‘The Terraformers,’ the latest novel from Berkeley-based writer Annalee Newitz, is a tale of war, revolution, greed, and aggression in a world where people (and farm animals) have been bioengineered to live thousands of years.
Mal Warwick
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New book paints Leland Stanford as a notorious thief as well as a California governor
He founded Stanford University but he and his partners used the railroad monopoly they built as their private property, amassing huge fortunes.
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Review: ‘An American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes, and Trial of Patty Hearst’
Only the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh, Jr. could match the sensationalism of Patty Hearst’s seizure from her Berkeley apartment
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Book review: ‘David Brower’ by Tom Turner
A review of David Brower: The Making of the Environmental Movement, by Tom Turner; published by the University of California Press @@@@@ (5 out of 5) At the corner of Allston Way and Oxford Street in downtown Berkeley, directly across from the campus of the University of California, sits the David Brower Center. Opened in […]
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Book review: ‘Custer’s Trials’ by T. J. Stiles
A review of Custer’s Trials: A Life on the Frontier of a New America, by T. J. Stiles @@@@@ (5 out of 5) When we learned American history in school, a few easily identifiable names stuck in our memory. George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, of course. Thomas Jefferson, FDR, and John F. Kennedy, probably (though Kennedy […]
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Book review: When elections mattered a lot
A review of Game Changers: Twelve Elections That Transformed California, by Steve Swatt, with Susie Swatt, Jeff Raimundo, and Rebecca LaVally; foreword by Bruce E. Cain; published by Heyday **** — 4 out of 5 stars The usual argument to persuade reluctant or lazy people to go to the polls is that sometimes elections turn […]
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Wine, wine everywhere, and not a drop to drink
Mal Warwick, who regularly contributes book reviews to Berkeleyside, calls Frances Dinkelspiel’s ‘Tangled Vines’ “a great read,” and “crammed with fascinating characters.” He gives it five stars. ☆☆☆☆☆ (five out of five) Gold. Aerospace. Agriculture. Filmmaking and television. Computers and consumer electronics. Wine. Viewed through the lens of business and commerce, these industries dominate the […]
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Robert Reich has ideas on how to save capitalism
Book reviewer Mal Warwick thinks Robert Reich’s new book is “brilliant,” and “cogently and compellingly” explains complex economic issues. But while Reich is funny in person, ‘Saving Capitalism’ doesn’t contain a lot of humor, says Warwick. He still gives it five out of five stars. ☆☆☆☆☆ (five out of five) If you’ve ever been exposed to […]
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Karen Paget’s ‘Patriotic Betrayal’ is a monumental work
Karen M. Paget. Photo: Don Kellogg If you’re old enough, think back to the 1960s, that decade of endless turmoil and revelation. Though the CIA had been established in 1947, it wasn’t until 1962 that the agency came to the attention of most Americans, as a result of its disastrous handling of the US-backed Bay […]
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Best Books of 2014: Chosen by local authors, Berkeleyside
Berkeleyside asked Berkeley-based writers for their pick of their favorite two books of the year. Photo: Creative Commons Every year Berkeleyside puts together a list of the best books the editors have read. We generally ask local authors and literary-minded folk to contribute their picks. This year we decided to mimic the format used by […]
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Politics and prose are all in a day’s work for Erik Tarloff
Erik Tarloff. Photo: Terry Lorant When the bestselling author Erik Tarloff turned up for an interview at Berkeley’s Elmwood Café in July, he had left an empty house. His wife, Laura D’Andrea Tyson, the former economic advisor to President Bill Clinton and a professor at the Haas School of Business, was in Aspen consulting with U.S. […]
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Recommended: 10 great recent books by Berkeley writers
Berkeley authors Michael Lewis, Michael Pollan, and Michael Chabon at a Berkeleyside event in December 2012. Photo: Pete Rosos Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think so. So far as I can tell, people living in what has become my home town of Berkeley, California, have been writing an inordinate number of really good […]
