Surprisingly not as difficult to understand as I thought it would be. I read the Modern Library version of this. It was filled with some interesting iSurprisingly not as difficult to understand as I thought it would be. I read the Modern Library version of this. It was filled with some interesting information about evolution, travel, bugs, fungi, and other species. I've been on a science kick and so it was great to read this classic....more
Thank you to Netgalley and The New Press for the ARC of The Miracle of the Black Leg: Notes on Race, Human Bodies, and the Spirit of the Law by PatricThank you to Netgalley and The New Press for the ARC of The Miracle of the Black Leg: Notes on Race, Human Bodies, and the Spirit of the Law by Patricia J. Williams in exchange for an honest review. I feel awkward giving this a rating because it's honestly a 3.5 for me and I don't want this to seem like a bad book because it's not. These are well-written and researched essays on the human body, law, and race. I learned so many interesting and crazy things in this book. So much of the insane laws on the human body can go back to slavery which proves that American Slavery is a necessary subject to teach students in school because it reveals a lot about law enforcement, society, race, and science. This loses me because it feels like reading a textbook and it's not that entertaining. For someone who likes to read for enjoyment while also learning new things, that's an issue for me. It's a 3.5 because it could easily go between a 4 and a 3. It's not something I would recommend for a casual read or if you're curious. It's a handy book if someone is studying Critical Race Theory though. ...more
This is a pivotal work in feminist activism. Shere Hite came on my radar earlier this year when I found out about the documentary about her that premiThis is a pivotal work in feminist activism. Shere Hite came on my radar earlier this year when I found out about the documentary about her that premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival called "The Disappearance of Shere Hite" by Nicole Newnham with dramatized appearances by Dakota Johnson as Shere Hite. I recognized how important this was when it was released and did some research on some of the backlash Shere Hite received. It's important to read this report with the pre-Sexual Revolution and anti-Second Wave Feminist Movement of the 60s and 70s in mind. Knowing what I know now, this book can be a little slow but it's a great snapshot into American culture and sensibilities at this time. I've been reading this slowly over the past few months and I'm finally able to log it because I finished....more
After a month of reading mostly mystery novels, I realized that poison is one of the main features in a lot of works of literature I enjoy. Mystery noAfter a month of reading mostly mystery novels, I realized that poison is one of the main features in a lot of works of literature I enjoy. Mystery novels, court intrigue, Shakespeare, classical tragedies, medieval fantasy, Victorian gothic horror, and so much more... poison is a pretty big feature in all of them. But what is poison exactly and what is happening to the characters and figures in these things I enjoy reading about? A Taste for Poison by Neil Bradbury lists eleven deadly poisons and goes into detail about how each of them kills and the killers who used them with real-life stories. I knew I was in for a treat with a quote from Medea by Euripides about how poison allows women to feel as powerful as men. Throughout history, poison was always seen as a woman's murder weapon of choice. Some poison is so fast-acting that it shocks people and other times it's long, grueling, painful, and bloody. This book was truly fascinating and an easy read despite how morbid and scientific it is. I'm not into reading about killers at all but poison in literature is something that made me curious and I'm glad I picked this up....more
I could have given Proof: The Science of Booze by Adam Rogers a higher rating if it focused solely on the science, unlike the negative reviews I see hI could have given Proof: The Science of Booze by Adam Rogers a higher rating if it focused solely on the science, unlike the negative reviews I see here on Goodreads. I liked the science parts and the nerdiness of reading this book, but what took me out of it was the author's writing style. Our sense of humor doesn't mesh well and I didn't care for some of the narrative voice here. Each chapter is based on the journey of a sip of alcohol and goes into a bit of a short story format for each one. I'm not into short stories with fiction so I didn't enjoy that here either. I almost wish it was a bit more clinical in it's tone because it would be more interesting to me. ...more
I went into this book expecting to be scared out of eating so much sugar because listen... I love my Coca-Cola and I love chocolate and sweets. DiabetI went into this book expecting to be scared out of eating so much sugar because listen... I love my Coca-Cola and I love chocolate and sweets. Diabetes runs rampant in the Black community and I've lost relatives to diabetes-related complications. I know even for myself, my health isn't the best but I've been working on cutting back. The Case Against Sugar by Gary Taubes doesn't necessarily tell me anything that I don't know about how harmful sugar is but it does offer a bit more historical context for why the sugar lobby exists. Some of the more heavy-handed parts of the books blamed sugar addiction for human atrocities like slavery which gave me pause but it wasn't too outlandish. My favorite parts were the direct arguments against sugar and the insight into the politics of sugar. I found a lot of this book highly accessible to people who aren't looking for a super-sciencey type of book. It definitely makes me think of why the presence of sugar is so prominent in society and why it's seen as a reward psychologically. While it didn't teach me anything I didn't know nutrition-wise, it was eye-opening to look at how much sugar is literally and figuratively being pushed down our throats....more
I don’t know what’s going on but these days I’ve been fascinated by a lot of psychology and philosophy books. I like reading things that challenge my I don’t know what’s going on but these days I’ve been fascinated by a lot of psychology and philosophy books. I like reading things that challenge my thoughts and perceptions of things because it allows me to learn about different experiences without the anxiety of talking to someone belligerent. The Sleeping Beauties: And Other Stories of Mystery Illness by neurologist Dr. Suzanne O’Sullivan is a fascinating and informative look at psychosomatic disorders.
