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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
Yonathan has commented on (21) products
Adventures of Robin Hood Classic Starts
by
Howard Pyle
Yonathan
, June 06, 2009
This book is a must have for any parent. My kids love the way the story just flows. They give it the best compliment, "It is better than the cartoon." This is with out a doubt the best version I have ever read.
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Ascent of George Washington
by
John Ferling
Yonathan
, June 05, 2009
Even through the prism of modern skepticism, George Washington typically escapes unscathed as an American diety, and certainly no politician. John Ferling is not out to destroy this icon's name, but he does take great pains to humanize the man. Focusing on G.W.'s political game, especially with his 20/20 vision to seek out scapegoats, Ferling follows the first U.S. president from his youth as a hot-headed, glory-thirsting soldier through his somewhat "seat of the pants" run as a revolutionary general on to his calculated role as elder statesman and president. While Ferling does air out a little dirty laundry, this book manages to paint G.W. as an all-too-human figure who attained legendary status through a mixture of propulsive willpower and a bit of blind luck. The book makes for pretty riveting reading all the way through the American Revolution, while the presidential years is a touch slower going (although still stocked with great factoids). There are certainly enough unique angles here to appeal to the history buff.
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The Chief Executives the Chief Executives
by
Isadore Barmash
Yonathan
, May 04, 2009
I have been a fan of Kevin O'Brien's books since "The Actors" and "Only Son" where he has provided non-stop suspense and entertainment. With "Final Breath" Mr. O'Brien should no longer be considered a good author but now an excellent author. While I enjoyed all his other novels, this is his best work to date. He has written a thriller that will keep your interest throughout while trying to guess who and what's next. Much like his other books, you won't want to put it down until is's finished. It's a keeper
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Kitchen Mysteries Revealing the Science of Cooking
by
This, Herv?
Yonathan
, May 01, 2009
This is not about making cookies or cooking a thanksgiving turkey in time. This book is about the chemical subtleties that make a good dish a great dish. The chemistry is fairly easy while the cooking is a lot harder here. It isn't about healthy foods (even if there are some good healthy cooking hints) and it isn't about quick cooking (even if there are some interesting suggestions about how, for example, render the microwaved food better tasting). The two biggest shortcomings in my opinion are a truly lame index and too much quoting from the old masters. Even if I prefer Italian cooking, I can forgive his French cooking slant. I consider the shortcomings negligible, and thus I stick to 5 stars.
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Halting State
by
Charles Stross
Yonathan
, April 29, 2009
I encountered to this book in the course of an hour-long hunt through cross-references ("people who bought this book also bought..."), best-seller lists, etc. looking for something new and good in the vein of William Gibson, Neal Stephenson, etc. - a work by an author who really gets how the present works and the near future is likely to work, and can be truly, literarily creative with it. I ordered it expecting something decent, and found that I had received a real gem. Not only is the tech background super-solid (it helps if you're a sysadmin, but if not, no worries), but the writing is great - the dialog and internal monologues are as sardonic and humorous as, say, Elmore Leonard, Carl Hiaason, or John Sandford. Finally, dear God, it's set in Scotland and reads like Ian Rankin tartan noir. What's not to like?
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2666
by
Roberto Bolano, Natasha Wimmer
Yonathan
, April 27, 2009
A shocking compelling book. The 900 hundred page novel written by Robert Bolano is the story of a violent, sexist Mexico that I, a naive tourist would never associate to the smiling people and lavish resorts of a all inclusive Americanized Mexico. The book is written in 5 parts. With a underlying thread of violence that connects them all. The story is both shocking and tender. The violence of part 4 is at times almost unbearable to read. I loved this book! I was deeply touched by one page and thoroughly disgusted by another. This is a difficult book to read but well worth every moment spent. I ended the book feeling connected to the writer and the country. The next time I visit Mexico I want experience the real country and the people. If you love long emotional tempestuous novels you must read it! Unfortunately Robert Balano died in 2003, but his legacy is a masterwork. This was for me one of the rare books that filled my mind with possibilities.
