There are few graphic novels that have affected me as much as Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis. It is a beautiful, inspiring, yet harrowing first-account There are few graphic novels that have affected me as much as Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis. It is a beautiful, inspiring, yet harrowing first-account experience of the Islamic revolution that took place in Iran during the late 1970s and early 1980s. It describes Satrapi’s experience as her entire life changed from one moment to the next.
There is a lot of value in historical graphic novels such as this one and Art Spiegelman’s Maus. By combining real-life events with wit and humor, Persepolis teaches the reader a lot about Iranian history during this time period. Marjane as both the author and main character in the narrative is instantly likable, and her hardships and experiences help humanize the people affected by these historical events and political climate.
Although the book serves as a brilliant autobiography and memoir, it is also a harsh critique of religion, society, and politics. I feel like Marjane’s account is very informative and critical of the systems that controlled not only Iran but also the west. I feel like this is one of the best works of non-fiction graphic novels and one of the best works of literature overall. I cannot recommend Persepolis enough, and if you have a chance, please read it....more
Marcus Aurelius' meditations is one of the most life-changing books I've ever read. If you have an oportunity read it and apply this timeless wisdom iMarcus Aurelius' meditations is one of the most life-changing books I've ever read. If you have an oportunity read it and apply this timeless wisdom in your life....more
The Demon-Haunted World is my 200th read book. In almost 22 years of reading, and after 200 great (and not so great) works, none have spoken to me as The Demon-Haunted World is my 200th read book. In almost 22 years of reading, and after 200 great (and not so great) works, none have spoken to me as much as this one. I knew about Carl Sagan before, but understanding how important he has been for science communication and reading his own words, he is slowly becoming one of my biggest inspirations.
The book encompasses all of that. Here, Sagan explores the importance of critical thinking, rationality, and judging ideas for their own merit. The book starts fantastically, focusing on the broader philosophy behind the ideas of epistemology. However, the middle chapters become more about specific topics and cases where critical thinking debunks claims of alien abductions, pseudoscience, and apparitions. I enjoyed these chapters; they were extensive but necessary to explore every aspect of these stories. I found Sagan’s thorough analysis of these claims important, using logic and evidence to present a strong case against them.
I love the way he calmly and rationally takes on absurd ideas that have become rampant in our society. I think it is important to teach people in schools how to think, because the same principles used to dismiss astrology and ghosts also makes one more intelligent, less susceptible to charlatans, and a better person. This is a book I wish everyone in the world could read, because the point is not to ruin people’s fun if they want to believe being born in March makes them more friendly. The objective of critical thinking is to help people think for themselves, using science and reality to distinguish what is important and needs focus.
One of the most important chapters of The Demon-Haunted World is “The fine art of baloney detection”. Here, Sagan presents the reader an amazing tool kit, which he applies to many situations. He goes over dozens of logical fallacies that every critical thinker and skeptic is familiar with. But for people who read these for the first time, a lot will start to make sense. I personally think it is wonderful that these ideas have been around for so long, and yet not many people seem to apply them to their lives. Despite the fact that critical thinking affects every aspect of our day-to-day decisions.
One of the things I appreciated the most about the book, is how excellently Sagan handles the topic of religion. I consider myself an avid atheist, and this can lead to heated disputes with people I debate when I invite them to question their ideas. This can put people off not only from considering a challenge to their religious beliefs, but to science and critical thinking altogether. The way Sagan handles these touchy subjects inspires me to adopt some of his practices over the aggressive antitheist approach I had in the past.
The final chapters of the book take a more political approach. Here Sagan argues for increasing the education budget, and teaching children how to be critical thinkers. I fully agree with him, as the battle for science and rationality is never over. Sagan doesn’t shy away from exposing the tangible dangers that superstition can cause, distorting people’s ideas and leading them to make dangerous decisions. Especially when they are present in our governments. The last few chapters were a great way to end the book.
Overall, I can’t recommend The Demon-Haunted World enough. I feel safe declaring it my favorite book of all time, a wonderful guide about how to make better decisions in life and avoiding beliefs not worth dedicating energy to. But most importantly about how to enjoy intellectual freedom from dogma and superstition, adopting the courage to think for oneself and to form one’s own conclusions about reality by sticking to what is rational and supported by evidence. Truly a wonderfully perfect book.
Recursion is probably my new favorite fiction book of all time. Never has a novel moved me in so many ways before. There is just so much to love aboutRecursion is probably my new favorite fiction book of all time. Never has a novel moved me in so many ways before. There is just so much to love about Recursion that it would take me days to write out all of my thoughts, theories and feelings about it. This work has cemented Blake Crouch as one of my favorite authors, and I will read anything he writes in the future.
I read Dark Matter by Crouch in high school, it quickly became one of my favorite books. In recursion, he takes the sci-fi, storytelling and writing to a whole new level. This story involves time travel, parallel universes and the nature of memory and existence. I would say that it is a highly philosophical novel, and the universe and rules established in the book are followed very well. This is a big reason why I love Recursion so much. Blake Crouch was on a mission while writing it, and it all pays off in the end. The main characters: Barry and Helena are very well written, with strong personalities and consistent intentions. They make the book extremely fun to read and find out what will happen to them next.
