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treyhunner's reviews
523 reviews
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
4.0
I enjoyed the writing style and the audiobook narration by Maggie Gyllenhaal. Gyllenhaal captured Esther's occasionally whimsical dialogue well. There are comical moments in this book, but this is not a light read.
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely
4.0
After reading this, I feel like I need to carry around a check list of irrationalities to remember every day.
Some takeaways:
- We react more morally using social norms rather than market norms, but once market norms take over it's difficult to switch back to social ones. If you're planning to switch from a tip jar to a price, be careful if you might ever switch back.
- We are much more willing to steal when the thing we are stealing isn't cold hard cash. Beware of hidden costs and hidden theft.
- Watch out when comparing relative costs. We'll drive across the street to save $10 on something that's cheap but not on something that's expensive.
- Free is much more powerful than cheap. Stop coveting free things.
- Owners value their goods much more than buyers.
- Options distract us from actually getting anything done.
- We cheat less when reminded of a moral benchmark.
- When other people order food before us, we will change our order to something different and will be less happy with our order overall.
Some takeaways:
- We react more morally using social norms rather than market norms, but once market norms take over it's difficult to switch back to social ones. If you're planning to switch from a tip jar to a price, be careful if you might ever switch back.
- We are much more willing to steal when the thing we are stealing isn't cold hard cash. Beware of hidden costs and hidden theft.
- Watch out when comparing relative costs. We'll drive across the street to save $10 on something that's cheap but not on something that's expensive.
- Free is much more powerful than cheap. Stop coveting free things.
- Owners value their goods much more than buyers.
- Options distract us from actually getting anything done.
- We cheat less when reminded of a moral benchmark.
- When other people order food before us, we will change our order to something different and will be less happy with our order overall.
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
4.0
Love, culture, race, family, identity. I really enjoyed Adjoa Andoh's audiobook narration.
A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf
"Chloe liked Olivia perhaps for the first time in literature."
4.0
"Chloe liked Olivia perhaps for the first time in literature."
Hive Minds Give Good Hugs by Natalie Maher
5.0
That was an absurd book. I enjoyed it. It has some Sci-Fi elements similar to Octavia Butler's Xenogenesis as well as Dennis Taylor's Bobiverse series, though it's much closer to the Bobiverse series in terms of seriousness and humor.
This was a bit more emotional and tense than Bobiverse but it rarely felt dark to me.
This was a bit more emotional and tense than Bobiverse but it rarely felt dark to me.
The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green
I refuse to rate this book on a 5 star scale. I really enjoyed reading this book though. :)
This was very similar to The Anthropocene Reviewed podcast, but with a bit more material and more specifically defined chapters. If you enjoy the podcast and want to hear much of it again and hear even more, listen to the audiobook.
This was very similar to The Anthropocene Reviewed podcast, but with a bit more material and more specifically defined chapters. If you enjoy the podcast and want to hear much of it again and hear even more, listen to the audiobook.
Sisters of the Vast Black by Lina Rather
This was an interesting read, though I didn't find it very engaging. It was fairly short though, so I don't regret reading it.
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor
3.0
I had no idea that the bones in our face continue to grow and change shape long into adulthood.
At times while reading this book, I felt a bit someone in the mid-nineteenth century reading about Ignaz Semmelweis and hand washing.
I wonder whether any of the ideas in this book will eventually revolutionize medicine. I also wonder which ideas will be shown to have either little or no positive impact, as they're studied more deeply.
At times while reading this book, I felt a bit someone in the mid-nineteenth century reading about Ignaz Semmelweis and hand washing.
I wonder whether any of the ideas in this book will eventually revolutionize medicine. I also wonder which ideas will be shown to have either little or no positive impact, as they're studied more deeply.