A book filled with mixed signals. As the use of "completely fine" might infer in 2019, this is a book about clinical depression with dashes of PTSD. SA book filled with mixed signals. As the use of "completely fine" might infer in 2019, this is a book about clinical depression with dashes of PTSD. So, yep, it won a bunch of awards. Tack on the topics of self-esteem, alcoholism, unrequited love, and dead-end jobs, throw in a cat for good measure, and you've got yourself a Goodreads masterpiece in 325 pages.
It's still a decent book. It's just hard to enjoy beyond the main character's unintentional one-liners stemming from her tragic upbringing and resulting isolation. I admit that the style carrying Eleanor Oliphant never approaches a modicum of triteness. But when it seems like all your hard work is about to pay off and the plot is about to become award-winning, you realize there are only twenty pages remaining and left are to deal with a ~*~mysterious~*~ twist. Because there are so many themes, none are covered in a satisfactory way, despite the writing being excellent.
There's nothing wrong with comingling happiness and sadness or depression with triumph. My issue is that it is too obvious that the author studied her audience and decided to go all in. Maybe I'm a bit jealous. And that's completely fine....more
451 Fahrenheit is the midrange temperature at which the paper used for books will ignite. Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian novel about burning books. As451 Fahrenheit is the midrange temperature at which the paper used for books will ignite. Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian novel about burning books. As with any dystopian novel in which the central premise is the suppression of intellectual freedom, it will be relevant for a long time. Though the futuristic elements already seem dated. As soon as you start warming up to it, the light is extinguished.
Useful to study in tandem with 1984 as they were published during the same time period....more
Purchased this book before boarding a flight to Utah. Over the last few months, I'd heard it deemed many different things ranging from this year's HilPurchased this book before boarding a flight to Utah. Over the last few months, I'd heard it deemed many different things ranging from this year's Hillbilly Elegy to uh, eh, you know, one of those (my mother said this). I hoped to find meaning beyond these two poles (the former not necessarily being a superlative), but, ultimately, Educated was an engrossing book without being a breakout masterpiece. As usual, my mom was spot on.
Educated is a memoir by Tara Westover, who was raised by Mormon zealots in rural Idaho. Her father was a survivalist who probably had Schizophrenia, while her mother was a midwife who ended up founding a business called Butterfly Express that brews essential oils and other herbal remedies in cauldrons. I imagined her mother being witchlike, a characterization implied but never fully substantiated.
The premise of the book is simple. Tara had no formal schooling as her father thought the government and, by extension, the school system were evil. Tara's entire family works long hours in their dangerous scrapyard, eschewing most modern safety precautions. In a story punctuated by tragedies (many encountered at the intersection of Mormon extremist beliefs and the dangerous scrapyard), Tara teaches herself some things, scores a 28 on the ACT on her second time taking it, kicks ass at BYU, makes an impression on a influential scholar who asks her "how would you like to go to Cambridge?", and eventually goes on to earn a Ph.D in history.
Now, this isn't a Slumdog Millionaire type of success story. The storyline is, in fact, very similar to Hillbilly Elegy. So, how is it that the Goodreads rating of this book (4.49) could be an entire half-star higher [than J.D. Vance's 3.94]? Well, Hillbilly Elegy dealt with rednecks. Bluntly speaking. People in rural areas who identified as "them" got mad. People who were still fuming over Donald Trump getting elected and blaming "those dang hillbillies" docked one and two stars from their reviews just to feel a little better about themselves.
What I am saying is that, on the topic of literary merit, this book is indistinguishable from Hillbilly Elegy.
This book arrived on the heels of the #MeToo movement. Inside, Tara recounts bouts of physical and emotional abuse suffered at the hands of her older brother. In fact, the infliction of emotional abuse (and physical abuse, if you consider the shunning of modern medicine to be physical abuse) can be attributed to her parents as well. Though Tara meticulously kept a journal through her formative years, she occasionally notes that her memories differ from the recollections of others. Coupled with the fact that her parents hired a lawyer to come out and say she's exaggerating, the seeds of doubt have been sown.
Thrust into the modern political climate, this story becomes inexorably intertwined with the angst of every woman who has been abused and wasn't believed or was punished for speaking up. This is not a subject I take lightly or one I would dare poke fun at, but many will reflectively click a five-star masterpiece because it's cathartic. I am happy that people were able to find solace in this book--but someone has to try to explain the abundance of perfect reviews even at the expense of seeming dickish.
