Chris

An excellent story about a somewhat forgotten historical figure, but…

Revisado: 11-03-22

The thesis is that Humboldt was the grandfather of what we think of as environmentalism in the 19th and 20th centuries. That’s correct, I think, and Wulf makes a great case. What’s missing is consideration of the meaning of the movements inspired by Humboldt’s writing. Yes, he inspired Muir to protect Yosemite, but Muir also did so in part out of an anti-indigenous animus. What in Humboldt inspired that, or why did Muir miss that part of Humboldt’s ethos? There are other examples of elisions from the legacy part of the thesis, but I think Muir’s case is most salient example.

It’s a great book and the biography of Humboldt is well-done. I just think Wulf had one or two more steps to take when considering what the legacy of Humboldtian philosophy really has been. Listen to it yourself and decide if you agree.

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Weird narration

Revisado: 08-15-21

For a non-fiction text, the narration is weirdly melodramatic and doesn’t contribute much in my opinion.

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This is a bit outdated.

Revisado: 03-26-21

Big assumptions the author uses here have been overtaken by recent archeological and biological research. While the professor needn’t have agreed with what was then novel findings, it’s odd that in 2013 he seems wholly unaware (or completely dismissive) of genetic evidence of Neanderthal/H. sapiens interbreeding.

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Disappointed

Revisado: 09-07-20

I had never read Abbey, considered by many to be a veritable prophet of the West. Boy, was I disappointed.

Abbey’s prose is stilted almost to the point of satire. And his ideas are pretty funny, too. I am personally quite progressive in matters of environmentalism and conservation, but it’s clear that Abbey is a man of his time and nothing more. His anti-development views are the kind you might hear from an over-eager undergrad or a teenager. His stereotypes about Mormons and Basque belong to the worst sort of outsider.

In the end, Abbey sounds like he is what he most loathes: just a tourist.

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Crying on the subway

Revisado: 12-16-15

My only deduction was for the performance. (If Wil Wheaton actually sees this, I'm so sorry. I don't think this was actually on you.) The author uses "he said" a lot to demonstrate dialogue and especially in the beginning with extremely curt dialogue Wil spends a lot of time affectlessly repeating "he said — he said — he said." The story eventually got me but it almost lost me early on. Basically, I wanted this to be a radio play when it's actually an audiobook. Five stars.

But that is too negative. What I want to say is that this story had me literally crying on the subway. There were parts that were meant to grab you emotionally, sure, and they were alright. What had me surreptitiously wiping tears from under my glasses, however, was that this story addressed fairly and straightforwardly not only the physical and philosophical consequences of the weird sci-fi universe it built, but also the emotional consequences. It's something very few pulpy sci-fi works—maybe a handful of DS9 episodes—have pulled off.

Kudos!

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Interesting, but...

Revisado: 02-10-15

Actually, that's all I've got. It's hard to explain but there was something tedious about this book. There were points that sounded like hyperbole, but I couldn't swear by it. The development of our online cultural space is important, but I'm not sure Pariser quite captured the thing. I hope he keeps trying, though!

(Also, try listening to this while also on a Civ: Beyond Earth binge.)

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Loved it!

Revisado: 01-11-11

This book got me hooked on Audible. It was my complimentary download courtesy The History of Rome podcast. Mike recommended it and I think I'll just take his recommendations from here on out. The narration was compelling, particularly when portraying the thoughts of the common soldiers in anticipation of the Battle of Hastings. My biggest complaint: it ended abruptly at the reign of Elizabeth. I want more!

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Disappointing

Revisado: 01-11-11

I really wanted to give Jared Diamond a chance. Unfortunately, this massive work is missing one important thing: a thesis. After listening for several hours, it's clear that Diamond is just listing anecdotes of environmental sociology. An alternate title should've been "Collapse: Some Crummy Ways Civilizations Sometimes Die."

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