Mere Mortals Book Reviews

It's harder to get more Aussie than the poet who created Australia's unofficial 2nd anthem.'Poems Of The Bush' by Banjo Paterson is a picturesque book that combines his descriptive poetry with the colourful plates of Aussie artists. As the name implies, these are 23 of his over 160+ poems that are centred on the Australian outback and its rugged beauty. Two of his most notable works are not included (Waltzing Matilda/The Man From Snowy River) but it does include classics such as Clancy Of The Overflow, With The Cattle and Sunrise On The Coast.I summarised the book as follows. "This is about as Aussie as Aussie can get. It's hard to think of another Australian poet (although that might just be my lack of artistic education showing). It contains a pretty good description of what scenery we have to offer on the inside of our country. I myself don't love this type of nature so struggled to really connect with his poems, but they are decent enough."As always, 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/3sY1TjHTimeline:(0:00) - Intro & Synopsis(4:00) - The Bush: A rugged beauty(6:13) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(8:26) - Summary(9:00) - Aussie SlangConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

What was Aussie bush life like back over 100 years ago?'We Of The Never Never & The Little Black Princess' by Jeannie Gunn are 2 separate stories (combined into 1 book) of her recollections living in the remote bush at the Elsey Cattle Station in the Northern Territory. The first story is of her maturation into a dependable missus and the characteristics of the people living in the outback. The second story is of Bett-Bett, an aboriginal girl who lives on the homestead for a short period where Mrs Gunn learns of the bizarre and astounding aspects of aboriginal culture.I summarised the book as follows. "It's decent writing and something completely new for me. I found it to be a pretty authentic view of Aussie bush culture, bush folk and of bush land. It gave me a new perspective of Aboriginal customs, both the ridiculous superstitious parts and the fun jovial parts. This book as a whole isn't a gamechanger, but I'm glad I read the two tales."As always, 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/3yqkaHJTimeline:(0:00) - Intro & Synopsis(4:48) - Bush Folk: Blunt, hard & rough(8:14) - Aborigine Culture: Superstitious & full of surprises(14:30) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(16:47) - Summary(17:22) - Aussie SlangConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Have you ever wondered why you have heard of the mythical place of Shangri-La?'Lost Horizon' by James Hilton is a utopian (although arguably dystopian) fictional adventure of 4 Westerners captured and held against their will. They remain in limbo in the Lamasery of Shangri-La high up in the unexplored mountaintops of Tibet. Although on the surface it seems to be an almost ideal existence there is a suspicious secret that adds a dark side to the tale. There are many themes to explore in the book including (but not limited to): the ideal man/character, disillusionment, East vs West mentality and what happens as we grow old.I summarised the book as follows. "This is easily the best book I have read in a while! Immersed is not a word strong enough to articulate just how deeply I enjoyed this, it really ticked off all my interest boxes. This is highly subjective as it's not a standout for it's prose or style, it's just my type of book. Wisdom & philosophy in the shell of a fun story."As always, 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/3zsoqryTimeline:(0:00) - Intro & Synopsis(3:57) - The Ideal Man: Unflappable, stoic and English!(7:36) - Disillusionment: The loss of the utopic(11:50) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(13:32) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Hey yo Mere Mortalites! I'm creating a new series that's an overview of all the books I published a book review of in the previous month. I'm also including some dishonourable mentions (books I started reading but subsequently dropped) and extra notes that I didn't include in the actual book reviews. A list of the books I read can be found in the timestamps below.As always, I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro to the new recap(3:14) - Lost Horizon by James Hilton(6:28) - The Essential Chuang Tzu by Chuang Tzu(8:37) - The Old Man & The Sea by Ernest Hemingway(12:32) - The Story Of A Shipwrecked Sailor by Gabriel García Márquez(14:08) - River Out Of Eden by Richard Dawkins(14:22) - Bringing Home The Dharma by Jack Kornfield(15:42) - Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki(17:21) - A Farewell To Arms by Ernest Hemingway(20:08) - Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu(21:39) - Dishonourable mentions(29:49) - What's coming in JulyConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

How much difference can there be from two translations of the same work?'Tao Te Ching' by Lao Tzu is the most influential and well known of the Taoist texts. Traditionally it was thought to be written by a single man named Lao Tzu, although modern day scholars believe it was more likely an amalgamation from multiple sources. It contains 81 verses of varying length and is primarily musings/sayings for contemplation and philosophical purposes. There are multiple translations of this work and your reading of it will depend on if you choose one that is more artistic or more scholarly.I summarised the book as follows. "The Tao Te Ching is a philosophy for a certain person at a certain stage in their life. I think it's good for adding to your own personal philosophy or maxims, as it's definitely not something to find practical/actionable advice. It basically advocates a calm, humble mindset and I found Wu Wei to be a useful concept. I also would recommend reading it with two translations (particularly if one is more scholarly and the other more artistic) as this will give you an enhanced perspective of Taoism."As always, I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro & Synopsis(4:00) - Wu Wei: Effortless action(7:16) - The Translations: Scholarly vs artistic(11:18) - Takeaways & Favourite Verses(15:16) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

