Catching Stardust | Natalie Starkey | Mini-Review

*Image and book provided via NetGalley for an honest review.

Review:

Starkey takes us on a complete tour of all things comet and asteroid. From their chemical makeup and physical appearance to their probable roles in our past and future. There are chapters dedicated to the mining of asteroids, protecting Earth from asteroids, and missions from space stations around the world landing on comets and collecting their dust for study. I now know so much more about comets and asteroids than I did. I even got a bit of a chemistry and geology refresher. It was definitely written at a level for casual readers and I greatly appreciate that. This is definitely a good book for any amateur astronomer or anyone wondering why comets and asteroids are so important. 3.5 hoots!

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The Science of Monsters | Matt Kaplan

Summary:

This is a non-fiction book of anthropological, psychological, biological and paleontological (and more) theories behind the origins of the various international monsters. Many of the monsters are from western culture (Minotaur, Medusa, Frankenstein's Monster, etc.) But there are a number of global monsters as well.

Review:

I was immediately drawn to this book. Monsters have always fascinated me, even when I was too scared to watch monster movies. Some people may look at this book like a magician revealing his tricks, but I look at it as a truth-is-stranger-than-fiction scenario. The idea that dragon myths may have originated because of pockets of methane triggered by ancient miners is one that thrills me. I genuinely enjoy the scientific explanations of mythological and supernatural ideas. 

The fact that Kaplan presents these theories in an easy-to-read format with a sense of humor and his own sense of wonder is a wonderful bonus. This is a non-fiction but Kaplan does a wonderful job of keeping the book from being dry and boring. His footnotes have good supplementary information and jokes for the reader to enjoy. 

I really feel this book was well researched and well written. There was a lot of intriguing information about how the human perspective of the world has changed throughout the ages and continues to change. The theories on why the roles and histories of monsters have changed through the years make sense and give a new appreciation for the monsters that survived so many generations. Seriously, though the role and history of Medusa has changed, she has survived through millennia to still be part of human culture. That is amazing!

If you're looking for a non-fiction that will appeal to your love of fantasy, this is a great pick. If you're even just mildly curious about some of the monsters you love and where they come from, this is a great book to pick up. I really enjoyed reading this and encourage you to pick it up. 4.5 hoots!

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Open Season | Daren Worcester

*Image and book provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

A collection of true short stories from Maine Warden Service from around the 1960's and 1970's.

Review:

My hometown was the kind of place where schools were closed for the first day of deer hunting season. I practically grew up on stories about hunters and fishers. So when I found a book that told those stories from the perspective of law enforcement I had to pick it up. A lot of these stories had me laughing as much as a Patrcik F. McManus collection. The sheer stupidity of some poachers. Other times it was the dumb luck of the wardens that had me chuckling. Fair warning, though, not all the stories have happy endings, there are a handful of sad stories. Fortunately Worcester does a wonderful job of balancing the sad with the happy and the silly, making this a very good book to pick up for anyone you know who considers themselves hunters, fishers or woodsmen. 

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Weird Dinosaurs | John Pickrell

*Free copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

John Pickrell takes us all over the world and through time to learn more about the strangest dinosaurs and the, sometimes even stranger, paleontologists who found them. 

Review:

Like most people, I fell in love with dinosaurs thanks to Jurassic Park. While my original plans to become a paleontologist didn't pan out, I've still held on to my love of dinosaurs. Even when science told us that they were actually feathery creatures, instead of the scaly lizards we originally thought. I was prepared for this book to be a very technical read and was still excited to read it. The fact that it ended up being an incredible series of adventure stories was a wonderful surprise. 

Pickrell takes us to some of the biggest dig sites on each continent. I had no idea that there was such a big "market" for paleontologists in Mongolia, Antarctica and Madagascar. He shows us that not all fossils are found in desert conditions and talks about the trials and tribulations of digging out said fossils when the weather and geography are never on your side.He talks about contemporary paleontologists trying to find dig sites found a century or two ago and gives mini-biographies on some of the older paleontologists. It really is a grand adventure. 

