Customer Comments

S Settje has commented on (3) products.

The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary (P.S.) by Simon Winchester

S Settje, October 22, 2010

This book made me stop and ponder what has been lost by the advances in modern medicine and technology. DR Minor, the central figure of this story would not be able to do today what he did then. Medicine, the justice system and the need to fix everyone would have stifled the man.

Winchester weaves this compelling narrative in a way that makes an obscure piece of literary history accessible to a more general audience. I could not quite give this book a 5 because there were a couple points where the story dragged and got repetetive. I would recommend it to anyone interested in knowing more about the foundation of the modern English dictionary.

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I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley

S Settje, September 16, 2010

Ok, Seriously, how did I miss this book for so long? Thanks to Crosley I am now a permanent fan of the essay. I may not have grown up in the east and lived in NYC, but her essays are relatable to anyone who has suffered through summercamp, bad roommates, bad relationships or demon bosses. I will be back for more. What's the title of her next one?

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Sightings: Extraordinary Encounters with Ordinary Birds by Sam Keen

S Settje, September 16, 2010

Sam Keen is an insightful writer who takes religion and turns it on its head. He does not lambaste organized religion, but shows the spirituality drawn from nature and the beauty of each unique creature. This collection of essays will bring the reader to see Keen's view on the world around him and his ability to get lost in a moment of natural wonder.
each of the essays is an episode in his life and through them we get a glimpse of young love, the frailty of growing old, and the pleasures of seeing the world through a slightly different lens.

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