Astra Castra

Oddly fun

Revisado: 04-09-25

I’m no historian not an academic. I’ve never read M’s essays, but I found this delightful.

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Whoa

Revisado: 03-24-25

It’s the epilogue that blew my mind the most. But also worth the journey. I have a high tolerance for poetic thought— which is the path this memoir of science, medicine and human behavior takes. You might also need such a tolerance to enjoy this impressive but strange project.

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Attentiveness and intimacy

Revisado: 11-25-24

This is why we read novels, to be immersed in other lives. Very detailed, very visual and quietly emotional. My first Sally Rooney novel. The writing is odd— sentence fragments/ verb tense changes— but it lulled me into itself.

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What fun!

Revisado: 03-24-23

This book is a rolling good time! Don’t miss it! But don’t listen on the train— because you will giggle and snort and slap your knee. You might even cry. Just don’t embarrass Penny! She has enough problems with her divorce, her dreary job, her disappeared parents, her crazy grandmother— and her grandmother’s accountant’s health challenges. For some reason all that is very funny when EM writes it.

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I bought it

Revisado: 03-07-23

The first section reads like an Edith Wharton novel— quite lovely. The second and third section get a bit lost in their dogma— it’s really more a celebration of Capitalism than a critique. Capitalists are so fascinating! The last section brings it all home— but with more of a whimper than a bang.

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That was great!

Revisado: 02-19-23

Good writing. Good thinking. If you read David Copperfield, it’s more fun— but not necessary.

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Well, I couldn’t put it down, but that doesn’t mean I liked it!

Revisado: 07-20-21

I love the reader for this Audible format. She could read the phone book, and I’d listen. But here she reads a terrifying story without any moral or humane resolution. If you’re a mother or a daughter, I would stay away from this story— if you can. Very depressing and disorienting— but if you like that kind of thing, dig in.

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We are all culpable

Revisado: 07-22-20

This is a frightening and thorough account. I found this book very unsettling and impossible to put down. Many lessons here. Love your children, Moms and Dads! Teach kindness and generosity. And let’s not tolerate incompetence and authoritarianism!!

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Fantastic!

Revisado: 09-22-19

Love this book! A western with camels and other insights. Beautiful writing. Audible version has great readers.

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Takes one to know one

Revisado: 02-26-18

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Mr. Peterson's basic thesis is that humans are born bad and cultural norms and socialization make us good— sacrifice for others makes us good— unless it goes to far, e.g. Marxism. But in his criticism of dogma, Peterson becomes dogmatic! His anti-Marxist, pro-capitalist views are refreshing in the first half of the book— but by rule 11 become scary and oppressive.

What was most disappointing about Jordan B. Peterson and Norman Doidge - foreword M.D. ’s story?

He criticizes idealism and then succumbs to it.

Which character – as performed by Jordan B. Peterson – was your favorite?

He is a very emotional reader which is lovely, and his chapter on meaning and the emotional and poetic end to it are really beautiful and moving.

Any additional comments?

So: I enjoyed the book... especially the first three-quarters, and then he got kind of extreme and freaked me out.

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