Category: Books

The Nikola Tesla story is fascinating!

I’ve been wanting to read about Nicola Tesla for some time and last night I came across this infographic that made me start his biography Tesla: Man out of Time that’s been hidden on my iPad Kindle app for some time!

(this is only part one….)

So many of the things he invented seemed me appropriated to others, or ideas that were plain stolen! If you do get chance take few minutes to read the whole the complete comic that is on The Oatmeal as it’s really good! (Maybe a little ranting about Thomas Edison but entertaining none the least!)

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Worm: The First Digital World War book review

Just finished a great book if you are;

  • a geek.
  • a geek interested in the internet.
  • a geek fascinated by computer security.

Worm: The Story of the First Digital World War

As I comfortably fall into all 3 categories I enjoyed the book immensely! It was an eye-opener just how much hard work went into keeping the lid on the Conficker worm 3 years ago, work that also continues today.

Bowden, a bestselling author, has delivered a dramatic cyber-crime story that explores the Conficker Computer Worm, a potentially devastating computer virus that has baffled experts and infected as many as 12 million computers to date. Bowden has gained unprecedented access to the key players in the story and produced what could be his most important story to date.

The book helps the layman gain an understanding of internet / DNS / networking / virus / DoS / worm basics and keeps you entertained throughout. It includes the inevitable back fighting caused by egos that plague corp/govt groups, which reassured me that it happens worldwide, not only in the places I’ve worked! The white hats v the black hats.

It also it reminds me a great deal of one of my other favorite security books The Cuckoo’s Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage, an amazing true story of computer espionage, complete with KGB and state secrets which is also well worth a read. In fact I think this is my favorite computer security book so go read it!

Next on my list of books to read in this genre is Ghost In The Wires: My Adventures as the World’s Most Wanted Hacker, by Kevin Mitnick, which judging by the reviews will be a great read also.

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At last, I’ve finished another Stephen King novel!

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I think I’ve started (and not finished) more Stephen King novels than any other author. I’ve actually finished a few of his books, The Tommyknockers, Doleores Claiborne and Misery if memory serves me correctly, however the list of unfinished novels is a little longer! Carrie, Salems Lot, The Shining, Firestarter, Cujo, Pet Sematary, Christine…. the list goes on and on! I did find many of his books seemed to drag on a litte, dealing in the minutate just a little too much.

So why did I own so many Stephen King novels?

I blame ‘The Book Club’ mainly, a mail order book club that you signed up with back in the late 80′s that allowed you to buy a load of books for a silly small price to entice you in, but then tied you in the club for 12 months or more where you had to buy a book a month… if you didn’t selet one, you automatically ended up with the ‘Book of the Month’ which was often a Stephen King or James Herbert novel. James Herbert being an author whom I did finish many of his books! (My taste for Horror tales left me many years ago though!!)

The End.

So it was some small relief that I finished one of Mr Kings latest books 11/22/63, a tale of English teacher who is introduced to a portal that leads back in time to 1958, and his subsequent journey in time to thwart the assassination of President Kennedy on 22nd November 1963. Overall I rather enjoyed the story, it was full of history and believable characters. Having that edge being based partially in fact really made the book a worthy read for me!

That and the fact Im a sucker for Time Travel tales! (The Butterfly effect (2004) movie, whilst glossy and teen movieish is a fine example of the genre!)

Tenuous connection time.

There’s a rumour that Mr King has a small tie with Fleet UK, my adopted home town now. Apparently he came to the UK early in his career looking for a spooky house to write a new novel, that search landed him in Fleet in the 70′s where he started Cujo, the one about the rabid St Bernard dog, maybe I should finish it and see if I can find some local hints in the text about his stay in Fleet, maybe he mentioned Fleet Charcoal Grill and it’s wonderful Kebabs near the end?

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Mindfulness-for-Dummies

2 new books and a long weekend ahead!

I treated myself to 2 books today, Flip it by Michael Heppell and Mindfulness for Dummies! Im away for a few days in the Peak District and I hope to have a quiet hour or 2 with Louise to start them both. I’ve slipped a little of late in my Meditation practices so Im looking getting back on the prana mat and getting back to more balanced me! I’ll tell you all about the books soon I hope.

Amazon links