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I did not expect the the tone the book took from the very start. I thought it was only a book on tea. However, it took on subjects of Japanese culture in the aesthetic, moral and societal sectors. The author seems angry at time, or maybe I am misreading the tone, but it never felt too salty. It is a small enjoyable read that takes you on a bird's eye view around the topic.

I only read around halfway through the book, since the topic of the second section was not of interest to me.

What I wanted to take out of it was the origin and the doctrine of the so called Nizari Ismaili assassins of Hasan-i Sabbah. The book covered the origins extensively, leading first with a high level yet extensive history of the many schisms that finally lead to the birth of the Nizari Ismaili sect.

The legends were received without much resistance or critical analysis by their audience. This was due to two major factors: 1) the efforts of other Muslim sects in painting the Nizaris as heretics 2) the disinterest of the local European presence at the time in learning more about their neighbors. The first was expected, as is the case in sect-to-sect infighting, but the second point was new to me.

Daftary gave details and evidence of this disinterest which I found surprising, such as the reading and translation of Arabic texts happening centuries after their first encounters with the Arabs, which obviously contributed to the obscurity of the region in the collective European knowledge, and the ability of myths and legends to spread. Interestingly enough, I was also reading the Book of Tea by Okakura Kakuzo at the same time, and in it Kakuzo makes a close remark at the European presence in eastern Asia.

Overall, a nice read. Although dry at times due to the academic nature of it, it was still an interesting historical excursion.

"The characteristics that the modern mind prides itself on are precisely those of madness: there is no one more logical than the lunatic. All their vital processes shrunk into the mind, concerned so much with cause and effect. what is the one thing they lack that sane men posses? the ability to be careless and laugh at the world (like Pascal), they cant believe in what religion always asked, to believe in a justification of their lives that seems absurd." (May not be 100% accurate quote, from memory)

The book covers more than cats, felt more like a cat themed joy-ride for the author where he went through some ideas with that perspective. However, it all ties back perfectly together throughout the book and at the end of it.

It was a while ago that I finished it and cannot right now recall many memorable passages, but its impression is still felt on me every day. Every now and then, when my head is doing loops trying to understand the whys and whats from big to small issues of life, I recall the wisdom of the house cat.

In a way, it has been the perfect self-help book. I now sleep more confidently, waste time without worrying, and daydream without guilt.

Listening to him in talks and conferences is one thing and this book is another. When he discloses the inner monologue that leads him to one decision or the other, it reveals him as someone who's more human and empathetic than his hard shell can lead us to believe.

The memoir has both the long life and career path that justified his actions, as well as fun-ish escapades and experiences from working inside the intelligence industry.

He ends it with a recap and call for more activism and action towards an internet that respects its user's rights.

You get exactly what is advertised by the title: a blazing fast recount of the history of Germany from around the Roman march to the north. I am by no means an expert on this topic, so any biases or errors were missed on my part. I recommend it if you want a generalist view on the history, or to get a feeling of the ethos of the modern state.