The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: Book Review

Dork score: 7/10

Many people in my life, including myself care too much about many silly things that we are better off moving past. I picked this up in attempt to help solve that problem. After reading it, I feel it's worth sharing. 

Having never read a strictly defined self-help book, I have nothing to compare this to (except perhaps 'Weird in a World That's Not' - which is a career guide), but as far as books in general go, I quite enjoyed this one! I'd say this is more of a life guide than a self-help book. I think anyone can benefit from reading this, even if you don't think you have any particular personal issues.

I had never heard of Mark Manson, so I visited his website. Immediately I was concerned he may be a bit of a smug fellow. The first sentence reads, "I am the NY Times bestselling author of the Subtle Art...". "I give life advice that doesn't suck". Way to toot your own horn, sir! How about simply and humbly stating you're the author of so and so? Is he really rating your own material? And here begins my short rant of the cons of this book:

It's funny that he mentions being humble in this book. There are a few subtle spots in the book where you can see a bit of conceit seep through - and at least two giant spots. The first is right in chapter 1 where he lays out a center-aligned, what I'm sure he thinks is a clever few lines of a personal philosophy. He then continues the chapter saying, "I'll give you a minute to unpretzel your brain and maybe read that again.". Mark, if I wanted and or needed to read those lines again, I would. I don't need you to tell me to because you think it's clever. Then second glaring smug bit comes later in the book where he names a life methodology after himself: the 'Manson's Law of Avoidance'. It's also a bit contradictory of him to discuss uncertainly so much and simultaneously, in several chapters, list bullet points on how things are. Judging from my short experience, I think it may just be part of his brand and marketing technique, hence the attention grabbing title.

Another small annoyance was some of the chapter/section headings; some of them just don't make sense and rather act like as attention grabbers. The title of the book is one of them, as this book is more about what to give a f*ck about. The subtitle as well... I found that many things discussed really aren't counterintuitive at all. Another example is the title of the first chapter: 'Don't try'. He even attempt to paraphrase Albert Camus with these exact words. This is a fail, Mark.

p. 10 "You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life". - Albert Camus

End of cons rant. Now that I've gotten that out of the way and moving past my skepticism, here's what I liked:

Despite the minor drawbacks, this blog-like book is very well thought out. Mark is and was originally a blogger, so it makes sense that this is likely a compilation of blog posts. It's written from a perspective of his personal experiences with tons of interesting anecdotes and famous quotes mixed in. At first, I thought the book was going to be a bit comical - given the flashy title and orange cover. While there is some humor such as the invention of his fictional superhero, the Disappointment Panda - the remainder of the book is quite serious, presented in a way that grabs your attention since it is direct and truthful. Thankfully, the use of the F-word is limited.

There is a lot I can personally identify with here. Much of the book reminds me of the philosophy of existentialism and the idea of the absurd. Basically, you are responsible for yourself and your own happiness and there is no objective meaning in this life besides what we give it. For the most part, it's not you against the world, it's you versus yourself.

I liked the section about failure when Mark compares adult failures to baby failures. When babies are learning to walk and they repeatedly fall down. Sure they cry, but do they ever give up and say to themselves, 'maybe this whole walking thing just isn't' for me'?

A good chunk of chapter 8 is devoted to relationship advice. Mark is quite well known for this type of advice as he even has a book called, "Models: attract women through honesty'. I quite liked the explanation of the unhealthy relationship between the saver and the victim. Boiled down - two people shouldn't be wholly dependent on one another.

The last chapter is about death. For many, this human realization drives how we live and what choices we make. Mark references the work of Ernest Becker - 'The Denial of Death' - which he won a Pulitzer prize for, ironically after his death. I will likely give this a read in the future. The quote below struck a chord in me.

p. 204 "The Stoics of ancient Greece and Rome implored people to keep death in mind at all times, in order to appreciate life more and remain humble in the face of its adversities.". - Mark Manson / Greeks/Romans

There are only a few times in my life when I thought I may perish - even if the events actually posed no real risk. One of the times I was in a plane. I somehow developed a fear of flying after working at a jet engine manufacturing company. Although statistically speaking, there is very little chance of the plane crashing - knowing how complicated the engines are and how many little pieces make up the engines - as well as knowing all the possibilities of what could go wrong, I just couldn't accept the fact that these possibilities have very, very small probabilities of happening.

In any case, when we landed and after stepping off the plane I felt my life was all of a sudden very valuable and precious. This is the type of reminder the above quote is all about. All of my 'problems' suddenly seemed so insignificant. I felt alive and I wanted to live.  Unfortunately and strangely enough, this feeling wore off rather quickly. And honestly, I'm not sure if simply reminding yourself is enough.

Mark even goes so far as to intentionally dangle himself off a cliff in South Africa in the Cape of Good Hope, which I am assuming with intention to more feel alive (which is a bit idiotic in my opinion). In our mundane, daily lives we become a bit numb - like monotonous zombies or perhaps on the other side of spectrum we are continuously irritated by silly things. Since we rarely ever have near-death experiences and just thinking about it isn't the same, I wonder what the better option is besides living on the edge?

