Mere Mortals Book Reviews

A bigger world. More perspectives. Nearly 900 pages. But is A Clash of Kings actually better than A Game of Thrones?In this Mere Mortals book review, I share my honest thoughts on George R. R. Martin’s second A Song of Ice and Fire novel—as someone reading the books without having watched the television series.I enjoyed the journey, particularly Tyrion’s chapters, Arya’s perspective and Martin’s immersive writing. But the slower build, scattered storylines and unresolved threads left me missing some of the first book’s intensity.00:00 Is bigger actually better?00:15 A Clash of Kings: the setup01:59 My verdict versus A Game of Thrones04:07 A bigger world, more unfinished stories06:44 Tyrion shines—but where is Robb?08:04 Pacing and the Battle of the Blackwater09:05 Arya, food and immersive detail10:15 Was it worth the read?11:09 Your thoughts—and what comes nextConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast  Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFqTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

Sure is a lot of hanky panky going on in a sexually repressive time.In this episode, I review John Steinbeck’s The Wayward Bus, a 1947 novel that sits somewhere in his middle period and while not usually counted among his greatest literary achievements is clearly packed with the sort of vivid, messy human character work he does so well. I walk through the book’s loose premise — a stranded bus, a roadside station, and a cast of passengers and workers thrown together — and talk about why the story feels less like a tightly structured plot and more like a vehicle for Steinbeck to explore personality, motive and tension. For me, that’s where the novel really shines: not in grand narrative payoff, but in the way Steinbeck builds believable people and lets their inner thoughts drive their actions. I also dig into what I saw as one of the book’s strongest undercurrents: the sexual tension running through nearly every interaction. Set in a more outwardly modest post-WWII, the novel still reveals how little human nature really changes beneath the surface. I reflect on the ways desire, jealousy, insecurity and attraction shape the characters and how Steinbeck captures those dynamics with an honesty that still feels recognisable today. My overall take: The Wayward Bus is a solid, casual Steinbeck read — not on the level of East of Eden or The Grapes of Wrath, but still an enjoyable novel if you love sharp character observation. I gave it a 6.5/10.If you got value from the podcast please provide support back in any way you best see fit!Timeline:(00:00:00) Intro(00:01:20) The Wayward Bus synopsis and cast of characters(00:04:13) Steinbeck's loose storytelling and postwar setting(00:06:45) Camille, desire and repression on the bus(00:09:58) Can men and women be just friends(00:12:33) Why human nature has not changed much(00:15:15) A real life example of social and sexual tension(00:17:29) Final verdict and where this book fits in Steinbeck(00:19:42) What Kyrin is reading and episode wrap up  Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFqTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

My first Franz Kafka read was weird, vivid and surprisingly enjoyable. In this Mere Mortals Book Review, I share my thoughts on Metamorphosis and the other short stories in this Penguin collection.From Gregor Samsa’s transformation to a tense taxi dispute and an unexpected insight about achievement, Kafka packs strange situations, precise details and memorable ideas into remarkably short stories.I discuss alienation, family dependence, Kafka’s writing style, and why reading at a conversational pace helped me enjoy this collection.⚠️ Spoilers: the Metamorphosis plot discussion starts at 07:39 and includes the ending. Skip to 09:59 to avoid it.CHAPTERS00:00 My first encounter with Kafka00:30 Kafka’s background and literary legacy01:55 What’s in this short-story collection?03:03 Kafka’s style and finding my reading pace04:29 Tiny details that make the writing vivid05:58 A short reading and everyday observations07:39 Metamorphosis plot and themes — spoilers09:59 Point of view and writing outside a day job11:05 The Aeroplanes at Brescia: the taxi dispute13:07 The biplane and perfect achievement14:30 Final thoughts: would I recommend Kafka?Have you read Kafka? What did Gregor’s transformation mean to you—and which Kafka book should I read next? Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFqTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

