Review: How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be

How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Katy Milkman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm not a big reader of advice books. There's a fairly concise reason for that: They're mostly bullshit. Books written by people who think they can solve their own problems by selling a best seller that tells you they can solve yours. The problem with a field that is littered with crap, is that it can be hard to find the one patch of good ground. I'm here to tell you, this book is one of the good ones. There's also a fairly concise reason for that: Science. This book has several points to make and it can back up what it says.

Overall, I liked what this book has to say. It's structured well enough to get to the point but isn't so concise that it is just a list of ideas. If you highlighted just the useful bits of information, you can truncate this book to less than five pages. However, that information is useless without the context the book creates. It just doesn't give you useful advice, it makes the argument of why it's useful. It's easy for the less civilized to be dismissive of context, but that doesn't mean you should be.

That being said, be sure to highlight/underline the useful bits.

There are a lot of studies and assimilated information from said studies, but, if I can be negative (which I'm a Gold Medal winner of being), there isn't much of a plan to use this information. Or, to be more accurate, lack of a system. This book isn't so much about making a path to change, but rather giving someone the tools to make their own path. Which isn't so bad when you think about it.

I would say this book is mostly for those who feel as if they aren't fulfilling their potential. The advice is geared more to nudging you, bit by bit, in the right direction. If you have a serious problem with things like addiction or living in Florida then you should look elsewhere. The assimilation of this book's knowledge isn't as cut and dry as I would like, but it is otherwise a useful volume. Way better than most of the bullshit that's out there.

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Review: Batman: The Long Halloween

Batman: The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

"The pen is mighty than the sword." Know what's that from? Don't feel bad if you didn't. I had to Google it. It's from Edward Bulwer-Lytton. Don't feel bad if that name doesn't ring a bell either. The thing is, you've probably know something he has written. The above example, "it was a dark and stormy night", "pursuit of the almighty dollar", etc. A writer who became more famous for his adages than his actual work. Humbling that he has became so ingrained into the world's zeitgeist, but sad that no one really remembers him in a fuller sense.

The reason I mention this is because I couldn't help but feel the same way with "Batman: The Long Halloween". Having read it for the first time, there is probably an sense among those who read it when it first came out, feeling that it stands up on it's own. But, from the view of a first timer, it's easier to see the influence it has had in other Batman media. Using "I believe in Harvey Dent" in Nolan's Dark Knight as a key example. The problem being, that taking something bit by bit like that makes it apart of a greater whole, but waters down the original work. Like taking a house a part and turning into building material for a large business complex.

This thought further drives home the Bulwer-Lytton comparison. The reason why EBL isn't remembered as well as his quotes is because his whole work is a little lackluster. If this review somehow makes you want to read his work, here's a piece of advice: Don't. The simplest reason is that it doesn't hold up well. I don't consider his work 'bad', but it's dated to the point it wears it on its sleeve in the form of a Victorian era tattoo. I kind of feel the same way about Long Halloween. Even though the work isn't nearly as old, I can't escape the feeling it isn't aging as well. That might also be because Loeb writes like Frank Miller doing a Raymond Chandler impression.

While it's influence is undeniable, being important doesn't equal being good. The pacing is uneven, many side characters are introduced over and over, the voice isn't consistent, Batman is mostly unimportant to the story, and the ending makes less sense the more you think about it. I still recommend reading it, but not because of its own merits. The thing about influence, it's always important to be familiar with the source material.

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Review: The Churn

The Churn by James S.A. Corey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This story has a set goal in mind. You don't really realize it until the end, but there is a point. Even if it doesn't seem like it for 99% of the narrative. And I really hoped there would be a point, as a space opera set in Baltimore doesn't sound appealing. I can't really say more as the reveal at the end can make or break your opinion of the story. Mostly, I would set this story in the win column even if it takes the long way around.

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Review: Gods of Risk

Gods of Risk by James S.A. Corey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An interesting story but seems lacking in scope. Or maybe the main character isn't that interesting. Teenagers tend to be like that. Imagine if you spent an entire movie with Luke complaining to his uncle about power converters. The story isn't that bad, but it does suffer because of it. The entire thing seemed to just be an excuse to have a story take place on Mars and guest star Bobbie. Otherwise, it's decently paced and written, but it ends exactly as I expected it to. Worth reading at least once after you finish "Caliban’s War". Not praiseworthy, but didn't feel like it wasted my time either. 

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Review: The Butcher of Anderson Station

The Butcher of Anderson Station by James S.A. Corey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. That's a title that begs a question. Or, at least, drives the idea that there's a story behind it. When reading the first Expanse novel, Fred being called "The Butcher of Anderson Station" created that desired effect. Leaving people wondering what the story was behind it. But, much like a deleted scene in a movie, if it was important to the story they would have left it in.

The story itself is well written enough. If you've read an action story-driven scene in the Expanse series, this will feel very familiar to you. Lots of spectacle, but not as much depth as I would have expected. It's not bad. In fact, I would say it's rather good. It's just good for certain reasons. It doesn't broaden the universe in any real way rather than just answering the question you've all been asking. Making it clear, there are two big reasons it's the best in the whole state.

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Review: Drive

Drive by James S.A. Corey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you're a fan of the Expanse books, you'll probably enjoy it. Even if you're not, it's a fairly good story. Hell, even without the context of the Expanse series, it works on a lot of levels. Conceptually, it's a little ridiculous, but the depth of the characters and the richness of the writing really sells it. The shortened length lets the Expanse writers show their talents by being more concise, making the smart choice to focus on the characters and their interactions with the world around them. A lesser writer(s) would have done a rather bland world building expose. It doesn't improve my view of the Expanse universe in any real way. I was just happy in reading it.

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Review: A Master of Djinn

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Don't ask me about this book. Not because I hated it or simply don't want to talk about it. The reason you shouldn't ask me is that I probably won't be able to answer any of your questions. Especially as more time drags on. The bottom line is that I enjoyed this book as I read it, but would fail a multiple-choice test on what it was about.

I will say that this is a fairly well-written book. Things like pacing and characters are all well-rounded. It can be quirky without all the characters sounding the same. Simple things like sentence structure and dialogue are all on point. Everything in the text screams that this was written by someone who knows what they're doing. Just be careful about that big but that is coming your way.

I couldn't help but think that I was reading escapism. Everything in the book was technically correct (the best kind of correct), but there was a lack of flare or substance that makes good books, well, good. It's kind of like eating popcorn. No matter how much butter, salt, or various flavorings you pour on top of it, it still has that basic taste of popcorn. There's nothing inherently wrong with popcorn, but there's also nothing special about it either.

I hate to file this under "just another book". Pretty much anyone who reads it will probably enjoy it. I liked it as I read it, and looking back on it doesn't change my opinion of it. It just won't stay with me, dissolving into the ether without much fanfare. There are books out there that have thrilled, moved, and even haunted me. This book did nothing of the sort. If you are to ask about it, do it now before I even forget I wrote this review.

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