Scott

In a nutshell - go kill something and carry it home

Revisado: 01-08-25

The introduction grabbed me immediately, and the concept of comfort creep, whilst not new, definitely resonated with me. He covers a lot of ground (almost too much) in this book, but the author's justification for hunting and his rejection of low carb or low UPF approaches to eating I found hard to swallow. At the end of the day, I agree that we could all benefit from being a bit more comfortable with being less comfortable.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Determined: 'please see the attached pdf for a footnote'

Revisado: 11-14-24

Please see the review title for what I didn't like. The rest I found compelling and well-structured; a good dose of neuroscientific nuts and bolts balanced out by curious historical case studies and anecdotes. The rational part of my brain is perfectly willing to accept the absence and illusory nature of free will, but there is still a nagging itch around accountability and credit for choices that this book didn't quite reach. I do enjoy Sapolski's dry sense of humour - it did help to punctuate some of the otherwise drier passages of the text. I would recommend this book but I am not convinced that doing so will influence anyone else's decision to read it. Or will it?

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Compulsory reading for all generations

Revisado: 09-21-24

Haidt brings together much of his previous theses as we as those from other pop science authors to construct a compelling argument for reducing and limiting access to smart phones, especially for those in the 'sensitive period' of early adolescence.
I'm grateful that I read this before my own children reach this age so that I can implement his suggested strategies and better model healthy tech usage. I am also a teacher in an SEMH provision, and most of the parents and educators I speak to regarding the apparent mental health crisis amongst young people are quick to point to COVID as the primary cause, however I tend to agree with Haidt that the problems really started about 10 years earlier when smart phones became ubiquitous. His call to action would require a significant challenge to current social norms, but the hope lies in collective change and coordination between parents, schools and government policymakers. As such, I cannot recommend this title strongly enough.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

A must-read

Revisado: 01-27-24

There's no doubt the authors views will have attracted many critics over the years, but as a teacher and a parent, I found it hard to refute the overwhelming body of empirical evidence presented by Kohn in his book on behavioural manipulation through the use of rewards and punishments.
While he doesn't offer many particularly useful alternatives to the otherwise ubiquitous application of psychological practices that the majority of us assume to be based on proven science (behaviorism), Kohn goes to some length in repeating and rephrasing his basic thesis that we're all wrong, the system is broken, and the 'correct' way involves a much more radical approach to educating children and leading adults.
I was a little surprised to hear him make reference to (and seemingly endorse) the long-since debunked theory of 'learning styles'. I also would be interested to hear Kohn's perspective on universal basic income, as many of his arguments around the impact of money on motivation would equally support the notion of UBI.
Now 25 years since its publication, it is somewhat sad that so few have taken up the challenge this book presents, as it could lead to a revolution in schools, workplaces and homes if we agreed to drop punishments and rewards, and instead focused on giving bing back control, enhancing autonomy and encouraging authentic collaboration, curiosity and creativity.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Very entertaining and intellectually stimulating

Revisado: 11-18-23

I loved this book. It both appealed to my nerd tendencies and satisfied my guilty desire for drama. Best as an audiobook as Ray Porter's performance was spot on. I really enjoyed The Martian and this was probably even better in terms of the scientific complexity and pushing the boundaries of believability. The ONLY point where I feel the narrative took a convenient short cut was when Grace managed to learn Rocky's language and teach English to his alien companion. It's clear that Andy Weir is quite comfortable educating his readers on the fundamentals of physics and biology, but didn't want to risk opening a linguistic can of worms, so we are expected to taken as given that the two main characters were able to learn how to communicate with enough time and patience. Recommended to all, even if you aren't a sci-fi fan.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Don't expect the narrative simplicity of LOTR

Revisado: 08-27-23

The depth and complexity of the world created by Tolkien is truly mind boggling. The style of writing takes some getting used to, and large sections read more like historical accounts than stories. It certainly puts the more popular novels into the wider context, but it is a challenge to wrap your head around it all. I need to try again, but with a map in one hand and a middle earth family tree in the other.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Unconventional

Revisado: 07-29-23

Steven sets out to subvert the traditional rock autobiography stereotypes and succeeds, in much the same way he has done musically throughout his career. Relatable, sincere and compelling - I very much enjoyed getting to know the inner thoughts of an artist I've followed for many years.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Truly fascinating

Revisado: 05-07-23

Covering a wide range of neurological anomalies, listening to Rama's 'Phantoms' illicted a similar feeling in me to Kahneman's Thinking Fast and Slow. Hugely insightful and groundbreaking into experiences that are familiar to us all. The author is not afraid to tackle the deepest philosophical questions, armed with the scientific method and the mind of a genius. Well narrated, too.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Confirmed much of my existing beliefs regarding the importance of nature

Revisado: 04-28-23

Well written and with a truly international focus, the book covered plenty of ground and helped to reinforce what I always knew to be true about the therapeutic benefits of being outdoors in nature. Struggled initially with the narrator - especially when she tried to vary her voice for quotes. Hard to listen to at points, but a worthwhile read nonetheless.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

What's SJF's Problem?

Revisado: 03-13-23

As a long-time WBW blog subscriber, I've always appreciated Tim's dedication to research and commitment to intellectual integrity. What his book seems to lack, however, is the trademark humour I first got hooked on. As I read, I began to visualize a simple graphic of my own: two crossing lines on a set of axes representing the inverse relationship between the increasingly narrow focus of the content and my level of interest and ability to keep my attention on Tim's voice in my ear. The first half of the book was genuinely interesting, but took more effort in the second half as I found the focus on everything wrong with social justice fudamentalism harder to relate to and therefore not as engaging, The review title could just as easily have served as an alternative for the book itself and summed up much of the second half. Minor criticism aside, I genuinely enjoy reading Tim's labour of love and have nothing but respect for what he's achieved and for what the book sets out to do.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona