For
many years, I planned to read this slender book because I am interested in
both Hawking and physics. Having never formally studied physics, it was a
challenging read. Moreover, it was the first time I did a companion book with a friend of mine where we would read and discuss each chapter; this approach
was crucial as he is more scientifically inclined than I am.
Doing it together
also helped me stay motivated, and I felt like I got more out of the process.
The
book is a mind-bending journey that has given me deeper insights into the
fundamentals of how the universe works. I had some moments of catharsis as I
gained a deeper understanding of, for example, why the General Theory of
Relativity was so groundbreaking and the importance of Heisenberg’s Uncertainty
Principle.
I recommend it to anyone who would like to know more about physics
in general and specifically what this thing is that we refer to as Time.
Was there a beginning of time? Could time run backwards? Is the universe infinite or does it have boundaries? These are just some of the questions considered in an internationally acclaimed masterpiece by one of the world's greatest thinkers. It begins by reviewing the great theories of the cosmos from Newton to Einstein, before delving into the secrets which still lie at the heart of space and time, from the Big Bang to black holes, via spiral galaxies and strong theory. To this day A Brief History of Time remains a staple of the scientific canon, and its succinct and…
Amazingly,
I had not gotten around to reading this short novel until 2023. Steinbeck is
one of my favorites for many reasons; several are on display in Cannery Row, including many well-drawn characters who are memorable far beyond turning the
final page.
Moreover,
this book is typical of Steinbeck's rare ability to blend the natural world
with human calamity. His training as an oceanographer seeps through on
nearly every page, and the long descriptions of sea creatures add a layer of
depth that has the briny delight of eating a fresh-shucked oyster.
It is also one
of those rare little novels that feels much bigger in theme but does not follow
a traditional plot structure, so there is a lot to enjoy from both a reader's
and writer's perspective.
In the din and stink that is Cannery Row a colourful blend of misfits - gamblers, whores, drunks, bums and artists - survive side by side in a jumble of adventure and mischief. Lee Chong, the astute owner of the well-stocked grocery store, is also the proprietor of the Palace Flophouse that Mack and his troupe of good-natured 'boys' call home. Dora runs the brothel with clockwork efficiency and a generous heart, and Doc is the fount of all wisdom. Packed with invention and joie de vivre CANNERY ROW is Steinbeck's high-spirited tribute to his native California.
I have wanted to check out
Beatty’s work for a long time. He is in a special class of prose authors who
started writing poetry like the late great Denis Johnson.
This book is a
dazzling display of Beatty’s phenomenal vocabulary and ability to use words in
novel ways. What truly makes the book special is the expanse of what he covers
in a book of just over 250 pages. Not only is it an education on music, but the
book touches on numerous important themes.
Beatty brings a freshness to describing
the city of Berlin, which feels both unique and accurate. Perhaps most
pleasurable is Beatty’s quirky sense of humor, which he displays on nearly every
page.
I cannot recall reading a book that made me laugh out loud as much as Slumberland.
Now that I have read Beatty, I’m hooked, and I plan to read the remainder of his
oeuvre.
The hip break-out novel from 2016 Man Booker Prize winning author, Paul Beatty, about a disaffected Los Angeles DJ who travels to post-Wall Berlin in search of his transatlantic doppelganger.
Hailed by the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times as one of the best writers of his generation, Paul Beatty turns his creative eye to man's search for meaning and identity in an increasingly chaotic world.
After creating the perfect beat, DJ Darky goes in search of Charles Stone, a little know avant-garde jazzman, to play over his sonic masterpiece. His quest brings him to a recently unified…
The perfect book to read with a glass of wine in hand.
Inside The Chinese Wine Industry takes you on a thrilling adventure through the past, present, and future of wine in China. The wine business is one of the world’s most compelling industries, and China is considered the rising star.
A hidden secret, Chinese wine production continues to grow at an amazing pace. It is poised to soon enter the top five producing nations, supplanting long-established countries such as Australia. Wine has had a meteoric rise in China over the past two decades. The nation is projected to become the second most valuable market for wine in the world by 2020.
