dbrooklyn's reviews
50 reviews

How Magicians Think: Misdirection, Deception, and Why Magic Matters by Joshua Jay

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challenging funny hopeful informative lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

This is the author's impressions of what makes stage magic work, and how the esthetics have changed over time. Very interesting read.
76 Fallacies by Michael LaBossiere

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informative fast-paced

4.0

Good introduction to logical fallacies, with sub-variants having important distinctions. Lots of examples of each, but I found some examples to be a little unclear. I did like that each fallacy included at least two examples.
The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons

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adventurous challenging emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Very good continuation of the story from Hyperion, but this is a very different story. The first novel set the stage, this is a story of a galactic scale war starting, with some very tense situations and a greatly expanded cast. Overall, a very good read with a few surprises 
To Everything That Might Have Been: The Lost Universe Of Space: 1999 by David Hirsch, Christopher Penfold, Robert Wood

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informative lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

This is a nice time capsule of details relating to the production of Space 1999, a 70's science fiction television series. Brings back some fond memories, and is informative of the process of putting together a tv show in the 70's
Diatribes Volume 2: 50 More Essays from a Scathing Atheist (The Scathing Atheist Presents) by Noah Lugeons

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emotional funny hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

This is a compilation of the introductory segments of the Scathing Atheist podcast, adapted for a print medium and re-ordered by topic instead of podcast release order. Each diatribe is very well written, being witty, well thought out, and to the point. Overall, a quick, fun read
Hyperion by Dan Simmons

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adventurous challenging emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This book was very well written, but as it is the first of a four book series, it is mostly setup. There is a thin gathering of the group story, but the background stories of each are very compelling and fill out the whole setting rather well. I'm looking forward to diving into the further novels in the series
WAR IS A RACKET: annotated and updated by Emory Aiken by Smedley D. Butler

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challenging dark informative sad fast-paced

4.0

The message from Smedley Butler is timeless, and as important now as when it was written. The added forward takes away from it by recycling old conspiracy theories
The Plot to Destroy Democracy: How Putin and His Spies Are Undermining America and Dismantling the West by Malcolm Nance

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challenging dark informative sad medium-paced

5.0

Russia interfered the 2016 election, but this is a very detailed examination of the evidence, methods, and motivation written very clearly, by an expert. Excellent read
Doctor Who: City of Death by James Goss

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

This is a story from the Tom Baker era of Doctor Who, and that character shines through. It differs from the final story produced for development, but Douglass Adam's humour and large ideas shine through. Great read from the classic era of Who
The Illuminatus! Trilogy: The Eye in the Pyramid/The Golden Apple/Leviathan by Robert Shea, Robert Anton Wilson

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adventurous challenging funny fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

It's a very non-sense, self-conflicting story. It weaves together some of the enduring conspiracy theories of the last few decades with the common "Them's" the theories are attributed to. Mixed in is some of Levay's version of Satanism philosophies. It's an interesting read, but the non-linear story is very hard to follow
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