In retrospectives, you will find that this theme often overwhelms the others, though they are far from subtle. We're talking about Mormonism here. Most people see Mormons as kind of weird but good people and are happy to leave their ponderings at the curtain call of The Book of Mormon. The book reinforces that extremists are extreme and that the insular nature of the church can make it harder to get out of harmful situations, but, really, most of the other Mormons in the book seemed perfectly normal to me.
The Westovers shunned hospitals except in life-threatening situations. I won't disclose any of the situations where the family did visit hospitals because that would spoil some of the more interesting plot points. Unintentionally, Tara's writing spurred another collision with a hot topic of our times--the refusal to vaccinate children. I cringe at the thought that someone could read this book and exclaim "look how many babies that unqualified woman delivered" or "none of them died because it was God's will" and feel moved to perpetuate any modern medical hoax. But, man, does it provide for some entertaining reading.
Finally, we have the theme of education. Three of the Westover children went on to get the terminal degree in their fields--the Ph.D. So, does that mean that homeschooling works? Is the brain much more malleable than the establishment wants us to believe? The title, Educated, really means "here are the experiences that made me who I am today." Taken literally, once we control for the fact that the schools in her region of Idaho were probably terrible, we can optimistically conclude that maybe there really is something we're missing when it comes to education.
My first opinion, the one that will be derided most widely, is that getting a terminal degree in something like History isn't particularly hard. It just requires grit and financial support. Tara Westover had each of these things in abundance. The next thing is that it does indeed take a village to raise a child or however that saying goes. If Tara went to BYU and it turned out that everyone else had been as isolated and as poorly prepared for college as her, guess what? BYU would be the punchline of jokes. Instead, it's a school deserving of high praise.
When you bring someone who is so much of an outsider that they aren't even on a "spectrum" at all into a rigorous institution of higher learning, they either fail out and go work in the junkyard or they assimilate and go on to be successful. This is why schools do so much "diversity" recruiting now. Once you take away the financial aspect (and you never really can), if a student is so motivated, they can catch up quickly to the people who went to prep schools and dominate college curriculum. This is what Tara did. I'm still a bit fuzzy on how exactly she got that ACT score or how exactly she finagled financial support throughout her formal schooling, but I blame this more on selective editing than the premise of the book itself being a hoax.
Important, gripping, and great to read on airplanes. Especially ones bound for Utah. Left me with mixed feelings, kind of like this oil diffuser from Butterfly Express that I have been inhaling the fumes of while writing this review....more
This was the title of a Facebook page I Liked back when there was a proliferation of very-specific Facebook fan page"What does DJ Khaled actually do?"
This was the title of a Facebook page I Liked back when there was a proliferation of very-specific Facebook fan pages that people created on whims. I also liked the page because, at that time, I had no idea what DJ Khaled actually did.
The Keys is DJ Khaled's answer to that question that ends up spawning a host of deeper inquiries. Such as--would high school dropout have even attempted to use the semicolons that appear in this book's 212 pages? And, more importantly, where do I stand on DJ Khaled's philosophies, talent, and celebrity?
After achieving mega-fame following a string of funny Snapchats and having his first child, the enthusiastic, somewhat obnoxious DJ Khaled adopted a significantly more wholesome image. It's about positivity, being substance-free, and working hard, and it's what comprises the majority of this book. I like it!
Yesterday, I read in the Wall Street Journal that he is selling his old house in Miami, having upgraded to a larger one. Today, he was mentioned in one of the top comments in a Reddit thread about "worst live performances of all time." There's no question that DJ Khaled is a star, but, on Reddit, in the midst of reading this book, I was shocked to find that the sentiment was purely negative.
Many commentators referenced Khaled's appearance on the season finale of Hot Ones where he is a buffoon. Beyond the buffoonery, I found it interesting to observe how quickly his "positivity" facade fell apart as soon as he was challenged by the host. It's easy to preach a gospel when your public image consists entirely of you being the only one speaking into a microphone. This guy really made a fool of himself on what is a lighthearted show where people eat spicy chicken wings.
The interview also revealed that, in addition to lacking emotional intelligence, DJ Khaled really isn't that smart. It is obvious that the guy is surrounded by "yes" men 24/7 and that there is a strategy team behind every move he makes. He claims to be a mogul, strictly speaking is a mogul, but I can't get over my suspicion that he didn't write this book.
