Book Reviewed: Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI by Yuval Noah Harari

The artificial Intelligence (AI) and humanity The author explores the use of information in the past and its future potential as artificial intelligence could shape humanity. He sounds more like a soothsayer than an author of a book warning readers of their impending doom. There is not a great deal one can learn from this book than already said by physicists like Stephen Hawking and entrepreneur Elon Musk. Stephen Hawking's views on information highlighted its centrality to our understanding of the universe, especially in resolving mysteries of spacetime, information, and physical reality. The transformative potential of AI can be both positive and negative. Negative, if precautions are not used to keep human control of AI. If not, especially, when AI itself starts writing its own programs without the participation of a human programmer, it could be dangerous for our own existence. Elon Musk shares this view and continues to believe that AI is a transformative force that benefits humanity through initiatives like Neuralink and exploration of Mars for future survival of humanity. This book is not inspiring and doesn’t illuminate the readers

Book Reviewed: Nan Goldin (Phaidon 55's) by Guido Costa

Song of sexual dependency Nan Goldin is known for intimate exploration of love, sexual orientation, addiction, and the human condition. Her work documents her own life and the lives of those in her close social circles, blurring the line between art and autobiography. Some of the pictures of Goldin captures moments of passion, despair, and chaos, reflecting the struggles and joys of intimacy and relationships. This book is a compilation of some of her work and the only photograph that truly reflects her soul, and personality is her own photographs.

Book Reviewed: The Naked Neanderthal: A New Understanding of the Human Creature by Ludovic Slimak

An exploration of our closest human relative The author presents a different perspective on neanderthal culture and society in this book. He emphasizes the importance of understanding neanderthals on their own terms, rather than solely through comparisons with modern humans. According to him, by analyzing the neanderthal into another human-like species is racism and based on prejudicial assumptions. Palaeobiological and archeological evidence show that both neanderthals and modern humans produced similar tools and ornaments, suggesting some cultural exchanges and parallel development of technologies. Recent research reveals that neanderthals and modern humans coexisted for extended periods, engaging in interbreeding and cultural interactions that shaped the evolutionary trajectories of these two species. Interbreeding between neanderthals and modern humans occurred between 60,000 to 40,000 years ago in Europe and Asia. This gene flow affected the genomes and biology of both species, with modern non-African human populations carrying about 2% neanderthal DNA. The author’s suggestion that scientific analysis focuses on subjective realities rather than a more objective perspective. His observations are far-fetched and unrealistic.

Book Reviewed: The Wall of Life: Pictures and Stories from This Marvelous Lifetime by Shirley MacLaine

A life in pictures In this remarkable book of pictures, author Shirly MacLaine shares over 150 images (B&W) from her personal archive accompanied by a brief narrative. There are numerous pictures from her childhood with parents and brother Warren Beatty, several pictures with members of “Rat Pack,” Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davies, Jr. with whom she had lasting friendship, in addition, Clint Eastwood, Jack Nicholson, Sydney Poitier, and many others including Morgan Freeman to whom she once propositioned. She also met many American presidents like Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, and Geroge McGovern. She led a life of political and personal activism. There is a photograph on page 242 depicting a woman dancing on the top of a cliff. This image is a self-portrait capturing MacLaine herself in a moment of expressive dance against a dramatic natural backdrop. It reflects her lifelong dedication to dance, performing arts, and her adventurous spirit that is deeply connected to Oneness with nature. It is a visual representation of her artistic journey and personal philosophy, a harmonious blend of art with the natural world. Shirley MacLaine explored Vedanta philosophy of Hinduism, and profoundly impacted by the themes of interconnectedness, self-realization, and the nature of Pure Consciousness, Paramātmā, the Absolute Atman or Supreme Soul where all personality/individuality, spacetime, matter and energy vanishes. MacLaine was deeply immersed in this metaphysical thought in which a universal consciousness gives rise to everything that exists in the cosmos. Reincarnation, a concept of Hindu philosophy fascinated MacLaine and she reflects her thoughts about past lives, dharma, karma, and attainment of Jnana yoga. MacLaine was married to producer Steve Parker from 1954 to 1982 with an unconventional relationship, an open marriage, allowing both partners to explore other relationships. She admits to affairs with her costars Robert Mitchum, French actor Yves Montand, comedian and actor Danny Kaye, George Huvos, her first love, and Andrew Peacock, her last love. There were also relationships with journalists, Pete Hamill, and Sander Vanocur, and of course she also admits that she once propositioned actor Morgan Freeman, but he declined her advance. In one section of the book, she discusses being nominated for best actress for the film Apartment, but on Oscar night, she was in Japan filming Geisha. She believes that Elizabeth Taylor won the award in best actress category for Butterfield 8 because the award was a sympathy vote for Taylor who was dying of pneumonia that year. MacLaine felt disappointed but agrees that her best friend Elizabeth Taylor was a brilliant actress, The Apartment is still one of her favorite films. There are pictures from India she visited; she flew to New Delhi, rented a car, and drove south to Chennai (Madras) by herself ended up on the west coast of India. She was exhilarated by the spirituality and culture. In 1994, she walked the Camino de Santiago, a five-hundred-mile trek across Spain in thirty days by herself, and her meeting with Stephen Hawking at Cambridge discussing cosmology. She speaks warmly of her friendship with members of the Ratpack, especially Sammy Davis Jr. This is a wonderful book which I very much enjoyed, and I strongly recommend this to readers interested in her life.

Agency and free will Agency is a person who acts to produce a particular result, in this case free will. The author explores the concept of free will from a biological and evolutionary perspective and concludes that it is not an illusion but a real phenomenon that rose from the human brain and its evolutionary development. He challenges the deterministic view that believes that our actions are completely governed by genetics, environmental factors, and classical physics. The human brain is a complex system that has flexibility for conscious choice. This ability evolved in animals to make decisions based on past experiences, sensory inputs, and predictions of future outcomes. In humans, the nervous system evolved to grant us a degree of agency over our behavior. He emphasizes that while our choices are influenced by biology, they are not wholly determined by it, leaving room for agency. Our ability to reflect on our thoughts, intentions, and actions gives us the capacity to choose freely, rather than simply react to stimuli. Brain is not a deterministic machine, and unpredictability of neural activity and environmental influences offers flexibility in decision-making. According to Integrated Information Theory (IIT) proposed by neurobiologist Giulio Tononi consciousness arises from integrated information generated by the causal interactions within the brain which may give rise to free will. An octopus throws a curveball to inferences drawn from human studies. Some octopus species operate their arms without direct involvement of brain, and they have a high degree of autonomy due to nerve clusters called ganglia in each arm. Indeed, one major implication is that intelligence and life may be inextricably intertwined in ways that revolve around the concept of agency, but octopus appears to be an evolutionary accident. The laws of quantum mechanics allow quantum uncertainty, which means that conscious observers may encounter randomness that breaks pure determinism. This randomness doesn’t lead to free will, but it introduces unpredictability. To outside observers, our choices might look like patterns influenced by quantum randomness rather than pure causally determined processes. This perspective could mean we are neither fully free nor fully bound by fate.

Book Reviewed: My Story by Elizabeth Smart

A nightmare in the life of a fourteen-year-old girl The story of Elizabeth Smart’s abduction and captivity in Salt Lake City, Utah, as it unfolded in June 2002 drew significant public attention. In this book she explores what it means to be a survivalist. It is a powerful narrative of trauma, courage, and the will to survive. During her captivity, Elizabeth was subjected to physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. Around 2 a.m., Brian David Mitchell entered Elizabeth's bedroom through an open window. He duct-taped her mouth and hands then dragged her out of the house to a secluded campsite. He claimed to be a prophet sent by God. She was physically restrained with duct tape and ropes, forced her to undergo "spiritual cleansing" rituals, made her wear a disguise to conceal her identity. Isolated her from the outside world and created a sense of fear and dependence using Bible to justify his actions. He threatened her throughout her captivity that he would seek revenge on her and her family members if she escaped. She was too afraid to escape. This is a powerful story of Elizabeth Smart who claims that her strong faith in her beliefs and bonds with her family helped her to cope with the trauma she endured at a tender age. This is a powerful story of a young woman who speaks about her experiences. Elizabeth Smart’s advocacy has helped raise awareness about child abduction, survival, and healing.

Book Reviewed: The Secret Lives of Numbers: A Hidden History of Math's Unsung Trailblazers by Kate Kitagawa and Timothy Revell

The marginalized voices who propelled mathematics This is a focused history of mathematics illuminating the marginalized voices across the globe who propelled the discipline of numbers that include thousands of years of untold stories. The history of mathematics is often associated with Europeans like Euclid, Pythagoras, and Newton. However, many pioneers who made significant contributions to the field are unsung heroes from non-European countries with diverse backgrounds such as India, China, and Mesopotamia (ancient Iraq). In the fourteenth century, a school of Mathematics in Kerala (a Southern state), India was a melting pot for mathematicians. Its founder, Madhava of Sangarnagrama was a brilliant mathematician, among his achievements was describing a theory of calculus. He explored the key ideas that make calculus possible which were then honed by successive mathematicians at the Kerala school. A long list of Indian mathematicians includes Aryabhata (476–550 CE) known for discovering decimal System, Place Value, and Pi (π) value, Brahmagupta (598–668 CE) first to establish clear rules for using zero in calculations, introduced the concept of negative numbers, solutions to quadratic equations, and proposed gravitational force. Bhaskara I (600–680 CE) gave more accurate approximation of the sine function, Bhaskara II (1114–1185 CE) worked on properties of cyclic quadrilaterals and differential calculus, and expanded on the ideas of gravity. Madhava of Sangamagrama (1340–1425 CE), the founder of the Kerala School of Mathematics (14th–16th century) worked on Infinite Series for trigonometric functions like sine, cosine, and arctangent. Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887–1920) was a self-taught Indian mathematician whose work has significantly influenced various areas of mathematics, including number theory, continued fractions, and infinite series. Though he did not work directly on string theory, his mathematical discoveries, particularly his insights into modular forms, partition functions, and special functions found relevance in theoretical physics. Despite having little formal training, his intuitive understanding of complex mathematical ideas earned him recognition by Cambridge mathematician G.H. Hardy. The Babylonians used mathematics for many practical purposes, including splitting plots of land and calculating tax. Some clay-tablet writers recorded revenues and budgets, and so familiarized themselves with numbers. Hypatia of Alexandria (360–415 CE) was long known as the earliest woman mathematician, in fact, that honor goes to Ban Zhao (45–116 CE) a Chinese historian, mathematician, and scholar during the Eastern Han dynasty best known for her work as a historian and also proficient in mathematics and astronomy. She assisted in the development of calendrical science and participated in projects related to the Han calendar. Pioneering women mathematicians like Sofya Kovalevskaya (1850–1891) and Mary Jackson found inspiration in the work of earlier women who had defied societal norms like Émilie du Châtelet, a French mathematician and physicist who translated and expanded upon the works of Isaac Newton. African American mathematicians like Elbert Frank Cox (1895–1969), William Schieffelin Claytor (1908–1967), Walter Richard Talbot Woodard (1874–1952), Mary Jackson (1921–2005), and Martha Euphemia Lofton Haynes (1890–1980) contributed significantly to mathematics when opportunities for African Americans were limited. These inspirations reflect a deep, interconnected web of intellectual and personal influences that crossed boundaries of geography, race, gender, and time. The author’s road to rediscovering the forgotten and ignored contributions of non-Europeans to mathematics could have included a little more history.

