Such a fun read! The gist (from the book): some manner of cause-and-effect relationship existed between the rise of scientific knowledge and the decline of magic.
It brings together some of my favorite things: Boston, and more specifically, Belmont, MA (where I once attended high school); Constantinople in the 1200's; and more specifically again, the Fourth Crusade.
I love a good post-apocalyptic story of survival. I especially like the references to Ancient Greek and Roman history.
I didn't want a dog. Little did I know it at the time, but my wife and daughter overrode me. I was a week out before needing to remove a blood clot in my brain. I didn't have any fight in me. And the day we picked up Jackson, I was out of it.
Over time, Jackson, became MY dog.
The Kindle notes are few on this one but they do a perfect job of relating how I feel about J.
I am forever grateful to the Art of Manliness website and Nick Offerman for introducing me to the work of Wendell Berry. Jayber Crow was my first introduction. I have since gone on to read Berry's essays, short stories, other novels and poetry. I haven't even put a dent in his catalog. It is hard to put my finger on what I appreciate so much about his work. Every time I read something by Wendell, it always makes me feel like I need to STOP. To slow down. To really re-evaluate what is important and what is just non-sense.
I've read this a few times. I like everything about it. It is semi-based in historical fact; an Arab fighting along side of Vikings and a monster to slay.
Foundational. This is the book that launched 1,000 ships. Other books, games, movies, etc. It was a game-changer.
Excellent piece of near-future/semi-dystopian science fiction. Hackers versus the police/surveillance state.
Neuromancer and Snow Crash with a heavy dose of late 20th century pop culture and gaming references abound! Excellent book for Generation X.
When it came to my research, I never took any shortcuts. Over the past five years, I’d worked my way down the entire recommended gunter reading list. Douglas Adams. Kurt Vonnegut. Neal Stephenson. Richard K. Morgan. Stephen King. Orson Scott Card. Terry Pratchett. Terry Brooks. Bester, Bradbury, Haldeman, Heinlein, Tolkien, Vance, Gibson, Gaiman, Sterling, Moorcock, Scalzi, Zelazny.