Archive for Culture
World of Goo, a brilliant video game
Posted by: on December 24, 2008 in Tags: Culture
It’s Christmas eve and you are perhaps looking for a last minute gift. So, it is time for me to introduce you to a little jewel that caught my attention for the past two weeks.
World of Goo is a video game for the Nintendo Wii, PC and Mac that will make you think to solve around 40 brilliant, entertaining and poetic puzzles.
For $20, you will have cool musics, nice graphics that will look great on an old computer and hours of great fun. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did. On, this: Joyeux Noel !
Last month I finished Green Mars, the second part of the Mars Trilogy by famous US sci-fi writer Kim Stanley Robinson. After the first book, this one is even better and longer.
I always liked the science fiction genre as well as sciences - both social and hard ones - and truly loved this book as it contains the best of both aspects and is truly fascinating.
Other aspects of the book that I enjoyed : the depth of relations between characters, the politics, the terraformation of Mars… All this lead me to give a grade of 19/20.
Last month I finished a fantastic science fiction book I had been reading for three months. As it is the first part of a trilogy, I think I will stay on the Red planet for a long time.
Kim Stanley Robinson is a sheer genius and if you like sci-fi, I strongly recommend you reading his books. However, he is quite a fond of science, real science.
His book is thus literally packed with data on Mars itself, but also on many sciences including genetics, bio-engineering, and yes dear reader, environmental questions. Continue reading »
Odeur du temps, par Jean d’Ormesson
Posted by: on March 23, 2008 in Tags: Culture, En Français, Reading
J’ai fini le mois dernier Odeur du temps par Jean d’Ormesson de l’Académie Française. Excellent à plus d’un titre, il constitue selon moi un must.
Un véritable plaidoyer pour la lecture, c’est ce que propose cet ouvrage qui est un recueil d’articles que l’auteur a publié notamment dans le Figaro des années 1970 à nos jours.
Combler ses lacunes de culture littéraire “classique” devient un plaisir et même quelque chose allant de soi tant ce livre donne envie de lire. Continue reading »
The Revenge of Gaïa by James Lovelock
Posted by: on December 30, 2007 in Tags: Climate change, Culture, Reading, Sciences
I read this month The Revenge of Gaïa, the latest book from one of the major ecological thinkers of our time, Dr. James Lovelock.
This book is not optimistic as the author believes it is already too late to work on sustainable development and that we have to operate a sustainable retreat.
I truly enjoyed this as there are many elements worth reading, such as why nuclear is a chance and not a menace for us or what could be the solutions. Continue reading »
My selection of books I read in 2007
Posted by: on December 20, 2007 in Tags: Culture, Reading, Sustainable development
As we are now near Christmas, and as I am willing to do a best of of what I read in the past months, I will outline in today’s article my favourite readings of 2007.
From science fiction and comic books, to serious readings on sustainable development and astrophotography, I recommend you a dozen articles, one per month.
This way you will find some ideas of great books for your loved ones or yourselves. And if you really want to offer me a book, you can a look at this page. Continue reading »
Cultural break - October 2007
Posted by: on November 11, 2007 in Tags: Culture
This month is special as I propose you for the first time a video game. Bioshock belongs to the First Person Shooter genre and the press is unanimous when saying it is the Game of the Year.
As I finished it recently I would like to talk to you about it as I really enjoyed playing it.
Bioshock has serious assets and among them are its fantastic scenario, its excellent character design as well as its great soundtrack and universe.
UNESCO : 30 World Heritage sites endangered
Posted by: on October 25, 2007 in Tags: Culture, Environment
I came across a worrying news while browsing the RSS feeds of the French daily le Figaro.
30 sites among the 851 that are part of the World Heritage are considered endangered by the UNESCO. Tourism, wars and natural phenomenons (climate change, earthquakes…) are among the causes.
This news was brought up as the UNESCO met yesterday in Paris to talk about the World Heritage.
For this month’s cultural break - with some late, again - I would like to talk to you about the latest Pixar animation movie, Ratatouille.
I had the opportunity and pleasure to see it two weeks ago with Qat and his family. The least I can say is that we really enjoyed it.
From the very good story, to the great characters and magnificent animation techniques, Ratatouille is simply a must watch.
With a week late, I propose you my monthly cultural break which features today the famous anime series Cowboy Bebop.
Two months ago, I was reviewing Cowboy Bebop the Movie and I wrote a laudatory article on it. At the end, I was mentioning my buying of the series limited edition box set.
I had time to watch the 26 episodes and I haven’t been disappointed. The series, like the movie, contains great characters, impressive universe and a great original soundtrack. Simply jaw-breaking.
