9 books were added to my reading list in week 44 (October 26, 2026 to November 1, 2026). Here they are at a glance; the full review is on each book’s own page.
31 Oct 2026 – Making It So
The news caught me at a bad moment last week. On 24 October I had to let Henry go, and I was pretty off the rails all week. I still am. Then, on 28 October, Patrick Stewart died. Yet another piece of bad news in a time already full of bad …
26 Oct 2026 – Das Grundgesetz - Verständlich erklärt
I admit it: I am a Grundgesetz ultra – a die-hard fan of the Basic Law, Germany’s constitution. Unreservedly. No, I don’t constantly insist on my fundamental rights, and I don’t shout at every police officer that he or she isn’t allowed to …
26 Oct 2026 – Das wahre Wesen der Dinge
If you read a lot, you always get the feeling that you have basically never had a new thought in your entire life. A truly fresh thought, I mean. Somebody has always had that thought before you and written it down, too. With eight billion …
27 Oct 2026 – The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking)
If astrophysics weren’t – as the name suggests – part of physics, and therefore full of formulas with letters and strange symbols, this science would have a clear advantage over the study of history. While in history you have to piece the …
28 Oct 2026 – Failure Is Not an Option: Mission Control from Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond
“Failure Is Not an Option” is a book by Gene Kranz. Most people will know the name from his role as Flight Director on Apollo 13, but his career extends far beyond that – both before and after. And it includes situations that are no less …
28 Oct 2026 – The Martian
There is science fiction like “Armageddon” or, if you insist, “The Core”, which is occasionally somewhat entertaining but has about as much to do with science as the Pope has to do with artificial contraception. And there is science …
29 Oct 2026 – Machttechnik Populismus
I recently wrote in a text about a book on the Basic Law, Germany’s constitution , that I am a Basic Law ultra. Despite the weaknesses of our state, I allow myself to be very glad to live in Germany. In some respects, the relationship …
31 Oct 2026 – The Green Mile
When Stephen King gets really good, he usually ends up in prison. The novella “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption”, on which “The Shawshank Redemption” is based, is really very good. The film deserves its excellent reputation. But I …
01 Nov 2026 – Starship Troopers
This book is a bit problematic. It’s one I only read after I had seen the film adaptation: Robert Heinlein’s “Starship Troopers”. The book is often counted among the important novels of science fiction, and you can see its significance for …
