Star Trek, The Official Guide to Our Universe : The True Science Behind the Starship Voyages by Andrew Fazekas

In my college years I had the audacity to call Star Trek "boring", which caused a Trekkie to say defensively "What's so boring about an optimistic future?" I had grown up as more of a Star Wars fan, but as an adult I've grown to appreciate the Star Trek franchise for its striking optimism and imagination. Star Trek writers have a boundless outlet to comment on human nature and the universe at large by extrapolating a future that's built on the best aspects of our present. In this book, Andrew Fazekas uses the fictional voyages of the TV series and movies as a jumping-off point to explore real-life astronomy and physics.

To be upfront, this isn't a book that I can "review" as it's pretty much a reference book and isn't intended to be read cover-to-cover (though I did). Published by National Geographic, The Official Guide to Our Universe contains beautiful space photography from NASA (some with necessary false colorization) and information about celestial objects such as stars, black holes, and nebulae. Each section begins with a summary of a Star Trek episode or movie in which the crew encounters the object in question ("____ in Star Trek"), with the following page talking about the real-life equivalent ("____ in Our Universe"), and a few pages later a guide detailing how to spot it in the night sky ("Stargazing"). The stargazing pages includes what area of the world from which the object is best viewed, the best time of year to gaze upward, and a map that shows the nearest constellation. In between chapters, there are pages about Star Trek technologies like starships, weapons, and communicators, but these pages kind of feel like filler that would be better used in a more fan-targeted reference book.

As science fiction, Star Trek certainly tries harder to be accurate to the science than some of its genre brethren, but of course sometimes it just tosses out cool-sounding space words in the name of compelling stories. For instance, in the Original Series, Kirk and company get up close to a quasar, but as explained by Fazekas, in reality that's something that could only be found at the center of a galaxy other than our own. The book is careful to distinguish the fiction from the facts, and it's pretty interesting when the two overlap.

There's one paragraph in each chapter of this book that takes a quick look at how close real science is to reaching the technology that's been depicted on screen, and some of it is closer than one might have considered. Although we won't be traversing the galaxy at warp speed any time soon, we've come close to replicators with 3-D printers, and virtual reality is advancing quickly, just not to the extent of holodecks. We've come a long way in the fifty years since Gene Roddenberry's original series premiered, and continuing innovation at this pace for another couple hundred years, who knows where we'll boldly go. Stargazing has been limited to an Earth-centric point of view, but someday we might see our solar system, or even our galaxy, from the outside. The Official Guide to Our Universe will appeal to any Star Trek fan, and/or anyone with an interest in astronomy, and it may increase your interest in either subject.

Seinfeldia by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong

Twenty-seven years ago, NBC aired the premiere of a show called The Seinfeld Chronicles. The premise was intended to be a look at how a comedian gets his material from his everyday life. With the help of the talented writers and performers, it evolved into the Seinfeld we know and love that influenced situation comedies for decades to come, and the book Seinfeldia tells the tale.

The book gets its title from the idea that the show exists somewhere between reality and fiction. It introduced many characters that borrow their names and/or personalities from real-life counterparts. Of course there is the character of Jerry Seinfeld, played by comedian-turned-actor Jerry Seinfeld. But almost as famous is the fictional Jerry's neighbor Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards) who was based on Kenny Kramer, a friend of co-creator Larry David. And the character of George Costanza (Jason Alexander) was based on David himself, though Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss) was an amalgamation of several women who Seinfeld and David knew, including Carol Leifer who would join the writing staff.

The Seinfeld writers got almost all their story ideas from their real lives or from current events, which kept the show relatively grounded and timely despite the comedic exaggeration. Once Jason Alexander protested that nobody would handle a situation the way his character George was meant to, and Larry David fired back that that's exactly what he did when it happened to him. Near the middle of each season David was always reluctant to keep the series going for another year, because it was so hard to come up with fresh new ideas.

Armstrong is clearly a big fan of the show and delighted in being able to interview some of the creative people involved in it. She can't help but describe several famous episodes' plots when they are relevant to the element being described in the book. For example when profiling a specific writer she'll give synopses of the episodes written by him or her. In a few instances, her eagerness has her repeating an anecdote that was already mentioned a few chapters early, and sometimes she presents events out of chronological order for effect, which I didn't think was always the right way to tell a non-fiction account. However, her enthusiasm and research make for an entertaining and informative read.

This is a very comprehensive book, going from the show's infancy all the way to describing what the cast has done recently (yes, including Michael Richards' unfortunate outburst of anger) to the way people are still being influenced by the show. There are several pages about the @Seinfeld2000 Twitter feed (still going as of last month) that began as a frustrated parody of @SeinfeldToday (defunct as of 2015). Since it's still running in syndication and was recently acquired by Hulu, Seinfeld is sure to be enjoyed for generations. And Seinfeldia is overall a very good look at that show that was anything but "about nothing".

