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9 of the first 14 places are in the USA. The chinese call themselves "middle kingdom" and centuries ago believe they were the central kingdom of the world.... Alas, now the Americans think that.

I must confess, I have never liked this book (I read it when I was younger). I hated the conclusion, I was always angry for Jo. I felt it unfair.

I am reading it a second time, now as an adult with much more experience reading classic books.... but the writing is bad. I mean, it is like Enid Blyton style. Why is it always compared alongside Austen and Bronte?

Ambivalence.
"View from a modern perspective, almost all children before the 18th century could be classed as 'battered children'.
That is a bit shocking and sad.
The intensity with which children were beaten is criminal by today's standards.

I want to meet these mothers and judge for myself. Were they cruelly and hardhearted, or did they just believe they were doing what was good and right.

This chapter focused on abandonment of children. It was another difficult chapter as the author plods on through what he calls the six child-rearing modes that societies progress through.

It is shocking to read about the attitude towards children. Rape and sexual molestation happened without any prosecution. It was just considered okay. Stuff that would never be allowed today was shrugged off.

"You need to read 25 books a year to be considered well-read" was posted by someone on fb, the comments that followed were people bragging about the number of books they read annually.

I read about 50-60 depending on the quality of the book.

I couldn't believe how many bragged about figures over the 600 mark, one claimed 1500.

Insane. How could you digest 3 books in a single day? A quality book needs time.

Finally finished "War and Peace" (okay a lie, I have 30 pages left). I intend to spend the summer catching up on my pile of less-intense books.

"The most primal means of lessening the load of parenting is to murder the child" I thought this sentence was the start of a simple chapter brushing aside infanticide as a applicable to the modern world. Instead I read a shocking chapter about how the practice is still common around the world. It was a hard thing to read. Looking forward to getting to the more gentle parts of the books.

I read lots of books, and then I read Tolstoy and I wonder why I bother to read lots of books. They are all shite compared to what he writes.

Wow Tolstoy is an amazing writer. Why does anybody else bother writing. I mean it is also poorly written rot when compared to this.

"I am so enchanted by the brilliancy of the wit and culture of the society, more especially of the feminine society, in which I have had the honour of being received, that I have not yet had time to think of the climate"

The abbe is really just treating Anna Pavlovna the way she treats everyone else, but he seems to think her a stupid women who doesn't realise. He is afraid of her, she is not afraid of him.

I love the way Abbe speaks to Anna Pavlovna. He was talking comfortably with Pierre until she came along.

Then his whole countenance changes. He is both condescending and clueless. He doesn't enjoy the company of women, possibly sees them as beneath the intelligence level of men, and consequently seems to think he can charmingly lather on praise.

(Why only 200 characters in these updates?)

I loved when Anna Pavlovna interuptted the conversation between Pierre and Prince Andrew Bolonksy.

Pavlovna is displeased because the conversation is too honest. "Both were talking and listening too eagerly and too naturally,which is why Anna Pavlovna disapproved"

We have a woman supervising her guests to make sure everyone is being suitably entertained, but only so long as they are not too honest and serious.

Anna Pavlovna is a wonderful hostess. Incredibly fake, smiles and laughs and does things just to please her guests - but very good at it.

The little Bolonksy princess is clearly bored (or lacks understanding) by the conversations that are going on, she constantly watches Pavlovna and mimics her facial expressions.

Anna Pavlovna is a wonderful hostess. Incredibly fake, smiles and laughs and does things just to please her guests - but very good at it.

The little Bolonksy princess is clearly bored (or lacks understanding) by the conversations that are going on, she constantly watches Pavlovna and mimics her facial expressions.

The protaganist is an ass, and the book is about something that I just couldn't be bothered weighing in on. I don't care who slapped who and why.

I already hate this writing style. Seriously. "Through the years he had learned to rein his body in, to allow himself to only let go in solitude; farting and pissing in the shower, burping alone in the car, not washing or brushing his teeth all weekend when she was away at conferences. It was not that his wife was a prude, she just didn't seem to tolerate the smells and expressions of a male body".

I feel like I am still reading the intro. Intro is usually full of claims and anecdotes that you know will be fully explored later on however I am a third of the way through the book and still feel like so much is being thrown at me in a vary unsubstantiated way. Ie. Here is an anecdote that proves my point. Ironically, I am waiting for the book to slow down.

I am blown away write now. In awe of this writing. I am disgusted by the main character and yet I see myself in his thoughts and actions. I went to bed last night afraid. Afraid that I might murder someone, don't worry I won't. It was just his writing was so powerful. The way an ordinary man became a murderer without ever really believing he would do it. It scared me. The thoughts of the main character scare me.

cont... I think what bothers me about that is citing a teacher as if she were an expert, when really she is a teacher with a strong opinion.

I would respond better to reading that a survey of 200 kindergarten teachers showed that 80% believe Bratz dolls have changed the way children play, and here are half a dozen comments reflecting that.

I agree with the book, just struggling with the research.

Another bit of picking...

"When I asked one kindergarten teacher about her experience with preschoolers and Bratz dolls, she said it had changed the way little girls play. 'They no longer play mother, and care of and play with heir doll in that nurturing way' she told me' They become on of the 'Bratz] dolls when they play with them.'

Bothered because she is citing one teacher with an opinion.

Cont... "Studies suggest that every hour of television a small child watches each day may increase her risk of developing attention problems by almost 10 percent by the time she is 7." What is the original risk? Is it 1% or 20%. It makes a difference since the studies discuss risk increase.

Hmmm. I am bothered by some sketchy math. It is a small thing, but since the book is a researched book I would feel better if the data was interpreted correctly. The heavily hedged wording bothers me too "suggest... may... increase risk... almost".

I hate it when the introduction goes onso long that I am bored. Finally got to the start of the book.

I picked this up again... And barely got through five pages. My problem this time is the lack of description. Why are reporters so bored with watching a woman's body walk around controlled by AI but clap thunderously to a virtual slingshot. I have no idea.

This book needs an editor. "arriving in the kitchen" when simply "in the kitchen" would have done. "spooning oatmeal rhythmically into my mouth". Really too many useless words.

Don't forget about the dog, that was hilarious. She seriously set about to train her dog with insanely high standards. She actually googled a dog intelligence ranking. It is very funny how intense she is.