Mere Mortals Book Reviews

Everything you know about human nature is a falsehood, but maybe that's a good thing.'Humankind' by Rutger Bregman is an argument for why humans are good at heart (and in action). He presents this as a dichotomy between the philosophy of Thomas Hobbes & Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Much of the book is spent debunking commonly cited examples of our innate cruelty (Milgram Shock/Standford Prison experiments), but also has anecdotes from history and more trustworthy statistics.I summarised the book as follows. "It's a crazy amount of condensed critical thinking. It burst a couple of ideas that were too simplistic but also might be refuted in the future for the same reason. It's well presented and contains elements of Rutger's personality (which matches my own) that made me like the book even more, although this obviously clouds my judgement as to the absolute 'truth' of his arguments. Nevertheless, being hopeful is fun!"I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:29) - Synopsis(4:19) - Veneer Theory: Are we about to crack?(7:44) - A Hopeful History: Mixing the future and past(11:53) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(16:27) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

I had to slow down my reading pace to about 1 x book per week due to focusing on some new goals. I also think my average page length might be slightly increasing which also is a reason for the slow down. So only 3 x reviews for me from this month. The real highlight (which I forgot to mention) was Juan's review of Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari which he reckons is the best book he's ever read. Worth going to check out that book review!I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(1:01) - Humankind: Rutger Bregman(4:24) - An Autobiography: M.K. Gandhi(8:04) - The Heart Of The Buddha's Teaching: Thich Nhat Hanh(11:23) - Boostagram time(15:05) - A sneak peak of November 2021Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Let's go on a journey through human history in 500 pages.A glimpse into my love for the book Sapiens, the points that really struck me and how much information can be packed in one book is beyond me.I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Juan out!If you would like to support us and grab the book use our link here! https://amzn.to/3vfVfXeTimeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:28) - Synopsis(3:05) - Not a historical book(4:35) - Synopsis, or not(5:27) - Personal observations(10:15) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortals...Discord: https://discord.gg/BeCRYs4ESupport the show

A delve into the thoughts of a great leader, inspiring visionary, a venerable soul, but ultimately just a man.'An Autobiography' by M.K. Gandhi (also known as 'My Experiments With Truth') is an overview of his life from birth in 1869 to 1921. It is split into 5 parts which reflect his time spent studying in England, working in South Africa and protesting in India. It was originally published as a series in a magazine in 166 individual chapters, so contains diverse topics such as dietetics, ethics, weaving and his reasoning behind particular decisions.I summarised the book as follows. "It's a brief glimpse into the life of an extraordinary dude. I really admire certain aspects of his personality but also dislike others. The writing in the book is of high quality but unfortunately autobiographies are not my favourite so this won't make it into my best of all time list. However, I do think it might be great for those who already love the effect that Gandhi had on the world an want to learn more about his personal life."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:40) - Synopsis(4:06) - Satya: Truth & God(6:31) - Ahisma: Nonviolence(11:07) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(15:08) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

