I guess I've never read a self-help book before, because I went into this expecting some funny philosophizing from a self-proclaimed nerd who likes DoI guess I've never read a self-help book before, because I went into this expecting some funny philosophizing from a self-proclaimed nerd who likes Doctor Who and instead found a step-by-step instruction book that included creating an RPG-ish notebook where you give yourself points and a how-to about cleaning up your credit score. Fine and fluffy at best, but I'd expect someone who insists he's super-nerdy to have a better grasp of "your" vs. "you're" and to know that symbols are not the things that are on drum sets....more
I found this book to be mildly amusing, although it suffered from not having much focus. It sort of whips back and forth between topics with no discerI found this book to be mildly amusing, although it suffered from not having much focus. It sort of whips back and forth between topics with no discernible plan - one chapter is about Bourdain's childhood discovery of how great food can be, and then suddenly he's talking about what tools an amateur cook can use to impress friends, and then it's another walk down memory lane, and then he's praising a fellow chef, and then talking about his trip to Tokyo. It's like he had all these little anecdotes he wanted to share and just sort of slapped them together with some Emeril bashing for glue. ...more
Page 139: "Ramsey County's voter turnout list seemed to have been lovingly maintained by a pack of wild raccoons."
The above quote is representative ofPage 139: "Ramsey County's voter turnout list seemed to have been lovingly maintained by a pack of wild raccoons."
The above quote is representative of this book about how people use numbers in misrepresentative ways. It's a breezy read that's relevant to people who might raise an eyebrow at the idea of reading about math. A lot of the concepts were ones I learned in college in my social science classes, but Charles Seife applied them to very recent events such as the Franken v. Coleman election and the economic meltdown. I felt like the book lost a little bit of its focus and power once it started reaching back further in history to discuss the OJ Simpson trial and Vietnam, but all together it was a worthwhile read....more
Really interesting book about a company that cleans up crime scenes after the coroner has taken the body away and the crime scene techs are done. Who Really interesting book about a company that cleans up crime scenes after the coroner has taken the body away and the crime scene techs are done. Who knew that the cleanup wasn't something routinely done by the cops or coroner's office? The book's one flaw is that it doesn't seem very focused - the author flies off on many different tangents not directly related to the main subject matter. However, any fan of crime non-fiction should enjoy the tangents....more
This book is called "The Man Who Loved Books Too Much" and the author notes more than once that John Gilkey stole books out of love for them as opposeThis book is called "The Man Who Loved Books Too Much" and the author notes more than once that John Gilkey stole books out of love for them as opposed to a desire for profit. However, after reading her interviews with Gilkey, I wasn't under the impression he cared about books at all. He seemed more obsessed with the idea of what owning rare, expensive books could do for peoples' perception of him. He never seemed to appreciate books in and of themselves, only what he perceived they could do for his social status.
So while I'd picked up this book thinking that it was about books, it was really more of a true crime novel that just happened to involve books. It was highly entertaining and a really quick read, but my take-away was that I'd gotten more insight into a sociopath's mind than I did into the world of rare book collecting. Not a negative point, but one that future readers may be interested in knowing before picking this book up....more
This book was lots of fun, and it certainly taught me more than I ever learned in high school chemistry class. Quite honestly, if someone had asked meThis book was lots of fun, and it certainly taught me more than I ever learned in high school chemistry class. Quite honestly, if someone had asked me for a definition of "chemistry" before, I don't think I would have known what to say. At the same time, The Disappearing Spoon wasn't like a lecture in the least bit, and instead folded tons of scientific information into stories about the scientists and their accomplishments. I'd recommend it to anyone who's curious about a subject they may have only encountered at the 101 level....more
Christopher Buckley, an author who I'm rather fond of, turns his trademark wit on himself as he relates his experience of losing both of his parents. Christopher Buckley, an author who I'm rather fond of, turns his trademark wit on himself as he relates his experience of losing both of his parents. Regardless of what one thinks of his father, Christopher's stories about their complicated relationship and their final times together are both heartwarming and sad and worth reading for any fan of the author of Thank You For Smoking....more
Having previously read Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers and Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex, I was really looking forward to MHaving previously read Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers and Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex, I was really looking forward to Mary Roach's newest book, which is about the human side of space exploration. Perhaps it's because the topic was just less absurd than cadavers and sex (although there are chapters dedicated to the logistics of pooping in space), but I found myself laughing out loud less and finding fewer tidbits to share with people. It was still a quick, enjoyable read, and I'd recommend it to just about anyone who's looking for something fun....more
My rating is not a review of the science; I'll leave that to the scientists. From a lay-person's perspective, the book is well-written and easily acceMy rating is not a review of the science; I'll leave that to the scientists. From a lay-person's perspective, the book is well-written and easily accessible, although from even my limited exposure to books about physics, I was scratching my head trying to figure out just what new information is being presented here. At times, it seemed like the authors were saying that the answer is "all of them," which seems like a cop-out, but if that's what the science says, who am I to argue? (Whether or not that's what the science says seems to be up in the air, according to reviews written by people who are in a better position to know)...more