This book was so much fun to read and learn from! I'd love to have more pictures, but I also enjoyed finding the dinosaurs on Google Images, especially the one dubbed "Hellboy". It's so fascinating to read about all the different "decorations" that dinosaurs evolved for various reasons. It was even more fun to read about so many of my previous thoughts about dinosaurs be proven wrong. The notion that dinosaurs could only live in tropical climates? Not true. The evidence has been found. Seeing what happens to dinosaur populations that evolved on islands and seeing the work that goes into putting the pieces together, literally and figuratively, makes for an incredible read for any dinosaur lover. 

If you have any interest at all in dinosaurs or want to get someone interested in them, I highly recommend Weird Dinosaurs. 4.5 Hoots!

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Kaiju Winter | Jake Bible

Summary:

The supervolcano underneath Yellowstone Park is about to erupt. The United States is barely able to hold on to its identity as a country while shipping civilians to other countries. Some people think to use the chaos to their advantage while others just want to get out of the ash. Everyone's plans, however, are derailed when, instead of lava, giant monsters start pouring out of the earth.

Review:

If you don't take this book too seriously, it is an absolute joy to read. I'm not sure this is what the author intended, but I loved it for all the same reasons I loved Deep Blue Sea, it was worthy of ScyFy channel movie status. There is very little science involved or thought given to the "why" of things. Instead, the focus is on the human reaction, following the interconnected stories of a handful of people in this impossible situation. I'll be picking up the next book in the series, and not just because I love stories about giant monsters. This series promises to be a lot of fun and has clearly had a lot of energy put into it. 4 hoots!

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Headstrong by Rachel Swaby

Summary:

Swaby has collected information on, and written mini-biographies for, 52 women whose contributions to math and science helped us all to better understand the world we live in.

Review:

This book covers the lifespans of women ranging from 1647 (Maria Sibylla Merian) to 2014 (Stephanie Kwolek). It is almost impossible to read this book without learning, not just about each woman, but also about the science she worked on and at least some the history of her time-period. 

This book is highly informative and well researched, as any book on scientists should be. However, Swaby is also able to bring in an emotional aspect that does not distract from the science of the contributions. Most of the emotions involved are anger at the unfairness of women not being paid for their work or not being given actual lab space despite their well demonstrated abilities. I also appreciate Swaby including other emotions, like love, “When [Gerty] could no longer make the trek from one room in the lab to the other, [her husband] scooped her up and carried her, working together until the end.”** But the biggest feeling you get from this book is the dedication these women have to science. Be it because they love science itself or they love the mental stimulation, it is impossible not to pick up on this.

I was personally amazed at just how many women were involved in science that I’ve never heard about, especially given their major contributions. Alice Ball found a way for oil based, injectable medicines to be easily absorbed by the body. Hedy Lamarr gave us the foundation for Wi-Fi. How did I not know about these women before? I also appreciated that Swaby did not include a mini-biography about Marie Curie “[b]ecause Marie Curie is who we talk about when we talk about women in science…”*** We all know her. This book was created for the lesser known, yet incredibly influential, women scientists.

Not only is Headstrong well researched, it’s well written. Swaby is unable to give any one scientist more than 6 pages due to the sheer number of people. Yet I found this to be a perfect way to read this book. I am introduced to each scientist, their work, and their life in a very succinct yet still meaningful manner. Because of this, the reader never feels bored or bogged down by facts.

I happily give this book 5 hoots!

           

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review from Blogging For Books.

**Pg. 18

***Pg. xiii

Act of God by Jill Ciment

Summary:

A story of ordinary people whose lives are thrown off course by an infestation of toxic, bioluminescent fungi.

Review:

This was a rather emotional, engaging book. I almost missed the bus a few times because I was completely engrossed in the story. The characters are very real and their stories are relatable. There are a lot of heart-wrenching moments and I was nearly brought to tears. The ending fell a little flat for me. I get that Ciment wanted the beautiful, open, cosmic ending, but I didn't get the closure that I really wanted. Still, it's an incredibly engrossing read and I gladly give it 4 hoots.

