Definitely very interesting and very easy to read, although I feel like this book was more of an intro into the types rather than how to proceed to coDefinitely very interesting and very easy to read, although I feel like this book was more of an intro into the types rather than how to proceed to communicate better with everyone. I think the author has written more books on this though, so that's probably why. Either way, worth a read....more
Mindfulness and Its Discontents is a critique of the current direction of mindfulness educators, but it isn't only that. It's also a critique of sMindfulness and Its Discontents is a critique of the current direction of mindfulness educators, but it isn't only that. It's also a critique of society – a society that tries to promote compassion, and yet is incredibly uncompassionate to those it tries to teach. A society that tells the people to calm down, suck it up and "learn to control your emotional flow", regardless of the conditions the people are in and ignoring any real reasons for the stress they may be experiencing – because according to most mindfulness educator programs it's the stress that needs to be fixed, and not the stressor. Not the three jobs, not the poverty, not the discrimination of certain groups of society that fall through the cracks. The author of this book dubs this 'McMindfulness' and claims it does not address the reasons why someone is having negative emotions, instead it just seeks to dull them. The perfect illustration of this is the well known meme of the dog in the burning room, saying it's all fine, when clearly nothing is fine.
Mindfulness and Its Discontents also talks a lot about racism and neoliberalism and how unfair it is to teach mindfulness to children of color or children from impoverished families, and ask them to ignore the inequality they experience, while focusing on the stress and not the causes of the stress they experience – so they'd bite down the hurt and just learn to take it in stride and behave in the classroom, like good corporate drones that they're growing up to be. If they're lucky to get jobs with benefits, that is. At the same time, the promotion of such a solution – mindfulness – teaches the rest of the society to just ignore these problems and also learn to silence their mind and listen to what's there – but what's there without any moral soul searching is usually just the ego. The ego who will not "do the right thing, if only you learn to be aware". The ego will do what it has been taught, and that includes our prejudices, insecurities, microaggressions and all sorts of stuff you don't want to be helping you make decisions. Becoming more aware doesn't mean you will automatically do the right thing. Becoming aware without trying to work out your attachments, your misled beliefs and working through your hangups only makes you more concentrated on egoistic thought, and that's what the mindfulness movement seems to be ignoring.
I found this quite an interesting book in terms of the concept it was explaining, but you must keep it in mind that Mindfulness and Its Discontents is not a book for fun or for philosophising. It reads more like a university thesis or scientific paper – and it's geared specifically towards educators. So while for me, a complete outsider in terms of education in the US, this was an interesting foray into this area of thought (I don't even live in the US... nor do I have anything to do with education), there were also a lot of times where I couldn't connect or thought the book wasn't quite for me. Which is why I'm saying that you really need to consider if you're the target audience for this book – someone in social sciences, with background in education or maybe working with children or teens in the US right now – and if you are, this book will be a great source of thought material to chew on for you. If not, well, you might get a little bored. Keep that in mind!
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy for review through NetGalley in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Despite the cheesy sounding self-help title, this is a wonderful resource - and it doesn't matter if you're into Zen Buddhism or not. The author makesDespite the cheesy sounding self-help title, this is a wonderful resource - and it doesn't matter if you're into Zen Buddhism or not. The author makes this book an accessible resource to anyone who is willing to do some work on themselves to feel better about life or where they are, or more like steps to take in order to stop hating themselves, cause it's a problem it seems most adults struggle with to some extent. Everything is written very accessibly and in an easy to understand way, nothing is sugar coated and there are no New Agey truths or slogans, no woo-woo either, if you want to call it that. It's spirituality through psychology, so nobody will be selling you a new religion. Can definitely recommend.
Thanks to Jane for the loaned book and rec!...more
Is there a season for worrying, when we're more anxious than at other times? Perhaps for most people, it's the full moon, or maybe spring, when thIs there a season for worrying, when we're more anxious than at other times? Perhaps for most people, it's the full moon, or maybe spring, when the seasons are changing. For me though? Life is the season for worrying. Every day. Anxiety is probably an issue a lot of you have. We readers are often more prone to thinking about things deeply, we get swept into the inner conversation – perhaps that's why we love reading so much. But that also makes us worry. Or maybe it's not so for you – but I know it is for me.
