I'm a sucker for cult shows, and Keith Reniere inspired multiple documentary series.
Yet it still feels like such a mystery as to why so many people foI'm a sucker for cult shows, and Keith Reniere inspired multiple documentary series.
Yet it still feels like such a mystery as to why so many people followed this strange and obvious fraud. One never really gets to know what drove him, how anyone could find him charismatic, and what his philosophy even coherently meant.
Perhaps there's nothing there. Just a compulsive liar getting away with as much as he could until he went so far that he finally landed in jail.
Toni Natalie's book is a helpful resource on understanding his earlier years, before the branding and abuse headline with C-list celebrities. She was his ex back in the 90s, when he was but a simple pyramid scheme con artist. She tells many personal things about herself, from her own troubled childhood to sorrid details about her relationship with this awful man, which does give the memoir heart. Even though it's apparently not possible to ever figure out anything deep that drove Reneire.
Natalie went through a terrible time of abuse and legal harassment throughout the 2000s, highlighting the cruelty of this cult and its very brainwashed followers.
I found it an excellent supplemental read if one wants to learn more. An in-depth, scholarly biography of Keith Reneire will probably never be written, because there is a limit on how much to say. He lied constantly and was a depraved sex addict, that was it. All the self-help fake genius jargon was meaninglessly complex in the end. This book does as good a job as can be by expanding on the subject, by someone with intimate knowledge. I'm glad Toni Natalie told her traumatizing tale, and it was brave to do so....more
Superheroes are hard to translate into prose. The genre works best in comics, secondly in animation. (and a distant third in film but most of which arSuperheroes are hard to translate into prose. The genre works best in comics, secondly in animation. (and a distant third in film but most of which are actually bad).
This Deadpool novel is a worthy effort, combining the humor of the character with his fourth-wall breaking narration to make something quite entertaining.--and that almost works as an audiobook too. So it does as well as it can, but ultimately I'd rather read a comic or even watch a movie.
Also, should have had more R rated humor. That's what we expect of the character these days. Still, the author is very clever and witty, a whole lot of references therein. All in all a worthy effort, if you're a big Deadpool fan then I guess worth a read....more
Disclaimer: Tig Notaro is an excellent comedian, but this book is not funny.
It's something else. A heartfelt account of her bad recent years, in whicDisclaimer: Tig Notaro is an excellent comedian, but this book is not funny.
It's something else. A heartfelt account of her bad recent years, in which she got sick and her mother died and she got breast cancer. Tig really loved her mother and talks about it at length.
To be honest, I think the book got better toward the end when she expanded to talk about her complicated relationships with her stepfather and biological father which we don't get details about earlier.
Ultimately, I'm Just a Person is about family. About Tig Notaro's family that she grew up with, and about the new family she was growing at the time of the writing. Now we know she is happily married with kids, healthy, and seems totally confident all the time after the mammectomy and virally joking about the cancer. It is worth knowing how hard it was for her to get there, and how she truly felt despite all the comedy......more
Powerful and tragic and relevant as ever in the 21st century as power structures around the world continue to dehumanize innocents. Sadly, it never enPowerful and tragic and relevant as ever in the 21st century as power structures around the world continue to dehumanize innocents. Sadly, it never ends.
Anne Frank was a gifted writer, and I truly believe she would have fulfilled her dream of becoming a journalist if she had survived this dark time in history. It's a small consolation that she is remembered, and has been able to communicate her humanity.
If only we had all learned better not to repeat these tragedies. In every warzone in the world, every bombing campaign and apartheid oppressive system, there are children full of heart with souls of their own who deserved to have their voices heard... ...more
In 1929, socialite Bernadine Szold Fritz left America at the age of 33 to move to Shanghai. She stayed there for the better part of the following decaIn 1929, socialite Bernadine Szold Fritz left America at the age of 33 to move to Shanghai. She stayed there for the better part of the following decade, until war with Japan forced so many to leave. The world Bernadine inhabited and thrived in was alien in many ways, but also surprisingly familiar to anyone who has also made the trek from the West to East Asia in the 21st century.
