Thoughtful, touching, hilarious, poignant. I've always loved Alison Bechdel's work. This is some of her best and deepest. It's an autobiography that exThoughtful, touching, hilarious, poignant. I've always loved Alison Bechdel's work. This is some of her best and deepest. It's an autobiography that explores family, other relationships, loss, spiritual quests, the search for identity and meaning, and various challenges a lot of us have to contend with along the way. I'd sum it up by saying that she takes the topics seriously, but not herself, and that she's one of the most courageously honest and insightful people whose work I've ever read. And, of course, one of the funniest. Highly recommended!...more
This author is a marvel of resilience, as well as being smart and very funny. As others have commented, this story is strange, heartbreaking, hilariouThis author is a marvel of resilience, as well as being smart and very funny. As others have commented, this story is strange, heartbreaking, hilarious, and infuriating at various times; I am very glad Jennette McCurdy got through her childhood, adolescence, and young adult life not only intact but healthier than anyone would have had a reason to expect. As a retired therapist who did a fair amount of work with children of unhealthy parents - and as a survivor of a horrible first decade in my own life - I salute the author as a survivor and victor. And this may sound awful, but I'm glad her mom died, too....more
Interesting, at times frustrating. The author comes across with what seems to me an odd blend of clear self-appraisal in some ways and grandiosity in Interesting, at times frustrating. The author comes across with what seems to me an odd blend of clear self-appraisal in some ways and grandiosity in others. This memoir tracks the devolution of an idealistic religious community into a dangerous militant group centering criminal activities and plans for extreme violence around a cult of personality. A charismatic leader follows the dreary and familiar path from narcissism to trampling the boundaries of others to believing himself infallible and anything he wants justified. It is in reference to leaders like the one Noble describes here that Sheldon Kopp titled one of his books "If You Meet the Buddha On the Road, Kill Him!" Particularly in a time of rising authoritarianism, anti-intellectualism with hostility to objective facts, and militant "Christian nationalism," I recommend this book to anyone who is watching these trends and finds them disturbing....more
A thoughtful meditation on the connections human beings form by sharing trials and trauma or by being born into cultures in which the norms involve moA thoughtful meditation on the connections human beings form by sharing trials and trauma or by being born into cultures in which the norms involve more and stronger bonds than ours, and the needs those connections fill for us, especially if we are living in an environment where interpersonal ties and loyalties are too few or too flimsy. The author draws on sources from literature to his own experiences as a war journalist to the experiences of the military people among whom he has lived and worked, to his own background as a combat journalist. Ultimately it seems, ironically, that one of the reasons we seem so unable to avoid going to war over and over is that it is addictive; not the adrenaline - or not only the adrenaline - as many think, but the joy of being among people that you know would die to protect you, and whom in turn you would die to protect. The U.S. gets into more than our share of wars. Maybe one of the reasons (along with the care and feeding of the military-industrial complex, economic imperialism, the usefulness of saber-rattling and saber-drawing in political careers, and our self-assigned role as the world police) is that Americans live more isolated lives than people in most of the world. If we could change our culture in some ways that would shift our national self-image from the extreme of individualism to something closer to a healthy balance of individualism with collective life. Junger makes this point and supports it with historic examples such as the phenomenon, during the European colonization and occupation of the Americas, of European-descended people, both children and adults, male and female, finding themselves living in Native American societies and coming to prefer them so strongly that if they were returned to White society, many of them ran away and returned to the Native communities where the connections among people were much stronger than in the White society that was becoming repressed and self-isolating even then. On the other hand, Native people who found themselves likewise grafted into European-descended communities, whether voluntarily or via capture, as children or as adults, hardly ever chose the White colonial life when they did have a choice, even though it was materially safer and more secure. They needed a more vital amenity than material plenty....more
