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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

00:20:11

A Change Is Gonna Come | September 2023 Recap

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/09/26

I'm changing up the book review channel and starting a book club.In September 2023 we reviewed 4 books on the channel. No real standouts to be honest so instead I'll mention why and how I'm going to do things differently. Basically I'm putting in a lot of effort but don't feel like I'm getting much value in return. So I'm going to streamline the process by doing them live, focusing less on creating highly detailed notes/images and by trying to engage more with you, the readers at home. Big thanks to

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00:21:23

Torture Or Freedom? | The Diving-Bell And The...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/09/21

What's it like to lose your own body?'The Diving-Bell And The Butterfly' by Jean-Dominique Bauby is a short memoir describing life with locked-in syndrome. It's a mix of personal recollections before his life altering stroke and daily hospital trivialities afterwards. He focuses on the hardships of being trapped within a mute body but the joy of unlocking his mind.I summarised the book as follows. "A complex series of emotions arise whilst reading. Heartbreak, mirth, horror & fascination all

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00:25:25

Lost Dreams & Lament | Bitter Orange Tree (Jokha...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/09/14

Don't weep for lost dreams, they were never real to begin with.'Bitter Orange Tree' by Jokha Alharthi is a fictional series of recollections told by a young Omani woman about her life, family and relationships. It mostly focuses on her grandmother's tribulations and her own personal grief/regret of her passing away.I summarised the book as follows. "I came in to this blank was pleasantly surprised considering it is outside of my normal genre's of reading. There are some nice cultural insights to

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00:21:00

Watch Your Profanity ... Or Don't | Swearing Is Good...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/09/07

Fucking hell that's a bit shit ya dawg.'Swearing Is Good For You' by Emma Byrne is a popular science book detailing the positive aspects of profanity. It tackles this by somewhat providing the who/what/when/where/why/how using case studies and observations. There is data mixed in with her own humour and research she conducted as a scientist.I summarised the book as follows. "This was just about acceptable for me. I really prefer nuance but this book had what seemed an unnecessary agenda to really

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00:16:49

Journey, Philosophy & Quality | Zen And The Art Of...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/08/31

Hey Mere Mortalites! Juan here. I've just journeyed through 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance,' where road trips meet deep philosophical dives. Let's unravel the adventure, the metaphysics of Quality, and see why this classic might just redefine your understanding of life. Join me as we ride through Pirsig's masterpiece!

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00:14:36

Name Me A Better Author | August 2023 Recap

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/08/26

Mark Twain is a superb author, who else do you really enjoy?In August 2023 I reviewed 4 books on this channel. Although it wasn't the best of the month I did really enjoy 'Roughing It'. I really just do think Mark Twain knocks it out of the park with his books.Big thanks to Cole McCormick (from the America+ podcast) and Petar for supporting the show. Very much appreciated!I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:35) - Fantastic authors are

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00:24:58

Wild West & Heavenly Hawaii | Roughing It (Mark Twain)

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/08/24

Let's pack it up and go strike it rich!'Roughing It' by Mark Twain is a collection of rambling anecdotes from his travels as a younger man. It details his travels to the Wild West during the California gold rush, working as a journalist in San Francisco and crossing the Pacific Ocean to reach the Kingdom of Hawaii. There are many funny stories within and is semi-autobiographical but with plenty of fictional inventions as well.I summarised the book as follows. "I'm a huge fan of Mark Twain in general

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00:20:46

Surviving Alone With Only Animals For Company |...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/08/17

Would you read this to your child?'Island Of The Blue Dolphins' by Scott O'Dell is a fictional children's novel (loosely based on a real story) of a lone girl living on an island. Karana (12) has to fend for herself after being left behind by her tribe. She must use survival skills to weather through storms, feed herself and stay safe from wild dogs and other animals.I summarised the book as follows. "It's a nice and sad story at the same time. Ultimately it's made for kids so personally it didn't

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00:38:22

Online Choice Changed Business Forever | The Long...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/08/10

If you had all the choice in the world, what would you do?'The Long Tail' by Chris Anderson is an exposition of how greater access to choices of products has altered business practices. Greater value can be unlocked from producers selling to consumers via better aggregation methods such as digitisation and rating systems. This has had huge impacts on music/market places/culture and given rise to massive companies like Amazon, Netflix and Google.I summarised the book as follows. "It's a great

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00:32:02

Why Television Kills Rationality | Amusing Ourselves...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/08/03

Will TV be the death of us?'Amusing Ourselves To Death' by Neil Postman is an argument of why television as a medium lessens rational discourse and ultimately is a bad trade-off for society. The first part focuses on the past, in particular how typography is serious and encourages critical thinking. The second part demonstrates how TV is predominantly about entertainment and is negatively effecting politics, education, religion and advertising.I summarised the book as follows. "I loved this, but

