★★★1/2

Feedback discusses the processes that interacted to form the earth and create life and so forth, drawing parallels between human consciousness and the structure of the universe.

I liked that this book wasn’t overbearingly science-y in the way of shoving a bunch of numbers and data down the reader’s throat. Instead, the information read more like a story, and it was easy to follow the structure of the text. I also liked the references to mythology scattered throughout the book, which helped to engage the reader and relate some concepts to more readily accessible ideas the reader likely already had.

What I didn’t like was how the information was visually organized on the page. The paragraphs were endless and the sentences were lengthy! It was so easy to get lost in the text because of this, which led me to start skimming the rest of the book around the 45-50% mark. I also kept wishing the book had graphics of some sort (tables, graphs, photographs, illustrations, etc.) to help break up the monotony of the text.

OVERALL: I learned a lot, I skimmed a lot.

Thank you NetGalley and Prometheus for the DRC!

As someone who is not into science at all, I found myself enjoying <i>Feedback</i> way more than I expected to. Golledge guides us through this idea of feedback throughout our planet's history and shows how it, combined with luck, led to the perfect conditions for life on Earth. Throughout school, you hear a lot about Goldilocks conditions and how lucky we are for the Earth to be perfectly suited for life, but in this book, we dive deep into the specific things that allow us to be standing here, and Golledge uses incredibly compelling and lyrical language to do it. It took me a bit to finish this book, mostly because I had to keep hyping myself to read it in the beginning, but after a bit, I was drinking the Kool-Aid hahaha. It's really an incredible feat that Golledge was able to make me read an entire book talking about tectonic plates and evolution, and while it certainly wasn't my favorite book ever, I definitely enjoyed it, which is saying a lot. This is a 4.5 star read for me!

3-3.5 stars.

This is meditative and philosophical, and the insights about the connections in life and in the universe.

The structure of the book is perfect and the themes for each chapter have been well selected.

It is also well-researched. I am unsure who is the best audience for this book. I am not writing this as a negative criticism. I am genuinely unsure which disciplines this book is more closely related to. The writing style is clear. Though, it could be more engaging at points.

Honestly, I was looking for more practical advice on using feedback loops. There are some magnificent musings in here but it's not for me.

This book explores the hidden rhythms that shape our world, from the cycles of life and the cosmos to the intricate tapestry of our personal and social connections. Discover how the same patterns that govern plate tectonics, evolution, and mass extinctions also underpin the heartbeat of our everyday lives, revealing the hidden links that unite us across time and space.

This is an engaging, easy-to-read, and informative book. It wasn’t clear to me how the book was organized, but it was interesting and made me think.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.