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curioustomes's reviews
29 reviews
Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention—and How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
4.0
It is truly alarming how we are manipulated without even knowing it.
Hari explains how "big tech" uses our attention, however they wish, to fill their pockets. This is a great book to help us all "wake up" in a society where it feels we are zombie robots, mindlessly creating wealth for companies that don't have our best interests in mind.
Some of the most interesting chapters I found were about generational differences and how starkly our attention spans have declined; aswell as how to regain the habits and practices we have lost.
Despite the fact that there is a room of engineers working to keep my attention, Hari has made me feel I can lift my head and focus on the things I really want to be doing.
I really recommend for anyone struggling to disconnect.
Hari explains how "big tech" uses our attention, however they wish, to fill their pockets. This is a great book to help us all "wake up" in a society where it feels we are zombie robots, mindlessly creating wealth for companies that don't have our best interests in mind.
Some of the most interesting chapters I found were about generational differences and how starkly our attention spans have declined; aswell as how to regain the habits and practices we have lost.
Despite the fact that there is a room of engineers working to keep my attention, Hari has made me feel I can lift my head and focus on the things I really want to be doing.
I really recommend for anyone struggling to disconnect.
12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson
I've never really seen the value in religion, especially Christianity, didn't think this book was how I would see its worth. But here we are. Didn't put that on my bingo card this year!
I feel Peterson harnessed a lot of the values, principles and lessons my parents tried to teach me and put it into a really accessible format. As a parent I think he would be pretty happy to hear that.
I really enjoy personal annecdotes, extra points if they are dark, shocking, morbid and emotional, which Peterson delivers here.
My opinion on Peterson has greaty changed after reading this book. I once dismissed him as a misogynist and cringe podcast shit talker. However, after hearing more on his personal philosophies and life experiences, I'm more inclined to think of him as a very intelligent and down-to-earth Psychologist.
The audio was a really great choice with this book.
Also, my eating style is animal-based/carnivore and I was very interested to note Peterson and his family also follow the same eating habits. Just another reason I changed opinion so dramatically.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
This book will "...brighten your spark and help you wish well to others..."
Through the rules and unexpectedly, a lot of bible analysis, Peterson conveys the paradox that life is very deep and not deep at all.
I've never really seen the value in religion, especially Christianity, didn't think this book was how I would see its worth. But here we are. Didn't put that on my bingo card this year!
I feel Peterson harnessed a lot of the values, principles and lessons my parents tried to teach me and put it into a really accessible format. As a parent I think he would be pretty happy to hear that.
I really enjoy personal annecdotes, extra points if they are dark, shocking, morbid and emotional, which Peterson delivers here.
My opinion on Peterson has greaty changed after reading this book. I once dismissed him as a misogynist and cringe podcast shit talker. However, after hearing more on his personal philosophies and life experiences, I'm more inclined to think of him as a very intelligent and down-to-earth Psychologist.
The audio was a really great choice with this book.
Also, my eating style is animal-based/carnivore and I was very interested to note Peterson and his family also follow the same eating habits. Just another reason I changed opinion so dramatically.
Atomic Habits by James Clear by James Clear
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
If you enjoy diving into the hidden psychology of our unconscious minds and learning how to harness that power to your advantage, you'll like this one.
A great read to start the year off! Clear focuses on giving the reader practical tips and backs them up with anecdotal evidence of how he applies these tips to his own life—with both failures and successes. He's seems humble.
There is something for everyone to take away from this book. I know I took away a lot.
I personally enjoy listening to non-fiction, but I also own a physical copy, and it has already been incredibly helpful.
I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Reid doesn't rely on gruesome details or jump scares to scare you in this one. At the start, I thought, This is not at all what I thought I was getting into. It's not even scary, and this car trip is taking forever. However, I couldn't stop reading. Very slowly, this creepy, unsettling feeling set in—so gradually you wouldn't even notice. You'll be afraid but won't really know why... I'm still unsure if I do know, even after finishing the book.
I'll be honest: this book won't be for everyone. But I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy A24 movies and weird, creepy, ambiguous horror.
It would also really suit a book club or buddy read as it sparks a lot of conversation and my friends and I all had different opinions on what actually happened.
I think this book would really come to life in a re-read.
It would also really suit a book club or buddy read as it sparks a lot of conversation and my friends and I all had different opinions on what actually happened.
I think this book would really come to life in a re-read.
Harmony by Whitney Hanson
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
I'm not a major poetry reader but I really got around this collection, I feel its a very accessible style. Some poems were very impactful and others didn't have very much depth, they may just not relate to my experience.
It was great to be able to pick Harmony up at anytime and feel connected to those I've lost. That is how I read it, picking it up periodically and even swapping between the 4 sections: Love, Loss, Grief and Healing as I liked. It was a great reading experience, especially as I previously thought poetry would be dry or boring or I "wouldn't get it".
It was great to be able to pick Harmony up at anytime and feel connected to those I've lost. That is how I read it, picking it up periodically and even swapping between the 4 sections: Love, Loss, Grief and Healing as I liked. It was a great reading experience, especially as I previously thought poetry would be dry or boring or I "wouldn't get it".
A Sunny Place for Shady People by Mariana Enríquez
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Enriquez has a talent for creating really striking titles.
A Sunny Place for Shady People is horror but not in the style of shock and gore. She spins the folklore, mythology and superstitions of Argentina into surreal and macabre horror. Enriquez's fascination with the dark side of the mundane sits a little too close to home. Even if I didn't enjoy the overall story, every one had something that stood out, whether it be: the imagery, the atmosphere, the characters or the body feeling when reading.
A Sunny Place for Shady People is horror but not in the style of shock and gore. She spins the folklore, mythology and superstitions of Argentina into surreal and macabre horror. Enriquez's fascination with the dark side of the mundane sits a little too close to home. Even if I didn't enjoy the overall story, every one had something that stood out, whether it be: the imagery, the atmosphere, the characters or the body feeling when reading.
In this short story collection, the characters aren't always good people, they're deeply flawed but they are very relatable and profoundly, scarily human.
I enjoyed the stories more the further I got through the book. The title story was interestingly my least favourite.
A good choice for new-to-horror readers and return readers will really appreciate it as well.
I enjoyed the stories more the further I got through the book. The title story was interestingly my least favourite.
A good choice for new-to-horror readers and return readers will really appreciate it as well.