Mere Mortals Book Reviews

'Everyone Has A Plan Until Sh!t Hits The Fan' by Tofe Evans looks at the journey from dispair & depression through to success, a focused mind and personal resilience.I summarised the book as follows. "A quaint and straight to the point book written by Tofe. The quintessential self-help book written by someone who just wants to ensure it is read by someone and helps them out to the utmost. Splices his troubles as a young man, getting out of drug addictions and using running as the tool to harden his mind."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Juan out!If you would like to support the channel, you can grab yourself a copy of the book here! https://amzn.to/2WsFZZGTimeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:56) - Synopsis(6:05) - Themes(11:20) - Personal ObservationsConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

An unwavering spirit maybe isn't such a great thing after all.'Candide' by Voltaire is a funny satire on the philosophical idea/theory of Optimism, which was popular during the French Enlightenment. It is a roving adventure of the ever hopeful Candide as he learns about the harshness of the world while chasing his love Cunégonde and spreading the philosophy of Dr Pangloss. His travels take him across Europe, South America & the Middle East with numerous mishaps and encounters with embittered souls along the way.I summarised the book as follows. "It's an absolutely biting attack on the idea that 'all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds'. The humour is fantastic and it can be read lightly as an engaging story containing memorable characters. It can also make you think deeply about ethics and philosophy if you choose to do so. Quite similar in style to Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!If you would like to support the channel, you can grab yourself a copy of the book here! https://amzn.to/2UMfxd9Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:25) - Synopsis(2:53) - Optimism: Insisting all is good when it really isn't(6:05) - Pessimism: Joy in the worst of all possible worlds(8:20) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(12:05) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

'Shoe Dog' by Phil Knight details the journey of Nike's humble beginnings, from the Blue Ribbon Sports, through battling the Fed's, getting thrown out by banks.. the story does not hold back.I summarised the book as follows. "I really enjoyed reading this book, the way that Phil wrote the book himself and allowed the story to shine was excellent"I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Mere Mortals out!If you would like to support the team and enjoyed this review, you can grab a copy using the following link! https://amzn.to/3yEXXWrTimeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:54) - Synopsis(4:30) - Themes (10:05) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(13:40) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Bit of a different episode for you today, I'm outdoors! And indeed I'm giving a recap of the 7 books I read (and 1 x book review from Juan) that was posted in August 2021. The standout really was Catch-22, can't rave about this book highly enough. It will make you laugh and still has plenty of room to bring up some darker themes related to war and the absurdity of politics/bureaucracy. Highly recommended!!I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:21) - Catch-22(1:23) - Heart of Darkness(3:08) - Of Mice & Men(5:04) - The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea(6:33) - Breakfast At Tiffany's(8:44) - Mortality(11:50) - The Cubs & Other Stories(13:35) - The Art of Resilience(14:49) - What's coming up next month?Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

You only have yourself to blame if you get burnt by girls like this.'Breakfast At Tiffany's' by Truman Capote is set in the middle of WWII in glamorous New York City. An unnamed narrator meets Holly Golightly, a young & pretty socialite who lives in his apartment building. Over the course of a year he becomes fascinated with her enigmatic lifestyle and her charisma. The book contains no real plot line and is more of a look at life in the 1940's and of why Holly is such a fascinating individual.I summarised the book as follows. "It's a simple story of a carefree socialite who doesn't learn any lesson in particular. Holly certainly leaves an impression whether it be bad or good. I thought the 'untameable wild animal' analogy used in the books was quite a suitable way to describe her. I'd really like to meet someone like her in person but think that the real life experience might not be as fun as it appears in writing."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!If you would like to support the channel, you can grab yourself a copy of the book here!https://amzn.to/2Wpg5qgTimeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:35) - Synopsis(3:37) - Female Charisma: Beautifully enigmatic with feminine wiles(8:14) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(11:56) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Easily the funniest book I've ever read!'Catch-22' by Joseph Heller is fictional novel set on a US air force base on an island off Northern Italy during WWII. It follows Yossarian whilst he tries to avoid flying missions as everyone is out to kill him. He is joined by a collection of other wacky characters as they all show their peculiar idiosyncrasies. The book highlights the absurdity of army politics, the waste that is generated by bureaucracy and the mundanity of war (with brief flashes of intensity).I summarised the book as follows. "To say this is funny is an understatement. It is absolutely hilarious although it does contain disturbing/gory scenes, as it is after all about war. Catch-22 has become mainstay of the English language due to the absolute perfection of Heller in creating situation of paradox that can't be resolved. One of the best books I've ever read!"I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!If you would like to support the channel, you can grab yourself a copy of the book here! https://amzn.to/3zmGbIHTimeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:30) - Synopsis(3:11) - Catch-22: The funny side of paradox(6:58) - The Wastage Of War: Ridiculous, futile bureaucracy in action(11:41) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(15:17) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

