My library nailed me with the wrong edition. Rebecca Burns might have a nice voice for some stories, but not these. Yuck. Her voice doesn't carry the My library nailed me with the wrong edition. Rebecca Burns might have a nice voice for some stories, but not these. Yuck. Her voice doesn't carry the men who would be kings at all. :(
Find another version. Great stories, just not the right reader.
Merged review:
My library nailed me with the wrong edition. Rebecca Burns might have a nice voice for some stories, but not these. Yuck. Her voice doesn't carry the men who would be kings at all. :(
Find another version. Great stories, just not the right reader....more
I tried to read this, but Jane is not my favorite character & this was just too much of the same thing that's been done in 8 previous books. I took a I tried to read this, but Jane is not my favorite character & this was just too much of the same thing that's been done in 8 previous books. I took a break, read a different book & came back to this one. Then i took another break & finally decided I'm not going to bother with it. Too many books, too little time left....more
He uses the word "species" a lot & bemoans diversity loss, but never defines what a species is at any level & he's discussing everything from bacteriophages (bacterial viruses) to large mammals. There is no single simple definition of species & it varies tremendously depending on the organisms involved. Mammals that can't produce fertile offspring together are considered separate species, but birds that can are still separate species just because their range & plumage is different. Unicellular organisms don't fit the 'standard' definition at all. This article covers the issue better. https://thelogicofscience.com/2017/08...
At one point he says that 'species' doesn't really matter. "The new pests, parasites, weeds, and other organisms that have evolved among our crops are not always referred to as new species. Sometimes they are called strains, varieties, or lineages. Typically, these are distinctions without a difference, subtleties of the agricultural subdisciplines..." It matters a lot to make sense of the messages he's harping on: our ignorance, loss of species diversity, & creating BAD things. (We apparently never create good things, at least not in the portion I read.) That's just sloppy writing & logic. After all, there isn't much difference genetically between a Pekinese & a Rottweiler. They're not even separate species, just different varieties of the species Canis lupus familiaris (dogs), but that tiny difference is huge to the livestock or home they're guarding.
He preaches a lot of doom & gloom. It reminded me too much of Al Gore on Climate Change where he thought exaggerating & outright lies were fine so long as they pushed us to change our ways, but the bad science has just lent fuel to the deniers. He lost me when he used Caspar A. Hallmann's (& others) study “More Than 75 Percent Decline over 27 Years in Total Flying Insect Biomass in Protected Areas” & portrayed it as a definitive study, but there's been a lot of controversy about it because of poor methodology. The only books I know that use it as gospel all have an agenda. It wasn't long after this that I stopped.
Well narrated & interesting, but I just can't trust it. It plays too much to my own biases, so I'll wind up believing junk science. No thanks.
Table of Contents INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1 BLINDSIDED BY LIFE CHAPTER 2 URBAN GALAPAGOS CHAPTER 3 THE INADVERTENT ARK CHAPTER 4 THE LAST ESCAPE CHAPTER 5 THE HUMAN NICHE CHAPTER 6 THE INTELLIGENCE OF CROWS CHAPTER 7 EMBRACING DIVERSITY TO BALANCE RISK CHAPTER 8 THE LAW OF DEPENDENCE CHAPTER 9 HUMPTY-DUMPTY AND THE ROBOTIC SEX BEES CHAPTER 10 LIVING WITH EVOLUTION CHAPTER 11 NOT THE END OF NATURE CONCLUSION NO LONGER AMONG THE LIVING...more
No rating since it could well be my mood. I'm not much for novels that expand on TV shows. For instance, I've never cared for the Star Trek or Star WaNo rating since it could well be my mood. I'm not much for novels that expand on TV shows. For instance, I've never cared for the Star Trek or Star Wars novels. I have read a Firefly novel & liked it, but this one just isn't blowing any wind up my skirt. I'm impatient with the constant backstory/explanations of the characters. I KNOW THEM. I don't need to be reminded 6 times in the first chapter why Mal takes the dodgy contracts....more
This isn't meant to be an audiobook, but a large format hardback since it's filled with gorgeous pictures & it would certainly be worth reading that wThis isn't meant to be an audiobook, but a large format hardback since it's filled with gorgeous pictures & it would certainly be worth reading that way. The narration I listened to was good, but obviously just the captions from those pictures & the text in between. Not enough. Abandoned. ...more
...much of Goulson’s evidence is purely anecdotal — such as fewer bugs splattering on the windshields of European cars now compared to the past — and the few studies of global insect populations he does consider are deeply flawed or mischaracterized in his account.
