Anonymous

Garbage.

Reviewed: 06-12-25

Robert Pantano’s Notes from the End of Everything promises a deep dive into the existential weight of mortality through the fictional memoir of John Gallo, a man facing a terminal brain tumor. What it delivers, however, is a frustratingly immature and contrived portrayal of death that feels more like a romanticized thought experiment than a meaningful exploration. As someone who hoped for raw insight into life’s final chapter, I found the book not only disappointing but infuriating in its shallow grasp of its subject matter.Pantano seems to believe that the end of life is a canvas for poetic musings and quotable phrases, as if death is a stage for profound one-liners rather than a visceral, often horrifying reality. John Gallo, the privileged protagonist, drifts through his diagnosis with a carefree demeanor, sipping fine whiskey and waxing philosophical. This portrayal is not just unrealistic—it’s insulting. Anyone familiar with terminal illness knows that treatment regimens like Gallo’s would leave him debilitated, wracked with nausea, fatigue, and existential dread. Where is the “whaling in the night” terror? The gut-wrenching loss of what it means to be human? Pantano sidesteps these gritty truths, opting instead for a sanitized, almost cinematic version of dying that feels like it was written by someone who’s never stared death in the face.If Pantano wanted to teach the world about death, as the book’s lofty tone suggests, he should have done his homework. Explore the horror of suffocation, the unimaginable pain of a body breaking down, or the psychological torment of losing autonomy. Study what it actually feels like to face the end, not what sounds good on a YouTube channel. Instead, we get a character who feels like a mouthpiece for Pantano’s Pursuit of Wonder scripts—polished, detached, and woefully out of touch. The author’s inexperience with these themes is glaring, and his attempt to play with them feels like a child dabbling in concepts far beyond his understanding.Notes from the End of Everything isn’t just a missed opportunity; it’s a book that trivializes one of life’s most profound and terrifying experiences. For readers seeking authentic insight into mortality, look elsewhere. This is a story that mistakes privilege for depth and romanticism for truth.

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Easy listening and thoughtful

Reviewed: 06-11-25

Can't go wrong with a Bertrand Russell book under 5 hours. I really enjoyed my listen.

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Must Read. Very Moving.

Reviewed: 06-07-25

i absolutely loved this book. Anyone into philosophy, history, and anything associated with these topics would love this book.
The writing and the presentation of the history, the quotes, the time periods appears deeply cared for, I just finished the book, and it is absolutely one of my favorites. I am very grateful to the author and team. Thank you❤️ Thank you.

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Bravo, Bravo, Bravo

Reviewed: 06-03-25

One can only hope this book will be referenced into the future.

Such an impressive book. If I live long enough I'll read it twice.

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A Journey, NOT a religious Encyclopedia.

Reviewed: 05-15-25

The book's main idea is that there is a universal truth underlying diverse religious traditions, this is an ancient concept, predating Huxley by centuries, if not millennia. The book is unveils an accumulation of quotes and insights into a wide variety of religions and religious quotes, and practices. It feels like the author was trying to find the places where all spirituality meets in reality, feeling wholeness and goodness.

It's not a religious encyclopedia, it's more of a religious and spiritual buffet, you know, food for thought.

However, I can also understand that from an ethnic, or cultural point it seem a bit too much to be making so many rich and ancient belief systems so simple. Again, it's not an encyclopedia.

I loved the book. If I live long enough, I'll read it again someday.

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Narrator sucks

Reviewed: 05-08-25

I can't listen to this book with the half Scottish accent. It absolutely colors the book too much and the subject matter suffers immensely.

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Masterpiece, but no PDF

Reviewed: 05-03-25

The low rating is because if you really want to grab a hold of this book you will need to read along with it, or at least have a copy of the work to reference it.
Really disappointing that Audible doesn't spare a copy with the audio.

if you really want to understand this work to it's limit visit Jade Vine on YouTube

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Relentless Ennui - Not worth the time

Reviewed: 04-15-25

Cioran’s A Short History of Decay sets out to immerse you in the bleakness of existence, showing how life and human endeavors decay into meaninglessness through a series of poetic, aphoristic reflections. It explores the futility of existence, the collapse of cultural and spiritual values, and the burden of consciousness, often suggesting that a God, if one exists, has failed us by creating such a flawed world.