It was a time of great change, when Shanghai was a cosmopolitan city yet split apart by a complex network of colonial powers. It was the early days of the Republic of China, before the culmination of the second World War and when civil war would force the KMT to flee to Taiwan.
The stories and places described in the book Bernardine's Shanghai Salon: The Story of the Doyenne of Old China are told through the eyes of a remarkable person, who achieved much in a time when women in either China or America had few rights compared to today.
Susan Blumberg-Kason, the author of her own memoir Good Chinese Wife about life and marriage in 1990s Hong Kong, did extensive research when writing this biography. It is a deep character study, listing a plethora of facts and figures, but also speculating on the deeper motivations and feelings Bernadine must have felt when going through the various personal challenges of her life abroad.
Bernadine was a journalist, writing most prestigiously for the New Yorker among other outlets, but unfortunately during this era she was forced into marriage as a way to support herself and her daughter. Indeed, she originally moved to Shanghai because of a proposal and often throughout the book she is held back by her marriage to businessman Chester Fritz. (It was her fourth marriage, in fact. Bernadine lived quite the life.)
The book is very much not romantic. Her husband, and previous ex-husbands, were products of the misogyny of the time, and tried to control and limit her in many ways. Despite that, Bernadine went as far as to help found the International Arts Theatre which produced many successful plays, ballets, and operas. The Soul of the Ch'in was the largest ballet ever performed in Shanghai until then, and the adaptation Lady Precious Stream was ahead of its time by being the first English-language production to have an all Chinese cast, a positive revolutionary moment considering previous versions of the play always utilized white actors in yellowface.
Throughout her years, Bernadine met many other famous writers and artists and the book namedrops quite the list of 1930s celebrities. She was good friends with author Lin Yutang, wrote letters to Hollywood actress Anna May Wong, and even knew the politically-connected Soong sisters who had such an impact on the history of China and Taiwan, such as Soong Mei-ling—the future wife of dictator Chiang Kai-shek.
With the expat perspective, Western readers who have lived in places like modern Shanghai, Hong Kong, or Taipei as well will be struck by how similar the sentiment is today. One disgruntled quote from a visiting friend of hers describes it well: “Thirty years—sometimes more—without troubling to learn the language, and these ‘Old China Hands’ pickled in alcohol considered themselves supreme authorities on the country and the people. They prided themselves on never mixing with the ‘natives.’ Was it due to the climate? They were inveterate grumblers.” Personally, I have met of those exact kinds of people in 2024.
Another interesting aspect of the book is Bernadine’s evolving Jewish identity. Perhaps that was why she felt like an outsider in her own homeland, and was able to move so far away. She says in one discussion, “I don’t know what to think anymore. I’ve gone through all the phases of hating it, of hating all Jews, of being proud of it and hating lots of Jews, of not minding one way or the other and having a few friends who are Jews, or deciding always to take the bull by the horns and in the most obvious way possible tell people right off.” Although she was never religious, as the years went by and horrors of Nazi Germany became more apparent, she participated in Jewish causes in order to aid refugees during the war.
Politics are ever present in the background of the book, but the most fascinating sections are focused on her own private life. Sexuality within her failed marriage is explored, there’s a breast cancer scare, among other issues with her career and family. The saddest aspect of all was her relationship with her daughter Rosemary who she chose to send to boarding school thousands of miles away in America, something hard to understand today, and that story ultimately ends in tragedy.