Perhaps the most problematic study of them all is the one that precipitated the insect apocalypse frenzy — a 2017 study co-authored by Goulson with 11 other scientists that compared insect populations in certain German nature reserves over the last quarter century. Its dramatic finding — that the biomass of flying insects had declined an astonishing 76 percent in 27 years — together with Goulson’s eager goosing of the press — generated the apocalyptic headlines he was clearly seeking....
Experts who raised doubts about the study received little attention, but there was much to criticize. Among other things, the researchers in many cases failed to sample the same sites in comparison years — a fundamental flaw that in itself renders the findings suspect, if not totally meaningless. They also used what are called malaise traps to collect their samples. These only collect insects when they are flying, which is highly influenced by other variables like the weather — insects fly more when it is warmer — making the measurements even less reliable, despite the scientists’ attempt to account for them. And even though the study took place in nature reserves and did not even purport to test possible causes of decline, Goulson was immediately giving interviews to the press blaming agricultural pesticides (a long time hobby-horse of his), in the absence of any evidence in the study to support the claim. --------------------------- Perspective: ‘Silent Earth’ is simply alarmism from an anti-pesticide trustee By Amanda Zaluckyj, The Farmer’s Daughter USA, Published: October 01, 2021 https://www.agdaily.com/insights/pers...
...But it won’t come as any surprise that Goulson isn’t an unbiased and impartial researcher. He’s a trustee for the Pesticide Action Network UK, an activist organization that strives to reduce the use of “hazardous” and “chemical” pest control. Worse, some circles consider Goulson a “scientist for hire.” In other words, his studies elicit the results his clients want.
The good news is that Goulson is wrong. The surveys and studies he’s conducted and relies upon are flawed and incomplete, to say the least. Fortunately, scientist Matthew Moran and his hand-selected team published a comprehensive study in 2020 that challenged Goulson’s conclusions. Moran’s approach took raw data spanning decades for various insects in North America. Guess what? They found no significant change in population... ----------------- Standard Disclaimer Look at what shelves this book is on. This book is on my 'do-not-read' shelf because it was shoved under my nose I thought I might want to read it. I did some research & found that it was crap. If you disagree & want to discuss in the comments, you need to prove that it isn't with solid evidence. That means peer reviewed science, not anecdotes, opinions, or sites that are biased. Read the Debunking Handbook which is available for free here & follow its guidelines for providing proof. I'm willing to look at good evidence. I've been wrong before.
Comments that don't adhere to the above will be deleted. We're not going to change our minds if you just want to troll. If you repeatedly troll, your comment will be flagged & support will spank you. I may block you, too....more
The blurb made me think this would be about caves & service tunnels. I'm interested in them & just how much of our infrastructure is hidden from us. CThe blurb made me think this would be about caves & service tunnels. I'm interested in them & just how much of our infrastructure is hidden from us. Caves have a lot of interesting aspects too, but I abandoned this about 20% in since it's all about him & vapid descriptions of what he saw in his explorations. If I was into such explorations, perhaps this would appeal. Well narrated, but I'm just not interested in him....more
Authors that aim to rewrite 500 years of accepted history should rely less on subjective claims and more on hard evidence. And this is where Menzies ultimately fails to persuade. First, he does not read Chinese and thus cites no primary sources--a problem even if one accepts that the records were all destroyed. Even more fatal to his argument, Menzies often fails to provide corroborating data for many of his claims. To cite just four examples, he: never provides the DNA evidence supposedly linking the American Indians and Chinese; fails to document the discovery of Chinese anchors off the coast of California; appeals to unspecified "local experts," as when arguing that remains of 15th century Chinese shipwrecks have been found in New Zealand; and says that a Taiwanese museum's copy of a Chinese map allegedly showing Australia and Tasmania "unfortunately...has been lost." Questionable speculative leaps are also Menzies's stock-in-trade, as when claiming that the inscription on a stone column in the Cape Verde Islands (off Africa's western coast) is in Maylayam, a language of South India, and that this proves the Chinese were there. Yet why would a Chinese fleet admiral order a message inscribed in a language other than Chinese? And sometimes Menzies just plain contradicts himself, as when he asserts that "sea levels in 1421 were lower than today" (p. 257) because of modern global warming, but then later claims "Greenland was circumnavigable in 1421-2, for...the climate...was far warmer than it is today" (p. 306).
