This is a very short and, despite the subject matter, easy read. It's disquieting, yes, but also hopeful and occasionally even light.
Wh...moreThis is a very short and, despite the subject matter, easy read. It's disquieting, yes, but also hopeful and occasionally even light.
What I really liked about this book is that, first, it doesn't shy away from the horrors of what happened to Nujood, but it also doesn't go too graphic into them. It's clearly been written with a great deal of input from Nujood because the style, and what she takes enjoyment in, is clearly that of a 10- or 11-year-old. She is such a strong-willed child, and I truly grew to respect her throughout the narrative. Respect not just for her concepts of right-and-wrong, but also because she's not perfect, she's occasionally immature, and that's all right because she's just a child.
What I didn't like as much was a comparative lack of background information about Yemen, the historical influence of Islam, more history of the current situation, etc. It was hard for me to feel sympathy for characters outside of Nujood because I was operating almost entirely on my western viewpoint, and that's unacceptable.
But honestly, this is a book that you should just read. And use it to realize the immense cultural barriers that prevent women, and even men, from achieving equality in these societies.(less)
Sherry Thomas did it again for me. I love her creative and unlikely scenarios, so different from any other historical romance I've read. (Though, I'...moreSherry Thomas did it again for me. I love her creative and unlikely scenarios, so different from any other historical romance I've read. (Though, I'll admit, of historical romance, I read mostly regency.) I love that she takes us outside of England, though her characters are still English. I love the research that imbues every page, making it seem authentic and even plausible. And I love her characters when they're not being whiny and melodramatic. (Though this book reminded me a great deal of the first, Private Arrangements, but I suppose that's okay.) Mostly because she has such strong female characters.
Her use of prose was, once again, phenomenal. I love my kindle now, by the way, because when I don't understand a word, I can just look it up in the easily accessible dictionary. That being said, having to look up around seven words made keeping in the story a little more difficult, and I consider myself to have a moderately good vocabulary.
The thing I liked least about this book was when the heroine goes back to England to see her father before he dies. One after another, previous conflicts are easily and satisfactorily resolved for all parties... but me. It all just seemed too simple and too sudden. I get that when someone is dying you want to absolve of all issues but... a bit more whining and blaming, and a bit less understanding, and also a bit less of didactic, LONG, pieces of dialogue would have been good.
I would have been satisfied had she finished the book once our MCs made it through Afghanistan. But she didn't, and so it fell a little flat at the end. But that's okay, because the first 3/4ths totally outweighed her "meh" ending.(less)
So I read Ryan's first effort, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, and came away from it with an enjoyable experience but not exactly impressed. Like, it ...moreSo I read Ryan's first effort, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, and came away from it with an enjoyable experience but not exactly impressed. Like, it was okay. Like, I don't think I could read it again, but I don't feel like I wasted six hours of my life.
Yeah, The Dead-Tossed Waves was more of a: HOLY CRAP THIS IS INTENSE DON'T STOP PLEASE.
I have to admit, lately I've been living a bit on edge. I'd blamed it on movies. More specifically, moderately realistic movies about the zombie apocalypse. Even more specifically: Zombieland. I've been locking my door to keep the undead hordes out. Checking dark corners. I know it's crazy.
But now I realize, I should blame it on Ms. Ryan. Because her imagery is phenomenal. Her writing is a horrific poetry that sucks you in, shows you this awful world, and makes it seem epically real. Every description breathes for me. The single line she has to explain the feel of a zombie's flesh. The constant drops of blood. The endless moans. Where her plot might occasionally lose me for its occasional predictability and/or implausibility--VERY occasional--her writing always spirals me right back.
The only thing that really, truly bothered me about this book was about three or four moments of clear didactic thought--where it really seemed like Ryan was speaking through Gabry to her readers and saying, "Realization about the Moral of the Story Here. Also: How the Symbolism of Zombies and Fences can Relate to Our Every-Day Lives". I thought that could have been handled better, less of a smack to the jugular, one might say, but those moments were few. (Unfortunately, not far between. They attacked me nearly all at once. Though that's partially because I read relatively quickly.)
But seriously: world-building, characterization, and most especially the fantastic, dark voice and descriptions has set this book on my shelf of favorites.
