Dale's bookshelf: read en-US Sun, 27 Apr 2025 20:15:53 -0700 60 Dale's bookshelf: read 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[The Hedgehog and the Fox: An Essay on Tolstoy's View of History]]> 18942728
This new edition features a corrected text that supplants all previous versions, English translations of the many passages in foreign languages, a new foreword in which Berlin biographer Michael Ignatieff explains the enduring appeal of Berlin's essay, and a new appendix that provides rich context, including excerpts from reviews and Berlin's letters, as well as a startling new interpretation of Archilochus's epigram.]]>
139 Isaiah Berlin 1400846633 Dale 0 currently-reading 4.11 1953 The Hedgehog and the Fox: An Essay on Tolstoy's View of History
author: Isaiah Berlin
name: Dale
average rating: 4.11
book published: 1953
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/27
shelves: currently-reading
review:

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<![CDATA[Caminito: Un aprile del commissario Ricciardi]]> 63233378 È il 1939, sono trascorsi cinque anni da quando l’esistenza di Ricciardi è stata improvvisamente sconvolta. E ora il vento d’odio che soffia sull’Europa rischia di spazzare via l’idea stessa di civiltà. Sull’orlo dell’abisso, l’unico punto fermo è il delitto. Fra i cespugli di un boschetto vengono ritrovati i cadaveri di due giovani, stavano facendo l’amore e qualcuno li ha brutalmente uccisi. Le ragioni dell’omicidio appaiono subito oscure; dietro il crimine si affaccia il fantasma della politica. Con l’aiuto del fidato Maione � in ansia per una questione di famiglia � Ricciardi dovrà a un tempo risolvere il caso e proteggere un caro amico che per amore della libertà rischia grosso. Intanto la figlia Marta cresce: ormai, per il commissario, è giunto il momento di scoprire se ha ereditato la sua dannazione, quella di vedere e sentire i morti.]]> 280 Maurizio de Giovanni 8858441214 Dale 0 currently-reading 4.09 2022 Caminito: Un aprile del commissario Ricciardi
author: Maurizio de Giovanni
name: Dale
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/25
shelves: currently-reading
review:

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<![CDATA[Il pianto dell'alba: Ultima ombra per il commissario Ricciardi]]> 52374143 265 Maurizio de Giovanni 8858431626 Dale 4 4.17 2019 Il pianto dell'alba: Ultima ombra per il commissario Ricciardi
author: Maurizio de Giovanni
name: Dale
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/25
date added: 2025/04/25
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Il purgatorio dell'angelo: Confessioni per il commissario Ricciardi]]> 40575133 328 Maurizio de Giovanni 8858429052 Dale 5 fiction 4.21 2018 Il purgatorio dell'angelo: Confessioni per il commissario Ricciardi
author: Maurizio de Giovanni
name: Dale
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/14
date added: 2025/04/14
shelves: fiction
review:

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The Design of Future Things 263287 The Design of Everyday Things, he points out what’s going wrong with the wave of products just coming on the market and some that are on drawing boards everywhere-from “smart� cars and homes that seek to anticipate a user’s every need, to the latest automatic navigational systems. Norman builds on this critique to offer a consumer-oriented theory of natural human-machine interaction that can be put into practice by the engineers and industrial designers of tomorrow’s thinking machines. This is a consumer-oriented look at the perils and promise of the smart objects of the future, and a cautionary tale for designers of these objects-many of which are already in use or development.]]> 231 Donald A. Norman 0465002277 Dale 3 nonfiction, design The Design of Everyday Things, I would urge you to put it on your reading list. It was a catalog of human factors design failures, and a set of prescriptions to improve design. An excellent read.

In The Design of Future Things Norman tries to recreate his earlier success, with mixed results. He is as insigntful as ever, but the material is a tad thin. To fill space he resorted to repetition and added a wholly extraneous and redundant 'afterword'.

He proposes six rules for designers of automated or 'smart' machines:

1. Provide rich, complex, and natural signals.

2. Be predictable.

3. Provide good conceptual models.

4. Make the output understandable.

5. Provide continual awareness without annoyance.

6. Exploit natural mappings.

He provides at least one negative and one positive example for each of these rules.

A major theme of the book is that machines work well if they can be fully automated and operate autonomously, or when they are completely human controlled. But the middle ground is troublesome. If automation works most of the time and then suddenly fails, trouble results. Since many tasks cannot be fully automated, it is a challenge to engineers and designers to find a way to design machines that can interact safely and usefully with humans. ]]>
3.61 The Design of Future Things
author: Donald A. Norman
name: Dale
average rating: 3.61
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2008/02/10
date added: 2025/04/09
shelves: nonfiction, design
review:
If you haven't read Donald Norman's The Design of Everyday Things, I would urge you to put it on your reading list. It was a catalog of human factors design failures, and a set of prescriptions to improve design. An excellent read.

In The Design of Future Things Norman tries to recreate his earlier success, with mixed results. He is as insigntful as ever, but the material is a tad thin. To fill space he resorted to repetition and added a wholly extraneous and redundant 'afterword'.

He proposes six rules for designers of automated or 'smart' machines:

1. Provide rich, complex, and natural signals.

2. Be predictable.

3. Provide good conceptual models.

4. Make the output understandable.

5. Provide continual awareness without annoyance.

6. Exploit natural mappings.

He provides at least one negative and one positive example for each of these rules.

A major theme of the book is that machines work well if they can be fully automated and operate autonomously, or when they are completely human controlled. But the middle ground is troublesome. If automation works most of the time and then suddenly fails, trouble results. Since many tasks cannot be fully automated, it is a challenge to engineers and designers to find a way to design machines that can interact safely and usefully with humans.
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<![CDATA[Winter Swallows: Ring Down the Curtain for Commissario Ricciardi (Commissario Ricciardi #10)]]> 58671014 The tenth Commissario Ricciardi Neapolitan mystery is "endlessly surprising... a delicate balancing act between love and pain, horror and beauty." --ThrillerNord

Christmas has just passed and the city is preparing to celebrate New Year when, on the stage of a variety show, famous actor Michelangelo Gelmi fires a gun at his wife, Fedora Marra.

The shooting itself would be nothing strange: it is repeated every evening as part of their performance. But this time, someone replaced one of the blanks with a real bullet. Gelmi swears his innocence, but few believe him. Approaching old age and with a career in decline, the actor has become increasingly dependent on his wife, much younger than him and at the height of her fame. However, rumor has it that she had fallen in love with another man and was preparing to leave Gelmi. A straightforward case of infidelity and marital jealousy? Commissario Ricciardi has more than one doubt.

A mystery made darker by the sudden fog that envelops an almost gothic Naples, Commissario Riccardi's latest adventure will enrapture readers until its final, dramatic act.


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320 Maurizio de Giovanni 1609457285 Dale 4 4.41 2017 Winter Swallows: Ring Down the Curtain for Commissario Ricciardi (Commissario Ricciardi #10)
author: Maurizio de Giovanni
name: Dale
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/28
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Serenata senza nome: Notturno per il commissario Ricciardi]]> 30746932 384 Maurizio de Giovanni 8806225537 Dale 5 4.14 2016 Serenata senza nome: Notturno per il commissario Ricciardi
author: Maurizio de Giovanni
name: Dale
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/13
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life]]> 53487237 A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, he shares a version of that class with us, offering some of what he and his students have discovered together over the years. Paired with iconic short stories by Chekhov, Turgenev, Tolstoy, and Gogol, the seven essays in this book are intended for anyone interested in how fiction works and why it’s more relevant than ever in these turbulent times.

In his introduction, Saunders writes, “We’re going to enter seven fastidiously constructed scale models of the world, made for a specific purpose that our time maybe doesn’t fully endorse but that these writers accepted implicitly as the aim of art—namely, to ask the big questions, questions like, How are we supposed to be living down here? What were we put here to accomplish? What should we value? What is truth, anyway, and how might we recognize it?� He approaches the stories technically yet accessibly, and through them explains how narrative functions; why we stay immersed in a story and why we resist it; and the bedrock virtues a writer must foster. The process of writing, Saunders reminds us, is a technical craft, but also a way of training oneself to see the world with new openness and curiosity.

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain is a deep exploration not just of how great writing works but of how the mind itself works while reading, and of how the reading and writing of stories make genuine connection possible.]]>
403 George Saunders 1984856049 Dale 0 currently-reading 4.55 2021 A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life
author: George Saunders
name: Dale
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: currently-reading
review:

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<![CDATA[Glass Souls: Moths for Commissario Ricciardi (Commissario Ricciardi #8)]]> 33163224 The eighth Commissario Ricciardi historical mystery from the author of The Bottom of Your Heart "will surprise readers at every turn" (La Reppublica).

In the abyss of a profound personal crisis, Commissario Ricciardi feels unable to open himself up to life. He has refused the love of both Enrica and Livia and the friendship of his partner, Maione. Contentment for Ricciardi proves as elusive as clues to the latest crime he has been asked to investigate.

The beautiful, haughty Bianca, countess of Roccaspina, pleads with Ricciardi to investigate a homicide that was officially closed months ago. In the tense, charged atmosphere of 1930s Italy, where Benito Mussolini and his fascist thugs monitor the police closely, an unauthorized investigation is grounds for immediate dismissal and possible criminal charges. But Ricciardi's thirst for justice cannot be sated.

A tightly plotted historical noir novel, this eighth installment in the Commissario Ricciardi series is a gripping meditation on revenge and justice in which each character's soul reveals itself to be made of glass.

"The construction of Glass Souls is remarkable. It's like a very sophisticated mosaic in which each protagonist occupies precisely the right amount of space." --La Reppublica]]>
412 Maurizio de Giovanni 160945409X Dale 5 mystery, italy
I think that the novelty of Ricciardi's special curse has worn off for the author, and maybe for his readers as well. More than in any of the previous novels, "The Deed" is represented as madness, rather than as a supernatural curse (or gift). And unlike all the previous novels, "The Deed" plays no role in the solution of the murder mystery. In part that is because the murder itself took place months before Ricciardi begins his investigation. But that fact, of course, is a choice by the author, and I think represents his withdrawl from the core concept.

Regular readers of the series will recall that Ricciardi's tata Rosa died in the previous novel, leaving Ricciardi even more alone than before. He is experiencing an unbearable depth of grief, and is withdrawing even further into his own loneliness. In part because of this he makes a definitive break with Livia, the beautiful, wealthy, and connected woman who has been pursuing Ricciardi for months. His break from her leads to consequences that he could not possibly have foreseen. And he is still devastated by his discovery in the previous novel that Enrica, the neighbor woman that he has (somehow) fallen in love with, from afar, has a new suitor - one that she seems to have accepted.

I see this novel as a transition to what, I predict, will be the final novel in the series. Ricciardi in Glass Souls has reached a crisis, and the resolution of that crisis will determine the course of the rest of his life. We are given hints as to how the crisis will resolve, but nothing definitive.

I look forward to the next novel in the series.

Update (August 23, 2017): I see from /series/8660... that there are already 3 more in the series, not yet translated to English, so plenty to look forward to.]]>
3.80 2015 Glass Souls: Moths for Commissario Ricciardi (Commissario Ricciardi #8)
author: Maurizio de Giovanni
name: Dale
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/19
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: mystery, italy
review:
This is far from the best novel in the Commissario Ricciardi series.

I think that the novelty of Ricciardi's special curse has worn off for the author, and maybe for his readers as well. More than in any of the previous novels, "The Deed" is represented as madness, rather than as a supernatural curse (or gift). And unlike all the previous novels, "The Deed" plays no role in the solution of the murder mystery. In part that is because the murder itself took place months before Ricciardi begins his investigation. But that fact, of course, is a choice by the author, and I think represents his withdrawl from the core concept.

Regular readers of the series will recall that Ricciardi's tata Rosa died in the previous novel, leaving Ricciardi even more alone than before. He is experiencing an unbearable depth of grief, and is withdrawing even further into his own loneliness. In part because of this he makes a definitive break with Livia, the beautiful, wealthy, and connected woman who has been pursuing Ricciardi for months. His break from her leads to consequences that he could not possibly have foreseen. And he is still devastated by his discovery in the previous novel that Enrica, the neighbor woman that he has (somehow) fallen in love with, from afar, has a new suitor - one that she seems to have accepted.

I see this novel as a transition to what, I predict, will be the final novel in the series. Ricciardi in Glass Souls has reached a crisis, and the resolution of that crisis will determine the course of the rest of his life. We are given hints as to how the crisis will resolve, but nothing definitive.

I look forward to the next novel in the series.

Update (August 23, 2017): I see from /series/8660... that there are already 3 more in the series, not yet translated to English, so plenty to look forward to.
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<![CDATA[Against Nature: With Linked Table of Contents]]> 32803261 172 Joris-Karl Huysmans 1515407241 Dale 0 currently-reading 4.00 1884 Against Nature: With Linked Table of Contents
author: Joris-Karl Huysmans
name: Dale
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1884
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: currently-reading
review:

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The Name of the Rose 119073 552 Umberto Eco 0156001314 Dale 4 4.13 1980 The Name of the Rose
author: Umberto Eco
name: Dale
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1980
rating: 4
read at: 1990/01/01
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves: fiction, favorites, currently-reading
review:

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Nocturno de Chile 23145229 Así, aparecen en la novela los señores Oido y Odeim, ambiguos encomenderos; Jünger y un pintor guatemalteco que se deja morir de inanición en el París de 1943; el general Pinochet, a quien Urrutia Lacroix da clases de marxismo; una gira por Europa en la que el cura aprende a matar palomas; su amistad con Farewell, el pope de la crítica literaria nacional, que se hunde en una vejez balbuceante perpleja; las fiestas de una mujer misteriosa en cuya casona de las afueras se reúne lo más granado de la literatura chilena al tiempo que en el sótano, no visitado por ninguno de los huéspedes, se suceden acciones parangonables a una película de terror, todo esto mientras en las calles de Santiago impera el toque de queda y una normalidad aparente.
Una imprescindible y escalofriante novela en la que el talento del autor de Los detectives salvajes brilla en todo su esplendor.]]>
152 Roberto Bolaño 8433977482 Dale 0 fiction, postponed 3.92 2000 Nocturno de Chile
author: Roberto Bolaño
name: Dale
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2000
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/13
shelves: fiction, postponed
review:

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The Dialogues 18769441
[Early Dialogues]

Socrates figures in all of these, and they are considered the most faithful representations of the historical Socrates; hence they are also called the Socratic dialogues. Most of them consist of Socrates discussing a subject, often an ethical one (friendship, piety) with a friend or with someone presumed to be an expert on it. Through a series of questions he will show that apparently they don't understand it at all. It is left to the reader to figure out if "he" really understands "it". This makes these dialogues "indirect" teachings. This period also includes several pieces surrounding the trial and execution of Socrates.

- The Apology
- Crito
- Charmides, or Temperance
- Laches; or Courage
- Lysis; or Friendship
- Euthyphro
- Menexenus
- Lesser Hippias
- Ion

The following are variously considered transitional or middle period dialogues:

- Gorgias
- Protagoras
- Meno

[Middle Dialogues]

Late in the early dialogues Plato's Socrates actually begins supplying answers to some of the questions he asks, or putting forth positive doctrines. This is generally seen as the first appearance of Plato's own views. The first of these, that goodness is wisdom and that no one does evil willingly, was perhaps Socrates' own view. What becomes most prominent in the middle dialogues is the idea that knowledge comes of grasping unchanging forms or essences, paired with the attempts to investigate such essences. The immortality of the soul, and specific doctrines about justice, truth, and beauty, begin appearing here. The Symposium and the Republic are considered the centrepieces of Plato's middle period.

- Euthydemus
- Cratylus
- Phaedo
- Phaedrus
- Symposium
- The Republic
- Theaetetus
- Parmenides

[Late Dialogues]

The Parmenides presents a series of criticisms of the theory of Forms which are widely taken to indicate Plato's abandonment of the doctrine. Some recent publications (e.g., Meinwald [1991]) have challenged this characterisation. In most of the remaining dialogues the theory is either absent or at least appears under a different guise in discussions about kinds or classes of things (the Timaeus may be an important, and hence controversially placed, exception). Socrates is either absent or a minor figure in the discussion. An apparently new method for doing dialectic known as "collection and division" is also featured, most notably in the Sophist and Statesman, explicitly for the first time in the Phaedrus, and possibly in the Philebus. A basic description of collection and division would go as follows: interlocutors attempt to discern the similarities and differences among things in order to get clear idea about what they in fact are. One understanding, suggested in some passages of the Sophist, is that this is what philosophy is always in the business of doing, and is doing even in the early dialogues.