Bernadine Szold Fritz may not be well-known today, but she very much deserved to have a book written about her and Susan Blumberg -Kason is proven to be up to the task. Fans of history and of women’s issues will appreciate this ambitious book which gives a human angle to such a tumultuous time in the world. I certainly learned a lot, and enjoyed the read. ...more
Very concise and powerful short novel about Hiroo Onada the famed Japanese soldier who kept on fighting in the islands of the Philippines, decades aftVery concise and powerful short novel about Hiroo Onada the famed Japanese soldier who kept on fighting in the islands of the Philippines, decades after the end of the Pacific War, by the acclaimed Werner Herzog. A unique perspective on the hardships of life by one familiar with the abject awfulness of the jungle. Told in straightforward fashion, without over analyzing. Certainly an interesting way to learn about this bizarre and rather tragic story, and for you to make conclusions about this yourself. ...more
There are a lot of celebrity memoirs out there, and specifically a lot of audiobooks read by famous performers, aLeslie Jones is a national treasure!
There are a lot of celebrity memoirs out there, and specifically a lot of audiobooks read by famous performers, and the best of them tend to be by comedians. Of those, one of the best I've ever listened to would have to be Leslie F*cking Jones, by Leslie F*cking Jones.
It's not just another short comedy book, nor a vapid shallow celebrity ghostwritten book only out there for the attention and sales. This is a lengthy, thoughtful book by a writer with tremendous experiences that are worth sharing. She goes through her life in stunning detail with wisdom, and of course a lot of humor. (And, also, a lot of cursing.)
The older comedian has had a long history since before she became famous on SNL. Although that may be the spine of the book, what brings readers in--and her take on that world is extremely interesting--she has a lot more to say about her earlier life and many years of doing standup in California and New York.
After a forward by Chris Rock, and prologue about yes SNL, she goes back back to her childhood as an army brat and school years. There was trauma early on, her family struggles moving to Los Angeles, and then she continues into her college years with a focus on basketball. Eventually, she got into comedy and realizes that's what she wanted all along. Then, Jamie Foxx recommends that she take a break in her early 20s so that she can live life, and she talks about her various jobs. There are a few other namedrops from the comedy the earlier chapters, but overall in the first half of the book her stories are very relatable as an average woman with a dream who was just trying to get by.
There's a lot of analysis of standup, and in the broader sense analyzing the creative process itself, as she develops her craft and learns how to focus these talents into a career. Comedy nerds will get a lot of out of her takes. She moves to New York, learns more, makes a living on the stage, 9/11 happens, more family tragedy and deaths as well as dealing with racism and sexism, and she tells it with so much honesty and emotion.
In the read-aloud audio edition, it feels like hanging out with her. Apparently, she deviates from the book and hence its 16 hours long. It works great. It's like having a coffee with Leslie, more like listening to a live unscripted podcast albeit organized around a proper book. She lets it all out, and cries more than once when talking about love and loss. She criticizes herself, she stands up for herself, and she also screams in her signature style and you'll laugh out loud many times.
Towards the end, we get to hear all the behind-the-scenes juice about the Saturday Night Live audition process and Lorne Michaels and the cast members she worked with. For example, she really did have a crush on Colin Jost! She particularly loves music, and gushes over meeting the musical guests as much as the movie stars.
Some of the most interesting and harshest parts are about her harassment during the Ghostbusters debacle. Beyond merely the legal drama she had to go through, even getting the FBI involved, she has poignant things to say about the nature of bigoted online troll culture which was so vicious to her. However, throughout that all, she was no victim and came out the other side stronger. That might be the essence of Leslie F*cking Jones.
Finally, there was her falling out at SNL followed by other showbusiness projects. She ends on some notes with thoughts on politics and social issues, like when she guest-hosted the Daily Show. It feels like a real arc through an epic saga. A real journey. She grows so much, only making it big relatively late in life, and is a real inspiration. What a great experience in both human empathy and in just plain comedy. Very recommended. ...more
The Shock Doctrine, from back in 2007, was such a crucial book in understanding the misery of the post-9/11 neoconservative world at the time. I read The Shock Doctrine, from back in 2007, was such a crucial book in understanding the misery of the post-9/11 neoconservative world at the time. I read it as a young man, and it explained so much to me about how capitalism upends systems around the globe, giving me the vocabulary to make sense of it all.