"If a man was ever capable of making sweet love to the sea, this is the romantic story he would write."'The Old Man And The Sea' by Ernest Hemingway is a quite short novella of an old man (Santiago) and his relationship to the sea. Set in the Gulf of Mexico, it tells of his pitched battle with the biggest catch of his life and his eventual tainted victory. The book explores the way that humans connect with nature and why respect plays an important part in wisdom and old age.I summarised the book as follows. "It's a wonderful story deserving of praise. Just because something is simple or short doesn't mean that it lacks in depth. I'm not particularly partial to the sea or fishing but I can appreciate the ability of a great author to be succinct and make uninteresting topics fascinating. Well worth a read!"As always, I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro & Synopsis(3:32) - The Sea: Loving femininity or combative masculinity?(5:47) - Old Age: The giving & receiving of respect(8:42) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(11:11) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

"Never were so many facts explained by so few assumptions."'River Out Of Eden' by Richard Dawkins is a simplified explanation of Darwinian evolutionary theory. It contains 5 sections, all of which provide arguments for why natural selection is true and debunking those of creationists. These arguments are based on the science of DNA (ATCG base pairs), experiments/studies on animals (why bees dance for example), theories about replication/mutation and the utility function that results in a 50/50 gender split across most animal species.I summarised the book as follows. "It's a Richard Dawkins book so you know what to expect, evolution evolution and more evolution! He goes over the basic principles of evolution as well as some common pitfalls of its explanatory powers. It's not too difficult to understand, but I wouldn't say it is particularly easy either. Personally I prefer 'The Selfish Gene' but found this a nice short summary as well."As always, I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro & Synopsis(3:34) - Evolution: To answer why why why(6:20) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(8:02) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

What goes through your head when you experience the deepest isolation possible?'The Story Of A Shipwrecked Sailor' by Gabriel García Márquez is a small book and really the title says it all. It's a true story that occurred when Gabo was a journalist in Bogotá and got the chance to interview Luis Alejandro Velasco. He was the sole survivor of a shipwreck and endured 10 days adrift at sea without having any food to eat or water to drink. Some of the themes from the book are about isolation from all human contact and the crushing impact of boredom.I summarised the book as follows. "It's a simple tale of endurance. It reminds me of 'Life of Pi' but without the philosophy and magical hallucinations of Pi. It's not dramatic (which is probably quite accurate) but I wonder what thoughts & feelings were left out of the story. I would recommend this for those who want a linear dispassionate account of a shipwreck and the extra historical backstory of the author, survivor and Columbian government."As always, I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro & Synopsis(5:17) - Isolation: An introverts holiday(7:37) - Boredom: The desire for something else(9:24) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(12:02) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Is it worse to die an ignoble death at the hands of your enemy, or those of your 'supposed' friends?'A Farewell To Arms' by Ernest Hemingway is one of the novels that emerged from WWI. It is the main American book as they joined the war relatively late in comparison to many of the other countries. It is a fictional story that tells of the ambulance driver Frederic Henry as he helps on the front line in Italy. He falls in love with a nurse named Catherine Barkley and eventually becomes disillusioned by the whole premise of the war. Stylistically it is notable for the hollow and somewhat clipped narration of events and conversations.I summarised the book as follows. "I found this story to be detached, anti-war and ultimately uneventful. After reading it I came out as apathetic as the Tenente. Stylistically it might have merit for being new but I found the conversations quite off-putting, although the actual story was ok. I feel the were better books from people who spent more time in the war, such as 'All Quiet On The Western Front' or 'Storm of Steel'."As always, I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro & Synopsis(3:00) - A Noble Death: Possible or not?(5:34) - Apathy: Where does it come from?(7:02) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(8:48) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

There's a right way and a wrong way to create a compilation book ..... this is the right way. 'Bringing Home The Dharma' by Jack Kornfield is a basic introduction to Buddhism and it's core tenets. It is constructed from Jack's writing taken from essays, publications and other books. Within you'll find Zen quotes, personal anecdotes, stories involving his students and practical advice. There is a strong theoretical component focusing on the teachings/truth of the Dharma and a practical component focusing on the many types of meditation.I summarised the book as follows. "This is probably my favourite of the Buddhism books I have read up to now due to it's depth and profundity. There are many concepts so I wouldn't call it a completely beginner book but is still basic enough to grasp. It highlights the core aspects of concentration, awareness and mindfulness while not being dogmatic or one-sided. Most likely I will come back to give this a re-read at some point in the future."As always, I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro & Synopsis(2:57) - Dharma: Teachings and truth(6:38) - Meditation: The tool of many purposes(9:22) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(10:50) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show