andy

I found this while searching for a book named similar to this which was about ‘myths about some scientific personalities' so I actually concluded it was about the same but it turned out to be something different. Here the author talked about general myths and distrust towards the scientific community and worse towards the scientific method. She has discussed several pointers on the communication gap between the scientists and the general mass, the lack of proper science education from educational institutions and above all the fearmongering and distrust perpetuated by several agenda-driven political commentators. Among all these what I found to be new was the lack of enthusiasm towards funding pure research with respect to applied research, which seems pretty dumb considering pure research is a stepping stone for applied research if I may give an analogy, it's like saying developing a computing game without knowing any of the programming languages.
My overall rating is 3.75/5, It felt too small lengthwise.

This is decent as a pop-sci book but it's not a very good book as an introductory virology piece. Most of the viruses introduced here are pretty well known for anyone who had biology in their higher secondary school. The most interesting factors like gene reshuffling, how oceanic viruses contributed to abiogenesis, or the cross transfer of zoonosis viruses among species were not clearly discussed here which made it rather dull. There is also no mention of the newer viruses like Nipah and the mention of other not-so-common viruses like Zika has been glossed over very minimally.
All these aside it's pretty good for anyone who has very limited knowledge of viruses and I also like the chapters where he discussed SARS-Covid and smallpox viruses.
3.25/5

The translation is excellent and lucid. The story itself seemed very authentic, especially Nefer's character and her inner turmoil but the plot missed quite a few points especially the disgusting incident which shaped our protagonist's life. The ending was heartbreaking but realistic.
I would rate it 3.5/5
Thanks to Archipelago and NetGalley for this ARC.

This is a good book on statistics primer but the fact that loopholes in statistics have become so much more deceptive than the older ones this book doesn't help much in the present context. Personally, for me author has discussed several well-known follies like randomized sample bias, shadowing probability, using deceptive words, false comparison, spurious correlation, etc., and not-so-well-known things like juggling/cherry-picking arithmetical averages with other mathematical calculations like mean, and median, and mode also graph manipulation.
ultimately, the book has its merits but it isn't enough.
3.75 stars/5

This book was sometimes meandering, and repetitive and sometimes lacked depth and breadth, especially on the topics of climate change and the environment. Even if it has some faults, this is very accessible and covers many omnipresent contemporary issues alike. The statement argument structure could have been improved.
4 stars/5

The atmospheric prose with an overall symbolism of death and abandonment made this book feel like a long fever dream. This is further accentuated by Fosse's repetitive and picturesque description of the whole scenario but I didn't find it to be much enthralling or mesmerizing. Maybe I am overlooking something but this book didn't perform well in my humble opinion.
so, 3 stars/5
p.s-I am looking forward to reading the septology series

If you have enough knowledge of colonial history and the sociological implications and effects of colonialism, then I am afraid that you won't find many new discussions/theories in this book. Since I am not so well versed in pedagogical studies, What I liked was the pedagogical” what to do” that Freire shared here, his philosophy is farsighted and we can't ignore how much his philosophies have impacted multiple generations of intellectuals. Even with all the positive traits, this book was often meandering, obtuse and inaccessible, if I hadn't read it with [b:The Student Guide to Freire's ‘Pedagogy of the Oppressed' 39343795 The Student Guide to Freire's ‘Pedagogy of the Oppressed' Antonia Darder https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1521691835l/39343795.SX50.jpg 56535039] , this guidebook, I would have dnf-ed it ages ago.3.5 stars/5

Excellent study guide for [b:Pedagogy of the Oppressed 72657 Pedagogy of the Oppressed Paulo Freire https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388180018l/72657.SX50.jpg 915602], without this guide I would not have cracked down a book like this.

This book left me feeling a mix of dumbfounded and clever all at once. I think I'll need to reread it, with the justice video lectures on the side, to really soak up the theories and figure out how to use them in real life.

The book is accessible and the additional examples provided on a case by case basis could enhance the overall experience for a novice reader. That said, I found the author's treatment of the topic somewhat superficial, particularly when discussing alternatives; the solutions presented seemed rather lackluster. Also, I'm not sure about my preference for the case by case exploration. Personally, I would have preferred more general theoretical elaboration in the initial portion of the book, followed by real-life examples. I understand that this might have made the book bulkier and less appealing. Overall, I would rate it 3.5 out of 5.

The way the book is formatted-very short vignettes ,is my favourite kind of format to read, and I was quite enjoying it at first. However, from the 30% mark, the book just didn't vibe with me at all.

