Tag Archives: nonfiction

BOOK: “Reinventing the Bazaar” by John McMillan

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Reinventing the Bazaar: A Natural History of MarketsReinventing the Bazaar: A Natural History of Markets by John McMillan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher Site – Norton

This is a highly readable overview of markets: how they work, how they fail, what they’re good for, and what they aren’t. It’s an objective accounting of markets that neither cheerleads nor condemns but rather seeks to get at how markets form a system that is at once both the best of worlds and the worst.

The key to this book’s success is the selection of case studies, many of which are fascinating. While the subtitle, “A Natural History of Markets,” might lead the reader to think that this is a much bigger and more boring book than it is, McMillan actually picks a case or two to illustrate each of the seventeen topical chapters. Topics include: the peculiarities of markets for information, approaches to auctions, issues around intellectual property, inequality, governance and policy interaction with markets, etc.

It’s not easy to enjoy reading a book about economics, but this one certainly draws the reader into its web. I’d highly recommend this as a go-to guide for anyone who wants a compelling and objective introduction to markets.

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BOOK: “Facets of Taoism” ed. by H. Welch & A. Seidel

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Facets of Taoism - Essays in Chinese ReligionFacets of Taoism – Essays in Chinese Religion by Holmes and Anna Seidel (Eds.) Welch
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Google Books Site

This is a collection of nine scholarly essays written for a conference. As such, it won’t be of interest to most readers because it gets deep in the weeds. For readers unfamiliar with this type of book, the problems for a general reader are numerous. First, the book was assembled with a readership of experts in mind, and — therefore — assumes a fairly in-depth understanding of all aspects of Taoism. Second, the contributors are “inch wide & mile deep” specialists and often focus on topics that will only be of interest to a niche readership (topics like, “how the Taoist canon is organized”) and there is no attempt at systematic coverage to achieve a complete overview of the subject — i.e. it’s siloed. Finally, at times one feels as though one is reading as much footnote as text — i.e. it’s not organized for smooth intake.

That said, as scholarly books go, the readability is reasonably high. Also, it does have the advantages of a scholarly book (e.g. every source is clearly cited.)

If you have some depth of understanding of Taoism and are seeking niche insights, you may find this book is for you. If you don’t, it will probably give you headaches.

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BOOK: “Bruce Springsteen’s America” ed. by Robert Coles

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Bruce Springsteen's America: The People Listening, A Poet SingingBruce Springsteen’s America: The People Listening, A Poet Singing by Robert Coles
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Publisher Site

This book assembles ten reflections upon the role that Bruce Springsteen’s songs have played in the lives and thoughts of everyday Americans. It’s presented as the views of Harvard Psychiatrist and Pulitzer Prize winner, Robert Coles, but while Coles contributed both front- and back-matter as well as editing, the bulk of the book consists of the thoughts of a diverse assemblage of Americans — a lawyer, a teacher, a police officer, a grandmother, a student, a salesman, etc.

The degree to which Bruce Springsteen’s music is central to the book varies both in Cole’s contributions and in those of his contributors. Sometimes, it’s heavily about those songs, but other times it drifts into territory in which Springsteen seems to have little relevance. That’s okay… unless one bought the book primarily to read about Springsteen’s cultural influence, and one might easily be forgiven for thinking that’s the book one was getting.

Few, if any, musicians have images more intertwined with what it means to be American than Bruce Springsteen. This is, therefore, an interesting topic, though it may have been more interesting with a bit more focus.

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BOOK: “Weirdnosis” by The Rogue Hypnotist

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Weirdnosis - Astounding confessions of a Rogue Hypnotist.Weirdnosis – Astounding confessions of a Rogue Hypnotist. by The Rogue Hypnotist
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Author Amazon Page

This book examines a range of strange ways that suggestibility is exploited, whether or not the usual methods of hypnotic induction are employed. Its contents range from advertising to generating emotional attraction to building a hypnosis busking act. It covers a lot of fascinating ground.

My view of how informative this book was roller-coastered as I read. On the one hand, the author debunked many a popular myth or misconception about hypnosis. This made his arguments sound more measured, tested, and valuable. On the other hand, he (I assume, he) was quite opinionated – often presenting an opinion or hypothesis as established fact – and this had the opposite impact, making his arguments seem ill-considered. At one point, he went on an extended rant against romance novel authors that seemed a bit personal, like maybe his wife left him for one (author or novel? not sure.)

If you are interested in suggestibility and how it is exploited, there aren’t many “games in town” (at least not books that have an ounce of veracity,) so you might want to check it out — but have your grain of salt ready.

