User Profile

DigitalRob

DigitalRob@ramblingreaders.org

Joined 1 year, 7 months ago

Father, Husband, Teacher, Geek, Beer Sampler

Was both @MrWsTweets and @DigitalRob on the bird site, but now I'm just one on Mastodon: defcon.social/@digitalrob

EdTech #LEGO #Reader #bookstodon #Geek

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/user/show/1856040-rob Also, DigitalRob on TheStoryGraph: www.thestorygraph.com/

I taught H.S. English for 10 years, moved to teacher support, then to the principalship. Now, I work with a small amazing team to keep our district's technology safe, current, and working.

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DigitalRob's books

Currently Reading

2025 Reading Goal

8% complete! DigitalRob has read 2 of 25 books.

Malcolm Gladwell: Revenge of the Tipping Point (2024, Little, Brown Book Group Limited) 4 stars

I learned a lot, and I want more

4 stars

Malcolm Gladwell's Revenge of the Tipping Point is a thought-provoking exploration of how small changes in communities, institutions, and cultures can lead to seismic shifts in societal behavior and attitudes.

One of the book's central themes is small area variation. Gladwell delves into fascinating examples, such as striking differences in medical practices between neighboring towns, or the peculiar growth of the anti-vaccine movement in insular school communities. These cases illustrate how localized "overstories"—the dominant cultural narratives within a community—shape individual and collective behavior. For example, Gladwell traces a 1980s Miami plagued by Medicare fraud back to a collapse of institutional values following a wave of social upheaval. His ability to weave historical, social, and economic threads into a cohesive explanation is nothing short of masterful.

The book also explores monoculture dynamics, drawing an intriguing parallel between Florida panthers saved through genetic diversity and high schools plagued by groupthink. Gladwell examines …

Kaliane Bradley: The Ministry of Time (Hardcover, 2024, Simon & Schuster) 4 stars

In the near future, a civil servant is offered the salary of her dreams and …

Great Character Development. Loved this novel!

5 stars

Kaliane Bradley's "The Ministry of Time" is a delightful surprise, a story that exceeded my expectations and left me wanting more. The premise is intriguing: a world where time refugees, displaced from their own timelines, find sanctuary in modern-day London. The Ministry of Time, tasked with managing these refugees and preventing temporal disruptions, is a fascinating concept, and Bradley's execution is superb.

The characters are the heart of this story, and Bradley's character development is exceptional. Graham, poached from his own timeline, is a standout. His awkwardness and unintentional crudeness are both cringeworthy and hilarious. I found myself chuckling at his mishaps and rooting for him as he navigated the complexities of his new reality. The relationships and romance between the characters are beautifully portrayed, with genuine warmth and humor.

The science fiction elements are light, focusing more on the human impact of time travel than on the technicalities. While …

Rick Riordan: The Son of Neptune (The Heroes of Olympus, #2) (2011) 4 stars

The Son of Neptune is a 2011 fantasy-adventure novel written by American author Rick Riordan, …

Good Entry, but I'm left wanting more, in good and bad ways

4 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this second installment in the Heroes of Olympus series. Riordan introduces us to two fantastic new characters, Hazel and Frank, whose backstories and mysterious abilities immediately captivated me. Their personal journeys, intertwined with the overarching plot, added depth and intrigue to the narrative.

However, I must admit that I grew a little impatient waiting for the mysteries surrounding Hazel and Frank to unravel. The gradual reveal of their pasts, while ultimately satisfying, felt somewhat drawn out. Additionally, the lingering question of Hazel's curse left me wanting more closure.

Furthermore, the brief introduction of a character from the Percy Jackson series initially piqued my interest, but his subsequent absence from the story left me feeling a bit perplexed.

Despite these minor quibbles, "The Son of Neptune" remains an engaging and action-packed read. Riordan's signature blend of mythology, humor, and adventure kept me hooked from beginning to end. I'm …

Joseph Cox: Dark Wire (2024, PublicAffairs) 5 stars

The inside story of the largest law-enforcement sting operation ever, in which the FBI made …

Wow! This reads like a thriller!

5 stars

I need more of this book! Cox's masterful storytelling draws you into the shadowy world of international crime, where the FBI's audacious sting operation unfolds with heart-pounding suspense. Honestly, it reads like a crime thriller, but the fact that it's true makes it even more gripping.

While I initially struggled to keep track of the many players involved (seriously, there are a lot of names!), the narrative is so compelling that I was quickly swept up in the action. The colorful nicknames, like the unforgettable "Microsoft," certainly helped!

With every page, the stakes get higher, and I found myself constantly on the edge of my seat, wondering if the operation would be compromised. The tension was palpable! Cox's ability to build suspense is truly remarkable.

This book is a testament to the ingenuity and determination of law enforcement in the face of sophisticated criminal networks. It's a must-read for anyone …