Here are some additional insightful quotes:

p. 101 "if people in your relationships are selfish and doings hurtful things, it's likely you are too, you just don't realize it.". "People who date each other tend to have similar values". - Mark Manson

p. 102 "taking responsibility for our problems is more important, because that's where the real learning comes from" - Mark Manson

p. 119 "we assume we already know how the story ends" "certainty is the enemy of growth" - Mark Manson

p. 145 "... if it feels like it's you versus the world, chances are it's really just you versus yourself.". - Mark Manson

p. 170 "To truly appreciate something, you must confine yourself to it." - Mark Manson

p. 201 "The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time" - Mark Twain

p. 208 "We're all going to die, all of us. What a circus! That alone should make us lover each other, but it doesn't. We are terrorized and flattened by life's trivialities; we are eaten up by nothing." - Charles Bukowski

A great way to spend the last few days of my 2017 vacation - paving way to a revitalized perspective going into the new year.

What's a Muse?

The former title of this blog: 'Muse Parade'.

One of the more common uses for the word, 'muse' is for the nine inspirational Greek goddesses. This is not what I had in mind when I created the blog title, 'muse parade', but a parade of inspirational goddesses sounds pretty cool too! I'm just now getting familiar with what each of the nine represent.

Calliope - muse of epic/heroic poetry (the superior muse)
Melpomene - muse of tragedy
Thalia - muse of comedy & idyllic poetry
Polyhymnia - muse of sacred poetry, agriculture, geometry, grammar
Clio - muse of  history
Euterpe - muse of music
Erato - lyric and/or love poetry
Terpsichore - muse of dance
Urania - muse of astronomy & astronomical writing

This blog is obviously not about poetry. I have never really been into poetry. I actually have bad memories of being graded on my interpretation of poetry in grade school - as if the poems had only one interpretation. I think poetry is beautiful and complex and likely most poems have multiple interpretations - highly dependent on the audience.

Poetry was a huge form of art and communication to Greek gods. However, I think that poetry in this case extends beyond just poems - to other forms of intellectual endeavors such as science and other forms of literature. Zeus 'created' his nine daughters to be inspirational objects - sort of go-to personifications.

Polyhymnia is probably the closest muse to what inspires many of my posts. She is usually depicted in a meditative stance.

Primary source:
https://owlcation.com/humanities/Muses-Nine-Goddesses-of-Greek-Mythology

Depending on the dictionary you use to look up the word, 'muse' you'll get different definitions. Typically though you'll get noun and verb definitions. This is the definition I had in mind when I created the blog title (from Merriam-Webster): [muse: a state of deep thought or dreamy abstraction]. Attempting to create a clever title, I came up with Muse Parade, which I intended to represent, a parade (public display) of deep thought. In hindsight, I should have chosen something a bit less cryptic.

Firewatch: Video Game Review

Dork score: 9/10

What a beautiful escape! A game categorized as a 'walking' simulator.. although it's more like a hiking simulator.

This is a video game, but it's more like an interactive film - much like the walking dead games. You get to make responses in conversation, but I don't believe it has an bearing on the story outcome.

It is very similar to another game I played a while back called, 'Gone Home'. I actually prefer the depth of the story in Gone Home over Firewatch, but the overall I enjoyed Firewatch more. Both provide a rich story driven experience, while Firewatch is more about the outdoor visuals. I really got drawn into the environments - sunsets, horizons, and mountain views.

The story is linear. No fighting. No challenge. These sound like negatives for a video game, but it's really about the immersive experience - and escape, which is the main character's purpose. I feel the core story could have been more complex and length of the game could have been extended. Fingers crossed for a sequel!

Firewatch Steam store page:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/383870/Firewatch/

Gone Home Steam store page:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/232430/Gone_Home/

Cat Quest: Video Game Review

Dork score: 8/10

I picked this game up from Steam and played on Windows. Also available for Mac OS.

This is a super cute, but short-lived R.P.G. (role-playing game). This game is fun, but not very challenging; it's a standard hack and slash with some spell casting mixed in.  The main story takes 4-6 hours to complete with a ton of side quests.

Excellent visuals, smooth game play, and tons of cat puns! The game ends with a cliffhanger, so hope they are planning a sequel. $8 well spent!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/593280/Cat_Quest/

The Science of Fasting: Documentary Review

Dork score: 8/10

Found on Amazon Prime video.

This is a very intriguing documentary about fasting - out of France under the title, 'Le jeûne, une nouvelle thérapie?' - which Google translates to: 'Fasting, a new therapy?'. It covers large groups of people who fast for the potential health benefits as well as some of the science behind it presented by legitimate scientists such as Dr. Valter Longo from the university of southern California.

The science presented seems very convincing and eye-opening. This was an excellent method to whet my appetite for further research of fasting in general and of finding effective and natural ways to live a more healthy and longer life.

Much like a recent book I read, called 'Brain Maker' - this documentary seemingly attempts to sell fasting as a cure-all (this book also mentions the potential benefits of fasting).  While I believe both fasting and maintaining a well-balanced gut microbiome have health benefits, I don't think the techniques discussed definitively provide a miracle cure. However, I do think these areas of study need more attention and research because the findings presented are potentially profound.

