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jiujensu's reviews
454 reviews
Chasing the North Star by Robert Morgan
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
3.0
Hm. What to say. Possibly we've (as in white people) learned a lot since the publishing in 2016? As he's an NC author, I wanted to like this, but a white man writing black characters had all the problems you'd expect. Too much reverence for the slave owners, slave owner's wife, the Bible and other stuff white people like. The main character was raised by his own mother, families weren't separated, and he waxed nostalgic about food he ate and the slave owner's wife's gifts while living in the woods - it felt off, downright idyllic, totally unrealistic.
It's not that he's a bad writer - this is fine as an adult boxcar children sort of adventure story as far as the traveling from SC to NY goes - but just maybe shouldn't have been this subject. The descriptions of nature are fine and there are things he gives more details about, like snakes, that you can guess he might have an interest in. That was fun. The characters and slavery are presented a bit too cartoonishly - but you could look at this as maybe a dream or best case scenario of slavery and the escape?? Idk why you'd want to do that though.
The female character or foil needs a bit of work. Lots of odd mentions of her size - fatphobic possibly. I don't know what the purpose of that was. To keep saying she breasted boobily maybe? The rapes were glossed over as though because she had to do it to survive, it didn't traumatize her. Her main characteristics were: not terribly smart, latched onto the main character oddly early even after his abandoning her 4x, dreamed of and loved shining her floor. I would've liked to see a female character with more depth and substance.
Overall, Kindred by Octavia Butler and Night Wherever We Go by Tracey Rose Peyton would be better reads for this type of historical fiction and depth of female characters. I haven't read Fire on the Mountain by Bisson to see how it stacks up (he's another white guy, I think) but that's about the alternate history if John Brown's raid had ended slavery.
It's not that he's a bad writer - this is fine as an adult boxcar children sort of adventure story as far as the traveling from SC to NY goes - but just maybe shouldn't have been this subject. The descriptions of nature are fine and there are things he gives more details about, like snakes, that you can guess he might have an interest in. That was fun. The characters and slavery are presented a bit too cartoonishly - but you could look at this as maybe a dream or best case scenario of slavery and the escape?? Idk why you'd want to do that though.
The female character or foil needs a bit of work. Lots of odd mentions of her size - fatphobic possibly. I don't know what the purpose of that was. To keep saying she breasted boobily maybe? The rapes were glossed over as though because she had to do it to survive, it didn't traumatize her. Her main characteristics were: not terribly smart, latched onto the main character oddly early even after his abandoning her 4x, dreamed of and loved shining her floor. I would've liked to see a female character with more depth and substance.
Overall, Kindred by Octavia Butler and Night Wherever We Go by Tracey Rose Peyton would be better reads for this type of historical fiction and depth of female characters. I haven't read Fire on the Mountain by Bisson to see how it stacks up (he's another white guy, I think) but that's about the alternate history if John Brown's raid had ended slavery.
A Spectre, Haunting: On the Communist Manifesto by China Miéville
slow-paced
5.0
This book includes the Communist Manifesto in the appendix and has a section by section explanation to start us off. Not just praise, but criticism - and unlike many who get popular talking about this, no red scare Mccarthyite propaganda. The tendency in the mainstream is to associate anything Marxist, communist, socialist, etc, including the Manifesto with Stalin. Mieville will debunk this and other falsehoods throughout. The discussion of hate at the end was invigorating - it's not at the individual but the systems.
And there's a great discussion near the end referencing Tad Delay about people having desire, not desire for knowledge - you can't fact check racist relatives into the light. We should have a little give in our belief (a band rather than a line) but still maintain values.
---loved this---
"Not that we should make a counter-fetish of uncertainty. To have fidelity at all to the project of this Manifesto, no matter how critically, is to be convinced of certain claims of which capitalism and its ideologues demand we remain unsure: that inequality and oppression aren't states of nature; that our social reality is controlled by the few; that it's so controlled in opposition to the needs and rights of the many; that we have the capability, at the very least, to make it worth attempting to change the world. That if we succeed, it will be better for the vast majority. There are minimum grounds for agreement without which comradely activity and radical analysis are functionally impossible. Some certainties and what we might call humilophobia can be liabilities for radical change, but not all."
---
I wouldn't call this the most accessible book. It was kind of a hard read. Though maybe my focus has been off. And my study was science, not humanities, so I often have to do more work to catch up there. But it's an important book for the thoroughness and thoughtfulness and overall sticking to facts over some weird anticommunist agenda so common today.
And there's a great discussion near the end referencing Tad Delay about people having desire, not desire for knowledge - you can't fact check racist relatives into the light. We should have a little give in our belief (a band rather than a line) but still maintain values.
---loved this---
"Not that we should make a counter-fetish of uncertainty. To have fidelity at all to the project of this Manifesto, no matter how critically, is to be convinced of certain claims of which capitalism and its ideologues demand we remain unsure: that inequality and oppression aren't states of nature; that our social reality is controlled by the few; that it's so controlled in opposition to the needs and rights of the many; that we have the capability, at the very least, to make it worth attempting to change the world. That if we succeed, it will be better for the vast majority. There are minimum grounds for agreement without which comradely activity and radical analysis are functionally impossible. Some certainties and what we might call humilophobia can be liabilities for radical change, but not all."
