Why Women are Obsessed with True Crime (ft. 2 Dudes) | 2 To Ramble #298

In 'Gone Girl', Gillian Flynn crafts a gripping narrative about the disintegration of a marriage. The story revolves around Nick and Amy Dunne, a couple whose seemingly perfect relationship turns out to be a facade. On their fifth wedding anniversary, Amy disappears, and Nick becomes the focus of a police investigation and media scrutiny. Through alternating narratives, the novel reveals the complex and troubled dynamics of their relationship, exposing themes of deception, manipulation, and the superficial nature of appearances. Amy's elaborate scheme to frame Nick for her murder is a central plot twist, highlighting her vengeful and manipulative nature. The novel concludes with Nick trapped in a toxic relationship, forced to maintain the illusion of a perfect marriage for the sake of their unborn child.

Lonesome Dove is a classic Western novel that follows the journey of two former Texas Rangers, Augustus McCrae and Woodrow F. Call, as they embark on a cattle drive from Texas to Montana. The novel is renowned for its vivid descriptions of the American West, its exploration of themes such as friendship, loyalty, and the decline of the Old West, and its well-developed characters. It is the third book in the Lonesome Dove series and is widely regarded as McMurtry's magnum opus.

In 'The Anxious Generation', Jonathan Haidt examines the sudden decline in the mental health of adolescents starting in the early 2010s. He attributes this decline to the shift from a 'play-based childhood' to a 'phone-based childhood', highlighting mechanisms such as sleep deprivation, attention fragmentation, addiction, loneliness, social contagion, and perfectionism that interfere with children’s social and neurological development. Haidt proposes four simple rules to address this issue: no smartphones before high school, no social media before age 16, phone-free schools, and more opportunities for independence, free play, and responsibility. The book offers a clear call to action for parents, teachers, schools, tech companies, and governments to restore a more humane childhood and end the epidemic of mental illness among youth.