I'm not going to give this a star review, because I don't think it would be 100% fair. This is NOT a very well written book, it's just not. But it is I'm not going to give this a star review, because I don't think it would be 100% fair. This is NOT a very well written book, it's just not. But it is actually a quite compelling and convincing set of arguments. It really needs a strong editor! Oh well.
It's only slightly ironic that I'm posting about a book that tells you to quit social media on a quasi-social media site ... it should be noted that Goodreads is not is the focus of the arguments in this book. ...more
This is such an enjoyable and enlightening read! I would recommend this for anyone involved in policy making, whether in government or in the private This is such an enjoyable and enlightening read! I would recommend this for anyone involved in policy making, whether in government or in the private sector. So many great thoughts on how to design policies and programs that work with human nature instead of against it.
An aside: THANK GOODNESS for behavioral economics. When I was in college and lawschool, economics was all about the "rational person" acting in their own self-interest with access to all of the necessary information. I was like, "who is this person? haven't you guys noticed that most people are actually pretty irrational and often self-destructive?" As a result, economic theory seemed beyond stupid to me. The advent of behavioral economics has been like DUH but also, a revelation!
This is also just a really fun book to read, so even if you're not designing programs and policies, you should still read it. It's absolutely fascinating and delightful. My only sadness (not exactly a critique) about this book is that it describes great governmental policies that will never happen in our current governmental regime. The whole book just screams Obama-era enthusiasm (and please note that the authors are libertarians, but still!). So that is a bit depressing, but the information is still great and of course, there are still many areas in which enlightened policies are still being developed and implemented. ...more
I really enjoyed this "anti-parenting" book. It is full of interesting and relevant science and ethnography, and the author's writing voice is funny, I really enjoyed this "anti-parenting" book. It is full of interesting and relevant science and ethnography, and the author's writing voice is funny, grandmotherly, supportive, and encouraging. The thesis of the book is that a parent's job is to love and support her kids, not mold them to be a specific way. To provide them with a garden rather than to shape and work them. I loved that basic premise, and I loved the many examples and descriptions of scientific studies and experiments. Although I had a few minor quibbles, over all I would recommend this book to any new parent. In fact, I kind of want to burn all my "parenting" books and just recommend this one to everyone....more
I really enjoyed this page-turning fictionalized account of anthropologist Margaret Mead in Papua New Guinea. I have some mild reservations, but overaI really enjoyed this page-turning fictionalized account of anthropologist Margaret Mead in Papua New Guinea. I have some mild reservations, but overall the portrayal was thoughtful, compelling, and well done. If the story had stayed closer to real life, I actually think I would have felt more critical of the fictionalized elements, but because the story goes in a very different direction than Mead's, I could accept more poetic/literary license overall. I was left wanting to get back into reading ethnographies! ...more
Disclosure: I'm 100% a "stayer" and not a "mover." I joke that I've tried to leave Northern California a few times, but I was always horribly homesickDisclosure: I'm 100% a "stayer" and not a "mover." I joke that I've tried to leave Northern California a few times, but I was always horribly homesick and had to come back. This is my home and I have no desire to live anywhere else. Northern California also happens to be a pretty hip place with a lot of engaged folks working on projects to improve their neighborhoods.
Additional disclosure: I work in city government, so I'm familiar with and interested in strategies for increasing local engagement and place attachment. Which is why I wanted to read this book.
I think, because of those two things, this book did not resonate with me. I couldn't relate to the author's "mover" propensities, and I found her "love where you live" suggestions to be largely very obvious and superficial. Now, don't get me wrong, I think these suggestions could be really helpful for "movers" who are looking to put down roots for the first time. But if you're fully rooted, you could probably write the same list of suggestions. And if you're engaged in city government and planning, you've probably seen many of them in action and could rank them by efficacy. In short, this is a "beginners" approach to place attachment, whereas I'm ready for something more advanced!
That said, it's an enjoyable enough read and the author references a lot of really interesting sounding books and articles about community engagement and place attachment that I would really like to explore.
