This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
The Milkweed Lands is a love letter to all milkweed plants. Written as both a natural history primer of milkweed and its ecosystem as well as the author's personal memories of milkweed and the environments it grows in creates a more personal text than strictly science text, reminding me of a nature journal. The beautiful illustrations reinforce this with amazingly annotated watercolors to showcase milkweeds, animals, habitats and scientific illustrations. Broken up into four sections, one for each season, the author takes us through the entire lifecycle of a milkweed plant as well as the many factors that affect it. I learned about milkweed as a food to humans, homes to mice, the vast soil community it supports as well as a whole host of other insects dependent on milkweeds other than monarchs. I also learned about the many threats to milkweeds as well as, more importantly, it's incredible resilience and ability to survive in many different environments and conditions.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
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Her Daughters is a collection of stories exploring the author's family history throughout several generations. Through the female gaze, the hardships, triumphs and emotional toll of being a black woman in California are emotionally investigated. The stories are written and read almost like fiction with fully formed stories and interesting characters. Though each of the stories focuses on a different family member, the connections of each woman to one another are clear and are sometimes part of one another's stories. I enjoyed reading about their relationships, advice and how they navigated a world that is not always kind to black women. I especially enjoyed seeing them excel through college and family relationships. I could feel the strong sense of community that was built, extending not only to blood relations, but beyond. As the stories continued into the present day, I was intrigued by the feelings of belonging and feelings of blackness in certain spaces and appreciated the perspective. Overall, a strong, heartfelt collection of stories that emphasizes family, strength over adversity and connection. Is the Algorithm Plotting Against Us? is a beginners guide to understanding Artificial Intelligence. Written in plain language and with gentle walk -throughs of the math with plenty of graphics, you do not have to be a professional to understand. With the benefits, biases, and potential dangers of Artificial Intelligence explained, Is the Algorithm Plotting Against Us? strives to build knowledge and responsible practice around this amazing technology in our lives. Beginning with early studies in understanding the human brain, the history and purpose of artificial intelligence unfolds, focusing on neural networks as a tool to help us solve problems, classify data and forecast problems. The math section is next, which I admittedly skimmed, but was also fairly easy to understand with many charts, graphics and broken down equations if this is not your strong suit. I found the section on training AI and bias in AI particularly interesting and will remember the point that models only learn patterns from the data that it is given and if we produce and input biased data, we will get biased results. Overall, a good overview covering the history, purpose, usefulness and potentials of Artificial Intelligence. This book was received for free in return for an honest review. Sonja Livingston grew up in poverty around Western New York during the 1970’s and 80’s. Her family lived in downtown Rochester, Albion, and the Tonawanda Reservation. While her experiences are unique, there are many who grew up in similar situations and still face the same issues. In this moving and passionate memoir, Sonja reflects on growing up in poverty in Rochester, having a single parent household with many mouths to feed and how community helped to support and hinder her growth all at once. As someone who lives in and near the location of this story, I was really interested in Sonja’s experience growing up in the same neighborhood. Unfortunately, not much has changed in the neighborhoods that she had grown up in; however, I do believe that there is much more opportunity for people in the inner city, especially young people. Sonja tells her story very matter-of-factly and from a child’s perspective. I loved to see Sonja’s grit and determination to overcome- even if she didn’t realize that was what she was doing. Sonja’s stories range from humorous to heartbreaking, but always with the theme of marching forward. I was very intrigued by her views of her mother and the absence of her father as well as her sibling’s fathers, so much so that father became an abstract term. The community feeling in each setting that Sonja lived in was also interesting to me, how streets and Church became close knit lifelines. While Sonja’s life was harsh, she fought to overcome and was able to get out of the cycle that she seemed to be destined for. The Loved Ones: Essays to Bury the Dead is a collection of essays about a series of deaths personal to the author. Madison Davis writes about the tragic and unexpected deaths of her cousin and brother, a long illness resulting in the death of her father and an uncle killed in action. The writing is cathartic and reflective with many thoughts on death, grief, processing emotions and being left behind. The first story, the double murder of the author's cousin and friend, was surprising, terrible and deeply absorbing, pulling my attention right away. From there, the differences in how Madison and her family dealt with the deaths of other family members is observed with outcomes of tragedy, relief and humor. If you are someone who has ever lost a person close to you, you are sure to find something relatable and empathetic in Madison's contemplations. Some thoughts that I felt were deeply comforting and worth contemplating include Madison's thoughts on an overgrown cemetery: It's a place where the earth has gently, but powerfully, overwritten our sense of death and life as being experienced by an individual. It's where human desire to memorialize the dead meets nature's ambivalence toward that need. As well as overcoming intense grief: I tell her to remember that we move through it. Sometimes with great effort- but remember that we do. This book was received for free in return for an honest review. In 2015, Tom Mustill went on a kayak sightseeing adventure of a lifetime. Off the coast of California in a two-person kayak, Tom was able to see a humpback whale breach- right on top of him. Lucky to survive, Tom, a wildlife filmmaker, began to look deeper into his experience. Several onlookers caught the breach on their phones. After