Reviews with TLC

On Freedom by Timothy Snyder offers interesting insight into the concept of freedom and how people perceive freedom. It took me several pages to really get into the book, so be patient, particularly if you're expecting, as I was, it to be similar to Snyder's book, On Tyranny . I enjoyed the play between the personal and the universal demonstrating that all of life is interconnected. He talks about how myriad people view freedom. I wanted more his mentions of his classes with prisoners. There were moments where the things that have changed since he wrote On Freedom loomed above the page teasing the words Snyder wrote. I particularly liked the concept of viewing freedom as "freedom to" rather than "freedom from" because it felt more hopeful. On Freedom argues for five forms of freedom, Sovereignty, Unpredictability, Mobility, Factuality, and Solidarity. All of which raised my skepticism a few times. Snyder is mostly convincing in his arguments and his suppo...

A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn challenged me before I even opened it. The length seemed daunting and yet when I finished it also seemed liked it could've been much longer, perhaps even multiple volumes. I took my time with A People's History of the United States . I even listened to part of it as an audiobook but also read those same parts in the paper copy. Zinn tells the history of the United States that gets left out of the official history books by telling the story of the people instead of the elite. A People's History of the United States made me think about how lacking all my history classes were. It's fascinating to study the actions and interactions of regular people, especially when those actions dispel the myths of the romanticized history that offers people the excuse to ignore the parts they don't like. Zinn demonstrates repeatedly how change comes when the general population gets tired of being trodden on by the rich and u...

Less is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World by Jason Hickel offers an interesting perspective on the relationship between capitalism and the destruction of the Earth, societies, and even our connections to one another and the planet itself. Less is More explores the history and evolution of capitalism in the world without making excuses for it. Hickel exposes the damage of treating the planet as a place for resources rather than as the home we all share. Hickel writes in an engaging, informative way that explains and dissects the problem while offering reasons for hope. Less is More demonstrates possible paths toward degrowth that feel plausible but left me wondering if it's too late for some of the incremental changes proposed. Hickel does a really good job demonstrating why degrowth is a viable option for creating a more equitable society that holds the potential to save the world for all.  Less is More is a call to all of us to connect with the world on a deeper level and...

Disarming the Narcissist: Surviving & Thriving with the Self-Absorbed, Third Edition by Wendy T. Behary, LCSW is an interesting book. Behary approaches narcissism in a way that surprised me. The first surprise was to see her refer to narcissism as a kind of spectrum ranging from healthy to damaging narcissism. I had never considered the possibility of healthy narcissism. I had to stop at that point and really think about what she was saying before moving on. The examination of schemas and the encouragement to examine one's own schemas as well as those of the narcissist in one's life was interesting and at times a little uncomfortable, especially when it came to examining the other person's schemas. The techniques in Disarming the Narcissist often feel like, as Behary acknowledges more than once, they cater to the narcissist. It feels like many of the techniques described could work better for communication in general, but also I could see them backfiring, especially w...

If I Must Die: Poetry and Prose by Refaat Alareer starts its emotional impact with the cover and continues it page after page. Alareer weaves emotion with intellect through beautiful phrasing whether writing poetry or prose. If I Must Die examines the experience of Gazans through the eyes of a family man, poet, and scholar. The prose takes the reader into the moments of despair, moments of hope, and moments of resilience while living under bombardment and occupation. The poetry dips into the reader's heart and lifts humanity a little higher like a kite flying above inhumanity. Alareer consistently reminds the reader that history is the present and the present is history by demonstrating the connections of family and land that reach through generations. If I Must Die is a stark but inspirational reminder that holding on to hope isn't a luxury but a necessity in the struggle for liberation. Currently Reading: A People's History of the United States  by Howard Zinn   Disarm...

How To Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking by Sönke Ahrens read like a college dissertation. I first listened to (or at least started) How To Take Smart Notes as an audiobook while on a road trip. I didn't feel like I quite got it, so I immediately read the paperback version when I arrived home. While I understood Ahrens's point about the slip-box and its potential usefulness, I kept waiting for a depth into the process that never seemed to develop. How To Take Smart Notes felt repetitive beyond simply being consistent. Ahrens does a decent job of explaining his point, but I never felt excited about what the slip-box or its potential to change my productivity. Having read many, many books about writing techniques, this certainly felt like an option among many options including ones that already work for me. Ahrens claims that the slip-box is the only way to be productive several times and alludes to it even more putting my skepticism...

Combating Cult Mind Control: The Guide to Protection, Rescue and Recovery from Destructive Cults by Steven Hassan is an interesting and somewhat disturbing book. I rarely listen to audiobooks and even more rarely review books I listen to as audiobooks because I often don't feel like I can do an audiobook justice. However, Combating Cult Mind Control stuck with me. Hassan's story of becoming indoctrinated into a cult, the Moonies, his experience in the cult, and his eventual deprogramming is fascinating. Combating Cult Mind Control offers insight into the methods cults use while seeming to miss similarities to some groups not considered cults. Hassan tells his story and the story of helping others with a level of compassion and insight that reminded me of the fear of cults and the lack of compassion for the indoctrinated during my teenage years. I had never questioned where those fears or the lack of compassion came from, but Combating Cult Mind Control pushed me to revisit ...

