This is not a typical self-help book. It is not really a prescriptive book -- it is about the science of aging, and the scientifically-proven methods This is not a typical self-help book. It is not really a prescriptive book -- it is about the science of aging, and the scientifically-proven methods to increase one's healthy span of life. The author, Daniel Levitin, is a neuroscientist and a cognitive psychologist. His book contains an appendix with 70 pages of scientific references.
But this is not dry-reading. It is filled to the brim with anecdotes, especially stories about people who lived well into their 80's, 90's, and even beyond with healthy, fulfilling lives. And the book is spiced with humor. For example, "If I livve to one thousand and have more than ten generations of offspring, I'm going to need to get a bigger table for Thanksgiving dinners."
Levitin is also a musician; he also wrote the book This Is Your Brain on Music. So many of his anecdotes are about musicians who lived long, healthy lives. Levitin talks about an 87-year-old consultant audio engineer who came into his home recording studio, studied the acoustics for an hour, then suggested a few minor changes that totally transformed the acoustics!
This is a comprehensive book; it covers a lot of areas in all aspects of life. Levitin talks about areas where older people get better with age, life self-control and self-discipline, agreeableness, and emotional stability. Other areas like conscientiousness, openness and extraversion decrease with old age. Besides IQ and EQ, a big deal is made of CQ--"Curiosity Quotient", because it is the best measure for predicting life success. Older people have more wisdom, because they can see patterns that others do not see. They are not as fast at mental calculations and retrieving names, but they are better and faster at seeing the big picture. This comes from decades of generalization and abstraction.
There is a lot of discussion of memory, and an interesting idea called "Multiple Trace Theory". Every experience lays down a unique trace in the brain. Repetitions don't overwrite earlier traces; they simply lay down more, near-identical but unique traces of their own. The more traces there are for an event, the more likely you will recall it rapidly and accurately. Levitin claims that memory doesn't truly decline with age. But memory tests case stress that affect older people more than young.
While some historians say that the purpose of the brain was discovered only recently, this is not true. There are two references in the Bible, showing that the authors of the Old Testament knew that the brain is the seat of thought.
Levitin talks a lot about healthy emotions and social engagement. He writes that loneliness is worse for your health than smoking 15 cigarettes a day. The book has lots lf suggestions for activities that can reduce loneliness.
There is a chapter in the book on nutrition, on exercise, and sleep. Of course, these three topics are central to health. Levitin writes, "Even the teensiest, tiniest, barely measurable amount of physical activity improves brain functions." The book discusses various marketed interventions that are claimed to reverse human aging--but none have been proven, and some are dangerous.
We are all getting older, and this book just might spark you to change some aspect of life, some idea or activity that will increase your healthy life span....more
This is a very short collection of short stories. What I like best about the book, is that it is very readable on an e-reader. It is a dual-language rThis is a very short collection of short stories. What I like best about the book, is that it is very readable on an e-reader. It is a dual-language reader; first a paragraph in Spanish, followed by the English translation. The translations seem to be accurate.
The stories themselves are not very entertaining. They start out at a very beginner's level, and progressively get a bit more difficult. The stories are quite banal, except for one strange story about a kidnapping....more
DON'T read this book -- instead LISTEN to the Audiobook! It is superb! The author, Malcolm Gladwell reads his own book. But in addition, many audio efDON'T read this book -- instead LISTEN to the Audiobook! It is superb! The author, Malcolm Gladwell reads his own book. But in addition, many audio effects and historical recordings of the characters in the book make this audiobook something special!
The bomber mafia was a group of people during World War II, who believed that it was possible to significantly increase the accuracy of bombs dropped from high altitudes. The idea was that by concentrating on military targets, civilian casualties could be minimized. The Norden bombsight was developed before the war. During pre-war tests, it performed very well. So it was installed in hundreds of B17 bombers. But during the war, when deployed at high altitudes, it performed very poorly.
