Mini - Comments

The following two non fiction books were my last picks at the library. I had not heard of the authors before but the blurbs seemed intriguing enough and I thought, why not?

 

The Secret History of the World by Jonathan Black is a very interesting summary of the history of the world, such as indicated by the title, but from the POV that secret societies of several kinds have hidden in plain sight all the time. This is, therefore, a chronological presentation of events, since the moment humans were alive in the planet until our days, and the author focus the main figures and moments in history to highlight his investigation. Apparently, he has worked and read a lot on the subject, has talked to people who claim to be part of some sort of secret society and this is the compilation of his efforts. 

To be honest, I can't say if his arguments are as black and white as he claims, as with everything in life, it all depends where and how we place ourselves to see something, but I can attest to the pure entertainment of reading this, of going through historical events and facts and "see" the through a different POV. It was fun and easy to read and made me remember some chronological dates, as well as reflect on history and religion. I don't think I was swayed to have any eureka moment about hidden worldwide secrets but I had a good time reading this book!

Grade: 8/10

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Dewey by Vicky Myron is an autobiographical book where the author tells the real life story of Dewey, a cat rescued in a cold morning and that became the live-in inhabitant of a library in Iowa. The book isn't long and does focus on what life was after the cat became part of the library's life and how pretty much everyone was somehow affected by his presence. The story also includes some personal views by the author and a little bit of her own life, since she was the cat's owner for all purposes. 

I can't say this is mind blowing nor is it that original a story that one must be immediately touched by it. Nevertheless, I have a cat and I could resonate with several things the author mentioned when speaking about him and how many library patrons would love to see Dewey or interact with him. The book isn't long and does offer a good enough summary of what the experience was but nothing is eternal, so the end is kind of predictable... still, it was a short read and good enough to pass the time.

Grade: 7/10