en-US Mon, 16 Jan 2023 05:34:05 -0800 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 32025298 Joining the ranks of Hidden Figures and In the Garden of Beasts, the incredible true story of the greatest codebreaking duo that ever lived, an American woman and her husband who invented the modern science of cryptology together and used it to confront the evils of their time, solving puzzles that unmasked Nazi spies and helped win World War II

In 1916, at the height of World War I, brilliant Shakespeare expert Elizebeth Smith went to work for an eccentric tycoon on his estate outside Chicago. The tycoon had close ties to the U.S. government, and he soon asked Elizebeth to apply her language skills to an exciting new venture: code-breaking. There she met the man who would become her husband, groundbreaking cryptologist William Friedman.

In The Woman Who Smashed Codes, Jason Fagone chronicles the life of Elizebeth Smith who played an integral role in our nation's history for forty years. After World War I, Smith used her talents to catch gangsters and smugglers during Prohibition, then accepted a covert mission to discover and expose Nazi spy rings that were spreading like wildfire across South America, advancing ever closer to the United States. As World War II raged, Elizebeth fought a highly classified battle of wits against Hitler's Reich, cracking multiple versions of the Enigma machine used by German spies. Meanwhile, inside an Army vault in Washington, William worked furiously to break Purple, the Japanese version of Enigma--and eventually succeeded, at a terrible cost to his personal life.Fagone unveils America's code-breaking history through the prism of Smith's life, bringing into focus the unforgettable events and colorful personalities that would help shape modern intelligence.]]> 444 Jason Fagone 0062430483 Molly 0 currently-reading 4.04 2017
author: Jason Fagone
name: Molly
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2017
rating: 0
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date added: 2023/01/16
shelves: currently-reading
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]]> 9595 Slapstick presents an apocalyptic vision as seen through the eyes of the current King of Manhattan (and last President of the United States), a wickedly irreverent look at the all-too-possible results of today’s follies. But even the end of life-as-we-know-it is transformed by Kurt Vonnegut’s pen into hilarious farce—a final slapstick that may be the Almighty’s joke on us all.]]> 288 Kurt Vonnegut Jr. 0385334230 Molly 0 3.87 1976
author: Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
name: Molly
average rating: 3.87
book published: 1976
rating: 0
read at: 2020/03/15
date added: 2020/03/15
shelves:
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]]> 52295056
Graham Greene led one of the most extraordinary lives of the twentieth century. The son of a Hertfordshire headmaster, he quickly discovered a love for writing, beginning a career that would last a lifetime. Greene's fascination with global politics took him around the world, to places that would become the settings for many of his most famous Mexico ( The Power and the Glory ), Sierra Leone ( The Heart of the Matter ), and Haiti ( The Comedians ) - among dozens of other far-flung locations. He produced masterpieces throughout his life, many of which now stand as indisputably Brighton Rock, The End of the Affair , and The Quiet American to name but a few.]]> 160 Graham Greene 1612198147 Molly 0 currently-reading 3.13
author: Graham Greene
name: Molly
average rating: 3.13
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2020/03/15
shelves: currently-reading
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]]> 7752937
We human beings have design flaws. Our eyes play tricks on us, our stories change in the retelling, and most of us are fairly sure we’re way above average. In Why We Make Mistakes , journalist Joseph T. Hallinan sets out to explore the captivating science of human error—how we think, see, remember, and forget, and how this sets us up for wholly irresistible mistakes.

In his quest to understand our imperfections, Hallinan delves into psychology, neuroscience, and economics, with forays into aviation, consumer behavior, geography, football, stock picking, and more. He discovers that some of the same qualities that make us efficient also make us error prone. We learn to move rapidly through the world, quickly recognizing patterns—but overlooking details. Which is why thirteen-year-old boys discover errors that NASA scientists miss—and why you can’t find the beer in your refrigerator.

Why We Make Mistakes is enlivened by real-life stories—of weathermen whose predictions are uncannily accurate and a witness who sent an innocent man to jail—and offers valuable advice, such as how to remember where you’ve hidden something important. You’ll learn why multitasking is a bad idea, why men make errors women don’t, and why most people think San Diego is west of Reno (it’s not).

Why We Make Mistakes will open your eyes to the reasons behind your mistakes—and have you vowing to do better the next time.]]> 304 Joseph T. Hallinan 0767928067 Molly 0 3.57 2009
author: Joseph T. Hallinan
name: Molly
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at: 2017/01/14
date added: 2017/01/14
shelves:
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]]> 22034
Almost fifty years ago, a classic was born. A searing portrayal of the Mafia underworld, The Godfather introduced readers to the first family of American crime fiction, the Corleones, and their powerful legacy of tradition, blood, and honor. The seduction of power, the pitfalls of greed, and the allegiance to family—these are the themes that have resonated with millions of readers around the world and made The Godfather the definitive novel of the violent subculture that, steeped in intrigue and controversy, remains indelibly etched in our collective consciousness.]]> 448 Mario Puzo Molly 5 4.39 1969
author: Mario Puzo
name: Molly
average rating: 4.39
book published: 1969
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2013/10/03
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]]> 4407
Together they embark on a profoundly strange journey across the heart of the USA, whilst all around them a storm of preternatural and epic proportions threatens to break.

Scary, gripping and deeply unsettling, American Gods takes a long, hard look into the soul of America. You'll be surprised by what - and who - it finds there...

