Review of Musings
Posted: 07 Nov 2024, 15:26
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Musings" by Lawrence Lambelet.]
Musings: Vietnam, Conjectures, and More by Lawrence Lambelet is, as the title suggests, a thought-provoking journey through the mind and musings of its author. It covers a variety of topics, ranging in depth from relatively light (such as dieting and weight loss) to quite literally unfathomable (such as attempting to quantify infinity). It is a fairly quick read in spite of the depth of some of these topics, and for me, it was a nice way to pass a Wednesday evening.
There is no preamble, either to the book or to any of the topics within. Rather, the reader is repeatedly plunged enthusiastically into various corners of Lambelet’s mind. Each chapter has the same feeling as walking up to a group of people deep in conversation—it takes a moment of attentive listening to acclimate yourself to the topic before feeling ready to join the conversation. By the time you reach that point in a given chapter of Lambelet’s book, the chapter is wrapping up, and you find yourself pulled inevitably off to the next subject. For some, this structure might be off-putting. Personally, however, I found it to be refreshing. This was not written to be a novel or a dedicated research book, no matter how well-referenced the author’s arguments may be. This was written, I expect, out of Lambelet’s desire to talk about the subject matter contained in the book. As such, the short form format of these chapters, stylized much like an ongoing discussion, works perfectly.
It is hard to find a complaint with a book such as this one. I think this would be a perfect volume to place on a coffee table or a bathroom counter. It provides light, quick reading to anyone with a curious mind and is certain not to disappoint. My opinion, then, is that these musings deserve five stars out of five. It is worth noting, however, that some of the topics covered are fairly technical mathematical discussions. I would recommend this book to anyone with a love of learning, but having a background with math or physics might help you follow along with some of the denser chapters.
******
Musings
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Musings: Vietnam, Conjectures, and More by Lawrence Lambelet is, as the title suggests, a thought-provoking journey through the mind and musings of its author. It covers a variety of topics, ranging in depth from relatively light (such as dieting and weight loss) to quite literally unfathomable (such as attempting to quantify infinity). It is a fairly quick read in spite of the depth of some of these topics, and for me, it was a nice way to pass a Wednesday evening.
There is no preamble, either to the book or to any of the topics within. Rather, the reader is repeatedly plunged enthusiastically into various corners of Lambelet’s mind. Each chapter has the same feeling as walking up to a group of people deep in conversation—it takes a moment of attentive listening to acclimate yourself to the topic before feeling ready to join the conversation. By the time you reach that point in a given chapter of Lambelet’s book, the chapter is wrapping up, and you find yourself pulled inevitably off to the next subject. For some, this structure might be off-putting. Personally, however, I found it to be refreshing. This was not written to be a novel or a dedicated research book, no matter how well-referenced the author’s arguments may be. This was written, I expect, out of Lambelet’s desire to talk about the subject matter contained in the book. As such, the short form format of these chapters, stylized much like an ongoing discussion, works perfectly.
It is hard to find a complaint with a book such as this one. I think this would be a perfect volume to place on a coffee table or a bathroom counter. It provides light, quick reading to anyone with a curious mind and is certain not to disappoint. My opinion, then, is that these musings deserve five stars out of five. It is worth noting, however, that some of the topics covered are fairly technical mathematical discussions. I would recommend this book to anyone with a love of learning, but having a background with math or physics might help you follow along with some of the denser chapters.
******
Musings
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon