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chan_fry's reviews
164 reviews
2.0
As with any anthology, the reader won't connect with every story; some will seem like space-fillers and others will be gems enjoyable to discover. For me, this one contained too few gems and too many that I simply didn't enjoy. There are 31 stories in this 589-page book. For a handful, I couldn't even tell why they were included -- there seemed to be zero elements of either science fiction or fantasy. Quite a few others, either I never understood what was happening, or nothing ever happened. Some, it seemed, were simply poorly written. I'm surprised this book won awards.
The stories I did enjoy include: All That Touches The Air, by An Owomoyela; The Server And The Dragon, by Hannu Rajaniemi; Malak, by Peter Watts; The Paper Menagerie, by Ken Liu; and Digging, by Ian McDonald.
4.0
My curiosity piqued by the title, and finding this book for ultra-cheap at a used book sale, it was a given that I would read it. I wasn't sure I would like it, given the use of the word "spirituality" and applying that to a secular lifestyle. However, author Sam Harris was acutely aware of how the word could be misunderstood and spent some time early in the book explaining his choice to use it: "there is no other term — apart from the even more problematic mystical or the more restrictive contemplative — with which to discuss the efforts people make, through meditation, psychadelics, or other means, to fully bring their minds into the present or to induce nonordinary states of consciousness. And no other word links this spectrum of experience to our ethical lives."
The book itself is all about meditation and how a secular skeptic could practice it -- and why. In this sense, it was enlightening (pun intended) to me, though I admit I didn't grasp all of what Harris said. I'm no neurologist (Harris is). It is well-written with crisp and useful phrasing; no word is wasted.
I stumbled several times in attempting to understand Harris' assertion that "self" is an illusion, especially since he used the word "consciousness" as something separate from the "self" that turns out to not be there. I have always used the word "self" or "I" to refer to my consciousness, which Harris admits exists, so I have no concept of this separate "I/self" that Harris tries to disprove.
4.0
This book is powerful, the result of massive research. Mukherjee lays out the history of cancer as humans have encountered it, through the eyes of doctors, scientists, patients, activists, lab technicians, and administrators. From the earliest historical mentions through what was cutting edge in 2010 (when he published), the story of cancer is laid bare.
Perhaps the thing that struck me the most is how primitive some of the treatments seemed -- just a few decades ago. By extension, someone reading this 40 years from now might chortle at how little we know today.
I cannot, however, give it five stars, due to several dating/factual errors throughout the book. Just one example for this short review: About halfway through we learn that a teenager named Rose had her first cigarette in 1942, but on the next page we learned "her habit escalated" in the 1930s when the economy "soured". I ran across several instances like this, though not enough to take away from the overall impact of this book.
(I wrote a more thorough review on my website, here.)
3.0
Overall, this was an enjoyable read. Bergreen skillfully weaves a coherent narrative, despite contradictions between accounts written by the men who actually sailed on this voyage. And he brings the readers as close as possible to understanding what it must have been like to be on one of those ships. The story is gripping, mind-blowing in places, and fascinating throughout.
A few minor complaints marred my reading experience. Briefly: (1) the typeface was distracting, apparently chosen to appear aged or era-appropriate; (2) for many locales, the author chose not to use modern place names, so I had difficulty following the voyage on a map -- though I tried; and (3) there were a few incongruities. By the latter, I mean the author will indicate one thing (peril, for example), but then the following paragraphs don't bear it out.
Still, for anyone even mildly interested in the Age of Discovery, I recommend this book.
I have published a longer review on my website.
3.0
This was a fascinating "what-if" story, which is my favorite kind of story — the author starts by asking himself a what-if question (“What if a medium-sized city in French-occupied Algeria experienced an outbreak of bubonic plague?”) and then is free to expound on that theme at length. Camus seems curiously detached from the actual pestilence while he explores various existential questions.
One really odd thing was the third-person narration — the narrator even refers to himself in the third person — despite the narrator being one of the named characters (revealed late in the book). I don't think I've ever come across this mode, and it was off-putting throughout.
Another odd thing was how the narrator spoke of the emotion of the town's people in general but when dealing with specific individuals he utterly avoided mentioning their feelings and emotions — describing only their words and actions. "Rieux said..." or "Rambert stood."
However, his character description was powerful; each named character was distinct and had his own voice and characteristics — this is difficult for many authors.
I have published a longer review on my website.
4.0
This was the most enjoyable science fiction novel I've read in a long time. The world-building was superb and unique (at least among the books I have read). The characters were fun — and funny! The action was believable. A few plot twists were predictable but others were surprising.
I simply can't give it that extra fifth star because it didn't end. Books, even books in a series, should conclude at some point, wrapping up major plot lines. This is a personal pet peeve that extends to today's slew of TV shows that never reach a conclusion, but just keep going in the hopes they'll be continuously renewed. I understand if this feature/bug doesn't bother others.
That complaint alone only means I remove the fifth star, on principle. It doesn't mean I'll shy away from future installments. I'm already pining for Book 2, which I hope to have in hand very soon.
(I have published a longer review on my website.)