"For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light." -- Psalm 36:9 (NKJV)

Michael Denton takes a mid 1980s look at what biology did at that time to document or to challenge Darwinism in terms of evolution. As a quick overview, Denton finds that microevolution (of the sort that Darwin observed) has been validated. He raises questions about macroevolution that emphasize:

1. Gaps in the fossil record of intermediate types that should exist to document the development of one major species from another one.

2. Similarities in structures from one species to another have underlying differences in DNA and biochemistry that belie the initial visual impression.

3. Life is so complex at the micro scale that the possibilities of random selection producing adequate varieties that would work is unlikely.

4. Some aspects of how life works depend on complex systems that are hard to imagine existing in any simpler form.

Denton appears to come from an agnostic perspective, trying to make sense of what the origin of life is. He concludes that neither Creationism nor Darwinism seem to be supported by natural evidence. He does point to there being a mystery about how life was established, without trying to come up with a possible explanation.

I have not read his more recent book, but I have read quite a few critiques of Darwinism and neo-Darwinism. I found this book to be less persuasive in marshaling the arguments than many of the others I've read. I think you can skip this book unless you are mostly interested in the views of Darwin's contemporaries, which Denton does a good job of characterizing.

"So he brought the people down to the water. And the LORD said to Gideon, 'Everyone who laps from the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set apart by himself; likewise everyone who gets down on his knees to drink.'" -- Judges 7:5 (NKJV)

As God pointed out in Judges 7:5, there's a lot that can be learned from dogs. Ms. Orlean in Rin Tin Tin takes that point to its furthest extension in my experience. If you are a fan of the New Yorker, you know that its nonfiction pieces can be beyond encyclopedic in scope, taking you to places where your mind has questioned ... but hasn't taken the time to seek. Rin Tin Tin is like having months of the New Yorker in which each issue has some new aspect of Rin Tin Tin tied back to all the other pieces.

Ms. Orlean has three admirable skills that are part of this book's highlights: She can weave together a nonfiction story with the artistry of a novelist in connecting various elements and characters; her imagination pulls her to places and questions that take readers beyond what they could conceive of for themselves; and she has the dogged (pun intended) determination to keep turning over stones until something interesting turns up.

Before commenting further, let me explain my perspective. I'm a dog lover, but don't care for German shepherds. I grew up just a few miles from where Lee Duncan lived and bred dogs for many years in Riverside, California. Despite being invited to visit Lee Duncan and his current Rin Tin Tin many times, I passed. I watched the television show as a youngster (I'm a little older than Ms. Orlean), but I liked Lassie better. As a youngster, the story of the original Rin Tin Tin didn't excite me. I find it more interesting now.

I found that this book made Rin Tin Tin about ten times more interesting to me than the dog (or its successors) and its legend had been before. Part of the reason is from learning more about Lee Duncan's life, how the first Rin Tin Tin went from being a war orphan to a movie star, Ms. Orlean's own fascination with Rin Tin Tin, and the great difficulties of developing an ongoing character for Rin Tin Tin. Another part of the reason is appreciating more about Rin Tin Tin's lasting appeal. Ultimately, this book is a love story ... about how loving animals can transform a life.

I loved all the digressions, side trips, backing up, slowing down, idling, and wandering off in unexpected directions. It felt as if I were on the "unplanned" vacation I took one year. My wife and I started with a car, some cash, and a credit card ... determined to start north and spend two weeks away from home doing something interesting. It was marvelous, mostly because it was so unpredictable and free. The book is similarly unfettered ... which will drive people crazy who love a lean, focused nonfiction book. Stop after a third of the book if that's your taste.

One of the difficulties with writing about any subject connected to the movies or television is that made-up tales abound. Ms. Orlean does an admirable job of sorting through the made-up stuff and expressing skepticism where it's probably warranted ... even in the absence of a fake press release.

I do have one complaint, one that I urge you to take seriously. While I love to hear authors read their own books, I do so because I believe that they understand what words to emphasize better than professionals do. I don't think that's the case with Ms. Orlean. Her reading is more wooden than expressive, and her voice has grating qualities. Unless she needed the money from doing her own narration, she would have done her listeners a favor by turning this task over to a professional. So I urge you to read the book ... but don't listen to the narration on the audio CDs.

"Get 'em, Rinty!"

"For we are in danger of being called in question for today's uproar, there being no reason which we may give to account for this disorderly gathering." -- Acts 19:40 (NKJV)

Mission to Paris probably would be better named "Making a Movie in Paris." Although there's certainly an espionage story here, it exists in the context of making a movie. As movie-making books go, this one is on the light side. But the topic itself is pleasant so you'll probably enjoy that aspect of the story. Those who like deep espionage stories with constant danger may feel that this story is just so much fluff. Well, a lot of so-called espionage just before World War II was a bit like this ... amateurs being pressed into duty by opportunity and circumstances.

