Review

2.5 stars. Similar but not nearly as good as a fire upon the deep. The entire star fleet plot seemed useless. Still worked as a distraction for a few hours.

Takes on moral injury rather than themes of societal oppression, and I don’t know if the author did a worse job, or if I’m just sadly closer to the subject. Whatever the case, it didn’t resonate. Still enjoyed the world, appreciated the change in characters, and devoured the story. Going straight on to the last in the trilogy and that will round me out with Bennett’s ouvre.

a bit journalistic, but good context on the pisa test

Surprised it took me so long to get to this. Dead gods and a strong flavor of colonialism are good themes for fantasy. Good characters to explore the world, though I feel like the author assumes the population is a bit more miracle adverse than what would actually happen.

Marie Condo, dogma, and better parenting advice cribbed from other books. This one is a pass.

2.5 stars. Graeber is too interested in dismissing bureaucracy as stupid to understand why it is effective. More analysis of hollywood blockbusters than bureaucracy.

3.5 stars, great setting, solid writing. Somewhat disappointing characters and a predictable plot.

2.5 Stars. Only a few chapters of meat, the rest is generic sixth extinction type material. This reflects the reality that so little effort has been put towards understanding insects and their decline. Read Chapters 4-7, skip the rest. -1 star for skipping the methodological ambiguity that makes other question the data this book is based on.

Eurocentric and disjointed. Was excited to read and compare to books on the same subject with different theses: Capitalism, Alone; The great Leveller, Rise and fall of american growth, even capital in the 21st century. Each other book was more compelling. By focusing on 1914-1980 in Europe, Piketty takes an exceptional time in history and makes it out as the norm. He then nearly completely ignored earlier time horizons or other civilizations (ahem china) with relevant data.

** Literary Junkfood ** The other day I introduced my wife and mother in law to Goldfish crackers. Despite the fact that they’ve lived in America for over 20 years, they somehow missed this nutritiously vapid tastebud tantalizer. Goldfish don’t taste extraordinary, but it’s the lingering flavor that matters. Independently, both remarked on the cracker’s ability to lure a consumer into just another bite: “you can’t stop eating them!” So this series is the literary equivalent of Goldfish. No nutrition, tastes only OK, yet somehow I’m still picking up the sequels.