Is this a perfectly historical book? No. Is it written by a 'proper' historian? Nope. Is it a lot of fun? Yes. If you have a passing interest in histoIs this a perfectly historical book? No. Is it written by a 'proper' historian? Nope. Is it a lot of fun? Yes. If you have a passing interest in history and the big books in the history section of the bookstore put you off, perhaps you should give this one a try. Focusing on, obviously, Anglo-French history it is a either a great introduction or a fun way to learn more about the relationship between these two countries. It won't win any academic history awards, it's too coloured for that, but if that's none of your concern, then by all means indulge. ...more
Well, this was a disappointment. Big promises of lost cities, exciting tales of discovery and what have you. Instead what we get is this:
- 50 pages abWell, this was a disappointment. Big promises of lost cities, exciting tales of discovery and what have you. Instead what we get is this:
- 50 pages about some scary tropical illness the author suffers. I. Really. Do. Not. Care. - 100 pages of basic history on how diseases completely destroyed pre-Colombian cultures as well as some mildly interesting history, told poorly. Anyone with a passing interest in the history of the Americas knows this. Basic high school textbook stuff. - Bad jokes. Bad jokes all around. - No conclusion to anything. - 50 pages (out of 260 or so) with actual interesting content relating to the premise and title.
This feels very strongly like the author was forced by his editor to stretch out his journal article into a book, and then utterly failed. There is so much fluff here, it's really not worth your time....more
I read plenty of history books and articles and one habit I took one early was to check where a historian was coming from. What's their background? ThI read plenty of history books and articles and one habit I took one early was to check where a historian was coming from. What's their background? Their political affiliation? It shouldn't matter in their writing, but it's naive to think it doesn't. Nixey is no exception. She's a journalist, not a trained historian and that shows in her writing (and also why this did not get 5 stars). It's not dry and historical, not overly factual, but rather with a sense of sensationalism.
Why is that bad? Because she is making a huge claim here. Let me be clear. I am an atheist, veering towards anti-theism. I abhor religion, because of all the nasty shit it has done, for the corrupt power-structure that it is, for the paedophilia, the destruction of people and pretty much anything else you can think of that you would normally dislike. So I'd love to chalk up the destruction of the Classical World to Christianity. I wouldn't put it past them. But Nixey tells a rather one-sided story here and that costs a start, especially when you claim to write history....more
From Cold War to Hot Peace (not my line). That's one way to describe this magnThis review is also available here --> www.absurdliterature.blogspot.com
From Cold War to Hot Peace (not my line). That's one way to describe this magnificent book which could be described as ''contemporary history'', should you be so inclined and full of pomp. Focusing on the major players in the world (Trump, Putin, Xi, the EU and some other less savoury figures) it describes the world of now and how that now came to be. What I perhaps liked most about this book is how even-handed the author deals with the people he writes about. Sometimes blistering where it's necessary, praising where it can, but never taking his eye off the ball. Describing how modern China evolved from its ''Century of Shame'' to the growing giant it is today, from Turkey's early attempts at secular democracy and how Erdogan is going to take it all down and how Trump seems to be like-mindedly set on doing that to the US. This leaves us with Europe, the self-styled ''Empire of Virtue'' which cashed in on the peace-dividend but might have issues living through the next decades, now that the returns of those dividends are running out. And lastly, Putin. The calculating Russian who has been carefully crafting the idea of a Russian super-power though, in reality, it is most likely going to be relegated to, at best, a second-tier in the world power rankings. China will be in the lead, and alone at that if the EU and America are not careful about how they lead their countries and perhaps more importantly, on whom they choose to lead themselves. Naturally, a book about now has a tendency to become really outdated, real fast. Read this in 2018 if you want it to have any use for you....more
What kind of person am I? I don't even know how to make friends? And influencing? That sounds a bit... odd. Admittedly, these thoughts may have crosseWhat kind of person am I? I don't even know how to make friends? And influencing? That sounds a bit... odd. Admittedly, these thoughts may have crossed my mind before opening this book. But like the next guy, I'm just looking to get better and further and nothing takes you further than the right connections. And what do you need to get those connections? Bingo. So I put those thoughts aside fast enough and dug in. The first thing that might hit you is how corny this book is. Don't worry, it's not you, it's the 1930's. Let's just say that feminism wasn't really high on Mr Carnegie's list of things to consider. If you manage to get passed the banality that is the 1930's and you are able to put this book and its ideas through a 21st-century prism, it might have some value for you. Some things, if you have any social skills at all, may seem utterly obvious. So what makes it worth your time? The copious amount of examples that drive the points home. Choose the points that work for you, take the examples and work on improving yourself. It's technically a workbook. With that in mind, you might get something out of it. If not, you'll still walk away with a much keener insight into 1930's social mores and the enviable position of the woman in those times....more
