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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

00:17:48

An Autobiography (M.K. Gandhi) - Book Review

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2021/10/12

A delve into the thoughts of a great leader, inspiring visionary, a venerable soul, but ultimately just a man.'An Autobiography' by M.K. Gandhi (also known as 'My Experiments With Truth') is an overview of his life from birth in 1869 to 1921. It is split into 5 parts which reflect his time spent studying in England, working in South Africa and protesting in India. It was originally published as a series in a magazine in 166 individual chapters, so contains diverse topics such as dietetics, ethics,

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00:16:39

The Heart Of The Buddha's Teaching (Thich Nhat Hanh)...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2021/10/05

I'm finding a common pattern amongst books on this subject that I'm really not enjoying.'The Heart Of The Buddha's Teaching' by Thich Nhat Hanh is an explanation of the most essential ideas, instructions, teachings and guides of Buddhism & the Buddha. It is split into 4 parts with the first two deconstructing the Four Noble Truths & The Noble Eightfold Path and the latter two examining other basic precepts and direct discourses from the Buddha.I summarised the book as follows. "For me,

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00:15:16

The Death Of Ivan Ilyich (Leo Tolstoy) - Book Review

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2021/09/28

Authentically Russian. Depressingly bleak, a touch of divinity and more than a little strange.'The Death Of Ivan Ilyich' by Leo Tolstoy is a collection of 11 novellas, which contain Russian everything (characters, landscape, traditions, culture, etc.,). There is no connecting theme in the stories but they do contain some commonalities. They're told from an outside narrator, have men as the principal characters, contain multiple references to Russian words or Arabic influences and are about everyday

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00:17:07

A Mixed Bag: September 2021 Recap

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2021/09/26

Recap timeeee! Yessiree, here's an overview of the 7 books I read (and 2 x book review from Juan) that was posted in September 2021. The standout for me was Candide by Voltaire, very witty and has obviously stood the test of time (it was published 260 years ago!). Most of the rest were pretty solid books that ranged from philosophy to children's books to religion to suffering (both fictional and in real life). Quite a mixed bag indeed.I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world

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00:17:54

Lord Of The Flies (William Golding) - Book Review

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2021/09/24

A dive into the brutality of humanity, but childlike in nature and without the bullshit of politics.'Lord Of The Flies' by William Golding is a boy's dream adventure that takes a dark turn. It begins with an intro to a group of 6-14 year olds who are stranded on a small island without an adult in site. Tensions run high as the responsible tribe formed by Ralph is splintered by the tribalistic Jack. The savagery of human nature and deep seated fear of the Beast is exposed as the hunting progresses. I

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00:12:01

Hiroshima (John Hersey) - Book Review

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2021/09/21

Shocking and devastating in every which way.'Hiroshima' by John Hersey details the accounts of 6 survivors from the atomic blast on August 6, 1945 @ 8:15 am. It goes over their injuries, the general chaos, widespread destructive effects, uncertainty of the future, overt heroism on the morning of, and the statistics of the death count. 5 chapters form a timeline of their stories before/during/1 day/3 days and 40 years after their horrific ordeal.I summarised the book as follows. "It's a brief

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00:13:49

Discourses & Selected Writings (Epictetus) - Book Review

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2021/09/17

Like most moralising old men, this philosopher will either enlighten you, bore you, piss you off or a combo of all.'Discourses & Selected Writings' by Epictetus are the words of wisdom from a notable stoic philosopher. It goes over his core principles/main ideas through the medium of assertions, arguments and conversations. Like most stoic philosophy, there is an emphasis on making this practical and pragmatic; to provide implementable changes in your day to day life.I summarised the book as

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00:16:12

Going Clear (Lawrence Wright) - Book Review

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2021/09/14

Begone you engrams, let me be the Thetan I was born to be!'Going Clear' by Lawrence Wright is an exposé mixed with the history of Scientology. The first half begins with a bio on the mythical/enigmatic L. Ron Hubbard and his life. The second half is of modern Scientology & its influential figures (such as David Miscavige, Tom Cruise and Paul Haggis). The book explores the beliefs, controversies, internal disputes as well as asking what is a religion? I summarised the book as follows. "I felt it

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00:14:29

The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) - Book...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2021/09/10

One of those rare books that appeals to adults & kids alike.'The Little Prince' by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is a surprisingly complex story to convey a simple message. It is a combination of two tales that are intertwined together. One is of an adult aviator who has forgotten how to see the world through the eyes of a child. The other is of an interstellar boy who easily sees the foolishness of adults, but also must learn about relationships and love.I summarised the book as follows. "It's

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00:14:52

Everyone Has A Plan Until Sh!t Hits The Fan (Tofe...

