Mere Mortals Book Reviews

Are you denying your anality? 'The Denial Of Death' by Ernest Becker is a psychology theory that posits that civilisation and individuals behave in ways to obscure the knowledge of our mortality. This is done through transference to heroism, becoming immortal by participating in something that is bigger than ourselves. I summarised the book as follows. "From almost the beginning the main theory se...

Have you got the steps to wrangle that data? 'Algorithms For Dummies' by John Mueller & Luca Massaron is a textbook on the subject of .... you guessed it, algorithms! It's designed to teach and inform with a mix of theoretical explanations, real life applications and miniature examples using Python. Fundamental principles of graphs, different types of algorithms and terminology can be found wi...

Do you prefer books written more recently or those that have (hopefully) aged gracefully with time? In February 2023 we reviewed 4 books on this channel. My favourites were the two books written in the last 15 years concerning modern topics of copyright/commons and VR/simulation theory. And then I was just baffled at what is to be taken away from an asshole rebellious teenager. Juan also got some...

Do you believe you're grounded in reality? 'Reality+' by David Chalmers is an examination of what reality actually is. The central thesis is that virtual reality is genuine reality, which will have implications for how we interact with it. There are two styles of arguments within that combine to form 'technophilosophy'; results from humanity's computing progress and various ideas from philosopher...

James Clear's "Atomic Habits" is a split atom of knowledge and humor. Clear writes with the precision of a scientist and the wit of a comedian, making this book a true pleasure to read. Whether you want to improve your health, get rich, or just become a smarter human, "Atomic Habits" has got the goods. I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Juan out! Timeline: (0:00) - Intr...

Should these book reviews be viewed as a cultural commons? 'Common As Air' by Lewis Hyde is an argument against the enclosure of ideas in the modern age and a call to return to how cultural commons were treated back in the early days of the United States. Within are definitions of words, examples of recent IP/patent/copyright abuse and the principles exhibited by Benjamin Franklin and other Foundi...

This is a classic that I just don't get? 'The Catcher In The Rye' by J.D. Salinger is a fictional coming of age story about a rebellious teen in New York City. Holden Caulfield is expelled from an elite school and fills a couple of days with activities (illegal and otherwise) before returning home to confront his parents with the news. I summarised the book as follows. "If you want a whiny self-ab...

Sometimes you just need to read something to reconfirm that you don't like it. In January 2023 we reviewed 5 books on this channel. We had some Japanese self-help, a classic adventure novel, a Buddhist text that is hard to appreciate without all the background knowledge and two Stoic explanations by Ryan Holiday. Plus a bonus bit of a controversy regarding a certain thumbnail. Huge thanks to Petar...

Is there still adventure to be found in this world? 'Around The World In 80 Days' by Jules Verne is an adventure novel of a gentleman trying to win a bet. Phileas Fogg along with his manservant Passepartout attempt to circumnavigate the world by train, boat and any transport available in order to collect a £20,000 wager. Along the way they encounter mishaps & danger caused by self inflicted de...

Do you have the courage to break your life-lie? 'The Courage To Be Disliked' by Ichiro Kishimi & Fumitake Koga is a Japanese version of a self-help/psychology book. It showcases Adlerian psychology through means of a Socratic dialogue between a philosopher and youth. It is primarily about how to change mental thought patterns by taking individual responsibility and not playing the victim card....

What happens when we die? Maybe this book has the answers! 'The Tibetan Book Of The Dead' by Padmasambhava is a hidden Tibetan text that explains the 'bardo', the intermediate zone between death & rebirth. It is a companion to be used as a guide for those transitions from life into the next process. There are clear instructions for loved ones/care givers to follow and what to expect in the day...

Welcome back Mere Mortalites to another book review, this time on Courage is Calling by Ryan Holiday I enjoyed the new series by Ryan on the four virtues, and even with a few Ryan Holiday books under my belt this really shined. I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Juan out! Timeline: (0:00) - Intro (1:20) - New Series (2:00) - Synopsis (6:08) - Themes (10:00) - Takeaways...

Stillness is the Key is a self-help book written by Ryan Holiday that explores the concept of stillness and how it can be used to improve one's life. The book argues that stillness, or the ability to be calm and focused in the face of chaos and distractions, is a key ingredient to success and happiness. Holiday also examines the ways in which stillness can be cultivated, including through meditati...

