edent_'s reviews
96 reviews

Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker

3.0

I am going to die from lack of sleep. My brain will turn to jelly, my mind will collapse, and my body shortly after. Every minute not spent sleeping is a minute closer to a grisly demise.

This ... https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2019/02/book-review-why-we-sleep/

I, Robot: Short Stories by Rowena Akinyemi

5.0

After attending a lecture on the ethics of self-driving cars, I decided to re-read Asimov's "I, Robot".

Any discussion of robots killing people inevitably returns to the supposed wisdom of the ... https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2019/01/i-robot-the-3-laws-considered-harmful/

Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel

4.0

A fascinating look at a defining moment in technological development. Full of intrigue, double-crossing, maths, and science.

It cracks along at a fair pace, sometimes lightly skipping over ... https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2019/01/book-review-longitude/

Death's End by Cixin Liu

3.0

This is an unforgiving book. Did you remember every detail from the last two novels? No - better go back and take some notes!

It is epic sci-fi. Bouncing between times, exploring big ideas, ... https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2019/01/book-review-deaths-end/

Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke, and the Making of a Masterpiece by Michael Benson

4.0

This is the ultimate "DVD Extra" of a book. Every single detail of the genesis and revelation of 2001 is documented in painstaking detail. The author has exclusive access to original ... https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2019/01/review-space-odyssey/

Letters from Alcatraz: A Collection of Letters, Interviews, and Views from James Whitey Bulger, Al Capone, Mickey Cohen, Machine Gun Kelly, a by Michael Esslinger

2.0

A grim and uncompromising read. Page after page of letters written by barely-literate violent offenders. Each trapped on Alcatraz, each pleading with someone for a little mercy, or arguing ... https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2019/01/review-letters-from-alcatraz/

The Bloodline Feud: A Merchant Princes Omnibus by Charles Stross

3.0

I met Stross in a crypt in London several years ago. He was unknown to me as an author, so I brashly asked him what he'd written. He politely told me "quite a lot" and he suggested I start with ... https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2019/01/review-the-bloodline-feud/

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari

4.0

Where did we come from? How did we get here? Where are we going?

The book does an admirable job answering the first two questions. Lots of research, deep explanations or competing theories and ... https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2019/01/review-sapiens/

Hazards Of Time Travel by Joyce Carol Oates

3.0

I have mixed feelings about this book. It feels like it should be a twin novel with The Psychology of Time Travel - but it just isn't as good.

It starts off hitting every single trope about ... https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2019/01/review-the-hazards-of-time-travel/

The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas

4.0

What a delight! This is a classic murder-mystery wrapped up in a perfect sci-fi package.

The answer to the "whodunnit" is, obviously, a time-traveller. But the twists and turns it takes ... https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2019/01/review-the-psychology-of-time-travel/