This is the author's preferred text, never before published in the UK, and is about 12,000 words longer than the previous UK edition.

]]> 635 Neil Gaiman Molly 5 4.10 2001
author: Neil Gaiman
name: Molly
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2001
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2013/10/03
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]]> 14497
"Neverwhere" is the London of the people who have fallen between the cracks.

Strange destinies lie in wait in London below - a world that seems eerily familiar. But a world that is utterly bizarre, peopled by unearthly characters such as the Angel called Islington, the girl named Door, and the Earl who holds Court on a tube train.

Now a single act of kindness has catapulted young businessman Richard Mayhew out of his safe and predictable life - and into the realms of "Neverwhere." Richard is about to find out more than he ever wanted to know about this other London. Which is a pity. Because Richard just wants to go home...]]> 370 Neil Gaiman 0060557818 Molly 5 4.17 1996
author: Neil Gaiman
name: Molly
average rating: 4.17
book published: 1996
rating: 5
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date added: 2013/10/03
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]]> 16793 Alternate cover edition can be found here

Young Tristran Thorn will do anything to win the cold heart of beautiful Victoria—even fetch her the star they watch fall from the night sky. But to do so, he must enter the unexplored lands on the other side of the ancient wall that gives their tiny village its name. Beyond that old stone wall, Tristran learns, lies Faerie—where nothing not even a fallen star, is what he imagined.]]> 248 Neil Gaiman 0061142026 Molly 5 4.11 1999
author: Neil Gaiman
name: Molly
average rating: 4.11
book published: 1999
rating: 5
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date added: 2013/10/03
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]]> 7857195 if mice kept pets and toads could cuss,
if dogs had wives and chipmunks dated,
sheep sat still and meditated,
then in the forest, field and dairy
you might find this bestiary,
read by storks, by rats and kitties,
skimmed by cows with milk-stained titties.
"I found the book to be most droll,"
might quip the bear, the owl, the mole.
Others, though, would be more coarse,
"Bull," could say the pig and horse.
As to the scribe, they'd quote the hen:
"Trust me, he's no La Fontaine."

(flap copy)]]> 163 David Sedaris 0316038393 Molly 5 3.38 2010
author: David Sedaris
name: Molly
average rating: 3.38
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at: 2013/07/31
date added: 2013/08/01
shelves:
review:
Loved these narratives of human frailty viewed through the lens of animal proxies. Laughed out loud more than once.
]]> 185561 * Why do I love my business, my employees, and my customers, and how can I show them how I feel?
* What effect do my actions have on the energy of the people around me? (OR, what are the unnecessary, time-consuming, bureaucratic policies and procedures that suck our energy?)
* How are we going to change the world of our company, our employees, customers, marketplace, and industry?
* What have I done today to show my commitment to my colleagues and customers?]]> 192 Steve Farber 0793185688 Molly 5 3.87 2004
author: Steve Farber
name: Molly
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2004
rating: 5
read at: 2011/05/31
date added: 2011/05/31
shelves:
review:
I actually read an advance copy of the Radical LEAP, Re-Energized, to be published OCT11. There were many times when I laughed aloud, and as a veteran reader of sales, self-help and other assorted "leadership" tomes, this one was accessible, funny and useful.
]]> 835249
Through the voices of ten inspiring poets and his own reflections, the author of Sacred America shows how poetry illuminates the eternal feelings and desires that stir the human heart and soul. These poems explore such universal themes as the awakening of wonder, the longing for love, the wisdom of dreams, and the courage required to live an authentic life. In thoughtful commentary on each work, Housden offers glimpses into his personal spiritual journey and invites readers to contemplate the significance of the poet's message in their own lives.

In Ten Poems to Change Your Life , Roger Housden shows how these astonishing poems can inspire you to live what you always knew in your bones but never had the words for.

"The Journey" by Mary Oliver
"Last Night as I Was Sleeping" by Antonio Machado
"Song of Myself" by Walt Whitman
"Zero Circle" by Rumi
"The Time Before Death" by Kabir
"Ode to My Socks" by Pablo Neruda
"Last Gods" by Galway Kinnell
"For the Anniversary of My Death" by W. S. Merwin
"Love After Love" by Derek Walcott
"The Dark Night" by St. John of the Cross]]> 144 Roger Housden 0609609017 Molly 5 4.04 2001
author: Roger Housden
name: Molly
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2001
rating: 5
read at: 2011/03/11
date added: 2011/05/29
shelves:
review:
These are fabulous selections for both poetry novices and those who have parsed a stanza or two themselves. Highly recommended.
]]> 6900
Maybe, like Mitch, you lost track of this mentor as you made your way, and the insights faded. Wouldn't you like to see that person again, ask the bigger questions that still haunt you?

Mitch Albom had that second chance. He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of the older man's life. Knowing he was dying of ALS - or motor neurone disease - Mitch visited Morrie in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college. Their rekindled relationship turned into one final 'class': lessons in how to live.]]> 210 Mitch Albom Molly 4 4.19 1997
author: Mitch Albom
name: Molly
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1997
rating: 4
read at: 2011/05/29
date added: 2011/05/29
shelves:
review:
My daughter, Elizabeth, brought this home from school as part of the "end of year locker purging," and she recommended that I read it. Very quick read, but has some wonderful wisdom within. Although the lessons Morrie imparts to author/student Mitch Albom are worthwhile, I actually think that my favorite thing about the book is the picture of Morrie dancing from the frontspiece. It is joy captured on film.
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