Reviews (2012-2015)

© 2016 Peter Free

Rick Atkinson, The Day of the Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy 1943-1944 (2007) and The Guns at Last Light: The War in Western Europe, 1944-1945 (2013) — a Combined Book Review (24 November 2015)

Laurie Calhoun, We Kill because We Can: From Soldiering to Assassination in the Drone Age (2015) — a Book Review (23 November 2015)

Bose SoundLink Color Bluetooth Speaker — as Used with Non-Bluetooth Laptop Computer — a Review (18 November 2015)

Rick Atkinson, An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa 1942-1943 (2002) — Book Review (13 October 2015)

David Chadwick, Crooked Cucumber: The Life and Zen Teaching of Shunryu Suzuki (1999) — Book Review (01 October 2015)

Martin Luther King Jr (author) and Cornel West (editor), The Radical King (2015) — Book Review (29 September 2015)

Andrew Feinstein, The Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade (2011) — Book Review (27 September 2015)

Cornel West and Christa Buschendorf, Black Prophetic Fire (2014) — a Book Review (21 September 2015)

Hotel Huberhof, St. Georg-Weg 6, 6063 Rum, Austria — Review (13 September 2015)

General Stanley McCrystal, My Share of the Task: A Memoir (2013) — a Book Review (02 September 2015)

Helen Russell, The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country(2015) — a Short Book Review (21 August 2015)

Clive H. Church and Randolph C. Head, A Concise History of Switzerland (2013) — a Book Review (17 August 2015)

Jeff Shaara, A Chain of Thunder: A Novel of the Siege of Vicksburg (2013) — a Mini Book Review — and a Comment Regarding the Story’s Arguable Relevance, Even Today (11 August 2015)

Jesse Kellerman, Potboiler (2012) — a Micro Book Review — and an Observation about the Contemptuous Misuse of Talent (05 August 2015)

Doug Anderson, Keep Your Head Down: A Memoir (2009) — a Book Review (04 August 2015)

Christian G. Appy, American Reckoning: The Vietnam War and Our National Identity — a Mini Book Review (28 July 2015)

2015 Orbea MX 10 — 650b (27.5) — Hardtail Mountain Bike — Review (17 July 2015)

Loren Eiseley, All the Strange Hours: The Excavation of a Life (1975) — a Book Review (01 July 2015)

Jules Archer, Mao Tse-Tung: A Biography (1972, 1973) — a Mini Book Review (26 June 2015)

Robert Mueller, Fields of War: Fifty Key Battlefields in France and Belgium (2009) — a Mini Book Review (18 Jun 2015)

Sometimes the Cosmos Just Likes to Mess with Us — G4Free Mini Bike 130 PSI Bike Pump with Hidden Flexible Hose — a Review — and a Related Post-Concussion Syndrome and TBI Story (16 June 2015)

The Editors of the Los Angeles Times Think that It Is a Good Idea to Prosecute American Whistleblowers Like Edward Snowden — Talk about Sheep Worthy of Totalitarian Takeover (09 June 2015)

A Ten Speed SRAM PG-1050 12-32 Cassette — Did Not Work — with the Shimano 105 5700 Shifter — on a 2013 Cannondale CAAD 10— A Heads Up (14 May 2015)

Mitchell Zuckoff, Lost in Shangri-La: A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II (2011) — a Brief Book Review (08 April 2015)

Michael J. Glennon, National Security and Double Government (2015) — a Brief Review (26 January 2015)

Laura Hillenbrand Unbroken (2010) — a Review — Mainly regarding the Book’s Relevance to Three of Today’s Issues (15 January 2015)

Rogue Fitness Mini Deadlift Bar Jack — Review (01 January 2015)

Klarstein 3MC Light Therapy Sunlight SAD Disorder Lamp Medical CE — 10000 LUX — Review (13 November 2014)

Paul Verhaeghe and Jane Hedley-Prôle (translator), What about Me? The Struggle for Identity in a Market-Based Society (2014) — Review (10 October 2014)

