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howgreen's reviews
120 reviews
In the Wake of the Plague: The Black Death and the World It Made by Norman F. Cantor
Did not finish book. Stopped at 39%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 39%.
The book goes into a lot of detail concerning the history of the times before the plague. Too much detail and not enough emphasis on the immediate impact of the disease. I find the author's treatment of history a bit glib and at times tinged with mockery, not professional.
Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice by Bill Browder
adventurous
challenging
informative
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Anyone who is in doubt about how the US should respond to Russia and Putin over the current (Jan 2022) Ukraine crisis needs to read this book.
Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness by Richard H. Thaler, Cass R. Sunstein
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
This book is mainly about the social policy preferences of the authors. Only a relatively small portion of it describes the way "nudges" work. I would like to know the authors' reflections on the many irrational government rules western democracies have imposed in response to covid. We have certainly been "nudged" to death these past two years (2020 and 2021).
Censors at Work: How States Shaped Literature by Robert Darnton
Did not finish book. Stopped at 33%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 33%.
I was hoping that this book might discuss the ways in which censorship impacted society and vice versa. Instead, it focuses primarily on the processes of how censorship took place in the 3 eras it discusses. A record of how more than why.
Deadline by John Sandford
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A prescient presentation of a corrupt school board who wind up getting what they have coming!
Breaking the News: How the Media Undermine American Democracy by James M. Fallows
informative
medium-paced
5.0
Bill Chaisson wrote a good review of this book on Goodreads - Nov 9, 2020. Even though written 25 years ago, this book is relevant today - maybe more so - with public trust in the media at an all time low.
The Appeal by John Grisham
dark
emotional
sad
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? No
3.0
I sincerely hope that nothing the author has written in this book is true. In my view there is a "deus ex machina" aspect to the resolution that I think is a bit cheap.
The Rooster Bar by John Grisham
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The "heroes" in this book, while victims in one sense, are criminals willing to con the poor without thinking twice and they get away with it in a fashion.