Reviews and Comments

This book won't be for everyone. So many folks think you can have empathy, but people can't be empaths (while in the same breath talking about the existence of narcissists, go figure). And while there are elements to what Ora North says that others will feel are farfetched (like shamanistic healing and whatnot), 95% of this book is going to be helpful for a variety of people.

It's not a long read, and the best thing about it is some "work on it" elements at the end of each chapter to help you get over the issues that may make being an empath harmful to your health or stressful/frustrating or hurtful to others, etc. I think it's a good basic guide to dealing with your empathetic nature when you're too used to feeling everyone else's emotions and shoving your own into the corner. Empaths need self care, which can be difficult when they're used to feeling everyone else's strong emotions. It's a good reminder to be your own advocate for healing and positivity.

I was pleased to pick this book up and give it a shot as someone who wants to get into vlogging and (again) blogging one day soon. Podcasting has changed a bit over the years and even videos on Youtube share the title of "podcast" if only because of the other places the audio ends up.

The author has had their hands in many successful podcasts and programs such as the TED Radio Hour and many things produced by NPR for consumers. He explains how to approach your channel, how to find your ideal listeners (or create them), ways to expand once your listener base gets larger and attract more audience members, etc.

I'll be hanging onto this book as a useful guide and a reminder of how to do audio storytelling or programs in multiple formats (I firmly believe what's been specified here can be applicable to YouTube, Twitch streams, etc... anything that can have audience engagement as well as standalone episodes).

As someone who has seen baseball in films and on tv for ages, and even been to a few games, well, there's a lot of basic stuff that I picked up just by sight. But when you talk with someone in the know, it's easy to get lost. That's where I was before this book. I'd collected the cards and seen the stats, but had no idea how good or bad any of it was or what they meant.

This book answered a LOT of those questions, and included formulas on how they figure them out.

The first chunk of the book is about game mechanics and how to improve your own play and make sure you do it right and safely. But the 2nd half is largely about the history, the rules and changes, stats configurations, how ball teams work, and much more. There's a lot of anecdotal asides from the author and his time in the league to elaborate some points, and it gives some needed context. I feel there's much in here if you wanted to be part of the conversation or at least get the gist of it. Worth reviewing... SO much lingo.

Let's face it... I'm sure there are dozens of authors who have simplified and translated the text of Marcus Aurelius, or done a thorough analysis of his work to interpret it just the right way. This version has a bunch of older, more classical English with the "thou" usage and all. I had to really clear my head and be in quiet places to finish reading this short work. Some of the extra parts of the book were essentially mini-bios of Marcus Aurelius ... or more accurately, the influences on him and the times he was part of.

There's a lot of wisdom in this book, some repetition and all... but as long as you remember it's basically some journaling that was meant only for the man himself to reflect on, and not something he meant to send to a publisher of his day, then it gets easier to see how these things go. It's a lot of little snippets and some deeper musings next to each other. I did find a lot to highlight and some ideas to keep in mind or come back to later.

I'll probably get another, more modern English translation the next time I tackle this (but I always keep the original I read so I can see how much I got right or how far off my interpretation was). Keeping for further study, but not a "for the hell of it" read.

I admit, I LOVE the first Dune book... and it took me a couple tries to start and finish this one. The book assumes you've got the gist of the first book under your belt and then throws you into a world of intrigue. Paul is still the main character, but it's mostly about what goes on around him. He's burdened by his power and his status, and constantly beset by enemies on the fringes around the Imperium, waiting for a chance to find a blind spot and attack.

At the start, it felt a bit choppy and like I'd just been thrown into the mix with little preparation... but reading the preface again helped a bit. All the little "asides" hold meaning in Frank Herbert works, so I've learned to read them as well. As the story centers more on Arrakis, you see it slow down and get back to life with Paul and Chiani and their family, and the power dynamics of the Princess Irulan in the house trying to ensure the couple has no children. Plots enfold concerning the Guild, the Bene Geserit, the Fremen, & the Tleilaxu Face Dancers. It's a LOT to take in for the shortest book in the series, but it gets us to the next level. And the ending of this book makes it worth the time, the progression of this universe is rather fascinating.

I wanted to say 3.5 stars, but I can't give half ratings on the meter, & it feels a little too hasty and too complex at times. But the philosophies discussed & the ending nudge it to a 4 to me. Can't wait to get to the 3rd one.