Book Reviewed: The Divine Economy: How Religions Compete for Wealth, Power, and People by Paul Seabright

The operation of market forces, supply, and demand on the faith platform The religious institutions today are business platforms. They offer a unique service for people seeking spiritual fulfillment and opportunities. The author examines the supply and demand concepts, market/societal forces, and competition among other godly institutions that specialize in providing similar metaphysical and mystical experiences. This analysis focus on how religions attract, retain, and grow. They operate like businesses, competing for wealth, power, and followers at the global level. They have honed their competitive strategies for thousands of years while expanding their influence on masses across nations. The success of businesses like Microsoft or Apple requires the managers to understand the current structure of their businesses, logistics, and corporate culture in an ever-changing global economy. The same requirements are necessary for the religious institutions except that the latter require faith of their followers in their belief system. The biggest followers are politicians and the government. They grant vast powers to religious movements by establishing them as official religions, by granting them subsidies and tax breaks, and by giving them legal power to punish people who don't accept their authority. Historically this autocratic system worked well for both Islam and Christianity. From battlefield to ballot box, from boardroom to bedroom, religious movements have enjoyed immense power. The most successful religious movements today are those that have been developing and adapting the platform model for the demands of the twenty-first century. A study published in 2016 estimated that faith-based organizations in the United States received revenues of $378 billion which illustrates the enormous inflow of resources. In fact, this is greater than the revenues of Apple and Microsoft combined. Islam has sought legitimacy in Islamic autocracies in modern world like Pakistan,, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Türkiye, and most Arab countries. Religiosity is a key component of their political strategy. The author reviews the statistical analysis from literature and shows that between 1900 and 2020, Muslim population almost doubled, rising from 12.4% to24.2%. Over the same period, Christianity fell slightly from 34.5% to 32.2%. This work illustrates as how the religions have dominated human lives in many ways imagined. The earlier part of the book focuses on historical aspects of religion and economics.

Book Reviewed: Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe

Space between e/em/eir Gender fluidity and non-binary nature of an individual is an intensely personal facet of life. Author Maia Kobabe visually explores e/em/eir gender confusion in all of its complexities, and handling day-to-to-today challenges of being gender fluid with supportive family and friends. This is a brilliantly rendered book that demystifies gender fluidity that mingles feminine and masculine identities into one multidimensional nonbinary person. Through personal anecdotes, e/em/eir reflects on childhood experiences, navigating puberty, and discovering that eir attraction to others that did not conform to the standard definition of sexuality. The artwork complements the storytelling by providing a visual representation of emotional experiences and severe identity crisis. Its candid nuanced portrayal of gender identity has become a point of discussion in schools and public libraries. In fact, this is the top book of the ten most challenged books in 2023 according to the list published by American Library Association. The narratives are in the form of cartoons, and the story reads flawlessly. I did not see any objectionable material or anything that can be construed as porn. One of my main concerns is LGBTQ activists have misused this story to promote their own agenda. A rapid rise in drag performances in the presence of children, and their interaction with kids in some public libraries are challenging the young minds. Many states are also radicalized, for example, one of the most progressive laws in California related to limiting parental control over minors is Senate Bill 107, signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2022. This law, known as the Gender-Affirming Care Sanctuary Law that allows minors to receive gender-affirming healthcare, such as hormone treatments or gender reassignment surgery without parental consent, if kids travel to California for such care. Courts in California are prohibited from enforcing out-of-state laws or subpoenas that conflict with this policy, and the state won’t cooperate with out-of-state authorities seeking to remove the child from such a care. Several other states besides California have implemented laws that provide minors with some level of healthcare autonomy: Oregon protects minors 14 years and older, Washington minors 13 years and older; Illinois and Colorado minors 12 years and older; and New York. Government has no business to interfere in the parental rights over their children. These are the most troubling developments in the past few years.

Book Reviewed: The Critical Qur'an: Explained from Key Islamic Commentaries and Contemporary Historical Research by Robert Spencer

Verses from a death-cult Author Robert Spencer translates and interprets the text of Qur'an that shows how it has evolved historically to its current state: where the martyrdom requiring jihad (terrorism), carrying out fatwa orders on specific individuals, killing apostates and infidels, blasphemy laws that shuts down any reasonable discussion about Islam, Hijrah (Muslim migration to other countries for a sole purpose of spreading and enabling Islam), Sharia laws that favors Muslims over non-Muslims and Muslim men over women. With a significant rise in progressive ideals in non-Muslim countries, the political, social and legals systems are favoring rights of Muslims than the majority non-Muslim population of their respective countries. The peace is impossible in the Middle East because jihad is taught to children, and has continued for generations in the Middle East and other Islamic countries. According to Islamic belief, the Qur'an is of divine origin. Muslims believe that the angel Jibril (Gabriel) transmitted the words of Allah to Muhammad. However, looking at the evidence that much of Islamic concepts are borrowed from Judaism and Christian texts. Parallels between Qur'anic stories with the Old and New Testaments are highlighted in the book, such as the narratives of Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark, and the story of Moses. There is also significant influence of gnostic and apocryphal Christian writings on Qur'anic narratives that includes non-canonical stories about Jesus and early Christian figures in the texts of Qur'an. The idea of an exalted, non-crucified Jesus, for example, might reflect gnostic ideas that diverged from orthodox Christianity. Similarly, Rabbinic Jewish traditions may have influenced the Qur'an’s interpretations of biblical stories, especially about prophets. A focused examination reveals that Muhammad as the primary author of the Qur'an, influenced by his experience’s migration from Mecca and Medina, and his interactions with Jews, Christians, and other religious communities. In seventh-century Arabia, Jewish tribes were significant political and religious communities in the region, particularly in the city of Medina (then Yathrib), where Muhammad emigrated from Mecca in 622 CE (the Hijra). Conflicts with Jewish Tribes such as the Banu Qaynuqa, Banu Nadir, and Banu Qurayza led to wars and military confrontations. Some of the Qur'anic verses critical of Jews evolved during this conflict. Some verses that support anti-Jewish and antisemitism include Qur'an 2:61, Qur'an 2:88, Qur'an 5:64, Qur'an 5:82, and Qur'an 3:112. The sharia laws were also borrowed from the Mishnah, a codification of Jewish laws organized into various aspects of religious and civil life. It is a vital text in the development of Jewish legal tradition and provided foundational laws for modesty and head coverings found in later Jewish legal texts such as the Talmud and subsequent rabbinic traditions. Islamic laws pertaining to women’s head covering were borrowed from Jewish laws with significant intensity in its application, but Jewish and Christian traditions reformed over centuries, but the Islamic populations are taking us back to seventh century.

Book Reviewed: The History of Jihad from Muhammad to ISIS by Robert Spencer

Satan in the field Robert Spencer is a fearless Islamic scholar who argues how Muslims have historically targeted the weakness of non-Islamic countries, and manipulated their political, economic, and social circumstances. This book is a critical, unbiased review of jihad, which is a religious duty for all Muslims. The discussions are based on historical events across the globe. The author quotes Islamic texts like, Quran and Hadith. Over the past 1400 years of its history, civilizations have been forced to conform to a belief system that favors Muslims over non-Muslims, and men over women. It is fraternal order that was created to benefit only Muslim men, in fact, it has become a death cult to achieve success. The first case of jihad was the Battle of Badr (624 CE), which is one of the earliest examples of jihad in the military sense when Muhammad and his followers fought the Quraysh tribe. The early Islamic conquests led to the spread of Islam through Arabian Peninsula, the Indian subcontinent, North Africa, Spain, and Persia, and the Byzantine Empire. Jihad was dominant in the history of India, particularly during the medieval period, influencing the region's politics, society, and culture. The first Islamic invasion of India occurred in 636 CE, during the reign of Caliph Umar, and later Muhammad bin Qasim's conquest of Sindh (711-712 CE) was the beginning of Islamic jihad in India. Forced conversions and intimidation has led to numerous jihad attacks throughout the history. In fact, Indian Buddhists and Jains were forcibly converted into Islam or driven into the neighboring countries. There were a series of religious wars initiated by Christian Europe to reclaim the Holy Land from Muslim control, these Crusades (1096–1291) saw a renewed emphasis on jihad in the Islamic world. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1922) invoked jihad during its military campaigns in India and Europe, and it was religiously motivated to spread Islam. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Islamic movements such as the Wahhabi movement in the Arabian Peninsula, and the Fulani jihads in West Africa, and recently by Taliban in Afghanistan sought to purify Islamic practices and establish religious states using the language of jihad found in Islamic texts. In the 20th century, this war cry evolved as Muslim-majority fought with modernity, and colonialism. The concept of jihad became central to the ideology of groups like Al-Qaeda which attacked United States on 9/11/2001. The rise of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria (2014–2019), Taliban in Afghanistan, Al-Shabab in Africa, and Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. Pakistan helped create numerous terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Hizbul Mujahideen, and Harkatul Mujahideen have intensified jihad as a regional and global apocalyptic battle to create a new Islamic caliphate. In the contemporary Period, the conflicts in the Middle East have intensified the belief in jihad. Teaching jihad to Palestinian children over several generations have destabilized the relationship with Israel. But the belief in jihad has no signs of diminishing despite the fact that Islamic forces like Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, Iran, Syria, and Iraq are heading towards defeat. Myanmar, a Buddhist country where Islamic militancy grew significantly after independence from British rule leading to periodic tensions with Buddhist majority. Harakah al-Yaqin (HaY), a Rohingya insurgent group linked to global jihadist networks like Al-Qaeda and ISIS contributed to significant jihadist activity which led them to their displacement into neighboring India where they joined forces with Indian jihadis, and are terrorizing Hindu population Northeastern and northern states. The history of jihad is deeply intertwined with Islamic theology, law, and politics. The nations that have Muslim population are convinced that Islam is a religion of peace and jihad is the work of an isolated extremist or someone who has “mental” issues. The reality we see in India, Middle East, Western Europe and Noth America is quite disturbing. Muslims do not want into fit into other countries they migrate into. Readers who are familiar with the work of this author or his work on social media like Twitter knows that his work is focused and well-informed, but he could have included some key information about jihad in India and jihad against Israel.