The late dialogues are also an important place to look for Plato's mature thought on most of the issues dealt with in the earlier dialogues. There is much work still to be done by scholars on the working out of what these views are. The later works are agreed to be difficult and challenging pieces of philosophy. On the whole they are more sober and logical than earlier works, but may hold out the promise of steps towards a solution to problems which were systematically laid out in prior works.

- Sophist
- Statesman
- Philebus
- Timaeus
- Critias
- Laws

The following works are generally agreed to be doubtful works of Pla]]>
0 Plato Dale 0 currently-reading 4.25 -380 The Dialogues
author: Plato
name: Dale
average rating: 4.25
book published: -380
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/09
shelves: currently-reading
review:

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<![CDATA[The Story of a New Name (Neapolitan Novels, #2)]]> 17465515 My Brilliant Friend introduced readers to the unforgettable Elena and Lila, whose lifelong friendship provides the backbone for the Neapolitan Novels. The Story of a New Name is the second book in this series. With these books, which the New Yorker's James Wood described as "large, captivating, amiably peopled ... a beautiful and delicate tale of confluence and reversal," Ferrante proves herself to be one of Italy's most accomplished storytellers. She writes vividly about a specific neighborhood of Naples from the late-1950s through to the current day and about two remarkable young women who are very much the products of that place and time. Yet in doing so she has created a world in which readers will recognize themselves and has drawn a marvelously nuanced portrait of friendship.

In The Story of a New Name, Lila has recently married and made her entrée into the family business; Elena, meanwhile, continues her studies and her exploration of the world beyond the neighborhood that she so often finds stifling. Love, jealousy, family, freedom, commitment, and above all friendship: these are signs under which both women live out this phase in their stories. Marriage appears to have imprisoned Lila, and the pressure to excel is at times too much for Elena. Yet the two young women share a complex and evolving bond that is central to their emotional lives and is a source of strength in the face of life's challenges. In these Neapolitan Novels, Elena Ferrante, the acclaimed author of The Days of Abandonment, gives readers a poignant and universal story about friendship and belonging.]]>
471 Elena Ferrante Dale 0 4.47 2012 The Story of a New Name (Neapolitan Novels, #2)
author: Elena Ferrante
name: Dale
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/23
shelves: fiction, italy, currently-reading
review:

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<![CDATA[Viper: No Resurrection for Commissario Ricciardi (Commissario Ricciardi #6)]]> 22571823 Ìý
De Giovanni’s mysteries unfold with such sinuous ease that they seem to write themselves. They enchant, surprise; they hold readers enthralled. Commissario Ricciardi, whose dubious gift of being able to see and hear the last seconds in the lives of those who have suffered a violent death, is one of the most fascinating investigators to make his appearance in the world of international crime fiction in recent years. And in Vipers, the lustful and boisterous city of Naples has never been more seductive.]]>
352 Maurizio de Giovanni 1609452518 Dale 4
Chapter 26, "what do you ask of a spring night", is a look at the sorrows, hopes, and dreams of each of the major characters, without ever naming any of them. It is sad and beautiful in a way that I like.

And chapter 50 is a trio consisting of brigadier Maione (and family), Livia, and Enrica (two women who each are in love with Ricciardi); a trio whose theme is pastiera, and in which the last motif for each player is taken up by the next. It is the one truly light-hearted chapter in the book, and it was executed really well.

The novel is very similar in structure to the other books in the series: we hear the thoughts of the murderer as he (or she) plans or carries out the murder; Ricciardi hears the last thoughts of the dead, and not just those of the case he is investigating; there is an underlying motif that is explored in various ways - love and hunger in this case; there is a dangerous side-plot involving one of Ricciardi's close associates; and, finally, Ricciardi has a flash of insight that leads him to the successful conclusion of the case. So, not so very different from other police procedurals, but it feels very different because of Ricciardi's odd gift / curse. And, of course, there are the occasional lyrical chapters (like chapter 26, mentioned above, and a couple others) that set the novel apart from the usual just-the-facts + love-interest approach in most murder mysteries.

In all, an excellent addition to the series and well worth reading.
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3.99 2012 Viper: No Resurrection for Commissario Ricciardi (Commissario Ricciardi #6)
author: Maurizio de Giovanni
name: Dale
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2015/05/29
date added: 2024/12/07
shelves: italy, mystery, currently-reading
review:
de Giovanni does some interesting and clever things in this novel.

Chapter 26, "what do you ask of a spring night", is a look at the sorrows, hopes, and dreams of each of the major characters, without ever naming any of them. It is sad and beautiful in a way that I like.

And chapter 50 is a trio consisting of brigadier Maione (and family), Livia, and Enrica (two women who each are in love with Ricciardi); a trio whose theme is pastiera, and in which the last motif for each player is taken up by the next. It is the one truly light-hearted chapter in the book, and it was executed really well.

The novel is very similar in structure to the other books in the series: we hear the thoughts of the murderer as he (or she) plans or carries out the murder; Ricciardi hears the last thoughts of the dead, and not just those of the case he is investigating; there is an underlying motif that is explored in various ways - love and hunger in this case; there is a dangerous side-plot involving one of Ricciardi's close associates; and, finally, Ricciardi has a flash of insight that leads him to the successful conclusion of the case. So, not so very different from other police procedurals, but it feels very different because of Ricciardi's odd gift / curse. And, of course, there are the occasional lyrical chapters (like chapter 26, mentioned above, and a couple others) that set the novel apart from the usual just-the-facts + love-interest approach in most murder mysteries.

In all, an excellent addition to the series and well worth reading.

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<![CDATA[By My Hand (Commissario Ricciardi #5)]]> 18693969 336 Maurizio de Giovanni 1609452062 Dale 5 italy, mystery
Despite these problems I liked this novel, a lot. The Ricciardi character is compelling and intriguing, mostly because of the reticence he feels about becoming involved with other people; a reticence born of being constantly confronted with the voices and thoughts of the dead. This curse is something he can share with no one else, and so he feels destined to live his life in solitude. The only people in his life are his old nursemaid, Rosa, who takes care of his house and his money (he's quite rich) and who he loves dearly; and his sidekick, brigadier Maione, a great lumbering man who is the only policeman on the force willing to work with Ricciardi.

So Ricciardi constantly feels the weight of his loneliness, and feels also the presence of death.

I've thought a good deal about why de Giovanni introduced the strange ability to hear the voices of the recently dead. The effect of it is to instill a sense of sorrow and pity, as Ricciardi hears the small beggar boy wishing he could make a few more pennies, or the young construction worker with the broken neck calling for his mother to save him, or the woman on the way to buy groceries, reciting to herself the list of items she is to buy. But if that were all there were to it, pity and sorrow, it would scarcely be worth the trouble. I think that at another level those voices remind us that at the instant of our death our lives are frozen into the past, without possibility of redemption or improvement. All that we've left undone will remain undone; the wrongs that we have committed can never be amended; the work that we have done will be judged and, in all likelihood, soon forgotten; the love that we have given and received will fade from memory. And so Ricciardi is constantly faced with those existential facts, and carries on as best he can.

The best part of this novel concerned brigadier Maione. All of the novel deals with the causes and effects of revenge, and Maione is no exception. He is a man of no great depth, but one who is dependable and incorruptible. But he learns something in this novel that presents him with a seemingly unsolvable contradiction; and he is drawn towards doing something that must be done, but which will destroy his life and the lives of those around him. And this contradiction leads to the part of this book that made me forgive the flaws I listed earlier: chapter 50 is one of the most moving chapters I have ever read.

Finally, the book works pretty well as a police procedural. The clues are all there, basically, though you would have to be a master sleuth to see them. The voices of the dead played no part in the solution of the puzzle - though I would say that de Giovanni used those voices as excellent red herrings, yet made them fit perfectly with the subtle clues that led to the resolution. And the side plots were excellently choreographed to eliminate any possibility of seeing the criminal investigation as plodding or mundane.

Finally, the food! It is Christmas in Naples and there is food in nearly every chapter: fish, prosciutto, lemons, roasted artichokes, every kind of pastry, meat on the grill - you name it. I love reading about food, and Italian food is nearly my favorite, so this was a treat.]]>
4.11 2011 By My Hand (Commissario Ricciardi #5)
author: Maurizio de Giovanni
name: Dale
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/10
date added: 2024/12/07
shelves: italy, mystery
review:
There are reasons why I ought not to like this novel and this series. The main character, commissario Ricciardi, is politically neutral in fascist Italy, and believes that politics is unimportant. And he has a supernatural ability (or defect): he can hear the last thoughts or words of the recently dead. If you know me, or have read my other reviews, you know that I have no patience with belief in the supernatural, so this alone should have been fatal to my enjoyment of the book. There were other flaws, as well. Every so often (in chapters 18, 28, 46, and elsewhere) de Giovanni adopts a lyrical style in which he repeats a certain short phrase between each paragraph. Maybe this works in Italian, but in the English translation it comes across as florid and artificial.

Despite these problems I liked this novel, a lot. The Ricciardi character is compelling and intriguing, mostly because of the reticence he feels about becoming involved with other people; a reticence born of being constantly confronted with the voices and thoughts of the dead. This curse is something he can share with no one else, and so he feels destined to live his life in solitude. The only people in his life are his old nursemaid, Rosa, who takes care of his house and his money (he's quite rich) and who he loves dearly; and his sidekick, brigadier Maione, a great lumbering man who is the only policeman on the force willing to work with Ricciardi.

So Ricciardi constantly feels the weight of his loneliness, and feels also the presence of death.

I've thought a good deal about why de Giovanni introduced the strange ability to hear the voices of the recently dead. The effect of it is to instill a sense of sorrow and pity, as Ricciardi hears the small beggar boy wishing he could make a few more pennies, or the young construction worker with the broken neck calling for his mother to save him, or the woman on the way to buy groceries, reciting to herself the list of items she is to buy. But if that were all there were to it, pity and sorrow, it would scarcely be worth the trouble. I think that at another level those voices remind us that at the instant of our death our lives are frozen into the past, without possibility of redemption or improvement. All that we've left undone will remain undone; the wrongs that we have committed can never be amended; the work that we have done will be judged and, in all likelihood, soon forgotten; the love that we have given and received will fade from memory. And so Ricciardi is constantly faced with those existential facts, and carries on as best he can.

The best part of this novel concerned brigadier Maione. All of the novel deals with the causes and effects of revenge, and Maione is no exception. He is a man of no great depth, but one who is dependable and incorruptible. But he learns something in this novel that presents him with a seemingly unsolvable contradiction; and he is drawn towards doing something that must be done, but which will destroy his life and the lives of those around him. And this contradiction leads to the part of this book that made me forgive the flaws I listed earlier: chapter 50 is one of the most moving chapters I have ever read.

Finally, the book works pretty well as a police procedural. The clues are all there, basically, though you would have to be a master sleuth to see them. The voices of the dead played no part in the solution of the puzzle - though I would say that de Giovanni used those voices as excellent red herrings, yet made them fit perfectly with the subtle clues that led to the resolution. And the side plots were excellently choreographed to eliminate any possibility of seeing the criminal investigation as plodding or mundane.

Finally, the food! It is Christmas in Naples and there is food in nearly every chapter: fish, prosciutto, lemons, roasted artichokes, every kind of pastry, meat on the grill - you name it. I love reading about food, and Italian food is nearly my favorite, so this was a treat.
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<![CDATA[My Brilliant Friend (The Neapolitan Novels, #1)]]> 18824493 331 Elena Ferrante Dale 5 fiction, italy, favorites
I think what struck me most about this novel is the sense that this is a kind of memory, rich in detail and psychological insight, and organized in a way that memory never is. The complex and changing relationships between the children of the neighborhood as they grow into adolescence seems like something that nobody could ever reconstruct from their own experience, but also like nothing that could arise from pure imagination.

The only other novel I can recall that comes close to this level of experiential detail is A Dance to the Music of Time and I think that My Brilliant Friend actually surpasses the best of that series.]]>
3.88 2011 My Brilliant Friend (The Neapolitan Novels, #1)
author: Elena Ferrante
name: Dale
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/19
date added: 2024/11/19
shelves: fiction, italy, favorites
review:
Ferrante is a master story teller. She is able to start a scene, veer off to a 20 page digression to explain the events that led to the scene, and resume, and make it all seem natural and inevitable.

I think what struck me most about this novel is the sense that this is a kind of memory, rich in detail and psychological insight, and organized in a way that memory never is. The complex and changing relationships between the children of the neighborhood as they grow into adolescence seems like something that nobody could ever reconstruct from their own experience, but also like nothing that could arise from pure imagination.

The only other novel I can recall that comes close to this level of experiential detail is A Dance to the Music of Time and I think that My Brilliant Friend actually surpasses the best of that series.
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<![CDATA[The Socratic Method: A Practitioner's Handbook]]> 59051754 297 Ward Farnsworth 156792686X Dale 0 4.46 2021 The Socratic Method: A Practitioner's Handbook
author: Ward Farnsworth
name: Dale
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2024/10/31
date added: 2024/10/31
shelves:
review:

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The Complete Harvard Classics 36463322 500 Charles William Eliot 2377933823 Dale 0 abandoned 4.19 1722 The Complete Harvard Classics
author: Charles William Eliot
name: Dale
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1722
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/31
shelves: abandoned
review:

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<![CDATA[The Day of the Dead: The Autumn of Commissario Ricciardi (Commissario Ricciardi #4)]]> 18114396 Ìý
Commissario Ricciardi is the undisputed wizard of Neapolitan crime scenes. He solves every crime with an uncanny swiftness that leaves his colleagues dumbfounded. Indeed, there are those who think his abilities are the work of the devil, and unnatural and ungodly gift to be exorcised.
Ìý
And maybe they’re right. Ricciardi sees the dead. He sees and hears the final moments in the lives of those who have suffered violent deaths. It may be a talent or it may be a curse, but it is nonetheless a kind of black magic. Sometimes, however, even black magic isn’t enough. It’s a rainy autumn in Naples and the fog lays thick over the city as its inhabitants celebrate the week of the dead. Ricciardi’s instincts tell him that the dead boy is the victim of a murder, but investigating the homicide is not going to be easy. The authorities want to avoid any trouble, any sign that things are not as they ought to be in Naples, for they are preparing for the state visit of Benito Musolini. Ricciardi will have to conduct his investigation hidden from the eyes of his superiors. What’s worse, his sixth sense is no help to him this time; the scene of the crime is silent, still, not a word or a sign, or even a scream from the dead. Has his unwelcome gift finally faded? Or is something more sinister at work?]]>
320 Maurizio de Giovanni 1609451872 Dale 5 mystery, italy 4.19 2010 The Day of the Dead: The Autumn of Commissario Ricciardi (Commissario Ricciardi #4)
author: Maurizio de Giovanni
name: Dale
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/26
date added: 2024/10/26
shelves: mystery, italy
review:

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<![CDATA[Everyone in Their Place: The Summer of Commissario Ricciardi]]> 19194146 ]]> 384 Maurizio de Giovanni 1609451570 Dale 5 mystery, italy, favorites
The theme here is jealousy, and nearly everyone is suffering from it. Maione has misinterpreted the flirtation of a fruit seller with his wife; the wife of a famous journalist seems to be jealous of her husband's affair with the beautiful young wife of an elderly and ailing duke; Enrica is jealous of Livia; and Ricciardi himself, normally immune to love and its afflictions, is jealous of a man who seems to be Entica's suitor. And in every case the jealousy is misplaced, or is not as it seems.

As always, Ricciardi is a solitary man, bound by the chains of his curse and, because he keeps apart, feared by his colleagues, and virtually without friends. Yet he sees clearly into the hearts and minds of others, guided by the principle that nearly all crime is driven by love or hunger.

The crime in this novel is the murder of the duke's young and promiscuous wife. There are two obvious suspects, and a couple of possible others. Alibis are thin on the ground, red herrings are everywhere, and for a time even Ricciardi is thrown off track, because he ignores two crucial pieces of evidence. In all, this book works really well as a murder mystery.

But the attraction of the book is in the character of Ricciardi; the lives of his professional companions, Modo and Maione; the women, Enrica and Livia, who love or at least are inclined to love Ricciardi; the city of Naples; and finally de Giovanni's lyrical writing.
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4.09 2009 Everyone in Their Place: The Summer of Commissario Ricciardi
author: Maurizio de Giovanni
name: Dale
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/07
date added: 2024/10/07
shelves: mystery, italy, favorites
review:
Apparently I am reading this series out of sequence. This installment explains a lot about Ricciardi's early life, his affliction (the curse of seeing the recently dead and hearing their final thoughts), his family, and his complicated non-relationships with his neighbor Enrica and with the highly placed and beautiful Livia.