As You Wish by Cary Elwes

Attention all you fans of The Princess Bride, the beloved cult classic is now available to stream on Netflix! And another reason to rejoice: recently,  Cary Elwes, Westley himself, wrote a book about the production of the movie. As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride is an oral history written with the collaboration of almost everyone with whom Elwes worked.

Written in roughly chronological order, Elwes first mentions that he had always loved the book, and director Rob Reiner expresses similar feelings, which led to Reiner telling the studio it was the next movie he wanted to make. The executives were hesitant, but fortunately author/screenwriter William Goldman had a good reputation in Hollywood for having written Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and Goldman was a fan of Reiner's directorial efforts This is Spinal Tap and Stand by Me.

Cary Elwes was very nervous about his audition but was exactly what Reiner was looking for. He was excited to be working with industry giants Billy Crystal and Mandy Patinkin, and literal giant Andre. This leads me to my strongest criticism of As You Wish; it often feels like a fluffy DVD commentary in which the cast and crew gush about each other and how amazingly fun it was to make the film. That being said, I kind of like DVD commentaries so the book wasn't devoid of merit.

There are interesting anecdotes within, like the amount of effort Elwes and Patinkin put in to their swordfight, which Goldman's screenplay insisted be "the greatest sword fight ever filmed." Any time they were not filming, they'd practice the combat for eight hours a day. Elwes also recounts a story of Andre the Giant's flatulence ruining a take, and all the cast mentions how gracious the late wrestler was on set in general.

Those who haven't seen the movie won't get much out of this book, but it's a must-read for the film's loyal fans. After nearly three decades, The Princess Bride is still a go-to classic and Elwes' book is a worthy tribute.

Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari

When young people seek companionship in the twenty-first century, it's different from how their parents and grandparents had it. Today's technology and increased population make the options for romance occasionally overwhelming. In his first book, comedian and actor Aziz Ansari takes a good look at what modern romance really consists of.

This is not the typical book that you might find written by a celebrity. It's not a memoir or a quick cash-grab, it's a well researched look at love that Ansari wrote alongside sociologist Eric Klinenberg. At the same time it does contain numerous bits of the comedian's sarcasm and a few examples of his own struggles with finding a mate. Some of the topics that he examines come from conversations with audience members at his standup shows, such as when he asks them to show him their text message conversations.

Ansari and Klinenberg take a look at the paradox of choice that daters face. With the advent of online dating, there are so many options available that someone might worry that they're not with the "best" person possible. Ansari contrasts this to how his father had an arranged marriage, which he also addresses on his Netflix show Master of None. The authors took trips to Tokyo, Buenos Aires, and Paris to see how those countries handle dating, in comparison with how Americans do. Ansari found that in Tokyo men were usually too shy to approach women, while in Buenos Aires the males were perhaps too aggressive with their advances.

Aziz Ansari has a signature way of pointing out the absurdities of his generation's behavior while admitting he falls into the same habits. It seems that researching and writing this book gave him insight into not only other people's behavior in relationships, but also his own.

I recommend Modern Romance to anyone in their 20s or 30s who's curious about the subject and doesn't mind Ansari's sense of humor, as there are points when he'll exaggerate or go on a tangent for the sake of a laugh. A side note, the audiobook version has some added content at the beginning and end. At the start of the first CD in specific, Aziz berates the listener for being "too lazy" to read the text and lamenting that he has to "read it to you". That was a surprise that gave me a good chuckle.

To buy the book or learn more, go to book.azizansari.com. However, the site hasn't been updated since it still talks about preordering the book despite it coming out last June.

We Don't Need Roads: The Making of the Back to the Future Trilogy by Caseen Gaines

As a big fan of the Back to the Future trilogy, I can hardly let October 2015 go by entirely without comment. I've been a fan of the movies ever since I got the first one on VHS from a McDonald's promotion in 1994, so I've been looking forward to this futuristic year for two decades. But I'm not going to write another list about what Part II got right or wrong about our present; there have been plenty of those already. Instead I read a book by a fan that was released earlier this year, the most comprehensive account of the famous film series written to date.

We Don't Need Roads is a relatively straightforward, chronological delineation of the inception, production and impact of the Future trilogy. Thanks to DVD commentaries, special features, and the Internet, there are not that many bits of information that have never been heard before, but the author's research and interviews add credence to these anecdotes. He remains unbiased about the events, allowing those involved to speak for themselves with numerous direct quotes.

The concept for Back to the Future was not immediately accepted by Universal Pictures. In the early 1980s there had been a few unsuccessful time travel films, and usually when a comedy starred a teenage protagonist it was raunchy like Porky's, not family-friendly like Future. Then executive producers Steven Spielberg, Frank Marshall, and Kathleen Kennedy came on board and convinced the studio it was worth funding. One amusing piece of trivia is that studio head Sid Sheinberg wanted to change the title because he thought it didn't make sense, but he denies the common allegation that his proposed title was "Spaceman from Pluto."

Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale had not intended to make a sequel when they shot the ending of the original movie, which was intended as a jokey "here we go again" type of conclusion. They struggled to come up with a continuation of that unintended cliffhanger, but soon the ideas of different time periods piled up so much that the script, with a working title of "Paradox," had to be split into two movies. The first obstacle was that Claudia Wells would not be able to reprise her role as Marty's girlfriend Jennifer due to her mother's sickness, so Elizabeth Shue filled in. Unfortunately Jennifer turned out to be more of a prop than a character but hey, no movie series is without flaws.

There are a few events that get special attention in Gaines' book. One is the replacement of Crispin Glover when he wanted a higher salary to appear in the sequels. Jeffrey Weissman was chosen to become the new George McFly because he was able to impersonate Glover's voice and mannerisms, but he never felt like he was a respected member of the cast. Lea Thompson in particular felt a loyalty to Glover so she seemed to resent that another actor was playing her on-screen husband. Then there was the matter of Glover suing the filmmakers for using his likeness without permission, and Weissman inadvertently provided fuel for that lawsuit when he spoke to Glover about his experiences on set.

Another noteworthy incident was the accident that caused a stuntwoman to be injured. It was during the scene of Part II in which Griff Tannen and his gang are tricked into flying head over heels into the plate glass of the 2015 clocktower. The stunt performers were supposed to be released from cables and fall on to an airbag behind the window, but Cherly Wheeler-Dixon's cable sent her into a pillar and on to concrete, breaking bones in her face and wrist. Without the resources to reshoot the sequence, the moment of impact appears in the finished film.

I could go on and on about the behind-the-scenes factoids this book discusses; let it suffice to say that if you are a fan of the Back to the Future trilogy or the process of filmmaking in general, it is well worth reading.

To find out more about the author or purchase his books, including ones about Pee-Wee's Playhouse and A Christmas Story, go to www.caseengaines.com/.

Born with Teeth by Kate Mulgrew

Kate Mulgrew is perhaps best known as Star Trek's first female captain and I really enjoy watching Star Trek Voyager so I made a point to put this on in my reading queue. A lot of things impressed me about it; perhaps most is that she wrote it herself and that it is well written; it reminded me of Arthur Golden's style in Memoirs of a Geisha. And I identified with her because she emphasizes “the work” (for her, acting) to make it through the most difficult times in life. That really resonated with me and my life.

I learned things about Ms. Mulgrew's like that she gave a child up for adoption when she was 22. That series of passages, the pregnancy written into the soap opera she was on and the part when she glimpsed her child in the bassinet, were powerful. I felt a lot of empathy for Ms. Mulgrew and I credit that to her writing. The same holds for her chapters detailing her adventures with her two sons. I like that although work is important to Ms. Mulgrew, family is also very important to her. And I like how well that was communicated in her memoir.

If you are looking for a tell-all about Star Trek Voyager, you'll be disappointed. Likewise if you are looking for insight into Orange is the New Black, her memoir stops before getting there. She actually stops before Voyager concluded. That being said, it is still a really engaging and interesting book and I think you ought to read it.

Visit Kate Mulgrew's site for more information about the author and how to purchase her book(s).

Gumption: Relighting the Torch of Freedom with America's Gutsiest Troublemakers by Nick Offerman

For his second book, Nick Offerman wanted to bring attention to some of his favorite Americans, some of whom have been long dead and others he has had the enormous pleasure of meeting in person. In Gumption, each chapter is dedicated to one of these individuals, giving a brief biography of where they came from and what they're known for, followed by Offerman's personal reflections on the person's significance and how their ideas can make our country better.

The first section, "Freemasons," brings up founding fathers George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and James Madison, as well as slave-turned-orator Frederick Douglass. The second part is titled "Idealists" and runs the gamut from two separate Roosevelts, to a few great authors. Then the third section, "Makers," has the widest scope, from woodworkers to entertainers. The book is sprinkled with several mentions of Offerman's show Parks and Recreation and his wife Megan Mullally but this doesn't overshadow his point. He also uses humor to make the pill of biographical insight go down easier, though the repeated joke in the Jeff Tweedy chapter that the singer is his husband, is one bit that falls flat.

Even as a fan of Offerman and his writing style, I struggled to get into this book at first, as historical figures aren't usually something I find fun to read about. When he profiles Thomas Lie-Nielsen (owner of a tool company), Nat Benjamin (maker of wooden boats), and woodworker George Nakashima, I couldn't help feeling that Nick was being self-indulgent (he actually admits that one of the reasons for writing this book was to meet some of his heroes), and to be honest I largely skimmed those chapters.

In contrast, his words about Wendell Berry, Michael Pollan and George Saunders made me decide to seek out the books written by those fine gentlemen. One may find themselves with a newly evolved opinion of Yoko Ono, and a realization that Willie Nelson has more to him than his love of marijuana. I also learned about a few notable Americans I'd never heard of, like the Central Park designer Frederick Law Olmstead, and Laurie Anderson, a performance artist with an incredible array of talents.

