Customer Comments

I've always been somewhat passive about being an atheist. Sometimes (when the weather is just right) I even feel like I'm missing something because I'm not a god-believer. I picked up this book on a whim and for the first time, I feel proud of my lack of beliefs. Not arrogantly, mind you, but there was one essay especially that resonated with me about the gratitude I feel for human achievements in medicine, science, and technology. Thanking God for that is dismissive of the human beings that made the achievements. I found this particular collection of writing very accessible, entertaining, anecdotal, and many experiences written about resonated with me personally.

Bill Bryson is hilarious. My appreciation of another of his books, Made in America, made me buy The Lost Continent. After reading this book I gave it to my mother-in-law who suggested it for her book club. Then I bought it again. It was just as funny the second time. Everyone in America should recognize at least a few of the small towns Mr. Bryson passes through in his travels. His cutting wit contrasted by his easy familiarity makes the reader feel like almost like a confidant.

You should seriously consider reading this book. I keep picking it up even though it doesn't have much of a point. It's totally the kind of thing I would write... if I had wit. It's about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, online communities, and fandom. But she (the author) has a lot to say about other things like politics, how to raise kids, how to respond to forum trolls, etc. And it's all pretty funny. A few of the jokes are over the top. There was one about kicking a puppy on life support in Florida and I think saying "in Florida" ruined the funniness... But it's still very good and I really think you might like it. Especially since I'm even an outsider, what with only ever having developed an appreciation for Buffy that makes me think of a half-finished sandwich (for no other reason than I tried it and didn't really appreciate it to its fullest - but it WAS there!). Anyway, chances are good that you, what with your capacity to have an appreciation for the show that was once Buffy the Vampire Slayer, might find the book even more humorous than I do. Then again, you might not and I won't think any worse of you for it.

NO! The series can't be unfinished! It's a perfect fantasy series. Terry Goodkind is great but in some ways hit or miss. In this series George R.R. Martin gets hit after hit. George, please write fast and furiously for that final book in the series. I need to know what happens with Tyrion.

I liked this book better than Smoke and Mirrors because I don’t dig poetry and songs so much but I love Neil Gaiman’s writing. My favorite story in here is “October” where Mr. Gaiman anthropomorphizes the months of the year and they tell their stories. Genius!

I didn’t before but after reading this book I believe in chaos. (Not just the book but the phenomenon.) It helped me shed some light on my views on determinism and free will after reading it. And I don’t have a physics background but I was still able to understand it. I’ll never look at the world the same way. If you liked The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene you’ll love this.

I'm not a religious person so this was not only a novel story (no pun intended) but now I know where a few biblical references come from. It's like I'm learning without noticing it because this book was such a pleasure to read.

I like how Jono Bacon gets you started right away writing code for functional PHP applications rather than 100 pages of dry reading before you can actually produce something.

"Without Man is there hope for Gorilla?" The question can be read two different ways and that was the intention. I think of this book as a prelude to Guns, Germs, and Steel but in storybook form.

If you've ever had an overbearing mother who only wants what's best for you, you can't help but feel a kindred spirit with Bertie, the six-year-old boy with a heart of gold who simply wants to be normal. A fantastic book. Alexander McCall Smith's wit crackles. My only disappointment with this book was how quickly I read through it.