The theme here is jealousy, and nearly everyone is suffering from it. Maione has misinterpreted the flirtation of a fruit seller with his wife; the wife of a famous journalist seems to be jealous of her husband's affair with the beautiful young wife of an elderly and ailing duke; Enrica is jealous of Livia; and Ricciardi himself, normally immune to love and its afflictions, is jealous of a man who seems to be Entica's suitor. And in every case the jealousy is misplaced, or is not as it seems.

As always, Ricciardi is a solitary man, bound by the chains of his curse and, because he keeps apart, feared by his colleagues, and virtually without friends. Yet he sees clearly into the hearts and minds of others, guided by the principle that nearly all crime is driven by love or hunger.

The crime in this novel is the murder of the duke's young and promiscuous wife. There are two obvious suspects, and a couple of possible others. Alibis are thin on the ground, red herrings are everywhere, and for a time even Ricciardi is thrown off track, because he ignores two crucial pieces of evidence. In all, this book works really well as a murder mystery.

But the attraction of the book is in the character of Ricciardi; the lives of his professional companions, Modo and Maione; the women, Enrica and Livia, who love or at least are inclined to love Ricciardi; the city of Naples; and finally de Giovanni's lyrical writing.

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<![CDATA[Nothing to Hide: The False Tradeoff between Privacy and Security]]> 19431386
In this concise and accessible book, Solove exposes the fallacies of many pro-security arguments that have skewed law and policy to favor security at the expense of privacy. Protecting privacy isn't fatal to security measures; it merely involves adequate oversight and regulation. Solove traces the history of the privacy-security debate from the Revolution to the present day. He explains how the law protects privacy and examines concerns with new technologies. He then points out the failings of our current system and offers specific remedies. Nothing to Hide makes a powerful and compelling case for reaching a better balance between privacy and security and reveals why doing so is essential to protect our freedom and democracy.]]>
257 Daniel J. Solove 0300177259 Dale 4 nonfiction, politics
Though Solove mentions some of the abuses of the state secrets claims that are being used more and more often by the federal government, I think he could have highlighted those abuses more prominently. We have good evidence that when state secrets are used as a means of preventing judicial review of government actions, the claim probably has more to do with covering up illegal acts than it has with security. Solove alludes to this, and in fact spends several pages discussing it, but I think it would have been worthwhile making this a more pervasive theme.

In any case, this is a book that might be persuasive to some of the 'security is everything' crowd, so Solove has done a great service with this book.]]>
4.00 2011 Nothing to Hide: The False Tradeoff between Privacy and Security
author: Daniel J. Solove
name: Dale
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2012/02/15
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: nonfiction, politics
review:
Solove offers a balanced discussion of the supposed conflicts between security and privacy. A theme running throughout is a dismantling of the notions that privacy = secrecy and that privacy is of only personal and not societal interest. The latter argument has been used by the government, and often affirmed by the courts, as a means of denying standing to those who would sue to force changes in government surveillance of citizens.

Though Solove mentions some of the abuses of the state secrets claims that are being used more and more often by the federal government, I think he could have highlighted those abuses more prominently. We have good evidence that when state secrets are used as a means of preventing judicial review of government actions, the claim probably has more to do with covering up illegal acts than it has with security. Solove alludes to this, and in fact spends several pages discussing it, but I think it would have been worthwhile making this a more pervasive theme.

In any case, this is a book that might be persuasive to some of the 'security is everything' crowd, so Solove has done a great service with this book.
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<![CDATA[How Will Capitalism End? Essays on a Failing System]]> 25733863 The provocative political thinker asks if it will be with a bang or a whimper

After years of ill health, capitalism is now in a critical condition. Growth has given way to stagnation; inequality is leading to instability; and confidence in the money economy has all but evaporated.

In How Will Capitalism End?, the acclaimed analyst of contemporary politics and economics Wolfgang Streeck argues that the world is about to change. The marriage between democracy and capitalism, ill-suited partners brought together in the shadow of World War Two, is coming to an end. The regulatory institutions that once restrained the financial sector’s excesses have collapsed and, after the final victory of capitalism at the end of the Cold War, there is no political agency capable of rolling back the liberalization of the markets.

Ours has become a world defined by declining growth, oligarchic rule, a shrinking public sphere, institutional corruption and international anarchy, and no cure to these ills is at hand.]]>
272 Wolfgang Streeck 1784784036 Dale 4 nonfiction 3.87 2016 How Will Capitalism End? Essays on a Failing System
author: Wolfgang Streeck
name: Dale
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2017/02/01
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: nonfiction
review:

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<![CDATA[The Track of Sand (Inspector Montalbano Mystery #12)]]> 11725676 -Donna Leon

Inspector Salvatore Montalbano wakes from strange dreams to find a gruesomely bludgeoned horse carcass in front of his seaside home. When his men came to investigate, the carcass has disappeared, leaving only a trail in the sand. Then his home is ransacked and the inspector is certain that the crimes are linked. As he negotiates both the glittering underworld of horseracing and the Mafia's connection to it, Montalbano is aided by his illiterate housekeeper, Adelina, and a Proustian memory of linguate fritte . Longtime fans and new readers alike will be charmed by Montalbano's blend of unorthodox methods, melancholy self-reflection, and love of good food.]]>
273 Andrea Camilleri 1101466030 Dale 4 italy, mystery
This is an excellent addition to an excellent series. With entertaining characters, passionate contempt for corruption and abuse of power, and good plotting, these stories are a real joy. The translations by Stephen Sartarelli are brilliant. Even the cover designs are excellent (at least for the US editions).

If you haven't read this series, be sure to start from the beginning with "The Shape of Water".
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4.22 2007 The Track of Sand (Inspector Montalbano Mystery #12)
author: Andrea Camilleri
name: Dale
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2010/11/20
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves: italy, mystery
review:
Montalbano awakes to find a severed horse's head on the beach in front of his house. Never a good sign, especially first thing in the morning.

This is an excellent addition to an excellent series. With entertaining characters, passionate contempt for corruption and abuse of power, and good plotting, these stories are a real joy. The translations by Stephen Sartarelli are brilliant. Even the cover designs are excellent (at least for the US editions).

If you haven't read this series, be sure to start from the beginning with "The Shape of Water".

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<![CDATA[A Climate of Fear (Commissaire Adamsberg #10)]]> 31575790 From the #1 bestselling French author and four-time winner of the Crime Writers� Association’s International Dagger Award
Ìý
A woman is found murdered in her bathtub, and the murder has been made to look like a suicide. But a strange symbol found at the crime scene leads the local police to call Commissaire Adamsberg and his team.
Ìý
When the symbol is found near the body of a second disguised suicide, a pattern begins to emerge: both victims were part of a disastrous expedition to Iceland over ten years ago where a group of tourists found themselves trapped on a deserted island for two weeks, surrounded by a thick, impenetrable fog rumored to be summoned by an ancient local demon. Two of them didn’t make it back alive. But how are the deaths linked to the secretive Association for the Study of the Writings of Maximilien Robespierre? And what does the mysterious symbol signify?


From the Trade Paperback edition.]]>
415 Fred Vargas 1101992239 Dale 3 mystery, france
First, every one of the books in this series has a supernatural element, for no good reason. For example, in A Climate of Fear the supernatural being is called the afturganga, a sort of invisible Icelandic thingus that is able to invade thoughts from a distance and yada yada yada. Absolutely not needed for the story - all the afturganga tricks could as easily have occurred without any supernatural intervention.

Second, there is always at least one, usually more, thrilling action scenes from which Adamsberg has a narrow escape, sometimes with grave injury. I don´t think these add much to the novels (though they may be a not-so-subtle attempt to attract a Hollywood producer). In this novel Adamsberg has a shoot-out with the serial killer, shortly after a violent encounter with the afturganga. Yawn.

Despite my objections this is an enjoyable read, overall, mostly for the Adamsberg, Danglard, Veyrenc, Lucio conversations. It scratches an itch, you might say.]]>
3.98 2015 A Climate of Fear (Commissaire Adamsberg #10)
author: Fred Vargas
name: Dale
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2018/02/27
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves: mystery, france
review:
As others have noted, the commissaire Adamsberg series is enjoyable mostly for the characters: Adamsberg, Veyrenc, Danglard, Retancourt, and a couple others. Other aspects of the series, and this novel, not so great. Let me explain.

First, every one of the books in this series has a supernatural element, for no good reason. For example, in A Climate of Fear the supernatural being is called the afturganga, a sort of invisible Icelandic thingus that is able to invade thoughts from a distance and yada yada yada. Absolutely not needed for the story - all the afturganga tricks could as easily have occurred without any supernatural intervention.

Second, there is always at least one, usually more, thrilling action scenes from which Adamsberg has a narrow escape, sometimes with grave injury. I don´t think these add much to the novels (though they may be a not-so-subtle attempt to attract a Hollywood producer). In this novel Adamsberg has a shoot-out with the serial killer, shortly after a violent encounter with the afturganga. Yawn.

Despite my objections this is an enjoyable read, overall, mostly for the Adamsberg, Danglard, Veyrenc, Lucio conversations. It scratches an itch, you might say.
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<![CDATA[Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water]]> 6581453 “I’ve been thinking a lot about Cadillac Desert in the past few weeks, as the rain fell and fell and kept falling over California, much of which, despite the pouring heavens, seems likely to remainÌýin the grip of a severe drought. Reisner anticipated this moment. He worried that the West’s success with irrigation could be a mirage â€� that it took water for granted and didn’t appreciate the precariousness of our capacity to control it.â€� â€� Farhad Manjoo, The New York Times, January 20,2023"The definitive work on the West's water crisis." --NewsweekThe story of the American West is the story of a relentless quest for a precious water. It is a tale of rivers diverted and dammed, of political corruption and intrigue, of billion-dollar battles over water rights, of ecological and economic disaster. In his landmark book, Cadillac Desert, Marc Reisner writes of the earliest settlers, lured by the promise of paradise, and of the ruthless tactics employed by Los Angeles politicians and business interests to ensure the city's growth. He documents the bitter rivalry between two government giants, the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in the competition to transform the West. Based on more than a decade of research, Cadillac Desert is a stunning expose and a dramatic, intriguing history of the creation of an Eden--an Eden that may only be a mirage.This edition includes a new postscript by Lawrie Mott, a former staff scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council, that updates Western water issues over the last two decades, including the long-term impact of climate change and how the region can prepare for the future.]]> 674 Marc Reisner 1440672822 Dale 0 to-read, nonfiction 4.34 1986 Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water
author: Marc Reisner
name: Dale
average rating: 4.34
book published: 1986
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/22
shelves: to-read, nonfiction
review:

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<![CDATA[The Virgin in the Ice (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, #6)]]> 847860 202 Ellis Peters 0446404284 Dale 3 mystery 4.13 1982 The Virgin in the Ice (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, #6)
author: Ellis Peters
name: Dale
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1982
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/06
shelves: mystery
review:

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<![CDATA[La condanna del sangue: La primavera del commissario Ricciardi]]> 9712395 Napoli, aprile 1931. Il vento di primavera si annuncia nella notte di una giornata fredda e cupa e rimescola il sangue nelle vene di donne e uomini persi nei loro pensieri ma uniti dall'attesa del giorno che arriverà. Non è così per tutti: in un appartamento del popolare rione Sanità un'anziana donna, Carmela Calise, verrà trovata morta il giorno dopo, ridotta a un mucchio di ossa e sangue, barbaramente colpita a bastonate. Accorso sul luogo del delitto insieme al fedele brigadiere Maione, il commissario Ricciardi interroga la gente del palazzo e, nonostante il clima di omertà, scopre la doppia attività di Carmela, cartomante e usuraia. Al centro della vicenda è il decrepito appartamento dove la cartomante riceveva i suoi clienti, per predire in modo ingannevole il loro futuro o per garantirglielo, prestando denaro. Sono parecchi quelli che avrebbero avuto un motivo per ucciderla - strozzati dai debiti, succubi delle sue menzogne, delusi o disperati.]]> 374 Maurizio de Giovanni 886044053X Dale 5 mystery, italy 4.14 2008 La condanna del sangue: La primavera del commissario Ricciardi
author: Maurizio de Giovanni
name: Dale
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/05
date added: 2024/09/05
shelves: mystery, italy
review:

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<![CDATA[Accelerated Learning Techniques for Students: Learn More in Less Time!]]> 22088715 #1 Kindle Bestseller in "Study Skills" - April, May 2014 #1 Kindle Bestseller in "Study Guides" - April, May, July 2014 - Feb. 2015Learn More in Less Time! Let’s face it, we live in a fast-paced world. In order to succeed, you must have the ability to absorb information rapidly, and to think logically and creatively - all at the same time. Students must discover how to conquer the high-pressure challenges of an intensely competitive society. With technology on the rise, knowing how to learn efficiently will be the most important skill you ever possess. Unfortunately, most of us were never taught the actual art of learning. Many students struggle, not because they aren’t smart, but because they simply were never taught the rare techniques presented in this book. Well, that’s all about to change! It doesn’t matter if you’re a top student, or barely passing, you can finally learn more in less time. Accelerated Learning Techniques for Students will show you proven steps to maximize your potential. Some life-changing secrets you’ll discover inside recommended ways to manage your physical and mental energywhy negative emotions such as stress and anxiety literally destroy your ability to learnhow to double your learning capabilities in 10 minutes or lesshow to develop a personal “learning toolkit� to master any subjecttime-management tips for the busy student - extremely valuable11 practical memory techniques so you retain more of what you learn5 ninja note-taking techniques (that will impress even your teachers)20 unique tips for students wanting to achieve massive successAnd, much more…You'll soon know how to learn anything and everything more easily. Enhance your thinking skills today! Don’t waste another moment of your time and energy using inefficient learning strategies. The material presented within these pages will help you unlock your brain's amazing power. You change, the competition changes, and the world changes. What can not change is your determination to continue investing in yourself. Release your inner genius and become the student you were always meant to be!]]> 199 Joe McCullough Dale 0 currently-reading 3.87 2014 Accelerated Learning Techniques for Students: Learn More in Less Time!
author: Joe McCullough
name: Dale
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/27
shelves: currently-reading
review:

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<![CDATA[Capital: A Critique of Political Economy Volume 1]]> 325785 Capital, one of Marx's major and most influential works, was the product of thirty years close study of the capitalist mode of production in England, the most advanced industrial society of his day. This new translation of Volume One, the only volume to be completed and edited by Marx himself, avoids some of the mistakes that have marred earlier versions and seeks to do justice to the literary qualities of the work. The introduction is by Ernest Mandel, author of Late Capitalism, one of the only comprehensive attempts to develop the theoretical legacy of Capital.]]> 1152 Karl Marx 0140445684 Dale 4 4.28 1867 Capital: A Critique of Political Economy Volume 1
author: Karl Marx
name: Dale
average rating: 4.28
book published: 1867
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: nonfiction, economics, politics, marxism, abandoned
review:

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Watchman 118829 254 Ian Rankin 0752859153 Dale 3 mystery 3.53 1988 Watchman
author: Ian Rankin
name: Dale
average rating: 3.53
book published: 1988
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: mystery
review:

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<![CDATA[I Will Have Vengeance: The Winter of Commissario Ricciardi (Commissario Ricciardi #1)]]> 15812216 216 Maurizio de Giovanni 1609450949 Dale 5 italy, mystery
The twist here, and it's one I do not like, is that the detective has a sort of second sight that allows him to hear the last thoughts of the murder victim, and to see the ghosts of victims long afterward. Fortunately this ability was not really key to solving the mystery, but introducing the supernatural intp what could be, and ought to be, a scientific investigation.

Nevertheless, the character of the detective is interesting, in a melancholy sort of way, and there's much else to like here, so I probably oughtn't to dwell on the one feature that bothered me.]]>
3.88 2006 I Will Have Vengeance: The Winter of Commissario Ricciardi (Commissario Ricciardi #1)
author: Maurizio de Giovanni
name: Dale
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2006
rating: 5
read at: 2013/05/26
date added: 2024/08/02
shelves: italy, mystery
review:
The usual setup: a brilliant but eccentric detective, the smart but lumbering sidekick, the ambitious, duplicitous, and profoundly stupid boss, a murder victim who was easy to hate, lots of obvious suspects, and a murder timeline just complicated enough to make the mystery hard to solve.

