Tag Archives: nonfiction

BOOK: “Born Standing Up” by Steve Martin

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Born Standing Up: A Comic's LifeBorn Standing Up: A Comic’s Life by Steve Martin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher Site – Scribener

Steve Martin opens this book, “I did stand-up comedy for eighteen years. Ten of those years were spent learning, four years were spent refining, and four were spent in wild success.” This book is about those eighteen years and the lessons learned about the comedic craft and what events drove him to it and what events drove him away.

The book is a memoir, with family drama and varied insights that come from life off (as well as on) stage. The book has pathos to temper its bathos, making an altogether more interesting and authentic read. Of course there’s humor throughout, from discussion of some of his comedic bits to humous personal stories.

I found it fascinating to learn about Martin’s philosophy of comedy. For example, his attempts to avoid punchlines to get away from the conditioned response laughs that came not necessarily from a genuine experience of mirth but because of a realization that it’s a time at which one is expected to laugh. Martin also has a unique message to tell given the nature of his comedy. It is not relatable. It’s silly — hilariously silly, but silly, just absurd and wacky. Like political comedy, one would expect a reduced size of audience willing to come along for the ride. That makes it all the more impressive to achieve what he did as a comic, because his type of work seems like it would have a smaller following than the comics who talk about family life and dating and office jobs and tax audits and their vaginas.

I enjoyed reading this book tremendously and would highly recommend it for readers with an interest in standup comedy (or those fascinated by the life cycle of celebrity.)

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BOOK REVIEW: “Siva Samhita” Trans. by Srisa Chandra Vasu

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Siva Samhita (English and Sanskrit Edition)Siva Samhita by Rai Bahadur Srisa Chandra Vasu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Available online

This book is considered to be one of three surviving classic texts of Hatha Yoga. (The other two being Hatha Yoga Pradipika [probably the most famous of the three because of a popular translation and commentary put out by the Bihar School] and The Gheranda Samhita.) Siva Samhita distinguishes itself among the three. It puts less emphasis on discussing technique (with the possible exception of Mudra, which — like the other two — it explores in depth, covering nine mudra with specificity) and puts greater emphasis on philosophical topics as well as yogic physiology (e.g. chakra and mapping physiology to the macro-scale natural world.) Siva Samhita only discusses four seated postures with specificity (three of which are cross-legged meditation postures,) and discusses pranayama (breathwork) mostly in generic terms. I wouldn’t say that this reflects a lack of interest in technical topics because one other topic that this book puts great emphasis on is the importance of the teacher (meaning there might not be much discussion of technique because of an assumption by the (unknown) author(s) that techniques should be entirely passed down verbally — teacher to student.

Even having read the other two texts, I found the Siva Samhita well worth exploring. The text takes its own distinct approach. I should point out that this version doesn’t include commentary or elaboration (beyond the occasional footnote.) The text is presented bilingually with Sanskrit and an English translation. I enjoyed reading the text and the translation felt skillful, but I think I would benefit from reading an edition with commentary, (provided the translator / commentator knew of what they spoke both in terms of Sanskrit language and Yogic practice.)

If you are a serious student and / or teacher of yoga, I’d highly recommend this text.

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BOOK: “The Lifetime Reading Plan” by Clifton Fadiman

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The Lifetime Reading PlanThe Lifetime Reading Plan by Clifton Fadiman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Google Books Page

By the standard of most people (even most readers,) my reading life is insane, both in terms of the volume that I read and the variety of kinds of writing I consume. But – still – whenever someone comes out with one of these “100 must-read books” lists, there’re always many titles that I haven’t read. This has led me to reflect on what constitutes “essential reading,” (if such a thing exists) and what more systematic readers would consider the crucial texts to read to be a well-read person. And that lead me to this book, which is one man’s attempt to assemble such a syllabus of readings.

