I thought about giving this book 4 stars. There are times when the book is almost too dense of an information overload, and it can become confounding.I thought about giving this book 4 stars. There are times when the book is almost too dense of an information overload, and it can become confounding. Fareed is almost too smart for his own good. Especially in that chapter about Britain's Industrial Revolution.
But in the end, like The Enlightenment, you just can't deny its truth. Fareed so masterfully presents his points using rich historical analysis combined with a sharp, keen eye on what's happening in today's world, one cannot help but emerge from this experience a wiser human being. Today's world is not about right vs left, Democrat vs Republican, or liberal vs conservative. It's what it's been since the Age of Reason began...it's about progress vs. nostalgia.
It is never black and white, as Fareed is always so careful to illustrate. Conservatives have laid foundational building blocks in what makes our world stable and great, and liberals have been horrifically destructive. But in the end, human progress makes certain groups of people feel left behind. Those people eventually become desperate, and they lash out. It is the way of man. Advances in farming, industry, science, the way we receive information, and all the amazing benefits these bring with them, are still not enough to satiate those who long for the good old days, even if those days were never real.
This is a book of tremendous importance in 2024....more
I鈥檝e wanted to play the S.T.A.L.K.E.R series of video games for years, and now that they finally got ported to modern consoles, I was curious upon leaI鈥檝e wanted to play the S.T.A.L.K.E.R series of video games for years, and now that they finally got ported to modern consoles, I was curious upon learning that they were inspired by an old Soviet sci fi novel named Roadside Picnic , so naturally, I wanted to read this book before firing up the first game in the series.
I haven鈥檛 had so many mixed feelings about a book in a long time. I hated the characters in this book, and I hated the weird pacing and abundance of seemingly unnecessary sentences. Yet I was so incredibly fascinated by the unique concept of the book: how would society react if aliens stopped by our planet, had a 鈥渞oadside picnic鈥�, and left their trash behind鈥�.trash that would confound scientists, revolutionize technology, and provide a living for the brave 鈥渟talkers鈥� who ventured into to the landing zones to collect the alien artifacts and sell them?
Every time I picked the book up to read it, I never looked forward to it. Yet I found the book so hard to put down, even though I really wasn鈥檛 鈥渆njoying鈥� the experience of reading it. It was so strange. Maybe that鈥檚 how stalkers feel when they enter the Zone.
I didn鈥檛 enjoy this book very much, but I鈥檓 very glad I read it and, oddly enough, would recommend to science fiction fans. Weird....more
I just moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico after over 40 years of living in the Midwest. You immediately feel the sense of being in an ancient place when yoI just moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico after over 40 years of living in the Midwest. You immediately feel the sense of being in an ancient place when you set foot here. A place with deep history that is both vibrant and tragic. Reading Blood and Thunder upon arriving here was a wonderful decision on my part. Not only is it possibly the most readable and entertaining history book I鈥檝e ever read, but it鈥檚 an incredibly important read for not only people from this region, but for all Americans who are unfamiliar with the story of Kit Carson, the Navajo people, and the incredibly fascinating and complicated series of events that look place here between 1840 and 1865. It鈥檚 an important story that also sets the framework for the unique and multifaceted cultural landscape that exists in New Mexico and across the Southwest today. We must always respect and honor the land that we live on, and never forget how all of this came to be. Blood and Thunder is an exemplary example of how a documenting history can enlighten a reader and enrich their perspective. Bravo to Mr. Sides for this masterpiece....more
I鈥檓 a gun owner that tends to lean left of center, a seemingly rare position to be in. In a quest to learn more about the history of firearms ownershiI鈥檓 a gun owner that tends to lean left of center, a seemingly rare position to be in. In a quest to learn more about the history of firearms ownership in America and the second amendment, I was led to this stellar book that gave me everything I was looking for鈥istorial, objective analysis of why our founding fathers wrote the 2A into our Constitution, and why it remains an important right today. I think this is a fantastic book for anyone, no matter where you fall on the issue. I found it incredibly interesting, easy to read, and well-researched. The 鈥渂uyers guide鈥� in the last quarter of the book was a bit much, but some may find it useful. ...more
Certainly not the classic that Ready Player One is, but a very fun sequel in a very similar vein to its predecessor. An enjoyable, imperfect romp thouCertainly not the classic that Ready Player One is, but a very fun sequel in a very similar vein to its predecessor. An enjoyable, imperfect romp though pop culture with some memorable characters old and new. ...more
Discovering Bret Easton Ellis was one of my favorite periods of time in my history of reading. Less Than Zero and The Rules of Attraction were game chDiscovering Bret Easton Ellis was one of my favorite periods of time in my history of reading. Less Than Zero and The Rules of Attraction were game changers for me. Unfortunately, I struggled with his post American Psycho work a bit, and kind of forgot about him for a number of years. The Shards has corrected that. This is one of his absolute best books; a disturbing, mysterious, thought-provoking page-turner written in a way that only BEE can write. He鈥檚 officially back with this book. I can鈥檛 wait to see what he does next....more
Reading Stoner made me think about the billions and billions of "unremarkable" lives that have come into existence on this planet since the beginning Reading Stoner made me think about the billions and billions of "unremarkable" lives that have come into existence on this planet since the beginning of time, and despite the fact that there will never be stories written about these lives, and most have been forgotten, there really is no such thing as a life that's unremarkable. Everyone has stories, experiences, and value. If this work were non-fiction, few people would look at a William Stoner and think there was anything remarkable about him and his life, yet as this work of fiction so beautifully details, there is SO much we can take from one person's story.