The book charts DJ Khaled's career. He started as a DJ and, over time, became a phenomenal DJ, according to him. I respect that hustle. I find it odd, though, that whenever people criticize his live performances, they talk about how horrible he is at basic turntabling. I'm not a purist, I realize that there's more of a market for the mixing and queueing of tracks (which he had to have been skilled at as a radio DJ) then there is for the acrobatics of the needle, but this guy wants us to believe that he won $5000 in a DJing contest 20 years ago. Why wouldn't he still demonstrate this skillset? Did he forget? Am I misunderstanding something?
Further, there has been a continual debate as to what it means for DJ Khaled to be a "producer." Most would imply that this means he makes beats. In the book, he never mentions making beats. It's easy to verify that he hasn't made the beat for any of his hit songs, but did the guy ever make beats at all? He's admitted that he doesn't rap because he's not a good rapper. Okay, that's pretty easy to glean. I think he allows the myth of him making beats to survive because there's really no downside to it.
There is some genuinely cool stuff in the book. Khaled claims to have witnessed Birdman meeting Lil Wayne for the first time while working at a record store in New Orleans. Amazing. Khaled claims that he turns up the temperature in his hot tubs as high as it will go because "they" don't want you to have a hot tub. Amazing. DJ Khaled loved the Rick Ross breakout Hustlin' so much that he played it on repeat for long enough to get suspended from the radio station he worked at. Amazing. He claims that you've got to think future to be future, just ask his friend future. Great line.
DJ Khaled has made a career out of orchestrating incredible hit songs. This was made possible because he's an enthusiastic, relentless dude and he foresaw the rise of the Miami rap scene. I just find it hard to like him. The book left me with too many unanswered questions....more
One of the better books I've read about running. Has twists, turns, a lot of dirt paths, and tragedy but stops short of being enveloping. Like most ruOne of the better books I've read about running. Has twists, turns, a lot of dirt paths, and tragedy but stops short of being enveloping. Like most running books, or, by nature, anything dealing with running, it's not going to appeal to those who haven't participated in the sport at a semi-serious level. It's easy to rip through the pages of this book like sheets of one of those daily calendars. Character development is attempted valiantly but its hard to differentiate the team members when any serious runner will already have the mental image of his own team which probably was a lot slower but acted just as weird and had shadows that looked the same.
The book could be used to study incidences of overtraining among runners and different coaching philosophies. I have heard that collegiate runners tend to have the most distressed mental states of any college athletes. I don't know how true that is. Just imagine participating in a non-contact sport for tens of hours every week and frequently developing season-ending injuries. Cruel and unyielding!
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It turns out that Mark Wetmore and I both fell in love with reading after encountering Tom Wolfe's The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. I found it amusing, in a nerdy way, that Chris Lear highlighted this but then failed to pick up on Wetmore's usage of the phrase "The Right Stuff" probably stemmed from Tom Wolfe's novel of the same name....more
When it comes to secret societies, Yale's Skull and Bones is the modern-day equivalent of the Illuminati. The author's theory (with some evidence) isWhen it comes to secret societies, Yale's Skull and Bones is the modern-day equivalent of the Illuminati. The author's theory (with some evidence) is that it is a bonafide branch of the Illuminati. Regardless, it's hard to believe that a society initiating just 15 members a year with less than 800 living members at any one time could have a roster featuring most of the prominent members of the Bush and Taft families plus John Kerry.
It's a natural source of intrigue--has been for centuries--and Alexandra Robbins wraps it together quite nicely. Though not a "patriarch," she reveals secrets and dispels rumors, having interviewed a bevy of Skull and Bones members. She covers all the bases, way deeper than any Wikipedia page or Youtube video. The tale of the Bonesmen is intertwined with the history of Yale, and, with that, the evolution of higher education in the United States. While not as deep as the fraternal history book The Company He Keeps, it's a fascinating sideshow.
There are arguments for and against secret societies through the book. Surprisingly, at the end, the author reveals that she too was in a secret society (Scroll and Key, no less). The point that stood out to me is that several Yalies opined that secret societies, by nature of their exclusivity, served to goad undergraduates to achieve at the highest level possible. The logic is that most people will hate the societies if that's what the crowd is doing, but, secretly, most would die for a "tap" (a bid for membership). Without a chance at this final stamp of excellence, many college students would lose ambition toward the end of their journey. This is applicable, to some level, to mainstream fraternities as well, but, of course, we can't talk about it out loud.
