Mere Mortals Book Reviews

How can you heal a damaged mind?'The Body Keeps The Score' by Bessel Van Der Kolk is a book focused on mental health plus the what/why's of PTSD and trauma. It's split into 5 parts dealing with history, brain science, child abuse, memory and healing strategies. It has a mix of case studies, hard/soft science and personal opinion.I summarised the book as follows. "It's a dense read that was more scientific than not. The tone was empathetic and despite being about heavy topics it focused on the positive of how trauma could be overcome. I didn't learn much new information but it did make me grateful for my upbringing and understanding of why other people behave how they do."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:31) - Synopsis(3:58) - Trauma: Why all the acronyms?(9:17) - Healing: Strategies for recovery(18:03) - Observations/Takeaways(25:18) - SummaryValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcastConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastSupport the show

I'm changing up the book review channel and starting a book club.In September 2023 we reviewed 4 books on the channel. No real standouts to be honest so instead I'll mention why and how I'm going to do things differently. Basically I'm putting in a lot of effort but don't feel like I'm getting much value in return. So I'm going to streamline the process by doing them live, focusing less on creating highly detailed notes/images and by trying to engage more with you, the readers at home. Big thanks to Cole McCormick (from the America+ podcast) and Ashley Glenday for supporting the show. Very much appreciated!I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:45) - Bitter Orange Tree: Jokha Alharthi(3:55) - The Diving Bell & The Butterfly: Jean-Dominique Bauby(5:27) - Swearing Is Good For You: Emma Byrne(6:48) - Zen & The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance: Robert M. Pirsig(8:33) - Boostagram Lounge(11:33) - Coming Up In October 2023(12:56) - Changes To The Channel(17:53) - V4V: Would You Join A Book Club?Value 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcastConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastSupport the show

What's it like to lose your own body?'The Diving-Bell And The Butterfly' by Jean-Dominique Bauby is a short memoir describing life with locked-in syndrome. It's a mix of personal recollections before his life altering stroke and daily hospital trivialities afterwards. He focuses on the hardships of being trapped within a mute body but the joy of unlocking his mind.I summarised the book as follows. "A complex series of emotions arise whilst reading. Heartbreak, mirth, horror & fascination all alter quite rapidly due to the small chapters. It is written in that journalistic editorial style so never gets too deep on anything, also understandable because of the way he had to 'write' the book. Ultimately it's a tragedy and a reminder to enjoy what you have."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:29) - Synopsis(3:44) - The Body: Trapped within yourself(9:09) - The Mind: Unlimited possibilities(13:49) - Observations/Takeaways(17:39) - SummaryValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcastConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastSupport the show

Don't weep for lost dreams, they were never real to begin with.'Bitter Orange Tree' by Jokha Alharthi is a fictional series of recollections told by a young Omani woman about her life, family and relationships. It mostly focuses on her grandmother's tribulations and her own personal grief/regret of her passing away.I summarised the book as follows. "I came in to this blank was pleasantly surprised considering it is outside of my normal genre's of reading. There are some nice cultural insights to take away and I was impressed by the qualities of fortitude and hardiness found in the grandmother. The constant style of switching back and forth was ok for this book, but certainly would get tiresome if I read more like this."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:31) - Synopsis(3:20) - Lost Dreams: Accepting the bitter reality of life(12:02) - Lament: A passionate expression of grief(18:04) - Observations/Takeaways(21:33) - SummaryValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcastConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastSupport the show

Fucking hell that's a bit shit ya dawg.'Swearing Is Good For You' by Emma Byrne is a popular science book detailing the positive aspects of profanity. It tackles this by somewhat providing the who/what/when/where/why/how using case studies and observations. There is data mixed in with her own humour and research she conducted as a scientist.I summarised the book as follows. "This was just about acceptable for me. I really prefer nuance but this book had what seemed an unnecessary agenda to really PROVE that swearing is a good thing (maybe because I'm Aussie I take that for granted). I'm not doubting any of the science she provided by overall it still felt a bit shallow and one-sided."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:34) - Synopsis(2:12) - Swearing: Taboo or not taboo, that is the question(12:22) - Observations/Takeaways(17:43) - SummaryValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcastConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastSupport the show

Hey Mere Mortalites! Juan here. I've just journeyed through 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance,' where road trips meet deep philosophical dives. Let's unravel the adventure, the metaphysics of Quality, and see why this classic might just redefine your understanding of life. Join me as we ride through Pirsig's masterpiece!

Mark Twain is a superb author, who else do you really enjoy?In August 2023 I reviewed 4 books on this channel. Although it wasn't the best of the month I did really enjoy 'Roughing It'. I really just do think Mark Twain knocks it out of the park with his books.Big thanks to Cole McCormick (from the America+ podcast) and Petar for supporting the show. Very much appreciated!I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:35) - Fantastic authors are rare(2:05) - Amusing Ourselves To Death: Neil Postman(4:43) - Roughing It: Mark Twain(6:19) - The Long Tail: Chris Anderson(8:42) - Island Of The Blue Dolphins: Scott O'Dell(9:29) - Boostagram Lounge(11:43) - Coming up in Sep 2023(13:25) - V4V: 1 more month until changesValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcastConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastSupport the show

Let's pack it up and go strike it rich!'Roughing It' by Mark Twain is a collection of rambling anecdotes from his travels as a younger man. It details his travels to the Wild West during the California gold rush, working as a journalist in San Francisco and crossing the Pacific Ocean to reach the Kingdom of Hawaii. There are many funny stories within and is semi-autobiographical but with plenty of fictional inventions as well.I summarised the book as follows. "I'm a huge fan of Mark Twain in general and this book didn't let me down. It really has everything: entertaining, informational, a unique perspective, historical, funny, etc,. My favourite part was the middle section and the only way to make it better would have been if it was slightly shorter."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:27) - Synopsis(3:19) - America: Capturing it's spirit(12:30) - Nature: Seeing is believing(18:13) - Observations/Takeaways(22:49) - SummaryValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcastConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastSupport the show

Would you read this to your child?'Island Of The Blue Dolphins' by Scott O'Dell is a fictional children's novel (loosely based on a real story) of a lone girl living on an island. Karana (12) has to fend for herself after being left behind by her tribe. She must use survival skills to weather through storms, feed herself and stay safe from wild dogs and other animals.I summarised the book as follows. "It's a nice and sad story at the same time. Ultimately it's made for kids so personally it didn't do that much for me. But there are lots of nice themes for kids to dig into and I could see this being a great launching point for fun topics of discussion."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:28) - Synopsis(2:19) - Animals: The band-aid for loneliness(6:56) - Survival: Little room for pity or nicety(12:44) - Observations/Takeaways(17:30) - SummaryValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcastConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastSupport the show

If you had all the choice in the world, what would you do?'The Long Tail' by Chris Anderson is an exposition of how greater access to choices of products has altered business practices. Greater value can be unlocked from producers selling to consumers via better aggregation methods such as digitisation and rating systems. This has had huge impacts on music/market places/culture and given rise to massive companies like Amazon, Netflix and Google.I summarised the book as follows. "It's a great explanation of a phenomena and trend. Generates a compelling argument of why all these companies arose with links to the deeper principles behind them. I think there are some limitations of how the long tail will apply to future trends (AI/social media/3D printing) but did a great job of explaining at the time. It could have been slightly shorter and it is a little bit dated but it gave me a lot of insights into economic and market dynamics."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:34) - Synopsis(2:52) - The Market: How supply & demand interact(14:45) - Economics: Clearing up misconceptions(30:21) - Observations/Takeaways(34:43) - SummaryValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcastConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastSupport the show