Uninteresting subject matter
344815
Perhaps this book made little sense to me because the author did not do a good job at explaining certain things and by using medical terminology that I could never hope to grasp.  While I applaud her efforts to cast light on her profession and its inner workings (by far the most captivating part of the entire book), I found the word choice and medical jargon often difficult to follow -- I spent too many hours on Wikipedia trying to understand certain procedures and what they meant in relation to her work.  Finally, I gave up because I just didn't find the story all that compelling.

Please don't get me wrong -- the author writes well, but perhaps she should stay away from the autobiographical.  We all know that Mark Twain always said to write about what you know, but, in this case, I think that the author's research abilities and writing would have been better suited to a different area - one outside her sphere of knowledge that would require her to learn about something she didn't know about so that she could then convey that to the reader.  Perhaps we'll see more from this author in the future (as I hope we do).  I also felt almost no connection with any of her characters in the book - I found them all to be lacking any depth or complexity - at least nothing that I could relate to.

Oh, and the surprise ending that everyone keeps going on about...I won't say what it was but it was a letdown, and it took me a while to make the connection (won't spoil it for you).  I have to say that I think that she gives medicine and legal professions a bad "rap" - but that's just my opinion.  Seeing that others have reviewed his book so highly, I feel like I missed something in the work, but you can't please everyone.  I do look forward to reading Ms. Cassella's next work and hope that it's not a continuation of the same themes.
2322793
There was nothing I liked about this book....
1990632
Nearly universally, the inquisitive mind is better served to delve deeply into a subject matter through literature rather than taking the quick, easy, and intellectually dishonest route of cinema.

I had high hopes to get some further insight into the trials and tribulations of the Father of The Abolitionist Movement through Piper and Atkins work.

Unfortunately, a similar book (if it exists) by Marvel Comics would have relayed as much information and in doubtless a more entertaining fashion.

Go get the DVD of Amazing Grace, and if that doesn't satisfy your curiosity, find another book to relieve your inquisitive nature on this topic.
3512384
I found her writing to be very elementary - and uninteresting.  The most interesting part of this book is that I learned about the children - and of course that in itself was sad.  However, the story line did not engage me.
1810249
My criteria for good books are few and simple. I want an interesting topic. I want well-written prose in words that are clear. I want to be entertained OR sufficiently informed, if the book is more of a reference source. And I prefer that the book be logically and coherently organized. What I don't want is to edit the book in my mind as I'm reading.

This book fails most of my criteria. The topic is interesting! But it's not a joy to read, and I found myself correcting the writing in my head. This, and it's an ordeal to read, and boring in how the material is presented.

There is a lot of material in the book, but it's not well organized or coherently presented.
190516
I cannot understand the praise this book has received. The subject matter was kind of boring, the characters completely unbelievable. It was an ok read and I laughed once or twice but it was really nothing special.
439380
I saw an interesting review of this book in the Economist Magazine so I bought it from Amazon.  It has been a long time since I have been so thoroughly disappointed in any book purchase - on any subject.  This is an annoying ramble through historical mysticism which has little to do with the subject matter, thought to be the tuning of keyboard instruments.  It pretends to be erudite but shows its writer as a dabbler and ends up being thoroughly boring and irrelevant.  Of little use to any music lover or any musician.
353631
Half the book is Reynolds family tree, no story line. Nothing to flesh out the man, not a page turner; an interesting
subject made dull.
2253610
As a non-American, I am keen to understand America's obsession with guns. That's why I bought this book whose cover caught my eye.

I did learn a few things, but was disappointed that such a recent book didn't venture far into the 20th century, let alone this one. The author's area of expertise was plainly the Winchester family although she does frequently comment on the affairs of competing manufacturers. I got a sense of this before I bought the book, so have only myself to blame.

Like other reviewers here, I didn't see the point of tales of Sarah Winchester, her baby and the spirit world. Far from providing additional interest, these sections went off topic and made an already disappointing book more tedious.

I was also bothered that there was no in depth account of the congressional and moral dilemma that guns generated. These were mentioned only in passing. I am left with an unresolved sense that either there really was very little political objection and debate, or that the author didn't take the time to research this important aspect more fully. Neither of these possibilities sits well with me, especially as she grew up in a family that owned guns.

If you are looking for an answer to why the USA today is addicted to guns, this book is well-researched but only gets you halfway there. I commend the author for leaving her own emotions at the door, but this makes the read academic and somewhat dull. I congratulate her on contributing to a better understanding of the origins of the current state of affairs, and offer my condolences at the passing of her brother.
817399
While presenting information that is, in itself interesting, this book was difficult for me to get through.  The use of italics in place of quotation marks seemed pretentious, and the book itself leapt from topic to topic, so that I was frequently confused as to who was doing what to whom.  Better books on the topic might be _Excellent Cadavers_, an exhaustive book on the Mafia, and _On Persephone's Island_, about an American woman's experiences after marrying a Sicilian.  I really wanted to enjoy Midnight in Sicily, but wasn't able to warm up to it at all.
2303284
The topics behind the book were good, however, the execution was mediocre at best. Dialogue was very trivial and nothing that you would hear spoken between two individuals unless they were learning a new language. There were too many topics being covered and I never felt as though I was involved or really cared about any of them. The overall flow was scattered and I didn't really care about the characters.

For a free book, I'd recommend it to authors as an example of what not to do. Harsh, but true.
2997312
It may be a good story, but it was not a book of interest for me .  I was drawn by the title to it. Gave up reading it.
2247490
Didnt expect it to be about religious intolerance. Will not finish. Subject is boring. When there was so much going on during this time period. Dont like any of the characters. A real disappointment.
2925816
Unfortunately this book cant seem to decide on a theme or topic is. It attempts to include Psychics, Gothic supernatural horror. ghost story, murder mystery, dogs trained for search and rescue, hostages at risk, time limit for  finding a girl, and ghost story. Needless to say these different plots and subplots create a tangled mess. I found it almost unreadable. The supernatural creature may be able to create earth quakes having the protagonists running to escape being trapped in caves, trice! The hostages are held by an insane man who sets a must find time for locating a family member. There are multiple ghosts including one that knows the key information but for unknown reasons never communicates until the end of the book..
1485271
This book is better suited to those with a specific interest in the subjects whose biographies were included. It did not hold my interest.
1337727
Found the book to be boring, despite the topic. It read more like a daily journal of events. Do readers have to read about a character's thirst as she went to  the  refrigerator, opened a bottle and drank some water?  Really? This needless, useless  information is repeated through out the book. Very annoying.
1039402
I didn't like the subject matter and didn't like the writing style.  Not what I would expect from an amazon 4-star review.