There are some great parts to this book, and the overall message is really strong for 1/3 of the book. However, the author asks a lot of questions whiThere are some great parts to this book, and the overall message is really strong for 1/3 of the book. However, the author asks a lot of questions while providing very few answers. She actively admits that those questions will *hopefully* be answered by the next generation of economists.
The main point of the book, and something that feels somewhat outdated, is the fact that a lot of economic textbook explanations and theories are wrong or unusable in our current modern world. They were created a hundred years ago or mote to explain a smaller economy that had the aim to grow as much as possible, but nowadays we have a global economy that's wreaking havoc on the ecology. We need better theories and explanations that allow us to grow organically while protecting the earth.
While I appreciate the sentiment that we need to protect the earth, and I agree that most economic theories are flawed, I'm not entirely sold on the whole "stop growth" idea. The author makes a great point that we need to *redefine* what we consider to be growth, from a purely GDP-oriented society into one that is human-oriented. My favorite quote from the book is that we need to "flourish regardless of whether the economy grows"....more
A lovely book to read with your kids. I thought it was going to be a lot sadder and I warned my 7 y/o about it, but the book gives a good long warningA lovely book to read with your kids. I thought it was going to be a lot sadder and I warned my 7 y/o about it, but the book gives a good long warning to what's about to happen so it's not sudden and it's actually filled with both joy and sadness....more
This was an enjoyable book, but don’t expect much from it. It covers the absolute basics regarding money handling and the entire book can be summarizeThis was an enjoyable book, but don’t expect much from it. It covers the absolute basics regarding money handling and the entire book can be summarized in the “laws “ or rules it principles
1) save 10% of your income and don’t spend it. Reduce your expenses so that this 10% isn’t needed. 2) invest what you’ve said in reliable, long term investments 3) be diligent in knowing what you invest on. Don’t put your money on risky businesses or ones where you have no knowledge of. 4) don’t try to get rich quick as you’ll likely lose your money
A few other note worthy things
- don’t trust people that give advise on topics theyre clearly not an expert on - seek the advise of wise people - try to increase your income by becoming better at what you do - don’t indent yourself
Many people don’t know these principles, but they may be better served by a different type of book that teaches financial literacy in a more inclusive way. This book is great for beginners that have truly no clue about money but it certainly won’t fix your money problems or make you rich....more
Fantastic book regarding the nature of the brain, how it works, and a great unifying theory for neuroscience.
This book explains the best theory I've Fantastic book regarding the nature of the brain, how it works, and a great unifying theory for neuroscience.
This book explains the best theory I've heard about how the brain works. It makes that intuitive sense that great theories do. It's A Great Explanation as David Deutsch would put it.
It all starts with Cortical Columns, which is the "building block" of the neocortex in terms of processing power. There are hundreds of thousands of them (or millions, depending on who you ask), and each is capable of processing all the information it needs to make decisions.
Hawkins argues that the underlying algorithm that permits us to do nearly anything is a "reference frame" algorithm. It stores and tracks where things are and predicts where they will be, or where they should be. This allows our neocortex to make predictions for just about anything.
The author gives a few good examples. If you close your eyes and you touch a mug with one of your hands, you will still know it's a mug. If you don't know right away you can move your hand around the mug and as you feel its features you'll recognize what it is. The same can be done with a single finger, but you may need to move the finger more across the mug to recognize it.
The idea behind the reference frames is that our brain has them for both our body (the hand touching the mug) and the mug itself. When you place a finger on the lip of a mug your brain knows the position of your finger, and it also has countless reference frames for countless objects. It'll try to match what your finger or hand are touching to one of those countless reference frames.
Each reference frame is provided by a cortical column, it knows the features the objects and can make predictions based on the input of our senses. When we touch a mug, many cortical columns will "vote" in a democratic-style system to see which reference frame best matches what your body is experiencing. When all votes are done, our brain knows it's a mug.
Since the voting is not perfect, we can be wrong. Maybe we're touching something we've never seen before that feels like a mug but isn't one.
The power of this theory is that it applies to ideas as well. What is "democracy" or "morality"? They're not objects but we still create reference frames for these ideas, each of them is connected to many other ideas and experiences. That' why it's so hard to comprehend completely novel ideas, we don't have any connections to make to relate it to what we already know. As I get older and learn more, it's has become easier and easier to learn new, complex things, because everything is always connected to something else I've already learned.
The neuroscience part of the book is by far the best. Hawkins continues to expand on his ideas to talk about Artificial Intelligence, morality and philosophy. These sections are less interesting since they feel both outside the scope of the book but also outside the expertise of the author. They're valid ideas since they're extrapolations of the theory of a thousand brains, I just didn't find it as interesting.
One interesting idea that can be extrapolated for this theory is that AGI (Artificial General Inteligence) is not as dangerous can some of us assume, since it will lack the intrinsic motivation that humans have, since those motivations (hunger, anger, sex drive, status seeking, etc) is driven by the older parts of our brains, and are not necessary for an intelligent machine. Our own brains have a division between the neotcortex, which provides intelligence, and the older brain, which provides pretty much everything else.
