After reading this book, I've reconfirmed that: a) I am not the type to "rough" it, and b) Alaska is very low on my list of places to visit.
Yes — the After reading this book, I've reconfirmed that: a) I am not the type to "rough" it, and b) Alaska is very low on my list of places to visit.
Yes — the photos are gorgeous, and I'm sure it's a magical and ecologically magnificent place, however, there are many other spots I'd rather go first. Living vicariously is enough for me. Also, I'm not a fan of cold weather. If I never saw snow again in my whole life, I would be a-ok.
Van Hemert does a lovely job of chronicling her adventures, and it's hard not to be impressed by her and her husband's tenacity and commitment. Still, Alfred Lansing's Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage has forever dimmed any other cold weather adventure for me, as nothing could be so, well, incredible as Shackleton's survival.
Everyone in my book club enjoyed this more than me, but I think it's because they haven't read Lansing's book yet.
"In life, we’re always closer to the edge than we like to admit, never guaranteed our next breath, never sure of what will follow this moment. We’re human. We’re vulnerable. With love comes the risk of loss. There are a million accidents waiting to happen, future illnesses too terrible to imagine, the potential for the ordinary to turn tragic. This is true in cities and towns as much as it is in the wilderness. But out here we face these facts more clearly, aware of the divide between today and tomorrow. And, for this reason, every day counts."...more
Good message in general—yes we need to be taking a much more proactive approach to climate change.
However—this is just a compilation of multiple speecGood message in general—yes we need to be taking a much more proactive approach to climate change.
However—this is just a compilation of multiple speeches that are very repetitious.
Yes, we probably need to be told more than once ... but some attempt at forming this into a streamline book would have greatly benefited the message.
“Some people say that the climate crisis is something we have all created. But that is just another convenient lie. Because if everyone is guilty then no one is to blame.”
"We must change almost everything in our current societies. The bigger your carbon footprint—the bigger your moral duty. The bigger your platform—the bigger your responsibility. Adults keep saying: 'We owe it to the young people to given them hope.' But I don't want your hope. I don't want you to be hopeful. I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day. And then I want you to act. I want you to act as you would in a crisis. I want you to act as if our house is on fire. Because it is.”...more
"If you believe that you are being told you are a bad person, all your energy is likely to go toward denying this possibility and invalidating the mes"If you believe that you are being told you are a bad person, all your energy is likely to go toward denying this possibility and invalidating the messenger rather than trying to understand why what you've said or done is hurtful. You will probably respond with white fragility. But unfortunately, white fragility can only protect the problematic behavior you feel so defensive about; it does not demonstrate that you are an open person who has no problematic racial behavior."
Note: Written for white people, by a white woman.
Probably 4.5 stars, it wasn't perfect, there was some repetition, but still very important and timely.
“The key to moving forward is what we do with our discomfort. We can use it as a door out—blame the messenger and disregard the message. Or we can use it as a door in by asking, Why does this unsettle me? What would it mean for me if this were true?”
Keep in Mind:
*Race scholars use the term white supremacy to describe a sociopolitical economic system of domination based on racial categories that benefits those defined and perceived as white. This system of structural power privileges, centralizes, and elevates white people as a group. If, for example, we look at the racial breakdown of the people who control our institutions, we see telling numbers in 2016–2017:
- Ten richest Americans: 100 percent white (seven of whom are among the ten richest in the world) - US Congress: 90 percent white - US governors: 96 percent white - Top military advisers: 100 percent white - President and vice president: 100 percent white - US House Freedom Caucus: 99 percent white - Current US presidential cabinet: 91 percent white - People who decide which TV shows we see: 93 percent white - People who decide which books we read: 90 percent white - People who decide which news is covered: 85 percent white - People who decide which music is produced: 95 percent white - People who directed the one hundred top-grossing films of all time, worldwide: 95 percent white - Teachers: 82 percent white - Full-time college professors: 84 percent white - Owners of men’s professional football teams: 97 percent white
These numbers are not describing minor organizations. Nor are these institutions special-interest groups. The groups listed above are the most powerful in the country. These numbers are not a matter of “good people” versus “bad people.” They represent power and control by a racial group that is in the position to disseminate and protect its own self-image, worldview, and interests across the entire society.*...more
Forever a Robert Greene fangirl, I love his style of incorporating history with psychological tidbits. One of these days, I will complete my physical Forever a Robert Greene fangirl, I love his style of incorporating history with psychological tidbits. One of these days, I will complete my physical collection of all his most popular books—but at least I've now read them all.
My favorites, in descending order:
The 48 Laws of Power The Laws of Human Nature The 33 Strategies of War Mastery The Art of Seduction
I hope to reread them all at some point as well, as there is so much to take from them even if they need taken with a grain of salt.
Some standout quotes from The 33 Strategies of War:
“Events in life mean nothing if you do not reflect on them in a deep way, and ideas from books are pointless if they have no application to life as you live it.”
“Actually, your past successes are your biggest obstacle: every battle, every war, is different, and you cannot assume that what worked before will work today.”
“Understand: your mind is weaker than your emotions. But you become aware of this weakness only in moments of adversity—precisely the time when you need strength. What best equips you to cope with tthe heat of battle is neither more knowledge nor more intellect. What makes your mind stronger, and more able to control your emotions, is internal discipline and toughness. No one can teach you this skill; you cannot learn it by reading about it. Like any discipline, it can come only through practice, experience, even a little suffering. The first step in building up presence of mind is to see the need for it—to want it badly enough to be willing to work for it.”
