Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents

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Insightful and challenging read. My understanding of caste has been expanded and this book is one that made me think about my understanding of society, freedom, and justice.

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How you would treat someone as lesser, beat them, kill them and never blink an eye. Often I hear the question of "how could this have happened?" or even worse the poorest defense of these actions (example: that pragerU pro-slavery videos) and this book really untangles everything in an understandable and no-hold back way through the USA, Germany, and India histories. This is essential reading to completely cement the ideas/understanding of what caste is, how we have participated in it, and recognize it.

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a year ago

The Yellow Wallpaper

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Relatable. I creep all over my husband when he faints on the floor too, girl! #BlessedGoose

Imagine the fucking boredom alone. Anyway, I didn't know that much about this piece's time period and exactly the "rest" type of treatment was. Learning more about what this treatment and who this author was - I found helpful in getting a full scope of this piece. Alone, I think this piece is great. With a little more knowledge I found this piece to be excellent. Unsettling and obsessive.

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@kdlovesbooks

a year ago

The Yellow Wallpaper

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Relatable. I creep all over my husband when he faints on the floor too, girl! #BlessedGoose

Imagine the fucking boredom alone. Anyway, I didn't know that much about this piece's time period and exactly the "rest" type of treatment was. Learning more about what this treatment and who this author was - I found helpful in getting a full scope of this piece. Alone, I think this piece is great. With a little more knowledge I found this piece to be excellent. Unsettling and obsessive.

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a year ago

Lost Time

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Aww, really a fun read for juv. level readers who like dinosaurs. Little bit sci-fi, dino, and survival story.

I'm so sure this author is playing Ark Survival Evolved

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a year ago

The Urban Prepper's Guide: How To Become Self-Sufficient And Prepared For The Next Crisis

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A fine read with basic level-headed advise. Good intro to preparing 101- i thought it would discuss urban settings but it didn't get into it in any capacity, so the title is extremely misleading. That's why it's ranked so low. I thought it would discuss preparation in city scapes but it must assume that you'll bug out to a more rural area.

It also has weird hang ups. There is one that was talking about not using tampons as first aid supply. Later talked about not using wasp spray as a replacement for pepper spray but use it if you are being attacked. Like??? Same for tampons if you are bleeding use whatever you have to stop the bleeding? (He had a later thing about men not carrying purses but to encourage them to carry supplies by calling it a man bag idk what the deal is) anyway, I didn't think about tampons or wasp spray until it was intentionally brought up? I'm not familiar enough with the prep community to know if these are common conversations or just random and only vaguely related.

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a year ago

Sonic the Hedgehog, Vol. 17: Adventure Awaits

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Bit of a filler volume - stories are fun and it has a portal story which shows off several types of illustrators.

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a year ago

The Book of Bill

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A delight for gravity falls fans - nicely fleshes out characters that were not fully detailed in the show creating a larger picture of gravity falls by using Bill's perspective.


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a year ago

The Urban Prepper's Guide: How To Become Self-Sufficient And Prepared For The Next Crisis

Wrote a review for

A fine read with basic level-headed advise. Good intro to preparing 101- i thought it would discuss urban settings but it didn't get into it in any capacity, so the title is extremely misleading. That's why it's ranked so low. I thought it would discuss preparation in city scapes but it must assume that you'll bug out to a more rural area.

It also has weird hang ups. There is one that was talking about not using tampons as first aid supply. Later talked about not using wasp spray as a replacement for pepper spray but use it if you are being attacked. Like??? Same for tampons if you are bleeding use whatever you have to stop the bleeding? (He had a later thing about men not carrying purses but to encourage them to carry supplies by calling it a man bag idk what the deal is) anyway, I didn't think about tampons or wasp spray until it was intentionally brought up? I'm not familiar enough with the prep community to know if these are common conversations or just random and only vaguely related.

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a year ago

How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy

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Good read, the topics she brought up were interesting on their own but as a whole book hard to follow. She introduced this at the beginning that it was sort of a mind wondering experience and it reflected in the book and maybe wasn't the strongest choice to get something??? across? I'm not even sure if there was a point or just a discussion...maybe that was the point? idk

Anyway, yep, def. introduced some new things to me and pov to explore. I feel like people have such a distaste for social tech. but I think it needs to be said that media literacy plays a large aspect here and I see many people not scrutinizing their sources with adds to this pile of mis/mal information. I believe Tech can be good...but also maybe vulnerable.
Here's a song! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqyXvMrQDk8

Anyway...also has some hint of shared trauma by living in the worst timeline ~* RIP

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a year ago

Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag: Your 72-Hour Disaster Survival Kit

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Fine info - My first one of these types of books. I think the author has some good tips and is an adequate foundation for supplies and info to look into.

Sometimes the tone is a bit off for me - You know how some treat prep. as a fantasy doom boy scout mission? About the author section you learn he was indeed a boy scout - which is why I imagine the equipment and tip section to be legit. - ALSO there is a bit in the book where the threat of sexual assault of family member is mentioned in the self-defense portion of the book. Really, this wasn't necessary - He's points were fine up until then. He seems to think he's doing you a favor by scaring you, but it was inappropriate setting up some fantasy violence scenario. This scenario was out of place because the author seemed level-headed otherwise.

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a year ago

Just In Case

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Honestly, avoid a gell-mann effect. If you read the pandemic section and find it lacking (I know, it was published in 2008) then you'll find the whole book lacking. I do enjoy a more family/food based frame for prep work.

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a year ago

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America

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Did you know it was on the top 10 banned book lists in 2010 https://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10/archive

I really don't consider this a radical book. This is everyday life to work paycheck to paycheck. The author is a tourist of this world, in the way that there is no danger from missing a meal or not having some place to stay. In this experiment she can quit any time she wants! I'm glad she stuck out as long as she did. I think she did her best and was well aware of her station and blessings in life ESPECIALLY at the end. She learned a lot and good for her! This book isn't written for me, it's for those who are at her social class level (and higher), social studies classes in the 90s, or perhaps workers looking for validation. Although, looking at some reviews this book still seems to strike a nerve with some BIG TIME. Hit dogs holler.

That being said -here's my holler. The author is still a tourist. The tone comes off completely snobbish and it makes it harder to connect with her. If she could only just save us working poor people with her phd!!!!! BUT would we shun her for being so smart????

Anyway...

How did it age? This book was in the 90s - it address a lot of the frequent stereotypes and inaccuracies i heard as a kid. It is good to see that current discussion is progressing away from them. (IMO) I think this part won't hold up as well, and maybe that's in part of this book being part of that discussion. - Good news!

The bad news are the parts that still hold up! (2025) Like, the cost of living, no adequate wages, anti-union actions, lack of or bad welfare programs, the housing crisis is on-going, and rents eat up a majority of a paycheck. So, you can still read this book and get something from it - modern day.

RIP

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a year ago

Constitution Illustrated

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Pairing the constitution with 100 years span of cartoon characters is a genius idea for folks who have a fondness for drawing and animation. Having the huge span and variety of toons interacting with the constitution & bill of rights like this feels like they're citizens themselves.

It made the constitution & bill of rights a real page turner because I wanted to see who was going to be next.

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a year ago