Mere Mortals Book Reviews

How many people do you know that you would describe as a 'psychopath'?. If you answered none than you might be surprised at some of the info contained within 'The Psychopath Test' by Jon Ronson. The book is written in Ronson's signature style, jumping between different branches of the topic and interviewing bizarre people connected with the world of prisons, insane asylums and high powered CEO's.Kyrin had this to say about the book. "Psychopaths are disturbing and morbidly fascinating, there is a reason why there are so many true crime shows and podcasts. As far as the book goes, Jon Ronson weaves a beautiful narrative, there can be no doubt about it. His books are just plain fun due to his style and witty observations. He is also excellent at raising intriguing questions but doesn't spend a lot of actually answering them, so not a book for someone who likes to deep dive into a topic."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Synopsis(2:39) - How do you define a psychopath?(5:01) - Overdiagnosis & slippery slopes(10:54) - 1/100 people are a psychopath(12:49) - Summary(14:07) - Pragmatic takeaway: Using the word 'psychopath'Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

'Two Who Survived' is the story of Rose & Max Schindler in the Nazi concentration camps, written by M. Lee Connolly. It follows their separate journeys as kids in an increasingly hostile Europe leading up to WWII, their survival through the Holocaust and subsequent life post-war. The book touches upon the need for hope/optimism in the darkest of times when staring in the maws of death. For those wanting more explicit detail, Rose appeared in a fantastic podcast episode with Jocko Willink.Juan had this to say about the book. "It's a 140 odd pages which also includes some pictures linking to the people and locations being discussed. Although the book deals with some dark themes and horrific stories, you also get to take a peak at when humanity shines through. A cohesive, packed book that you can read in short order and one in which you will come away with a greater appreciation for your life and the ability to grow old."As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:(0:00) - Introduction(1:41) - Hope and optimism in terrible situations(3:07) - Reading from the book(4:36) - A book packed with action(6:23) - Key takeaway: never forgot what we humans are capable of(7:58) - Perspective: the gift of life(8:24) - Juan's summaryConnect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

How well do you really know your own mind? 'Thinking, Fast And Slow' is a hugely influential book published by the Nobel Prize winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman. In it he summarises 40 years of psychological research that helped to create the field of behavioural economics. The book is littered with gems of insight into the human brain and why humans behave the way we do. This includes heuristics such as loss aversion/anchoring/priming as well as larger concepts such as System 1 vs System 2, Econs vs Humans and the Experiencing Self vs Remembering Self.I summarised the book as follows. "This was probably one of the most referenced books I had come across in my life and was finally glad to read it. This would have been mind blowing to me if I had not already heard all the concepts being talked about by people who had already read it! I particularly enjoyed the little tests at the start of the chapters which really highlight how easily your mind can be led astray. My only fault with it was that some parts did become a little dry and I found myself getting distracted until I came into the next chapter. All in all a fantastic book if you want to learn more about psychology and the way the human brain works!" I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Book overview(1:40) - Prospect vs Utility theory(5:58) - System 1 vs 2, Econs vs Humans & Experiencing vs Remembering Self(9:21) - Personal observations(13:20) - Summary(15:06) - Pragmatic takeaway: be wary of probabilitiesConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

What is the most shame you have felt and was it something public or private? 'So You've Been Publicly Shamed' is a deep dive into the topic of shame by the gonzo journalist Jon Ronson. In the book he interviews some notable people who have been shamed on a worldwide level (thanks to social media) as well as investigating the psychology of the people instigating the shaming. In his research he touches upon the role of technology, anonymity, privacy and the creation of an online persona.Kyrin had this to say about the book. "I quite enjoyed Ronson's style of mixing compelling stories, deep investigative research and personal observations all weaving through his writing. This book won't become a classic but it does raise some current concerns about how humans are using the internet and what could befall any of us. Some of the stories will arouse compassion, distaste and even annoyance at the actors on his stage. Easy to read and all in all I would describe his book as fun and interesting without becoming overly philosophical."Timeline:(0:00) - Introduction to Jon Ronson(3:00) - Public vs private shame(9:36) - Technology, anonymity and the mob(15:58) - Kyrin's observations(19:26) - Summary of the book(20:53) - Pragmatic takeawayAs always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Disgrace: the loss reputation/respect as the result of a dishonourable action. J. M. Coetzee is a Nobel Prize winner and also was awarded the Booker Prize for 'Disgrace', a fictional story of a disgraced professor in post-apartheid South Africa. The books touches upon many themes such as: sexual misconduct, growing old, race relations, creating art, rape and animal rights. However the two principal themes are about desire and disgrace.I summarised the book as follows. "Be prepared for an uncomfortable read that while beautifully written contains graphic details of a gang rape scene, an old man fornicating with a young girl and euthanisation of helpless dogs. It is quite confronting yet also is a necessary reminder of the bad things that can happen in life and how one can perhaps mentally prepare for them. A relatively short book that while not pleasant, is quite gripping."I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Intro, general plot and themes(3:30) - Sexual desire(10:11) - Disgrace: the loss of reputation(19:17) - Personal observations(22:44) - Summary of the book(23:17) - Pragmatic takeaway: the gift of fearConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