All over the map, literally and figuratively, but that was part of the author's intent. This one is low-key compared to Junger's other books, slower iAll over the map, literally and figuratively, but that was part of the author's intent. This one is low-key compared to Junger's other books, slower in pace, kind of melancholy. He weaves together an account of traveling cross-country on foot with some companions for hundreds of miles in the northeastern U.S., mostly along railroad lines; the history of the conflicts in that part of North America both between white settlers and Native Americans, and between different Native American nations; the Industrial Revolution and the development of railroads and trains; relations between law enforcement on the one hand, and the poor and homeless on the other; and other themes. Even though this one is not set in a combat zone, Junger seems to be thinking more about his own mortality. He doesn't say, but I wonder what things he might be thinking of that he wishes he had done but never got to and now probably won't....more
Very good, very dark, very bleak. Talia Lavin went scuba diving in some cold, dark, poisonous reefs to write this book. I read this after watching her Very good, very dark, very bleak. Talia Lavin went scuba diving in some cold, dark, poisonous reefs to write this book. I read this after watching her interview on the "Politics and Prose" YouTube channel. I've been interested in the white supremacist subculture for years, since I had to work with some members of a prison gang that was organized along those lines. To me, the hate they would express, in a matter-of-fact conversational way, made no sense. After reading this, I still can't see the world through their eyes, but it added to the better-than-average knowledge base I already had about this movement. It left me feeling anxious, sad, and tired, but I'm glad I read it, and I recommend it. Just expect it to be a stark ride....more
Outstanding. Masha Gessen does a superlative job of researching and then explaining, methodically and in depth but in a way that is hard to put down nOutstanding. Masha Gessen does a superlative job of researching and then explaining, methodically and in depth but in a way that is hard to put down nonetheless, the intertwined histories of the nation and culture of Russia and of Vladimir Putin, from his childhood to the time she finished the book in 2012. The effect is ultimately deeply sad, grieving over not only the individual casualties of Putin's ruthlessly sociopathic climb to absolute power and the enshrinement of the anti-LGBTQ hate movement as a core of Russian society, but also over the loss of the Russia that could have been. For a brief time after the end of the USSR, there was a real possibility Russia could flower into a free society. Putin and his allies utterly crushed that possibility to create a mafia state that is more oppressive than anything that country has endured since Stalin. Unlike its glamorous portrayals in fictional characters like Milton's Satan, Hannibal Lecter, and Dexter, real evil is not clever and tragically self-aware. It's shallow, oblivious, petty, pointlessly vicious, devoid of introspection, and empty. Gessen shows that Putin is such a person. President Biden reportedly told Putin recently (as of this writing in March 2021) that he, Biden, didn't believe Putin had a soul. I have not met Putin, nor gazed into his eyes a la Bush 43 and thought I was gauging his true nature. But working in mental health with adult prison inmates and adolescent gang members, I got to know a number of people who were just that type - shallow, oblivious, petty, pointlessly vicious, devoid of introspection, and empty. I'm not qualified to diagnose possession of a soul, but I surely didn't see evidence of any in a lot of those people. Putin belongs in prison rather than in the position of controlling a nation of millions....more
A very valuable and forward-thinking book! This book addresses aspects of the exploration of space that have been neglected but are at least as importA very valuable and forward-thinking book! This book addresses aspects of the exploration of space that have been neglected but are at least as important as those that have been covered. Previous books on space - I have a shelf full - focus mainly on the sciences and on particular places in the solar system, from low Earth orbit to the Oort Cloud. This book looks at the increasingly obvious fact that the exploration of space will depend on the development of space, on making it profitable or at least affordable. That, in turn, means that business interests will play at least as big a part as nation-states. Even here on Earth, we're in a situation in which transnational corporations keep getting more powerful and have already passed the point at which some businesses are richer and more powerful than some countries. A lot of people see the current world order based on a near-monopoly of power held by nation-states, but that hasn't been the status quo for most of history. In the exploration and development of space, business interests may have a considerable edge on nation-states because they can plan, budget, and move so much faster. Factor in the incredible potential for profit - in asteroid mining and the collection of fusion reactor fuel from the Moon, for example - and it's easy to foresee those businesses far outgrowing countries in power and reach. That brings us to the other area too neglected that this book addresses, the regulation of the