This is a very funny and interesting book about feminism. Caitlin Moran is interesting and complicated, strong minded and fascinating. Her stories of This is a very funny and interesting book about feminism. Caitlin Moran is interesting and complicated, strong minded and fascinating. Her stories of childhood were hilarious, and honestly I think the audiobook is worth it just to hear her putting on her strong childhood Wolverhampton accent. As a feminist text, I thought it had some interesting points but was ultimately a little narrow. Clever, funny and of course with some controversial arguments, but, for sure, a book I enjoyed....more
Everyone with a fascination for facts, science, economics, space, or dinner table conversation starters should read this. I wasn't interested about alEveryone with a fascination for facts, science, economics, space, or dinner table conversation starters should read this. I wasn't interested about all of the questions but that's the best thing about short chapters! Yaay! The author tackles silly questions and gives genuine scientifically valid answers. I may never use (or even remember, for that matter) any of the facts mentioned in the book, but I had great fun, laugh-out-loud fun, and I was sorry to see the book end so soon. And while I'm sorry to have missed the illustrations in the printed edition of the book, I think Wil Wheaton as a narrator was just as awesome as the books deserves. All in all, this was fascinating, inspirational, hilarious, captivating & educational! A Fun Read! I Loved It!...more
2.5 stars I've read and liked Mr. Tyson before, but here all his forgivable faults are well on display. The book itself is okay. It has some dramatic i2.5 stars I've read and liked Mr. Tyson before, but here all his forgivable faults are well on display. The book itself is okay. It has some dramatic insights, but mostly pedestrian observations. But there are a lot of interesting facts in here. Tyson certainly can be a good storyteller and many of the ones presented here are told in a compelling way. There were some parts that stood out to me as being both eloquent and even-handed in presentation and analysis. However, I feel like he runs into issues when attempting to relate things back to a wider perspective and uses them as a raised eyebrow at society. His forays into political science do not make it past middle school level lessons. He has a strange vendetta against the varied rationale of vegetarian/vegan lifestyles. This leads to some tortured logic of his own and pretty poor analogies in efforts to skewer these folks. And again, I agree with Tyson's opinions and thoughts more often than not. I just feel like his approach is flawed and even mildly condescending. His thought experiments are effective, if a bit juvenile, and I find it difficult to determine who this book is really for.
I enjoyed this book about the ecology of forests. The Hidden Life of Trees reminds us that nature takes the long view. As in centuries and millennia. I enjoyed this book about the ecology of forests. The Hidden Life of Trees reminds us that nature takes the long view. As in centuries and millennia. Just slow down, take care of small details like protecting young trees so they don’t grow too fast, and in a hundred or so years it will pay off. This short little book is intended to enlighten and inspire rather than serve as a field guide. I found my blood pressure slowly decreasing as I spent time in the forest with Peter Wohleben. I still can’t tell the difference between a birch and a beech, but I now have a deeper appreciation for our green friends thanks to Peter Wohlleben, a forester on the western edge of Germany. I grew quite fond of him and his gentle appreciation of nature. I also recommend the audio version, narrated in a pleasant voice by Mike Grady. An altogether fascinating read....more
I really like Bryson's writing style and his sense of humor. Just like how A Walk in the Woods made me want to visit the Appalachian Trail, In a SunbuI really like Bryson's writing style and his sense of humor. Just like how A Walk in the Woods made me want to visit the Appalachian Trail, In a Sunburned Country made me want to visit Australia (I've never really had a keen interest before). This book is filled with lots of fascinating information about Australia's history, people and landscape, all told with Bryson's engaging commentary and clever wit. It's amazing how little I (and loads of other people by the sound of it) know about Australia. As someone who loves to travel but had next to no intention of traveling to Australia, Mr. Bryson's descriptions has made me put Uluru in my must see bucket lists of my life....more
