Pamar Male, 46, Single. Torino, Italy

Not in the sense it's "funny" - but in the sense that in the end not much happens in the book, and while we see some continuity with previous work (through the Blue Ant agency featured in at least a previous book by Gibson), this new "world" does not look (to me) as interesting as the previous cyberpunk works.

If you like Gibson style, though, you will probably appreciate it anyway.

While I commend the effort, I wonder who the supposed audience for this Graphic Novel really is.
Case in point: I studied Godel, and I have a bit more of the vaguest idea of what his proof did to Russel's efforts.
I can't say that the graphic novel is making a poor effort to explain it, but for really judging it, you need a complete newcomer to the field.
Find one, and ask him/her what he got from the book.

How many (newcomers) would buy the book in order to get a better understanding of Godel's Theorem? How many (of those who don't know it) would care even a little bit?

So, if you are "geek" and know the field already, it's interesting, if not "great".
For everyone else, I am afraid it will fail to even register.
Please prove me wrong... did you lend it to non-mathematically friends? With what results?

This one is actually the second book in a series, but by accident I read the next ("The Bellini card") before this.

Jason Goodwin is very good at describing Constantinople around 1850, and the main character (Yashim the Eunuch detective) is fascinating. Most of the time.

What he is not so good at: plotting. In the last 30 or so pages everything is discovered, but not everything makes a lot of sense. I am unable to decide if this is because the author somehow rushes this part, or if he is trying to go fast enough that the reader won't see the small but noticeable plot holes.

If you like to dream about distant lands and times, it's still enjoyable. But far from perfect, even in the whole Historical Mistery subgenre.

Ok, the book is a dissertation about what science knows (or finds plausible) regarding our planet and mankind.
This is set up as a (botched, what else?) experiment by wizards in Discworld, which ends up creating a pocket universe... the one we are living in.

The book structure is one narrative chapter (set in the Ankh-Morpork Unseen University) written by Pratchett, followed by one discussing the ideas and the development of the universe, written (probably) by the two other authors, and probably revised by Pratchett to inject a bit of humour and discworldism.

It's pretty enjoyable as a read, and marred only by the fact that it is probably a bit outdated by recent developments.

So why the 2 stars? I think that as a book it is well written and enjoyable, and probably an interesting way to divulge some pretty heavy scientific concepts (Big Bang, Relativity, Quantum Theory, Evolution, both old style and "Punctuated Equilibrium", the destiny of Man, how the brain works...) but maybe I wasn't the right person for the book. Not that I didn't learn anything new, it's just that I am not really interested in this kind of books, and prefer my texts to have an higher level of Narrativium in them...

This one from Butcher actually disappointed me, because for a few chapters I was hoping that this was more about investigation (a la Marlowe) and less of Spiderman vs. Galactus.</p><p>I do understand that it's a bit unfair (to the readers) to write mysteries when you are making up the rules as you go along, but I think it should still be interesting.</p><p>Unfortunately even the main investigation (a jinxed porn movies troupe) is soon overloaded with Vampires, Badass Daemons and more and more revelations about the main character's past.</p><p>3 stars because I still enjoy it, but I am starting to hope for a change of pace.

even for people studying Chinese as a language, or calligraphy.
Personally I liked it, it devotes one page to each of 200+ ideograms, explaining the (supposed) origin, and how they are used. For the "usage" part it limits itself to 3-4 examples, do don't expect to learn Chinese out of this book.

Still, I liked it and will try to use it for my ShoDo practice.

Butcher keeps rolling out his trademark high-energy, slightly sloppy, pedal-to-the-floor-and-hope-they-won't-notice mix of noir and urban fantasy.

Harry Potter for (the not so) adults. The books feel like comic novel (I suppose there are comics about the character, too, they made a TV series already, after all) so don't expect Gene Wolfe.

After 5 books I start noticing that in his effort to keep the adrenaline high the author is perhaps packing too many things in too little space (and time). This requires the introduction of always larger teams of more and more powerful baddies, and a veritable Legion Of The Super GoodDoers to help the main characters, who is competent and powerful, but often needs a little deus-ex-machiery to save his hide.

Check your disbelief at the door, and enjoy.

As I probably mentioned already, this should be filed under "Books with little literary value but fun and energetic - like drinking coca cola instead of wine".
In other words sometimes I do indulge in pulp (in the sense of trash).

The author is good at his own style of pulp (in the sense of noir) yarns, and so far he kept me entertained, even if sometimes you notice a couple of minor flaws in his writing (or plotting).
I give him a 3 stars and will probably continue doing so until he starts getting boring.

Neko ni Koban, that is, "giving gold coins to cats" alias "pearls unto swines".

The book was intended as a collection of proverbs and saying for someone who is studying Japanese (as a language) and wants to know more about the culture.

I hoped it would give me interesting stuff to write for my ShoDo study, instead. For the intended target, I can't judge (I am not studying Japanese) for my own plan, it's not really useful, even if I will try to get something out of it anyway.

The 2 stars is because it looks like devoting a couple of sentences to each proverb is a bit too terse and the author tries to always use the closest English analogue when applicable, even changing words sometimes (example: "A fox who borrows a lion's authority" is used for "Tora no i o karu kitsune" - no evidence for the Lion kanjii in example, and Tora is tiger... in fact I can spot the Tiger Kanjii in it... nothing major - if you already know Japanese)

or the heart of most of the characters, anyway.

This book has many things I am interested in: Shodo (Japanese calligraphy), interpersonal communication, survivors of brain trauma, East/West differences in culture, the meaning of writing and other forms of communication, the meaning of meaning, and a good sprinkling of metaphors on top.

Competently written, with a light touch even for the more touching moments, which goes well with the matter of the book, and Japanese aesthetics in general.

The real litmus test, in order to see if it deserves 4 stars, is lending it to someone who has little interest for calligraphy and brain damage, and see what the effect is.

Feel free to contact me if you want to know what the result will be.

2 stars come mostly from the fact that the book was translated in English in 2002, and therefore it describes Workflow and Businness Process redesign in term which are definitely "old". It may have been The Bible in its field in 2000, but now needs a revamped edition.

Also, be warned that it is structured as a textbook, i.e. includes exercises, which I tend to skip when reading technical books, no matter how much interested I may be in the subject.

Apart from this, the book is interesting, well written and thorough - so if you have to work on any BRP project it could still prove valuable, but check if other more modern alternatives exist, first.

I can only *wish* more technical books were so good.

The author displays tons of practical insight, and good theoretical basis, and offers a great overview of what "writing efficient SQL" really means. And he can also help if your job is "rewriting" SQL after having botched it the first time.

I read some Celcko in the past, and I find this one much better. More readable, and infinely more practical.

If you write software involving any kind of RDBMS, read it.