Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Los peces no existen by Lulu Miller

35 reviews

okarenhelena's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

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

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

apworden's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Classism, Mental illness, Murder, Racism, and Rape

emhunsber's review against another edition

challenging dark informative slow-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

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

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

empathephant's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Racism, Mental illness, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Xenophobia, and Confinement

Minor: Self harm, Rape, Abandonment, Animal death, Animal cruelty, War, Child death, and Police brutality

Eugenics

slynn's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, and Murder

eschell's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

I thought this book would be a strictly scientific reading on perhaps the failings of Western thinking to encapsulate the natural world, and while it did cover much of that issue, it also was a touching story about a woman dealing with depression through an exploration of a 19th century scientist. The author did an excellent job navigating the oft problematic nature of David Starr Jordan's work, personality, actions, and beliefs while keeping the reader grounded in his humanity by emphasizing her own parallel struggles. As I hoped, she did disavow many of his terrible actions and centered a large section of the book on how he hurt others-- most notably those that were forcibly sterilized due to his lobbying of eugenics that were rooted in his flawed view of a natural hierarchy. I learned about taxonomy, humanity, history, and gained what I believe to be an unusual intimacy with the author. The author also attended UVA and referenced the school several times, which was a fun surprise. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Self harm and Suicidal thoughts

spiderwitch's review against another edition

informative slow-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Racism

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: 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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Murder

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

There's a lot of discussion of eugenics

emilygigs's review against another edition

dark informative reflective medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Medical trauma

Minor: Child death and Infidelity

rorikae's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

4.0

'Why Fish Don't Exist' by LuLu Miller is an engaging nonfiction book that moves between Miller's desire to find meaning within her own life and her exploration of the life of David Starr Jordan. As Miller learns more about Jordan's life, she unravels a man that though known for his accomplishments, such as his work as a taxonomist and as the first president of Stanford University, has incredible flaws and terrible views about the world. The way that Miller uncovers these discoveries about Jordan's life are engaging as we slowly come to learn more about this man and his descent into eugenics. 
This is a hard book as Miller discusses her struggles with mental illness and searching for meaning but it ultimately has a very hope filled conclusion. Miller presents a way to reframe how we see the world that has helped her find meaning and I found it to be very moving. She challenges the reader to look beyond what we take for granted to see how assumptions and even taxonomies can get in the way of discovering the beauty and complexity of life. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Mental illness, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Forced institutionalization

Minor: Car accident