David

• Rated 4 stars

“An enjoyable book about a guy who feels that the only way for him to enjoy life to 'become stupid', to enter the capitalist rat-race that loves money and consumerism and shut off all thoughts of higher ideals. Thankfully it turns out that this isn't the way to happiness for the protagonist.

The amazon reviews show a distinct polarisation in opinions; people either love it or hate it. Those who sit on the sidelines of the capitalist society refusing to worship Mammon will probably enjoy it, whilst those who think that capitalism is the best thing since Judas sold Jesus for thirty pieces of pure profit will probably think that it is the work of some dirty red that McCarthy missed.

Its likely to appeal to the young and idealistic, as opposed to the old and cynical, but if you're not too far the wrong side of thirty then give it a go.”

David wrote this review Sunday, January 28 2007. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“A brilliant book that I would highly recommend to everyone! Whilst people often get over-enthusiastic about books they have just finished, this one really does deserve any praise that is heaped upon it...and there really should be more of it.

It is the stroy of Anna and her family's life as refugees fleeing nazi Germany in the 1930's, staying first in Switzerland, France and then finally England. It is based on the author's own childhood experiences, and manages to convey the worldview of the child perfectly.

There are two sequels dealing with her time in London and her time at Art School and I don't plan to waste a moment before searching them out on amazon.

”

David wrote this review Friday, January 26 2007. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 2 stars

“The shops always seem to be filled with a plethora of books about the english language, and this particular one was picked primarily on price, as it was half-price in my local bookshop....but there seems to have been a reason it was half price.

Whilst the book is full of useful information on all things to do with the English language I didn't particularly like the style of writing and the inclusion within the text a number of questions to get the brain thinking on the subject in hand. It was saved from receiving just the one star by the inclusion of a few bits and pieces that have intrigued me for years (but not intrigued me enough to make an effort to find the answer), e.g., why do we blow 'raspberries'? It has also provided me with information I never realised I needed but will now aim to use in everyday conversation as often as possible, e.g., 'spanghew' means to throw a frog or toad into the air.

So if you come across this book for half price, and have a lazy afternoon to waste (it is an extremely quick read), then by all means buy it. If, however, it is full price and you want a more detailed read, you are probably best off reading one of the other books out there.”

David wrote this review Monday, January 15 2007. ( reply | permalink )

1 of 2 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 2 stars

“Unplanned sequels are rarely the most enjoyable books to start as in many cases the characters have to be shoehorned into story lines they would much rather stay out of; Peter Pan in Scarlet is no different with the first few chapters being fairly painful, but once the characters are back in Neverland it ticks along at a fairly enjoyable pace.

Despite including the most outrageous return of a fictional character ever (in comparison Sherlock Holmes' rock-climb out of the Swiss Alps seems extremely reasonable).... that you also see coming a mile off... the over mentioning of characters who only appeared in the original book (for no discernable reason), and the irksome habit of putting a sprinkling of early 20th century language and references in here and there to make it more authentic.... it is an easy and pleasant enough way to waste a few hours (and most importantly half the profits go to charity).”

David wrote this review Wednesday, January 10 2007. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“An enjoyable book, but the number of other readers giving it 5 stars leaves me slightly surprised...the only reason it scrapes into 4 stars, rather than the 3 it more rightly deserves is my rather childish (and British) amusement of it including a race of aliens called Buggers

There is no doubt that the book is well written, and that Card could teach Rowling a thing or two about writing about children in a bizarre schooling environment, but I fail to see the extra step that I would expect from a book to get 5 stars. In the end individualism, innocence and idealism win over collectivism (who would have guessed it was written slap-bang in the middle of the Reagan years?). The twist of the 'simulator' was not a huge surprise (afterall we have the benefit of seeing the book run out of pages), but Card saved the book with the more thoughtful twist of finding the 'real' dead giant.

I read it because it has been thrust in my face every time I log on to Shelfari, and whilst I am glad I did I don't think I will be rushing out to read the rest of the series.”

David wrote this review Saturday, January 6 2007. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“The sort of book that all readers should write, but most of us should keep to ourselves.

This collection of "Stuff I've Been Reading" essays is likely to appeal to the majority of Shelfari readers; afterall, it is a list of books bought, books read, and opinions on those books, with the added bonus of it being written by someone who is actually enjoyable to read. As well as the joy of reading of another person's reading habits I also found the book a useful addition to my defence in buying books than I will ever have time (or in many cases inclination) to read; there is at least one other person out there like me!

The sections of the book that surprised me most were Hornby's referral to reader's reviews on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. Whilst I'm sure we can all relate to his early rant at the stupidity of many of the reviewers, I was personally surprised to find that someone 'in the trade' read the reviews and found them worthy of noting...who knows maybe at this moment in time he has stumbled across the delights of Shelfari reviewers and is currently lamenting such a poor review of his latest book.”

David wrote this review Monday, January 1 2007. ( reply | view 1 replies | permalink )

• Rated 2 stars

“Dawkins evokes strong opinions amongst the religous and the areligous alike; for the atheist he is hailed as a hero who puts into plain language the obvious facts about evolution and the existence/nature of man, for the theist is little better than the anti-christ. Such strong opinions are likely to be reflected in the ratings the book receive: 5 stars by the atheists and 1 star by the christians. Is it possible to give an objective review of such an emotive subject??

As is so often the case the truth lies somewhere in between: the book does have some merit, but is by no means an answer to religion.

My biggest complaint against the book is the arrogance of the author: if you do not agree with his world view you are obviously an idiot, and those who don't fall easily into the category of idiot: 'should know better'. For one who asserts the merits of science so vocally, Dawkins seems to leave the objectivity of science at the door in this polemic against God.

However the book is not totally devoid of merit, Dawkins does hold up a mirror to religion and highlights a lot of the atrocities that are carried out in its name. It is important to remember that such atrocities are not just the preserve of the 'other' religions and sects.

Its worth a read if you have time on your hands and the book is close by, but I'm sure there are better (if less popular) books on the subject if you wander to your local library.”

David wrote this review Sunday, December 10 2006. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“The joy of 'Linked' is that it actually a well written book; far too often acedemics make appalling writers, especially when writing for the popular market. Barabasi's exploration of some of the scale-free networks that can be found at the heart of social networks and the web is easily accessible and insightful.

One criticism would be his ignoring much of the work that was carried out in other fields previouslu, but I guess all academics think their own discipline invented the wheel.”

David wrote this review Saturday, December 9 2006. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“The phenomenal growth of the web since the early nineties into every area of our lives means that it is important to gain an understanding of some of the issues surrounding its beginnings and its future. As the 'inventor' of the web Tim Berners-Lee has a unique insight into how it has evolved, and his vision for its future; but it is only one perspective and unfortunately not a particularly engagingly written one.

Whilst the book isn't very well written there are things that a reader will gain from it, for example, Berners-Lee's vision of the future semantic web and humble beginings of the current web are probably worth the 228 pages. Originally written in 1999 the work is beginning to look its age, and unless the reader has a particularly need for Berners-Lee's imagings of the web, readers may prefer a more recent and impartial history of the web.”

David wrote this review Tuesday, December 5 2006. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“Dahl is one of the masters of the short story, and after twenty years since seeing the "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More" listed at the front of one of Dahl's other books I have finally got around to buying and reading it.

Despite my being a long way past the teenage audience it's aimed at, I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommended it to any fan of the sort story. The blur between children's and adult's literature has been around a lot longer than Harry Potter.”

David wrote this review Tuesday, November 21 2006. ( reply | permalink )