More questions than answers, more confusion than clarity.

'The Question Concerning Technology' by Martin Heidegger is a philosophical book containing multiple essays by the German philosopher. It centres around his concepts of 'Standing Reserve' & 'Enframing' but also contains a deconstruction of Nietzsche as well. The book contains no real structure but does have many helpful notes from the translator (as it was originally written in German).

I summarised the book as follows. "I have no idea what this book was about. Major props and kudos to anyone who can understand it. I gave it a low rating not because I disagreed or disliked the thesis, simply because I didn't understand it. One of those books where I'm not at all encouraged to even attempt to read any of the author's other works."

I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!

Timeline:
(0:00) - Intro
(0:37) - Synopsis
(2:43) - ???
(4:49) - Personal Observations/Takeaways
(9:04) - Summary


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'The Tattooist of Auschwitz' by Heather Morris blends fiction with reality to bring the tale of the Tattooist of Auschwitz to us all, his love for Gita and the things one must do to survive.

I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Juan out!

If you would like to support the Mere Mortals, feel free to grab this book here: https://amzn.to/3H16rMO

Timeline:
(0:00) - Intro
(0:30) - Synopsis
(8:40) - Themes/Takeaways
(11:34) - Summary

Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/
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He who controls the spice controls the universe!

'Dune' by Frank Herbert is a sci-fi classic that is comparable with some of the other amazing fictional universes. The story takes place on Arrakis, a barren planet scarce of water but containing the immensely valuable spice. House Atreides suffers a catastrophic betrayal and so the young Duke Paul undergoes a quest for revenge and to restore his rightful inheritance. 

I summarised the book as follows. "It's a fun world and I can see why it has fanatical supporters. I found it easier reading than LOTR but also noticed myself skipping the poetry & songs. It's great for night time reading and to lose myself in the story, but I probably won't bother to dive fully into the whole Dune universe."

I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!

Timeline:
(0:00) - Intro
(0:33) - Synopsis
(3:59) - Water & Spice: All you need in life
(9:22) - The Essence of Sci-Fi: Making boring stuff fun
(13:24) - Personal Observations/Takeaways
(16:01) - Summary


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Everything you know about human nature is a falsehood, but maybe that's a good thing.

'Humankind' by Rutger Bregman is an argument for why humans are good at heart (and in action). He presents this as a dichotomy between the philosophy of Thomas Hobbes & Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Much of the book is spent debunking commonly cited examples of our innate cruelty (Milgram Shock/Standford Prison experiments), but also has anecdotes from history and more trustworthy statistics.

I summarised the book as follows. "It's a crazy amount of condensed critical thinking. It burst a couple of ideas that were too simplistic but also might be refuted in the future for the same reason. It's well presented and contains elements of Rutger's personality (which matches my own) that made me like the book even more, although this obviously clouds my judgement as to the absolute 'truth' of his arguments. Nevertheless, being hopeful is fun!"

I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!

Timeline:
(0:00) - Intro
(0:29) - Synopsis
(4:19) - Veneer Theory: Are we about to crack?
(7:44) - A Hopeful History: Mixing the future and past
(11:53) - Personal Observations/Takeaways
(16:27) - Summary


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I had to slow down my reading pace to about 1 x book per week due to focusing on some new goals. I also think my average page length might be slightly increasing which also is a reason for the slow down. So only 3 x reviews for me from this month. The real highlight (which I forgot to mention) was Juan's review of Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari which he reckons is the best book he's ever read. Worth going to check out that book review!

I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!

Timeline:
(0:00) - Intro
(1:01) - Humankind: Rutger Bregman
(4:24) - An Autobiography: M.K. Gandhi
(8:04) - The Heart Of The Buddha's Teaching: Thich Nhat Hanh
(11:23) - Boostagram time
(15:05) - A sneak peak of November 2021


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Let's go on a journey through human history in 500 pages.

A glimpse into my love for the book Sapiens, the points that really struck me and how much information can be packed in one book is beyond me.

I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Juan out!