What makes this book a bit of a loser is that it feels like an attack on the Bush family. It was published right before the 2004 presidential election. People seem to forget that George W. Bush was not as highly regarded back then as he is today (the result of a meticulous, subconscious PR campaign). Most people probably also don't know that Alexandria Robbins was the person who broke the story of George Bush's SAT score. To this day, those numbers serve as one of the greatest rebuffs of Bush's "I did it on my own" legacy. In a wild twist, this turned out poorly for the author, because the Bush family is considered off-limits now. Who would have thought!
Enjoyable story about American history and some of the country's most prominent families, but the overtones are too much....more
We've reached the point where reviews of Michael Lewis novels are largely reviews of Michael Lewis himself or his existing body of work. This is especWe've reached the point where reviews of Michael Lewis novels are largely reviews of Michael Lewis himself or his existing body of work. This is especially notable with The Fifth Risk, which is not much more than the author cashing in on the current state of political affairs.
I have read nearly everything by Michael Lewis, starting with Liar's Poker, and I hate to be the one to say that this book exists at the intersection of two of the most common criticisms of his 'bottom tier' works. 1. The book is a loosely-conjoined essay collection that would have been better off (or already exists) in print 2. The book is laughably short. Never--not even in Pacific Rift--has this felt like such an opportunistic smack in the face.
At just over 200 pages, the margins, line spacing, and font size are ridiculous to the point that I'm concerned about how much paper was wasted in the initial printing. Not to say that the book lacks substance, but its formatting serves to distract you from how little substance there is per page.
This book is all about the complexities of our government and how Donald Trump made a mess of the cabinet transition. A few times, Lewis holds back from attacking the leader of America (and makes sure you're aware of it), but then also goes out of his way to highlight acts of buffoonery.
It should come as no surprise that this is a "character-driven" narrative. The book's purpose is to give a unique glimpse into the workings of government and all the good done by departments commonly labeled as massive bureaucracies. The theme is that poor project management (within the government) is a huge risk to our country's longevity (with the implication that the grandmaster isn't exactly pulling his weight).
I liked it, but this was a three-hour affair. I can't help but feel ripped off. Maybe Michael Lewis meant the book itself to be an extended metaphor for the opine contained within....more
This was mentioned offhandedly in the book about the founding of Alinea, a world-renowned Chicago restaurant (that I still haven't been to). This hasThis was mentioned offhandedly in the book about the founding of Alinea, a world-renowned Chicago restaurant (that I still haven't been to). This has little in common with other "food writing" I've encountered. The seemingly-pretentious title gives way to a charming essay collection featuring culinary experiences from days long past. The author, Joseph Wechsberg, recounts his personal tragedies related to WWI and WWII. Thankfully, he had the presence of mind to capture many of the culturally-significant gastronomical achievements of Europe pre-WWII while paying respects to his heritage. This book preserves and glorifies lost traditions from Prague, Paris, Budapest, Vienne, Vienna, and many other places. Incredible men, women, restaurants, and anecdotes that would have been lost to time. I emphasize: for many of these restaurants and restauranteurs, I would have trouble believing that Mr. Wechsberg's accounts aren't the most historically significant accounts in existence.
The stories that seem more academic in tone are amusing and highly educational. For example, the book contains all you need to know about truffles, foie gras, wine, and more minute culinary treasures. Ah, if only I could appreciate the parts that haven't been translated from French....more
The dust jacket proclaims a "modern classic." My proclamation is less grand. In 1968, this was a monumental book. It remained a #1 bestseller for overThe dust jacket proclaims a "modern classic." My proclamation is less grand. In 1968, this was a monumental book. It remained a #1 bestseller for over a year, and that was back when people were reading books. George Goodman pioneered a new way of writing about economics (and later won 5 Emmys for his radio broadcasts). In a cruel twist, many of the essays are so dated that only crusty historians will find this book worth reading in its entirety. The thesis--that high finance is dramaticized to the point that it's kind of silly--perhaps cements this book's reputation as a true classic. I'm refusing to pass such judgment, as it feels inappropriate to criticize a man who spent his entire life trying to break down the barriers between average people and the mysticism of markets....more
Lake Success is an updated American Psycho with breathtaking depth. Whereas the latter book took me to a tempestuous place, the former reminded me thaLake Success is an updated American Psycho with breathtaking depth. Whereas the latter book took me to a tempestuous place, the former reminded me that I'm living in one. I finished it while on the plane back from Miami sitting in coach but reminiscing on what must have been a $25,000 bottle service tab the night before. This criticism of the times gets criticized by those who have been conditioned to hate rich people (--the patriarchy et al) and it bothers me because Patrick Bateman was a caricature while Barry Cohen isn't.