I came across Cioran on a podcast and decided to dive into his work, hoping to find something thought-provoking.However, I found the book’s 8.5-hour audiobook format frustrating. Cioran hammers on the same themes—life’s emptiness, the absurdity of hope, the decay of everything—across fragmented sections, which felt repetitive and drawn out. While I can see that this repetition might be intentional, mirroring the monotony of existence he describes, it made the experience feel tedious. I expected more structured philosophical depth, but instead, the book leans heavily on poetic lamentations about life’s lack of meaning, which didn’t resonate with me as a compelling argument. For me, the book lacked the systematic rigor I prefer in philosophy.

I found Schopenhauer’s The World as Will and Representation far more engaging because it builds a cohesive system to explain life’s suffering, whereas Cioran’s fragmented style felt more like an emotional outpouring than a substantive exploration.

In fact, I enjoyed reading about Cioran’s ideas—like his view of ennui as a cosmic awareness of time’s futility—more than experiencing them firsthand in this book.The most striking part of my experience was how the book’s length and repetitive nature made me feel the very ennui Cioran describes: a paralyzing boredom and disconnection that he calls “the echo in us of time tearing itself apart.” I felt that the core ideas could have been conveyed in under an hour, and the remaining 7.5 hours seemed to embody that existential malaise.

While this might be Cioran’s point, to embody that existential malaise, it didn’t make the reading experience enjoyable for me. If you prefer a more structured philosophical approach, like Schopenhauer’s or even Zapffe’s clearer frameworks in The Last Messiah, shorter essays about the subject might leave you wanting more.

The Conspiracy Against the Human Race, is an overview of all things Nihilistic. It's a warped, but great read, same length as this book here.

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Reader Beware

Reviewed: 04-11-25

This book isn't for those seeking solace or hope. As a writer delving into the architecture of Pessimism, Nihilism, and Anti-natalism, I found "The Conspiracy Against the Human Race" to be an unsettlingly effective guide, and then some.

What consistently strikes me about authors exploring nihilistic and anti-natalist themes is the sheer force of their conviction, the undeniable energy poured into articulating meaninglessness. In crafting such meticulously argued works, they inadvertently expose a profound paradox, akin to the epiphany of the hunter in "The Last Messiah." The very act of passionately declaring life devoid of inherent meaning becomes a testament to the human drive for purpose, a pursuit that inherently imbues existence with it. The dedication, the intellectual labor, the emotional investment – all speak volumes against their central thesis.

It forces a step back, a conscious disengagement, to observe this profoundly inherent contradiction: the fervor with which meaninglessness is proclaimed highlights the inescapable reality of meaning itself, existing in dimensions far beyond our limited comprehension. Our minds, our language, our very concepts are inadequate tools to grasp the vast ocean of information that surrounds us. It’s a stark awakening.

I found myself captivated by the book, and the narrator's voice was particularly compelling. Yet, there’s a lingering disquiet. If the author’s perspective leans towards a certain darkness, the narrator plunges headfirst into that abyss, amplifying its unsettling nature. This book is exceptionally twisted and undeniably thought-provoking, leaving you with the unsettling sensation that while the writer explores the theoretical depths of despair, the narrator seems to revel in its practical implications. It’s a chilling and unforgettable read, one that will linger long after the final page.

Remember friends, our minds don't make meaning, we merely catagorize our experiences and form them in language. One can only hope the author will one day find the solace he needs, to recover from his hate and anguish.

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1 person found this helpful

To be

Reviewed: 04-07-25

This book is almost 30 hours of explaining what it means to be.

Look up Jade Vine on YouTube, watch Part 1 before (or after) reading this book. The description of the book and the definitions will help alot.

Heidegger used his own language for nouns, adjectives, and verbs in writing about "Being" so that the words wouldn't be conflated as most words are.

Being is a word meaning encompassing aspects. Reality is a Being. Beauty is Being. Adventure is Being. As Dasein is a human being Being-in-the-world, "there"

If you take your time and let this book reveal itself to you, it is an awarding experience.

The answer overall is "To Be" that is the amswer.

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