---
I wouldn't call this the most accessible book. It was kind of a hard read. Though maybe my focus has been off. And my study was science, not humanities, so I often have to do more work to catch up there. But it's an important book for the thoroughness and thoughtfulness and overall sticking to facts over some weird anticommunist agenda so common today.
Natural Causes: Death, Lies and Politics in America's Vitamin and Herbal Supplement Industry by Dan Hurley
5.0
Older book, but the puzzling popularity and peril of supplements hasn't changed!
The Vagina Bible: The Vulva and the Vagina: Separating the Myth from the Medicine by Jen Gunter
informative
medium-paced
5.0
Pretty good basic info and mythbusting in the first chapters. I think it could be good in thinking about how to educate your kids about their bodies and sex - or yourself if you didn't get to take very much biology or life science in school. Good basic info. (For example: There are jokes about finding the clitoris in the zeitgeist, but i think a lot of folks would be surprised by the actual structure of it.)
Halfway through I got bogged down with every chapter being about a disease, symptoms, and treatment. Rather encyclopedic. The middle was tedious for that reason, but it's good info. Though if you didn't have much biology or sex ed in your schooling, it could be very educational.
Ch38 Has a useful bit about how to describe things to your provider. Many patients will discuss a diagnosis, but you should stick to symptoms.
The last chapter was a bunch of old wives tales and pseudoscience to avoid, which was entertaining. And probably super informative if you don't hyperfixate on myths and pseudoscience already like I do.
Halfway through I got bogged down with every chapter being about a disease, symptoms, and treatment. Rather encyclopedic. The middle was tedious for that reason, but it's good info. Though if you didn't have much biology or sex ed in your schooling, it could be very educational.
Ch38 Has a useful bit about how to describe things to your provider. Many patients will discuss a diagnosis, but you should stick to symptoms.
The last chapter was a bunch of old wives tales and pseudoscience to avoid, which was entertaining. And probably super informative if you don't hyperfixate on myths and pseudoscience already like I do.
The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence by Gavin de Becker
1.0
He stresses intuition, so I have to say his Oprah recommendation, government and OJ trial told me this was going to be bad. The only reason I kept slogging away long after I wanted to stop reading in there first chapters was because it's frequently recommended in jiu-jiutsu or self-defense circles.
While there were a few interesting chapters, I do not recommend this at all. This could've been a zine with some of his checklists as cute infographics.
Some observations:
Too many cutsey little analogies crammed together.
Chapters 1-4 are mostly cringe.
Chapters 5-7 are not wholly trash. Meh.
Chapters 8, 9, and 14 is his wheelhouse - he knows something about celebrity stalking.
DV section (Chapters 10-11) was victim blamey.
Chapters 12, 13, and 15 are cringe and meh.
Whole thing is hindsight is 20/20, examining these incidents postmortem while encouraging you to apply the several lists he uses in office analyses in the moment. Okay, guy.
Generally feels like individual solutions to systemic problems in ineffective libertarian style - except where he talks about his cases.
The last page was a nice optimistic send off - he hopes we aren't afraid.
Those few chapters he spoke about his profession - cases he worked to predict a suspect's actions or thwart a stalker of an actress or Supreme Court justice were great. He abandoned his silly metaphor-heavy and rather condescending victim blaiming style and just told compelling stories.
I didn't find this terribly useful for the self-defense genre. Maybe that's because I'm reading it 26 years late? Didn't age well I guess.
Better reading:
Seconds Out: Women and Fighting https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55843975-seconds-out
Her Own Hero: The Origins of the Women's Self-Defense Movement https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32561213-her-own-hero
She's a Knockout! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22620322-she-s-a-knockout
Real Knockouts
https://www.amazon.com/Real-Knockouts-Physical-Feminism-Self-Defense/dp/0814755771?ref=d6k_applink_bb_dls&dplnkId=d663bbed-3f95-4cc1-82db-6c12fb340d46
While there were a few interesting chapters, I do not recommend this at all. This could've been a zine with some of his checklists as cute infographics.
Some observations:
Too many cutsey little analogies crammed together.
Chapters 1-4 are mostly cringe.
Chapters 5-7 are not wholly trash. Meh.
Chapters 8, 9, and 14 is his wheelhouse - he knows something about celebrity stalking.
DV section (Chapters 10-11) was victim blamey.
Chapters 12, 13, and 15 are cringe and meh.
Whole thing is hindsight is 20/20, examining these incidents postmortem while encouraging you to apply the several lists he uses in office analyses in the moment. Okay, guy.
Generally feels like individual solutions to systemic problems in ineffective libertarian style - except where he talks about his cases.
The last page was a nice optimistic send off - he hopes we aren't afraid.
Those few chapters he spoke about his profession - cases he worked to predict a suspect's actions or thwart a stalker of an actress or Supreme Court justice were great. He abandoned his silly metaphor-heavy and rather condescending victim blaiming style and just told compelling stories.