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Undeniable by Bill Nye

I'll be the first to admit, science, especially biological science, was never my strong suit. My highest high school science grade was a B in Physics. This is important for you to know because my biggest praise for this book is how understandable everything is. Nye does an amazing job at keeping this book at a level of comprehension for those of us who do not have strong science backgrounds. Nye is clearly tapping into his presentation skills when writing this book because he is able to go in depth about evolution without causing my eyes to glaze over in boredom. I'll admit, it was still a slow read, but non-fiction always is for me.*

Nye admits that this book was written largely in response to the debate he had with creationist Ken Ham.** But there are several points in the book that Nye says he doesn't see why acceptance of evolution should mean a disregard for one's religion. This is also a sentiment I can appreciate.

I heartily endorse the reading of Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation by Bill Nye, especially as someone who has had problems with science comprehension. It is easy to read and easy to understand. 4 hoots!

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*Hence the reason it's been a few weeks since I posted a review.
**Be warned, it's a long, but informative, video.

Resurrecting Home by A. American

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So, I accidentally picked up this book without knowing it was actually part of a series.* That being said, I still found this to be an easy read. All references to previous books were written in a context where I did not need to have read them in order to understand their significance. After the first chapter I felt almost no confusion regarding what was going on. I don't know HOW the US devolved to where it is in the setting of this book, but I know that it is.**

That being said, this is a pretty typical survival book. Guys with guns, just trying to defend what's theirs, trying to provide for their community, having to adjust to the new rules of survival, etc. The characters were plenty likable. The action and the problem solving was believable. But it was still just an okay book. I'm pretty sure the main reason I never thought about putting this book down was because it read so quickly.

If you're into the survivalist genre, this is a good book for you. If you're just looking for something different, I can recommend this. I give Resurrecting Home 3 hoots.

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*The digital edition of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
**That makes sense, right?

How to Survive a Sharknado and Other Unnatural Disasters by Andrew Shaffer

Holy wah this was a fun read! I could barely put the book down to work! 

How to Survive a Sharknado is very reminiscent of when the CDC posted a page on their website about how to survive a zombie apocalypse. There was a lot of fun, but the main advice was sound and something you would need to do regardless of the type of disaster. Because of that, the general content of the book was a bit predictable, but the finer points were so hilarious I woke my husband up with my laughing at the good jokes and my groaning at the jokes so bad they were funny.

The SyFy Channel has given us plenty of bad movies over the years. In this book, the author and contributors take a look at each of them and apply survival techniques that may, or may not, have been used by the heroes of the movies. The advice is pretty sound, if sometimes over-the-top, and I gotta say, these people clearly did their research, even if the movie writers did not. One of my favorite pieces of advice was probably for the Sharknado Survival, "How to Wield a Chainsaw Like a Boss":

7. If you are positioned properly, you will cut the shark in two right down the middle. The two halves should land on either side of you, leaving you bloody but unharmed.

As someone who hasn't watched the Sharknado movie, I couldn't help but picture Ash from Evil Dead. Then there's a bad joke from a chef who used flamethrowers to destroy the Cyboars in the 2011 Boaricane "I set my flame-thrower to well done."

And the funny stories and one liners and bad puns JUST KEEP COMING! It is wonderfully hilarious and yet still informative! There is advice on how to deal with bee stings, what actually does and does not work to get away from bears, how to help set a tourniquet, and items you should pack up in a survival kit.* 

All in all, I love this book. It does get a little repetitive in that frakking seems to be the root cause of the majority of these problems and you expect some good advice with the comedy, but other than that, this book is amazing. I highly recommend you pick it up. I'm giving it four hoots!

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*Though I'm not entirely sure the Chuck-E-Cheese tokens are as necessary as the regular cash and change.

**I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review