The twist here, and it's one I do not like, is that the detective has a sort of second sight that allows him to hear the last thoughts of the murder victim, and to see the ghosts of victims long afterward. Fortunately this ability was not really key to solving the mystery, but introducing the supernatural intp what could be, and ought to be, a scientific investigation.

Nevertheless, the character of the detective is interesting, in a melancholy sort of way, and there's much else to like here, so I probably oughtn't to dwell on the one feature that bothered me.
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<![CDATA[The Collaborator of Bethlehem: An Omar Yussef Mystery (Omar Yussef Mysteries)]]> 1352751 264 Matt Rees 0618959653 Dale 4 fiction The Collaborator of Bethlehem is the first in a series set in Palestine featuring a school teacher, Omar Yussef Sirhan, who becomes embroiled in the nasty politics of occupied Palestine. A former student, a Christian, has been accused of collaborating with the Israelis in the assassination of a member of the Martyrs Brigade. Accusation = guilt in this world, and Omar Yussef works feverishly to prove his student's innocence by finding the actual culprit.

We are shown the corruption and brutality, the mock fundamentalism and the tribalism of life under the Palestinian Authority, all of it exacerbated by the brutal Israeli occupation. This is a very sad book, and one that calls out for simple honesty and integrity against the horrors of mob violence. ]]>
3.90 2006 The Collaborator of Bethlehem: An Omar Yussef Mystery (Omar Yussef Mysteries)
author: Matt Rees
name: Dale
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at: 2008/06/23
date added: 2024/07/26
shelves: fiction
review:
The Collaborator of Bethlehem is the first in a series set in Palestine featuring a school teacher, Omar Yussef Sirhan, who becomes embroiled in the nasty politics of occupied Palestine. A former student, a Christian, has been accused of collaborating with the Israelis in the assassination of a member of the Martyrs Brigade. Accusation = guilt in this world, and Omar Yussef works feverishly to prove his student's innocence by finding the actual culprit.

We are shown the corruption and brutality, the mock fundamentalism and the tribalism of life under the Palestinian Authority, all of it exacerbated by the brutal Israeli occupation. This is a very sad book, and one that calls out for simple honesty and integrity against the horrors of mob violence.
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<![CDATA[Project 2025: Remaking American Governance: The Battle for Democracy and the Future of U.S. Politics]]> 215799368 Book

Project 2025: Remaking American Governance
The Battle for Democracy and the Future of U.S. Politics

In Project 2025: Remaking American Governance, delve into the most ambitious and controversial conservative initiative of our time. This book offers a comprehensive examination of the Heritage Foundation's bold blueprint to transform the U.S. federal government should the Republican Party reclaim the presidency in 2024.



Strategic Understand the sweeping changes proposed to reclassify federal jobs, reshape the Department of Justice, and realign economic and social policies.Executive Explore the implications of adopting a maximalist interpretation of the unitary executive theory, granting unprecedented control to the president over the executive branch.Government Learn about plans to dismantle key agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security, and reduce environmental regulations to favor fossil fuel production.Social Policy Investigate the controversial recommendations to criminalize pornography, eliminate diversity programs, and infuse governance with Christian nationalist elements.Economic Analyze proposed tax cuts, modifications to trade policies, and the push towards a commodity-backed currency, potentially altering the economic landscape of the nation.Benefits for

In-depth Gain a thorough understanding of the policies and ideologies driving Project 2025, backed by detailed research and expert insights.Political Equip yourself with knowledge about the potential changes in American governance and their broader implications for democracy.Critical Engage with thought-provoking reflections on how these proposals might challenge the rule of law, individual rights, and the separation of powers.Future Prepare for the possible future of U.S. politics, whether you're a student, policy maker, or an engaged citizen.Project 2025: Remaking American Governance is an essential read for anyone seeking to grasp the future direction of American politics and its profound impact on the nation's democratic fabric. Uncover the plan that could redefine the American government and challenge the very principles of democracy.]]>
64 Andy S. Rhoden Dale 0 currently-reading 2.42 Project 2025: Remaking American Governance: The Battle for Democracy and the Future of U.S. Politics
author: Andy S. Rhoden
name: Dale
average rating: 2.42
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/15
shelves: currently-reading
review:

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<![CDATA[Tokyo Year Zero (Tokyo Trilogy, #1)]]> 755204
Narrated by the irreverent, despairing yet determined Detective Minami of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, Tokyo Year Zero tells a fictionalized story of the real-life hunt for “the Japanese Bluebeardâ€â€”a decorated Imperial soldier who raped and murdered at least ten women amid the bleak turmoil of post-war Japan (“one huge sea of displaced persons . . . one minute here and one minute goneâ€�). And it is the story of Detective Minami: chasing down, and haunted by, memories of atrocities that he can no longer explain or forgive.]]>
355 David Peace 0307263746 Dale 0 fiction, abandoned 3.31 2007 Tokyo Year Zero (Tokyo Trilogy, #1)
author: David Peace
name: Dale
average rating: 3.31
book published: 2007
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/15
shelves: fiction, abandoned
review:

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El lápiz del carpintero 19298543 178 Manuel Rivas Dale 0 3.79 1998 El lápiz del carpintero
author: Manuel Rivas
name: Dale
average rating: 3.79
book published: 1998
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/15
shelves: fiction, spain, spanish, abandoned
review:

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<![CDATA[The Capital: All 3 Volumes - Complete Edition]]> 40026695 Karl Marx (1818�1883) was a famous German philosopher, economist, historian, political theorist, sociologist, journalist and revolutionary socialist.]]> 2999 Karl Marx 8026892860 Dale 0 abandoned 3.98 1867 The Capital: All 3 Volumes - Complete Edition
author: Karl Marx
name: Dale
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1867
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/15
shelves: abandoned
review:

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<![CDATA[Sueños Sencillos: Memorias musicales (Spanish Edition)]]> 22359246
Nacida en una familia de músicos, la infancia de Linda estuvo llena de música que iba desde Gilbert y Sullivan a la música popular mexicana, al jazz y a la ópera. Su curiosidad artística fue precoz, y ella y sus hermanos comenzaron a tocar su música a cualquiera que quisiera escucharlos. Ahora, en este libro de memorias maravillosamente escritas, Ronstadt cuenta la historia de su viaje musical amplio y completamente único.

Ronstadt llegó a Los Ãngeles cuando el movimiento folk-rock estaba empezando a florecer, preparando así el escenario para el desarrollo del country-rock. Como parte del círculo de artistas afines que tocaron en el famoso club Troubadour en West Hollywood, ella contribuyó a definir el estilo musical que dominó la música mexicana y estadounidense en la década de 1970. Una de sus primeras bandas de respaldo pasó a convertirse en los Eagles, y Linda se volvió en la artista femenina más exitosa de la década.

En Sueños Sencillos, Ronstadt revela el viaje ecléctico y fascinante que condujo a su éxito duradero, incluyendo algunas historias detrás de muchas de sus queridas canciones. Y describe todo con una voz tan hermosa como la que cantó “Heart Like a Wheel�: de un modo nostálgico, elegante y auténtico.]]>
273 Linda Ronstadt Dale 0 nonfiction, abandoned 4.00 2013 Sueños Sencillos: Memorias musicales (Spanish Edition)
author: Linda Ronstadt
name: Dale
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/15
shelves: nonfiction, abandoned
review:
I have put this on hold for a while after reading the first 50 pages or so. I hope to get back to it this fall. I found the early chapters really interesting, mostly because Ronstadt grew up in Tucson about 10 years before I did, and in a much wealthier family. I really enjoyed reading about what it was like there, for her, in the late 40s and early 50s. Similar, but sounding much better, to what I experienced.
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<![CDATA[History and Class Consciousness: Studies in Marxist Dialectics]]> 189598
"For the historical effect of History and Class Consciousness and also for the actuality of the present time one problem is of decisive importance: alienation, which is here treated for the first time since Marx as the central question of a revolutionary critique of capitalism, and whose historical as well as methodological origins are deeply rooted in Hegelian dialectic. It goes without saying that the problem was omnipresent. A few years after History and Class Consciousness was published, it was moved into the focus of philosophical discussion by Heidegger in his Being and Time, a place which it maintains to this day largely as a result of the position occupied by Sartre and his followers. The philologic question raised by L. Goldmann, who considered Heidegger's work partly as a polemic reply to my (admittedly unnamed) work, need not be discussed here. It suffices today to say that the problem was in the air, particularly if we analyze its background in detail in order to clarify its effect, the mixture of Marxist and Existentialist thought processes, which prevailed especially in France immediately after the Second World War. In this connection priorities, influences, and so on are not particularly significant. What is important is that the alienation of man was recognized and appreciated as the central problem of the time in which we live, by bourgeois as well as proletarian, by politically rightist and leftist thinkers. Thus, History and Class Consciousness exerted a profound effect in the circles of the youthful intelligentsia."]]>
401 György Lukács 0262620200 Dale 0 4.06 1923 History and Class Consciousness: Studies in Marxist Dialectics
author: György Lukács
name: Dale
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1923
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/15
shelves: nonfiction, politics, marxism, abandoned
review:

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<![CDATA[A Companion to Marx's Capital, Volume 1]]> 7316687 Capital, Volume 1, and to read it on Marx’s own terms…�

The biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression has generated a surge of interest in Marx’s work in the effort to understand the origins of our current predicament. For nearly forty years, David Harvey has written and lectured on Capital, becoming one of the world’s most foremost Marx scholars.

Based on his recent lectures, this current volume aims to bring this depth of learning to a broader audience, guiding first-time readers through a fascinating and deeply rewarding text. A Companion to Marx’s Capital offers fresh, original and sometimes critical interpretations of a book that changed the course of history and, as Harvey intimates, may do so again.

David Harvey’s video lecture course can be found here: ]]>
368 David Harvey 1844673588 Dale 0 4.24 2008 A Companion to Marx's Capital, Volume 1
author: David Harvey
name: Dale
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/15
shelves: politics, nonfiction, economics, marxism, abandoned
review:

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Un pirata piccolo piccolo 39985361 156 Amara Lakhous 8866320560 Dale 4 4.00 2011 Un pirata piccolo piccolo
author: Amara Lakhous
name: Dale
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/15
date added: 2024/07/15
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Italian Easy Reader: Omicidio in passerella (Italian Edition)]]> 23548027 62 Cinzia Medaglia Dale 4 3.68 2014 Italian Easy Reader: Omicidio in passerella (Italian Edition)
author: Cinzia Medaglia
name: Dale
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/15
date added: 2024/07/15
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Route 66 Still Kicks: Driving America's Main Street]]> 14603207
With some determination, grit, and a good sense of direction, one can still find and drive on 90 percent of the original Route 66 today. This travelogue follows Rick and his travel companion Peter along 2,400 miles through eight states from Chicago to Los Angeles as they discover the old Route 66. With surprising and obscure stories about Route 66 personalities like Woody Guthrie, John Steinbeck, Al Capone, Salvador Dali, Dorothea Lange, Cyrus Avery (the Father of Route 66), the Harvey Girls, Mickey Mantle, and Bobby Troup (songwriter of �(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66�), Antonson’s fresh perspective reads like an easy drive down a forgotten road: winding, stopping now and then to mingle with the locals and reminisce about times gone by, and then getting stuck in the mud, sucked into its charms. Rick mixes hilarious anecdotes of happenstance travel with the route’s difficult history, its rise and fall in popularity, and above all, its place in legend.

The author has committed part of his book’s proceeds to the preservation work of the National Route 66 Federation.]]>
384 Rick Antonson 1620873001 Dale 2 nonfiction, travel
I've read a fair number of road trip books, and usually find them pretty entertaining. This one, not so much. Mostly I was faintly annoyed at the poor judgment of the two road trippers, and feeling sorry for the various waitresses, hotel clerks, and bartenders that had to put up with them.
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3.50 2008 Route 66 Still Kicks: Driving America's Main Street
author: Rick Antonson
name: Dale
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2008
rating: 2
read at: 2013/06/10
date added: 2024/07/12
shelves: nonfiction, travel
review:
It's all about Rick and Peter, with a few tidbits about Bobby Troup and Nathaniel Cole, and a little bit about Martin Milner and George Maharis.

I've read a fair number of road trip books, and usually find them pretty entertaining. This one, not so much. Mostly I was faintly annoyed at the poor judgment of the two road trippers, and feeling sorry for the various waitresses, hotel clerks, and bartenders that had to put up with them.

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<![CDATA[San Valentino ai fornelli. Engaging Short Stories in Italian for Beginner and Intermediate Level]]> 86446687 47 Rebecca Romano 1991194714 Dale 4 4.09 San Valentino ai fornelli. Engaging Short Stories in Italian for Beginner and Intermediate Level
author: Rebecca Romano
name: Dale
average rating: 4.09
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/04
date added: 2024/07/04
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Fortune's Formula: The Untold Story of the Scientific Betting System That Beat the Casinos and Wall Street]]> 6564279 399 William Poundstone Dale 0 currently-reading 4.29 2006 Fortune's Formula: The Untold Story of the Scientific Betting System That Beat the Casinos and Wall Street
author: William Poundstone
name: Dale
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/13
shelves: currently-reading
review:

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<![CDATA[Halloween in Campeggio. Engaging Short Stories in Italian for Beginner and Intermediate Level]]> 199352903 48 Rebecca Romano 1738602966 Dale 3 3.73 Halloween in Campeggio. Engaging Short Stories in Italian for Beginner and Intermediate Level
author: Rebecca Romano
name: Dale
average rating: 3.73
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/05/13
date added: 2024/05/13
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Helga Le Origini (Special Edition) - Engaging Short Stories in Italian for Beginner and Intermediate Level: Improve Your Comprehension and Reading, Grow ... to learn Italian Vol. 4) (Italian Edition)]]> 203663283 Are you stuck with your progress in learning Italian? Do you struggle to find good reading material in Italian at your level?



Advance your level with fun and ease with Helga Le Origini (special edition of the Marcus Trilogy), part of a collection of captivating short stories tailored for Italian learners from beginner to intermediate level.



Step back in time to the Roman Empire on a journey of discovery and adventure, between battles, betrayals and unexpected friendships, with this epic collection.

If you are a young or adult learner from beginner to intermediate level, looking to keep your motivation high and learn in an entertaining way, Helga Le Origini is for you!



But that's not all � here are some of the key benefits of using this book to learn



Comprehensive vocabulary for each You'll learn key Italian words and phrases in context as you read through the story. This helps you build your vocabulary naturally and makes it easier to remember new words.Summaries in both English and Italian at the end of each Once you've finished a chapter, you can review what you've learned with a summary in both English and Italian. This helps reinforce what you've learned and gives you a chance to practice reading and understanding Italian on your own.Quick questions to test your knowledge and At the end of each chapter, you'll find a few quick questions to test your comprehension. This helps you gauge your progress and make sure you're understanding the material.

With rich historical detail and unforgettable characters, Helga Le Origini will transport you back in time and keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.



Join Helga on her life split between her Viking origins and her new identity in Rome. Buy your copy today.]]>
48 Rebecca Romano 1738627837 Dale 3 3.86 Helga Le Origini (Special Edition) - Engaging Short Stories in Italian for Beginner and Intermediate Level: Improve Your Comprehension and Reading, Grow ... to learn Italian Vol. 4) (Italian Edition)
author: Rebecca Romano
name: Dale
average rating: 3.86
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/05/13
date added: 2024/05/13
shelves:
review:

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Dead Souls 58987620 500 Nikolai Gogol Dale 4 4.00 1842 Dead Souls
author: Nikolai Gogol
name: Dale
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1842
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/13
date added: 2024/05/13
shelves:
review:
A great satirical comic novel, to be sure. But by the second half of the book I was really feeling like the satire was being laid on too thick, and that the book was just too long - shocking, I know, for a Russian novel.
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<![CDATA[Marcus La leggenda dei gemelli - Short Stories in Italian: Beginner and Intermediate]]> 125050825 241 Rebecca Romano Dale 4
But the story is a bit ridiculous. It's supposedly set in the time of the emperor Augustus. But ... we're told that Claudius preceded Augustus as emperor (he didn't); that Rome of the time had interactions with vikings (it didn't - no group even remotely identifiable as vikings existed for another 6 centuries); that Rome interacted with the 'Rus' (nope - 'Rus' didn't exist as such for another 7 centuries); and that it was possible to travel between Rome and the territory of the 'Rus' in a matter of days (uhh, no).

So, I dunno. If that sort of thing bothers you, these might not be the books for you.