And maybe I'll pull The Forest of Hands and Teeth back out and see whether it's grown on me.
PS: I usually have a problem with first person narration. I especially have a problem with first person, present-tense narration. During this book I barely noticed the present tense. It was far more obvious in the companion novel. And I liked Gabry as a protagonist, specifically her vulnerability and the growth she so clearly experienced, so the first person didn't usually bother me. The only time it did was when we seemed to leave her voice for the didactic moments, as above.
PPS: in third person I might be more afraid that Gabry would die. As it was, in scenes where her life seemed in danger of imminent zombie-fication, I just thought to myself: Hey, this book is in first person. I've got about 15% of the book left. There will be no zombie-fication. Tally-ho!
Sort-of messes with the suspense for me.
But, again, not a big enough problem for me to give this book any less than five stars.(less)
I'm madly in love with Sherry Thomas' writing style and her plots, as well as the lovely way she evokes the era. I will not blather on too much about...moreI'm madly in love with Sherry Thomas' writing style and her plots, as well as the lovely way she evokes the era. I will not blather on too much about this, as I did just fine doing so in this review of Delicious here, but I think I'll reiterate: she's amazing.
And the sex is so good.
My favorite part of this book was the way Thomas upheaved the traditional male/female roles, making such a strong, confident character out of Gigi and such a surprisingly vulnerable hero out of Camden. It's not something we often see, the woman having nearly all, if not all, of the power in the relationship, but that Gigi did. Camden had to rise to the occasion, prove himself her equal, even though in the traditional way of looking at it, he would have been her social superior. That was quite different from anything else I'd read, and wonderful.
And the ending, where we finally get our happily-ever-after, gave me perhaps the biggest damn, stupid-ass grin on my face ever. It was excellently written. I could really see what was going on in my head perfectly. Just a completely sensual reading. And even though I could tell it was corny, it didn't feel that way. It was just perfect and full of sass.(less)
Sherry Thomas has an amazing way with words, especially surprising (and enviable) because she speaks English as a second language (her first being Chi...moreSherry Thomas has an amazing way with words, especially surprising (and enviable) because she speaks English as a second language (her first being Chinese). She also is fantastically knowledgeable about the historical era her books are set in (Victorian... I believe. But I'm probably wrong) and peppers such details without her stories that readers, or at least me, can't help but be fascinated.
And the sex is A-MAZ-ING.
I think part of what I like about the two books I've read of hers so far is that they're so, seemingly, fresh. Because they don't take place in the Regency era, I'm learning all sorts of new and interesting things about late 19th, early 20th century England that I'd never really thought about before. It also allows her heroines to be much stronger in character and motivation--they're no longer tied down by so much in the way of societal expectations as to what's "right" for a woman to involve herself in. Of course, that obstacle still exists, but it's refreshing to see female characters in historical romance that *work,* instead of just follow silly-old noblesse oblige.
But maybe that's the American in me talking.
Verity (Vera?) and Stuart are both fully realized, fleshed-out characters that act on perfectly understandable motivations and also make stupid, human decisions despite all logic to the contrary. (Just like us.) They're also firmly in control of their passions--most of the time--instead of falling into that "He couldn't help but make out with this woman that he hated" trap that many romance novelists (::cough::stephanielaurens::cough::) do. I will admit that I was occasionally taken out of the story because it just seemed a bit too flighty (the description of the food, in particular, while heady was unbelievable), but then I reminded myself that Thomas was writing it a bit in the fairytale tradition, and I got over the it.
In fact, my only real problem with the book was the neat little bow it made at the end concerning the main antagonist and Verity. It seemed a bit improbable to me, but then I suppose said antagonist did come from a different time period. And she was old. And this *is* romance, so a Happily-Ever-After is pretty much necessary.
I really enjoyed reading this book. Made me feel like a patriot (even though I'm so proud of America I might put even Sarah Palin to shame), intrigue...moreI really enjoyed reading this book. Made me feel like a patriot (even though I'm so proud of America I might put even Sarah Palin to shame), intrigued at the nuances of the men of history, want to read more biographies, and realize more about the office of the presidency than ever before.
