There’s some interesting thoughts in this about how certain things become trends or epidemics based on certain personality traits. Most of the book isThere’s some interesting thoughts in this about how certain things become trends or epidemics based on certain personality traits. Most of the book is anecdotal and a bit repetitive. My favourite example though was the “broken windows” theory. Basically, if there’s a lot of broken windows in your city that don’t get fixed, it sends a signal that the system isn’t working and emboldens people to commit more serious crimes. So when the police make small crimes like graffiti and fare jumping on the subway a priority, it sends a signal that the system is working and people are less likely to commit crimes. It’s interesting but I’m sure there are counter arguments for it.
I also kept wondering why so many of the examples were from the 90’s, he wouldn’t stop talking about the ya ya sisterhood book. Finally I realized it was written in 2000, I thought it was much newer, duh....more
Since my son’s, and subsequently my own diagnosis of ADHD; I’ve read several books on the subject. This one is much more insightful and covers much morSince my son’s, and subsequently my own diagnosis of ADHD; I’ve read several books on the subject. This one is much more insightful and covers much more territory than others.
Some reviews I’ve read suggest that the author is projecting his personal experience into the data. I think they’re right about that, but his experience as a parent with adhd to kids with adhd , and husband to a neurotypical wife, eerily mirror my own.
Some of this book was painful to read; being diagnosed in my 40s and looking back on the havoc it caused in my life is a tough pill to swallow. The author candidly discusses his own struggles without making excuses for his actions.
The only area I can’t say I’m not completely sold on is his assertion that adhd is a trauma response caused by attachment issues in early childhood; It sounds plausible but I’m not sure the evidence supports it....more
I’ve read a stack of books about health and nutrition; generally they’re either lambasting the food industry or arguing for a specific diet while heapI’ve read a stack of books about health and nutrition; generally they’re either lambasting the food industry or arguing for a specific diet while heaping scorn upon all others. This one is more focused on the effects of food on mental health. It attempts to navigate through false claims, poorly researched conclusions and unfounded assumptions made about various foods and diets over the years. It gets into the effect that certain food intolerances can have on brain health. She suggests testing yourself by trying certain elimination diets which she elaborates on in the final chapters. The big takeaway though is: processed food is trash, some people can’t handle dairy, some can’t handle wheat and many plants, legumes and nightshades can give you trouble....more
I’m going to be so prepared when I finally write my great, absurdist science fiction novel since I’ve read so many “how to write a book” books. This oI’m going to be so prepared when I finally write my great, absurdist science fiction novel since I’ve read so many “how to write a book” books. This one is probably the most practically useful one of the lot. The 15 story beats and save the cat genres are really well explained with examples broken down from actual novels. I’ve got to read at least one more “how to be motivated to actually write a book” books first. If you already have the motivation and are looking for a nuts bolts “how to make your idea into an actual story” books, this is one of the best ones you’re likely to find....more
Guess what! Every seemingly random, unimportant thing that every single person does can have huge consequences, sometimes years later. Reality doesn’tGuess what! Every seemingly random, unimportant thing that every single person does can have huge consequences, sometimes years later. Reality doesn’t work like the linear narrative of a story where cause and effect are tied together in a logical way. Also, even though your life is like a garden of forked paths, each one creating alternate effects; there is an unbroken chain of causes and effects from the beginning of the universe (around 14 billion years ago) so you only seem to have free will. Essentially: you can choose how to act on your desires but you can’t choose your desires. The latter part of the book slants toward pessimistic philosophy and determinism.
It’s engaging, humorous and well written, definitely a good one if you’ve never read anything along these lines before because it’s less depressing than similar works....more
Astounding is definitely the correct name for this book with or without the legendary SF magazine it’s named for.
I found this on the bargain wall at c
Astounding is definitely the correct name for this book with or without the legendary SF magazine it’s named for.
I found this on the bargain wall at chapters years ago, thinking it was a short story anthology. When I got home I realized it was a history of the golden age of science fiction and the luminaries who shaped it. I meant to read it but it wound up on the shelf until YouTuber vintage SF mentioned it and I decided to finally dive in.
