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I agree with most of the author's points, but struggled with what is usually anecdotal argument and haphazard reasoning.

chapter 6 explains that we have to allow for oral tradition to be considered good evidence.

chapter 7 explains that people's memories are extremely fallible and biased, and so we shouldn't trust what people say without solid backing evidence.

both can be valuable perspectives, but goddamn if you're going to espouse both you better have a cogent idea of how to reconcile them. (Millar doesn't, so far.)

so far, the author has given definitions of terms like fact, data, information, and evidence. and then gone on to write how evidence and truth are social constructs. which is true, but if this is to be a worthwhile polemic, it will need to advocate for particular social constructions over others. otherwise this is just throwing out words and metaphorically shrugging.

Chapter 1 is pure polemic. ironically, it has no real evidence of the value of evidence. though perhaps this will be a properly outlined book that makes subsequent chapter detail the evidence for evidence.

May be a bit before I get to the review, as I am at a big conference for work this week.

New words: genkan, tatami, ofuro

Genkan: the entryway in a Japanese house

Tatami: a rush-covered straw mat forming a traditional Japanese floor covering.

Ofuro: Furo (風呂), or the more common and polite form ofuro (お風呂), is a Japanese bath and/or bathroom. Specifically it is a type of bath which originated as a short, steep-sided wooden bathtub

I may DNF this book. The premise is that Asuka is a crew member on a ship traveling to establish a colony on another world. But while on a spacewalk, an explosion rips a hole in the side of the ship, knocks Asuka out, and kills her friend Kat.

We're now a day after the sabotage, and there's no indication of a proper investigation. Just a lot of people moping and navel-gazing about their situations.

I'm all for feelings, but how does a space ship have people who can't work and have feelings at the same time??

New word: mizuna

a Japanese mustard (Brassica rapa nipposinica synonym B. rapa japonica) having mild tasting deeply dissected leaves used especially in salads

(This is the first word where my Kobo provided an unhelpful definition. The posted definition comes from Merriam-Webster.)

Standard Jack Reacher. Teacher blows into town. Gets hassled and rather than move on, decides to mess with the people who hassled him

The preposterous part is the entire town of Despair Colorado is complicit. Even more preposterous is that no one talks. They just run Reacher right out of town for mysterious reasons. But if you can suspend disbelief on that, the rest falls into place.

New word: hygroscopic

(Of a substance) tending to absorb moisture from the air.

New word: camber

The slightly convex or arched shape of a road or other horizontal surface