The writing style was a bit confused with this one. It lacked some of Sacks other "popular science" leanings and read a bit more like clinical notes iThe writing style was a bit confused with this one. It lacked some of Sacks other "popular science" leanings and read a bit more like clinical notes in many areas, but the subject matter was interesting. Having had some severe health issues in my younger years and being highly dependent on others I can remember my mind moving into an observational state as I became more and more dependent on care. That state is captured very well by the patients in this book. Their "awakenings" via the use of L-Dopa were varied in outcome. I really liked the afterward where Sacks criticizes the use of the terms "side effects" to denote these other states of experience and points to the inevitable conclusion that all effects positive and negative need to be taken into context with the person and individual being treated. Hopefully medicine continues to move in this direction where the individual is treated more so than the symptoms as this book elegantly demonstrates the varying effects of such drugs on the individual patients. ...more
I am not really sure where to start with a review of this book. The writing style first of all did not appeal to me at all. I liked the hypothetical vI am not really sure where to start with a review of this book. The writing style first of all did not appeal to me at all. I liked the hypothetical vantage point this book attempted to take but not really any of its conclusions or contents. It did not feel scientific it felt a bit preachy and "self-helpy". The authors used a weird third person speaking voice that was awkward at times and unappealing. Having listened to some podcasts featuring Heather and Brett and liking that format (not all of the conclusions but certainly their way of thinking) I purchased this book hoping to better understand their ideas, and they actually had a lot of their these ideas in this book as kind of a companion guide to life. However most of these ideas were not tied in well together as a full package which made the reading pretty bland. I feel like Heather and Brett are beautiful and interesting people and would be happy to have a talk to them face to face as they do on their podcast but that this writing format was not of any interest to me personally. ...more
I love finding a book on a topic that I know very little about it always provides a wealth of ideas and information. This really expanded my mind to tI love finding a book on a topic that I know very little about it always provides a wealth of ideas and information. This really expanded my mind to think about the aging differently. His reinforcement of the idea that we need to see aging as a disease unto itself and something treatable I found to be really outside of the box to my current world view, and I now feel more open to this as a possibility. Watching a lot of my loved ones age and die in the most horrific ways I can't imagine that anyone would think that we should allow a more "natural death" if we didn't have to. Most of the reason I have always been hesitant about aging has to do with my fear over the quality of life if the upper limits of that expand but he really brought me around to a different way of looking at things in this book which I found quite helpful and promising. No only expanding our maximum life expectancy but focusing on quality of life well now that is really something! Hopefully collectively we provide more research funding to these biological studies. The books writing itself was a little disjointed but I found myself forgiving the author because of my interest in the topic. ...more
A beautiful non fiction work about Genes. You get a bit of everything with this one. Some history, biology and life lessons wrapped in a nice little hA beautiful non fiction work about Genes. You get a bit of everything with this one. Some history, biology and life lessons wrapped in a nice little helix package. The layout is quite nice. The content is good the writing is lovely. Something about this book was not quite as visceral as the Emporor of All Malaldies to me though. Definitely worth a read if you have any interest in a broad overview of genetics. I would have liked if this book also went more into the bio-ethical realm. He kind of touched on it but seemed hesitant to make any firm stances or get too deep into that side of the topic. ...more
I really like the overall arc of this book and how it was presented. Couched in the ideas of the enlightenment I though this was a nice vantage point I really like the overall arc of this book and how it was presented. Couched in the ideas of the enlightenment I though this was a nice vantage point for him to bring forward his arguments. I really liked reading about this topic and the changes in the world in a more positive light than what is generally perpetuated in the common media channels. However two parts that I didn't like was his takes on the Environment which I think were fairly weak arguments poorly made and missed a huge amount of the harm. This is a good article on this topic
I was also not a huge fan of the political throw ins I don't see this as helpful. Having said that it was a great read and I would actually advise reading this as there is so much good information in there and it was really insightful. ...more
This book was really fun. As a popular science pick I was really happy with this as an afternoon read. As an overall work I think it was a little rambThis book was really fun. As a popular science pick I was really happy with this as an afternoon read. As an overall work I think it was a little rambly and not well formed as a connection of specific ideas. Having said that I still rather enjoyed this. ...more
This book was really an attempt by the author to set the record straight on the original meaning of Nanotechnology and how this has gone array for a mThis book was really an attempt by the author to set the record straight on the original meaning of Nanotechnology and how this has gone array for a myriad of reasons that involved money, power, and circumstance. As does anything.I think would have rather read Engines of Creation as I think this felt like a bit of a rant. ...more
I have read most of Brain Greens works. I am a layman of physics and perhaps not the best to comment on the mathematical side of anything but I guess I have read most of Brain Greens works. I am a layman of physics and perhaps not the best to comment on the mathematical side of anything but I guess I fit the typical pop science consumer market. Generally, our "types" love the cold hard facts sprinkled with the way those facts could relate to grand ideas. I suppose that this is what we look for in this genre. If that is what you are after this is not what you will find with this book. I find this book fascinating because it really shows the author has tried to take an exploratory approach to life and wonderment without making conclusions other than to be in awe and to try to dance with the lyrical side of literature. This would be off-putting for a lot of people who would pick up a book like this. But I found it rather charming and human. Whether you are a particle physicist or a neuroscientist or someone who works in the farm industry I think we all have a deep longing for understanding connectivity and meaning in our lives. This is just a single person's attempt at the meaning when viewed through more than a decade of research in cosmology. Having a different lens to view such things I think is beautiful and intriguing. To me, it shows the author changing as he grows throughout life and I find that human element fascinating. If you are looking for more cosmology based/string theory/ parallel dimensions type subjects I would suggest his earlier works. ...more
I was never really a fan of composite literature. I prefer his full volumes. Each essay was just too short to really get to the meat of hte arguments I was never really a fan of composite literature. I prefer his full volumes. Each essay was just too short to really get to the meat of hte arguments a nd enjoy. Not the best format for Dawkins and I have read a few. He does best when he has time to expand his ideas and let his thoughts blossom. ...more
This was more about the historical aspect of the finding of Neanddertal fossils and the classification and interactions of the various players in thatThis was more about the historical aspect of the finding of Neanddertal fossils and the classification and interactions of the various players in that story. Not really what I was looking for... would have prefered to have learned more about the Neandertals themselves. ...more
Cassandra Kay
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Books:
science
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