This book takes us around the world from Sweden to Colombia, Cuba, America, and Kazakhastan–introducing us to illnesses considered strange and out of the ordinary. I noticed that a lot of them have featured marginalized communities of immigrants and asylum seekers. Other situations were about women and young girls experiencing mass hysteria, fainting spells, and tourettes-like symptoms out of nowhere. The chapter that I was most aware of was about the Havana Syndrome at the American embassy in Cuba where people believe they were hit by a sonic attack which lead to nausea, headaches, and tinnitus.
I can’t put a finger on why I’m fascinated by stories like this, I guess it is because I have hypochondria, anxiety, and fascination when it comes to learning about things that could be wrong with me someday. The first chapter about the young girls in a comatose-esque sleep in Sweden was the most fascinating to me but each of the eight chapters brought something new and interesting.
What I enjoyed the most was the use of anthropology, science, philosophy, and social psychology to explain how these things could happen. Dr. O’Sullivan is clearly informed and I enjoyed how there was some warmth in her writing as well. It didn’t feel like a stale or overly wordy science book that makes readers zone out for half the book. I enjoy psychology books with a human touch. Acknowledging that certain illnesses are understudied because of the populations impacted is also important. Young women and girls aren’t taken seriously in any field of medicine while refugees, immigrants, and asylum seekers lack access to decent healthcare.
Another reviewer mentioned that once the stories settled in and the reader becomes used to the formula of this book, the issues start to present themselves. There were times when some of it felt like it was bordering on tabloids which I could blame on how society treats situations like this. This is an interesting read for those who are interested in this topic but I felt like it lacked the meat to keep me turning the pages. ...more
I typically cringe when I read books that are marked as philosophy, especially philosophy that is not by a classic philosopher. However, I’ve been intI typically cringe when I read books that are marked as philosophy, especially philosophy that is not by a classic philosopher. However, I’ve been interested in giving contemporary books a chance even though so many are self-help cash grabs or a-holes screaming into a void. Coming across If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal: What Animal Intelligence Reveals About Human Stupidity by Justin Gregg made me fascinated immediately because of the title alone. I had a great time with this one, it’s as simple as that.
Justin Gregg is a senior research associate with the Dolphin Communication Project and a self-proclaimed animal empath. He asks questions about human exceptionalism and what is the value of human intelligence. I’m of the belief that humans don’t add much of anything to benefit the greater good of the biological structure of Earth. That’s not to say that great human feats should go ignored and unappreciated but the human race at large could learn more from animals. This book kind of reaffirms my initial thoughts. I enjoy books that challenge my way of thinking or those that make me more informed and this book totally did that.
In my daily life, I don’t ask questions about animal intelligence and how it’s the same and differs from human intelligence. I was interested in some of the arguments presented in this book. Are humans as fascinating and smart as we think we are? Even when we look at the projected impacts of climate catastrophe, people think that the whole world will end when really the natural world will keep going as normal.
This is a relatively short book of 7 chapters with ranging topics like lying, knowing the future, human morality, exceptionalism, and our ability to be far-sighted. We read about animal consciousness and the different ways humans and animals learn. I appreciate the excitement when talking about animals and I enjoy the way that it makes me want to tell other people about this book.