development of space. Who makes the rules, and who enforces them, and how? I can foresee a future that in some ways looks more like the Earth of the age of exploration than the world of today. There will be all kinds of faraway places where there is effectively no law - that offers both the possibility of utopian freedom for misfit groups that are increasingly crowded out now, and the possibilities of corporate exploitation of people and of piracy and other lawlessness far beyond anything possible in our world today. This book should be read by political leaders, economists, industrialists, legal scholars, and, also, authors of science fiction. It offers a lot of possibilities for SF plotting that will be fresh and unexplored, and that fictional exploration will inspire more attention on these issues, as Robert Jacobson has dedicated a chapter to the influence of science fiction on the science and exploration of space up until now....more
Poignant and stark. This book gets more and more relevant as events keep unfolding on the border. It's rare to get a view of a system and a situation Poignant and stark. This book gets more and more relevant as events keep unfolding on the border. It's rare to get a view of a system and a situation like this from the inside, not from a survivor but from one of the people in uniform that are the agents of the system. I believe that what our country has been doing on our border with Mexico, as well as in dealings with several classes of immigrants and refugees seeking to come here via other paths, will go down in history as a shameful episode like the internment of the Japanese-Americans in World War II. I live in New Mexico, so this situation and its issues are closer to home for me than for most Americans - when I've gone to places in the southern part of the state on weekend getaways, I've had to go through Border Patrol checkpoints on my way home. I've been in other countries where it's normal to encounter roadblocks manned by people in uniforms with mirrored sunglasses and military weapons, it makes me queasy. I hope voters read this before the 2020 election, and I hope it bothers them as much as it bothers me....more
Jennifer Teege is a wonder, and so is her story. She learned as an adult, a woman with an established life already, that her biological grandfather wasJennifer Teege is a wonder, and so is her story. She learned as an adult, a woman with an established life already, that her biological grandfather was Amon Goeth, the concentration camp commander played by Ralph Fiennes in Schindler's List. She stumbled across this background suddenly, unexpectedly, and via a strange accident in a library. Once she knew this, she had to integrate this knowledge into her life and her identity, which was brutally hard. Already vulnerable to depression, she fell into a deep depressive episode. Ultimately she resolved her questions and concerns, and this book is the story of that process. I first saw her interviewed on the YouTube channel of Politics and Prose: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf1ks... Before and during the interview, I was struck most by her air of calm, upbeat confidence. She seems like one of those people who, as the cliche says, light up the room. She seems the kind of person one would love to get to know and talk with at length. I recommend this book highly for anyone interested in the Holocaust, in the resilience of the human spirit, and in the way the families of people who commit monstous crimes are often secondary victims of those crimes that may have been committed years or even decades before they were born....more
Based on reviews and interviews I expected this to be a good book. It's better. Although Donald Trump's picture is on the cover, the real center of thiBased on reviews and interviews I expected this to be a good book. It's better. Although Donald Trump's picture is on the cover, the real center of this family history is his father Fred, the author's paternal grandfather. The book relates the family's history from the childhood of her father Fred Jr., nicknamed Freddy, Donald, and their three siblings, through the early months of 2020, including Donald Trump's inability to respond competently to the COVID-19 pandemic and the protests following the murder of George Floyd. Mary Trump's hurt and anger at the way the family, especially Fred Sr. and Donald, treated her parents, her brother and his family, and herself, are unmistakeable. At the same time, she's a calm, conversational narrator, and although she tells the story from a personal point of view, her training as a clinical psychologist shows in her insights into family dynamics and individual psychopathologies. She is blunt about her belief that her uncle is a threat to the United States and the rest of the world as long as he's in power, and about her hope that this book will help bring about his defeat in the 2020 election. Still, this seems to be based on a sense of duty rather than malice. I get the sense that she wishes Donald Trump no personal ill will, just a return to private life where he will no longer have the power of the federal government at his disposal, sort of the way one would want to see a toddler who was holding a pistol disarmed but not harmed. I'd recommend that voters read this book with an open mind, as well as other books about Trump and about current politics in this country and others, and keep what they read here in mind as we watch events between the book's publication and the election....more
