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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

00:33:56

Does Great Insight Come From Suffering? | Great...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2022/10/06

Maybe Russians are the most wise, but also the most depressed of us all.'Great Stories By Chekov' by Anton Chekov (and translated by Constance Garnett) is an anthology of 7 tales, of which 4 are short stories and 3 are novellas. They all showcase Russian life in the 19th century and detail deprivation, abuse, harsh conditions and strained relationships. I summarised the book as follows. "It's a Russian author so you know there's going to be suffering and also some deep insights gained from this

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00:27:04

Is It Right To Kill An Indifferent Murderer? | The...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2022/09/29

Would you condemn a complete stranger to death?'The Stranger' by Albert Camus is a 1st person account from a man who lacks normal feelings. It is set in Algiers and follows the Frenchman Monsieur Meursault in his daily routine after the death of his mother. He kills a man and is put on trial for being a cold blooded murder with no regret nor emotions.I summarised the book as follows. "I found it a slow start but became more engaged as it progressed. It's great for highlighting part of the reason

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00:24:29

Why Can People With Similar Tastes Have Differing...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2022/09/25

We had a lot of people sending in messages (because I did a thing) and I also realised that I'm done with philosophy for a while.In September 2022 we covered 4 books on this channel (but I also threw in a cheeky small one just for this recap). I just noticed that it was a pretty diverse crowd with an Englishman-cum-Australian, French Algerian, American and a fanatic Japanese. That's a good bunch.I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:35) -

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00:25:15

A Chance To Exam Your Own Thoughts On Mortality | On...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2022/09/22

How would you find satisfaction in a nuclear holocaust?'On The Beach' by Nevil Shute is a story set in Melbourne of two naval officers and their friends/family as impending death from radioactive fallout comes ever closer. The Northern Hemisphere is uninhabited apart from a mysterious signal coming from Seattle. It examines people reactions to mortality and how they mentally cope with the realisation of inevitable death.I summarised the book as follows. "I had to set aside some time after reading

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00:21:03

A Simple Tale Sparse On Dialogue But With A Rich...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2022/09/14

Can a book be overly simplistic?'The Sound Of Waves' by Yukio Mishima is a simple tale, a love story in fact, of a young boy and girl who persevere through hardship & gossip. It takes place on Uta-jima, an island off of mainland Japan with a small population that lives an artisanal fishing lifestyle. Shinji has to prove his worth to Hatsue's uncle, whilst dealing with a competitor for her affection.I summarised the book as follows. "It's a beautiful & relaxing read about young love. It is

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00:11:16

Ego is the Enemy (Ryan Holiday) - Book Review

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2022/09/07

'Ego is the Enemy' by Ryan Holiday was the eagerly anticipated next read in my trails of absorbing everything Ryan Holiday. Find out just why Ego is truly the enemy.I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Juan out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(1:17) - Synopsis(3:40) - Themes(6:48) - TakeawaysConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

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00:15:56

Either/Or (Søren Kierkegaard) - Book Review

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2022/08/30

Either philosophy makes little sense ...... or I'm just a little stupid.'Either/Or' by Søren Kierkegaard is a two volume work designed to investigate the life views of the aesthetic (art, beauty, pleasure) & the ethical (commitment, marriage morals). It is written in the unique form of two unknown authors and compiled by a pseudonymous editor. I summarised the book as follows. "My overall feeling coming out of this was an exasperated 'why'. There was a lot of words but it didn't feel like much

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00:22:48

Boostagrams Galore & I'm Done With Philosophy

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2022/08/28

We had a lot of people sending in messages (because I did a thing) and I also realised that I'm done with philosophy for a while.In August 2022 we covered 3 books on this channel (but I also threw in a cheeky small one just for this recap). My favourite of the bunch was easily Camus's book. I drew a lot of parallels between this and my fav book of all time (George Orwell's '1984').I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:36) - The Plague:

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00:12:37

The Obstacle is the Way (Ryan Holiday) - Book Review

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2022/08/23

'The Obstacle is the Way' by Ryan Holiday begins a journey of discovery personally into Stoic teachings and Ryan's workStructured phenomenally, the book uses three key sections to impart its wisdom. Perspective, Action and Will.I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Juan out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:48) - Synopsis(4:28) - Themes(8:57) - Takeaways(12:10) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord:

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00:24:55

The Plague (Albert Camus) - Book Review

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2022/08/09

You know things are serious when you can't spit on cats anymore ppppptttt ptttp ptt.'The Plague' by Albert Camus is a novel describing life in a city in Oran locked down to due to the outbreak of the Bubonic Plague. A narrator describes the travels of Dr Rieux over the course of about a year as he attempts to help his patients. There are differing responses of his friends and acquaintances as they all adapt to the persistent indifference of the pestilence. I summarised the book as follows. "I found