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2021/09/09

'Everyone Has A Plan Until Sh!t Hits The Fan' by Tofe Evans looks at the journey from dispair & depression through to success, a focused mind and personal resilience.I summarised the book as follows. "A quaint and straight to the point book written by Tofe. The quintessential self-help book written by someone who just wants to ensure it is read by someone and helps them out to the utmost. Splices his troubles as a young man, getting out of drug addictions and using running as the tool to harden

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00:13:45

Candide (Voltaire) - Book Review

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2021/09/08

An unwavering spirit maybe isn't such a great thing after all.'Candide' by Voltaire is a funny satire on the philosophical idea/theory of Optimism, which was popular during the French Enlightenment. It is a roving adventure of the ever hopeful Candide as he learns about the harshness of the world while chasing his love Cunégonde and spreading the philosophy of Dr Pangloss. His travels take him across Europe, South America & the Middle East with numerous mishaps and encounters with embittered

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00:14:58

Shoe Dog (Phil Knight) - Book Review

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2021/09/07

'Shoe Dog' by Phil Knight details the journey of Nike's humble beginnings, from the Blue Ribbon Sports, through battling the Fed's, getting thrown out by banks.. the story does not hold back.I summarised the book as follows. "I really enjoyed reading this book, the way that Phil wrote the book himself and allowed the story to shine was excellent"I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Mere Mortals out!If you would like to support the team and enjoyed this review, you can grab

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00:16:28

What I Read In August | Book Recap

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2021/08/29

Bit of a different episode for you today, I'm outdoors! And indeed I'm giving a recap of the 7 books I read (and 1 x book review from Juan) that was posted in August 2021. The standout really was Catch-22, can't rave about this book highly enough. It will make you laugh and still has plenty of room to bring up some darker themes related to war and the absurdity of politics/bureaucracy. Highly recommended!!I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) -

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00:13:39

Breakfast At Tiffany's (Truman Capote) - Book Review

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2021/08/27

You only have yourself to blame if you get burnt by girls like this.'Breakfast At Tiffany's' by Truman Capote is set in the middle of WWII in glamorous New York City. An unnamed narrator meets Holly Golightly, a young & pretty socialite who lives in his apartment building. Over the course of a year he becomes fascinated with her enigmatic lifestyle and her charisma. The book contains no real plot line and is more of a look at life in the 1940's and of why Holly is such a fascinating individual.I

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00:16:36

Catch-22 (Joseph Heller) - Book Review

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2021/08/24

Easily the funniest book I've ever read!'Catch-22' by Joseph Heller is fictional novel set on a US air force base on an island off Northern Italy during WWII. It follows Yossarian whilst he tries to avoid flying missions as everyone is out to kill him. He is joined by a collection of other wacky characters as they all show their peculiar idiosyncrasies. The book highlights the absurdity of army politics, the waste that is generated by bureaucracy and the mundanity of war (with brief flashes of

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00:17:08

The Art of Resilience (Ross Edgley) - Book Review

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2021/08/20

"What can we learn from the individual who swam around Great Britain"'The Art of Resilience' by Ross Edgely walks through the strategies for an unbreakable mind and body - right up the Mere Mortals alley!In summary "Simply written, it ties together Ross's learnings while swimming around Great Britain and brings together information that he has sourced through a lot of his travels as well tribulations. The learning summaries at the end of each chapter where nice, but after a while i found myself not

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00:16:19

Heart Of Darkness (Joseph Conrad) - Book Review

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2021/08/17

You would have to have a heart of darkness to not feel anything from this tale.'Heart Of Darkness' by Joseph Conrad is a fictional reworking of Conrad's own journey through the Congolese jungle. Marlow (the narrator) is a new captain that must direct his steamboat through the heart of the jungle to relieve agents of the ivory trader. He tells of his meeting with the almost mythical Kurtz, a charismatic madman with high aspirations to become 'great'.I summarised the book as follows. " It packs a

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00:17:35

Mortality (Christopher Hitchens) - Book Review

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2021/08/13

A topic that effects all of us Mere Mortals.'Mortality' by Christopher Hitchens is brief (& somewhat meandering) reflection on dying. Hitch was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in 2010 and the disease 'battled him' for a 1.5 years before his death. The book is not focused on death itself, but more the process of dying. This includes his thoughts on being in/out of hospital, deterioration of the body and the public perception/reaction to cancer.I summarised the book as follows. "It's a quick

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00:08:30

Cubs & Other Stories (Mario Vargas Llosa) - Book Review

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2021/08/10

The adolescent Peruvian coming of age story seems a tad more intense than most others.'Cubs & Other Stories' by Mario Vargas Llosa is a group of 7 fictional (but lifelike) short stories mostly involving young men/boys. The titular story is of a boy who is castrated by a dog and then turns into a wild rebellious teen. All take place in Peru with most of them occurring in the capital of Lima. These were written at the start of Llosa's career and were mostly published independently in newspapers

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00:11:20

Of Mice & Men (John Steinbeck) - Book Review

Mere Mortals Book Reviews ·

2021/08/06

Lots of mice and lots of men, just what I like in my books!'Of Mice & Men' by John Steinbeck is a short novella about migrant farm workers set in Soledad, California during the early 20th century. Lennie is a mentally disabled 'gentle giant' who accompanies the quick-witted George in their travels. Lennie inadvertently draws in trouble and relies on George to survive. The core themes explore the cruel mercy required to prevent great pain, the rollercoaster ride of hope with dashed dreams &

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