Oof, an intense book! I picked it up because the title resonated with me, and while the book was in some parts relatable, of course in many it is not,Oof, an intense book! I picked it up because the title resonated with me, and while the book was in some parts relatable, of course in many it is not, as the author is constantly in the spotlights. I must say while this book was indeed heart breaking, I did not find it hilarious (as it says on the front page). It was just misery, basically. It's easy to read and flows well. It feels honest, I think writing this memoir must have been a good therapeutic action for the author.
The end is somewhat unexpected, as in, I expected a lot of reflection, and a change in tone as the author grows up and tries to work out her problems. But of course, it's not a given that someone can actually reflect on themselves after so many traumatic experiences.....more
Dr. McDougall is referred to a lot by authors I enjoy, so naturally I had to read one of his books. This book focuses a lot on body weight, with some Dr. McDougall is referred to a lot by authors I enjoy, so naturally I had to read one of his books. This book focuses a lot on body weight, with some unusual points (skip high-fat food, even from natural sources..). While the book gives you many tips on how to start eating healthier, I would not recommend this as a first read on healthy eating to people. It's too black & white for that.
It's also a bit awkward in all the advertisements for his line of products, courses and books.. ...more
DNF at about 50%. I could not take the writing anymore. So much italics, "quotation marks", inspirational quotes, bloated sentences, et cetera.. I wanDNF at about 50%. I could not take the writing anymore. So much italics, "quotation marks", inspirational quotes, bloated sentences, et cetera.. I wanted to like the book, as the message is important, but during the spirituality chapter I really had to check out. There are some statements that are definitely not scientifically proven, but "facts" presented by "experts" (For example: crafting has a similar effect to your brain as alcohol. What?). Back to the little free library this goes.....more
One day I hope to hike the Appalachian Trail (when times in the USA are less turbulent..), so I love to read hiking stories. It was time to read aboutOne day I hope to hike the Appalachian Trail (when times in the USA are less turbulent..), so I love to read hiking stories. It was time to read about something less positive than my usual AT-reads, the events surrounding the disappearance of Inchworm (trail name) and the search for her body. While this book was a good reminder to make sure I learn basic survival skills, it was also quite slow to read. I wish there was more involvement of the family in the telling of the story, especially Inchworm's husband. The author has a lot of "kids these days" opinions, which gets tiring after a few chapters.....more
Audio feature by Chris Bailey on meditation for productivity purposes, narrated by the author himself. He has a nice soothing voice, and it was not toAudio feature by Chris Bailey on meditation for productivity purposes, narrated by the author himself. He has a nice soothing voice, and it was not too long (under four hours). I am not sure about the calculations he makes on how much time you can win in productivity by meditating, it seems very overblown!
This is a very basic introduction to meditation, leaving aside spiritual aspects. It seems very useful to busy people who just need some tools to calm them down and make some sense of the chaos in their head.
For me, there was quite a lot of repetition, since I read the author's other books recently. And I already have some sort of practice in place. But always good to get some tips.
Listenable via Spotify, uploaded by pirates. ...more
A biology text book, but a very easy to read and entertaining one on animal behaviour. The author really did his best to make this interesting to studA biology text book, but a very easy to read and entertaining one on animal behaviour. The author really did his best to make this interesting to students. It really is an introduction, quite short and to the point. There is a reading list in the back with recommendations for more in-depth reading. Great illustrations too, and I absolutely love the art style of the cover....more
Really liked this once. I've been on a bit of a self-help/productivity book binge this year, I am not sure why. Some stick, most I forget about instanReally liked this once. I've been on a bit of a self-help/productivity book binge this year, I am not sure why. Some stick, most I forget about instantly.. This one will stick, I think. I even started annotating and marking passages. Most information and techniques are not new to me, but the book helped me realize some things about chronic stress and how I could potentially minimize it in my own life. The author's writing is really enjoyable, a bit of humor, not too condescending. I will recommend this book to people in my life (definitely fellow PhD candidates.. hehe). ...more
I was looking forward to reading this book (I swear a lot), but I was underwhelmed. There are a lot of generalizations regarding swearing as a result I was looking forward to reading this book (I swear a lot), but I was underwhelmed. There are a lot of generalizations regarding swearing as a result of culture, and a lot of comparisons of swearing between cultures. Unfortunately these are so generic and unspecific, it feels very superficial. Not all Americans swear similar to the few the author interviewed. I am sure the author is aware of this, but she should have acknowledged this.
I missed the science that the title promised. I did find the chimpanzee chapter interesting, but the rest of the book was pretty fucking boring....more
A Well-Trained Wife is pretty intense. The author describes her life in an abusive marriage and her escape from it. The abusive partner uses violence A Well-Trained Wife is pretty intense. The author describes her life in an abusive marriage and her escape from it. The abusive partner uses violence and justifies it with religious texts, preaching and books.
I found the first part (dealing with the abuse and church) hard to read emotionally, but it was well written. I felt the misery coming from the pages. The second half, dealing with the escape and recovery was less engaging. Loads of repetition, weird therapy sessions, it feels rushed. But I must imagine that the author's healing is still going on, it's an evolving process, if it ever ends at all....more
Interesting read - though I am probably not really the target audience for this book. I don't give a rat's arse about the typical beauty standards, I Interesting read - though I am probably not really the target audience for this book. I don't give a rat's arse about the typical beauty standards, I don't use filters on social media, I'm too old, etc. But I am interested to learn about the problems young girls are facing. There are some minor issues with the book. It generalises quite a lot, and most assumptions made are really not issues for an average woman, more for average teenage girls. This is why I think for me the stories feel like far from reality - because it's far from my reality. Oh, and it's really wordy.. sometimes too wordy. Overall, OK. 3 stars....more
I really loved the other book I read by this author (How to Calm Your Mind), so I was excited to get started in Hyperfocus. There are some easy to impI really loved the other book I read by this author (How to Calm Your Mind), so I was excited to get started in Hyperfocus. There are some easy to implement strategies to increase your productivity, and also to redefine productivity so that you experience less of a guilty feeling if you have a bad day. This is an important thing to focus on, and something that resonates a lot with me. Productivity is not about cramming as much work as possible in a day, it's about setting realistic intentions, and completing those. As soon as you eliminate as much distractions as possible, you can enter into a flow state of working, which the author calls hyperfocus. The opposite can also be useful, which the author calls scatterfocus. Scatterfocus can be compared a bit to brainstorming, but more with the intention to let the mind wander.
This book repeats itself quite a lot, and is not completely novel. I do like the author's style of writing, it's easy to read. I am not completely sure how much I like the use of the term hyperfocus for this purpose, however. I have raging ADHD, and for people like me, hyperfocus can have a very negative effect. But that is not the main point of the book, so I will not dwell on it too much....more
Sorry, that person's shelf is private.
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