Now reading...

[T.D.]

[ghost of miles]

Several at once, in my scattershot fashion:

              

Edited January 9, 2018 by ghost of miles

[Coda]

A book for creating and maintaining Power BI reports:

I met Brett a few weeks ago and listened to him give an overview of his work.  He's very impressive and really knows his stuff.   He told me that he's writing a companion book on DAX that should be out in the spring. 

[jlhoots]

2 hours ago, Coda said:

A book for creating and maintaining Power BI reports:

I met Brett a few weeks ago and listened to him give an overview of his work.  He's very impressive and really knows his stuff.   He told me that he's writing a companion book on DAX that should be out in the spring. 

Jeez - I don't know anything about any of that. Will it make my life better?

[Coda]

I hope it does make your life better.   This program grew out of Microsoft Excel.  It's about 3 years old and it's strength is that it works well with very large data sets and has connections to all types of data.  It also offers a nice user experience and provides the ability to filter and modify reports, drill into data and get insights quickly.   You'll start to see this technology embedded in web sites.  Businesses use it as a financial tool but there are many other ways it can be used.   Here's an example that you may find interesting, it's an interactive NFL stat tool that you can use to compare players and teams.   Navigate by the 1-11 tabs at the bottom of the screen and be sure to interact with each tab.   

We could build a jazz version by tapping into available sites on the web, provided they grant access to underlying tables.  Something like AAJ, Allmusic or Discogs - or all three, would be ideal. 

[BillF]

"Now reading"?

OK if I post this here?

 

[paul secor]

Jane Austen: Persuasion

[paul secor]

Rachel Joyce: The Music Shop

[SMB1968]

Peter Quinn, Hour of the Cat

Angela Pulley Hudson, Real Native Genius: How an Ex-Slave and a White Mormon Became Famous Indians

 

 

[kinuta]

This looks like a fast read.

[paul secor]

Alan Bennett's Diary for 2017 in the London Review of Books

[ejp626]

I finished Mitford's Love in a Cold Climate, and I'm halfway through the sequel, Don't Tell Alfred.  I'd say Mitford is a bit of an acquired taste.  It's very much like reading a novel written for the 1% (in terms of class position, not necessarily their bank accounts).

Quite a change after this -- Gaskell's North and South.

 

[BillF]

5 hours ago, ejp626 said:

I finished Mitford's Love in a Cold Climate, and I'm halfway through the sequel, Don't Tell Alfred.  I'd say Mitford is a bit of an acquired taste.  It's very much like reading a novel written for the 1% (in terms of class position, not necessarily their bank accounts).

Quite a change after this -- Gaskell's North and South.

 

Very much about my part of the world - though not today, of course.

Have just finished re-reading this one. He has a new novel out, which I must take a look at.

[jlhoots]

Anne Hillerman: Song Of The Lion

[kinuta]

On the last few pages.

[T.D.]

Just finished. Knew little about the author (though I vividly recall his 1982 hit single/video), but thought the book looked interesting. Definitely an enjoyable read.

[jlhoots]

Fulmer : Eclipse Alley

[paul secor]

59 minutes ago, jlhoots said:

Fulmer : Eclipse Alley

What's your take? I've read the other four novels in the series and will probably read this one. (I didn't know it existed until you mentioned it here,)

Edited January 26, 2018 by paul secor

[jlhoots]

33 minutes ago, paul secor said:

What's your take? I've read the other four novels in the series and will probably read this one. (I didn't know it existed until you mentioned it here,)

I've read all of them too. I believe he's an underrated writer. This one seems to have all of the elements of the others.

[paul secor]

34 minutes ago, jlhoots said:

I've read all of them too. I believe he's an underrated writer. This one seems to have all of the elements of the others.

Thanks for the feedback.

[T.D.]

This is the first book by Szwed I've read (yeah, I know he's written a few), and I'm impressed by his work.

[Brad]

I recently finished Chris Matthews' book on RFK.  Bobby was always a hero of mine but because of his death I've always had trouble reading anything about his campaign. It's a very good book and well written. 

I've ordered Arthur Schlesinger's book, which is a classic account.  Had it years ago but will give it another try.

I also finished LeCarre's Legacy of Spies last week; it's sort of a retrospective and a sequel.

That has led me to re-read The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, although I couldn't find my original copy.   All the new editions of his books have introductions by LeCarre, an added bonus.

 

 

[jlhoots]

On 1/26/2018 at 9:26 PM, paul secor said:

Thanks for the feedback.

A few typos - but nothing distracting.

[kinuta]

[ejp626]

I finished Gaskell's North and South.  It was an interesting depiction of a city very much like Manchester.  She is probably one of the few writers of her era not to completely demonize union members, though apparently neither she nor Dickens liked professional union organizers.  I've not read Hard Times, but I gather the caricature of Slackbridge is quite unkind.  I didn't realize that North and South and Hard Times were serialized one right after the other in Dickens's magazine Household Words.  I'll have to move Hard Times up in my reading list, though it will still be a while until I can get to it.

I've just started Zweig's The Post Office Girl.  Good so far.  The blurb on the back promises some serious action (perhaps even proto-Fight Club action), so we'll see.