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smart_as_paint's reviews
172 reviews
The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson
4.0
Bill Bryson warns about using a single scientific study to make a wild conclusion while simultaneously using single studies to make wild conclusions.
The quality of this book is inconsistent. Some chapters (like the on on death) are much better than others.
The quality of this book is inconsistent. Some chapters (like the on on death) are much better than others.
The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery
4.0
The soul of an Octopus is about falling in love. Montgomery brings you along as she embeds herself with the New England Aquarium and the octopuses start their courtship. It takes a lover's patience to get through this book. Montgomery describes every octopus she meets in intimate detail. She never treats an octopus as a slimy invertebrate. Through her use of sensual language, the octopus becomes a mysterious lover.
Don't read this book if you have any desire to learn more about the bland facts of an octopus. These are the weakest parts of the text.
Read this book to catch a rare glimpse into an alien consciousness.
Read this book to gain a new sense of empathy for sea life.
Read this book to fall in love.
Don't read this book if you have any desire to learn more about the bland facts of an octopus. These are the weakest parts of the text.
Read this book to catch a rare glimpse into an alien consciousness.
Read this book to gain a new sense of empathy for sea life.
Read this book to fall in love.
A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn
5.0
History is written by the wealthy because they are history's only winners.
My Life with Things: The Consumer Diaries by Elizabeth Chin
4.0
You can't put out the capitalism from inside the well-furnished house.
But we also need somewhere to live.
But we also need somewhere to live.
Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein
4.0
You can strive to be a good person and still be complicit in fascism. That's not unfair; it's just the military.
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
4.0
There are many reasons to be critical of Eragon. It's a trope-filled adventure that often gets stuck in a question-answer loop. But the characters are memorable and it's still readable. It's a great introduction to the fantasy genre.
But being similar to The Lord of the Rings is not one of them. It shares only nominative similarities with Tolkien's writing. So, please. Judge the book on its own merits, not because you feel obliged to defend Tolkien.
But being similar to The Lord of the Rings is not one of them. It shares only nominative similarities with Tolkien's writing. So, please. Judge the book on its own merits, not because you feel obliged to defend Tolkien.
Eldest by Christopher Paolini
3.0
Christopher Paolini's Cambellian fantasy sequel is just as full of tropes as the original. Except now everything moves slower. The frenetic chase of the original is replaced by a lazy-river training montage. In which, Eragon learns the increasingly arbitrary rules of magic and fails to flirt with older women.
The real heart and soul of the book lies with Roran. Questions of loyalty, identity, and survival are fractals. You can always look closer. Roran's chapters explore these themes in a grounded reality. It's those that keep me coming back.
The real heart and soul of the book lies with Roran. Questions of loyalty, identity, and survival are fractals. You can always look closer. Roran's chapters explore these themes in a grounded reality. It's those that keep me coming back.