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PODCAST

Mere Mortals Book Reviews

Kyrin Down & Juan Granados

Hey we are the Mere Mortals and we review books of all genres/styles but with an emphasis on those that have stood the test of time (the "classics" if you will). Join us on Weekly live episode on Thurs 11am AEST (Thurs 1am UTC+0) plus bonus episodes from my cohost Juan.

education self-improvement

All Episodes

00:39:01

The Digital Revolution Vs Printed Text | Book Wars...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2024/01/25

How much has the digital revolution changed the publishing industry?'Book Wars' by John B. Thompson is an overview of how the internet and digitisation of books changed the publishing industry. It mostly covers the 2005-2018 period when Ebooks started gain popularity and momentum. It goes into extreme depth so be prepared to read through a lot of history, which makes it a comprehensive book. I quite enjoyed it for the unexpected outcomes that ran counter to intuition but also found it tedious at

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00:27:07

These Kinda Sucked | Why I Rarely Read New Books

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2024/01/18

Forgive me please, I'm about to turn into a hater.In today's episode I'm going over a couple of books that I disliked. The main point of this is to showcase my thinking on the types of things I won't read or dislike to read. Not going to lie, this wasn't my greatest episode ever. I was tired, sick and all my normal settings got disturbed before the live stream. Truly helped me be the greatest hater, bleh.Huge props to Deezlaughs for supporting the show, I really appreciate it!Timeline:(0:00) -

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00:35:51

Mass Media Disgusts Me | Manufacturing Consent...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2024/01/11

Politics, violence & propaganda; what an awful mix.'Manufacturing Consent' by Edward S. Herman & Noam Chomsky explains the propaganda model of communications, which explains why mass media shows an overall biased view. They describe the 5 mechanisms that lead to heavy filtering of information before going over examples from the Vietnam War to Latin America politics. It's a book that made me super angry, distressed, disgusted and depressed. Has really reinforced my philosophy against

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00:21:39

What If? | Can't Hurt Me (David Goggins) BOOK REVIEW

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2024/01/08

Juan's back for a review.Join us on Mere Mortals for a renewed and deeper exploration of David Goggins' renowned book, 'Can't Hurt Me.' This revisit uncovers fresh insights and perspectives on Goggins' journey of mental toughness and self-transformation. Dive into our discussion about overcoming life's toughest challenges and the power of pushing beyond limits.Timeline: (0:00) - Intro(2:10) - Accountability Mirror(4:55) - Darkness(8:03) - Battle of the Mind(11:29) - Taking Souls(13:28) - Being

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00:34:55

Punished For The Greater Good | Darkness At Noon...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2024/01/04

Sometimes punishments just can't make up for the crime.'Darkness At Noon' by Arthur Koestler is a taste of a political prisoner's experience during the Moscow Trials. Rubashov is a high ranking party member that has been thrown in jail and accused of crimes against the Revolution. It follows his detention over a several week period as he is tortured and comes to realise the terrible things he has done in the name of 'the greater good'.Huge props to Petar and Ashley Glenday for supporting, really

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00:35:35

Who Is The Real Savage? | The Last Of The Mohicans...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/12/28

Aiiiiiiii aiaiaiaia aiiiyayayaiaaia!'The Last Of The Mohicans' by James Fenimore Cooper is a work of historical fiction set during the colonisation of the United States Of America. It follows the dangerous adventures of a mixed group of native Indians and English settlers as they are plagued by adversaries. The dialogue can be a bit hard to interpret at times but the portrayal of untouched nature is beautiful and the constant surprises keep you on your toes.No support again this week, need to pick

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00:36:19

The New Economy Of Zero | Free (Chris Anderson) BOOK...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/12/21

You wouldn't steal a car .... but I would download one!'Free ' by Chris Anderson is an argument for why online abundance has changed the way businesses run and that this trend is only going to continue. He looks at various types of companies/products and shows how zero marginal costs result in 4 outcomes: direct cross-subsidies, the three-party market, freemium and nonmonetary markets. I read this mostly for more material to use on my 'Value 4 Value' podcast so it was part work and part pleasure. A

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00:34:48

How Would Aliens Wage War? | The Three-Body Problem...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/12/14

Who will end humanity first, the aliens or us?!'The Three-Body Problem' by Cixin Liu is a sci-fi novel involving aliens, science, warfare and politics. Unexplainable events start to occur to scientists after contact has been made with the Trisolaris world. We gradually learn about their unique ecosystem and why humanity might be in danger not just from the outside, but also within. I loved the first 2/3rds of the book for it's distinctive plot/style but was slightly disappointed at how rushed the

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00:29:39

Aussie Battlers Trying To Get By | The Harp In The...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/12/07

Prepare for your heartstrings to be plucked.'The Harp In The South' by Ruth Park is a classic Australian book detailing the lives of the poverty stricken Darcy family. This fictional family lives in Surry Hills, which in the 1930's was an inner city slum of Sydney. There is no plot per se as it simply follow the lives of this small family, with particular attention shown to the young daughter Roie. The events that unfold are tragic but they battle through to find the moments of love that make all

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00:32:25

Technological Predictions Of The Future | The...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/11/30

Will the psychology of humans be compatible with the predicted tech future we face?'The Inevitable' by Kevin Kelly is a series of technological trends that he believes will dictate the future. It is primarily based on what is already happening and his educated guess as to how this will manifest in a couple of decades time. It is broken down into 12 themes which interact and merge with each other. It is somewhat utopic in nature but I feel does a decent job of showcasing what could be possible and at