But for what it is, the book is perfectly okay. Most people who have read earlier Alan Furst books may be disappointed. Mission to Paris is like taking tea at the Ritz compared to say Dark Voyage.

To me, the most interesting part of the book came in its excellent depiction how the Nazi leaders often competed with one another to make a good impression on Hitler, often sending out goofy people to do silly things.

For those who love Paris, Furst is at his best in capturing the atmosphere and details of the City of Light, just before its lights were dimmed by German occupation.

"Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body." -- 1 Corinthians 6:18 (NKJV)

The St. Zita Society is a crime and suspense novel based on the perspective so ably displayed in Downton Abbey and Upstairs, Downstairs, where the flaws and sins of the upper crust are laid bare through the close observations of their servants. Ruth Rendell portrays a thoroughly depraved society where sexual immorality is so rampant that a resident of Sodom or Gomorrah might blush. Within that context, there's a more subtle story: how failing to love and cherish leads to pain and even worse evil doing. Shakespeare would, no doubt, admire this plot: It has clowns, fools, princes, knaves, and humorous mix-ups galore ... leading up to some pretty serious tragedy.

I found that the book's plotting and themes were more powerful than the actual plot development and writing. In fact, the book for me started so slowly that I began to wonder if I would be able to make head or tail out of the characters. I had to keep referring to the map and list of characters for far too long, but perhaps that's just a personal weakness. Early in the book, only the names seemed to distinguish one character from another.

Be patient. For me, the book began to make sense as a crime and suspense novel and to provide a fine sense of enjoyment in the second half. I thought that the ending was particularly well done. I won't say more for the obvious reason of not wanting to spoil the story for you.

If you enjoy a gossipy perspective that focuses on foibles and flaws, you'll probably like the book better than I did. You will probably assign it four or five stars.

"A fool vents all his feelings,
But a wise man holds them back." -- Proverbs 29:11 (NKJV)

The financial markets are supposed to be efficient (almost perfectly reflecting the known information to set accurate valuations). Yet most stocks will oscillate plus or minus 30 percent from their daily closing average during the course of a year. Surely, the value of the company didn't shift so much in that time?

In recent years, experiments by behavioral researchers have challenged the efficient markets theory by showing that many decisions work differently than a calculating computer would. In The Hour between Dog and Wolf, John Coates (a senior research fellow in neuroscience and finance) reports on newer research into how the bodies of people making investment and trading decisions are affected by what they are doing. Drawing on his personal experience at Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank, the findings are described in the context of market conditions that will seem quite familiar to experienced investors. I found the book to be fascinating. And I included a recommendation to read it in Lesson Fourteen of my next book, Excellent Solutions.

I thought that the book was weakest in postulating possible ways to dampen the harmful effects of neurology and body chemistry on investment behavior. I will welcome controlled experiments that follow up on these measurements to see how minds and bodies can be kept under more appropriate discipline in making decisions and taking actions.

"Execute true justice,
Show mercy and compassion
Everyone to his brother." -- Zechariah 7:9 (NKJV)

If you have been interested in evolution for any length of time, you know about the Scopes trial where William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow squared off over evolution. In Darwin on Trial, professor and attorney Phillip Johnson plays judge in assessing the proof for and against Darwin's theory of evolution, Neo-Darwinism, and more recent arguments. In doing so, he relies on legal rules and principles. As an attorney, I am familiar with such rules, but I fear that most readers aren't. Consequently, I believe that those who will get the most from this book are legally trained readers, rather than scientists or laypeople.

Professor Johnson states what many people don't realize: That micro-evolution on a small and limited scale within a species is accepted by almost everyone.

Differences of opinion come in terms of whether major classes of life emerge from prior classes. Since none of us were there, we have to rely on indirect evidence.

Professor Johnson leans most heavily on what has been located in the fossil record and what has been learned about biological divergences among species. These items of evidence don't show a continuous evolution from single-celled creatures to man because there are large gaps in the fossil record, transitional types are missing, and it's hard to imagine how some biological gaps might have been crossed (if they were).

He also looks at how many arguments in popular literature about evolution rely on examples that don't prove the case for what might have happened earlier, ways that the conclusion is assumed from the way the question is posed, and the nature of scientific thought holding to a theory until a replacement comes along.

In using different perspective to look at the argument for evolution, much of the ground is covered several times to make different points. That way of organizing the book will make it less accessible to those who would prefer a single line of argument that avoids repetition of evidence. At times, I felt I was back in law school.

But if you want to read a non-scientific, non-Scriptural look at evolution, Darwin on Trial can be a useful starting point to appreciate the major arguments for and against evolution.

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." -- Romans 12:21 (NKJV)

In Creole Belle, James Lee Burke ups the literary qualities of his prose to new levels of poetic imagery. He also does a remarkable job of portraying the problems of perception and memory in ways that resonate more powerfully than any scientific description you'll ever read. I was impressed with the effective way that Clete Purcel seems to have been encompassed by Dave Robicheaux's visions, adding a more romantic aspect to this story.