But if you're an A1 level Italian learner and don't give 2 sh*ts about historical anachronisms, you'll probably be OK with this series.
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4.35 Marcus La leggenda dei gemelli - Short Stories in Italian: Beginner and Intermediate
author: Rebecca Romano
name: Dale
average rating: 4.35
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/30
date added: 2024/05/13
shelves:
review:
I've given the 3 books in this series 4 stars each. They are good texts for people (like myself) at roughly A1 to A2 level in Italian.

But the story is a bit ridiculous. It's supposedly set in the time of the emperor Augustus. But ... we're told that Claudius preceded Augustus as emperor (he didn't); that Rome of the time had interactions with vikings (it didn't - no group even remotely identifiable as vikings existed for another 6 centuries); that Rome interacted with the 'Rus' (nope - 'Rus' didn't exist as such for another 7 centuries); and that it was possible to travel between Rome and the territory of the 'Rus' in a matter of days (uhh, no).

So, I dunno. If that sort of thing bothers you, these might not be the books for you.

But if you're an A1 level Italian learner and don't give 2 sh*ts about historical anachronisms, you'll probably be OK with this series.

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<![CDATA[The Landmark Julius Caesar: The Complete Works]]> 28814672 Gallic War - Civil War - Alexandrian War - African War - Spanish War

Between 58 and 50 B.C., Caesar led his army to twice invade Britain and conquer most of the land that is now France, Belgium, and Switzerland. The Gallic Wars served two purposes: to offer a record of Caesar's travels and insights into his military strategies, and to present the Roman public with a portrait of Caesar as a compelling, effective leader - which would be a key part of his public image as he fought off his rivals for control of the empire.

Caesar chronicles his struggle to rule in The Civil Wars, from his crossing of the Rubicon in 49 B.C. through the death of his chief rival, Pompey, and the ongoing efforts of Pompey's heirs and followers to remove Caesar from power.

As with the other volumes in the Landmark series, this edition - edited by Robert B. Strassler and Kurt A. Raaflaub - supplements the text with detailed maps, images, and annotations to place the work in historical and political context. And with stunning endpapers and color graphics, this beautifully produced, large-format hardcover makes a terrific gift for history and classics enthusiasts.]]>
793 Gaius Julius Caesar 0307377865 Dale 5 nonfiction, history, rome
The Landmark series is pretty great: lots of maps and sidenotes to help the modern reader understand what's going on. My one and only complaint about the series is that the books are large and heavy. But they have great typography, excellent translations, and genuinely helpful notes, images, and maps.]]>
4.69 -50 The Landmark Julius Caesar: The Complete Works
author: Gaius Julius Caesar
name: Dale
average rating: 4.69
book published: -50
rating: 5
read at: 2024/05/13
date added: 2024/05/13
shelves: nonfiction, history, rome
review:
OK, so I'm marking this read even though I only actually read the Gallic wars and the Civil war. The remaining portions of the book were not written by Caesar, mostly, so I'm giving myself a pass.

The Landmark series is pretty great: lots of maps and sidenotes to help the modern reader understand what's going on. My one and only complaint about the series is that the books are large and heavy. But they have great typography, excellent translations, and genuinely helpful notes, images, and maps.
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<![CDATA[The PARA Method: Simplify, Organize, and Master Your Digital Life]]> 134634583 This accessible guide expands upon the “well-written, cogent, and useful� (David Allen, author of Getting Things Done) bestselling Building a Second Brain with actionable advice on how to improve your digital life in just a few minutes.

Living a modern life requires juggling a ton of information. But we were never taught how to manage this information effectively so that we can find what we need when we need it. In The PARA Method, Tiago Forte outlines a simple and intuitive four-step system that will help us sort all the information flooding our brains into four major categories—Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives—allowing us to manage our commitments while achieving our goals and dreams.

-Projects are specific, short-term efforts that you are actively working on with a certain goal in mind, such as completing a website or renovating your bathroom.
-Areas are the larger, ongoing areas of responsibility (health, finances, etc.) that encompass those specific projects.
-Resources include content on a range of topics you’re interested in or that could be useful for your projects and areas.
-Archives include anything from the previous three categories that is now inactive, but you want to save for future reference.

With his easy-to-understand and engaging voice, Forte outlines his best practices and tips on how to successfully implement PARA, along with deep dives on everything from how to adopt habits to stay organized to how to use this system to enhance your focus. The PARA Method can be implemented in just seconds but has the power to transform the trajectory of your work and life using the power of digital organization.]]>
203 Tiago Forte 1668045575 Dale 2 4.09 The PARA Method: Simplify, Organize, and Master Your Digital Life
author: Tiago Forte
name: Dale
average rating: 4.09
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2024/05/13
date added: 2024/05/13
shelves:
review:
YMMV, but this is the usual fluff and anodyne advice you find in most self-help books. There are about a dozen pieces of advice that could be summarized on a single page and adequately explained in another 10 pages, but through repetition and unhelpful elaboration is expanded to book length.
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<![CDATA[Marcus L’uomo dei due mondi - Engaging Short Stories in Italian for Beginner and Intermediate Level: Improve Your Reading Skills, Grow Your Vocabulary, ... to learn Italian Vol. 1) (Italian Edition)]]> 125050911 Are you stuck with your progress in learning Italian? Do you struggle to find good reading material in Italian at your level?



Advance your level with fun and ease with Marcus L'uomo dei due mondi, a collection of captivating short stories tailored for Italian learners from beginner to intermediate level.



Step back in time to the Roman Empire and join Marcus on a journey of discovery and adventure, between betrayals and unexpected friendships, with the first of an epic trilogy.

If you are a young or adult learner from beginner to intermediate level, looking to keep your motivation high and learn in an entertaining way, Marcus L'uomo dei due mondi is for you!



But that's not all � here are some of the key benefits of using this book to learn



Comprehensive vocabulary for each You'll learn key Italian words and phrases in context as you read through Marcus's story. This helps you build your vocabulary naturally and makes it easier to remember new words.Summaries in both English and Italian at the end of each Once you've finished a chapter, you can review what you've learned with a summary in both English and Italian. This helps reinforce what you've learned and gives you a chance to practice reading and understanding Italian on your own.Quick questions to test your knowledge and At the end of each chapter, you'll find a few quick questions to test your comprehension. This helps you gauge your progress and make sure you're understanding the material.

With rich historical detail and unforgettable characters, Marcus L'uomo dei due mondi will transport you back in time and keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.



Join Marcus on his quest to uncover the truth and find his place in the world. Buy your copy today.]]>
198 Rebecca Romano Dale 4 4.46 Marcus L’uomo dei due mondi - Engaging Short Stories in Italian for Beginner and Intermediate Level: Improve Your Reading Skills, Grow Your Vocabulary, ... to learn Italian Vol. 1) (Italian Edition)
author: Rebecca Romano
name: Dale
average rating: 4.46
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/30
date added: 2024/04/30
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Marcus La minaccia dei Rus - Engaging Short Stories in Italian for Beginner and Intermediate Level: Improve Your Reading Skills, Grow Your Vocabulary, ... to learn Italian Vol. 2) (Italian Edition)]]> 125050817 Are you stuck with your progress in learning Italian? Do you struggle to find good reading material in Italian at your level?



Advance your level with fun and ease with Marcus La minaccia dei Rus, a collection of captivating short stories tailored for Italian learners from beginner to intermediate level.



Step back in time to the Roman Empire and join Marcus on a journey of discovery and adventure, between betrayals and unexpected friendships, with the second book of an epic trilogy.

If you are a young or adult learner from beginner to intermediate level, looking to keep your motivation high and learn in an entertaining way, Marcus La minaccia dei Rus is for you!





But that's not all � here are some of the key benefits of using this book to learn



Comprehensive vocabulary for each You'll learn key Italian words and phrases in context as you read through Marcus's story. This helps you build your vocabulary naturally and makes it easier to remember new words.Summaries in both English and Italian at the end of each Once you've finished a chapter, you can review what you've learned with a summary in both English and Italian. This helps reinforce what you've learned and gives you a chance to practice reading and understanding Italian on your own.Quick questions to test your knowledge and At the end of each chapter, you'll find a few quick questions to test your comprehension. This helps you gauge your progress and make sure you're understanding the material.

With rich historical detail and unforgettable characters, Marcus L'uomo dei due mondi will transport you back in time and keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.



Join Marcus on his quest to uncover the truth and find his place in the world. Buy your copy today.]]>
232 Rebecca Romano Dale 4 4.40 Marcus La minaccia dei Rus - Engaging Short Stories in Italian for Beginner and Intermediate Level: Improve Your Reading Skills, Grow Your Vocabulary, ... to learn Italian Vol. 2) (Italian Edition)
author: Rebecca Romano
name: Dale
average rating: 4.40
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/26
date added: 2024/04/26
shelves:
review:

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I tre giorni di Pompei 29425606 504 Alberto Angela 885868365X Dale 0 currently-reading 4.36 2014 I tre giorni di Pompei
author: Alberto Angela
name: Dale
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/03/28
shelves: currently-reading
review:

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Slanted 53546156 The five-time Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter and New York Times bestselling author of Stonewalled and The Smear uncovers how partisan bias and gullibility are destroying American journalism.

The news as we once knew it no longer exists. It’s become a product molded and shaped to suit the narrative. Facts that don’t fit are omitted. Off-narrative people and views are controversialized or neatly deposited down the memory hole. Partisan pundits, analysts and anonymous sources fill news space leaving little room for facts. The line between opinion and fact has disappeared.

In Slanted, Sharyl Attkisson reveals with gripping detail the struggles inside newsrooms where journalism used to rule. For the first time, dozens of current and former top national news executives, producers and reporters give insider accounts, speaking with shocking candor about their industry’s devolution.

Americans know their news diet is now filled with fast food concoctions created from talking point recipes devised by partisan and corporate interests. They see a record number of fact mistakes made by some of the world’s most formerly well-respected media outlets . . . often with no apologies. The media largely blames Donald Trump. But as this autopsy shows, the death of the news as we once knew it is self-inflicted. And the weapon was the narrative.

Sharyl Attkisson also finds reason for hope and argues that courageous, counternarrative news reporting can revive journalism.]]>
316 Sharyl Attkisson 006297470X Dale 0 currently-reading, nonfiction 4.32 2020 Slanted
author: Sharyl Attkisson
name: Dale
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/02/26
shelves: currently-reading, nonfiction
review:

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<![CDATA[La zingarata della verginella di Via Ormea]]> 32060897 Lakhous continua la sua esplorazione pirandelliana dell’identità italiana fra italianissimi, italiani, anti-italiani e nuovi italiani. Le sue storie, metà commedia all’italiana e metà giallo, traggono ispirazione dalla realtà odierna; una “letteratura totale�, come la definisce lui stesso ispirandosi al calcio totale olandese, che gioca in attacco senza paura raccontando il quotidiano per anticipare le mosse dell’Italia che verrà.]]> 155 Amara Lakhous 886632566X Dale 5 4.50 2014 La zingarata della verginella di Via Ormea
author: Amara Lakhous
name: Dale
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2024/02/19
date added: 2024/02/19
shelves:
review:

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Julia 77980762 An imaginative, feminist, and brilliantly relevant-to-today retelling of Orwell's 1984, from the point of view of Winston Smith's lover, Julia, by critically acclaimed novelist Sandra Newman.

Julia Worthing is a mechanic, working in the Fiction Department at the Ministry of Truth. It's 1984, and Britain (now called Airstrip One) has long been absorbed into the larger trans-Atlantic nation of Oceania. Oceania has been at war for as long as anyone can remember, and is ruled by an ultra-totalitarian Party, whose leader is a quasi-mythical figure called Big Brother. In short, everything about this world is as it is in Orwell's 1984.

All her life, Julia has known only Oceania, and, until she meets Winston Smith, she has never imagined anything else. She is an ideal cheerfully cynical, always ready with a bribe, piously repeating every political slogan while believing in nothing. She routinely breaks the rules, but also collaborates with the regime when necessary. Everyone likes Julia.

Then one day she finds herself walking toward Winston Smith in a corridor and impulsively slips him a note, setting in motion the devastating, unforgettable events of the classic story. Julia takes us on a surprising journey through Orwell's now-iconic dystopia, with twists that reveal unexpected sides not only to Julia, but to other familiar figures in the 1984 universe. This unique perspective lays bare our own world in haunting and provocative ways, just as the original did almost seventy-five years ago.]]>
304 Sandra Newman 0063265354 Dale 5 3.94 2023 Julia
author: Sandra Newman
name: Dale
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/02/05
date added: 2024/02/05
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Dispute Over a Very Italian Piglet]]> 18114395 Ìý
This multiethnic mystery from the author of Clash of Civilizations over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio pays homage to the cinematic tradition of the commedia all’italiana as it probes the challenges and joys of life in a newly multicultural society.]]>
160 Amara Lakhous 1609451880 Dale 5 fiction, italy
There are four stories in this novel: the piglet, a series of gang murders, Enzo´s excessively nosy mamma, and ... well, the fourth would be a bit of a spoiler. Things get a bit complicated for Enzo as he negotiates the landmines of each of the subplots.

I liked this little novel because Lakhous does a great job of putting an entertainng and light-hearted veneer over some serious themes: nativist responses to immigration; organized crime, and its cozy relationship with the political elite; and racial and ethnic conflict.
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3.51 2013 Dispute Over a Very Italian Piglet
author: Amara Lakhous
name: Dale
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2024/02/03
date added: 2024/02/03
shelves: fiction, italy
review:
Enzo Laganà is a 37 year old journalist in Turin, living in the neighborhood of San Salvario where he has lived since he was a young boy. His family was from Calabria, and moved to Turin at a time when southerners were openly treated as inferior, so he feels at least some solidarity with the immigrants who are not the object of scorn and hatred by much of Italian society.

There are four stories in this novel: the piglet, a series of gang murders, Enzo´s excessively nosy mamma, and ... well, the fourth would be a bit of a spoiler. Things get a bit complicated for Enzo as he negotiates the landmines of each of the subplots.

I liked this little novel because Lakhous does a great job of putting an entertainng and light-hearted veneer over some serious themes: nativist responses to immigration; organized crime, and its cozy relationship with the political elite; and racial and ethnic conflict.

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<![CDATA[Uncommon Sense Teaching: Practical Insights in Brain Science to Help Students Learn]]> 56512009 335 Barbara Oakley 0593329740 Dale 4 4.25 2021 Uncommon Sense Teaching: Practical Insights in Brain Science to Help Students Learn
author: Barbara Oakley
name: Dale
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/01/21
date added: 2024/01/21
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right]]> 35994208 Strangers in Their Own Land, the renowned sociologist Arlie Hochschild embarks on a thought-provoking journey from her liberal hometown of Berkeley, California, deep into Louisiana bayou country � a stronghold of the conservative right. As she gets to know people who strongly oppose many of the ideas she famously champions, Hochschild nevertheless finds common ground and quickly warms to the people she meets � among them a Tea Party activist whose town has been swallowed by a sinkhole caused by a drilling accident � people whose concerns are actually ones that all Americans the desire for community, the embrace of family, and hopes for their children.

Strangers in Their Own Land goes beyond the commonplace liberal idea that these are people who have been duped into voting against their own interests. Instead, Hochschild finds lives ripped apart by stagnant wages, a loss of home, an elusive American dream � and political choices and views that make sense in the context of their lives. Hochschild draws on her expert knowledge of the sociology of emotion to help us understand what it feels like to live in "red" America. Along the way she finds answers to one of the crucial questions of contemporary American why do the people who would seem to benefit most from "liberal" government intervention abhor the very idea?]]>
410 Arlie Russell Hochschild 1620973987 Dale 4 4.11 2016 Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right
author: Arlie Russell Hochschild
name: Dale
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2024/01/16
date added: 2024/01/16
shelves:
review:

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Divorce Islamic Style 12377095
The Italian secret service believes that a group of Muslim immigrants is planning a terrorist attack. Christian Mazzari, a young Sicilian translator who speaks perfect Arabic, goes undercover in Rome’s Egyptian neighborhood, Viale Marconi, to infiltrate the group. Posing as a recently arrived Tunisian in search of a job and a place to sleep, Christian soon meets Sofia, a young Egyptian immigrant whose arranged marriage is anything but fulfilling. While Christian attempts in vain to uncover terrorist activity, Sofia is on another kind of secret mission―in defiance of a husband who forbids her to work.
In alternating voices, Algerian-born Italian author Amara Lakhous examines the commonplaces and stereotypes of life in modern, multicultural Italy. Divorce Islamic Style mixes the rational and the absurd as it depicts the conflicts and contradictions of today's globalized world.]]>
184 Amara Lakhous 1609450663 Dale 5 fiction, italy
In the course of his undercover work he encounters a veiled woman whom he immediately falls in love with. This leads to awkwardness at several levels as the story progresses.

