Reviews and Comments

I liked how the topics of surveillance, cryptography, civil liberties got at least as much attention as the plot. Strong choice to not cover the terrorists at all.

It feels of its time, not in a bad way though. But Xbox, burning CDs, and the post 9/11 surveillance state. A little depressing when you consider how much more digital surveillance exists now.

What a woman, what a life. An inspiration. And it was refreshing to learn it in straightforward prose and not have this be 500 overwrought pages.

Interested in any fiction about youth climate activists

Good timing for me to receive this message.

Written by a member of the sailing staff at Camp Michigania family camp.

A tour de force. Kept me up late!

Waiting for me at the library hold shelf. Recommended by someone who works on circular economy projects at the city.

I don't typically read parenting books. For me, this one was worth it just for the chapter on chores, which is an aspect of parenting where I wasn't happy. Someone recommended it for that. Now I have a kid setting and clearing the table - and it is making me happier! Let's see if it sticks.

I liked how the book was organized into realms that give parents trouble. One can skim or skip areas they're not interested in.

Dell'Antonia doesn't use the language of mindfulness, but a lot of the book boils down to that. Being present, the four noble truths of Buddhism (here that desire is the root of suffering), everything constantly changing, etc.

Fine, but I enjoyed this collection less than his novels, which I found magnificent. Maybe I'm not as into short stories as I am novels, and maybe I would appreciate them more if I read only a single story from the collection in a sitting ...

Lots of nature, you can see where he uses some material (e.g. knowledge of mollusks) in the novels. At least three stories have fishing as a major component. "The Caretaker" has some graphic descriptions of terrible violence in Liberia, FYI.

Recommended to me for the chapter on assigning chores, which is not a strength of mine

Couldn't put it down. Not sure which I liked better, this or Cloud Cuckoo Land. They were pretty similar, both were fantastic but if I read a third epic novel from Doerr I'd hope it would be different.

Good reminder that war is terrible and must be avoided.

Beautiful prose, gripping plot, evocative worldbuilding and characters.