I'm finding a common pattern amongst books on this subject that I'm really not enjoying.'The Heart Of The Buddha's Teaching' by Thich Nhat Hanh is an explanation of the most essential ideas, instructions, teachings and guides of Buddhism & the Buddha. It is split into 4 parts with the first two deconstructing the Four Noble Truths & The Noble Eightfold Path and the latter two examining other basic precepts and direct discourses from the Buddha.I summarised the book as follows. "For me, nothing distinguishes this from any of the other Buddhism books that I have read. I found it a bit too disordered and honestly struggled to get through it. It contains all the core info I have learnt from Buddhism but you are probably better suited to gain this knowledge from somewhere like Wikipedia."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:37) - Synopsis(2:51) - The Buddha's Teaching: Core doctrines of Buddhism(8:06) - The Heart: Other basics & discourses(10:21) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(14:55) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Authentically Russian. Depressingly bleak, a touch of divinity and more than a little strange.'The Death Of Ivan Ilyich' by Leo Tolstoy is a collection of 11 novellas, which contain Russian everything (characters, landscape, traditions, culture, etc.,). There is no connecting theme in the stories but they do contain some commonalities. They're told from an outside narrator, have men as the principal characters, contain multiple references to Russian words or Arabic influences and are about everyday interactions.I summarised the book as follows. "These are probably the easiest way to introduce yourself to Tolstoy's 'realistic fiction' without having to commit to an 800+ page book like Anna Karenina or War & Peace. I've never been to Russia but this conforms to most of what I have heard elsewhere about their traditions and culture. There is a strong emphasis on the bleakness and suffering in life, but hey, that's just how Russians roll."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:38) - Synopsis(3:28) - Anguish: Extreme unhappiness due to mental/physical suffering(8:22) - Rumination: The Russian version of introspection(12:19) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(13:33) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Recap timeeee! Yessiree, here's an overview of the 7 books I read (and 2 x book review from Juan) that was posted in September 2021. The standout for me was Candide by Voltaire, very witty and has obviously stood the test of time (it was published 260 years ago!). Most of the rest were pretty solid books that ranged from philosophy to children's books to religion to suffering (both fictional and in real life). Quite a mixed bag indeed.I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:37) - Candide: Voltaire(1:45) - The Little Prince: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry(2:57) - Going Clear: Lawrence Wright(4:18) - Lord Of The Flies: William Golding(5:53) - Hiroshima: John Hersey(7:20) - Discourses & Selected Writings: Epictetus(9:18) - The Death Of Ivan Ilyich: Leo Tolstoy(11:13) - Changes coming up in October 2021Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

A dive into the brutality of humanity, but childlike in nature and without the bullshit of politics.'Lord Of The Flies' by William Golding is a boy's dream adventure that takes a dark turn. It begins with an intro to a group of 6-14 year olds who are stranded on a small island without an adult in site. Tensions run high as the responsible tribe formed by Ralph is splintered by the tribalistic Jack. The savagery of human nature and deep seated fear of the Beast is exposed as the hunting progresses. I summarised the book as follows. "It's a tale of day/night, beauty/beast and fun/fear. It takes a real look at human nature by examining us at our most primal, when we are little beastly children. It's a short book but gives you time to get to know each character. Overall it felt like a mix of Robinson Crusoe with any generic children's book (such as The Fantastic Five or Deltora Quest)."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:34) - Synopsis(3:57) - Human Nature: Savagery without sophistication(7:32) - The Beast: A meta-fear that everyone knows(12:41) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(16:11) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Shocking and devastating in every which way.'Hiroshima' by John Hersey details the accounts of 6 survivors from the atomic blast on August 6, 1945 @ 8:15 am. It goes over their injuries, the general chaos, widespread destructive effects, uncertainty of the future, overt heroism on the morning of, and the statistics of the death count. 5 chapters form a timeline of their stories before/during/1 day/3 days and 40 years after their horrific ordeal.I summarised the book as follows. "It's a brief snapshot of an event that changed the lives of so many. This was my second reading and some of the stories were still imprinted on my brain from the first time. Overall it's a short & unemotional recount from individuals, but it will still probably make you as the reader tear up from the sheer tragedy/magnitude caused by one bomb."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:31) - Synopsis(3:06) - Devastation: Severe & overwhelming shock or grief(7:27) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(9:42) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Like most moralising old men, this philosopher will either enlighten you, bore you, piss you off or a combo of all.'Discourses & Selected Writings' by Epictetus are the words of wisdom from a notable stoic philosopher. It goes over his core principles/main ideas through the medium of assertions, arguments and conversations. Like most stoic philosophy, there is an emphasis on making this practical and pragmatic; to provide implementable changes in your day to day life.I summarised the book as follows. "Rome wasn't built in a day and stoic philosophy is not just one guy. After reading multiple stoics I believe you'll find your favourite author, which actually is Marcus Aurelius for me. The core message I got from this is that one should watch their own reactions and to anticipate your emotions before immediately acting upon them. Epictetus is very assertive and somewhat humorous in his stubbornness, a grumpy old man for sure."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:31) - Synopsis(3:28) - Impressions: Noticing the initial reaction(6:40) - Pragmatic Philosophy: Implementing changes in the real world(9:51) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(11:43) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show