Suzy

Unfortunately, this was maybe the worst biography I have ever read. Nietzsche was portrayed as uninteresting and dull. There were many, many blanket statements about people and relationships, but there was not much evidence presented to back things up.

This is one of the best examples of why you must show and not just tell when crafting a story. I am sure it is very well researched, but it left me feeling like I didn't have much confidence in the writer's statements because they didn't always align with how the character development was playing out.

I was really looking forward to reading this book. However, after the first 10 pages I knew I wouldn't be able to finish it. There are many inaccuracies in the author's attempt to place things into historical context. Bizarrely, for a history book, ideas and people are described using very emotional, petty language, which was off-putting and made it very difficult to take her seriously. It was also a red flag for me that early on I needed to fact check some things that I had doubts on (On a side note: I feel like a “highly entertaining and often hilarious” history book about the earth being flat shouldn't require multiple fact checking searches 10 pages in). Since I wasn't sure I would be able to stomach the rest of the book, I spent some time looking through various sections to determine if it would get better. In the end I was left feeling that this book wasn't for me, though it probably would have been had the book been edited well.

Exceptional writing. Feels like the idea for Fight Club might have come from it. Couldn't put it down and wish the author had lived longer so that he could have written more. It is a hidden gem.

I definitely recommend the audio version, as it's entertaining and like listening to an extended version of her show. Never thought I would enjoy listening to a book on the oil industry!

60% through the book. There has been little to no interesting or useful content, and it is painfully boring. Therefore, I have made the decision to abandon it.