Standard Disclaimer Look at what shelves this book is on. This book is on my 'do-not-read' shelf I thought I might want to read it. I did some research & found that it was crap. I'll post why I think so & might even rate it with 1 star if it is really bad. If you disagree & want to discuss in the comments, you need to prove that it isn't with solid evidence. That means peer reviewed science, not anecdotes, opinions, or sites that are biased. Read The Debunking Handbook which is available for free here https://skepticalscience.com/the-debu... & follow its guidelines for providing proof. I'm willing to look at good evidence. I've been wrong before.
Comments that don't adhere to the above will be deleted. We're not going to change our minds if you just want to troll. If you repeatedly troll, your comment will be flagged & support will spank you. I may block you, too....more
A lot of good information, but it bogged down in too many details & weird names. I kept losing interest. If I knew Greek & Arabic history & names bettA lot of good information, but it bogged down in too many details & weird names. I kept losing interest. If I knew Greek & Arabic history & names better, I'd probably have enjoyed it more. Well narrated, but I kept zoning out. I took a break a couple of times & returned to it, but finally abandoned it about halfway through....more
I didn't find her funny & her narrative voice was just irritating. Other voices were too rare. Decent trivia, though. I just couldn't take her voice aI didn't find her funny & her narrative voice was just irritating. Other voices were too rare. Decent trivia, though. I just couldn't take her voice any more, so I quit. No rating....more
This was originally an Israeli program & published in Hebrew. My edition is updated with more information & in English. It's well written, but couldn'This was originally an Israeli program & published in Hebrew. My edition is updated with more information & in English. It's well written, but couldn't hold my attention. There were several minor issues that just added up to glazing my eyes so I didn't finish it. It's not a bad book & I can understand really loving it, but the level of detail for such a long list of issues just didn't work for me.
Illustrating the far reaching effects of a relatively minor pre-birth condition is fine. Explaining the mechanisms of one or two is interesting, but explaining dozens in detail is just more information than I want. I might excuse it if it was a textbook, but this is popular science. Hit the high points & move on. He doesn't, so I did. No star rating since it's both very good & bad.
I knew this book would be controversial & some of the reviews show it. People don't like or understand generalizations in our 'liberal' society. Glezerman did a good enough job for me explaining how he would generalize & how he would tend to focus on some medical issues, many of which would only be fully addressed biologically since they vary so much environmentally & in society. Besides, medical professionals rarely have time to get to know that level of detail of their patients, so ignore the nitpicking reviews & their low scores. He also starts this edition with a bit about how equality doesn't mean the same, but that we are free to be different in our own ways.
Still, he's going to catch a lot of crap since he starts out saying that women stuck closer to the cave & did more gathering than hunting which is not a popular point of view now. Yes, the previous view was too male-centric, but most women of child bearing age were stuck closer to home & needed more support due to the rigors of reproduction & the needs of the children; enough that it is statistically important in how we evolved & that's what he's focused on.
This is a really important book because there are differences between the sexes besides our reproductive organs & women have typically been treated the same as men which is just wrong. Testing is typically done on men because it is simpler & cheaper. He gives a great example right off the bat. A woman with seizures required a higher dosage during her fertile period because the hormones reacted with the medication so varying the dosage fixed the problem. Her doctor hadn't even contemplated that until Glezerman pointed it out. This is what people should be paying attention to. At least he's making an effort to bring the issue to light.