Some of the essays were much more detailed and pragmatic than others. Not to mention, I believe not everybody can be counted as an “expert” in this book. I also think that some of the solutions can be quite difficult to implement on a large scale, and these problems were not addressed here. Overall, I believe this book can be a valuable addition, whether you are a novice or knowledgeable on this topic. 4/5 stars.

The strength of this book lies in its rendition of two different structures or points of view. One involves the narrator visiting her childhood home, while the other imagines someone else referred to as “you” inhabiting places as a lodger (places where she might have lived herself in the past, but it isn't clear). The concept is quite novel, and I liked it. However, ultimately, I didn't find much meaning in the chapters formed as “slice of life” (both the main narrator and the second mystery person whom the MC refers to as “you”). I enjoyed the exploration of belonging (both in a static place and in a stable relationship) and the difficulties of forming human connections with a nomadic existence.
Rating: 3.5/5
Thanks to Granta publications and netgalley for the ARC!!

The premise is compelling, exploring the navigation of familial trauma by women across different generations, along with commentary on Irish intellectual immigration to the US for better opportunities and women artists/relatives living in the shadow of Irish male intellectuals/artists. The author navigates these themes skillfully, enriching the narrative without becoming overly heavy-handed. However, the lasting impact seems somewhat temporary, almost forgettable. Additionally, I'm unsure about my feelings regarding the portrayal of Nell, the 20-something millennial or Gen Z (it's not clear), especially since I'm close to her age, and she felt somewhat formulaic.
3.75/5

This is a lyrical and poignant exploration of gender inequality in parental obligations, focusing specifically on the less glamorous aspects of motherhood, particularly in the context of newer motherhood experiences. The prose is so beautiful, and the monologues were so heartfelt that even I was mesmerized. The story is narrated from the perspective of the mother, “Sailor,” so the observations may be somewhat subjective. However, the author effectively portrays the psychological and mental anguish she experiences without adequate support, a situation that is sadly not uncommon. The honesty and boldness of the narrative feel genuine and refreshing. It's reassuring to see authors openly discussing the challenging aspects of motherhood without the feeling of guilt and also by not placing undue burden on innocent children.

The book often adopts a theatrical tone and exudes an elegiac atmosphere throughout. Its strongest chapters, “Hi Adam!” and “happy/that you have the body,” excel in discussing the concept of habeas corpus in relation to nonhuman lives. The author's incorporation of contemporary life events is something I particularly appreciated. However, as chapters like “Patients” and “Irrational/situation” began to focus more on style than substance (or perhaps I struggled to grasp how Pythagoras's philosophy related to the central theme), my attention waned considerably. The book itself is styled as poetry cum essay, a format I've never encountered before, making for a truly novel experience. Special thanks to New Directions and Thalia Field for making the audiobook publicly available. Poetry sounds much better in audiobook format, and this was no exception. Source: https://twitter.com/NewDirections/status/1443978753302990854

This is one of the better pop chemistry books out there. It doesn't bombard you with cringy puns but seriously who thought a joke about silicone gel saving Hollywood was a good idea?

As I am pretty much interested in gender studies, especially feminism(sociology and politics)It may seem like it doesn't contain many contemporary take-ups on feminism, especially in the field of creating art but by no means it is irrelevant in this day and age. I was mesmerized by the 2nd chapter, some specific concepts she presented here which I am very much fond of would be -
1. Refuting why any 'Women' couldn't have written plays like William Shakespeare in that age 2. Why any intellectual creation should be sexless/androgynous "man-womanly," or "woman-manly," 3. Exploration of critics calling Austen, Gaskell, and Bronte sisters' works 'Shallow', 'carnal', 'mundane'(reminds me of VS Naipaul saying no woman has written anything so far that has suppressed his level of genius. Narcissistic much eh??)

This book felt like a morbid tale with all of the gloomy atmosphere, and the hostility among all the characters and above all it felt like an allegory of the narrator Charles Marlow's individual psychological descent. rather than being fiercely anti-colonial, this book has painted a picture of deeply flawed individuals some of them are full of greed, some want power, and some want adventure in the sense of being able to partake in a journey to the darkest part of the world but all of they had something in common which is their sense and humanity has become dark and dim. the main theme is not how congo has tuned itself from the upstream of progress but how the “civilised” people have traded their so-called civility to feel superiority and economically privileged with any means be it violence or manipulation. Now we get what exactly is this heart of darkness. Our protagonist here is called Marlow, who has proclaimed himself curious by nature so he came to explore the mysterious Africa, where colonizers plundered and made the continent a raw material provider. he is certainly not likeable in fact his thoughtlessness and lack of morality don't make him a cartoonish villain but it does portray that he is not bothered with anything at all. he doesn't care. his ambivalency was certainly a quality which at first made me very confused but ultimately we can see in this allegory there are no heroes, we do have many antagonists and some characters who were merely treated like a symbol (the cannibals, Curtz's mistress., his fiancee)

I quite liked it, although I like stylistic language, Conrad's prose was too much for me sometimes. 3.5 stars out of 5.

