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adamgolden's reviews
192 reviews
The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman
3.0
(3/5★)
For the most part, an enjoyable book that does what it sets out to do - prove that birds are smarter than what most of society perceives them as - dumb, or one could even say "bird-brained". There are interesting facts here and there, like most pop-science reads have, but considerably less than the norm. A couple of the studies that the author leaned heavily upon in some sections of the book were based on considerably small sample sizes, and didn't hold a lot of weight (yet) in my opinion. Other than that, if you're looking to learn more about the current status of bird intelligence with a beautiful cover, this book could be for you.
For the most part, an enjoyable book that does what it sets out to do - prove that birds are smarter than what most of society perceives them as - dumb, or one could even say "bird-brained". There are interesting facts here and there, like most pop-science reads have, but considerably less than the norm. A couple of the studies that the author leaned heavily upon in some sections of the book were based on considerably small sample sizes, and didn't hold a lot of weight (yet) in my opinion. Other than that, if you're looking to learn more about the current status of bird intelligence with a beautiful cover, this book could be for you.
No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai
3.0
(3.5/5★)
No Longer Human perfectly encapsulates the feeling of being alienated by society's standardization of the general population. To many people this book will be very relatable, in more ways than one - and for good reason. Osamu Dazai clearly had personal experience with loneliness, and he portrays it in this novel in an extremely believable fashion. My only real gripe with this book is that it could have been fleshed out a bit more. I was left a little unsatisfied when I was finished.
No Longer Human perfectly encapsulates the feeling of being alienated by society's standardization of the general population. To many people this book will be very relatable, in more ways than one - and for good reason. Osamu Dazai clearly had personal experience with loneliness, and he portrays it in this novel in an extremely believable fashion. My only real gripe with this book is that it could have been fleshed out a bit more. I was left a little unsatisfied when I was finished.
The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle
2.0
(2.5/5★)
While not necessarily a bad novel, as it still has Doyle's classic characters in it, this has to be one of the most convoluted, boring Sherlock Holmes books. The usual twists and turns just aren't there for most of the book, although there is at least some character development throughout that is always appreciated when reading a longer series of books.
While not necessarily a bad novel, as it still has Doyle's classic characters in it, this has to be one of the most convoluted, boring Sherlock Holmes books. The usual twists and turns just aren't there for most of the book, although there is at least some character development throughout that is always appreciated when reading a longer series of books.
Misery by Stephen King
4.0
(4.5/5★)
Misery is proof of why Stephen King reached the heights that he has in writing. An absolute page-turner, and one that is as gripping today as it was 30 years ago. King likes to get in his readers' heads, and this book will certainly accomplish that. There were times I put the book down before starting the next chapter, anticipating what will happen next, and King would take on a completely different direction and surprise me. From start to end, a fantastic read, and I'd argue it's much better than the film as a whole.
Misery is proof of why Stephen King reached the heights that he has in writing. An absolute page-turner, and one that is as gripping today as it was 30 years ago. King likes to get in his readers' heads, and this book will certainly accomplish that. There were times I put the book down before starting the next chapter, anticipating what will happen next, and King would take on a completely different direction and surprise me. From start to end, a fantastic read, and I'd argue it's much better than the film as a whole.