JFK :The Second Plot – Matthew Smith:

Re-reading this.Plenty of meat for the conspiracy buffs, but no references cited.The author has written several books on this topic.

Reading Wikinomics ,the story of business in the age of open source, free software, free access to information etc.A tad utopian in its claims, it does nevertheless highlight some key advantages of the new economics.I note in this context that The Irish Times has recently made its whole website free to access.See www.irishtimes.com

I read Ernie O’Malley’s memoirs: On Another man’s Wound , the story of the war of independence, is the first volume from O’Malley who fought on the republican (anti-treaty) side.It is extremely well-written and documents the period from the 1916 Rising to the treaty in 1921 .

The second volume The Singing Flame tells of the Civil War, with an excellent account of the battle for Dublin’s Four Courts. He writes very movingly of imprisonment, the deaths of colleagues and encounters with various leaders: Liam Lynch, Sean Lemass etc.

Presently reading a novel Cloud Atlas by David MItchell. Very good, if difficult to get into.I know a few poeple who abandoned it, as I did myself a few years back.It comprises several distinct stories , all very well written and with great imagination.

Before that I read Cryptonomicon a novel by Neal Stephenson, about encryption and data havens .It interleaves chapters on encryption during the Second World War , with chapters on establishing a data haven on a Pacific island in the present .Raises lots of interesting issues . Excellent book, very entertaining, one of the very best I have read .