What Chicago Boyz Readers Are Reading (April 2016)

5 thoughts on “What Chicago Boyz Readers Are Reading (April 2016)”

1. My current reading: How Can Man Die Better: The Secrets of Isandlwana Revealed, by Lt. Col. Mike Snook, and Like Wolves on the Fold:The Defense of Rorke’s Drift by the same author. The first book is Col. Snook’s analysis of the disastrous British defeat at Isandlwana in current South Africa by the Zulu’s in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. On January 22, 1879, the Zulu’s massacred the 1st battalion of the 24th Regiment of Foot, inflicting some 1200 fatalities on the British and their allied native forces contingents. The attack was immediately followed by the Zulu reserves late in the afternoon, the Undi corps, crossing the Buffalo River and attacking a company-sized detachment of Redcoats at a Lutheren mission station at Rorke’s Drift. Outnumber 30 to 1, the little band held out until British forces showed up in relief the following day. A total of 11 Victoria Crosses were awarded at Rorkes Drift and a 12th was warranted but the would-be recipient was killed in the battle and there were no procedures then for a posthumous award. Rorke’s Drift was memorialized in the 1964 movie Zulu, which was Michael Caine’s breakout role. I have been to both battle sites and Snook’s grasp of the ground of both and his expert military eye give a fresh and authentic ring to both books. His writing style is superb and I can say without hesitation that these two books are the current best that have been written on the two battles–and I’ve read a lot on them. Take that as a hearty plug for both.

2. I’m reading some additional books on genetics.

   I read (and forgot to use the blog widget) The 10,000 Year Explosion.” a book on how genetics has revolutionized the understanding of evolution.

   It is a small book but is densely packed with information of genetics and evolution. I am now reading it for the third or fourth time in a week.

   For example, American Indians have been isolated for 10,000 years since they crossed into North America. As a result they have not been exposed to the infectious diseases that became common in Europe after agriculture was invented. They have a very small number of (maybe only one ) tissue type antigens, called HLA, and their resistance to common diseases of “The Old World” was very low. Some Indian populations had 90% mortality from smallpox, which has about a 30% mortality in Europeans. That is the reason why America was so easily colonized by Europeans.

   Africa is the opposite and sub Saharan Africa was never successfully colonized by Europeans, except the far south in South Africa which had a more moderate climate.

   The book is packed with similar information.

   White skin evolved in Europe and in Asia by different mutations after man left Africa which has a hot climate and little need for clothing. Vitamin D is synthesized in skin by sunlight and wearing clothing and living in higher latitudes requires lighter skin to absorb more UV radiation. Asia has a similar pattern of lighter skin with northern people but blue eyes and blond hair never appeared. The mutation is different in Asia.

   The Romans described Scottish natives with dark skin so the mutation may have occurred in historic times.

3. I made the mistake of recommending the book to Jill and downloading it to her Kindle. Now she interrupts me every two minutes to tell me about some new fact she has learned.

4. The 10,000 Year Explosion is a fascinating book, and for what it’s worth I second the recommendation.

   Anyway, Gregory Cochran blogs at West Hunter

   Henry Harpending- the other author- did also, but recently passed on.

5. For example, American Indians have been isolated for 10,000 years since they crossed into North America. As a result they have not been exposed to the infectious diseases that became common in Europe after agriculture was invented.

   The Russians have been using the die-off of native Americans to disease as part of their anti-American propaganda to claim that Americans carried out a war of genocide against them. It’s been an effective bit of propaganda too, so much so that many Americans and Russians believe it’s true. Russia, the Empire of Lies.

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