Reviews and Comments

Brene browns approach to things is so revolutionary and effective at changing things that I think I am approaching this book in a context where things have already shifted somewhat and some of the excellent things she has to say is a bit “well, duh”. I found some bits really helpful, and took photos of pages especially with tips for being in the grunt of a hard conversation, but a lot of the book danced around a corporate world I’m just not familiar with. She also alludes a lot to her faith without naming what it is, which I am not sure is good or bad; just a little incomplete I guess? As a composite book with ideas from other books, I wonder if going back to the other books will be better. Glad I read it but not sure I’d recommend this specific book despite really backing her work.

One of those bookshelves in a shared accomodation on an island in the hauraki.

Became a comfort book over the months afterwards- clearly written by someone who cared about the stories that he was being told. Has tapped into/made me low key obsessed with eels now…

Really enjoyed this audiobook; only bit I lost enthusiasm for was the last couple of chapters where the thesis was that humans themselves were domesticated, and an argument that genetic engineering may help rewild again - I guess the fact that got my hackles up is more of an indication the book is written well but I wasn’t expecting that. Really interesting.

Utterly immersive, and clever without you needing to be clever to follow along. First un-putdownable book I have read in some time. Insightful and complex and light and sad and happy. So glad to have read it.

I wanted to like this book, it was easy to read and had a forward, propulsive style. But the wife as saint character felt two dimensional, and the autism as savant once managed felt like a trope too. Some cool ideas and good structure, but just felt… preachy and misanthropic which is a shame.

And maybe this is all disjointed because it’s an out of order collation, but I’m not convinced with the writing…

Audiobook - it’s both a brilliant and potentially damning thing that this book almost instantly put me to sleep; and I’m not sure that it would have been one I would have been able to read physically. I enjoyed the detail of the astronauts day to day life and at times it read more like an autobiography or documentary than fiction. I listened to the end and don’t remember how it ended… and yet I don’t mind. This is the vibe of it I guess.

After reading “carrying the fire” last year, I’m super impressed with this shorter, illustrated book that captures so well the Apollo mission and Michael’s personality.

Beautiful writing, the feeling of disconnection I think is deliberate? But hard slog in the middle. Loved the last few essays that gently pulls it all together

On one hand, loved (some of) the writing, read the book within a day- loved (some of) the themes. Passed the placenta test… but the twin trope was awful and the violence and hypocrisy about responses to violence; had too many happy endings for too many difficult topics

I’m hoping in time this book will age out, as criticisms of Australian society become unfair, and further knowledge about aboriginal land management informs new industry and preservation… at times feels a bit brow beating but it’s (for me at least) a new perspective, entirely new and exciting