Reviews and Comments

rho Locked account

Joined 1 year, 5 months ago

Giving BookWyrm a try! Lately I've been reading a good bit of Economics, History, and Politics, but also enjoy SciFi.

I keep a much simpler reading list, but thought it may be fun to try something more functional and federated. You can also find me @rho@fosstodon.org

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rho reviewed In the Country of Last Things by Paul Auster

Paul Auster: In the Country of Last Things (1988, Penguin Books)

Well written; dark, sad, despondent, and near hopless

4 stars

rho rated Virtue Hoarders: 2 stars

Catherine Liu: Virtue Hoarders (2021, University Of Minnesota Press)

Virtue Hoarders by Catherine Liu

A denunciation of the credentialed elite class that serves capitalism while insisting on its own progressive heroism

Author Catherine Liu …

rho rated The drama of the gifted child: 3 stars

Alice Miller: The drama of the gifted child (1997, BasicBooks)

The drama of the gifted child by Alice Miller

rho reviewed Invisible Rulers by Renee DiResta

Renee DiResta: Invisible Rulers (2024, PublicAffairs)

An “essential and riveting” (Jonathan Haidt) analysis of the radical shift in the dynamics of …

A Breakdown of Social Media, Bespoke Realities, and Modern Propaganda

5 stars

rho rated Lottery: 4 stars

Shirley Jackson: Lottery (1976, Popular Library)

Lottery by Shirley Jackson

The intoxicated --
The daemon lover -- Like Mother used to make -- Trial by combat --
The villager -- …

rho reviewed The Lost Cause by Cory Doctorow

Cory Doctorow: The Lost Cause (Hardcover, 2023, Tor Publishing Group)

A novel of truth and reconciliation in our polarized future.

Struggled with this one.

3 stars

The main premise is both thought provoking and exciting. However, I had a hard time relating to any of the characters.

rho reviewed Rome's Last Citizen by Rob Goodman

Rob Goodman: Rome's Last Citizen (Hardcover, 2012, Thomas Dunne Books)

Enjoyable

4 stars

Entertaining and approachable rundown of Cato's life and legacy. Takes some liberties with character motivations and thoughts, but I think does so to help stitch a narrative together.

The book can stand alone, though I think would be most enjoyable with some prior knowledge of the Julius Caesar / Fall of the Republic story.

rho reviewed Rescuing Retirement by Teresa Ghilarducci

Teresa Ghilarducci, Tony James, Timothy Geithner: Rescuing Retirement (2020, Columbia University Press)

Simplified yet well referenced; a quick pitch on what seems like a good idea.

3 stars

rho reviewed We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor (Bobiverse, #1)

Dennis E. Taylor: We Are Legion (We Are Bob) (2017)

Bob Johansson has just sold his software company and is looking forward to a life …

Fast and entertaining

3 stars

Content warning general details on the main plot device

A novel idea for a plot device that I don't think I've encountered before (digitized human consciousness in the form of a von Neumann probe). It was quick and entertaining, however I feel like it was a missed opportunity to have a bit more depth.