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00:31:20

Appreciating The Style | July 2023 Recap

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/07/29

15 years late but I'm starting to develop some taste!In July 2023 we reviewed 5 books on this channel. My two favourites of this month both have what I would call 'style'. The content within them was interesting but what made them stand out was the way they were written. I used to really suck at understanding this as artsy type things were never intuitive for me. But I think reading a lot of fiction over the last couple of years has made me understand why these unquantifiable factors can make a big

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00:36:08

Is Nuclear The Future? | Energy: A Human History...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/07/27

Technology is going so fast I can't see .... ahhhhhh .....'Energy: A Human History' by Richard Rhodes is a brief flash through 400 years of human technology and history. It begins in the 1600's and shows the transition from wood to coal/steam to oil/gas and to nuclear (and beyond). It is comprised of stories and told via the numerous inventions of innovators across the centries.I summarised the book as follows. "It's thick & lengthy but it doesn't feel like a tome. The overall theme felt

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00:24:42

Partying With The Bulls In Pamplona | Fiesta: The Sun...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/07/20

Partying hard and losing friends!'Fiesta: The Sun Also Rises' by Ernest Hemingway is a roman-à-clef depicting 1920's life in Europe after WW1. It is told from the point of view of Jake Barnes an American expat living in France. He joins his friends for a week long party in Pamplona to watch the running of the bulls but it all turns into a drunken fiasco.I summarised the book as follows. "Hemingway's style is as unique as he was. It can kind of seem unrealistic due to the amount of partying, alcohol

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00:23:44

Alienation & Liberation | No Longer Human (Osamu Dazai)

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/07/13

Appreciate what you have, we're not all born the same.'No Longer Human' by Osamu Dazai is a series of notebooks depicting the short life of a troubled Japanese boy, set in Tokyo after WW1. Ōba Yōzō is born different to everyone else and has a feeling of alienation and estrangement from society. He tries to mask this via acting, expression through art and ultimately self destruction. It is strongly autobiographical and follows many of the events that occurred in Dazai's life.I summarised the book as

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00:16:21

Face To Face With Your Worst Enemy | The Double...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/07/06

I have vicious enemies who have vowed to ruin me!'The Double' by Fyodor Dostoyevsky is a short tale of a man who encounters a double of himself. Yakov Petrovich Golyadkin is a titular councillor living in St Petersburg during the 1800's. He starts to suffer from schizophrenic delusions and behaves bizarrely at work and amongst colleagues with increasingly severe outcomes.I summarised the book as follows. "I found it quite lackluster, even insipid if allowed my double to be mean. No themes jumped out

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00:14:20

Why You Need More Discipline In Your Life |...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/06/29

Ryan Holiday is a well-known author, and some of his notable works include "The Obstacle Is the Way," "Ego Is the Enemy," and "Stillness Is the Key." which we have all covered in this channel.His latest entry into the stoic series, Discipline is Destiny, is a master work from Ryan. Enjoy the review and leave any comments below.Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/TikTok:

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00:22:08

Books That Hit At The Right Time | June 2023 Recap

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/06/27

Sometimes you come across the answers you're looking for, even if they aren't what you want to hear.In June 2023 I reviewed 4 books on this channel. This was a month of learning for me and I received some good lessons from these books. It kind of centred around two things. One, if you dwell on negative thoughts and try to use 'feeling like an outsider' as justification for behaving badly, you're going to end up bitter and alone. Two, it is exceedingly easy to believe real evidence but miss the

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00:32:18

When Science Gets Distorted | Merchants Of Doubt...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/06/22

I reject your doubt and substitute my own.'Merchants Of Doubt' by Naomi Oreskes & Erik M. Conway is a historical recount of the scientific debate regarding the effects of smoking, the DDT insecticide, chlorofluorocarbons and burning fossil fuels. The evidence proved there was health and environmental damage but a group of individual scientists waged a campaign to seed doubt against the science.I summarised the book as follows. "It started solid but slid into subjective opinion towards the end

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00:22:29

Intellectual Yet Irrational | Notes From Underground...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/06/15

Gentlemen, I will fight against the stone wall of twice two is four!'Notes From Underground' by Fyodor Dostoyevsky are the semi-insane rambling of an unnamed narrator in St Petersburg during the 19th century. It's split into two parts: a bitter monologue addressed to society and then his miserable life as a civil servant in his younger years. As typical of Russian novels (especially Dostoyevsky) it centres around suffering, morality, cold winters and reason.I summarised the book as follows. "It

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00:26:07

Hysterical Salem Witch Trials | The Crucible (Arthur...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2023/06/08

There be wicked witchcraft afoot!'The Crucible' by Arthur Miller is a fictionalised play depicting the 1692-93 Salem witch trials. It centres around John Proctor & the accusation against his wife Elizabeth (followed subsequently by his denunciation). There are 4 Acts which take place in various locations across the town. As it was written as a play, it mostly contains dialogue between characters, with some minor introductions to begin with.I summarised the book as follows. "It conveys a sinking

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