"Lambelet, an analytical person in life and throughout his career path from engineer to product developer to patent agent, has curated a collection of ruminative essays...each essay is thought-provoking, and...could provide jumping-off points for further discussion." -BlueInk Review

Musings: Vietnam, Conjectures, and More by Lawrence Lambelet is, as the title suggests, a thought-provoking journey through the mind and musings of its author. It covers a variety of topics, ranging in depth from relatively light (such as dieting and weight loss) to quite literally unfathomable (such as attempting to quantify infinity). It is a fairly quick read in spite of the depth of some of these topics, and for me, it was a nice way to pass a Wednesday evening.

There is no preamble, either to the book or to any of the topics within. Rather, the reader is repeatedly plunged enthusiastically into various corners of Lambelet's mind. Each chapter has the same feeling as walking up to a group of people deep in conversation—it takes a moment of attentive listening to acclimate yourself to the topic before feeling ready to join the conversation. By the time you reach that point in a given chapter of Lambelet's book, the chapter is wrapping up, and you find yourself pulled inevitably off to the next subject. For some, this structure might be off-putting. Personally, however, I found it to be refreshing. This was not written to be a novel or a dedicated research book, no matter how well-referenced the author's arguments may be. This was written, I expect, out of Lambelet's desire to talk about the subject matter contained in the book. As such, the short form format of these chapters, stylized much like an ongoing discussion, works perfectly.

It is hard to find a complaint with a book such as this one. I think this would be a perfect volume to place on a coffee table or a bathroom counter. It provides light, quick reading to anyone with a curious mind and is certain not to disappoint. My opinion, then, is that these musings deserve five stars out of five. It is worth noting, however, that some of the topics covered are fairly technical mathematical discussions. I would recommend this book to anyone with a love of learning, but having a background with math or physics might help you follow along with some of the denser chapters.--OnlineBookClub.org

In his nine essays, Lambelet, a retired physicist and patent practitioner, follows various lines of inquiry, starting with fasting and ending with spiritual health. Debates about math, whether Vietnam was a mistake, and geography, among other questions, successfully connect these two points. He begins each essay with a personal reason why the topics interest him. Likewise, the conclusions are personal, albeit informed and influenced by research.

The essays are balanced and a blend of categories that are approached subjectively and objectively. The questions come across as important as the answers. In other words, wanting to know is halfway to knowing. Lambelet combines his own calculations and musings with reading material to answer his questions. For instance, in the essay about the ABC conjecture (a+b=c), he produces a graph to test theories. The math explanations use simple language, although the concepts may be hard to follow for some. He shows how he comes to form an opinion. In most cases, there is not a straightforward answer. As the answers yield more questions, the book inspires more curiosity.

The essays in this book can be read individually. However, taken as a piece, they present a unified outlook. Lambelet's perspective is one of joining his own experience with what's known about the fields he investigates. For example, he intriguingly and profoundly applies his essay "Was Vietnam a Mistake" to current wars: "We seem to be adept at starting wars but lose our way when it comes to knowing when and how to end them." These essays by a member of the lost generation are refreshingly youthful. They encourage an openness to new questions and a diplomatic way to approach answering them.--U S Review of Books