Take a photo of a barcode or cover
andrewspink's reviews
553 reviews
Rosewood: Endangered Species Conservation and the Rise of Global China by Annah Lake Zhu
informative
slow-paced
4.0
A very interesting book, which I learnt a lot from. I had no idea that rosewood was so important. More to the point, I did not realise how poorly implemented bans on trade in endangered can lead to counterproductive effects (scarcity can make the resource more valuable and fines can be just seen as taxation). The Chinese understanding of conservation (harmony between species, which can include production) was also something new for me, which I'm still getting my head around. The concept of an 'inverted commons' where resources belong to the entire globe, not the people who rely on them most, was also thought-provoking.
Still Here: Embracing Aging, Changing, and Dying by Ram Dass
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
The writer is not from the same religious background as mine and also is of a different generation; he is very definitely of the boomer generation that he claims to be older than.
Nevertheless he had some interesting things to say and I found myself agreeing with more of what he wrote than I had expected to.
The book is aimed at people entering the last year's of their life. Perhaps I am fooling myself, but I don't think I'm quite there yet. It is true that physically I am past my peak (I probably could not cycle the mountain bike marathon that I did about five years ago), but I would like to think that I'm still learning new things and having new experiences.
Nevertheless he had some interesting things to say and I found myself agreeing with more of what he wrote than I had expected to.
The book is aimed at people entering the last year's of their life. Perhaps I am fooling myself, but I don't think I'm quite there yet. It is true that physically I am past my peak (I probably could not cycle the mountain bike marathon that I did about five years ago), but I would like to think that I'm still learning new things and having new experiences.
Dodelijke Wraak by Robert Bryndza
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Nice relaxing detective story.
De vegetariër by Han Kang
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Three years ago I read "Wij zijn licht" (we are light) by Gerda Blees. In that book, a group of people decide that they don't need to eat, light is enough. So it was with some amazement that I read the words that Kang gives to the main character, "I can do without food. All that I need is sunlight". Given the publication dates and that Blees' book is based on a true story, they cannot have influenced each other, which makes it all the more remarkable.
The Vegetarian is a also a remarkable book in other respects. In particular, the story is told from three different viewpoints, but never from the point of view of the main character. That is extraordinarily effective, both making a point in itself and making the reader wonder about what was going on inside their head.
The opening section, where the attitude of the husband to the protagonist (indifference bordering on contempt) is described, was particularly striking, and actually quite amusing.
It is a short book, which I got though in a couple of days, but so intense that you feel that you have been reading it for longer.
The Vegetarian is a also a remarkable book in other respects. In particular, the story is told from three different viewpoints, but never from the point of view of the main character. That is extraordinarily effective, both making a point in itself and making the reader wonder about what was going on inside their head.
The opening section, where the attitude of the husband to the protagonist (indifference bordering on contempt) is described, was particularly striking, and actually quite amusing.
It is a short book, which I got though in a couple of days, but so intense that you feel that you have been reading it for longer.
There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
In some ways, this was a book which could have been written for me personally. I did my PhD on river ecology and the institute where it was partly based later became part of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. I also did some research in Aswan, which gets a passing mention. That all gave me a lifelong interest in everything riverine. Having said that, the water analogy is maybe sometimes a little over-used. 'The two of them move in tandem, their shadows blend, like water molecules clinging to each other'. Those sort of metaphors are nice in moderation, but there were a lot of them. I was also not sure what to make of the writing about water memory. What is that all about? It reads like a legitimation of homeopathy, which is rather off-putting.
There is also quite a lot about living as a migrant in a country where you did not grow up, which also applies to me. "He has even taken English seaside holidays - and yet he is, and always will be, a foreigner".
The book is nicely written, rather poetic in parts. It uses a rich vocabulary; coruscating, crepuscular and sibilant, were all interesting words. I very much enjoyed the way that the book wove together three stories separated by time and space. That worked very nicely.
What was more difficult to read were the graphic descriptions of massacres. It is, of course, important to remember these events, but that does mean that I might hesitate to recommend the book to some people.
Near to the end of the book she wrote, "there is no better space than literature, especially the novel... within which to freely explore the most complex issues of our time with nuance, depth, care and empathy". I could not agree more.
There is also quite a lot about living as a migrant in a country where you did not grow up, which also applies to me. "He has even taken English seaside holidays - and yet he is, and always will be, a foreigner".
The book is nicely written, rather poetic in parts. It uses a rich vocabulary; coruscating, crepuscular and sibilant, were all interesting words. I very much enjoyed the way that the book wove together three stories separated by time and space. That worked very nicely.