It's an interesting prediction that we may prove eventually....more
This is a good continuation of the first book, although it lacks the same sense of adventure and discovery the first book did. It introduces a few newThis is a good continuation of the first book, although it lacks the same sense of adventure and discovery the first book did. It introduces a few new characters that are slowly fleshed out (but not by a lot) and doesn't progress the personal development of almost any existing character (other maybe Bea, Tilly's mother).
It's an enjoyable story, but I wished it had had more purpose. It feels very much like the second book in a trilogy, where it opens up a lot of questions to be answered in the third book, instead of trying more to stand on its own as the first one did. The thing is, this is a series and not a trilogy, so each book should have a complete story arc (laughs in The Wheel Of Time where it's just one book divided into 14 parts).
Criticism aside, this continues to be an enjoyable book with a cool premise, and we get to see Tilly and Oskar become more adept and confident in their skills as bookwanderers....more
This was a lovely book. The author's care and love can be felt throughout it and reading it it's like coming home to talk with a good old friend that This was a lovely book. The author's care and love can be felt throughout it and reading it it's like coming home to talk with a good old friend that just wants to share some of his life lessons with you and hope you do alright. ...more
Cute story to read with your children, but it's a very child-oriented story. It lacks the depth of morality or struggle that is often found in other cCute story to read with your children, but it's a very child-oriented story. It lacks the depth of morality or struggle that is often found in other children books, so that it's both appealing to children and to adults alike.
It does offer a sense of wonder in the way Toy Story does. Your toys are alive and love you for who you are....more
This was a fun book to listen to. Very short, to the point, and inspiring.
It doesn't offer any groundbreaking advise, which is kind of the point. JustThis was a fun book to listen to. Very short, to the point, and inspiring.
It doesn't offer any groundbreaking advise, which is kind of the point. Just get to work, enjoy your craft, and follow a few kind of obvious business rules.
I've seen the written versions of the book and they're far more enjoyable due to all the illustrations, so if you wanna read this, buy the books instead....more
This was a fantastic book and I'd highly recommend to anyone, but especially to other men.
The discourse of women's inequality has reached the spotligThis was a fantastic book and I'd highly recommend to anyone, but especially to other men.
The discourse of women's inequality has reached the spotlight before, but I've never seen it explained in such a clear and well-documented way.
Women's inequality doesn't exist just because men (or society at large) wants to ignore women. A lot of times we don't. I was raised by women so I feel more attuned to their needs than maybe other men. However, we will never see the world as a woman sees it, and will overlook what may be extremely obvious problems and solutions that a woman can spot.
An example that comes to mind is Google's parking. They had a "first come first serve", which is great for everyone... except pregnant women, and disabled people. There should be parking slots exclusively for them. Who wants a pregnant woman walking across the parking lot? But no one saw this issue until a woman in HR was pregnant and mentioned it to Sergey Brin.
Another more serious example is how so many companies and NGOs try to help families in developing nations to get rid of in-house three-stone ovens, which are terrible for women's health. But no one thought to ask the women what they'd need! So they provide them with technological solutions that requires fuel to be bought, or a technical person to fix if it's problem. So women naturally go back to three-stone ovens because they're able to get fuel for it themselves or fix it.
Power needs counter balances. Men have been in positions of power for so long that we've stablished what the "norm" is, based on our experience of the world. I don't believe most men do it out of evilness, we're all human and we think what we see and feel is all there is.
The best way to get women's data and view more into the norm is to simply allow and encourage more women to be in positions of power where their views and experiences can have an impact....more
This was a lovely story. There's something about it that kind of warmed my earth.
The dedication in which all characters devote themselves one way or This was a lovely story. There's something about it that kind of warmed my earth.
The dedication in which all characters devote themselves one way or another to the protection and nourishment of the main character is lovely. He's a human boy in a world of ghosts. The ghosts know their differences but do everything they can to cross that gap.
The story is well written, and the audio book version on audible was fantastic. ...more
This is a long, heavy book, but it's well written and moves through each step smoothly. Diamond tends to write a bit too long, and repeat himself quitThis is a long, heavy book, but it's well written and moves through each step smoothly. Diamond tends to write a bit too long, and repeat himself quite a bit across chapters. This book is no exception, so even though it's well written and a great read, it could be shortened perhaps 30% without losing a lot of meat. More people may read it then.
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All societies are assailed by a myriad of problems. Some societies will fail to adapt and collapse, and some will find solutions, adapt, and endure.
Some problems are outside of a society's control such as climate, or the fate of their trading partners. Some problems are self-inflicted such as cutting down all the trees you depend on, or creating social structures that aren't viable.
This book reminded me a lot of The Beginning Of Infinity. As a modern, global society we must focus on creating systems that will help us endure. If we're not willing to adapt and find solutions to our problems, we're doomed.
Problems will never stop existing. Once, and if, we fix climate change we will have something else to worry about. Maybe rampart inequality. As Diamond argues at the end of the book, there isn't a single problem that is "The most pressing" and must be solved at all costs.
Fixing climate change by letting half the world population starve isn't a real solution. We must decrease our carbon footprint while increasing our food production, while also taking care of our soil.
