It was a nice surprise to be transported back to a place I've been lucky enough to visit within in the first chapter of this book, ostensibly about rooks, by one the UK's pre-eminent natural history authors. Buckenham Carrs is the location & the description of a huge rookery there leads onto an exploration of various pastoral themes in the British countryside interwoven with the author's life in East Anglia as a personal backdrop. For me the best parts were Cocker's descriptions of the historical Norfolk Broads which teemed so much with wildlife that the fish literally jumped into the nets, poignant because now so much of that apparent Eden has been lost. The discussion of why people become so engrossed, even obsessive, when it comes to enjoying wildlife & nature are also beautifully mused upon, & which is an often overlooked subject. Some of the more prosaic descriptions of rookeries were obviously not as captivating & a few photos would have been nice but maybe to the detriment of using one's imagination. Above all I enjoyed the descriptions of my home county Norfolk which particularly resonated with my visits to some of the landsacpes described so well.
4/5
Authoritative & detailed book on one of Microsoft's latest technologies by a renowned expert in the field. Almost no stone is left unturned within the scope of the book so not recommended for absolute beginners at all, but most useful for practictioners or pending exam sitters.
Another excellent travel book which documents the amazing story of a journey down the Congo river, through the most dangerous country in the world. The hardships faced make for a compelling read & these are expertly interwoven with the accounts of historical travellers as well as with updates on the contemporary politics of the region. There's also a passionate & well-reasoned argument as to why the country has failed so badly & what might be done to help get it back on its feet, though that possibility does seem remote. It's never certain that the author will reach his goal & I was gripped until the end as a consequence.