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Boy In The Striped Pajamas Movie Cover
by
John Boyne
Yonathan
, April 17, 2009
While there has been much debate over the credibility of the historical facts in the story, I don't find this of particular personal relevance. The book tells the story of 9-year-old Bruno who lives in high society Berlin. Seen through his eyes, the reader is taken into a world that Bruno cannot make sense of (his father wears a uniform, they have the "Fury" over for dinner, and they unexpectedly move to "Out-With") and that he can only comprehend in the way a child can. While 9 might be a little old for a child to be this naive, the point of the story is to bring us into a subject matter that will always be difficult to understand. By putting us on the other side of the fence, on the side where the Nazi party and their children live, we are brought into a world that is scary for young Bruno although not nearly as scary as it is for his friend Shmuel, the title character on the other side of the fence. To analyze the historical inconsistencies doesn't appeal to me as, the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, I didn't feel like the book did a disservice by placing Bruno with his father rather than in the Hitler Juden. The book is remarakably touching and simple, yet contains some beautiful sentences evocative of a writer who successfully gets to the heart of human evil and cruelty. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in reading about the Holocaust, whether young or old, whose tale of a friendship speaks volumes about the what we as humans choose not to see.
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The Book Thief
by
Markus Zusak
Yonathan
, April 17, 2009
This is a story told by Death. An interesting point of view perhaps, but as it is set in Germany during World War II, perhaps it is entirely appropriate. It is also a story of a young girl, who in spite of having a life that no one would wish on anyone, still manages to have glimpses of pleasure through many small things, including the few books that she manages to acquire (or shall we say, steal). It is interesting to see that it appears to be targetted to young adult readers - please don't be put off by this - it is very much an adult story about children who are doing their best to live a normal life in times of unspeakable horror. It would also be a good way to introduce more mature readers to the history of the times. But be warned, it is quite confrontational at times, and considering who the narrator is, very sad. To add extra punch to the story, it appears that it is the true story of the author's grandmother. When you consider this, you realise how truly resiliant we humans are, and how occasionally, and with a bit of luck, we can hold off death for a time.
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Percy Jackson 04 Battle of the Labyrinth
by
Rick Riordan
Yonathan
, April 09, 2009
This is book four of the Percy Jackson series, with only one more installment to come. Readers from around ten years old will be thrilled by the adventures of the teenaged hero who just happens to be the son of Poseidon, God of the Sea, and all his friends, most of whom are the children of the Olympians from Greek Mythology. In my opinion, it would be better if you read the series in order, and the three previous books are: The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1) The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 2) The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3) In "The Battle of the Labyrinth", Percy and three friends set off on a quest through the treacherous labyrinth, in search of the inventor Daedalus, hoping that he will help them to defeat the army being assembled by Luke, son of Hermes. The thing is - Luke is just the messenger, and the evil he's about to unleash can bring down Olympus itself. Although still clueless about girls and relationships, Percy starts developing and unleashing his powers, and surprises even himself when he attempts to repeat Hercules' great stable cleansing project. Other demi-gods also come into their own in book four, and a mortal girl proves to be just the ticket, and in the nick of time too. In a related sub-story, the search for Pan reaches an exhilarating climax. Packed with monsters of all persuasions, gods and demi-gods, rescues, battles and side trips to Alcatraz and Mount St. Helens, this is by far the most exciting book of the series so far. Amazingly imaginative, thrilling and funny, this series by Rick Riordan continues to be a front runner in children's fiction, and I recommend it without reservation. Not to mention book 5 is out in 3 weeks!!!!!
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Heartbreaker
by
Carly Phillips
Yonathan
, March 28, 2009
Concluding the trilogy with the oldest Chandler brother was an eventful read. Chase was the brother I was most looking forward to. So since I like going in order, needless to say, I was a little impatient to get to the Heartbreaker. While I can't say it was worth the wait, it wasn't a complete disappointment. Chase was as I expected plus a lot more. As in the first book with the hero, I found I could not like the heroine that well, Sloane. Although I enjoyed her story, I didn't like her too much, and could not see her with Chase at all. Again it seemed more sex than substance. While I could tell he cared for her, I thought she would be better suited for another type of guy. All in all it was a good story with a great hero.
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Underneath
by
Kathi Appelt
Yonathan
, March 19, 2009
I've stated before that if a book can make me laugh hysterically or cry hysterically, it's guaranteed a good review because it means the author has gone above and beyond. That is the case with THE UNDERNEATH. Except, a good review isn't enough for this book. It is not. I only hope that my review can begin to do justice to this amazing work. THE UNDERNEATH is lyrical, strong, and extremely well-written. It is thought provoking and "can't put it down" fantastic. Kathy Appelt does not lower the bar in the slightest from page one until the book is done. Not one bit. Appelt weaves a brilliant tale about an old, beaten-down hound dog and the felines he loves. She also weaves an almost entirely separate folktale of a miserable, bitter, shape-shifting snake. How do these two stories fit into the same book? Ask Kathi Appelt, because I'm still trying to figure out how she beautifully intertwined them. But she did. She did. In the acknowledgements, Appelt mentions advice from M.T. Anderson (THE ASTONISHING LIFE OF OCTAVIAN NOTHING) that she took to heart: "Write what you think you can't." Obviously, this author put her heart and her soul into the writing of a beautiful book, and it has paid off with a tale that will last for generations. You know that gut feeling you get when you read a book like CHARLOTTE'S WEB or THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TULANE? That Lasting feeling? Lasting wraps itself around you and urges you to read this book carefully because you'll want it in good condition on your shelf for a long time to come. That is this book. This perfect and Lasting book.