Because of his midwest, prejudiced background, I started Truman not expecting to like the man much at all. Yet, by the end--as McCollough predicted--I respected him and probably even liked him. Whether that would be true if I actually met him is something I can't know, but I really enjoyed the portrait that McCullough wrote of him: deeply principled, unrelenting and ambitious, decisive, and just as fallible as the rest of us (but never when it matters).
The book was interesting and never made me want to put it down out of boredom--aside from the first chapter chronicling Truman's ancestors as they settled in Independence. In fact, the main reason this biography took me so long to read is the same as any other biography: it's inaccessible because of its density. However, nearing the center of the book, and especially as the pace picked up in Truman's life as he assumed the mantle of the presidency, I began to see the importance of McCullough's asides. It served as a way to highlight the parts that made up his decisions, the atmosphere of the time, and even a certain amount of poetry and suspense, though that's hard to do with history.
That being said, not sure I'm gonna pick up another McCullough book for a few months, at least. It takes an intense constitution to get through them. :)
Excellently researched and extremely interesting as a study of history, the man, and the office of the Presidency of the United States,. I really enjoyed reading it, especially as it just underscored and supported that patriotism of mine. (Hey, Sarah Palin, us non-rural, "unreal" Americans can be deeply patriotic too. Eff off!)(less)
Giving this a five-star even though the style of writing wasn't the most amazing in the world (though good enough that it was an easy read) and the su...moreGiving this a five-star even though the style of writing wasn't the most amazing in the world (though good enough that it was an easy read) and the subjects were occasionally repetitive to the point of tedium. Part of that may have been emphasized by the fact that I read it in two days.
BUT HOLY CRAP READ THIS BOOK.
Read this book and feel as nauseous as I did when you realize that "by 2040, all of our federal tax revenues will add up to enough to cover only our two biggest expenses: interest on our debt, and Medicare and Medicaid. Everything else--Social Security, defense, education, road building, you name it--will fail to be funded."*
I don't care who you are, what part of the political spectrum you lie on, how old you are, whether or not you actively vote, if you don't make enough to pay taxes, or if you make too much to pay taxes (jerks). This system has got to change.
READ THIS BOOK. Put down whatever you're reading for fun in the meantime. Read it and get educated. And then get active. We've got a friggin' country to save.
---
Other fun facts: "By 2030, in order to pay for our rising bills, [the amount we pay in federal taxes:] could be at least 45 percent [of our income:]--higher than the average 42 percent that most Europeans pay. By 2040, it would be at least 53 percent and climbing."* This does not include state and local taxes.
"Among our top lenders [to pay for our deficit:] are countries whose national interests can diverge from our own, including China, Russia, and oil giants like Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and Iran."*
"A superpower that is financially reliant on others can be vulnerable to foreign influence. The British Empire learned this in 1956, when Britain and France were contesting control of the Suez Canal with Egypt." (I might change can to "is extremely". There's more than one reason we continuously back down vis a vis China's human rights record.)
"Canada puts limits on what it pays for health care, and so should the United States." (Yet they have a single payer system, and we purport to have privatized health care. Oh, time out, what's Medicare and Medicaid again?)
---
This book is almost chilling in the fear it inspires. BUY IT NOW. Recommend it to others. I cannot stress the importance of the issues enough.
*This book was read on the kindle, so I apologize for not providing page references.(less)
A truly fantastic debut by Courtney Milan. I was super excited to read this book after reading her short story, and she did not disappoint. The writ...moreA truly fantastic debut by Courtney Milan. I was super excited to read this book after reading her short story, and she did not disappoint. The writing practically glittered her voice is so strong and original. (My only annoyance is the phrase "like so much ~". For some reason, that always annoys me. Why use the "so much?" And once she used "erect" twice in two following sentences. Once to refer to nipples, and the next to refer to, uh, a penis, obviously.)
I loved that she didn't take the easy way out with Jenny's past. I loved that this was a situation I could actually see happening, like a 350-page photograph of real life. The historical details were wonderful dressing, not overwhelming but used at just the right time. The lead-up to the secondary romance between Ned and Lady Kathleen was also quite funny, and Ned's entire character was tragic and wonderful at the same time, though I do think it was resolved a bit too easily. Not to much that can be done about that, though, especially when the focus of the story was not supposed to be Ned.
