10% blood science, 40% culture around blood and 50% the authors own indulgent musings.
From a non-fiction book I wanted more tangibles - Give me the fo10% blood science, 40% culture around blood and 50% the authors own indulgent musings.
From a non-fiction book I wanted more tangibles - Give me the forensic history of blood science. Give me case studies on blood science. Give me hard facts!
Alas, this ended up appearing as a novelists attempt at writing non-fiction, and he couldn't help but insert himself into the narrative. I just couldn't get emotionally invested in the author's stories. I was completely indifferent about his diabetes, kids, family, and his anxiety about his cultural identity. All this he lays out with gusto and passion to the reader, but to me, it felt like the author's autobiography, clumsily shoehorned in to otherwise solid content.
I did love the roughly five references to select renaissance artwork. The story behind each piece was a treat that I wasn't expecting. The Canadian Sikh immigration boat story was something I found fascinating too.
But overall this book suffered at the hands of the authors own vanity.
2 stars: Some good stuff but it was hard work mining the book to find it....more
This is a very data rich book. The author takes great pains to not only explain his point, but also present it in different ways for clarity. FurthermThis is a very data rich book. The author takes great pains to not only explain his point, but also present it in different ways for clarity. Furthermore, he has seemed to omit nothing in the presentation of the data and material that brought him to a particular statement.
The first half is deep history over the past ~200 years of economics. There are a few of insightful gems here such as the lack of inflation, the concentration of wealth, and the Jane Austin books being true to the available real world data. I found this section quite hard going and it was easy to lose interest.
The second half is a bit more present-day with solutions to the wealth concentration. I like the explanation of how the World Wars created massive inflation and created an opportunity for more equalization in capital distribution. But I feel his Global Tax on Capital solution is such a stretch that is almost a whimsical notion. I would have liked to have been presented with an implementation plan or more detail on a catalyst that would bring about such an initiative - which is the crux of the book.
3 stars: The pace was slow and muddy with detail at times but the tokens of enlightenment about global finance were indeed revealing.
I've read other books covering this topic; Talent is over-rated and Bounce. But this was by far the best. The narrative for each chapter is heavily daI've read other books covering this topic; Talent is over-rated and Bounce. But this was by far the best. The narrative for each chapter is heavily data driven, which is a testament to the research the author has done.
1 in 500 people have a gene mutation that makes them susceptible to the heart condition HCM, which is the leading cause of sudden adult death. With Anthony Van Loo being a very public example of both the impact and solution to the problem.
With relation to sport's genetic suitability, the author addresses genetic mutation in humans and genetic breeding in animals. With Michael Phelps yearly tested for Marfan's Syndrome and breeding Mushers dogs to love running rather than for speed, being two great examples of each.
If you have a child that you are thinking about getting in to elite sport, this book may provide you the case studies and rough guide to know what sport they'd likely excel at, simply through their physical composition.
5 stars: great data driven content with a solid delivery, will read again....more
I am in awe of Michio Kaku and think all his work has tremendous value but this does read a little like an academic essay. Lots of hypotheticals and sI am in awe of Michio Kaku and think all his work has tremendous value but this does read a little like an academic essay. Lots of hypotheticals and speculation used to pad out the hypothesis. I've always struggled with the wholesale acceptance of "It doesn't violate the laws of physics, so it must be doable" mantra, which is a lot of the crux of this book.
However there is some chapters with some hard facts, the most interesting one for me was about dreams: "The hippocampus is active when we dream, suggesting that dreams draw upon our storehouse of memories. The amygdala and anterior cingulate are also active, meaning that dreams can be highly emotional, often involving fear. But more revealing are the areas of the brain that are shut down, including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (which is the command center of the brain), the orbitofrontal cortex (which can act like a censor or fact-checker), and the temporoparietal region (which processes sensory motor signals and spatial awareness). When the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is shut down, we can’t count on the rational, planning center of the brain. Instead, we drift aimlessly in our dreams, with the visual center giving us images without rational control. The orbitofrontal cortex, or the fact-checker, is also inactive. Hence dreams are allowed to blissfully evolve without any constraints from the laws of physics or common sense. And the temporoparietal lobe, which helps coordinate our sense of where we are located using signals from our eyes and inner ear, is also shut down, which may explain our out-of-body experiences while we dream."