Conclusion: This book would be really great for chronic "movers" looking to put down roots and folks who have never been "participators" looking to get more engaged in their community. ...more
This little (actually not that little) history of everyday life in Victorian Britain is engaging, fun, and utterly enjoyable (except the completely hoThis little (actually not that little) history of everyday life in Victorian Britain is engaging, fun, and utterly enjoyable (except the completely horrifying parts, which are still fascinating!). I think this is a must-read for any lover of 19th Century English literature, and any history buff will enjoy it. Since the author was basically a participant in a "reality show" about living on a Victorian-style farm, I admit I expected this book to be a lot more gimmicky! But I loved the author's voice and her occasional descriptions of her own experience. The writing is engaging, fun, and compassionate, and the author's longtime interest in and love of history shows on every page.
I really relished this book. It took a long time for me to read, in small bits on my commutes, etc., but it's one of those books that is enjoyable to spread out over a long time and can be read slowly, one small section at a time, without losing anything. ...more
I found this to be an interesting, but definitely ... er ... challenging read. Interesting in the discussion of the role of the "new domesticity" in oI found this to be an interesting, but definitely ... er ... challenging read. Interesting in the discussion of the role of the "new domesticity" in our current economy and current attitudes towards feminism. Challenging because the home-cooking, sewing, gardening people she's talking about, often with a tone of not-so-subtle condescension, sound a whole lot like me! No one likes to be told that their favorite activities are just the latest fad, and I'm no exception! So I found myself squirming and feeling defensive and put-off quite a lot while reading this.
Nonetheless, it is definitely a thought-provoking discussion of a major movement, and I appreciated the feminist and economic analysis of this cultural trend. It's true that bad economies have historically brought "back-to-the-home" movements - the 30s, the 70s, today. It's also true that many young and young-ish people these days are pretty discouraged and disheartened with their career opportunities, and domesticity can be a respite from a crappy economy and crappy opportunities. It is further absolutely important to note that while feminism is all about "choice," the choice to be a homemaker may often be influenced by the fact that the economy is craptastic, good jobs are impossible to find, and daycare is insanely expensive. To some extent, therefore, it's not a real "choice" - it's parents making the best of their situations. Which isn't to say it's not awesome in many respects for many women - but the fact is, it's mostly women staying home, and not having earning power does put women at a disadvantage in their partnerships, no matter how unpleasant it is to acknowledge or discuss this out loud. So the forces that are sending women back to the home are not all "celebrating and reclaiming the home" - there may be some darker ramifications too.
So the author has some really really good points. I did find it unfortunate that her examples of the "new domesticity" were fairly stereotyped, and there was little discussion of folks like me, who were raised in a more "DIY/back-to-the-land" culture and thus see much of our cooking/sewing/gardening as more of a continuation than a reaction against our parents. There is also precious little discussion of folks (also like me) who are full time professionals but really enjoy doing these things in our spare time, not for money. I know you can't cover everyone, but it would have been nice to see a bit more breadth.
Overall, thought-provoking, even if she did make me feel like I'm a slave to fashion!
I have been enjoying breezing through some Malcolm Gladwell on audio. If nothing else, it's good to know what everyone else is talking about!
This is I have been enjoying breezing through some Malcolm Gladwell on audio. If nothing else, it's good to know what everyone else is talking about!
This is my favorite by far. It has the deepest (still sometimes a bit shallow) observations and most interesting and thought provoking premise. These are very enjoyable to read and I can definitely see the appeal, even if I remain somewhat skeptical of the underlying science and conclusions ... ...more
I learned a lot about late antiquity and Justinian's reign from this book, but the writing style is distractingly weird! Very incohesive! Way too manyI learned a lot about late antiquity and Justinian's reign from this book, but the writing style is distractingly weird! Very incohesive! Way too many analogies made between things like the Roman Empire and like, outer space? WTF? The audiobook was narrated by a guy with the flattest monotone EVER, which didn't help. And for the love of all things holy, please stop anthropomorphizing/dramatizing/personifying the plague bacillus. So. Insanely. Annoying. It is not a "demon." It is a BACTERIA. I really don't see why this is so hard....more
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