[DMcCunney]

Mine is the usual mixed bag, with more non fiction than fiction.

Non Fiction Book Just Read is Robert L. Heilbroner's The Worldly Philosophers. Heilbroner is an economist and writer on economics. I have his The Making of Economic Society here in paper and read it previously. The Worldly Philosophers covers the same ground by presenting the history of economic thought through the lives and works of noted figures, beginning with Adam Smith (who was writing on what was called "political economy" when he did it) through folks like Parson Malthus, David Ricardo, John Stuart Mill, Robert Owen, Karl Marx, John Maynard Keynes and Joseph Schumpeter. As time progressed, Political Economy became simply Economics, and Heilbroner traces the transition.

The germ of the idea behind The Worldly Philosophers came from a lunch with his publisher discussing what he might write next. He recalled a seminar he had attended on Adam Smith given by Alfred Lowe, and decided he would try to write a history of economic thought. He sought out Professor Lowe to tell him his plan, and Lowe said "This you cannot do!", thinking it impossible. When he later showed his first chapters to Professor Lowe, it changed to "This you must do!", as Heilbroner's work so far convinced him it could be done, and badly needed to be done. Professor Lowe remained an active reader and advisor on the project till his death at 102.

Non Fiction Book In Progress is R. H. Tawney's Religion and the Rise of Capitalism. I was pointed at this by a Further Reading section in Heilbroner's book. He highly recommended it, and the recommendation was deserved.

I'd previously read Max Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, which dealt with the notion. Professor Tawney's focus is England, and broader and deeper. His topic is the gradual change in religious thought from the period of the Schoolmen to something where capitalism could exist. The early church was interested in maintaining social stability ruled by tradition: every member of society has his appointed place from King to lowly peasant, and each was expected to know his place and behave appropriately so society would function. Time passed, things changed, and the traditional society mandated by the church was no longer viable. Change had to happen, and it's the progress of that change that is Tawney's focus.

Current Fiction Book Just Finished is Tad William's War of the Flowers, which I've had for a while and finally got to. It's a stand alone fantasy, not a series (There there is room for a sequel should Williams feel inspired.) Protagonist Theo Vilmos is an aspiring musician with a wonderful voice who has just never been able to make it in the music business. His life hits bottom when his pregnant girlfriend loses the baby in a miscarriage, and decides to lose Theo as well. The death of his mother, and the proceeds from selling the house he inherited, gives Theo breathing space to decide what he should do. He's fascinated by a journal he inherited from a deceased relative which appears to describe a journey to Faery. In the process of learning more, Theo finds himself brought to Faery by a sprite sent to fetch him.

He discovers he's of interest to various parties in Faery, some of whom seem to want him dead, and others who want him under their control, and he has no idea why. War is coming. A war with the Giants well before the book takes place defended Faery, but the King and Queen, Oberon and Titania, appeared to perish in the process. Faery is now ruled by a consortium of noble houses called Flowers, each with a flower as their symbol, who are striving with each other for power.

That can be taken literally - Faery has developed technology, including railroads, telephones, and television, powered by a form of magic the way we use electricity, and the Flowers control the generators. The increasing growth of the City demands ever more power, and the systems are failing under the strain with increasingly frequent blackouts. (The source of the power is horrific when revealed.)

And Theo is subjected to scientific tests when he gets to Faery, and told he's not a mortal, but has Faery blood. He sees no way that could be possible, but his hosts are adamant. He must discover who and what her really is and what part he has to play, and deal with a developing romance with the daughter of a major Flower lord. He's trying to keep her at arms length because he doesn't know the rules and simply being around him is dangerous to bystanders, but she has other ideas.

It's a fun read with a different take on Faery than the usual one and engaging characters.

Next up is likely finishing Marshall McLuhan's The Gutenberg Galaxy, and at least starting Neal Asher's Polity SF series.
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Dennis