I’ll forever be grateful to Naomi Klein for being one of my favorite political and social writers. I hadn’t read No Logo, but the urgency of the lessons learned from Shock Doctrine and the leftover hellscape of the whining-down Bush era did make it seem back then that the tools were starting to be formed so we could begin forming a better system.
Since then, the world has somehow gotten even worse. It’s incredibly frustrating, because every one of us should know better. Yet something has happened to humanity since then–spoiler: it’s cell phones and social media–and while there have been some gains, on the whole it seems harder than ever to get people to be on the same page and make sense of it all.
For the post-2015 world, the post-2020 world (that is, the post-COVID world), Naomi Klein has at last written another brilliant book to capture the current zeitgeist. At the same time, it’s quite the personal memoir, which turns out to be the perfect way to explain what the hell is happening. Utilizing the metaphor of the Doppelganger, used as a way to interpret various novels and films, then critiquing subjects from parenthood to personal branding and racism and most of all our online selves, the thesis begins with the absurdity of how Naomi Klein constantly gets confused with Naomi Wolf.
‘Other Naomi’, as Klein puts it. Naomi Wolf is of course the 1990s author of The Beauty Myth, who was always pretty bad at research and liked to make bombastic over-the-top statements over the years, has now become something of an internet joke. Look up the rhyme, if you don’t know. Wolf, the feminist who has since abandoned everything she seemingly once believed in to pal around with the far right (who have been very blatant about taking away women’s rights in recent years if you haven’t noticed), is fully within the right-wing misinformation internet land. This phenomenon specifically is what the bulk of the book Doppelganger analyzes.
Naomi Klein has been a consistent leftist, who strives to critique the system and is frankly too smart to be that much of an internet personality. Wolf is an altogether different sort of character. Since embarrassing herself and getting kicked out of the so-called mainstream, she has become a frequent guest on Tucker and Bannon. It was particularly COVID-19 which broke the brain of not only her but of half the world.
In many ways, Klein’s real target isn’t Wolf but Steve Bannon, that arch ghoul who is working so hard to steal elections and destroy democracy. Klein studied the famous strategist’s podcast, in order to discover how populists co-opt movements which has caused many to actually shift from left-of-center to the far right (and it’s often hippie/spiritual types who make this strange path). Some of this is due to the difference between lukewarm liberalism and true economic leftism, while much of it is admittedly because of the failure of the left to respond accordingly to the challenges of our times.
Klein labels the mediasphere of Bannon and the canceled conspiracy-obsessed, “the Mirror World.” It’s an excellent way to put it. A lot of that comes from internet addiction, the way we’ve been trained on our phones to value online clout instead of human connection. The damage happening is overwhelming, but like The Shock Doctrine, at least there’s a vocabulary we can use to highlight what is happening and hopefully deal with this.
Conspiracy theory subculture, as she says, often gets the feeling right but not the facts. There are valid reasons it’s become such a powerful way to manipulate the masses. By the way, Klein is much more sympathetic than I could ever be to those people who have fallen down such rabbit holes. It’s downright saintly of her how hard she tries to understand the truly lost.
Another thing to appreciate from Klein with regards to this book, is how very personal she gets when she makes these points. It’s not just about how annoying it is to be mixed up with Wolf, nor only the universal struggles of the 2020 lockdowns we’ve all experienced, but of her own family. She tells of her own child diagnosed with autism, with heartfelt authenticity, and about how this unfortunately led to early encounters with the anti-vax movement even before that movement became a powerful political force.
Furthermore, Doppelganger is also among the best books I have ever read about Judaism and anti-Semitism. The debates throughout the 1800s, the tragic history of Nazism and Zionism and so much, expertly researched and analyzed in a context that sadly matters right now as much as it ever has. Her take on Israel and Palestine in particular, the Doppelganger effect through history which turns victim into oppressor, this couldn't be more timely. It is in fact quite horrifying considering she wrote it before the war that began on October 7th of this year.