Fadiman arranges his 103 recommendations into seven sections: 1.) The Beginning (writings from the ancient world;) 2.) The Middle Ages; 3.) Plays; 4.) Narratives; 5.) Philosophy, Psychology, Politics, and Essays; 6.) Poetry; and 7.) History, Biography, and Autobiography. He also provides an annex of six recommendations to give a rudimentary overview of subjects not addressed in the listed works (e.g. art, mathematics, science, World History, American History, and how to read a book.) Note: When I refer to Fadiman’s ‘103 recommendations,” I’m not talking about 103 books. In many cases, Fadiman recommends one read all (or at least multiple instances of) a given author’s writings. I wouldn’t want to give the impression that one could knock out the whole syllabus in 111 books (inclusive of the annex recommendations;) it is a “lifetime” reading plan – after all.

The first edition of this book came out in 1960 and the third (and – as far as I know – final) edition came out in 1988. Fadiman’s selection is far less diverse than one might expect of such a book today. The author freely admits the book is Western-centric, but that’s not the whole story. While Fadiman’s selection is completely Western, it’s also highly Anglo-American (Anglo / American, if you prefer) with a few French, German, Russian, and Latin American authors scattered into the mix. Furthermore, the feminine voice is all but absent with only four females among the recommendations (including George Eliot who famously took a man’s name to be able to publish the work she probably couldn’t have as Mary Ann Evans [her birth name.])

One the one hand, this book did offer insights into many authors and books, including giving a few recommendations I’d never even heard of before. On the other hand, I wouldn’t call it a recipe for being a well-rounded intellect. It’s far too siloed for that purpose. That said, if you’re looking some readings to round out the Western portion of your reading list, I’d recommend you give this book a look. However, as a “lifetime reading plan,” I think it would leave the reader with some pretty broad blind spots.

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BOOK: “Gheranda Samhita” Trans by. Srisa Chandra Vasu

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Gheranda SamhitaGheranda Samhita by Srisa Chandra Vasu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Available online – Terebess.hu

The Gheranda Samhita is said to be one of three surviving foundational texts of Hatha Yoga (along with Hatha Yoga Pradipika [HYP] and Shiva Samhita.) This is the first known edition of the Gheranda Samhita to include an English language translation. (It does retain the Sanskrit, as well.) This edition does not include commentary or elaboration (with the exception of the occasional footnote;) it’s just the shloka of the original and a translation, thereof.

The translation is clear and readable. The book does sometimes assume a basic vocabulary of terms that exist only in yoga and – therefore – do not have English language counterparts, but these can usually be easily looked up if the reader is not familiar with them. (And there is probably no good way around this because if one didn’t use the Sanskrit term one would have to give a longwinded explanation of the concept that would be painful reading for those who do have a basic yoga-related Sanskrit vocabulary (i.e. which is more likely the case for a reader of canonical texts.)

The book is arranged into seven lessons that cover Shatkarma (cleansing practices,) Asana (postures,) Mudra (“seals,”) Pratyahara (sensory withdrawal,) Pranayama (breathwork,) Dhyana (meditation,) and Samadhi (unified consciousness.) As with Hatha Yoga Pradipika [HYP] one sees cleansing practices (Shatkarma) elevated to essential elements of a practice, whereas Yama, Niyama (together the ethics of yoga) and Dharana are not afforded the status of “limbs” of practice. While there are similarities between HYP and Gheranda Samhita content there are differences as well. For example, the latter felt like it raised the importance of breathwork (pranayama) in part because it speaks of how crucial such practices are and also because it moves pranayama closer to samadhi in the progression of practice.

I’d highly recommend yoga teachers and students interested in the evolution and progression of Yoga read this text.