I expected this to be a glowing tribute to astounding magazine and John w campbell but it was a warts and all exposé and a real page turner. I was shocked quite a few times while reading this. Firstly many of the best known works of the era were basically co-authored and edited by these guys wives. Also, many big ideas in famous stories were thought up by Campbell and distributed to authors.
Where it really gets weird is in the personalities and personal lives of some of the biggest science fiction authors of all time. The cavorting of some of them is insane. Some even encouraging other authors to sleep with their wives. And Isaac Asimov, younger than the rest, a virginal tea totaler who claimed to be a feminist, would not stop groping women no matter how emphatically he was asked to stop. L Ron Hubbard, a compulsive liar and charlatan dominates the last quarter of the book which goes into the creation of Scientology. He had quite a bit of help from Campbell who was descending slowly into madness. It’s crazy how so many of them knew each other, served in the war together and were present for so many of their ups and downs. The best quote in this was when Robert A Heinline described a surgery he had as “getting his asshole ripped out with an apple corer.”
This is one to read with a pen handy because it mentions quite a few short stories and novels from the magazine and after that sound great.
“No matter that you have a PhD and have read all of Henry James twice. If you still persist in writing, "Good food at its best",Eats shoots and leaves
“No matter that you have a PhD and have read all of Henry James twice. If you still persist in writing, "Good food at its best", you deserve to be struck by lightning, hacked up on the spot and buried in an unmarked grave.”
I’ve been doing more writing lately, and possessing no advanced degrees in English or even a style guide, I decided to read this short book to brush up on my punctuation.
It’s worth noting that this is British style English. As a Canadian that had some post secondary education in America, I’m well aware of the difference (I was deducted marks for the incorrect spelling of words like future colour and whiskey.)
I’m still no expert, this book did clear up some of my nagging questions; though there’s still some confusion about specifics because of differing views and styles of writers and editors.
Outside of clarifying the (mostly) standard rules of punctuation, this book is hilarious; it’s written with a dry, British wit that had me laughing out loud at times.
Throughout the book she maligns the devolution of the written language, especially since the advent of computers and cell phones; though she does concede that the same complaint could be heard in the 19th century(not the computer part.)
She makes it clear that proper punctuation isn’t important just for the sake of pedagogy. Punctuation makes the intent of the written word clear, giving it the intonation that’s heard when it’s spoken aloud....more
I mistook this for another book about wolves I had on my reading list, I only noticed because the authors kept quoting from “never cry wolf” by FarleyI mistook this for another book about wolves I had on my reading list, I only noticed because the authors kept quoting from “never cry wolf” by Farley Mowat.
Not sorry I read this though, it’s very insightful, I knew pretty much nothing about wolves going in so it was astonishing how smart and social they are. The authors themselves were interesting as well. They’re a married couple that made nature documentaries that I now have to track down so I can see what these wolves look like. ...more
By no means comprehensive and lacking in the kind of gory details people may expect, this book was exactly what I wanted it to be. It covers his earlyBy no means comprehensive and lacking in the kind of gory details people may expect, this book was exactly what I wanted it to be. It covers his early life and his long, slow climb to stardom but the lion’s share of the book is focused on Magnum (my favourite show) and a select few of his movies that he starred in while shooting magnum. He pays the most attention to his first feature film “High road to China”which is a really great movie that never found an audience. The book pretty much ends at the end of the last season of magnum, skips the 90’s and 2000’s all-together and has a brief epilogue about blue bloods.
To absolutely no one’s surprise, common sense, long denied is true: giving kids too much screen time has a profoundly negative effect on their mental To absolutely no one’s surprise, common sense, long denied is true: giving kids too much screen time has a profoundly negative effect on their mental health.
The advent of smartphones and video game consoles combined with overprotective “helicopter” parenting is destroying the self esteem of an entire generation.
For girls, exposure to endless, heavily edited photos of models whose beauty seemed unattainable made them feel insecure. And the constant threat of being ostracized by their peers online seemed a fate worse than death.
Boys, in a world where traditional male jobs and attributes were eroding, escaped into the virtual world of video games and online pornography.
