Review: Wonder Boys

Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon

My rating: 1 of 5 stars



I gave up on this about 85 pages in. Too slow and meandering. The characters were unappealing and cliched.



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The Sports Ethicist: Miguel Cabrera and the Triple Crown

On Sports Ethicist: Some quick thoughts on Cabrera playing in the last two games of the season. "Winning is only possible if you are able to risk losing" 

http://sportsethicist.com/2012/10/03/miguel-cabrera-and-the-triple-crown/

The Sports Ethicist: You Make the Call! Golden Tate, Miroslav Klose, and Officiating Errors

New Blog Post: You Make the Call! Golden Tate, Miroslav Klose, and Officiating Errors http://sportsethicist.com/2012/09/29/you-make-the-call-golden-tate-miroslav-klose-and-officiating-errors/

Why do we praise Miroslav Klose's act of sportsmanship in owning up to his handball, but do not expect the same from Golden Tate and other athletes?

CFA: Fandom, Fantasy, and Fitness: Rockford College Sports Studies Symposium

Call for Abstracts

Fandom, Fantasy, and Fitness
The 2nd Annual Rockford College Sports Studies Symposium
Date: April 19, 2013

Grace Roper Lounge
Rockford College
5050 E. State. St.
Rockford, IL 61108

Fans play a central role at all levels and within various aspects of sport, so any study of sport would do well to consider their influences in connection to fandom, fantasy, and fitness. A specific and growing area of fandom, fantasy sports, illustrates a concrete and complex way fans relate to and even affect sport. Moreover, the implicit and explicit connection of sport to fitness offers another important way that fans interact with sport. This year’s symposium seeks to explore and examine these aspects of the relationship between fan and sport.

We invite scholars from all disciplines to submit an abstract on these themes. This symposium will then bring together several panels of scholars to discuss these themes. The focus of each panel will depend, in part, on the submitted abstracts. Each presenter on a panel will have 20 minutes for their presentation. This will be followed by 30 minutes of a combined Q&A.

Abstract Submission:
Submissions are welcome on this theme of Fandom, Fantasy, and Fitness, or other related issues arising in the study of Sport. Abstract should be 300-500 words. Send via email (as PDF) to SSS13@Rockford.edu

Deadline: Friday, January 25th, 2013.
Notification of Acceptance: Monday, February 4th, 2013.

If you have any questions, please email SSS13@Rockford.edu, contact Shawn Klein (Assistant Professor, Philosophy Department) at 815-226-4115, or Michael Perry (Assistant Professor, English Department) at 815-226-4098.

The Sports Ethicist: The 700 Club: NFL Roster Cuts

A quick blog post on some thoughts regarding the NFL roster cuts that happened today.
http://sportsethicist.com/2012/08/31/the-700-club-nfl-roster-cuts/

The Sports Ethicist: Violence And Football

New Blog at The Sports Ethicist: Violence And Football.

In this blog, I examine, by way of criticizing George Will's attack on football, the value of playing and watching football.

Sports Ethics Blog: Sports Ethics: Five Years Running

New blog post at the The Sports Ethicist Blog:  Sports Ethics: Five Years Running

I give an overview of the content we cover in my Rockford College course: Sports Ethics.

Sports Ethicist Blog: Lack of Munich Memorial Undermines Olympic Spirit

New blog post at The Sports Ethicist blog:  Lack of Munich Memorial Undermines Olympic Spirit 

I argue that the IOC is shameful and hypocritical for refusing to have a tribute for the 11 Israeli athletes and coaches that were murder by terrorists at the Munich Olympic games in 1972.

Sports Ethicist Blog

Last week,  I launched a new blog: The Sports Ethicist. The blog will examine these issues and explore both the ethical implications of sport and the ways sport can teach us about ethics and human life. Along with the blog, there is a Facebook page and a Twitter account. Subscribe, like and follow!

I've already posted two substantive posts:

• The Fastest Man on No Legs: (Double amputee, Oscar Pistorius, and the Olympics)
• The Evasion of Joe Paterno

Review: Robots And Empire

Robots And Empire by Isaac Asimov

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



In many ways this is my favorite of the four robot books. The characters, especially Giskard and Daneel, were more developed. I find the robot characters so much more interesting in this series: in particular the way they reason through the problems facing them and even evolve. Though I did like DG and thought Gladia was also more compelling. Since this is a reread, it is cool to see how Asimov uses this to set the stage for both the galactic novels and the foundation series. One can see the tension between Asimov's individualism (his respect for and admiration of individuals) and his philosophic commitment to a kind of benevolent (as he sees it) collectivism. Through his characters he is seemingly trying to work out how to integrate these contrary views. In some ways, this is the most explicit of the four in this regard.



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Review: The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable

The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I liked this book, but I am not sure what to make of it in the end. At times, Taleb can be arrogant and dismissive--though often this was what I like about him! There was a lot that I didn't quite get--either too technical or too mathematical for me. But I think I get the main idea. Life (and the world) is much more complex that we imagine (paraphrasing a different quote: more complex than we can even imagine). Important parts of our lives are beyond our control and predicatablity. We cannot predict the events nor their effects (these are the black swans). The proper response is to make oneself robust enough to absorb shocks (instead of ignoring them, pretending they don't exist, or fruitlessly trying to predict them with false metrics). The practical elements of how to do this are more challenging (aren't they always!). Nevertheless, the ideas have applications from personal, practical, living to economic and social policy. It is a worthwhile read, though at times frustrating and meandering (which the autobiographical elements of the book show come directly from Taleb himself). One might check out the interviews with Taleb on Econtalk to get the main idea and some of its applications.



