Jasmine

A Must Read Before You Die

Reviewed: 05-16-21

This book is absolutely everything it is cracked up to be. An essential, life changing read full of profound psychological and humanistic insights. The human spirit is alive in this book. Frankl delivers some truly thought provoking words of wisdom. Happiness must ensue, you cannot pursue it. The same applies with success. There was a lot in this book that felt relevant to my personal struggles.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this book is Viktor Frankl’s perspective on anxiety, phobias, and obsessive compulsive disorder. His “paradoxical” approach to treating OCD and phobias with anticipatory anxiety sounds like the direct progenitor of exposure and response prevention therapy. This is a fascinating book in every aspect.

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A Terrifying, Yet Essential Read

Reviewed: 05-06-21

The King in Yellow is truly terrifying. This is how you write cosmic horror. This collection of short stories is extremely pervasive and will permeate every fabric of your mind. “Carcossa” and “The King in Yellow” will replay in your brain like a parasitic thought. This is absolutely essential for any horror fan, or an admirer of the first season of True Detective.

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Enlightening

Reviewed: 04-18-21

I can smell the psychosphere. This is the ultimate guide to philosophical pessimism, and furthers my personal world view. Human consciousness was a mistake.

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8 people found this helpful

A Relevant Read for the Times

Reviewed: 03-21-21

I decided to revisit this do the republicans constantly echoing that the Covid-19 public health measures and vaccination are “Orwellian.” I don’t think they’ve ever actually read 1984. It is an indictment on Russian communism, yes, but the dystopian world presented in this narrative is much more in line with the truth denying, “alternative facts” far right policy of the Trump republicans. This is a terrifying, but compelling read for 2021.

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Pseudo Scientific Quackery

Reviewed: 02-19-21

As a lifelong fan of the New England Patriots, I thought this would be an interesting read. I was sorely mistaken. It’s extremely difficult to take any of the claims made in this book seriously. While muscle pliability is an important aspect of athletic performance, it’s not such a black and white concept as Tom Brady makes it sound. Muscle pliability is helpful, but the claim that dense muscle mass is detrimental is 100% false. Anyone with a scientific background would laugh this book out of the building.

Mr. Brady’s claims on nutrition are questionable at best, and harmful at worst. While we should all eat our share of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains — the notion that protein derived from poultry, beef, or fish is simply untrue. Nutrition is a difficult area of expertise since nutrition is highly dependent on the individual. However, Tom Brady asserts that his diet is the “correct” one to live by. Additionally, the continued war on dairy is present here. Dairy is an important source of vitamin D, calcium, and protein. Unless you are lactose intolerant or have a medical condition such as Celiac Disease or a form of inflammatory bowel (Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis), there is no harm in consuming dairy.

Perhaps the most jarring claim in this book is Mr. Brady’s statement that his hydration regimen prevents sunburn. This was absolutely baffling. There are a lot of buzz words in this book, such as “toxins.” But what is a toxin? Anything can be a toxin, even nutrients and vitamins that your body needs if too much of it accumulates. Water can be a toxin. Salt can be a toxin.

While I am still fascinated by, and have respect for the legacy and longevity of Tom Brady’s NFL career — this book should be discontinued. Please take all of the “scientific claims” with a grain of salt. I implore you to do your own research and consult your primary care physician when it comes to your health. Mr. Brady’s guru, Alex Guerrero, was a snake oil salesman. The only reason this book may be beneficial is to get a look into the mindset of a legendary athlete. However, Tom Brady touches so little on his incredible sense of determination and focused mindset that this book is not worth opening.

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The Film is Better

Reviewed: 12-22-20

I’ve always found The Shining to be a fascinating piece of art. I love Stanley Kubrick’s film adaptation, and after reading several accounts of how much Stephen King detests the film I decided to finally read the book. It’s not very good. The novel certainly does certain things well such as making Jack a more fleshed out character and making both Wendy and Danny stronger characters in their own right. However, the book is ultimately a dull read due to long swaths of nothing happening. This book is not scary. It’s not tense. Some of it is a really well written metaphor for struggling with alcoholism, but that’s it. King needs to learn how to edit.

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The Structure is Tedious

Reviewed: 10-08-20

Sherlock Holmes is quite possibly the greatest fictional detective of all time. He has been a part of many classic stories. However, I have noticed a recurring problem with the full length novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. All of his novels involving Sherlock Holmes, with the exception of The Hounds of Baskerville, take a turn in the latter half of the book in order to give us an overly long and boring backstory for the criminal. It is tiresome and incredibly frustrating to read. It doesn’t matter how compelling the mystery is, or how well Sherlock and Watson are written — this structure by Conan Doyle is awful. It holds these novels back from being truly great detective fiction.

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A Sherlock Story Worth Your Time

Reviewed: 09-27-20

The Sign of Four is, perhaps, the strangest of the four full length Sherlock Holmes novels. Often criticized for its narrative structure, The Sign of Four is a captivating mystery if one only pays attention. Sherlock is at his best while Dr. Watson forms a new relationship with Mary. However, I would argue that the best aspect of this book is that Sherlock does not solve the whole mystery. Unlike his colleagues (Christie with the inferior detective Poirot), Conan Doyle is not afraid to let Sherlock fail from time to time. And that — is admirable.

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1 person found this helpful

A Great Introduction to Sherlock Holmes

Reviewed: 09-20-20

Sherlock Holmes is, perhaps, the most well known fictional detective. While he and his partner, Dr. John Watson, have had many iconic stories told, A Study in Scarlet acts a magnificent introduction to the quintessential detective. This is a compelling mystery with careful plotting and pacing. The characterizations are all enjoyable including the minor characters such as Lestrade and Gregson of Scotland Yard. However, this book suffers from a strange digression about religious propaganda. I understand it serves the antagonist’s motivation, but it completely breaks the flow of the narrative and disengages the reader. Apart from roughly 1/3 of the book being a boring tale about Mormonism, A Study in Scarlet is the perfect introduction to Sherlock Holmes.

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Go Set a Watchmen is a Disgrace

Reviewed: 09-01-20

Go Set a Watchman, whether it be a sequel or the original draft of To Kill a Mockingbird, is an absolute disgrace to what came before it. The novel struggles to find anything even remotely resembling a plot. The message of the story is disgusting and shameful. Go Set a Watchman almost serves as a stark admission that conservatism is nothing but the rejection of progress. The character assassination and bigoted, racist beliefs of Atticus will be difficult for any reader to swallow if they have read To Kill a Mockingbird. Go Set a Watchman is up there with Batman v. Superman, Game of Thrones season 8, and The Last of Us Part II as a complete dishonor to everything that came before it.

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