The House That Trane Built: The Story of Impulse Records by Ashley Khan

Impulse records, the final and perhaps definitive, record label of John Coltrane, was the premier jazz record label from the late fifties through the late sixties. This carefully researched book traces the history of the label up through its demise in the mid seventies (although it would return later and still exists as a functioning label today), with particular focus on the influence of John Coltrane.

Like most books about music or musicians, the most interesting part is the early days when Creed Taylor created the label (then part of ABC records) and handed off the reins to Bob Thiele who produced such classics as Coltrane’s "A Love Supreme" and "Crescent" while ushering in the glory years of Impulse.

Ashley Khan's knowledge and understanding of jazz and his unabashed love for the Impulse sound and look make this book interesting reading. I particularly liked the thirty or so sidebar pieces that focus on specific releases, which are important to the history of the label and, for that matter, the history of jazz. He also spends considerable time on the very distinctive LP sleeve design characteristics that made these records stand out from the rest of the pack. Impulse records are great to listen to AND to look at.

The only caveat that I will give you regarding this book is that it may cause you to have an expensive jones to purchase some Impulse vinyl records. I know it did that to me.

40 Days and 40 Nights: Darwin, Intelligent Design, God, Oxycontin, and Other Oddities on Trial in Pennsylvania by Matthew Chapman

This book popped up on my Amazon recomendations, probably as a result of Richard Dawkins' "The God Delusion." It is the story of the 2005 Dover, PA Intelligent Design trial and, interestingly enough, it was written by Charles Darwin's great-great grandson, Matthew Chapman. When I read the description, or for that matter the subtitle, I was intrigued and the book didn't dissapoint.

Chapman has an easy going, irreverant style that makes the story a quick read. His empathy with the plaintiffs in the case, who were suing the school board for introducing Intelligent Design into the Dover school science curriculum, isn't surprising however, his ability to get to know and like the defendents is part of what makes the book so special. As I said, his approach isn't exactly scholarly but his strong sense of character development makes this read at times like a novel and at other times like a memoir.

I am fascinated by the proliferation of Intelligent Design as a scientific concept. It's very difficult for me to get my head around the idea that there are educated, intelligent people who somehow still believe that Darwin's theory of evolution is not settled science. They seem to get caught up in the word "theory," which is often used in common language to put forth an opinion about the truth of a given subject (I guess in science that would probably be a hypothesis). In science, theory is used to describe a concept that is proven by a series of facts. As I understand it, a scientist first makes a hypothesis, or best guess, and once he has proven that hypthosis, it becomes a theory.

Matthew Chapman also has a book about the Scopes evolution vs creation trial of 1925 that I really want to read. There is also a book called "Monkey Girl" by Edward Humes that is also about the Dover, PA case. I'm thinking of reading that as well. Like I said, I find this subject both perplexing and fascinating.