The book makes many connections on a spectrum of issues, and then ends on a somewhat depressing note. Because, I suppose, it has to. We still have a shit ton to work on with climate change and economic equity and so very many issues. A resurgence of a true left still hasn’t happened yet, and Klein’s descriptions of how the Sanders presidential campaign ended among online infighting instead of a bigger solidarity movement offers stark lessons on how much more needs to be done.
Maybe, just maybe, readers out there will work at slowly making a better world. We kind of absolutely have to. Sure no one book has all the answers, but this could help. We do need the language to understand what we are dealing with, and then build up the solutions. This book alone won’t save the world, nothing probably will, but is a decent step (and perhaps even crucial) however small along that long and difficult path. ...more
This book is very much for hardcore Maria Bamford fans, and not quite for everyone else. So be duly warned.
It's not an intro to her signature brand oThis book is very much for hardcore Maria Bamford fans, and not quite for everyone else. So be duly warned.
It's not an intro to her signature brand of mental oversharing, it's a deep dive. If you like that, then this memoir is great! Personally, I was introduced to Maria Bamford's charming/cringe comedy by my weird Hollywood friend years ago. She showed me the YouTube series back in the early 2000s era, with its lo-fi production in short chunks of weird storytelling, indeed that show was certainly ahead of its time.
I was even lucky enough to see Maria live in one of those small comedy clubs that pervade SoCal. I wanna say it was Los Feliz?
For me, I think I got it and continue to get it. But again: this kind of comedy is not for everyone.
There are broadly interesting chunks about show business, working on Arrested Development, going to auditions, voice-acting, and other insider stories of life in the industry. But those aren't the majority.
It's mainly about her family--with all those great impressions--and mental health issues. And not so much cults specifically, rather the various twelve step programs she finds helpful. So much of that.
Her Mom, her mom's death, all the intricacies of her midwest mom that makes the impression so iconic, and also her sister she's jealous of and her dad and then more about her mom. When it's not about her childhood, or just as odd adulthood, it's about taking meds and talking to doctors and all the psychological issues she's dealt with and already talked about at length in her act.
Maria Bamford doesn't quite paint herself as a victim. She very much checks her privilege, and it seems mental illness may be genetic as much as because of any particular random traumas. There is something of an overarching theme encouraging readers (listeners, if you get the audiobook) to take care of themselves and deal with these illnesses. But there's not exactly a big lesson, not like a big cause that this book is going to bring awareness to. It's just that if you find her interesting, here's more of this with the appropriate responsible disclaimers. It just might help someone.
Sometimes she talked about how there's only certain audiencez that get her, and how she doesn't do well with the mainstream if people at a casino or somewhere like that wander in. Bamford is an acquired taste. Personally, I'd argue the best comedy is unique and meta and for sophisticated fans who get it. There's enough lame content for the masses already. That's why I enjoy this as somethin entirely different.
Anyway, of all the comedian memoirs I've listened to, this is pretty applicable addition to the canon. For me....more
Dan Abnett, who is basically the creator of the modern filmic version of the Guardians of the Galaxy, as writteDouglas Adams meets the Marvel Universe
Dan Abnett, who is basically the creator of the modern filmic version of the Guardians of the Galaxy, as written an exciting science fiction space opera novel that combines the farce of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy with the cosmic Jim Starlin-esque adventures of Marvel's various space alien mythos.
It's a corporate satire, it's meta and self-aware, and requires a lot of knowledge of the many galactic empires that have invaded the earth in comics over the years. It works surprisingly well as a novel, starring Rocket Raccoon and a Rigellian recorder robot. Some mainstays like Gamora show up, but it's not a Guardians teamup adventure. Enough goes on that Star-Lord not missed.
Also like Hitchhiker's Guide, which of course started as a radio drama broadcast, there's an audiobook version with sound effects and multiple actors which could be the preferred way to experience this book. The comparisons can't be avoided, which is a compliment in my view. ...more
New Found Land may not be for everyone, but it's definitely for this comic nerd who loves Neal Stephenson and audio dramas.