Michio also heavily references pop culture media - Star Trek, Surrogates, The matrix, Inception, Assmiov's books, The Big Bang Theory, Total Recall, 2001: A Space Odyssey, I Robot, War of the worlds. At first I thought this trivialised the content but I grew to appreciate it's use towards the end.
4 stars: The chapters where he looks inwards to the mind, assessing depression, anxiety, dreams and brain damage were excellent. Only slightly dampened by the whole projection of consciousness components, which I felt was propped up by too much "if only we had" type statements....more
This is quite a strong argument against the Paleo movement. The author argues that humans have evolved and continue to evolve, well past our cave man This is quite a strong argument against the Paleo movement. The author argues that humans have evolved and continue to evolve, well past our cave man ancestors. She attributes a lot of public belief about hunter/gathers as just misconceptions. The true nature of our diet, exercise and lifestyle is much more malleable than we think and there is no "perfect lifestyle".
The strange floating hind leg bones in whales I thought was an interesting anecdote about evolution. But what I found most startling was that roughly 14% of Northern Europeans are genetically immune to the AIDS virus. A byproduct of natural selection from small pox/black plague outbreaks. However, the carriers of this immunity are more susceptible to West Nile Virus.
Overall, I found the book had some high impact facts but I found the connective narrative a little weak.
4 stars: because I'm torn between 3 stars for delivery and 5 stars for content....more
All Michio Kaku's books are great. You never waste your time reading one of his books, however, I wanted this one to talk more about Parallel Worlds! All Michio Kaku's books are great. You never waste your time reading one of his books, however, I wanted this one to talk more about Parallel Worlds! Instead all the first half and most of the second half of this book is taken up with the history of physics - planck, einstein, newton, schrodinger. They are all given their own mini bios.
When Michio finally got on to dark matter it was only too briefly. He spent not nearly enough pages on M-theory or different universes existing on branes. The 10/11 dimensions concept is fascinating and I felt was largely glazed over. The 5th dimension I get, but why more, how does this translate in to reality. These were the things I was reading the book to find out more about.
An unnecessarily large amount of space was given to the concept of the quantum multiverse, where infinite actions take place in infinite worlds. I find this a novel but really tedious notion in physics, and it borders on being just a nihilist thought exercise.
The vibrations of the strings in string theory is always interesting. I appreciate there isn't much to work on here and its challenging to make it palatable to a lay audience but I would have appreciated the effort.
3 stars - only because I was expecting more membrane/blackhole work in relation to Parallel Worlds. If it was called "The History of Physics and warped space" I would have given it 5 stars.
An interesting little bit of history. The author should be commended for not only showing the youth loyal to Hitler but also the ones that opposed himAn interesting little bit of history. The author should be commended for not only showing the youth loyal to Hitler but also the ones that opposed him.
At first the Hitler Youth reminded me of some sort of quasi-boy scout brigade, and they probably started out as much. Over time you can see that their activities turn more militaristic. This subtle transition was also evident in the treatment of the jews from first being unable to go to school, to being unable to work, to having to wear the yellow star.
I really appreciated the detail that the author went in to regarding their involvement in combat, fighting like fanatical guerrillas. Also their school antics where they could intimidated teachers was fascinating.
4 stars - could have been longer, really enjoyed it....more
I wanted so much to like this book. The title alone is very intriguing. I persevered but a little over half way through, I couldn't go on and have cloI wanted so much to like this book. The title alone is very intriguing. I persevered but a little over half way through, I couldn't go on and have closed it forever.
The author is clearly a christian biblical scholar and as such, attempts to address the origins of Satan through the retelling of the bible narrative, with additional flair and creative elaboration.
This book could have been so much more! SO MUCH MORE! The author just needed to give the reader something else besides chapters and verses citations from the bible. Psychology, Primitive beliefs, cross-cultural analysis, neurology - all could have easily been thrown in to the mix and would have made this book what it should have been.
1 star - A keyhole view of the topic which was crying out for more depth. Such a lost opportunity....more
This book was written in such a lovely and endearing manner. Like it was someone's grandpa teaching a nice big overview of world history.
Few things I This book was written in such a lovely and endearing manner. Like it was someone's grandpa teaching a nice big overview of world history.