In this bonus episode Juan goes through some of his favourite quotes and learnings from Steven Pressfield's 'The War of Art'. This is supplementary to his main book review, which can be found in the link below. Although it is a relatively short book, there is a bounty of quotes and beautiful language contained within. Juan found that many of these were great for keeping him motivated and on track with his goals related to business and fitness. That's it for today, Mere Mortals out!Timeline:(0:00) - Introduction(0:45) - Homer's 'Odyssey' and invoking of 'The Muse'(2:57) - Resistance is the enemy within(5:30) - It is one thing to study war, quite another to live the warrior life(8:27) - The supreme virtue is the contempt for death'The War of Art' book review - https://youtu.be/y_ZJY_yuIRwConnect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

Do you find yourself procrastinating and unable to overcome the negative self-talk of why you can't do something great? 'The War Of Art' is a fabulous kick in the pants by Steven Pressfield. In this book he explains his concept of 'Resistance', which is essentially the force that stops one from achieving the internal desire of creating and accomplishing something. It is similar to procrastination but he talks about it in a way that makes it easier to understand and overcome. The book is split into 3 sections on this topic and explains Pressfield's own methods of 'invoking the muse' and the mindset required to constantly combat 'Resistance'.Juan had this to say about the book. "It did prove to me that as I read on and on (as Kyrin suggested), by the tail end of the book I was consuming it as fast as possible in a way that I just wanted to get stuck into it. By the end I really really enjoyed it. So for me it was an 8/10."If you'd like to support us and grab the book - make sure you use this link! https://amzn.to/3hTbmoQTimeline:(0:00) - Intro and background(1:46) - Themes: defining 'Resistance'(4:18) - Combating 'Resistance' & turning pro(5:20) - Beyond 'Resistance' & the higher realm(7:56) - Key takeaway: difference between the hierarchical vs territorial mindsetAs always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

How much can one man endure while fulfilling his personal obligations to family/society? 'The Age of Innocence' was published in 1920 and one year later Edith Wharton became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize. Her book is set in the 1870's and follows the personal dramas of high society New York, centring around the love triangle between Newland Archer, his fiancée May Welland and her captivating, enigmatic cousin Ellen Olenska.I summarised the book as follows. "I was somewhat surprised by how much I actually enjoyed this book. Drama and interpersonal relations don't tend to draw me in but I actually resonated quite a lot with Newland and his predicament. The book explores themes of social class, breaking taboo's and where an individual's happiness is acceptable in light of the obligations/duties owed to his society and family." I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!Timeline:(0:00) - Background & synopsis(2:43) - Social class: doesn't make someone 'better'(8:13) - Mixing duty/obligation with love(13:24) - Is intense, fiery love sustainable?(16:16) - Personal observations(20:02) - Summary & pragmatic takeawayConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

“The Fourth Age not only discusses what the rise of A.I. will mean for us, it also forces readers to challenge their preconceptions. And it manages to do all this in a way that is both entertaining and engaging.” —The New York TimesJuan tackles the book The Fourth Age: Smart Robots, Conscious Computers, and the Future of Humanity by Byron Reese. This book proved to be a great read if you want to think about AI and machines from a primal basis, based on the way we might think of our universe at large.Timeline:(0:00) - Introduction and overview(0:35) - How deep does the rabbit hole go in the book(2:20) - The Fourth Age(3:25) - The three key questions(5:45) - Trying to emulate a nematode's brainAs always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!Connect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show

In today's bonus episode we have some additional notes taken by Kyrin while reading Plato's 'Republic'. These expand upon some of the deeper themes encountered in the book and there were not covered in the previously released episode of the actual book review. These include: Kyrin's personal opinions on 'justice' and the treatment it received in the dialogues, game theory and how modern knowledge and techniques can be applied to age old questions and the defects in Socrates' arguments as well as some of his faulty assumptions.Timeline:(0:00) - Introduction(0:53) - Justice is the repayment of debts(4:28) - Justice is the interest of the stronger(12:38) - Game theory applied to justice(15:05) - Thoughts on Socrates(16:58) - Faulty assumptions & ethical qualms(23:23) - Summary of the chapters(26:25) - An intriguing bookConnect with Mere Mortals:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcastSupport the show