Contrarian feminist Camille Paglia’s ideas infuriate most feminists. Her ideas are not for the faint-hearted or lilly-livered – she is a sex-positive, pro-abortion transgender woman with a no bullshit, straight-talking style that she combines with playful erudition and poetic pyrotechnics in this book. The New York Times review of her book basically called her aContinue reading “Book Review: Free Women, Free Men: Sex, Gender, Feminism by Camille Paglia”
Category Archives: Book Reviews
Book Review: In Miniature: How Small Things Illuminate the World by Simon Garfield
Are you fascinated and delighted by small things? Then I’ve found the ultimate book for you. In Miniature: How Small Things Illuminate the World by Simon Garfield. Each chapter delves into a miniature world of its own and there is only a tenuous connection between them, but no matter. All is forgiven because learning allContinue reading “Book Review: In Miniature: How Small Things Illuminate the World by Simon Garfield”
Book Review: The Mindfulness Survival Kit by Thich Nhat Hanh
This is a handy guide for mindfulness for busy people living at full throttle in the world. It’s a gentle calling to slow down and to heed the five mindfulness training precepts which are: not to kill, steal, commit adultery, lie, or take intoxicants. These are the basic ethics and morality in Buddhism. Zen masterContinue reading “Book Review: The Mindfulness Survival Kit by Thich Nhat Hanh”
Mind-expanding books that opened up the world to me as a teenager #Booktag
Some books help you as a teenager to move beyond the claustrophobic and limited world you were born into. We can’t help where we were born or who our family is. However, when we are young, if we read the right books, we may just be able to transcend challenging beginnings and see the worldContinue reading “Mind-expanding books that opened up the world to me as a teenager #Booktag”
Book Review: Mrs Robinson’s Disgrace by Kate Summerscale
The author of the award-winning historical mystery novel The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, Kate Summerscale is back with another novel,this time based on a real life infamous divorce court case of 1858. The first registered divorce in English history. Back in the era when divorce was well and truly a dirty word. The chief exhibitContinue reading “Book Review: Mrs Robinson’s Disgrace by Kate Summerscale”
Book Review: The Art of Gratitude by Jeremy David Engels
This book totally blew my mind and exploded everything I thought I knew about the nebulous concept of gratitude!
The Art of Gratitude is intellectually rigorous, challenging and fascinating. Instead of a new agey spiritual and vague approach to ‘being grateful’, this book traces the history and origins of gratitude in all of its shady forms.
Book Review: The Ice Master by Jennifer Niven
This is the ultimate Arctic voyage novel, based on real events. The 1913 Canadian voyage on the Karluk was the worst planned arctic mission in history. The captain declared the boat unsuitable on seeing it and the crew consisted of a rag-tag bunch of wannabes with no experience in Arctic weather. The scientists on the voyage had never stepped out of a classroom.
Book Review: A Beginner’s Guide to Japan Observations and Provocations by Pico Iyer
Time magazine journalist and author Pico Iyer has lived in Nara (land of the rabid deer) in Japan for the past 30 years. In this book, Iyer follows his instincts to uncover the depths of the Japanese psyche, Japanese soul and character. This is fascinating to me because I am (in case you didn’t know)Continue reading “Book Review: A Beginner’s Guide to Japan Observations and Provocations by Pico Iyer”
Book Review: The Mind is Flat by Nick Chater
Forget all about the Freudian id, superego and ego vying for your present attention. And forget about Jungian archetypes and stuff randomly bubbling up to the surface of your consciousness. According to Behavioural Psychologist Nick Chater – this doesn’t exist. Instead, what we all have is a flat mind. Or a mind that’s incredibly adeptContinue reading “Book Review: The Mind is Flat by Nick Chater”
Book Review- Picnic in the Storm by Yukiko Motoya
* Contains no plot spoilers Japanese author Yukiko Motoya’s collection of short stories have a definitive style and are matched with substance. It’s obvious that she gets a bit of inspiration from Murakami’s magic realism style, although seen through Yukiko’s lens, the world is from a woman’s perspective. Her stories seem to feature unremarkable everydayContinue reading “Book Review- Picnic in the Storm by Yukiko Motoya”
Content Catnip 