Mere Mortals Book Reviews

Remember to pet a cat that is meaningful while skateboarding with your shoulders back straight, did I get that right? '12 Rules For Life' by Jordan B. Peterson is an eclectic mix of his personal anecdotes as well as the accounts of his academic work. It's a little bit of self-help but also has a strong emphasis on the stories and archetypes that are found in mythology. The book is split up into 12 chapters of his 'rules', which were originally based upon a post he made on Quora.If you would like to support our podcast and grab the book as well the following link will serve you well: https://amzn.to/3xrlNoKAs always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:(0:00) - Synopsis(3:15) - The Rules(11:15) - Takeaways(16:05) - Pragmatic Takeaway: Stop telling lies(17:40) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Have you read any Mexican literature lately and would you be surprised if it is about death? 'The Death Of Artemio Cruz' by Carlos Fuentes is the most notable work of the author during the Latin American Boom period. It is an interweaving of Artemio's deathbed and flashback scenes from his long life in Mexico and abroad. These include his multiple personas as a corrupt politician, lieutenant, lover, orphan, sugar daddy and father. The themes of the book examine the ignominy of a slow death and judging if someone is their present, past or future.I summarised the book as follows. "It's a toss and tumble book that is all over the place, but in a calculated and precise form. It contains the heart of Mexico in its core, particularly that of death, rebellion and corruption. I personally struggled to connect with Artemio or really anyone in his close circle, I found them all a bit shallow and repulsive. Reading the book in Spanish was more difficult than I expected due to the Chilango (Mexican slang) and the quick switching back and forth between the present and past."As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:(0:00) - Synopsis(2:11) - Death: An inglorious decay(5:02) - The Soul: Who is Artemio Cruz?(8:00) - Personal Observations(10:02) - Summary(12:21) - Pragmatic Takeaway: More thoughts on judging and criticisingConnect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Reflecting on his time as an animal activist, Henry Spira wanted his epitaph to read "he pushed the peanut forward". 'Ethics Into Action' by Peter Singer is a biography of the life of Henry Spira. Spira lived from 1927-1998 and played a large part in the animal liberation movement that erupted towards the end of the 20th century. He achieved some significant changes through his activism; helping to stop cruel fertility experimentation on cats, cosmetic testing on rabbits and unnecessary pain/death of farm animals. The main themes of the book explore how to identify an ethical problem that can be fixed and then go about enacting the solution in reality.I summarised the book as follows. "Henry Spira is probably one of the only people I have come across in calling someone an unsung hero. This book lays open the hard work of a remarkable man who made a huge difference to the lives of many animals. It's not a book for sorting our your ethics but once already establish, how you can implement them into action. I would definitely recommend it to all activists who actually want to make a change in the world, rather than just 'raise awareness'." As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:(0:00) - Synopsis(2:54) - The Problem: A mix of ethics & reality(4:54) - Action: Will it work?(9:12) - Personal Observations(13:02) - Summary(14:54) - Pragmatic Takeaway: The small individual steps count. Do more!Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Did you know of the drug use of methamphetamines and cocaine in the Nazi regime? 'Blitzed' by Norman Ohler (a novelist turned semi-historian & back again) argues that drug use was rampant in the German military of the 1940's as well as in the highest command (amongst Hitler and his direct subordinates). Ohler interprets historical events by focusing on the personal physician of Hitler, a man named Dr Theodor Morell, and his administration of opiates and meth to the Führer from 1941-1945.I summarised the book as follows. "It's a super book that obviously contains a large amount of research. It might have been slightly sensational but as a whole paints a fair picture of the drug use that was happening during the Nazi regime. It adds a whole other perspective about the Wehrmacht and the state of Adolf Hitler during his final years. I would recommend to read some drier history books first to get a grasp of the 100% historical facts before reading this book as it does take some liberties and dramatizations of certain scenes."As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:(0:00) - Synopsis(2:29) - Meth: One hell of a drug(5:50) - Interpreting History: The unwinnable battle(8:30) - Personal Observations(10:49) - Summary(12:47) - Pragmatic Takeaway: I'm going to try Meth!Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