I was given a watch as a high school graduation present. Two years later I was buying and selling them on eBay. I loved everything about them. When my friends got their first jobs, they solicited advice from me. When my friends got their second jobs, it turned out that many had taken up horology as a hobby and were keen on debating how to spend previously-unfathomable sums of money on stainless steel with a date window.
There's a certain point at which an aficionado becomes aware of the Universal Geneve Tri-Compax, which is featured prominently on Mr. Cohen's wrist. The sheer amount of research that would have been required for Gary Shteyngart to select this as the watch--and pick out the rest of the watches, and, hell, even the Japanese whiskey--is deserving of praise. Once I saw this model mentioned, I knew Lake Success was going to be my book of the year. And, even then, it exceeded my expectations.
Lake Success captures many of the insecurities of those pursuing careers in high finance. When you feel like you're on top of the world it's even harder to cope with having a disabled child. A problem that money can't easily solve. Or maybe Barry's son having autism is meant to be a criticism of the fact that there is a growing sect of the population who are so terrified of autism that they shun vaccinations.
It's real, it's scary, it's funny, it's timely, and I really want to deem it The Next Great American Novel....more
I was in a library for the first time in my adult life and saw this on a shelf among many books I've already read. I confused it with a story that goeI was in a library for the first time in my adult life and saw this on a shelf among many books I've already read. I confused it with a story that goes by a similar name (Hedgehogs) that was recommended by a good friend of mine who recently moved into the money management space. This is not that book, rather it may be the Iliad of the hedge fund world--so profound that it made me wonder if the book I was supposed to read might have been about spiny mammals.
If you told me at the start that I was about to read a value investing book with the final chapter covering John Maynard Keynes, I would have picked something else to end this period of garden leave. But It only takes reading a single paragraph written by Barton Biggs to understand why this book is so beloved. The writing is enchanting, the perspective is refreshing, and Biggs' vocabulary is masterfully refined without the stuffiness that usually accompanies wealth, refinement, and a degree from Yale.
The main thing to note that's probably left out of other reviews is that Biggs slyly throws in the fact that, before he started his career in money management, he spent years trying to write the next Great American Short Story. This single factoid, if known in advance--assuming you're reading this review in advance--should convince even the staunchest opponent of financial non-fiction to give this guy a chance. It's a career reflection written by someone who had a lot to share and not much to prove.
Mr. Biggs takes a few pages to explain the history of numbers and what they symbolize. There is an amount of beauty in those few paragraphs that has not yet been realized during my elongated dive into a book named Number.
Chapter 20 is a short story involving a guy named Judson Thomas. It's a thriller ("that will make your blood turn cold"). If you're a picky reader, you will regret skipping that chapter. It'll be clear by that point that Hedgehogging is a classic, but this one also seals Biggs' place as a phenomenal writer and a kind soul.
Chapter 13 is, admittedly, somewhat of a backscratcher where the author analyzes his prediction of the DotCom bubble. However, it's an endearing example of how canny Barton Biggs was and how his making the call was not a fluke. It never feels vaguely promotional.
Memorable chapters aside, this is a deeply educational work. When you're in college or in high school or are some type of outsider trying to understand the industry better, this can help. I've found that conversations on message boards and the like easily get derailed and fixate on the wrong things. Things that don't matter in the long run and cause college students to waste time wanting something that is illusory. While these narratives are indeed dotted with stories of high society, the lifestyle is never glorified and the rainmakers never placed on much of a pedestal. It's a balanced account where industries like Private Equity and Venture Captial are cut down and the stress of being a money-manager is often in plain view.
This book was a great surprise. It helped me gain a level of respect for and understanding of an industry and a man did his part to advance it.
I saw this book on Bill Gates' end of year list a few years ago. It was on my to-read shelf for a long time. During that time, a few of my friends havI saw this book on Bill Gates' end of year list a few years ago. It was on my to-read shelf for a long time. During that time, a few of my friends have become landlords and I've toyed around with the idea myself (to the extent that I want to buy the condo I rent and lease one bedroom to my college buddy). Real estate fascinates me as does the art of landlording, and this book scratched my itch. Additionally, I'm interested in analyses of social issues that can spur meaningful change. Not to rip a testimonial from the inside cover, but this is a genuinely new perspective.
