Mimi Swartz

For a while I've wanted to know more about the factors that led Enron's businesses to become so big and so hollow that the company fell apart as suddenly and disastrously as it did in the early 2000s. Another book (the otherwise booster-ish history of Houston called Prophetic City) thankfully referenced this title as providing that context, so I devoured it within days. The corporate culture of Enron gave many people, including the author for a time, pause at questioning the continuous hiding of losses and re-restating balance sheets but no one actually stopped the practices until much too late. It was interesting to learn how many of the executives involved had history as first-generation college grads, kids from rural farm backgrounds, and others with modest upbringings that used intelligence and tenacity to climb a corporate ladder. Houston's culture promoted that, as well, and there was an intriguing window into that tendency in the book.… (meer)

Ticker by Mimi Swartz is the story of the artificial heart. Dr. O. H. “Bud” Frazier's is the name that stands out the most even though the book is a look at the science and all the scientists involved. At times, it is unclear whether this book is an objective story of the artificial heart or a biography of Dr. Frazier. More often than not, it seems like the latter. This book is part science, part medical drama, and part philosophical discussion on the medical ethics.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2019/02/ticker.html

Reviewed for Penguin First to Read program.… (meer)