I can say without a doubt - I liked this book. Did I love it? Not quite. While not as liberally sprinkled with the humor that was so prevalent in his I can say without a doubt - I liked this book. Did I love it? Not quite. While not as liberally sprinkled with the humor that was so prevalent in his other books (at least those I've read recently), this was a mostly enjoyable chronicle of Bryson's travels around England and Scotland. Written in 1996, it may be a bit dated, but still worth the read. I enjoyed parts of this very much, but overall I found it a little repetitive. I think Bryson explains this himself when he's talking about Aberdeen: "British towns are like a deck of cards that have been shuffled and endlessly redealt - same cards, different order." If what he's visiting and writing about is consistently similar the book about the trip can't help but be repetitive. But overall I liked this book, I thought it was entertaining and funny, while not exactly mind-blowing or memorable....more
3.5 stars but rounded up because it's Betty White I loved Betty White, especially as Rose in Golden Girls and was so sad when I heard she passed. I'm h3.5 stars but rounded up because it's Betty White I loved Betty White, especially as Rose in Golden Girls and was so sad when I heard she passed. I'm happy I stumbled across this book a few days ago. It is simple but enjoyable and a very quick read. Nothing profound, but the same sweet and funny Betty White. I hear there are a lot of photos in this book, so kind of regretting listening to it on Audio, but she narrates it herself so that's a big plus! Now you know the secret too Betty....more
Izredno zanimiva knjiga, ki je kar nisem mogla odložiti. Avtorica nam predstavi zbirko fascinantnih žensk in to stori na tak način, da nam ne preostanIzredno zanimiva knjiga, ki je kar nisem mogla odložiti. Avtorica nam predstavi zbirko fascinantnih žensk in to stori na tak način, da nam ne preostane drugega kor da te ženske občudujemo ne glede na to kaj so tekom svojega življenja storile in ali se z njihovimi dejanji strinjamo ali ne....more
I found this book enjoyable, though it took me longer to read than a book of this length normally would. I learned a ton from the book and found it verI found this book enjoyable, though it took me longer to read than a book of this length normally would. I learned a ton from the book and found it very interesting. Katie Mack's enthusiasm and love for her field of study shines through in a big way. She is clearly passionate about her field. Her joy and enthusiasm radiates off the pages. She does a great job of writing about an exceptionally complex topic in a way that can be understood by non-experts. The main issue for me is that I just had a hard time focusing/getting through some of the more "technical" parts of the book. I don't want to put anyone off reading- the book is interesting and accessible. I just struggled to maintain interest reading about particular variables/constants/equations, when that section carried on for a bit. All that said, I'd definitely recommend this for people who already have a pretty decent baseline in the science, and would warn anyone without that background that you'll likely struggle to understand some of more complex ideas that are laid out in this book but the book as a whole is still very much worth reading....more
Too short. More of an EP than an album. Adam Kay has a way with words. I devoured this in one sitting. He is perfectly able to sum up the highs, lows Too short. More of an EP than an album. Adam Kay has a way with words. I devoured this in one sitting. He is perfectly able to sum up the highs, lows and in-betweens in one of the most stressful, and thankless jobs. If you enjoyed This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor you’ll enjoy this too. A more festive dose of the same medicine. Laugh out loud funny, while also moving and revolting. Very good and I'm still hoping for a third installment....more
Ne vem, kaj naj o tej knjigi napišem razen, da sem ob branju jokala kot dež. Rojena sem tik pred osamosvojitvijo tako, da nimam spominov na JugoslavijNe vem, kaj naj o tej knjigi napišem razen, da sem ob branju jokala kot dež. Rojena sem tik pred osamosvojitvijo tako, da nimam spominov na Jugoslavijo in se me zato prvi del knjige ni zelo dotaknil oziroma mi obudil takšnih ali drugačnih spominov. Me je pa zato drugi del popolnoma sesul in pustil polno čustev. Priporočam v branje!...more
Not gonna lie, a pretty interesting view on a pretty morbid topic. This was a curious book, it was interesting, but dull at times, and quite humorous Not gonna lie, a pretty interesting view on a pretty morbid topic. This was a curious book, it was interesting, but dull at times, and quite humorous at others. The forensic study on human decay and, guy who learned about plane crashes by studying the condition of the bodies & what morticians do to embalm a body were very interesting. On the other hand the body snatchers for anatomists in older times were pretty weird. Then there was the downright bizarre: Transplanting monkey heads and the use of mummified human remains to ingest as a form of medicine (blech!) Kinda surprising and humorous at times but informative. The book meanders around a bit, cycling between historical horrors to modern practices to philosophical debates of the body and soul, which proved to be an interesting storytelling technique. But it worked for the book and it worked for me. I really like Ms. Roach's writing style. She made some of these things more interesting to read about than they had any right to be. Would recommend unless you're squeamish....more
