I learned so much about the disaster and mountain climbing in general from this book. I do think it suffers from having to include so many people; quiI learned so much about the disaster and mountain climbing in general from this book. I do think it suffers from having to include so many people; quite a few times I would get confused as to the location or status of a certain person, I couldn’t keep them all straight.
And I have been successfully convinced not to climb Everest...more
Waaaayyyy too slow in the middle. If you’re here for murder, just listen to the Patrizia Gucci episode of “Female Criminals� podcast on SpotiDNF @ 55%
Waaaayyyy too slow in the middle. If you’re here for murder, just listen to the Patrizia Gucci episode of “Female Criminals� podcast on Spotify—it’s done much better and faster ...more
I find the Salem Witch Trials totally fascinating, and this book expanded my knowledge and kept my interest. However, if I knew nothing about this eveI find the Salem Witch Trials totally fascinating, and this book expanded my knowledge and kept my interest. However, if I knew nothing about this event, this book probably would have been too confusing to read.
Schiff’s overall style is enjoyable, and it’s clear she did her research. She even has a cheat sheet of names in the front. But still, this story is complex and confusing and very hard to keep straight. I don’t entirely blame Schiff for this since it wasn’t her choice to have this many wacky Puritans running around. I do blame her for not making people distinct, though. Apart from the accusers and some of the ministers, it’s unclear who everyone is, even with the cheat sheet.
Also, I felt that she included information about certain people that was in no way relevant to the rest of the main story.
On the positive side, even though it’s difficult to keep the people straight, I LOVED her analysis of WHY the trials happened, something that is often neglected in most books on the subject. It was so thought provoking and kept me going through the mess of it all.
I would say I recommend it to any advanced reader who is okay with being confused. There is some great thinking in here; I just wish that it wasn’t being cock-blocked by the sheer amount of people involved....more
The story here is truly incredible, inspiring, and heartbreaking. My rating has nothing to do with that, but rather the way this story is told, and I The story here is truly incredible, inspiring, and heartbreaking. My rating has nothing to do with that, but rather the way this story is told, and I do think that the movie tells it better. At times, the book version is difficult to follow in terms of timeline, the sheer number of secondary characters, and exact reasons/motivations for events or decisions. It’s a story everyone should know, but I think the movie is a more effective way of learning about it. ...more
I'm not much of a nonfiction reader, but this was quite well written with a lot of personality. The timeline of his discoveries is not always coh3.5/5
I'm not much of a nonfiction reader, but this was quite well written with a lot of personality. The timeline of his discoveries is not always coherent, and some of the explanations were not quite clear to me, which is what brought the rating down. Some readers might be upset with the eventual lack of conclusion regarding the definition of a planet, but to me, it was still informative, engaging, and encouraged my love of space exploration (even though I don't always know what the scientists are talking about)....more
4/5 Although at times worded confusingly and each section could have been organized in a more coherent manner, this book is so interesting. Not only do4/5 Although at times worded confusingly and each section could have been organized in a more coherent manner, this book is so interesting. Not only does it give you unique facts, but it also makes you rethink your opinions about death and dead bodies. I'm not even a nonfiction lover and I was intrigued and engaged the entire time! ...more
4.5/5 Absolutely heartbreaking, inspiring, and eye-opening all at once. Everyone needs to read this book and learn about the mass incarceration, the cr4.5/5 Absolutely heartbreaking, inspiring, and eye-opening all at once. Everyone needs to read this book and learn about the mass incarceration, the crooked justice system, and racism in America. Especially as a white person, this showed me how much privilege I have in terms of the law. I do have two nit-picks: the introduction felt very clunky and I didn't understand some of the legal terms. It would have been awesome to have a glossary to refer to or at least more on-page explanations so I truly understood the impact of every legal update. But these teeny-tiny issues do not detract from the overall experience. Definitely one of the most provoking and life-changing yet easily understandable books I've ever read. ...more
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