Evicted is an ethnography written by Matthew Desmond in which he doesn't involve himself in the narrative. This was a major factor in him receiving the Pulitzer Prize. A topic in my freshman-year English class was the significance of auto-ethnographies. If that teacher still teaches that lesson I'm sure this book will be added to the course of study. It's raw with no preaching and little time for you to catch your breath. You don't know who the hell the author is until the very end, and it makes the book that more special.
The author followed around several different impoverished families and individuals in Wisconsin. In the book's conclusion, the amount of material that was claimed to have been collected and sifted through, and, thus, the amount of material that didn't make it into the book, is simply astounding. The stories recounted include black people, white people, families, drug addicts, a recovered addict, the working poor, the disabled, those with mental health issues, those with large families, those about to start families, and so much more. Really, all the bases are covered. Some people suffer in trailer parks, others suffer in the inner-city and in shelters, but there are striking commonalities and brilliant insights into the human condition. The takeaway is that we have a housing crisis and insufficient support at the low end of the income spectrum.
The book made me happy for what I have. Happy for what I've had, appreciative for what I expect to continue to have. It helped me understand for the first time why certain childhood friends of mine always moved. Why certain classmates were rarely in school and why I had such a hard time understanding truancy at that stage of my life.
What's the root cause? We tend to throw blame around too freely, but when the author shares his thoughts at the end of the book, he seems to focus on a broken federal housing assistance program and also a lack of legal representation for those facing eviction. The cycle of poverty is complex and I doubt any meaningful change will be made in my lifetime, especially since traditional middle-classism is eroding as well.
I closed the book with a newfound respect for those working to make change in the most impoverished areas of the country, such as some neighborhoods here and Chicago. I believe that people are deserving of certain natural rights and it's easy to see how affordable housing became so convoluted (again, see the scars of a horrible public housing disaster here in Chicago). The effects of this failure are made palpable by this book.
The author doesn't go to lengths to make characters more likable and leaves it up to the reader to form opinions. For example, a prevalent theme is that nobody seems to possess any semblance of financial literacy. Some feel they deserve nice things and in one example someone uses food stamps to buy crab legs. Still more spend frivolously on things like snacks, alcohol, and marijuana. Frankly, nobody seemed to be eating rice and beans. I know that the "just don't have kids" argument is considered politically incorrect and ignorant now, but it seemed like many people sealed their fate in the cycle of poverty by reproducing. In the United States, you have unalienable rights once you are born, but I don't understand why it's so taboo to approach the topic of careless reproduction and what we can do to help more people lift themselves out of terrible situations.
The book is a real conversation-starter and is my pick for the one social issue book you should read this year....more
Conspiracy is a not particularly concise showcase of Ryan Holiday's maturation as a writer. His writing style here is eerily similar to Antonio GarciaConspiracy is a not particularly concise showcase of Ryan Holiday's maturation as a writer. His writing style here is eerily similar to Antonio Garcia Martinez in Chaos Monkeys, or, generally speaking, my own, whenever I want to flaunt that I am well-read.
It also tells one of the most compelling and mind-boggling stories of the decade. Yes, Holiday managed to get exclusive, intimate, access to Nick Denton (the CEO of Gawker), Peter Thiel (the billionaire that everyone hates now), and Hulk Hogan (Hulk Hogan). The story has this type of complex awesomeness that is beyond descriptives; difficult to sell to an outsider. I like leaving the storytelling to storytellers, because who the hell am I really, but trust me when I say it's good.
Gawker Media was an enterprise that published gossip and speculatory articles and media. Real bottom of the barrel stuff that violated a lot of unspoken rules that generated a lot of clicks at the expense of making people feel bad about themselves. The premise behind the operation was that they were protected by the First Amendment and that the site helped hold prominent people accountable... or something. How pathetic were the articles? Well, a few years ago, I discovered that one of my coworkers at the time, who had been a college athlete, had been written about in Deadspin (formerly a Gawker company). The Deadspin writer made fun of the guy's name and the fact that he was, at the time, studying to get a Ph.d. The article's existence made me angry, and the 50+ comments under it, to this day, continue to piss me off.
If we're going to talk about "the media" in a book published in February 2018, you know there's no getting away from Donald Trump. Thankfully, the election is relegated to the tail end of the book. In those pages, what is expected to be an epic triumph is actually a party that ends at 9 PM for our conspiracists, Trump's perceived failure kind of being a bookend to the final act that is not nearly as glamorous as once imagined.
