The author has a talent for writing, rare these days, so it was a pleasure to read this book, even at 600+ pages
A couple of annoying thing, in at leasThe author has a talent for writing, rare these days, so it was a pleasure to read this book, even at 600+ pages
A couple of annoying thing, in at least 3 of his books he misquotes Hobbs, Hobbs said WHEN MAN GOES TO WAR WITH MAN, EVERY MANY BECOMES THE ENEMY OF EVERY MAN... AND LIFE BECOMES SOLITARY, SHORT, NASTY AND BRUTISH.
Hobbs put that in the tight context of people who were actually caught up in a war. Like all other authors, Niall leaves out the first line and makes it seem that Hobbs said life was solitary...etc FOR ALL PEOPLE.
He seems to get his snappy quotes from books of famous quotations, rather that the actual source.
There is other material he recycles from book to book...more
generally good reading, the author on p104, german hyperinflation, doesn't tell the role private business had, they could take IOU's to the central bagenerally good reading, the author on p104, german hyperinflation, doesn't tell the role private business had, they could take IOU's to the central bank and get 95% of the money deposited that day into their checking account. when the german gov decided to end inflation, they closed the discount window to businessmen and inflation ended. in 2008-2009 the US fed let a number of business's access the discount window, in the future this will probably become common.
On p 300 "no act of state sponsored terrorism ha had greater consequences than gavrilo princip's in 1914" In his previous book the war of the world, he didn't mention this. He made it sound that Austria started WW1, it was really Serbia and Russia. ...more
Like his other books, a very interesting subject, but boring to read. He really doesn't have a talent for writing.Like his other books, a very interesting subject, but boring to read. He really doesn't have a talent for writing....more
The first chapter is pretty much taken from thinking fast & slow the second starts with the not true story of bill gates, I thought copied from a GladwThe first chapter is pretty much taken from thinking fast & slow the second starts with the not true story of bill gates, I thought copied from a Gladwell book but the author doesn't give credit to Gladwell, so I guess Gladwell is like this author, not much original thinking, just copy from other people.
Gates didn't succeed because he spent hours on the computer, he succeeded because he broke the law every day as head of microsoft.
After losing 2 antitrust trials he quit in a snit...more
This book needs a split review, the text is often great. For people who are really serious about photography, he talks about a lot of interesting thinThis book needs a split review, the text is often great. For people who are really serious about photography, he talks about a lot of interesting things.
As for the photos, many aren't that great, and the best ones like the polar bear playing with a dog on p252 are printed really small. But for a guy who is trying to make money from photography, it was probably worth it for him. ...more
This was a fairly interesting book, I'm really glad that people are finally pointing out the flaws in almost all economic theory. The book is a bit loThis was a fairly interesting book, I'm really glad that people are finally pointing out the flaws in almost all economic theory. The book is a bit long, peoples choice of small chance of winning/losing large, or bigger chance of winning/losing small is repeated too many times. It's kinda like the author wanted to preempt any criticizing of his ideas by over explaining them
The author makes a few mistakes:\ He mentioned the possibility of a lawyer pointing out the chance of a mistake in DNA evidence, US courts don't allow that. I assume because errors aren't symmetrical, the chance a mistake would benefit a guilty person is very large, the chance it would harm an innocent person is 1 in 10 billion.
Also on p 361 he complains that a serious violation of regs concerning worker safety is capped at $7000, while a violation of the wild bird conservation act can result in a fine of up to 25000.
His error is that he didn't multiply by the chance of getting caught. ie the "utility" of a violation.
Humans complain a lot, so almost all worker safety violations would be reported. Birds can't complain, so what's the chance of someone being caught?
Another example of this is the fine for littering, we've all seen 1000+ examples of others having done that, how many were punished? 1 in 10,000?
So the fine is high, but rarely imposed.
195000 ratings before mine!!! what's the chance anyone will read this? :)...more
This was a really long book, but it had one thing that cleared a misconception all other writers have written since 1945.
When US troops invaded GermanThis was a really long book, but it had one thing that cleared a misconception all other writers have written since 1945.
When US troops invaded Germany in 1945 and came to the various camps, they saw many dead and very hungry people.
They jumped to the conclusion that this had been going on at these camps for a long time.
WRONG
The crimes were committed in Poland, but in early 1945 when russian troops approached, the prisoners were transferred to Auschwitz.
Later when russian's got to Auschwitz, they were transferred to camps in Germany Feb-April 1945
In early 1945 German people were thinking about who was going to overrun them, US or russian, not what was happening at the camps.
I can't believe that all the books, stories, etc I've read over the years had this so wrong.
The part about the poles sending messages in hidden ink was particularly interesting and an example of how inventive people can be, even in extreme situations with few resources. In this case the resource was their own urine!
Learning how a person could be sent to a cc for so many different reasons was interesting also, JW's, asocials, criminals, people in the resistance, in addition to jews, and from so many different countries, from Greece to Norway.
