This is a thought-provoking book about the randomness and chaos in the world and man's search to find meaning in it. I really enjoyed listening to theThis is a thought-provoking book about the randomness and chaos in the world and man's search to find meaning in it. I really enjoyed listening to the author narrate the audiobook edition.
interesting quote:
"Accidents, mistakes, and above all, arbitrary neutral changes create species, shape societies, and divert our lives. Conversely, research has shown that people will happily accept randomness or chance as satisfactory explanations when they experience an unexpected positive, such as winning the lottery. In those moments of surprising joy, we are like a dog attending its own birthday party, unsure why chicken and cheese are suddenly and inexplicably abundant, but happy to gobble them down unquestioningly. Yet when we try to explain anything important, randomness and chance fly right back out the window." (Chapter 3)...more
This is a funny collection of 1-star reviews of locations around the world, collected by the author and accompanied by his fun illustrations. It's a fThis is a funny collection of 1-star reviews of locations around the world, collected by the author and accompanied by his fun illustrations. It's a fun, fast read....more
I listened to Sea of Tranquility first and got to know some of these characters from a different perspective. So I was excited to learn more about theI listened to Sea of Tranquility first and got to know some of these characters from a different perspective. So I was excited to learn more about their lives and the interconnected ways in which they interact....more
This book offers a fascinating perspective on opportunities and challenges we face in the 21st century. I was very impressed with Yuval Noah Harari's This book offers a fascinating perspective on opportunities and challenges we face in the 21st century. I was very impressed with Yuval Noah Harari's previous books, Homo Deus: A History of Tomorrow and Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, so I expected good things from this book as well.
The narrative covers many touchy topics ranging from politics to religion to climate change to social justice to the role of technology in our lives. He does not shy away from providing his opinion in a highly convincing manner, and while I agree with most of what he has to say, I'm sure the book may anger many.
Overall, I really enjoyed listening to Derek Perkins narrate the audiobook edition and I look forward to Mr. Harari's next book.
interesting quote (page number from hardcover edition with ISBN13 978-0525512172):
"Many pedagogical experts argue that schools should be switching to teaching 'the four Cs' -- critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity." (p. 266)...more
interesting quotes (page numbers from edition with ISBN13):
"Older generations despise new generations for multiple reasons, although most are assortedinteresting quotes (page numbers from edition with ISBN13):
"Older generations despise new generations for multiple reasons, although most are assorted iterations of two: they perceive the updated versions of themselves as either softer or lazier, or both. These categorizations tend to be accurate. But that's positive. That's progress. If a society improves, the experience of growing up in that society should be less taxing and more comfortable. If technology advances and efficiency increases, emerging generations should rationally expect to work less. If new kids aren't soft and lazy, something has gone wrong." (p. )
"No stories were viral. No celebrity was trending. The world was still big. The country was still vast. You could just be a little person, with your own little life and your own little thoughts. You didn’t have to have an opinion, and nobody cared if you did or did not. You could be alone on purpose, even in a crowd." (p. )...more
This is a fairly straightforward version of the classic story, Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, as well as Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. The large, colorThis is a fairly straightforward version of the classic story, Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, as well as Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. The large, colorful illustrations are nicely detailed and complement the story well. ...more
This book highlights eight children in seven different countries in Africa and the Middle East, focusing on their experiences in school. The narrativeThis book highlights eight children in seven different countries in Africa and the Middle East, focusing on their experiences in school. The narrative is interesting, and the book includes numerous color photographs....more
I really enjoyed listening to Hugh Fraser narrate this audiobook edition of this story. I really didn't remember much about the plot, and I was very eI really enjoyed listening to Hugh Fraser narrate this audiobook edition of this story. I really didn't remember much about the plot, and I was very entertained listening to the intrigue unfold as I hiked on a gorgeous fall day.
I am continuing my march through Dame Christie's bibliography and discovering many new and familiar books along the way....more
This book presents a fascinating look at insects and how they have impacted humans and our environment throughout history.
interesting quotes:
"More oftThis book presents a fascinating look at insects and how they have impacted humans and our environment throughout history.
interesting quotes:
"More often than not, when major diseases struck a city, people had nowhere to go, no means to help sufferers, and no idea how to stop the disease until it had run its awful coutse and killed off a large percentage of the population. Afterward, people were either dead or immune. " (p. 40)
"Don't panic about the possibility of an epidemic disease striking anytime soon. It's unlikely to happen, and most historically terrible diseases are now treatable." (p. 149)...more
This book shows just how clearly history repeats itself.
Granted, recent events make this book as relevant as ever, and the topic is one that is probabThis book shows just how clearly history repeats itself.
Granted, recent events make this book as relevant as ever, and the topic is one that is probably talked about more now than a person can reasonably handle. But I was still fascinated and curious enough to turn off the talking heads on our news channels and listen to this audiobook.
It is certainly a cautionary tale, as well as one that makes me applaud the efforts of those in our healthcare settings and the laboratories. These dedicated professionals are desperately trying to heal those who are sick and learn more about viruses so that we can take steps to protect people from future outbreaks.
Obviously, our primary line of attack against this virus in the future will lie with vaccinations and other ways to contain the spread. But it is also important for the general population to understand our own role in preventing the kind of devastation described in this book.
As a retired military member, I recall many of the times that I was given vaccinations to prevent disease, especially prior to deploying to another part of the world.
I was lucky to never have had a negative reaction to the myriad medicines, and what's more, I also suffered from few sicknesses in my travels. The worst illnesses were likely due to bad colds and food-borne pathogens, and even those were mild compared to what's described in this book.
No matter how advanced our culture becomes, the same themes seem to repeat themselves during a pandemic: - Fear and anxiety among the populace leads to hysteria, hoarding, and panic, not to mention a need to place blame on others for the spread of the disease. - Misinformation from community officials and government leaders, deliberate or not, only serves to confuse and mislead. - Crackpot cures and greedy individuals seeking to profit from the pandemic only serves to widen the divide between scientific and non-scientific interpretation of the genesis, treatment, and/or cure of the disease.
All in all, it was an illuminating book and certainly well worth the time spent listening to Jim Frangione narrate the audiobook.
interesting quotes (page numbers from hardcover edition with ISBN13 9781101931462):
"In the United States, influenza death rates were so high that the average life span fell by twelve years, from fifty-one in 1917 to thirty-nine in 1918. If you were a “doughboy”—slang for an American soldier—you had a better chance of dying in bed from flu or flu-related complications than from enemy action." (p. 7)
"Often terrible, it illustrates how quickly an advanced civilization can begin to unravel in the face of a baffling affliction." (p. 8)
"By 1917, it was clear that victory would have little to do with brilliant generalship or raw courage. It would go to the side best able to keep stuffing the most men into the 'sausage machine' until enemy resistance broke." (p. 42)
"Battle, horrible as it was, had always killed fewer soldiers than had disease. War and disease were opposite sides of the same lethal coin." (p. 44)
"In 1917, the War Department's star medical team knew what to expect. Proud of their expertise and the status of the medical profession, they resolved that infectious diseases would not decimate the AEF. No shrinking violet, Dr. Vaughan reeled off facts with the calm authority of a medical school dean. 'The mobilization of an army is a medical as well as a military problem,' he warned Army brass. '[Making] raw, untrained men...into effective soldiers [has] always been accompanied by a marked increase in morbidity [sickness] and mortality.' Crowd diseases could turn training camps into 'drag-nets' for infections." (p. 45)
"Scientists today believe the virus did its worst damage by triggering a cytokine storm, which turned victims' own immune systems against them." (p. 69)
"White Christians often explained the disaster in a time-honored way: it was God's punishment of humanity for its sings. To the seven deadly sins--anger, greed, lust, envy, pride, laziness, gluttony--they added an eighth sin: 'worshiping science." (p. 78)
"...the will to believe overcame awkward facts." (p. 88)
