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taicantfly's reviews
18 reviews
The Foundations of Arithmetic: A Logico-Mathematical Enquiry into the Concept of Number by Gottlob Frege
challenging
informative
medium-paced
3.25
From an objective standpoint this book is one of the most influential in all of modern philosophy. It's the catalyst for the linguistic turn, it's (arguably) one of the most novel and impressive philosophical inquiries into the epistemology and ontology of mathematics, it's the standard reference point for many students of the philosophy of mathematics (myself included, which is why I read it).
I recognise the risk of turning this review into simply an essay in which I disagree with the book. Fair enough. But genuinely it astounds me despite how innovative Frege's ideas were that a lot of the time he was just plain wrong, and when he wasn't plain wrong he was just unconvincing. Frege says that the axioms of geometry are synthetic and the axioms of arithmetic are analytic, but doesn't apply the methodology used to find the syntheticity of the axioms of geometry when it comes to analysing arithmetic. Frege says that Mill is wrong for his agglomerative account of number, but then radically misunderstands the Millian view in a way that is almost embarassing. Frege says that Hume's Principle is not a sound starting point for derivation but then picks something not only similar in nature but (as later shown) just paradoxical! Frege says that number is not a property of objects (like colour is), but doesn't recognise the intricacies of the application of colour terms function with the same complexities as the application of number terms!
The writing is at times clunky; I understand that I read a translation and that some of the flow is likely to be lost, but his Grundgesetze (at the time of writing this review I have only read the Grundgesetze partially) is much more elegant with symbolism and able to express his points in less ambiguous ways. It seems like this book was written more as a polemic, aimed at convincing those with some philosophical background that the Fregean view of mathematics was correct. But if this is the case and he wished to avoid overly technical content, Frege could have easily avoided clunky sections such as the section on parallel lines and the one on the infinitude of the naturals. If it was aimed as, to some extent, a genuine logical manual, then it just gets outshined by the Grundgesetze he writes later. And no work exists in a vacuum, so the fact he was able to express his ideas so much more effectively just makes this seem a little disappointing in comparison. But there would be no Grundgesetze without this - so it holds up as a titan even with its flaws.
This was a very frustrating read as someone who aligns themself more with empiricism. However the fact it found ways to annoy me in about ten different related topics is probably a sign of its wide-ranging merit as a text. Overall I have very mixed feelings; I would recommend it, but I would recommend it largely because a) it's very necessary context for the modern discussion and b) it gives you free reign to be a hater.
I recognise the risk of turning this review into simply an essay in which I disagree with the book. Fair enough. But genuinely it astounds me despite how innovative Frege's ideas were that a lot of the time he was just plain wrong, and when he wasn't plain wrong he was just unconvincing. Frege says that the axioms of geometry are synthetic and the axioms of arithmetic are analytic, but doesn't apply the methodology used to find the syntheticity of the axioms of geometry when it comes to analysing arithmetic. Frege says that Mill is wrong for his agglomerative account of number, but then radically misunderstands the Millian view in a way that is almost embarassing. Frege says that Hume's Principle is not a sound starting point for derivation but then picks something not only similar in nature but (as later shown) just paradoxical! Frege says that number is not a property of objects (like colour is), but doesn't recognise the intricacies of the application of colour terms function with the same complexities as the application of number terms!
The writing is at times clunky; I understand that I read a translation and that some of the flow is likely to be lost, but his Grundgesetze (at the time of writing this review I have only read the Grundgesetze partially) is much more elegant with symbolism and able to express his points in less ambiguous ways. It seems like this book was written more as a polemic, aimed at convincing those with some philosophical background that the Fregean view of mathematics was correct. But if this is the case and he wished to avoid overly technical content, Frege could have easily avoided clunky sections such as the section on parallel lines and the one on the infinitude of the naturals. If it was aimed as, to some extent, a genuine logical manual, then it just gets outshined by the Grundgesetze he writes later. And no work exists in a vacuum, so the fact he was able to express his ideas so much more effectively just makes this seem a little disappointing in comparison. But there would be no Grundgesetze without this - so it holds up as a titan even with its flaws.
This was a very frustrating read as someone who aligns themself more with empiricism. However the fact it found ways to annoy me in about ten different related topics is probably a sign of its wide-ranging merit as a text. Overall I have very mixed feelings; I would recommend it, but I would recommend it largely because a) it's very necessary context for the modern discussion and b) it gives you free reign to be a hater.
A Jewdas Haggadah by Jewdas
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0
Thank you Jewdas for keeping me sane. Baruch hashem, happy Pesach.
