Title: Scholars only
Review: I believe that a good history book should be more than even brilliant scholarship. It should be interesting. It should tantalize the reader to go deeper into the subject. It should convey to the reader the author's love of the subject... why the book is worth the reader's valuable time (and money). Scholarly and readable are not contradictory terms.If you share this belief, then avoid Mr. Tester's book. I'm sure the scholarship is fine (just like your high school history text). But this book isn't fun; this book isn't interesting, it's a bore. The erudite Mr. Tester shows no emotion, wit or enthusiasm in this numbing display of pedantry.My guess is that Mr. Tester was from the "no pain, no gain" school of education: learning isn't meant to be easy. One can struggle through a chapter, have dinner, and completely forget what one has just read...I mean completely! It's really amazing how one can take a topic as intrinsically interesting as astrology and turn it into lifeless trivia.
Is this product review negative?