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mwatts168's reviews
94 reviews
Morality for Beautiful Girls by Alexander McCall Smith
3.0
This book was not as good as the previous books in the series. However, I still enjoyed it
How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading by Mortimer J. Adler, Charles Van Doren
3.0
Wow. This book was a lot but I read it two times through, so it took me some time. It was definitely useful, and I’ve already gone back to the book to reference what I’ve read!
Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age by Sherry Turkle
3.0
First book review in a while!! (This is just another way I am procrastinating studying for exams)
This book was a chore to finish... AT FIRST! I was not a fan when I first started the book because I usually hate having discussions about how technology shapes society/ us as individuals. About halfway (maybe 5/8) through, Turkle made me reconsider my beliefs. The data she found from her research was stupifying! This book made me rethink how not only technology but the age of technology shapes my life. I realized that my uneasy feeling during solitude was not healthy. We live in a world where we cannot handle this much needed time alone with our thoughts. I was having a conversation with Ethan a few months back, and he said something along the lines of "I feel bad for you, you never have time to just be with yourself and just think about you. You've never been able to reflect." This was weird when he said it to me, but now I really understand. I have been conditioned to always occupying my mind. I've felt like I'm in a race against time or what have you.
Sorry to get all weird!!
Anyway, we might lie to ourselves and claim we have alone time but we still are "connected." This is not good either!
Another thing I found interesting was technology's effect on empathy. It is terrifying to see kids, not much younger than me, unable to see the consequences of actions. I can even relate to this. Many people (usually younger, but not always) refuse to apologize in person. I hate apologizing in person! It sucks! But that's the point. If you do not see how your actions affect people, you never gain that empathy.
The chapter about education and the workforce are interesting, but I probably shouldn't tell you everything.
This book was a chore to finish... AT FIRST! I was not a fan when I first started the book because I usually hate having discussions about how technology shapes society/ us as individuals. About halfway (maybe 5/8) through, Turkle made me reconsider my beliefs. The data she found from her research was stupifying! This book made me rethink how not only technology but the age of technology shapes my life. I realized that my uneasy feeling during solitude was not healthy. We live in a world where we cannot handle this much needed time alone with our thoughts. I was having a conversation with Ethan a few months back, and he said something along the lines of "I feel bad for you, you never have time to just be with yourself and just think about you. You've never been able to reflect." This was weird when he said it to me, but now I really understand. I have been conditioned to always occupying my mind. I've felt like I'm in a race against time or what have you.
Sorry to get all weird!!
Anyway, we might lie to ourselves and claim we have alone time but we still are "connected." This is not good either!
Another thing I found interesting was technology's effect on empathy. It is terrifying to see kids, not much younger than me, unable to see the consequences of actions. I can even relate to this. Many people (usually younger, but not always) refuse to apologize in person. I hate apologizing in person! It sucks! But that's the point. If you do not see how your actions affect people, you never gain that empathy.
The chapter about education and the workforce are interesting, but I probably shouldn't tell you everything.
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
5.0
AMAZING!!
This book was similar to The New Jim Crow, but it focused more on a specific part of oppression in the justice system, and it told stories. This was incredibly eye-opening and delineates how our justice system discriminates minorities in a way that the most adamant people would understand
This book was similar to The New Jim Crow, but it focused more on a specific part of oppression in the justice system, and it told stories. This was incredibly eye-opening and delineates how our justice system discriminates minorities in a way that the most adamant people would understand
Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets by Sudhir Venkatesh
5.0
This book was one of the most intriguing I've read recently. A Sociology student literally develops a connection with a gang/ residents of public housing in Chicago. I was never bored while reading this!!
The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk by Randy Shilts
4.0
LOVED!! My prof recommended this to me, and I'm glad I read it! I appreciate how Shilts did not put Harvey Milk on a pedestal where we see him as a god. It is SO important to remember great leaders in history, for reasons I cannot go into because of the character limit BUT I COULD