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laurenreadsoccasionally's reviews
94 reviews
In Pursuit of the Unknown: 17 Equations That Changed the World by Ian Stewart
4.0
Rounding up from a 3.5 (I refuse to use half stars and re-do my categories) because I would have liked more details on the actual math, but viewing it as a snapshot of how math and mathematicians have influenced other fields it was very good.
A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching: Getting to Know the World's Most Misunderstood Bird by Rosemary Mosco
3.0
It's silly and cute but very informative and I always appreciate authors defending "pest" species.
The Black Death: A Personal History by John Hatcher
2.0
The concept of this book - a docudrama presenting the impact of the black death on a small town - was very unique and unfortunately I think there's a reason for that. The book tried to be both factual and personal but ultimately ended up being not enough of either. The narrative, due to being based largely on court records, felt distant and impersonal, and the factual elements were repetitive so I came away feeling like I hadn't learned nearly enough for how many pages I read. There were definitely interesting elements in the role of religion and how news spread, however, I think some of my appreciation came from my own comparisons with covid-19 rather than the book itself. I'm giving it two stars because I do feel like I got something out of it, just not enough to warrant anything higher.