Misadventures in Nature's Paradise -- Take 2. And a Question.

Many moons ago, I began reading Misadventures in Nature's Paradise: Australia's Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island During the Dutch Era. I was hopeful prior to beginning it that it wouldn't be the PhD dissertation it sounded like it might be, but what has kept me from writing about it here (and frankly even from finishing it) is that it was pretty dry. 

I don't often give up on books (more below) but I gave up on this one and even skipped some portions before I got to the "I give up" stage.  This is not to say that it was either entirely uninformative or entirely dull.  To the contrary, in the former case, it was quite the opposite - perhaps overly informative at least for the casual historian.  I don't need to know every version of every map which was ever made (including where and by whom) which may or may not have had an island on it that may or may not have been one of the islands in the subtitle.  That's too much! But there were some interesting tidbits buried throughout, especially about the discovery of Christmas Island and the accidental ownership of the Cocos Islands.

So, if archaic maps and misdirected European explorers really float your boat (so to speak), you might consider giving it a try.  But for most folks, its a pass. 

A Question: 

It is difficult for me to quit reading a book once I have begun it.  However, with the number of books in my library and the number of years I have left, I believe I ought to develop this skill.  What are your thoughts on this issue?