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jiujensu's reviews
453 reviews
Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History by Bill Schutt
informative
medium-paced
4.0
Schutt avoids sensationalism of what could have been a true crime sorry of book. I much preferred the scientific take. The approach and topics were familiar territory, as life science major. The first part was pretty standard, invertebrates, myths and facts of praying mantis and black widow cannibalism, dinos, Neanderthals. Of course the Andes flight and the Donner Party were covered. The recent placenta eating fad fit with my love of wellness debunking. Ritual cannibalism and taboos temporarily veered from the evolutionary or necessity argument. The section discussing kuru in New Guinea was a good detective story with amusing shade for anthropologists - some deserved (they tended to assume cannibalism occurred without proof and probably overestimated), some...just eh yikes (sleeping with research subjects).
Over My Dead Body: Unearthing the Hidden History of America's Cemeteries by Greg Melville
informative
medium-paced
4.0
I was pretty excited about this - it only partially met expectations. There aren't personal stories or a cohesive thread like I love, but pretty solid survey of interesting cemeteries. Everything from theme parks, subdivisions and parks were inspired by cemeteries - that's pretty cool. And the descriptions really make me want to visit these places I usually feel unwelcome or like I'm trespassing unless I'm there on family business. They were built to visit - and picnic?? - in most cases, after all!
The Black Angels: The Untold Story of the Nurses Who Helped Cure Tuberculosis by Maria Smilios
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
This is a favorite. I'll have to see how it ranks for me among Poisonwood Bible and Prodigal Summer after I sit with this awhile. I didn't know if she could top Poisonwood Bible.
She makes the character's specifics - where he was born, in foster care, with opioids, with death of his parents, friends and dreams into universal struggles we all can relate to. The plot moves along and hooks you again at each turn and the ending is tied up just enough but leaves plenty to chance and imagination.
Other thoughts:
Home and the draw of a place where you're known, but also as a place you need to leave. I feel like everyone's got a literal or metaphorical experience like this.
The harsh critique of systems and loving care for individuals in DSS (and other places) was done masterfully, contrasted through several characters.
I can't say for sure, not being from the mountains, but I hope the Appalachian aspect was done respectfully. A few characters (Tommy, June) even analyze the situation for the reader in case you aren't familiar - could give some folks a lot to think about. For my part, I felt the characters and setting were more than stereotypes - they are the heart and you're on their team. She's even incorporated local quirks like the use of whenever in place of when and other area specifics like a discussion of Melungeons.
And, as usual, Kingsolver evokes the natural world so vividly you'll be disappointed you're aren't really there in the woods when you look up from the book.
She makes the character's specifics - where he was born, in foster care, with opioids, with death of his parents, friends and dreams into universal struggles we all can relate to. The plot moves along and hooks you again at each turn and the ending is tied up just enough but leaves plenty to chance and imagination.
Other thoughts:
Home and the draw of a place where you're known, but also as a place you need to leave. I feel like everyone's got a literal or metaphorical experience like this.
The harsh critique of systems and loving care for individuals in DSS (and other places) was done masterfully, contrasted through several characters.
I can't say for sure, not being from the mountains, but I hope the Appalachian aspect was done respectfully. A few characters (Tommy, June) even analyze the situation for the reader in case you aren't familiar - could give some folks a lot to think about. For my part, I felt the characters and setting were more than stereotypes - they are the heart and you're on their team. She's even incorporated local quirks like the use of whenever in place of when and other area specifics like a discussion of Melungeons.
And, as usual, Kingsolver evokes the natural world so vividly you'll be disappointed you're aren't really there in the woods when you look up from the book.
Palestine's Children: Returning to Haifa and Other Stories by Ghassan Kanafani
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
I should probably say something about each story, but I might give too much away. I'll just say that they are excellent, Kanafani is brilliant, and these fiction stories are a perfect way to understand what's going on now since 10/7/23. All the tragedy, resistance, loss.
The final story is a novella. This is the story that inspired Susan Abulhawa's Mornings in Jenin, which I also recommend. The symbolism of the lost son is perfect. Kind of an inverse prodigal son. They all imagine going home as parents might imagine meeting the son they were separated from. But the actual homeland and son are irrevocably different than you left them - you can't go back - you can't erase what happened - even though it isn't fair. So how, then, does one move forward? What does that look like?
The final story is a novella. This is the story that inspired Susan Abulhawa's Mornings in Jenin, which I also recommend. The symbolism of the lost son is perfect. Kind of an inverse prodigal son. They all imagine going home as parents might imagine meeting the son they were separated from. But the actual homeland and son are irrevocably different than you left them - you can't go back - you can't erase what happened - even though it isn't fair. So how, then, does one move forward? What does that look like?
Bunny by Mona Awad
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
5.0
What did I just read?? Not disturbing like Watership Down, but disturbing in its own way. I'll be processing this one for awhile. It's a dark comedy set in academia. Satirical.