I think this book turned out exactly as Offerman intended it, even if it does fall a bit outside mainstream interests, and for that I admire his gumption. He clearly feels strongly about the issues he raises and that these people deserve recognition, and with that I agree. However, I think implying via the title that all of them are "gutsy troublemakers" is a bit misleading. They are simply Americans who each did something worthwhile, and were modest about their accomplishments.

Except Conan O'Brien, that blowhard.


For more information about Nick Offerman, his books, or his woodshop, visit offermanwoodshop.com.

Fresh off the Boat by Eddie Huang

ABC's Fresh off the Boat is the first show about an Asian American family since Margaret Cho's All-American Girl from the mid-90s. The earlier show gets a nod when the Huang family is watching it in their season finale. Overall, Fresh is a cleverly funny show that deals with the struggles of the Huang family to fit in with American culture. However, being on a broadcast network like ABC prevents it from being as direct and biting as Eddie Huang's memoir of the same name.

Huang himself narrates each episode, a tactic comparable to The Wonder Years but maybe closer in tone to Everybody Hates Chris, for which Chris Rock narrated stories based on his own childhood. Eddie Huang is a unique personality, proclaiming himself a "rotten banana" because of the way he relates to hip-hop music and black culture. He always felt ostracized in school for being Asian and for eating "stinky" Chinese food for lunch, and ever since hearing Dr. Dre's album The Chronic, he has felt affinity for the struggles expressed in rap. Huang never shies from discussing racism and stereotypes; after all, his title is a phrase commonly used derogatorily toward immigrants.

The TV series focuses on Eddie at the age of 12, when he and his family have just moved from DC's Chinatown to Orlando, Florida, when his father Louis wanted to open a restaurant. Of course the book has a much longer view of his life, reaching to the present day when Eddie opened his own eatery. What the show captures well from the book is Eddie's preoccupation with being cool, from getting the latest music and shoes (Jordans) to wanting his mother to pack more American food for his lunches. But of course the series, being an ongoing sitcom, has to flesh out the rest of the family and include more humor, which is where it strays from Eddie's real life/memoir.

In Fresh off the Boat the book, there are details like the physical abuse Eddie sustained from his father, which will certainly never be depicted on ABC. I cannot see the network allowing a "very special episode" involving Randall Park's Louis beating his son, on a show that is mainly focused on comedy, as much as Eddie Huang may want to see that topic addressed.* It is readily apparent that the show was created by the same woman who helmed the off-the-wall Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23.

This is another book that I feel benefits from hearing the audiobook, read by the author, if you can get your hands on it. Since the slang-and-metaphor-heavy prose is very much written in Eddie's "voice", hearing his actual voice helps to understand his intended meaning, as well as getting the proper pronunciations for the sprinklings of Chinese. Although he dabbled in standup comedy, it's clear that he was always meant to become a chef, since his strongest memories are tied to food, and his descriptions of meals are as evocative as any Michael Pollan book. His is a unique and compelling point of view, and even if the show waters down the events of his life, it's worth watching for a perspective that is underrepresented by the media as a whole.

To buy the book, related merchandise, or to learn more about Eddie Huang himself, check out the website for his Manhattan restaurant BaoHaus.

*Eddie Huang Gives 'Fresh Off the Boat' a "B"; Pushes for Domestic Violence Arc

Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee

Harper Lee published To Kill a Mockingbird in 1960 and I do not think she expected (or even hoped for) the amount of attention the book has received. It won the Pulitzer Prize and has become a classic of modern American literature. The author herself is an enigma: she does not make public appearances nor communicate with fans and has stated she will not publish another book. So it seemed weird when her lawyer, Tonja B. Carter, discovered a manuscript in the safety deposit box and Lee consented to publish it.

Go Set a Watchman reads like it was not given a professional edit which, given the circumstances, makes sense. I don't mean to suggest it is full of typos and such, but it does lack the polished tone found in Mockingbird. The novel follows Scout, now an adult living in New York and going by her given name Jean Louise, visiting Maycomb and being shocked by all that has changed. I think it reads like a logical sequel; Scout now sees through adult eyes what she thought she understood as a child and the reality disturbs her. That being said, if Watchman had come first I don't think we would be discussing it in English classes across the country. I don't think people would re-read it as often as they do Mockingbird. I don't think Monroeville would have Watchman-themed everything and be thriving on tourism like it is with Mockingbird.

My verdict is: do not go out of your way to read it. And my main reason? Because I still do not believe that Harper Lee ever intended that book to be published, in her lifetime or posthumously. I think, like a lot of people out there, that Tonja B. Carter is taking advantage of her elderly, famous client. When she dies, it will be interesting to see what happens to her estate.