Book Review: That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America by Amanda Jones

Surveillance in the Stacks This is a nonfiction account by a Louisiana-based librarian who became an advocate against book banning. The book captures her personal experiences as she faced condemnation and legal threats for opposing efforts to remove certain books from public libraries. She explores the importance of protecting access to books dealing with topics like race, gender, and sexual orientation. Her discussion focuses on the rise in book challenges, the political and social forces behind them, and her journey as an activist for access to LGBTQ+ information, emphasizing the courage to stand up against groups advocating for censorship. She addresses the legal battles she endured, including being sued for defamation, and the harassment she faced online and in person. This book is a one-sided testament despite the fact that her stand could be harmful to kids. The author refers to the books that are challenged for removal from libraries due to the inappropriate content. The American Library Association (ALA) annually publishes lists of the most challenged books based on reports from schools and libraries. According to ALA, the challenges for removal are due to: LGBTQ+ content; books addressing queer identities and relationships; race and racism books; and political and social criticism of societal norms and historical narratives. Some of the recently challenged (banned) books are: "Gender Queer: A Memoir" by Maia Kobabe, for LGBTQ+ themes, sexual content, and illustrations; "All Boys Aren’t Blue" by George M. Johnson, for LGBTQ+ content, and sexually explicit material; "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison, for sexual content, explicit language, and racial themes; "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas, for profanity, violence, and anti-police themes; and "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez, for explicit sexual content, and depictions of racism. Book bans or challenges to book has been on the rise in the U.S. in recent years because of political polarization, cultural debates over issues like race, gender, sexual orientation, and LGBTQ+ rights. Conservative groups have led efforts to remove books they deem inappropriate, while progressive groups often push back against those bans. Several organized groups such as “Moms for Liberty” and other parent-led and political organizations have been vocal about removing books from libraries because they are harmful to kids. One state often highlighted for book bans is Florida, which has passed several laws that significantly impact the availability of certain books in public schools and libraries. One of the most notable is House Bill 1467, signed into law in 2022. The restrictions are justified by proponents as efforts to protect children from "inappropriate" or "obscene" materials. In 2023, West Virginia Senate Bill 252 was enacted which aimed to restrict access to "obscene" or "sexually explicit" materials for minors in public and school libraries. The law builds upon existing obscenity statutes in the state but broadens the scope of potential criminal liability for those responsible for providing these materials to minors. Provisions of the law include the prosecution of librarians who provide materials deemed inappropriate for minors. The book focuses only one side of the issue, the side of LGBTQ+ and gender identity activists who are pushing to the extremes by aligning themselves with socialists, liberals, and democrats. For example, a California law SB 107 (Trans Refuge Law) signed in 2022 that allow minors to seek gender-affirming care. It prohibits state agencies from complying with out-of-state subpoenas, warrants, or legal actions related to providing gender-affirming care. This law effectively takes away the parental control of their children. The author does not discuss LGBTQ+ and gender-identity activists who are promoting drag performances in gatherings that include families and children, performances that include cross-dressers/transgender performers prominently exhibiting the private parts, and of course the story-reading for kids in public libraries. They have dominated the political, social, and economic structures by aligning with progressive democrats to effectively diminishing the parental decisions.

Book Reviewed: In My Time of Dying: How I Came Face to Face with the Idea of an Afterlife by Sebastian Junger

Near-death visions This is a personal account of the author's near-death experience and exploration of afterlife. A ruptured pancreatic artery sent him into a life-threatening crisis. As he hovered between life and death, Junger experienced a spiritual encounter that challenged his beliefs about existence. He explores scientific theories and philosophical musings. This work is reflective of his thoughts. During his final moments of life, he sees his deceased father who reassure him, and invites him to go with him, and tells him not to be scared and he will take care of him. The author is confused about his father’s visit at deathbed. In fact, he expresses his anger at his father for his invitation to join him and claims he didn’t want to do anything with him. Advances in physiology and medicine found people to "come back from the dead;' as it were and reported extraordinary visions and experiences from their trip to the other side. It is a subjective experience of dying that included seeing Jesus, an old white man with grey hair wearing a robe, seeing the dead members of the family like parents and grandparents, being ushered through a tunnel of light, existing outside of their bodies, etc. Much of these experiences may be due to low oxygen supply to brain that results in distortions of experience, hallucinations, visions, disembodied voices, premonitions that have no provable basis in reality. The author discusses several studies about how the brain deprived of oxygen is known to cause cognitive distortions, tunnel vision, and loss of consciousness. He even makes speculative claims of physical reality. The title of this book is derived from a gospel song by Blind Willie Johnson. The title line, closing each stanza of the song refers to a deathbed wish and was inspired by a passage in the Bible from Psalms 41:3 "The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing, thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness". Numerous artists have recorded variations of this song including Bob Dylan and Led Zeppelin. The author does not make references to Jesus, or Bible but gets spiritual and philosophical. Some of his deathbed visions could be explained by physiology and neurobiology.

Book reviewed: The Demon in the Machine: How Hidden Webs of Information Are Solving the Mystery of Life by Paul C.W. Davies

Does the information processing explain the order of a living cell This book discusses how entropy, once viewed purely in terms of thermodynamics and physical systems, evolved to explain the structural complexity and orderly functions of a living cell. This book also makes it relevant that in biology coupling between processes on many scales of size and complexity occurs, and the biological causation operates both ways in a living system, bottom-up from genes to organisms, and top-down, from organisms to genes. The author discusses how the Maxwell’s “Demon” of the second law of thermodynamics appears to defy a thermodynamic process by reducing entropy internally in a physical system also applies to biological cells that maintain order by reducing entropy internally. The title of the book refers to James Maxwell’s "Demon," a thought experiment about the second law of thermodynamics. It is a hypothetical entity that violates this law by sorting particles between two compartments separated by a transparent wall of a simple physical system. Consideration of information gathered by the demon during the categorization of the particles requires energy and thus the total entropy of the system actually increases. The interplay between thermodynamics and information theory is challenging and helpful in advancing scientific thought. This book discusses how the concept of cellular entropy connects with the storage and processing of information in biological processes. The book is very engaging, and author Paul Davies describes physics, biology, and evolution with ease. But it is unlikely to be a complete explanation. The complexity of life requires a multifaceted approach that considers factors such as self-organization, evolution, the role of energy and information processing in biological processes. This book does not explain how life (a living cell) emerged from non-life (matter).

Book Reviewed: The Great New York Fire of 1776, a Lost Story of the American Revolution by Benjamin L. Carp.

The Great Fire of New York The Great Fire of New York was a significant event during the early stages of the American Revolution. It occurred on the night of September 21, 1776, just a few weeks after the British forces captured the city of New York. The fire destroyed over 500 to 1,000 buildings. The cause of the fire is still unknown, but many British soldiers and Loyalists suspected that American patriots deliberately set the fire to prevent the British from using the city as a base. There were also stories about the British soldiers were responsible for the fire to destroy the spirits of the American patriots. The fire destroyed approximately one-third of New York City, which at the time was a small but densely populated area mostly located at the southern tip of Manhattan. Despite the damage, New York remained under British control for the remainder of the war and became a key base of operations for the British Army. The fire started near Whitehall Slip and spread rapidly, consuming buildings from the East River to the Hudson River. Today, it's part of the Battery Park City development and the area between Whitehall Street and Battery Park Place, and the region near Trinity Church (at Wall Street and Broadway). Trinity Church, one of the most prominent landmarks was destroyed in the fire, though St. Paul's Chapel, just a short distance away, survived. Many of the residential areas near the waterfront and within the area that today includes parts of the Financial District were also severely damaged. The story that St. Paul's Chapel was spared by a bucket brigade during the Great Fire of 1776 is more legend than fact, but it illustrates the importance of community efforts in times of crisis. Despite its proximity to the blaze, St. Paul’s Chapel survived the inferno. The precise reasons for its survival are not entirely clear, and the idea that a "bucket brigade"—a line of people passing buckets of water to extinguish fires may be a romanticized story. Several factors might have contributed to the chapel's survival including the wind direction and the construction materials: St. Paul’s Chapel is made largely of stone, which might have been more fire-resistant than many of the wooden structures including the Trinity Church at Wall Street and Broadway. George Washington worshipped at St. Paul’s Chapel. After his inauguration as the first President of the United States on April 30, 1789, in New York City, which was the nation's capital at the time, Washington attended services regularly from 1789 to 1790. The chapel was close to the Federal Hall on Wall Street where the first Congress and Washington's executive offices were based. Washington would walk from Federal Hall to St. Paul’s for Sunday services. As with many historical events, the Great New York Fire of 1776 became the subject of art and literature over the years.. Paintings and writings helped romanticize and mythologize the fire. Stories about the fire spread through word of mouth were altered and exaggerated. There are no comprehensive lists of the eyewitnesses to the fire, but several prominent figures provided accounts of the event, civilians, soldiers, firefighters, government officials and civic leaders. There were the official records of the British military and the Continental Army. British General William Howe and Loyalist William Smith wrote about the fire, while other British soldiers and American prisoners who were in the city at the time also reported their observations. Unfortunately, many individual eyewitness names have not been preserved in historical records. After the New York fire, George Washington wrote to Congress expressing his thoughts on the situation, though he did not claim responsibility for or fully explain the origins of the fire. It seemed to have started in multiple places, which led to speculation that it may have been set intentionally. Washington’s tone reflected his uncertainty about the fire's origins, his main focus remained on military strategy rather than the fire itself. The author writes about the eyewitness accounts, but these accounts have not been corroborated and hence unreliable. It must be pointed out that British did set fire to several locations during the revolutionary war: Charlestown, Massachusetts, in the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775, to prevent it from being used by the Continental Army. British also burned several other towns and settlements, including Norfolk, Virginia in 1776 as part of their military campaign to suppress the rebellion. These acts were part of their strategy to undermine American morale and disrupt supply lines.