"What can we learn from the individual who swam around Great Britain"'The Art of Resilience' by Ross Edgely walks through the strategies for an unbreakable mind and body - right up the Mere Mortals alley!In summary "Simply written, it ties together Ross's learnings while swimming around Great Britain and brings together information that he has sourced through a lot of his travels as well tribulations. The learning summaries at the end of each chapter where nice, but after a while i found myself not reading them. It showed a lot of emotional points as well. Overall solid".I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Juan out!If you would like to support the channel, you can grab yourself a copy of the book here! https://amzn.to/2UT3DyoTimeline:(0:00) - Intro(1:40) - Synopsis(4:35) - Themes(10:50) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(16:30) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

You would have to have a heart of darkness to not feel anything from this tale.'Heart Of Darkness' by Joseph Conrad is a fictional reworking of Conrad's own journey through the Congolese jungle. Marlow (the narrator) is a new captain that must direct his steamboat through the heart of the jungle to relieve agents of the ivory trader. He tells of his meeting with the almost mythical Kurtz, a charismatic madman with high aspirations to become 'great'.I summarised the book as follows. " It packs a punch for something so small. The pace is slow which adds to the heavy atmosphere of malaise & dark oppression. I found myself fearing what Marlow would find as he progresses deeper into the heart of the jungle. Kurtz as a character also made an impression, despite his brief actual appearance. Definitely want to read more from Conrad in the future."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!If you would like to support the channel, you can grab yourself a copy of the book here! https://amzn.to/3jqFs3TTimeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:30) - Synopsis(3:50) - Darkness: The horror of the ivory trade(8:23) - Madness: Losing the 'heart' of your ideals(11:54) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(15:09) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

A topic that effects all of us Mere Mortals.'Mortality' by Christopher Hitchens is brief (& somewhat meandering) reflection on dying. Hitch was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in 2010 and the disease 'battled him' for a 1.5 years before his death. The book is not focused on death itself, but more the process of dying. This includes his thoughts on being in/out of hospital, deterioration of the body and the public perception/reaction to cancer.I summarised the book as follows. "It's a quick farewell to those of us that remain. Christopher seemed like a crazy, cool guy who did what he loved. What it shows is a small snapshot of the horrors that cancer bring to all. A reminder that we all indeed are simply Mere Mortals."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!If you would like to support the channel, you can grab yourself a copy of the book here! https://amzn.to/3ykTUhVTimeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:37) - Synopsis(3:34) - Mortality: The state of being susceptible to death(11:27) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(16:06) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

The adolescent Peruvian coming of age story seems a tad more intense than most others.'Cubs & Other Stories' by Mario Vargas Llosa is a group of 7 fictional (but lifelike) short stories mostly involving young men/boys. The titular story is of a boy who is castrated by a dog and then turns into a wild rebellious teen. All take place in Peru with most of them occurring in the capital of Lima. These were written at the start of Llosa's career and were mostly published independently in newspapers before being compiled.I summarised the book as follows. "My thoughts on books that are 'collections' has not altered in the slightest. Due to the quantity of slang this was a difficult read in Spanish and I'm not sure the English version would have been any more interesting. It wasn't bad but there was nothing within that stood out (maybe due to the young age of the author)."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!If you would like to support the channel, you can grab yourself a copy of the book here! https://amzn.to/2WxQHP0Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:33) - Synopsis(2:48) - Young Men: Risk takers due to differing values(5:49) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(7:26) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show