Tagged: Nonfiction
“Cause Unknown”
“Cause Unknown:” The Epidemic of Sudden Deaths in 2021 and 2022 by Edward Dowd, 1/5
This is the type of publication (I can’t even bring myself to call it a “book”) that gives conspiracy theorists a bad reputation and rewards critical analysis with an avalanche of cascading shortcomings. Under the guise of objectivity, Dowd boldly refuses to forge a more than coincidental connection between COVID vaccines and the excess deaths he charts so exhaustively. Ironically, despite his data-centered approach, he ultimately relies on confirmation bias and emotional appeals to encourage the reader in making the final jump to an inadequately-supported conclusion.
Why I read it: I think RFK Jr. might have mentioned it in an interview.
The Body Keeps the Score
The Body Keeps the Score: Mind, brain and body in the transformation of trauma by Bessel van der Kolk, 3/5
This disturbing and rather lengthy book was not as self-help oriented as I expected it to be. The author expresses a career’s worth of frustration with the medical establishment’s over-reliance on DSM-facilitated symptom labeling and prescription medication. He makes an impassioned case for a more holistic approach to understanding trauma and its varied effects, particularly with regard to brain function, but I felt that he relied heavily on anecdotal evidence, demonstrated an oversimplified understanding of neurobiology, and was perhaps more interested in finding research and studies with favorable outcomes than in assessing their quality.
As far as treatment is concerned, the author is all over the place, telling stories about clients who had success with EMDR, internal family systems, yoga, theater, HRV training, neurofeedback, journaling, massage, and more. Most of the cases he presents are very extreme and I felt like my own experiences didn’t even register on that scale.
Why I read it: a midwife suggested that it might help me process a traumatic birth experience.
The Real Anthony Fauci
The Real Anthony Fauci: Bill Gates, Big Pharma, and the Global War on Democracy and Public Health by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., 5/5
There is no denying that this is a controversial book on controversial topics, written by a controversial author, and it wasn’t particularly difficult to spot some inadequately substantiated claims, outlandish hypotheses, less-than-impressive sources, and questionable interpretations of data. That said, one would have to be willfully naive and ignorant of human nature to ignore the preponderance of inarguable, factual evidence the author provides that some of our most respected institutions, scientists, politicians, businessmen/women, and philanthropists have sold their souls and woven a pervasive web of deceit, corruption, avarice, censorship and moral bankruptcy. Even with its failings, this book is a necessary and fearless testament to the enduring wisdom of 1 Timothy 6:10: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils” (ESV).
Additionally, The Real Anthony Fauci is a tour de force in terms of seamlessly and meticulously incorporating technology into a traditional reading experience; the chapter endnotes link via a QR code to RFK Jr.’s website, where one can easily click through to the actual sources for most of the 2,194 citations contained in this formidable exposé.
Why I read it: Originally, I had no intention of reading this because, judging solely from its cover, it appeared to be little more than a hit-piece full of conspiracies, written by a crackpot. However, RFK Jr.’s interview on The Joe Rogan Experience left me with a more favorable impression of the author, as well as many unanswered questions about his claims.
Leadership Strategy and Tactics
Leadership Strategy and Tactics: Field Manual by Jocko Willink, 3/5
I appreciate the specific leadership (and followership) scenarios that Willink addresses in this book, but it feels somewhat contrived and disjointed. I suspect it would make a better reference resource than a cover-to-cover read.
Why I read it: working my way through Jocko Willinks’ books, if slightly out of order.
Extreme Ownership
Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy Seals Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin, 4/5
This book’s layout is flawless: each chapter starts with an engaging war story, extracts a leadership principle for further analysis, and concludes with a real-life application to business. My only complaint is that the authors often stop short in each example of exploring the actual results of their approach, sometimes failing to address the outcome altogether and other times glossing over it with vague descriptions of generic success. The question left, for me, is not whether the authors are effective hammers, but what scenarios realistically constitute appropriate nails.