That said, the outlines of the story will seem very familiar to those who are long-time fans of the series. It's good versus evil once again with a vengeance. Although I don't mind the same story being retold with new garments, in this case there's a reaching out to the evils of Europe that comes across as quite a stretch for a story that's obviously based in the recent past. It felt like such overreaching to me that the story's magic spell was dimmed for me.

So what's the story about on the surface level? Dave is recovering from being shot in The Glass Rainbow. A generous dose of painkillers is affecting his perceptions. When Tee Jolie Melton seems to visit, he's not sure. Because she's missing, everyone else doubts Dave's memory. He's not so sure. As usual, the search goes against the grain for everyone else, but Dave proceeds regardless ... turning up some very curious events and some highly untrustworthy people. Burke takes his time honing in on the evil, beautifully building characters and conundrums in the process. It's like sitting down with someone form southern Louisiana who wants to tell you a story about the old days in the French Quarter. It's going to take awhile, but you probably won't mind. It's quite an experience to listen to such a beautifully told tale.

To me the highlight of the book is the introduction of a complex and highly original character that is connected to Clete's part of the plot. I won't say more ... lest I spoil the story.

"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." -- Matthew 7:1-2 (NKJV)

Daisy Miller is the essence of a well-written novella: deep characterizations developed through a variety of interactions, minimal prose to capture a point, carefully balanced action that rounds out a message, plenty of exhibition of internal thoughts and feelings, and stark contrasts in personal philosophies. While brief, this book contains enough food for thought to provide entertaining dinner conversation for years.

Although Daisy Miller is the title character and the most appealing character in the book, Henry James uses Frederick Winterbourne to convey his points, both as narrator and as an American expatriate who is not at home entirely in either Europe or the United States. Winterbourne finds much that is appealing about Daisy Miller, but he's also concerned about maintaining his social standing in the expatriate community, a community that's filled with concerns about appearances.

Daisy Miller is what might call a 20th century woman, emancipated from concerns about money by having a rich father, free to try her hand at life because her mother is overwhelmed by her parental responsibilities, and filled with enthusiasm for life. Embracing American values of taking everyone in as a fellow human, her behavior drives the expatriates wild.

Lest you think it's all about freedom versus social snobbery, James takes pains to point out that there are real costs when freedom is misused.

So no one gets a free pass in this novella. That's a major part of its charm. All the characters have weaknesses, flaws, and vulnerabilities. That makes them, well, almost human.

While some characters are drawn in very negative terms, it's more for contrast with Daisy ... rather than as a deliberate attempt to create cartoon characters.

Some of the scenes are so beautifully written they'll take your breath away with the possibilities that they evoke. That's the brilliance of James at work. Enjoy those!

"Better is a little with righteousness,
Than vast revenues without justice." -- Proverbs 16:8 (NKJV)

The book's title is probably what attracted you. That was true for me, as well. While it's possible to start a business for $100 (I started my first one for $12), the bulk of those studied by Chris Guillebeau spent between $100 and $600. The point is to start small, experiment, and stick to low-cost methods. You will probably be surprised by how little the book actually has to say about how to keep investment costs down in other ways. That's because the book is mostly focused on personal services, professional services, and selling information products. These kinds of businesses are more marketing than investment intensive.

Because of his love for travel, the book is also filled with the notion of using the freedom that a business can bring to move around and enjoy a better lifestyle. That, too, is true of entrepreneurship kept in perspective.

The book's great strength is in lots of information about low-cost ways to acquire and make more profits from customers. It's one of the best small business marketing books I've read. I intend to recommend it to my adult education classes.

The book is also helpful in providing a lot of success stories. If you are looking for ways to copy those success stories, you won't find the details here. You'll have to track down the entrepreneurs and ask them your questions directly.

Although the book displays a strong counter-culture flavor, the advice is pretty much traditional business 101, except scaled for a start-up person with limited business experience.

If your weakness in starting a business is marketing, you will find this book valuable.

"Whoever rewards evil for good,
Evil will not depart from his house." -- Proverbs 17:13 (NKJV)

Gabriel Allon has finally achieved separation from Israeli intelligence, enjoying the task of restoring a masterpiece inside the Vatican. This tranquility is disrupted by a Vatican curator's mysterious death. Did she fall? Did she jump? Did someone harm her? Because of the delicate questions the death raises, Monsignor Donati, the pope's private secretary, asks Gabriel to look into matters.

He soon finds clues leading to a major criminal scheme, one that uses death to oil its operations. What else could be beneath the tip of this iceberg?

The plot and pacing are extraordinarily smooth and intriguing. I felt as if I were reading a classic novel, rather than a contemporary thriller. The character development and storytelling are special.

As much as I admire this series, The Fallen Angel stands far above many of the recent books in the series. Don't miss it!

Bravo, Mr. Silva!