http://www.goodreads.com/review/list_rss/52448 en-US Sun, 09 Mar 2008 12:31:58 -0700 60 http://www.goodreads.com/ 200 41 http://www.goodreads.com/images/layout/gr_logo.gif 17381337 Sun, 09 Mar 2008 12:31:58 -0700
author: Annie Leibovitz
name: Diana
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2000
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 03/09/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 17381296 Sun, 09 Mar 2008 12:31:14 -0700
author: David Elliot Cohen
name: Diana
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2002
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 03/09/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 17381218 Sun, 09 Mar 2008 12:30:22 -0700
author: Hilary Andersson
name: Diana
average rating: 5.00
book published: 1992
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 03/09/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 17381187 Sun, 09 Mar 2008 12:29:56 -0700
author: Alex Vines
name: Diana
average rating: 5.00
book published: 1991
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 03/09/08
shelves: africa, thesis-human-rights
review:

]]> 17381160 Sun, 09 Mar 2008 12:29:29 -0700
author: Harry G. West
name: Diana
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 03/09/08
shelves: africa, thesis-human-rights
review:

]]> 17381129 Sun, 09 Mar 2008 12:28:57 -0700
author: Robert S. Jaster
name: Diana
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1989
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 03/09/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 15049449 Sun, 10 Feb 2008 08:52:54 -0800
author: David Birmingham
name: Diana
average rating: 4.50
book published: 1993
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 02/10/08
shelves: thesis-human-rights
review:

]]> 15049529 Sun, 10 Feb 2008 08:50:55 -0800
author: Patrick Chabal
name: Diana
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2002
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 02/10/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 15049481 Sun, 10 Feb 2008 08:50:29 -0800
author: Assis Malaquias
name: Diana
average rating: 3.00
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 02/10/08
shelves: thesis-human-rights
review:

]]> 2530189 Sun, 10 Feb 2008 08:49:44 -0800
author: Rory Stewart
name: Diana
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at: 01/08
date added: 02/10/08
shelves: heroes
review:
this is one of the best non-fiction books i've ever picked up. stewart can write, and his day-to-day account of his tenure as deputy governor of amara province in iraq is moving, upsetting, funny, ironic, and (best of all) educational. i'm looking forward to picking up his book on afghanistan. read this book!
]]> 7674109 Sat, 13 Oct 2007 13:21:13 -0700
author: U.S. Department of Defense
name: Diana
average rating: 4.10
book published: 1992
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 10/13/07
shelves: survival
review:

]]> 7446066 Mon, 08 Oct 2007 15:44:34 -0700
author: Samir Kumar Das
name: Diana
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2005
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 10/08/07
shelves: thesis-human-rights
review:

]]> 7446059 Mon, 08 Oct 2007 15:44:29 -0700
author: Roberta Cohen
name: Diana
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1998
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 10/08/07
shelves: thesis-human-rights
review:

]]> 7446057 Mon, 08 Oct 2007 15:44:26 -0700
author: Thomas G Weiss
name: Diana
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 10/08/07
shelves: thesis-human-rights
review:

]]> 7446030 Mon, 08 Oct 2007 15:44:04 -0700
author: Hubert Morsink
name: Diana
average rating: 5.00
book published: 1994
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 10/08/07
shelves: thesis-human-rights
review:

]]> 7446016 Mon, 08 Oct 2007 15:43:45 -0700
author: Birgitte Refslund Sorenson
name: Diana
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2001
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 10/08/07
shelves: thesis-human-rights
review:

]]> 7446008 Mon, 08 Oct 2007 15:43:34 -0700
author: Robert Muggah
name: Diana
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 10/08/07
shelves: thesis-human-rights
review:

]]> 2862838 Sun, 02 Sep 2007 11:13:21 -0700
author: Laurence Gonzales
name: Diana
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2004
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 09/02/07
shelves: survival
review:
i read about this book in national geographic adventure magazine. they had a three-page spread about gonzales, his story, and the impetus for this book. it seemed fascinating, the 'theory' behind survival and why certain people beat the odds and survive a harrowing situation, while others give up and die after only one day. the book was rather disappointing...there really is no 'theory' behind survival. gonzales is not a great writer, and he doesn't make any kind of argument. basically, there are interesting survival stories that are often interrupted by gonzales's random thoughts. if a survivor says during an interview that "at one point i lost my cool, then i prayed to god and calmed down," gonzales will interrupt to write, "oh yeah, losing one's cool make one human and is necessary to survive." then, "oh yeah, praying helps you take stock of your situation, and it helps to believe in a deity." if another survivor said, "i didn't pray to god. i didn't think about anything but getting to dry land," gonzales will write, "yeah, keep entirely focused on your objective." it was entirely anecdotal. still cool if you skip to the survival stories.
]]> 2530171 Sun, 02 Sep 2007 10:55:08 -0700
author: Rory Stewart
name: Diana
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2006
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 09/02/07
shelves: heroes
review:
i didn't actually get to finish this book. i brought it to a cozy bar downtown so i could read it while waiting for a friend to meet me. it was one of her last nights in athens before she ventured off to costa rica for 3+ months. i was about 1/3rd of the way through, and i was telling her about what an amazing book it is, then i just decided to let her have it. the parts i read were phenomenal, however.
]]> 2017968 Fri, 15 Jun 2007 20:28:30 -0700
author: Barbara Ehrenreich
name: Diana
average rating: 3.18
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 06/15/07
shelves: all-time-favorites
review:
this book should be required reading for everyone in the Bush administration (and every administration thereafter. pretty much everyone should read it). it made me mad when i read it, but now that i'm graduating soon and about to start the job hunt, it makes me scared. somebody find me a job.
]]> 1960517 Fri, 15 Jun 2007 20:21:21 -0700
author: Barbara Kingsolver
name: Diana
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1998
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 06/15/07
shelves: africa, all-time-favorites
review:

]]> 1960913 Thu, 14 Jun 2007 08:39:52 -0700
author: Rhonda Byrne
name: Diana
average rating: 3.41
book published: 2007
rating: 0
read at: 01/07
date added: 06/14/07
shelves:
review:
stupid stupid book. don't read it. someone gave it to my dad after he started chemotherapy, and i wanted to throw it at that person. "if you don't get what you want, then it's because you didn't want it enough." bullsh*t.
]]> 1960599 Thu, 14 Jun 2007 08:37:09 -0700
author: Homer
name: Diana
average rating: 3.95
book published: 600
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 06/14/07
shelves: all-time-favorites
review:
The Iliad is, by far, my favorite epic. I liked it better than the Odyssey (even though I read the Odyssey first) and better than the Aneid (my rank would be Iliad, then Aneid, then Odyssey). The Iliad got me into a classics phase (Herodotus, Thucydides, Ovid, etc) and lead me to the Oresteian Trilogy, which is another favorite. I was lucky with the Iliad because I took a Greek culture course in undergrad with a prof who was so enamored with the Iliad that we spent about 10 weeks on it. Not a fast read.
]]> 1541974 Wed, 30 May 2007 09:58:31 -0700
author: Mary Roach
name: Diana
average rating: 3.39
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 05/30/07
shelves:
review:
interesting read, but i was left a bit disappointed. it's a collection of stories about scientists trying to prove the existence of the afterlife (i.e. by measuring the soul, ghosthunting, etc). you read it hoping that the scientists find something substantial, but for the most part, it's a bunch of hoaxes and flagrant misuse of the scientific method. there are some intriguing findings, and it's still worth reading, if only as a history of paranormal investigation.
]]> 1541920 Wed, 30 May 2007 09:52:04 -0700
author: Jared Diamond
name: Diana
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1997
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 05/30/07
shelves:
review:
lots of interesting history and facts, but his analysis has some holes. still worth reading, however.
]]> 1541793 Wed, 30 May 2007 09:49:36 -0700
author: Randolph M. Nesse
name: Diana
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1996
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 05/30/07
shelves: all-time-favorites
review:
READ THIS BOOK! it's fascinating and it makes sense. it explains a lot about why our bodies malfunction in the ways they do and how many diseases/genetic disorders were actually trade-offs for increasing our genetic fitness (the ability of your offspring to produce viable offspring themselves). i read it for ecology + evolution of human disease, and it is the most interesting and accessible science book i've read.
]]> 1541676 Wed, 30 May 2007 09:42:58 -0700
author: Jack Ritchason
name: Diana
average rating: 4.50
book published: 1995
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 05/30/07
shelves:
review:
this is a well-organized, informative book on herbalism and herbal remedies for common ailments. there are sections on chinese herbal tea remedies as well as an index of every possible illness imaginable (i had to wiki some of them). however, the editing/grammar/spelling is atrocious, which, to a certain extent, keeps me from really trusting the information. even though he's got remedies for cancers and all sorts of infections, i would only use this book as a supplement and not a medical book.
]]> 1541552 Wed, 30 May 2007 09:40:03 -0700
author: Marvin Kaye
name: Diana
average rating: 3.50
book published: 1981
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 05/30/07
shelves:
review:
this is an anthology of ghost stories from all over the world, from the late 1700s to the present day. the title is misleading, however. some are creepier than others, some are comical, some are love stories, etc. some are not scary at all. but it's a nice book to pick up if you're in the mood for it.
]]> 1541327 Wed, 30 May 2007 09:35:30 -0700
author: Dan Eldon
name: Diana
average rating: 4.61
book published: 1997
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 05/30/07
shelves: africa, heroes
review:
this is a compilation of 20 of dan eldon's journals (he was, among other things, a war photographer who was stoned to death by an angry mob in Somalia.) it's part commentary on life in africa, part travel guide, part teenager's diary; it's sometimes funny and light, sometimes dark and brooding, but every page is a work of art.
]]> 1541307 Wed, 30 May 2007 09:28:22 -0700
author: Anthony Bourdain
name: Diana
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 05/30/07
shelves: heroes
review:

]]> 1541298 Wed, 30 May 2007 09:28:10 -0700
author: John Champlin Gardner
name: Diana
average rating: 3.84
book published: 1972
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 05/30/07
shelves: all-time-favorites
review:

]]> 1541281 Wed, 30 May 2007 09:27:22 -0700
author: Eric Stover
name: Diana
average rating: 4.67
book published: 1998
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 05/30/07
shelves: thesis-human-rights
review:

]]> 1541197 Wed, 30 May 2007 09:26:32 -0700
author: Pat Conroy
name: Diana
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1987
rating: 5
read at: 01/95
date added: 05/30/07
shelves: all-time-favorites
review:
this is an amazingly hilarious and poignant book (p conroy's best, in my opinion). i try to read it every couple of years, and it never gets old. stand by for a fighter pilot!
]]> 1541191 Wed, 30 May 2007 09:24:28 -0700
author: Geoffrey Robertson
name: Diana
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2006
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 05/30/07
shelves: thesis-human-rights
review:

]]> 1247073 Wed, 30 May 2007 09:23:47 -0700
the book is disappointing because terry never takes that necessary (but so often neglected) step and gives her own, well thought-out plan of action to overcome this paradox. there are a few pages of vague suggestions, such as "stop forced repatriation," but not much more than that. her background in research and her credibility as an insider in the humanitarian world makes her the perfect person to lay out a plan of action, but it isn't in this book. definitely worth reading, if only to become more aware of this serious problem. also, it is written in an academic style, so there is theory and some quantitative analysis involved. ]]>
author: Fiona Terry
name: Diana
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2002
rating: 3
read at: 05/07
date added: 05/30/07
shelves: africa, thesis-human-rights
review:
terry's book is informative, but it is also frustrating and disappointing. terry, a bigwig at MSF, is frustrated at the failure of humanitarian aid to produce meaningful, consistent results. she writes that the nature of conflict and the attitudes toward refugees among state actors has changed, but humanitarian agencies have not adapted. they keep making the same mistakes because they have a knee-jerk pattern of action that ends up causing more problems. there is a lot of informtion here that i never knew, such as agencies' emphasis on repatriation to solve the 'refugee problem.' it's simple enough--make the refugees go back home, and there are no more refugees. humanitarian agencies (specifically UNHCR) have taken it one step further and cut off food to refugees so they'd be forced to go back, often getting killed on return or pushed back out of their home country yet gain.

the book is disappointing because terry never takes that necessary (but so often neglected) step and gives her own, well thought-out plan of action to overcome this paradox. there are a few pages of vague suggestions, such as "stop forced repatriation," but not much more than that. her background in research and her credibility as an insider in the humanitarian world makes her the perfect person to lay out a plan of action, but it isn't in this book. definitely worth reading, if only to become more aware of this serious problem. also, it is written in an academic style, so there is theory and some quantitative analysis involved.
]]> 1246629 Wed, 16 May 2007 08:00:59 -0700 Bloodsucking Fiends. you really can't get the most out of his work unless you read every one of his books--while reading "you suck," not only did i get to reconnect with the main characters in BSF, but i also came across several characters from his other books. that is part of why moore's work is so satisfying to read; you recognize an old character and get to watch how moore craftily brings him in to a completely different setting and situation. it's like seeing an old friend. i didn't give it 5 stars only because none of his other books can compare to the first one, Lamb. start with that one if you're new to moore. ]]>
author: Christopher Moore
name: Diana
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 05/07
date added: 05/16/07
shelves:
review:
this is your standard christopher moore book. i read the 300+ page book in a couple of days. i can't tell if i read it so fast because it's such an easy read or because i couldn't wait to find out what happens at the end. the book is the sequel to Bloodsucking Fiends. you really can't get the most out of his work unless you read every one of his books--while reading "you suck," not only did i get to reconnect with the main characters in BSF, but i also came across several characters from his other books. that is part of why moore's work is so satisfying to read; you recognize an old character and get to watch how moore craftily brings him in to a completely different setting and situation. it's like seeing an old friend. i didn't give it 5 stars only because none of his other books can compare to the first one, Lamb. start with that one if you're new to moore.
]]> 637856 Sun, 08 Apr 2007 17:16:22 -0700
author: Priya Hemenway
name: Diana
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2005
rating: 3
read at: 12/06
date added: 04/08/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 637803 Sun, 08 Apr 2007 17:11:09 -0700
author: Lisa Randall
name: Diana
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 04/08/07
shelves:
review:

]]>