In fact, the idea of fantaNew Found Land may not be for everyone, but it's definitely for this comic nerd who loves Neal Stephenson and audio dramas.
In fact, the idea of fantasy comic book universes being "real" in another reality and the stories we read here in the prime universe were transcribed all along, that's such a classic DC concept.
It's a lot of fun and irreverent, and paced well as an Audible original. There's two main universe actually: a retro scifi one with jetpacks, and also high fantasy. They converge in the normal world as the main characters get sucked into various plots and secret wars. All of this is very witty and just funny. Also rather thought-provoking.
I particularly enjoy the nerdy collector guy, and there's also the conspiracy-nut-trucker-podcaster who becomes the sort of wizard archetype. Speculative fiction versus magic, natural foils! There's the Stan Lee-inspired old New Yorker in the flashbacks who has so much charm. And don't get me wrong, it's not just a boy's club as there are many female characters crucial to the plot.
Anyway, the multiverse is certainly in the zeitgeist these days, and this adds well to this newly forming canon. I hope they continue the series and I will happily listen to more.
Perhaps one day, my own other self from the universe next door will possess me and trade places, and see if this kind of of thing is on to something... ...more
Neil Gaiman is a master of the short story and of fantasy, yet unfortunately Norse Mythology is not among his best.
Vikings may be having a cultural mNeil Gaiman is a master of the short story and of fantasy, yet unfortunately Norse Mythology is not among his best.
Vikings may be having a cultural moment. This is a good primer on the tales of Odin and Thor and Loki etc. Written informally in the common vernacular, with a mix of Gaiman's own original take making for an authentic feel of reading the traditional mythology. It just still seems a bit too academic for me, it's not enough like modern fiction writing, and it doesn't always work.
Several of the short stories do stand out. And it is a good time to revisit these pagan gods. Note that this is nothing like Marvel's Thor movies, and far more similar in vein to Gaiman's Sandman graphic novel series that occasionally featured the Aesir...
It's short and doesn't take too much commitment, so a decent read for fantasy lovers and Gaiman fans in particular. Enjoy, but don't expect it to be among his best. ...more
A fun YA novel for fans of the Clone Wars series, which does overlap well with the final season despite a few continuity errors. Like many familiar StA fun YA novel for fans of the Clone Wars series, which does overlap well with the final season despite a few continuity errors. Like many familiar Star Wars stories, it's about going to a small planet where the people are oppressed and Ahsoka has to save the day. There are Inquisitors, a space battle in the end, and it doesn't terribly stand out to be honest.
The character is great, it's just that these sorts of novels don't have that much to say. We get it, it's hard for an ex-Jedi during this era. Rebels and the Obi-Wan show were similar in vein. An interesting thing is that the audiobook is narrated by Ahsoka's voice actor Ashley Eckstein, which is cool, but it's not first-person so even that doesn't totally work when describing scenes etc.
It's okay. Just not near the high level of political drama such as say Andor or Timothy Zahn's Thrawn books. Certainly worth reading for nerdy completists. And I am of course looking forward to her upcoming live-action series so it tided me over pretty well....more
A dynamic new post-apocalyptic science fiction, written with expertise but not about the science. Rather, the author (podcaster extraordinaire from BeA dynamic new post-apocalyptic science fiction, written with expertise but not about the science. Rather, the author (podcaster extraordinaire from Behinds the Bastards) is an experienced Middle Eastern war correspondent who writes authentically about a hypothetical Christian-type ISIS after the fall of the United States.
There's also issues of transhumanism, about how veterans of wars find it tough to acclimate back into society except by way of cybernetic enhancements. It's a bit over-the-top, very extreme and vulgar as these guys are just constantly on every drug ever. Sometimes it's even funny.
Note the audiobook is all free as a podcast. Not the deepest story, but very entertaining and would make for an above average smart action movie if not the deepest work of literature. Fans of postcyberpunk looking for something current would get a lot out of After the Revolution. ...more
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