I've always been prone to worrying, ever since I was small. The “what ifs” really do get tiring, but unfortunately, there isn't always something you can do about it. Yeah, you can try being more positive. But positivity in the face of anxiety is like trying to defeat a gale wind by blowing at it with a hair dryer.
[image]
Perhaps books can't be manuals to help you out in these situations either. But it's good to read about these things. It's not that you're happy that someone else is experiencing negative emotions – no, it's more that you understand that you're not alone with this in the world. Because it's not enough to be told once – people who are prone to shut in and suffer anxiety always forget that they're not alone. It's a constant battle of reminding yourself you're not the only steadily sad person in the world.
My current read is called The Worrier’s Guide to the End of the World, and I'm wishing I had started reading it many months ago. I'm not even entirely sure how long I've had it, but it's one of those ‘guilt' titles – a review copy I got a while ago and couldn't review at the correct time. After you fail to, you tend to just leave them hanging indefinitely. I wish I hadn't. Because I can't pry myself away from The Worrier’s Guide.
[image]
It's a nonfiction book about a woman and her worrying ways, and how she went on an adventure to deal with it. Actually, several adventures. She's been an anxious person all her life, and she meets someone who radiates belief in the world as if straight from the pages of The Alchemist. The funny thing is that I'm somewhere in the middle of these two women. I am as anxious and prone to work as Torre, the author of the book, but also prone to believing in the magic of the universe, like Torre's travel companion, Masha. (Well, okay, maybe not The Alchemist levels though. The Alchemist has way too much sugar between the pages.)
But the book is also about the fact that reality is not just black and white – as much as we always want to make it that way.Maybe unbeknownst to ourselves? It's rooted in our culture, and if a thing is good, it can't be bad. If a thing is bad, it can't be good. It's got to be one of those. But life is so much more! It's the same with the women's story of the pilgrimage – perhaps the first time it's one of them who is strong. The other time it's the other one. The fact that you radiate joy doesn't mean you have all the answers. It also doesn't mean that you're going to radiate joy steadily for the rest of your life. When it comes to my own thoughts and misconceptions, I know well enough that I tend to think like this as well – that some people just 'have it together' and some don't (mostly me...) But is that really true? Or is it just a lie I keep telling myself?
Another thing I am enjoying a lot about Torre's pilgrimage with Masha is her incredible sense of humor and the ability to laugh at her own self.Sometimes I wish I could learn that, but then again – maybe it's still in the future for me. The ability to laugh at one's own self and one's deficiencies of character is perhaps one of the things that can save an anxiety sufferer from a complete wind down into the darker regions of hell.
The Worrier’s Guide to The End of the World both talks about and laughs at synchronicities as well. It's almost as if the author hasn't quite made up her mind about them either. That's kind of the way with me. Yet I have to mention one that happened while I was reading this book, because even if it's not on par with the ones in the story, it's still pretty cool. Do you know that talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie about the danger of telling only one story about people? I had seen that talk years ago. Seen it, loved it and remembered it. Curiously, I had not seen it anywhere for years. But then, I was just scrolling over Facebook and it was there the other day. I remembered it because it had been a while since I'd seen it – at least five years, and I thought that was curious. And then, just a few hours later, as I was reading The Worrier’s Guide, there it was – the author mentioned the very same talk. I thought this was the perfect illustration for how the book talks about synchronicity.
Anyway, in the book, Torre's friend Masha kept saying that everything happens just as it was meant to be. Maybe it's no mistake that I picked up this book so much later than I was ‘supposed to’. Maybe it was no coincidence at all. This book was very needed and much appreciated.
Not every book based on another person's experience is a manual on what to do with your life. This one isn't either. But sometimes, you just have to hear someone else's story. Sometimes, that's enough to help. If only for this time, until you forget it again – forget that you're not really alone in your little bubble. And a lot of the times, that really is the best that can be done.
I thank the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange to my honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book.
