Dava Sobel – Cannonball Read 17

Longitude – Dava Sobel (1997)

Longitude by Dava Sobel

July 17, 2021 by vel veeter 2 Comments

CBR13Bingo – Book Club (James Mustich’s 1000 Books to Read list) A short history of a scientific problem being solved over the course of decades. One of the biggest problems in seafaring pre-1700 involved the very imprecise methods available for determining longitude. Latitude apparently is fairly easy because lines of latitude as concentric and consistent. Longitude is much more difficult because it requires information contrasted with a fixed point, something much more difficult to acquire in the middle of the ocean. Britain, certainly known for […]

“A life spent in the routine of science need not destroy the attractive human element of a woman’s nature.”

The Glass Universe: How the Ladies of the Harvard Observatory Took the Measure of the Stars by Dava Sobel

December 18, 2019 by blauracke Leave a Comment

In the middle of the 19th century, the Harvard Observatory began to employ women as ‘human computers’ who did the tedious but crucial work of interpreting stellar images captured on glass plates. Over time, more and more women with degrees were employed who then began to truly study the stars and soon made groundbreaking and invaluable contributions to our understanding of the universe. I had high expectations for this book but in the end, it was a bit of a disappointing read. It is weirdly […]

Never Give Up!

February 16, 2018 by Halbs 6 Comments

Longitude is one of the greatest kinds of books – the kind that makes the reader passionate about something I’ve never heard of or previously had an interest in. Not only that, this entertaining non-fiction gem taught me a few major life lessons. The book, as the title implies, is about longitude. Specifically, it is about how the world tried to figure out where in the world they were sailing, literally. Solutions ranged from the practical (reading the stars) to the mystical (using the pain […]

Hi. I’m Badkittyuno, and I’ve fallen behind again…

July 27, 2017 by badkittyuno 5 Comments

Hi. Sorry. I really thought I was like 10 reviews behind and it turned out to actually be 19. So then I started up this list of reviews…and didn’t post it…and now I’m 26 behind. I would blame my kids/divorce/life, but really — I’d much rather read than write! Also, I’ve been working from home a lot and doing laundry instead of writing reviews (which is what I do when I get bored at the office), so that’s not helping. Anyway, here’s 26 brief reviews […]

Zirza on A Gothic Classic for a ReasonIt's one of those wish-you-could-read-it-again-for-the-first-time books. I loved it.
Emmalita on “It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”I loved the ending! I don’t think it’s been out long enough to talk about why though.
Dixie on Track Her Down by Melinda LeighI am just starting Track Her Down and I have read them all in order till now and thought I...
Roland of Gilead on How can you give us the gift of a crazy character named Rando Thoughtful and then just as suddenly take that gift away? We need to talk, Uncle Stevie.I came across this randomly years after it was written because I was searching "Random Thoughtful. But I have the...
Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.

Help Our Mission