Farenheit 451

I was tempted to have a good book-burning in order to get rid of some crap from my shelves, but I contented myself with simply putting a box of them out on the verge for some fool to pick up. They sat on the verge for less than 15 minutes. I pity the fool.

The first to go was my one and only Chomsky book. I would not inflict Chomsky on anyone (except maybe David Hicks - he's roll over pretty quickly on his Taliban mates after a chapter or two). It was marvelous for putting me to sleep, but it had a bad habit of giving me nightmares. It was a good choice of book to burn, as no one should have to wade through his impenetrable crap.

Next to go was "Weapons of Choice" by JB. JB made a good start with "He died with a felafel in his hand", but it has been all downhill from there. I almost put two more Birmingham books out with this one. I managed to read half this book, and then gave up on it. I was then amazed to see that a sequel has come out.

The last of this batch was "Rock and roll babes from outer space", by Linda Jaivin. Her first book was fairly original, but the second was a bag of tripe.
The second batch of three included two by James Jones that are sometimes considered "classics", but I found them to be deadweight bores. They might have been shocking in 1950, but they are as dull as dishwater today.

The next was an old Hugh Mackay book. I found it interesting and fresh and new in the mid 1990's, but Hugh is now so last century. He wrote a few interesting and insightful things 20 years ago, and has been living off it ever since. I think he ran out of interesting things to say in about 1998. I wish he would shut up and retire.

Next went a book on sex that I think I got for a birthday years ago - a terrible read. After that was a Stephen Coonts book. I loved "Flight of the Intruder" and "Intruders", but after about 5 books, he lost the plot. "Cuba" went. I hung onto the others as I like to read "Intruders" at least once a year. The guy can write - I just wish he would find some decent plots again.

Then there was "The Phoenix", which was partly about the Hindenburg disaster. I don't know what the rest of it was about as I only read about 50 pages. Boring.

Then came some technical and managemetn books. I can't believe that I have lugged a book on Cisco scalable networks around with me for the past 5 years, especially since all the technology that it talks about is not sitting on a rubbish tip somewhere near you. Technical books like this should be printed on flash paper that spontaneously combusts after 3 years tops.
"The Fifth Discipline" was the biggest pile of bilge that I have tried to plow through in a while. I gave up after a couple of chapters. That must make me a completely crap manager. Naughty me. I have given up the pretence of reading expensive, weighty management texts. If an author can't boil a topic for management down into 50 pages or less, then they don't know what they are writing about.

Then there was "management redeemed", which was ghastly. A bunch of managers preening in print. This one should have been soundly doused in lighter fluid.

After that, there were two of the worst technology books I have ever read, or partly read. Sorry if you gave one to me as a present, but they are garbage. "Google" was like reading a book about the Pope by a God-mad Jesuit. After about five infuriating chapters, I gave up. I wanted a techo's book. Instead, I got a "praise Serg" book. Ugh.

e-boys was even worse. A story about Silicon Valley venture capitalists. After reading it, I decided that I never want to invent something or come up with an idea for a start-up company. It made me sick. "Fuckheads get rich" would be a better title.

The one in the middle is "Leadership", which I think was partly written by Fred Hilmer. I have no idea why he was put in charge of a newspaper company, as he can't write for nuts. Ikea construction manuals are easier and more interesting to read than his dribble.

In total, they made a nice little pile. I figured we'd put them out on the street and if they hadn't gone by Monday night, we'd have a bonfire.

Like I said, they lasted about 15 minutes before they disappeared. I should have written this review first, printed it out and stuck it on top and then seen if anyone took off with them.