What We Are Reading Today: The Army and Politics in Indonesia

What We Are Reading Today: The Army and Politics in Indonesia
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Updated 05 June 2023
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What We Are Reading Today: The Army and Politics in Indonesia

What We Are Reading Today: The Army and Politics in Indonesia

Author: Harold Crouch 

The book offers a comprehensive description of the Indonesian army’s history of political involvement.

Harold Crouch shares his incredible knowledge of so many facets of intrigue and manipulation, of names, dates, enemies and friends, and specific circumstances under which each attempted coup and counter effort was made.

His attention to the supporting literature and his own personal experiences indicate that Crouch is a leading expert in this complex and bewildering subject.


Review: Be prepared for deep story and complexity in ‘Baldur’s Gate 3’

Review: Be prepared for deep story and complexity in ‘Baldur’s Gate 3’
Updated 26 September 2023
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Review: Be prepared for deep story and complexity in ‘Baldur’s Gate 3’

Review: Be prepared for deep story and complexity in ‘Baldur’s Gate 3’
  • Latest incarnation of the 1998 series creates very human experience despite outrageous fantasy world

LONDON: The “Baldur’s Gate” series dates to 1998 and this latest incarnation (available for both PC and PS5) allows gamers into a vast and hugely complex fantasy world of Dungeons and Dragons, with hundreds of customization options as you weave your story from the depths of the Underdark, to the glittering rooftops of the Upper City.

For those unfamiliar with the series, adjusting to this world, its history and lore, as well as the practical aspects of turn-based role-playing game, or RPG, combat, can be difficult. But, if you are willing to persevere, you are rewarded with a story of incredible depth all shaped by your choices.

The story begins — following significant time choosing your character’s class and appearance — with you trapped on a nautiloid ship where you witness an Illithid also known as “mind flayer” place a tadpole into your brain. One dramatic air battle with dragons later and you are free and desperate to cure this contagion.

As ever with RPGs, you balance a central quest alongside a steadily increasing number of side quests. There is a fair amount of dialogue but the choices within it, which often involve going to the role of a dice, feel substantive and the silky tones of the narrator give you greater immersion into the impressive world that you find yourself in. 

Combat is turn-based and akin to a game of chess with each of your four-person team possessing certain skills and strengths that need to be knitted together for success. Again, the pace of this style of game is very different from the quick reactions of other more conventional fighting fantasies like “Elden Ring” but again after a time complexity becomes familiarity.

Movement around the battle space is limited, jumping becomes an important attribute and enemy spells or actions like throwing grease can force some of your party to miss their turn, sometimes with lethal implications. Leveling up is a serious affair offering a host of new skills, but patience is required to read and understand each. 

The dice mechanic can seem a bit arbitrary at first but once you get to grip with the logic of a character’s developing strengths it can reinforce the sense that your choices matter. Charismatic characters can persuade non-playable characters to do what they want, whilst stronger ones can try and use intimidation to get to a similar outcome. Again, it is worth spending time slowly understanding the menus, dialogue histories and item effects to really get the most out of the game. 

The world is varied and can be fast-travelled. Music and atmosphere are both solid but one of the most enjoyable aspects of the game is the relationship between your tadpole-infected group of four. It is your choices that determine who you travel with, and the world’s history will mean some companions will not get on with each other. Time spent resting in the game’s “camp” facility offers further dialogue and the chance for your characters’ relationships to become stronger. This all means that “Baldur’s Gate 3” creates a very human experience despite the outrageous fantasy world in which it is based. 


What We Are Reading Today: The Solitary Bees

What We Are Reading Today: The Solitary Bees
Updated 26 September 2023
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What We Are Reading Today: The Solitary Bees

What We Are Reading Today: The Solitary Bees

Authors: Bryan N. Danforth, Robert L. Minckley, & John L. Neff

While social bees such as honey bees and bumble bees are familiar to most people, they comprise less than 10 percent of all bee species in the world.

The vast majority of bees lead solitary lives, surviving without the help of a hive and using their own resources to fend off danger and protect their offspring.

This book draws on new research to provide a comprehensive and authoritative overview of solitary bee biology, offering an unparalleled look at these remarkable insects.


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Tooth and Claw’

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Updated 24 September 2023
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Tooth and Claw’

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Authors: ROBERT M. JOHNSON III, SHARON L. GILMAN, AND DANIEL C. ABEL

“Tooth and Claw” presents the world’s top predators as you have never seen them before, from big cats and wild dogs to sharks, reptiles, and killer whales.

Blending gorgeous photos and illustrations with spellbinding storytelling, this book is packed with the latest facts about these fearsome but often misunderstood animals.

It covers apex and other top predators in each major vertebrate family, discussing where and how they live, how they are faring in the modern world, and why they matter.

 


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Elemental’

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Photo/Supplied
Updated 23 September 2023
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Elemental’

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Author: STEPHEN PORDER

It is rare for life to change Earth, yet three organisms have profoundly transformed our planet over the long course of its history.

“Elemental” reveals how microbes, plants, and people used the fundamental building blocks of life to alter the climate, and with it, the trajectory of life on Earth in the past, present, and future.

Taking readers from the deep geologic past to our current era of human dominance, Stephen Porder focuses on five of life’s essential elements —hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus.

 


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Sea Mammals’

What We Are Reading Today: ‘Sea Mammals’
Updated 21 September 2023
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Sea Mammals’

What We Are Reading Today: ‘Sea Mammals’

Author: Annalisa Berta

From the gregarious sea otter and playful dolphins to the sociable narwhal and iconic polar bear, sea mammals are a large, diverse, and increasingly precious group. 
In this book, Annalisa Berta, a leading expert on sea mammals and their evolution, presents an engaging and richly illustrated introduction to past and present species of these remarkable creatures, from the blue whale and the northern fur seal to the extinct giant sperm whale, aquatic sloth, and walking sea cow. 
The book features more than 50 individual species profiles, themed chapters, stunning photographs, and specially commissioned paleo-illustrations of extinct species.