Book Reviewed: The Gravity of Math, How Geometry Rules the Universe by Steven J. Nadis

Geometry and physics Geometry and mathematical statements derived from logic provide the best theoretical descriptions of our physical world. Einstein’s theory of general relativity describes gravity as the curvature of spacetime caused by massive objects. Mathematically, this is expressed through complex equations using tensors and geometry which is not just a language, it’s the very fabric of our universe. Geometrical analyses are also used to study the shape and curvature of spaces, similar to relativistic description of the curvature of spacetime. A circle can be drawn with any center on a flat two-dimensional surface, this is called Euclidean geometry. But on a spherical surface such as the planet Earth, no true parallel lines exist. For instance, all lines of longitude on Earth eventually intersect at the North and South Poles. Because earth is spherical. Therefore, this requires non-Euclidean geometry. This book largely focuses on gravity and relativity to illustrate the importance of geometry, i.e., the non-Euclidean geometry. The readers must note that this is about geometry and gravity (spacetime bending). Math is hard enough to appreciate, and geometry generates less interest for an average reader. I did not find this book interesting since there are many books in the market that describe relativity in a much better way.

Book Reviewed: Existential Physics: A Scientist's Guide to Life's Biggest Questions by Sabine Hossenfelder

Reality and Illusion This author is known for skeptical and contrarian views which are visible as she addresses the nature of physical reality in this book. In a clear pattern from her previous books, she argues against the advances made by physicists taking a philosophical approach to counter the understanding of life and cosmos. According to the laws of physics, the future, the present, and the past all exist in the same way since laws of nature preserve information. Hence, all information of past and future must be present in one cosmic reality. But the quirk of this is that quantum reality is undeterminable and hence determination and free-will do not exist according to the latter. Then how does the past lead to the future, which is very deterministic? Is consciousness required for the operation of laws of nature? We know it is important in the interpretation of quantum reality. Since information is so fundamental in particle physics and molecular biology, the dissemination of information may include some form of intelligence or pure consciousness at the most fundamental level. Afterall Information could be used to create artificial intelligence. In the later part of the book, the author discusses if a universe could be built in the laboratory. Since our universe started with a finite amount of energy, not an infinite energy, and suggest that an expanding universe makes its own energy. If we know how our universe began, we might be able to kick-start the growth of a new one, the author concludes. In another section, the author says that the human behavior is partially predictable, but it's questionable that it'll ever be fully predictable. She goes a step further and claims that scientists can learn something from an organized religion after criticizing physicists like Stephen Hawking for their views of the Creator. Her arguments become funnier and ridiculous when she does an interview with physics journalist Zeeya Merali, a Muslim fundamentalist who believes that Islam is the True religion that God created. The conversation goes like this: “After the obligatory check that we can indeed hear each other, I begin with asking her, too, "Are you religious?" "Well," Zeeya Merali says, "I've just come off a month of fasting for Ramadan, so judge for yourself." If you want to learn about the nature of physical reality or anything that matters for understanding life and cosmos, you may stay away from this book. There are numerous books available in the market that better address the fundamental questions about the cosmos.

Book Reviewed: When Christians Were Jews: The First-Generation by Paula Fredriksen

The beginnings of Christian communities Paula Fredericksen, a Biblical scholar presents the history of early Christianism when it was still at its infancy. Then, Jesus and apostles were themselves practicing Jews, and considered themselves as part of a Jewish apocalyptic movement of First century. She reconstructs a historical, religious, and cultural history of the first three hundred years when Jesus movement emerged within Jewish society before becoming a distinct religion. Over this period, Christianity was transitioned into a separate religion due to theological, social, and political developments. In the first century, the earliest followers of Jesus practiced Jewish customs, laws, attended synagogues, and observed the Torah. Peter and Paul were central in spreading Jesus' teachings. Paul’s missions to the Gentiles (non-Jews) began to open up the movement to a broader audience. The destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE and the Bar Kokhba revolt (132-136 CE) diminished Jewish influence. The Christian writings, such as the Gospels and the letters of Paul, began to form a distinct theological identity centered on Jesus as the Christ (Messiah). The Constantine and the Edict of Milan (313 CE) granted religious tolerance to Christians which greatly elevated the status of Christianity in the Roman Empire. The Council of Nicaea (325 CE) was pivotal in defining orthodox Christian beliefs and combating heresies further distinguishing Christianity from other religious traditions. Emperor Theodosius I (380 CE) declared Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire with the Edict of Thessalonica. This official status marked a clear separation from Judaism and other religions. The Codex Sinaiticus is the first Bible written in the mid-fourth century (330–360 C.E) in Greek, the common language of the Eastern Roman Empire. It should be noted that the Jewish beliefs in strict monotheism in an indivisible God (Yahweh) changed for Christians who believed in the holy Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), which is not monotheistic. Jewish scriptures were the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) that consisted of the Torah, Prophets, and Writings, but Christians adopted the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and added the New Testament, consisting of Gospels, Epistles, and other writings. Jews observed Mosaic Law (Torah), including dietary laws, Sabbath observance, circumcision, and various purity laws that included fasting and feastings on key Jewish observances. Their worship was centered around the Temple (until its destruction in 70 CE) and later synagogues. Worship involved animal sacrifices and readings from the Torah. But Christians: Gathered in house churches, focusing on communal worship, prayer, healing services, and the Eucharist. Jews anticipated a future messianic age with the restoration of Israel, but Christians believed in the imminent return of Jesus, the final judgment, and the establishment of God's kingdom. These differences evolved over time, especially as Christianity spread beyond its Jewish roots and developed its own distinct identity and theological framework. The gospels contain passages that blames Jewish leaders and, by extension, the Jewish people for Jesus' death. For example, in Matthew 27:25, the crowd is depicted as saying, "His blood be on us and on our children," which has historically been interpreted as the Jewish people accepting collective responsibility for Jesus' crucifixion. Christian writers like Justin Martyr, Tertullian, and John Chrysostom articulated views that reinforced the idea of Jewish responsibility for Jesus' death. This is the beginning of the antisemitic feelings among Christians. The book makes a fascinating reading, but lacks some details regarding Paul’s views on Jewish purity laws. I recommend this book to anyone interested in early Christian history and the challenges and opportunities to form a new religion when the founders of the faith did not have any clue that they were creating a new faith system independent from Judaism.

Book Reviewed: Sacred Foundations: The Religious and Medieval Roots of the European State by Anna M. Grzymała-Busse

Christian footing in Europe The author presents some surprising and contrasting ideas in this book that suggests that the medieval Roman Catholic Church that emphasized spiritual monopoly in Europe also encouraged secular concepts such as the separation of church and state, education, the potential of human capital, the rule of law, representation, and sovereignty of European monarchies. The argument is that a secular state would be built on a sacred foundation of an established religion. I beg to differ from these arguments since the ambitions of the church were its authority and supremacy in all matters of the life of a person. It is an autocratic institution that allows little room for an independent democratic institution that may question the corruption of the church with European-state politics. The transformation of empires into democratic societies in Europe was slow and arduous.

Book Reviewed: Rain of Ash: Roma, Jews, and the Holocaust by Ari Joskowicz

Romas under the ash The genocide orchestrated by Nazi Germany in various concentration camps, particularly in places like Auschwitz-Birkenau were literally under the rain of ash. This is the literal falling of ash from the crematoria where the bodies of Jewish and Roma victims were burnt. Half a million European Roma were exterminated by the Nazi regime; many more were subjected to a policy of racial discrimination similar to that suffered by the Jewish people. However, the persecution and torment of Roma in Europe did not make into the history books. With the Romani people having been denied recognition as victims of Nazi Germany, this book focuses on the survivors, and their struggle for recognition. Historically, the cause of the Romani people was combined with Jewish holocaust in the same analytical framework. This book discusses an unequal entanglement of Jewish and Romani sufferings for justice and representation.

Book Reviewed: Neighbors: The Destruction of the Jewish Community in Jedwabne, Poland by Jan T. Gross

Massacre in Jedwabne The Jedwabne massacre is a tragic event that took place during World War II, on July 10, 1941, in the town of Jedwabne, Poland. This massacre involved the brutal killing of sixteen hundred members of the local Jewish population by their Polish neighbors. The Jedwabne massacre exemplifies the complex interplay of local and occupying forces in the Holocaust highlighting the multifaceted nature of responsibility. This massacre demonstrates the ways in which ordinary people can become complicit in atrocities under some circumstances. It underscores the importance of historical accuracy, the dangers of nationalism and anti-Semitism. Before World War II, anti-Semitic sentiments were present in Poland, and these were echoed by elements within the Catholic Church. Some clergy members propagated negative stereotypes about Jews contributing to a climate of hostility. In medieval and early modern Europe, a myth known as the "blood libel" was prevalent, which falsely accused Jews of ritually murdering Christian children, especially boys, to use their blood for religious rituals like Passover. This baseless accusation led to widespread anti-Semitic sentiments, violence, and persecution of Jewish communities. The blood libel first emerged in England in the 12th century with the case of William of Norwich. The author narrates the sad story of Jedwabne and concludes that there was no direct encouragement or participation of the Nazi troops stationed in Poland.

