panderkins's Reviews (279)

I recognize my own schizoaffective patterns in this quite a lot and I'm very grateful to Steve for sharing his valuable insights. Like him I've overcome a lot with the help of medication, writing, and therapy. I have also benefitted from more traditional spiritual approaches including meditation, religion and a 12 step program. Like him I mended bridges in my family of origin and still find myself looking for "more friends," something that interestingly is an obsession with me and Steve alike!

I did feel that the last half of the book could've used quite a lot more editing. It was so repetitive I had to skim large chunks. I would've liked to know more about his career path to published writer and speaker.

If you're suffering from Schizoaffective or Schizophrenia, pick this book up. It would especially help family members. I related to too much of his story to fully describe in a review.

I don't know why the reviews on this page are for Walden...my Goodreads shows this as Ktaadn, the first half of The Maine Woods, which is what I read. Being a Mainer who has camped many times in the Katahdin region I enjoyed this account of the first expedition to attempt a summit of the mile high peak. As he explains, Native Americans had the belief that their God Pamola forbade them to climb the mountain, so Thoreau got further than anyone at that time. This mountain marks the very end of the Appalachian Trail and is beloved by Mainers and visitors. I thought Ktaadn was interesting.

I read it on a three night stay in Baxter, which was perfect. I did not know about all the deaths in the park and I learned a lot of area history. Like another reviewer, I was surprised at some of his negativity toward visitors but I could understand why given the scenarios described. I love Baxter and go every year. I was fortunate someone gave me this book before I left and I plan to do the same for another camper.

Murderbot is a great character but I did not understand the ending. I was trying to figure out who the bad guys ended up being connected to, trying to keep all the details together, then the adventure ended. There is a cute epilogue though.

I enjoyed reading it in accompaniment to Jordan Peterson's Exodus series on Daily Wire+, a seminar roundtable of theologians and scholars analyzing it chapter by chapter.

I liked it a lot, it was compulsively readable, but it made me feel like achieving long healthspan is a more monumental task than I might be able to handle, and it constantly made me reflect on my Diabetic brother's impending doom because he does nothing for his health at all.

That said, there are a lot of things I can do, mainly getting my sleep routine under control, a nightly problem, and two, adding strengh training. The book is very motivational.

I have been trying to fast every night for over a year and am rarely successful longer than a week (16:8), but when I do fast, I lose a lot of weight. I would still like to make it a rule to not eat after dinner, so switching to a 15:9 window, while being sure to get enough protein, is my new goal. He was emphatic about protein and for the first time I had a clear idea of how much I need.

I trust him as a medical expert more than someone like Mindy Pelz or Andrew Huberman, or even in some respects my own doctor. He is dominating my YouTube feed now and I prefer to listen to his podcasts instead. He reinvigorated my already strong interest in metabolic and cardiovascular health. I do not find it possible to ask my doctors for the tests he recommends; either they will not order them or I'll have to pay out of pocket. So it's best to just make some tweaks and heed the precautions and step up my exercise routine, and sleep healthfully. As I enjoyed learning anew, exercise is the panacea.

Very enjoyable read. It only took a few days.

The story was gripping and at times extremely harrowing. I loved the first two thirds then it became sort of Pynchonesque to end. Nell is a compelling figure to root for and I was happy she triumphed but I wanted a more satisfying conclusion to the meeting between her and Miranda. I don't think I understood the seed concept very well. Some plot points like the seed seemed hastily conceived and dropped in...it was important to the plot yet dimished by the postmodernism. But overall I am happy I read it. I found it an exciting and fun page turner like Snowcrash and Cryptomomicon, both of which I rate 5 stars. I read the last quarter of this in one head spinning night.

4.5