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August 26
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Will
is currently reading:
The Book Thief (Paperback)
by Markus Zusak
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Will
gave
to:
Critical Mass: How One Thing Leads to Another (Paperback)
by Philip Ball
bookshelves:
science
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in August, 2008
Will said:
"This book is a gem. Covering topics from history, physics, economics, chemistry, the internet, ethics, &c. Ball follows one idea throughout all of these subjects: can physical laws be translated into social laws. He also wants to know if is it wo...more
This book is a gem. Covering topics from history, physics, economics, chemistry, the internet, ethics, &c. Ball follows one idea throughout all of these subjects: can physical laws be translated into social laws. He also wants to know if is it worth our while not just to formulate them but to draw not only practical but also ethical decisions from the information we gain.
He first reduces free will to the most basic set of variables and turns humans into automata and shows us how individual actions can be generalized to an amazing degree. After which he shows us how the same principals can be used to show us how undesirable society could be. And builds us back up into free thinking humans with the task of making decisions for ourselves.
Not only is the book thrilling from an all-round aspect of understanding - broadening horizons and making you think. It shows even lets you get into a feeling of excitement and adventure by first showing the advancements of a theory and its promises, then continuing to show how these are really only short-sighted observations and how much further you need to go to obtain an even greater degree of understanding.
this has to be one of the better popular science books that I have read in a couple of years. Absolutely fantastic... I even gave myself extra time just to savor it. ...less
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August 06
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Will
gave
to:
Leben des Galilei (Paperback)
by Bertolt Brecht
bookshelves:
deutsch-german
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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July 19
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Will
gave
to:
The Kite Runner (Paperback)
by Khaled Hosseini
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Will said:
"Haven't read a book this thrilling in a while. Just really got into it, and didn't put it down, till I was done. Powerful, touching, exciting...
I know that I tend to think this about every book right after I have read them. but I keep coming back...more
Haven't read a book this thrilling in a while. Just really got into it, and didn't put it down, till I was done. Powerful, touching, exciting...
I know that I tend to think this about every book right after I have read them. but I keep coming back to this book in my thoughts. The thought of trying to know how you would react when making life altering hard decisions, is something that has gone through my head tons of time. Would you do the honourable or would you choke. It's one thing to make tough decisions, but to live those decisions is something else. Here is a story about those decisions, what drives you to make the ones you do, and maybe even the events that make you correct (or at least amend) for ones that you made in the past.
I was amazed, on the cover there was a review, "Made all other books that I read after seem bland." I can only agree, not many things will keep me as enthralled as this did....less
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June 30
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Will
is currently reading:
Paperweight (Paperback)
by Stephen Fry
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Will
gave
to:
Trainspotting (Paperback)
by Irvine Welsh
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in June, 2008
Will said:
"I know many saw the film. Well if you liked it, you'd love the book - it's so much more savage, raw, no-holds-barred. Once you get used to the style of writing you get trapped in a world of self-centered depravation and hopelessness. This is one of t...more
I know many saw the film. Well if you liked it, you'd love the book - it's so much more savage, raw, no-holds-barred. Once you get used to the style of writing you get trapped in a world of self-centered depravation and hopelessness. This is one of those books which feels real, I know many people who could replace the characters and the story wouldn't change (except they would say, "I haven't got a clue" instead of "I'm scoobied").
If you have ever been on a heart-broken, depressed and out of control drinking binge that lasted for a couple of weeks, while doing your best not to only burn every bridge that you've ever had, but to tear down their foundations also, then you will probably be able to relate to these stories, and probably find a bit of yourself in them somewhere....less
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June 25
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Will
gave
to:
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (Mass Market Paperback)
by Douglas Adams
bookshelves:
scifi-fantasy
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in June, 2008
Will said:
"This is a really fun book, a book that is great to read just to have something else on your mind. Adams, as always, is masterfully witty and can somehow make it that no matter how weird things get; they still seem to be natural. If you liked Hitch Hiker ...more
This is a really fun book, a book that is great to read just to have something else on your mind. Adams, as always, is masterfully witty and can somehow make it that no matter how weird things get; they still seem to be natural. If you liked Hitch Hiker than you will probably get a lot of laughs out of this book too.
Dirk Gently is - well, in a word "holistic"... containing everything - ghosts, cello players, the end of the world, the origins of Bach's music, irrational and unceasing belief, missing cats and Cambridge, just to name a few....less
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June 19
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Will
gave
to:
Shakespeare: The World as a Stage (Paperback)
by Bill Bryson
bookshelves:
history
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in June, 2008
Will said:
"This book is great for those who had to fight their way through Shakespeare while in school, Shakespeare is always set upon the highest pedestal and never treated like any other author. The rumours abound about what all he did. It's great to finally ...more
This book is great for those who had to fight their way through Shakespeare while in school, Shakespeare is always set upon the highest pedestal and never treated like any other author. The rumours abound about what all he did. It's great to finally see that much of what I learned, and I can only assume much of what other people learned in school just doesn't stand up to scrutiny.
What's great is that this book has given me the drive to dust off copies of Hamlet, Othello, et al and reread them....less
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June 01
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Will
gave
to:
How the Irish Saved Civilization (Hinges of History)
by Thomas Cahill
bookshelves:
history
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in June, 2008
Will said:
"This is a fun book, and this is the second or third time that I have read this book. I learn more every time I read it, and it is written well enough, with enough titbits of information, that it is still a good read after having read it once.
Cahi...more
This is a fun book, and this is the second or third time that I have read this book. I learn more every time I read it, and it is written well enough, with enough titbits of information, that it is still a good read after having read it once.
Cahill has done is research, and his exuberance for the Irish comes through in his writing - he loves the Irish. Maybe he gives them too much importance maybe not, I am not a scholar of this periods history. But it is a great introduction and a good starting point for further reading....less
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Will
gave
to:
Reluctant Fundamentalist, the Export Ed (Paperback)
by Mohsin Hamid
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in June, 2008
Will said:
"In the fourth chapter and already completely enthralled.
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