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For February 2019, one of the books we will be reading is The Tangled Tree: A Radical New History of Life by David Quammen. Please use this thread to post questions, comments, or reviews, at any time.

I am halfway through this book. I have mixed feelings.

Camelia, what are your mixed feelings about?

I reserved this book on Overdrive back in December when we first chose it. At that time there were sixty-some people in the queue. At present there are still nearly 40 in the queue ahead of me. So, it's probably unlikely that I'll get to read it this month. :(

Betsy wrote: "I reserved this book on Overdrive back in December when we first chose it. At that time there were sixty-some people in the queue. At present there are still nearly 40 in the queue ahead of me. So,..."

Have you tried a different format? Sometimes I can get a book sooner that way. The Overdrive versions (audio, ebook) aren't available right now, but there are Audio cd and printed book copies available at my library. And you might be able to get it through Libby through another library.

Thanks, but I don't really like to read printed or audiobook if there's not a compelling reason to do so. I haven't tried Libby. Is it really different from Overdrive?

Betsy wrote: "Thanks, but I don't really like to read printed or audiobook if there's not a compelling reason to do so. I haven't tried Libby. Is it really different from Overdrive?"

I don't use it, because I use my computer at home to listen.
Libby is for smaller devices, and allows you to borrow books from more than one library, making so many more books available. I don't know how it works, but there's probably someone here who does.
I think that publishers would like to eliminate Overdrive, because you can keep the audiobooks on computers, whereas I don't think that you can find them to keep on smaller devices. That's what I've read on the Audiobook group discussion.

Because of my eyes, I only like a large screen, so iOS devices don't really interest me. I only listen and read at home, where I can download anything I want. I've just recently become able to read paper, but I don't enjoy it as much, since it's not backlit or adjustable.

I do love audiobooks, though. They've opened a whole new world of understanding to me. I love a/b that come with ebooks for photos, charts, graphs, maps, etc. Wonderful for non-fiction books.
(If I feel like I'm missing something, I check out the ebook at the same time as I'm listening. It's a powerful way to learn more difficult subjects.)
Also, I get to read series in order more easily. Great for mysteries, and I pick up the clues and get through them faster. Plays are so much better, too.
Yep, I like them. Better than tv. No commercials.
Yet.

JZ wrote: "I do love audiobooks, though. They've opened a whole new world of understanding to me. I love a/b that come with ebooks for photos, charts, graphs, maps, etc. Wonderful for non-fiction books. "

This! Audiobooks are wonderful, especially for non-fictions.
I love all kinds of formats.

Just finished The Tangled Tree.

It's an informative book, a great summary of latest development in the field of molecular phylogenetics and evolution, but some parts feel a bit repetitive and could have been better organized.

My review: The Tangled Tree

I’ve ordered this and it should hopefully arrive next week. Looking forward to reading it!

My copy arrived today! This is a perfect pick for me because I will be teaching evolution in a few weeks :)

I’m about halfway through and enjoying it a lot. It’s very relevant to what I’m teaching in my biology class right now (taxonomy and evolution). It’s great to read all the background behind how the current classification system was decided on.

Erica wrote: "I’m about halfway through and enjoying it a lot. It’s very relevant to what I’m teaching in my biology class right now (taxonomy and evolution). It’s great to read all the background behind how the..."

Your students are lucky to have a teacher that teaches them the latest scientific development.

I am also about halfway through the book. It is a long book, and I am enjoying it.

I'm about two-thirds through it. One message seems to be the Theory of Evolution is evolving. Another is that no matter how brilliant you are you can still be petty.....or human. A scientist can be true to the scientific process--until--he thinks he has made a discovery that will stand the test of time. Henceforth, evidence to the contrary be damned.

I still haven't gotten a copy of this from my library's Overdrive. I'm listed as #16 for 12 copies. So maybe in a couple weeks. But at least it's not as bad as Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup, for which I'm #567 for 119 copies. May have to break down and buy that one.

I'm astonished how fast it goes, though. I was 577 on 87 copies for "Becoming" when I placed the hold on New Year's Eve (I do know how to party) and now, I'm 145 on 95 copies, and they're estimating that I'll have it in 3 weeks. I'm stunned. And not objecting. We can pick whether to have them for one, two, or three weeks, so turnover is pretty good. That will be around 12 weeks. Shorter than I'm waiting for the single copy of "Brave New World."

I finally received this book and was able to read it in a week. It wasn't as long as I expected. About a third of it is notes and index.

I really enjoyed it and understood most of it without difficulty. I thought it was very well written. I liked that the author made so many of the scientists real people, i.e. more than just their scientific achievements or beliefs.

Here is my review,