The plotting here is just amazing. There is a lot going on but it never feels overwhelming or much of a muchness. I'm not sure whether I'm more exciteThe plotting here is just amazing. There is a lot going on but it never feels overwhelming or much of a muchness. I'm not sure whether I'm more excited to be reading it as a serial, or to re-read the whole thing once it's done.
I bought a copy.
I really should give a read-through. The details are fading from my mind....more
Back when I still loved John Irving, before all his little stylistic quirks began to bug me, this was my favorite of his novels. And while I still admBack when I still loved John Irving, before all his little stylistic quirks began to bug me, this was my favorite of his novels. And while I still admire the way it fits together, the intricate plotting, the point of the book appeals rather less. I'm kind of afraid to read it again, honestly....more
The episodic nature makes it a little slow going at times, but overall I ended up really liking it. Schmidt pays attention to school dynamics, friendsThe episodic nature makes it a little slow going at times, but overall I ended up really liking it. Schmidt pays attention to school dynamics, friendships and budding romance, family dynamics, small town politics, and national politics, which is an awful lot to take on. But he manages to make it work. One of my favorite aspects is how the perception of a given Shakespeare play changes according to the events in the reader's life.
What happens when your ordinary modern girl finds herself in a fairy tale? Kate discovers the magic within a very lucky baseball glove,2007 October 23
What happens when your ordinary modern girl finds herself in a fairy tale? Kate discovers the magic within a very lucky baseball glove, and that leads her to a chance to find out. She's not impressed at the idea of sitting around waiting for some guy to rescue her.
Highly recommended to anyone looking for a feminist fairy tale for a new reader.
I really like the previous two Bat books by Brian Lies. And I have a soft spot for books about baseball. for some reason, the subject brings out a poeI really like the previous two Bat books by Brian Lies. And I have a soft spot for books about baseball. for some reason, the subject brings out a poetic and nostalgic warmth that other topics don't elicit from the same writers. Lies got all that, and some very amusing little jokes in, as well. "Cricket Jack" amused both the PandaBat and me....more
I had checked it out for Tash, because who doesn't like comics when they're ill? She loved it, and gave it back to me when she'd finished. I remember I had checked it out for Tash, because who doesn't like comics when they're ill? She loved it, and gave it back to me when she'd finished. I remember reading Foxtrot unknown years ago, when I took daily and Sunday papers, but I'd never been a particular fan. And I realize these strips were pulled out as being to interest to kids. But hey, cool, they cover summer vacations, and bench-warming, and exam weeks. Most of all what I enjoyed was the little digs at each other between family members who aren't really hating each other. Broad comedy, but no drama. I especially appreciated the way the strips dealt with having a gifted kid, how really irritating that could be. A little gender stereotyped, perhaps, but there's nothing mean here at all.
There was a review, a long one. A really, really good one, that would tell you exactly what you want to know about the book, but nothing more. ApparenThere was a review, a long one. A really, really good one, that would tell you exactly what you want to know about the book, but nothing more. Apparently I failed to save that review. My apologies to you and to Mr Bryson, who really deserved that review.
The sixteen-year-old and I read this simultaneously, and we both dearly loved it. Bryson is always amusing, which is why we both read him, but he's also really good and including the sort of details you want to know. This is essentially all the big news stories of this one summer: a sensational murder trial, baseball records being set, movies, international news. He manages to pass along the juicy tidbits in context, and an appalling context is often is. The racism, sexism, fascism, etc. is just gross, but Bryson doesn't shirk from revealing those warts in his portrait. It is a book that will rule your small talk for the duration: "Hey, did you know...?" I felt so well informed while I was reading it.
Sadly, my memory is going, and two months later I'm hard-pressed to remember anything specific, except that I really enjoyed reading the book
First things first: skip the introduction. It's more boring than any other section, and all it tells is what the general outline of the book is. You cFirst things first: skip the introduction. It's more boring than any other section, and all it tells is what the general outline of the book is. You can get that from the contents.
This is a book which is very well-researched, and well-reasoned, with apt examples. The net result is that what Silver is saying seems self-evident. Forecasting is hard, forecasting accurately is harder. The National Weather Service gets it right, the McLoughlin Group gets it horrifically wrong, but earns ratings. By the time you get to the end you'll be saying "of course" to everything Silver writes, because he's built just that substantial a case.
If someone had told me, ahead of time, that this was a book explaining how Bayesian reasoning can make forecasting better, that it talked a lot about baseball and poker, I wouldn't have read it, probably. Don't let that dissuade you. In real life we are constantly making our own or interpreting the forecasts of others, and Silver explains how we can do that better. It's not flashy or gimmicky, but it's truly useful advice we can all apply to a greater or lesser extent.
Well done. Green manages to disappear, so that one feels as though Johnson has just kind of sat down and told you her story. And it's all about her loWell done. Green manages to disappear, so that one feels as though Johnson has just kind of sat down and told you her story. And it's all about her love of baseball. Pretty amazing story....more
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