Mundy is a tour guide in Southern Germany and Sasha, an itinerant lecturer, approaches Mundy with the proposal from a billionaire who wants to change the world. Of course, it isn’t that simple. I enjoyed John le Carre’s crisp narration. The story is convoluted and tricky. GRADE: B+