I was amazed at how differently this book ends compared to the beginning. With Recursion, Crouch establishes his style and goes hard creating a book that is not afraid to play with heavy themes. There were moments that I stood in shock, going several times over what I just read. Especially near the end where the fate of the planet takes a more serious turn and the devastating consequences of the memory chair are described in graphic detail. These sections brought me a lot of existential, almost Lovecraftian horror. What starts off as a cool sci-fi story with some action ends on a deeply existential reflection on time, memory, the burden of existence and saving the world from unspeakable horrors.
Barry, and especially Helena go through long, transformative journeys that change them into completely different people than when the book started. This is one of the things I liked the most about Recursion, that it plays with concepts beyond human comprehension and beyond the scope of a traditional and linear story, leaving a lot to the imagination of the reader. That being said, the ending is beautiful and satisfying. I really cannot recommend this book enough, the more I think about it, the more I loved the amazing time I had reading Recursion.
If there is one thing that instantly comes to mind when people think of H.P. Lovecraft, it is Cthulhu. And not only Cthulhu, but the vast catalog of sIf there is one thing that instantly comes to mind when people think of H.P. Lovecraft, it is Cthulhu. And not only Cthulhu, but the vast catalog of stories involving titanic creatures, and incomprehensible beings and gods that form part of the imagination and connected universe that he created long before the MCU. The Cthulhu Mythos could be considered the primary thing that made Lovecraft as famous and influential as he is today, and this volume collects all his most impressive and iconic stories in one place.
As the father of cosmic horror, Lovecraft was the first to write about creatures that play with the insignificance of human beings compared to these monsters. His stories follow people who discover forbidden secrets and situations that lead them down a path of inescapable horrors. Ideas that inspired countless horror writers over the last century from Stephen King to Junji Ito.
Some of my favorite works in this collection include The Colour Out of Space, The Whisperer in Darkness, among others. There are a few strange stories where Lovecraft loses his mark, but overall this is an author who paved the way for so many ideas and tropes in horror. His style is genuinely terrifying, and at the same time causes the reader to ponder existential questions. It is safe to say that Howard Phillips Lovecraft and his Cthulhu mythos live up to the hype....more
The Future is Faster Than You Think is a mind-blowing sneak peek into how the world will be transformed in the next decade. It covers nearly every majThe Future is Faster Than You Think is a mind-blowing sneak peek into how the world will be transformed in the next decade. It covers nearly every major industry, describing with detail the major factors that lead to each explosion in innovation.
The initial chapters of the book serve as an exposition of all the technologies based on current research and projections on the future. Every single showcase blew my mind in every way. I felt happiness but also anxiety for what is coming. Diamandis and Kotler describe the facts in an extraordinary way that showcases the most impressive parts of each tech disruption while also having a hold on reality. I must admit that there were moments where I was skeptical about the authors' optimism, that is why I did a lot of research on the side while reading this book. One example is the floating ocean cities, where I found it hard to comprehend how scientists and engineers could pull something like that off.
I loved the way that the impact of technologies are not only viewed from a single angle. The authors consider multiple perspectives when describing the impact of these revolutions. That is the main idea behind convergence, how different industries crash together to create something that no one expected. One of the things I enjoyed the most about this book were the detailed descriptions of hypothetical futures. The authors explain how these inventions and shifts will impact our everyday life.
The third and final part of the book was like opening Pandora's box. It made me think in different ways about the direction our world is taking us. The 5 great migrations the authors describe are something that I have thought about but never pondered on the scope of their effects. I think it is a great way to end the book and leave the reader with hunger for more information. I can't wait to open this book again in a decade or so and discover if Diamandis and Kotler's predictions were accurate....more
Howard Phillips Lovecraft is one of the most influential writers in 20th-century horror. The stories and mythology he has created have had such a profHoward Phillips Lovecraft is one of the most influential writers in 20th-century horror. The stories and mythology he has created have had such a profound effect on the genre, that it is safe to say that one has to read Lovecraft to truly understand the base for many of the modern horror today. I am glad that I have finally read through these amazing stories and have plenty of thoughts surrounding Lovecraft’s works.
This gigantic tome by Barnes in Noble is incredible, it contains almost every single fictional story he wrote, however, it missed a few that were included in the Cthulhu Mythos book, namely Out of the Aeons and The Man of Stone, which I enjoyed. I don’t know why those stories weren’t in here, but luckily, I could read them. Still, it was great to have and read many of the less-known stories from this incredible author.
The horror is incredible, pioneering a lot of concepts related to existential horror, cosmic and incomprehensible forces, and building a mythology across all of his stories that connect. I especially loved the way he describes in detail certain environments, such as in Dreams of Unknown Kadath. Overall, he wrote many amazing stories that have influenced a lot of writers, filmmakers, and creators in the following century.
Also, it is impossible to talk about Lovecraft without addressing his racist and antisemitic views, which show up sporadically in his writing. I think that this is something to be aware of, and as a reader, I recognize how some stories can be hindered by this. But in the end, I think it is up to every person to understand the impact his stories have had while knowing he was a person with terrible values. Overall, I found reading this massive book over the last 3 years an interesting exercise that I would recommend for every horror connoisseur. ...more
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