Tristar Europe BV — 2200 Watt Bagless 220 Volt (German Market) Vacuum Cleaner — Review (17 September 2014)

Silhouette^® Rimless Eyeglasses Frame — Review (08 September 2014)

Seagate Backup Plus — 2 Terabyte Portable Hard Drive — Review (05 September 2014)

Peter Schweizer Extortion: How Politicians Extract Your Money, Buy Votes, and Line Their Own Pockets (2013) — a Micro Review (02 September 2014)

OneSimCard — and OneSimCard’s “Global” Dual SIM Quad-Band GSM Unlocked International Cell Phone — Review (11 August 2014)

2013 Fiat 500 Pop and 2012 Fiat 500 Sport — Review (23 July 2014)

Timberland Claremont Luggage — and Timberland Jay Laptop Backpack — Review (30 June 2014)

Fujitsu ScanSnap iX500 Document Scanner — Review (17 June 2014)

Brother MFC-J650DW — Wireless Inkjet Printer — Review (03 June 2013)

2013 Ford Focus 4-Door Sedan — Avis Rental Car — Review (29 April 2014)

Matt Taibbi, The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap (2014) — Book Review (22 April 2014)

Anthony Mancuso — LLC or Corporation? How to Choose the Right Form for Your Business — 5^thEdition, 2012 — a Short Book Review (10 April 2014)

Derek Hough’s Choreography for Amy Purdy — during 2014 Dancing with the Stars (31 March) — Illustrates what Other-Centered Genius Can Do in Art (01 April 2014)

Why Let a Competitive Commercial Advantage Slip Away by Being Lazy and Brainless? — That Is What Many Brick and Mortar Electronics Stores Have Done (31 March 2014)

Duca’s Neapolitan Pizza — 12229 Voyager Parkway #170, Colorado Springs, CO 80921 — Review (19 March 2014)

Advaita, Neo-Advaita, Non-Duality — Spiritual Philosophy — Leo Hartong, Awakening to the Dream(2001) — Book Review (05 March 2014)

William G. Howell, Thinking about the Presidency: The Primacy of Power (2013) — Book Review (27 February 2014)

Epson Artisan 835 Wireless All-in-One Inkjet Printer — Review (28 March 2012, updated 20 February 2014)

Cabela’s Outfitter Pro Showshoes by Atlas — Medium (30 Inch) Size — Review (07 February 2014)

Peter Van Buren, We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People (2011) — a Serendipitously Good Companion to — Robert Gates, Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary of War — a Book Review (28 January 2014)

Robert M. Gates, Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary of War (2014) — a Book Review (26 January 2014)

Nasaline^® Nasal Rinsing System — More Effective for Blocked Sinuses than a Neti Pot — a Review (22 January 2014)

Jacob Kastrenakes, at The Verge, Spotted a Sensational Sky Diving Video Advertisement by Sony — for their Alpha 7 Line of Cameras — an Uplifting Visual Introduction to 2014 — and a Reminder of the Beauty of the Planet We Live on (03 January 2014)

Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard, Killing Jesus: A History — Not What It Purports to Be — a Review (29 December 2013)

HBO’s “Getting On” — a Slightly Contrarian Mini Review (26 December 2013)

Stanley Mountain Colorado (12,521 feet) an Easy Altitude Acclimatization for Newcomers Preparing to Tackle Some 14ers — A Review for Hikers with Joint Disease, Joint Replacements, or Mild Neuromuscular Deficiencies (19 December 2013)

Bryson, Bill — A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail (second edition, 2006) — Review (09 December 2013)

Michelin Defender Tires — Review (04 December 2013)

If You Read Only One Book Review about Geopolitics This Year — Read This One by Larry Gross — regarding Max Blumenthal, Goliath: Life and Loathing in Greater Israel (07 November 2013)

DxO Optics Pro 9 —Is It a Decent Upgrade from Optics Pro 7? — A Mini Review (04 November 2013)

As a Digital Photographer, Do You Really Need to Color Calibrate Your Computer Display? — X-Rite ColorMunki Display — a Mini Review (31 October 2013)