What was more difficult to read were the graphic descriptions of massacres. It is, of course, important to remember these events, but that does mean that I might hesitate to recommend the book to some people.
Near to the end of the book she wrote, "there is no better space than literature, especially the novel... within which to freely explore the most complex issues of our time with nuance, depth, care and empathy". I could not agree more.
Ik kom hier nog op terug by Rob van Essen
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
There is a lot to like about this book. For a start, there is a lot of humour in it, despite the somewhat dark underlying themes, or perhaps precisely because of them. Rob van Essen also uses language very deliberately. Time and again, the characters say something and then deliberate if another word would have been better. Especially as a second language reader that adds an extra dimension.
The plot is odd, as befits a science fiction novel. Odd is good, and mostly it works very well. It starts with a young boy growing up in a strictly religious (reformed) family, and I must admit that my heart sank as I thought it was going to be yet another Dutch novel whose claim to literary fame was a miserable youth. But the author has made a much more well-rounded story than that, and that was all ok.
The only aspect that I was less enthusiastic about is where, almost at the end,all the characters who are living in the French monastery are left sort of hanging in mid-air. I don't have such a problem that for certain things we are given strong hints about what is going on (Ick's motivation, for instance) but it is left open as to if that is really the case. Also, in real life, we are sometimes left guessing.
I was very lucky to get a signed copy of this book as part of the NS publieksprijs campaign. I will definitely be voting for it.
The plot is odd, as befits a science fiction novel. Odd is good, and mostly it works very well. It starts with a young boy growing up in a strictly religious (reformed) family, and I must admit that my heart sank as I thought it was going to be yet another Dutch novel whose claim to literary fame was a miserable youth. But the author has made a much more well-rounded story than that, and that was all ok.
The only aspect that I was less enthusiastic about is where, almost at the end,
I was very lucky to get a signed copy of this book as part of the NS publieksprijs campaign. I will definitely be voting for it.
This Other Eden by Paul Harding
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
If the plot of this book was not based on reality, then you would never believe it. It is such a heart-rending tragic story that you would expect that reading the book would be a miserable experience. However, the characters are so great and Paul Harding does such a good job of explaining to us why normal, sometimes even good, people did appalling things, that it becomes bearable.
The book is well written, and has an interesting use of vocabulary. I had to look up all sorts of words; dory (I'd forgotten it was a fish), entablature (never heard of it, it is the architecture above an architrave), lye solution (I guess I once knew that it was potassium hydroxide) and skep (a beehive, according to the dictionary only in American English, like the agricultural machine tedder). Although it has some long sentences, they are beautifully formed and it was not hard to read. An odd feature is that it swaps to the present tense every so often for no apparent reason.
In the end, the book's greatest achievement is that it makes crystal clear how skin colour and 'race' are really completely irrelevant when trying to understand how people are inherently in themselves. The meaning of 'social construct' becomes understandable. It is only in a racist society with a racist history that these things matter.
The book is well written, and has an interesting use of vocabulary. I had to look up all sorts of words; dory (I'd forgotten it was a fish), entablature (never heard of it, it is the architecture above an architrave), lye solution (I guess I once knew that it was potassium hydroxide) and skep (a beehive, according to the dictionary only in American English, like the agricultural machine tedder). Although it has some long sentences, they are beautifully formed and it was not hard to read. An odd feature is that it swaps to the present tense every so often for no apparent reason.
In the end, the book's greatest achievement is that it makes crystal clear how skin colour and 'race' are really completely irrelevant when trying to understand how people are inherently in themselves. The meaning of 'social construct' becomes understandable. It is only in a racist society with a racist history that these things matter.
Het verborgen leven van bomen by Peter Wohlleben
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.0
I read some rather negative reviews, which put me off this book. They said that Peter Wohlleben over-simplified the science (that it was too dumbed-down) and that it was too anthropomorphic. However, fortunately, a friend recently leant me a copy and I was pleased to discover that it is a book well worth reading.
It is well written, with short, easily digestible chapters, and I would say that it is about the right level for a popular science book. There is an extensive reference section for those who want more. It is true that there was not a great deal new in the book for me. The majority of what he writes I had heard about as a botany student forty years ago. Having said that, the book was peppered with interesting gems of knowledge that I did not know. For instance, that apparently dead tree stumps can survive hundreds of years, supported by their neighbours. I did know that natural forests store more carbon than plantations, but he gave a very nice clear explanation as to why that is.