Why not five stars? Well, for one, I don't buy that awkward Gareth would be a madman at the sexing, especially when he states once that he viewed even sex as a cold affair, something to be paid for and that's that. Which, when described, made me think it was a "Wham, Bam, here's your shilling ma'am" type of affair, no removal of clothes required.
For two, if Gareth was so worried about his estate and couldn't leave it for a moment, how the heck did he go to Brazil before the story began? It was never really clear to me when his grandfather died.
And for three, I also never really had an idea of the season when the story was supposed to take place.
But those three things (as well as the "so much") was not enough to dull my enjoyment of the book. I finished it in five hours, and I'm officially waiting impatiently for the next one. I've joined the ranks of Julia Quinn and am now a Courtney Milan fangirl.
Oh yeas, and positively scintillating pre-sex scene, just before Ned makes an ass of himself with Lady Kathleen in the dining room (with the note).(less)
Unlike most sequels (exempting the Harry Potter series, obviously), this book was even better than the first. I think that Pierce did an excellent jo...moreUnlike most sequels (exempting the Harry Potter series, obviously), this book was even better than the first. I think that Pierce did an excellent job creating an absorbing overarching plot--and this time the climax was just as fantastic as the build-up to it, unlike the first (which was a little disappointing). I also appreciated the expansion of world-building as Beka learns her way around the Provost's Guard and around Tortall. Really made me get excited for Mastiff!
Unlike many, maybe, I enjoyed the love-y dove-y fluff with Dale. I thought Pierce did a good job of weaving it in in a way that would actually work for a 17 year-old. Although Beka is definitely mature for her age, she makes plenty of mistakes both with love and work, and I appreciate that. It not only makes her more realistic and believable, but also leaves her plenty of room for character growth, which is a key part of what makes a book for me.
Honestly, I've always really liked how Pierce has her heroines go through a lot of potential heroes before finding the right one. It shows how important it is to find someone who fits--not just the first tickles of lust--and also that it's okay to have fun. It helps you grow as a person. I think that's an important lesson.
The main plotline in the book was good, though yet again her villain (Ms. Skinner) was a bit one-dimensional, though I did like the grey-black genius behind the scheme. That was a nice twist, if a little extreme for motivation.
I stayed up until 2:30am reading this. I think that means it rocked my socks off.(less)
Gave it four stars only because it took me awhile to get used to the format of the book--slightly awkward--and because the climax wasn't as intense as...moreGave it four stars only because it took me awhile to get used to the format of the book--slightly awkward--and because the climax wasn't as intense as the rest of the book built up to. Other than that, I had a fun time getting to know Beka and her motley crew of friends. Given the complexity of the book and the sheer amount of characters, I think Pierce did an intensely solid job of keeping it all straight. I thought the two plots were good, though there wasn't quite enough grey in her two main bad folks (as in, they seemed all evil and not much else). But then, I guess that's my optimism speaking.
I particularly enjoyed all the cadence and the musical way that Pierce describes the world of Corus. It's a lot grittier but also somehow more beautiful than the other Tortall books I've read. (Though I grant you, it's been awhile since I read them.) The Beka Cooper books are definitely making me remember why Pierce is one of my favorite authors.
The different bits about Beka's powers--the spinners, especially--are really interesting and clever. Intensely fun to read about. I like how Pierce manages to "humanize" them while still making it clear that they've got completely different motivations than us folks. I also really enjoy the slang she comes up with, though I'm not the biggest fan of "peaches" for breasts. Not sure what it is, but that's the only slang that bugs me. I love the double play on "Birdie" for informant because Beka gets so much of her information from pigeons.
Overall, I'd recommend it hands down. Not as tense and consuming as the Hunger Games, but then it's a different sort of book. If you like mature-ish young-adult fantasy, Graceling might be a good comparison, then you'd probably like this quite a bit. (less)
I thought the book was good: well-written, well-paced, and well-plotted. It was interesting enough to hold my attention, though not interesting enoug...moreI thought the book was good: well-written, well-paced, and well-plotted. It was interesting enough to hold my attention, though not interesting enough to make me stop yearning for my dragon age game to arrive. Much had been made of the surprise ending in reviews and, though I did my best to steer clear of spoilers, I guessed enough as I read through the book that the surprise wasn't as much as it could have been. (I also went in knowing the name of the series "The Queen's Thief" and so based many suppositions off that. Which proved me right.)
(I was more of a magus, one might say, versus a Sophus.)
There were several scenes that I particularly enjoyed: Gen stealing the gift, when he was punished by the magus, and when we finally met the Queen of Eddies.
However, there were also some things about the book that I didn't like:
1) I never had any idea how old Gen was... which took me out of the story quite a few times. I assume he's a teenager because I'm reading Young Adult, but how old? 13? 15? 18? I have no idea, and it drove me crazy.
2) I didn't really get the bond between magus, Pol, Sophus, and Gen. Well, I suppose Gen and Sophus made sense to me, but I didn't feel like there was enough development of the relationship otherwise.
3) A map would have been nice to ground me in the world.
Overall, I enjoyed the book but, for some reason, it didn't grab me by the balls in the way Graceling and the Hunger Games did. Though I guess part of that is just the sly, mysterious nature of the plot (which is a reflection of its protagonist). I enjoyed it enough to buy the sequel. Maybe tomorrow. :)(less)
I've been a big fan of Robin D. Owens since I read Heart Mate four years ago--I've devoured all the books in the series since. She has great techniqu...moreI've been a big fan of Robin D. Owens since I read Heart Mate four years ago--I've devoured all the books in the series since. She has great technique, her heroes and heroines are unique, and usually she doesn't fall into the rushed-love-story what-the-hey? crap that many romance novelists do. I also appreciate the excessively good world building on Celta that, to me, is incredibly believable and very creative.
I thought this book was not the best of the series, nor even the second best, but a worthy addition to it. The heroine's flair was interesting, and I was pleased that the hero did not have a crazy amount of flair but still managed to be bad-ass. Avellana's revealed flair was a surprise, and I thought that her characterization was super--Owens didn't seem to be patronizing seven-year-olds in writing her.
The love story was well developed, though the book ended quite abruptly. I think maybe Owens was playing with a different style of writing near the end, and it just hit so sudden that I was a bit surprised and kept clicking the "next page" button on my kindle, thinking it was freezing, until I realized that yes, that was the end. I did think that the external plot (protecting Avellana and the nefarious plot surrounding her) was a bit rushed and poorly explained, and also a tad anti-climatic in places, but overall it was a good, satisfying read with fun characters and great description.
If you haven't read the Heart Mate series, though, start from the beginning. It's worth it.(less)
I read and enjoyed Graceling (a lot) before I got ahold of Fire. They both feature strong female characters (though Katsa was definitely way more of ...moreI read and enjoyed Graceling (a lot) before I got ahold of Fire. They both feature strong female characters (though Katsa was definitely way more of a fighter than Fire), really interesting, if not plain original, worlds and world-building, believable characters, and strong and (most importantly) realistic relationships between the characters. Plus the plots are interesting and well thought out.
Overall, I enjoyed Graceling more than Fire, if only because I thought Fire sometimes vacillated unrealistically between overly analytical and mature for her age (17) and completely idiotic. I could understand her being idiotic later in the book, after the tragedy with Archer, but when she does it before I got really annoyed.
On the world building end, though, I thought Cashore's creativity in the Dells was phenomenal. The way she describes monsters, their uses and their fascinations, is just wonderful. Plus she manages to make a character that, in any other hands, would have been a crazy mofo Mary Sue into NOT a Mary Sue (though at one point she has to directly tell the audience: There is a Flaw in Fire's Power. No Really. Promise). It emphasizes also that while one may be incredibly powerful, there may still be flaws in your person that you have to fix.
I also appreciated that Brigan (who always made me think of Brigadoon instead of a brigand, which is what Cashore wanted) was not considered "handsome" yet still made an awesome-tastic hero. And that he cried.
