Book Review: Tribe, Left of Boom, Stuff Matters
I figured I would do a quick little update on the books I've read this year.
Tribe
Tribe, by Sebastian Junger, was gifted to me in January. It started as an article and became a book (a very quick read at 134 pages; I read it on a Saturday morning). The book is "on homecoming and belonging." It's been a while since I've read it, and I have a terrible memory, but I remember really liking it. I had been looking forward to it since the guy I have a crush on recommended it to me a few times. I recommend it for military veterans just wanting something to read after deployment or after leaving the service. Losing the camaraderie is one of the more difficult parts entering the civilian world.
One part mentioned in Tribe that seems relevant to today is how people can band over stress or discomfort. In today's pandemic, it is very obvious how people in my neighborhood are coming together to support each other. Yes, there's the panic buying of toilet paper, but there's also the Facebook groups of neighbors helping each other find items, food, and comfort. My neighbor died recently, leaving a husband and two young children (one is a two month old infant), and our whole condo association got together to assist them. Even death unrelated to COVID-19 seems to be felt by the community as a whole.
Left of Boom
Left of Boom by Douglas Laux is a book I heard about when I saw Doug did an AMA (ask me anything) on Reddit a few years ago to promote his book. I bought the book, even with its redacted information (seen as just blacked out text). I really enjoyed it. It's not a piece of elegant literature, but it's a raw account of how one man dealt with being an agent overseas, the difficulties he faced in doing his job, and how it affected his personal life. Anyone who has dealt with the military or the government will be able to relate to trying to get a job done one way, yet coming across red tape and trying to find a way to say, "You motherfuckers, do you not realize what the fuck I'm trying to do for you? Do you NOT want the job done? Is this actually a mushroom company?" in a polite, constructive manner.
On a different note, I hear Doug lives in D.C. He's a runner. I want to run with the guy sometime because he sounds like a beast of a human being.
Stuff Matters
Stuff Matters by Mark Midownik was recommended to me by an ex-boyfriend. We rarely chat, but I had mentioned a Clash podcast to him (it's really good--on Spotify, Stay Free: The Story of the Clash, narrated by Chuck D of Public Enemy), and he mentioned this book to me. He knows I have an insatiable thirst for knowledge of any kind. I recommended this book to my co-workers because it's a very easy read about materials. It's absolutely fascinating for anyone who wakes up and is constantly asking themselves questions about the materials around them. Midownik starts off hard and fast with a story about being stabbed. Of course, now he's curious about the material he got stabbed with.
A great part in Stuff Matters are all the hand-drawn pictures. It makes concepts really easy to grasp. I thoroughly enjoyed the section about ceramics, especially after taking a handbuilding/sculpture art class last year. It's quite fascinating all the effort that went into creating some of the materials we have today!
Tribe
Tribe, by Sebastian Junger, was gifted to me in January. It started as an article and became a book (a very quick read at 134 pages; I read it on a Saturday morning). The book is "on homecoming and belonging." It's been a while since I've read it, and I have a terrible memory, but I remember really liking it. I had been looking forward to it since the guy I have a crush on recommended it to me a few times. I recommend it for military veterans just wanting something to read after deployment or after leaving the service. Losing the camaraderie is one of the more difficult parts entering the civilian world.
One part mentioned in Tribe that seems relevant to today is how people can band over stress or discomfort. In today's pandemic, it is very obvious how people in my neighborhood are coming together to support each other. Yes, there's the panic buying of toilet paper, but there's also the Facebook groups of neighbors helping each other find items, food, and comfort. My neighbor died recently, leaving a husband and two young children (one is a two month old infant), and our whole condo association got together to assist them. Even death unrelated to COVID-19 seems to be felt by the community as a whole.
Left of Boom
Left of Boom by Douglas Laux is a book I heard about when I saw Doug did an AMA (ask me anything) on Reddit a few years ago to promote his book. I bought the book, even with its redacted information (seen as just blacked out text). I really enjoyed it. It's not a piece of elegant literature, but it's a raw account of how one man dealt with being an agent overseas, the difficulties he faced in doing his job, and how it affected his personal life. Anyone who has dealt with the military or the government will be able to relate to trying to get a job done one way, yet coming across red tape and trying to find a way to say, "You motherfuckers, do you not realize what the fuck I'm trying to do for you? Do you NOT want the job done? Is this actually a mushroom company?" in a polite, constructive manner.
On a different note, I hear Doug lives in D.C. He's a runner. I want to run with the guy sometime because he sounds like a beast of a human being.
Stuff Matters
Stuff Matters by Mark Midownik was recommended to me by an ex-boyfriend. We rarely chat, but I had mentioned a Clash podcast to him (it's really good--on Spotify, Stay Free: The Story of the Clash, narrated by Chuck D of Public Enemy), and he mentioned this book to me. He knows I have an insatiable thirst for knowledge of any kind. I recommended this book to my co-workers because it's a very easy read about materials. It's absolutely fascinating for anyone who wakes up and is constantly asking themselves questions about the materials around them. Midownik starts off hard and fast with a story about being stabbed. Of course, now he's curious about the material he got stabbed with.
A great part in Stuff Matters are all the hand-drawn pictures. It makes concepts really easy to grasp. I thoroughly enjoyed the section about ceramics, especially after taking a handbuilding/sculpture art class last year. It's quite fascinating all the effort that went into creating some of the materials we have today!
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