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BOOK: “Tribe” by Sebastian Junger

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Tribe: On Homecoming and BelongingTribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Author site

This book reflects upon how we are evolutionarily optimized to live in tribal communities, and how life in super-tribal societies (ones in which no one can know everyone else, where one has no shared fate, and where – for better or worse – one can easily end up invisible) is doing us in. The book sprang from an article Junger wrote about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD,) an affliction Junger found himself with after working as a war correspondent in Afghanistan (pre-911) and elsewhere. It might seem like there is a large leap from human social structures to PTSD, but it turns out where a community’s experience is all tied together, PTSD is relatively rare and / or fades quickly. It is because the afflicted soldier is going from the tribal entity (military unit) back to a decidedly conflicted super-tribe that trauma is so pernicious. Junger explores cases such as the bombing of London in WWII and the shelling and sniper attacks in Bosnia in the 90’s, where such afflictions were far rarer than one would expect because there was — to some degree — a shared experience of the traumatic events.

I found this book fascinating. It’s quite short. It has just four chapters. The first discusses the importance of tribe in human development, generally. It then looks at war, PTSD, and the challenge of returning home (and why so many soldiers have such difficulty doing so, though one would expect a peaceful world would be decidedly preferrable to a warring one.)

I found this book to be gripping and intensely thought-provoking, and I’d recommend it for all readers.

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BOOK: “A Poetry Handbook” by Mary Oliver

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A Poetry Handbook: A Prose Guide to Understanding and Writing PoetryA Poetry Handbook: A Prose Guide to Understanding and Writing Poetry by Mary Oliver
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher site — Ecco

This is an excellent soup-to-nuts primer on poetry writing. While it would be a great tool for someone just beginning their poetic journey — i.e. one who didn’t yet know iambic pentameter from trochaic tetrameter — it also offers some nuggets of wisdom for one who is farther down the road. Mary Oliver had some unique ways of thinking about, or expressing thoughts about, the art.

The book does cover ideas relevant to both modern and traditional poetry. In this regard it has an advantage over, say, Stephen Fry’s The Ode Less Traveled in that Oliver considered both free and metered verse to be poetry.

The author uses the occasional poem or fragment from a variety of poets to make her points but doesn’t get bogged down in examples or analysis of poems.

Among the discussions that seemed better or more insightful than those in other such books were reflections upon the role of imitative exercises as well as exploration of the value of workshops and feedback.

I’d highly recommend this book for poets and serious poetry readers.

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BOOK: “Senjutsu to Ninjutsu” by Doshi Shigetsu (Trans. by Eric Shahan)

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Senjutsu to NinjutsuSenjutsu to Ninjutsu by Doshi Shigetsu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Author’s Amazon Site

This essay presents thoughts about the practices of what Taoists would call “Immortals.” (The work was apparently created as a speech or lecture.) The translation used in the book is “mountain ascetics,” which might lead readers to believe that it is talking about Shugenja or Yamabushi. I don’t know a great deal about the Japanese language or those systems, but the character used — 仙 (Xiān, in Chinese) — is almost always translated as Immortal in the Chinese language. Shugendo is a syncretic tradition of Esoteric Buddhism, Shinto, Taoism, and folk religion, and it certainly has some overlap (mountain setting, Taoist influence, harsh training practices, etc.) but I don’t know that the two systems would be viewed as equivalent. (Though maybe they were considered so at the time and place of publication.) The author does try to clarify who it is he is talking about, largely by distinguishing them from Celestial Maidens (天人) and Tengu (天狗, crow-goblin-swordsmen.)

At any rate, the primary objective of the lecture / essay is to counter the tendency to be dismissive of these systems. The piece is dated 1901, and so there was an increasing proclivity to dismiss the supernormal as mere superstition. The author argues that practitioners who develop unwavering self-confidence through the practice of intense / death-defying activities (e.g. fasting) may be capable of things that would be unfathomable by ordinary people, leading ordinary lives.

The “ninjutsu” bit of the title results from the proposition of a linkage of the methods and approaches between Japan’s famous caste of warrior-spies, i.e. the ninja, and the ascetics / immortals discussed throughout most of the book.

This is an interesting read, particularly so because of its timing (after the era of Samurai and Ninja, but before modernity so advanced that the supernatural was entirely relegated to a societal fringe.)