Down the Rabbit Hole by Holly Madison

Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny (a mouthful, am I right?) is the memoir of former #1 Hugh Hefner girlfriend and one of the three stars of The Girls Next Door, Holly Madison. You may have heard of it because Kendra Wilkinson-Baskett, Cooper Hefner, and Hugh Hefner have all publicly refuted the claims in it. I was interested in this memoir because I watched The Girls Next Door in 2006-8 and I remember liking Holly.

About 40% of the way into the book, you start to see why Kendra spoke out against the memoir. Holly says Kendra's "memory is just super rusty" where in Sliding into Home she says Hefner offered her a room key before sleeping with him; Holly claims that never happens. The tone of Kendra's memoir is more playful and appreciative of what she was able to get out of being a girlfriend; Holly describes her experience like she was serving a prison sentence. Toward the end of Down the Rabbit Hole, after anecdotes that are pretty one-sided, Holly claims she does not understand why Kendra ended their friendship. Toward the end of Sliding into Home, Kendra is proud of the friendship that she maintained with both Holly and Bridget. I predict Kendra will release a third memoir that will address, in her opinion, Holly's "super rusty" memory.

I expected Holly to be tough on Hefner and she does not pull any punches; the standard sex scene described in both Holly and Kendra's books is the least of the negativity. I was surprised when I got to her ex-boyfriend, Criss Angel, whom she says used her for her Playboy fame to distract from the abysmal ratings his show was receiving and that he was abusive toward her. I don't remember that making headlines, but I admit I stopped following after The Girls Next Door wrapped. She does not mention dating Jack Barakat and barely mentions Pasquale Rotella, instead focusing on their daughter, Rainbow.

Holly is also critical of Crystal Harris (Hefner's third wife). Holly says Crystal acted jealous (translation: like a bitch) towards her because she was afraid that Holly was trying to get her place back as #1 girlfriend. Holly says these feelings were unfounded. Her description of Crystal's behavior reminded me of The Girls Next Door episode where Barbi Benton comes to visit and Holly seems to experience feelings of being threatened.

Holly and her collaborator, Leslie Bruce, did a good job crafting a compelling narrative. The "Hefner is trying to destroy me" and "Playboy is screwing me out of what I deserve" and "I let this happen because of what Hefner did to me" gets a little old but it is still an interesting read. If you are a fan of The Girls Next Door or Holly's World or just Playboy in general, you will likely enjoy what amounts to a gossip rag about life at the Playboy mansion and after.

Visit Holly Madison's Amazon page for more information about the author and how to purchase her books. And a bonus: check out what Izabella St. James, author of Bunny Tales: Behind Closed Doors at the Playboy Mansion (2006), had to say in response to Holly's claims: Daily Mail exclusive.

Yes Please by Amy Poehler

Amy Poehler is always in good company when associated with Tina Fey from their work on SNL, or with Nick Offerman from co-starring on Parks and Recreation. Now she has written a book that rivals Fey's Bossypants and  Offerman's Paddle Your Own Canoe for being one of the most entertaining memoirs I can recall reading.

Poehler begins Yes Please by complaining how hard it was to write a book, so she must be annoyed that Offerman wrote two (the second of which I'll read soon) in the time it took her to write this one. There's a chapter written by Seth Meyers, ostensibly to give Amy a break from writing, and passages by her parents recounting the day she was born. Then the chapter about working on Parks and Recreation has notes written by the show's co-creator, Michael Schur. All of these guest writers and more appear in the audiobook version, which I recommend just as highly as the hardcover. There's a running gag that it was recorded in a sound booth that Amy built herself inside Mount Rushmore.

Yes Please is mostly about Poehler's life, with some jokey essays and haikus sprinkled in. An interesting aspect of the print version (which makes it impossible for me to say "only listen to the audiobook") is the reproductions of real documents: things she wrote as a child, a presumably real report card, photographs, even a letter that Hillary Clinton wrote to Poehler's son Archie right after he was born. Most chapters include humor, but occasionally Poehler gets very personal, such as with the repercussions of an SNL sketch that offended Chris Cooper and his wife, to whom Poehler personally apologized. Near the end of the book, she describes the surrealism of balancing a humanitarian trip to Haiti with the planning of jokes for the Golden Globes via email.

This book may have been a struggle to write, but it was worth every bead of sweat. It turned out as truthful and funny as Poehler hoped.

Visit #AmySaysYesPlease for how to purchase and to participate in her social media campaign.

Silver Screen Fiend by Patton Oswalt

The greatest filmmakers have been influenced by all the films that have proceeded them, but to create art one must do more than consume. During the late 90s, Patton Oswalt deluded himself into thinking that if he kept watching as many "great" movies as possible, he would someday become a great screenwriter and director. Somehow, he never got around to that goal.

