Biography

No One Cares About Crazy People

Leave a Comment

Background

Ron Powers, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, novelist, and non-fiction writer. He also lost a son to suicide and almost lost the other. Both were impacted with mental illness. This book documents their family’s journey through the events and brought them through to today. It also gives a history of mental illness in America and the policies and politics shaping how we react to them.

No One Cares About Crazy People
No One Cares About Crazy People

My Comments

Mr. Powers is a great writer. His style is engaging and his story telling is first rate. I empathize with his plight and, as a father of 4, I can’t imagine losing one of my precious kids.

That said, I didn’t enjoy this book. I put it aside a number of times because it would upset me. Part of my being upset was at the system in general as Mr. Powers intended but, only part… It is my belief he gave a one sided Micheal Moore style view of so many things. So much rhetoric… He ran the gamut of what is wrong without giving much in the way of what could be right.

To declare my bias, I have worked in the mental health industry. I hold a BS in sociology with a minor in psychology and my studies were with criminality and deviance. From my experience, there is so much more to the issue than this book presented. Mr. Powers paints with a very broad brush and dismisses nearly everyone with whom he doesn’t agree.

Recommendations

I wouldn’t recommend this book. While there is some value in understanding his families plight, I think the book was cathartic for Mr. Powers. I can’t recommend it.

American Sniper

Leave a Comment

Background

The book American Sniper came out in 2012 well before the movie. Chris Kyle is credited as the sniper with the most confirmed kills of any American before. The story is in his words and was completed before he was killed in 2013.

American Sniper
American Sniper

My Thoughts

I still haven’t seen the movie so I was very interested in the book. I work with our Marines on a daily basis and was interested in the book purely on that merit. Much of the war aspects rung true with what I had been told in my years of working with the Marines. Of course, Chris Kyle was a Navy SEAL but he frequently worked with Marines and was very complimentary of them.

I was struck in particular of how plain his words were. We have heard so much rhetoric in our society, I enjoyed hearing an unvarnished version. No apologies, no excuses. He simply was who he was and was just fine with it.

My personal opinion is that war really sucks. It is also sometimes justified. Rarely are there black and white decisions. Chris Kyle says he sees things in mostly black and white with very little grey. I suppose he had to think of it that way to do his job.

I had a discussion a long time ago with an older gentlemen on the topic of war. The man told his sons, “Be loving in peace but be terrible in war.” I had a hard time with that concept then. I’m still struggling with it now. However, I do see the utility in the statement.

Recommendation

If you are an adult who is relatively secure with yourself, I would suggest you read this book. I did enjoy it and the thoughts it spurred. However, it is graphic and violent and generally not for folks with a forming or weaker constitution. It discusses a topic we should all know about and we are very fortunate to have avoided.

An Introduction to Greek Philosophy

Leave a Comment

The Book

In this case, the book isn’t really a book. Rather is a series of 24 lectures from Professor David Roochnik of Boston University. They are part of the Great Courses Series.

An Introduction to Greek Philosophy
An Introduction to Greek Philosophy

Scope

The lectures took us from the early Greek philosophers and we made it to Socrates at lecture 8. Lectures 9 – 16 were on Plato and 17 – 23 were on Aristotle. The final lecture was on the “Philosophical Life” which wrapped it all together. Each lecture was 30 minutes long.

Take Away

I enjoyed the lectures. Professor Roochnik did a wonderful job of keeping me engaged through the series and I feel I learned a great deal. I have always been interested in philosophy and I was pleasantly surprised with how much ground the Greeks covered and what impact they had on Western thought.

I had no idea Socrates was such a minor figure. After all, Bill and Ted picked up Socrates not Plato or Aristotle… I came away thinking of Socrates less like the Grandfatherly figure shepherding his young students along to more of a Rodney Dangerfield was just “can’t get any respect”.

I knew of Plato’s Republic. I had heard of his analogy of the shadows on the cave wall but I didn’t know he only wrote in conversations and never really came out and stated what he as Plato felt. This seems to be very subjective…

I knew nearly nothing of Aristotle. Of course, I had heard the name and knew he was Plato’s student but that was really about it. I appreciated seeing where he differed from Plato and how he thoughts were the basis of thought throughout so much of Western history. I’m left to wonder what the role of women would have been in the last 2000 years had Plato been the last word on the subject.

Rating

I would definitely recommend it to others

Bossypants

Leave a Comment

The Book

Bossypants is a book by Tina Fey and published in 2011.

Bossypants
Bossypants

Scope

277 pages of Tina Fey talking about her life to 2011.

Take Away

I liked Tina Fey before and now I like her even more! I can’t unsee the man arms on the cover of the book but I guess it does apply. Sort of…

Tina Fey is hilarious! I don’t agree with everything she does and says but I do enjoy her humor. It was great seeing behind the curtain of how she got into writing, ended up doing Sarah Palin on SNL and how 30 Rock started. It makes me want to watch it all again.

Rating

I would definitely recommend this to anyone.