Few things I didn't realise, we get the 7 day working week form the 7 celestial bodies the Assyrians could see. Marathon from the Greeks and Draco's laws being the core of draconian.
I loved the Chinese emperor's closing statement to the king of England "Tremble at my orders and obey". Someone I wouldn't have otherwise come across if not for this book.
The author slides right over a few subtle but important things, especially when he gets to modern day/WWI&WW2. Such as why America entered both wars when they weren't directly in harms way or how dominant Japan was during WW2.
4 stars - I would give it 4.5 stars, as it could have been longer and explained a few events with a more nuanced approach....more
This book opens strong. I was blown away by the persuasion channels that you can use to get someone to do something; Authority, Rationality, Vision, RThis book opens strong. I was blown away by the persuasion channels that you can use to get someone to do something; Authority, Rationality, Vision, Relationships, Interests and Politics. To me this was really ground breaking stuff and probably my most valuable take-away.
But everything started to go down hill around the time they ask you to fill out the questionaire to find out what type of persuader you are; Commander, Chess Player, Promoter, Advocate and Driver. To me, this was a fruitless exercise and because my scores across all 5 were almost identical, the case studies explaining each persuader in detail, left me unsure whether they were I should find them relevant or not.
3 Stars - Great work on persuasion channels, but the rest of the book is forgettable and, I felt, explained the obvious....more
This book made me reflect on my own schooling and gave me a greater awareness of exactly how other countries educate their kids.
In summary Asian countThis book made me reflect on my own schooling and gave me a greater awareness of exactly how other countries educate their kids.
In summary Asian countries use time studying to get good grades (8am to 11pm), Nordic countries use top-tier teachers to get good grades.
If you want to know if a school is good ask the principal how they select their teachers and watch the kids. Disregard gadgets and school technology, they are just props, focus on the people.
3 stars because at times I felt a little disorientated when the author would jump from one student in a country to another student in another country, then back again....more
Ultra Pure Water is toxic, Recycled waste water can be made cleaner then regular tap water, bottled water is unregulated and worse than municipality wUltra Pure Water is toxic, Recycled waste water can be made cleaner then regular tap water, bottled water is unregulated and worse than municipality water. These were just some of the interesting factoids I got from this book.
The book is very america-centric but the author travels to Australia and India to explain the water issues impacting these other two countries. The details that he goes in to around Toowoomba, Perth and Adelaide water crisis' is impressive. The magnitude I was previously oblivious to.
There is a touch of chemistry at the start and sprinkled through out, something I think the author could have gone a little bit deeper in on. But was obviously cognisant that it could disengage any non-scientifically literate reader.
4 stars - Recommended reading for any Australian, but the author didn't have to pull all case-studies back to the US as the point of reference....more
A well research and presented piece. The section on Stress and Sleep I found most interesting, almost cautionary. The facts come think and fast, but tA well research and presented piece. The section on Stress and Sleep I found most interesting, almost cautionary. The facts come think and fast, but the author, heeding his own advice, puts a short summary at the end of each chapter. A nice touch.
There is no self-help preaching, but no doubt the author trusts the reader will extrapolate the presented information and apply it to their own life.
The examples used were interesting, with the author rolling out some of his own experiences to increase their impact (such as his encounter with an attempted burglary and his mother's reaction to a student failing due to a tumultuous home life).
5 stars, worth multiple reads with a lot of interesting facts (that I wish my brain would work better to remember). ...more
This is one of the best, naturally funny books I've come across. The author is candid, relevant and has an endearingly pragmatic quality.
The first quaThis is one of the best, naturally funny books I've come across. The author is candid, relevant and has an endearingly pragmatic quality.
The first quarter of the book reads a little like a biography, and is maybe a touch long for preamble scene-setting. This can come off as a touch tedious but worthy powering through.
The remainder of the book documents the author's self-help journey. I found Dan Harris very relateable in his musings over religion, spirituality, new-age mysticism and their proponents.
Overall, I left the book quite inspired and more than a little intrigued.