Silver Screen Fiend: Learning About Life From an Addiction to Film is the followup to Oswalt's Zombie Spaceship Wasteland. While Wasteland was a fairly free-form memoir, jumping around to different parts of his life, Fiend is more focused as it describes four years in the comedian's life during which he saw way more movies than should be considered healthy. He wrote the movie titles in his calendar and checked them off in five film connoisseur books, though he only counted ones he saw on theater screens, not home video or TV broadcasts. The theater he sat in the most was the New Beverly in Los Angeles, where he got to know the proprietor Sherman Togan so well that Oswalt attended his funeral.

During those four years, Oswalt worked as a staff writer on MADtv, performed stand-up around LA and the country at large, and began his film career as a background actor with one trivial line of dialogue in Down Periscope. But his self proclaimed addiction to film prevented him from having a social life, unless someone agreed to attend the movies with him. At one point he sat through an entire weekend marathon of old horror movies, and the fact that he couldn't remember what happened in any of them was a wakeup call that he likens to overdosing.

Throughout the book, Oswalt refers to certain formative moments in his life as being "Night Cafe"s. He explains that he's referring to a painting by Vincent Van Gogh called The Night Cafe (seen at right) which was the first time the artist tried to paint from memory. This painting changed Van Gogh's perspective on life completely, and Oswalt says that there have been a few places that have affected him that greatly. There was the comedy club in DC that helped him decide to try standup, the Largo in LA where he honed the craft, and of course the New Beverly theater where his love of movies began to overtake his life.

Silver Screen Fiend is a very funny and personal book, self-deprecating throughout. Film addiction may not be as harmful as drugs or alcohol, but when he overcame it, Oswalt gained a better appreciation for the using his own creativity rather than simply absorbing the art of others. He has gone on to become a prolific film and TV actor and a headlining comedian, and I'd be surprised if he doesn't someday get to write and direct a film of his own that rivals the ones by which he was so entranced.

Visit Patton Oswalt's website to learn more or to purchase Silver Screen Fiend.

'Serial' podcast

So I know this isn't a book or a movie but I just finished the podcast Serial and I have to write about it! It is a spinoff of the radio program This American Life. Serial explores a nonfiction story for about an hour each week. I say "nonfiction story" because that is how it is described on Wikipedia but I think it is reasonable to say it will focus on crime stories.

In the first season we meet now 34-year-old Adnan Syed who is currently serving a life sentence for kidnapping and first-degree murder of his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee (some articles add false imprisonment and robbery) which occurred back in 1999. It ran in 2014, October to December, and I don't think Sarah Koenig expected all the attention it has gotten. I mean, check out these 6 sensational theories concocted by fans which, I think, are an indication (especially #6) of just how much people liked it and are therefore thinking about (or really over thinking) it.

For Sarah and the Serial team this started in 2013 when she got an email from Rabia Chaudry, the older sister of Adnan's best friend, Saad. They believe Adnan is innocent. The Serial team took a year and investigated the case as an impartial third party. Sarah says she did not have an ending in mind; the intent is to go where the story leads, regardless of where they end up. In other words, they are not out to prove Adnan's innocence.

So even though we weren't promised (and I think, *spoiler alert,* didn't get) a satisfactory conclusion, I thought the podcast was still really good: Sarah is a really good narrator and the case is pretty interesting. If you haven't listened to it yet and the subject interests you, I recommend you check it out. But remember you aren't listening to an episode of Law & Order where the people aren't real and the bad guy gets what's coming.

Console Wars by Blake J. Harris

For the last few generations of videogame* consoles, there have been three main companies vying for gamers' attention. Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo update their hardware with more impressive graphics capabilities, voice and motion controls, and slightly tweaked names every few years. Though let's be honest, it's primarily Sony and Microsoft butting heads over the same demographic, with Nintendo on the sideline serving its loyal audience in its own way. It may be hard to remember that just over twenty years ago, there was only one big name in gaming that was in direct opposition to Nintendo, the irreverent and rebellious Sega. Author Blake J. Harris examines the product development and competitive marketing of those two companies during the early 90s in Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation.

The book primarily follows the president of Sega of America at the time, Tom Kalinske. I was at first concerned that Harris had a bias toward Sega since he goes deeply into Kalinske's thought process and Sega's strategy while not giving as much attention to Nintendo's side of the story. However I realized that Kalinske simply had the most fascinating story arc for the moment in history that Harris wanted to write about. Kalinske was pulled from Mattel knowing little about videogames, helped Sega overtake Nintendo as the industry leader with his bold vision, and witnessed the decline of his company while worrying that he would be blamed for Sega's shortcomings when they eventually couldn't keep up with Nintendo or the up-and-coming Sony.

Harris conducted over two hundred interviews during the writing of this book, and admits from the start that the content of conversations was extrapolated. He has a talent for making the reader feel like they were present behind boardroom doors with the dialogue, but when he goes into details about these real peoples' facial expressions and inner thoughts, we must suspend our disbelief about the author's omniscience. He might be better suited to writing fiction in the future. There is also the problem of getting the same information twice, such as when Nintendo's head honchos discuss a plan for a new game, and then a few chapters later it's discovered by Sega. Occasionally it seemed like Harris forgot that he had already described the game to us. And there were a few noticeable typographical errors late in the book, as if he or his editor had to rush to meet a deadline.

