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117 reviews

Alina Yasnaya

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Alina is Currently Reading

Alina Yasnaya is currently reading

Reinventing Love: How the Patriarchy Sabotages Heterosexual Relations

by Mona Chollet

bookshelves: currently-reading, important, thought-provoking, philosophical, timely

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Aug 18, 2025 01:03PM

Alina Yasnaya is currently reading

The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life's Final Moments

by Hadley Vlahos (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading, curious

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Aug 18, 2025 01:01PM

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Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle

by Chris Hedges

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Alina Yasnaya said: " The book, puzzlingly, started with a chapter on wrestling, the kind of spectacle I've always despised because it reminded me of bad doll theater for adults who failed the 8th grade. But as the chapter went on, I understood the grip wrestling has on t The book, puzzlingly, started with a chapter on wrestling, the kind of spectacle I've always despised because it reminded me of bad doll theater for adults who failed the 8th grade. But as the chapter went on, I understood the grip wrestling has on the Americans. For the country without universal healthcare, there is no therapy, only religion or wrestling. Or, as we later learn, a raging porn addiction.

I suppose in a way everything in a society is a reflection of its health or ills. Wrestling made no sense to me until I read that chapter. And however absurd this appears to me, it makes sense. I suppose if you were raised in the USSR, you see wrestling as a surreal and silly theater, but, as it turns out, it has a larger purpose. Who knew.

The chapters on porn are absolutely devastating. Gut-wrenching, really. The unfortunate part about those chapters is that some Polyannas reading this book will say that this is in no way real and men can't be this horrific. And to that I'd say that they should start a youtube channel as a women who doesn't attempt to pander to the fragility of men, and that will be all the education on men these Polyannas will ever need. Gen Alpha isn't having sex? Now we know why. A large percentage of boys of that age group are irreversible porn addicts. You can see the misogyny in the last presidential election results. The graphic language of these chapters is not nearly as shocking as the subject matter. But people must read these chapters to at least understand themselves and others.

The reality TV chapter was also fascinating to me. I've only watched two episodes of "The Amazing Race", so this entire world of reality tv such as "The Survivor" are unknowns to me. All the more interesting and nauseating was the chapter on this genre of TV programming. And, in all honesty, I don't know what to think of people who love watching such shows.

The jump to the chapter on education felt a bit disjointed from the rest of the book. That jolt broke the spell a little, though I'm continuing with the book. ...more "

Aug 18, 2025 01:01PM · see review

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A reading group for those interested in non-fiction texts relating to psychedelic compounds, as well as cognitive phenomena associated with these. Tex ...more

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Book club for digital nomads and adventurers interested in consciousness expansion, personal development, human evolution, transhumanism, travel, inte ...more

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This here is the book club of the Tripsit network on IRC. Probably be reading the likes of Shulgin, Huxley, Kesey, and other psychonautical pioneers.

420 readers — 74 members — last activity Nov 13, 2020 06:01AM
This a group for people who are 420 friendly, into mind expansion, and love to read! We discuss & recommend books, discuss LOTS of different topics, a ...more

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