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Noventa Por Ciento De Todo (2014)

by Rose George(Favorite Author)
3.66 of 5 Votes: 3
languge
English
publisher
Capitán Swing
review 1: This brilliantly written and researched book brings into sharp focus the dark blue empty expanse that we glimpse from our airplane windows, or more likely see on our screens as we glide slowly by. We might think that expanse has nothing to do with us, but anyone reading this book will soon discover otherwise. The facts and numbers revealed are truly astounding, covering anything from the sheer volume of stuff transported, to the capture of ships by Somali pirates, and practices within the industry (or lack of) that make life on land seem like a positive paradise. The anchor to the book that holds its parts together is George's journey aboard a cargo ship from Felixstowe to Singapore. With her expertly honed and evocative style, she manages to bring out all the colour in t... morehe day-to-day drudgery of the sea life that she was able to experience first-hand, and all that she learnt from the crew who were her only company for five weeks. She seamlessly weaves this with a historical exploration of life at sea and in the ports, focusing perhaps most importantly on what it means to be a seaman in the modern day, and imbuing the reader with a newfound respect for those that do this brave, lonely, and often thankless job. My only criticism (and it is a minor one) is the title, which I found vaguely misleading. Yes, she goes inside the shipping industry which, yes, does bring us 90% of what we own, but this is by no means the book's sole focus. And though the book is deeply revealing in an array of aspects, those wanting to learn about the nuts and bolts of the shipping industry specifically, could be forgiven for wanting a little more detail than the title might suggest. But as a highly informative and at times un-put-down-able travelog mixed in with a broad sweeping hand over shipping and life at sea, this book is first class.
review 2: This is an important book to read (the Reader's Digest version will suffice) because it identifies an invisible part of our lives--ships are responsible 90% of what we buy/sell, conditions on the seas are not worker friendly, watch out for pirates and whales, and more. However, I did not enjoy how the book was written and would have stopped reading it if it hadn't been next month's book for a reading group I belong to. One thing that really struck me was that the ocean has significantly more sounds/noise than before engines powered ships, and this increase has drastically affected life in the ocean. less
Reviews (see all)
elizabethcady
Interesting…oversimplifies many things, but it's a good introduction.
Jasmine
Always love behind the scenes tales about the shipping industry!
rainbowkid08
Who knew the shipping industry could be so interesting?!
Maxeo77
Via Maryn McKenna
COPie
Solid.
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