Scott J. Pearson

Biomedical Computing: Digitizing Life in the United States

By Scott J. Pearson | June 28, 2020June 28, 2020 by Scott J. Pearson

Confession: I work in the field of biomedical computing as a software developer. After journeying through a BS in computer science and medical school, I desire to devote much of my life towards advancing this field along with other bookish pursuits. So this book, by its title, caught my interest. November does an excellent job of chronicling the advance of applying computing towards biomedical pursuits. Much of the early advances in computing came at the…

Fiction-Stories

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

By Scott J. Pearson | June 25, 2020June 25, 2020 by Scott J. Pearson

Stone’s protagonist is super-smart student Justyce in his senior year at a high school in Atlanta. Thing is, he’s black. As such, he was falsely arrested at the beginning of the novel. He and his best friend were shot after an incident of presumed racial profiling. His best friend died, and Justyce has to testify in the case against the shooter. Justyce also must deal with reverse racist issues. He falls in love with a…

History Personal Essays

South Carolina State History: An Essay

By Scott J. Pearson | June 24, 2020June 24, 2020 by Scott J. Pearson

In Charleston, South Carolina, history is everything. The city welcomes travelers from all over the world and sells its sometimes beautiful, sometimes tragic history to everyone. This is one of the oldest cities in the “New World.” It was the site of Revolutionary and Civil War battles. Indeed, Fort Sumter, guarding its harbor, was the starting point of the Civil War. My wife’s family arrived in Charleston in the 1600s. One of her ancestors signed…

Cybersecurity Indie Software-Technology

Cybersecurity: Advanced and Effective Measures to Secure Your Cyber Networks

By Scott J. Pearson | June 22, 2020November 23, 2024 by Scott J. Pearson

This book attempts to provide basic and practical measures that can guide an IT professional into more security expertise. It claims that it can teach the reader methods on how to detect vulnerabilities. It succeeds in surveying the technologies relevant to the task, but it falls short in the execution of writing. Lewis, no doubt, is a good security professional. However, he does not explain a topic thoroughly. He is too terse and concise. He…

Fiction-Stories

Someone Else’s Secret

By Scott J. Pearson | June 21, 2020June 21, 2020 by Scott J. Pearson

This story begins as a tale following two girls coming-of-age while learning to overcome their need to be accepted, and it ends as a story of justice and triumph of the human spirit over circumstances. Over the way, its action leads the reader to confront the truth about the characters’ secrets and about her/his own life. Lindsey is working as a nanny for a summer about to begin her “real life” as a museum curator.…

Personal Essays

Words and Police Brutality

By Scott J. Pearson | June 20, 2020June 20, 2020 by Scott J. Pearson

There has been a lot of discussion in America recently on police brutality. Much of the rhetoric has centered around “structural racism” versus a “few bad apples.” As portrayed in political circles, the constructs behind these seem irresolvably opposed to each other. Structural racism contends that problems need to be solved through reforms in the system while others say that police officers should be filtered through means of enhancing personal responsibility. I do not have…

Biography-Memoir History

The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris

By Scott J. Pearson | June 18, 2020June 18, 2020 by Scott J. Pearson

Teddy Roosevelt was certainly one of the greatest U.S. Presidents. Perhaps below a Washington or a Lincoln, but not much below. He set the twentieth century for America on a positive course and ushered in what has been called the American century. In this biography, Morris explores the Teddy Roosevelt that came to be before he assume presidential office. This work is part of a three-part series and has been ranked in the top 100…

Presentation Software-Technology

Getting Started with Processing: A Hands-On Introduction to Making Interactive Graphics

By Scott J. Pearson | June 17, 2020June 17, 2020 by Scott J. Pearson

Processing is a computer language that is well-adapted to creating graphics. Its target audiences are hobbyists and professionals who are not full-time developers but who want to produce quality graphics. As the title implies, this book introduces the reader to the concepts it takes to get started. No extensive programming experience is required. The programming environment to produce Processing graphics is accessible via a free download. This book provides plenty of examples to excite the…

Fiction-Stories History Poetry Religion-Philosophy

The Ballad of the White Horse by G.K. Chesterton

By Scott J. Pearson | June 15, 2020June 16, 2020 by Scott J. Pearson

This poem attempts to mark a great historical event in English history. It does so not by chronicling history but by celebrating the human spirit. King Alfred the Great, against all odds, defeated Danish invaders in the year 878. The Battle of Ethandune went a long way in establishing the constitutional unity of an English people. Chesterton, writing over a millennium later, sought to use his prodigious talents to excite the English people to embrace…

Fiction-Stories History

Twice-Told Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne

By Scott J. Pearson | June 14, 2020June 14, 2020 by Scott J. Pearson

Hawthorne is known for his cataloging the Puritan history and culture of New England in fictionalized format. This volume of short stories does exactly that. Hawthorne writes tales about conscience and rebellion against the King of England, about the follies of financial success and the shortcomings of moral excess. I grew up in the American South in an evangelical home. The church taught me moral hand-wringing that allows me to relate to the characters in…