This is a really engaging history of the dinosaurs and the world they lived in as well as the trajectory of our fossil discoveries backing up those thThis is a really engaging history of the dinosaurs and the world they lived in as well as the trajectory of our fossil discoveries backing up those theories. I’ve been in love with dinosaurs since I was a little girl, and they never cease to amaze me. A thought that always comes to mind when I think about the world they lived in was that it was devoid of human consciousness. What was the world like without our conception of the world? What were the lives of these animals like? It’s something we can’t ever know, but we’ll never stop trying to figure it out. ...more
The earlier parts of the book, devoted to cultivating awareness of the body and the breath, were helpful and interesting. However, when I got to the sThe earlier parts of the book, devoted to cultivating awareness of the body and the breath, were helpful and interesting. However, when I got to the section on specific pranayama exercises, I found myself rebelling at the level of restriction. While I can see the benefits of controlling the breath to that level, I'm just not in a place in my life right now where I am interested in counting the length of my inhales and exhales. I'm pretty much in a "just breathe" mood, so I'm putting this book down for now....more
Great book. I grew up reading Walter Farley’s books, which infected me with an awe of horse racing that I’ve never outgrown. There’s a feeling I get wGreat book. I grew up reading Walter Farley’s books, which infected me with an awe of horse racing that I’ve never outgrown. There’s a feeling I get when I read about it, excitement mixed with dread, that makes the stories extraordinarily compelling to me. I got that feeling reading this book and raced through it. ...more
I thought to myself, “I want to read something cozy,” and then I thought, “I know, I’ll read a Stephen King book.”
That sounds ludicrous, if not insaneI thought to myself, “I want to read something cozy,” and then I thought, “I know, I’ll read a Stephen King book.”
That sounds ludicrous, if not insane, but it’s true. I do derive a feeling of coziness from the world he paints—the good, true, beautiful, world where there is connection and love and meaning—the sweetness that’s there to be undercut by the horror.
There’s such a familiarity in reading his books, probably because I’ve read so many of them, but also because they all contain the same tropes and the same characters. But that’s not boring or repetitive, it’s actually deeply comforting....more
There were times during reading this that, for reasons I can’t exactly put my finger on, the author or his writing rubbed me the wrong way. There wasThere were times during reading this that, for reasons I can’t exactly put my finger on, the author or his writing rubbed me the wrong way. There was also a distinct feeling that the chapters were individual pieces strung together to form a book (which is likely true, since at least some of them were previously published articles), which sometimes affected the cohesion of the narrative.
That being said, this is clearly the work of someone who was looking for answers in earnest, who is truly eager to learn, and who loves horses and wants to balance their needs and desires with his own pursuit of success. Maybe the thing that bothered me was that he seems to often overthink things—reading the tortuous confusion he expresses over the technically correct way to ride kind of stressed me out. But I think that some of that stems from being someone who was living with the vast uncertainty of not knowing how to make his way in the world and looking for something very concrete to latch onto. I recognize that sense of just being so lost and wanting someone to tell you: this is exactly what you are supposed to do (and then wanting them to praise you and reassure you that you are improving and doing it well).
As the book progresses, the author seems to come to grips with that uncertainty, learning the confidence to make his own choices and set his own standards.
As I’m at somewhat of a crossroads in my horse life, thinking about what kind of rider I’d like to be and what direction to take, it was sort of refreshing to read about all the mistakes and dead ends this man experienced. It was also, at times, discouraging, a reminder about how difficult the horse world can be. But in the end, it comes down to something I’ve been thinking lately, which the author expresses in his definition of a true horseman: that they keep working on themselves to be better people for their horses. ...more
This was intriguing, probably mainly because it was able to create such a sense of detachment and unreality that was still grounded in very human andThis was intriguing, probably mainly because it was able to create such a sense of detachment and unreality that was still grounded in very human and relatable terms. ...more
I tried to read this—got about halfway through. At first the stories were so-so, and I thought maybe they would improve. But I actually stopped rightI tried to read this—got about halfway through. At first the stories were so-so, and I thought maybe they would improve. But I actually stopped right in the middle of one.
It’s unusual for me to not finish a story; I’m typically very caught up in wanting to know what happens even if I don’t like it. I really did not like this. Not the characters, who were neurotic and trying too hard to be witty. And not the style of the writing, which was ham-fisted. The whole thing felt like if Fozzie the Bear went to get an MFA in short story writing. Wocka wocka, life is sad and complicated....more
This was very fun to read. I picked it up because I’ve read (and will continue to read) everything that Neal Stephenson writes. That was before I knewThis was very fun to read. I picked it up because I’ve read (and will continue to read) everything that Neal Stephenson writes. That was before I knew that this book would center on such dear-to-my-heart-and-brain topics as quantum physics, magic, linguistics, ramifications of time travel, historical intrigue, and satire about ludicrous bureaucracy. I really hope that these authors team up to write more about the future adventures of the D.O.D.O. team. ...more
This is a helpful resource for rounding out the more business-oriented aspects of becoming a yoga teacher, which was the one thing I found lacking inThis is a helpful resource for rounding out the more business-oriented aspects of becoming a yoga teacher, which was the one thing I found lacking in my 200-hour certification instruction. ...more
There were stylistic parts of this book that somewhat annoyed me, but other than that it was a really good read. Haven’t been reading a lot of fictionThere were stylistic parts of this book that somewhat annoyed me, but other than that it was a really good read. Haven’t been reading a lot of fiction lately and it felt good to get swept up in a story again. ...more
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