More importantly, I found this read to be thought-provoking, engaging, entertaining, and funny. I didn’t feel like I was being preached to. Justin Gregg ruminates on the consequences of human behaviors and exceptionalism in a way that I think is important to think about moving forward. With that being said, this is highly accessible and doesn’t alienate people who have different viewpoints or less education. Anyone can get into this whether they’re well-versed in philosophy or not!...more
I wanted to love this. I should have loved this. The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World by Michael Pollan literally promised botany andI wanted to love this. I should have loved this. The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World by Michael Pollan literally promised botany and a plant’s eye view of the world with our relationship with plants but I didn’t get a lot of that from this book. I am unfamiliar with Pollan’s work, I’m just now diving into ecology, botany, and biology reading for enjoyment so I was looking forward to this. I was unaware that this book was heavily hyped but after reading some of the reviews here, I see that this is a well-respected author in these spaces.
I respect Pollan’s work and writing style. I enjoyed a lot of the prose here because it’s clear that he’s informative and cares about the subject matter. I was looking forward to seeing how he would compare plants such as the apple (sweetness), the tulip (beauty), marijuana (intoxication), and the potato (control) and how they’d all connect with each other and human desire. Each essay gets around to the subject of how that plant represents that specific desire but my issue is that I felt it was missing a lot of the science and botany. I wanted more science instead of drawn out and scattered opinion pieces.
Immediately I was a bit put off in the first chapter when the conversation about domesticating the apple went into a full on history lesson about Johnny Appleseed and the American centered view on it. I wanted more of a global perspective about how these plants connect us and I didn’t get that. In the chapter about marijuana, I was a bit annoyed with the pretentious tone especially as he didn’t mention that a big part of the politicizing of marijuana stems from racism and xenophobia. Black men are more likely to get max sentences over small amounts of marijuana, things like that shouldn’t go unnoticed when speaking about the political aspects of this drug.
This gets a star for the premise and another star because some of the information was good and kept on track but a lot of this book was bogged down by the meandering rants from the author. I just couldn’t bring myself to care about a lot of the points he harped on. I said it multiple times in this review, I wanted more science. I wish that this book focused more on the plants instead of him trying to show how knowledgeable he was about this in a self-serving way.
Anyway, I intend to read more by this author since I’m familiar with his writing style. I know better now but this just misses the mark for me. I can see why people will find enjoyment from this though as it’s informative in other ways but if you’re looking for a book about the science of botany and the four plants mentioned here then you might want to go elsewhere. If you’re into personal essays, memoirs, etc then you’ll be into this.
PS. Another thing that I loved about this was the connection between Apollo and Dionysus. I’m into Greek mythology and I rarely make the connection between those two gods aside from a couple of lines in The Bacchae so I found those mentions to be exciting and cool. ...more
I love this book a lot. The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben, translated from German by Jane Billinghurst was a joy to read. As the title suggeI love this book a lot. The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben, translated from German by Jane Billinghurst was a joy to read. As the title suggests, this book dives into what trees feel and how trees communicate with one another. Plants are some of the most misunderstood lifeforms on earth. As humans, I think that we focus more on other humans and animals but beyond our middle school and high school biology classes, we don’t realize that plants and trees also have a system of life, communication, and feelings. Historically, I consider myself a treehugger and so I was excited to pick this book up. I wasn’t let down.
Billinghurst did an excellent job of showing English language readers the excitement that Wohlleben has for trees. It felt like when your enthusiastic teacher tells you information that would otherwise be boring but in an exciting way. I felt like I was out in the forests looking at the trees mentioned and close to their way of life. I think that people interested in ecology and trees should pick this book up because it’s so much fun to read.
There are some times when it can be bogged down with a lot of information for those of us who aren’t into science but I found that most of this is an approachable, calm, and sophisticated read. I recommend reading this over the weekend or whenever you have a few days of time to yourself because it’s not as dynamic as a lot of other books in terms of “action.” It’s very much a science book written by a forester so it requires a lot of attention for those of us who aren’t familiar with this world.
However, I’ve seen some of the more sciencey crowds criticize this book for not backing up claims with scientific information and data. I think that this is more for someone who likes trees enough to pay attention to ecology but may not have the proper education to back this up. People have said that this book lacks clarity at some points so be warned if you’re someone who has studied this subject for years. I consider this book as more of an opener to the vast world of studying trees and ecological systems. Still, my answer to that sort of criticism is that this book is clearly written for people with casual interest in this topic, and not something people will be studying in classes.
As long as people don’t take this as the only book they should ever read on this topic then I think that people will be able to find enjoyment in the prose and the sheer excitement this person has for trees and conservation. As I said, I found this approachable and engaging in ways that a lot of ecology books aren’t.
This world is so wonderful and diverse. Trees are incredibly social and intelligent. I think that people could learn a lot more from plants and trees if we’re being honest....more
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