Nookcolor e-book reader underachieves - The Boston Globe

Nookcolor e-book reader underachieves - The Boston Globe

Seven Ancient Wonders by Matthew Reilly

Seven Ancient Wonders has a storyline that consists mostly of action sequences. It was like reading a screenplay of a GI Joe cartoon, in which the hero always survives against the odds. Unlike the cartoon though, many “good” characters do end up dying. What got me to buy the book (and its sequel The Six Sacred Stones) are all the neat diagrams and illustrations Matthew Reilly (the author) used to describe booby traps, building layouts, geographical settings etc. Perhaps Mr. Reilly thought some of the sequences described in the book involving the above-mentioned (and there are many such sequences in this book) are just too complex to be explained using narrative only. He was spot on. Though some people might complain such attempts leaves nothing to the imagination of the reader, I was quite happy to be able to look at the illustrations and understand the situation (or predicaments) the characters find themselves in.

When the story started, there were quite a number of characters introduced (most of them die through the course of the story) – the central figure being Jack West Jr. who could give John Rambo a run for his money, while at the same time…also happen to be an archeologist on par with Indiana Jones. How many characters in the literary world could claim to be both a soldier and an archeologist?

The book contains some information about the seven wonders of the ancient world, information that is mostly fictional in nature. However, as with any book you read you should learn something, no matter how small it is…and with this book you would at least be able to list a few of the wonders of the ancient world.

Some of the unbelievably amazing action sequences featured in the book are like the breaking out of a terrorist from Guantanamo Bay (which was preceded by a short history of Gitmo and how it came to be – something which I never knew and was delighted to learn) by Jack West Jr. and his team, a street chase in Paris involving a double-decker bus, a daring escape from the armed forces that followed, and breaking into the St. Peter’s Basilica (where the author chose to take the opportunity to go the Da Vinci Code route in explaining conspiracies surrounding Christianity) and stealing an artifact.

Some cliché are also present, as are some twists in the plot. Though the middle section of the book was a bit tedious, the story got interesting towards the ending. Almost all loose ends were neatly tied up. This could be a good read if you know what you are getting into – which is almost like watching an action movie. Not so much substance or drama, action all the way.

Low-budget film-maker from India flies high with Superman of Malegaon - Times Online

Low-budget film-maker from India flies high with Superman of Malegaon - Times Online

Does Hidden Text Prove Shroud of Turin Real? - Science News | Science

Does Hidden Text Prove Shroud of Turin Real? - Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News - FOXNews.com

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A Tongue Tweetster

When a tweeter tweets his tweet with wit, and the tweet gets re-twitted by a twit, does the twice twitted tweet, carries twice the wit or does the wit in the tweet gets tweaked?

The Lost Symbol By Dan Brown

“The Lost Symbol” was engaging and that much is true. “The Lost Symbol” was also entertaining, well paced, and stimulating. In short, it was a good read. What “The Lost Symbol” isn’t though…is controversial. At least not as controversial as “The Da Vinci Code” was. Dan Brown almost seemed restrained, or better yet, anxious to showcase the “secret” organization known as the Freemasons with such reverence and respect. A stark contrast to Brown’s extremely unkind portrayal of “Opus Dei” in the previous book. Could Brown be a “Mason” himself? I will not be the first person to ask this question, or the last.

The events depicted in the novel occurs in one day (as was the case with the previous two Robert Langdon stories), however the similarity ends there. “Angels & Demons” and “The Da Vinci Code” both followed the same formula, more or less. Depending on which book you read first, that will end up being your favorite.

There were several key plot elements in both that were disappointingly similar, and one of it being the age old plot device that (almost) all mystery thrillers and whodunits (be it in print, celluloid or any other media) uses most of the time effectively - that which is “often the most unsuspected character (or believed to be the most unlikely character to have committed the crime) happens to be the villain. A good example of this would be Kevin Spacey’s character “Verbal Kint” in the movie “The Usual Suspects”, or even the classical twist in “Star Wars” concerning Darth Vader’s identity (who, incidentally, gets a mention in “The Lost Symbol” in the most bizarre way) that made me think that maybe…just maybe… Brown was actually inspired by George Lucas. Obviously, that statement would make sense once one completes the book.

