Mere Mortals Book Reviews

At the of it all, there is not much to do other than pity the heroine of this tale.'Tess Of The d'Urbervilles' by Thomas Hardy is a realistic story of a continually unfortunate country girl set in Victorian England. Tess Durbeyfield (a poor milkmaid) is wronged by Alec d'Urberville and finds love with the gentleman Angel Clare, but is still haunted by her past. It explores a set of weaving themes related to poverty, religion, morality and class divides.I summarised the book as follows. "It's a brilliant but ultimately hauntingly sad book. Every break Tess gets serves to punish her even further. The blame for her misfortune is mixed across people & society but I think there's no doubt that an injustice occurred. There isn't much to do from this but examine your own moral precepts and err on the side of compassion with others."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:33) - Synopsis(4:20) - Misfortune: Fates worse than death(11:29) - Injustice: The intolerable sorrow(16:40) - Observations/Takeaways(20:27) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Am I simpler than a computer? I might just be!'Coding For Beginners Using Python' by Louie Stowell is an instructions guide to learn the basics. It's a combination of simple exercises for loops/dictionaries/drawing and more complex games that mimic Minesweeper or Pong. The target audience is kids and so is set out in an easy to understand manner with plenty of colour and fun graphics.I summarised the book as follows. "It's a nice, practical and easy to use first step. I liked the emphasis on quickly writing code even if it doesn't particularly make sense right away. I purposefully chose the most basic language and the most basic book to begin my coding journey with, and I think this was a great choice."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:31) - Synopsis(2:26) - Simplicity: The core concept to takeaway(9:48) - Observations/Takeaways(24:56) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

What can the lives of the Ancient Greeks teach us about how to live well?'The Age Of Alexander' by Plutarch is a selection of 9 Greek lives from his work called 'Parallel Lives'. It covers prominent people from various locations and various professions, but all from around ~400 BC to 300 BC. It focuses mostly on their achievements with quotes, battle statistics, 1st hand sources, moments from their life and overall actions/behaviours.I summarised the book as follows. "It's a glimpse into the lives of great men, if not necessarily good men. Somewhat sombre due to the carnage but provides enough to get a feel for the person. I found it surprisingly applicable to current situations as decisions/outcomes are derived from one's character. Not hard to pick some qualities you lack and could cultivate."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:34) - Synopsis(3:59) - Politics: The reality of a barbaric world(12:08) - Character: Built on small decisions, not inherent qualities(21:56) - Observations/Takeaways(27:14) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Would you have the honour to behave like a coward?'Eugene Onegin' by Alexander Pushkin is a novel in verse of an unhappy Russian dandy. Onegin lacks meaning from a city life and struggles to find it in the countryside, with the same superficial  gossip, flirtatious women and rash young men. The poetry is renowned for it's unique rhyme scheme known as the 'Pushkin Sonnet' or 'Onegin Stanza'.I summarised the book as follows. "It's easily my most favourite poetry that I've read. Not only does the style roll of the tongue but the characters, scenery, plot and narration all kept me highly engaged. My one gripe is that I don't know Russian so couldn't read this in the Russian original, although the English translation is still outstanding!"I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:37) - Synopsis(3:53) -  Duelling: A deadly code of honour(14:31) - Observations/Takeaways(21:07) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Do you want to know how to change your mind or how innovation works?In November 2022 we sadly only covered 2 books on this channel. Both Juan and I have been rather busy as of late and so didn't put in the time like we normally do. Strangely both books I read started with 'How' and were published within the last 4 years. Definitely an off the rails month.Huge thanks to Petar the Slav for supporting the show. I'll do better for next month!I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:59) - How To Change Your Mind: Michael Pollan(9:09) - How Innovation Works: Matt Ridley(21:17) - Boostagram Lounge(23:07) - December 2022(24:56) - Value For ValueConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Don't stand in the way of this or you might get railroaded .... literally!'How Innovation Works' by Matt Ridley is a how-to book that somewhat becomes an argument for change. It uses primarily stories from history to illustrate the key thesis, from food to communication to primitive technology amongst others. The difference between innovation and invention is also distinguished with an explanation of the role of the individual thrown in as well.I summarised the book as follows. "It captures the spirit & philosophy of innovation, if not the science & technical process of how it works. I was surprised by how much emphasis is placed on the hindrances, which almost all come from group think rather than individuals. It's a new book so don't put too much weight into all the stories but I feel it has added to the personal philosophy/hypothesis that I'm building."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:35) - Synopsis(2:32) - The What: Clearing up Innovation's is's & isn'ts(9:03) - The How: Move aside & GTFO(21:49) - Observations/Takeaways(24:30) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Are you willing to change your mind on a controversial topic?'How To Change Your Mind' by Michael Pollan is a dive into the North American history of psychedelics & their use in emerging scientific studies. It focuses primarily on 3 types: LSD, psilocybin and DMT. The book is not overly scientific as it contains many trip reports from the author himself as well as subjective ponderings on the mystical experiences that can arise. I summarised the book as follows. "It's a compelling read that walks the fine line between objective/subjective and scientific/mystical. Although it may seems daunting from some peoples experiences, the downsides seem limited compared to other drugs. It appears science is catching up to the collective wisdom of 1000's of years cultural healing gained from their use and this is super exciting."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:35) - Synopsis(3:32) - The Science: What can we say for certain?(16:59) - The Subjective: What can we say?(25:35) - Observations/Takeaways(31:39) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Do you have a favourite book for poetical sentences that catch your eye?In October 2022 we covered 4 books on this channel. Whilst I didn't fall in love with this month's reading, I did notice I was drawn into small portions from each book that sounded nice in my inner reading voice. I even took a stab at live translating from Spanish to English, which ended horribly lol.Huge thanks to Dave Jones, Petar the Slav and Unitofacc for supporting the show. Literary giants the lot of them!I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:51) - Voss: Patrick White(4:58) - Great Stories By Chekov: Anton Chekov(9:05) - On Heroes And Tombs: Ernesto Sabato(14:32) - Can't Hurt Me: David Goggins(16:30) - Boostagram Lounge(26:17) - Value For Value(27:46) - November 2022Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Like the Argentine personality, I started off with hope but was left disappointed and cynical.'On Heroes And Tombs' by Ernesto Sabato is a novel of tortured love, self loathing and madness. There are 4 main section that follow the interweaving timelines of Martín, Alejandra, Fernando & Bruno. It starts with a strict plotline that becomes looser with multiple narrators, a fictional yet semi-historical running commentary and seemingly random ramblings.I summarised the book as follows. "Overall this book spiraled downwards, much like the main characters themselves. What was an intriguing mystery of broken love became a mess of random interjections & irrelevant side stories. It has some merits but these are heavily outweighed the longer you spend time with it."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:47) - Synopsis(4:22) - Lost Hope: Damaged people spiraling downwards(14:11) - Observations/Takeaways(20:14) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

'Can't Hurt Me' by David Goggins is a tale of his life, the triumphs and tribulations that made him who he is today.I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Juan out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(1:58) - Synopsis(7:03) - Themes(10:50) - TakeawaysConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show