Perhaps you are aware of the fact that there is an oddly popular trivia game floating around that a group of clever (and likely bored) college...
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Finally, a supernatural-fantasy book that's actually written well, instead of relying on plot and gimmicks. That said, the plot is definitely compelling. If you're tired of the vampire craze and zombies invading your favorite literature, try The Last Werewolf instead.
I'll be honest: I would never have picked up this book if it hadn't been an Indiespensible selection --- and I'm so glad it was! Franzen does this kind of novel better than anyone.
I knew from hearing interviews that Shteyngart had written Super Sad True Love Story before the big market crash in '08, which makes it even more amazingly prescient. Hilarious and insightful, this is a book I just can't quit quoting from and pressing into people's hands.
Anyone interested in education or the culture wars needs to read Humes' description of the forces involved in the most recent evolution versus intelligent design court case. He is as fair-minded as possible in presenting both sides, though in the end the Dover school board's and the Discovery Institute's own actions are what sink their efforts to create a national test case and take intelligent design to the Supreme Court.
The case law in the last half-century has been unequivocal, but the same Christian fundamentalist forces that were behind the Dover case are bound to rally and try again. Humes provides wisdom and insight for those of us who will have to defend the Constitution when they do.
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(8 of 14 readers found this comment helpful)
Bill Bryson is his usual wry, amusing self in this book. But instead of chronicling his battle with the outdoors or cataloging all the different ways one can die, painfully, in Australia, this time he takes on the world of science.
In his introduction, Bryson explains that he wanted to know how things came to be the way they are. So he set out to learn about the universe, cells, geology, you name it, as a curious nonscientist. His way of sharing that knowledge is unmatched: accessible without losing accuracy, with just the right amount of detail and an engaging attention to the human struggle of acquiring this knowledge.
Highly recommended for everyone from junior high students to those who finished junior high long before many of these discoveries were made.
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(3 of 6 readers found this comment helpful)
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Elena has commented on (5) products.
The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan
Elena, January 9, 2012
Finally, a supernatural-fantasy book that's actually written well, instead of relying on plot and gimmicks. That said, the plot is definitely compelling. If you're tired of the vampire craze and zombies invading your favorite literature, try The Last Werewolf instead.Freedom: A Novel by Jonathan Franzen
Elena, January 2, 2011
I'll be honest: I would never have picked up this book if it hadn't been an Indiespensible selection --- and I'm so glad it was! Franzen does this kind of novel better than anyone.Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart
Elena, January 2, 2011
I knew from hearing interviews that Shteyngart had written Super Sad True Love Story before the big market crash in '08, which makes it even more amazingly prescient. Hilarious and insightful, this is a book I just can't quit quoting from and pressing into people's hands.Monkey Girl: Evolution, Education, Religion, and the Battle for America's Soul by Edward Humes
Elena, May 21, 2007
Anyone interested in education or the culture wars needs to read Humes' description of the forces involved in the most recent evolution versus intelligent design court case. He is as fair-minded as possible in presenting both sides, though in the end the Dover school board's and the Discovery Institute's own actions are what sink their efforts to create a national test case and take intelligent design to the Supreme Court.The case law in the last half-century has been unequivocal, but the same Christian fundamentalist forces that were behind the Dover case are bound to rally and try again. Humes provides wisdom and insight for those of us who will have to defend the Constitution when they do.
(8 of 14 readers found this comment helpful)
A Short History of Nearly Everything: Special Illustrated Edition by Bill Bryson
Elena, January 2, 2007
Bill Bryson is his usual wry, amusing self in this book. But instead of chronicling his battle with the outdoors or cataloging all the different ways one can die, painfully, in Australia, this time he takes on the world of science.In his introduction, Bryson explains that he wanted to know how things came to be the way they are. So he set out to learn about the universe, cells, geology, you name it, as a curious nonscientist. His way of sharing that knowledge is unmatched: accessible without losing accuracy, with just the right amount of detail and an engaging attention to the human struggle of acquiring this knowledge.
Highly recommended for everyone from junior high students to those who finished junior high long before many of these discoveries were made.
(3 of 6 readers found this comment helpful)