"The first casualty of war is truth." (p. 89)
"Throughout the pandemic, the nation lacked a uniform policy about gathering places, and there was no central authority with the power to make and enforce rules that everyone had to obey. Each community acted on its own, doing as its elected officials thought best." (p. 90)
"Face masks became the rage." (p. 94)
"Women's activities during the pandemic helped change minds. Thus, it was no accident that in August 1920, most states approved the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which granted women the right to vote." (p. 115)
"Vast crowds and the hugging and kissing of strangers made it easier for the virus to spread. Influenza cases surged in the week after Armistice Day." (p. 132)
"It was as if humanity were suffering from amnesia, blocking out a painful over which it had no control." (p. 138)
"Humanity is sleeping on a time-bomb...and there will be no place for any of us to hide." (p. 157)
"Should H5N1 bird flu adapt to humans, it would engulf the planet, not in weeks or months, as the Devil Virus did, but almost overnight." (p. 157)
"The pandemic would have a cascading effect. Always eager for a sensational story, the media, particularly television, would spread panic. The labor force, because of sickness, fear, or having to tend to sick family members, would not report for work. Soon, the economy would come to a standstill as industries shut down, businesses closed, and unemployment soared. Growing shortages of vital goods, from food to fuel to medical supplies would bring chaos. Government would cease to function. Hospitals, mortuaries, and cemeteries would overflow as in 1918, only more so..." (p. 157)
"The chief lesson we can take from this terrifying disease is the need for humility in the face of nature." (p. 165)...more
This book offers a fascinating look at the world of numbers and the mathematical systems that humans have created. It describes the myriad number systThis book offers a fascinating look at the world of numbers and the mathematical systems that humans have created. It describes the myriad number systems, geometric shapes, and mathematics at work in nature and our everyday life.
I love the formatting of the pages - they are very colorful and contain many cartoonish illustrations. I wasn't as much of a fan of the quotes printed sideways on pages 4-7, but thankfully, this technique was not used often.
I was fascinated by the topics, especially the ones that mention fractals, tessellations, and impossible objects.
interesting quotes:
"[Henri] Poincaré called math an 'art' because doing math is not just about following a set of rules to get to an answer: You have to create, explore, juggle with, and even battle with ideas." (p. 6)
"Despite their 'imaginary' part, complex numbers are more real than the real numbers! Our best mathematical models of the universe, which describe how air flows around a wing or electricity flows through cables, for example, all rely on complex numbers." (p. 37)
"Right here on Earth, it's possible to make precisely square wheels roll perfectly smoothly. But you need a special road. The surface needs to be shaped as a series of curves called catenaries. A catenary is the curve that a chain or rope makes as it hangs under gravity from two supports." (p. 38)
"Tessellations have been used for decoration for centuries, especially in Islamic cultures, where religious rules forbid artists from showing the human body." (p. 40)
"When you organize by symmetry, then all of the infinitely many possible patterns of wallpaper turn out to be variations of just 17 basic types." (p. 40)
"In 1970, Gary Anderson designed a symbol based on a Möbius strip that has become recognized worldwide as a symbol for recycling." (p. 45)
"Scaling is also the reason why ants can carry many times their own weight, while larger animals struggle with proportionally much smaller loads. Body weight increases with the cube of height, but muscle strength, which depends on the thickness (area) of muscle fibers, increases only as the square. So larger creatures struggle with proportionally less." (p. 50)
"One of the most interesting properties is the ratio of successive Fibonacci numbers. Farther along the sequence, the ratio between successive numbers (the larger number divided by the smaller) gets closer and closer to an irrational number called the golden ratio, or phi." (p. 53)
"You might think that chaos just means utter confusion. But in math, chaos means something very precise: 'sensitive dependence on initial conditions." (p. 55)
"In all, there are 10 times more bacteria, fungi, and other organisms living on or in you than your own cells (but since they're much smaller, they make up only about 1 percent of your mass)." (p. 57)
"When you're unlocking a combination lock, the order of the digits matters. If the unlocking code is 1689, say, putting in the same digits in another order - 1968 - won't work. So, really these locks ought to be called 'permutation locks!'" (p. 63)