Book Reviewed: The Secret Gospel of Mark: A Controversial Scholar, a Scandalous Gospel of Jesus, and the Fierce Debate over Its Authenticity by Geoffrey S. Smith and Brent C. Landau

The controversy surrounding the discovery of the Secret Gospel of Mark (five stars) While cataloging material in the library of the monastery of Mar Saba located in Israel in 1958, Biblical scholar Morton Smith discovered a quotation from a letter of Clement of Alexandria (150-215 CE) copied in the end pages of a 17th century collection of the letters of Ignatius. After more than a decade of collaborative analysis, Smith published his conclusions in 1973 setting off a firestorm. In 1975, a Jesuit scholar, Quentin Quesnell, claimed the letter had been forged and implied that Smith was the forger. Since then, the pages containing the letter have been removed from the book of the Mar Saba monastery and possibly destroyed. This letter suggested that there existed a longer version of the Gospel of Mark, referred to as the "Secret Gospel" and this version included additional teachings meant for advanced Christians. One of the notable additional passages describes Jesus raising a young man from the dead and then spending the night with him teaching him the "mystery of the kingdom of God." This story is reminiscent of the young man who flees naked at the arrest of Jesus in the gospel of Mark (Mark 14:51-52). This discovery is subjected to much debate with some interpreting it as having homoerotic undertones, though others argue it represents a more spiritual or mystical initiation. Many scholars also argue that the style and context fit well within early Christian traditions and Clement's known works. These practices are possibly linked to Gnosticism and other esoteric traditions practiced during the first three hundred years in the early Christian communities in Alexandria. Historically much of the gnostic and apocryphal manuscripts were destroyed by the bishops of early Christian church. Some scholars have come to see the Secret Gospel as an earlier version of the gospel of Mark that existed long before the other three gospels came into existence. Since Mark is the first of the four New Testament gospels. This is a very plausible explanation. The manuscript discovered by Smith has never been subjected to review because it is reportedly lost or unavailable for examination. Some scholars believe the Secret Gospel of Mark reflects genuine early Christian traditions that were suppressed as orthodoxy developed. They argue that the letter's references to secret teachings that align with known practices of mystery religions and esoteric sects within early Christianity. The authors conclude that there is no forgery in Morton Smith’s discovery.

Book Reviewed: A Murder in Hollywood: The Untold Story of Tinseltown's Most Shocking Crime by Casey Sherman

A Hollywood homicide: the Lana Turner story Casey Sherman revisits the murder of mobster Johnny Stompanato, the boyfriend of actor Lana Turner. This is one of the most notorious murders in Hollywood that continues to fascinate fans about the darker side of fame and fortune. He provides new insights from his research about the evidence and testimonies offering a new perspective on this case challenging some long-held beliefs about the night when Cheryl Crane, the14 year old daughter of Lana Turner stabbed Stompanato to death. The Sherman’s book explores the glitzy world of Hollywood in the 1950s, where the lines between fame and scandal were blurred. Stompanato, a known associate of the LA mob, became romantically involved with Turner that was marked by violence and intense passion. The book discusses the legal and public fallout from the murder. Cheryl Crane was put on trial for the killing, but the court ultimately ruled it as justifiable homicide. The murder and subsequent trial impacted Lana Turner's life and career. While she continued to work in Hollywood, the scandal impacted both her public image and personal life. The relationship between Lana Turner and Johnny Stompanato is documented in the media, but the specifics of their private communications, such as love letters, also illustrate the passion and turbulence. Mickey Cohen, the notorious Los Angeles mobster, and Johnny Stompanato's employer played a role in making the private love letters between Lana Turner and Johnny Stompanato public. He saw an opportunity to leverage the high-profile nature of the scandal for publicity and financial gain, and even cast Turner in a negative light. Several books are written about Lana Turner focusing on her life. Some of the most notable books are "Lana: The Lady, the Legend, the Truth" by Lana Turner, and the "Detour: A Hollywood Story" by Cheryl Crane, Lana Turner’s daughter. Most of the information in this book is discussed in other books or blogs.

Book Reviewed: Early Christian Books in Egypt by Roger S. Bagnall

The forgotten origins This book explores the history, production, and use of Christian manuscripts in Egypt during the first three centuries of the Christian era by focusing on the context in which these texts were produced, used, and preserved. The early Christian book production within the broader Egyptian society was influenced by a heterogeneous population of Greek, Roman, and Egyptian cultures. This book does not go into the details of the early Christian texts but documents the rise of Christianity from a minority sect into a significant religion by the fourth century. The author discusses the papyrus and parchments, writing, copying, and publishing the Christian manuscripts monastic communities in Alexandria, Egypt. The production and use of texts played a crucial role in the spread and consolidation of Christian beliefs and practices. This is a scholarly examination of early Christian papyri that offers valuable insights into the early Christian communities in Egypt. Alexandria eventually developed into a centralized episcopate leading to a highly Christianized society with a network of leading bishops who later became important leaders of the Christian Church. Three chapters discussing; the Dating of the Earliest Christian Books in Egypt; The Economics of Book Production; and the Spread of the Codex were of some interest to me. Egyptians participating in the institutionalized civic life of the third century appeared to be the likely milieu for the development of a distinctively Christian Coptic writing system. A body of Greek­ reading, educated, well-to-do, book-owning Christians, interested in developing a religion may have financed church institutions in the first half of the third century. The Codex Sinaiticus is the first Bible written in the mid-fourth century (330–360 ACE) in Greek on a papyrus, the common language of the Eastern Roman Empire at the time. The book reads flawlessly and engages readers to a new fascinating way of looking at the writing, publication, and popularization of early Christian manuscripts. I recommend this to readers interested in Egyptian monastic societies and early Christian history.

Book Reviewed: The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness by Morgan Housel

Human expectations for happiness The author highlights the thought and behaviors of investors that influence their financial decisions, and how it becomes irrational. Aversion to loss, fear, greed, and herd behavior are some of the reasons. The herd mentality where the individual investor tends to mimic the actions of a larger group leading to stock market bubbles. Understanding the psychology of money can lead to better financial decisions, improved financial well-being, and greater overall happiness by aligning financial practices with personal values and long-term goals. In 2013, economist Daniel Kahneman authored a similar book with the title, “Thinking, Fast and Slow” to describe the driving force for the mind that is made of two systems, the System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more logical. The effect of cognitive biases on everything from playing the stock market to planning our next family vacation is understood by knowing how the two systems shape our judgments and decisions. Author Morgan Housel shares a similar idea with several short stories exploring the strange ways we think about money.

Book Reviewed: American Cinema of the 1920s: Themes and Variations by Lucy Fischer

Hollywood in antiquity The 1920s Hollywood make a pivotal decade for the movie industry transitioning from silent films to "talkies." This era also founded the studio system with major players like MGM, Paramount, Warner Bros., and Universal Studios. They also created the star system that helped to produce a large number of creative films. European directors and actors migrated to Hollywood enriching the cinematic landscape. This cross-pollination led to a blend of styles and techniques. The industry was dominated by flappers, a new generation of young women who defied traditional norms of behavior and fashion. The twenties began on the heels of the WWI which led to the making of successful war films. Some great movies include: "The Gold Rush" (1925), starring Charlie Chaplin, with his iconic "Little Tramp" character through various misadventures in the Klondike Gold Rush. "Metropolis" (1927), an epic that explores themes of industrialization and class struggle. "Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ" (1925), directed by Fred Niblo for its chariot race scene and massive scale. It was one of the most expensive movies of the silent era. "Wings" (1927), a World War I movie that shows the fighter pilots engaged in aerial combat sequences, and "The Phantom of the Opera" (1925), starring Lon Chaney is a successful experiment in making a horror film. African Americans were demeaned by racist portrayals in early days of Hollywood. For example, in Max and Dave Fleischer's comic film Chemical Ko-Ko (1929), a black janitor drinks a magic potion and turns white, and then he loses interest in doing a menial job. The 1927 film “The Jazz Singer" reflects the racial attitudes and prejudices of 1920s, showcasing how deeply embedded these stereotypes were in American popular culture. Al Jolson plays a Whiteman performing with a blackface, this practice of white actors playing the roles of black actors were common but shows that this practice was culturally accepted at that time. "Hearts in Dixie," a 1929 movie is significant in the history of American cinema in the context of race relations and representation. It is one of the first all-talking, all black-cast films produced in Hollywood, which aimed to portray African American life in a humanized way. This story is about an elderly African American who tries to save his grandson from his shiftless father. A major studio's early attempt to create a film with a predominantly African American cast intended for mainstream audiences was an audacious effort. Despite its progressive intentions, "Hearts in Dixie" still relied on several stereotypes common in the portrayal of African Americans at the time. Characters often embodied the archetypes of the "happy-go-lucky" Black person or the "loyal servant." You will come to appreciate this book if you have time to watch the movies of 1920s many of which are aired on the Turner Classic Movies (TCM). This is a fascinating book to read and highly recommended to readers interested in the history of Hollywood and the early days of Hollywood’s Golden age.

