Fun poems about animals. I never knew that unlike other birds, pigeons drink as if through a straw. (Most other birds shovel in a little water and theFun poems about animals. I never knew that unlike other birds, pigeons drink as if through a straw. (Most other birds shovel in a little water and then tip back their heads to swallow it.)...more
Tawdry, sleazy, morally bankrupt true crime with a patina of religiosity, written by someone with a DPhil from Oxford, so it has a bunch of ShakespearTawdry, sleazy, morally bankrupt true crime with a patina of religiosity, written by someone with a DPhil from Oxford, so it has a bunch of Shakespeare quotations in it. I loved it. Many true crime books are whodunits, but this one focuses on how the murder was accomplished and where the body was. (We find out both at about the 70 percent mark, but there's plenty to keep a reader occupied before that.) If you are already upset about unfair stereotypes of Floridians, Baptists, and Floridian Baptists, do yourself a favor and skip this one....more
Read for work. Fun and informative biography of Edwin Binney. Minus one star because the illustrator made the women and girls cartoonishly, impossiblyRead for work. Fun and informative biography of Edwin Binney. Minus one star because the illustrator made the women and girls cartoonishly, impossibly thin while portraying the men and boys realistically. Gross....more
A witch trial in Pennsylvania in 1929? I had no idea. I also didn't expect Stephanie Clifford/Stormy Daniels to make an appearance. (She makes a prettA witch trial in Pennsylvania in 1929? I had no idea. I also didn't expect Stephanie Clifford/Stormy Daniels to make an appearance. (She makes a pretty good living as a tarot reader.)
Vivid and compassionate writing. I will look for more by this author....more
I have no training in engineering, but by the time I had finished several lectures, I was saying, "Oh, ponding took out the scuppers? Yeah, that'll haI have no training in engineering, but by the time I had finished several lectures, I was saying, "Oh, ponding took out the scuppers? Yeah, that'll happen." Excellent introduction to the subject, with lectures on bridge collapses, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the "Plywood Palace," the Boeing scandal, Chernobyl, and many other subjects. Each video lecture includes images from Google Earth, computer models, historical sources, and—best of all—working models built by the author. ...more
Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker staff writer and winner of the Pulitzer Prize, conducted more than 300 in-depth interviews on the topic of . . . reality teEmily Nussbaum, New Yorker staff writer and winner of the Pulitzer Prize, conducted more than 300 in-depth interviews on the topic of . . . reality television?! The title is a bit of a cheat because it comes from the movie The Truman Show. But the whole thing is written well and held my interest, even though I haven't seen some of the shows Nussbaum writes about. (But I have seen a lot of them. Even The Gong Show.) I didn't know that the whole reality vs. scripted conflict goes all the way back to radio, when people complained that writers and actors and musicians were being thrown out of work by a show called—I'm not kidding—Candid Microphone....more
Great idea for a book, but I just couldn't get into it. Many of the author's points seemed obvious, and the narrator's voice had an unpleasantly sing-Great idea for a book, but I just couldn't get into it. Many of the author's points seemed obvious, and the narrator's voice had an unpleasantly sing-song quality. Feel free to ignore my review because I did not actually finish this book....more
I laughed out loud about two dozen times. This is especially impressive because some of the essays are quite sad. What is it like when your dad is a sI laughed out loud about two dozen times. This is especially impressive because some of the essays are quite sad. What is it like when your dad is a spy? Lonely. What is it like to be a little kid in Florida? Rather shitty, especially when your mom is poor and refuses to get rid of her abusive, erratic boyfriend. What is it like when your mom accidentally burns down the house she was in the process of selling? Well, your relationship with her certainly isn't going to get better.
DeRuiter seems to be a thoroughgoing optimist now, which surprised me given the circumstances of her upbringing. It sounds as if she married a delightful man, which certainly sweetens life. And she has never been on a diet. And she got a book deal! And I think she and/or her husband might be extremely rich?
