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lucyistoocool's review against another edition
5.0
Gosh I love Mary Roach!! She is fascinating. I’m inspired by both her writing and her insatiable curiosity. I can only hope to emulate her as she seeks answers the questions I’ve yet to ask. Love this book, as I did her others
angus_mckeogh's review against another edition
4.0
Always funny. Always insightful and just a good read. Nothing like getting a bit of an education while being entertained.
bookph1le's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
I thought this was fun and interesting, I just didn't like it as much as some of her previous books. Still, whatever she writes is a delight because she's so good at going down weird rabbit holes and taking the reader along for an interesting ride.
I thought this was fun and interesting, I just didn't like it as much as some of her previous books. Still, whatever she writes is a delight because she's so good at going down weird rabbit holes and taking the reader along for an interesting ride.
the_epi_reader's review against another edition
Too journalistic/focused on the author’s travel/experience rather than animals
daniellekat's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
2.75
This started off strong, but by the halfway mark things started to roll downhill. There were lots of interesting little nuggets along the way, but generally the author centered herself within the content too much. The theme fell apart in the second half of the book and Roach took on a judgmental stance that was off-putting as a reader. I think the writing was ok. It was a bit too descriptive for me but I can see how her writing creates an approachable feel for non-fiction. There were some sections that ranged from fairly biased to down right ignorant that the author never acknowledged (especially as a middle-aged western white woman in foreign places and cultures) that made me question Roach's credibility on a whole. I might give this author another chance, I've heard better things about her earlier publications, but I can't say I would recommend this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Colonisation and Forced institutionalization
celinegaghadar's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
2.5
First half was interesting, second half boring and the theme fell apart. Tone was condescending and very self-centering. I have read other books by the author that I remember liking much better.