Stockton’s
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(group member since Jun 30, 2017)
Stockton’s
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from the A Very Short Reading Group group.
Showing 61-80 of 87
A very interesting Twitter thread challenging some of the assumptions around autism and empathy:https://twitter.com/commaficionado/st...
This paragraph in particular seems to have caused some consternation:"Some campaigners go even further and say that for the whole of the autism spectrum it is wrong to talk of brain abnormalities, wrong to focus on deficits of the mind, and wrong to highlight impairments in behaviour. Instead there should only be talk of differences in brain and mental make-up, some of which represent the autistic mind. This is a strange proposition. To someone who is familiar with classic cases and other severe cases of autism, and knows of the suffering that is associated with autism, it seems perverse. You may disagree, but then this book is not for you."
Abba and Joni Mitchell – a fine combination. If the classics can’t tell us about love, what can? I agree there was a tendency in the book to see love in terms of these binary oppositions. While there was discussion of the different types of love, I felt more about the cultural history of love and its shifting definition could have provided better clarity. The philosophical approach, while interesting, left things a little vague and waffly. Different traditions across locations and times could also have proved more enlightening.
Overall I felt it was still a worthwhile read, but listening to a few decent songs might have proved equally informative!
World Autism Awareness Week starts on 26 March so Uta Frith's Very Short Introduction is our pick for this month. The reviews on this one seem to be... mixed, which should mean plenty to discuss!
Due to the "Beast from the East" sweeping in and covering half of Stockton in snow we're unfortunately having to cancel this evening's meeting. You can still post any thoughts about the book here and hopefully we'll have better weather for March!
How I discovered there are (at least) 14 different kinds of love by analysing the world’s languages
(1 new)
Feb 23, 2018 06:43AM
https://theconversation.com/how-i-dis...As discussed in the opening chapter, there's many ways to talk about love. Or storgē. Or ludus. Or agápē...
Interesting comments Nigel. And indeed – if only there was more time! There’s a distinct irony in a population ill-informed because of too little information transforming into one that remains ill-informed because of too much. Unpicking the myriad arguments and counter arguments as presented by the various media outlets can feel like a Sisyphean task at times. The book did serve its purpose as a useful primer to these issues.
As Valentine's Day looms, February's Very Short Introduction is Love. Can Mr. de Sousa sum up this many splendored thing?
A fine discussion was had last night. While serving reasonably well as a road map to some of the key points affecting journalism it was felt that the book was a little on the “western-centric” side, with only passing mention of other journalistic cultures. Another criticism was that someone of Hargreaves experience might have delivered something with more “bite” or personal insight, and that an outsider may actually have delivered a more potent view of journalism. Nevertheless, the issues raised did engage the group. A key point was whether the ideals of a free press can ever be achievable when faced with the pressures of either the state, shareholder influence or the need to generate revenue. Noble aims may always end up compromised. However, the revolution in information that has overtaken traditional journalistic models was seen as ultimately positive, allowing facts to be gathered from a range of sources and conventional views tested. If people are prepared to put in the effort, of course.
And a slight diversion from the rights and wrongs of the Iraq War to the merits or otherwise of the redevelopment of Stockton High Street showed that journalism, whether international, national or local, remains a vital part of a free society able to challenge decision makers at whatever level.
Hi Nigel,Thanks for the comment and the New Yorker link – I hadn’t seen that before. A very noble challenge and an impressive 70 so far. With 5 on our shelf we’ve got some ground to make up!
It’s been a little on the quite side here but we’re starting to gather a bit of momentum with the “in real life” group. We’re meeting up tomorrow evening so I’ll post a (Very Short!) summary of what we thought about Journalism. Should be an interesting one.
A timely debate about the press, free speech and censorship. And trains.https://www.theguardian.com/business/...
https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2018/01...
"Journalism’s job is to provide the information and argument that enable societies to establish facts, to work through disagreements, to test moral boundaries, and to know their priorities. It holds all power to account, including publishers and Internet magnates." Is journalism doing its job, as described here by Ian Hargreaves?
Interesting article from the BBC on how close Britain came to emulating Russia in 1917:http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/artic...
If evolution on earth isn’t fascinating enough for you there’s always the prospect of alien evolution to ponder: https://www.theguardian.com/science/a... All I can say is- urgh:
“The Jurassic Coast is always unveiling fresh secrets and I’d like to think that similar discoveries will continue to be made right on our doorstep.”https://www.theguardian.com/science/2...
The Guardian's take on the Russian Revolution:https://www.theguardian.com/commentis...
Also, Lenin and Cats...
https://www.theguardian.com/world/201...
November's Very Short Introduction is Evolution, "about the crucial role of evolutionary biology in transforming our view of human origins and relation to the universe, and the impact of this idea on traditional philosophy and religion"Any evolving thoughts, post them here.