This book was recommended to me to get me out of my reading slump. And it did the trick, it was great and it made me laugh. My favorite one was this oThis book was recommended to me to get me out of my reading slump. And it did the trick, it was great and it made me laugh. My favorite one was this one:
CUSTOMER (pointing back and forth from the bookseller to a full-size cut out of Legolas): Is that you? BOOKSELLER: No. That’s Orlando Bloom....more
First of all, if you say "A Guide," I don't really want a tour of a history of finding out about the body, and even less the history about finding outFirst of all, if you say "A Guide," I don't really want a tour of a history of finding out about the body, and even less the history about finding out about the diseases, I'd like a short, interesting tour of the body. Sigh. Second, this book was way too "America centric" for me. I know, that one is on me. I guess I wasn't the intended target audience for it. If you're from USA or if small facts about the health & diseases of American people interes you this book will probably be more to your liking. And third, what is up with using imperial system of measurement and only sometimes also converting it in metric. Either just only use imperial from the start so I know right away I'll need internet access while reading so I can convert the units or ALWAYS use both. Is it too much to ask for consistency? So it's safe to say I didn't enjoy this book as much as I hoped to....more
This was fun, just a bit uneven for me. I will say, if you are going to read this - read the audiobook. Having Bloom herself narrate I think really adThis was fun, just a bit uneven for me. I will say, if you are going to read this - read the audiobook. Having Bloom herself narrate I think really adds a lot to the experience. I really appreciated Bloom's honesty and candidness in sharing her struggles throughout adolescence and her college years. So why not a higher rating? Honestly, because it was just a bit uneven for me. Although I appreciated the slightly different style, when things hit they really HIT. And when they don't....they just really don't. The brief length of the book I think made the misses more apparent, although I did appreciate that it was also a breezier read....more
4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this. It made me laugh, wince, get teary... It was brilliant, witty and insightful. Adam Kay offers unique insights that a4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this. It made me laugh, wince, get teary... It was brilliant, witty and insightful. Adam Kay offers unique insights that are confronting but most often, hilarious. I laughed aloud at many points throughout the book but also cringed my way through several entries. By the end I head tears in my eyes. Good stuff....more
Prečudovita knjiga z zanimivimi ilustracijami žensk, ki so predstavljene v tej knjigi. Sram me je priznati (in tudi žalostna sem), da za veliko večinoPrečudovita knjiga z zanimivimi ilustracijami žensk, ki so predstavljene v tej knjigi. Sram me je priznati (in tudi žalostna sem), da za veliko večino teh žensk nisem še nikoli slišala (kar je sramota... zame, za našo družbo in šolski sistem tudi). Mislim, da bi to knjigo morali prebrati vsi, fantje in dekleta, ne glede na to ali še vedno žulijo šolske klopi ali uživajo v prisluženem pokoju. Ženske v tej knjigi si zaslužijo, da jih Slovenija pozna....more
I quite enjoyed this. An amazing amount of research must have went into it. It was inspiring to know that the contributions of women to the horror genI quite enjoyed this. An amazing amount of research must have went into it. It was inspiring to know that the contributions of women to the horror genre stretch from its roots in 17th century through to present day. I'd give it 5 stars but I have one complaint: with the exception of one or two names, the majority of writers included in this book write in English...and I for one would love it if there was a chapter dedicated to those female writers who wrote or write in other languages....more
If a book can explain physics with enough clarity and simplicity that a scientifically illiterate person like myself can understand the majority (perhIf a book can explain physics with enough clarity and simplicity that a scientifically illiterate person like myself can understand the majority (perhaps 75%) of the content, then I am impressed. The metaphors were so helpful at explaining really complicated ideas. The final take aways: time travel is possible! (Sort of); string theory is tough to unravel. If you are looking for an overview of the workings of the universe, this might be a good book with which to start....more
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