Dan

Informative, but plodding

Revisado: 02-07-25

This book covers a really important era in American history, where much of the progress on black civil rights was undone, the country transformed from an agrarian society into an industrial one, and major gains were made for labor and women's rights. That said, the book is almost myopically focused on the issues of labor and civil rights. The author excluded some topics I would have liked to hear more about, such as the impact of Spanish flu, monetary policy of the early Fed, and presidential policies not dealing with the labor movement. Despite being an incomplete history of the era, and despite the narrator having a robotically monotone voice, it's still highly educational and worth a listen.

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Brilliantly thought-provoking

Revisado: 07-10-23

This series really makes you think: about civilization, about the universe, about the limits of physics. Cixin Liu's writing style can sometimes be a bit drawn out, but if you stick with it, he rewards you constantly with new ideas and twists. I couldn't put down the third book. What a ride!

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I'm hooked!

Revisado: 07-29-15

What an excellent start for a fantasy series. Eragon has many of the elements I like in a good fantasy novel. I'm especially impressed with the diversity of magical creatures that Paolini introduces.

It is written in a somewhat kid-friendly manner - no bad words or sex, and minimal gore - but the story is thoroughly engrossing. If you're a fan of this work, other authors to check out would include Brandon Sanderson and Patrick Rothfuss.

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Anti-climactic finish

Revisado: 07-02-15

I loved the first four books in this series. All were well-written and enjoyable.

The first four books form their own story arc, while book 5 starts something new. I knew this when I started the book, so this was expected.

What I did not expect was that the story would be much less interesting. It's still decent, and I recommend reading it, but it is not as entertaining as the other books. It also seems like the author is trying to send a religious message here - never stated directly, but it's there. Not usually what I look for in a sci fi book, but still enjoyable if you invested the time to read the first four.

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A great ending!

Revisado: 06-18-15

This really is the ending to the arc that started in book 1. It does a great job at tying up loose ends and explaining mysteries that may have confused you for a while now.

The only complaint I have is that conflict is getting a bit formulaic and predictable: all of the conflicts seem to have the same causes and same resolutions, so you always know roughly what to expect. I docked the story one star for this.

Otherwise, it's a very entertaining end to a very entertaining series. I'm glad I invested the time to read these!

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esto le resultó útil a 4 personas

Excellent continuation of the series!

Revisado: 06-11-15

This book is intriguing in terms of its exploration of more of the planet Harmony, its deeper portrayal of the Oversoul, and its long-overdue introduction of both new characters and new technology.

The story here is just as good as books 1 and 2. Card's consistently stellar writing definitely makes this whole series a worthwhile read!

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esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

Even better than the first book

Revisado: 06-11-15

It's nice when a sequel improves upon the original. Card gets a lot less linear in this book, introducing more plot twists and greater depth to his characters. The result is that I am never bored. Great read!

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esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

Good book!

Revisado: 05-27-15

This story is based on a very cool premise. The characters are interesting. And it has a wonderfully immersive plot.

My only complaint is that the premise of the story, by definition, allows for a bit too much deus ex machina.

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Perfect introduction to Brandon Sanderson

Revisado: 05-16-15

Brandon Sanderson is one my all-time favorite fantasy authors, along with George R.R. Martin and Patrick Rothfuss. He has a very distinct style, and this short novella is a perfect sampling of what you can expect from his other books.

Sanderson's stories are overall rich in creativity, plot, character development, and entertainment value. They are stimulating but don't contain much adult content like profanity or gore the way Martin does.

Sanderson also always includes magic as part of his story, but it's never as simple as waving a wand. In each book or series, he concocts a new paradigm for how magic is used, and he leverages that paradigm for all sorts of intriguing plots and unexpected twists.

The narrator also does a passable job here. She kind of stands out since the main character is female, but most of the others are male. She nails the main character, but the male voices are so-so. Certainly wasn't a problem for me though.

Overall, if you're considering reading some of Sanderson's longer works, or you're already a fan, this is a great book written in quintessential Sanderson style. Highly recommended!

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Don't see what all the excitement is about

Revisado: 05-14-15

What a disappointment. This book gets called things like timeless, classic, or masterpiece. I thought it was...ok.

The premise of the book is really innovative. It has so much potential! But that potential goes mostly unrealized. Foundation is rife with cheesy dialogue and one dimensional characters, and I just couldn't get into the story.

There were several plot twists, but you can usually tell when one is coming, and it's usually nothing too astonishing. It felt like a twist usually happened just as I was getting so bored I was considering giving up. Then there'd be a twist, my interest would be piqued again, and it would slowly wane until the next twist.

This book is similar to a lot of other classic sci fi I have read. Their premises are often quite good, but the standards for entertainment value back then were much lower. If you truly love reading classic sci fi, this might be a good book for you. It was far too dry for me.

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