I didn't find this terribly useful for the self-defense genre. Maybe that's because I'm reading it 26 years late? Didn't age well I guess.
Better reading:
Seconds Out: Women and Fighting https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55843975-seconds-out
Her Own Hero: The Origins of the Women's Self-Defense Movement https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32561213-her-own-hero
She's a Knockout! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22620322-she-s-a-knockout
Real Knockouts
https://www.amazon.com/Real-Knockouts-Physical-Feminism-Self-Defense/dp/0814755771?ref=d6k_applink_bb_dls&dplnkId=d663bbed-3f95-4cc1-82db-6c12fb340d46
Seconds Out: Women and Fighting by Alison Dean
5.0
This is as much a memoir as about fighting itself. The subjects are woven together perfectly. She knows what she's talking about historically and experientially. Far better than The Gift of Fear or whatever is generally recommended in self-defense and women in sports. And less like a textbook (more of a narrative) than Real Knockouts - though it's a good one too.
There are good discussions on a variety of things - self-defense (myths, studies, she has the same misgivings I do), blood (period=bad; man's face bleeding=impressive; woman's face bleeding=unacceptable), tears, existing/working in male dominated spaces/sports.
Hilariously mentioned early on are writers that write passionately about boxing but don't really do it - Ernest Hemingway, Joyce Carrol Oates, Norman Mailer. Also there's a beneficial discussion of masculinity - the ideas of gyms or sports becoming diluted (by women's participation) and the idea that masculinity needs to be carefully guarded - if proof it shouldn't be preserved.
Mental toughness is a great section set up by the question: "How are emotion, empathy, and vulnerability connected to the drive, focus, and aggression required of a fighter?" The three part definition of the term was useful too: the ability to understand yourself and your capabilities and to own them.
I always appreciate calling attention to the knowledge gap in medicine - science/health research generally is one size fits all with male as the default.
She takes a much needed swing at the transgender panic as well, exposing it as policing women's bodies. They test for xx chromosomes - she notes women are tested for testosterone but men aren't tested or banned for higher natural testosterone. Michael Phelps wasn't banned for his long arms and flexible joints or Ian Thorpe for his flipper feet.
Often seen as a weakness or loss of credibility in male dominated spaces, this is a better explanation of tears in training.
Quote from von Duuglus Ittu (of There is Crying in Muay Thai): "isn't a response to anything directly but more the general need for release after feeling quite pressured and bottled up by being ineffective in any varying degree for the past hour, minutes, days, weeks, years, whatever..."
The author is a kickboxer and boxer but i think all woman who do any combat sport for fun or professionally would enjoy and relate to much of it.
Yeah, this dry summary doesn't reflect how much I loved and related to this book, so the stars will have to do.
There are good discussions on a variety of things - self-defense (myths, studies, she has the same misgivings I do), blood (period=bad; man's face bleeding=impressive; woman's face bleeding=unacceptable), tears, existing/working in male dominated spaces/sports.
Hilariously mentioned early on are writers that write passionately about boxing but don't really do it - Ernest Hemingway, Joyce Carrol Oates, Norman Mailer. Also there's a beneficial discussion of masculinity - the ideas of gyms or sports becoming diluted (by women's participation) and the idea that masculinity needs to be carefully guarded - if proof it shouldn't be preserved.
Mental toughness is a great section set up by the question: "How are emotion, empathy, and vulnerability connected to the drive, focus, and aggression required of a fighter?" The three part definition of the term was useful too: the ability to understand yourself and your capabilities and to own them.
I always appreciate calling attention to the knowledge gap in medicine - science/health research generally is one size fits all with male as the default.
She takes a much needed swing at the transgender panic as well, exposing it as policing women's bodies. They test for xx chromosomes - she notes women are tested for testosterone but men aren't tested or banned for higher natural testosterone. Michael Phelps wasn't banned for his long arms and flexible joints or Ian Thorpe for his flipper feet.
Often seen as a weakness or loss of credibility in male dominated spaces, this is a better explanation of tears in training.
Quote from von Duuglus Ittu (of There is Crying in Muay Thai): "isn't a response to anything directly but more the general need for release after feeling quite pressured and bottled up by being ineffective in any varying degree for the past hour, minutes, days, weeks, years, whatever..."
The author is a kickboxer and boxer but i think all woman who do any combat sport for fun or professionally would enjoy and relate to much of it.
Yeah, this dry summary doesn't reflect how much I loved and related to this book, so the stars will have to do.
The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
5.0
It didn't start strong for me, but as the history of Cyprus got woven in with the character and plot development and a smattering of tree, insect, bird, butterfly and bat facts, it finished so strong a sentient tree didn't even bother me - in fact I'd say I liked it.
Silence Is a Sense by Layla AlAmmar
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Like all great books, there is the main story, this one about a mute refugee who cannot speak and then all the other things it makes you think about. Obviously, there's silence - when you choose it and when it's imposed on you. Protests in Syria vs proests by liberal people in thre west. Religion - how it's divisive and how it coheres. Bigotry, democracy, patriotism, borders, and language too.
A hopeful ending without too much closure.
Excellent.
A hopeful ending without too much closure.
Excellent.