got myself new #cleats! #footballnotsoccer #perhapstooflashy #couldntfindsimplerones #otherstooexpensive

via Instagram http://ift.tt/1fEsvyP

#bird watching the #moon

via Instagram http://ift.tt/1hyfusr

it's a poor, lonesome tomato 🍅 #nohashtags

via Instagram http://ift.tt/1Nrvy9e

Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City

Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City by Guy Delisle

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I picked this one up by recommendation and for the sake of nostalgia; having lived in Israel for a number of years, it's always interesting to see and read what other people think about a culture that's very different from what we're used to.

Guy Delisle spent a year in Jerusalem, and the book is basically his experience from it. His wife is with the MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders), and he acts as a stay-at-home dad with their two kids. He explores Jerusalem and the rest of Israel, and finds a few strange things here and there. In particular, it is very interesting to read his perspective on the whole Israel/Palestine conflict.

It's written in comic form, and even though he doesn't necessarily try to be funny, there is some humor in there. Either way, it's a quick read, and well worth picking up to go through.



View all my reviews

When Strangers Cooperate: Using Social Conventions to Govern Ourselves

When Strangers Cooperate: Using Social Conventions to Govern Ourselves by David W. Brown

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


This book was written 20 years ago, and it feels like it shows when reading it. As an example, the Internet is portrayed as something new and possibly interesting coming up.

When Strangers Cooperate talks about how social conventions can help govern our actions and make us behave better and cooperate more. He provides a couple of examples, such as queuing up in a line when we are more people waiting. There's also a good critique of what people might respond in return, with a focus on liberty and individuality.

It feels like something is missing though, as there isn't really much of a conclusion (a short paragraph at the end) nor much on how to actually go about with it. The suggestion is that conventions are good, and that there should be more of them. Sure, sounds good, but not worth writing and reading a book about.



View all my reviews