Posts By: DoingDewey

Science Nonfiction Review: Invisible Siege

September 7, 2023 Uncategorized 4 ★★★★★

Science Nonfiction Review: Invisible SiegeTitle: The Invisible Siege: The Rise of Coronaviruses and the Search for a Cure
Author: Dan Werb
Source: Library
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:five-stars

I’ve already read several books on the recent pandemic and only picked up another because it was for my nonfiction book club. It added a surprising amount of info to what I’d already read due to its much longer term perspective. This story starts in the 1980s, when coronaviruses were something people studied purely for the sake of curiosity. No one ever expected that these viruses that cause the common cold pose a serious threat to humanity. Fortunately for us all, a select few scientists kept learning about these viruses, making us uniquely prepared to deal with the eventual pandemic. Everything from our vaccine strategy to the best treatments for Covid had their roots in this basic research – science originally done with no practical goal in mind. Read more »

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Annie Ernaux in Mini-Reviews

August 24, 2023 Uncategorized 0 ★★★½

Annie Ernaux in Mini-ReviewsTitle: Exteriors
Author: Annie Ernaux
Source: Library
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:three-half-stars

Starting in 1985, Annie Ernaux began journaling her observations of daily life to make sense of her new home in the Paris suburbs. This collection contains entries through 1992, was published in ’93, and translated into English in ’96.

The author begins by explaining that her intention is to serve as an objective recorder, writing down the plain facts of what she sees. She also immediately acknowledges that she failed to accomplish that. I agree that she didn’t achieve perfect objectivity. There are clear themes in the scenes that catch her attention – interactions between people of different classes, train rides and grocery store visits, and how we value art. Sometimes she’s clearly imagining people’s motivations. However she does sometimes achieve pure reportage. It’s as though she’s simply serving as a camera, letting me view a scene at a remove with no added comment or info on her response to the scene. Read more »

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Science Nonfiction Review: The Good Virus

August 19, 2023 Uncategorized 2 ★★★★★

Science Nonfiction Review: The Good VirusTitle: The Good Virus: The Amazing Story and Forgotten Promise of the Phage
Author: Tom Ireland
Source: from publisher for review
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:five-stars

Summary: A delightfully well written book about a fascinating corner of science.

“At every moment, within your body and all around you, trillions of microscopic combatants are fighting an invisible war. Countless times per second, ‘good’ viruses known as phages are infecting and destroying bacteria. These phages are the most abundant life form on the planet” (source) and have the potential to be used as treatments for disease-causing bacteria. They can also empower bacteria with new ways of causing harm, transferring traits like toxin-production or antibiotic resistance between bacteria. And they can serve a more neutral purpose as a balanced part of a well-functioning ecosystem, in the ocean or in our guts. Read more »

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Retelling Review: Circe

August 7, 2023 Uncategorized 1 ★★★★

Retelling Review: CirceTitle: Circe
Author: Madeline Miller
Source: Bought
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:four-stars

Summary: This was a great combination of unique story with pieces of familiar tales.

Rather than retelling The Odyssey, this story plucks Circe from the pages of myth and gives her a complete story of her own. She grows up scorned by her naiad mother and ignored by Helios, her Titan father, because she had neither power nor divine beauty. However, love of a mortal leads Circe to discover that she does have the power of witchcraft. Unbound by the rules of the gods, she is exiled to an island by Zeus, where she must protect herself and learn who she wants to be as a woman alone in the world. Read more »

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New Science Nonfiction Review: Blight

July 26, 2023 Uncategorized 5 ★★★★

New Science Nonfiction Review: BlightTitle: Blight: Fungi and the Coming Pandemic
Author: Emily Monosson
Source: from publisher for review
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:four-stars

Summary: A fascinating book that is both informative and full of great stories.

Although humans have most recently experienced a viral pandemic, many of the diseases threatening our world right now are caused by fungi. Some of these fungal diseases have caused enough devastation that you’ve probably heard of them in the news. Victims of these pathogens include: North American bats and elm trees; white pine and bananas; and both salamanders and frogs in South America and Asia. Fungal diseases are also directly relevant to people, causing deadly illnesses in those who are immune compromised or post-antibiotic treatment.

Read more »

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Science Nonfiction Review: Meteorite

July 21, 2023 Uncategorized 0 ★★½

Science Nonfiction Review: MeteoriteTitle: Meteorite: The Stones from Outer Space That Made Our World
Author: Tim Gregory
Source: Bought
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:two-half-stars

Summary: An interesting read, but overly dense with specialist terminology.

I read this book on the history of the universe through meteorites with my science nonfiction book club. I thought the organization of the book was quite good, moving generally forward in time from the beginning of the universe. It simultaneously moved through the history of our understanding of meteorites. The author also did a good job of shaping the information he shared into a narrative. I wouldn’t have guessed that was possible in a book that’s essentially about rocks! Read more »

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Cozy Fantasy Review: Legends and Lattes

July 14, 2023 Uncategorized 4 ★★★★★

Cozy Fantasy Review: Legends and LattesTitle: Legends & Lattes
Author: Travis Baldree
Source: Gift
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:five-stars

Summary: Too cozy for words! Just jump on the band wagon and read this gem of a novel.

I was intrigued by the description of Legends and Lattes as cozy fantasy, but finally picked it up because a friend insisted I borrow his copy. This delightful story of “high fantasy with low stakes” follows retiring bounty hunter, Viv. “The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is. If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won’t be able to go it alone.” (source) Read more »

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Travelogue and History Review: The Border

June 28, 2023 Uncategorized 4 ★★★★

Travelogue and History Review: The BorderTitle: The Border: A Journey Around Russia Through North Korea, China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Poland, ... Finland, Norway, and the Northeast Passage
Author: Erika Fatland, Kari Dickson
Source: Library
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:four-stars

I feel like I should have more substantive things to say about this than I do. However, my main takeaway from this book was how much I don’t know about the countries that border Russia! This book was compellingly readable, but also quite information dense. In terms of my enjoyment and how easily this read, it didn’t feel like a 600 page book. In terms of how much there was to learn, it felt even longer. Despite the incredible amount of info packed into this book, it was a lively travelogue that integrated history effortlessly. Read more »

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An Interview How-To in Review: The Essential Questions

June 21, 2023 Uncategorized 0 ★★★★★

An Interview How-To in Review: The Essential QuestionsTitle: The Essential Questions
Author: Elizabeth Keating, Ph.D.
Source: Library
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) Rating:five-stars

Summary: Following the advice in this book has led to some great conversations and helped me get to know my grandfather better.

This slim volume includes two introductory chapters on how to conduct interviews with older family members. The remainder of the book is composed of 13 chapters that begin with a page or two of suggested questions on a particular topic (childhood homes, rituals of growing up, etc). These chapters also give examples of answers to these questions from the author’s experience as a sociologist and from her students’ interviews with their elders. Then each chapter wraps up with a few pages for taking notes on the answers you get to these questions. Finally, there’s one last chapter on the importance of doing these interviews. Read more »

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Russia Buddy Read in Review: Killer in the Kremlin

June 15, 2023 Uncategorized 0 ★★½

Russia Buddy Read in Review: Killer in the KremlinTitle: Killer in the Kremlin: The Explosive Account of Putin's Reign of Terror
Author: John Sweeney
Source: Gift
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:two-half-stars

Summary: This was an approachable read, but the tone and lack of citations make me question its credibility.

This biography of Putin focuses on the violence he used to claim and maintain power. Author and BBC journalist John Sweeny includes his personal experiences reporting on Russia and with the ongoing war in Ukraine. Read more »

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