I like recently published books for their utility, but for pure enjoyment and beauty it's hard for me to go past the classics. In December 2022 we upped the ante and reviewed 5 books on this channel. As usual I was all over the shop with Russian poetry, coding for kids, biographies from 2 millennia ago and Victorian England drama. I chose not to include Juan's upcoming review (didn't want to spoil...

At the of it all, there is not much to do other than pity the heroine of this tale. 'Tess Of The d'Urbervilles' by Thomas Hardy is a realistic story of a continually unfortunate country girl set in Victorian England. Tess Durbeyfield (a poor milkmaid) is wronged by Alec d'Urberville and finds love with the gentleman Angel Clare, but is still haunted by her past. It explores a set of weaving themes...

Am I simpler than a computer? I might just be! 'Coding For Beginners Using Python' by Louie Stowell is an instructions guide to learn the basics. It's a combination of simple exercises for loops/dictionaries/drawing and more complex games that mimic Minesweeper or Pong. The target audience is kids and so is set out in an easy to understand manner with plenty of colour and fun graphics. I summarise...

What can the lives of the Ancient Greeks teach us about how to live well? 'The Age Of Alexander' by Plutarch is a selection of 9 Greek lives from his work called 'Parallel Lives'. It covers prominent people from various locations and various professions, but all from around ~400 BC to 300 BC. It focuses mostly on their achievements with quotes, battle statistics, 1st hand sources, moments from the...

Would you have the honour to behave like a coward? 'Eugene Onegin' by Alexander Pushkin is a novel in verse of an unhappy Russian dandy. Onegin lacks meaning from a city life and struggles to find it in the countryside, with the same superficial  gossip, flirtatious women and rash young men. The poetry is renowned for it's unique rhyme scheme known as the 'Pushkin Sonnet' or 'Onegin Stanza'. I sum...

Do you want to know how to change your mind or how innovation works? In November 2022 we sadly only covered 2 books on this channel. Both Juan and I have been rather busy as of late and so didn't put in the time like we normally do. Strangely both books I read started with 'How' and were published within the last 4 years. Definitely an off the rails month. Huge thanks to Petar the Slav for support...

Don't stand in the way of this or you might get railroaded .... literally! 'How Innovation Works' by Matt Ridley is a how-to book that somewhat becomes an argument for change. It uses primarily stories from history to illustrate the key thesis, from food to communication to primitive technology amongst others. The difference between innovation and invention is also distinguished with an explanatio...

Are you willing to change your mind on a controversial topic? 'How To Change Your Mind' by Michael Pollan is a dive into the North American history of psychedelics & their use in emerging scientific studies. It focuses primarily on 3 types: LSD, psilocybin and DMT. The book is not overly scientific as it contains many trip reports from the author himself as well as subjective ponderings on the...

Do you have a favourite book for poetical sentences that catch your eye? In October 2022 we covered 4 books on this channel. Whilst I didn't fall in love with this month's reading, I did notice I was drawn into small portions from each book that sounded nice in my inner reading voice. I even took a stab at live translating from Spanish to English, which ended horribly lol. Huge thanks to Dave Jone...

Like the Argentine personality, I started off with hope but was left disappointed and cynical. 'On Heroes And Tombs' by Ernesto Sabato is a novel of tortured love, self loathing and madness. There are 4 main section that follow the interweaving timelines of Martín, Alejandra, Fernando & Bruno. It starts with a strict plotline that becomes looser with multiple narrators, a fictional yet semi-hi...

'Can't Hurt Me' by David Goggins is a tale of his life, the triumphs and tribulations that made him who he is today. I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Juan out! Timeline: (0:00) - Intro (1:58) - Synopsis (7:03) - Themes (10:50) - Takeaways Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU Instagram: https://w...

Is there greater isolation in the Australian desert, or being unable to fit in with society? 'Voss' by Patrick White is a story of adventure into the Australian wilderness. It is set in 1845 and revolves around 2 principal characters: Johann Ulrich Voss and Laura Trevelyan. There are complex weavings of love, passion, inner turmoil and religious symbolism as Voss follows his path of self-destructi...