If you would like to support us and grab the book use our link here! https://amzn.to/3vfVfXe

Timeline:
(0:00) - Intro
(0:28) - Synopsis
(3:05) - Not a historical book
(4:35) - Synopsis, or not
(5:27) - Personal observations
(10:15) - Summary

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A delve into the thoughts of a great leader, inspiring visionary, a venerable soul, but ultimately just a man.

'An Autobiography' by M.K. Gandhi (also known as 'My Experiments With Truth') is an overview of his life from birth in 1869 to 1921. It is split into 5 parts which reflect his time spent studying in England, working in South Africa and protesting in India. It was originally published as a series in a magazine in 166 individual chapters, so contains diverse topics such as dietetics, ethics, weaving and his reasoning behind particular decisions.

I summarised the book as follows. "It's a brief glimpse into the life of an extraordinary dude. I really admire certain aspects of his personality but also dislike others. The writing in the book is of high quality but unfortunately autobiographies are not my favourite so this won't make it into my best of all time list. However, I do think it might be great for those who already love the effect that Gandhi had on the world an want to learn more about his personal life."

I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!

Timeline:
(0:00) - Intro
(0:40) - Synopsis
(4:06) - Satya: Truth & God
(6:31) - Ahisma: Nonviolence
(11:07) - Personal Observations/Takeaways
(15:08) - Summary


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I'm finding a common pattern amongst books on this subject that I'm really not enjoying.

'The Heart Of The Buddha's Teaching' by Thich Nhat Hanh is an explanation of the most essential ideas, instructions, teachings and guides of Buddhism & the Buddha. It is split into 4 parts with the first two deconstructing the Four Noble Truths & The Noble Eightfold Path and the latter two examining other basic precepts and direct discourses from the Buddha.

I summarised the book as follows. "For me, nothing distinguishes this from any of the other Buddhism books that I have read. I found it a bit too disordered and honestly struggled to get through it. It contains all the core info I have learnt from Buddhism but you are probably better suited to gain this knowledge from somewhere like Wikipedia."

I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!

Timeline:
(0:00) - Intro
(0:37) - Synopsis
(2:51) - The Buddha's Teaching: Core doctrines of Buddhism
(8:06) - The Heart: Other basics & discourses
(10:21) - Personal Observations/Takeaways
(14:55) - Summary


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Authentically Russian. Depressingly bleak, a touch of divinity and more than a little strange.

'The Death Of Ivan Ilyich' by Leo Tolstoy is a collection of 11 novellas, which contain Russian everything (characters, landscape, traditions, culture, etc.,). There is no connecting theme in the stories but they do contain some commonalities. They're told from an outside narrator, have men as the principal characters, contain multiple references to Russian words or Arabic influences and are about everyday interactions.

I summarised the book as follows. "These are probably the easiest way to introduce yourself to Tolstoy's 'realistic fiction' without having to commit to an 800+ page book like Anna Karenina or War & Peace. I've never been to Russia but this conforms to most of what I have heard elsewhere about their traditions and culture. There is a strong emphasis on the bleakness and suffering in life, but hey, that's just how Russians roll."

I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!

Timeline:
(0:00) - Intro
(0:38) - Synopsis
(3:28) - Anguish: Extreme unhappiness due to mental/physical suffering
(8:22) - Rumination: The Russian version of introspection
(12:19) - Personal Observations/Takeaways
(13:33) - Summary


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Recap timeeee! Yessiree, here's an overview of the 7 books I read (and 2 x book review from Juan) that was posted in September 2021. The standout for me was Candide by Voltaire, very witty and has obviously stood the test of time (it was published 260 years ago!). Most of the rest were pretty solid books that ranged from philosophy to children's books to religion to suffering (both fictional and in real life). Quite a mixed bag indeed.

I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!

Timeline:
(0:00) - Intro
(0:37) - Candide: Voltaire
(1:45) - The Little Prince: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
(2:57) - Going Clear: Lawrence Wright
(4:18) - Lord Of The Flies: William Golding
(5:53) - Hiroshima: John Hersey
(7:20) - Discourses & Selected Writings: Epictetus
(9:18) - The Death Of Ivan Ilyich: Leo Tolstoy
(11:13) - Changes coming up in October 2021


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