Excellent and thought-provoking. It's an older collection but as we're discussing culture, history and science, that doesn't affect the discourse. Provided, of course, you're engaging with it. ( )

The usual mix of essays from Gould, though I enjoyed a higher proportion of these than I sometimes do in his volumes. ( )

Although some of Gould's books were pleasurable reads for me, this collection of his essays was a little bit tedious for some reason. He is an engaging essayist, but I suspect that so many years after his untimely death, his style and the subjects he treats are a bit...well, dated. It doesn't seem possible, but there times I had to put this book down and leave it for a day or two before reading the next essay. ( )

Full of interest, though a bit scattered and with a touch of the manic. Amazed to discover on page 374 that I'd read it before - perhaps 10 years ago. The item that rang a bell was the 3 meanings of "Bug" ( beastie, computer glitch, listening device). Of the rest, not a phrase was familiar, though some things seemed part of my general knowledge. What do we take in when we read? what remains? ( )

A Darwinian's delight. Although much of the reading was dry, there were certain compelling essays. I particularly enjoyed (if that's the right word) the sequence on eugenics and the essay on Poe's scientific writing (maybe, maybe not). ( )