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August 05
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brian
gave
 
to:
The Sandman Vol. 2: The Doll's House (Hardcover)
by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads author!)
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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July 06
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brian
gave
to:
Midnight in Sicily (Paperback)
by Peter Robb
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my rating:
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brian said:
"This book is a fairly comprehensive account of mafia influence in Sicily and Italy during the 20th century. Much of the history is taken from firsthand accounts, and testimony used in numerous mafia trials. The stories are fascinating, the history ...more
This book is a fairly comprehensive account of mafia influence in Sicily and Italy during the 20th century. Much of the history is taken from firsthand accounts, and testimony used in numerous mafia trials. The stories are fascinating, the history is fascinating, but I just couldn't get into the writing style. Too much of the book was devoted to food, and villas and Renato Guttuso's lovers for my liking. Imagine Anthony Bourdain hosting a mafia documentary on Food Network. But without the wit.
I do give the author some credit, though. It's a side of the mafia that Westerners wouldn't usually see, and presented in a way that might make history appealing to people who aren't usually fans of non-fiction....less
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July 05
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brian
gave
to:
The Sandman Vol. 9: The Kindly Ones (Hardcover)
by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads author!)
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my rating:
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June 28
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brian
gave
to:
Don Quixote (Penguin Classics)
by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
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my rating:
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brian said:
"A great book, if you can finish it. I guess it's technically two books, but whatever. I read the Penguin Classics version (pictured) and was very happy with the translation. Having been written in high middle Spanish over 400 years ago, you might ...more
A great book, if you can finish it. I guess it's technically two books, but whatever. I read the Penguin Classics version (pictured) and was very happy with the translation. Having been written in high middle Spanish over 400 years ago, you might expect it to read like The Canterbury Tales, or something from Shakespeare, but this translation felt relatively modern. Sancho's personality really comes through in his proverbs and idioms, that have no doubt been anglicized but still feel authentic, while Don Quixote's anachronism (even for early 17th century Spain) is also well preserved. Superbly done, and also important since this book pretty much relies on these two characters to carry it for 1000 pages. If you have a sense of adventure coupled with a sense of humor, this book is for you....less
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June 27
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brian
gave
to:
Archipielago Gulag - I (Paperback)
by Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn
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my rating:
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brian said:
"Without doubt, this is the most intense book I have ever read. The Gulag Archipelago describes the tiny, land-locked Islands dotted throughout the vast interior of the USSR that make up the Soviet prison system. Isolated from both the world a...more
Without doubt, this is the most intense book I have ever read. The Gulag Archipelago describes the tiny, land-locked Islands dotted throughout the vast interior of the USSR that make up the Soviet prison system. Isolated from both the world and the Soviet people, rivers and railroads are the Arteries connecting these Islands, with the Organ of the State pumping out fresh prisoners by the millions in a campaign of fear and forced submission for decades on end. As a former resident of the Archipelago, A.S. gives chilling details of his experience, and the experiences of others, who have made their way into, and occasionally out of, the most horrific modern institution yet conceived. The authenticity of the book is undeniable, the personal accounts sobering, and if not for Solzhenitsyn's expert use of levity and sarcasm, some sections may have been too much for me to stomach. This book was written largely to expose the worst kinds of Soviet secrets to the West, but it also forced me to examine my own personal and political ideas in a time when these kinds of things seem closer than ever to becoming a reality again.
From the Author's Note:
For years I have with reluctant heart withheld from publication this already completed book: my obligation to those still living outweighed my obligation to the dead. But now that State Security has seized the book anyway, I have no alternative but to publish it immediately.
In this book there are no fictitious persons, nor fictitious events. People and places are named with their own names. If they are identified by initials instead of names, it is for personal considerations. If they are not named at all, it is only because human memory has failed to preserve their names. But it all took place just as it is here described.
I dedicate this to all those who did not live to tell it. And may they please forgive me for not having seen it all, nor remembered it all, for not having divined all of it. ...less
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brian
gave
to:
Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (Bedford Books in American History)
by Louis P. Masur
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my rating:
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brian said:
"The first time I was exposed to the book was in an Early American Literature course in college. I read excerpts for the class, but not a substantial portion of the book. Not until I finished the autobiography on my own several years later, did I c...more
The first time I was exposed to the book was in an Early American Literature course in college. I read excerpts for the class, but not a substantial portion of the book. Not until I finished the autobiography on my own several years later, did I clearly understand that this book was not written for posterity, but as a letter from a father to his son. This, I think, makes it far more interesting. There is so much of his life that is left out of this incomplete personal account, but what is included definitely gives welcome insight into one of my favorite Americans....less
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brian
gave
to:
The House of the Dead (Dover Thrift Editions.)
by Fyodor Dostoevsky
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my rating:
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brian said:
"After I read this book, I couldn't help comparing it to One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. This book is good in it's own right ...more
After I read this book, I couldn't help comparing it to One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. This book is good in it's own right if you're into these kinds of pseudo-personal historical accounts, but if you're reading it for the experiences it tries to relate or if you like to identify with a character, then I would recommend Denisovich instead. It accomplishes nearly as much, in a much shorter volume....less
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brian
gave
to:
The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence (Mass Market Paperback)
by Carl Sagan
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my rating:
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brian said:
"Carl Sagan is probably my favorite science writer. If only this were a book on tape, and narrated by him as well! The title is pretty self explanatory as far as the book's content, but the way Sagan sets out these complicated ideas to a lay audienc...more
Carl Sagan is probably my favorite science writer. If only this were a book on tape, and narrated by him as well! The title is pretty self explanatory as far as the book's content, but the way Sagan sets out these complicated ideas to a lay audience is the real gem. I hate biology, but i still really enjoyed this book....less
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brian
gave
to:
A History of Pi (Paperback)
by Petr Beckmann
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my rating:
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brian said:
"This book was interesting early on, but became less so the further I read. I think that's partly because it's written by a historian with no formal mathematics background. Once the book reaches the modern age of mathematics and mechanical methods o...more
This book was interesting early on, but became less so the further I read. I think that's partly because it's written by a historian with no formal mathematics background. Once the book reaches the modern age of mathematics and mechanical methods of calculation, the "history" part of Pi becomes less important than the technology developed to calculate it accurately. Overall, though, I give it 3.14 stars....less
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brian
gave
to:
Dark Sun: The Making of the Hydrogen Bomb (Paperback)
by Richard Rhodes
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my rating:
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brian said:
"This book is a fairly comprehensive look at the early development of the US nuclear arsenal. The scientific aspects of the book are surprisingly easy to follow for those not familiar with nuclear physics and engineering (which, honestly, is pretty m...more
This book is a fairly comprehensive look at the early development of the US nuclear arsenal. The scientific aspects of the book are surprisingly easy to follow for those not familiar with nuclear physics and engineering (which, honestly, is pretty much everyone). The author does a great job of turning what could be a very dry subject into a compelling history with stories of scientific rivalries, political gamesmanship, and Cold War espionage. The book also highlights evolving ideas about nuclear technology within the military, political, and scientific communities as ever more powerful weapons are conceived and developed....less
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