piabo's Reviews (301)

Very glad I read this book! Although written pre-pandemic (2018), it still so many great and relevant points. I especially loved the large reference section at the end of the book, which helps to dive deeper into each topic.

I know about climate change and regularly read about it, but reading this book made me realize something on a deeper level. Climate change is happening right now and the predicted consequences are going to happen (We all know that, I know)! We will have places around this world that get too hot for people to survive, we will have water shortages, more extreme climate, less plant productivity and more. People will die, people will flee, people will fight. Our life will be majorly disrupted. Extreme events will become normal, people's mental and physical health will deteriorate.
My realization feels a little like realizing in the beginning of COVID that this is a very long process. What scientists predicted sounded scary, but is very much turned into reality. No way we could have avoided that.

We really need each other, we need technology, and we need to build resilience now. 

So far I have often read from a US or European perspective, definitely including the Global South in my thinking, but not really made that perspective change (not good, I know!).
This book is written from an Indian perspective, situating the population richest country right in the center of climate change. The author is unapologetic in her claims and gives a great analysis on many areas of impact. She also provides ideas for solutions.

It might not be as deep as other people want, but for me, it will be a classic in my further approach to the climate change emergency.

My friends, we are in for a ride and I hope we'll make it well.

I should really start giving books that are amazingly written 5 stars. But when they are sad, scary, or not satisfying, I feel like I should not. Just in case someone else picks it up and gets mad at me for recommending it so much.

This book is definitely one of those (reminded me of "The Bread the Devil Knead"). The three characters are well-explored. Although far from my reality, I got to understand the lives and struggles of the family members Margot, Dolores, and Thandi. Each of these women struggling with poverty, (sexual) abuse, and societal expectations in the touristic and rapidly area of Jamaica. Connected by family relations and sharing one roof, the concrete challenges look different for each of them. 
The book embraced the difficulties and complexities of their lives fully. I never felt like their stories were just serving a purpose to bring a point across, but instead I felt like they were raw and realistic representations of their realities.

One major question this book leaves me with is: "How much are our actions shaped by our circumstances?"
And also: "If I was in their situation, would I have acted the same?" and "Does trauma, abuse, and poverty justify the ends the characters have taken? Would there have been any alternatives?" 

I got to discuss this book with a wonderful member of the Afro Book Club in Berlin and got to explore many interesting questions. I highly recommend doing this as a buddy read and compare your understanding!

Informativ und irgendwie ein gutes Einstiegsbuch in den weißen Feminismus. Bewusst weiß, weil andere Perspektiven kaum dran kommen, und weiß sein und cis und hetero sein leider als Norm angenommen wird.
Die drei Worte (sanft, süß, und zart) fühlten sich auch komisch an. Es hätte bestimmt bessere gegeben. Erst am Ende wird dann nochmal klar, dass diese Begriffe aus einem historischen Ansatz gewählt wurden.

Ich als weiße Frau habe mich in vielen Erzählungen wieder gefunden und es fühlt sich immer gut an, gesehen zu werden. Ich bin mir nun mehr über mein Handeln und meine Position bewusst. 

Habe dieses Buch mit einem feministischen Lesekreis besprochen und ich liebe Menschen die lesen weiterhin.

I keep loving Christy Harrison's insights and comments. She gives a great critique of our current society and how the quest to perfect health is actually harmful to an individual and our systems.
Same as her first book this is a must-read for me.

Books like this are actually what I look for when getting health advice. She combines a critical understanding of the scientific method with a great grasp of societal challenges. I feel like she is considerate of inequalities and difficult circumstances people might be in and gives compassionate yet realistic feedback. I aspire to be like her.

Nevertheless, I want to look deeper into this book and the sources as I have a lot of people telling me what I and this book stand for is bullshit. I wonder if this is because wellness and diet culture is so ingrained into us, or if this book is actually just some made up theories themselves. I do not believe the latter, but I am open to the feedback and dig deeper myself. The author does a fabulous job to explain conspiracy theories and how they work, along with transparency in all her motives and an honest explanation of the science. This alone is proof for me. But still, in true spirit of what I learned in the book, I want to make sure what she says is no conspiracy theory. Stay tuned :)

A Bay Area / Hyderabad book! Two Minerva cities in one go and with such an interesting topic of surrogacy.