Book Reviewed: Why We Remember: Unlocking Memory's Power to Hold on to What Matters by Charan Ranganath

Biological forces of human memory This is the author’s debut book that reflects on his passion for the neuroscience of human memory. His work is recounted with enthusiasm especially on his interactions with his patients in a clinical setting. Each chapter is a testament to the importance of neurobiological and neuropsychological research that sheds light on how our past shapes our current reality. There are hidden forces of memory behind our perception of the present. There is also a discussion of how memories are integrated with the memory of others. Humans have episodic memory for specific events or experiences, and semantic memory of facts and derived knowledge. Memory is not a unitary process, but it is due to specific regions of brain working together: The hippocampus and surrounding medial temporal lobe structures are primarily responsible for the episodic memory and retrieval. Memory provides us with a storehouse of knowledge and past experiences that we can draw upon to solve problems and navigate new challenges in an ever-changing world. The author also argues that forgetting isn't a failure of memory, but it is a mechanism that allows our brains to prioritize information that helps us navigate and make sense of the world. Thus, making mindful choices in the present to curate a set of memories to move forward into the future. Memory, in its various forms across different organisms, has significant evolutionary implications. The ability to retain and utilize information about past experiences for survival and adaptation in changing environments. In terms of evolution, memory may be a product of natural selection, where organisms that possess memory-related capabilities have a competitive advantage over those that do not. In animals, memory allows for the retention of knowledge about food sources, predators, mating opportunities, social interactions, and communication. This knowledge improves an individual's chances of survival, reproduction, and success of their species. For example, mammals coexisted with dinosaurs for over 150 million years. They evolved from a group of reptiles called therapsids during the Mesozoic Era (225 million years ago): Part of their successful survival is due to the memory capabilities that provided them competitive advantages over dinosaurs. The author could have devoted a separate chapter about the memories in non-human species. Insects with simple nervous systems have demonstrated memory capabilities: Honeybees remember the location of food sources and communicate this information to their hive mates through complex dances. Fruit flies and ants can remember specific routes or locations. Octopuses have advanced nervous systems and complex behaviors. They learn from experience, remember solutions to problems, and recognize individual humans. They have the ability to navigate mazes, solve puzzles, manipulate objects, and use simple tools. They have a single centralized brain located in their head and clusters of neurons known as ganglia distributed throughout their body which perform information processing independently without the participation of brain. The mechanisms of memory formation are an evolutionary process, and it is interesting to relate complex humans’ system with other species. The author is a psychologist who has investigated how individuals acquire, retain, and recall information by examining factors such as attention, perception, and rehearsal strategies. It is rather an insecure feeling for many neurologists and psychologists like him with the emerging field of plant neurobiology that do not have nervous system, but evidence has been presented in peer reviewed journals to demonstrate that plants have a memory. One of the confounding aspects of this book is the title. “Why we remember” rather than “How we remember.” Science can answer the latter, the former is a harder question to answer since that requires the details of evolutionary challenges presented to the species before humans.

Book Reviewed: Calvinists and Indians in the Northeastern Woodlands by Stephen Staggs

Colonization of North America by the Dutch Calvinists This book documents the history of Dutch colonists (1566-1664) invading the Native American land of northeastern woodlands that included parts of Canada and the United States. The interaction of Dutch and indigenous peoples in America is a history of war, cultural clashes, competition for scarce resources, conversion to the religion of New Testament, inter-dependence, and racism. When the Dutch arrived in the northeastern woodlands which was ruled by the five nations of the Iroquois League formed in the 15th century that controlled present-day New York, Pennsylvania, the Great Lakes, and parts of Ontario. The confederacy included the Mohawk, Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca, Tuscarora, Lenape (also known as the Delaware), and others Native American tribes. The Lenape were later pushed out of their homeland to Oklahoma. Calvinism is a branch of Protestantism based on the teachings of John Calvin, a French reformer of 16th century. His theology emphasized the fate of humans were pre-established after Adam and Eve’s sin. But seeking the divine grace of God is necessary for salvation. His teachings did not give importance to divine birth and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but taught that leading an austere and pious life was important to find the grace of God. Dutch Calvinist leaders were interested in spiritual, social, and economic opportunities in their colony. But reality did not match the idealistic expectations. In fact, few Natives were not interested in the new reformed faith presented to them. But things changed after the English takeover of North America who used aggressive and brutal methods to impose their belief system. The author goes “lightly” on the conflicts between Calvinists and the natives but describes their efforts to proselytize the indigenous people into Christianity with the hope that they are advancing the “lost souls” into the folds of their religious order. But the natives were uninterested in the colonist’s belief system, but they continued to practice their cultural and sacred rituals to find connections with nature and the creator. The Kieft's War (1643–1645) which natives fought with Dutch colonists was brutal that resulted in significant casualties on natives is not discussed adequately by the author. The description of the early history of Dutch colony does not make the reading any interesting.

Book Reviewed: And Plead for The Rights of All: Old South Church in Boston 1669 – 1969 by Ola Elizabeth Winslow

The Old Church of Boston and its making of the American revolution Ola Elizabeth Winslow is an archivist, historian, and educator whose work in this book reflects on the preservation of the history of the Old Church in Boston, the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1669. It played a strong role in colonial America especially the American Revolution and the abolitionist movement. The author presents her work in a flawless readable manner documenting the history of the church that upheld the beliefs of Calvinism and puritan values that sought to reform the Anglican church (Church of England) in the American colony. Puritans were influenced by the theology of John Calvin who preached in the concept of predestination, the idea that God has already determined who will be saved and who will be damned. This belief in predestination shaped their understanding of salvation. The church sermons and the discussion often reflected on values and themes such as God's sovereignty, human sinfulness, the importance of living a righteous and austere life. The Puritan influence waned as Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, and Quakers settled in the colonies of New England, and new ideas began to shape American society. However, their legacy continues to influence American culture where their ideals of education, community, patriotism, and freedom from the English Empire. The Old South Church was founded by the dissenters from the First Church which did not permit democratic and congregational approach to church governance. At present, the Old South Church is not at the same spot as the original 1669 building, which was located at the corner of Washington and Milk Streets. After it was demolished in 1872, the current structure at the intersection of Dartmouth Street and Boylston Street of Boston was built between 1872 and 1875.

Book Reviewed: Spreading the Gospel in Colonial Virginia: Preaching Religion and Community by Edward Bond

Spiritual encounters in colonial Virginia Colonial Virginia is at odds with the traditional interpretation of Christianism in an American colony. Often the description focusses on the beliefs and practices of New Testament by the followers of the Anglican church (Church of England) who were dominant in the early 18th century. But the later arrival of the Baptists, Presbyterians and Quakers created a caricature of pious dissenters Vs. nominally Anglican planters who were materialistic. They were more concerned with their next crop of tobacco, the price of slaves, or the wealth of the family than spiritual needs. This is a meticulously researched work that that describes the role of the church during the formative years. The author includes sermons and writing of the clergy in the early 18th century including selections of sermons, devotional writings, and their spiritual authority. The book discusses historical arguments between the followers of Anglican church and other protestants about the importance of baptism. The outward visible baptism with water or an invisible baptism of the Holy Ghost. Anglicans traditionally baptized infants by pouring water on the child's head, and the colony's laws required that all newborns be brought to the local parish minister for baptism in a timely manner. Quakers found this practice illegitimate and mocked the practice. The author suggests that the lack of appeal to matters of religion brought dissenters of the Anglican church, especially Quakers who were outspoken about the practice of slavery and became the voice of abolitionists. During the 17th and 18th centuries Christmas was not celebrated in colonial Virginia as it is practiced today. The Anglican Church and many parishes held special services on Christmas Day, but the observance was highly subdued. The American Puritan belief that came down from Plymouth colony and the Massachusetts Bay colony dominated by puritans discouraged the celebration of Christmas in a festive style that was considered as a Catholic tradition. The Christmas sermons emphasized the birth of Jesus and the message of salvation, and political matters relevant to the Virginia. The institution of slavery was justified and defended from the pulpits to protect the economic interests of plantation owners. Samuel Davies’s sermon delivered on the Christmas day in the year 1758 quote thirty-two verses from Bible nine were from the synoptic gospels, four from Psalms and two from Romans. The sermon about the “Duties of Christians to heathens,” makes sixteen references to the Bible and four are from Genesis. William Dawson Christmas sermon in the year 1732 has twelve quotes from Bible, three are from Romans and two are from Psalms. Morgan Godwyn, in the late 17th century condemned the enslavement of Africans and advocated for their humane treatment and freedom. James Blair's 117 sermons remain the largest extant collection of pulpit oratory produced by an Anglican minister in colonial Virginia reveal the commissary as a systematic theologian, and tolerant of other Christian de nominations. The book is written well and readable, I recommend this work to readers interested in the church’s role during the formative years in colonial Virginia.

Book Reviewed - Black Holes: The Key to Understanding the Universe by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw

The cosmos where the laws of physics breakdown A black hole is a region in spacetime where gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape from it. Black holes form when massive stars collapse under their own gravity at the end of their life cycle, and supermassive black holes are also formed at the center of a galaxy. The boundary surrounding a black hole is called the event horizon beyond which no information or matter can escape. This book offers a brief introduction to the physics of a black hole; the entropy and black holes, Hawking radiation formed at the event horizon that has only temperature but no information about the matter that fell into the black hole resulting in the black hole information paradox. The black hole is described as a hologram where the information about the three-dimensional black hole is represented by the two-dimensional surface. The entanglement entropy and the Page curve are concepts that arise from the quantum information theory in the context of black hole physics and the holographic principle. Initially, the black hole has low entropy, but as it absorbs more matter and radiation, its entropy increases. According to the Page curve, the entanglement entropy of the Hawking radiation (the particles emitted by the black hole due to quantum effects near the event horizon) starts low, then increases as more particles are emitted, and eventually decreases as the black hole evaporates completely. The Page curve illustrates this evolution of entanglement entropy over time and provides insights into the information paradox and the fate of information that falls into a black hole. Another interesting feature of the black hole is the principle of complementarity that reconciles two descriptions of a spaceship near the event horizon by suggesting that they are valid from different perspectives. From an observer on Earth, the classical description of a black hole as an object with an event horizon holds true. This observer sees the black hole as a region of spacetime with specific properties described by general relativity. But from an infalling astronaut’s perspective, quantum effects become significant near the event horizon. This observer would experience the effects of Hawking radiation and might not perceive the event horizon as a sharp boundary but rather as a gradual transition. The author expresses two misconceptions suggesting that the gravitational wave detection helps understand the worm holes. This is a misunderstanding because it does not directly illustrate the existence of wormholes. Gravitational waves are mere ripples in the fabric of spacetime that propagate outward from the source, typically caused by the acceleration of massive objects such as merging black holes or neutron stars. Wormholes are hypothetical features of spacetime that are predicted by certain solutions of Einstein's field equations in general relativity. They are essentially shortcuts through spacetime that could potentially connect two distant points of our universe. The author expresses the hope that quantum computers may help understand the physics of black holes. This is an overestimate since, the quantum computers only help in simulating the behavior of black holes which are complex to study with classical computers due to their extreme gravitational effects and the necessity of quantum mechanical descriptions at certain scales. The author could have discussed the philosophical implications of black hole physics and information paradox. The Vedanta philosophy of Hinduism shares intriguing parallel with theoretical physics in their exploration of unity, multiplicity, illusion, and the nature of reality. They offer insights into profound questions about the nature of existence.

