Doubt the Experts

Beethoven remained relatively productive until his death at the age of fifty-six in 1827 as a result of various maladies. I don't partic...

After Beethoven's relationship with Bettina Brentano collapsed, he apparently gave up on ever getting married. His personal life shifted...

In 1806, Beethoven engaged in a serious row with Lichnowsky, and they had a major falling-out. They were later partially reconciled, but he ...

Beethoven remained phenomenally productive during the early 1800's. At that point, he admired Napoleon, who had essentially become a dic...

As time passes, more descriptions of Beethoven are emerging from his contemporaries. Carl Friedrich, Baron Kübeck von Kübau, wrote: He was a...

During the remaining years of Beethoven's youth, the University of Bonn was founded in 1786 and locally the popularity of music increase...

My distractions have been reduced a little, and I've started reading this book by Jan Swafford. As I prefer, it is quite long, and I can...

You may have noticed that I haven't been posting much lately. This isn't a permanent change but does reflect my recent lack of inter...

Because of the delay this year to the start of winter, I have yet to begin reading much. While the tomato plants in the garden have died fro...

Come, words, away to miracle More natural than written art. You are surely somewhat devils, But I know a way to soothe The whirl of you when...

As I've suggested, I get burnt out with serious topics over time. This is why I return to fiction, poetry or art periodically. Of course...

I just finished this new book by Sabine Hossenfelder. It has similarities to her last book, Lost in Math: How Beauty Leads Physics Astray , ...

Since I don't do "light summer reading," I am reading almost nothing at the moment and am beginning to accumulate some books f...

I've been watching with some interest the news coverage of the shooting in Highland Park, since I used to live there not far from the pa...

Recently, I temporarily switched from reading accessible nonfiction books that are popular among educated readers to newly-published books i...

My Lord, I loved strawberry jam And the dark sweetness of a woman's body. Also well-chilled vodka, herring in olive oil, Scents, of cinn...

I've finished reading this new book by Jennifer C. French, an archaeologist, and will sum up my reactions. The text is academic in style...

I am in my usual spring mode and haven't had anything to say that is suitable for public discussion. As always, the weather is fantastic...

This is a new book by two astronomers, Donald Goldsmith and Martin Rees, in which the past and future of the exploration of the solar system...

I'm behind on my posts because I haven't had much to say. The arrival of spring always prompts changes in my daily activities. I spe...

I had hoped to start another book by now, but the one I ordered is new and isn't currently available. I am still thinking about Vinod Go...

I've finished the book and overall find it to be quite good. I'll just sum up my reaction to the last few chapters. One of the chapt...

This is not a particularly long book, but I am reading it in short segments because it is written primarily for academics, and I've neve...

While, so far, I am broadly in agreement with Goel's model, I am not particularly enjoying the presentation, which includes a fairly det...