It was smart of Brown to have stepped away from the formula (albeit just slightly) and give us a different twist (which some claim to have been so obvious that they saw it coming from miles away). Obviously, I didn’t…and perhaps only because I was so sure that Brown would follow the other two books and kept thinking the real villain to be someone else. A small triumph for Brown, well played indeed.

As was with “The Da Vinci Code”, “The Lost Symbol” is scattered with facts and trivia on many things which we possibly have taken for granted. One of the most enjoyable scene in the book depicts (in a flashback) Langdon challenging a student to join a cult in which he himself is a member of:

“Well, if you were to ask a Mason, he would offer the following definition: Masonry is a system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.”

“Sounds to me like a euphemism for ‘freaky cult.’ ”

“Freaky, you say?”

“Hell yes!” the kid said, standing up. “I heard what they do inside those secret buildings! Weird candlelight rituals with coffins, and nooses, and drinking wine out of skulls. Now that’s freaky!”

Langdon scanned the class. “Does that... sound freaky to anyone else?”

“Yes!” they all chimed in.

Langdon feigned a sad sigh. “Too bad. If that’s too freaky for you, then I know you’ll never want to join my cult.”

Silence settled over the room. The student from the Women’s Center looked uneasy. “You’re in a cult?”

Langdon nodded and lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Don’t tell anyone, but on the pagan day of the sun god Ra, I kneel at the foot of an ancient instrument of torture and consume ritualistic symbols of blood and flesh.”

The class looked horrified.

Langdon shrugged. “And if any of you care to join me, come to the Harvard chapel on Sunday, kneel beneath the crucifix, and take Holy Communion.”

The classroom remained silent.

Langdon winked. “Open your minds, my friends. We all fear what we do not understand.”

It is for these kinds of insights that many have become Dan Brown’s fan. If nothing else, he seems to be encouraging us to acknowledge that not everything we do not understand is bad, and that sometimes what we take for granted might seem unusual to others. This is also one of the key plot elements of “The Lost Symbol”. The Masons have a secret initiation ritual, and they do seem barbaric. However, each ritual has a meaning and should not be taken at face value. Could this actually be an allegory to depict how sometimes, certain religious practices or rituals seems odd to those who are not a practicing member of that religion? The Jainist Digambaras, Islamic Niqabs, Hindu Firewalking, or even the Jewish Kaparot?

On a different level, “The Lost Symbol” challenges you to not take religious teachings literally. The Book of Revelation apparently does not really talk about the end of days as was generally perceived. In fact, it is about a time when mankind will leave behind an age of ignorance and enter a golden era of wisdom and a better understanding of the universe. There are secrets, knowledge which our forefathers knew but were lost along the ages. These secret are hidden in plain sight and the rediscovery of this knowledge signifies the entrance of mankind into a new era. Intrigued? Maybe…maybe not! A chilling, yet interesting experiment in order to prove the existence of the human soul is described in the book. “The Lost Symbol” will also perhaps spark an interest in Noetic Science.

“The Lost Symbol” is an easy read. Some of the chapters are just one page long. Somewhere on the Internet, some literary critic is not happy with Dan Brown’s relentless use of italics in this book. Some just couldn’t care less. There were also mentions of ridiculous usage of similes (e.g. “The revelation crashed over Langdon like a wave.”). If you look hard enough, there’s definitely a lot to complain about but sometimes it just pays to ignore them and lose yourself in the chase. Sure enough, in “The Lost Symbol” (much like “The Da Vinci Code”), the ending just fizzled out and did not do justice to the overall story. However, do remember that this story is all about the journey and everything you learn along the way and never about the destination itself. All the fun and excitement is in the middle, so don’t expect an explosive finale in which everything is tied up and packaged neatly, and handed to you in a silver platter. There just isn’t one.

“The Da Vinci Code” did wonders to France’s tourism industry, and rightfully so because it took us on a whirlwind tour to some of the most colorful locales in the region. “The Lost Symbol”, however is firmly set on just a few specific locations in Washington D.C. Will “The Lost Symbol” generate enough curiosity and do the same thing it did for France? That remains to be seen. What’s true though is that I will definitely not look at the Capitol Building and the Washington Monument (much like “The Last Supper”), in the same way, ever again!