Book Reviewed: Sugarless: A 7-Step Plan to Uncover Hidden Sugars by Nicole M. Avena

How to beat sugar blues This is not a diet book but written from the psychology perspectives that discusses how to beat cravings for sweets. A simple step would be to understand the advantages of consuming high fiber and high protein foods that are equally satisfying and achieve freedom from sugar. High-fiber foods regulate blood sugar, and higher protein diet reduce cravings. There are two types of fibers, the soluble fiber, which absorbs water and forms gel like substance in the digestive system and thus reduces the absorption of sugar and cholesterol in blood. The second, the insoluble fiber that does not dissolve in water and stay in the bulk as stool which is beneficial for digestion. This book is not for readers interested from the diabetes perspective, but addresses issues related to keeping the blood glucose at acceptable levels. The text reads more like a therapist speaking to her patients rather than an author writing a health book for her readers. The book is helpful in some respects but seems redundant since numerous books are written about this subject, and many resources are available online. One in particular is the articles published by the National Institutes of Health about controlling blood sugar (@NIH.Gov). I have been pre-diabetic for many years, and I have avoided being diabetic by the careful choice of food I consume which are not difficult to follow by an average individual. Cravings for sugary food is common and difficult to overcome, but a combination of high fiber and some sugary food is well worth a shot. This may include fresh food, whole foods, and home-cooked meals. Highly processed foods are often affordable and convenient, but they are high in calories and added sugar. A meta-analysis involving a subset of studies demonstrated that chickpeas are effective in reducing blood glucose compared to potatoes and wheat. Chickpeas offer the potential for blood sugar control through low starch digestibility, high fiber, protein, and hormonal effects. Avocados, beans, oatmeal, quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, almonds, berries which are also high in antioxidants. Whole grains lower the risks of diabetes and heart disease and maintain a healthy blood pressure. Vegetables like broccoli, kale, and Brussel sprouts, rich in fibers are also recommended as a part of a healthy diet.

Book Reviewed: White Holes by Carlo Rovelli

When spacetime breakdown White holes are theoretical objects predicted by the mathematical solutions to the equations of general relativity. One way to think about the gravitational dynamics of white holes is to consider them as time-reversed versions of black holes, the black holes pull matter/energy inward, but white holes are known to expel matter/energy outward, i.e., matter and light can only escape from them, but they can’t enter. White holes are the final stage in the evolution of black holes. According to the author’s arguments, space itself is made up of individual grains or quanta, and when matter inside a black hole reaches these incredibly tiny scales, a quantum repulsive force causes it to bounce back, transforming the black hole into a white hole. The white holes are not visible because nothing can enter them including light. This means that no information, including light or any electromagnetic radiation is coming out of a white hole. Therefore, they are invisible to outside observers. White holes also decrease entropy by expelling matter and energy in a highly ordered manner which is in violation of the second law of thermodynamics. This is a small pocket-sized book of 176 pages which doesn’t discuss how white holes could be detected if they exist but builds the work on the known ideas. If white holes are expelling matter and energy, they could potentially create unique patterns like cosmic ray anomalies that could be measured. Black holes are theorized to emit Hawking radiation due to quantum effects near the event horizon, and white holes may absorb radiation from the surrounding universe due to quantum effects resulting in cosmic ray anomalies. Merging black holes produce detectable gravitational waves, and they have been detected, similarly, merging white holes should produce distinct gravitational wave signatures. Theoretical considerations allow white holes to connect with black holes through wormholes, hypothetical tunnels in spacetime that could potentially allow for travel between distant cosmic points or different universes. The extreme gravitational effects near a black hole’s event horizon cause time to pass much more slowly compared to a distant observer, meaning that the transformation of a black hole into a white hole could take billions of years from our perspective on earth. However, primordial black holes which were formed shortly after the Big Bang, about 13.8 billion years ago, may have resulted in white holes. The author claims that the mysterious dark matter which makes up 27% of the universe are white holes. But this is a wild speculation.

Book Reviewed: The Cost of Free Land: Jews, Lakota, and an American Inheritance by Rebecca Clarren

Perspectives of liberty during the formative years of the nation This is author Rebecca Clarren’s confession of collective guilt of her Jewish family in complicit with the decimation of Lakota nation in South Dakota during the expansion of the United States to the Northwestern territories. Her ancestors lived near the heart of Indian reservation where the indigenous population endured massacres, broken treaties with federal and local governments. It is an outright denial of basic human rights of Lakota people. The federal policy had all but exterminated the buffalo population and deprived the Lakota of their land and other resources. They shattered their cultural heritage, and impoverished their reservations. The federal bureaucrats overseeing the brutal boarding schools where Native American children were confined and punished for speaking their language or practicing native culture. Everything you've been taught about America's separation of church and state was a lie in 1869 when President Ulysses S. Grant had appointed Christian missionaries to serve as Indian Agents, official federal representatives on the reservations. These men were in theory moral and beyond corruption in what he called a "peace policy." Grant divvied up seventy-three Indian Agencies among thirteen Christian denominations. Brutality against native kids continued and a recent federal report found that tens of thousands of children died at boarding schools and buried in unmarked graves. Congress, ignoring the promises it had made in both the 1851 and 1868 treaties, allowed settlers to pass through Lakota land and had encouraged them and U.S. soldiers to slaughter the buffalo herds to near extinction. In addition, the United States robbed the Lakota of the gold-rich Black Hills using the threat of cannons and withheld rations. Federal bureaucrats allowed private companies to lease and drill for black gold and other riches, the consent of a Native Nation was required, but that was often overlooked. Oil men sometimes preyed on indigenous ignorance. "There is a dangerous and flammable and explosive substance lurking beneath your land," wrote one oil company to the Ute Mountain Utes in the early 1900s. "We will gladly remove it for you." Author Rebecca Clarren’s family was not responsible for any wrongdoing, but they were beneficiaries of an American occupation. This was a time when the United States wanted white population to migrate to South Dakota. The author’s family emigrating from brutal pogrom in Russia, South Dakota looked attractive for the new immigrants after they discovered the challenges of living as Jews in the cities of the Eastern seaboard. She looks back in time and expresses guilt about her ancestors’ good fortune. Clarren’s most eloquent passages describe her interactions with Doug White Bull, a relative of Sitting Bull, leader of the 19th-century Lakota resistance. Doug’s grandfather fought at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. At one point, the author accompanies Doug White Bull to the cemetery where his grandfather is buried. When they finally find the gravesite, he kneels and addresses Joseph White Bull in Lakota language. She respectfully steps away. It’s a singularly moving moment embodying Clarren’s observation. The author’s story has intersecting tales of Jewish settlement in the Northwest and the American crimes against the Lakota population. She explains the pride of her ancestors’ endurance in a region known for harsh climate, unforgiving soil, antisemitism, and legal fallout from ill-fated Prohibition-era bootlegging. But overall, the life was good for her family. The author looks for managing her guilt in Jewish texts such as Torah, and discusses with rabbis to find a Jewish way to express her guilt and possibly do good to Lakota people. I find this confounding. She may be proud of her Jewish heritage but why bring her faith when the Lakota population was wronged at every angle of their existence. She should be uniting all religious denominations to do something positive for the Lakota.

Book Review: Putting Ourselves Back in the Equation: Why Physicists Are Studying Human Consciousness and AI by George Musser

Consciousness is a fundamental nonlocal reality Recent progress in physics, philosophy, neurobiology, and artificial intelligence (AI) research suggests that consciousness is a fundamental nonlocal field that gives rise to information, matter/energy, emerging spacetime, and of course the laws of physics under which the emergence of life/conscious entities are possible. Consciousness is a creative force that shapes the universe and human beings in a unified field. It is an intelligent information system driving the universe. The crux of the consciousness research is how do we explain the eighty-six billion neurons of the human brain produce conscious experience. In addition, the nervous system is influenced by or influence cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, and immune systems. The human gut bacteria produce many neurotransmitters such as dopamine, norepinephrine, acetylcholine, and GABA, which are critical for mood, anxiety, concentration, reward, and motivation. Thus, gut microbiome changes how our brains react or produces a conscious experience. There is also the “hard problem” of consciousness that needs to explain as how humans and other organisms have qualia or subjective experiences which encapsulate our personal perception and internal understanding of the world around us. It gets even more complicated as we are learning from AI research that some form of inner conscious experience also emerges from artificial intelligence or the silicon transistors. Indeed, Google recently published an AI-powered robot that can sense and engage with its environment, when a PaLM-E delivered a packet of potato chips to its owner, despite the packet having been hidden in a drawer midway through the experiment. PaLM-E (Pathways Language Model-E) is a groundbreaking 562-billion parameter embodied multimodal language model that seamlessly connects textual data to real-world visual and physical sensor modalities, enhancing problem-solving in computer vision and robotics. Google reports that it has common sense reasoning that compares with average human being. Common sense is one of the products of conscious experience. There is also the hard problem of matter, which is similar to the hard problem of mind. Physics becomes a purely relational description of matter which at the most fundamental level originates out of quantum vacuum, i.e., quantum particles emerge and disappear (annihilates) out of nothing. All this is explained by quantum physics and physics formulas (information). Likewise, a purely relational description of the mind omits the experiential quality of our experience, and conscious experience is reduced to information. These two hard problems are linked, and that the nature of matter is related to the nature of mind and consciousness. The details are hazy at the moment, but the takeaway message is that physics needs to reach outside itself to answer its most fundamental questions, namely conscious observers in the quantum realm. Physicist Carlo Rovelli proposes that reality consists not of things, but of relations; theories, quantum physics, and scientific reasoning indicate that there are no observer-independent absolute entities. Theories of consciousness such as integrated information theory (IIT) and predictive coding supports Rovelli’s assertions which the author discusses in Chapter 3. Additional considerations help readers where the author is going with all this. For example, most physical systems are reactive, meaning that they respond only to their immediate circumstances and affect only their immediate surroundings. Causation in these systems is straightforward; effects are proximate and proportional to causes. But intelligent beings and artificial neural networks create twisty paths between cause and effect. We're not dominos falling dumbly. The universe is not just a landscape in which one thing happens and then another; there are special little causal hubs built to collect influence from across landscape and filter it through a decision process that guides our actions. These little hubs are called human minds. The book reads flawlessly, and the author makes a good effort to describe the challenges of all the scientific disciplines involved in consciousness research, but I have read better reviews on this subject in professional journals.