How to Spot a Fascist by Umberto Eco, Richard Dixon, Alastair McEwen
informative
reflective
fast-paced
3.0
Really weird. Starts off well and poignantly, characterising fascism fairly explicitly. Continues to a slightly meandering and off-topic discussion of noise and media over-saturation as a form of political control (which has its gems but at one point he complains about people with iPods and having TVs at restaurants - what??), then ends on a discussion of the European cultural identity which felt like it was saying absolutely nothing. This is the first Eco I've read, so I won't judge the guy at pointblank on a 50-page essay, but I can't say I loved it.
Also, what the fuck was that about Romanians?
Also, what the fuck was that about Romanians?
Blindness by José Saramago
One of my favourite books of all time. Deserves every piece of praise it gets.
Rarely does a book evoke such strong emotions of genuine empathy and willingness to change. The society in Blindness breaks down so completely and so swiftly that all that our characters are left with are the most fundamental and necessary of human traits. It shows that, in the end, it all boils down to love - the love the doctor's wife has for her husband, the love the woman with the dark shades has for the child, the love the man with the eyepatch has for her. Through so much pain and dehumanisation our community unites us, and when you strip away all the unnecessary vices and distractions, it is love that keeps us going. It was love and it always has been. This book makes me want to be a better version of myself.
In contrast to love, the other main thematic portrayal is the nature of violence. The violence of soldier against inmate stems from fear of blindness. The violence of inmate against inmate stems from fear that this delivery of food may be the last, and the knowledge that if the other wing eats you might not. These roots of violence gnaw at the hearts of those they occupy, and it grows a mind of its own - massacres, sexual violence.
In the end, Blindness' themes are simple. Love and violence, violence and love. But that's because the world is simple! Love and violence, violence and love.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Rarely does a book evoke such strong emotions of genuine empathy and willingness to change. The society in Blindness breaks down so completely and so swiftly that all that our characters are left with are the most fundamental and necessary of human traits. It shows that, in the end, it all boils down to love - the love the doctor's wife has for her husband, the love the woman with the dark shades has for the child, the love the man with the eyepatch has for her. Through so much pain and dehumanisation our community unites us, and when you strip away all the unnecessary vices and distractions, it is love that keeps us going. It was love and it always has been. This book makes me want to be a better version of myself.
In contrast to love, the other main thematic portrayal is the nature of violence. The violence of soldier against inmate stems from fear of blindness. The violence of inmate against inmate stems from fear that this delivery of food may be the last, and the knowledge that if the other wing eats you might not. These roots of violence gnaw at the hearts of those they occupy, and it grows a mind of its own - massacres, sexual violence.
In the end, Blindness' themes are simple. Love and violence, violence and love. But that's because the world is simple! Love and violence, violence and love.
A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.
Bizarre emotional rollercoaster of a book.
Funny and witty near the start, a well constructed and immersive setting used as a musing on religion's place in humanity's lives, culture and knowledge. Francis' encounter with the Old Jew was an excellent hook in and I found myself reading more in my first sitting than I could remember having done in weeks. I thought it'd be this strange almost anthropological adventure and then an unseen, unnamed barbarian shoots our protagonist through the eyes and I realise the book is split into thirds. My mouth was fully open and I decided I'd put the book down before continuing.
The middle third was my least favourite. At times I was disengaged with the politics and although the "war is inevitable so long as autocracy prevails" message was both biting and well delivered, it felt like a lot of time was wasted. I enjoyed the back-and-forth between Dom Paulo and Thaddeus and found that it left me wondering (as all good scifi should) about the role of religious institutions throughout history as catalysts of science. Overall solid, but lacklustre compared to how good the other parts were.
The ending, especially the last 20 pages, was heartwrenching and bitterly cynical. Doctor Cors and Zarchi were probably my favourite characters in the book (I think Zarchi was entirely in the wrong throughout the entire act but he was written too well to ignore) and the penultimate chapter created in me such a profound and fearful stillness I had to sit in my dim room for a minute after I'd finished to just feel it.
Zarchi's frantic realisation that only Rachel survived the blast was superb and I (despite not being religious) could so strongly feel his panic at his entire worldview crumbling in the face of the incoming nothingness as he grasps for straws of meaning (baptising Rachel, praying for the last time, coming to peace with his supressed guilt about the baby). If the whole book was as gorgeous as the ending I'd not hesitate to call it a favourite.
