GW Curtin
I'm biased. I enjoyed Hessler's observations as his career and relationships developed in China partly because I tied my own experiences to them. It was very validating to have the author come to similar conclusions to ridiculous situations I was familiar with. The story of the deep history of China told through the Oracle Bones and their scholars mixes well with more contemporary histories of youngsters moving to the Overnight City and hustling Uighur tradesmen.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who hasn't yet visited China...especially if you're coming from a Western background. It's an honest take at a confusing and remarkable culture.
Good for those who totally missed the boat in school. I was hoping for a more diverse plan for digging into areas left uncovered by our school system. But, hey, I have the internet and goodreads.com so there's no excuse for me not to be able to find a good book ; )
A wandering text... some lines or paragraphs were tremendous. Had to stop and take notes. Lines that really spoke something I could never put words to before. But I also felt a bit like Alice being given stories that didn't help me navigate Wonderland but instead made me feel sorry for those creatures who'd already been here for such a long time.
Enjoyed imagining what a world would be like where people were based in reality. I don't think we'll see a world like the one the Strikers are planning but the possibilities made the thousand pages go by quickly. Too many of the ‘bad' characters I see in everyday life here in 2017.
A journey started without a goal in mind... funny to see Simon revisit that on the home stretch. For me, it was a great way to compare the world of the mid 70s to what I saw in my own time. Amazed Simon got on so well with so few hassles, all things considered.
Not bad... I don't know what I was expecting but the five books combined didn't leave me with much. I enjoyed exploring the critics, and Santa Teresa... but I feel very underwhelmed after all of it.
An overdue challenge to some of the ideas we hold as truths about the evolution of human society. A refreshing reminder that we, humans, can still be whatever we want. The book gives evidence of great ancient cities without rulers, massive collaborations for the greater good, prosperous societies run by women, and warring neighbors who still showed compassion for each other.
If we all understood the principles laid out in this book... we'd be able to get out of our own way and each live a more honest and enjoyable life.
Short walk down the first 50 years of Matt's life. Studying overseas in Australia, giving up law for film, dropping the romcom image and leaning on his family as his rock. I good mix of bumper sticker wisdom, examples from a Texas childhood and some perspective on dreams.
Who would have thought you could write such a compelling book about monks in the 12th Century. Thoroughly enjoyed the character development, the description of the architecture, the commentary on daily life of serfs and monks, and how Follett weaved the spirit of the novel into real historical events. Very well done.
It was nice to see six story lines loosely connected but I didn't really take home anything new from the book. Just people acting like people in different situations throughout time.
Great premise. Coding, religion, human nature, etc. But it jumped around between characters following their storylines .... and pushing the point of the novel. The two didn't really seem to be the same book. I felt like I was reading an academic thesis inside of a fun little novel.
A sober take on the upcoming challenges we'll be facing as a species. Harari's warnings are neither unfounded nor come from a sense of fear. Continuing the practice we learned in Sapiens on learning as much as we can about human nature, this book forewarns some of the greatest potential conflicts we'll see in the upcoming years. Humanity has repeatedly shown that we can make great sacrifices to do what's necessary in the midst of a crisis but rarely move a muscle before the risks are imminent.
Really helped me understand my constant frustration relying on willpower. Started to change my environment right away and already seeing results. I absolutely love Hardy's Medium articles and this book was no different.
Chapter 8 on the Quantum Brain... blew my mind. Worth the read just for those few pages. Cheers to adult neuroplasticity
A great change of perspective for those who grew up in the church and never really contemplated what a teenage Jesus would do.
Love Norm. I don't know what I was expecting. I think I wanted a deeper look into who he is instead of how he reacts to the world. But I enjoyed myself reading this book. There were little signatrue Norm lines which made me forget he was gone.
Love this concept. I didn't feel the awe that this kind of power would bring... but it's tricky, I get it.