ARC Review: Twice as Hard

Title: Twice As Hard: Navigating Black Stereotypes and Creating Space for Success
Author: Opeyemi Sofoluke & Raphael Sofoluke
Source/Format: Bookish First and DK Publishing; Paperback ARC
Publisher/ Release date: DK; Jun 15, 2021

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Synopsis From Goodreads:

An inspirational book about what it means to be Black in the working world, with practical steps on how to overcome prejudice to find success
This book is an exercise in building your network. We've spoken to over 40 successful business people to help you gain from their advice and create space for your own personal growth. Twice As Hard is an exploration of Black identity in the working world and a blueprint for success. You will learn what obstacles limit opportunity for Black professional progress, how to understand and overcome racial stereotypes, be productive, find purpose, and ultimately thrive in business.
(Read the rest on Goodreads)

What I Thought:

Twice as Hard by Opeyemi Sofoluke & Raphael Sofoluke is a mixture of statistics, advice, and interviews. It also goes into some details about the experiences that people have as Black professionals. Besides advice, it is definitely much food for thought.

 
I barely read the synopsis, so I went into this initially thinking it was going to be mostly interviews. But, as I mentioned above, it was a mixture –which I loved. It had a lot of personal anecdotes and quotes from the interviewees. Plus, there wasn’t much paraphrasing, essentially letting the contributors add their own voices. But that’s not all. Each chapter delves into various situations using statistics, the authors’ own experiences, and the interviews to back it up. Situations like draining experiences and feeling unwelcome in certain spaces, especially in corporate ones. However, at every turn there was a piece of positive, uplifting, and encouraging advice to get through. Finally, I absolutely loved that the last chapter is full of advice from everyone, and the reflective questions at the end of all the chapters (except the final).

Over all, I enjoyed Twice as Hard and the advice that comes with it. I recommend checking it out if it seems interesting to you.

I received this book from Bookish First and DK for this review.

Thanks for reading!

Book Review: The Genome Odyssey (ARC)

Title: The Genome Odyssey: Medical Mysteries and the Incredible Quest to Solve Them
Author: Euan Angus Ashley, M.D.,Ph.D.
Source/Format: Celadon Books and BookishFirst; Paperback ARC
Publisher/ Release date: Celadon Books; (Expected) Feb 23, 2021

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Synopsis from Goodreads:

In The Genome Odyssey, Dr. Euan Ashley, Stanford professor of medicine and genetics, brings the breakthroughs of precision medicine to vivid life through the real diagnostic journeys of his patients and the tireless efforts of his fellow doctors and scientists as they hunt to prevent, predict, and beat disease.

Since the Human Genome Project was completed in 2003, the price of genome sequencing has dropped at a staggering rate. It’s as if the price of a Ferrari went from $350,000 to a mere forty cents. Through breakthroughs made by Dr. Ashley’s team at Stanford and other dedicated groups around the world, analyzing the human genome has decreased from a heroic multibillion dollar effort to a single clinical test costing less than $1,000.

For the first time we have within our grasp the ability to predict our genetic future, to diagnose and prevent disease before it begins, and to decode what it really means to be human. (read the rest on Goodreads)

What I Thought:

The Genome Odyssey by Dr. Euan Angus Ashley is a wonderful ride through the world of genome sequencing. How it can help the field of science/medicine, the patient, and the patient’s families. And finally, it shines a light on the life changing impact that genomics can have. I was excited to get into to this since I have heard about the Human Genome Project over the years. Spoiler alert: it did not let me down.

Early on in the book, readers get to know Ashley’s background as he becomes interested in medical field at an early age. Also introduced are the many colleagues that joined him and their quest together to sequence genomes. Everyone got some type of introduction, so it didn’t feel like it was just random name dropping. It was the same thing with the patients too. Right off the bat, I loved that it was not overloaded with pure medical and scientific terminology. It was informative but not overly simplified. There were often brief explanations, analogies, or a short overview of the history concerning each term. Additionally, Ashley relates back to the past when researchers didn’t know much about/couldn’t figure out exactly the disease their patients were suffering from. Slowly, but surely building up to how the genome sequencing helped solve those mysteries for patients of today.  This was a slower read for me, but I still enjoyed my time reading this. 

In the end The Genome Odyssey was an interesting and informative read. It combined past and present medical history, historical achievements, personal and patient stories, technology, and company startups among other things. With everything that’s in it, I’d say it’s a well-rounded book. If this sounds interesting to you, I recommend checking it out.

*I received this book from Celadon Books and BookishFirst for this review.

Thanks For Reading!

Book Review: The Silent Patient (ARC)

Title: The Silent Patient
Author: Alex Michaelides
Source/Format: BookishFirst and Celadon Books; Paperback ARC
Publisher/ Expected release date: Celadon Books; Feb 5 2019
Genre: Psychological Thriller

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Synopsis:

Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word. Find out more at Celadon Books...

What I Thought:

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is an engaging psychological thriller that had me flying through the pages to get to the end. I such a hard time putting it down, so I stayed up to finish it the same day I got it.

In a sense, the story isn’t just about a psychotherapist’s quest to find the reasoning behind Alicia Berenson’s silence, but also about how Theo Faber deals with his own issues. Although it’s mainly told through his perspective, Alicia Berenson’s diary also makes up some of the chapters. This not only added to the suspense, but also revealed a couple of the characters’ personalities and the reason behind their actions. Eventually, I found myself attempting to predict the end. Nonetheless, I was wrong. As for the twist, I wasn’t sure if I liked it immediately after I finished reading; however, the more I considered the plot, characters, and motives, the more I loved the ending.

There is so much more I want to say, but in my opinion, those things are spoilers. Overall, I recommend checking out The Silent Patient if you like psychological thrillers with a twist.

Thanks for reading.

*I received this book from BookishFirst and Celadon Books for this review.

Book Review: The Knitter's Dictionary

Title: The Knitter's Dictionary
Author: Kate Atherley
Source/Format: *BookistFirst; Hardcover
More Details: Knitting; nonfiction
Publisher/ Release date:  Interweave, Oct 30 2018

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Synopsis from Goodreads:

From "alt" to "yrn," knitting patterns have a unique language of abbreviations and knitting techniques. The Knitter's Dictionary is your comprehensive resource for understanding the language of knitting in a quick-reference guide that no knitting bag should be without. For beginner and skilled knitters alike, there's always something new to discover in your next handknit project. The Knitter's Dictionary puts an expert knitting instructor in the palm of your hands to help you navigate any pattern.

My Thoughts:

I often find myself scratching my head at the various knitting terminology –that’s why I was excited to read The Knitter’s Dictionary by Kate Atherley. It explains a lot of the terminology clearly and gives tutorials with images for others.

As a casual and beginner knitter, I found this book to be an enjoyable and helpful read. With this book, I discovered techniques that I’ve never dreamed of being possible. Take bobbles (p.20) for example, it requires knitting multiple short rows with a group of increase stitches. I never heard of working rows before finishing the actual row. Additionally there are quite a few charts and extra tips throughout the book.

Overall, it’s nice to have so much information (if not all of it) in one place. The Knitter’s Dictionary is a neat, little book that I totally recommend, especially if you’re into knitting.

*I received this book from BookishFirst and Interweave for this review.