I will never complain about a trifling heel blister on a day hike again. Squirmed and groaned my way through the last half of this tragic story that nI will never complain about a trifling heel blister on a day hike again. Squirmed and groaned my way through the last half of this tragic story that never quite made the headlines in the heyday of Scott, Amundsen, and Shackleton. Not for the squeamish.
Rates up there with Touching the Void as an all-time favorite survival tale. Taut writing with sharp imagery - I definitely will be reading more of Lennard Bickel.
Enjoyed all the photos but can't believe the edition didn't include a map - a terrible omission. Here's a to a crudely handdrawn one....more
Disclosure: Won an advance copy on FirstReads. Also an unabashed, hopelessly biased fan of Weisman's The World Without Us.
Powerful. And among the bestDisclosure: Won an advance copy on FirstReads. Also an unabashed, hopelessly biased fan of Weisman's The World Without Us.
Powerful. And among the best and most effective epilogues I've ever read. I don't think it would do the reader a disservice to read it first (and then again at the end). It sets the stage for the book's argument, which an unnamed woman in the epilogue sums up pithily: "There is not a single problem on Earth that wouldn't be easier if there were fewer people."
Weisman takes us on a trip around the world, with each chapter focusing on a different country and exploring how their particular population dynamics intersect with, impact, and are impacted by just about everything else, including economics, politics, education, environment, biodiversity, agriculture, water, warfare,...on and on. The chapter on Iran was particularly fascinating (and perplexing), and will no doubt lead me to read more on the subject.
It was a privilege being able to read this before most others. Will find a place on my bookshelf next to The World Without Us and The Geography of Nowhere, two other books that have had similarly strong impact on my thinking.
Note: Caught at least 3 typos in my advance copy. Trusting these will be caught prior to final publication....more
A superbly offbeat title with an offbeat heroine to match. I thought the '50's were all prim and prudish, but Elaine Dundy has forever corrected me onA superbly offbeat title with an offbeat heroine to match. I thought the '50's were all prim and prudish, but Elaine Dundy has forever corrected me on this point. The Dud Avocadois a terrific romp.
So many fun 1950's turns of phrase that I lost count of them ("suffer him his little sally"; "as sure as God made little green apples", etc.). Just a few of my favorite lines:
- A rowdy bunch on the whole, they were most of them so violently individualistic as to be practically interchangeable. - When I felt the horns of my dilemma actually toss me in to the air... - But what the hell, I told myself, it wasn't as if I were one of them or even competing with them, for heaven's sake, I was merely a disinterested spectator at the Banquet of Life. The scientist dropping into the zoo at feeding time. That is what I told myself. - It was dessert now, and I was deserting. - He had no sense of humor but he just couldn't help laughing at other people's stupidity.
And the references throughout to the Dreaded Librarian make it a must read for all librarians.
The phrase "laugh out loud" has been soundly beaten to death by the age of social media, but aptly describes this book. I was cackling wildly on the plane and didn't much care who heard me. ...more
Now that's a protagonist. Honey Flood - if indeed that's your real name - you are a pip. You are the original Gone Girl. Evil and ambiguity served up Now that's a protagonist. Honey Flood - if indeed that's your real name - you are a pip. You are the original Gone Girl. Evil and ambiguity served up straight, with crisply delineated characters and deliciously purposeful prose. Definitely reading The Dud Avocado....more
There's nothing I enjoy better than reading about other people's struggles with nature, and this one's a doozy. The Amazon eats people alive - literalThere's nothing I enjoy better than reading about other people's struggles with nature, and this one's a doozy. The Amazon eats people alive - literally. Worm-like maggots will take up residence inside your elbow, poking their heads out once in a while to say hello. Gangrenous pus will pour in rivulets from your kneecaps. Insects will bore into your eyeballs. Rollicking good fun. To read about, that is.
Beyond just a fine mystery, history and adventure tale, this is also an intriguing - and tragic - exploration of the Amazonian people and environment, both past and present. I'm inspired by it to add Heckenberger's The Ecology of Power to my reading queue. The evidence that is emerging from the Amazon of a once vast and well-connected civilization on an Inca scale is fascinating and I look forward to reading more about it.
My only quibbles were minor. Every book of this genre now seems to open with an teaser anecdote of a dangerous situation to come later the book. While an effective way to hook you in to the story, I'm beginning to tire of the vehicle. It makes me feel like a commodity in the very first pages.
A similar strategy in the adventure genre seems to be to draw parallels between the original adventurers and the modern day researcher. By bringing his son along for the ride, Grann is clearly trying to evoke Fawcett's final expedition with his son. I don't need neat and tidy literary parallels to enjoy a good tale.
This is not an easy book to explain to others. It’s about a lifelong love affair with books (something all GoodReaders can relate to) and the humorousThis is not an easy book to explain to others. It’s about a lifelong love affair with books (something all GoodReaders can relate to) and the humorous travails of librarianship (an automatic homerun for all librarians, myself included). It’s about living with Tourette’s and discovering strength training as a means for managing it. It’s also about family, love, religion, and how one generally makes one’s way through this curious experience called life. Josh Hanagarne’s memoir brings all these threads together in a winning combination of funny anecdotes and gently affirming wisdom. The two are always present together, but the emphasis shifts subtly over the course of his story, from funny to wise. I’ve done a lot of chuckling to self over the past three days, something that drives my spouse insane.
Loved this:
"It is what it is," I repeated, looking him in the eyes. "No. It isn't. That's stupidity right up there with 'failure is not an option.' Of course it's an option or there wouldn't be any sort of adventure to it, would there? The word 'adventure' means undetermined outcome, did you know that? So failure would have to be an option, right?
And this:
“The word 'yes' is just a sound. It's nothing without context. It can signal the end of a life, an exultation after a scored basket or a vanquished foe; it can answer questions or refute them; it's an affirmation.�
Any book that references Touching the Void (both book and film), Stephen Abram, and every single one of my favorite books as a kid has gotta be great. It is.
Disclosure: LibraryLand is a fairly small community. I worked with Josh on a library project back in 2009, but this did not influence my review. I only feel that I've gotten to know him now, by reading his book. And you will feel the same way after reading it. :-) ...more
[Book 3 of my 2013 goal to read 26 history books in historical sequence.]
Yes. Smashing. Everything a history book ought to be. Erudite yet accessible,[Book 3 of my 2013 goal to read 26 history books in historical sequence.]
Yes. Smashing. Everything a history book ought to be. Erudite yet accessible, carefully organized, deeply considered, and really well-written. Effective, full-page maps located consistently at the beginning of each chapter for easy reference. A thoughtfully presented suggested reading section, including Internet resources. An emphasis on broader historical perspective � Kriwaczek cogently presents parallels to Mesopotamia’s roots, Mesopotamia’s future, and our own uncertain present. I particularly enjoyed his ruminations on the cyclic nature of civilizations and the sort of civilization prone to progress vs. retrenchment. Above all, he possesses the rare ability to put you there, on the ground, rubbing shoulders with tradesmen and temple priests alike as they bustle through the alleys of Ur. He has resurrected Mesopotamia. A keeper, one to own.
About the only complaint I can muster is that the leaves of illustrations are not presented in text order. And a timeline would have been a useful addition (but there are many to be found on the web). Forgivable! ...more
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