The Brotherhood of the Holy Shroud by Julia Navarro

Since the highly controversial ‘Da Vinci's Code’ was unleashed to the public (which ironically helped to propel the book to astronomical heights), I couldn’t help noticing the surfacing of many ‘similarly themed’ novels (religious thrillers if you want) in the bookshops. I’ve always dismissed them as ‘copycats’ trying to cash in on the success of Dan Brown’s bestseller. I’ve managed to stay away from them until I was suckered in to read ‘The Righteous Men’ by ‘Sam Bourne’ recently. Needless to say, it wasn’t as good as the review on the book’s back cover claimed.

Whoever originally invented the oft repeated saying ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ was right on the money – except that it would probably be more relevant nowadays to say ‘don’t judge a book by its back cover’ - the claims they make! That was when Julia Navarro’s ‘Brotherhood of the Holy Shroud’ caught my eyes. I decided to give it another try – and I am extremely glad. ‘Brotherhood of the Holy Shroud’ is a ‘religious thriller’ of the highest order, with an intelligent and complex plot and one I believe that will NOT offend any Christian friends.

I first read about the Holy Shroud of Turin when I was about 14 years old in a book titled ‘The Encyclopedia of Unsolved Mysteries’ by Colin and Damon Wilson. The book was responsible in introducing me to many of the still unsolved mysteries in the world, like ‘The case of the Devil’s Footprint’, ‘The Bermuda Triangle’, ‘Mystery of Caspar Hauser’ ‘The Mysterious Disappearing Men on the Lighthouse Eilean Moore’ and “The Ghost Ship Mary Celeste’, – to name a few. Some of the stories were chilling, especially since they are not fiction and I do remember them till today.

One of the most interesting features in the ‘encyclopedia’ was that of the mysterious image of a bearded man that can be seen in the Turin Shroud, which for the uninitiated is what many believe to be the image of Jesus Christ himself. The Shroud was supposedly the same cloth that was used by Joseph of Arimathea to cover the body of Jesus shortly after he was crucified.

Some people believe that the image appearing on the Shroud occurred as a direct result of the Resurrection of Jesus after he was crucified. The Shroud, for some is one of the most significant religious artifacts in the world while for others it is but a proof of excellent medieval hoax that’s blown way out of proportion. The Shroud and its history is the basis of Navarro’s novel and it involves such colorful characters as the Italian 'carabinieri' (which refer to members of the military who also perform police duties), a high profile reporter and clandestine organizations like the Knights Templar.

The book begins in Edessa (presently known as Darfur) where the Shroud was first brought to its leper king shortly after the crucifixion of Jesus. The king is miraculously healed of his disease and thus begins the Shroud’s journey into history that involves conspiracies and adventures that spans centuries and countless locations around the world. The story moves interchangeably from history to the present day, where we follow the investigations of the Art Crime Department led by Marco Valoni following a fire that occurred in the Cathedral of Turin where the Shroud is being kept (the fire mentioned really did happen in 11th April 1997). Though the fire does seem like an accident which resulted from negligence, Valoni believes that the fire was somehow directly related to the Shroud and hence begins an arduous investigation with his team of highly trained policemen, computer experts and an art historian.

What follows are about 500 pages of Shroud history, conspiracy theories, scientific explanations, a peek into the life of colorful European high society and some interesting attempt (some fiction, some not) at explaining the phenomenon that made the Shroud of Turin such an unmatched and interesting piece of historical artifact that exist today – hoax or not. All that and some drama thrown in as well. Navarro has definitely done extensive research on the history of the Shroud and on the Knights Templar in specific, whose story had captivated the imaginations of many for generations and is closely linked with the Shroud. For someone that would have some knowledge on the history of the Shroud, this is an extremely interesting story to read. However, it is definitely not a prerequisite. If anything, by the end of the book you would probably know everything there is to know about the holy Shroud of Turin. If reading works of fiction ever meant to teach you something other than just providing pure escapism, Julia Navarro’s ‘Brotherhood of the Holy Shroud’ is definitely a book to read, especially for medieval history buffs such as myself.