So in the end, in the spirit of safety, we removed any sort of risk from kids actual lives and thrust them into an adult online world with no protection whatsoever. Can this genie be put back in its bottle?...more
Totally fascinating, it seems like a historical true crime book on the face of it but if you’re looking for lots of graphic details you may be disappoTotally fascinating, it seems like a historical true crime book on the face of it but if you’re looking for lots of graphic details you may be disappointed. The book does cover HH Holmes, America’s first serial killer and his creepy death house but much more attention is paid to the 1893 Columbia world’s fair in Chicago. I was totally fine with the arrangement because the lead up to the fair, the fight just to put it on and keep it going, all the amazing people and exhibits. There are products that debuted at the fair that we still use today, ranging from juicy fruit gum to incandescent light bulbs and even the world’s first Ferris wheel.
There was also a fair amount of detail about buffalo bill and his Wild West show that had space next to the fair and drew its own huge crowds. The link between the killer and the fair is a bit tenuous but I think the combination of the two elements elevates what could have been a dry book about a single subject to one that is fully engaging all the way through....more
A little while ago I read a book of pessimistic philosophy called the conspiracy against the human race. That book was pushing the idea that we have nA little while ago I read a book of pessimistic philosophy called the conspiracy against the human race. That book was pushing the idea that we have no free will, we’re just meat machines driven by hormones and genes with a consciousness that gave us the ability to lie to ourselves about the truth of our existence. This book pulls back the curtain of that intellectual exercise, exploring the biological processes behind the thinking.
He explains that we are genetically predisposed to certain behaviours but environmental factors are needed to flip the genetic switches. Those factors could include your upbringing from a very early age including stress your mother endured as well as her diet while you were still in the womb. It goes on to show that your family’s financial situation is predictive of your life expectancy. He makes his case by making every case FOR free will and arguing them each in turn. He eventually gets to explaining how similar humans act to other life forms that do not have consciousness or free will who have more pragmatic reasons for their actions. He thinks that none of us is truly responsible for their actions because they’re basically predetermined from birth, including cereal killers (which he has an entertaining chapter about) and though they shouldn’t be punished, they should be quarantined for the safety of others.
I’m not sure if he really conclusively proves his case but I didn’t find it as compelling as the conspiracy against the human race because that book was written in more relatable terms and didn’t include the dry facts and figures of this more scientific one. ...more
This book is a bit number heavy and some of the calculations were over my head but the basic thrust of the book is that there are certain basic thingsThis book is a bit number heavy and some of the calculations were over my head but the basic thrust of the book is that there are certain basic things we need to maintain our modern society. These things are ammonia, steel concrete and oil. None of these things are replaceable with renewable energy sources in any quick way. A lot of green initiatives are more politically and financially motivated and not truly sustainable in the long term. Worse is that nations that are still developing will only increase their reliance on fossil fuels offsetting whatever decabonizing actions the west initiates.
There are no quick solutions to global warming and even those that are highly motivated to make changes may not be aware of the extent that we are dependent upon fossil fuels for far more than running cars....more
Interesting and very compelling, the authors apply Joseph Campbell style archetypes to the generational identities. They theorize that every four cyclInteresting and very compelling, the authors apply Joseph Campbell style archetypes to the generational identities. They theorize that every four cycles of about 20 years or the length of a generation there is a crisis point which starts the cycle over again. This works especially well when looking back over historical events but as a gen x or 13’er as they call it I’m reminded of all the Nostradamus stuff in the 80s. Everything lined up perfectly looking back but making future predictions became vague and off base even then. As compelling as it seems it makes me think that anyone with a history textbook and a confrontation bias could find any pattern that suited them. This book, written in the mid 90s used dystopian sci-fi tropes looking forward and got much of what they seems sure about had me chuckling a bit. I wouldn’t totally discount it out of hand though, it does have some good ideas....more
Interesting walk through of common cognitive biases and logical fallacies with lots of examples and anecdotes. It had the added benefit of being enterInteresting walk through of common cognitive biases and logical fallacies with lots of examples and anecdotes. It had the added benefit of being entertainingly written. In a nutshell though: people who know nothing know they know nothing, people who know a little sometimes think they’re Experts and people who know quite a bit sometimes think they don’t know as much as they do. The ones who know a little and think they know it all generally wind up being overbearing middle managers....more
The crimes committed were masterminded by a single individual, so exacting and diabolical that his plans were like Russian nesting dolls; plans withinThe crimes committed were masterminded by a single individual, so exacting and diabolical that his plans were like Russian nesting dolls; plans within plans, designed to unfold over years. All the while the Osage thought of him as a friend and champion of their cause. Even worse was how the government put the Osage in a position to be so ruthlessly exploited in the first place and for how long they were denied justice. I don’t want to discuss any of the details because you should read this book without knowing anything about it. I’d read the wager by David Grann and saw this was being adapted into a film so I wanted to finish the book and movie before I wrote this. The book is very well researched, covers quite a bit of ground and is pretty gruesome. It made a perfect follow up to empire of the summer moon, a book about the rise and fall of the Comanche which ends around the time period of this book. The book continues into the 2010’s when grann was researching and uncovered evidence of many more uninvestigated or ignored crimes.