Leck was suitably creepy--especially his description in the prologue. The wet nurse is right, there really wouldn't be much creepier than a 1-and-a-half year old speaking like an adult. I'd freak out.(less)
I thought this was a solid explanation of all aspects of the foreign service--I had no idea there was a dedicated foreign service in the commerce depa...moreI thought this was a solid explanation of all aspects of the foreign service--I had no idea there was a dedicated foreign service in the commerce department, for instance, however small it was--and I had particular interest in learning about the history of the foreign service within the state department and how it's grown over the years. The writing was succinct and only occasionally uninteresting, and the interviews were quite interesting (especially from those within the field). I think it had a lot of information packed into a little book. I'll probably reread several sections if I pass the written exam and make it to the Oral, as Kopp goes into great depth regarding what makes a good foreign service officer.
Overall, super good for those of us who want to enter the Foreign Service.(less)
In reality, the ratings would have gone more like:
A Handful of Gold: 2 Stars A Season for Suitors: 3 Stars This Wicked Gift: 4 Stars...moreIn reality, the ratings would have gone more like:
A Handful of Gold: 2 Stars A Season for Suitors: 3 Stars This Wicked Gift: 4 Stars
I thought the first was woefully inadequate in terms of character development, justification for how the hero and heroine fell in love, and with superficial secondary characters and motivation. And, though this might not bother others, the aspect of faith and Jesus in the story was a bit too overwhelming for me. I suppose this could be partially explained by the length of the story, for what started out well just ended a bit too quickly and unbelievably, but of the three it was definitely the weakest in my opinion.
I enjoyed a Season for Suitors, though like the first I thought it was quite unbelievable in terms of how the Hero in particular decided to capitulate to love. It seemed like the author depended too much on plot devices rather than on character growth or development to move the plot forward. However, I enjoyed it enough that I would say I might be willing to buy more from the author based on this story.
The breakout in this novel was definitely This Wicked Gift by Courtney Milan. Not only is it notable in terms of its main characters--both members of the poor classes, with only one drool-worthy Viscount in sight, and him only briefly--but also because of the satisfying way in which the story was told. I think it helped that Milan focused on the character growth of her hero rather than both him and the heroine, and that she was building on a previous interest between the two (like Season for Suitors). And, really, some of Milan's turn of phrase really sparkled for me--particularly her explanation on how siblings communicate (they speak in either "Older Sister" or "Younger Brother" rather than just plain English). I think she has a brilliant command of the English language and a way of weaving comforting and funny prose. I'll be buying Proof by Seduction as soon as it's available on the kindle.(less)
I read this book (and the first in the series) on the suggestion of newcoming author Courtney Milan, whose short story in the Heart of Christmas colle...moreI read this book (and the first in the series) on the suggestion of newcoming author Courtney Milan, whose short story in the Heart of Christmas collection I really enjoyed.
Of the two books, I have to say that I think this is the better one. The plot seemed to make more sense to me, and had a good balance between external and internal plot devices--whereas the first is much more focused on internal motivation for moving the book forward.
But more than anything, I really enjoyed the tension and, yes, the sex between the hero and heroine. One scene in particular (when the hero is still insisting on "not touching" our intrepid Sophia) made my toes curl and... well, suffice to say that it was pretty awesome. I also enjoyed Ms. Dare's description of the drawings that Sophia created for the crew.
Overall it was a nice distraction, but not the most amazing regency I've ever read. However, it was a very nice break (she's quite creative) from Stephanie Laurens, whose character motivation, sex scenes never really seemed to vary.(less)
Holy guacamole, this book is amazing. Not only was I, understandably, astounded by William Kamkwamba's ingenious techniques, capability for understan...moreHoly guacamole, this book is amazing. Not only was I, understandably, astounded by William Kamkwamba's ingenious techniques, capability for understanding what to me is complete science mumbo-jumbo, and his creativity, but I was constantly impressed by his humor and outlook. This is a man who's separate from me in age by maybe a few months--a year at most. While I was studying in high school and surfing the internet, he was starving in Malawi. Literally. Starving. His story is a triumph and I just can't recommend it enough.
I was also deeply impressed by his voice and humor. Yes, the book was cowritten, but the turns of phrase and the way he describes everything... well, I was just amazed. Hilarity sits side by side with serious, often heart-wrenching, discussion and flows perfectly. There were several times I laughed out loud. During a memoir! I couldn't believe it.
