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nquinlan's reviews
202 reviews
Unscripted: The Epic Battle for a Media Empire and the Redstone Family Legacy by James B Stewart, Rachel Abrams
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
3.0
The worst part of this book was learning how much of Succession was ripped straight from the Redstones.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexism
Minor: Alcohol
Number Go Up: Inside Crypto's Wild Rise and Staggering Fall by Zeke Faux
informative
medium-paced
5.0
What feels like a seminal work in the making. This book takes a clear eyed and easy to understand View of crypto, and tells the story of it through the major and sometimes (often) bombastic players in the space. I only wish that this had come out at the peak of crypto, today, it feels like book benefiting from the vantage point of hindsight sight.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
The Child Catchers: Rescue, Trafficking, and the New Gospel of Adoption by Kathryn Joyce
challenging
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
3.0
Overall, a necessary and widely reported expose on some of the harms of unchecked adoption which I’m glad to have read but I found myself wishing for a slightly different telling.
At times the book masterfully connected individual stories to larger trends and at times it missed the mark only telling an individual story when it seemingly wanted to show it as a trend.
At times I found myself wishing it did more to connect some of the actions to wider movements on the religious right like The Quiverfull movement or IBLP, both only recieve passing mention though their movements are also felt throughout.
The writer has a strong perspective and at times I found it got in the way when they’d have an excess of credulity for claims supporting their argument, would often take correlation to mean causation, or would make implications because one person was connected to the other.
In the end, the book was a great looks at some really seedy and difficult parts of unethical adoption and took a wide lens to help the reader explore it.
At times the book masterfully connected individual stories to larger trends and at times it missed the mark only telling an individual story when it seemingly wanted to show it as a trend.
At times I found myself wishing it did more to connect some of the actions to wider movements on the religious right like The Quiverfull movement or IBLP, both only recieve passing mention though their movements are also felt throughout.
The writer has a strong perspective and at times I found it got in the way when they’d have an excess of credulity for claims supporting their argument, would often take correlation to mean causation, or would make implications because one person was connected to the other.
In the end, the book was a great looks at some really seedy and difficult parts of unethical adoption and took a wide lens to help the reader explore it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Trafficking, and Colonisation
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Genocide, Violence, Abortion, and War
Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen by Dan Heath
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Kundo Wakes Up by Saad Z. Hossain
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
3.0
An interesting read, packed with puns stories, and opportunities to breathe better. I think, due partially to the book’s thesis: science and medicine have ignored breathing, I found the author to fall into patterns of what I felt was being a little too credulous, where he’d make broad claims from anecdotes.
I would love for more scientific research on the topic but for now I’m trying some of the techniques described.
I would love for more scientific research on the topic but for now I’m trying some of the techniques described.