Book Reviewed: John Brown's Raid: Harpers Ferry and the Coming of the Civil War by Jon-Erik M. Gilot and Kevin R. Pawlak

Prelude to the American civil war: The making of a martyr There are several books about the life and work of abolitionist John Bown, especially his motivation for the insurrection at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia (now in West Virginia). Four of seven chapters are devoted to this rebellion. This book is inspiring because it is a story that provides a look at the human side of a challenging mission. His efforts are acknowledged as a cataclysmic event that catapulted the United States towards civil war and even influenced the political career of Abraham Lincoln. John Brown began his movement for the abolition of slavery by attempting to free slaves. When he realized that the time for easy solutions was gone, he perceived that the armed rebellion was the only alternative. The book gives some accounts of his migration from New York to Pennsylvania to Ohio and eventually to the Western territories of Kansas that was drawing southern population to keep Kansas as a pro-slavery state. John Brown fought in Kansas, and then moved his band of rebels to Harper’s Ferry, Virginia for an armed struggle. The book details of the uprising from the beginning to end of the raid on the United States arsenal at Harper’s Ferry. On the last day of his life, John Brown shook hands with those near him on the scaffold and assumed his position. He did not exhibit fear; not a muscle moved, he stood erect and calm during the last few minutes of his life. Reports of Brown's stoicism on the day of his death enhanced his legacy for northern abolitionists. Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau compared Brown's death on the gallows to Christ's sacrifice on the Cross. Scores of northerners marked the hour of Brown's execution in solemn tribute and remembrance. Orators spoke of Brown and his purpose. Across the South, bands of men joined military companies. Some of these companies had fallen dormant over the years but became alive again with renewed vigor to protect Southern institutions. Although there are numerous books about John Brown, I found this book reader friendly. It reads flawlessly, and in the appendix section, the author provides references to other books closely related to this work. The walking and driving tours of Harper’s Ferry raid sites are quite helpful.

Book Reviewed: Target Tehran: How Israel Is Using Sabotage, Cyberwarfare, Assassination – and Secret Diplomacy by Yonah Jeremy Bob and Ilan Evyatar

Mossad’s promise Iran has two major goals; to become a nuclear-weapon state and seek the destruction of Israel. These are essential requirements of ayatollahs for their belief in an Islamic ideology and national glory in the Islamic world. Israel's elite spy agency Mossad have made foiling Iran's nuclear program a top priority of their organization. It has led them to measures that includes sabotage operations on nuclear installations, assassinations of its scientists, diplomatic overtures to nations in the region, and the spectacular theft of its nuclear archive in 2018 from an Iranian site. Yossi Cohen, the head of the Mossad from 2016 to 2021, responsible for these operations is the main focus of this book. He describes the hybrid operations, infiltrations into Iranian territory, cyberattacks and drones to sabotage Iran's nuclear sites, and working with the United States in the killing of Iranian military commanders. The diplomatic success of Mossad and Israeli government led to the establishment of the Abraham Accords that normalized relations between Israel and several Arab countries like the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and finally Sudan, a country that was extremely hostile to Israel. The authors also describe Iran's reactions to hit back against Israel, including terrorist attacks on Israeli targets, cyber strikes, and the use of its proxies. The Iranian strategy has been to surround Israel with a ring of fire. Israel's goal has been to prevent that ring from closing around it. Iran arms Hezbollah with precision-guided missiles, and arm Hamas, it destabilized Lebanon, Syria, and parts of Iraq. The biggest highlight of this book is the fascinating account of how a team of Mossad agents pulled off one of the most spectacular exploits in the history of espionage on the eve of January 31, 2018. After months of meticulous planning, endless hours of sophisticated electronic surveillance, and the risky infiltration of Israeli agents into Iran, the agents broke into the secret warehouse where Iran's nuclear archive containing the full record of its efforts. The heist was one of the most sensational of many Israeli operations against Iran. This operation provided vital intelligence for the Mossad in planning future strikes at the heart of Tehran's nuclear program. The archive's contents revealed that Iran had been lying for years to the international community about its nuclear program. This is the biggest embarrassment for a Muslim country and a victory for the Jewish state. This book describes all challenges Israel has faced being surrounded by the Arab world that are united in its hatred of Isarel. This is a full account of the covert operations conducted by the Mossad. The account here does not shy away from anything to show Mossad's tactical successes in achieving a strategic victory. As of April 2023, when this book was completed, over twenty years had passed since experts predicted that Iran was close to making nuclear warheads, but they are still farther away according to Mossad. This long delay represents a significant success for Israel's elite spy agency. Mossad declares that Iran will never have nuclear weapons, and that is Mossad's promise to Israel.

Book Reviewed: A City on Mars: Can we settle space, should we settle space, and have we really thought this through? by Kelly Weinersmith and Zach Weinersmith

The race to build human civilization on Mars What is the likelihood of building a lasting human civilization on Mars? The questions are limitless, and the resolutions are extremely limited. The authors have chosen a humorous way to explain the challenges to space exploration. What else they can do? Find some sort of humor in describing the ambitious plans of the entrepreneurs when risks far outweigh the benefits. Elon Musk said that humans will land on Mars in 2029, and a million-person city is possible by twenty or thirty years later. Is he for real? The science, technology, the legal and judiciary, geopolitics, and sociology issues may require long and careful research. The space settlements should be a project of centuries, and not decades. We should wait for big developments in science, technology, and international law rather than move settlers in two or three decades as Elon Musk likes to think. There is a good likelihood that science may not assure us the long-term existential risk doesn’t occur. Elon Musk and the late Stephen Hawking observed that going to a planet like Mars will help humanity overall, but it will create more problems which we never confronted. The move into space creates at least two forms of existential peril: the risk of nuclear conflict on Earth, and the risk of human-made heavy objects falling on Earth, and not to mention tremendous amount of human made trash in space. What rights do humans have to trash the interplanetary space? in 2015, the United States passed a law specifically codifying the idea that Americans can exploit space resources without limit which includes mining asteroids, the moon, and other planetary systems in solar system. Mining the Moon for natural resources like Helium-3 and rare metals adds significant value for many countries, but the US laws are unilateral and harm long term relationships with other nations. This book is divided into several sections; about how space travel and living outside this planet negatively impacts human bodies and minds. How do we place humans on Mars, Moon, or another solar satellite where surface conditions are too different? Plans to prevent humans do not perish all at the same time. How does the judicial and legals system change to protect the rights of everyone involved? The final section discusses sociology and population behavior. The authors did not treat the matter of space travel and space colonies responsibly.

Book Review: The Bible in India by Louis Jacolliot

The Hindu teachings and the Bible The author is a French scholar who studied Hindu scriptures in mid-19th century, translated several texts from Sanskrit into French, and became a believer of Hindu philosophy and admired the beauty and superiority of Vedic wisdom. He observes that the narratives of Old and New Testaments lacks metaphysics, and the beauty of Vedic ideals about cosmos and life. This book was first published in 1869 when strong efforts were undertaken to translate the Sanskrit scriptures into English by the British scholars. While the British research and literary work was focused on understanding Hinduism, but they were also looking for ways to undermine the theological, spiritual, and metaphysical elements in the Hindu texts; Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, the epics; Mahabharata and Ramayana, Manu Smriti, and the six schools of Hindu philosophy to a justify the English colonization of India. Some British scholars exclusively focused on the Aryan (Indo-Germanic race) invasion theory to deny credit to immense amount of early thoughts on life and cosmos in the ancient world. Many studies were designed to question the authenticity of the sacred books or assign them an origin posterior to that of Moses and early texts of Judaism. This book focuses largely on the influence of Hindu religious thoughts on the teachings of Bible, specifically, how it influenced the ministry of Jesus Christ. A number of events which surround the birth of Christ is related to Krishna's legends. Jesus did not have the wisdom, and he did not study in ancient Israel that raised himself above his compatriots as to play the founder of a new religious movement. He was probably in Egypt in his early years and later went to India to study theology and metaphysics. From the age of 12 to 30, there is no account of Jesus in the New Testament. Krishna is the Hindu Redeemer, and Christ is the Christian Redeemer, similar sounding names. The mothers of the two redeemers were conceived by divine intervention. Lord Krishna states in Bhagavad-Gita 18.61, that “The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart.” And this compares to the “One God and Father of all, who [is] above all, and through all, and in you all,” in the book of Ephesians 4:6. This verse emphasizes the unity and Oneness of the creator that spotlights the teachings of Upanishads and Bhagavadgita. Judaism has twelve castes (tribes), eight more than Hinduism, and of this twelve, the tribe of Levi were designated as the priestly class. They were the interpreters of the sacred texts of Judaism and the guardians of Jewish temples. The portrayal of Christian Holy Trinity, The God the Father, His only son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit is based on the Hindu ideas Vedic trinity. Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva; Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is the preserver of the universe, and Shiva mediates the end of the cosmos and its reconstitution. The role of the trinity in the New Testament is similar, and possibly borrowed from Hindu belief system. Moses obtained the ideas of Genesis, patriarchal and others, from the sacred books of Egypt to which he had access to, and likely be the rescripts of the teachings of Vedas that may have found their way from India. The Greek and Roman division of time into four ages, the golden age, the silver age, the bronze age, and the iron age are similar to the four yugas (ages of the life and the world). The author briefly touches on the politics and heavy-handedness of Bishops in early Christian history who came out boldly to undermine the rightful place for early Hindu religious texts. They condemned and destroyed them that did not agree with synoptic gospels, and they also destroyed numerous gnostic gospels that included the gospel of Mary (Mary Magdalene). The gospel of Mary departs from the traditional teachings of canons and sounds similar to the teachings of the early Hindu beliefs. Louis Jacolliot’s translation of the Manu Smriti into French is known to have influenced many French scholars, and philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.