On Zionist Literature  by Ghassan Kanafani (Translated by Mahmoud Najib)is an intense and insightful look at the impact of literature on public opinion and governmental policy. Kanafani examines how movies, books, and other works of art have been used to elicit sympathy and support for Zionist ideology. On Zionist Literature examines not only the stereotypes of the Palestinian people but also the stereotypes of Jewish people that are woven through Zionist literature creating a situation to excuse the oppression of the Palestinian people. Kanafani demonstrates how those stereotypes often harm Jewish people, especially those unwilling to embrace Zionism.  On Zionist Literature is a reminder that literature can be used to influence people all over the world for better or worse illustrating the responsibility people creating literature hold to be mindful in their message and that consumers of said literature need to be mindful of the influence literature can have. Currently Read...

The Guided Meditation Handbook: The Complete Guide To Writing, Leading, & Recording Guided Meditations by Max Highstein is an easy and enjoyable dive into creating meditations. Highstein breaks down the process of writing meditations complete with examples and explanations of those examples. The Guided Meditation Handbook covers many aspects of creating meditations for personal use, to lead, and to record, and to upload to meditation sites. Highstein made writing, recording, and sharing meditations feel feasible. I felt excited about attempting to write a few meditations, recording them, and sharing them by the time I finished reading The Guided Meditation Handbook . Currently Reading: A People's History of the United States  by Howard Zinn   On Zionist Literature   by Ghassan Kanafani We the Gathered Heat: Asian American and Pacific Islander Poetry, Performance, and Spoken Word   by Franny Choi, Bao Phi, No'u Revilla, and Terisa Siagaonu (editors) Disclosure: T...

A Beginner's Guide to American Mah Jongg by Elaine Sandberg answered several questions that had arisen after friends introduced me American Mah Jongg recently. Sandberg explains the tiles, the game, and strategies well with a bit of levity that made the information feel more accessible. A Beginner's Guide to American Mah Jongg contains quizzes and exercises to aid in learning. I took all the quizzes and discovered I'd already done some of the exercises, but I think it would be advantageous to work through all the exercises. I also think I might take the book along next time I play since everyone in the group I'm playing with is relatively new to the game. Sandberg's approach helped me feel less intimidated. A Beginner's Guide to American Mah Jongg is a well written, informative resource for anyone getting started playing American Mah Jongg. Currently Reading: A People's History of the United States  by Howard Zinn   The Guided Meditation Handbook: The Com...

Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses by Robin Wall Kimmerer changed the way I see moss. Before I started reading Gathering Moss , I jokingly told my husband that by the time I finished the book I would probably never let him clear the moss from our yard again. Turns out it was no joke. Kimmerer examines, explains, and describes mosses in a way that had me increasingly appreciating the role they play in our ecosystems. I felt like Kimmerer took me into the forest, the bog, and the river with her as she researched myriad mosses. The microecosystems living within the moss fascinated me while the resiliency of the mosses gave me hope. Kimmerer also shines a very bright light on the destructiveness of people and how that destructiveness is sometimes wrapped up in what are expressed as good intentions.  Gathering Moss brought me to a place of appreciation for the mosses on my trees, in my yard, and on my porch by making Kimmerer's research feel relevant to my life....

One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad explores the attitudes of the West toward other people and other nations in language, particularly Middle Eastern nations, that is brilliant in its simplicity. El Akkad doesn't sugarcoat the message about how powerful people strive to hold onto power and expand that power at the expense of those who they see as powerless but also deem dangerous. One, Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This exposes how the media and various governments push the agenda of the powerful until the damage is done and can't be reversed before they pivot to talk about how horrible things were and then seek out quotes to prove they were always against the atrocity even when the body of evidence proves otherwise. El Akkad had me nodding along with his assessments, wincing at his observations, and blinking back tears at his descriptions. He weaves the past with the present and the personal with the societal in ways that demon...

Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World by Naomi Klein presents an observation on the world that I desperately wanted to not make as much sense as it did. I didn't want to see the parallels between the beliefs I hold dear and the ones I absolutely abhor. Yet, Klein reminded me of something I've long preached to others - that we need to see each other to understand each other to make any real change. Much of what Doppelganger examines also proves that the issues we face are far more nuanced than we think and how that lack of nuance sends us to our own corners repeatedly. Klein weaves a narrative that demonstrates how easy it is for people in power to sow divisiveness by creating doppelganger ideologies that have us seeing each other as the problem instead of seeing the power of unity. Klein uses her own experience of being confused with Naomi Wolf repeatedly to illustrate her point and to explain what motivated her to look into the mirror world and find all these doppelgang...