In this 600 page book, Harris goes into a lot of detail about a relatively short period of time (six years). Those who were the target age of the Super Nintendo and the Sega Genesis will get a feeling of nostalgia, like when Sega's brash and blunt commercials belittled the family-friendly Nintendo by encouraging gamers to graduate to "the Next Level", or when Nintendo finally matched their competitor's attitude when they released the revolutionary Donkey Kong Country alongside the slogan "Play it Loud". Personally, the moments I most enjoyed reading about were ones I remembered happening which I could now see in a different context, like the making of commercials that I had seen at the time.

The book will also appeal to those with an interest in business decisions and marketing strategies, as there is a lot of discussion about how each company responded to the other's technical specs and pricing. These details wouldn't normally be that compelling to me, but the human element that Harris brings to the events made them more interesting, as he gives a good sense of the personalities at play, even if he was making some of it up.

A side note if you happen to listen to Console Wars on Audible: the audiobook did not include the amusing foreword by Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg (who will be producing a film version) and it grated on me that narrator Fred Berman pronounced Nintendo's mascot's name as MERRY-o instead of MAR-eo. It's egregious that nobody involved with the recording knew any better. Hey guys, if you're going to be associated with a book like this, at least play Super Smash Bros once in your life.

For more information about Blake J. Harris or to purchase Console Wars, check out his website or find him on Twitter and Goodreads.


*Some may question the one-word spelling, but I'm basing it on The Videogame Style Guide.

Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader by Bradley K. Martin

Bradley K. Martin has covered Korea since 1977. He has made seven trips to North Korea which is more than most reporters can boast. His novel, Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader, was published in 2006 and offers in-depth portraits of two leaders: Kim Il-sung ("The Great Leader" for 45 years) and Kim Jong-il ("The Dear Leader" for 17 years). Kim Jong-un took office in 2011 and so is not included. The novel is very thorough and paints what feels like a complete picture of how North Korea became what it is today.

Martin talks about everything but I'm going to focus on his discussions about women. Looking at the book as a whole, it has comparatively little to say specifically about women, but I think the point is everyone has it bad because both genders are treated equally poorly.

Il-sung sired children with many mistresses and concubines before and after he became "The Great Leader." But he only recognized children by Jong-suk and Song-ae. He provided women with the same employment opportunities as men and state-run child care so women did not get maternity leave. He worked (and his predecessors continue to work) the North Korean people very hard and ensure the young are only influenced by the state and therefore completely indoctrinated. So while this seems like a breakthrough in gender equality, really these people just work in abysmal conditions for little pay and don't get to spend quality time with their family.

Martin also talks about North Korea's sex workers. To me, they sound more like Geisha than Prostitutes. They go to school and learn massage, dance, striptease, and how to care for their skin and light exercises to stay fit. Kim Jong-il organized the female companions into three corps: entertainers (i.e. actresses, singers) who might have slept with Il-sung or Jong-il, sex workers, and menial workers in the mansions. Women who bore children of Il-sung that weren't Jong-suk or Song-ae were set-up with their own households and, in some cases, married to other men.

The women chosen for that line of work don't have a choice and it is more comfortable when compared to the average North Korean woman. For these women, there is no sex education. Prior to 1984, if women got pregnant by accident they would take rat poison to kill themselves. In 1984, to stop the women from killing themselves, Jong-il allowed abortions (note: he didn't start sex education). And then there is the known practice where women sell themselves to foreigners because they cannot get enough money legitimately.

Life in North Korea for the average person is hard if the family has someone who voiced dissent and/or defected. The problem is with so many people realizing how bad things are there are fewer North Koreans without something considered bad in the family background. These folks are denied good jobs and, in some cases, banished to desolate countryside. It's no wonder so many, even with the indoctrination, decide (or feel they are forced to) to defect.

If you are interested in the how and why North Korea is the way it is, you should read this book. I read it while also reading Breakers, Dragonbound, and Consider Phlebus. Visit Macmillan's page for Bradley K. Martin for more information about the author and how to purchase his book.

Nick Offerman: American Ham & Paddle Your Own Canoe

Nick Offerman is best known for playing Ron Swanson on NBC's Parks and Recreation. Swanson is basically an archetypal "man's man" whose loves are meat, whiskey, and hunting. Offerman is often asked "how did you become so manly?" but he will quickly admit than being in a profession where you dress up and pretend to be someone else does not mean you're as macho as that character. And when asked "how do you grow such a robust mustache?" he will reply modestly that step one is, "I don't shave my lip area." This kind of down-to-earth straightforwardness is what I have come to expect after seeing his special on Netflix, and then reading the related book.

