book reviews
Book reviews by and for those seeking to understand the human mind for all its strengths, quirks and shortcomings.
Dorothy and the Glass Key
'Dorothy and the Glass Key' is a young adult novel written by Christopher J. Finn in 2019 by Austin Macauley Publishers, LLC. This is a story of wander and wondering. This is the story of a girl named Dorothy who has many adventures through time and space. Dorothy is a child from a sad home where the mother was overworked and her father was an alcoholic. The story begins when Dorothy is in a vegetative state as an adult and a resident of a rehabilation center due to her adventures through various times and places and being with various kinds of people through time, but are linked through various keys that must match to hopefully make it home again somehow.
By Mark Graham6 years ago in Psyche
Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers
This book was written by the same author who wrote Behave and A Primate's Memoir. Robert Sapolsky has a unique way of turning scientific jargon, into a masterful education tool that breaks down even the most complex bodily functions into understandable material.
By Angela Love6 years ago in Psyche
Many Good Reasons to Read One Good Reason
Séan McCann, a founding member of Great Big Sea, bravely opened up about the clerical sexual abuse he encountered in his youth and the addictions he employed in attempting to drown the pain and trauma it caused. In 2013, he broke away from the band and pursued a course of truth, using music as his therapy. His new purpose landed on sharing his stories and songs of hope and recovery with those who needed it most.
By Heather Down6 years ago in Psyche
Exile
People refer to exile as something unexplored, something that would never happen in their lives, but it can happen in a matter of a second and ruin the entire life of a human. Exile is something that, if it finds you, you won't be able to escape or hide from it, it is the confronting reality of accepting that there is nothing left but melancholic memories of what people used to know and consider their identity. Historically speaking there are thousands of cases where people are obligated to abandon what they love the most, leaving them with a single idea of what their life would be like; uncertainty, a feeling that traps people with their fears, their worries and frustration, blinding themselves with a darker perspective of what hope used to be. Exile, defined as nothing more than a personal prison, an idea that is substantially reflected through literature. The essay “Reflexions on exile” of the author Edward Said, explores the concept of what exile means today and its clear relationship with such destructive emotions, undoubtedly “The Refugee”, book written by Bernard Malamud, a supposed fictional story, has more connections with the real world and with Said's essay than with a fictional world filled with fallacies. Both texts portrait a single idea bonded with a theme, exile being a self molded prison that will chase and consume an individual’s entire life, leaving nothing more than a void that can’t be filled with a temporary and fake new place that can be considered a new home, but filled with frustration, anxiety, and fear.
By Daiana RME6 years ago in Psyche
The One Book Every First Responder Shouldn’t Be Without
Whether deployed or not, being in the military has its challenges and inherent hazards. The same can be said of first responders such as firefighters, police officers and paramedics. They run to danger when the rest of us flee. They often witness the worst of humanity and the most heinous of circumstances.
By Heather Down6 years ago in Psyche
What Rachel Hollis Gets Wrong
Let me start this with a big, fat disclaimer: I LOVE Rachel Hollis. Seriously! I have recommended my friends, family, and acquaintances to her books since I have finished them. I would not even be writing this if it wasn’t for her. She has been a HUGE inspiration to me in following my dreams, and I can’t thank her enough for that. I have read and reread her wisdom through her writing, YouTube channels, and social media platforms. I am a Rachel Hollis fan. There is just one issue I have about her message that I cannot get on board with. So just know when I am discussing what I think Rachel gets wrong, it is coming from a place of love and genuine concern. I wouldn’t even feel compelled to write this if I didn’t feel that this particular message she puts out could actually be harmful. Because the fact is, Rachel Hollis is drowning in diet culture and fatphobia.
By Kate Chessy7 years ago in Psyche
