piabo's reviews
287 reviews

<<< 2024 Review >>>
I am incredibly glad I reread this! A wonderful, inspiring book that healed so much of my inner child and inner teenager, whose learning and enthusiasm about knowledge was damaged by school. And even now as I am confused why university is not as fun and engaging as I thought it would be over the years (I love my uni, but still). This book shows what is possible without formal educational institutions. It shows what people have done to learn about the world outside strict classroom settings.
It inspires me to unschool my life more. To not rely on institutions too much and follow my passions. Definitely think this is a book for everyone who was remotely in touch with school during their life. But mostly all teenagers! <3

I read the German translation of the 2nd version of this book at age 15. Now I re-read the 30 years anniversary 3rd edition of the book from 2021, and I am in love with it even more. The author is an activist at heart and I admire her approach to the world. Very grateful for her to give me the knowledge and tools I needed to leave school when I did.

<<< 2015 Review >>>
This book made me drop out of high school at the age of 15. No regrets!

This book is available in English too. About my area. Could have been about my neighbor, made me feel at home :)

Buch über Familie und über starke Frauen und über Flucht und Identität. Und über den Norden und das Dorfleben. Wirklich ein Buch über meine Gegend. Hätte auch über meinen Nachbarn sein können. Habe viele Menschen aus meinem Dorf wieder erkannt. Echt herzlich und nett. Einfaches, schönes Buch.

Book is available in English. Real story about Drug use, prostitution and growing up as a teenager in West-Berlin in the 1970s. It's quite famous in Germany.

Heftige Sache einfach. Das Buch ist eine reale Story, die Personen und Geschehnisse gab es wirklich so.
Hat mir noch einmal eine bessere Perspektive auf Drogenkonsum, Sucht, mentale Gesundheit, und Armut gegeben. Und Berlin in den 1970ern. Habe vor kurzen einen Kindheitsfreund an eine Überdosis verloren, der auch in den Teenagerjahren schon an Drogen gelangt ist. So einfach kommt man da nicht raus, und Menschen marginalisieren bringt auch nichts.
Fand das Buch super, aber auch gruselig, was für Parallelwelten es in diesem Land und in der Großstadt so geben kann / gegeben hat / immer noch gibt.

I love books that make me adopt a whole new personality while reading them. I feel like I have told everyone who was willing to listen that I am currently reading a book about Tupac and then some fact I found interesting/inspiring. I also started listening to his music in between, and it is such a cool way to immerse oneself in the book and his legacy.
Am I a fan now? Yes, I think so. Won't listen to his music all the time, but I am excited to have learned what forms activism can take and how Tupac used his lived experience to create art and to protest the current system. He influenced many and was definitely an important figure in the US (and worldwide) fight against racism and oppression.
Recommend checking him out :)

Nice essay. I guess it's enough to watch the Ted talk, but still a cool short book.

<<<2024 Review>>>
Hope Jahren is such a good writer and cool person and scientist, and I want to be like her. Not entirely, but badass like her. It's a refreshing read. I am happy I reread this!
Definitely learned more over the past years of what it really means to be a scientist, and my enthusiastic review of 2021 is a bit outdated. This book is just one insight into what it looks like to do research, it can also look differently. But still fascinating.
Also, trees are fun.

<<<2021 Review>>>
Finally done with this beautiful book.
Hope Jahren is a talented writer and a great scientist. The best autobiography I ever read.

This book took me to various experiences a researcher is likely to experience during their career. It gave wonderful insights into day to day life, traits that are good to have, the smaller and bigger challenges, and the joy (or disappointment) that comes from the process and the results.

If you still wonder if being a full time scientist is something for you, and you don't have the resources to shadow in a lab, or travel to research sites, there is an easier way: read this book!

For me, I now know that this is what I am supposed to be doing for the rest of my life 😍

Lost the pregnancy, guess the rest of the book won't be as relevant for me now. Maybe for the next one, if there is ever going to be one. But definitely very technical and dense, and not just to read for fun or solidarity, I guess.

<<< 2024 Review >>>
April Re-Read. An easy philosophical no-bullsh*t self-help book. Love Mark Manson's writing style. It's a nice, refreshing read that calls you out on your stupidity and makes you rethink some of your life choices and values. Fun.

(Oh, and why is it so expensive? This book is only available in hard cover in the US and costs $28. Good thing I got it second hand and don't usually spend money on the digital books I have.)

<<< 2019 Review >>>
(no review here, just wanted to say that I listened to it as an audiobook back then and it was good)

Very interesting to see behavioral science applied to the field of dating. I recognize a lot of these strategies from my uni class and the books I read, so it was just fun to see how it can be applied.

I think it's a good rational book, helpful for people who like to look at science insights for their daily life. But only touches on lots of interesting topics, would recommend reading some other books on the topic of love and relationships as well.

Lots of disability representation and Own Voice author. Still had this on my list from last year's Storygraph genre challenge and this is set in Chicago. Nice read.