On the surface it's sort of a Mean Girls (but at grad school) critique of cliques or bad female friendships with maybe a horror/cult dimension. The - do you hate them or do you want to be them - question. The popular girls are called the bunnies and they're in a grad school narrative arts program at an Ivy League level school called. . . Warren. Yep. So there's plenty of criticism for the Ivy League, writing programs, grad school, and the pretentious writing of students.
There are some twists and turns I don't think I want to spoil, but you really start questioning everything you think you know. You might say it feels like you're falling down a rabbithole. Mona Awad builds and then ever so slightly takes away so that you're left disoriented and wanting more. I'm still not sure about some things. I need to read it again. But maybe not right away.
On the surface it's sort of a Mean Girls (but at grad school) critique of cliques or bad female friendships with maybe a horror/cult dimension. The - do you hate them or do you want to be them - question. The popular girls are called the bunnies and they're in a grad school narrative arts program at an Ivy League level school called. . . Warren. Yep. So there's plenty of criticism for the Ivy League, writing programs, grad school, and the pretentious writing of students.
There are some twists and turns I don't think I want to spoil, but you really start questioning everything you think you know. You might say it feels like you're falling down a rabbithole. Mona Awad builds and then ever so slightly takes away so that you're left disoriented and wanting more. I'm still not sure about some things. I need to read it again. But maybe not right away.
A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy by Nathan Thrall
emotional
informative
medium-paced
5.0
This is heartwrenching just on a human level - an accident with a busload of Kindergarteners. But woven in the retelling is a long list of confounding factors caused by the Israeli occupation that turned a bad situation that could happen anywhere into a large scale horrific tragedy that could have only happened in Palestine.
Gospel of Wellness by Rina Raphael, Rina Raphael
informative
medium-paced
5.0
This one definitely will go with nutrition and wellness books I recommend. Excellent info and wellness debunking. She gave the supplement industry and pseudoscience thre beating they deserve. Also discussed is the meaning we ascribe to fitness and wellness and how it's used to control things when other things in life are so out of control. She didn't leave out the systemic problems and our American obsession with individualism over the more beneficial community. It was a great nuanced treatment of the subject that everyone should read.
A few quotes from the book - this first one I love:
"It's not that these people aren't smart. It's that they weren't properly trained to understand the scientific process and how to be critical thinkers. "If we give everybody a much more solid understanding of how data gets collected and what's good methodology, what's cherry-picking. . . they would be a little more adept at recognizing when they're being manipulated or when something being reported might not reflect reality, " says Kirshenbaum, "because it's very easy to fall for something, especially if you want to believe it.""
"A quarter of American women use fitness trackers. But for all the buzz, about half the users will tire of their shiny new tech toy and shove it into a drawer within six months. ... "This occurs because measurement can undermine intrinsic motivation," reads the study. "By drawing attention to output, measurement can make enjoyable activities feel more like work, which reduces their enjoyment.""
"People also overestimate just how much they think they know in science. Kirshenbaum points to the drama over genetically modified foods that have parents clutching their pearl onions. She co-directed a national survey that revealed that despitefears over demonized GMOs, 45 percent of American adults did not even know that all food contains DNA. "That's wild to me," says Kirshenbaum."
A few quotes from the book - this first one I love:
"It's not that these people aren't smart. It's that they weren't properly trained to understand the scientific process and how to be critical thinkers. "If we give everybody a much more solid understanding of how data gets collected and what's good methodology, what's cherry-picking. . . they would be a little more adept at recognizing when they're being manipulated or when something being reported might not reflect reality, " says Kirshenbaum, "because it's very easy to fall for something, especially if you want to believe it.""
"A quarter of American women use fitness trackers. But for all the buzz, about half the users will tire of their shiny new tech toy and shove it into a drawer within six months. ... "This occurs because measurement can undermine intrinsic motivation," reads the study. "By drawing attention to output, measurement can make enjoyable activities feel more like work, which reduces their enjoyment.""
"People also overestimate just how much they think they know in science. Kirshenbaum points to the drama over genetically modified foods that have parents clutching their pearl onions. She co-directed a national survey that revealed that despitefears over demonized GMOs, 45 percent of American adults did not even know that all food contains DNA. "That's wild to me," says Kirshenbaum."
The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
5.0
The story of workers struggling to get justice would be interesting enough, but effort taken to record the human stories makes this a must read. These experiences were so horrific, they forced worker protections that still in effect today (at least for now?).
Leila Khaled: Icon of Palestinian Liberation by Sarah Irving
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
5.0
All USians see in Leila Khaled is evil terrorist because of hijackings and Israel-biased press coverage, but there is so much more to her story. Whether it's the fact that she's a wife and mother, a leftist who believes in equality, a principled revolutionary who fights for the right of return and fair resolution to Israel's apartheid/occupation/genocide - all of it provides valid counterpoint to the most famous thing people claim to know about her.