theravenkingx's Reviews (336)

4.5  ★★★★☆
I who have never been more eager for answers.

This book is about human experiences when you have no context of right or wrong, no frame of reference for what constitutes normalcy, and no societal constructs to guide your behavior. It is a raw exploration of humanity, stripped from its superficial constraints and rules that we abide by, revealing the core elements that are intrinsic to our existence. It leaves you with a lingering question of what remains of humanity in absence of all external influences.

This story is about a young girl who was imprisoned at a very young age. Thought her life, she has only known the confines of her cell. The other 39 women imprisoned with her are much older and have resigned to their fate, but the child is curious. She questions why all her guards are men and why are they keeping them in prison for. This narrative mirrors the real life where women have accepted their roles, and those who dare to question often find themselves silenced or ignored.

When these women finally get their freedom, they are not sure what to do with it. The older women, with vague memories of their past lives, want to go back but the child wants to explore and learn everything she can. 

The women live in despair after trying and failing to escape their fate,  but this new world is Eden for the child waiting to be discovered. When after years of waiting, she finally gets the chance, her expedition ends with more questions than answers. She celebrates every new question as a piece of the puzzle, thrusting her into finding resolution, but she comes to understand that some mysteries can’t be solved—only lived. The world that began with Adam ends with Eve, not with an answer, but with a legacy of enduring hope.

It delves into the realm of friendship, education, curiosity and desire. Yet, at its core, it's an exploration of morality. It ponders how one can develop a moral compass without ever being taught the distinction between right and wrong. It asks whether relieving your friends from pain is an act of violence or love. And It contemplates the nature of grief for those who have not experienced loss.

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Reading this book was similar to experiencing a fever dream. It completely diverged from my expectations. After reading it, I understand why it was nominated for an award: it's stance is anti-religion and pro-America. It fails to address the the atrocities of the Russian or American wars but instead relies on religious stereotypes for emotional impact.

I believe our rewarding system is flawed. We tend to prioritize negative experiences over positive ones, and after reading a few negative opinions or experiences, we start generalizing about entire societies and cultures. It's a dangerous game that traps us in a vicious cycle of misinformation. This book only serves to reinforce the prevalent Western stereotypes of Muslims instead of challenging them.

It's disheartening when someone who has never resided in Afghanistan narrates stories without proper research and any due diligence. The author was raised in America and it shows in his writing. In my opnion, rather than recounting experiences he has never encountered, he should concentrate on subjects within his realm of knowledge.

In times where Islamophobia is escalating, the call for books that cast a positive light is more pressing than ever.

I find this book lacking and would hesitate to recommend it. While a select few stories, such as the one featuring Metal Gear Solid and another about Israel, did capture my interest, they fell short of leaving a lasting impression.

Blake Crouch is my couch friend. He is one of those author for me who is always there to grab my hand and pull me back when I am on the verge of falling into a reading slump.

Recursion, like his other work, delivers a fast paced, edge of the seat experience.  Crouch remains undefeated in the art of blending science fiction, suspense and psychological thriller. His narrative and writing prowess is so captivating and cinematic that it sets him apart from his contemporaries.

Before you hop on this the roller coaster, make sure your seatbelt is memory-proof, because you’re in for a ride that will flip your past, present, and future upside down!

Synopsis
The book follows a grieving father, a detective named Barry. A life-changing call drives him to a woman suffering from FMS - fake memory syndrome - a mysterious condition where individuals are haunted by vivid memories of lives never lived. Tragically, the woman’s struggle ends in suicide, propelling Barry into a relentless investigation that leads him to a laboratory where overzealous scientists are tampering with human consciousness. They believe they can help humanity by allowing people to send their consciousness into their past selves, offering them a chance to change the trajectory of their lives. However, their are unintended consequences of their experiment. The ripple effect of altered memories doesn’t just affect the subjects, but also those entwined in their past, overwhelming them with an onslaught of disorienting recollections.  He meets a woman named Halena, a scientist responsible for this mind breaking discovery. Together they try to undo repercussions of this new technology. But how can one succeed when memories of alternate lives persistently converge?