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BOOK: “How to Know a Person” by David Brooks

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How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply SeenHow to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen by David Brooks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher – Penguin Random House

This book’s subtitle, “The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen,” gets pretty well to the crux, and among that mouthful the word that repeats, “Deeply,” is not to be overlooked. Brooks noticed that while on some level we are more readily connected than ever, there is also an epidemic of loneliness and personal dissatisfaction in the world the likes of which has never before been seen (and so that level on which we are hyper-connected must in some way be defective.) Brooks argues that most of us would benefit from a sea change in our approach to conversation, from asking more and better questions, from listening more carefully, from understanding how the other person’s world framing is different from one’s own, and from changing our conversational objectives (from things like making oneself look good or meeting societal conventions to making our interlocutor feel seen and worthing of one’s time and one’s interest.) In short, we should strive to be what Brooks calls “illuminators.”

The book devotes some special attention in its middle section to negotiating conversations that are difficult — how one can do a better job showing acknowledgment of one’s interlocuter’s perspective while in the same interaction expressing one’s own feelings and ideas.

I found this book to be highly engaging and perspective changing. Brooks uses fascinating and emotionally salient stories from the world, from his own life, and even from fiction. He also uses humor, anecdotes, and quotations to great effect. I learned a great deal from reading this book and would highly recommend it for anyone interested in being a better friend and conversationalist.

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BOOK: “Hatha Yoga Pradipika” by Swatmarama [Commentary by Muktibodhanada Saraswati]

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Hatha Yoga PradipikaHatha Yoga Pradipika by Swatmarama
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher – Yoga Publications Trusk

Hatha Yoga Pradipika [HYP] is one of the foundational documents of Hatha Yoga and is said to date to the 15th century. This edition, from the Bihar School’s Yoga Publications Trust, is the most popular one (at least among those offering English language translation and commentary; Note: the original text is also included in Sanskrit.) The book offers clear and detailed commentary on each shloka. (Sometimes one commentary per shloka, but other times a few are addressed at one go, as seemed logical to the editor.)

The book’s 389 shloka are divided into four parts: asana & lifestyle (e.g. diet;) pranayama & shatkarma (cleansing practices;) mudra & bandha; and meditation & samadhi. People are sometimes surprised to find that asana (postures) are barely mentioned in Patanjali’s Sutras (and none specifically,) given how central postural yoga is to our present-day conception and practice of yoga. In HYP, we see an expanded focus upon asana, but still only to a modest level. While the text mentions that Shiva taught 84 asana, HYP discusses less than 20 (mostly grounded postures — i.e. seated and supine or prone reclined.) The second part discusses breathwork (i.e. pranayama) that will be familiar to many present-day yoga practitioners and cleansing practices (i.e. shatkarma) practiced by relatively few. Readers may find it interesting that the greatest number of shlokas are devoted to mudra and bandha, techniques often only taught in the pranayama or asana in which they are employed. The final section is on Samadhi, which is not a surprise given that it is the goal of yoga and its discussion features in all the classical yoga texts.

This edition has several ancillary features of note. First, there is an extensive introduction to set the stage for a modern-day reader. Second, there are many line drawn graphics to clarify the text. Third, there are appendices including listings of the shloka — both a Sanskrit and an English list (making it easier to find what one is looking for without wading through interspersed commentary) and a glossary of useful Sanskrit terms (Romanized.)

Not only was this book interesting for its tidbits of information about yogic technique and philosophy, it also offered insight into the evolution of yoga over time. The latter is a topic which I’ve been researching of late, and this is a crucial text for understanding the subject.

I’d highly recommend this book for students and teachers of yoga, particularly those interested in the philosophy and evolution of technique, and for understanding how Hatha Yoga is distinguished from the broader body of Yoga.

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BOOK: “What If? 2” by Randall Monroe

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What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions (What If?, #2)What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Author site

The Venn Diagram intersect of “hilarious” and “educational” tends to be sparsely occupied territory, but it’s where Randall Monroe lives. This sequel continues the approach set in the original volume, take a completely absurd question that can be answered with science and do just that with frequent interjections of sarcasm. Some examples of the questions addressed are: How many pigeons would it take to fly a person to the top of a skyscraper? Can all the world’s bananas fit in all the world’s churches? How much real dinosaur is in a plastic toy dinosaur? How many people worth of dead skin cells does a person consume and inhale over a lifetime?