One of the essay titles made me gasp: "Bikini Body of Christ." So if you find that title blasphemous or otherwise offensive, that may be a sign that this essay collection is not for you....more
When Kamala Harris ran for California attorney general, her aunt in India lined up 108 coconuts to wish her good luck. It worked! This book is a colorWhen Kamala Harris ran for California attorney general, her aunt in India lined up 108 coconuts to wish her good luck. It worked! This book is a colorful and appealing account of the U.S. vice president....more
I thought this book was very old because the typical banker, investor, fraudster, and so on is described as "he." But it's from 2018. I thought this book was very old because the typical banker, investor, fraudster, and so on is described as "he." But it's from 2018. ...more
Fascinating glimpses of women through the ages—everything from cave art to a specific type of vibrator. I enjoyed learning about the 100 MPH coat, desFascinating glimpses of women through the ages—everything from cave art to a specific type of vibrator. I enjoyed learning about the 100 MPH coat, designed for early motorists, and the bikini, designed for scandal. The audiobook has a stellar array of readers, including Daisy Ridley, Gillian Anderson, Margaret Atwood, and many other notables. ...more
"The money's in the basement." —Karen Carpenter, explaining why she sang in low tones despite having an impressive vocal range
"But Richard is the star"The money's in the basement." —Karen Carpenter, explaining why she sang in low tones despite having an impressive vocal range
"But Richard is the star, Karen's just the drummer." —Agnes Carpenter, blatantly favoring one of her children and completely misjudging the Carpenters' sound
Karen Carpenter and her brother Richard chased success. They wanted money and fame and popularity, and as a result they tended to choose safe, dated, or even reactionary musical styles. Even during and after the period where their sales plateaued, they strongly resisted trying new styles and forms. As a result, many music fans considered them to be awkward, sentimental, or fake. But THAT VOICE. It's one of the most distinctive and appealing in pop music history.
Karen and Richard's mother sounds appalling, blatantly favoring Richard and discouraging Karen from seeking therapy for the anorexia that killed her. Their father is meekly uncommunicative. And Richard sounds controlling and tiresome, full of bitterness and complaints whether the records are selling well or not. (The one time in the book when he seems pleased about something is in 1994, when the superb tribute album If I Were a Carpenter came out.)
Both Richard and Karen experienced severe anxiety, which they sought to control in different ways. Richard got addicted to downers, but because doctors had a better idea of how to treat his addiction, he survived. Karen became anorexic and bulimic and abused laxatives. Doctors knew very little about treating eating disorders at the time, so she did not survive.
Also, Karen dealt with a tremendous amount of sexism. Her brother and their record company made her give up the drums and front the band. They criticized her drum playing, but there was never any effort to make her better at the drums. Take a look at this clip to see how talented she was: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o82d9... If you don't have time for the whole thing, just watch the drum solo at the end.
The other thing that gets me is how (male) colleagues assumed they understood her without asking her about anything. The parents considered Richard a musical prodigy from the age of three. They moved the family from Connecticut to southern California when the kids were teenagers so that Richard would have a better chance of professional success. Karen watched and listened all the time. She tried different instruments without much success. She became obsessed with jazz drumming as a young teenager. She worked with a choral teacher for years, both before and after she got famous. She joined the high school marching band and became the first girl on the drum line there, working her way up to co-leading the band. She experimented with singing in a higher and a lower register. And then she goes to an audition with Richard when she's sixteen and these guys insist "she was born with that voice, it just came out of her." What absolute bullshit. She worked and researched and strategized to get that sound....more
My favorite bit of trivia from this series: On the day Joséphine was crowned empress, she was wearing underwear that had emeralds sewn into it.
I wish My favorite bit of trivia from this series: On the day Joséphine was crowned empress, she was wearing underwear that had emeralds sewn into it.
