Mere Mortals Book Reviews

Will TV be the death of us?'Amusing Ourselves To Death' by Neil Postman is an argument of why television as a medium lessens rational discourse and ultimately is a bad trade-off for society. The first part focuses on the past, in particular how typography is serious and encourages critical thinking. The second part demonstrates how TV is predominantly about entertainment and is negatively effecting politics, education, religion and advertising.I summarised the book as follows. "I loved this, but it's only for certain types of people. If you are fascinated by communication & languages, marketing & media or how society is impacted by change then you will like this. You'll also need a broad base to begin with as he covers many historical topics and references a lot of things."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:31) - Synopsis(3:14) - The Medium: The way information is conveyed(10:14) - Amusements: The seriousness of Huxleyan mindlessness(22:03) - Observations/Takeaways(28:12) - 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

15 years late but I'm starting to develop some taste!In July 2023 we reviewed 5 books on this channel. My two favourites of this month both have what I would call 'style'. The content within them was interesting but what made them stand out was the way they were written. I used to really suck at understanding this as artsy type things were never intuitive for me. But I think reading a lot of fiction over the last couple of years has made me understand why these unquantifiable factors can make a big difference.Big thanks to Cole McCormick (from the America+ podcast), Petar & The Wild Hustle 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(2:36) - No Longer Human: Osamu Dazai(6:31) - Fiesta/The Sun Also Rises: Ernest Hemingway(8:43) - Energy/A Human History: Richard Rhodes(14:02) - The Double: Fyodor Dostoyevsky(14:54) - Discipline Is Destiny: Ryan Holiday(17:01) - Boostagram Lounge(21:47) - Housekeeping(27:14) - Coming up in August 2023(29:35) - V4V: Give me a recommendationValue 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

Technology is going so fast I can't see .... ahhhhhh .....'Energy: A Human History' by Richard Rhodes is a brief flash through 400 years of human technology and history. It begins in the 1600's and shows the transition from wood to coal/steam to oil/gas and to nuclear (and beyond). It is comprised of stories and told via the numerous inventions of innovators across the centries.I summarised the book as follows. "It's thick & lengthy but it doesn't feel like a tome. The overall theme felt relatively unbiased but I'm sure many of the stories were spruced up a bit. Unless you haven't read much history there's nothing astoundingly new, however there's nuggets of great info that can be useful to know later."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:31) - Synopsis(3:37) - Technology: The art/craft of unlocking energy(11:04) - Transitions: Why do they take so long?(25:55) - Observations/Takeaways(33:50) - 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

Partying hard and losing friends!'Fiesta: The Sun Also Rises' by Ernest Hemingway is a roman-à-clef depicting 1920's life in Europe after WW1. It is told from the point of view of Jake Barnes an American expat living in France. He joins his friends for a week long party in Pamplona to watch the running of the bulls but it all turns into a drunken fiasco.I summarised the book as follows. "Hemingway's style is as unique as he was. It can kind of seem unrealistic due to the amount of partying, alcohol and lack of sleep, but there are some pretty wild people in this world. I enjoyed it for the prose but am not a fan of non-consensual violence, even if it was intriguing to learn about the atmosphere of the fiesta and bullfighting."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:39) - Synopsis(3:06) - Friendship: Sometimes you need to cut the edge(8:53) - Passion: Not a free ride(15:52) - Observations/Takeaways(22:01) - 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

Appreciate what you have, we're not all born the same.'No Longer Human' by Osamu Dazai is a series of notebooks depicting the short life of a troubled Japanese boy, set in Tokyo after WW1. Ōba Yōzō is born different to everyone else and has a feeling of alienation and estrangement from society. He tries to mask this via acting, expression through art and ultimately self destruction. It is strongly autobiographical and follows many of the events that occurred in Dazai's life.I summarised the book as follows. "Wow! This hits hard and yet doesn't have the emotional burden of a Russian/German equivalent novel. I think this is because the Japanese style is elegant & whilst depressing still shows moments of gaiety and everyday life. It's a beautiful book with an amazing title written by an unfortunate but very talented man."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:30) - Synopsis(3:01) - Alienation: Estrangement from a social group(7:43) - Liberation: Release from imprisonment & oppression(14:20) - Observations/Takeaways(20:50) - 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