Stoner is one of my new favorite books. I wish I had gotten to it when I was a little younger, as I feel it has a lot to offer a young mind. It's a serious read with moments that will make wince, cry, possibly become infuriated, and experience strange calm. It's unforgettable. ...more
Thinking back on all of my reading history, I think this may be the first non-fiction "adventure" book that I've ever read. And I'm not sure it's possThinking back on all of my reading history, I think this may be the first non-fiction "adventure" book that I've ever read. And I'm not sure it's possible to have a better introduction to this type of writing. This is one of the most gripping reads I've experienced in many years. I was so hooked that I ended up reading the whole thing in just a couple of days. The story recounts author Jon Krakauer and his fellow Mt. Everest expedition's nightmare-come-to-life, as they, along with several others from other expeditions, become involved in a freak disaster on the world's highest mountain. The terror in this book is real, as is the heroism and the heartbreak. A fascinating and tragic tale that you won't be able to put down....more
If you're reading a review for Armada, you're probably a nerd. And if you're a nerd, there's a decent chance my review will make some sense to you.
WhIf you're reading a review for Armada, you're probably a nerd. And if you're a nerd, there's a decent chance my review will make some sense to you.
When I finished Armada, I couldn't help thinking about Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age II. The parallels between these two games with Ready Player One and Armada were simply too much for me to ignore
Dragon Age: Origins is a RPG developed by legendary video game developers Bioware. It released in late 2009 and was instantly considered to be a classic game of the seventh generation of consoles (which lasted approximately from late 2005 through 2012). It was an epic game in every sense...it had a wonderful story, fantastic characters, amazing lore, a fascinating world, and dozens of memorable moments. While it wasn't perfect, it was a brilliant first entry into a new fantasy world that Bioware developed from the ground up, and it laid the groundwork for a promising future.
Dragon Age II came a couple of years later. It was a very different game from Dragon Age: Origins. While DA:O was the huge, sweeping epic that checked all the right boxes that a game of its stature should check, Dragon Age II was a much smaller, more intimate story that was broken up into 3 distinct acts. It's scope was smaller and its boldly different method of storytelling was very effective at times, and a bit goofy at others. The game's mechanics received an overhaul that at times was an improvement over DA:O, and at other times felt like a step down. The game showed some signs of a troubled development, particularly in some of the repeated dungeons that obviously indicated that the game was forced to market earlier than it should have been by its publisher. In all, Dragon Age II was a very different beast from its predecessor despite being an obvious evolution from its predecessor. No, it wasn't as good as Dragon Age: Origins, but it was still a very good game that took some great risks in its storytelling that resulted in a very memorable game.
Lots of gamers don't like Dragon Age II. But what has always surprised me is that the most common phrase I hear regarding folks' opinions on Dragon Age II is "it wasn't as good as Origins". This has always troubled me, because I feel like the the game never really had a chance to be judged on its own merit simply because it is living in the shadow of its predecessor. Origins was a masterpiece, and II is a pretty good game. II's merits are rarely discussed. It's simply the sophmore slump for the Dragon Age series.
I feel like Armada is getting something of a similar bum deal. I thought Armada was a pretty cool book. I read it fast...it was a great page turner, its characters intrigued me, and the ending blew my mind. It was a very fun book, especially if you're as into nerd culture as Mr. Cline is. But as I'm sure many of us can agree, Ready Player One is a masterpiece. Arguably the most enjoyable, fun book to come along since the end of Harry Potter. And following Ready Player One was never going to be an easy task. No, Armada isn't as good as Ready Player One. It probably isn't even close. While Ready Player One was easily a 5 star book, Armada is probably 3.5 (please let us give half stars, 欧宝娱乐). But that shouldn't take away from Armada, and I feel like a lot of people are treating Armada the way gamers treated Dragon Age II a half decade ago. And I wish that wasn't the case. I do hope people who enjoyed Ready Player One give Armada a chance, because it definitely deserves one. ...more
Even the greatest living author (in my opinion) is entitled to a slip up every once in a while, and After Dark is that. Even with an author like MurakEven the greatest living author (in my opinion) is entitled to a slip up every once in a while, and After Dark is that. Even with an author like Murakami who's works are more a series a moments than a cohesive whole, After Dark just ultimately feels a bit unsatisfying. Still lovely at times, it failed to grab me the way his other works have. Still very glad I read it, though....more
I apologize if I've mentioned this before in previous reviews. I'm no longer young, and don't remember things as well as I used to. But Kurt Vonnegut I apologize if I've mentioned this before in previous reviews. I'm no longer young, and don't remember things as well as I used to. But Kurt Vonnegut was the author that really made me fall in love with books. I took his death kind of hard. And since then, I've been hesitant to read the few books of his that I hadn't read yet, because I know it's going to be a sad day when I'm out of Kurt Vonnegut books to read.
So it was with both hesitancy and excitement that I jumped into Deadeye Dick, a book I'd always heard good things about, and a book I seem to hear very little about when discussing the man's legacy. And I loved it. I was reminded of the time I read "Confessions of a Crap Artist" by Philip K. Dick. These authors used such fantastical elements in so many of their works, and it can be jarring at first to read these stories about people that are so grounded in reality. But Deadeye Dick as as effective and thought-provoking as any of his classic works. It's a novel about dysfunctional family, tragedy, regret, and the struggle for redemption in a world that can make it very difficult. Like most of Kurt's works, it's funny, and it's often sad. I appreciate so much how he can explore such deep concepts with such simple language. He was such a talented soul. Definitely my favorite of his post-Breakfast of Champions works that I've read so far....more
Almost every review I read of this book when I was first looking into it said "Raymond Chandler meets Philip K. Dick". And you know what? This book isAlmost every review I read of this book when I was first looking into it said "Raymond Chandler meets Philip K. Dick". And you know what? This book is Raymond Chandler meets Philip K. Dick. And that's an awesome thing. This book was superb. I'll be checking out more from this author....more
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