I always joke that I one day want to be a surrogate because it apparently pays around 30,000 USD in the US, which would cover my college debts, but I never thought about it much more.
This book does not just confront the money transactional part and the likely financial difference between the two parties involved, but also the two different countries and cultural conceptions.

I loved both Priya and Asha and understood both of their reasoning. I found most of the writing good, but sometimes saw a lot more potential for some scenes. The online forum posts at the end of Priya's chapters were also a cool addition to the book.

It was great that conflicts were not immediately (or finally) solved, although I do think it could have been a little less happy sometimes.
Definitely an interesting read, and I am happy I learned more about this topic.

Read this for a book club. My second ever book club meeting and I love it so much! I think it is especially helpful for "self help" books to talk about it and answer potential misunderstanding or deepen the grasps. This will help me internalize the teachings better and have accountability.

The Courage to be Disliked is a philosophical book about how to be happy. The premise is that we should not look back into our past and have self pity by all that happened to us and then use those as excuses, but that we are responsible for our future and that we can choose to do what we want. It further talks a lot about locus of control and about the damage that can happen when we compare ourselves to others a lot.
I learned that the only person I should compare myself against is myself, and that I have a lot of power to change my situation. Identity is not as static as we think, and making an effort to question one's beliefs can be very rewarding.

The dialog writing style was a good idea, I think the goal was to keep it in the style of the old Greek philosopher Plato, who wrote his and Socrates' teaching down in a conversation with the youth. What I did not like was the obvious power dynamic between the Youth and the Philosopher. It seemed like the Youth was this dumb person who asked a lot of weird question, and the Philosopher was a know-it-all (although patient). This hindered me from identifying with either one, and I rather got confused by the ignorance of the youth. I think if the conversation participants would be more equal in the way they talked, I would have enjoyed reading it much more. And the points would have gotten across as more legit.

And I did not like the statement that trauma is not real. There is just too much research done on this for a person to make this statement and mean it. This does not, however, mean that we have to use trauma as an excuse to not do the things we want to. Understanding the traumas we carry and the resulting behavior changes, and possibly learning about the effects on our neuroscience and the plasticity of the brain, can actually be very empowering and increase recovery. I hope philosophers, who make claims about psychology and how it should work, learn a lot about that field and incorporate the current level of research into their statements.

Overall, still a good book that is motivating and empowering. Just minor issued I have. Plus, not the writing style I was looking for (although it definitely made the reading easier).

The first book I read for a reading club in Berlin, very exciting experience!
During the reading process I was fascinated by some writing style choices, but found the entire story progress a little slow or frustrating. I was not really sure what the book was about until the end, but it was still not bad to read.

Only later, after reflecting, did I appreciate the story and the writing style more. I then watched an interview with the author and understood and valued some writing style choices even more. I like the part biography aspect of it.

In the book club discussion, I was faced with more questions. Why did we have major time gaps without explanation, why was the inner monologue stronger in some and weaker in other parts? Is this intentional or accidental. For me, I did not mind these gaps, I just made up reasons for myself. And being questioned on them, made me enjoy the book even more.

I thought of taking one star for the priviliged and less reflected perspective, but at this point I think it was on purpose. The book represents a rich Pakistani family and their ignorance towards the struggles of less affluent people. Every reader should be aware of that. But I think it added to the authenticity of the book. And I will go on to find more intersectional books on Pakistan.

Very happy I read some Indian mythology! Highly recommend. Just try to Google on the side and keep good track of names if you are completely new like me.

This book has to be read slowly and multiple times. And I feel like I will need Google open at all times or even have another book or two as references if I really want to grasp all the genius hidden in it.
I only listened to the audiobook, and it made me miss a lot. Now I think I have a very general idea of what Mbembe talks about, and I am happy to re-read at another time. Possibly preparing by reading some other ideas before.

I do think that not all people need as much time as me, the author has an overall good and easy writing style! My Natural Science brain just does not understand.

I don't really have an opinion. A book with a story and some interesting things said. Seems like a famous and good book. It's a quick read too. Set in London. Fun to read on my 8 hours flight.

"History is that certainty produced at the point where imperfections of memory meet the inadequacies of documentation."