Going Widdershins was recommended to me by a friend whose opinions I trust. And still, what I expected from the blurb was a whimsical, maybe upbeaGoing Widdershins was recommended to me by a friend whose opinions I trust. And still, what I expected from the blurb was a whimsical, maybe upbeat tale of living differently and finding a safe haven of sincere values in an unsafe world. But what I got was so much more. What I got was a book I highlighted the living daylights of(I have never marked so many things in a book to date!) It was a book that almost made me cry with its sad yet true reality, its incredible depth and painful accurateness of the collective feminine condition of life described so well and with such feeling. Going Widdershins could be one of my most sincere reads of the year, and it went straight into the “to definitely reread” shelf. I'll try to tell you what moved me so much, but I also don't know if I can – because if I start talking, I might never stop. You can read my full review here too, but you can find the post with better formatting on my blog here.
Emilena Lamb is frantically admitted to the hospital by her worried husband – she is highly catatonic, unresponsive, mute and deaf, but not because of any physical reasons. She is soon whisked off into the psychiatric ward and ascribed the condition of hysteria – an ailment known to be suffered by only women, at the time (it's 1958). Emilena's husband seems genuinely worried and can't understand what has happened. Meanwhile, even though she regains consciousness, all she can do is growl and act like a frightened animal. It is clear she will not be able to return to normal life and must stay in the ward for quite a while longer. But with no changes forthcoming, the hospital can't keep her and must assign her to the out of town facility of Summerland, led by an eccentric lady who isn't your traditional psychiatrist. Sam, Emilena’s doctor, follows along to take care of her and we slowly develop a better sense of what happened and why, and, most importantly – what could be done about it.
[image]
Hysteria is… more of a term of convenience than an actual illness, and it was very commonly used up to probably the mid-late 20th century (but I'm no specialist) to describe basically ‘anything wrong with a woman’, especially if that 'anything' was of a mental origin. Actually, the name originates from the medical naming of the womb, implying that this only happens to women because they have one (actually, in the early days it was thought ladies go nuts because their wombs start moving about and rise up basically up to their heads… yeah.) Hysteria was most commonly thought of as a mentally-sexual problem – because obviously that's all a woman is – your baby factory and your pleasure factory.The actual causes of psychosis, depression and many other ailments not being considered at all while 'treating' the patients, it's no wonder that the conclusions mostly led to them staying in the asylums for most of their lives afterwards. So you might now know that where Emilena stands is not a good place with a lot of good options.
The Repercussions Of Living 'Like An Angel'
This is discussed so much in the book. Part of why hysteria was mostly found only in women, and later diminished as a phenomenon wasn't because our brains suddenly evolved and stopped having the problem – obviously. The roots of hysteria as an ailment stem in the oppression of women and quite literally not giving them any other choice but to basically go off their rocker to be able to change their situation.Saying goodbye to your ambitions and your education once you get married; Having no say in when, how or even if you have your sexual needs met (or rather, how you are butchering your body and soul to meet someone else's because it's apparently your duty); Not being allowed to express any anger, because 'it's not Christian and it's not befitting a good wife'; Not being allowed to get a divorce or even be defended when your husband beats the living daylights out of you. That was a woman's life largely up to the late 20th century, and for some women, it still is this way. Quite frankly, I'm surprised there were so 'few' cases of hysteria – I would expect at least half the female population to flip in these conditions.
Anyway, the bottled up rage and pain never goes away. And neither does the guilt. This book does such a great job of explaining the reasons of why and how oppression kills a person inside and squashes any light that they might possess. It also lets one understand how bad it is for a society to do this to its members. It's not just about the women – it's also about the men. By hurting a part of what makes their world, they don't realize they're hurting themselves. And this goes bigger. There's a Mother Earth theme to the book as well. Disconnecting from the female, we disconnect from the whole system and that's how our culture has led to the destruction of our environment.
[image]
But Back To Emilena's Situation
Sam, Emilena’s doctor, is a good psychiatrist. He's always wondered if he chose right in choosing the profession his father wanted for him. Which is why he is able to see outside of the conservative way of psychiatric logic,and he doesn't harbor close minded ideas about what ‘hysteria’ is, unlike the rest of Sam's colleagues. And it's exactly what Emilena needs her doctor to do.
