A hardcover edition of this book was published
in 2015 by HarperCollins …
Sapiens
4 stars
Lots to think about... I loved some of it, and many of the ideas presented made me question my outlook of the world! He also, however, threw a few curved balls, and let myth sit as fact in places. One of my favourite stories from the book, the one about Buzz Aldrin and the Native American, looks to be a myth for example.
Other sections just didn't come to much (the chapter on gender for example, although it was written 2011 and these debates develop quickly). It is interesting to see how the book has aged... sometimes well, sometimes not so much. Overall worth the read, and helpful for reflecting on these things.
Ever since it was first performed in 1949, Death of a Salesman has been recognized …
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
3 stars
A fairly powerful comment on the destructive powers of American dream, on consumerism and the relationship between a father and his sons.
In parts a confusing play to read, as large sections are composed of memories and hallucinations that are signposted only by stage instructions, meaning it would be simpler to understand the play in action rather than on paper. Indeed I would like to see the play on stage as the set design and use of different elements (such as characters walking through walls during hallucinations and memories) is quite unusual!
I am not an American, or remotely involved in the "travelling salesman" industry, so I can't really judge how accurately this play represents the lived experience in America. I can only see how the same emotions run through the minds of many who do not know which of the paths in life to follow: passions, dollars, expectations, or …
A fairly powerful comment on the destructive powers of American dream, on consumerism and the relationship between a father and his sons.
In parts a confusing play to read, as large sections are composed of memories and hallucinations that are signposted only by stage instructions, meaning it would be simpler to understand the play in action rather than on paper. Indeed I would like to see the play on stage as the set design and use of different elements (such as characters walking through walls during hallucinations and memories) is quite unusual!
I am not an American, or remotely involved in the "travelling salesman" industry, so I can't really judge how accurately this play represents the lived experience in America. I can only see how the same emotions run through the minds of many who do not know which of the paths in life to follow: passions, dollars, expectations, or a combination of the above. This play comes to a fairly singular conclusion as to which path you should follow (no prizes for guessing which!), and so it seems a well-worn tale in this theme of literature.
When nature is perceived as a web, its vulnerability also becomes obvious. …
The Invention of Nature
5 stars
One of the minds born of the Age of Enlightenment was Alexander Von Humboldt. I didn't realise before reading this book how central he is to the way we think about nature and the world. Minds such as Darwin, John Muir, Thoreau, George Marsh, Earnest Haeckel (along with the Art Nouveau movement) and so on were directly influenced by his works and worldview. This worldview saw nature and humanity as a global intertwined system which can only be understood through a combination of great leaps of the imagination (the subjective and emotional experience) as well as hard data (the scientific, empirical and objective mind) together, a radical new theory for the time. I feel after reading this book I understand my passion and profession (I am an MSc earth science student) so much more, as well as the origins of my field. I feel university and the education system in …
One of the minds born of the Age of Enlightenment was Alexander Von Humboldt. I didn't realise before reading this book how central he is to the way we think about nature and the world. Minds such as Darwin, John Muir, Thoreau, George Marsh, Earnest Haeckel (along with the Art Nouveau movement) and so on were directly influenced by his works and worldview. This worldview saw nature and humanity as a global intertwined system which can only be understood through a combination of great leaps of the imagination (the subjective and emotional experience) as well as hard data (the scientific, empirical and objective mind) together, a radical new theory for the time. I feel after reading this book I understand my passion and profession (I am an MSc earth science student) so much more, as well as the origins of my field. I feel university and the education system in general has pushed me away from the arts, suggesting that I could only pursue EITHER science OR beauty when in fact I have a love of both, and wish to see the natural world in an aesthetic as well as a scientific light. After all, what is more poetic than the communication of an entire woodland by fungal networks, or more humbling than a hundred million years in the geology of a cliff face?
What underpins every scientist's passion for their subject? The beauty of it of course!
This book has been a great inspiration to me. Learning about Humboldt's life and influence on the world (and thus my worldview) has been a way for me to reconnect with my subject after university education had taken some of the romance out of it.
In short, I highly recommend this book, I will certainly go on to read Humboldt's "Cosmos" and "Views on nature"!
Quo Vadis is an epic both tragic and powerful (and long!). The events in the story are loosely based on the history of Rome under the bloody reign of Emperor Nero (around AD 64), but I feel the purpose of this book was not to document it as a history. Instead, Sienkiewicz helps us to really understand the significance of the rise of Christianity as well as the fall of the old Roman gods in changing the western world. The tact with which he writes makes ancient Rome come alive, both the absolute horror and gore, as well as the blissful, delirious beauty of it.
In the first chapters I was not very impressed. I felt the characters were not realistic and lacked dimension. However, as I continued I felt I came to grasp the purpose and style of the piece... and was thus gripped. I began to see the …
Quo Vadis is an epic both tragic and powerful (and long!). The events in the story are loosely based on the history of Rome under the bloody reign of Emperor Nero (around AD 64), but I feel the purpose of this book was not to document it as a history. Instead, Sienkiewicz helps us to really understand the significance of the rise of Christianity as well as the fall of the old Roman gods in changing the western world. The tact with which he writes makes ancient Rome come alive, both the absolute horror and gore, as well as the blissful, delirious beauty of it.
In the first chapters I was not very impressed. I felt the characters were not realistic and lacked dimension. However, as I continued I felt I came to grasp the purpose and style of the piece... and was thus gripped. I began to see the characters as almost idealised "actors" in this epic: the Christian, the Roman, the convert, the lover, the apostle, the emperor, the aesthete, the redeemed irredeemable, and so on. They all played their role - in the most tragic and dramatic way may I add - to serve the purpose of the story: to shed light on the irresistible love of Christ.
I should say that I am not a Christian. However, after reading this book I feel I understand parts of the religion much better. Despite having been written in 1895-6, the accessibility of the piece has allowed me to better understand some of the debates still going on today when it comes to Christian beliefs in the world. I feel if we are to solve any of the issues in the world, we must listen to all sides of the story with open minds. This book has been an act of listening for me... as well as some proper tragic entertainment! I was heartbroken several times!
My only criticism would be of one part of the ending (which I will not disclose here). It was the ending I wanted, but not the one I felt it needed.
