The Deadly Isles is another of Jack Vance’s excellent mystery novels. Best known for his science fiction, Jack Vance proved to be capable writer of mysteries, too. The Deadly Isles concerns a wealthy family that finds itself changed by a wedding, but menaced by a death and an attempted murder. Although Vance sets the action in the South Seas, the alien environment might as well be the Gaean Reach. Jack Vance can generate his own special brand of strangeness in a contemporary mystery. The Deadly Isles is availabe in the Subterranean Press omnibus Dangerous Ways and as an ebook.

About a month ago, I reviewed Adam Kirsh’s excellent Why Trilling Matters here. I enjoyed that book so much, I decided to read another book in the Yale University Press “Why X Matters” series. I chose Why Arendt Matters because I’ve read several of Hannah Arendt’s books and found them thought-provoking.  Arendt is best known for her Origins of Totalitarianism. And for her phrase “the banality of evil” in Eichmann in Jerusalem. Young-Bruehl defends Arendt’s controversial relationship with Nazi philosopher, Martin Heidegger. I really enjoy these “Why X Matters” books because they illuminate their subjects in a brief but comprehensive overview. And they point to resources where you can do further research if you feel so inclined. GRADE: B+

With the opening of The Bourne Legacy just a few weeks away, I figured I would rewatch these classic spy/action movies in Blu-ray. When each of these movies came out, I doubted if Matt Damon could carry the action. Damon still doesn’t seem like an action-hero to me. But, each time in each movie, Matt Damon won me over. I prefer the second two movies over the first, but all of them are extremely well-crafted spy thrillers. There’s a little of the Robert Ludlum book in The Bourne Identity and about zero in the next two films. No matter. Matt Damon will have you on the edge of your seat. GRADE: A

Timothy Noah speculates that the great divergence of incomes between the 99% and the 1% really took off in 1979. America was reeling from inflation, oil shocks, and technological change. When Reagan became President and broke the Air Traffic Controllers union, weakening the union movement all over the U.S., the wage disparity between workers and their bosses spiked. The greater power of banks and hedge funds and financial institutions accelerated the gap between the billionaires and everyone else. And the Bush tax cuts finished the job. Timothy Noah sees plenty of problems ahead if this trend continues. Economic inequality leads to political instability. Noah provides a list of suggestions to reverse this trend, but will anyone in Washington be willing to fight for the diminishing Middle Class? GRADE: B+

Ian Donaldson’s biography of Ben Jonson is the most complete picture of this underrated playwright. Jonson, not Shakespeare, was the most popular and celebrated playwright of his time. It was only much later that Shakespeare’s genius was recognized and Jonson’s works fell into obscurity. Donaldson starts with the bizarre problem of where Jonson’s body was buried (not a simple problem) and then explores Jonson’s complicated history as a writer and artist. If you haven’t ready of Jonson’s plays, reading this biography will motivate you to seek them out. I have three volumes of Jonson’s plays that I hope to read this summer during my recovery. GRADE: A

I’m in Rehab after a successful total knee replacement operation. The procedure went well. And best of all, no ileus (the shutting down of my gastric system that I had to endure after my left knee surgery last year). I escaped the dreaded NG2 tube shoved down my nose by chewing gum. I did some research and found that chewing gum can prevent the ileus by tricking the gastric system into jump-starting. It seems to have worked for me. However, the pain level was higher this time around. Old age no doubt. Thanks to all of you for your kind wishes. I hope to be back to normal in a few days as the Happy Drugs wear off.

Ed Noon, Mike Avallone’s wacky private eye, showed up in this stunner in 1953. Yes, this is a beat-up copy of The Tall Dolores put it provides the promo material that must have snagged plenty of readers back in the Fifties. For decades, these early Avallone titles were hard to come by. But all of that has changed. Avallone’s son has launched a project to bring all of Mike Avallone’s work (and there’s a ton of it!) to the ebook world. Each month, four Avallone titles will be made available as ebooks on AMAZON. This first book in the Ed Noon series is available as a FREE download. Don’t hesitate! You’ll enjoy the wacky and wild Ed Noon series. You can find out more about the Ed Noon ebook project here.

Almost 40 years ago, I heard Heart sing “Magic Man” and I was floored. Over the decades, I’ve enjoyed Heart’s recordings. Ann and Nancy Wilson certainly qualify as survivors (like Cher) who continue to release new CDs and tour. Heart appeared at one of our local casinos a few months ago. Strange Euphoria collects demos and live versions of Heart’s music. If you’re a casual fan, you might prefer one of the GREATEST HITS CDs available. But, if you really love Heart, this box set is filled with rare goodies that will delight your ears.
Track Listings
Disc: 1
1. Through Eyes And Glass (by Ann Wilson & The Daybreaks)
2. Magic Man (demo)
3. How Deep It Goes (demo)
4. Crazy On You (demo)
5. Dreamboat Annie (Fantasy Child) + Dreamboat Annie Reprise (edit)
6. Love Alive
7. Sylvan Song
8. Dream Of The Archer
9. White Lightning And Wine (live at the Aquarius)
10. Barracuda (live from BBC Radio Concert)
11. Little Queen
12. Kick It Out
13. Here Song (demo)
14. Heartless (demo)
15. Dog & Butterfly (acoustic demo)
16. Straight On
17. Nada One
Disc: 2
1. Bebe le Strange
2. Silver Wheels II
3. Even It Up
4. Sweet Darlin’
5. City’s Burning
6. Angels
7. Love Mistake
8. Lucky Day (demo)
9. Never (live, with John Paul Jones)
10. These Dreams
11. Nobody Home
12. Alone
13. Wait For An Answer
14. Unconditional Love (demo)
15. High Romance (demo)
16. Under The Sky (demo)
17. Desire Walks On (“Beach demo” version)
Disc: 3
1. Kiss (by The Lovemongers)
2. Sand (live) (by The Lovemongers)
3. Everything (live) (by Nancy Wilson)
4. She Still Believes (live)
5. Any Woman’s Blues (demo) (with the Seattle Blues Revue Horns)
6. Strange Euphoria
7. Boppy’s Back (demo)
8. Friend Meets Friend (live) (by The Lovemongers)
9. Love Or Madness (live)
10. Skin To Skin
11. Fallen Ones
12. Enough
13. Lost Angel (live)
14. Little Problems, Little Lies (by Ann Wilson)
15. Queen City
16. Hey You
17. Avalon (Reprise)
Disc: 4
1. Going to California
2. Battle Of Evermore
3. What Is And What Should Never Be
4. Immigrant Song
5. Misty Mountain Hop

Land of Promise is another Big Fat Book: 594 pages. Michael Lind traces economics in the U.S. from the beginning of the nation to our current economic meltdown. All the principle players–Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, the Roosevelts, LBJ, Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Clinton, the Bushs, Obama–strut on Lind’s stage. It’s an almost impossible task to describe the complete economic history of the U.S. in a relatively compact 600-page book, but Lind’s survey is the most readable and lucid that I’ve read. This is economic history at its best. GRADE: A