By the time you read this book, there's a pretty good chance that you know who won the lawsuit. There's a pretty good chance the media has conditioned you to hate Peter Thiel. It's a given that you spend more time thinking about Donald Trump each day than you do your loved ones. At any rate, Ryan has put together a story that leaves you basking in that post-movie glow. Coming soon to a theatre near you....more
Before the term fake news entered the American lexicon, it was printed here. It's easy to overlook that minor fact because this book turned out to beBefore the term fake news entered the American lexicon, it was printed here. It's easy to overlook that minor fact because this book turned out to be a groundbreaking critique of media circa 2011 and a prescient take on the outrageous reality we're living in seven years later.
Now is a time where the plurality of the public would consider media manipulation a relevant, if not serious, issue. There is a book with a title that seems awfully similar to the matter at hand. It was written by Ryan Holiday and it's called Trust Me, I'm Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator.
Ryan Holiday seems to be widely respected in certain circles, but perhaps his past associations and general demeanor have prevented him from gaining the reputation required to make him a household name in households not headed by intellectuals who drink IPAs. On one hand, it's a shame. On the other, critical reception of the book and its author--regardless of what is said--is bound to reinforce the subject matter.
Part criticism of blogs and the modern news cycle, part pariah seeking penance, this is the roadmap of the internet as we know it today. Of course, the blogs mentioned aren't blogs in the general sense but are blogs that cover newsworthy topics. Blogs that overreport and under research. Blogs that ruin careers and create overnight millionaires. There's a vicious cycle of snarkiness, manufactured outrage, and blatant extortion. You can tell that things are a little out of hand when one of the author's final conclusions is that only fools should try to enter the public sphere. Yet, he's guilty, too.
Ryan Holiday has had a fascinating career and the stories recounted here shift some established (though not particularly well-known) narratives drastically. He knows it all and it's not hard to fathom that maybe he really does know it all because whenever you browse the internet after reading this book, all you'll be able to think about is Ryan Holiday. Maybe you'll append " | Media Manipulator" to your LinkedIn header. Please don't.
It's hard to believe that sites like Wikipedia used to be poorly regarded. While teachers were roasting that website ten years ago, the internet caused the reputable news cycle to transform into an ugly beast right before their eyes. The toxicity of less-reputable sites cannot be overstated. To anyone who is able to come away from reading this book without an abject fear of ever being "known": you are bonkers....more
I had to move apartments and was tired of listening to Pusha T's Daytona on repeat. I'm used to seeing James Patterson novels in airport bookstores anI had to move apartments and was tired of listening to Pusha T's Daytona on repeat. I'm used to seeing James Patterson novels in airport bookstores and the prospect of buying them being as appealing as volunteering to take a later flight due to overbooking. For whatever reason, I used a leftover Audible credit to buy this audiobook, hoping that Bill Clinton had finally succeeded in making something sterile and uninspiring more palatable.
The President is Missing is a haggard tale of a haggard president embroiled in a multi-faceted scandal centering around a cyberterrorist plot to send the United States back to the "Dark Ages." I hated the book so much that it actually made moving worse.
The main sticking point for me as a software engineer was the somewhat plausible but in actuality preposterous trope of the computer virus that can infect all computers and simply turn everything off. To make a point about the importance of cyber defense, I get it, but it's too hard not to deconstruct the nature of the attack or the president's duh solution. Yes--spoiler--the president has the not-tech-savvy thinking-out-of-the-box idea that ends up defeating the virus. That isn't how it works!!!
Geeky digressions aside, it's a fast-moving read with a lot of symbolism and imagery that is reminiscent of Bill Clinton's presidency mixed with a more modern Democratic agenda. I was impressed by things like the Balkans being integrated into the storyline, but other parts were overtly political and contributed little. And Russia is probably pissed now. The president makes a triumphant speech at the end--I guess it's disingenuous to act surprised to have encountered this--but hearing the narrator's pompous delivery of it made me feel like I was in a doctor's office with CNN playing while being powerless to divert my attention.