The best way to understand apathy is to not understand at all.In this episode, I’m back with a review of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, the 1966 classic that helped define the true crime genre. I unpack the book’s retelling of the brutal Clutter family murders in Kansas, the psychology of Perry Smith and Richard Hickock and Capote’s readable, gripping style. While I can appreciate the book’s historical importance, strong reporting and the way it gives readers close access to the killers, I kept coming back to the same question: why? For me, the most unsettling part was that there doesn’t seem to be any satisfying meaning behind the crime beyond damaged people committing senseless violence.I also reflect on why true crime generally doesn’t work for me, despite how popular it is. Reading this didn’t leave me feeling wiser or more understanding of the world — it mostly left me feeling sad. I touch on the ethical questions around capital punishment, the lack of redemption in the story and why meaningless suffering makes this such a heavy read. My final take: it’s an important and well-written book for those interested in true crime, but personally it wasn’t for me and I land at roughly a 2.5 out of 10. If you got value from the podcast please provide support back in any way you best see fit!Timeline:(00:00:00) Intro(00:01:01) What In Cold Blood is about(00:02:19) The killers and the senseless motive(00:07:05) Why true crime leaves him cold(00:09:54) Truman Capote and the book's reporting style(00:11:52) Capital punishment and moral questions(00:15:42) Final verdict and whether it is worth reading(00:18:13) What is next for the book reviews  Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFqTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

Can a book about stupidity leave you feeling stupider? The Psychology of Stupidity, edited by Jean-François Marmion, promises explanations from some of the world's smartest people. I finished it wondering how it became a bestseller.In this Mere Mortals Book Review, I explain why the collection disappointed me: repetitive discussions of terminology, arguments I found one-sided, and interviews that didn't deliver the depth I was hoping for.I also discuss the handful of ideas I did find interesting, before looking more closely at the book's treatment of artificial intelligence, meat-eating and intelligence, and its conversation with Daniel Kahneman.These are my reactions to the book and the way its arguments are presented. If you enjoyed it, I'd love to hear what worked for you.CHAPTERS00:00 The book and its big promise00:21 Red flags—and my dad's warning01:01 What I hoped to learn01:41 The “world's smartest people” pitch02:37 How the collection is structured03:06 My verdict—and the few bright spots04:09 Repetition instead of insight05:30 The artificial intelligence argument08:19 Meat-eating, intelligence and missing balance10:30 The interviews I wanted more from11:47 What did I actually learn?12:23 Would I recommend it?BOOKThe Psychology of StupidityEdited by Jean-François MarmionSubscribe to Mere Mortals Book Reviews for more honest reviews, practical ideas and conversations about the books we read.Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast  Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFqTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

Can uncertainty make you stronger and does Antifragile actually show you how?In this Mere Mortals Book Review, Juan explores Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. There are powerful ideas here, but I finished the book with mixed feelings about its practical application, repetition and relentless personal attacks.I unpack the difference between fragile, robust and antifragile, explore the barbell strategy and question how easily these frameworks translate into everyday life.My biggest takeaway? Via negativa: improving by removing harmful habits and unnecessary complexity. Sometimes progress comes from subtraction.We also explore why a system can benefit from failures that hurt its individual members, my pushback on Taleb’s views about technology, and the ethics of becoming stronger at someone else’s expense.Glad I read it, but would I recommend reading every page?CHAPTERS00:00 Introducing Antifragile and Taleb01:30 Why I picked it up02:08 Structure, maths and optional chapters03:23 Fragile vs robust vs antifragile04:51 The limits of antifragility06:25 The Hydra, aviation and individual sacrifice08:58 Longevity and Taleb’s confrontational style10:45 Where I push back on health and nature12:00 The barbell strategy: can you apply it?13:49 Convexity, concavity and practical usefulness16:06 Via negativa: improvement through subtraction17:04 The Lindy effect, technology and AI18:34 Too long, too repetitive, too many attacks?19:43 The ethics of shifting risk onto others20:51 My verdict: should you read it?21:40 What I’ll apply to my own lifeWhat’s one thing you could REMOVE from your life to make it better? Let me know in the comments.Subscribe to Mere Mortals Book Reviews for honest reflections on books, big ideas and their place in everyday life.Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFqTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

