View Post

Marie Kondo, Tidying

In Books, Japan, The rest by tony3 Comments

   Breadtag Sagas ©: Author Tony, 14 March 2016 Introduction Marie Kondo The life-changing magic of tidying 2014. 2016 might be my year for getting excited over weird books. The Big Twitch in January and Gut in February are good examples. I mentioned my normal views on self-help books in my discussion of Gut by Giulia Enders and how I lean towards Steve …

View Post

Giulia Enders, Gut

In Germany, Books, The rest by tony2 Comments

   Breadtag Sagas ©: Author Tony, 21 February 2016 Introduction Giulia Enders Gut: the inside story of our body’s most under-rated organ 2015. Enders honesty about herself in the beginning of her Foreward is astonishing and endearing. I was born by caesarean section, she says and goes on to say that she couldn’t breast feed and was lactose intolerant until the age …

View Post

What is History 3: The Medieval Mind

In Art, Books, The rest by tony2 Comments

Featured image: The Medieval Mind, Bode Museum, Berlin 2014    Breadtag Sagas ©: Author Tony, 1 February 2016 My what is history series somewhat naively perhaps looks at history from the broad perspective of what processes an intelligent naked ape might go through to develop civilisation. From that perspective the study of human history should also consider the external forces, including geography, …

View Post

Sean Dooley: The Big Twitch

In Australia, Travel, Books by tony1 Comment

   Breadtag Sagas ©: Author Tony,  17 January 2015    Sean Dooley The Big Twitch, 2005 Occasionally, you read a book that you wouldn’t normally and it surprises you. The Big Twitch is such a book. We were staying with Denise’s mother in Cowra a week ago and I picked up The Big Twitch and began to read it. I found …

View Post

J.B.S. Haldane The Origin of Life, 1929

In Books, The rest by tony2 Comments

Featured Image: Detail from the cover of My Friend Mr Leakey    Breadtag Sagas ©: Author Tony, 18 December 2015    J.B.S. Haldane The Origin of Life, 1929    Introduction    The fact about science, is that everyone who has made a serious contribution to it is aware, or very strongly suspects, that the world is not only queerer than anyone …

View Post

What is history 2: Sleep Patterns

In Books, The rest by tony2 Comments

Featured image: Good, shop in Bangkok Mall, 2011    Breadtag Sagas ©: Author Tony, 14 December 2015 My what is history series somewhat naively perhaps looks at history from the broad perspective of what processes an intelligent naked ape might go through to develop civilisation. From that perspective the study of human history should also consider the external forces, including geography, …

View Post

What is History 1: Introduction

In Books, The rest by tony1 Comment

Featured image: Ishtar Gate Relief, Pergamon Museum, Berlin    Breadtag Sagas ©: Author Tony,  8 December 2015 My what is history series somewhat naively perhaps looks at history from the broad perspective of what processes an intelligent naked ape might go through to develop civilisation. From that perspective the study of human history should also consider the external forces, including geography, …

View Post

Classic Sci Fi 3: Avram Davidson Rork!

In Books by tony3 Comments

   Breadtag Sagas ©: Author Tony,  11 November 2015    Introduction Avram Davidson Rork! Berkley Books,1965 I am hopelessly biased about Rork! by Avram Davidson. It is one of my favourite Classic Sci Fi books ever, particularly those of the short pulp variety, so far under discussion. Rork! is about 60,000 words. I am probably going to oversell it, be warned. …

View Post

Addicted to Sumo too

In Travel, Books, Japan by tonyLeave a Comment

Featured photo: Simon Q Flickr, Wikimedia, Sumo bow-twirling ceremony, May 2014    Breadtag Sagas ©: Author Tony,  20 October 2015   Sumo Wrestling Japan    Introduction We made our first trip to Japan from 16 October to 25 November 2013. A friend had done a textile tour with Shuji Yamazaki a couple of years previously and had convinced us to …

View Post

Large dams 3: Oustees India

In Books, The rest, India by tony2 Comments

Feature photo: On the Godavari River, 2009    Breadtag Sagas ©: Author Tony,  10 October 2015 Oustees across India : The tragedy of displaced people Introduction This is the last of three articles on large dams the others are Large Dams 1: An Introduction and Large Dams 2: Aswan High Dam. The Murray-Darling Basin Catastrophe describes a similar issue in Australia. …

View Post

Classic Sci Fi 2: Daniel F Galouye Dark Universe

In Books by tony1 Comment

   Breadtag Sagas ©: Author Tony,  26 September 2015    Introduction Daniel F Galouye came up with a brilliant idea when he wrote Dark Universe in 1961. In the short novel that follows that he fleshes out the idea with a good story, a well-rounded plot and reasonable characterisation. In other words, Dark Universe stands the test of time in …

View Post

Large dams 2: Aswan High Dam

In Egypt, Books, The rest by tony1 Comment

Featured photo: Satellite image: Insightdigital & Google, Aswan High Dam 2009    Breadtag Sagas ©: Author Tony,  21 September 2015    Case study: The Aswan High Dam and the Nile in Egypt    Introduction This is the second of three articles on large dams the others are Large Dams 1: An Introduction and Large Dams 3: Oustees India. The Murray-Darling Basin Catastrophe describes …

View Post

Large Dams 1: An introduction

In Books, The rest by tonyLeave a Comment

Featured photo: Palmyra Sculpture Centre, boats Aral Sea     Breadtag Sagas ©: Author Tony,  15 September 2015 Preface This is the first of three articles on large dams the others are Large Dams 2: Aswan High Dam and Large Dams 3: Oustees India. The Murray-Darling Basin Catastrophe describes a similar issue in Australia. Another related article is Rukmini Rao Woman …

View Post

Roy Lewis, The Evolution Man

In Books by tonyLeave a Comment

   Breadtag Sagas ©: Author Tony,  29 August 2015    What’s the funniest novel ever?    I occasionally think of what are the funniest books ever written and whether my views are unusual. Looking at lists on the Net, some books come up again and again, even some weird ones. David Kelly in The New York Times 2008 says: All …