During WWII, USAF General Curtis LeMay took over ineffective bombing operations in the Pacific. He directed fleets of hundreds of bombers to target various cities in Japan. Napalm was used in many of the bombs, creating enormous firestorms in Japanese cities.
It is said that dropping two atomic bombs pushed the Japanese to surrender. However, the number of people killed by the atomic bombs was dwarfed by the number killed in the firestorms. The author puts forward the claim that it was not the atomic bombs, but rather the massive bombing raids over 67 cities that ultimately drove the Japanese to surrender.
Much of the book deals with the morality of massive bombing of civilians. Perhaps, ultimately, this bombing actually saved lives by avoiding the enormous number of Japanese and American casualties that were expected to occur during an invasion.
Malcolm Gladwell has a unique approach toward retelling history. He does not shy away from the truths of history. He digs deep, to tell a story that is not necessarily a popular one. And, along the way, his stories are fascinating.
The problem with this book is that its title is totally misleading. The book does not help teach the reader how to invest. The book is a collection ofThe problem with this book is that its title is totally misleading. The book does not help teach the reader how to invest. The book is a collection of transcripts from David Rubenstein's podcasts, in which he interviews the leaders in investment firms. The interviews vary in interest; some are fascinating, while others, frankly, are boring.
I did find the interview of Ray Dalio--the founder of a hedge fund called Bridgewater Associates--to be interesting. I am sure that the job is stressful. So Dalio describes how Transcendental Meditation helps give him "the equanimity to think clearly and to think imaginatively." It also helps to reduce his stress.
So why did I pick up this book? Probably I was attracted to the author, who has my EXACT same name! (first, middle, and last) He lives in the Washington, DC area, as I did my entire life (until last year). He is a billionaire, he recently bought the Baltimore Orioles baseball team, is a co-founder of the Carlyle group and a well-known philanthropist in the Washington area. You can watch many of his interviews on a variety of streaming channels....more
Set in 1958, in a small Minnesota town, the story begins with a finding of a dead body found on a riverbank. Not just any body, but that of the most pSet in 1958, in a small Minnesota town, the story begins with a finding of a dead body found on a riverbank. Not just any body, but that of the most prominent town resident. The body of a man who used his wealth and power to germinate almost universal hatred in the town.
The town sheriff, a war hero, investigates the death. His integrity beyond question, he does a few things that seem, well, less than professional. Some evidence comes up, pointing towards a soft-spoken Native American veteran, who is hated by some of the town's bigots.
Before starting this book, I read a few reviews. One review suggested writing down the names of the characters -- there are a lot of characters, each with a unique personality. So, I took note of the characters, and that definitely helped me to sort out "who's who". It's a complicated story, a complex mystery, with a gripping climax. ...more
This is a wonderful book about the history of Israel and its relationship with the Arabs who live inside and outside the country. The author melds herThis is a wonderful book about the history of Israel and its relationship with the Arabs who live inside and outside the country. The author melds her own story into the book, with humor and insight. Yes, she tells the story from the Israeli point of view. Published in 2021, well before the war in Gaza, she makes a fairly decent attempt at being even-handed. I do wonder, however, what she would write today.
Noa Tishby is liberal, and voices over and over again her desire for peace. She discusses the history of Hamas; after Hamas was elected over the PLO, they killed their political Arab (PLO) adversaries. So, Hamas has no compunction against killing their own people -- why would they care about anybody else? They work for Sharia law, which legalizes violence against women, infidels and gays. Gaza is an open-air prison. Hamas are the wardens.
The main point of the book is the UN resolution in 1947 to split the British mandate into two countries; Israel for the Jews and Trans-Jordan for the Arabs. The Jews agreed, and the Arabs did not. All the neighboring Arabs countries waged war on Israel, telling the Arabs living there to leave their homes and to return after the end of the war. Many Arabs living in Israel stayed, while the majority left. Israel prevailed and the Arab refugees were stuck in horrible refugee camps. None of the Arab countries that instigated the war have been willing to take in the refugees.
