Scan barcode
cordell's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
4.0
Biography of a man who is vastly unappreciated and should be celebrated
hofmerin's review against another edition
2.0
Full disclosure, I couldn't finish this book. The gist if the story was told in the first pages. I think that I would have found the narrative more interesting if I had any familiarity with English towns. I felt like I was stuck in mud reading this book. The premise was interesting, and valiant effort trying to liven up such an old topic. Usually these books are right up my alley but no dice this time.
allielippe's review against another edition
Dry, dense, and far too many unnecessary details. That author really overused his dictionary and thesaurus
lakecake's review against another edition
3.0
This story was just "eh" for me. It's a necessarily cursory look at William Smith's life--necessary because there isn't really a lot known about certain parts of his life, and also because it was meant to be a short book. Maybe it would have been better if we had had more of a look at him, but most of the time I was thinking, "OK, but so what?" So he made this map...and it was the first of its kind...so what? It never really gains a sense of urgency. This is a rare misfire from Winchester.
mcparks's review against another edition
3.0
Great story, terrible writing. I want to love this because I am a geologist but just can never get into it.
yetilibrary's review against another edition
1.0
I feel bad giving this just one star but this book was outright sedating. I had SO MUCH TROUBLE staying awake while reading it. I kept switching to other books I had in my queue for February but eventually I ran out and had to focus on this one and oh my word I just could not stay focused.
I wonder if I would have enjoyed this more if I were a geologist. I also wonder if I would've enjoyed it more if about 50% of the book--all the digressions, the fluff, the DID YOU KNOW THE BACKSTORY OF THIS INCREDIBLY MINOR PLAYER? sidebars--was removed. Perhaps other readers find it charming and whimsical, but I just found it frustrating and dull. This is about William Smith and his awesome map(s), I want to learn about THAT! I want to learn about geology! I don't care about the time you found a neat-looking rock!
Also, the author clearly has an "I HEART WILLIAM SMITH" bumper sticker on his car and every surface in his home. The constant fawning over OMG MY HERO! gets a little old. Yes, he's fantastic, I get it, can you settle down?
Final complaint: I would have liked more maps and diagrams. Maybe it's because I'm a huge nerd; maybe it's because I like to visualize things. But when so much discussion is of rock layers and the fossils contained therein, a couple of diagrams (one of which languishes AT THE END, and neither of which is referred to in the text) do not suffice. Charts showing the reader what Smith is finding, at least once per chapter, would help us see what he sees and follow Smith's train of thought. For a book about MAPS it's frustratingly short of visual aids.
In conclusion: a swing and a miss. Blargh.
I wonder if I would have enjoyed this more if I were a geologist. I also wonder if I would've enjoyed it more if about 50% of the book--all the digressions, the fluff, the DID YOU KNOW THE BACKSTORY OF THIS INCREDIBLY MINOR PLAYER? sidebars--was removed. Perhaps other readers find it charming and whimsical, but I just found it frustrating and dull. This is about William Smith and his awesome map(s), I want to learn about THAT! I want to learn about geology! I don't care about the time you found a neat-looking rock!
Also, the author clearly has an "I HEART WILLIAM SMITH" bumper sticker on his car and every surface in his home. The constant fawning over OMG MY HERO! gets a little old. Yes, he's fantastic, I get it, can you settle down?
Final complaint: I would have liked more maps and diagrams. Maybe it's because I'm a huge nerd; maybe it's because I like to visualize things. But when so much discussion is of rock layers and the fossils contained therein, a couple of diagrams (one of which languishes AT THE END, and neither of which is referred to in the text) do not suffice. Charts showing the reader what Smith is finding, at least once per chapter, would help us see what he sees and follow Smith's train of thought. For a book about MAPS it's frustratingly short of visual aids.
In conclusion: a swing and a miss. Blargh.
jdhobbes's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.75