Overall - enjoyable. Lakhous possibly does a bit more explicit commentary than absolutely necessary, but he makes it work fairly well.]]>
3.59 2010 Divorce Islamic Style
author: Amara Lakhous
name: Dale
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at: 2024/01/14
date added: 2024/01/14
shelves: fiction, italy
review:
Another entertaining look at the culture wars in Italy. This time around a Sicilian who speaks perfect Arabic, and can pass as a north African, is recruited by the security services to infiltrate an alleged terrorist cell being run out of a phone center / meeting place. Allegedly. The recruit wants to do his part for his country, but doesn't harbor any ill feelings towards Muslims, and despises the prejudice shown by his countrymen.

In the course of his undercover work he encounters a veiled woman whom he immediately falls in love with. This leads to awkwardness at several levels as the story progresses.

Overall - enjoyable. Lakhous possibly does a bit more explicit commentary than absolutely necessary, but he makes it work fairly well.
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<![CDATA[Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio]]> 3229855
Piazza Vittorio is home to a polyglot community of immigrants who have come to Rome from all over the world. But when a tenant is murdered in the building’s elevator, the delicate balance is thrown into disarray. As each of the victim’s neighbors is questioned by the police, readers are offered an all-access pass into the most colorful neighborhood in contemporary Rome.
With language as colorful as the neighborhood it describes, each character takes his or her turn “giving evidence.� Their various stories reveal much about the drama of racial identity and the anxieties of a life spent on society’s margins, but also bring to life the hilarious imbroglios of this melting pot Italian culture.

“Their frequently wild testimony teases out intriguing psychological and social insight alongside a playful whodunit plot.â€â€� Publishers Weekly]]>
131 Amara Lakhous 1933372613 Dale 5 fiction
At one level this book is Rashomon times two: the character of the protatogist is revealed by the other tenants of the building, through the filter of their prejudices. All agree that it is impossible that Amedeo could have committed the murder: he was unfailingly helpful and courteous, gentle, and quiet. And all the tenants disliked the victim: a crude brute who peed in the elevator and defaced it with graffiti.

Amedeo refuses to talk about his past, even with his new wife Stefania. We learn bits and pieces, but not until near the end of this small book do we learn why he is in exile.

Fundamentally the book is a satire on prejudice and small mindedness. The quasi-fascist professor from Milan who hates Rome and all southerners; the dog owning woman who can't tell one nationality from another, and who thinks the word merci must be some kind of gypsy curse word; the Iranian immigrant who has been driven mad by drink and by exile, who can't or won't learn enough Italian to keep a job, and who relies on Amedeo to help him surmount every small obstacle.

It is a pity I can't read this in Italian: apparently it makes subtle use of dialect and vernacular to reveal more about the characters. But the English translation is good, though lacking in endnotes to explain some of the cultural references.
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3.70 2006 Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio
author: Amara Lakhous
name: Dale
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2006
rating: 5
read at: 2023/12/26
date added: 2023/12/26
shelves: fiction
review:
A tenant in an apartment building in Piazza Vittorio in Rome is found murdered in the elevator, and one of the tenants, Amedeo, has disappeared the same day. The police naturally suspect Amedeo who, they soon learn, is an immigrant, despite his fluent Italian and deep knowledge of Italian history and of Rome. The book consists of the interviews with the other tenants and acquaintances of Amadeo, interspersed with extracts from his diary.

At one level this book is Rashomon times two: the character of the protatogist is revealed by the other tenants of the building, through the filter of their prejudices. All agree that it is impossible that Amedeo could have committed the murder: he was unfailingly helpful and courteous, gentle, and quiet. And all the tenants disliked the victim: a crude brute who peed in the elevator and defaced it with graffiti.

Amedeo refuses to talk about his past, even with his new wife Stefania. We learn bits and pieces, but not until near the end of this small book do we learn why he is in exile.

Fundamentally the book is a satire on prejudice and small mindedness. The quasi-fascist professor from Milan who hates Rome and all southerners; the dog owning woman who can't tell one nationality from another, and who thinks the word merci must be some kind of gypsy curse word; the Iranian immigrant who has been driven mad by drink and by exile, who can't or won't learn enough Italian to keep a job, and who relies on Amedeo to help him surmount every small obstacle.

It is a pity I can't read this in Italian: apparently it makes subtle use of dialect and vernacular to reveal more about the characters. But the English translation is good, though lacking in endnotes to explain some of the cultural references.

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<![CDATA[The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America Is Tearing Us Apart]]> 19302165 In 2004, journalist Bill Bishop coined the term "the big sort." Armed with startling new demographic data, he made national news in a series of articles showing how Americans have been sorting themselves into alarmingly homogeneous communities -- not by region or by state, but by city and even neighborhood. Over the past three decades, we have been choosing the neighborhood (and church and news show) compatible with our lifestyle and beliefs. The result is a country that has become so polarized, so ideologically inbred that people don't know and can't understand those who live a few miles away. How this came to be, and its dire implications for our country, is the subject of this ground-breaking work.

In The Big Sort, Bishop has taken his analysis to a new level. He begins with stories about how we live today and then draws on history, economics and our changing political landscape to create one of the most compelling big-picture accounts of America in recent memory.]]>
396 Bill Bishop Dale 0 to-read 3.94 2008 The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America Is Tearing Us Apart
author: Bill Bishop
name: Dale
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/12/23
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge]]> 781350

The attempted social revolution in Spain awakened progressive hopes during the Depression, but the conflict quickly escalated into a new and horrifying form of warfare. As Preston shows, the unprecedented levels of brutality were burned into the American consciousness as never before by the revolutionary war reporting of Ernest Hemingway, John Dos Passos, Herbert Matthews, Vincent Sheean, Louis Fischer, and many others. Completely revised, including previously unseen material on Franco's treatment of women in wartime prisons, The Spanish Civil War is a classic work on this pivotal epoch in the twentieth century.]]>
432 Paul Preston 0393329879 Dale 5 history, nonfiction, spain
The stance taken toward the civil war by Britain, France, and the US is quite revealing of the inherently corporate- and imperialist bias of those governments at the time. The League of Nations voted a 'non-intervention' pact, which was blatantly ignored by Germany and Italy and basically ignored by the Soviet Union (though the USSR never offered enough aid to allow the Republican forces to win). Britain and France turned a blind eye to the German and Italian intervention, and enforced an embargo against the Spanish Republic, but not against the nationalist forces. Obviously British and French corporate interests felt safer with a right-wing military dictatorship than with a participatory democracy - especially if Communists were allowed to participate.

It doesn't take hindsight to understand that Britain and France would have been far better off supporting the Republic. It is even possible that a strong response to fascism in Spain would have allowed them to circumvent Nazi expansionism. But, as we know now, capitalism has an easy relationship with fascism, and a very uneasy relationship with democracy - witness the hysteria and propaganda coming from the US media regarding Venezuela.

The fascist forces were fully supported by the Catholic church. In fact, there was the spectacle of priests and bishops calling for the mass slaughter of labor leaders, liberals, socialists, and communists. And it was the support of the Catholic church that drove the US government to not support the Republic. Of course, despite its proclaimed adherence to the non-intervention pact, the US was well aware that US oil companies were delivering oil to the nationalists, and did nothing about it. Profit is profit, after all.

Franco finally died 37 years after the end of the civil war. He's still dead. And, sadly, so are some 150,000 Spaniards executed by the nationalists.

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3.97 1978 The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge
author: Paul Preston
name: Dale
average rating: 3.97
book published: 1978
rating: 5
read at: 2023/12/23
date added: 2023/12/23
shelves: history, nonfiction, spain
review:
This is a high-level history of the Spanish civil war, focusing mostly on the political and social aspects of the war. Preston is, naturally, quite sympathetic to the Republican cause, and offers detailed and compelling evidence of the mass murder perpetrated by Franco's nationalist forces.

The stance taken toward the civil war by Britain, France, and the US is quite revealing of the inherently corporate- and imperialist bias of those governments at the time. The League of Nations voted a 'non-intervention' pact, which was blatantly ignored by Germany and Italy and basically ignored by the Soviet Union (though the USSR never offered enough aid to allow the Republican forces to win). Britain and France turned a blind eye to the German and Italian intervention, and enforced an embargo against the Spanish Republic, but not against the nationalist forces. Obviously British and French corporate interests felt safer with a right-wing military dictatorship than with a participatory democracy - especially if Communists were allowed to participate.

It doesn't take hindsight to understand that Britain and France would have been far better off supporting the Republic. It is even possible that a strong response to fascism in Spain would have allowed them to circumvent Nazi expansionism. But, as we know now, capitalism has an easy relationship with fascism, and a very uneasy relationship with democracy - witness the hysteria and propaganda coming from the US media regarding Venezuela.

The fascist forces were fully supported by the Catholic church. In fact, there was the spectacle of priests and bishops calling for the mass slaughter of labor leaders, liberals, socialists, and communists. And it was the support of the Catholic church that drove the US government to not support the Republic. Of course, despite its proclaimed adherence to the non-intervention pact, the US was well aware that US oil companies were delivering oil to the nationalists, and did nothing about it. Profit is profit, after all.

Franco finally died 37 years after the end of the civil war. He's still dead. And, sadly, so are some 150,000 Spaniards executed by the nationalists.


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<![CDATA[Mediterraneo - Learn Italian with an Engaging Mystery Story: Graded Italian Reader (A2-B2 CEFR Levels) (Italian Edition)]]> 201009016 Are you looking for a fun and rewarding way to make Italian words and phrases stick?

Reading a short story is a brilliant way to achieve this. When you read a simple Italian story, you get novel exposure to all the words, phrases, and grammar that you've studied, but in different contexts and through an engaging, adult story.

This is not only a way to immerse yourself in Italian but also to improve your Italian sentences, vocabulary, and grammar all at once.

Features of this

Easy Italian
: This book is written in simple Italian and is designed for upper beginners and intermediate learners. The verb tenses mainly used are the presente, passato prossimo, imperfetto, and imperativo.

Common Italian Phrases: Using the 1000 most common Italian words and real-life dialogues that you are most likely to encounter when in Italy.

Bite-Sized Chapters with Bilingual Wordlist: Dive into each chapter within minutes and end with a list of words and phrases that will enhance your comprehension.

Exercises: At the end of the book, you'll find a set of recall activities for every chapter (quizzes, translations, and writing prompts). All of them have been designed to help you retain the vocabulary you have gone through in the chapters.

Modern Adult Mystery Set in Scenic Puglia: The mystery is set in one of the most beautiful regions of Puglia, specifically in Polignano a Mare, a picturesque Mediterranean village.


The Plot

Both Liam and Charlotte have remote jobs in Australia, so they decide to take a leap of faith to move to the idyllic Mediterranean countryside along the enchanting Puglia coastline. Their pursuit of the dolce vita dream takes a dark turn when they become embroiled in a murder investigation.

This story is designed for adult learners and can be used for self-study or in your Italian classes as valuable material to enhance your Italian conversation and vocabulary skills.

This book is a labor of love created by a certified Italian teacher with over 10 years of experience in teaching Italian as a foreign language.

FREE audiobook available for subscribers.]]>
168 Serena Capilli Dale 4 3.86 Mediterraneo - Learn Italian with an Engaging Mystery Story: Graded Italian Reader (A2-B2 CEFR Levels) (Italian Edition)
author: Serena Capilli
name: Dale
average rating: 3.86
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2023/12/17
date added: 2023/12/17
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Il Mistero Del Lago di Como: For Intermediate learners of Italian (From Beginner to Intermediate - Murder Mystery Series Vol. 3) (Italian Edition)]]> 75301898 Would you like to increase your fluency in Italian in a fun way?
Would you like to read a whole novel in Italian and be able to understand it?


This is a great book if you want to improve your Italian language skills in a fun way!

Il Mistero Del Lago di Como has been especially written for students of an intermediate level, aimed to give a sense of achievement, and most importantly - fun! It has been meticulously written according to B1 and B2 levels of the Common European Framework of Languages (CEFR).

You will be enjoying reading, delighting in your improved range of vocabulary and grasp of the language, without ever feeling overwhelmed or frustrated. You will be able to enjoy the actual use of the Italian language rather than focusing too much on grammar, verbs or other rules that can gradually lessen enthusiasm, by adding too much pressure!

What will this book give you? A mysterious story in Italian - making reading enjoyable and giving you a sense of accomplishment that you can actually read and understand a whole book in a foreign language!A wide range of new vocabulary to help improve your communication skills.Authentic spoken dialogues, to help you learn conversational expressions and improve your speaking ability.Pleasure! Research shows that if you're enjoying reading in a foreign language, you won't experience the usual feelings of frustration - 'It's too hard!' 'I don't understand!'Accessible grammar so you learn new structures naturally, in a stress-free way.
What key features does it include?A glossary for bold words in each text.A bilingual word list after each chapter.Comprehension questions after each chapter.Deliberate and controlled repetition of vocabulary and expressions to help you retain new words.
So, just sit back, relax, and enjoy reading and learning at the same time!]]>
125 Melanie Chircop Dale 4 4.03 Il Mistero Del Lago di Como: For Intermediate learners of Italian (From Beginner to Intermediate - Murder Mystery Series Vol. 3) (Italian Edition)
author: Melanie Chircop
name: Dale
average rating: 4.03
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2023/12/16
date added: 2023/12/16
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Il Mistero del Parco di Verona: For Upper Beginner to Lower Intermediate learners of Italian (From Beginner to Intermediate - Murder Mystery Series Vol. 1) (Italian Edition)]]> 125074628 Would you like to increase your fluency in Italian in a fun way?
Would you like to read a whole novel in Italian and be able to understand it?


This is an unmissable book if you want to improve your Italian language skills in a fun way!

Il Mistero Del Parco di Verona has been especially written for students from beginner to intermediate levels, aimed to give a sense of achievement, and most importantly - fun! It has been meticulously written according to A2 and B1 levels of the Common European Framework of Languages (CEFR).

You will be enjoying reading, delighting in your improved range of vocabulary and grasp of the language, without ever feeling overwhelmed or frustrated. You will be able to enjoy the actual use of the Italian language rather than focusing too much on grammar, verbs or other rules that can gradually lessen enthusiasm, by adding too much pressure!

What will this book give you? A mysterious story in Italian - making reading enjoyable and giving you a sense of accomplishment that you can actually read and understand a whole book in a foreign language!A wide range of new vocabulary to help improve your communication skills.Authentic spoken dialogues, to help you learn conversational expressions and improve your speaking ability.Pleasure! Research shows that if you're enjoying reading in a foreign language, you won't experience the usual feelings of frustration - 'It's too hard!' 'I don't understand!'Accessible grammar so you learn new structures naturally, in a stress-free way.
What key features does it include?A glossary for bold words in each text.A bilingual word list after every chapter.Comprehension questions for each chapter.Deliberate and controlled repetition of vocabulary and expressions to help you retain new words.
So, just sit back, relax, and enjoy reading and learning at the same time!]]>
161 Melanie Chircop Dale 5 4.12 Il Mistero del Parco di Verona: For Upper Beginner to Lower Intermediate learners of Italian (From Beginner to Intermediate - Murder Mystery Series Vol. 1) (Italian Edition)
author: Melanie Chircop
name: Dale
average rating: 4.12
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2023/12/09
date added: 2023/12/09
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Short Stories in Spanish for Intermediate Learners]]> 49813274 An unmissable collection of eight unconventional and captivating short stories for young adult and adult intermediate learners of Italian.

Olly's top-notch language-learning insights are right in line with the best of what we know from neuroscience and cognitive psychology about how to learn effectively. I love his work - and you will too! - Barbara Oakley, PhD, Author of New York Times bestseller A Mind for Numbers

Short Stories in Italian for Intermediate Learners has been written specifically for students from a low-intermediate to intermediate level, designed to give a sense of achievement, and most importantly - enjoyment! Mapped to B1-B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference, these eight captivating stories will both entertain you, and give you a feeling of progress when reading.

What does this book give you?

· Eight stories in a variety of exciting genres, from science fiction and crime to history and thriller - making reading fun, while you learn a wide range of new vocabulary
· Controlled language at your level to help you progress confidently
· Realistic spoken dialogues to help you learn conversational expressions and improve your speaking ability
· Beautiful illustrations accompanying each story, to set the scene and support your understanding
· Accessible grammar so you learn new structures naturally, in a stress-free way
· Pleasure! Research shows that if you're enjoying reading in a foreign language, you won't experience the usual feelings of frustration - 'It's too hard!' 'I don't understand!'