There were some things that I was less positive about. He repeats the myth that ivy strangles or at least damages trees when it grows up them. As students, we were taught that people think this because ivy grows up weakened trees and they then cause and effect. I would be interested to see evidence to the contrary, but in this book he just says that he has observed that trees with lots of ivy are not doing so well, which is no proof at all as to which is cause and which is effect. He also lumps all the different moss species together in a couple of places, despite their diverse ecologies, which is a shame.
He writes that saplings remain small underneath the parent trees due to low light levels. That is not entirely correct. It is actually due to the ration of red/far-red light, which switches off or on specific mechanisms in the small trees, preventing them growing.
There is one aspect of the book which is quite controversial, and that is the extensive use of analogies to animal (including human) activities and emotions. I was prepared to be annoyed by that, but actually it works really well; it makes you think about and understand the various mechanisms that he discusses very effectively. I would draw that line at using the word 'pain' though. That is not just a response to a stimulus and a learning mechanism, but has a specific meaning in terms of feelings and emotions. I think it is presumptuous to imagine that trees feel emotions the same way that people do. They must have their own way of 'feeling', which is doubtless beyond our capacity to empathise with, seeing it must be so different.
It is well written, with short, easily digestible chapters, and I would say that it is about the right level for a popular science book. There is an extensive reference section for those who want more. It is true that there was not a great deal new in the book for me. The majority of what he writes I had heard about as a botany student forty years ago. Having said that, the book was peppered with interesting gems of knowledge that I did not know. For instance, that apparently dead tree stumps can survive hundreds of years, supported by their neighbours. I did know that natural forests store more carbon than plantations, but he gave a very nice clear explanation as to why that is.
There were some things that I was less positive about. He repeats the myth that ivy strangles or at least damages trees when it grows up them. As students, we were taught that people think this because ivy grows up weakened trees and they then cause and effect. I would be interested to see evidence to the contrary, but in this book he just says that he has observed that trees with lots of ivy are not doing so well, which is no proof at all as to which is cause and which is effect. He also lumps all the different moss species together in a couple of places, despite their diverse ecologies, which is a shame.
He writes that saplings remain small underneath the parent trees due to low light levels. That is not entirely correct. It is actually due to the ration of red/far-red light, which switches off or on specific mechanisms in the small trees, preventing them growing.
There is one aspect of the book which is quite controversial, and that is the extensive use of analogies to animal (including human) activities and emotions. I was prepared to be annoyed by that, but actually it works really well; it makes you think about and understand the various mechanisms that he discusses very effectively. I would draw that line at using the word 'pain' though. That is not just a response to a stimulus and a learning mechanism, but has a specific meaning in terms of feelings and emotions. I think it is presumptuous to imagine that trees feel emotions the same way that people do. They must have their own way of 'feeling', which is doubtless beyond our capacity to empathise with, seeing it must be so different.
De kuil: roman by Laura van der Haar, L.J. Haar
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The main protagonist is a very irritating person. She seems to have no mind of her own, and, even worse, the author seemed to think that that was a good thing. The other characters are a bit unlikeable as well.
The plot was not so brilliant and in parts downright unbelievable. Someone finds a body whilst walking a dog and then no one else does for quite some time, despite the flies and the smell.
There was one redeeming element and that was the nature descriptions, which were nicely done. I enjoyed those bits.
But on the whole, not an enjoyable book, I was happy to get to the end.
The plot was not so brilliant and in parts downright unbelievable. Someone finds a body whilst walking a dog and then no one else does for quite some time, despite the flies and the smell.
There was one redeeming element and that was the nature descriptions, which were nicely done. I enjoyed those bits.
But on the whole, not an enjoyable book, I was happy to get to the end.
Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We're in Without Going Crazy by Joanna Macy, Chris Johnstone
challenging
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
3.0
This is a book which I would have loved as a student. But that was forty years ago and, for better or worse, it does not speak so much to me now. It is perhaps naive in parts; that agriculture has turned the corner towards more environmentally friendly practices is a statement that just doesn't stand up to much scrutiny. It is nice to see signs of hope, but that should not be mistaken for a whole sector being reformed.
It is also definitely over-American in its style and message. The emphasis on personal emotions and grieving for the environment is not really my style.
I know that there is a newer editing, perhaps that is a little more realistic?
On the other hand, hope is important and perhaps if I was twenty again I would appreciate it more.
It is also definitely over-American in its style and message. The emphasis on personal emotions and grieving for the environment is not really my style.
I know that there is a newer editing, perhaps that is a little more realistic?
On the other hand, hope is important and perhaps if I was twenty again I would appreciate it more.