My new year’s resolution for this year is to read a book every two weeks. I thought a good way to keep me on track is to blog my book reviews. The first book of this year is The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan.
Pollan writes in the same genre as Thomas Friedman and Eric Schloss. The narrative is part editorial, part journalism, and part evangelism. It’s a surprisingly easy read, but often find the switch between preaching and teaching not so smooth. As a journalist Pollan wants you to believe that he’s a neutral observer, but at the same time he also wants to advocate a change in society, and at some times his narrative gets a little too Berkeley-ivory-tower idealistic. The sentimentalism gets to be a bit much especially in the third and fourth parts of his book. The first and second parts of the book are very good though, and I would recommend everyone read the first half of the book.
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I haven’t done a review in a while because I haven’t actually gotten my hands on any new tech. I’m putting off buying a new PC until Macworld in a few days, and frankly I think my PDA days may be over. I’m very happy with my Casio Exilim, and anything else I want either costs too much or is just too ostentatious. The coolest thing I’ve actually bought in the last three months has been this knife. I used to never carry a pocket knife, and now I feel naked without one.
What makes this knife so great? The blade itself is very well made from a 420 stainless steel alloy. It’s sharp and keeps its edge, much nicer than a swiss army knife. Usually the blades on a swiss army knife are simply to flimsy for practical use. If choosing between the e302 and e303, get the e303 because the sheep’s foot blade is very handy for cutting rope and twine. The locking liner makes the knife very easy to deploy with one hand and it stays in place, no worrying about the blade collapsing back on your fingers. The one thing I always disliked about swiss army knives is that they don’t come with pocket clips. The great part about pocket clips is that the knife is always easy to find without fishing around your pockets. Also the clip keeps your pockets from getting heavier.
The best feature of this model is the flat and phillips screwdriver. They’re also made with 420 stainless steel and are very hard and durable. I work with computers all day, and I’m surprised how often I use the screwdrivers to pop a case or remove a part. The screwdrivers that come on swiss army knives are always flimsy and toy-like. You can’t ever get enough torque behind them. The screwdrivers in this tool are awesome. The other day I mounted a 40lb. UPS into a rack using nothing but the e303.
One of the other benefits with this knife is the nylon handle which is easier to hold and use when it’s cold outside. The grip is also very secure and egonomic. Is the e303 better than a multi-tool? I’d say yes. I have a Gerber multi-tool that I like a lot, but I never use it. It stays in my desk drawer all the time. It’s simply too heavy and awkward to carry around all the time. If I worked outdoors a lot or had a job where a multi tool would come handy, maybe I’d carry one, but for now, the e303 gets the job done for 90% of what I have to do.
