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marct22's reviews
674 reviews
Unknown Quantity: A Real and Imaginary History of Algebra by John Derbyshire
4.0
I did enjoy this book, a bit of a slog, maybe took 2 months to get through it. I worked through much of the math to ensure I understood it. The history was quite interesting, I really enjoyed the way he walked from the beginning to what's going on today. Makes me want to revisit the stuff I learned but have forgotten! If you don't know much math, this book will be very very difficult to read. I had to recall as best I could what little I remember from my undergraduate physics classes to tackle the later stuff like group theory and manifolds. I don't recall learning ring theory, so that was cool to me!
Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow
5.0
All I can say is wow! This was chock full of good and fascinating history about our first president! I learned a lot about the times he lived in, his life, the revolutionary war and his struggles with just keeping an army, the story behind Benedict Arnold, and the struggles with containing his two key cabinet members, Hamilton and Jefferson, who detested each other. In light of the recent election we just had between Obama and Romney, it was eye-opening to see the crap Washington had to put up with with a rabid media hungering for Federalist blood! Highly recommended! I can hardly wait to read Chernow's Alexander Hamilton next!
Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
5.0
Sadly, what I thought I knew about Hamilton was colored by those who were so jealous of his oratory, writings, and brilliance, namely Jefferson, Adams, and Madison. How little did I know about how much America is truly indebted to this great man! He was truly a self-made man, born into poverty, effectively an orphan, with the help of people who recognized his potential, he soared to tremendous heights, did so so much for America. I would rate in terms of greatness of the founding fathers, Washington 1, Hamilton right behind him, with Franklin, Adams, and Jefferson bringing up the rear. A truly masterful biography of this sadly little understood giant. Highly recommended!
Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World by Mark Pendergrast
4.0
while a good book, it raced though the first centuries, then slowed down and got into more details in the late 1800s. i wished there was more about the time before then. it did quickly cover stuff pre-american civil war, but quickly.
The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan
5.0
very good book, stunning when describing the days of the dust bowl. i also liked how he described some of the new deal efforts to help out the farmers and ranchers there trying to help them cope with dustfields and starving horses and cows. however, the postdustbowl chapter was exceedingly short. kinda disappointing when, after 300 pages of predustbowl and dustbowl, that less than ten pages covered the postdustbowl.