An interesting book on the common scientific fads and misconceptions but in some chapters he babbles on some things that don't really contribute to the main factor. I also hated the fact that he sometimes focused too much on bashing on singular personality/method for an extended period of time.
Otherwise, it is quite readable and informative (You won't really find much to learn here if you already have read a few books but for a layman it is fine )
3.5 stars/5

So in short-
Decide exactly what you want; in life, clarity is essential. Plan every day in advance; every minute you spend in planning can save you five or ten minutes in execution. Twenty percent of your activities will account for eighty percent of your results. Always focus your efforts on that top twenty percent. Lastly, Your most important tasks and priorities are those that can have the most serious consequences, positive or negative, on your life or work. Concentrate on these above anything else.


Before you start work on a list of tasks, take a few minutes to arrange them by value and priority so you can be sure of working on your essential activities.

Before coming to the main review I wanna say that even though this book has two essays I have read only one of the i.e Chinua Achebe's criticism of heart of darkness. I can't find the full book in any of my libraries so had the settle for the open-access essay available on the Yale website. I just have finished Conrad's book and obviously, I want to read the racial problem, with it just as some other old classic.

So I am only pointing out the factors that I don't agree with and some points that I highly agree with

Heart of Darkness projects the image of Africa as “the other world,” the antithesis of Europe and therefore of civilization, a place where man's vaunted intelligence and refinement are finally mocked by triumphant beastiality. The book opens on the River Thames, tranquil, resting, peacefully “at the decline of day after ages of good service done to the race that peopled its banks.” But the actual story will take place on the River Congo, the very antithesis of the Thames. The River Congo is quite decidedly not a River Emeritus. It has rendered no service and enjoys no old-age pension. We are told that “Going up that river was like travelling back to the earliest beginnings of the world.”

First, she is in her place and so can win Conrad's special brand of approval and second, she fulfills a structural requirement of the story: a savage counterpart to the refined, European woman who will step forth to end the story

Weighing the necessity for consistency in the portrayal of the dumb brutes against the sensational advantages of securing their conviction by clear, unambiguous evidence issuing out of their own mouth Conrad chose the latter. As for the announcement of Mr. Kurtz's death by the “insolent black head in the doorway” what better or more appropriate finis could be written to the horror story of that wayward child of civilization who willfully had given his soul to the powers of darkness and “taken a high seat amongst the devils of the land” than the proclamation of his physical death by the forces he had joined?

Certainly, Conrad had a problem with niggers. His inordinate love of that word itself should be of interest to psychoanalysts.

As I said earlier Conrad did not originate the image of Africa which we find in his book. It was and is the dominant image of Africa in the Western imagination and Conrad merely brought the peculiar gifts of his own mind to bear on it. For reasons which can certainly use close psychological inquiry the West seems to suffer deep anxieties about the precariousness of its civilization and to have a need for constant reassurance by comparison with Africa.

I always had a feeling that I am missing something in Jane Eyre and I have never liked reading Jane Eyre that much JANE EYRE SPOILER BEWARE mostly Rochester and Jane's relationship, along with the lack of clarification of Bertha's actual circumstances but reading this made many things super clear not to mention the racial dynamics among former slave traders and recently liberated coloured people and how Racism and slavery made both of these miserable is different sense
3.75/5

• Log my use of time for 168 hours in the week, for 4 weeks
• On the average, what percentage of 168 hours do i expend on my core competencies and what percentage do i expend on my non-core-competencies?
• What changes do I need to make.

This book turned out to be quite engaging and concise, covering a lot of ground without overwhelming the reader with too much personal storytelling, unlike some other popular science books. I also appreciated the extensive and easy to find bibliography, which is always a plus for me. However I do think the book could have been better organized, and the subchapter titles were a bit vague, making it tricky to find specific parts later on. Also, many of the book's hypotheses are based on assumptions and educated guesses which are important steps in reaching scientifically proven conclusions but this might make some of the ideas seem less solid.
4 stars/5