Outstanding memoir of an outstanding warrior. I knew about Robin Olds long before I read this book - it's a cliche, but he really does seem to have beOutstanding memoir of an outstanding warrior. I knew about Robin Olds long before I read this book - it's a cliche, but he really does seem to have been a larger-than-life personality. I'd seen him interviewed in documentaries, and was impressed by his dedication to the people he led. He fought in three wars, was an inspirational leader, and was a brilliant and cunning innovator in the tactics of aerial combat. Both informative about combat aviation history and a deeply interesting read. Highly recommended....more
I wish I'd known a lot of this when I was a practicing therapist, and I wish the clinical trials taking place now had been done perhaps a decade ago. I wish I'd known a lot of this when I was a practicing therapist, and I wish the clinical trials taking place now had been done perhaps a decade ago. The resources available for the clients of psychotherapists, clinical social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists have been increasing for decades, but the tools Michael Pollan describes promise a whole new category to work with. Pollan describes his approach as immersive journalism. I'd also call it holistic. His account of the history of the culture of psychedelics is crisp, organized, and deeply researched. He presents it in a light but serious way. The portion of the book about his own experiences with various substances, along with his sharing of accounts from others, is another angle from which to see the same topic. The brain science he presents is a third way to understand it. The closest parallel I can relate, and this fascinates me, is the experiences many of my clients had, and I had myself as a client, with EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy. In particular his psilocybin experience sounds similar - the hallucinatory visions, the emotional aspects, the accompanying insights and changes of perspective, the often life-changing impact of a single experience with the power of years of therapy. I would love to understand what's going on in the brain and mind when these things happen. I'll be following this subject closely in the years to come....more
Moving and instructive. The author uses the history of his family, which is by turns tragic, funny, and inspiring, to explain the subculture of a largMoving and instructive. The author uses the history of his family, which is by turns tragic, funny, and inspiring, to explain the subculture of a large swath of the U.S. These Americans have been stereotyped and dismissed for generations by those whom the luck of birth landed in easier circumstances. These are the hillbillies of the title (full disclosure: three of my four grandparents could have been called hillbillies.) They're the people, many descended from poor Scots-Irish immigrants and many living in the Appalachians, that have demonstrated extremes of both the positives of resilience, resourcefulness, toughness, and patriotism, and the negatives of provincialism, bigotry, ignorance (not stupidity), and jingoism. Like other poor, marginalized subcultures, they've always been over-represented in the military. Their bootleggers provided the DNA of NASCAR racing. Today, many of them are the people so hungry for someone to champion them and their needs, or pretend to, that they played a big part in putting Donald Trump in the White House. I served with a lot of Marines from this part of the country, and between them and my grandparents I like to think I can relate and empathize. There are some patterns I respect and admire, and others I dislike strongly. For both moral and pragmatic reasons, it's past time for those who are better off in America and the rest of the world - those of us who were born on third base, or even first or second, and tend to think we got the hits that put us there - to care more about the needs and dilemmas of those born at home plate already a strike or two down. The gap has been widening for a couple of generations now, and those in power now aren't doing enough on one side or anything at all on the other to correct it. All of us are born equal in terms of rights but not of opportunities. When we open more doors to those who've been shut out, we will all benefit materially and culturally and we'll reduce the amounts of suffering and tragedy around us. And for those who call themselves Christians, they'll be coming closer to living up to the faith they claim....more
