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Explaining Humans: What Science Can Teach Us about Life, Love and Relationships by Camilla Pang
bfrearson's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
3.0
It’s a really interesting concept, and an insight into how the author sees the world. As tools for myself, I’m not sure I gained much though—the connections she makes between scientific principles and human concepts felt both obvious to me and contrived at the same time. While it might be helpful, for example, to think of relationships as molecular bonds, there is always a limitation in the metaphor, and it feels odd to draw from these ideas as if they are absolute truths.
It’s still useful though to realise that this is how some people view the world, and the book was well written.
It’s still useful though to realise that this is how some people view the world, and the book was well written.
mandyvr's review against another edition
As an autistic ADHD’er with a psychology degree this book sounded really interesting. Today, I decided to give up and just count it as a DNF. Even if I dislike a book, I usually make myself finish it anyways but this book was just too boring to me. I also felt that the things I did read were not necessarily helping me understand the concept she tries to help you understand. Chapter 2 for example is called ‘How to embrace your weird’ and draws the analogy to proteins. Well, to summarise, different types of proteins take on different roles and each is needed for your body to work efficiently. They need to work together and each one is valuable in their own way. So to embrace your weird you just need to be less self conscious and more accepting of different types of people… like seriously? To me it feels like the author wanted to info dump.
I also want to mention that, because of their problematic nature and history, I didn’t appreciate the use of ‘high functioning’ and Asperger’s in the introduction. I guess I expected the author to be aware of this considering her interest in science, words, and her own neurodiversity.
I also want to mention that, because of their problematic nature and history, I didn’t appreciate the use of ‘high functioning’ and Asperger’s in the introduction. I guess I expected the author to be aware of this considering her interest in science, words, and her own neurodiversity.
apierlessbridge's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.0
zwyrdish's review against another edition
4.0
What a unique perspective! I enjoyed Ms. Pang's writing very much, and so appreciated the hardship of what she went through to be in a place where she could articulate the things that had never made any sense to her, and how she made them more accessible. I've been close to people who - while perhaps not as severely affected as Camilla - have expressed similar experiences of the world and humanity (my son among them). I was thoroughly impressed by the canny way that she learned to understand human behaviors through her love of science by drawing parallels to behaviors she had observed in organisms. I was particularly intrigued by the way she used her observations to come up with strategies for making her way in the world with other humans. She has a delightful way of expressing herself through her words and drawings.
If you are a person, or know a person who just doesn't get humans - I highly recommend this book.
If you are a person, or know a person who just doesn't get humans - I highly recommend this book.
abigailmariexx's review against another edition
2.5
It was lovely to see the word ‘Aspie’ again and I found a lot of Pang’s experiences reassuringly relatable. But this was ultimately a self-help book with some science bits shoehorned in to make, it felt at times, the author appear to be Very Special and everybody else Very Not.
I do think Pang has some good advice for people struggling with people but this book wasn’t the way to go about it.
I do think Pang has some good advice for people struggling with people but this book wasn’t the way to go about it.
aehsan's review against another edition
1.0
I think I got the wrong idea
This is not a book about explaining or understanding human societies but how the author coped with understanding peop!e and society vi a app!ting pro cip!we of physics. It's self help not science. Not what I was looking for at all.
This is not a book about explaining or understanding human societies but how the author coped with understanding peop!e and society vi a app!ting pro cip!we of physics. It's self help not science. Not what I was looking for at all.
luanndie's review against another edition
2.0
Explaining humans es un libro de autoayuda mezclado con un libro de ciencias. Con el título y la sinopsis, esperaba encontrarme un análisis del comportamiento humano, y en su lugar tenemos diferentes facetas comparadas con complejos conceptos científicos que no aportan ninguna claridad al tema y cuya utilización como metáfora está muy a menudo cogido con pinzas. Además, más que un análisis de lo que es, Pang tiende a centrarse en como debería ser y como podemos mejorar nuestras relaciones humanas a través de esas comparaciones científicas. Su forma de escribir tampoco me ha encantado y a menudo se me hacia farragosa o aburrida. La única excepción a esto es cuando Pang explica anécdotas o qué significa para ella vivir siendo neurodivergente, pero lejos de su intención, no creo que sus experiencias ni sus métodos de lidiar con ellas sean extrapolables ni si quiera a otras personas con autismo.