Includes biographies of major spies from many different countries. I enjoyed this book because it showed how smart some of these spies were, and were Includes biographies of major spies from many different countries. I enjoyed this book because it showed how smart some of these spies were, and were able to stay under the radar for so long, and then strike so fast. The book categorizes spies (like "Moles", or "Cryptographers") and gives a lengthy biography on each spy. It is amazing that the reporter that wrote this book was able to gather all the information on people that strove to be invisible! A fascinating read about the world of espionage....more
Using the town of Missoula, Montana as a microcosm, Krakauer researches and explores rape culture, misogyny, victim blaming, and college football/univUsing the town of Missoula, Montana as a microcosm, Krakauer researches and explores rape culture, misogyny, victim blaming, and college football/university politics. The book focuses on three specific cases of "sexual intercourse without consent" (as rape is legally deemed in the state of Montana) that all occurred at the University of Montana - Missoula. Two of the perpetrators were celebrated football players of the Grizzlies college football team, and all of the parties - both victims and accused perpetrators were university students. Every case involved was one of acquaintance rape - challenging the "stranger hiding in the bushes" story of rape - and while one particular case was of long-time friends, the others would be categorized as date rapes.
The stories are heartfelt, heartbreaking, and important to read and understand. The town - a "blue island" in a red state - still held many prejudices and pre-conceived notions relating to victim shaming/blaming, and each victim was harassed, and threatened - oftentimes by law enforcement, attorneys, and by the entire town (especially in the case of the football player rapists).
One of the most damning and upsetting parts to me was the utter failure on the part of the district attorney's office and the local police to take this seriously and make changes to their procedures. Krakauer follows up with some notes about the changes that have happened since these cases in 2012, but we can see that Missoula - and all of the US and the world! - still have a long way to gho.
The audiobook was particularly good - the narrator, Mozhan Marnò, plays a reporter in the Netflix show, "House of Cards" and I recognized her distinctive voice immediately. She did a great job in this production. ...more
One sentence review: Sacks gives a survey of the neurology of hallucinations - visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile - sharing his years of clinicaOne sentence review: Sacks gives a survey of the neurology of hallucinations - visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile - sharing his years of clinical experience, and many of his own experiences with hallucinatory states.
I've read several of Sacks' books, and this one (from 2012) may be my favorite of them all. All of his books are inherently interesting as he explores the human brain, but this one also had more structure than some of his earlier works. It included many anecdotes like his other books about many (many) patients, but this one was grouped into different hallucinatory phenomena surrounding Charles Bonnet Syndrome, epilepsy, migraines, a lengthy and interesting peek into Sacks' own mind-altering drug experimentations, and several other hallucination-inducing / prone illnesses or states.
Have you ever experienced a hallucination? Sacks shares just how common hallucinations are, and he mentions several that I've experienced myself, specifically "grief" hallucinations, following the death of a loved one, and seeing/hearing/smelling/feeling them again after death. This occurred for me after both the death of my beloved dog, and several years later, after my dear cat passed away. I heard, saw, felt, and sensed them several times for weeks afterward.
He references several of his earlier works in this book, and it reminds me how much he published in his life....more
Particularly intrigued by the sections of the book that showed the under-reported effects of climate change; how fewer resources (and/or access to resParticularly intrigued by the sections of the book that showed the under-reported effects of climate change; how fewer resources (and/or access to resources) can lead to social disorder, and how so many of the conflicts have roots in climate change. ...more
The story peaks early, and the remaining 3/4 of the book is a jumble of apologetic mishmash. Cohen would have served his reader better by not interjecThe story peaks early, and the remaining 3/4 of the book is a jumble of apologetic mishmash. Cohen would have served his reader better by not interjecting himself into the biography of someone else time and time again. Cohen has an agenda for this book, and he bent the story to fit it. I lost count of the time he states "He would have said this..." or "He would have believed this way...". These conjectures became so tiresome and annoying and I ended up skimming the last few chapters.
2 stars because Zemurray's early life was fascinatingly manical and a wild ride ... but I already knew this story. I first learned of this story (Zemurray's plot in Honduras) after reading Kinzer's Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq, and was so captivated that I spent the next year studying it extensively... I read everything I could get my hands on about bananas, Central American history and geography, New Orleans in the early 1900s, Gilded Age US politics, Great White Fleet, and Samuel Zemurray and other assorted characters in this "story".
I totally recommend learning more of this story because we continue to see the ramifications of these geopolitical power plays today, over a century after the "banana republics"; however, this book is not worth more than a cursory glance....more
Watch as a rich and compelling history is turned into a snooze fest!
If this book consisted of the first three chapters alone, it would be 3 or 4 star Watch as a rich and compelling history is turned into a snooze fest!
If this book consisted of the first three chapters alone, it would be 3 or 4 star material. It is evident that much more research and time went into piecing those chapters together. So, is the writer or the editor at fault? Maybe both. The author seriously spent an entire chapter on the dangers of banana-peel slipping on urban sidewalks. If she had painted it in a larger context, or if the writing had been better, she (maybe) could have pulled it off.
The writing style is encyclopaedic, but if you are looking for facts, you will find them; however, if you are looking for something a little higher on the "interestingness" scale, there are probably better options. ...more
To agree to keep a secret is to assume a burden. At a minimum, one must remember what one is not supposed to talk about. This can be difficult and leaTo agree to keep a secret is to assume a burden. At a minimum, one must remember what one is not supposed to talk about. This can be difficult and lead to clumsy attempts at deception.
Harris' essay on lying and honesty is simplistic, but brings up some essential and thought-provoking topics. The ebook version included an interview between Harris and his former ethics professor from Stanford University. Many good "case studies" in honesty and ethics are mentioned here, and that section contained more substance than the titular essay....more
While I agreed with every single thing that this book said, I didn't like the way it was written.While I agreed with every single thing that this book said, I didn't like the way it was written....more