Gio'
Oscillating between 3 and 4. There's no question that, in my opinion, this book is less “grand” or original than the previous two books. A lot of ideas are repeated and recycled from Sapiens and Homo Deus. I was a little disappointed by the first 3rd of the book but the second part turned out to be more original and convincing.
It is always with a mix of sadness and excitement that I approach a book from Michael Crichton that I haven't read. The books are always superb and riveting but thinking that this wonderful author has gone too soon and, selfishly, that I have not that many of his books left to read, makes me a little sad. This story is fun, goes fast without slumping and makes you smarter and more aware. The technology described is of course outdated, but this only adds to the vintage appeal of this book.
Yuval Harari has become my favourite contemporary intellectual. I read Sapiens, listened to him in interviews and podcasts and I was a little afraid in being disappointed by his second book. It did not happen. The book has the same matter of fact tone as Sapiens, makes you think to myriad of aspects of contemporary life that I didn't necessarily consider, at least not explicitly and it is entertaining. The only issue I experienced is that, sometimes, the concepts are presented a little too fast for me to retain them. Maybe I should have taken notes, but it would have removed some enjoyment from the experience.
There's nothing wrong with this little book, but a lot of things are very well known by now, so I don't think it is groundbreaking or that enlightening in 2020. It is an extremely short read or you can listen to it during a short gym workout or run and it will entertain you a little bit, but if you read other self improvement books in your life, chances are that you will not find anything new...
Tabucchi has superior style. He could write just about anything and still capture you. This book is another beauty, but, to some extent, it ended up being too short for me. The author is clear in saying that this was the objective, but the choice didn't resonate with me. It doesn't get 5 start because of this plot choice.
The book is very short. In audio form is like a long podcast. Having said that, it comprehensively outlines a minimalist philosophy about small businesses and small size enterprises. While, taken one by one, all these observations are also found in other sources, I have not found a single place where they are all integrated together like in this book.
The only real downside is that for some of the “guidance” no counter arguments are analyzed to show where the limits are and where the methods break. In the end this is in line with the spirit of the book, something quick and actionable, not an all-encompassing academic book on business.
There are some interesting things here and there and a lot of other things that are just common sense. The author tries so hard to make his examples conform to the framework he created, that that the tone of the book is too forced. Overall it is an easy read and it doesn't add much to your knowledge, if you already read a lot of self improvement books and regularly listen to popular podcasts.
I'm a “constant reader” and I'm all caught up. That means that I read everything SK wrote, and I've been an SK reader for 30+ years. This is to say, that for people who haven't read everything from SK, this book might come out really strong, but for me is just nice, because most of the themes have been explored before in other books of his.
Mr. Harrigan's Phone: Classic King, nothing new under the sun, but it was like being visited by an old friend, maybe with different new clothes. So a nice evening remembering old times. Overall, very enjoyable.
The Life of Chuck: This is the most original of the stories in this book, too bad it feels unfinished, or maybe I didn't get it :-)
If It Bleeds: There's no doubt that “The Outsider” has been a full package success and gave us great hours of entertainment, so why not getting into Holly's world one more time? No reason not to!
Rat: Solid, classic King once again. Nothing new, but well written.
3.5 stars... TL,DR: This would have been a great book if it wasn't too long. The story is interesting and written in elegant Italian. The research behind this is impressive and the tone in describing something difficult is always on point. Having said that, the author goes a little too far in adding historical context and side stories, such that the book feels a little dispersive and some parts are a little bit of a chore to get through.
Still, there are some very deep social meanings in this book that the author is not scared to bring forward.
The book was not what I expected, mostly because I didn't do my homework beforehand. I was expecting something more focused on fascism and persecution of the Jews, but these things are just in the background, while the book focuses on the “questione meridionale” that is a way to describe the long standing issues related to the south of Italy. Levi explores this complex matter through a series of episodes.
The style is very varied, there are flashbacks, philosophical and historical mini essays throughout the book and so on.
Certainly an original book but maybe a little cold in some places to really merit 5 stars. Anyway, I really enjoyed reading it.
The book is very powerful and there's a lot of craziness in it. Some is due to real mental illnesses, som is due to the madness of the stories and situations and some is just due to not being able to see the reality without some pretty thick educational lenses. Anyway, good for you Tara. You came out from a very strange place a wrote a landmark book.
The theme of European and specifically Italian immigrants in US has been treated many times, so I had some doubts about what this book could add.
In reality, this book is highly original, it tells interesting stories of an interesting period. Some of the moments are pretty are to read, while other are uplifting. The prose is good and the author speaks from the heart.