Mere Mortals Book Reviews

'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 a copy using the following link! https://amzn.to/3yEXXWrTimeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:54) - Synopsis(4:30) - Themes (10:05) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(13:40) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

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) - Intro(0:21) - Catch-22(1:23) - Heart of Darkness(3:08) - Of Mice & Men(5:04) - The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea(6:33) - Breakfast At Tiffany's(8:44) - Mortality(11:50) - The Cubs & Other Stories(13:35) - The Art of Resilience(14:49) - What's coming up next month?Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

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 summarised the book as follows. "It's a simple story of a carefree socialite who doesn't learn any lesson in particular. Holly certainly leaves an impression whether it be bad or good. I thought the 'untameable wild animal' analogy used in the books was quite a suitable way to describe her. I'd really like to meet someone like her in person but think that the real life experience might not be as fun as it appears in writing."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!If you would like to support the channel, you can grab yourself a copy of the book here!https://amzn.to/2Wpg5qgTimeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:35) - Synopsis(3:37) - Female Charisma: Beautifully enigmatic with feminine wiles(8:14) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(11:56) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

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 intensity).I summarised the book as follows. "To say this is funny is an understatement. It is absolutely hilarious although it does contain disturbing/gory scenes, as it is after all about war. Catch-22 has become mainstay of the English language due to the absolute perfection of Heller in creating situation of paradox that can't be resolved. One of the best books I've ever read!"I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!If you would like to support the channel, you can grab yourself a copy of the book here! https://amzn.to/3zmGbIHTimeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:30) - Synopsis(3:11) - Catch-22: The funny side of paradox(6:58) - The Wastage Of War: Ridiculous, futile bureaucracy in action(11:41) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(15:17) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

"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 reading them. It showed a lot of emotional points as well. Overall solid".I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Juan out!If you would like to support the channel, you can grab yourself a copy of the book here! https://amzn.to/2UT3DyoTimeline:(0:00) - Intro(1:40) - Synopsis(4:35) - Themes(10:50) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(16:30) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

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 punch for something so small. The pace is slow which adds to the heavy atmosphere of malaise & dark oppression. I found myself fearing what Marlow would find as he progresses deeper into the heart of the jungle. Kurtz as a character also made an impression, despite his brief actual appearance. Definitely want to read more from Conrad in the future."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!If you would like to support the channel, you can grab yourself a copy of the book here! https://amzn.to/3jqFs3TTimeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:30) - Synopsis(3:50) - Darkness: The horror of the ivory trade(8:23) - Madness: Losing the 'heart' of your ideals(11:54) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(15:09) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

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 farewell to those of us that remain. Christopher seemed like a crazy, cool guy who did what he loved. What it shows is a small snapshot of the horrors that cancer bring to all. A reminder that we all indeed are simply Mere Mortals."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!If you would like to support the channel, you can grab yourself a copy of the book here! https://amzn.to/3ykTUhVTimeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:37) - Synopsis(3:34) - Mortality: The state of being susceptible to death(11:27) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(16:06) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

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 before being compiled.I summarised the book as follows. "My thoughts on books that are 'collections' has not altered in the slightest. Due to the quantity of slang this was a difficult read in Spanish and I'm not sure the English version would have been any more interesting. It wasn't bad but there was nothing within that stood out (maybe due to the young age of the author)."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!If you would like to support the channel, you can grab yourself a copy of the book here! https://amzn.to/2WxQHP0Timeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:33) - Synopsis(2:48) - Young Men: Risk takers due to differing values(5:49) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(7:26) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

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 & the different types of loneliness.I summarised the book as follows. "This is a quick taste of what to expect in Steinbeck's masterpiece 'The Grapes of Wrath'. It got deep into the heart of each character with minimal words. Will probably leave you a bit sad afterwards and thankful that your life is not like that of those in the book. Short, sharp and stinging."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!If you would like to support the channel, you can grab yourself a copy of the book here! https://amzn.to/3mAgKjcTimeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:30) - Synopsis(2:12) - Cruel Mercy: Causing pain to prevent greater pain(6:29) - Dashed Dreams: Life has no mercy(8:39) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(10:28) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

A book where I'm certainly glad the ending got cut short!'The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea' by Yukio Mishima is a story of 3 characters with romantic notions that crunch up against reality. Set in post WWII Yokohoma, young Noboru struggles to accept the courtship and impending marriage of his widowed mother Fusako with the stoic sailor Ryuji. The themes delve into the sentimental honour to be gained with glory and finding meaning in life by dampening emotions to embrace destruction/emptiness.I summarised the book as follows. "All 3 have an idealised emotional perspective of the world which seems to come crashing down, for better and worse. I liked the 3 pronged storyline & gained some insight into Japanese culture. I myself wasn't too put off by the disturbing scene with the kitten, but this isn't for the squeamish."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!If you would like to support the channel, you can grab yourself a copy of the book here! https://amzn.to/38o0xFKTimeline:(0:00) - Intro(0:27) - Synopsis(4:01) - Glory: Honour gained by notable achievements(7:24) - Inhuman: Finding meaning through destruction & emptiness(10:18) - Personal Observations/Takeaways(13:27) - SummaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show