"Dollars and Sex: How Economics Influences Sex and Love" by Dr. Marina Adshade

Publisher:San Francisco : Chronicle Books
Copyright Date:©2013
ISBN: 9781452109220

I wasn't too sure what to expect, or how I would relate to this book when I started reading it, but it turned out to be extremely well written, and full of interesting facts and information regarding love and sex. Two things that the human species seems to spend a lot of time on.

I never took any economics courses when I was in university, but after reading this book I'm kind of sorry that I didn't as I find that the topic is quite interesting, especially the way it was presented in this book.

Dr. Adshade (an economics professor at UBC) deals with topics such as love in cyberspace (online dating), the institution of marriage in general, how the genders react to different influences, and love in the senior years, amongst others. Dr. Adshade deals with sensitive issues, with a sense of humour and quite a few years experience in researching and teaching a course on this topic. One that is very popular as you might well expect.

I found this to be an extremely interesting and informative book and would highly recommend it to all.

"A Midsummer Tempest" by Poul Anderson

Publisher: Doubleday

Copyright: 1974

This book is the second in the Holger Dansk series, The first of which I reviewed two weeks ago.

Both of these books are essentially about parallel universes that coexist with ours. In the first, as you may recall, Dansk is involuntarily swept away to a different universe in which he plays a fairly important role in the overall outcome of the story.

However, in this book he's only a secondary character in a relatively brief bar room scene in the middle of the book. This makes me somewhat curious to as to why Mr. Anderson would classify this as part of  the Holger Dansk when he's really not in the story to any degree. But seeing as there are only these two books in the series I don't suppose that makes much difference.

In this book the entire story revolves around a universe in which Cromwell is at war with Charles II in England, however this time it is an England that already has steam trains and other comparable technology (approximately 200 years ahead of when it did). The lead character in this book is Prince Rupert, nephew of the king, Who is captured and briefly held prisoner by Sir Malachi Shellgrave a loyal follower of Cromwell.

Rupert falls in love with Shellgrave's neice, and with the aid of one of Ruperts Lieutenant's they enlist the help of the fairy folk in this war.

This was a fun book to read, but somewhat disappointing in that I was expecting more of the adventures of Holger Dansk and not a totally different world.

"The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life " by Mark Manson

Publisher: Harper Collins

Copyright: 2016

ISBN: 9780062457714

Not only does this book have a somewhat unique title, but the advice it shares is equally unique. It allows you to be wrong, to stop believing yourself, not be special, ignore emotions that do not serve any purpose, etc.

It teaches you how to respond to tragedy, how to make yourself the creator of your own beliefs, it cautions you on what you should believe in, and addresses the failure success paradox (which is a real big deal in today’s society).

While many readers may be offended by the title, and therefore wouldn’t want to be caught reading this book I think that it is a book pretty much everyone should read. I say this because in society today we are inundated by information that we should care about this, or that, that all children are special, and therefore should be protected from ever having to think they have failed at something. Well this might be good advice if the child is still in diapers, but when they get into the real world if this same attitude is shown them, then they will be subject to a real shock, as nobody is that special. Not you, nor me, or anyone else on the planet.

Definitely worth the read!

"Three Hearts and Three Lions" by Poul Anderson (1926-2001)

Publisher: Avon books

Copyright: ~1953

This book tells a modern version of the story of Holger Carlsen, an engineer, who is slightly wounded, and passes out while fighting with the Danish underground, during the Second World War. He awakes naked in another time, and seemingly in another place. But what place, or rather what a place?

He is provided with a full suit of mail armour, clothes, weapons, and a huge black stallion. Thus begins his quest to find out where he is, and why he's here.

This novel is the first of two books  known as the Holger Dansk series. For those of you unfamiliar with Danish folklore (which is likely most of you), he is the legendary Prince of Denmark who in his cradle was given strength, luck, and love by the fairie folk who wish men well. According to legend he sleeps beneath Kronberg Castle, and will awaken in the hour of Denmark's need.

Poul Anderson has crafted a great story that meshes the folklore / legend of this famous man, with the events of the period when it was written. In this book the reader is treated to a general overview of Celtic mythology, and it is done very well. One thing I particularly liked was that one of the characters spoke with a very distinctive accent, and Mr. Anderson wrote it in dialect which gave it a wonderful flavour.

There is a second book in the series which I'll be reviewing in  two weeks.