With intriguing plots that will spark your imagination and keep you reading, Short Stories in Italian will take your grasp of Italian to the next level with key features to support and consolidate your progress, including:

· A glossary for bolded words in each text
· A bilingual word list
· Full plot summary
· Comprehension questions after each chapter.

As a result, you will be able to focus on enjoying reading, delighting in your improved range of vocabulary and grasp of the language all without ever feeling overwhelmed. From science fiction to fantasy, to crime and thrillers, Short Stories in Italian for Intermediate Learners uses reading as the perfect tool to not only delight in learning Italian, but to accelerate your journey towards fluency.

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256 Olly Richards 1529361826 Dale 0 currently-reading 4.36 2019 Short Stories in Spanish for Intermediate Learners
author: Olly Richards
name: Dale
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/12/06
shelves: currently-reading
review:

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<![CDATA[I Fantasmi di Sambuca: For Intermediate learners of Italian (House Number 23 Vol. 2) (Italian Edition)]]> 197543153 Would you like to increase your fluency in Italian in a fun way?
Would you like to read a whole novel in Italian and be able to understand it?


I Fantasmi di Sambuca is the second book in the House Number 23 series that continues the story of Il Mistero della Casa In Sicilia. Reading the first book is optional and is not required to understand the story in this book.

This is a great book if you want to improve your Italian language skills in a fun way!

I Fantasmi di Sambuca has been especially written for students of an intermediate level, aimed to give a sense of achievement, and most importantly - fun! It has been meticulously written according to B1 and B2 levels of the Common European Framework of Languages (CEFR).

You will be enjoying reading, delighting in your improved range of vocabulary and grasp of the language, without ever feeling overwhelmed or frustrated. You will be able to enjoy the actual use of the Italian language rather than focusing too much on grammar, verbs or other rules that can gradually lessen enthusiasm, by adding too much pressure!

What will this book give you?
- A mysterious story in Italian - making reading enjoyable and giving you a sense of accomplishment that you can actually read and understand a whole book in a foreign language!
- A wide range of new vocabulary to help improve your communication skills.
- Authentic spoken dialogues, to help you learn conversational expressions and improve your speaking ability.
- Pleasure! Research shows that if you're enjoying reading in a foreign language, you won't experience the usual feelings of frustration - 'It's too hard!' 'I don't understand!'
- Accessible grammar so you learn new structures naturally, in a stress-free way.

What key features does it include?
1. A glossary for bold words in each chapter.
2. A bilingual word list after each chapter.
3. Comprehension questions for each chapter.
4. Deliberate and controlled repetition of vocabulary and expressions to help you retain new words.

So, just sit back, relax, and enjoy reading and learning at the same time!]]>
166 Melanie Chircop Dale 4 4.41 I Fantasmi di Sambuca: For Intermediate learners of Italian (House Number 23 Vol. 2) (Italian Edition)
author: Melanie Chircop
name: Dale
average rating: 4.41
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2023/12/06
date added: 2023/12/06
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Il Mistero Della Casa in Sicilia: For Upper Beginner to Lower Intermediate learners of Italian (House Number 23 Vol. 1) (Italian Edition)]]> 63037540 Would you like to increase your fluency in Italian in a fun way?
Would you like to read a whole novel in Italian and be able to understand it?


This is an unmissable book if you want to improve your Italian language skills in a fun way!

Il Mistero Della Casa in Sicilia has been especially written for students from beginner to intermediate levels, aimed to give a sense of achievement, and most importantly - fun! It has been meticulously written according to A2 and B1 levels of the Common European Framework of Languages (CEFR).

You will be enjoying reading, delighting in your improved range of vocabulary and grasp of the language, without ever feeling overwhelmed or frustrated. You will be able to enjoy the actual use of the Italian language rather than focusing too much on grammar, verbs or other rules that can gradually lessen enthusiasm, by adding too much pressure!

What will this book give you? A mysterious story in Italian - making reading enjoyable and giving you a sense of accomplishment that you can actually read and understand a whole book in a foreign language!A wide range of new vocabulary to help improve your communication skills.Authentic spoken dialogues, to help you learn conversational expressions and improve your speaking ability.Pleasure! Research shows that if you're enjoying reading in a foreign language, you won't experience the usual feelings of frustration - 'It's too hard!' 'I don't understand!'Accessible grammar so you learn new structures naturally, in a stress-free way.
What key features does it include?A glossary for bold words in each text.A bilingual word list after each chapter.Comprehension questions after each chapter.Deliberate and controlled repetition of vocabulary and expressions to help you retain new words.
So, just sit back, relax, and enjoy reading and learning at the same time!]]>
131 Melanie Chircop Dale 4 4.18 Il Mistero Della Casa in Sicilia: For Upper Beginner to Lower Intermediate learners of Italian (House Number 23 Vol. 1) (Italian Edition)
author: Melanie Chircop
name: Dale
average rating: 4.18
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2023/12/01
date added: 2023/12/01
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[The War on Populism: Consent Factory Essays, Vol. II (2018-2019)]]> 55532385 0 C.J. Hopkins Dale 5 4.43 The War on Populism: Consent Factory Essays, Vol. II (2018-2019)
author: C.J. Hopkins
name: Dale
average rating: 4.43
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2023/11/08
date added: 2023/11/22
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Frequenze di morte: An Italian story of Mystery for A2-B1 level learners (Italian Edition)]]> 59836637 NON PUOI ESSERE TU�, �SARAI MIO�, �LA PROSSIMA VITTIMA� e �VERITÀ SEPOLTE�, ecco FREQUENZE DI MORTE il libro n.5 per studenti stranieri di livello A2-B1 della collana “Learning Easy Italian�.
E� mezzanotte. Pamela Giorgi sta ascoltando un programma alla radio e il conduttore è Fabrizio de Luca, il suo ex fidanzato. Dopo una breve pausa per la pubblicità, il programma dovrebbe ritornare, ma così non è: dalla radio proviene solo silenzio.
Cosa è successo? Perché Fabrizio non è in onda?
Pamela lo scoprirà presto.
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133 Sonia Ognibene Dale 5 4.68 Frequenze di morte: An Italian story of Mystery for A2-B1 level learners (Italian Edition)
author: Sonia Ognibene
name: Dale
average rating: 4.68
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2023/11/20
date added: 2023/11/21
shelves:
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<![CDATA[A History of the World in 100 Objects]]> 13025132 "An enthralling and profoundly humane book that every civilized person should read." --The Wall Street JournalÌýThe blockbuster New York Times bestseller and the companion volume to the wildly popular radio seriesWhen did people first start to wear jewelry or play music? When were cows domesticated, and why do we feed their milk to our children? Where were the first cities, and what made them succeed? Who developed math--or invented money? The history of humanity is one of invention and innovation, as we have continually created new things to use, to admire, or leave our mark on the world. In this groundbreaking book, Neil MacGregor turns to objects that previous civilizations have left behind to paint a portrait of mankind's evolution, focusing on unexpected turning points.Ìý Beginning with a chopping tool from the Olduvai Gorge in Africa and ending with a recent innovation that is transforming the way we power our world, he urges us to see history as a kaleidoscope--shifting, interconnected, constantly surprising. A landmark bestseller, A History of the World in 100 Objects is one f the most unusual and engrossing history books to be published in years. Ìý“None could have imagined quite how the radio series would permeate the national consciousness. Well over 12.5 million podcasts have been downloaded since the first programme and more than 550 museums around Britain have launched similar series featuring local history. . . . MacGregor’s voice comes through as distinctively as it did on radio and his arguments about the interconnectedness of disparate societies through the ages are all the stronger for the detail afforded by extra space. A book to savour and start over.â€�—The Economist]]> 736 Neil MacGregor 1101545305 Dale 0 design 4.14 2010 A History of the World in 100 Objects
author: Neil MacGregor
name: Dale
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2010
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<![CDATA[Italian Easy Reader: Il Segreto di Julia (Italian Edition)]]> 18044652 Il romanzo è ricco di suspense e narrato con un linguaggio semplice a livello B1-B2
All’interno del libro oltre le note tra le righe, troverete box di Lingua (che spiegano elementi grammaticali e lessicali) e box Italia, in cui si trattano elementi di civiltà italiana.]]>
82 Dale 4 3.71 Italian Easy Reader: Il Segreto di Julia (Italian Edition)
author: Cinzia Medaglia, Martin Seiffarth
name: Dale
average rating: 3.71
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<![CDATA[Sarai mio: An Italian story of mystery for A2-B1 level learners (Learning Easy Italian Vol. 2) (Italian Edition)]]> 37845578 88 Sonia Ognibene Dale 4 4.21 Sarai mio: An Italian story of mystery for A2-B1 level learners (Learning Easy Italian Vol. 2) (Italian Edition)
author: Sonia Ognibene
name: Dale
average rating: 4.21
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rating: 4
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<![CDATA[Italian Short Stories for Beginners: 20 Captivating Short Stories to Learn Italian & Grow Your Vocabulary the Fun Way! (Easy Italian Stories Vol. 1) (Italian Edition)]]> 42959800 Do you know what the hardest thing for an Italian learner is?Finding PROPER reading material that they can handle…which is precisely the reason we’ve written this book!Teachers love giving out tough, expert-level literature to their students, books that present many new problems to the reader and force them to search for words in a dictionary every five minutes � it's not entertaining, useful or motivating for the student at all, and many soon give up on learning at all!In this book we have compiled 20 easy-to-read, compelling and fun stories that will allow you to expand your vocabulary and give you the tools to improve your grasp of the wonderful Italian tongue.How Italian Short Stories for Beginners Each story will involve an important lesson of the tools in the Italian language (Verbs, Adjectives, Past Tense, Giving Directions, and more), involving an interesting and entertaining story with realistic dialogues and day-to-day situations.The summaries follow a synopsis in Italian and in English of what you just read, both to review the lesson and for you to see if you understood what the tale was about.At the end of those summaries, you'll be provided with a list of the most relevant vocabulary involved in the lesson, as well as slang and sayings that you may not have understood at first glance!Finally, you'll be provided with a set of tricky questions in Italian, providing you with the chance to prove that you learned something in the story. Don't worry if you don't know the answer to any � we will provide them immediately after, but no cheating!So look no further! Pick up your copy of Italian Short Stories for Beginners and start learning Italian right now!]]> 187 Lingo Mastery Dale 0 4.43 Italian Short Stories for Beginners: 20 Captivating Short Stories to Learn Italian & Grow Your Vocabulary the Fun Way! (Easy Italian Stories Vol. 1) (Italian Edition)
author: Lingo Mastery
name: Dale
average rating: 4.43
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<![CDATA[Italian Short Stories for Beginners: A Short Story Collection to Improve Your Listening And Reading Skills, Grow Your Vocabulary and Learn Italian with Ease (Italian Edition)]]> 43268316
How did you learn your first language? Did someone give you a grammar book while you were still in the baby cradle? Or did you learn to speak by simply listening toÌýothers? Even science agrees, the best way to learn a new language is to immerse yourself in it, talk to native speakers and actually use the language you want to learn.

Unfortunately, not everyone can just move to Italy to learn the language. That’s why reading Italian stories is your next best choice.

The Italian short stories in this book will help

Avoid memorizing grammar rules for grammar’s sake. Instead, you’ll listen to practical uses in everyday conversations and after a while, following grammar will become natural to you.Learn over 1600 Italian words and expressions thanks to the vocabulary included at the end of each story.Understand colloquial phrases and expressions that people actually use, so that talking to a native will be easier.Learn conversational Italian and improve your speaking skills thanks to the many natural dialogues in each story.All the stories have a useful vocabulary section, summaries in both Italian and English and questions to help you verify your comprehension of the plot. Even if you tried learning Italian in the past and failed, you can dramatically increase your comprehension and grow your vocabulary with these short stories.

Scroll to the top and select BUY NOW!]]>
129 Language Learning Lessons Dale 4 4.48 Italian Short Stories for Beginners: A Short Story Collection to Improve Your Listening And Reading Skills, Grow Your Vocabulary and Learn Italian with Ease (Italian Edition)
author: Language Learning Lessons
name: Dale
average rating: 4.48
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The Shipping News 7354
A vigorous, darkly comic, and at times magical portrait of the contemporary American family, The Shipping News shows why E. Annie Proulx is recognized as one of the most gifted and original writers in America today.
(back cover)]]>
337 Annie Proulx 0743225422 Dale 4 fiction 3.88 1993 The Shipping News
author: Annie Proulx
name: Dale
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1993
rating: 4
read at: 2000/01/01
date added: 2023/10/31
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The Overstory 36075657 An Air Force loadmaster in the Vietnam War is shot out of the sky, then saved by falling into a banyan. An artist inherits a hundred years of photographic portraits, all of the same doomed American chestnut. A hard-partying undergraduate in the late 1980s electrocutes herself, dies, and is sent back into life by creatures of air and light. A hearing- and speech-impaired scientist discovers that trees are communicating with one another. These four, and five other strangers—each summoned in different ways by trees—are brought together in a last and violent stand to save the continent’s few remaining acres of virgin forest.


In his twelfth novel, National Book Award winner Richard Powers delivers a sweeping, impassioned novel of activism and resistance that is also a stunning evocation of—and paean to—the natural world. From the roots to the crown and back to the seeds, The Overstory unfolds in concentric rings of interlocking fables that range from antebellum New York to the late twentieth-century Timber Wars of the Pacific Northwest and beyond, exploring the essential conflict on this planet: the one taking place between humans and nonhumans. There is a world alongside ours—vast, slow, interconnected, resourceful, magnificently inventive, and almost invisible to us. This is the story of a handful of people who learn how to see that world and who are drawn up into its unfolding catastrophe.


The Overstory is a book for all readers who despair of humanity’s self-imposed separation from the rest of creation and who hope for the transformative, regenerating possibility of a homecoming. If the trees of this earth could speak, what would they tell us? "Listen. There’s something you need to hear."

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513 Richard Powers 0393635538 Dale 0 currently-reading 4.23 2018 The Overstory
author: Richard Powers
name: Dale
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2018
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<![CDATA[Trumpocalypse: Consent Factory Essays, Vol. I (2016-2017)]]> 48998870 120 C.J. Hopkins Dale 5 4.20 Trumpocalypse: Consent Factory Essays, Vol. I (2016-2017)
author: C.J. Hopkins
name: Dale
average rating: 4.20
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rating: 5
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<![CDATA[Verità sepolte: An Italian story of mystery for A2-B1 level learners (Italian Edition)]]> 55987760 129 Sonia Ognibene Dale 5 4.51 Verità sepolte: An Italian story of mystery for A2-B1 level learners (Italian Edition)
author: Sonia Ognibene
name: Dale
average rating: 4.51
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<![CDATA[The Rise of the New Normal Reich: Consent Factory Essays, Vol. III (2020-2021)]]> 61235429
From the proclamation of the "New Normal" and the initial propaganda blitzkrieg in March of 2020, and on through the global lockdowns, the suspension of constitutional rights, the mask mandates, the social distancing, the censorship, the segregation and persecution of "the Unvaccinated," and, finally, the collapse of the official Covid narrative at the end of 2021, the essays in this volume comprise an "as-it-happened" record of how insane and totalitarian things got, and puts the madness into context. "No other prophet has described the strategies or predicted the perils of the emerging totalitarianism with such persistence and eloquence." (Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.) Featuring popular essays like The Covidian Cult , The "Unvaccinated" Question , The Criminalization of Dissent , Manufacturing New Normal "Reality," and a new introductory essay exploring the question of how nominally democratic societies around the world could be so suddenly and easily transformed into pathologized-totalitarian police states, the essays in this collection present "[a] searing (and therefore satisfying) chronicle of life in, and against, the locked-down, masked-up, triple-vaxxed madhouse of New Normal insanity." (Max Blumenthal) "[Hopkins] was one of the only people in English willing to do [that], and he did it with his trademark wit and bravado. He'll be remembered as a signature chronicler of the 'New Normal.'" (Matt Taibbi)]]>
238 C.J. Hopkins Dale 5 4.66 The Rise of the New Normal Reich: Consent Factory Essays, Vol. III (2020-2021)
author: C.J. Hopkins
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<![CDATA[La prossima vittima: An Italian story of mystery for A2-B1 level learners (Learning Easy Italian Vol. 3) (Italian Edition)]]> 40869005 131 Sonia Ognibene Dale 5 4.26 La prossima vittima: An Italian story of mystery for A2-B1 level learners (Learning Easy Italian Vol. 3) (Italian Edition)
author: Sonia Ognibene
name: Dale
average rating: 4.26
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<![CDATA[Non puoi essere tu: An Italian story of mystery for Italian A2-B1 level learners (Learning Easy Italian Vol. 1) (Italian Edition)]]> 35072674 74 Sonia Ognibene Dale 4 4.30 Non puoi essere tu: An Italian story of mystery for Italian A2-B1 level learners (Learning Easy Italian Vol. 1) (Italian Edition)
author: Sonia Ognibene
name: Dale
average rating: 4.30
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The Consolation of Philosophy 19216675 De Consolatione Philosophiae in the sixth century AD whilst awaiting death under torture, condemned on a charge of treason which he protested was manifestly unjust. Though a convinced Christian, in detailing the true end of life which is the soul's knowledge of God, he consoled himself not with Christian precepts but with the tenets of Greek philosophy.