I have vicious enemies who have vowed to ruin me!'The Double' by Fyodor Dostoyevsky is a short tale of a man who encounters a double of himself. Yakov Petrovich Golyadkin is a titular councillor living in St Petersburg during the 1800's. He starts to suffer from schizophrenic delusions and behaves bizarrely at work and amongst colleagues with increasingly severe outcomes.I summarised the book as follows. "I found it quite lackluster, even insipid if allowed my double to be mean. No themes jumped out at me and I didn't feel there was any real depth to it. Unfortunately I found it rather forgettable and probably should have dropped reading it earlier."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:34) - Synopsis(2:59) - Schizophrenia: Lunacy & persecution(8:42) - Observations/Takeaways(13:07) - SummaryConnect 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

Ryan Holiday is a well-known author, and some of his notable works include "The Obstacle Is the Way," "Ego Is the Enemy," and "Stillness Is the Key." which we have all covered in this channel.His latest entry into the stoic series, Discipline is Destiny, is a master work from Ryan. Enjoy the review and leave any comments below.Connect 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

Sometimes you come across the answers you're looking for, even if they aren't what you want to hear.In June 2023 I reviewed 4 books on this channel. This was a month of learning for me and I received some good lessons from these books. It kind of centred around two things. One, if you dwell on negative thoughts and try to use 'feeling like an outsider' as justification for behaving badly, you're going to end up bitter and alone. Two, it is exceedingly easy to believe real evidence but miss the greater picture of what is going on. So you really need to work hard to analyse all the various reasons to determine the 'real' truth.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 & clarifications(2:37) - The Temple Of The Golden Pavilion: Yukio Mishima(5:11) - Notes From Underground: Fyodor Dostoyevsky(7:10) - The Crucible: Arthur Miller(9:38) - Merchants Of Doubt: Naomi Oreskes & Erik M. Conway(14:04) - Shoutouts & Support(15:19) - Coming In July 2023(17:24) - Value For Value: The 3 T'sConnect 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

I reject your doubt and substitute my own.'Merchants Of Doubt' by Naomi Oreskes & Erik M. Conway is a historical recount of the scientific debate regarding the effects of smoking, the DDT insecticide, chlorofluorocarbons and burning fossil fuels. The evidence proved there was health and environmental damage but a group of individual scientists waged a campaign to seed doubt against the science.I summarised the book as follows. "It started solid but slid into subjective opinion towards the end. It was quite illuminating when they stuck to the book's subtitle but personally I would only read the first third or first half if I had to read it again."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:37) - Synopsis(2:26) - Merchants: Buyers & sellers of commodities for profit(12:03) - Doubt: Uncertainty, distrust & hesitation(17:56) - Observations/Takeaways(29:26) - SummaryConnect 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

Gentlemen, I will fight against the stone wall of twice two is four!'Notes From Underground' by Fyodor Dostoyevsky are the semi-insane rambling of an unnamed narrator in St Petersburg during the 19th century. It's split into two parts: a bitter monologue addressed to society and then his miserable life as a civil servant in his younger years. As typical of Russian novels (especially Dostoyevsky) it centres around suffering, morality, cold winters and reason.I summarised the book as follows. "It takes time for this book to sink in. I was initially unimpressed in my reading but more appreciative with a bit reflection afterwards (although Part 2 is still meh in my opinion). The Underground Man is a rather sad blend of nihilism, anger, pity & insight. He's not to be emulated but was identifiable as someone who used their intellect in a way that wasn't that smart."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:37) - Synopsis(2:21) - Nihilism: Why do anything?(7:30) - Irrational Rationality: The outcome of trying to fight Nature's laws(12:04) - Observations/Takeaways(19:14) - SummaryConnect 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