Here's some fun! This will probably be the most highly reviewed post on here! I'm working through the Oracle Database 10g Real Application Clusters Handbook. My employer is moving to a RAC environment soon, and this is part of the prep work for that. I can say, without hesitation, this is the best RAC book I've ever read! (it's the only one, so not necessarily the boldest of statements) Much has been written about this topic, giving the reader a lot of choice, but this book seems pretty good. It covers the nuts and bolts well. I'll revisit this post with updates after we've actually gone through the installation and upgrade process. We've already drawn on this book to answer some infrastructure questions we've had leading up to the install.
Jerry
Sunday, 23 September 2007
Sunday, 16 September 2007
A bit of catching up
Every book can't be some amazing deep-thought piece. Sometimes it's nice to read stuff purely for entertainment (much like d-list movies, MST3K, etc). With that in mind, some odds and ends from the fiction section:
Harry Potter and the Massive Royalty Checks (uh, I mean Deathly Hallows)
Fitting end to the series says I. Does Harry, Voldemort, both, neither, or any other major characters die or otherwise turn into some nonliving state? These mysteries and more revealed. Overall, I can't claim to be a ravenous fan, but I enjoyed the series. I don't fully understand the completely wild success this series has had, but any books that get kids reading again certainly can't be bad. I also don't fully understand some of the criticism that has come up (particularly the religious debates of whether or not this'll turn all the little munchkins into wee witches and warlocks). It's standard good vs. evil fare. I don't believe J.K. has any ulterior motive (though I hear the other members of her coven were strongly pressuring her into using the books as a platform to advance their cause). I would imagine the detractors were the same lot who were concerned about The Da Vinci Code. Now that sounds like a great segue to...
The Da Vinci Code
I thought this book, along with Angels & Demons (by the same author, sharing the same primary character), were good, quick-paced reads. There is an earth-shattering revelation of a religious nature that has been covered up by the Church for ages, the truth is on the verge of coming out, bad guys, chases, double-crossing, loose women...well, maybe not that last one, but you get the idea. I enjoyed them and thought the stories fit together pretty well. This one REALLY caused an uproar amongst the religious community, and more than one author spent considerable time debunking the proposed ideas. Debunking a work of fiction seems a bit silly to me (though I've often considered researching the real truths and setting the record straight on the so called Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh..."silly old bear" indeed). My thought with this, and other works of fiction that rile the religious is fairly simple: if a work of fiction is threatening enough or so overpowering that it shakes your religious principles to the core, than those principles couldn't have been that strong to begin with. This is an excellent segue to... ok. Can't really link that to anything here. But, the author did also write...
Deception Point
Similar pacing to his other books. The plot is about forged science and the many people and levels involved, all that good stuff. Is justice served? Is it cold? Is it in a dish? (wait, that's revenge) If you enjoyed Da Vinci Code, you'll probably like this one too.
The Spiderwick Chronicles (5 books)
Ok, this book is aimed at primary school kids. It's about some kids who find a book that opens them up to the normally unseen world of goblins and such. Cute stories though, and I was able to talk about them with my primary school kid, so there. Same goes for...
The Series of Unfortunate Events (13 books)
Again, nothing monumentally amazing about the plot line, but fun reads. Three children with unusually bad luck, a primary evil villain and some supporting not-quite-as-evil-but-still-rather-un-nice villains all work out their problems in only 13 books (ooo...that number even seems a bit unlucky...wonder if that's a coincidence). I have to say, they weren't bad, and I persevered and finished the series, but I probably would've enjoyed them more if I were in fact my son's age. As it was, it was starting to get a bit monotonous toward the end.
Harry Potter and the Massive Royalty Checks (uh, I mean Deathly Hallows)
Fitting end to the series says I. Does Harry, Voldemort, both, neither, or any other major characters die or otherwise turn into some nonliving state? These mysteries and more revealed. Overall, I can't claim to be a ravenous fan, but I enjoyed the series. I don't fully understand the completely wild success this series has had, but any books that get kids reading again certainly can't be bad. I also don't fully understand some of the criticism that has come up (particularly the religious debates of whether or not this'll turn all the little munchkins into wee witches and warlocks). It's standard good vs. evil fare. I don't believe J.K. has any ulterior motive (though I hear the other members of her coven were strongly pressuring her into using the books as a platform to advance their cause). I would imagine the detractors were the same lot who were concerned about The Da Vinci Code. Now that sounds like a great segue to...
The Da Vinci Code
I thought this book, along with Angels & Demons (by the same author, sharing the same primary character), were good, quick-paced reads. There is an earth-shattering revelation of a religious nature that has been covered up by the Church for ages, the truth is on the verge of coming out, bad guys, chases, double-crossing, loose women...well, maybe not that last one, but you get the idea. I enjoyed them and thought the stories fit together pretty well. This one REALLY caused an uproar amongst the religious community, and more than one author spent considerable time debunking the proposed ideas. Debunking a work of fiction seems a bit silly to me (though I've often considered researching the real truths and setting the record straight on the so called Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh..."silly old bear" indeed). My thought with this, and other works of fiction that rile the religious is fairly simple: if a work of fiction is threatening enough or so overpowering that it shakes your religious principles to the core, than those principles couldn't have been that strong to begin with. This is an excellent segue to... ok. Can't really link that to anything here. But, the author did also write...
Deception Point
Similar pacing to his other books. The plot is about forged science and the many people and levels involved, all that good stuff. Is justice served? Is it cold? Is it in a dish? (wait, that's revenge) If you enjoyed Da Vinci Code, you'll probably like this one too.
The Spiderwick Chronicles (5 books)
Ok, this book is aimed at primary school kids. It's about some kids who find a book that opens them up to the normally unseen world of goblins and such. Cute stories though, and I was able to talk about them with my primary school kid, so there. Same goes for...
The Series of Unfortunate Events (13 books)
Again, nothing monumentally amazing about the plot line, but fun reads. Three children with unusually bad luck, a primary evil villain and some supporting not-quite-as-evil-but-still-rather-un-nice villains all work out their problems in only 13 books (ooo...that number even seems a bit unlucky...wonder if that's a coincidence). I have to say, they weren't bad, and I persevered and finished the series, but I probably would've enjoyed them more if I were in fact my son's age. As it was, it was starting to get a bit monotonous toward the end.
Tuesday, 11 September 2007
Collapse: How societies choose to fail or succeed
I'm currently in the middle of this book by Jared Diamond. So far, pretty interesting stuff. He's covering the collapse of some old civilizations and the various influences (environmental, social, economic) that led to their collapse . Interestingly enough, the book starts out in Montana! It's enlightening and a bit sobering to read that in places such as Montana, which are generally considered remote and unspoiled, that there are numerous environmental problems that create significant socio-economic issues. Currently in New Zealand, also oft thought of as reasonably environmentally responsible, one doesn't have to look far to see problems here that could be managed better. If the "green" places of Earth can't hack it, what hope is there for the rest of the planet?!
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