Starry Messenger

After my previous review of a book by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Accessory to War, I realized that our views on the relationship between science and public policy, while not opposing, do not quite align. As such, when came across his recently published book, Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization, I wasn't sure what to expect. But with my accidentally acquired advanced reader copy (somehow I picked up a pre-publication copy more than ten months after the proper publication went on sale), I decided to give the astrophysicist another go.

Perhaps surprisingly, I actually found myself much more open to his opinions in this work. Apparently, when not considering the defense applications of scientific research, my views are more strongly aligned with his. Starry Messenger's goal is to analyze humanity from above, remove emotions from the equation and approach it in a more logical manner, or as one of my favorite podcasters would put it, "from the Martian perspective". Actually, given the title of the book, the quote is even more applicable than I expected.

From the very beginning, deGrasse Tyson doesn't shy away from potentially thorny subjects, addressing the variability of truth in both objective and personal beauty concepts. It also led to one very depressing, yet accurate quote:  "The beauty we've created is not even skin deep. It washes off in the shower." 

A number of different topics are touched on: gambling, race relations, and more. And all of them are analyzed through a large scope. Real speck of dust in the universe kind of mentality. It's almost disconcerting how small all of humanity's troubles seem to become.

Although Neil deGrasse Tyson's slightly condescending tone is still present throughout the work, it wasn't excessively bothersome. Actually, it is probably his most widely applicable work that I've read, and can be enjoyed by most subsets of people. Overall, it's a pretty easy, yet thought-provoking, read which I do recommend.

 

 

Foccacia

Foccacia, a popular Italian bread, appears to stem from the Roman panis focacius. Thanks to the magical power of etymology and the relationship between Latin and Spanish, the first part can easily be attributed to bread. The latter, with the help of Google Translate, can be tied to the the Latin term focus, meaning hearth. Thus, the direct translation appears to be hearth bread. Bread-making was a vital piece of ancient Roman cuisine. Examples of preserved loaves (panis quadratus) have been excavated in the city of Pompeii:

 

Panis Quadratus - Wikimedia

More recently, news of a fresco depicting a "Roman pizza" has been making the rounds on the web. Although probably not really eaten as we would imagine a pizza, but rather used as an edible serving dish, it's an entertaining idea. I highly recommend the videos made by Max Miller of Tasting History on the subject, which I'll embed below, since it isn't the primary goal of this post. 

 

On the subject of foccacia - I got the recipe that as was written by Nicola Lamb of Kitchen Projects. I really enjoy reading her work since it contains detailed analyses of different approaches, including photographs comparing the effects of different possible approaches. Since I didn't have bread flour, I used all-purpose, which seems to have done a fair job, even if the gluten network wasn't as strong. I also found out that I only had half the needed flour after I already started the preferment, so I scaled everything except the poolish. Came out alright in terms of texture,but I forgot to add salt, making it rather bland.

 

 

The Shadow of the Wind

Back in high school, I went through a phase where I loved mystery novels - Dan Brown, David Baldacci, and John Grisham have all earned themselves permanent spots on my bookshelf. However, in the last few years, fewer books of the genre have truly called out to me. Fantasy also has a prominent spot. Even historical fiction. Lately, though, it’s mostly been non-fiction and science fiction.
Then, following up on a recommendation from my grandfather, I picked up The Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. It’s hard to box it into a discrete category – elements of mystery, fantasy, romance, and horror are masterfully woven into a narrative tapestry set in the middle of 20th century Barcelona. It follows the adventures of Daniel, the son of a second-hand bookstore shop owner, on a quest to learn about the author of a book he fell in love with.
Mystery, intrigue, and conspiracies follow. Flashbacks gradually reveal the truth of the author’s life as the reader unravels the story alongside Daniel. But the mystery is supplemented by a strong love narrative and a convincing tale of friendship and camaraderie.
Before I accidentally spoil too much of the story, I also want to mention the language. Originally written in Spanish, The Shadow of the Wind reached me in its English translation. So, I can only truly attest to this version. However, it has some of the best writing that I have seen in a while. I pulled some of my favorite quotes to include in my reviews in the past. This time, I would need to quote half the novel. Furthermore, every description is perfectly balanced. Not excessively tedious lectures on every minute aspect which can make books hard to enjoy, but way more detailed than the broad strokes that are all too often the fallback of other authors. The images in my head were clear and at times it felt almost too real.
Please, do yourself a favor and read this. It has quickly risen to one of my favorite books of all time and I do not hesitate what so ever to heartily recommend it.