How can you grow a huge company while simultaneously trying to keep it as small as possible? 'Anything You Want' by Derek Sivers explains this paradox while reflecting on his time running CD Baby (an online music store). It's a mini memoir of sorts, a condensation of 10 years of entrepreneurship into 40 lessons. He details the whole process of starting, growing, delegating, managing and finally selling a company. The core themes that emerge are about establishing a compass (knowing what you want) and actually executing your ideas (getting what you want).I summarised the book as follows. "Wisdom can indeed come in bite sized pieces as each lesson is one or two pages long & the book can be read in less than an hour. Derek's personality shone through the book, which is also reflective of his business philosophy. I found it refreshing to hear the thoughts of someone who didn't get swept away by the superficial bullshit and followed his values/ethics to the end." As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:(0:00) - Synopsis(1:58) - Your Compass: Knowing what you want(3:33) - Execution: Getting what you want(5:33) - Personal Observations(8:23) - Summary(10:21) - Pragmatic Takeaway: Allow myself to put in more Easter EggsConnect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Did you know we are past 'peak stuff' and are now using less resources while still having increasing prosperity? 'More From Less' by Andrew McAfee is essentially a book about how technology is changing the world. It's an optimistic outlook of human progress as the data shows we are growing GDP while declining in the amount of resources required to produce products. Andrew believes this is primarily due to the 4 Horsemen of The Optimist: technology & capitalism supported by good governance and public awareness. There are many counterintuitive findings and graphs showing how dematerialisation is resulting in less resource use.I summarised the book as follows. "I was constantly delighted by Andrew's findings even though I was already aware of most. The book is realistically optimistic and makes you want to play in the game of life. He does highlight where things can go wrong with capitalism and constant innovation so it is not all rosy, there is still work to be done. I would definitely recommend to read this in conjunction with 'The Infinite Game' by Simon Sinek as I think these books compliment each other quite nicely."As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:(0:00) - Synopsis(1:24) - Dematerialisation: Regressing from peak stuff(5:32) - Counterintuitive Findings & Nuanced Reasonings(10:39) - Personal Observations(14:33) - Summary(16:14) - Pragmatic Takeaway: Decrease meat consumption a tad moreConnect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

I just can't wait to get on the road again. 'On The Road' by Jack Kerouac is a classic of American literature and is frequently listed as one of the best books of the 1900's. It is a non-stop adventure that blurs the line between fiction & non-fiction. Sal Paradise (the author) provides a 1st person account as he crosses back and forth across the US with his mad friend Dean Moriarty (Neal Cassady). Kerouac became the voice of the 'Beat Generation' and the frantic energy and madness of travel is truly highlighted within.I summarised the book as follows. "It has a strong start but the longer it went, the more it dragged on. I found myself disliking the main characters and that is a death knell for me. It does do a great job of portraying the frantic energy of a bizarre time and is a snapshot of life in 1950's America. However, I felt it did do an injustice by not highlighting some of the mundane parts of travelling/partying as it really only focused upon the good times."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Synopsis(1:52) - Travel: The ups & downs of energy(4:57) - Madness: An unstoppable force if let loose(8:07) - Personal Observations(10:02) - Summary(11:12) - Pragmatic Takeaway: Don't judge madness as only badConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Chew your drinks and drink your food! 'Think Like A Monk' by Jay Shetty is his story of transitioning from a career in high finance to becoming an ascetic monk and back again. The book is split up into 3 main sections titled: Let Go, Grow & Give. These explore topics such as removing the ego, letting go of negative emotions, finding purpose and giving back to others once your house is in order.Juan summarised the book as follows. "This book was in my backlog for a while so I was keen to finally get into it. The book isn't about the lifestyle and day to day activities of being a monk but sticks to its title of the actual mindset of monks. What really won me over was the consistency of the little 'try this' sections, those activities designed to slow you down. I found it to be a great read and got benefits from trying out most of the prompts to alter my thinking patterns."To support the team and grab the book - feel free to use the following link! https://amzn.to/3jiXxPJAs always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:(0:00) - Synopsis(2:00) - What To Expect(7:39) - Key Takeaways(9:40) - Final Thoughts(10:59) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Why can chasing profits and short-term business strategies be detrimental to a company? 'The Infinite Game' by Simon Sinek is a book about responsible, ethical, long-term business practices but the thinking can be applied to other areas as well. It contains 11 chapters with mini stories at the start but is more of an expansion of Simon's ideas. The core themes of the book argue for the benefits of a long-term outlook (opposed to short-term cost cutting/boosting of profits/share price increase/etc.,) as well as the criticality of adhering to a 'just cause'.I summarised the book as follows. "There is a driven & clear purpose to Simon's words. He has powerful arguments of the benefits to long-term thinking and spending the time to work out your values (& therefore personal ethics). The book might be slightly utopian in suggesting that the 'Just Cause' is more important than revenue/profit metrics but I found it refreshing as there are already plenty of book out there about how to chase those short-term goals."As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:(0:00) - Synopsis(1:42) - Infinite vs Finite Games: Winning without winning(5:11) - Just Cause - Specific vision of a future state(8:12) - Personal Observations(13:28) - Summary(14:33) - Pragmatic Takeaway: Start thinking about ethical investingConnect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Find within a key insight into why Buddhist's believe in reincarnation. 'An Introduction To Buddhism' by The Dalai Lama is not a specially written book but a polished transcript of a presentation he gave to a western audience. The book is split into 3 parts. The first is his teaching on the 4 Noble Truths, the second his commentary on 'The 8 Verses On Training The Mind' & the third his deconstruction of Atisha's 'Lamp For The Path To Enlightenment'.I summarised the book as follows. "It's introductory but at times still felt like I needed an even more basic version. The Dalai Lama explains some of the core concepts but not in a structured way. It is easy to tell that this is a modified speech and wasn't crafted with precision. I did gain a couple of insights into the beliefs and rationality behind Buddhism, but felt lucky to acquire them as the book's writing style did not make it easy!"As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:(0:00) - Synopsis(1:50) - Dependent Origination & The Law Of Causality(6:26) - Guidelines: A hill to fight on(8:26) - Personal Observations(10:28) - Summary(11:56) - Pragmatic Takeaway: Light hearted views held strongly!Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show