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Omnivore
(...)By studying the nature and history of the eating habits of human beings and a variety of other animals, prominent zoologist reveals some astonishing facts about why man behaves as he does. Covering every eating ritual from carving the roast to a lovers' champagne dinner, this book proves beyond a doubt that "You are what you eat".(from the book's dust jacket)
- GenresNonfictionSociology
156 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1971
1 person is currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
Lyall Watson
93 books103 followersLyall Watson was a South African botanist, zoologist, biologist, anthropologist, ethologist, and author of many new age books, among the most popular of which is the best seller Supernature. Lyall Watson tried to make sense of natural and supernatural phenomena in biological terms. He is credited with the first published use of the term "hundredth monkey" in his 1979 book, Lifetide. It is a hypothesis that aroused both interest and ire in the scientific community and continues to be a topic of discussion over a quarter century later.
He was born in Johannesburg as Malcolm Lyall-Watson. He had an early fascination for nature in the surrounding bush, learning from Zulu and !Kung bushmen. Watson attended boarding school at Rondebosch Boys' High School in Cape Town, completing his studies in 1955. He enrolled at Witwatersrand University in 1956, where he earned degrees in botany and zoology, before securing an apprenticeship in palaentology under Raymond Dart, leading on to anthropological studies in Germany and the Netherlands. Later he earned degrees in geology, chemistry, marine biology, ecology and anthropology. He completed a doctorate of ethology at the University of London, under Desmond Morris. He also worked at the BBC writing and producing nature documentaries.
Around this time he shortened his name to Lyall Watson. He served as director of the Johannesburg Zoo, an expedition leader to various locales, and Seychelles commissioner for the International Whaling Commission.
In the late 1980s he presented Channel 4's coverage of sumo tournaments.
Lyall Watson began writing his first book, Omnivore during the early 1960s while under the supervision of Desmond Morris, and wrote more than 20 others.
He was born in Johannesburg as Malcolm Lyall-Watson. He had an early fascination for nature in the surrounding bush, learning from Zulu and !Kung bushmen. Watson attended boarding school at Rondebosch Boys' High School in Cape Town, completing his studies in 1955. He enrolled at Witwatersrand University in 1956, where he earned degrees in botany and zoology, before securing an apprenticeship in palaentology under Raymond Dart, leading on to anthropological studies in Germany and the Netherlands. Later he earned degrees in geology, chemistry, marine biology, ecology and anthropology. He completed a doctorate of ethology at the University of London, under Desmond Morris. He also worked at the BBC writing and producing nature documentaries.
Around this time he shortened his name to Lyall Watson. He served as director of the Johannesburg Zoo, an expedition leader to various locales, and Seychelles commissioner for the International Whaling Commission.
In the late 1980s he presented Channel 4's coverage of sumo tournaments.
Lyall Watson began writing his first book, Omnivore during the early 1960s while under the supervision of Desmond Morris, and wrote more than 20 others.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 10 reviews
June 15, 2021
Nice, but the topoi of the genre are all there, so that I could have numbered them one by one (she shy and kind, he tormented and grumpy, she bookworm, he viveur, etc.etc.).
Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading it and quickly too, I'm just saying that I'm not surprised, even the big plot twist that the author maybe imagined, I even imagined, but okay, I just read too many books.
Carino per caritá, ma i topoi del genere ci sono proprio tutti, tanto che avrei potuto numerarli uno per uno (lei timida e gentile, lui tormentato e scontroso, lei topo di biblioteca, lui viveur, etc.etc.)
Ciononostante, mi sono divertita a leggerlo e anche velocemente, dico solo che non ci sono sorpresa, anche il grosso plottwist che l'autrice magari immaginava, io lo avevo pure immaginato, ma ok, ho solo letto troppi libri.
I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading it and quickly too, I'm just saying that I'm not surprised, even the big plot twist that the author maybe imagined, I even imagined, but okay, I just read too many books.
Carino per caritá, ma i topoi del genere ci sono proprio tutti, tanto che avrei potuto numerarli uno per uno (lei timida e gentile, lui tormentato e scontroso, lei topo di biblioteca, lui viveur, etc.etc.)
Ciononostante, mi sono divertita a leggerlo e anche velocemente, dico solo che non ci sono sorpresa, anche il grosso plottwist che l'autrice magari immaginava, io lo avevo pure immaginato, ma ok, ho solo letto troppi libri.
I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
June 16, 2021
The Bookshop of Forgotten Dreams by
Publication Date: June 18, 2021
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Description
“Sarah and Max should never have met. She’s a shy bookworm who’s barely ever left her little village; he’s a bad boy actor with the world at his feet. But when Max crosses one line too many, he’s faced with community service in Sarah’s bookshop.
With an unruly theatre group to run and a gorgeous, tattooed stranger under her roof, Sarah’s about to discover that real life is more complicated than anything she’s ever read in her beloved books…”
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Thank you to @netgalley @harpercollinsuk @onemorechapterhc for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts…
I must have been in the mood for this book, because I really enjoyed it. This was translated from the original French, there were some odd translations but overall the translation was fine. The “bad boy/shy girl” trope was a bit over the top. I enjoyed the small town feel and the secondary characters. I would have liked to have read more on how Sarah and Max’s relationship developed. Still, it ended up being such a quick, fun and romantic read.
Publication Date: June 18, 2021
.
