101 Things to Do Before You Die - Richard Horne

Advantages: Inspirational
Disadvantages: Too little time

..."Unforgettable Things to do before you die" is the second in the BBC series, and another title which will appeal to the armchair traveller, albeit a slightly more adventurous traveller than the average "Places to see before you die" reader. That said, both books together make a great set, even if reading them cover to cover makes you realise that if you really want to see these great places and do all these great things, you need to get a move on! Lie its sister title, this can only be a subjective account of the best activities to experience in the world. The book is co-written by two travel writer/photographers - Steve Watkins and Clare Jones, reflecting their own personal experiences. Perhaps it shows my own less adventurous side that I have not tried any of these "Unforgettable Things" in the book, although I have had one... Read review

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Advantages: Good storyline and supporting cast
Disadvantages: Doesn't pull you in.

...I finished this book last night, and have just been looking at other people's reviews of the book and I am shocked. I found this book incredibly difficult to read, and not in a good way. Here is why The Plot Tessa is a 16 year old girl, who has terminal cancer. She has only a few months left to live, so writes down certain things she wants to do before she dies like for example; driving a car or having sex. (I have to be careful with the amount of the plot I can give out, due to the fact it could ruin the story for you) The Characters Tessa: One of the reasons I didn't like this book was because of Tessa, I found her incredibly hard to connect with like you're supposed to. I found her very selfish, which I know is very understandable in her circumstances. The fact that I wasn't able to connect with the lead character made... Read review

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Advantages: Another fascinating chapter in Richard Feynman's life, and an account of the Challenger Disaster from Feyman's eyes
Disadvantages: The first half of the book is more fragmented than Surely You're Joking

...- around ten years. The other stories in the first section are more or less unrelated, and not necessarily chronological. But I'm getting ahead of myself. The book is split into two long sections and one short one. The first section ("A Curious Character") contains the title 'story' (Feynman talking about Arlene). Before the chapter 'What Do YOU Care…", there is a description of how Feynman's father shaped and influenced Richard's love of science - this is adapted from "The Pleasure of Finding Things Out" - a BBC program (which I've never seen, dammit). There are then other stories that show some more how Feynman thinks. At the end of the first section, are some letters that Feynman wrote to his family and friends, letters that Freeman Dyson wrote which mentioned Feynman, and finally, a letter Henry Bethe wrote to Gweneth (Feynman... Read review

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