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Recent Reviews
Steve Inskeep
Positive Booklist ... [a] uniquely American story ... That the Frémonts’ story also embodied pre-Civil War America’s larger movements of women’s rights, opposition to slavery, and the \'manifest destiny\' of westward settlement makes this an insightful and welcome biography of consequential Americans.
David Shariatmadari
Positive Booklist Each chapter leans into and deconstructs a different erroneous claim about language, providing a wealth of context without getting too bogged down in technical jargon ... Shariatmadari’s treatise fits into the bevy of books about modern language written for a general audience, which matches his goal of reaching not just, in his words, \'the nerds and pedants.\' A worthwhile addition to any collection.
David M. Rubenstein
Positive Booklist Amiable yet informative, the interviews helpfully distill what are often massive tomes into an enjoyable collection of revelatory anecdotes, trivia, and bits of wisdom for modern legislators and citizens alike. American history buffs won’t find much new here, but this is a worthwhile read if only for enjoying professional storytellers in a friendly atmosphere.
Gretchen McCulloch
Positive Booklist McCulloch writes enthusiastically about how emoji symbolize digital gestures, how chat technologies have changed conversation over time, and how the post–WWII \'golden age\' of acronyms led to the emergence of \'social acronyms\' like btw, omg, and lol. There’s also a clarifying \'Taxonomy of Internet People,\' which marks internet generations based on the services and skills they used when coming online: “Old Internet People” experienced Usenet, forums, and Listservs, for example, whereas \'Full Internet People\' came of age with AOL Instant Messenger, MySpace, and blogs. This is an insightful analysis of language and the internet of right now, in-depth yet accessible to any internet generation.
Tony Horwitz
Positive booklist A tour is only as good as its guide, and Horwitz is a seasoned one—inquisitive, open-minded, and opting for observation over judgment ...The book will appeal to fans of travelogue, Civil War–era history, and current events by way of Southern sensibilities.
Mark Synnott
Mixed Booklist Synnott’s admiration for the subject matter results in a lot of plodding backstory between the climbs themselves; the book works best when exploring the psychological challenges of such harrowing endeavors. The 2018 documentary Free Solo captures Honnold’s story and his sweaty-palm-inducing feat in a more concise and visceral way, but those looking to know more about the people and culture of climbing’s past and present will be roped in by this sporting memoir-biography hybrid.
Tom Clavin
Positive Booklist Well written, full of vivid characters, and detailed, but built largely from existing literature, this is an accessible celebration of Hickok’s life rather than a rigorous deconstruction of his romantic mythos. Casual fans of the Old West and the HBO show Deadwood will appreciate the wild ride.
Jackie Chan with Zhu Mo
Positive Booklist \"This plainspoken, breezy, and sympathetic memoir (translated from the original Chinese) reveals the life story behind the sunny smile of one of cinema’s most popular action stars ... Just as impressive as Chan’s intense work ethic and dedication to doing his own stunts is the list he provides of nearly two-dozen stunt-related injuries he has suffered over the years ... This is a worthy addition to library collections not only because of Chan’s worldwide fame but also for the value of a non-Western Hollywood success story.
Nick Coleman
Positive Booklist Coleman’s ambitious literary style...separates his writing from straightforward music criticism but still demands a basic level of music appreciation for full enjoyment. Best for record-store fiends and casual listeners looking to explore aspects of music beyond today’s Top 40.
Michael Azerrad
Positive Booklist Each \'law\' is given its own page and original illustration by album-cover-artist Ed Fotheringham, so it’s a quick read that will clock in faster than your favorite rock album. Only dedicated readers of Rolling Stone, Spin, Pitchfork, and their ilk will be able to fully appreciate sarcastic koans like, \'If you know you’re supposed to like the album but didn’t get it at first, you MUST say it ‘rewards repeat listens’\' and \'Why say someone ‘wrote’ a song when you can say they ‘penned’ it?\' A good choice for libraries with a rockin’ music section.
Christine Lagorio-Chafkin
Positive Booklist Lagorio-Chafkin, a writer for Inc. magazine, covers the whole story in this meticulous and even-handed examination of one of Silicon Valley’s most controversial and consequential successes ... the book works as a portrait of both internet culture and a startup-turned-phenomenon reckoning with success.
Christian Di Spigna
Positive Library Journal Di Spigna, a Colonial Williamsburg volunteer and enthusiast of the era, sometimes borders on hagiography with an overt mission of boosting Warren\'s historical prominence ... Still, this concise and accessible primer on a significant but mostly forgotten figure offers a great read for those interested in early American history beyond the usual names.
David Frye
Positive Booklist Border walls are as old as civilization itself, and, whether made of brick, stone, or earth, their ruins appear all over the world. To the modern eye, writes professor of ancient and medieval history Frye , they have similar characteristics: obscure barriers, colorful nicknames, and \'nearly always facing desolate wastelands.\' ... The book is helpfully peppered with maps and a time line for historical orientation and packs an impressive amount of scholarship and storytelling into its relatively compact perimeter. Walls could add a level of context to the current heated discussion of walls in the U.S.
Louis Hyman
Positive Booklist Online Hyman charts the decades-long rise of our automation-fueled \'ad-hocracy\' through the companies that helped create it, from the early days of GM to Upwork and Uber today. Despite some overly thorough stretches, the book succeeds as a synthesis of economics, sociology, and history by opting for good storytelling over jargon. Recommended as a topical title for all collections.