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Review: A Game of Thrones

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



What every one says about this book is dead on. It is a rich, fantastical world. There is magic and there are mythical creatures, but the story does not lean on them too heavily. This is not as story about dragons or the undead, it is about men and women, honor and integrity(and the lack thereof). The characters face difficult choices and this drives the plot. Martin does not hold back or shy away from allowing the plot to unfold as logic dictates. The consequences of the characters' choices are never superficial or meaningless, this is a tightly crafted world: 800 pages and yet economically written. Every word is significant and bears upon the story. The ending is great, not obvious and yet has to be that way. I will be picking up the next book very soon!



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Imagining Better: Philosophical Issues in Harry Potter (Reason Papers Special Issue)

I am very excited to announce the publication in Reason Papers of my article: "Harry Potter and Humanity: Choices, Love, and Death" (PDF).

This is a special issue of Reason Papers: "Imagining Better: Philosophical Issues in Harry Potter". It had its start at "Imagining Better: Philosophical Issues in Harry Potter Potter," a conference organized by Carrie-Ann Biondi at Marymount Manhattan College on October 29, 2011. (link to information about that conference). The paper I presented at this conference is a much expanded paper that I gave at Tufts University in 2008. The published version was further revised and expanded from the Marymount Manhatthan conference.

Here is a link to the table of contents for all the articles in this special issue: http://www.reasonpapers.com/archives/ (Scroll to Issue 34, No. 1 June 2012).

Here is a link to the full issue on Harry Potter: http://www.reasonpapers.com/pdf/341/rp_341.pdf

And here is a link to my original blog post about the conference (with my talk abstract): http://www.philosophyblog.com/2011/05/philosophy-of-harry-potter-abstract.html

Lastly, a link to my co-edited book on Harry Potter: Harry Potter and Philosophy (Open Court 2004)

Review: The Robots of Dawn

The Robots of Dawn by Isaac Asimov

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Starts a little slow, a little too much like the previous two. But it picks up and takes on its own path. I enjoy the way Asimov develops the relationship between Baley and the robots. Baley is a good character, but too intuitive as a detective for my tastes. The robots are in many ways the more interesting characters. It is also fun to learn about the early developments of psychohistory. I am mixed on the end. In a way it is a bit dues ex machina. At the same time, there are enough hints looking back so that is not really.



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Review: Socratic Circles: Fostering Critical and Creative Thinking in Middle and High School

Socratic Circles: Fostering Critical and Creative Thinking in Middle and High School by Matt Copeland

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



A useful text for developing Socratic dialogue in class rooms. Some of it is more relevant for (as the title indicates) middle and high school literature classes, but I found a lot here that can be adapted to my classes. Copeland's suggestions on pre- and post-discussion activities and assessment techniques also will be, I think(and hope), helpful. I also really liked the examples he provides of actual student dialogues.



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Review: Murder Most Frothy

Murder Most Frothy by Cleo Coyle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Good, fun summer read. Involving coffee as a main ingredient (see what I did there??) makes it all the more fun.



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Review: The Hutt Gambit

The Hutt Gambit by A.C. Crispin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This, like the first novel in this series, was a lot of fun to read. This was not as crisp as the first, but had some exciting battle scenes. It also introduces you to several well-known characters from the movies and how Han meets them (including the Millenium Falcon). Great summer time, fun read. I'm tempted to pop A New Hope into the DVD player.



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Review: Robert B. Parker's Killing the Blues

Robert B. Parker's Killing the Blues by Michael Brandman

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



No one will mistake Brandman with Parker. Ace Atkins, the author conintuing the Spenser series, captured Parker's voice at least partially. Atkins got the feel of the characters, the style, and the language of Spenser. Brandman, unfortunately, is not as successfully. It is not a bad book, but it is far from Parker's Stone. One clearly sees the influence of the TV movies here, no surprise since that is how Brandman comes to the series. But Stone's edge, both from the Selleck movies and the Parker books, is too softened here. Brandman does a good job with the dialogue, but the inner life that Parker was so adept at is lost. All this said, the book was interesting and enjoyable. I am glad I tried it out, though I am not sure how quickly I'll pick up the next one. Almost certainly, it will be a library rental if I do (as was this).



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Review: The Chairman

The Chairman by Stephen W. Frey

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



A solid thriller. Took a little bit, but sucked me in. Many of the characters were a little too stereotypical; from central casting for wall st types. Many characterize Frey as Grisham for finance. Dead on. I really liked Stiles, the security guy. The main character could have been more heroic in my view. Still, it was fun and I'm sure I'll read more Frey in future--though I am in no rush.



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Review: The Paradise Snare

The Paradise Snare by A.C. Crispin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



That was a lot of fun. I got the book through the library as a test of its ebook lending. I was a little surprised at how quickly I got sucked in. But then Han Solo was always my favorite from the original film trilogy. Not sure I'll get into the whole expanded universe but I think I'll finish this trilogy. Crispin does a great job of capturing Solo. Hard not to picture a young Harrison Ford! A slight fault might be that Muuurgh and Bria where just a little too close to Chewie and Leia.



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