looking at grainy footage, Tom seemed to agree that the whale seemed to change course in the air. This led him to a series of questions: did the whale change course on purpose? Can whales communicate with humans? and how? From these questions, Tom dove into the science of language, animal communication and cetacean behavior and biology. Tom's journey into whale communication goes down many different paths, eventually converging into the many reasons we should protect these amazing mammals of the ocean. Written with many personal stories and anecdotes sprinkled throughout with science, How To Speak Whale, is an easy and entertaining read for any whale lover. Beginning with human interaction with whales and answering the question of why we might want to study these amazing creatures. This leads to whale biology and the organs and methods that whales use to communicate with one another. I have always loved whale songs and I was amazed with the complexity of their vocal organs as well as how scientists get to study them. From there, Tom dives into the study of animal language and the amazing jumps in learning that we have taken to understand the other animal species around us. Technology and artificial intelligence have been a huge help in assisting humans to understand animal language and sound. This technology has the ability to hear and recognize patterns and sounds that humans can't hear and is helping scientists as well as the average person learn and appreciate more about animals every day. Overall, humans still don't know how to completely speak whale, but we have learned that whales may know more about communicating with us than we realize. Our Tribal Future informs us about the human nature of forming groups and how this need influences our behavior. The word tribalism often brings about a bad connotation. However, tribalism is a successful survival mechanism that is part of human evolution. Samson explains our instinct to band together in tribes has brought humans together in remarkable ways. With a complicated subject, Samson has broken down this complex subject into simpler sections with plenty of examples. I was very intrigued by the guiding question of " How do we trust people who aren't family?" When we feel like we are in a group with a commonality, humans can accomplish amazing things, but what brings us together as a group can also make us feel differently about other groups and can lead to hatred of anyone perceived as an other or outsider. With this revelation, Samson also gives us the tools to look into ourselves to see our affiliations and how they are affecting our perceptions. I enjoyed the information on building your own tribe and the benefits of living in a tribe. The Seven Circles: Indigenous Teachings for Living Well is a guide to begin bringing the practice of balance and healing into your life using Indigenous knowledge. The authors, an Indigenous couple who bring together their mixed Indigenous heritages encourage you to change your mindset by using a template they devised, the interconnected Seven Circles of Wellness to guide your day. The seven circles connect mental, physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. The categories are movement, land, community, ceremony, sacred space, sleep and food. Each chapter guides you through Indigenous knowledge and practices for the category, the author’s personal stories and journeys, the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual connections and how to learn, engage and optimize your own practice within the circle. The Seven Circles is an amazing resource for improving your overall wellbeing. I felt a strong tie to the themes of the book and was happy to learn I was already engaging in some of the practices. I enjoyed that the practices were accessible and really getting back to basics, no special materials or equipment are needed, you don’t need to buy anything to incorporate the practices into your everyday life. I was able to find simple ways to incorporate actions and practices into each circle. Some things I already practice, but I am able to see their full worth and value in my life through the lens of the Seven Circles. I enjoyed reading about the author’s personal struggles and victories within each circle and how they currently practice each circle as a family with two young children. With amazing strength and elegant, truthful, and heartfelt execution, Goldie Taylor recounts her tumultuous childhood through to her high school years. As a young black woman growing up in Missouri in the 1970’s and 1980’s, Goldie lives through neighborhood changes, racial changes and desegregation of schools. Goldie’s personal life is full of many ups and downs. Beginning with her father’s death, then being raped at a young age and dropped at her Aunt’s house, Goldie begins to self-destruct. However, a teacher at her new school recognizes Goldie’s potential and intense emotion. Goldie begins to excel academically and finds an outlet for the pain she has carried with her for so long. Written with amazing authenticity, Goldie reflects on her childhood. The long-lasting effects of generational trauma and racism were palpable. Even as Goldie is abused and begins to inflict pain upon herself, I could see the sparks of hope in what Goldie found joy in. It was very interesting to see Goldie’s thoughts on her family members and their dynamics, especially the Aunt and Uncle who raised her. I was amazed at Goldie’s power to forgive and see that the adults were just as troubled as the children. Goldie also gave a unique perspective on her community and the differences she saw in her community and predominantly white communities. Though Goldie’s life was difficult, she is a survivor and found her strengths to persevere through extreme circumstances. The Love You Save is an eye-opening memoir of childhood, race and hope. This book was received for free in return for an honest review. National Geographic Birding Basics offers an inclusive primer for any budding bird enthusiast or anyone looking to improve their birding knowledge and practice. Birding Basics strives to give you the toolkit needed to get out and appreciate the birds that surround you everyday. This book is a series of easy to read, one-page descriptions beginning at what a birder is and why you should bird, moving to choosing equipment, bird basics, recording your observations, apps to use and birding hotspots. Some sections that I felt were particularly helpful were how to use field guides, popular apps, birding ethics and observation techniques. With a focus of accessibility, fun and finding wonder where we are, Birding Basics welcomes everyone to participate in birding. This book was received for free in return for an honest review. |
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