I wish I had kept track of how many miles I logged on the rowing machine while watching this series of 48 lectures about Marie Antoinette, Madame de Staël, and of course Napoléon. This is a detailed and enthusiastic combination of social history (the words and deeds of regular people), economics, political philosophy, military history, and much more. Dr. Desan makes an effort to include information about women and their rights. I've watched a lot of Teaching Company courses, and this one has more lectures, more images, more animated maps, more political cartoons, more everything....more
Seventeen and a half hours! Seventeen and a half hours of audiobook details about Regency-era sports, clothing, sexism, debtors' prisons, breakfasts, Seventeen and a half hours! Seventeen and a half hours of audiobook details about Regency-era sports, clothing, sexism, debtors' prisons, breakfasts, manners, theater, stagecoaches, fashion, and liquor! I loved it. I don't know much about this era, so a lot of the information was eye opening. Some of my favorite bits:
• The first person to publish a work about atheism in English was Percy Bysshe Shelley. His 1811 essay "The Necessity of Atheism" got him kicked out of Oxford.
• Toll takers did not have to provide change. If the toll cost sixpence and you only had shillings, you had to pay a shilling. So travelers brought many sixpences with them.
• If you wanted to travel on a stagecoach but couldn't afford it, you could pay half price if you were willing to sit on top of the stagecoach and hang on the entire time.
• Cookbooks became very popular during this period. The goal for the author of one of the most popular cookbooks was for any servant who could read to become a cook. I'm sure you can see the potential convenience and savings of this.
• The Prince Regent, later King George IV, was very powerful during the latter part of his father's reign because not only did poor old George III have bouts of insanity, but he eventually became deaf and blind as well. Most British people intensely disliked the Prince Regent for being rude, lazy, gluttonous, mean, and wasteful. He wore spectacular clothing, though.
• The famous dandy Beau Brummel spent three hours every morning washing and getting dressed. He was besties with the Prince Regent but eventually they had a big fight and Brummel insulted the prince by calling him "your fat friend" in public....more
Feminist analysis and criticism of what the author calls the Upskirt Decade. She even throws in a cogent explanation of the subprime mortgage crisis iFeminist analysis and criticism of what the author calls the Upskirt Decade. She even throws in a cogent explanation of the subprime mortgage crisis in the chapter on Kim Kardashian. It doesn't really fit there, but I'm impressed anyway. I didn't know much about the wrestler Chyna, so that was the most interesting chapter to me....more
I came for the absurd title and for the funny messages the author has published on Twitter. (She responds enthusiastically to romance fraudsters, tellI came for the absurd title and for the funny messages the author has published on Twitter. (She responds enthusiastically to romance fraudsters, tells them she is a murderer and/or a cannibal, and then sends them photos of her in a helicopter or on a boat and tells them she's coming to see them in person so they can be together forever. They respond with panic, horror, and disgust.) I stayed for the compassionate and practical advice.
What I learned:
• Romance fraudsters often pretend to be military officers or oil-rig workers. These folks travel internationally, are gone for long periods, and are in physically risky jobs, all of which help the fraudsters manipulate others.
• Romance fraudsters and abusive partners share many characteristics, including sudden outbursts, abusive comments, and long periods of the silent treatment followed by love bombing. So people who have been in abusive relationships in the past may be more vulnerable to online romance fraudsters.
• The author thinks it's cruel to say that someone "fell for" a romance scam. She points out that we don't usually say that someone "fell for" a burglary.
• The public are becoming more aware of romance scams, but there's still a ton of victim blaming, which causes many scam victims to avoid coming forward out of embarrassment.
• Women (or people pretending to be women) perpetrate romance frauds on men, but this book is about the ladies.
I read this for work. Very serious story about Ai Weiwei, who grew up in a prison camp, became a famous artist, and made art related to the refugee crI read this for work. Very serious story about Ai Weiwei, who grew up in a prison camp, became a famous artist, and made art related to the refugee crisis....more
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