I have another hero! A hilarious, moving, fascinating memoir by a very smart, funny, resilient, and generous person. After a quick tour of her childhooI have another hero! A hilarious, moving, fascinating memoir by a very smart, funny, resilient, and generous person. After a quick tour of her childhood, the author takes us through her accomplished career as a writer, director, showrunner, and producer in journalism, movies, and TV - she has worked in just about every genre, with the one common thread being that her work has been funny everywhere she went. At the same time, this is a frank and sometimes scathingly angry history of the misogynistic culture she and other women in entertainment have had to survive and struggle through. It left me both ashamed at the ugliness of some of my fellow humans - mostly men - and deeply impressed by the contrasting generosity and goodness of others, some men and many but not all women. As a therapist I was taught that humor is the healthiest of the many coping mechanisms our species has evolved, and I can attest to that based on the role it played in my own family's awful and at times ridiculous tribulations. BTW, a few years back I read and wrote a Goodreads review of Overcoming Autism, the memoir this author's sister, Claire LaZebnik, wrote about her family's experience with her son's autism. All I can say is that this is one strong, gifted family....more
Very interesting for much of its content - if I'd been the editor I might have suggested trimming a bit on the stories about the author's party-animalVery interesting for much of its content - if I'd been the editor I might have suggested trimming a bit on the stories about the author's party-animal young life. Also, even though I probably have more background in brain science than average, I found some of the detail in the middle section dry and hard enough to follow that I sometimes had to go back and carefully re-read parts. The thing that makes this book compelling is, first, the author's discovery, as a neuroscientist studying the brains of psychopaths, that his brain looked just like theirs on his scans; second, his long struggle coming to terms with this information about himself and slowly coming out of denial; and finally, his unflinchingly honest acceptance of his own internal reality along with his adaptation to it. I knew about Dr. Fallon from having seen him on documentaries and wanted to read this as soon as I heard he'd written it, and I'm glad I did. Highly recommended....more
Thoughtful, articulate, and comprehensive. The author was a founding member of Delta Force and served in that unit for several years. This memoir is aThoughtful, articulate, and comprehensive. The author was a founding member of Delta Force and served in that unit for several years. This memoir is a solid record of both his own experience and the larger history of Delta Force. As a veteran - my service was very ordinary, unlike Sergeant Major Haney's - I am awed by the standards achieved by Delta and by their accomplishments. Highly recommended for anyone interested in military and political history, the psychology of soldiers in combat, or the training, organization, and practices of elite special forces units....more
Warm, funny, and fascinating. Every bit as good as Bryson's A Walk in the Woods, his memoir of his time on the Appalachian Trail – this is a book-lengWarm, funny, and fascinating. Every bit as good as Bryson's A Walk in the Woods, his memoir of his time on the Appalachian Trail – this is a book-length love letter to Australia, a place the author loves. His sketches of the places he's seen and his encounters with the people he found there had me laughing out loud a few times, and wishing I'd gotten to Australia myself when I was in that part of the world. Highly recommended!...more
Unusual among military memoirs - the author is more introspective and frank than the average person, and he makes himself quite vulnerable emotionallyUnusual among military memoirs - the author is more introspective and frank than the average person, and he makes himself quite vulnerable emotionally in looking back over his past. The result is a story that is gripping in some places and poignant in others. Much more than a lot of "there I was ..." memoirs, this gave me a feel for the author's character and inner life as much as his career and military experiences, and his psychological and emotional growth over time. Of course, as a SEAL, he centered his life on the military for many years and everything else had to fit in around it, including his personal relationships. A thought-provoking read that will stick with me longer than a lot of memoirs....more
A rare find - equal parts thoughtful, funny, and moving. My wife and I discovered the author's YouTube series Ask A Mortician and blog Order of the GoA rare find - equal parts thoughtful, funny, and moving. My wife and I discovered the author's YouTube series Ask A Mortician and blog Order of the Good Death via a link from another channel, and were immediately hooked. She's smart, reflective, articulate, apparently immune to taking herself seriously, and has things to say that I think are overdue and crucial for our society to consider. Her main message is that our society's refusal to think or talk openly and honestly about death, our own as individuals and in general, is causing a great deal of needless physical and emotional suffering and untold costs (fiscal, environmental, and other), which are growing as our population ages. She expresses this in the context of relating her own experiences growing up and as a professional in the funeral industry. Highly recommended for the laughter, food for thought, and occasional tears it will probably bring you....more
Loading...