This book gives a unique twist to time travel. The grandfather paradox doesn't exist here since individuals can only send their consciousness back into their past selves using their most vivid memories. This process influences not only the traveler but also the lives and memories of those they encounter, who start to form new memories. When the present timeline catches up, these individuals are flooded with memories of their original timeline all at once, creating a complex web of memories across different timelines. This new memory paradox creates a challenge for our main character, who aims to erase the knowledge of this time travel technology from the minds of people who seek to exploit it for selfish reasons. But every try yields the same result where the bad guys end up remembering and recreating the technology. Both Halena and Barry relive their lives many times over to figure out a solution, enduring physically and emotionally throughout their journey. Their struggle seem real. They don't miraculously conjure a solution but face many hardships. They are both well written characters but it's less about them and more about the delimma they are stuck with. 

I have never read anything like this before. It's incredibly fresh and mind-bending. I’d love to see it adapted into a movie. I know apple is working on "Dark Matter" I just hope they pick this one up too.

DNF at 25%

Exuberant in its storytelling, eloquent in its prose, and transcending in its themes, "The Overstory" is a great reminder of our place in the world and the responsibility we, as humans, have towards our surroundings. It's a powerful story spanning generations and geohraphies that ultimately intertwining like roots of a tree to sprout a moving narrative of humanity and it's relationship with nature.
 

The story follows nine diverse characters bound by the perpetual beings called trees. Their tumultuous journey to understand and protect these endangered species, with whom they share a quarter of DNA, leads to a profound realization: it is not they who need help, but us—the humans.

Written in ornate prose that can sometimes be challenging to discern, the book took me twelve days to complete, and I still feel the need to revisit and reread certain sections. The extended time it took to finish was not only due to its depth of knowledge—so profound that it required multiple revisits—its intricate characters, and its captivating narrative, but also because of its complex lyrical composition, which I personally believe renders the book somewhat inaccessible to a vast majority of readers.

The book may not be for everyone, but those who delve into it's pages may find themselves completely transformed. And while this notion sounds appealing in theory, the practical impact may be different. The author, himself, explores the transient nature of life-altering experiences and how their significance can diminish as we re-immerse ourselves in the daily grind. The impact of this book, like everything else, maybe  ephemeral. This isn't to say that is book is not worth the read. Additionally, the book examines the bystander effect—our paralysis in the face of crisis when in the company of others. The author suggests that this social phenomenon contributes to our collective inertia in addressing the climate crisis.

The book is imbued with important scientific knowledge, human experiences and covers many relevnat issues arising from our aloofness. The book is divided into two broad categories: short stories that introduces us to the 9 characters and the main narrative where the paths of these characters converge to form a resistance against profit-driven corporations and governments. The first two-thirds of the book are five-star worthy, but it lagged towards the end. I think with better editing and simple writing, this book could have been even more impactful.

The most poignant scene for me was the speech by one of the characters, where she speaks about the ultimate sacrifice of the ‘suicide tree,’ which blooms once and then dies, allowing its offspring to thrive. 

I will reread this book again someday and will be recommending this book to everyone I encounter.

Divine Rivals - the book where the ‘battle’ is just a flirty pillow fight.

I have no qualms recommending this book to anyone looking for a cozy romantic read. It’s the kind of book you’ll curl up with and read without realizing how much time has passed. That being said, I think the book lacks the advertised rivalry. If you’re a fan of the ‘enemies to lovers’ trope, this book might leave you feeling unsatisfied. I don't often read this genre, but I can see the charm. This book has been a great palate cleanser for me and really helped me out of my reading slump. I was craving the dopamine rush that comes from finishing a book. 

The romance hung by a thread, and for the most part, I feared it would fall and burn in the pit of cringe, but I was pleasantly surprised. I'm so glad the author didn't prolong the mystery of the letters too much, because then it would have been manipulation, not love. The romance didn't raise any red flags for me, which is shocking.

However, I wish the author had dedicated more time to developing the plot and delving deeper into the complexities of a world torn apart by war. The backdrop of the war remained just that—a backdrop—and the mystery surrounding the typewriters didn’t reach a satisfying resolution. I’m concerned that the author has left a heavy burden for the second book to shoulder. 