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Beowulf a New Verse Translation Bilingual Edition
by
Seamus Heaney
Yonathan
, March 18, 2009
In this translation of Beowulf, the story is the star. I've read other translated editions, but gotten so bogged down in the attempts at exact translation (those tiresome hyphenations!) that I never noticed Beowulf himself. Here, we see him develop as a character: first a young hero, then a king, then a seasoned ruler with one last fight to face. And everything means something. Heaney mentions in his introduction that he wanted every word to have weight; he's succeeded. The introduction alone, incidentally, is worth the price of the book. Reading how Heaney sees poetry and the English language is a privilege; he's one of our best living poets. Also, though I don't read Old English, I did appreciate the bilingual edition, just for reference's sake. I highly recommend this edition. Whether the reader is new to the poem or not, it's fresh and meaningful here.
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August: Osage County
by
Tracy Letts
Yonathan
, March 17, 2009
A dilapidated, one hundred year-old farmhouse on the plains outside Tulsa has been the home of the Weston family for generations, and Beverly Weston, the family patriarch, has long found refuge in alcohol. His termagant wife Violet takes pills, whatever pills she can lay hands on, and the two have little in common and have not really communicated for years. Bev, who once published a collection of poetry, now spends time quoting T. S. Eliot, and Eliot's line that "Life is very long..." serves as a motto for Bev in his life. Bev's Prologue sets the tone for the play, and when Act One begins, Bev has disappeared. The family has gathered to support each other while they await news on his whereabouts. A dysfunctional family which represents just about every problem a family can have, the Westons who have gathered are the three daughters of Bev and Violet, along with Violet's sister Mattie Fay, her husband, and adult son. Barbara, at forty-six the eldest of the Westons' children, has arrived with her husband and precocious fourteen-year-old daughter. Ivy Weston, age forty-four, is unmarried, constantly resisting her mother's meddlesome probing and her cruel remarks about catching a man. Karen Weston, the youngest, at forty, has brought her fifty-year-old fiancé with her. In the course of the three hours or more of this play, the family, overwhelmed by the selfish mean-spiritedness Violet, reveals and/or deals with their self-destructive behavior on all levels--from addictions, unhappy marriages, and infidelity, to sadism, suicide, pedophilia, and even incest.
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Aunt Dimity Slays The Dragon
by
Nancy Atherton
Yonathan
, March 12, 2009
After all the wonderfully entertaining Aunt Dimity books I didn't think an interesting story line remained - but I was wrong. This time the story takes place across the meadow, in Lori's backyard. A "Ren" fair full of the mystery that the Aunt Dimity books are famous for. Bill plays a bigger part this time but Aunt Dimity takes a backseat. I like to hear more from her in the stories. Atherton cannot disapoint with this series and I will be unhappy when she closes the final chapter on Aunt Dimity.
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House of Cards A Tale of Hubris & Wretched Excess on Wall Street
by
William D Cohan
Yonathan
, March 11, 2009
House of Cards" reports on the collapse of the investment banking house Bear Stearns (America's fifth-largest investment bank), and the beginning of the worst banking crisis since the Great Depression. Cohan's background as an investment banker allows him to cut through the complexity to explain what happened in simple, clear terms. Bear Stearns had survived every crisis of the 20th century, including the Great Depression - without a single losing quarter - until the end of 2007. In 1997, Bear Stearns had helped pioneer the subprime mortgage-backed security by serving as co-underwriter on a $385 million offering. By the mid-2000s, it was the market leader in this segment. The focus of the book is the last ten days of Bear Stearns, leading up to its absorption by J.P. Morgan at a fire-sale price ($10/share, down from $167; less than the value of its $1.5 billion office building), greased by $30 billion in Federal Reserve funds. (The Fed was worried that a bankruptcy of Bear Stearns could wreak fiscal havoc around the world.) Just a year earlier it had been identified as "America's most admired securities firm" by Fortune magazine; in 2006 its Asset Management fees had reached $335 million. Bonuses were in the 8-figure range. Unfortunately, it was also the most heavily invested in mortgage-backed securities. Bear Stearns, like its competitors, financed itself with oversight sources (the cheapest source). However, when analysts began questioning Bear's viability, given its shaky mix of assets, continued financing for Bear dried up, and it toppled. Amazingly, its chairman was too buy playing bridge and golf to get involved until too late; earlier he had forced out the only many who understood what was going on. The firm even turned down a last-minute offer from a Saudi Arabian for substantial financing ("not needed"). Its leadership then blamed the media and short-sellers for Bear's demise. True, Bear's fall was quite rapid. However, there had been warning signs - problems at smaller firms with similar asset structures, rising risk premiums for its mortgage bond holdings ($50,000 for $10 million during the first half of 2007, rising to $350,000 on 3/5/08), its first quarterly loss at the end of 2008, and the downgrading of some of its bond holdings. Worse yet, Cohan also alluded to failing to conserve cash by reducing dividends and ceasing stock buybacks, as well as increasing leverage - unfortunately, it is not clear whether he was referring to Lehman, Bear, or both. The bad news - the 468 pages, complete with endless interviews and accounts of bridge games, is a bit much. The even worse news - Bear Stearns' and others playing for billions has left American taxpayers with a debt of trillions. And we still haven't heard "the rest of the story."
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Last Lecture
by
Randy Pausch, Jeffrey Zaslow
Yonathan
, March 10, 2009
I was a bit wary at first. I usually despise self-help books as simplistic cure all ills with one fell swoop common sense rephrased to sound profound. However, this little book seemed a bit different from the outset because the author really is dying and is making an effort to explain himself to his kids and offer his own advise. The result is a book that is part self-help and part testimonial. The self-help stuff is the same rather ordinary "accept life as it is and go for your dreams" type stuff that's been published in one form or another for thousands of years. Life is sad and and man is a mystery so make of your short time on Earth whatever happiness and fulfillment you can. From Buddism to Dr. Phil, the message has changed surprisingly little even if the messenger has. Randy Pausch is different from most people because he is a high achiever. He is intelligent, energetic, talented, creative, curious, hardworking, realistic and proactive. He is hardly perfct and does not pretend to be but he is an optimist in a world of pessimism. Most people live in their heads, Pausch lived in the world long before he got cancer. I have to admit I admire Randy and his indefatigable optimism. I was most struck by his ability to apply the understanding of when it's time to be serious and time to be silly and that each has it's place. This shows an unusually high level of maturity and could be used to instruct today's slacker generations, if they cared to be instructed. The book reads like a curriculum vitae of Randy's accomplishments in both work and life. In most people, this would seem self-congratulatory or even arrogant. In Pausch, it is touching because he is dying. I would argue that only the dying have earned the right to revel in their accomplishments. He's knows he is not only giving the last lecture but delivering the last chapter of his autobiography.
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Terminal Freeze
by
Lincoln Child
Yonathan
, March 06, 2009
New Bedford is an alien city, a messy collection of triple-deckers, stone churches, abandoned textile mills and infinite sadness. New Bedford is sad because of its past greatness - it was arguably one of the wealthiest cities in the world in the middle of the 19th century. I expect most people think of New Bedford through Ishmael's eyes; Jack Tar rolling down cobble-stoned streets past the Seaman's Bethel to the Spouter Inn. Few see it as the drug-ridden, tired mess of a fishing port it is today, cut off from the sea by a ugly rampart of stone built to protect what's left from another hurricane like the ones in 1938 and 1954 that nearly wiped the place off the map forever, ruined by Route 18, an ugly slash of highway some dumb politician pushed through to tie the docks to the interstate. Yes, there's the Whaling Museum - it's cute and kind of sad as it tries to revise the bloody history of what the city did to the world's whale population -- and there are parts of the town that ache with memories of past glories, when New Bedford men roamed the globe and fortunes were made on everything from oil to golf balls, rope to coke. Rory Nugent wrote Down at the Docks following nearly two decades living in New "Bej" It's about eight chapters long, each a profile of a different character, all related to the waterfront in one way or another. From the Portuguese-American, former Miss Massachusetts (third runner-up) tending the dockside diner coffee pot, to the unluckiest fisherman, or Jonah, on the docks, the book is about the people - captains and crew, mobsters and fixers, bluebloods and dope addicts. This is not a book about commercial fishing, watch Most Dangerous Catch if you want to get off on guys killing themselves in orange Grundens. This is about fishermen trying to sink old boats for the insurance money, about captains pissed off at the scientists, madmen who snort coke and meth to stay awake during killer blizzards, not because they want to have a party. This is a weird subculture that Mark Kurlansky comes close to describing in his recent tome about Gloucester, The Last Fish Tale, but doesn't because Nugent just flat out takes a novelist's liberty and invents his characters into something more real than any diligent reporter could objectively describe. I'm sure he'll take some heat for fictionalizing, but it doesn't matter. The details are real. The speech patterns are dead on. This is southeastern Massachusetts long after the circus left town, a broken down, depressed, grey and brown place that got the stuffing kicked out of it by the Great Depression, roused itself for a little while in the 60s, and is now floating face down. My only bone to pick with the book is one of the last chapters, about the Petticoat Society, where Nugent tries to tell the history of the Quaker whalers through the eyes of a society of women who hold the true power while their men are away at sea. The scrimshaw phallus story is heh-heh, humorous, and not the first time I've heard it told (the first being in Forbes FYI in the 90s).
