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Powell's Staff:
Five Book Friday: In Memoriam
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Every year, the booksellers at Powell’s submit their Top Fives: their five favorite books that were released in 2023. It’s a list that, when put together, shows just how varied and interesting the book tastes of Powell’s booksellers are. I highly recommend digging into the recommendations — we would never lead you astray — but today...
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Brontez Purnell:
Powell’s Q&A: Brontez Purnell, author of ‘Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt’
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Rachael P.:
Starter Pack: Where to Begin with Ursula K. Le Guin
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Customer Comments
Carol has commented on (16) products
What Really Makes You Ill?: Why Everything You Thought You Knew About Disease Is Wrong
by
David Parker and Dawn Lester
Carol
, June 02, 2020
Reading this book could be harmful to your health. The authors are germ-theory denialists, and even deny that specific diseases exist. They believe that every chemical is harmful (chemicals are what make up our bodies and everything around us, and are how our physiological processes work.) They claim that electromagnetic fields are all harmful, ignoring the fact that many of these fields are natural, normal, and all around us. (Light is an electromagnetic field.) They say that all medicines are poisons, as are all vaccines. They don’t even get basic physics right, saying neutrons have positive and negative charge—wrong: neutrons have no charge. The authors oppose vaccination, and want to bring back vast amounts of infectious disease which, if it happens, will result in many deaths and disabilities. The book is 800 pages of misinformation by two people with no medical knowledge whatsoever. If you must, read this book to learn about the damage medical misinformation can do, and how ignoring facts, logic and evidence can harm us as individuals and society.
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Plague
by
Kent Heckenlively, Judy Mikovits
Carol
, May 08, 2020
Self-serving justifications by a research scientist who did moderately good work, but was then discovered to be either careless or a fraud. Since then, Miskovits has fallen into the clutches of the anti-vaccine movement. Don’t waste your money or your time reading this.
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Birthday Monsters
by
Sandra Boynton
Carol
, January 29, 2017
I bought this book for a friend who was having a baby; she never got it. My elderly mother liked it so much that it stayed on her shelf. On my birthday, she'd call and read it to me, and on my brother's birthday he called and asked that it be read to him--and we are both adults (by age, anyhow.) And of course, Mother had it read to her on her birthdays. So if you're buying it for a gift, get two copies so the person you intend it for will actually get it. It's fun, funny and sweet.
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Understanding Air France 447
by
Bill Palmer
Carol
, August 09, 2015
While this book offers an interesting perspective on the accident, the lack of references, index and abbreviations glossary limits its value. Basically it's an opinion piece from a pilot who flies and trains pilots to fly this airplane, but who is unwilling to accept that design flaws may have contributed to the accident. Had the author wanted to write a work worthy of scholarly consideration, he would need to document his work and meticulously cite references to support his opinions. The fact that he failed to do so gives this book limited value to the aviation community. I have seen other reviews which indicate that his lack of explanation for aviation terminology makes the book primarily of interest to pilots; non-pilots will have a hard time following the technical aspects of the book. In addition, the author's sweeping generalizations and opinions stated as facts makes it hard to separate truth from personal opinion. Given the reduction of time allocated to train pilots at major airlines (from months to weeks) his assertion that training now is better than it ever was cannot be supported. The author lacks a historical perspective of airline operations and that weakness harms the book.
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Go Set a Watchman
by
Harper Lee
Carol
, July 16, 2015
Most of the so-called reviews of the title are shocked accounts of the depiction of Atticus Finch as a racist or speculations about whether this book was written before "To Kill a Mockingbird" or after; there's little information to help me decide whether or not this is a book I want to read. Was it really an old manuscript re-worked into a literary classic, or was it written afterwards, perhaps as the author's attempt to divert local ill-will over her condemnation of the society in which she lived? Is the author competent to make publication decisions, or is she being manipulated by people who want to make money from her legacy? These questions remain unanswered; since the author is reclusive, it is unlikely they ever will be. Rather than speculation, I'd like to see real book reviews, particularly by such luminaries as the New York Times, actually address the book, either as a stand-alone or sequel. Is the quality of the writing as good as "Mockingbird" or is it an inferior work? My concerns about these questions mean I will probably put it on my list rather than read it right away.
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Gerson Therapy the Amazing Nutritional Program for Cancer & Other Illnesses Revised & Updated
by
Charlotte Gerson, Morton Walker
Carol
, February 03, 2013
Gerson Therapy has been evaluated in medical studies and shown to shorten lives, and make the quality of dying patients lives far worse. Don't waste your time or money on this disproven and unpleasant collection of unproven "treatments." Coffee enemas--part of this weird collection--have no therapeutic value. As Dr. Harriet Hall (the SkepDoc) says, coffee tastes better when administered orally. People who follow the Gerson Therapy live shorter and more unpleasant lives, downing huge amounts of pills that have no value whatever. It's hard to accept that our lives must end, but spending money on this horrible collection of malpractice makes it even worse. This book can harm you. Don't buy into it's lack of logic and evidence.
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Consumers Guide to Alternative Medicine A Close Look at Homeopathy Acupuncture Faith Healing & Other Unconventional Treatments
by
Kurt Butler
Carol
, June 24, 2012
The book news annotation is unfair. This book is not about conventional medicine, which is subject to the standards of science. What it criticizes is so-called 'alternative medicine' which persists despite the lack of evidence to support it. Worse, people subject themselves to risks such as arterial dissection from chiropractic and infection from acupuncture needles when the evidence is clear: chiropractic neck adjustments have no positive effect, and acupuncture not only doesn't work, but there is no evidence of any qi, meridians, or energy fields, much less that inserting needles can have any effect on these non-existent energies. When there is no evidence of efficacy, despite years of searching, it becomes unethical to promote a treatment that can't help, but can cause harm--even if the risk of harm is small. I'm glad that people are writing books like this one; it will be a small voice for rationality amid the sea of books promising miraculous cures with unproven quack methods and remedies.