Sam slowly works through what information is available to learn why this has happened to Emilena. And it's no easy task, because she can't hear or talk anymore, and everyone else is incredibly unreliable. Sam slowly learns that her husband might not be completely truthful about their marriage and how it was doing. He learns that while she was incredibly forthcoming in her good deeds in the church, Emilena never fit in and was even often mocked, excluded. She could never express her feelings because nobody wanted to hear about her true self. And while she was already trying to find her own beliefs, her own self, it was slightly too late.
What's more, Sam stars regarding Emilena’s wild reaction not as a threat, but as a coping and defending mechanism, rather than something that needs fixing.It's Emilena’s own way to fix herself and be happy – although she might never come back to how life was before for her. An outlook like Sam’s might be considered ground-breaking in the psychiatry of the day and would have never been accepted among his colleagues. It’s no wonder that his colleagues are now trying to set him up for failure in front of his superiors.
Healing Can Come In Many Forms
[image]
So through this outlook of Sam, we are introduced to the idea that there is not just one mode of living, and there are many ways to heal and be at peace.This is a very revolutionary idea for 1958 – and in some ways, it still is even now. This isn’t even about womanhood anymore – it’s about the fact that we are all different and we might choose different ways of living.That for some, being mute and living in a place with other patients might be preferable than living 'the proper life', because that life crushes your soul. It’s a New Agey kind of thought, and it appeals to me very much – and I think it works very well in today’s growing movement of diversity. In this regard, I'm not talking about racial or sexual diversity, but rather neurologic diversity, mental condition diversity – that all the members of society should be accepted for who they are and it should be okay to be the way you were born – removing the stigma of being 'special' and making it just about members of society that come in many forms and shapes, as well as many neurotypes and internal builds.
So This Is Not Just A Book About Emilena, It’s One About Sam
Or in other words, it’s not just about the female, it’s about the male, and about how they intertwine. It’s not just about finding peace and healing – it’s also about finding your new self, saying goodbye – to your old self, as well as to those who were dear to you. Moving on involves letting go, and Sam learns that it wasn’t just Emilena who was a patient of Summerland – so was he. Change comes at times when you don't expect it, and when you don't even think you needed it.
Overall, it should be plain obvious by now that I simply adore this book and think it’s perfect. I have not said even close to enough of what I wanted to say in this review, but can we really do a wonderful book justice, ever? Or at least feel like we did? I can only urge you to read Going Widdershins and find out for yourself why I loved it so much. It’s a perfect companion to books such as Freshwater, Heart Berries and An Unkindness of Ghosts:
Of course, when we are speaking of such difficult topics, you can't really expect not to have any triggers. However, they're not open situations – they're mostly just things in Emilena's past that are talked about with empathy and understanding. So even if it's a trigger for you, it might be easier to deal with it being mentioned than just reading about it out of the blue. That said, the triggers are (view spoiler)[rape, domestic violence, bullying, mental health issues such as depression and self-hate and issues of self-worth, neurotic overcontrolling parents and loss of loved ones. (hide spoiler)]
I thank the author and publicist for giving me a free copy of the book in exchange to my honest opinion. Receiving the book for free does not affect my opinion.
I hoped to like this book more, and I still love the ideas and the bottom line. The way it explored what it is being human, as opposed to not being abI hoped to like this book more, and I still love the ideas and the bottom line. The way it explored what it is being human, as opposed to not being able to comprehend being human. And also, the dilemma of creating an artificial creature whose mind is based in logic, and so is completely backwards to our own - and to what drives us. It can only eventually lead to disaster.
However, apart from maybe several last pages, this book is not dystopian. It's also a little bit sluggish, and it's mostly full of philosophising about human nature and the mind's connection to the rest of the cognizant world. All important and fitting topics, but... also, kind of boring to read about. That is possibly it's quite mechanically executed - understandable as well, cause most of it is told through the perspective of an android. But it does make for some pretty dull reading, unfortunately. You will like this book if you're looking for some musings on the meaning of life, consciousness and what drives human beings, or a study on human virtues. But you won't, if you want anything to happen in the book. Cause it literally doesn't.