Description
“Sarah and Max should never have met. She’s a shy bookworm who’s barely ever left her little village; he’s a bad boy actor with the world at his feet. But when Max crosses one line too many, he’s faced with community service in Sarah’s bookshop.
With an unruly theatre group to run and a gorgeous, tattooed stranger under her roof, Sarah’s about to discover that real life is more complicated than anything she’s ever read in her beloved books…”
.
Thank you to @netgalley @harpercollinsuk @onemorechapterhc for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.
.
My thoughts…
I must have been in the mood for this book, because I really enjoyed it. This was translated from the original French, there were some odd translations but overall the translation was fine. The “bad boy/shy girl” trope was a bit over the top. I enjoyed the small town feel and the secondary characters. I would have liked to have read more on how Sarah and Max’s relationship developed. Still, it ended up being such a quick, fun and romantic read.
June 18, 2021
Bad boy actor meeting shy introverted bookshop owner? I am sold! This is a romance story set in a small bookshop in a small town in France. I absolutely adore bookshop settings in feelgood and romance. It usually captures the love for books and the importance for books in peoples lives. I really liked the female main character, she is shy, introverted and just loved books. Could relate (especially about the book hoarding. I definitely do not own 800 unread books. Definitely not).
I think the author really managed to do a good work with the characters chemistry and story. In my opinion it was well written and really grippingly written. I have had a lot to do in my life and felt at first not really like reading the book. But I picked it up and I became hooked from the first page. It was exactly what I needed right now in my life in regarding to reading. I really can recommend this to any romance reader, I think it will be hard not to fall in love with this cute setting. An easy five star read for me.
I think the author really managed to do a good work with the characters chemistry and story. In my opinion it was well written and really grippingly written. I have had a lot to do in my life and felt at first not really like reading the book. But I picked it up and I became hooked from the first page. It was exactly what I needed right now in my life in regarding to reading. I really can recommend this to any romance reader, I think it will be hard not to fall in love with this cute setting. An easy five star read for me.
June 7, 2021
This novel has all the right ingredients for a perfect summer read: a romance between a bad-boy celebrity and a shy loner, a bookshop, and a setting in a French village and in Paris. The two main characters are believable and have compelling backstories, and the rest of the cast comprises several eccentric yet oddly endearing characters who act as their foils. How Max and Sarah overcome their vast differences to find friendship and love makes an entertaining story. The bookshop setting adds to the appeal of the narrative: he's confined to the bookshop and the flat above it with an ankle bracelet because of a court-ordered community service sentence for his part in a drunken brawl and she's the financially struggling shop owner who needs him to carry out improvements to her premises. The Bookshop of Forgotten Dreams is a well-written and entertaining light read for the summer months.
June 7, 2021
The Bookshop of Forgotten Dreams by Emily Blaine, translated by Wendeline A. Hardenberg #fortyseventhbookof2021 #arc #romcom #booksaboutbooks
CW: suicide, fistfights
This story follows the alternating perspectives of Maxime, an actor, and Sarah, a bookshop owner who allows him to serve out community service working for her. I enjoyed that his perspective opened the book, and although his character was largely unlikable at first, I found myself drawn to the story. I love books that have to do with bookstores, and this one has a good bit of steam to it too. I could see how the book would play out quite easily, but sometimes you just want something comforting and familiar. Enjoyable.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #OneMoreChapter for the advance copy. (Pub date 6/18/21)
CW: suicide, fistfights
This story follows the alternating perspectives of Maxime, an actor, and Sarah, a bookshop owner who allows him to serve out community service working for her. I enjoyed that his perspective opened the book, and although his character was largely unlikable at first, I found myself drawn to the story. I love books that have to do with bookstores, and this one has a good bit of steam to it too. I could see how the book would play out quite easily, but sometimes you just want something comforting and familiar. Enjoyable.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #OneMoreChapter for the advance copy. (Pub date 6/18/21)
June 13, 2021
Sarah lives for books and Maxime lives for his career of actor. Five hours apart get to zero when a common friend got the solution for Maxime who has problems with the law. He is supposed to live withhh her and help her. Sarah needs money to run the library. The problems are many but where is the will all can be done.
There was a bit of slow reading at first, but after half the book it was more intense and I couldn’t put down. Pleasant surprise. I smil very much because and Maxim tries to seduce her with books and books, quotes. Some situations were really in tune with the special atmosphere. Only a bookaddicted can understand
Special thanks to Netgalley.com and Harper. Collins, another chapter for ARC in exchange for an honest review
There was a bit of slow reading at first, but after half the book it was more intense and I couldn’t put down. Pleasant surprise. I smil very much because and Maxim tries to seduce her with books and books, quotes. Some situations were really in tune with the special atmosphere. Only a bookaddicted can understand
Special thanks to Netgalley.com and Harper. Collins, another chapter for ARC in exchange for an honest review
June 12, 2021
I adored this book. Maxine and Sarah are two people with so much to give thinking that they won’t find someone and when they do it is filled with angst and laughs and just a wonderful story that I recommend to anyone in search of a good book.
June 14, 2021
I liked this light contemporary romance. It was a fast read but I enjoyed it. I could totally relate to Sarah, a total book nerd at heart. And Maxine was a good foil for her. The love scenes were well done and it had a satisfying ending.
November 9, 2014
This is definitely a very original insight and a brilliant book. You will be surprised to realize how well evolution and humans are described using "food" as point of view and criterion to explain the course of action and choices.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 10 reviews