"If you're stuck in a maze, two algorithms could help you get out. The first is the 'random mouse.' At every junction you choose a direction at random. You might get out - but you might end up going around forever. The 'wall following' algorithm is a surefire way to solve a simple maze. You keep one hand in contact with a wall as you walk. Eventually, it will bring you out." (p. 69)
"Buildings have natural frequencies, which means they can be 'tuned' (like violin strings!) so that the wind or tremors don't make them vibrate dangerously." (p. 75)
"One book that is full of hidden math is Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (and the other Alice books). Lewis Carroll, who wrote them in the 1860s and 1870s, was a math professor at the University of Oxford in England. A lot of the 'nonsense' in the book has math behind it. Tweedledum and Tweedledee argue with some crafty logic. The Mock Turtle remembers studying 'the different branches of Arithmetic - Ambition, Distraction, Uglification, and Derision' (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division)." (p. 76)
"Explore a piece of music and you'll find ratios, equations, and symmetries. Both math and music are based on abstract patterns. People who like math are often very musical, and vice versa." (p. 77)
"Symmetry occurs throughout music. There is a canon by J.S. Bach whose notation reads the same upside down and back to front." (p. 77)...more
This is an interesting and informative book about the food chains that exist in desert regions. The narrative is short and does not overwhelm the readThis is an interesting and informative book about the food chains that exist in desert regions. The narrative is short and does not overwhelm the reader with too many facts, but is still very educational about this one topic.
Large, colorful photographs are included on every page, helping to depict the food chain and/or the concept described. The pictures are a bit gruesome in some respects, as many of them show the food chain in action.
Parents of very sensitive children should be cautious when showing their children this book, but I think the majority of children will think the images are actually pretty cool.
The desert creatures featured in the book are typical of those found in the deserts of Arizona, although other desert regions are mentioned as well.
Additional information, including a glossary, an index, a website for further research and an activity to create a 'breakfast food chain' are included in the back of the book. It's a quick read, and I thought it was designed to appeal to elementary school-age children.
interesting quote:
"What happens if a type of plant or animal dies out? The food chain will change. For example, if insects disappear, desert toads will have nothing to eat. They will die, too." (p. 20)...more
Dramatic tale of friendship, courage, and the heartache of a child seeing his mother detained and not knowing what to do. After an accident, he makes Dramatic tale of friendship, courage, and the heartache of a child seeing his mother detained and not knowing what to do. After an accident, he makes a friend who will give him the courage and support he needs to find someone who can help.
Jason's mother is an Afghani citizen with undocumented immigrant status, overstaying a a student visa due to tragic circumstances. When he sees her taken away from her place of employment, he is devastated and embarks on a journey to find a family friend.
I loved the riddles and brain teasers Ms. Hashimi included in the book. For example, "I am the thing that falls on water without getting wet and falls to the earth without breaking. What am I?" (p. 199) (view spoiler)[Light (hide spoiler)] Another example: "You have to fill in the blanks. Fifty-two C in a D." (p. 117) (view spoiler)[Fifty-two cards in a deck (hide spoiler)]
Overall, it's an engaging read, although I cautioned the children in our local library book club never to follow his example - it would cause too much worry and heartache for parents and loved ones and could end up ending very badly. Still, like the adventures in many of the books we read, it was exciting to live vicariously through his journey.
interesting quotes:
"Do you know why people look to the sky when they pray, Shah-jan? Do you know why we hang flags so far above our heads? Because we want to touch that sky, the sky that turns from blue to purple to pink and orange. You can find all colors in the sky. The sun, the moon, the stars, and the clouds - it has room for them all. That's why I love this country, my king. It is like the sky at our feet." (p. 26, 264)
"It's a lot easier to be scared together." (p. 142)
"My teacher totally flipped. She tried to be cool while she asked me why I'd brought in spiders and worms but her voice was as squeaky as a mouse. I told her it's what special and brave kids do." (p. 154)
"I like that about Max - she only smiles when there's something to smile about." (p. 172)
"Mr. Fazio once told me that necessity is the mother of invention. It means that people start getting really smart when they need to - when there's something that's forcing them to think creatively." (p. 194)...more
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