His story also highlights several of the problems confronting Africans today: their lack of support from their leaders and rampant corruption; the persistence of superstition and belief in magic; the lack of access to clean and fresh water; etc. In environments such as that, even the littlest innovation--if it's not barred or squandered by the government--can make such a great difference, as Mr. Kamkwamba's 12 volt windmill proved.
Inspiring and amazing. Well written, and a breeze to read. I would recommend it in a heartbeat. Go check it out and buy it--support Mr. Kamkwamba and his ventures. (less)
Overall I thought Guest did a pretty solid job of remaining objective--or as objective as a columnist for the Economist can get. The anecdotes were e...moreOverall I thought Guest did a pretty solid job of remaining objective--or as objective as a columnist for the Economist can get. The anecdotes were entertaining and proved most of his points very well. For the most part, his conclusions were fairly intuitive. His solvency recommendations for Africa (revolving around having competent leadership, readjusting how aid is dispersed, adjusting trade barriers, etc) were pragmatic and easily understandable, though just *how* these recommendations might occur is still to be seen.
As someone who doesn't know much about Africa, it was pretty easily understood. Not much in the way of historical analysis, but that didn't really detract for me (and was almost a relief). The writing was snappy.
I give three stars because I don't think Guest spent enough time refuting the environmentalist/labor rights problems that go along with several of his arguments. Certainly having jobs is better than having none, but considering how easy it is to exploit in this day and age, there ought to be an acceptable happy medium. I'm not saying try to offer jobs at developed country's standards, but at the very least, don't turn these guys into China: economic development at all costs, including creating more health problems, ugly cities, dangerous workplaces, etc.
The information in the book was occasionally repetitive, as well, though I might have noticed more because I read it over the course of three days. Sometimes, I would have liked more information on certain arguments (especially about genetically modified plants, since I know next to nothing about what makes them so good/bad). I also feel that Guest's recommendation, well all well and good and pragmatic, don't really go far into *policy* recommendations. Thus it's a great read for me, as a civilian who's just trying to learn, but in terms of concrete, *likely* steps for someone in a rich country to take, well, there wasn't much available. (This was my reaction to his recommendation that the US stop subsidizing farmers, or at least decrease subsidies--a recommendation I agree with. "HAH! Oh, right, yeah, I can *totally* see that happening.)
Regardless of the above faults, which some might not find as faults, I thought it was interesting and I'd recommend it as a nice overview of the current (ish) Africa situation. Keep in mind that it was published originally in 2004, the paperback came out in 2005, so several of the facts are a bit old. It would be interesting to see how they've changed in the past 5-10 years.(less)
Unless of course you're reading it for a class, at which point you really have no choice.
This book is essentially 700 pages of "They were oppressed and sometimes brutally killed before independence. Then they got independence. Then there was oppression and sometimes thousands (or hundreds of thousands) were killed. Human rights were abrogated. Famine. Corruption. Selfish foreign powers making it worse and/or turning a blind eye. (Hey, France during the Rwanda genocide for the former, and the USA for the latter.) Etc. Etc."
On the whole, I really think I should have read this book before the others. I appreciate that Meredith doesn't attempt to see beyond the past century--making this pretty much entirely a work of history rather than political science. That way the focus was on the actual history rather than the conclusions that could be reached for the future from said history. I thought Meredith did a stellar job of not taking sides or judging, though of course the writing did condemn the violent rulers of Africa.
Of course, the lack of vision for the future left me exceedingly depressed and thinking there was no way to escape the vicious cycle of violence. That's when I picked up "The Bottom Billion" and felt better.
Regardless. This is extremely informative, "easy" to read (I put that in quotes because the subject matter is so jarring), and overall a fantastic summary of the last fifty-or-so years of a very complicated continent. There was just enough to give a solid idea of what was going on within each country (even tiny Equatorial Guinea!) without overwhelming me. It also tantalized me to want to read more about individual despots and the working countries (Botswana! Too bad half your population has HIV. :( ).