I'm willing to give Bill Clinton credit as being a good writer. I tried to like this book, thought it was going to be okay, but it became unbearable around halfway. There was one plot point, in particular, that seemed highly significant early on but then was not revisited for the next eighty chapters. Soon after I finished this book, I learned that I had missed Pusha T's concert in Chicago that very night. How I felt then is how I feel now: never again....more
Recently, I've been toying with the idea of writing my own book. As a writing exercise, I have been developing characters through short stories: realRecently, I've been toying with the idea of writing my own book. As a writing exercise, I have been developing characters through short stories: real people, composites of real people, people that exist inside my head, and fictional people.
After a few months--about two weeks ago--I started to think that maybe my witty portraits of characters would be more interesting than the concept for the book itself. So, I continued writing, except with a working title. Which meant I meant business.
When I returned to Chicago after an extended vacation, I canceled my Audible membership and went on a shopping spree with my accrued credits. One suggested book was, well, this one. B.J. Novak. The Office. Being from Scranton, I have to be on the lookout for new peripheries of The Office so as to always have new things to say when I meet new people and tell them where I'm from. This seemed a pragmatic choice.
In spirit, what I've been working on is very similar to this book. It's written with similar posture. Though it's less snarky, it's on the same level intellectually. The titles were eerily similar as well. My subtitle being "and Other Stories That Never Happened."
At any rate, imagine how it felt to realize that 1. My concept wasn't original and that 2. My concept, or at least a vaguely similar concept for the exact same audience, had already been published four years ago. I was crestfallen. I mean, what are the chances of me ever having made this discovery?
After a few stories, I began to warm up to One More Thing. Eventually, I really got it. I can't imagine anyone outside of my generation enjoying it to the same degree, though. It's funny but relies heavily on the element of surprise or other devices that can sometimes be irritating. Under the guise of humor by a well-known humorist, more complicated topics are explored with depth and with beauty. Concepts that seemed totally ridiculous and contrived unraveled into brilliant stories that were touching and thought-provoking.
It felt like a book that was written for me. For more reasons than it is similar to a book that I am writing for myself....more
It's easy to write off as the book of the moment. It's also easy to look stupid while doing so. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck is like a therapyIt's easy to write off as the book of the moment. It's also easy to look stupid while doing so. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck is like a therapy session that doesn't cost $150 per thirty minutes. Now, I've never gone to see this type of professional, though it would probably be for the better if most of us did, and that's because we live in a really terrible time for mental health. This book is deeply therapeutic and while it inevitably adapts much of Marcus Aurelius' Meditations (the original self-help book), Mark Manson can lay claim to writing a bestseller that defies most of the other reasons that I shun books of this genre.
There are a lot of unique problems in today's world that science hasn't quite caught up with. For example, just today a report was linked showing that excessive time spent on the computer has been linked to worsening the symptoms of ADHD. In other news, I just received a new DM on Instagram. I'll be right back.
Just kidding. My phone is in my left hand and I'm typing this review dexterously using all five fingers of my right. I just received another Donald Trump meme. I check my messages and the girl I was expecting to text me back hasn't. But the trainer from the gym did. Maybe I'll have a six-pack by the end of the summer. Maybe I shouldn't have eaten that brownie after dinner. It cost $8 at Whole Foods. I'm between jobs but at least I get 5% back and--
The book bridges the gap between what we've known about psychology for a long time and the problems ravaging society today. It's not science--it's not even remotely scientific. But it's going to be received by the average twentysomething with open arms because it's so relatable, honest, and the author has laid bare many of the intimacies of his own life.
One topic that would have been disingenuous for the author to exclude is the prevalence of wanton victimization in American society. All it is, really, is a way that people look for "a quick high." An ephemeral solution to their problems. This needed to be said and I'm glad it was.
The wisdom throughout the book centers around Manson's belief that most self-help advice is actually harmful in the long-run. He says that the most important thing is choosing healthy, sustainable values with metrics that don't depend on what other people think or do. Sure, many slimy self-help gurus want you to blind yourself with positive thinking, but I didn't find the central tenets especially divergent from Aurelius (though Mark has a lot more to say about romantic relationships). That being said, there is some actionable and powerful advice here.
The book is strong and genuine throughout (in spite of repetitious profanity and the author's reminiscences on having slept with a lot of women) due to an abundance of great content. Through the final chapter, it's just as uplifting and as hard to put down. For me, the synthesis of Ernest Becker's work and the concept of the "immortality project" with today's society was the most thought-provoking and meaningful. Those grappling with the existentialism of death will find some comfort in it as well. Those grappling with giving a fuck will enjoy the book as a whole, perhaps more so than planned....more
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