Review 336: Fuzz

Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is about the human-animal encounters, mostly when they are nuisance, but sometimes when they harm or kill humans, yeah that's a nuisance. I enjoyed the humor Mary Roach puts into her topic. It helps particularly when the topic is a bit gruesome.

I’ve already found myself quoting how many deaths by animals in other countries from this book! It’s amazing how things are handled throughout the world, different policies in different countries. Mary Roach took on some questionable adventures in seeking the full story, even going where her guides were feeling it was too dangerous. Glad to have gone along the ride while sitting in my armchair!

Although I have to say there were many stunned moments for me, how callous farmers are for birds or other species. Certainly, hope these practices of outright killing “pests” to extension will no longer be the mainstream viewpoint.

This was the first Mary Roach book I read, although I've wanted to read others, happy to have finally finished one.

Review 335: Upgrade

Upgrade by Blake Crouch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Having read this book some months ago, I found it has stayed with me. While part of the premise of the book may be similar to “Flowers for Algernon” it is a vastly different book. One may say the question this book is attempting to answer is: what happens when humans become super-intelligent?

The book is fast-paced, and I read it quickly. There is a bit more “preachiness” than one would want, and there are some similar tropes, or formula to the overall arc of the book. Yet, there are a couple of themes that can be pulled out and are concepts worthy of deeper consideration. 

The obvious one, yes, what if humans become super smart, would we lose our humanity, our emotional connection to others? This may be pertinent as we approach technological advances, with computer AI and possible integrating humans with computers. Also, one could ask: why allow something to happen to others that would vastly change their life without their consent? Even if it is for the better? And ultimately, is it better?

The end may leave an opening for a sequel, but we shall see. If there is one, I will definitely grab that book.

Read in March, review posted in July.

Review 334: Embrace Fearlessly the Burning World

Embrace Fearlessly the Burning World by Barry Lopez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The approach Lopez takes towards the natural world is of observation: listening and paying attention. He talks about this in some of the early essays in the collection.

Further along in the book the essays become more autobiographical, more personal to him, what his life was like growing up, the sexual trauma he endured, his house, and finally his health.  

In the earlier sections he writes about people he’s met and who made a great impression on him, friends and other naturalists, native peoples he was honored to spend time with, mostly in the far north in Alaska. Lopez has travelled around the world, but always says the place he most wants to be is at his home. His home is in deep in a forest, near a large river with many acres of woods in Oregon. 

I haven’t read his entire cannon, but I suspect these personal biographical essays are the only ones he writes deeply about himself. He does share his childhood trauma and states that he told very few people about this. 

This will be the last book from Lopez, as he passed away, and the essays he included in this book have that sense of leaving his last words, his legacy. Although, perhaps some of these essays were published elsewhere, as there is some repetition of the material, particularly one right after another. 

I listened to the audiobook version of this title, and the narrator was a perfect fit for these essays.

Review 333: She Is Not Invisible

She Is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

A quick read for me, as I read this in just a few hours. A young adult book with a blind 16 year old who takes her younger brother with her to New York City from their London house to find their missing father. He's a writer on a research trip in Switzerland but there was an email from someone who found his notebook of ideas in NYC. Mom is off to see her sister and couldn't be bothered, so impulsively Laureth goes to retrieve the notebook and find Dad.

It was refreshing to have someone blind as the main character and learning about her and how she gets around. BUT there's a bit too much of the author's maneuvering in the book, talking about coincidences and the number 354 that overall hurt the story line.

Read in one day: July 03, 2022

Review 332: Just One Look

Just One Look by Lindsay Cameron
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The last portion of the book turned this around for me and I quite enjoyed the ending.

 An almost unreliable narrator in major stalker territory.

A quick read.

Read July 01-02, 2022

Review 331: TV

TV by Susan Bordo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

Another book in the Object Lessons series that focuses on a single object, in this case television. The authors of the series can take this wherever they like, and in this case, the focus was on how TV has changed through the years. Bordo says she grew up as television did.

American values are presented in fictional shows and news programs, as the grounding of this book. It also is one of the only book about television that doesn't discuss sports (the author dislikes it). The book is is based in feminism and political critiques. I loved Bordo's writing style! And even if I didn't watch most of the tv shows covered in the book, enough details were provided to understand her points.

A good entry in the series.

Read June 29 to July 01, 2022