Can we slow AI development down while everyone is still trying to win the race?In this episode of Mere Mortals Book Reviews, I'm reviewing an article: “We Must Pace the Frontier” by Dario Amodei.I unpack the proposals for embedded evaluators, coordination between AI companies and international cooperation. Then I share where I'm supportive, where I'm sceptical, and why reading Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s Antifragile has me questioning the comparison between AI safety and aviation.We also explore recursive self-improvement, the tension between global cooperation and US–China competition, and whether today's AI capabilities already give us enough to work with.This is my personal reading and critique of the article. Read it yourself and tell me where you agree or disagree.READ THE ARTICLEhttps://darioamodei.com/post/we-must-pace-the-frontierCHAPTERS00:00 An article review with big implications00:32 The controversy behind the conversation02:25 What does “pacing the frontier” mean?03:36 Embedded evaluators: independent eyes inside AI labs05:29 Antifragile, aviation and learning from failure07:23 Recursive self-improvement and company coordination09:18 Global cooperation meets US–China competition11:32 Different levels of AI pacing12:17 My verdict: slow down, pause or keep going?Should AI companies slow down, pause completely or keep pushing forward? What would change your mind?Subscribe to Mere Mortals Book Reviews for more reflections on books, articles and the ideas they leave us wrestling with.Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast  Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFqTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

I never watched Game of Thrones. Then I finally picked up George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones and I get it now.I went into the first book of A Song of Ice and Fire with almost no connection to the TV series. In fact, years ago I made it about four minutes into episode one before turning it off.The book was a very different story.It starts slowly enough, building the people, families, politics and world but somewhere around the first third it starts accelerating. By the final few hundred pages I was absolutely smashing through chapters just trying to find out what happened next.In this review I get into:Why George R. R. Martin's POV structure works so wellHow he manages to interweave so many characters and storylinesWhy the world somehow feels enormous while remaining groundedThe comparison with The Lord of the RingsThe brutality, darkness and unpredictability of the storyWhy the final third completely hooked meThe slightly uncomfortable reality of starting an unfinished seriesWhether you should read the book if you've already watched the showMy rating: 9/10.00:00 I finally read A Game of Thrones01:02 Going in without watching the TV series03:09 The problem with starting an unfinished series05:11 Bigger than The Lord of the Rings?06:19 Why the POV structure works so well08:15 When the book hits overdrive10:47 The dialogue, brutality & darkness11:51 Why the fantasy still feels grounded13:46 My final thoughts14:47 Should you read A Game of Thrones? Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFqTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

I read The Book of Elon by Eric Jorgenson, a collection of Elon Musk’s most useful ideas on purpose, engineering, business, hiring, intensity and problem-solving, presented largely through Musk’s own words.Rather than another Elon Musk biography, this book attempts to distil his operating system: how he thinks, why he works with such extreme intensity and which principles have shaped companies including Tesla and SpaceX.But does it offer anything genuinely new?00:00 What is The Book of Elon?00:28 How I received the book01:03 This is not an Elon Musk biography01:48 Three million words distilled02:24 More than 1,000 source references03:10 The 69 Core Musk Methods03:35 How the book is designed03:56 My background with Elon Musk04:42 Why so much of it felt familiar05:45 Is it useful as a reference book?06:35 Why I probably wouldn’t reread it07:19 Who should read this book?07:55 Elon’s “ultra hardcore” philosophy08:24 Success because of—or despite—his methods?08:43 My biggest criticism of the book09:49 The reader who may find it transformative10:26 My final recommendation10:58 Elon Musk’s recommended reading list12:01 Final verdictConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFqTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

In this Mere Mortals book review, I talk through The Odyssey by Homer the famous follow-up companion to The Iliad, and one of the great adventure stories of the Western canon.Compared with The Iliad, I found The Odyssey much more readable, more story-driven, and honestly more enjoyable. This is the great soldier-returning-home story: Odysseus trying to make his way back to Ithaca after the Trojan War, while Telemachus searches for answers, Penelope holds off the suitors, and the gods keep interfering with everyone’s lives.0:00 Intro — The Odyssey after The Iliad0:54 The basic structure of The Odyssey1:18 Odysseus, Ulysses and the journey home2:03 Telemachus, Penelope and the suitors2:43 Where Odysseus has been3:09 Cyclops, monsters and the famous adventures3:46 Returning to Ithaca4:04 The original soldier-coming-home story4:25 Why The Odyssey reads better than The Iliad5:02 The book that kept me reading at night6:00 Why this story has lasted7:10 Iliad vs Odyssey: rage vs cunning8:19 Major themes: home, temptation, storytelling and justice10:03 The parts I skimmed10:43 Should you read The Iliad first?11:37 Final thoughts on The Odyssey12:26 Final recommendationConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastSubstack: https://substack.com/@meremortalsnotes Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFqTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast