Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult is yet another fabulous example of how Jodi Picoult can turn her readers’ emotions inside out.  This newest work explores race relations in America through the eyes of Turk Bauer, a white supremacist, and Ruth Jefferson, an African American labor and delivery nurse.  They meet at the hospital when Turk’s son, Davis, is born.  After experiencing cardiac arrest, the baby dies and Ruth soon needs a lawyer – Kennedy McQuarrie, the third voice in this story which includes a legal battle and unexpected twists (a Picoult trademark).

This novel is painful to read at times, both for the hate/anger and stereotypes and for the way that good intentions are lost in a bureaucratic maze when the hospital seeks to protect itself versus its employee. Small Great Things received a starred review from Booklist and is sure to appeal to Picoult’s many fans as well as to book clubs looking to discuss current events.

The Singularity Race by Mark de Castrique

I have been writing lately about new books dealing with artificial intelligence, one was non-fiction and one had a sci-fi/dystopian bent.  The Singularity Race by Mark de Castrique also explores machine intelligence, but is set in the very near future and as such involves more of a mystery/thriller feel.  Secret Service Agent Rusty Mullins saves Chinese scientist Lisa Li from a potential assassination and continues to act as protector for her and Peter, her nephew, while she begins work for Cumulus Cognitive Connections.  That company is headed by Robert Brentwood and its chief aim is to create Apollo, a sentient being reminiscent of computer HAL. Others, however, want to win the race to singularity and the President, FBI, and Naval Intelligence all become involved in this political thriller full of double crosses.  

I enjoy de Castrique’s Sam Blackman mysteries and with new characters in The Singularity Race he has once again written a complex, fascinating mystery, enhanced by the dangers posed from technological advances.   

The Swan Riders by Erin Bow

One of my favorite books of last year was The Scorpion Rules and I am now reading its sequel, the second title in the Prisoners of Peace series from American turned Canadian writer Erin Bow: The Swan Riders. This continues the saga of Greta, princess turned AI (artificial intelligence) in a cruel, dystopian future. She and Talis (the ruling AI) are traveling across Saskatchewan in the company of Swan Riders, those “angels of death” who may not be as unwaveringly loyal as they initially appear.  The Swan Riders moves slowly at the beginning; make sure that you have read or reviewed The Scorpion Rules so as to appreciate the plot nuances. While the questions posed are dark (is Greta’s life worth 2 or 3 bombed cities?), Bow lightens the mood with unexpected humor (e.g., horses named NORAD and Gordon Lightfoot). 

The Swan Riders received starred reviews from Kirkus ("brillant and compelling") and School Library Journal ("stunning story"). You can read the first chapter on Erin Bow’s website; then grab a copy of the book (beautiful cover!) in our new library.  

Technology start-ups impact our culture

Three new texts dealing with entrepreneurship and technological shifts are worth a look:

A Truck Full of Money by Tracy Kidder is a fascinating portrait of Paul English, founder of the travel website Kayak.com. In this non-fiction narrative, award-winning author Kidder describes the innovative nature and leadership skills of English, particularly his abilities to see problems in a different way and to inspire loyalty. While profiling changes in the computer industry and internet start-ups, Kidder also explains that English was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and conveys its impact on his entrepreneurial work. In addition, readers will learn about Tom White, the mentor who encouraged Paul English in his many philanthropic efforts. One is Summits Education which is focused on Haiti.  A Truck Full of Money is captivating and will likely appear on a list of recommendations for our business students, many of whom already read titles by Kidder (Mountains Beyond Mountains, Strength in What Remains) for other classes.

Another title on that list could be The Start-Up J Curve wherein Howard Love outlines “the six steps to entrepreneurial success.” Consultant, investor and businessman Love shares his philosophy and provides advice critical to each point along the uniquely-shaped curve: create, release, morph, model, scale and harvest.  Solving real problems, listening to customer feedback, knowing when to move forward and take risk – all are discussed frankly and dissected by Love who points out “you always have more tasks to accomplish than time or resources to do them.”

Finally, Artificial Intelligence by Jerry Kaplan is a very recent addition for the “What Everyone Needs to Know” series.  I have written other reviews last April and just a few weeks ago because I believe that this series from Oxford University fits so well with our students’ interest and knowledge level. Kaplan himself is an entrepreneur, author and visiting lecturer at Stanford University, teaching in the Computer Science Department and acting as a fellow in the Stanford Law School. In Artificial Intelligence, he provides basic background and definitions and then explores questions dealing with Philosophy (e.g., can a computer “feel”?), Legal Issues (e.g., can an AI system commit a crime and be held accountable?), and Future Impacts (e.g., is runaway super intelligence a legitimate concern?).  I know that this area is one that sparks students’ curiosity; Kaplan’s text will help answer their questions and focus their research. 

As an aside, I will shortly be publishing a review of Erin Bow’s new young adult novel, The Swan Riders, which deals with a futuristic society run by AIs.