One thing these two sources having going for them to make them more convincing is that they really aren't trying to sell any kind of product. They aren't benefiting from folks following this advice. Unfortunately it's for this very reason that funding for future research is limited. Mattson has been funded by the NIH (National Institutes of Health) who are non-profit.

Doing a bit of online research, I stumbled upon yet another, equally interesting documentary by BBC on fasting, which also featured Dr. Longo:
Link to 2012 BBC Documentary on Fasting

Link to Mark Mattson STEM talk

Fasting article by the John Hopkins Health Review featuring Mark Mattson:
Link to article

It's really quite amazing what happens when you stop eating. My first concern about fasting was this: don't we need constant nutrients to be healthy? Wouldn't we start losing muscle mass if we stop eating? It turns out the answer to these questions are, 'no'.

Interestingly enough, our body is 'smart' enough to power our bodies efficiently for long periods of time without food. Over time, though evolution, our body has 'learned' to use its reserves in the proper order, in the most beneficial ratios. After 12 hours of not eating, the body begins to use its reserves, starting with glucose - which has been converted to glycogen in the liver (exhausted after about 24 hours of fasting), then a mixture of fats (which gets converted to ketone bodies as an alternative fuel), and protein (from muscle, which gets converted to glucose). A study of male emperor penguins (who regularly go long periods without food) and also lab rats yielded results that say only 4% of energy is taken from protein and the other 96% is taken from fats (lipids). It is assumed that the story is similar for humans.

Mark Mattson's studies suggest that these ketones help with the structure of brain synapses. Instead of regularly being fueled by sugar, the brain is now fueled by ketones, from fat (lipids). If you keep eating, say 3 meals a day, you will never deplete the liver's glucose, and therefore won't generate these beneficial ketone bodies. However, exercise will have a similar affect to fasting, since when you work out, you tap into the glucose in the liver. Matton's big suggestion is a '5:2' diet: 500 calories for 2 non-consecutive days, and a 'normal' 2000 calorie diet for the remaining 5 days.

Dr. Mattson's TEDx talk:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UkZAwKoCP8&vl=en
(Discusses how fasting helps your brain)

Dr. Longo's TEDx talk:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVArDzYynYc
(Discusses regeneration of cells and immune system)


In our hunter-gatherer days, I'm sure we needed to go many days without food. Our bodies over time had to evolve to allow this. It is said the human body can go several weeks without food - even longer if your body contains large amounts of fat reserves.

The biggest concern I'm sure most people have is, isn't fasting dangerous? I think it can be, but it depends on your body type if you have any sort of condition. I think overall, it is very safe to do so for most people. Obviously if you have any sort of condition or if you take medication, you want to discuss fasting with your PCP. Otherwise, from what I've seen so far, I don't see any danger in it - at least for a day or two to start out with. A way to both save money and get healthier? Why aren't more people trying this? Probably because of the strong feeling of hunger. And we're always told to listen to our bodies, right? Well, what about when my brain is craving a whole bucket of ice cream?

To wrap up, this area of study needs more attention. It needs more scientific funding and human trials to provide rigor to the argument. However, it is pretty compelling so far.

Stuff Matters: Audiobook Review

Dork score: 8/10

Did you know diamond and pencil lead (graphite) are made of the same element, carbon? Did you know graphite is more stable than diamond despite diamond being harder? These are the kinds of things discussed in this quick intro to material science.

It is delivered by a mix of direct descriptive science and mildly interesting story telling. I could do without one drawn-out story in particular and I would have enjoyed it just the same - if not more if the author had included more science - or at least more interesting tidbits.

 I wish it was longer, but I like it for what it was probably meant for - just like 'Astrophysics for People in a Hurry' by Neil deGrasse Tyson, which I also enjoyed. Perhaps the author should have titled this book, 'Material Science for People in a Hurry'.

Are you remotely curious about the materials around you? Do you have a small amount of time on your hands? I'd recommend your read or listen to this book.

Weird in a World That's Not: Book Review

Dork score: 6/10

The title of this book is misleading. It's what initially attracted me to read it - but I ended up enjoying it anyway, just not for the reason I thought I would.

This book is a great career guide for anyone. Some of it is geared toward a female audience, but as a male it's nice to have the female prospective. Very little of this pertains directly to misfits, f*ckups, or failures - it's just communicated by someone who didn't have the 'traditional', linear path to success. 

After having read the book, I am judging it by its title. I feel slightly let down by the lack of insight from a self-proclaimed misfit. I expected more WEIRD from this book; what I got is more of the same, standard career advice.

On a side note, let me question this statement: "Weird in a world that's not". Well, I think the world is weird. There is no normal. Having this in mind, the title of the book now fits everyone.

Overall, this is a good, honestly written career guide by a woman who struggled and fought to get where she wanted to be. I especially enjoyed 'pick your own adventure' style chapter. More than a few of these sections reminded me of situations I've been in myself as we all others I know. It was also great to have the perspective of a person in a managerial position.

I'm glad I read it, despite the slightly misleading title.