An avid reader since inheriting a full bookshelf many years ago, few topics fail to interest me. From a focus on history and society, i've tended to delve into various science fields [for 'delve,' read 'skim.'] In the words attributed to Erasmus, 'When i have little money, i buy books. If i have any left over, i buy food and clothes.' Debating the topics of my reading is the final fulfillment. … Read more
An avid reader since inheriting a full bookshelf many years ago, few topics fail to interest me. From a focus on history and society, i've tended to delve into various science fields [for 'delve,' read 'skim.'] In the words attributed to Erasmus, 'When i have little money, i buy books. If i have any left over, i buy food and clothes.' Debating the topics of my reading is the final fulfillment. I enjoy debating the topics of my reading, so don't hesitate to send your views along. the Bunyip stephen
Reviews
Top Reviewer Ranking: 80(Learn More) - Total Helpful Votes: 1589 of 1775
Folklore, ancient or modern, is one of the major foundation stones of the Discworld books. Human nature being another, one assumes. Discworld folklore is a trivia test among Discworld fans who will slyly ask one another [generally over a pint], if they can identify the origins of a certain figure or idea. With some slight discrepancies between UK and North American versions, such exchanges can become, well, spirited. "Elves or elfs?" is always good for starting an evening.
Pratchett and Simpson sort all this out - and much else besides - in this delightful work on matters folklorish. Typically, the prompt for the book was Pratchett chanting as he signed a previous release: "How… Read more
Combining a long career in the field with a fine narrative style, Renfrew provides a succinct summary of human origins. In a brief overview, the author manages to trace the beginnings of humanity in Africa and how we learned to follow its track across the planet. Well formulated for the reader new to the various research tools that have helped this process, it's also an excellent reference for those conversant with the basics to enlarge their view.
Relying on a global perspective, his account stretches from African beginnings through Asia and Europe and to Mesoamerica. His expansive view allows him to address the question of "how we came to be" with deep insight. "Prehistory", he… Read more
He wasn't physically large, but his physical presence was never in question. His horizons were endless, but he had the drive and ambition to strive to reach them all. Max Aitken's story reads like a modern fairy tale, but the people and circumstances are real. From a Newcastle, New Brunswick childhood, during which his ability to maneuver people for his own ends was manifested early on, Max rose to become a Peer of the Realm, much to the distress of several of the other peers. At the same time he had become the most influential newspaperman in the world. All this before the age of forty!
David Adams Richards was the ideal choice to portray Max. As a novelist, his approach to… Read more
