Mer Barr
I only had access to this book for about two weeks with no renewal option. I didn't get very far because the first couple chapters covering sometime in the 1940s to 1951 where just a blur of political maneuverings between the US, China, India and Tibet by those who sit in high offices in these national governments and make these decisions. This is the type of information I wasn't interest in so the book sat on my shelf for days.
I was wanting a memoir, which this may have been; I didn't reach the point where the author might have come into the picture. I was also wanting that first-hand perspective on the Dalai Lama's actual exodus, which I also did not get to.
Since I had to go outside my own, rather extensive, library system to gain access to this book, I suspect I won't ever circle back to this and continue to have my questions unanswered.
I only had access to this book for about two weeks with no renewal option. I didn't get very far because the first couple chapters covering sometime in the 1940s to 1951 where just a blur of political maneuverings between the US, China, India and Tibet by those who sit in high offices in these national governments and make these decisions. This is the type of information I wasn't interest in so the book sat on my shelf for days.
I was wanting a memoir, which this may have been; I didn't reach the point where the author might have come into the picture. I was also wanting that first-hand perspective on the Dalai Lama's actual exodus, which I also did not get to.
Since I had to go outside my own, rather extensive, library system to gain access to this book, I suspect I won't ever circle back to this and continue to have my questions unanswered.
Added to listFantasywith 596 books.
Story 3 of 5 - There wasn't much movement to the plot by the time I stopped reading and returned the book to the library. I prefer stories that don't hang out in the same place overly long and that move at a bit faster pace. I think I stopped at about the 3rd or 4th physical place and definitely not much going on.
Character 4 of 5 - The story is told from the perspective and in the mind of the main character. I find I much prefer to be in the know on at least some of the character of the stories. I'm not a fan of having an unusual story and having no clue what any of the characters are thinking, feeling or planning. The main character and his father are relatively fleshed out and many of the characters they interact with have some depth.
Setting 5 of 5 - emphasis is on world building. Cudos to the author for coming up with a unique idea and the humorous twists on known quips and book / movie references. However, this is such a unique perspective that I wish there'd been a bit more time spent on explaining the relationship of the world and the impact to the culture and classification. I may have been driving through city traffic and missed that part.
Language 4 of 5 - although the base language used is not unknown to me, many parts are strings of number, like an IP address. Strings of numbers are definitely a foreign language to me.
Story 3 of 5 - There wasn't much movement to the plot by the time I stopped reading and returned the book to the library. I prefer stories that don't hang out in the same place overly long and that move at a bit faster pace. I think I stopped at about the 3rd or 4th physical place and definitely not much going on.
Character 4 of 5 - The story is told from the perspective and in the mind of the main character. I find I much prefer to be in the know on at least some of the character of the stories. I'm not a fan of having an unusual story and having no clue what any of the characters are thinking, feeling or planning. The main character and his father are relatively fleshed out and many of the characters they interact with have some depth.
Setting 5 of 5 - emphasis is on world building. Cudos to the author for coming up with a unique idea and the humorous twists on known quips and book / movie references. However, this is such a unique perspective that I wish there'd been a bit more time spent on explaining the relationship of the world and the impact to the culture and classification. I may have been driving through city traffic and missed that part.
Language 4 of 5 - although the base language used is not unknown to me, many parts are strings of number, like an IP address. Strings of numbers are definitely a foreign language to me.
Story 2 of 5 - The story does alot of jumping about, not only back and forth across time but from location to location. There are alot of gaps which, if this were a movie, would be due to cutting out sections of a movies to fit the ideal length. Unfortuntely, they've either left in pieces related to the cut topics, leaving the watcher confused by this odd bit of info, OR the editors cut out too much; removing important continuity pieces to explain other parts of the film, again leaving the watcher with something they don't understand.
Character 5 of 5 - emphasis is definitely on characters. Told from the view point of and within the mind of the heroine. A mysterious and slowly fleshed out "handler" and a child with a mysterious and slowly fleshed out history.
Setting 4 of 5 - the world building is focused on, you can feel the heat and the sun, the grit of the sand, and the sound of ?Frank Herbert's? worms moving about. Thank goodness not the stench of the train car.
Language 4 of 5 - many of you may not recognize my reference but the author writes like the writers of the old Los Angeles cop of the 50's known as Joe Friday. Very distinctive pacing and as Mr. Friday would say to a witness, "Just the facts, Mam." Mr. Friday's speech didn't get on my nerves but for reasons I can't put my finger on, I did not have the same experience with this character's.
Strangely, I couldn't get attached to any of the 3 main characters. That on top of the issues i had with the story and language leave me with a Meh rating.