Nick Offerman: American Ham is a good showcase for his main real-life passions: entertaining people and gushing about his wife, Megan Mullaly. It's part stand-up special, part one-man show, interspersed with songs, sketches, and irreverent life advice. In the show, Offerman uses some of the same headings as in Paddle Your Own Canoe (which I'll discuss a little later) and he's not entirely subtle about the special being a way to sell more copies of said book. In fact, stacks of the biography are seen in the background whenever there is cutaway to his real-life Offerman Woodshop, as if they're product placement. The special is mostly a filmed version of a stage show Offerman had performed around the country, but when he starts singing a few song parodies, the home audience sees a sketch of him talking to a lawyer (played by Marc Evan Jackson) about the spoofs not being allowed in the special.

Like American Ham, Offerman's book is structured around a list of tongue-in-cheek guidelines to life. Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man's Fundamentals for Delicious Living might at first appear to be a self-help book, but it is very much an autobiography. It's not as chronological as most memoirs, though; for each chapter he picks a subject and uses it in a somewhat stream-of-consciousness way as he recounts moments in his life that fit the theme. He first talks about his upbringing in the rural midwest. Much of the middle of the book is devoted to his struggles and triumphs in the world of acting, which mainly occurred in the Defiant Theater in Chicago during and after he was in college. He then had the half-baked idea to pursue theater acting in Los Angeles, but of course found that his future lay in television and movies. It might surprise some readers that he has just as many pieces of advice about romance and sex as he does about woodworking and cuts of meat. Each chapter ends with a separate story that describes how he came upon the life lesson that he's imparting. For instance, he became a born-again Christian to get laid at a Jesus camp, and later he claims if you make your partner a homemade card, you're guaranteed to get lucky. I don't know how these incidents will sit with certain people, but hopefully anyone reading a book by a comedic actor will not take things overly seriously.

It is notable how much Offerman credits his family and upbringing for who he is, but he is also forthcoming about youthful mistakes that he made, in hopes that the reader will learn from them. He is also very praising of his wife of nearly 12 years. They met doing a play together and bonded over dirty jokes, and the chemistry between them is palpable whenever she shows up on Parks and Recreation as Ron's ex-wife.

I would recommend American Ham to every comedy fan, you'll get more out of it than jokes told from a stage. I would suggest reading Paddle Your Own Canoe if you'd like insight into Nick Offerman's life and background, or some advice about being a professional actor, but I caution that if you're hoping for behind-the-scenes info or gossip about Parks and Recreation, look elsewhere.

How Star Wars Conquered the Universe by Chris Taylor

When Disney bought Lucasfilm, fans of Star Wars were divided. Would the home of Mickey Mouse and princess culture really be the right home for George Lucas's epic franchise?

In How Star Wars Conquered the Universe, I believe Chris Taylor makes a good case for the galaxy far, far away being far, far better when taken out of the hands of the Creator (as Taylor refers to George Lucas). Star Wars was certainly birthed by Lucas, but it took a village of collaborators to make it into something that has lasted nearly four decades in the public consciousness.

The first several chapters deal with how the first film in the series was thought up and made. The most well known influence was Flash Gordon, including the idea for the scrolling text at the start. What Taylor makes clear is that the commonly assumed influences of Kurosawa films and Joseph Campbell's The Hero With a Thousand Faces has been overstated, seeing as Lucas only became familiar with Campbell's book toward the end of the film's production. There are also distinctions made between the "official Lucasfilm history" and the facts that Taylor uncovered in his research and interviews. It's striking how much Lucas's painful divorce influenced his filmmaking after 1983.

The exploration into Lucas's influences and creative process is alternated with chapters about how fans have taken the franchise as their own. For example the 501st Legion of stormtroopers who made their own costumes, and another group dedicated to building astromech droids (usually R2-D2) from scratch.

The only problem I have with this book is that there wasn't equal time given to The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, which makes it seem as if the author remembered halfway through the manuscript that he had planned to write about the franchise as a whole and not just 1977's A New Hope. It was interesting to read about how Irvin Kershner and Richard Marquand were chosen to direct the sequels, and I would have liked more about how the stories were developed. But I can see why the first film was the most important to discuss. This book puts to rest the naive idea that Lucas had six movies mentally planned from the beginning, and is especially telling when describing how rushed the writing of the prequels actually was.

Yes, the three prequels and their mostly negative response are given due diligence. Taylor has no love lost for those misfires but plays devil's advocate with a fan who defends them. The overall problem was that Lucas insisted on writing and directing those films by himself, while most of the aspects of the original trilogy that worked out best were the result of letting others into the decision making.

This was one of the most interestingly comprehensive non-fiction books I have read in a long time. I thought I had a pretty good knowledge of the Star Wars franchise and wouldn't learn anything new, but I found this book had a number of surprises and debunked common rumors about what happened behind the scenes. Anyone who is a fan, or even a former, disillusioned fan, should read this book and perhaps will be become optimistic that the new movies will be just as lovable as the ones we grew up with. I for one, can't wait for mid-December.