The Arabs who stayed in Israel have full citizenship privileges. Today they compose 21% of the Israel population. They comprise three political parties in the Knesset (Israel's parliament), serve in government roles, on courts and even on the Supreme Court. If a Palestinian state were ever to be established, most Arabs living in Israel would prefer to stay in Israel. There are two official languages in Israel; Hebrew and Arabic.
Over several pages, the author lists a long, long list of Israeli technological innovations and technology companies. Many of them are particularly pertinent to the dry climate of the Middle East. The "Jerusalem Venture Partners" connect American companies with Palestinian programmers and Arab-owned companies. The author writes that Iarael can give more in humanitarian aid, technology, the arts, sciences and knowledge to the entire Middle East. "If only the Middle East would be willing to fucking take it."...more
Is this an exciting book? YES. Is this an entertaining book? YES. Is there a scintilla of realism in this book? NO.
Like the previous novels about theIs this an exciting book? YES. Is this an entertaining book? YES. Is there a scintilla of realism in this book? NO.
Like the previous novels about the exploits of Robert Langdon, this is a fast-paced detective story. Robert Langdon must uncover clues, reveal a password, and unlock a special message. Unlike the previous novels with Robert Langdon as the main character, there is a minimal amount of symbology and art history in this book. Some of this lacking is filled by architecture discussions. However, the sheer amount of artificial intelligence, the genius level of the scientist/futurist Kirsch, and the level of dysfunction within Spain's Royal Palace, placed severe limits on my ability to suspend my disbelief in the crazy plot.
The climax comes when we learn Kirsch's message about the past and future of humanity. It was one of the most believable points in the book; but not earth-shattering, as was implied by Kirsch.
Dan Brown's best novel was "Angels and Demons". Unfortunately, "Origin" does not come close.
Merged review:
Is this an exciting book? YES. Is this an entertaining book? YES. Is there a scintilla of realism in this book? NO.
Like the previous novels about the exploits of Robert Langdon, this is a fast-paced detective story. Robert Langdon must uncover clues, reveal a password, and unlock a special message. Unlike the previous novels with Robert Langdon as the main character, there is a minimal amount of symbology and art history in this book. Some of this lacking is filled by architecture discussions. However, the sheer amount of artificial intelligence, the genius level of the scientist/futurist Kirsch, and the level of dysfunction within Spain's Royal Palace, placed severe limits on my ability to suspend my disbelief in the crazy plot.
The climax comes when we learn Kirsch's message about the past and future of humanity. It was one of the most believable points in the book; but not earth-shattering, as was implied by Kirsch.
Dan Brown's best novel was "Angels and Demons". Unfortunately, "Origin" does not come close....more
This is a fantastic book about exercise! It is not a self-help book that encourages you to exercise daily; it is a dive into the biology, psychology, This is a fantastic book about exercise! It is not a self-help book that encourages you to exercise daily; it is a dive into the biology, psychology, anthropology, and scientific research into the why's and wherefore's of exercise. The book is filled with fun facts and myth-busting research into what exercise can and cannot do to improve one's fitness, well-being, health, and longevity.
Did you know that in ancient times, and in today's isolated tribes, people sit just as much as people in modern society? Primates like chimpanzees are no more active than humans (though they do tend to walk further). Did you know that people can outrun horses--not in short sprints, but in long, drawn-out races? (The author participated in one such race and in fact did outrun some horseback riders.) People in hunter-gathering tribes do not exercise; they look at purposeful exercise as something that crazy people do! But they do get plenty of exercise by walking, and their daily activities. And, ancient people were not stronger than today's modern society; in a society where food is not abundant, excessive muscles that require a lot of energy to maintain are more of a burden than an aid.
Exercise is something that most people dislike. Humans have evolved to run, but we have also evolved to sit! Research has found that exercise will not help you to live longer, but it will help you to live a healthier, more active life.
This book is filled with the results of scientific research, and helped me to understand better how evolution has shaped our active--and inactive--lives. The book's conclusion is concise:
"Make exercise necessary and fun. Do mostly cardio, but also some weights. Some is good, but more is better. Keep it up as you age."
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