Why I read it: It’s been on my radar for quite a while.
A Hunter-Gatherer’s Guide to the 21st Century
A Hunter-Gatherer’s Guide to the 21st Century: Evolution and the Challenges of Modern Life by Heather Heying and Bret Weinstein, 1/5
I found this book to be profoundly and unrelentingly irritating. The authors are clearly well-educated and well-spoken, yet they seem more concerned with sounding impressive and achieving “guru” status than presenting a rational argument. Each chapter is a hodgepodge of facts, references to the work of others, opinions, and anecdotes, concluding with a short bullet point list of generic lifestyle recommendations that, in most cases, feels completely unsupported by the previous content. This would be annoying enough, but the thing that really made me furious was how the authors use a self-satisfied, scholarly tone and liberal endnote references (which somehow never supported the claims that I was actually interested in verifying) to mask under-developed theories and bad writing. Obviously, I feel under-qualified to criticize the work of two experienced academics, but it doesn’t take a PhD in Biology to recognize their consistent failure to present convincing points in a logical manner that supports bigger ideas.
Why I read it: a birthday present from my dad.
Parenting with Love and Logic
Parenting with Love and Logic: Teaching Children Responsibility by Foster Cline, MD, and Jim Fay, 3/5
I really like the core of this parenting philosophy, which is that even very young children should be given opportunities to make decisions and experience the resulting [reasonable] positive and negative consequences without parental interference, thus becoming equipped through practice for wise and independent decision-making. I do feel the authors take it a bit too far, though, suggesting manipulative and contrived phrases to mold every encounter into a choice and weaponize consequences.
Why I read it: a friend recommended it.
The Purpose Driven Life
The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, 1/5
Reading this, one could be forgiven for mistaking Christianity for a pyramid scheme and this book for its investment pitch.
Why I read it (or at least, the first 84 pages): it was included in a bunch of books passed along to me by a friend. I remembered it being really popular for a while, so thought I’d check it out.
Hand-Taming Wild Birds At the Feeder
Hand-Taming Wild Birds At the Feeder by Alfred G. Martin, with photographs and drawings by the Author, 5/5
I bought this book for the charming naivete of its cover and topic, but soon became fully invested in all the feathered characters featured inside. The author provides helpful, if purely anecdotal, advice about diet preferences and taming techniques for specific species, in addition to many touching stories about birds he has known.
Why I read it: a thrift store find.
Range
Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein, 5/5
On good days, I appreciate the diverse array of skills and experiences that make me who I am. Not yet 40 years old, I can make a credible case for claiming the informal titles of musician, intellectual, artist, athlete, teacher, and photographer. Many days, though, I struggle with feeling like a failure for never having pursued a “proper” career (and the money that comes with one) and so far not finding that one big, important thing I am supposed to be doing with my life.
If I’d read this book earlier, I could have avoided some of those bad days. Epstein blows apart the notion that choosing a career path as early as possible and pursuing it single-mindedly in ever-increasing depth, is the only road to success. Instead, he makes a convincing argument for the value of developing a broad base of interests and experiences, while unashamedly searching for pursuits with high “match quality” to yourself (instead of making a virtue of never quitting). The time this takes need not be wasted, since the most innovative contributions tend to come from people making connections between superficially disparate experiences and ideas, not from those who have specialized the most in any given field.
Life has not been as linear and predictable as I expected; in this book I was comforted to see a reflection of that experience. I learned that, contrary to the claims of pop psychology, personalities and even core values can change over time. That it is ok not to jump on the academic bandwagon of learning more and more about less and less. That continuing to follow my curiosity will provide the best chance of encountering my life’s purpose. And that I shouldn’t undervalue (or under-utilize) the skills and experiences I accumulate along the way just because they weren’t all acquired on a traditional timeline.
Why I read it: I think it was mentioned in Steven Kotler’s The Art of Impossible.
OmniRambles 