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Everything Ravaged Everything Burned Stories
by
Wells Tower
Yonathan
, March 05, 2009
I learned of Wells Tower through his short story "Leopard," which left such an immediate impact on me that I procured an advance copy of Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned. Each tale in this collection reaffirmed his mastery of the short story. His characters have refreshingly realistic depth and each story feels whole and original. Despite the fact that the eponymous story centers on a band of Vikings, the book is distinctly American. Tower trains his keen eye on the modern American condition, in all its unprepossessing glory. His uncommon talent lies in his ability to depict beauty and melancholy, two inextricable elements, so piercingly. His prose is magnificent as well; the first couple of paragraphs of the title story - an irradiant exercise in both physical and emotional brutality - are a marvel. If you are a living human you should read this book.
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The Collectors: Camel Club 2
by
David Baldacci
Yonathan
, March 04, 2009
David Baldacci's ensemble of fascinating and brilliantly created characters in `The Collectors' coupled with two intertwining plots of murder and a clever financial con make for a completely enjoyable and page-turning read. Following his best selling hit `The Camel Club' with some familiar faces and the addition of the sultry yet incorrigibly scandalous Annabelle Conroy, readers will be continually amused and entertained as Baldacci, as if a grand maestro, intertwines and blends the character action and movement with such ease and storyline pleasure. As usual and expected in Baldacci's novels, readers will be left turning the pages, in this case as the plot moves to a very interesting conclusion when the World of Washington politics and those involved with a long-term swindle are forced to collide. Folks, sit back and enjoy `The Collectors', it very well may be David Baldacci's best yet.
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Persephane Pendrake and the Cimaruta
by
Lady Ellen
Yonathan
, March 03, 2009
I had just finished the Harry Potter series and was looking for what to read next. I had tried other books, but none could keep my interest. I was given this book by a friend and was unable to put it down. It has strong characters, not the kind you see from a new author. It was action packed, but easy to read. It kept my attention and I was always sitting at the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next. If you liked Harry Potter you will love this book; and best yet it is only one out of a nine book series.
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Inkheart 02 Inkspell
by
Cornelia Funke
Yonathan
, March 02, 2009
Having recently finished the sixth audiobook in the Harry Potter series, I began my search for the next great audiobook. A colleague suggested that I try Inheart. I rushed to the library and borrowed a copy. I was hooked by the end of the first disc. Not only was the story captivating, but Lynn Redgrave's narration brought the characters to life, giving them each unique and vibrant personalities. I finished Inkheart and rushed excitedly to the library to continue the story with an audio copy of Inkspell. As the first disc began to play, I had an unpleasant surprise: Lynn Redgrave's voice had changed. As a matter of fact, it wasn't Lynn Redgrave at all!!! Mediocre actor Brendan Fraser was attempting to read to me! OK, I thought, I'll give him a chance. He's famous. Surely he'll do this tremendous story justice. I was wrong. Brendan Fraser accomplished one thing: butchering one of the greatest children's books of our day. His interpretations of the characters' voices were, at best, amateurish. He succeeded in destroying the voices of some of the story's most beloved characters (Eleanor, for example). I am giving this book 4 stars. The story itself should receive 5+ out of 5. The narration, thanks to Brendan Fraser, deserves no more than a 1. I strongly recommend reading the book. I don't think I'd bother with the audiobook.
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