There are multiple layers to this book, the first being Daniel Bergner's exquisite way of writing about music. He uses the most apt descriptors to help those unacquainted with the opera world understand the nuance in the art of the singer. I feel so privileged to have had this look into the world of opera... Continue Reading →
Rating: 5/5 “To be human is to confuse a satisfying story with a meaningful one, and to mistake life for something huge with two legs. No: life is mobilized on a vastly larger scale, and the world is failing precisely because no novel can make the contest for the world seem as compelling as the... Continue Reading →
Rating: 4.5/5 The bright yellow book jacket of Figuring naturally prompted many questions while I schlepped it around. It was no simple feat to answer the query “What is your book about?” as Maria Popova defies any sort of classification in her thoughtful, circular, and transcendent writing. At its core, this book is about a... Continue Reading →
Rating: 4.5/5 Name a major event of the last century. You could say World War II, the Civil Rights Movement, 9/11, the Iran-Contra scandal, the Space Race, and many many more. Cancer is on the rise. There are enough nuclear weapons to destroy the Earth many times over. An island of plastic larger than western... Continue Reading →
Rating: 5/5 It’s hard to believe that anyone in the US understands how to live off the land anymore. As participants in society, we accept our extremely specialized roles where we go to work, make money, spend money on things we like, and repeat. Despite this bleak cycle, there is one man who for decades... Continue Reading →
Rating: 4/5 There is something visceral that draws me to nature. Maybe it was the days spent roaming the woods near my house or the many family camping trips, but the wilderness in the world has always drawn me in. At the same time, I like the comfort of my life within society. I don’t... Continue Reading →
Rating: 5/5 “I read the other day some verses written by an eminent painter which were original and not conventional. The soul always hears an admonition in such lines, let the subject be what it may. The sentiment they instill is of more value than any thought they may contain.”Emerson, "Self-Reliance" Every time I read... Continue Reading →
Rating: 4.5 It’s been over half a century since the Second World War. Those that survived the Halocaust or fought in the war are dying out. We are losing a valuable perspective on one of the most uncontroversial moves in American foreign policy. Many think of Hitler as the embodiment of evil, and use the... Continue Reading →
Rating: 3/5 I was really intrigued by this book. I picked it up by chance at a used bookstore, and after reading some good reviews online I was hooked. It has a lot of things going for it - strong female character, mystery/suspense told from multiple perspectives, and a unique way of storytelling through a... Continue Reading →
Rating: 4.5/5 I thought I was fairly educated about global issues. Definitely no expert, but I listen to the news, talk with others about current events, and participate in political campaigns. After reading Factfulness, however, my conception of being “educated” was shattered. I couldn’t pass the basic multiple-choice test at the beginning of Hans Rosling’s... Continue Reading →
Truly Scrumptious Books 