I thank Unbound for the free copy of this book that I received in exchange to my honest review. And I'd also like to me ton that it's really cool how this book was funded! Apparently, crowdfunding a book is now thing. You can find out more at unbound.com
This is a great book for you to read if you haven't read anything about being introverted or extroverted before. In fact, that's a thing I've seen in This is a great book for you to read if you haven't read anything about being introverted or extroverted before. In fact, that's a thing I've seen in many reviews - but this is precisely why I loved the book. In fact, I am a highly sensitive person, but happen to be somewhere right around the middle of introverted and extroverted, having reverted back and forth several times in my life! So because of that, it was an extremely interesting read, as I've never really seen that talked about, or the fact that you could actually change and this is not weird. It was also pleasant to find out that there's nothing wrong with ME - being sensitive is genetic, and it can also be enforced in your early childhood. It's not a sickness. IT'S THE WAY YOU ARE. And it's incredibly important for people like us to be told that, understand and accept that.
And this is precisely what this book is about! It will help you understand what kind of personality you are, and accept that despite our society, our culture and even our workplaces catering to only a certain type of personality, you are OKAY the way you are.
There are also some very simple solutions in this book on how to deal with society and people, and generally - LIFE - if you're highly sensitive or an introvert. I couldn't say they're earth-shattering (like a lot of the reviewers seem to he pointing out), but they are positive and constructive, and they might be enough to nudge you in the right direction. There is also a test at the end of the book to find out how introverted, extroverted or sensitive you are.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the book for my honest and unbiased review.
Freshwater is a stunning novel, one that I dove into and couldn't surface out of for a while.It's like a pool of dark water that you don't really eveFreshwater is a stunning novel, one that I dove into and couldn't surface out of for a while.It's like a pool of dark water that you don't really even want to get out of. And I was sad when the book finished - despite it being quite a violent and shaking experience. I am not lying when I say I intend to read it again.
This review is quite long, so I suggest reading it on my blog.
This Story Is What You Make Of It
The most incredible aspect of Freshwater is that there are two ways to read it: either as magical realism, or as stark naked reality. I chose to read it as magical realism. Keep that in mind when you read this review. And it's not that things change based on how you read it - it's that your understanding of the story changes. So let's pause a moment here to consider how amazing a story must be, if it can have two layers like that. That's partly why I want to reread it.
[image]
Understanding The Fractured Self
I don't know if there are many novels with a main character who suffers a personality disorder, particularly - novels where a character like that isn't just written off as 'not quite all there'. Ada is portrayed as completely normal despite her problems, and in multiple instances it is stressed that she is sane, and that none of this is her fault. This is something that I would like to see more often in literature, when it comes to mental health.
While reading this, and knowing none of the author's backstory, I kept wondering if this is how it really is for people with multiple personalities. I know I'm probably a bad reviewer for not looking this up and considering the book simply on its own, but regardless of whether it's well researched or actually experienced by the author or someone close to them, I loved reading about the experiences of the main character because it helped me learn more about such personalities and what they go through.Don't get me wrong - nothing that she goes through is even remotely rosy or beautiful. It's all dark, messed up and very painful. But getting behind the eyes of such a person through fiction is why we should be reading books. It's education in empathy and understanding.And that's why I loved this.
The Mythology
As I mentioned, I chose to read Freshwater as more or less magical realism, so I went with the fact that Ada's suffering comes from the fact that she is essentially multiple beings, born into one, and not given the gift of forgetting - being born aware. That was an amazing concept to wrap my mind around. Imagining how such dynamics would shape a person, affect their growth. Like a dark fairytale, where you can have your wish granted, but at a price you can't even fathom - one cannot be a powerful, ageless being and not pay a price. Seeing and explaining mental health problems through the prism of demons and old gods might not always work in our reality, but it's an incredible concept - how traumatic events can both be interpreted as a forming of a new personality branch, or as a surfacing of an ancient being in a person's mind. This is a battle between the old, shamanistic worldview, and the modern scientific one.
[image]
There is a reason there is a two-headed snake on the cover. But I won't spoil. Read the book!