And how the prisoners clumped together by national origin, and would be most willing to help others from their country, but would be less willing to help others.
Note: I'm not excusing the crimes, I'm just pointing out how locals couldn't have known what was not happening locally....more
Scattered writing with too much about trivial persons.
One quote was interesting: "Liberals made a political choice to favor social reform over resistanScattered writing with too much about trivial persons.
One quote was interesting: "Liberals made a political choice to favor social reform over resistance to business impunity"
The appeal courts have gutted many laws about business fraud, congress needs to rewrite these.
I think the majority of amerikans now think the entire federal gov is one big chickenshit club.
Look at all the votes Sanders and Trump got in the last election.
In spite of libtard media attempts to discredit him, support for Trump and other disruptors will continue until the "system" is changed.
Anger is still growing in amerika. And that includes me, even tho I've done extremely well financially the last 9 years. ...more
A great book, I've always wondered why some companies put famous political people like kissinger on their boards, certainly not because of their knowlA great book, I've always wondered why some companies put famous political people like kissinger on their boards, certainly not because of their knowledge of the company.
I now consider it a sign the company may be a fraud ...more
fairly interesting, it appears there are more fakes on the market that real deals.
The author tells of a number of ways to identify fakes, magnet, blackfairly interesting, it appears there are more fakes on the market that real deals.
The author tells of a number of ways to identify fakes, magnet, black light, acetone, and many others.
He doesn't mention it, but the chinese are willing to fake items that sell for as little as $4
The author lacks a talent for writing, hoping from one topic to another.
He doesn't give enough attention to a major reason why the scam worked, that isThe author lacks a talent for writing, hoping from one topic to another.
He doesn't give enough attention to a major reason why the scam worked, that is, he could hide the sellers identity by saying they were fleeing from Nazis, and that was believable during the war.
He couldn't do that today, or for 95% of the time during the last 100 years. ...more
This book seems to have gone over the heads of many readers, they think it's suppose to be about "Clark Rockefeller" and his murder.
It's more of a psyThis book seems to have gone over the heads of many readers, they think it's suppose to be about "Clark Rockefeller" and his murder.
It's more of a psychology book about how we often misinterpret what's happening right in front of us, and why we think and do what we do.
The line in the book: "We all understand that you can’t predict the future, but getting to know an old friend, however perversely, through his murder trial, reveals a truth less commonly acknowledged: you can’t predict the past. It can change at any time"
and
"what I regarded as my trusting nature was, upon inspection, a kind of sloth. Instead of patiently working to get to know people, I'd decide that they were who I wanted them to be and discard them when they proved otherwise. This cycle of disappointment happened often. That it hadn't come close to happening with Clark, ---> that he never diverged from my fantasies about him, should have been a sign."
Should give even the least self-aware people a clue.
And the author created many interesting metaphors that made reading the book interesting....more
Mostly this book is a list of names of patients, doctors and scientists related to the Zika virus.
The amount of useful information could fit on one paMostly this book is a list of names of patients, doctors and scientists related to the Zika virus.
The amount of useful information could fit on one page, in fact Wikipedia has a page about both Zika and the Zika vaccine that are much more interesting to read, not to mention much much shorter.
The book doesn't have an index which every disease book should have, although given that mostly the author just lists a hundred names we really could not care less about, its absence is not really a loss. ...more
This is a curious book, some parts excellent, others poor.
I've read many times what a great weapon the german 88mm was, but why? No one else gave a hinThis is a curious book, some parts excellent, others poor.
I've read many times what a great weapon the german 88mm was, but why? No one else gave a hint.
This author compares muzzle velocity of several tank & anti tank guns, the 88mm is tops at about 3500 fps, most others just over 2000 fps some at the beginning of the war under 1000 fps.
The kinetic energy and flat trajectory of the 88 made it the best
On the other hand, he often has snarky things to say about people, including the absurdity that Hitler was deranged from 3rd stage syphilis.
In Lost victories, Manstein mentions a number of meetings with Hitler where he was polite, lucid, and had extremely detailed recall of production numbers.
This was a very unusual and interesting book. Most books about WW2 have been written by either professional writers or generals.
Neither see any or muchThis was a very unusual and interesting book. Most books about WW2 have been written by either professional writers or generals.
Neither see any or much of what life on the front line is like. Professional writers mostly borrow from other sources, and I expect in the future many will borrow from this book. I don't know of any diary that is comparable to this one.
Many accounts hinted at the savagery that went on on the Russian front, most had few details.
This book has lots of details, I doubt many people in the 20th century suffered as much as the soldiers here.
One of the surprises is the number of times they were attacked by Russian aircraft in 1941-43.
I'd been led to believe from other sources that the Russian planes had mostly been destroyed and the Germans ruled the air.
And this is the only book that details how they survived the brutal winters by living in houses with Russian peasants.
And countless descriptions of how the Russians used booby traps and other weapons....more
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