4 stars because although it was very funny with quality insightful content, I wouldn't need to re-read it anytime soon....more
This book was very dry at the start. laying out Rome's history, the foundation of the republic etc. I would have liked more details on how the RepubliThis book was very dry at the start. laying out Rome's history, the foundation of the republic etc. I would have liked more details on how the Republic was specific configured; how citizens were elected, their powers and length of office. Also explaining titles such as Prefect, Proconsul or 1st citizen would have been nice.
The last third of this book is where it really heats up and plays out very similar to the HBO series Rome. It's around the time where Caesar is in Gaul and declared an enemy of the Republic by Pompeii and Cato. The unfolding events, even though I was loosely aware had me captivated.
The author has a exquisite command of English and writes with occasional Shakespearean flair.
4 stars because it was well written and researched, with the last part saving it from being just an average book....more
I really liked the "an ounce of action is worth a ton of theory" mantra behind this book. The author does well with inspiring the reader to just try, I really liked the "an ounce of action is worth a ton of theory" mantra behind this book. The author does well with inspiring the reader to just try, start today and don't be held back by your perceived obstacles. The case studies nicely covered a range of products and services and the author's analysis of their success was nicely constructed. It would have been great if there were pure start-up failures included - Someone who had a good business but because he didn't do X, the whole thing collapsed. I find those just as fascinating and valuable opportunities to learn, but undoubtedly, they'd be harder to find.
Overall, this book would be invaluable if read in tandem with Tim Ferriss' "4 Hour work week". Both books combined will break any hesitation you have of starting your small business.
5 stars as there is solid business knowledge in here that is worth a re-read....more
Some quite noteworthy outcomes from this book for me were: 1) Toothpaste is a result of marketing 2) Febreze's success is from marketing a habit not froSome quite noteworthy outcomes from this book for me were: 1) Toothpaste is a result of marketing 2) Febreze's success is from marketing a habit not from it effectiveness 3) Your habit routine is not part of high level brain functions. 4) Business seek to exploit your habit routine
This book tucks any "self help" component in to examples of individuals or groups have broken habits through the Trigger, Response, Reward cycle. Changing the response whilst keeping the trigger and reward the same. Rather than giving straight forward and easy examples, it seems the author took great pains to source unusual examples/stories and explain them in detailed. The London Underground fire of 1987 was one example that wasn't necessary but illustrated the point of allies, line of command, and compartmentalisation very well.
My only critique is that bit about American civil rights movements being social habits was a touch weak in the context of the other stellar content....more
I was expecting the history of the office as we know it, what I got was mostly how the office revolutionised women in the workplace. With the office fI was expecting the history of the office as we know it, what I got was mostly how the office revolutionised women in the workplace. With the office first liberating then oppressing women. Moving out of factories to being white collar secretaries and typist, on a male, blue-collar equivalent wage, only to become the office housewife/mistress; making coffees, getting the sandwiches, and reduced to weather overt sexual advances. I found this was where the real meat in the narrative lay. The evolution of the workplace office I found was rather dry and lacking in fervour. The opposite was true for the women in the office components.
Nice piece, but the author could have dropped the "History of the workplace" pretext and focused solely on female working empowerment. I would have really enjoyed that....more
Like Bill Bryson's other books, he is masterfully adapt at making the mundane interesting. He not only covers Shakespeare's life but vividly recreatesLike Bill Bryson's other books, he is masterfully adapt at making the mundane interesting. He not only covers Shakespeare's life but vividly recreates the world in which the man lived in. Thus the book becomes part biography, part historical recreation.
I most enjoyed the retracing of how the modern world came to be in procession of nearly all of Shakespeare's great works. The fractured marriage he had with Anne Hathaway was also something I found fascinating and would have loved to have known more about.
Overall, a solid history of Shakespeare, albeit briefer than it needed to be. ...more
A fairly light-hearted trip through proper English grammar. I enjoyed the start and finding out about words like Taser, Boycott and Schadenfreude. ButA fairly light-hearted trip through proper English grammar. I enjoyed the start and finding out about words like Taser, Boycott and Schadenfreude. But about half way through I caught myself thinking "Why am I reading this?" I persevered, however the second half of the book does feel a little drawn out without the same punchy-ness of the first half.
Overall, this book wasn't mesmerising, but was charming in it's own way. Going through elements of English, piece by piece, with the author offering his opinions and anecdotes on each term or technique....more
Loading...
