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I don't know, Net. The big hoohaw that I remember about Tom Cruise (regarding movie roles) is the movie based on Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice (of New Orleans fame). Cruise was selected to play Lestat and the fans of Rice went nuts and not in a good way.....I went nuts, too. Cruise was in no way like Lestat. I have to admit, though, that Crazy Cruise did a good job. Oh, it hurts me to say that. I am not a Cruise fan.
I remembered now. Lee Child - the Reacher character. I think there was a British writer you recommended for those who liked Lee Child.
“Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other” by Sherry Turkle (2011)-
which is part of a trilogy 20 years in the making-I didn't read the older volumes.
Quote:
“I leave my story at a point of disturbing symmetry: we seem determined to give human qualities to objects and content to treat each other as things.”
First half of the book discusses prospects of using robots for humans, as companions & caretakers (not just toys).
Second half of book addresses how we humans interact with and treat each other, as mediated by our technological creations/devices.
Quote:
Originally Posted by book excerpts
“With some exceptions, when we make ourselves vulnerable, we expect to be nurtured. This is why people will sometimes, often prematurely, tell their “sad stories” to others they hardly know. They hope to be repaid in intimacy.”
“And by detaching words from the person uttering them, it can encourage a coarsening of response.”
“These days, on social networks, we see fights that escalate for no apparent reason except that there is no physical presence to exert a modulating force.”
“Freed from the face-to-face, some people develop an Internet-specific road rage.”
I agree that the author makes some good points, however I'm not thoroughly convinced that things are as dire as she says.
Then again, I'm not as full-on into the technology as some (esp. younger) people are-I've never had a cell/smart phone, I don't IM or text,
nor do I do gaming (other than word games on C-D), so I'm somewhat of an outsider to the phenomena she is describing (and decrying).
I really wanted to love this book - I read it about a month ago. But about half-way through it started to unravel for me. Too many characters, too many plot holes, too much jumping back and forth over time. Characters (or groups of characters) would be well-developed for several chapters, then never written about again. I started to get confused and annoyed, because I kept having to thumb back to earlier points in the book to figure out who was who and what was going on.
But the writing was lush and evocative and the post-apocalyptic landscape very-well imagined.
I liked The Passage well enough. It did take me a long while to settle in to the rhythm of the book. I then tried to read the 2nd in the series, The Twelve, and gave up. I did not like it at all. I felt like it was a forced reading of Thus Spake Zarathustra.
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I recently tried to read "The Avaitor's Wife" but I simply could not get through it. The writing style bored me to tears. I read about 1/3 of it, but the constant insecurity and mental angst she had drove me to put the book down.
Yesterday I finished "Me Before You". I absolutely loved it. Anyone else reading it?
I recently tried to read "The Avaitor's Wife" but I simply could not get through it. The writing style bored me to tears. I read about 1/3 of it, but the constant insecurity and mental angst she had drove me to put the book down.
Yesterday I finished "Me Before You". I absolutely loved it. Anyone else reading it?
I have quit and put it down too she was very insecure person indeed and it is just drab for me sorry but I got through two chapters and it is blah .....melanie let us down on this one .
I remembered now. Lee Child - the Reacher character. I think there was a British writer you recommended for those who liked Lee Child.
Yes, yes, yes. Thanks for the reminder, Net. I was talking about Simon Beckett who is a British writer and his books are much like the books of Greg Isles. It was when you mentioned Isles that my brain connected the dots.
Beckett's protagonist is a forensic anthropologist named David Hunter. He has not written many books but the ones he has written are fabulous.
That leads me to another author. Kathy Reichs. Amazing woman. Dr. Reichs is a forensic anthropologist who works in both North Carolina and Quebec. She was a forensic specialist in the Casey Anthony trial. She is also the person that the main character in TV's "Bones" is based on.
Her books are interesting. Mysteries with anthropology involved. I love anthropology. Margaret Mead is one of my heroes but don't tell anyone. Mead was stodgy and there is a possibility that I am, too.
Yes, yes, yes. Thanks for the reminder, Net. I was talking about Simon Beckett who is a British writer and his books are much like the books of Greg Isles. It was when you mentioned Isles that my brain connected the dots.
Beckett's protagonist is a forensic anthropologist named David Hunter. He has not written many books but the ones he has written are fabulous.
That leads me to another author. Kathy Reichs. Amazing woman. Dr. Reichs is a forensic anthropologist who works in both North Carolina and Quebec. She was a forensic specialist in the Casey Anthony trial. She is also the person that the main character in TV's "Bones" is based on.
Her books are interesting. Mysteries with anthropology involved. I love anthropology. Margaret Mead is one of my heroes but don't tell anyone. Mead was stodgy and there is a possibility that I am, too.
I also happen to like Dr. Reichs as well and yes she does have a way of grabbing you . I wonder where the crazy "casey anthony " is at ? makes me cringe what she must be thinking about . I hope Ms anthony never sees a restful peace or sleep for the rest of her years on this earth . Dr. Reichs is awesome and an amazing writer .
Uh-oh! I have it on the Kindle, though other preferences keep pushing it out -- and now the vampire element may push it out even further! The whole vampire scene just leaves me cold and questioning of people's sanity.
It isn't the typical vampire story. In fact, it may be the only vampire story I've ever read that has a somewhat reasonable explanation for the existence of the "vampires". By the way, we aren't talking vampires as in counts with long capes.
Yes, yes, yes. Thanks for the reminder, Net. I was talking about Simon Beckett who is a British writer and his books are much like the books of Greg Isles. It was when you mentioned Isles that my brain connected the dots.
Beckett's protagonist is a forensic anthropologist named David Hunter. He has not written many books but the ones he has written are fabulous.
That leads me to another author. Kathy Reichs. Amazing woman. Dr. Reichs is a forensic anthropologist who works in both North Carolina and Quebec. She was a forensic specialist in the Casey Anthony trial. She is also the person that the main character in TV's "Bones" is based on.
Her books are interesting. Mysteries with anthropology involved. I love anthropology. Margaret Mead is one of my heroes but don't tell anyone. Mead was stodgy and there is a possibility that I am, too.
Yes, Beckett was the one. Thanks. I don't know why I thought it was Lee Child. Maybe because Child is British.
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The big hoohaw that I remember about Tom Cruise (regarding movie roles) is the movie based on Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice (of New Orleans fame). Cruise was selected to play Lestat and the fans of Rice went nuts and not in a good way.....I went nuts, too. Cruise was in no way like Lestat. I have to admit, though, that Crazy Cruise did a good job. Oh, it hurts me to say that. I am not a Cruise fan. 
