Ryan's Book Blog – Page 25 – I read therefore I am.

The Life Changing Science of Detecting Bullshit

March 7, 2023 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Written in July of 2021, The Life Changing Science of Detecting Bullshit is a book describing how we are all full of it.

My Thoughts

This was a decent read. I didn’t have any life changing moments while reading but I can say it primed me to be a little less full of myself and more inclined to listen closer to what people are saying. As the Savior said, “But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.” (Matt 5:37)

However, we all like a good tale as well. John Petrocelli does a good job in rating what a person says as Bullshit (and uses the word frequently) by giving in an index of so many flies. (1 through 3.) A BS fly index of 1 would just be someone trying to sound like he saw the game last night when really he has no idea what he is talking about. Still BS but harmless. However, he rated the Mao’s “great leap forward” (resulting in 30 million to 55 million deaths) with a BS index of 3. That’s a pretty big jump in my estimation and I felt like there could be a little more gray in the scale.

Recommendation

I liked it but I won’t be reading it again.

A Stillness at Appomattox

March 3, 2023 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Written back in 1953, A Stillness at Appomattox is the last book in the “Army of the Potomac” series by Bruce Catton. It picks up with General Grant’s entrance into the war and the battle’s in Spotsylvania.

My Thoughts

A very enjoyable read! I like history and particularly when it is in my backyard. I hopped in the car and went to the Spotsylvania battlefield to visit where most of this book took place. It really is amazing what we can learn by paying attention to the people who went before us.

Recommendations

I really enjoyed the book. However, it hasn’t been sanitized for modern readers as it was written in the 50s and directly quotes the people who lived in the 1840s. If you are so easily offended, perhaps a history book isn’t for you.

The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family

March 2, 2023 by Ryan

Background

Published in October of 2021, The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family is the autobiography of both Ron and Clint Howard.

My Thoughts

A very interesting read as they switch back and forth from Ron to Clint and back again. They really had a life that was very different than most of us yet they tried to keep it as normal as it could be.

Recommendation

I enjoyed it!

Putin’s World

February 23, 2023 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Written in Feb of 2023, Putin’s World is a history of both Russia and Vladimir Putin. The book attempts to illustrate how Russia sees itself in the world and why Vladimir Putin has been so successful maintaining leadership in the post Soviet era.

My Thoughts

This book was very interesting on a number of fronts. Having lived in Eastern Europe for a while, I had been exposed to the pride and even arrogance found in some of those cultures. I believe President Trump played to this perfectly even if he didn’t fully understand what he was doing. It does make me wonder where we would be in the Ukraine if he had another term in office.

There were a number of newer concepts that, I’m sorry to say, I didn’t think much about. I hadn’t really thought much of Russia as seeing itself as an Asian power rather than European. Of course, that doesn’t make much sense given the location and how it sees itself. It was simply a reflection of my ethnocentrism… I’m glad I had a chance to learn more and I look forward to more opportunities.

Recommendation

Great book on understanding Russia and it’s current president.

Inspired. Understanding Creativity. A Journey Through Art, Science, and the Soul

February 22, 2023 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Written in April of 2022, “Inspired. Understanding Creativity: A Journey Through Art, Science, and the Soul” is a book about how creativity works, how you can build it, and why that might matter.

My Thoughts

Creativity has been a flighty mistress throughout most of my life. I once really thought of myself as an artist, but these days, think of myself more of a technician. Modesty aside, there isn’t much I can’t do. However, how much can I do well? That’s always the question.

I took a creativity class back in the early college days. I really enjoyed it and still have the book from the course. (One of very few…) However, this book wasn’t looking so much at the practical. Rather it was focused more on the process of how creativity works.

Recommendation

I liked it and would recommend it. However, it didn’t have a ton to offer in terms of practical use.

Barbarian Lord

February 20, 2023 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Published in July of 2014, Barbarian Lord is a graphic novel of fighter who goes on adventures for honor and revenge.

My Thoughts

My son had read it and said my daughter had said it was basically He-Man in graphic novel form. So I was bound to read it. It didn’t take long at all to finish and I can’t say I’m a better person to have done so.

Visually, my daughter is correct. It is basically He-Man complete with a Skeletor-ish villain. However, there were some very graphic scenes in it which certainly wouldn’t have slipped by the censors of the early 80’s.

The plot was pretty sparce but you can’t really expect too much. It is basically a action movie in book form. (Spoiler alert, Barbarian Lord wins in the end…)

Recommendation

If this gets your kids to read then it’s all good. If not, you don’t need to spend any time with it.

No Time Like the Future

February 11, 2023 by Ryan

Background

Published in November of 2020, No Time Like the Future is a autobiographic story of how Michael J. Fox found out about his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis and how it has changed his life.

My Thoughts

I didn’t really know what to expect from the book but I found it hard to get through. It is his experience and there isn’t much I can relate with to his life. It was interesting to see how he reconciles decisions and events and what he thinks about life in general. On the whole, I wish him the best of luck and am thankful I am not in the public eye as much as he has been.

Recommendation

I found this book to be an easy read but a depressing subject.

Humankind

February 7, 2023 by Ryan

Background

Published in September of 2019, Humankind is a book about where humans came from and who they really are.

My Thoughts

An interesting read, the book came to me from my Aunt. Rutger Bregman’s style leads you down a road of ideas and pulls the rug out from under you at the last moment to make his point. He is dutch which makes sense why there are a lot of socialist assumptions throughout the book.

The underlying ideas is that people are basically good. I liked that idea and the examples given…

Recommendation

I’ve found myself recommending this book to a few select people. For example, he does make a compelling argument for social learning with which a co-worker was having trouble. However, it isn’t for everyone and isn’t a light read.

Hello Molly

January 31, 2023 by Ryan

Background

Published in April of 2022, Hello Molly is the autobiography of Molly Shannon of SNL and movie fame.

My Thoughts

After reading this, so much made sense about Molly Shannon. Her energy, her almost reckless self endangerment… It makes a lot of sense now…

It did serve to deepen the divide in how I think verses others.

Recommendation

It wasn’t bad.

The Four Winds

January 26, 2023 by Ryan

Background

Published in January of 2021, The Four Winds is the story of a woman and her kids leaving the farm in Texas during the dust bowl and heading to California. Things didn’t work out like they planned.

My Thoughts

I read this book because our church’s adult women put it out there as their book club pick. In short, I didn’t like it. It was reading the Grapes of Wrath again but this time with an empowerment story complete with a worthless husband.

Recommendation

I wasn’t a fan.