musicdeepdive's reviews
483 reviews

Did a quick read through this as a refresher on beginners' theory before diving into the Aldwell & Schachter book I used during my undergrad. Very fine intro material for the novice and someone just trying to immerse themselves into the world of harmony. Those who took something like AP Music Theory in high school probably wouldn't get much from this, however.

We love a good bit of wordplay and a bit play of wordgood, and perhaps sometimes, if we're feeling daring, a play good of bit words.

Capable and even-handed biography of very possibly the worst president in U.S. history - main gripe is that sometimes the author makes assertions about Johnson's feelings or thought processes without even attempting to justify them with quotes or evidence. But in general a fair way to learn more about the man.

Teeters under the weight of its narrative a bit, a sort of mystery plot in the vein of some of Dickens' other later-period works, but per usual, it ties the narrative threads up nicely by the end.

Very competent, but adds little to the Lincoln canon - the supposedly obscure interactions that are presented in this collection don't have enough detail to be truly revelatory.

After having read as many books on Lincoln's life these last few months as I have, I can't say I was prepared for the amount of revelations in this work about his assassination, never mind the brilliant pacing of everything. A level of detail that might never be topped when it comes to this subject. Staggeringly good and much more moving than one might expect.

Impressively accurate yet hilariously naive science (just shoot the astronauts out of the biggest cannon ever made, ez), mixed with a satire of Americans that feels spot-on even today.

Meacham's best - somewhat less impressive after having read a bunch of other Lincoln biographies over the last 4-5 months, but very possibly the Lincoln bio that would be most appreciated by newcomers due to its accessibility and how it centers his relationship with antislavery ideals.

Still seems a bit superficial for a cradle-to-grave biography (which it is, despite the author's insistence otherwise at the end), but it does make a better case for its existence than the Jackson book and works pretty well as a basic intro piece.

Critiques calling this a hagiography are off-base without a doubt, but this is undoubtedly sympathetic with an eye towards helping the reader appreciate Jackson's effectiveness as a president. I think it does pretty well despite an ultimately narrow focus and a seeming need to balance the negative with the positive completely throughout. Yes, he could be kind to his family and he was a more calculated leader than his detractors give him credit for - he was also responsible for some of the country's worst atrocities. Don't sugarcoat the obvious.