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How to Tell the Birds from the Flowers
by
Robert Williams Wood
Carol
, April 13, 2012
How lucky we are to have this old volume in print. Fanciful and funny illustrations are the highlight of this book, and while not botanically or ornithologically accurate, it will be a delight to natural history buffs. A great gift for bird lovers who want a laugh.
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The Emperor of Scent: A True Story of Perfume and Obsession
by
Chandler Burr
Carol
, October 09, 2011
Seeing the author on a book fair panel made me realize why I didn't like this book; Chandler Burr is anti-science. In this book he promotes the views of one man on the theory of scent; these views have been discredited and are not mainstream science. If you really want to learn about the science of scent, read Avery Gilbert's "What the Nose Knows," which he wrote after becoming infuriated by the mistakes in "The Emperor of Scent."
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Miracle On The Hudson The Survivors of Flight 1549 Tell their Extraordinary Stories of Courage Faith & Determination
by
Survivors Of Flight 1549
Carol
, January 11, 2010
While the book was absorbing, it is not a good, factual account of the accident, relying instead on the subjective impressions of the passengers, warped by the passage of time. If you are reading to explore an airplane accident from the point of view of the passengers, it is good... until the last chapter, which deteriorates into a religious tract. It is flawed as well by technical errors, as well as poor descriptions which don't correlate well with a real airplane. Overall, I was disappointed in the authors, and the passengers, who seemed to have learned nothing from their experience. They all believed that airplane accidents are 100 percent fatal, and as a result, were poorly prepared to do what was required to save themselves. Many were aware that they were going to land in the river, yet only two removed their life vests prior to leaving the airplane. They didn't know where the exits were or how to operate them, and instead of reviewing this information during the descent, they wailed and prayed and tried to use their cell phones. Most didn't know how to brace for impact, and they kept coming out of the brace position to look around, resulting in many head injuries. Some now confess to medicating themselves in order to fly, which further limits their ability to rapidly exit an airplane in an emergency; others mentioned closing the window shades because they were afraid to look, depriving them of information which could be vital for their survival. There is no mention about the irrationality of their fears: some drove instead of flying on other trips, thus increasing their chances of dying. This book may be enjoyed by religious readers--especially Christians--but will disappoint anyone who has hopes for humans becoming rational creatures.
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Darwins Black Box The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution
by
Michael J Behe
Carol
, September 06, 2007
This book belongs in the religion section, not biology. Behe is not an evolutionary biologist, nor do his arguments do anything to undermine evolution; far better to read books by biologists; this is a blatantly creationist screed.
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Honor Killing: Race, Rape, and Clarence Darrow's Spectacular Last Case
by
David E. Stannard
Carol
, September 06, 2007
An outstanding account of how Hawaii was transformed from a racially segregated neo-colonial society into one of racial harmony thanks to the courage of several exceptionally courageous people. An absorbing true-crime story, it is enhanced by the larger picture of the history of Hawaii, its transformation by haoles, big business, and the influx of plantation laborers from Japan, China, the Phillipines and Portugal. Clarence Darrow makes his final appearance as one persuaded by money to defend an unjust murder. Mr. Stannard sustains interest throughout, leaving one breathlessly awaiting the outcome. A great read for those interested in a history of race relations in general, and the history of Hawaii in particular.
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Triangle The Fire That Changed America
by
David Von Drehle
Carol
, June 14, 2007
A book you won't be able to put down, a respectful account of a famously tragic fire. The excellent early chapters discuss the growing freedom of women, both in dress and their opportunities in the workplace; how the labor movement created tensions between business owners and employees that led to locked doors and limited exits; and how warnings about the inadequate fire escape and lack of employee preparation all came together on that terrible day.
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(4 of 9 readers found this comment helpful)
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Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers
by
Lilian Jackson Braun
Carol
, March 30, 2007
I like the "Cat Who..." books, but this one is a disappointment. I won't spoil the end, but simply say that a character I have grown to enjoy is removed from the scene for the forseeable future, the mysteries aren't solved, and an unnecessary tragedy--also unsolved--mars the finish. It's as if Ms. Braun had died and some hack had written the latter portion of the book from their own imagination. We've grown comfortable with the characters, and it's sad to see so much to disrupt the world of Moose County, and to no apparent purpose. I hope the author clears up the many unfinished plot lines begun in this book.
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Natural Causes Death Lies & Politics In
by
Dan Hurley
Carol
, March 30, 2007
Millions of Americans take dietary supplements; they will not like this book. However, even those who are angry about current medical practice and large pharmaceutical companies should realize that abandoning all regulations allows unscrupulous people to prey on the ill, or anyone who wants to feel better. This book, written by a journalist, raises issues which will make many unhappy; but facts matter, people dying and being harmed by supplements is a problem which must be addressed. Ad hominem and "straw man" attacks on the author do not reduce the import of this book in drawing attention to a serious problem: "medicine" which contains harmful components and none of the active ingredient present. Get your consciousness raised, learn about the issue, and stop buying useless and often harmful dietary supplements.
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Turk The Life & Times Of The Famous 18
by
Tom Standage
Carol
, April 14, 2006
One of the best books I've ever read, exciting, absorbing, and, best of all, it's true. Mr. Standage gives The Turk so much personality that I was in tears by it's demise, and elated by its recreation many years later. It neatly expresses the attitudes of people towards automation over the period of the industrial revolution: from the belief that anything might be possible, to the proof of impossibility of a chess-playing machine, full circle to the realization of the original dream. This book has everything you could ever want.
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