As Sun-tzu says, “Being unconquerable lies with yourself.” ...more
*Bumping this up a star over a year later as I sometimes think of things from this book, especially some of the anecdotes about Churchill and his ecce*Bumping this up a star over a year later as I sometimes think of things from this book, especially some of the anecdotes about Churchill and his eccentric behavior.*
My 5th Erik Larson book, love how he does nonfiction.
Really puts the current pandemic into perspective. It's hard to imagine going on with daily life during The Blitz, but life went on. Stiff upper lip and true stoicism at its finest!...more
Didn't quite know what to expect going into this, but had always felt McChrystal had a solid head on his shoulders.
This book was a nice mix of adaptinDidn't quite know what to expect going into this, but had always felt McChrystal had a solid head on his shoulders.
This book was a nice mix of adapting protocol to meet circumstances in life, business, technology, and of course, all against the backdrop of war.
If you enjoy military history, don't expect *too* much here other than snippets that help elaborate his case for constant adaptation. The themes worked well together however, and were woven through complementarily.
Great book for business leaders and entrepreneurs. ...more
Interesting insight into the rise and fall of Travis Kalanick, the ex-CEO of Uber—who sounds like a super douche.
"... a corporate cautionary tale abouInteresting insight into the rise and fall of Travis Kalanick, the ex-CEO of Uber—who sounds like a super douche.
"... a corporate cautionary tale about the perils of startup culture and a vivid example of how blind worship of startup founders can go wildly wrong."...more
Engrossing book, LOVED it! One of my favorites of December 2019.
Very reminiscent of one of my all time favorite books in general, Bryson's A Short HiEngrossing book, LOVED it! One of my favorites of December 2019.
Very reminiscent of one of my all time favorite books in general, Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything. This has that classic Bryson charm with lots of interesting factoids.
Definitely a deep dive, kind of like hopping on the Magic School Bus with Miss Frizzle.
Would revisit this one in the future.
“Just sitting quietly, doing nothing at all, your brain churns through more information in thirty seconds than the Hubble Space Telescope has processed in thirty years. A morsel of cortex one cubic millimeter in size—about the size of a grain of sand—could hold two thousand terabytes of information, enough to store all the movies ever made, trailers included, or about 1.2 billion copies of this book.”
“Pain is full of paradoxes. Its most self-evident characteristic is that it hurts–that’s what it is there for, after all–but sometimes pain feels slightly wonderful: when your muscles ache after a long run, say, or when you slide into a bath that is at once unbearably hot but also, somehow, deliciously not.”...more
Fecal transplants, stool banks, and sham “poo” — definitely my favorite chapter.
*COVID-19 UPDATE*
Ever since the pandemic began, I could not stop thinkFecal transplants, stool banks, and sham “poo” — definitely my favorite chapter.
*COVID-19 UPDATE*
Ever since the pandemic began, I could not stop thinking about this book and Bill Bryson's The Body.
"Every time we touch an object, we leave a microbial imprint upon it. Every time we walk, talk, scratch, shuffle, or sneeze, we cast a personalised cloud of microbes into space. Every person aerosolises around 37 million bacteria per hour. This means that our microbiome isn't confined to our bodies. It perpetually reaches out into our environment."...more
I will definitely be revisiting this one—it's almost like a long, cool drink of water.
“You have to disconnect in order to better connect with yourselfI will definitely be revisiting this one—it's almost like a long, cool drink of water.
“You have to disconnect in order to better connect with yourself and with the people you serve and love. People don’t have enough silence in their lives because they don’t have enough solitude. And they don’t get enough solitude because they don’t seek out or cultivate silence. It’s a vicious cycle that prevents stillness and reflection, and then stymies good ideas, which are almost always hatched in solitude.”
Excellent summary with takeaways and quotes right here.
The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because of the chapter titled “Accepting a Higher Power.” Just because many people believed things in the past does not make it true, as Holiday implies. This sentence was the final nail in the coffin for the fifth star: “Perhaps you’re not ready to do that, to let anything into your heart. That’s okay. There’s no rush. Just know that this step is open to you. It’s waiting. And it will help restore you to sanity when you’re ready.”
I'm not even going to get into it because everyone is entitled to their opinion and otherwise this is such a peaceful book. HOWEVER—insinuating that people aren't sane until they "accept a higher power" though is ... mildly insane. ...more
Really enjoyed this Pulitzer Prize Winner, almost felt like a guilty pleasure.
Favorite Line:“a moral lasagna of questionable aesthetic choices”
I’veReally enjoyed this Pulitzer Prize Winner, almost felt like a guilty pleasure.
Favorite Line:“a moral lasagna of questionable aesthetic choices”
I’ve seen most of the shows covered, and those I haven’t seen (The Sopranos & Lost among others) were covered enough in pop culture to still be familiar.
Favorite part was the last chapter on Ryan Murphy. Love AHS, Nip/Tuck, Scream Queens—basically everything he does!...more
This book is like taking acid, be warned—it's a total trip.
Not that I'd know, but I'm guessing based on Rick and Morty episodes I've never watched.
In This book is like taking acid, be warned—it's a total trip.
Not that I'd know, but I'm guessing based on Rick and Morty episodes I've never watched.
In other words, don't take my word for it, I need to brush up on my quantum mechanics apparently.
“On the other hand, in the memorable words of Richard Feynman, 'I think I can safely say that nobody understands quantum mechanics.'”
“Should the branching of our current selves into multiple future selves affect the choices we make? In the textbook view, there is a probability that one or another outcome happens when we observe a quantum system, while in Many-Worlds all outcomes happen, weighted by the amplitude squared of the wave function. Does the existence of all those extra worlds have implications for how we should act, personally or ethically? It’s not hard to imagine that it might, but upon careful consideration it turns out to matter much less than you might guess.”...more
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