This work dominated the intellectual world of the Middle Ages; writers as diverse as Thomas Aquinas, Jean de Meun, and Dante were inspired by it. In England it was rendered in to Old English by Alfred the Great, into Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer, and later Queen Elizabeth I made her own translation. The circumstances of composition, the heroic demeanour of the author, and the 'Menippean' texture of part prose, part verse have combined to exercise a fascination over students of philosophy and literature ever since.

ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.]]>
237 Boethius 0191500720 Dale 0 4.41 524 The Consolation of Philosophy
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The Discourses 28244262 Committed to communicating with the widest possible audience, Epictetus uses humor, imagery conversations and homely comparisons to put his message across. The result is a perfect universal justice, calm indifference in the face of pain � which have proved so influential throughout Western history.]]> 144 Epictetus Dale 0 postponed 4.25 108 The Discourses
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<![CDATA[Breve historia de la Revolución mexicana (Spanish Edition)]]> 25918352 Pancho Villa, Emiliano Zapata, PRI, el Porfiriato, Francisco Madero, indigenismo. Conozca la revolución en la que liberales y conservadores lucharon por crear una identidad colectiva para México en una guerra civil que se alargó más de diez años.

En 1910, la exigencia de democratización aglutinó a los disidentes y pronto quedó claro que la revolución pasaba de lo político a lo social. Conozca con Breve Historia de la Revolución mexicana los conflictos civiles, con líderes tan carismáticos como Emiliano Zapata o Pancho Villa, ambos asesinados; el surgimiento de un estado autoritario; el Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI); cómo estaban organizadas las guerrillas y en qué consistió la intervención de Estados Unidos.

De la mano de Francisco Martínez Hoyos, especialista en el tema, se acercará a una revolución en la que durante diez años, México vivirá una situación de anarquía, en medio de alianzas tejidas y destejidas una y otra vez. El autor intentará responder a preguntas de una importancia histórica ¿Por qué fue derrotado el ejército gubernamental? ¿Cómo estaban organizadas las guerrillas? ¿En qué consistió la intervención de Estados Unidos?

Razones para comprar la

- Esta Breve Historia es una obra clara amena y rigurosa que abarca un período político complicado, la creación del México moderno.

- El autor ha utilizado documentación curiosa, como las publicaciones de Madero u obras literarias, y relevante, incluyendo las publicaciones más recientes sobre el tema.

- La obra no se limita a explicar la Revolución sino que dedica un capítulo a la herencia de la revolución, el legado institucional y social que ha dejado la Revolución mexicana a la posteridad.

- El autor, experto en historia latinoamericana, ha publicado varios ensayos sobre este tema y utiliza un punto de vista multidisciplinar, pues no sólo se explican hechos políticos y militares sino que aborda aspectos culturales, económicos, sociales y religiosos.

El legado de la revolución resulta ambivalente, invocado tanto por la burocracia política como por movimientos subversivos. La mejor prueba es el alzamiento zapatista de Chiapas, en 1994, liderado por el carismático subcomandante Marcos.]]>
306 Francisco Martínez Hoyos 8499677096 Dale 0 4.31 2015 Breve historia de la Revolución mexicana (Spanish Edition)
author: Francisco Martínez Hoyos
name: Dale
average rating: 4.31
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<![CDATA[Un mes con Montalbano (Comisario Montalbano #5)]]> 69349
Il titolo si collega al numero di racconti, che coinvolgerebbero il lettore per un mese esatto, leggendo un racconto ogni giorno, come afferma lo stesso autore nella nota conclusiva. Sempre a detta dello scrittore, la serie è stata realizzata in poco più di un anno e due mesi, fra il 1º dicembre 1996 e il 30 gennaio 1998. Gran parte dei racconti sono inediti, mentre altri furono pubblicati precedentemente in alcune riviste locali.]]>
400 Andrea Camilleri 8478887695 Dale 0 3.74 1998 Un mes con Montalbano (Comisario Montalbano #5)
author: Andrea Camilleri
name: Dale
average rating: 3.74
book published: 1998
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The Leopard 18950097 322 Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa 0307833992 Dale 0 4.06 1958 The Leopard
author: Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
name: Dale
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1958
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Strip Tease 54927228 Strip Tease, Hiaasen’s most inventive tale yet of savage appetites and sweet justice.

BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Carl Hiaasen'sÌýBad Monkey.]]>
436 Carl Hiaasen Dale 0 fiction 4.25 1993 Strip Tease
author: Carl Hiaasen
name: Dale
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1993
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Catch-22 45878653 Fifty years after its original publication, Catch-22 remains a cornerstone of American lit-erature and one of the funniest—and most celebrated—novels of all time. In recent years it has been named to “best novels� lists by Time, Newsweek, the Modern Library, and the London Observer. Set in Italy during World War II, this is the story of the incomparable, malingering bombardier, Yossarian, a hero who is furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him. But his real problem is not the enemy—it is his own army, which keeps increasing the number of missions the men must fly to complete their service. Yet if Yossarian makes any attempt to excuse himself from the perilous missions he’s assigned, he’ll be in violation of Catch-22, a hilariously sinister bureaucratic rule: a man is considered insane if he willingly continues to fly dangerous combat missions, but if he makes a formal request to be removed from duty, he is proven sane and therefore ineligible to be relieved. Since its publication in 1961, no novel has matched Catch-22’s intensity and brilliance in depicting the brutal insanity of war. This fiftieth-anniversary edition commemorates Joseph Heller’s masterpiece with a new introduction by Christopher Buckley; personal essays on the genesis of the novel by the author; a wealth of critical responses and reviews by Norman Mailer, Alfred Kazin, Anthony Burgess, and others; rare papers and photos from Joseph Heller’s personal archive; and a selection of advertisements from the original publishing campaign that helped turn Catch-22 into a cultural phenomenon. Here, at last, is the definitive edition of a classic of world literature.]]> 530 Joseph Heller Dale 0 3.97 1961 Catch-22
author: Joseph Heller
name: Dale
average rating: 3.97
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<![CDATA[Italian Short Stories For Beginners Volume 2: 8 More Unconventional Short Stories to Grow Your Vocabulary and Learn Italian the fun Way! (Italian Edition)]]> 31368930
In this book you will









Italian Short Stories for Beginners Volume 2 is written especially for students from beginner to intermediate level (A1-B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference). The eight captivating stories are designed to give you a sense of achievement and a feeling of progress when reading. You’ll finally be able to enjoy reading in Italian, grow your vocabulary in a natural way, and improve your comprehension at the same time.

Based on extensive research into how people most enjoy and benefit from reading in a new language, this book eliminates all the frustrations you have experienced when trying to read in







Instead, you can just concentrate on what you came for in the first place - enjoying reading and having fun!

If you’re learning Italian and enjoy reading, this is the book you need to rekindle your passion for the language and take your Italian to the next level!

So what are you waiting for? Scroll up and grab your copy now!]]>
240 Olly Richards Dale 5 4.16 Italian Short Stories For Beginners Volume 2: 8 More Unconventional Short Stories to Grow Your Vocabulary and Learn Italian the fun Way! (Italian Edition)
author: Olly Richards
name: Dale
average rating: 4.16
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<![CDATA[So Shall You Reap (Commissario Brunetti #32)]]> 61670148 In the thirty-second installment of Donna Leon's bestselling series, a connection to Guido Brunetti's own youthful past helps solve a mysterious murderOn a cold November evening, Guido Brunetti and Paola are up late when a call from his colleague Ispettore Vianello arrives, alerting the Commissario that a hand has been seen in one of Venice's canals. The body is soon found, and Brunetti is assigned to investigate the murder of an undocumented Sri Lankan immigrant. Because no official record of the man's presence in Venice exists, Brunetti is forced to use the city's far richer sources of gossip and the memories of people who knew the victim. Curiously, he had been living in a small house on the grounds of a palazzo owned by a university professor, in which Brunetti discovers books revealing the victim's interest in Buddhism, the revolutionary Tamil Tigers, and the last crop of Italian political terrorists, active in the 1980s.
As the investigation expands, Brunetti, Vianello, Commissario Griffoni, and Signora Elettra each assemble pieces of a puzzle--random information about real estate and land use, books, university friendships--that appear to have little in common, until Brunetti stumbles over something that transports him back to his own student days, causing him to reflect on lost ideals and the errors of youth, on Italian politics and history, and on the accidents that sometimes lead to revelation.]]>
320 Donna Leon 0802162371 Dale 0 4.30 2023 So Shall You Reap (Commissario Brunetti #32)
author: Donna Leon
name: Dale
average rating: 4.30
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<![CDATA[Short Stories in Italian for Beginners: Read for pleasure at your level, expand your vocabulary and learn Italian the fun way! (Readers Vol. 1) (Italian Edition)]]> 42166798 An unmissable collection of eight unconventional and captivating short stories for young and adult learners.

"I love Olly's work - and you will too!" - Barbara Oakley, PhD, Author of New York Times bestseller A Mind for Numbers

Short Stories in Italian for Beginners has been written especially for students from beginner to intermediate level, designed to give a sense of achievement, and most importantly - enjoyment! Mapped to A2-B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference, these eight captivating stories will both entertain you, and give you a feeling of progress when reading.

What does this book give you?

· Eight stories in a variety of exciting genres, from science fiction and crime to history and thriller - making reading fun, while you learn a wide range of new vocabulary
· Controlled language at your level, including the 1000 most frequent words, to help you progress confidently
· Authentic spoken dialogues, to help you learn conversational expressions and improve your speaking ability
· Pleasure! It's much easier to learn a new language when you're having fun, and research shows that if you're enjoying reading in a foreign language, you won't experience the usual feelings of frustration - 'It's too hard!' 'I don't understand!'
· Accessible grammar so you learn new structures naturally, in a stress-free way

Carefully curated to make learning a new language easy, these stories include key features that will support and consolidate your progress, including

· A glossary for bolded words in each text
· A bilingual word list
· Full plot summary
· Comprehension questions after each chapter.

As a result, you will be able to focus on enjoying reading, delighting in your improved range of vocabulary and grasp of the language, without ever feeling overwhelmed or frustrated. From science fiction to fantasy, to crime and thrillers, Short Stories in Italian for Beginners will make learning Italian easy and enjoyable.

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219 Olly Richards 1473683335 Dale 0 3.97 2015 Short Stories in Italian for Beginners: Read for pleasure at your level, expand your vocabulary and learn Italian the fun way! (Readers Vol. 1) (Italian Edition)
author: Olly Richards
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average rating: 3.97
book published: 2015
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<![CDATA[The Origins of Totalitarianism]]> 54769679 Hannah Arendt's definitive work on totalitarianism and an essential component of any study of twentieth-century political history

Ìý

The Origins of Totalitarianism begins with the rise of anti-Semitism in central and western Europe in the 1800s and continues with an examination of European colonial imperialism from 1884 to the outbreak of World War I. Arendt explores the institutions and operations of totalitarian movements, focusing on the two genuine forms of totalitarian government in our time—Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia—which she adroitly recognizes were two sides of the same coin, rather than opposing philosophies of Right and Left. From this vantage point, she discusses the evolution of classes into masses, the role of propaganda in dealing with the nontotalitarian world, the use of terror, and the nature of isolation and loneliness as preconditions for total domination.

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582 Hannah Arendt Dale 0 4.38 1951 The Origins of Totalitarianism
author: Hannah Arendt
name: Dale
average rating: 4.38
book published: 1951
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<![CDATA[The House of Unexpected Sisters (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #18)]]> 59084364
Other surprises await our intrepid proprietress in the course of her inquiries. Mma Ramotswe is puzzled when she happens to hear of a local nurse named Mingie Ramotswe. She thought she knew everybody by the name of Ramotswe and that they were all related. Who is this mystery lady? Then she is alerted by Mma Potokwani that an unpleasant figure from her past has recently been spotted in town. Mma Ramotswe does her best to avoid the man, but it seems that he may have returned to Botswana specifically to seek her out. What could he want from her?

With the generosity and good humor that guide all her endeavors, Mma Ramotswe will untangle these questions for herself and for her loved ones, ultimately bringing to light important truths about friendship and family - both the one you're born with and the one you choose.]]>
243 Alexander McCall Smith Dale 4 4.49 2017 The House of Unexpected Sisters (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #18)
author: Alexander McCall Smith
name: Dale
average rating: 4.49
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rating: 4
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<![CDATA[A Noble Killing (Cetin Ikmen, #13)]]> 9698553 384 Barbara Nadel 0755371607 Dale 4 fiction 3.93 2011 A Noble Killing (Cetin Ikmen, #13)
author: Barbara Nadel
name: Dale
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2012/01/02
date added: 2023/09/07
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Heresy (Giordano Bruno, #1) 6611809
Giordano Bruno was a monk, poet, scientist, and magician on the run from the Roman Inquisition on charges of heresy for his belief that the Earth orbits the sun and that the universe is infinite. This alone could have got him burned at the stake, but he was also a student of occult philosophies and magic.

In S.J. Parris's gripping novel, Bruno's pursuit of this rare knowledge brings him to London, where he is unexpectedly recruited by Queen Elizabeth I and is sent undercover to Oxford University on the pretext of a royal visitation. Officially Bruno is to take part in a debate on the Copernican theory of the universe; unofficially, he is to find out whatever he can about a Catholic plot to overthrow the queen.

His mission is dramatically thrown off course by a series of grisly murders and a spirited and beautiful young woman. As Bruno begins to discover a pattern in these killings, he realizes that no one at Oxford is who he seems to be. Bruno must attempt to outwit a killer who appears obsessed with the boundary between truth and heresy.

Like The Dante Club and The Alienist, this clever, sophisticated, exceptionally enjoyable novel is written with the unstoppable narrative propulsion and stylistic flair of the very best historical thrillers.]]>
435 S.J. Parris 0385531281 Dale 0 to-read, mystery 3.74 2010 Heresy (Giordano Bruno, #1)
author: S.J. Parris
name: Dale
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2010
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind]]> 23692271 512 Yuval Noah Harari Dale 4 science 4.33 2011 Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
author: Yuval Noah Harari
name: Dale
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2011
rating: 4
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date added: 2023/08/02
shelves: science
review:

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The Ten Books on Architecture 523814
Vitruvius describes the classic principles of symmetry, harmony, and proportion in architecture; the design of the treasury, prison, senate house, baths, forum, and temples; the construction of the theater: its site, foundations, and acoustics; the proper style and proportion for private dwellings; the differences between the Ionic, Doric, and Corinthian styles; methods of giving durability and beauty to polished finishings; and many other topics that help us understand the methods and beliefs of the Roman architect.

It is a direct, authoritative, and detailed introduction to the ancients' methods of construction, the materials of the architect, and the prevailing aesthetic beliefs of the times; but it is also a work of art. Vitruvius wrote in such a fascinating manner, and digressed from his subject so often (as, for instance, when he wrote about the winds, Archimedes in his bath, and why authors should receive awards and honors at least as often as athletes), that his book has had a continuing appeal to the general reader for many centuries. Besides being an instructive treatise on nearly everything connected with Roman and Greek architecture, it is an entertaining description of some aspects of the life and beliefs of the times. This edition is the standard English translation, prepared over a period of several years by Professor M. H. Morgan of Harvard University.]]>
368 Vitruvius 0486206459 Dale 3 4.03 -15 The Ten Books on Architecture
author: Vitruvius
name: Dale
average rating: 4.03
book published: -15
rating: 3
read at: 2023/08/02
date added: 2023/08/02
shelves: architecture, nonfiction, history
review:

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