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BOOK: “Health, Healing, and Beyond” by TKV Desikachar (Trans. by R.H. Cravens)

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Health, Healing, And Beyond: Yoga and the Living Tradition of KrishnamacharyaHealth, Healing, And Beyond: Yoga and the Living Tradition of Krishnamacharya by R.H. Cravens
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher Site – FSG / North Point Press

I was eager to read this book because I found Desikachar’s “The Heart of Yoga” to be one of the most important books for yoga practitioners. The book under review is in large part (but not entirely) a biography of T.T. Krishnamacharya — T.K.V. Desikachar’s father and arguably the most important figure in the development of modern yoga. Krishnamacharya was sponsored by the King of Mysore to build a school at the palace, and luminaries such as B.K.S. Iyengar (prop yoga,) Pattabhi Jois (Ashtanga Vinyasa,) Indira Devi (the Russian-born Johnny Appleseed of Yoga,) and others came to be his students.

The book not entirely a biography. It might more accurately be described as an exploration of Krishnamacharya’s philosophy that use stories from his life to elucidate his lived philosophy. Readers will find that the building and maintaining of health is a major element of Krishnamacharya’s philosophy, but perhaps not so much that they find the title apt. The book also spends a fair amount of time on other topics such as yogic ethics and an approach to teaching.

I continue to respect Desikachar’s candor and lack of dogmatism. He discusses his father as a teacher and parent, warts and all. The lack of dogmatism seems to reflect the apple not falling far from the tree. Throughout, Desikachar emphasizes that his father, whatever his faults may have been, was tolerant and saw yoga as a no-strings-attached gift to the world. Krishnamacharya did not require his students, not even his son, to adopt any particular religious belief – despite being a believer himself.

I’d highly recommend this book for all yoga practitioners.


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BOOK: “The Tao of Bill Murray” by Gavin Edwards

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The Tao of Bill Murray: Real-Life Stories of Joy, Enlightenment, and Party CrashingThe Tao of Bill Murray: Real-Life Stories of Joy, Enlightenment, and Party Crashing by Gavin Edwards
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher site – Penguin Random House

This book lays out Bill Murray’s philosophy of life as revealed by his quirky, daring, and spontaneous approach to living. Much has been made of the influence of the mystic philosopher G.I. Gurdjieff on Murray’s thinking. This background is discussed a little in Edwards’ book, but mostly this is a book that uses anecdotes from Bill Murray’s life to make a case for a philosophy of life that involves spontaneity, generosity, service, and connection. (Furthermore, it’s not clear to what degree Gurdjieff influenced Murray’s thinking, versus Gurdjieff’s ideas appealing to Murray because of the way the comedic actor already experienced the world.)

The author organizes the book around what he calls “The Ten Principles of Bill,” a set of ideas that Edwards argues can be seen cutting across Murray’s working and non-working life (and most of the stories are from his interactions with everyday people in everyday [but often unexpected] settings, and not from Murray’s acting work.)

I found this book to be highly readable and illuminating. The stories are funny but also offer a distinct approach to experiencing the world. I’d highly recommend this book for those interested in living a more spontaneous and rewarding life, or just those who like Bill Murray.

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BOOK: “Biological War” by Annie Jacobsen

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Biological War: A ScenarioBiological War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher site — Penguin

As in her last book, Jacobsen builds a horrifying scenario that is made all the more horrifying by a well-researched examination of the possibilities and probabilities of Weapons of Mass Destruction. The previous book imagined a hypothetical nuclear war started by North Korea. This one begins with an accidental lab leak of a “chimera” (a biological weapon that combines infectious agents to increase contagiousness, lethality, incurableness, or some combination thereof) from a Russian laboratory.

One might wonder how apt a title with “war” in it is for an accidental even. It turns out that even an accident might have to be treated an act of war. (Imagine the nation in which the accident takes place has built a working vaccine. That country might not have intended to release the weapon, but they may come to see military advantage in keeping the vaccine to themselves, letting enemies be weakened as other nations have to develop their own countermeasures from scratch [which we know from COVID can take many months — if not longer.])

Jacobsen does a fine job of mixing in moments in which outcomes are worse than one might expect with instances in which luck shines on people (i.e. the way the real world works.) In many cases, Jacobsen was able to draw from real world events that happened during the COVID pandemic, making adjustments for the very different nature of the infectious agent in this scenario. Building from the “fog of war” of COVID, the reader is shown how events might go wrong in ways that could at first blush seem unrealistic — except for the fact that similar missteps already happened in the real world.

As with Jacobsen’s book on nuclear war, the whole scenario takes place over only a few days, with an epilogue that reflects on the longer-term ramifications of the scenario.

I found this book hard to put down. It reads like a novel but with the added feasibility that comes with interviewing experts and studying the relevant history and policy. It is a scary scenario to be certain, but it keeps the reader engaged throughout. I’d highly recommend this book for all readers who can handle reading a doomsday scenario.

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