My only complaint, and this is a small one considering how difficult it would be to manage, is that the plethora of names and organizations got confusing after awhile. I had to make myself a list of the first generation leaders and the countries they "ran," then the second generation, and I gave up trying to organize all the political action groups. Having a reference in the back of the book of such things would not have gone amiss--even just entries like "Mugabe, Robert - President of Zimbabwe 1980-current, paranoid megalomaniac" would have been fine with me.(less)
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was fast, informative, well-written, and full of information put together in an extremely logical manner. It'...moreI really enjoyed reading this book. It was fast, informative, well-written, and full of information put together in an extremely logical manner. It's the book that answers all the "Oh, Jesus, what the heck are we supposed to do about this crap?" questions I had while reading THE FATE OF AFRICA. I grant you, I didn't necessarily agree with all of Collier's asides--and in some cases, they were just completely unnecessary--but they did help, at least, to keep his voice fresh and to make the book interesting to read beyond just the facts and figures he included.
I appreciated how Collier made each of the solvency mechanisms for the four "traps" seem so doable, and also indicated how important it is that normal folk like you and I get involved. In fact, he really readjusted my conceptions of aid, free trade, military intervention, and the effect of "democratic elections." Nearly all of his points were so pragmatic, but I'd never thought of them in such a way because I'm so used to the popular ideologies.
In the future, I look forward to comparing his recommendations to some on the left and right to see what they come up with and which I think is the strongest idea for relieving poverty in the bottom billion. It's an incredibly important goal--both morally and because of the morass of terror that can fester there if we do nothing.(less)
Honestly, I feel like my views of this book is colored by the fact that I don't know much about Africa/Zimbabwe. While I'm reading books like Dinner ...moreHonestly, I feel like my views of this book is colored by the fact that I don't know much about Africa/Zimbabwe. While I'm reading books like Dinner with Mugabe to remedy that fact, my lack of (embarrassingly enough) even basic knowledge in many cases made it difficult for me to connect to several of the events that Holland uses to examine Robert Mugabe.
The purpose of the book was not so much to describe how Mugabe affected Zimbabwe for the worse (Holland, and probably most others not in ZANU-PF, take for granted that he did), but rather to use psychology to examine how it was he made such decisions. Essentially, Holland wonders "[How did:] he squander his life's work, betraying the people who trusted him[?:]. Why? What drove his self-destruction" and, as a result, the destruction of Zimbabwe.
She concludes that it was the childhood influences of his mother and the local Jesuit priest believing too much in his future that made it impossible for him to tolerate rejection. Similarly, his awful experiences with the white regime in Rhodesia, especially when he wasn't allowed to go to the funeral of his infant son, made him too angry to resist revenge. (Likewise, what he views as later betrayals by whites in Zimbabwe and by Britain and America fueled that need to seek revenge.) And finally, the effect of those around him kow-towing to his every wish and whim eventually made him "succumb to his power lust as well as to retribution rather than serving Zimbabwe in the best interests of the people who once idolized him" (216).
I applaud Holland's efforts in creating this psychological study. I believe that she did a solid job of it--probably as best as one would manage given the circumstances. I also appreciated the re-evaluation of this effect on Zimbabwe in the postscript given the supposed "power-sharing" agreement that was decided upon in September of 2008.
The problem is not in the conclusion, per se, but rather in her relentless beating of it throughout the book. I felt she repeated herself several times, that the writing failed to be as interesting as it could have been, and that she didn't do enough to describe the reliability/unreliability of her witnesses most of the time. (Obviously Mugabe and those close to him would not be reliable, and she notes this, but otherwise it seems to be taken for granted that the majority of her interviews are from reliable or semi-reliable sources.)
I also don't think that she does enough to examine how countries ought to react to similar leaders today and in the future, if as she says the purpose of her book is to make it so we can learn from Mugabe to keep similar tyrants from being shaped and/or coming to power. In the postscript she claims that Britain has a prerogative to speak respectfully (not necessarily appeasing) towards Mugabe to try and broker some kind of relief for his people, which I agree with--diplomacy is the best option nine times out of ten, but beyond that there's nothing. How should we respond to dictators in established dictatorships, like in Myanmar? Or to the newly formed heads of state in younger states? Or what about the variety of tribal chiefdoms in Somalia?
Regardless of my problems with the book, I think it was an interesting character study that did humanize "Mad Bob" but not in a way that condoned or excused away the atrocities that he explicitly or implicitly endorsed. Made me want to learn more about Zimbabwe, at least.(less)
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