The book uses many stick figure cartoons and other line drawings to both clarify the material and for the sake of humor. While it might seem like these questions could be answered hastily (as a dad might by saying, “You’re an idiot. Go away!”) most take several pages of elaboration because Monroe considers the many complexities of the question and of finding a scientific answer. There are sections throughout called “Short Answers” which include many a question so ridiculous or intuitive that being dismissive seems like the right approach.

If you’re interested in science but still find it goes down better with chortles and chuckles, I’d highly recommend this book.

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BOOK: “The Attention Merchants” by Tim Wu

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The Attention Merchants: The Epic Scramble to Get Inside Our HeadsThe Attention Merchants: The Epic Scramble to Get Inside Our Heads by Tim Wu
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher Site — Penguin

This book explores the evolution of capturing attention for commercial purposes. It delves into the history of attention economics from the development of print ads to the pursuit of virality via the internet and social media. Wu outlines how different media (e.g. print, radio, television, cable tv, and the internet) learned different lessons about how to make advertising work given the unique nature of each platform. The book also offers insight into how advertising spawned a market for people’s personal consumer information as the internet era began to allow companies to target ads for maximum effect, rather than using the scattershot approach that was all that was available to radio and broadcast television.

I found this book to be informative and it’s a subject of which people should be aware. William James famously said, “…what we attend to is reality.” If James was right, our reality is being shaped by forces that often remain outside our awareness. If you are curious about the attention economy, this is a highly readable overview of the subject.

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PROMPT: Sequel

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Daily writing prompt
What’s a book you think deserves a sequel?
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I think sequelization is a pox upon the literary world. I would hazard to say that anything good I’ve ever read was a standalone work. Seldom does the “resolution-to-hook” ratio lead to a satisfying, let alone illuminating, reading experience. A popular book series is far more likely to end like the television series Lost than to pull all its outstanding narrative strings together coherently.

Unless you’re talking nonfiction, in which case I would be open to another volume of The Complete History of the World at some point.

BOOK: “Among Warriors” by Pamela Logan

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Among Warriors: A Woman Martial Artist in Tibet (Vintage Departures)Among Warriors: A Woman Martial Artist in Tibet by Pamela Logan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Author Site

This is an interesting travelogue describing Logan’s 1991 journey through Tibet and Nepal via bicycle, foot, and hitchhiked rides in trucks. It’s reminiscent of Alexandra David-Néel’s description of a journey in Tibet, though Alexandra David-Néel’s trip was both successful in ways Logan’s was not (e.g. in 1924 the former reached Lhasa, which Logan is turned away from,) and Alexandra David-Néel had to go full native — i.e. she couldn’t have completed her trip without convincing all the locals she interacted with that she was, in fact, from the region, herself. Still, Logan comes across as no slouch, heading out even when permits were denied or stalled, getting turned back, and making legitimate attempts to sneak her way to her objective. One must acknowledge that late 20th century China is a very different world than early 20th century Tibet, and so it may not be a fair comparison.

It is Logan’s stating of her objective that sets this book up to be anticlimactic, despite its thrilling elements. Her initial objective was to come into contact with Khampas — nomadic Tibetan warriors who were legendarily hard. While Logan has many adventures and fascinating experiences, she doesn’t succeed in her stated objective. I found it bold, but perhaps ill-conceived, to so ardently discuss said objective (even in the back blurb,) knowing that — adventures or no — it would feel like a let-down to many readers.

If you are interested in learning more about the highways, byways, and villages of Tibet, particularly how it was back in the early 90’s, I’d recommend reading this book. However, I wouldn’t go into it with any blurb-generated expectations.

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