Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller, Lulu Miller

9 reviews

garfguy7's review against another edition

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

this was wonderful. genuinely so INTERESTING - but yes, as a fan of radiolab i can say the pacing and tone was kind of an odd replica. there’s a bit of millennial humour but not enough to be noticeably annoying. i was captivated by the idea that fish don’t actually exist about a year ago, but didn’t delve into it. this book makes me want to pursue marine biology seriously. maybe i’ll have more to say about this later but i do wanna say: i think the author waited so long to reveal that jordan was a eugenicist to illustrate her point without giving us a bad preconceived notion about the guy. the point is that he engages in eugenics in a horrific attempt at controlling the “ladder” of supremacy as far as i can tell. it’s all about control and detrimental categorization, trying to make sense of things 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Infertility, Racism, Rape, and Classism

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Alcohol

fridayreads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Infidelity, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, and Medical trauma

Minor: Addiction, Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Alcohol

librarymouse's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

About a third of the way through this book, having googled David Starr Jordan, I was ready to finish this, as a hate reader if need be. Jordan was, without question, a horrible man. The atrocities he inflicted upon the world with his promotion of eugenics outweigh any good he may have done as a scientist by multiple orders of magnitude. Seeing Lulu Miller's hero worship of the man was off-putting, the more I learned of him. However, I ended up really enjoying this book as I read on, as Miller explores her own life alongside Jordan's, she brings along the reader. We learn of the atrocities he's committedin the same order she did while conducting the research for this book. It's still hard to have the hero worship of the young Jordan, with his love of stars and rescy jokes, when faced with the knowledge of his role in the American Eugenics movement.

Jordan's hands-on malicious acts, like his touring endorsement of eugenics and the possible murder by poison of his benefactor are completely bonkers. I am constantly amazed that people Revere him, while simultaneously understanding, as I, too have been in awe of the young man he once was.

This book breaks down every facet of Jordan, from his political, religious, and social beliefs; to his family life, addressing each idiosyncrasy with data driven research.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Genocide, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

katyaw's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional medium-paced

3.0

There are so many content warnings, I lost count. Suicide attempts, infidelity, drinking to excess, racism, depression, nihilism, murder, eugenics, forced sterilization, etc.

The author writes well, but the book really centers on nihilism and human destructiveness in the name of desperately searching for order and comfort in this world. 

I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone sensitive.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Genocide, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

Minor: Rape and Abandonment

okarenhelena's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, Medical trauma, and Murder

Minor: Ableism, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol

emhunsbaker's review against another edition

challenging dark informative slow-paced

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Ableism, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

skudiklier's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

This book was really good! I had kind of weird expectations going in that made me wary of it, but by the time I got about halfway through I couldn't put it down. It goes a lot of places and has so many really important ideas. I'd definitely recommend it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Genocide, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Murder

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Drug use, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, and Sexual assault

Minor: Gun violence, Sexual content, and Alcohol

Eugenics, forced sterilization, r slur And mild/moderate people being eaten by animals

slynn's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective fast-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, and Murder

valerlance's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

I expected a biography full of taxonomy. Surprise! This book contains some of what I expected, but it's also a memoir and a philosophy text and even (for just a chapter or so) a murder mystery! I loved it so much!!! I highly recommend listening to the audiobook, which is read by the author herself and includes a wonderful, tender surprise after the epilogue.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Murder

Minor: Child death, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol

There's a lot of discussion of eugenics