Continental GP 4 Season V — 700 x 28c Bicycle Tires — on a Redline d440 29er Utility Bike — Review(25 August 2013)

Mini Review of Four Used Cars — 2013 Chevrolet Cruz Turbo 1LT — 2012 Fiat 500 Sport — 2012 Chevy Sonic Turbo Hatchback — 2012 Ford Focus SES Sedan — Substituting a Small Car for a Pickup Truck — a Surprising Refutation of Favorable Reviews from an Arthritic Geezer’s Perspective (12 August 2013)

Finding Trailer Towing Capacities for Cars, Crossovers, and SUVs Can Be Tough — Kudos to Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler — as well as Ford — with an Honorable Mention to Volvo — and a Comment on the Automotive Industry’s Inexplicable Failure to Use the Internet Intelligently (08 August 2013)

Mount Ouray (13,971 feet) — A Review for Hikers with Joint Disease, Joint Replacements, or Neuromuscular Deficiencies (23 July 2013)

Garmin GPSMap 62sc — Mini Review (08 July 2013)

Three Lakes Loop — Kebler Pass, Colorado — Mini Review for Hikers with Joint Disease, Joint Replacements, or Neuromuscular Deficiencies (07 July 2013)

Calumet Illuma Medium Sized Photographic Soft Box 30 x 40 x 14 Inches — Review (13 June 2013)

RomaPhoto Velvetlike Velour 6x9 ft Jet Black Background Backdrop by DMKFoto — Review (11 June 2013)

Fellowes Personal Home Paper Shredder — Confetti Cut Model OD 1200c — an Unfavorable Review — which Probably Applies to a Whole Bunch of Fellowes Shredders (06 June 2013)

Calumet Bowens QuickRing — Speed Ring with Swivel Arm for Mounting Photographic Softboxes — a Review (04 June 2013)

Kupo 4-Way Clamp for 1.4-2.0" (35-50mm) Tube — with Kupo Baby 5/8" (16mm) Stud, 4.25" (108mm) Long for 3 & 4-Way Clamp — for Photo Studio Strobe Photography — a Review (31 May 2013)

Lastolite EZbox Studio Soft Box — 36x36 Inch (91x91 Centimeter) — Review (23 May 2013)

OEC Old English China OECcamera EZ Lightstand 3/8" Mountable Speed Ring for Fitting Softbox to Balcar or White Lightning Photo Studio Strobes — Tested with a Chimera Pro II Large Strip Box — Review — and a Comment on Speed Ring (Speedring) Terminology (10 May 2013)

R. J. Cutler, The World According to Dick Cheney — Better than this Documentary’s Critics Give it Credit for — a Mini Review (16 March 2013)

Using the Olympus E-P3 with Its Popup Flash and a Remotely Controlled Olympus FL-300r — Attempting to Balance Window Daylight with a Not Too Dark Room Interior — and FL-300r as Fill — with a Related Comment on Olympus’ Penchant for Fiddly Operation — Review (14 March 2013)

A Photo Shoot Goes Laughably Awry — Sometimes it Is about the Equipment (04 March 2013)

Jon Kedrowski and Chris Tomer, Sleeping on the Summits: Colorado Fourteener High Bivys (Westcliffe Publishers, 2012) — Book Review (26 February 2013)

Steve Grooms, Russ Sewell, and Dave Nomsen, Ringneck (Lyons Press, 2000) — Book Review (16 February 2013)

Why Is Barnes and Noble as Complacently Dumb as It Is? — You Would Think that Amazon’s Internet Presence Would Have Given the Brick and Mortar Bookstore Something to Simulate, so as to Stay Relevant — a Review (13 February 2013)

M. D. Johnson, Guide to Pheasant Hunting (2006) — Book Review (12 February 2013)

Olympus E-P3 — Is it Still a Viable Choice over the E-PM2, E-PL5 or E-M5? — Review (11 February 2013)

Dick Sternberg, Upland Game Birds (1995) — Book Review (02 February 2013)

Logitech MK710 Wireless Keyboard and M705 Wireless Marathon Mouse — Long Term Durability Report — Review (25 January 2013)

Doris Kearns Goodwin, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln (2005) — Review (15 January 2013)

Carhartt Sandstone Traditional Coat with Optional Snap-On Hood — Review (26 December 2012)

DxO ViewPoint — a Mini Review (19 November 2012)

DxO Optics Pro 8 and Its New Smart Lighting Feature— an Abbreviated Mini Review (15 November 2012)

Sony NEX-3 — and presumably NEX-c3, NEX-f3, NEX-5 and NEX-5n — Not So Good in Even Slightly Challenging Photographic Conditions — a Review (21 October 2012)

Mount Bierstadt (14,060 feet) — A Review for Hikers with Joint Disease, Joint Replacements, or Neuromuscular Deficiencies — and an Anecdote about How to Not Be Dangerously Stupid on a Fourteener (28 October 2012)

The Marketing Power of Enthusiasm — Two Representative Product Videos — Olympus OM-D and Sony NEX-6 Cameras (14 October 2012)

Mount Yale (14,196 feet) — A Review for Hikers with Joint Disease, Joint Replacements, or Neuromuscular Deficiencies (23 September 2012)

Mount Sherman (14,036 feet) — A Review for Hikers with Joint Disease, Joint Replacements, or Neuromuscular Deficiencies (10 September 2012)

Mount Elbert (14,431 feet) — A Review for Hikers with Joint Disease, Joint Replacements, or Neuromuscular Deficiencies (30 August 2012)

Mount Democrat (14,148 feet), Mount Cameron (14,238 feet), and Mount Lincoln (14,286 feet) — A Review for Hikers with Joint Disease, Joint Replacements, or Neuromuscular Deficiencies (26 August 2012)

Can One Use Too-Small — 700x18-23c and 700x18-25c Road Tubes in Larger 700x26c and 700x28c Clincher Bike Tires — Mounted on 29er Mountain Bike Multi-Purpose Wheel Rims? — Yes, but Maybe Not Safely (12 August 2012)

Don “Nick” Clifford and Carolyn Clifford, Mount Rushmore Q&A (Revised, 2012) — Book Review (09 July 2012)

Pikes Peak from the Crags Hike — a Review for the No Longer Young (20 June 2012)

Baby Lock BL9 — You Can Do Upholstery with an Ordinary Home Sewing Machine — Review (09 June 2012)

Carmax, Colorado Springs — Preliminary Review (29 May 2012)

Rolair JC10 Air Compressor — Made in USA — Review (17 May 2012)

Air Pro Air Hose — Made in the USA by Factory Direct Hose — Review (15 May 2012)

Fasco Model F1B 7C-16 Pneumatic Stapler — Review (10 May 2012)

Colorado Mountain Club, The Best Front Range Hikes (2010) — Book Review (30 April 2012)

Royal Gorge Route Railroad (Colorado) Train Ride — Review (02 April 2012)

Epson Artisan 835 Wireless All-in-One Inkjet Printer — Review (28 March 2012)

Owen Flanagan, The Bodhisattva’s Brain: Buddhism Naturalized (2011) — Book Review (23 March 2012)

Chuck Sambuchino, 2012 Guide to Literary Agents (Writers Digest Books, 2011) — Book Review (22 March 2012)

Gordon Livingston, How to Love (2009) — Book Review (14 March 2012)

J. Krishnamurti, Krishnamurti to Himself: His Last Journal — Book Review (12 March 2012)

Amazon Kindle Keyboard E-Reader— Things to Check Out if You Often Highlight, Note-make, and Book-mark — A Review (09 March 2012)

Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow (2011) — Abbreviated Book Review (08 March 2012)

Sofa Mart, Colorado Springs, Colorado — Atrocious and Dishonest Customer Service — Review (05 March 2012)

2010 Subaru Outback Limited — Review (31 January 2012, updated 18 May 2014)