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I love calculus and I loved this book. If you do not love calculus you might not, but I feel like he does a good job of trying tell a story that is accessible even if you do not have a mathematical background. It is impossible for me to separate myself from my own mathematical background which is so intertwined in my personality, so this judgement on accessibility may need to be taken with a grain of salt. I do feel like the book is well organized and the chapters have good narrative structure. Objectively good on these matters of structure and story telling, I would be interested in how others who do not have maths backgrounds found this argument that he makes that “calculus is important and foundational to everything we do in the modern technological world.” and that “Calculus is truly the language of the universe”

I really enjoyed this book. It is packed with science but presents in a well-organized and interesting way. Zooming through eras and eons it does not try to be comprehensive in its telling but focuses on a number of narrative threads. The approach is unique and refreshing and in the end an enjoyable ride.

As an avid reader of science and math books who also has a degree in Physics and Maths, I often end up reading books about topics I have some level of familiarity with. This research into the science of sync was totally new to me. This was also my first Steven Strogatz book. His writing style is great. He is able to communicate the most complex of ideas using simple easy to understand language. I loved this book and am looking forward to reading other books by this author.

The book never really delivers on the initial promise and the ending is unsatisfying. While the title hints at a cyber-thriller, that never really ends up being important to the story or really developed in a realistic way. There are just too many plot holes for me to really love this book. Cyber attacks and cyber war are happening today routinely and we know what they look like - this is not it. China even today really would not and could not invade Washington DC or the US. And no one can walk 60 miles in one day, that is just crazy. I wanted to like this at the beginning but by the end there was just too much cognitive dissonance from all of the plot holes. I am giving three stars because it was a fun ride at times, but ultimately I cannot recommend this book.

This is the hardest of science fiction with technologies which are already here or just over the horizon. That combined with the carefully crafted characters made this story easy to get into without too much cognitive dissonance from the wild story. And what a story! It really takes you for a ride and has some twists and turns and thrills along the way. Loved this!

Mark Kurlansky keeps surprising me by taking every day things and putting a spotlight on them in a way that is both fascinating and entertaining. I learned a lot about Onions and renewed my love affair with the pungent, delectable treat.

Fascinating perspective on a story which has been told in many other places, but never quite in this way. It takes a complex story with many pieces and weaves it into a single narrative. It is impressive in the fact that is able to provide great historical detail and great scientific detail without derailing what is a fascinating story of some very interesting and brilliant personalities. Really loved this book.

This books does a good job of putting some framing and context around the trial transcript which is really the star of this story. Much of the book, really the best parts, is simply quoting the trial transcript. But like watching a highlight reel, having the context and not wasting time with the unnecessary bits, makes it more enjoyable.

What could sound more boring than a book on the history of accounting? It is in fact a great read with colorful historical facts and some great characters from a fascinating time. It also does a great job of bridging the history into how it affects us in the modern day.