bookfairy99's review
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Reading this book is like taking a terrifying rollercoaster ride through the world of science and nature in 2020 -- which was, of course, dominated by COVID, COVID, and yep, more COVID.
Inside you'll find a compilation of 26 articles, mostly penned by journalists or staff writers at magazines. Yong has neatly divided them into three sections: Contagion, Connection, and Consequences. Most of the articles are gems - well-written, engaging, and most importantly, eye-opening.
Among my favourites were "I'm an ER Doctor in New York. None of Us Will Ever Be The Same" by Helen Ouyang? (Heart-wrenching.) "What Happened In Room 10?" by Katie Engelhart? (A real page-turner.) "The Friendship and Love Hospital" by Jiayang Fan and "The Last Children of Down Syndrome" by Sarah Zhang. (Both simply brilliant.) These pieces resonated with me on a personal level, and I found myself thinking about them long after I'd finished reading.
But, like any rollercoaster, there were a few dips. "What the Coronavirus Means for Climate Change" by Meehan Crist, "River of Time," by Namwali Serpell and "The Unsung Heroine of Lichenology" by Sabrina Imbler didn't quite hit the mark for me. They were well-written, sure, but they just didn't grab me in the same way.
What I love about this book is how it doesn't shy away from the tough stuff. These articles confront us with the harsh realities of our world, the result of our own carelessness. It's like a wake-up call, a reminder that we need to do better.
bookish_riz's review
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
I did not think this would give me this much covid anxiety, phew. Many of the stories are sad, moving, and interesting. It was a little slow in some parts, but overall I'm glad I picked this one up.
lukescalone's review
4.0
I really loved the medical and soft environmentalist essays here, topice like butterflies, earthworms, and whatnot all fascinated me. I was less interested in a few other essays, but this was broadly w food collection.
stelepami's review
Just found the subject matter too depressing in many of the essays.