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Funny and witty near the start, a well constructed and immersive setting used as a musing on religion's place in humanity's lives, culture and knowledge. Francis' encounter with the Old Jew was an excellent hook in and I found myself reading more in my first sitting than I could remember having done in weeks. I thought it'd be this strange almost anthropological adventure and then an unseen, unnamed barbarian shoots our protagonist through the eyes and I realise the book is split into thirds. My mouth was fully open and I decided I'd put the book down before continuing.
The middle third was my least favourite. At times I was disengaged with the politics and although the "war is inevitable so long as autocracy prevails" message was both biting and well delivered, it felt like a lot of time was wasted. I enjoyed the back-and-forth between Dom Paulo and Thaddeus and found that it left me wondering (as all good scifi should) about the role of religious institutions throughout history as catalysts of science. Overall solid, but lacklustre compared to how good the other parts were.
The ending, especially the last 20 pages, was heartwrenching and bitterly cynical. Doctor Cors and Zarchi were probably my favourite characters in the book (I think Zarchi was entirely in the wrong throughout the entire act but he was written too well to ignore) and the penultimate chapter created in me such a profound and fearful stillness I had to sit in my dim room for a minute after I'd finished to just feel it.
Zarchi's frantic realisation that only Rachel survived the blast was superb and I (despite not being religious) could so strongly feel his panic at his entire worldview crumbling in the face of the incoming nothingness as he grasps for straws of meaning (baptising Rachel, praying for the last time, coming to peace with his supressed guilt about the baby). If the whole book was as gorgeous as the ending I'd not hesitate to call it a favourite.
The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction by Ursula K. Le Guin
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
Wonderful and powerful and short. I love Ursula LeGuin beyond words.
Brief Answers to the Big Questions by Stephen Hawking
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
2.75
Oscillates between great and disappointing. Some chapters are filled with descriptions of empirical findings and their implications (which I loved as someone who wants to learn more about physics) and the possibilities of physics. Some are more general discussions of Hawking's opinions on bioengineering and AI and a Mars mission, which are definitely good if you're looking to get into the dialogue on those topics but they're a bit dilute. He ends up repeating himself a lot which is good if you want to read the questions as standalones but really annoying if you are going cover to cover.
Would hugely recommend the first two chapters but the rest didn't do it for me. I see the value in having this kind of pop science especially from a mind like Hawking but it didn't feel as special as it could've been.
Would hugely recommend the first two chapters but the rest didn't do it for me. I see the value in having this kind of pop science especially from a mind like Hawking but it didn't feel as special as it could've been.
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
A heartbreaking book that chronicles the violence and colonial depravity that went into building the American empire.
Structurally, it is brilliant. A narrative with the rhythm of its plot, self-similar, meandering, filled with neologisms and words so archaic I had to change dictionary app on my phone, almost hostile to its reader at points. Perfectly isomorphic to a drunken odyssey of carnage through the desert, going nowhere, collecting scalps along the way. The descriptions are vivid and inimitable, leaving me open-mouthed in awe when directed at desert still life and open-mouthed in horror when directed at the intricacies of the corpses of innocents.
It is told from the perspective of The Kid, in my view a representation of the American people. At the start of the book, before the colonial violence begins en masse, these people are nothing more than starving and disposable serfs, isolated from their metropole (the Kid's mother dead) and surrounded by a pre-existing and justifiably hostile ecosystem of Indigenous peoples ("Outside lie dark turned fields with rags of snow and darker woods beyond that harbor yet a few last wolves.") The Kid soon finds the simplicity of violence, a seemingly omnipresent phenomenon and often a means of achieving if not a living wage (hence his stint in the army) substantial riches. Likewise, American civilians soon find they can subsist and blossom off of the violence of slavery and the genocide of natives. Before long violence becomes the Kid's default state, never questioning. He is intrinsically inseparable from the events of the book as both witness and participant, but there will be chapters where his name appears only twice or thrice. Always present, always entangled in immeasurable violence, always detached from the situation at hand. This dichotomy of invisibility and obviousness is one of the most delicious nuances of the book.
As a demonic figure in symbiosis with the manpower the Kid and those like him provide, there is the Judge, inhuman, polite, sadistic, polymathic. He represents the ideological side of American colonial violence, one that is not nihilistically living a cycle of violence he has become too accustomed to to abandon, but a visionary whose motives for violence are wholly expansionist. Seeking genuinely complete control over the physical and mental spheres, as did American expansionism with its murderous westward pilgrimage, he (and by extension the colonial status quo) cannot tolerate threats to his (and its) authority. For this reason he massacres tribes, scapples away ancient paintings. Hell, he says it best himself:
"Whatever in creation exists without my knowledge exists without my consent. He looked about at the dark forest in which they were bivouacked. He nodded toward the specimens he'd collected. These anonymous creatures, he said, may seem little or nothing in the world. Yet the smallest crumb can devour us. Any smallest thing beneath yon rock out of men's knowing. Only nature can enslave man and only when the existence of each last entity is routed out and made to stand naked before him will he be properly suzerain of the earth."
