This was purchased remaindered so I wasn’t upset when I found this was less a new freakonomics book and more a collection of their blog posts collected into book form. It wouldn’t have even been a disappointment new if I’d been aware that’s what I was buying. But it definitely feels like the collection of essays written for online readers that it is. Each piece is short and minimally explored, some being absolute puff and others leaving me feeling deprived that they weren’t expanded upon. […]
Cest la vie said the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell
My book buying mirrors my father’s as dads are indeed the original hipsters. He’d pick up anything that looked interesting if it was cheap enough, and I’m pretty sure that’s how this book ended up on the family bookshelf. I was always intrigued, but man am I glad I waited until my 30s to read this because the passage of time has rendered it HILARIOUS. It ends with the speculation that Atari might turn it around with a new hit (spoiler alert: noooope), and contains […]
I have no mouth and I must scream
AAAAAAAHHHHHH why, book, why?! It’s not your fault and you’re well written and researched and argued but OUCH. This is like reading an impassioned defense of fiddling at Nero’s coronation. I got about twenty pages in before I had to get context for when it was written to understand more about where the author was coming from, as it takes a fairly right-ish stance, but whatever. I’m left wing but I can see some conservative – NOT ALT-RIGHT – points of view. I think – […]
Needed more Social, less Physics
There is a reason Malcolm Gladwell is, well, Malcolm Gladwell. It’s HARD to examine data that’s largely available to everyone, formulate a theory that is simultaneously novel and obvious, and write it in a manner that is informative, entertaining, and accessible. Hell, it’s pretty impressive Gladwell himself managed it three (four?) times already. I was impressed when Dataclysm managed that feat, and even more so when the book kinda came and went, but suffice it to say I was hoping this book might have more […]
There are worse excuses…
As part of my quest to create the perfect library for the octospawn, I realized I’d only ever read an excerpt from this book and felt the need to correct that error. I enjoyed the read, but kind of understood why the parental units didn’t make it essential reading in the Thorpe house. The Phantom Tollbooth is too clever by half, a criticism which pains me to bestow as I’m pretty sure my entire personality is based on being clever and charming, and if you […]
They were forgotten for a reason, apparently
This was something I purchased to help a friend having a yard sale, and I’m just glad I didn’t spend any real money on it. It wasn’t abysmal, but it also doesn’t rise above “this kid used the rainbow to fight crime and his name was The Rainbow Kid, isn’t that ridiculous?!” Sure, but isn’t there more to say? Why was this introduced? Was there any gay subtext? Why wasn’t it successful? What were the creators trying to achieve? Who cares?! Rainbows are a dumb […]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 49
- 50
- 51
- 52
- 53
- …
- 60
- Next Page »