Strangely? It's Relatable
Maybe it should worry me that I could relate to a character who had life threatening mental illness? But I believe that you could as well. Even if just in little ways, it's not hard to see how traumatic events can change you, branch out new traits in you, even if you're 'normal'. Maybe you won't develop a new personality branch, but it's easy to say you won't be the same person as you were before the event. It was an incredible experience having these ideas put in my mind, ideas I've never pondered before.
The #OwnVoices
You might have noticed that I'm not talking about the #OwnVoicesbit too much. Partly, it's because I wanted my review to focus on the mental health bit (and I can't confirm whether that part is #OwnVoices or not), and partly it's because it's not really my place to talk too much about the PoC part of #OwnVoices. But yes - it's totally there. There is talk about race, about what it means to be from another place, to lose your roots.In fact, that's the main theme - that you can only heal yourself, when you find your roots, know where you are from.The whole mythology bit is steeped in wonderful names, legends and religious lore of Nigeria. But I will not talk much cause I'm very uninformed! So forgive me and just experience it yourself. It's well worth it.
But Beware Of The Triggers
Oh yeah, this book has triggers - loads of them. Nothing with these tough topics could be free of them - and this book has rape, suicide attempts, a lot of suicidal ideation, lots of violence, some of it contains blood etc., brutal accidents, drugs... You name it. Well, I don't think it contains murder or animal abuse, but that's about it. If you are sensitive, keep in mind that you can't read this book without submersion. And it's pretty dark waters.
[image]
Other Books You Might Like
I'm surprised that it wasn't hard to find some recommendations that are connected in at least one way or another. Heart Berriesis a memoir of a First Nations/Native American woman struggling with mental illness and her place in the world, In Case I Go is about a child who ends up being haunted by his grandfather's spirit over old secrets of the past, also related to the indigenous - and this is similar both because of the 'your roots' themes, and the double personality, or someone else's personality inhabiting your mind. An Unkindness of Ghostsdoesn't exactly have the personalities theme, but it has a lot to say about mental illness, and is both #OwnVoices and talks a lot about Black Culture. And The Gargoyle, perhaps the most different of all of these, also meshes magical realism with mental illness, and also talks about bodily harm.
I have a weakness for non-fiction that talks about tough topics. I spot a book about disability, being different, diversity, suffering, all that sI have a weakness for non-fiction that talks about tough topics. I spot a book about disability, being different, diversity, suffering, all that stuff... I click buy. Request. Read. That's just who I am.
Come on, does the cover not already capture you? How could someone love too much? How can there be too much love???
[image] (If the GIFs don’t load, read this post here on my blog)
These questions are easily answered within the first few pages of the book. It's not even fictional, although the title may mislead you! The story told belongs to Eli, a boy who was born quite different from most little boys. So special, that he's the only such person in a group of 10,000 to 20,000 his fellow countrymen (Americans, in this case). Eli has Williams syndrome and he pretty much represents a lost branch of humanity, one that just didn't make it genetically (because Williams is a genetic disorder), but one that nonetheless continues, for the diversity of our genetic material. If we want to survive, we must have a bit of everything in our collective genes every now and then.
So what does it mean to have Williams? It means that your brain is wired in such a way that makes you basically fall in love with any person you see. You trust everyone. You erect no boundaries between yourself and the world. All of this sounds like the dream from a New Age self-helf book, doesn't it? Indeed, but... With one small, but crucial difference. If you self-helped your way into loving and trusting everyone, you know where to stop. Eli does not.
So yes, Eli could totally walk away with that creepy dude in the mall. And he would probably give all his money to someone if they promised to be his friend. Because what people with Williams crave so much is love, unconditional love – like the kind of love they give. But they rarely get it. Because we don't often love people who are different. We're not wired to.
And this is the thing that will make you marvel, that will make you cry for Eli and others with Williams, and that will still make you slightly jealous of who they are. This is also the part of the story that will make you wonder whether we're the right part of humanity that survived. Yes, I believe the world would be better if everyone was like Eli, but unfortunately, this harsh universe is tough for people with Williams, and not just because of society. You don't just go hug a tiger that wants to eat you. (You can say that to someone next time they shove the you the "if everyone was ascended" crap.)
