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miramichijim's reviews
785 reviews
The World in Six Songs by Daniel J. Levitin
2.0
I agree with some of the other reviews here: not as interesting as "This is Your Brain on Music". He came across as a bit of a name-dropper IMO. Seemingly every 'expert' was his 'good friend'. Maybe it is true, but it got tiresome after a few chapters.
The Man Who Mapped the Arctic: The Intrepid Life of George Back, Franklin's Lieutenant by Peter Steele
3.0
This is a well-researched, well-written book about an arctic explorer who stands in the shadow of Franklin himself. This book brings Lieutenant George Back out of the shadows and into his own well-deserved spotlight.
I rated this book 3/5 because it will primarily appeal only to those deeply interested in (i.e. already have a background knowledge of) Arctic/Northwest Passage history.
I also took away a star for lack of colour images of places Back so well describes in his journals. It would have been nice to see what these places actually look like today. Otherwise, the book is liberally enhanced with Back's own detailed sketches.
For a good introduction to Northwest Passage history, check out [b:Across the Top of the World: The Quest for the Northwest Passage|990438|Across the Top of the World The Quest for the Northwest Passage|James P. Delgado|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405578809s/990438.jpg|975933]
I rated this book 3/5 because it will primarily appeal only to those deeply interested in (i.e. already have a background knowledge of) Arctic/Northwest Passage history.
I also took away a star for lack of colour images of places Back so well describes in his journals. It would have been nice to see what these places actually look like today. Otherwise, the book is liberally enhanced with Back's own detailed sketches.
For a good introduction to Northwest Passage history, check out [b:Across the Top of the World: The Quest for the Northwest Passage|990438|Across the Top of the World The Quest for the Northwest Passage|James P. Delgado|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405578809s/990438.jpg|975933]
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
4.0
I had read this book so long ago (high school years) that I had forgotten the story. So it was like reading it fresh again. As I was reading it, I was thinking of Hunter S. Thompson's The Rum Diaries for some reason. I think it is because of the writer's viewpoint in both cases. Things are happening around -and to- Nick/HST and we get to live vicariously through them, for good or bad. I'll have to watch the movie now to see how it compares to the novel.