Oh, the irony. A book on minimalism is a book with quite a few unnecessary pages. Though Sasaki's ideas are often quite profound with some before and Oh, the irony. A book on minimalism is a book with quite a few unnecessary pages. Though Sasaki's ideas are often quite profound with some before and after shots of minimalists and their homes to spice things up, he could have easily done with half or less of this books. But I guess minimalists got too eat too (though perhaps fewer calories than most of us?) so more pages mean a higher price means more dough (money, not food). Joking aside, this book is a great start for those feeling overwhelmed by the stupendous amount of shit that they own. Apparently, we all have way too much of it. Is it broken? Toss it. Anything double? Get rid of it. Anything you haven't used for months and, being honest with yourself, probably won't anytime soon? In the bin with that thing. In the end, you will feel lighter, not because you'll have fewer clothes to wear, but also mentally. Aside from the basic gains that are less shit, quicker cleaning and not standing in front of your closet every morning, not knowing what to wear, it also asks of you to redefine yourself. Are my things who I am? Or am I something more than that? Once you can answer that question, truthfully, then you might be a minimalist. Just get rid of that 4th bag of hackey sacks first....more
Would being not too positive about a book on positivity be a conundrum which could be solved by reading a book about positivity, thereby becoming moreWould being not too positive about a book on positivity be a conundrum which could be solved by reading a book about positivity, thereby becoming more positive? Perhaps, but it would also create an endless feedback loop, so let's not get into that whole thing. What does Barbara Fredrickson get right and what does she get wrong? In terms of the former, she quite clearly defines what positivity is, scientifically and attaches 10 clearly defined emotions to it as well. This makes this hard to grasp concept a bit easier to digest. Secondly, she gives some great ideas for increasing one's positivity. Up your positivity ratio, improve your life, if you will. Though not all is perfect (it's constructive feedback, not negativity, I swear). She is sometimes overly tedious and just plain... American. Someone with a sober mindset might find it a bit overwhelming. Get past these parts though and you will find some veritable nuggets of gold....more
I am doubting between 3 and 4 stars with this one. The good sides are the clear narrative, namely starting with the often underexposed pre-history of I am doubting between 3 and 4 stars with this one. The good sides are the clear narrative, namely starting with the often underexposed pre-history of humans and continuing with the broad strokes of human history by focusing on three main topics: imperialism, capitalism and industrialization. The bad sides are mostly restricted to the sometimes disbalance of the chapters. Some are almost childishly simple and in-your-face, others are much better. Still, the entire human history, without going into specific states or regions, in about 350 pages is quite impressive. Harari writes with a clear voice, often with wit. Being more of a historian of the modern age, the first third of the book was very informative, the last fifth about the future of mankind quite inquisitive. The large middle part lacked too much in in-depth knowledge, but that does not discredit the quality for anyone with less of a background in (early) modern history. Conclusion, three stars, but count four if you include yourself in the of crowd of ''novices within the subject of history''. ...more
At 750+ pages, this densely written tome is a big pill to swallow. It is worth the effort though since due to its nature of focusing on countries thatAt 750+ pages, this densely written tome is a big pill to swallow. It is worth the effort though since due to its nature of focusing on countries that no longer exist, the narrative will probably be quite different to what you are used to. No ''France'', ''Germany'' or ''Russia'' here (well, mostly), but Tolosa, Aragon, Prussia and Rusyn. This alone makes it for a fresh and intriguing read. On top of that, the writing style of Davies is a pleasure. Often witty, sharp and clear, it is easy to get absorbed by. Where the book falters though, is the varying quality of the chapters. Some are truly great, with my personal favourites being Litva, Aragon and Borussia. Some make you wonder what they are doing there, such as Byzantion, which comes in at a measly 15 pages and bears very little information regarding that once large empire. Some are just hard to follow, at least partially due to the complex nature of their subject, such as Burgundia. Taken together though, this is a great read through Europe's history from an unusual angle and written with great fervour. ...more
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