Something Diamond says that struck with me is how societies are part of the system, and the system will only take so much stress until it snaps and tries to solve the problem by itself. Snapping may mean starting a way, people starving, or any number of undesirable solutions. Our job is to stall that snap by fix all our problems or finding temporary solutions.
Society is always getting out of equilibrium and we're the sentient beings trying to keep everything in order....more
I deeply enjoyed this book till the end. I think I read it at a good moment when I was feeling depressed and it kinda lifted up my spirits.
You can reI deeply enjoyed this book till the end. I think I read it at a good moment when I was feeling depressed and it kinda lifted up my spirits.
You can read a summary review anywhere else, the premise is super simple. She dies, infinite library with books, each book is a life she can live. That's it.
What's good about it is the pain of the main character. Her deep disappointment in life and everything in it, including her. The author may have gone a bit too overboard with giving her too many possibilities (a potential gold medalist swimmer, rock idol, etc) but the main character and her pain always felt real.
It was nice to see her growing slowly as a person and letting go of her pain and her regrets the longer she stayed in the library and the more she saw the possibilities. It made me almost wish for this to be a real Life After Death thing. No God bullshit, just an infinite library where you can heal your main before going into nothingness.
I didn't enjoy the "Quantum Juxtaposition Voodoo Blablablop" explanation. It felt like the author wanted to prove something with that section. I didn't need a "real" explanation of why the library existed the same way I don't need an explanation for why magic is real in The Lords Of The Rings. It kind of shattered my suspension of belief for a moment.
I'm a bit concerned about recommending this book to anyone suffering from acute depression tho. The discussion of suicide and depression may be a bit too real, and the book only gets better midway through. So beware....more
Good book focusing on how to better reach your partner. A few takeaways:
- We all want to be loved - We all hate feeling left behind or ignored - Threat Good book focusing on how to better reach your partner. A few takeaways:
- We all want to be loved - We all hate feeling left behind or ignored - Threat your partner like you'd like to be treated. Golden rule. But you know your SO, so it doubly applies. - Be brutally honest with yourself first and then your partner. You need to know what makes you tick, or explode, and why. ...more
- **Simplicity/CORE**: don't dumb it down, but make it simple to understand Absolute banger of a book, go read it
The 6 cores of making ideas sticky:
- **Simplicity/CORE**: don't dumb it down, but make it simple to understand and relate, like proverbs. "Where there is smoke, there is fire". Super simple, relatable. Simple BUT profound. - **Unexpected**: make it surprising, but dont rely only on it. Surprise needs to lead to curiosity. - **Concrete**: make it specific. Don't use fancy language. Our brains remember concrete information. "The early birds catches the worm". Concrete in its statement but deep. Everyone should understand the same thing. Be unambiguous - **Credibility:** try not to use hard numbers, instead let people TEST the idea for themselves. "Are you richer today than you were 10 years ago? ". If you can ask yourself the question and answer it in a supportive way, the idea will be more sticky. THIS IS HUGE. USED ALL THE TIME BY BAD ACTORS. - **Emotional**: if we feel it in our guts we are likely to remember it. That's why ads show starving kids, and why stories beat hard data. - **Stories**: If the idea tells a story we are more likely to remember it and internalize it. Like the story of kids getting drugs in Halloween candy. ...more
I enjoyed this book! It started relatively slow but picked up speed and didn't let go of the gas until the very end. That's incredibly difficult to doI enjoyed this book! It started relatively slow but picked up speed and didn't let go of the gas until the very end. That's incredibly difficult to do but this book manages it really well. The stakes become ever higher until payoff.
I wish the payoff had been more rewarding, but the end makes sense (within the weird laws of the story).
The premise is simple but executed masterfully. Memory is what makes time flow and how we perceive it. If you manage to experience a memory as reality, it'll become reality. In other words, you can time-travel by remembering really really hard.
That's a boring idea tho. What's really cool is that everyone else affected by the changes you did during your life...more
I love learning about myths and history through fiction. This is a great book for that, as it tries to stay within the real history of Achilles while I love learning about myths and history through fiction. This is a great book for that, as it tries to stay within the real history of Achilles while adding a lot of flavoring to make his story real and human.
The entire book is told through the eyes of Patroclus, Achilles' "companion" and lover. That makes the story focus less on the perfection of Achilles (which is perfect in almost every way) and more on his humanity. Patroclus still shows how proud and naive Achilles can be, but always through the eyes of love.
The story is very gay in the sense that two men love each other, but it doesn't go into too much sexual detail, other than some touchy-feely parts, which could very well be about a man-woman relationship. It's very much "young adult" safe.
Although I knew exactly what was going to happen to Achilles and Patroclus, having known their story in advance, I still felt gripped by the book, wanting to find out how things happened to them and why. So even if you know the myth, this is still a great book. If you don't, this is a fantastic book.
A book is made or broken by its ending, and I almost cried at the end....more
The best children book (middle grader) that I've read. My daughter loved it and I enjoyed it too. The best children book (middle grader) that I've read. My daughter loved it and I enjoyed it too. ...more
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