I don't know when but I will read the second book for sure.

Project Hail Mary? More like hell Mary

The book is far from perfect. It seems to be an erotica for space nerds, that they can bate to. I mean more power to you. I wish you great orgasms.

No doubt the science is well done, and the author's research work and assiduity are commendable. However, The scientific concepts and details overshadow the story and the characters. Moreover, if your remove the science bits, this book would become a space comedy (now that I think of it, that might have been better). The plot feels like it was written by a 5 year old. A man, on a mission to save the world from a threat that endangers the entire planet, meets a fun little spider-like alien.

The characters are poorly written and serve as vehicles for the author to boast about his Knowledge of microbiology and physics. The book is full of plot holes and badly written arcs that the author neglects, hoping that his brilliance in science will compensate for the weak writing but it doesn't. Many people fell for his contrivance, but I had to block several parts of my brain to enjoy it. if you are afraid that you don't have enough brain cells for this book, then I have a great news for you:  you only need two to enjoy it. I picked up this book for the plot, not the science. If I wanted science, I would have opened a textbook. Thank you.

The book starts off strong, with a captivating premise and a clever use of the amnesia trope. The main character, Dr. Grace, wakes up on a spacecraft with no memory of who he is or why he is there. He gradually learns that he is on a mission to save Earth from a deadly alien microbe that feeds on starlight. The author creates a believable and intriguing scenario of alien life in the form of a microbe, rather than the clichéd super intelligent green aliens. However, the book loses its momentum and focus after the first 40% of the story. The next 200 pages are filled with excessive exposition and info dumping. Mr. Weir(d) seems more interested in showing off his scientific knowledge than in developing the plot and the characters. Once that is over, we finally return to the actual plot. The plot becomes captivating and engrossing again, as Dr. Grace and his alien friend try to find a solution to the microbe problem. The book could have ended at the 80% mark, with a bittersweet but satisfying ending. But nahhhh the author decides to drag the story for another 100 pages, with a pointless discovery, a rescue mission, a fluffy reunion, and an unrealistic ending.

Here are some of the issues that I have with the book:

Teacher in Space
The explanation for why the space agency would send a middle school teacher on such an important mission is not convincing. It also makes no sense to let a teacher experiment on Astrophage instead of real scientists. Our hero is like doremon with endless set of skill that he keeps pulling out from his pocket conveniently on correct occasions. He a great mathematician, scientist, engineer, programmer, astronaut, teacher, and probably more.

Main Character
Andy Weir cannot create good characters. Dr. Grace is a reincarnation of Dr. Mark Watney from his previous book, The Martian. They are exactly the same person: quirky, nerdy, Mr. Know-It-All with a sprinkle of self-doubt. But at least this book has an alien with great personality.... Oh no I am lying. The alien is quirky, nerdy, Mr. Know-It-All with a sprinkle of self-doubt (no you're not feeling deja-vu) and eight legs.

Stratt and White Savior Syndrome
My major issue is with Stratt. She decides for an entire planet without anyone's consent or approval. She is an unbelievable character who personifies white privilege and self-righteousness. She breaks the law, disrespects the judge, threatens him with her army, and gets away with it. She endangers Africa and Europe, colonizes Sahara, and nukes Antarctica to cause more global warming. She has too much power and no accountability. She endangers many people to save what? white people or the world? It’s questionable. She is portrayed as a brave character who will do anything to save the world. She makes some terrible decisions. She is also quite hypocritical. She accuses the guy from New Zealand of murder, while asking him to help build a device that can endanger millions of lives.

Language Barrier
The way the main character overcomes the language barrier is hilarious and absurd. He explains the time dilation theory to an alien that does not speak his language. The theory of relativity is hard enough to explain to someone who speaks your language, let alone someone who speaks a foreign language you do not know. They start to interact with each other in perfect grammar and vocabulary in no time. I don't think that's how languages work. Some words cannot be translated between different languages, let alone interplanetary ones.

Racial Stereotype and Covert Racism
The book relies on racial stereotypes, such as Russians with vodka and Asians with accents. The story centers on white people, while other space programs are not given much importance . People of color are killed off before they can join Project Hail Mary (This is not a spoiler) and that's how our main guy ends up alone in space (umm.. alone in space? Deja vu? "I think I have seen this film before and I didn't like the ending" -Taylor swift) 

I don't understand how readers were able overlook all the issues this book contains? I don't think it's a great book. It's an okay book with great science. I enjoyed it. It kept me engaged, but I won't be raving about it or recommending it unless you are a big space nerd in dire need of orgasm.

<b> 3.5 ★★★☆

Fascinating topic, limited scope of study, repetitive message, one sided story of rethinking.</b>

I found the book very fascinating for a while, but then my interest plummeted quite a bit as I kept reading. I'm still rating it 3.5 stars because it's me, not the book... but it's also the book.

I think the topic is rather interesting, and I do believe that rethinking is a muscle that you can develop with practice and it's an important skill to have. As humans, we tend to reaffirm our beliefs and consume content that is comforting and doesn't challenge us. It keeps us stuck in a vicious cycle of self-righteousness. The author shows us how we can break out of this cycle and why it is necessary to seek out information that goes against our preconceived notions. If we can't rethink then we can never learn anything new. That is why it is important to keep doubting what you already know.

The book is divided into three sections. The first discusses how we can change our own thinking, the second discusses how we can change other people's perspectives, and the last one discusses change on a societal level. It's a well-crafted book, but it does get repetitive at times.

I enjoyed the anecdotes. However, not all of the anecdotes are convincing or relevant. For instance, I don’t think the woman who changed her mind about vaccination was influenced merely by the nurse asking her nicely. I think many factors contributed to the change, such as giving birth prematurely and being scared for her child. 

Grant tells us how Jean-Pierre Beugoms, a superforecaster, foresaw Trump’s rise to the Republican nomination in 2015. But then he changed his mind and predicted Hillary would win the election, which turned out wrong. Did he make a mistake by rethinking? Grant does not offer clear guidelines on when we should or should not think again.

Israel thinks that Palestine belongs to them and they are using modern tools like social media to spread their narrative that it all started on 7th January and that hammas is a terrorist group when they are clearly freedom fighters. Israel has been bombing Palestine and Yemen since 1948. Hammas is a modern invention. Adam Grant has failed to provide any information on the power dynamics of rethinking. There are people with great power who can use their influence and money to change the perspective of people on a much larger scale to align with their own views. Rethinking doesn't always lead to positive outcome.

Moreover, I think EQ (emotional intelligence) is just as important for a frontline worker. EQ is important even for those who don't interact with customers on a day-to-day basis, as they still deal with people outside their work life. Unhealthy interpersonal relationships and inability to manage emotions well can still affect their performance at work. I understand that EQ is more useful for jobs that involve high level of social interaction but being able to manage your emotions is a great skill to have.

I also disagree that performance culture is absolutely useless. Performance culture is based on best practices and it makes the work environment more efficient and reduces workplace conflict. I agree that it has some drawbacks like stress, burnout, unhealthy competition, etc. But we cannot dismiss it completely as it does help in setting expectations, a clear path, and creating a stable work environment.

He also claims that climate change deniers get more media coverage, which I doubt. They may get some attention, but mostly to be mocked. I have never seen a smart debate between the two sides.

I agree that schools play a important role in creating societal change. Instead of walking children along a set path, teachers should encourage them to explore and carve new paths and bring new perspectives into the classroom. Teachers should conduct healthy discussions instead of spoon-feeding children their own values and beliefs.

In conclusion, Think Again is a well-written and well-researched book that offers some valuable insights and advice on how to rethink and unlearn. However, it also has some flaws like the repetition of the same message, some questionable anecdotes, and most importantly it fails to provide us the tools to understand when to rethink and when to stop and how to deal with a powerful manipulator. I would still recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning more about the psychology of change and persuasion, but I would also suggest reading it with a critical eye and an open mind.