mikefromco's reviews
64 reviews

Control: The Dark History and Troubling Present of Eugenics by Adam Rutherford

challenging dark informative fast-paced

5.0

This book is a great introduction, at a very high level, to the science and politics of eugenics. 

The Story of China: The Epic History of a World Power from the Middle Kingdom to Mao and the China Dream by Michael Wood

informative slow-paced

Servants of the Damned by David Enrich

tense fast-paced

4.0

A surprisingly well-researched look into Jones Day and how it has changed and become closer to the GOP and Trump. I found it a fairly quick and light read. 

The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why It Matters by Tom Nichols

challenging

3.0

Homelessness Is a Housing Problem: How Structural Factors Explain U.S. Patterns by Gregg Colburn, Clayton Page Aldern

informative medium-paced

3.5

Although this book takes a great deal of effort to explain and justify its methodology in its claims, it doesn’t quite swing through the pitch and justify the solutions to the same degree. At times a weird combination of academic article and pop-science explanation of homelessness this book struggles to really find an identity, at least to me. 

Aside from this, Adam Verner is apparently a well known and liked narrator but did not work for me and it made this audio book much less enjoyable (though that is not reflected in my rating). 

Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed by James C. Scott

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

This book fundamentally changed how I view the world and state. As a high-modernist this was an essential and profound critique of my beliefs and I will think about this book for years to come. 

Other leftists, strong state advocates, and generally anthropologist-interested people should read this book. 

The Algorithm: How AI Decides Who Gets Hired, Monitored, Promoted, and Fired and Why We Need to Fight Back Now by Hilke Schellmann
Did not finish book. Stopped at 47%.

This book calls everything "AI" and just doesn't understand it. An applicant tracking system (ATS) is not AI, and calling it AI weakens this book's entire premise. I got about halfway through and just got worn down. 

Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know by Adam M. Grant

hopeful informative fast-paced

4.0

Death's End by Cixin Liu

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

at moments it was so hard to watch the protagonist make the worst choice every time but, to the books credit I felt I knew her by the end. I hated her, but I knew her.

Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World by Henry Grabar

informative inspiring fast-paced

4.75

I really enjoyed the very skeptical approach this book takes towards the concept of the anti-parking thought process. The storytelling and the factual recounting of facts are unmatched, and although it doesn't spend too much time on the counter perspectives (I think that it is probably assuming that the reader can supply that themselves) it does a good job talking about the range of opinions. 

The only weak point of the book is that it spends far too much time discussing the parking meter issues in Chigaco and the mess that it is and was.