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00:22:34

Meditations On First Philosophy (René Descartes) -...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2022/07/26

A solid attempt to get to the truth of all things!'Meditations On First Philosophy' by René Descartes is a philosophical treatise designed to prove the existence of God. Descartes creates 6 meditations which run through step by step how he goes about finding out what is irrevocably true. This starts with his famous 'cogito, ergo sum' (I think, therefore I am) position and fleshes out why the senses are misleading and how ideas can be split into separate categories.I summarised the book as follows

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00:31:06

It's Official, We Missed A Week :'(

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2022/07/25

It finally happened, but I warned you dammit I warned you (runs away crying).In July 2022 we covered 3 books on this channel. I enjoyed learning more about Bitcoin and in particular about the history and property of money. Descartes had a real interesting process for finding truth and he conveys this beautifully in the first 3 of his 6 meditations. Juan seemed to enjoy his physics book although it is always gross when politics enter into science, even if it is only a little bit.I hope you have a

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00:31:21

The Bitcoin Standard (Saifedean Ammous) - Book Review

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2022/07/19

Will this phrase of 'the gold standard' become obsolete due to technology?'The Bitcoin Standard' by Saifedean Ammous describes the history of money and examines the varying properties of currencies. This sets a backdrop for the explanation of a purely digital money called Bitcoin and why it excels in comparison to barter, shells, gold and even fiat.I summarised the book as follows. "If you are expecting a BTC book don't be surprised that 2/3 of it focuses on money with little mention of Bitcoin. It

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00:12:44

Brief Answers to the Big Questions (Stephen Hawking)...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2022/07/12

'Brief Answers to the Big Questions' by Stephen Hawking seeks to answer 10 commonly asked questions from his own perspective. The book examines some of the universe's greatest mysteries, and promotes the view that science is very important in helping to solve problems on planet EarthI hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Juan out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:40) - Who is Stephen Hawkins(2:23) - Synopsis(5:12) - Themes & Observations(10:45) - TakeawayConnect with Mere

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00:29:27

Reasons And Persons (Derek Parfit) - Book Review

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2022/06/28

Who are you truly and what do you believe deeply?'Reasons And Persons' by Derek Parfit is an examination into our beliefs of what we should do with our lives and our personal identity. Parfit appeals to rationality and argues why theories such as self-interest and consequentialism are self-defeating in their own terms. He does this through a series of hypothetical cases (both realistic and improbable) to demonstrate their paradoxes before providing what he believes is the truly logical way to

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00:23:51

Philosophy Books Make Me Not Want To Read

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2022/06/27

Next month will be the first where we won't have a book review every week. And philosophy is to blame!In June 2022 we covered 5 books on this channel. Juan did some heavy lifting and bested me for the first time since we began. I've recently been noticing a decline in my desire to read and this could be because I have been slogging through Parfit's book (intermittently) for a couple of months now. And this is how I've generally felt reading the 'classic' philosophy works. Hopefully this will pick up

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00:07:43

The Little Book of Alpaca Philosophy (Jennifer...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2022/06/21

'The Little Book of Alpaca Philosophy' by Jennifer McCartney is a simple, easy to read, quirky and short look at philosophy through the eyes of alpacasI hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Juan out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(1:30) - Synopsis(4:36) - Themes(5:07) - Observations/TakeawaysConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

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00:20:44

Madame Bovary (Gustave Flaubert) - Book Review

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2022/06/14

If love is such a universal good, then why does it inspire such cruelty?'Madame Bovary' by Gustave Flaubert is a tale of provincial love set in Rouen, France during the 19th century. We are privy to the intimate affairs of Emma Bovary as she seeks to capture the romantic fantasies she believes she deserves. Her blind desire comes at a cost however as she becomes ever more desperate to attain something she cannot.I summarised the book as follows. "Women and love can combine for some tragedy. This

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00:14:14

Homo Deus (Yuval Noah Harari) - Book Review

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2022/06/07

Get ready to have your mind blown on what you think the future may look like'Homo Deus' by Yuval Noah Harari is a logical exploration of our past, our myths, our constructs, inter-subjectivities and many many other viewpoints to craft what ultimately our future may look like. A deep think, this book might provide some answers but it does just as well to leave you with many more fascinating questions to ponder.An absolutely stunning book, I gave this read a 9/10.I hope you have a fantastic day

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00:10:48

Before I Go To Sleep (S.J Watson) - Book Review

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2022/05/31

How trusting would you be?'Before I Go To Sleep' by S.J Watson is a mystery psychological thriller that delves into the questions of memory and the importance of trust. As Christine utilises her journal, she delves deeper and deeper towards the truth and in turn finds out that the origination of her amnesia might not be all it seems to be.A true page-turner, I gave this read a 7/10.I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Juan out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(1:12) - Synopsis(4:10)

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