The film was also really well done, sticks close to the book in fact and tone with a few exceptions, probably for dramatic effect. I still feel that the movie doesn’t convey the entire story even though it’s over three hours long, it would be far too much. Read the book, see the movie, part your hair in the middle like dicaprio does!...more
I’ve been thinking a lot about how people and communities can be oppressed when they seem to have the full support of major banks, corporations and goI’ve been thinking a lot about how people and communities can be oppressed when they seem to have the full support of major banks, corporations and governments behind them. This short but thoughtful work uses well researched historical examples to illustrate “elite capture” this happens when the privileged and powerful usurp the position of an activist group and use it to place the group they represent in the role of perpetual victimhood and appear to champion it while actually making little to no actual change, in effect business as usual. They do this through the use of deference politics, basically handing the microscope to someone who physically represents the oppressed group but in actuality are a part of the same privileged elite. He goes beyond race and into the darkness of human nature not to absolve races that have traditionally been oppressive but to illustrate that when rebellions lead to coups, the rebels themselves become oppressors when they take power. His argument is for ground up change to a system designed to keep the 1% at the top and everyone else squabbling over identity politics and with no idea how to break the cycle they are in. This would be cooperative politics, including voices from the actual disadvantaged people of the world and not just the people in the room where decisions are made and solidarity among the non elites (I’m assuming he means as a class and not just race because the book doesn’t seem to be against any particular race in principle)
This really gave me a lot to think about, being a white, middle class dude it’s easy to not understand or think about these issues because we don’t notice them, it’s not our experience and we’re deliberately not taught this stuff.
I look for things like this to read outside of my wheelhouse but it often feels like an indictment of the entire white race instead of an attempt to educate from a different perspective. This was very eloquently done, I would have liked to hear more of an explanation of the current state of affairs though....more
I feel as if the further away we get from the events of this book, especially in our politically correct era, there seems to be a monolithic view of nI feel as if the further away we get from the events of this book, especially in our politically correct era, there seems to be a monolithic view of native Americans. They are seen as peaceful people, living in perfect harmony with nature and the unassuming victims of the onslaught of colonizing Europeans. This is a half truth and does them a disservice. After the Spanish retreat which left herds of wild mustangs on the plains, a poor, unassuming tribe rose to unbelievable power commanding a huge swath of the country unbeknownst to the white settlers who considered all natives the same. These Comanche were unparalleled warriors when mounted, outmatching the whites easily. They did no farming and were not sedentary. Their industry was war. The Comanche had far more in common with the ancient Spartans than the other native tribes. For several hundred years they routed the invaders with their superior skill and aggression. They lacked the Christian morality (however hypocritical) the Europeans were used to, they gave no quarter and asked none, each fight was to the death. They had no qualms about killing babies, raping and mutilating women and torturing men to death in a variety of unspeakable ways.
Children though, they were known to take captive and adopt into the tribe. The most famous example was Cynthia Parker who was taken at nine, became a member of the tribe, married and had children before being retaken against her will by the army at age 33. Her son, quanah Parker became the most famous and only singular tribal leader of the Comanche in their final days and well into reservation life.
This book was so powerful both because of the history that was unknown to me, the ways things may have gone better for the Comanche if they’d pressed their advantage over the inept, indifferent and ill equipped military in their early encounters. Also their capacity for unspeakable violence and brutality against mostly helpless settlers and weaker tribes. I thought blood meridian by Cormack McCarthy was a violent book until I read this, yikes. ...more
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