There are a lot of other differences between the sexes. Women tend to communicate more & better, so they actually use two different parts of their brain rather than one as men do which means they recover from some stroke issues better. They have more robust immune systems due to dealing with the rug rats & staying in closer quarters more historically, but the trade off is that they also have a higher incidence of some autoimmune disorders now. He points out some that are societal such as the high incidence of carpal tunnel in women due to typing when secretarial work was one of their few decent jobs. Thankfully manual typewriters are a thing of the past. The sheer number of keystrokes & force it took was horrific.
27May - on hold for a bit since this has gotten too technical & rather boring. It's good info, but not pertinent to me (child bearing women & effects on the fetus) & it's going on & on. My eyes are glazing over.
1Jun - tried again yesterday & I kept zoning out. If I had this in text, I'd skip ahead. That doesn't work well with audio, so I'm abandoning it....more
I didn't like the way it was told, kind of like a "Choose Your Own Adventure" without any choice. "You did" this & that. It just put me off since I woI didn't like the way it was told, kind of like a "Choose Your Own Adventure" without any choice. "You did" this & that. It just put me off since I wouldn't....more
This isn't working for me. There's something about the way it varies from the obvious to extremely technical that just makes me lose interest. There'sThis isn't working for me. There's something about the way it varies from the obvious to extremely technical that just makes me lose interest. There's not enough middle ground nor have I managed to really feel for the patients involved & I want to. I've tried going back to this several times & I just feel like I'm battered by the change in focus. It just becomes boring. ...more
I was really looking forward to this since I've liked other books that Rovin has written with Captain Kirk, so I thought one with Scully would be coolI was really looking forward to this since I've liked other books that Rovin has written with Captain Kirk, so I thought one with Scully would be cool. About 25% of the way though & nothing is happening except some kid freaking out for apparently no reason & the fix is some pretty magical hypnosis. If I cared about her or the MC, her shrink, it might hold my interest, but I don't. The kid seemed as if she would be interesting, but I was only given a quick glimpse at her before she became a prop.
Good narration, crappy characters, & the story is moving too slowly. Screw it. I have a lot of better books to read. ...more
Not for me. Pinker's first example of Richard Dawkins' writing was great, but his second was of his wife's & that did nothing for me. It went downhillNot for me. Pinker's first example of Richard Dawkins' writing was great, but his second was of his wife's & that did nothing for me. It went downhill from there until I found myself drifting off. I finally decided the boring drive was better than the book, so I paused it. I tried it later & again drifted. Well narrated, but just not my thing, so no star rating. I've liked Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress, so I'll give other books of his a chance....more
I've read quite a few of his books & really enjoyed them, but this one just lost me. His writing style is somewhat bloated, but that's always been carI've read quite a few of his books & really enjoyed them, but this one just lost me. His writing style is somewhat bloated, but that's always been carried by the characters before. Smart-mouthed Sean Drummond does it well & he's a character I could really get, but I just don't have any empathy for the main character in this one. The bad guys are too bad & it's just boring me, so DNF.
The narration was good, though. Scott Brick again. ...more
I couldn't finish this. Too macho & too much. Just jumped the shark for me, although I liked the first one in this series. Well narrated, so I kept trI couldn't finish this. Too macho & too much. Just jumped the shark for me, although I liked the first one in this series. Well narrated, so I kept trying it. Nope....more
I've been reading these in order, about one a month, & have liked them, but I couldn't finish this one. The plot was just too idiotic. Oh, I know 13 yI've been reading these in order, about one a month, & have liked them, but I couldn't finish this one. The plot was just too idiotic. Oh, I know 13 year olds can make bad decisions (I'm the poster child.) but this was a no-brainer & only got worse, even though the uncle isn't known for his great decisions, either. Not even John Boy Walton, the narrator, could save this....more
I wasn't sure what this was besides horror. Turns out it's kind of a vampire/zombie book with way too much description for me. While some atmosphere iI wasn't sure what this was besides horror. Turns out it's kind of a vampire/zombie book with way too much description for me. While some atmosphere is good, it went over the top such as when a description included a smell while the characters were in sealed suits with air tanks. I didn't care much for the characters, either. Nothing was popping for me, so I took a break & tried to go back to it after reading another. No joy. Probably not a bad book, just not my cup of tea.
Ron Perlman did an excellent job of the narration. Great voice....more
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