Greg & Brandi

Quintessential Bill Bryson

Revisado: 12-23-23

Interesting, witty, unexpected, delightful. Bill Bryson is truly the master of matching history with wit. A wonderful history of some of Christmas’s best known traditions and some not so well known.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Interesting history

Revisado: 09-27-23

An interesting read with my favorite parts being the theories about disease in ancient history. As is expected, primacy is place on disease in shaping our history at the expense of other factors. The opinion on the “Great Man” theory is interesting.
The last chapters which are a treatise on modern disease and medicine seem less well thought out and miss much of the nuance which is necessary to understand modern problems. In defense of the author I’m the topic of COVID-19 and modern healthcare could easily be several volumes.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Nice companions to the novels

Revisado: 06-11-23

Enjoyed the stories. Nice companions to the novels. The provide some more depth to a few characters and help build the world and are perfect consistent with the novels.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Insightful and funny

Revisado: 04-23-23

Not a comedian but funny enough in his own right and a good amount of interesting history make this a good listen.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Wonderful and insightful

Revisado: 07-12-22

I wish I would have read this prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Not that it would have changed what Vladimir Putin has done to destroy the lives of so many people, but for my own understanding of the events. This book is a compelling story and a reminder of the injustice that happens and what it takes to get justice (in a certain way). What starts out as a biography morphs into a quest which changes the author in a surprising way.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Fun And Interesting

Revisado: 11-14-20

I thoroughly enjoyed the book with all the interesting facts and the nice way they are all tied together. I couldn’t help thinking that Ken Jennings might be the next Bill Bryson. An author who can take a subject and tell a story that flows like a rapid river. It grabs you pulling you along through the twists and turns. Down slopes and over rocks through canyons on a playful adventure.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Interesting and Nuanced

Revisado: 06-11-20

A fascinating look at how technology and science have the opportunity to shape our world’s food supply and the arguments for and against its use.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Not interesting in the least

Revisado: 02-09-20

Poorly developed characters. An uninteresting plot. Conflict and reactions that feel forced. Nothing that anyone says feels natural. Nothing is believable. Perhaps this is the way people spoke to each other when this book was written. It primarily makes me think that Asimov never saw two people speaking to each other. This book certainly displays no knowledge of human nature. It feels like it was written by a technician who thinks he is a philosopher.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 4 personas

A Prequel I Could Have Skipped

Revisado: 01-28-20

I’ve heard a lot of people gush about the Foundation series. I'm not sure if the rest of the series will feel so hastily written and have a story only mildly interesting.
A mathematician who becomes a subject of interest after presenting a paper about predicting the future at a conference. Can he escape the powerful people chasing him?
Most of the scenarios that the protagonist finds himself in feel contrived. There is little logic or common sense in the situations and the resolutions are unsatisfying. The resolutions also repeat with Hari Seldon being miraculously rescued multiple times by the same character. The situations also don’t involve our hero doing much to help himself. It feels like he is merely a spectator to most events and when he does something it is to make a stupid decision, curious for someone who is supposed to be a genius figuring out how to predict the future.
Much of the dissatisfaction comes from the unnatural dialogue between the characters. There is too much telling about the characters and not enough showing who they are.
Given the reverence this series receives I’m guessing that this prequel was reluctantly written only to satisfy the hardcore fans who would buy anything with Foundation in the title.
Here’s to hoping the rest of the series feels more cared for.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Better than some other Sanderson books.

Revisado: 01-06-20

I was skeptical that this would be worth the listen given the recent so-so publications by Sanderson. After some initial hiccups the story got going and turned out to be a great listen.
I’m partial to Sanderson’s earlier work which feels more fleshed out and more original than the sequels which have followed. This was another solid story in a new world with interesting characters. Not super deep or profound but entertaining.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña