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David's Reviews > The World Without Us
The World Without Us
by Alan Weisman
by Alan Weisman
David's review
bookshelves: mind-numbingly-boring, read-in-2008
Jan 13, 08
bookshelves: mind-numbingly-boring, read-in-2008
Recommended for:
nobody
Read in January, 2008
It's located on the 'mind-numbingly-boring' shelf for a reason. Whatever point the author is trying to make certainly doesn't support 300 pages of impenetrable prose. After five false starts I managed to get to page 50 before finally giving up in disgust.
All the people who have made this a best-seller? I don't believe for a moment that they have actually read it. This is not a book to read, though it may be one to impress your friends with by pretending to have read it.
Don't waste your time. Read a book about people, why don'tcha?
All the people who have made this a best-seller? I don't believe for a moment that they have actually read it. This is not a book to read, though it may be one to impress your friends with by pretending to have read it.
Don't waste your time. Read a book about people, why don'tcha?
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Comments (showing 1-8 of 8) (8 new)
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"Hi,my name is Michael. I like comics, sushi, and the end of the world." Yeah...that doesn't sound so good :)
(I do, too)
It might help you to listen to it on audiobook--which I did and found it much more easy to understand!
The funny thing is that The History Channel has been running a series of programs based on essentially the same premise, and they're quite watchable. So I think your suggestion is a good one, Alison, thanks! Though it will all ahve to wait until I get back home.
Wow! Not having a dig, but I just find it interesting that a book that I personally found extremely engaging and fascinating, could be just as boring and mind-numbing to someone else! :)I plowed through this book like there was no tomorrow and found it sooo fascinating and educational. Anyway... just so you know, I have read it, and loved it!
Kate (and others):I'm thinking I probably should give this one another whirl at some point. Even I am surprised by the vehemence of my former self's review. Particularly since I quite enjoyed the History Channel series.
I'd be interested to see how you find it second-time around. I think if it was written purely as a scientific essay that I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did, I liked that it was written in a way that is accessible to everyone, whether or not you know all the jargon that goes with the territory. But yeah, try it again and see how you feel!
I second the second. Personally, I was horrified that I would have to read it for a college class; it just looked that boring. I was, however, surprised to find myself reading it late into the night weeks before the test, simply because I really enjoyed both the subject matter and Weisman's writing style.
Probably more than is healthy.