I Read, Therefore I Blog

The Blurb On The Back:

Who do you think you are?

Have you ever thought about who you might be related to?

What if we told you that you were related to EXTRAORDINARY EMPERORS, GREAT KINGS and MAGNIFICENT QUEENS? Well, your majesty, you are. In fact, everyone is. And geneticist Adam Rutherford is here to tell you how.

Discover everything you need to know about human history, from EVOLUTION to the FIRST LIFE ON EARTH, from DINOSAURS to YOU. Along the way, you’ll find out just how far us humans have migrated, how we’re all related to a SUPER CHEESY MAN and why, despite us having different skin colours, living in different places or speaking different languages, we all come from the same place.

This is the epic story of where we come from, what race really is and why we’re all, ultimately, one human family.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Adam Rutherford is a geneticist, science writer and broadcaster. E. L. Norry is an experienced writer of fiction and non-fiction for children. This is a very readable guide to genetics for readers aged 9+that explains evolution, genes, race and tying it in with racism and racist myths. Adam Ming’s illustrations work perfectly with the text and I think the authors strike the right tone, getting over facts but with humour that keeps you engaged.

WHERE ARE YOU REALLY FROM? was released in the United Kingdom on 28th September 2023. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

There is one thing that still puzzles Samira … PERIODS!

She has heard people talking about them, but has no idea what they are. With the help of this book and her family, she learns all about that time of the month!

This friendly and reassuring book will answer first questions about what periods are, ease any worries and provide reassurance that periods are a healthy part of growing up.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Arianna Vettraino and Rosie Kessous’s picture book for children aged 7+ is aimed at girls who are curious about what periods are and what to expect when it happens. Samira is a relatable character and there’s some good basic information but the tone is uneven and veers towards being quite clinical (while also confusing the vulva and vagina). As such, it’s well intentioned but I’d look for other resources as well to give to girls to support it.

THAT TIME OF THE MONTH: A GIRL’S GUIDE TO STARTING YOUR PERIOD was released in the United Kingdom on 10th February 2022. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Of all species that have ever existed on earth, only one has reached human levels of intelligence and social organisation: us. Why? In Genesis, celebrated biologist Edward O. Wilson traces the great transitions of evolution, from the origin of life to the invention of sexual reproduction to the development of language itself.

The only way for us to fully understand human behaviour, Wilson argues, is to study the evolutionary histories of nonhuman species. Of these, he demonstrates that at least seventeen - from the African naked mole rate and the sponge-dwelling shrimp to one of the oldest species on earth, the termite - have been found to have advanced societies based on altruism, cooperation and the division of labour.

Whether writing about midges who dance about like acrobats, schools of anchovies who protectively huddle to appear like a gigantic fish or well-organised flocks becoming potentially immortal, Genesis is a pathbreaking work of evolutionary theory filled with lyrical observations. It will make us rethink how we became who we are.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Edward O. Wilson is Professor Emeritus at Harvard University and one of the world’s pre-eminent biologists and naturalists. This slender book about sociobiology and how human society evolved from and have structures in common with eusocial groups such as termites and wasps did not convince because the comparisons seemed vague. However there were some interesting facts in here about the natural world that kept my attention.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

The humble loo is a lifesaver. Over two billion people in the world don’t have access to a proper toilet or clean water to drink or to wash their hands – and that stinks! Access to sanitation and clean water literally saves lives. Loos also help schools. When children have access to a safe, clean loo at school, they are more likely to stay in education, get better jobs and escape poverty.

Toilet Twinning is a charity that empowers people in low-income countries to build proper toilets and help make their communities healthier, safer and more prosperous. This book visits some of the places Toilet Twinning have worked in, across Africa, Asia and Central America, and reveals the stories of the people they have helped. It’s packed with stats, facts and lots of information all about water and waste.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

This book for children aged 9+ by Seren Boyd with the charity Toilet Twinning is a matter of fact look at an important and yet still socially taboo topic of the importance of toilet and sanitation facilities and although it was interesting to read the case studies setting out the transformative work being done by Toilet Twinning, I wasn’t completely comfortable with the way it exists to promote the charity and encourage fund raising for it.

LOOS SAVE LIVES was released in the United Kingdom on 9th November 2017. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.