The Lost Art of Gratitude

3.5 stars Alexander McCall Smith is probably best known for his 'Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency' series, but he's a prolific author who pens other series as well. In this 6th book in the 'Isabel Dalhousie' series, ethicist Isabel - who's the owner and editor of the 'Review of Applied Ethics' - agre......more

This book was shelved with the mysteries but it is not a mystery. Nothing happens. There is no plot, no character development, in that the characters as presented in the first chapter are completely unchanged throughout the book. There is no action or adventure. The vocabulary is not outstanding; th......more

"За благодарността като изгубено умение" на Алегзандър Маккол Смит ни връщам към историята на Изабел Далхаузи. Животът ѝ с Джейми изглежда спокоен, синът ѝ Чарли продължава да расте, а Изабел си е все същата, малко особена, но винаги следваща моралните си принципи и търсеща справедливостта. Нейната......more

What strikes me most as I continue to read this series is how little McCall Smith knows about raising children. Isabel reflects on everything under the sun but is unburdened by that most persistent of feelings as the working mother of a young child: guilt. Of course, she has money and therefore the......more