I initially read An Elemental Thing by Eliot Weinberger as assigned reading for a non-fiction class in college. It is in a short-story/prose format, with each piece able to stand on its own. I didn't find the reading to be quite poetry, nor do I ever really find myself liking poetry, but it was more like "Interesting Facts Weinberger Knows (and now you do, too)", which was okay by me. It's a fairly easy, semi-quick read, and I liked learning all the random facts. But at the same time, It wasn't especially meaningful. It isn't necessarily a book I'd recommend, but it's not a book I'd stop anyone from reading, and it's not a waste of time. So, three stars.