[image]
So basically, this book will give you a lot to think about. It will not leave you unmoved. And the most important thing – even if it's astronomically unlikely you will ever meet a person with Williams, you will now know how to interpret what's going on. And I think that is why all of us should read books like this. This world isn't made for the winners, like the media and the current narrative wants you to believe. This world is made for everyone. And we must understand that if there were no people with lower IQ, there would also not be any geniuses. Science, people:
[image] (And yes, people with Williams often suffer from lower IQ and spatial recognition problems, as well as some physical disorders)
My blogging career actually started with reviewing My Heart Can't Even Believe It – it's a book about a girl with Down's syndrome. It taught me a lot, and it was also my first review that garnered unheard of attention for me back then (a whopping 14 likes. Go figure! We all gotta start somewhere...)
It kicked off my desire to write reviews about things that matter. So I carried on with The Radium Girls, and now – with The Boy Who Loved Too Much. I believe that all of us should read more about these things. It's not alright to just cover your eyes and say "but I'm normal". It's not good enough. So let's be better. Let's educate ourselves. Three words:
#diversity #disability #equality And I leave you with these recommendations if you want to read more about related topics (the last one is not about disability, and I have yet to read it, but an important topic nonetheless):
This was one of (the only?) non-fiction I read this year. A friend gave this to me for my birthday. Said it has helped her a lot through rough times.
IThis was one of (the only?) non-fiction I read this year. A friend gave this to me for my birthday. Said it has helped her a lot through rough times.
It's hard to review this book. First of all, it's not fiction. Second of all, how can you evaluate someone's thoughts when they've been to a concentration camp and back, and come up with all of this through experience? I can just say that the author must have been a really exceptional person, to have such strength in the face of such hardship.
And to all of you who think this is just another book about concentration camps? Well, in a way it is, but really - it isn't. It's a surprisingly professional and objective account of what a human psyche goes through, when dealing with extreme conditions. And what are ways to... survive. Not physically - survive in your own head. In your soul....more
Truthful. Shocking. Philosophical. Did not expect it. I was actually quite skeptical about it up to The Twist (more than a half the story in). And theTruthful. Shocking. Philosophical. Did not expect it. I was actually quite skeptical about it up to The Twist (more than a half the story in). And then it just shocked me.
This short story will make you think about your own life and try to remember your own mistakes. Because it can all apply to you too. Nobody's exempt from this. And you never think about it. You don't even know what you might be hiding from yourself. Humans are very interesting, the way their personalities function. Is there ultimate truth? Does ultimate truth matter, in the long run? Do we always know who we really are? Or do we just pick what's convenient, or maybe just what enables us not to crumble and go on?
Other than the questions themselves, this piece is written well. I especially loved it how the author weaved the two stories together and how they reinforced the point. Very nicely done. Some great writing.
I can't remember who recommended this to me, but I know it was one of my Goodreads friends. Thank you, whoever it was!...more
It's a hard and painful book to read, but if you've had a tough childhood, it might help you understand some things about yourself better, and hopefulIt's a hard and painful book to read, but if you've had a tough childhood, it might help you understand some things about yourself better, and hopefully, start moving forward. It's hard to sum up my feelings while reading it, but they're roughly what the author predicts they would be - pain, anger and grief. However, she also predicts reactions such as relief (that you're not alone in this) and happiness at being able to move forward. Perhaps you will experience those reactions while reading this.
One thing that must be said about this book though, is that it's NOT a solution roadmap - but perhaps it can be the first step towards finding one. It merely states what happens to adult children of alcoholics, or what can happen, and gives brief guidelines on how to move forward. But it won't give you in depth ideas. However, the author states that that wasn't the purpose of the book to begin with, so just don't go in with these expectations.
From what I've gathered, this was a trailblazing book - in a time when the focus was on the alcoholics themselves, and the problems of codependents were treated as if inexistent. This book started the dialog about this, and that's why it's important. Perhaps there are now more books on the subject that are focused on possible solutions on how to move past the problems that are outlined in Adult Children of Alcoholics. But I believe that this will remain an important read on the subject for many years to come....more
Evelina | AvalinahsBooks
>
Books:
psychology
(14)
Loading...