Story 2 of 5 - The story does alot of jumping about, not only back and forth across time but from location to location. There are alot of gaps which, if this were a movie, would be due to cutting out sections of a movies to fit the ideal length. Unfortuntely, they've either left in pieces related to the cut topics, leaving the watcher confused by this odd bit of info, OR the editors cut out too much; removing important continuity pieces to explain other parts of the film, again leaving the watcher with something they don't understand.
Character 5 of 5 - emphasis is definitely on characters. Told from the view point of and within the mind of the heroine. A mysterious and slowly fleshed out "handler" and a child with a mysterious and slowly fleshed out history.
Setting 4 of 5 - the world building is focused on, you can feel the heat and the sun, the grit of the sand, and the sound of ?Frank Herbert's? worms moving about. Thank goodness not the stench of the train car.
Language 4 of 5 - many of you may not recognize my reference but the author writes like the writers of the old Los Angeles cop of the 50's known as Joe Friday. Very distinctive pacing and as Mr. Friday would say to a witness, "Just the facts, Mam." Mr. Friday's speech didn't get on my nerves but for reasons I can't put my finger on, I did not have the same experience with this character's.
Strangely, I couldn't get attached to any of the 3 main characters. That on top of the issues i had with the story and language leave me with a Meh rating.
Well written, not loaded with technical jargon, so informative for a layperson. A nice mix of the sciences involved plus the author's own experiences in researching and visiting the sites.
It cover 4 "cities"; I was aware of 3 of them and the last is one (east of St. Louis, Missouri, US) I've actually visited. Because the part of Cahokia I visited, is not very restored, it's hard to imagine the city described in the book.
Well written, not loaded with technical jargon, so informative for a layperson. A nice mix of the sciences involved plus the author's own experiences in researching and visiting the sites.
It cover 4 "cities"; I was aware of 3 of them and the last is one (east of St. Louis, Missouri, US) I've actually visited. Because the part of Cahokia I visited, is not very restored, it's hard to imagine the city described in the book.
Added to listNon Fictionwith 1476 books.
Can't quite put my finger on it but I didn't like this one as much as the first. Maybe there wasn't so much of the word play that I find humorous, and more emphasis on forms of humor I don't find funny?
Can't quite put my finger on it but I didn't like this one as much as the first. Maybe there wasn't so much of the word play that I find humorous, and more emphasis on forms of humor I don't find funny?
I have not laughed out loud in a long time! It's nice to find some humor I can enjoy. Right up there with the Dortmunder series by Donald E Westlake and some of the Discwold series by Terry Pratchett.
I have not laughed out loud in a long time! It's nice to find some humor I can enjoy. Right up there with the Dortmunder series by Donald E Westlake and some of the Discwold series by Terry Pratchett.
I haven't torn through a book in quite a while. The pace kept moving, no trips down side plots that don't move the story forward, etc. However, I did see several commonly used themes that brought down the enjoyment rating; a person that hates herself ALOT, and the big one, she really hates that good looking guy. And how about the ending? I'm trying to pretend it didn't end that way cuz I hate unanswered questions.
I haven't torn through a book in quite a while. The pace kept moving, no trips down side plots that don't move the story forward, etc. However, I did see several commonly used themes that brought down the enjoyment rating; a person that hates herself ALOT, and the big one, she really hates that good looking guy. And how about the ending? I'm trying to pretend it didn't end that way cuz I hate unanswered questions.
"This Inevitable Ruin" with a different place and time.
"This Inevitable Ruin" with a different place and time.
Added to listNot Yet Publishedwith 4 books.
This book put words to the frustrations I'd been feeling but unable to define. The first 65% of the book is full of new-to-me terms and shady dealings and alot of venting of frustrations. Several times I almost quit reading, because I couldn't handle all the venting. The remaining 35% is about things that can be done to move things in a different direction. I'm not sure thiese are things I can do myself, but maybe being persistent in communicating with my legislative representatives...
This book put words to the frustrations I'd been feeling but unable to define. The first 65% of the book is full of new-to-me terms and shady dealings and alot of venting of frustrations. Several times I almost quit reading, because I couldn't handle all the venting. The remaining 35% is about things that can be done to move things in a different direction. I'm not sure thiese are things I can do myself, but maybe being persistent in communicating with my legislative representatives...
The author does a great job of detailing the work each woman did, how they all worked within the restrictions of their time, and their different routes to escape the Nazis. I was surprised to see that they knew each other, but I really shouldn't considering how small the group of women in the sciences were at the time.
The author does a great job of detailing the work each woman did, how they all worked within the restrictions of their time, and their different routes to escape the Nazis. I was surprised to see that they knew each other, but I really shouldn't considering how small the group of women in the sciences were at the time.
Added to listMarch Madness noms 24with 74 books.