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00:24:27

Deep Or Nonsensical? | The Prophet (Kahlil Gibran)...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/11/23

It's a fine line between conveying deep insights vs being overly mystical.'The Prophet' by Kahlil Gibran is a quick read that maybe shouldn't be quick. It has a simple plot setup of a prophet answering questions to townsfolk he is about to leave and never see again. They ask him to speak on 26 topics and he delivers a short poetic response in reply. At times it does seem to hold a deeper wisdom but some of them seemed overly complicated and obtuse.Thanks to Ashley Glenday and Juan for supporting the

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00:12:12

One Breath at a Time | Breath (James Nestor) BOOK REVIEW

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/11/20

Today, I'm discussing "Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art" by James Nestor, one of my top book recommendations. This book brilliantly combines storytelling with scientific research, exploring the profound impact of breathing on our health and well-being. Nestor's personal journey to understand breathing is interwoven with just the right amount of technical detail, making it an engaging and enlightening read.For those interested in deeper exploration, the book provides extensive research

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00:25:34

When Wit Becomes Dull | The Happy Prince & Other...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/11/16

Sometimes you really can be too outlandish.'The Happy Prince & Other Stories' by Oscar Wilde are a collection of short stories. They have a childlike feel and are almost like fairytales except the moral of the story seems to be missing or is rather bleak. I've also included my review of 'The Importance Of Being Earnest', a separate play that showcases Wilde's wit and ability to construct a humorous narrative.Thanks to everyone for sending in kind messages about my Mum. Very much

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00:31:01

Hardship Meets Kinship | Cloudstreet (Tim Winton)...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/11/09

The grittier Australian version of magic realism.'Cloudstreet' by Tim Winton follows the merging lives of two families (the Lamb's & the Pickle's) as they move into a shared house in Perth. We see the hardships that individual characters go through and how family and kinship is what saves them. It incorporates real life events with absurd fictional elements to give a taste of Aussie life in the 1940's-1960's.Huge thanks to Sir TJ The Wrathful & Ashley Glenday for supporting the show. Very

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00:32:10

Fun Classy Paisanos | Tortilla Flat (John Steinbeck)...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/10/30

Never have I ever more wanted to be a homeless peasant!'Tortilla Flat' by John Steinbeck is the tale of how an eclectic bunch of friends live together in Monterey. Danny becomes a house owner and experiences the highs and lows of a raised social status. To help Danny his friends begin living with him and hijinks ensue. They rotate between fights, wine, fire and women whilst being lovable rascals.Huge thanks to Cole McCormick for supporting the show. Very much appreciated!Timeline:(0:00) -

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00:30:18

Boring Oratory | On Government (Cicero) BOOK REVIEW

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/10/23

Hopefully I'm not as boring as Cicero is ..... but don't count on it!'On Government' by Cicero is a collection of his writings set out in a chronological format. The large bulk are orations he delivered in front of the senate (or law court) and some smaller sections on his ideals for what a government should look like. I found it pretty boring to be honest but did give me some historical insights into the time period of ~100-0 BC and showcased why politics has always been a shitshow.Huge thanks to

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00:09:11

More Than Words on a Page | The Daily Dad (Ryan...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/10/19

Join me as I dive into the heartwarming and insightful pages of "The Daily Dad" by Ryan Holiday, exploring 366 meditations on fatherhood, love, and raising great kids. This book, structured to be read daily, offers a unique blend of historical context, stoic principles, and practical advice, all condensed into one-page chapters. I share my personal journey of reading it aloud to my baby girl, turning it into a cherished daily ritual and sparking meaningful conversations with mypartner. Discover how

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00:31:03

Sex, Beer & Mail? | Post Office (Charles Bukowski)...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/10/16

What's it really like to work in the United States Post Office?'Post Office' by Charles Bukowski is a fictional yet semi-autobiographical account of Henry Chinaski working as a mailman/clerk in the post office. His life sucks and gets increasingly worse as he deals with frustrating bureaucracy and seeks escape through sex, gambling and alcohol.Huge thanks to Ashley Glenday for supporting the podcast. Very much appreciated.Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(2:40) - Initial Impression(4:42) - Plot/Style(9:05) -

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00:30:10

War, Anger & Revenge | If Not Now, When? (Primo Levi)...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/10/09

Will the Jews ever find a peaceful resting place?'If Not Now, When?' by Primo Levi is a fictional story of Jewish partisans surviving behind German lines during WWII. It follows Mendel as he tries to forget about his suffering/pain but is constantly reminded of his deceased wife and the uprooting of his life. He joins a band trying to escape the horrors of war but is constantly drawn into conflict and revenge.Huge thanks to Cole McCormick and Ashley Glenday for supporting the podcast. Very much

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00:30:55

Trauma & Healing | The Body Keeps The Score (Bessel...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/09/28

How can you heal a damaged mind?'The Body Keeps The Score' by Bessel Van Der Kolk is a book focused on mental health plus the what/why's of PTSD and trauma. It's split into 5 parts dealing with history, brain science, child abuse, memory and healing strategies. It has a mix of case studies, hard/soft science and personal opinion.I summarised the book as follows. "It's a dense read that was more scientific than not. The tone was empathetic and despite being about heavy topics it focused on the

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