A genocidal fervour like this will only feed off of anything it is given - the Judge, as the violence in the book intensifies, seems to be less and less human, almost immortal, almost omnipresent. Thus is the American colonial-turned-imperialist mentality, in McCarthy's depressed candour, similarly immortal. At the end of the book, the Judge rapes(?) and kills the Kid, the colonial drive turned inwards towards the American populace, a grim prediction of an empire's violence leading to its own downfall. I've rarely seen a metaphor so consistent and incisive as that of the interplay between Kid and Judge and it speaks volumes to McCarthy's writing.
This was the first McCarthy book I read and I was by no means disappointed. A flawless, soul-crushing and very difficult read which I would not recommend to anyone struggling with misanthropic thoughts. This is the kind of book that has no replacement, and if not for its deeply traumatising contents, I'd make it mandatory reading in schools.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Structurally, it is brilliant. A narrative with the rhythm of its plot, self-similar, meandering, filled with neologisms and words so archaic I had to change dictionary app on my phone, almost hostile to its reader at points. Perfectly isomorphic to a drunken odyssey of carnage through the desert, going nowhere, collecting scalps along the way. The descriptions are vivid and inimitable, leaving me open-mouthed in awe when directed at desert still life and open-mouthed in horror when directed at the intricacies of the corpses of innocents.
It is told from the perspective of The Kid, in my view a representation of the American people. At the start of the book, before the colonial violence begins en masse, these people are nothing more than starving and disposable serfs, isolated from their metropole (the Kid's mother dead) and surrounded by a pre-existing and justifiably hostile ecosystem of Indigenous peoples ("Outside lie dark turned fields with rags of snow and darker woods beyond that harbor yet a few last wolves.") The Kid soon finds the simplicity of violence, a seemingly omnipresent phenomenon and often a means of achieving if not a living wage (hence his stint in the army) substantial riches. Likewise, American civilians soon find they can subsist and blossom off of the violence of slavery and the genocide of natives. Before long violence becomes the Kid's default state, never questioning. He is intrinsically inseparable from the events of the book as both witness and participant, but there will be chapters where his name appears only twice or thrice. Always present, always entangled in immeasurable violence, always detached from the situation at hand. This dichotomy of invisibility and obviousness is one of the most delicious nuances of the book.
As a demonic figure in symbiosis with the manpower the Kid and those like him provide, there is the Judge, inhuman, polite, sadistic, polymathic. He represents the ideological side of American colonial violence, one that is not nihilistically living a cycle of violence he has become too accustomed to to abandon, but a visionary whose motives for violence are wholly expansionist. Seeking genuinely complete control over the physical and mental spheres, as did American expansionism with its murderous westward pilgrimage, he (and by extension the colonial status quo) cannot tolerate threats to his (and its) authority. For this reason he massacres tribes, scapples away ancient paintings. Hell, he says it best himself:
"Whatever in creation exists without my knowledge exists without my consent. He looked about at the dark forest in which they were bivouacked. He nodded toward the specimens he'd collected. These anonymous creatures, he said, may seem little or nothing in the world. Yet the smallest crumb can devour us. Any smallest thing beneath yon rock out of men's knowing. Only nature can enslave man and only when the existence of each last entity is routed out and made to stand naked before him will he be properly suzerain of the earth."
A genocidal fervour like this will only feed off of anything it is given - the Judge, as the violence in the book intensifies, seems to be less and less human, almost immortal, almost omnipresent. Thus is the American colonial-turned-imperialist mentality, in McCarthy's depressed candour, similarly immortal. At the end of the book, the Judge rapes(?) and kills the Kid, the colonial drive turned inwards towards the American populace, a grim prediction of an empire's violence leading to its own downfall. I've rarely seen a metaphor so consistent and incisive as that of the interplay between Kid and Judge and it speaks volumes to McCarthy's writing.
This was the first McCarthy book I read and I was by no means disappointed. A flawless, soul-crushing and very difficult read which I would not recommend to anyone struggling with misanthropic thoughts. This is the kind of book that has no replacement, and if not for its deeply traumatising contents, I'd make it mandatory reading in schools.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Classism