Admittedly not everything in this book is TECHNICALLY fermented, but the spirit and traditions of many of these practices are adjacent to the point ofAdmittedly not everything in this book is TECHNICALLY fermented, but the spirit and traditions of many of these practices are adjacent to the point of overlapping so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
There were bits I skimmed (bioremediation, anyone? human decomposition, anyone?!) BUT this book definitely tickles my fancy in areas I know and love (i.e., fermented alcoholic beverages) and piqued my interest in dabbling in some others (e.g., keffir, sauerkraut, and maybe some of those cured meats).
Katz is an outstanding narrator and storyteller, and if this sort of thing interests you at all then this book is 100% worth your time. Even if you skip over the bits about making silage and compost....more
Short stories. Strong Marxist and/or anarcho-socialist streak. Some New Weird. Some horror. Some noir-ish stuff. My enthusiasm waned more than it waxeShort stories. Strong Marxist and/or anarcho-socialist streak. Some New Weird. Some horror. Some noir-ish stuff. My enthusiasm waned more than it waxed. I didn't finish the stories. I might have given more time, but the library loan was expiring, and I was ready to move on.
(Oh and I really could have have done without the author's meta-commentary. I had a writing professor in college that convinced me of just how self-indulgent that crap is. These were a case study in that.)...more
I felt like the plot was a little muddy, which made it feel like things were low-stakes for the characters until... pretty much until the climax, realI felt like the plot was a little muddy, which made it feel like things were low-stakes for the characters until... pretty much until the climax, really. But there was enough other stuff going on here both stylistically and philosophically (i.e., w/r/t/ themes) that it kept me reading.
Really enjoyed the elements that illustrated how a state-run program can sound all well-intentioned but in actuality be effectively imposed by an authoritarian minority, and also how the policies of such a state can weaponize people's attitudes against one another.
But that all seemed like ambient friction in the story, and at arm's length from the personal struggles of the main narrator. Bound up in it but still ... the specifics of her story seemed to have a lot of threads that were more... tangled? vs. intertwined?
Anyway, would recommend. Quick read. Feminist themes. Some worthwhile parody. Healthy dose of surrealism....more
Everyone likes a story about the misunderstood (and underestimated) underdog, eh? This was … fine. It was fine. It was a good novel for passing the tiEveryone likes a story about the misunderstood (and underestimated) underdog, eh? This was … fine. It was fine. It was a good novel for passing the time and a sensible progression from the previous two in the series. Effectively a Bildungsroman?
Sensible progression w/r/t/ characters, setting, and overarching series plot. Some of it feels a little overwrought, but the whole generational frictiSensible progression w/r/t/ characters, setting, and overarching series plot. Some of it feels a little overwrought, but the whole generational friction + passing-of-the-torch conflicts worked for me. Still trying to place the specifics into historical context though (i.e., what generations is she alluding to?)
Was also a little nice to see some softening of the whole dragonriders-as-authoritarians element that was so pervasive in book #1. And/but/so -- still a little much sexual assault....more
We had it out of the library for like… 8 weeks? Longer? A good variety of recipes, most of which are both fast and flavorful. Most ingredients are comWe had it out of the library for like… 8 weeks? Longer? A good variety of recipes, most of which are both fast and flavorful. Most ingredients are common and/or easy to obtain....more
In lieu of a full review, a couple of high-level notes:
[1] I preferred the structure of …Justice; i.e., the interleaved past/present-tense stories. I In lieu of a full review, a couple of high-level notes:
[1] I preferred the structure of …Justice; i.e., the interleaved past/present-tense stories. I think I understand why that wasn’t the case here but … personal preferences &c.
[2] Maybe I just didn’t notice it with …Justicebut this one seemed to have some comma-heavy sentences that were stylistically dressed up for no reason. Except maybe as in conjunction with #4 (below)?
[3] “Begging the Fleet Captain’s indulgence.” Stop it.
[4] Especially after re-reading …Justice right before this but WOW is this a deep treatment of Colonialist themes. Esp. w/r/t/ British Colonialism. A government installed to oversee tea production gets nepotistic and corrupt? Oh yeah....more
Would recommend to anyone who is interested in learning the meta-skills around thinking, learning, and focus.
A bunch of the material in here is stuff Would recommend to anyone who is interested in learning the meta-skills around thinking, learning, and focus.
A bunch of the material in here is stuff that I’ve already heard of and tried and/or actively practice. (That was validating.) There was some of practices in here that I hadn’t really heard of before — the Pragmatic Investment Plan in particular felt like a revelation. The book even had me hive Mind Maps another try, with good results.
Big takeaways for me: consider your skills along the Dreyfus model scale; approach situations with a Beginner’s mindset, even if you believe yourself an expert; be aware of the biases/heuristics that you use, and be prepared to reevaluate your choices in light of them — but don’t chose yourself too much for what is otherwise your intuition at work....more
Substantially more technical than I was expecting. I knew it would go into the style deeply, but then it got deep into the chemistry of melanoidin proSubstantially more technical than I was expecting. I knew it would go into the style deeply, but then it got deep into the chemistry of melanoidin production, their effects on oxidation, and a whole lot more on HOW these beers get made. Focuses on commercial scale technique, but enough of it translates to 5 gal. batches just fine....more
It was entertaining in many places, tedious and obnoxious in others. (Stop telling me about Parker’s erections and Lourdes’ farts.) Like “Westworld” mIt was entertaining in many places, tedious and obnoxious in others. (Stop telling me about Parker’s erections and Lourdes’ farts.) Like “Westworld” meets … some kind of teenaged sex comedy. With a gonzo streak a mile long....more
You know. It's basically an encyclopedia of Marvel characters in the Avengers timeline. I read it along with my 6 year old. We had fun.You know. It's basically an encyclopedia of Marvel characters in the Avengers timeline. I read it along with my 6 year old. We had fun....more
I don't know that I can give this a proper and worthy review. I suspect it needs a re-read for that. A couple of notes though:
• Elements of this reminI don't know that I can give this a proper and worthy review. I suspect it needs a re-read for that. A couple of notes though:
• Elements of this remind me of Cloud Atlas and/or House of Leaves and/or other novels that use story-within-a-story. (Embedding? Framing?) The way it's done here is ... fascinating.
• `chef_kiss.gif` here w/r/t/ its approach to the endgame of any surveillance state.
• The narrative embraces sex and sexuality in a way that evokes both the carnal pleasures, but also tying it to reproduction (BUT esp. vis-à-vis parenthood) — and/but/so it's doing all that without also becoming explicitly about sex. That said, there's a lot of threads to pull on there, and I haven't unpacked it all. (To mix my metaphors &c.)
• It's easy to close the covers on this one and say: "I think I got it but holy WTF just happened?"...more
Fairly certain this is Morgan's first novel. Reads that way -- promising components, but plenty of clumsy parts. It's a fun thrill-ride, and a worthy-Fairly certain this is Morgan's first novel. Reads that way -- promising components, but plenty of clumsy parts. It's a fun thrill-ride, and a worthy-enough successor to some of its cyberpunk predecessors.
I'll say this though: this is also one of the few places where I'd volunteer the screen adaptation over the novel. The show (on Netflix) has better economy of characters, more sensical character motivations, and a more comprehensible plot. That said, their show wouldn't exist without the core conceits and sensibilities laid out here in the source material....more
Loading...
