Review of “The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World” by Jamil Zaki

First, thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.

I had recently finished reading Sally Kohn’s book “The Opposite of Hate” so I couldn’t help but noticed  the similarities between the two works. Jamil Zaki is a psychologist and the tone of this book echoes that fact strongly. While Kohn’s book was many times conversational in tone, Zaki’s book took on an academic tone from the start. He references many empirical studies on empathy (which can lead to kindness) throughout the book. While Kohn focused on combating hate within others and ourselves, Zaki focused on empathy and how we can influence it within ourselves and others and how it influences our behaviors. Zaki’s department studies empathy a lot so it’s not shocking that the book revolves around this topic. As the book progressed, Zaki divulged more personal experiences into the narrative and I felt that added a more pleasant reading experience when I can connect with the author. My favorite part of this work was in the Appendices. He went through every claim that he made in each chapter, including the introduction and epilogue, and rated the claim on the evidentiary proof or validity of the claim. Most or all of books in the social sciences have a list of references or footnotes containing where information cited is found. Zaki has this as well, but rarely do I read a book that provides this type of breakdown of his claims. I wish all books did this to be honest. I went in expecting this book to be uplifting and hopeful for the future of our society and it was in a way, but it is clear that it requires us to put more effort into making our future better. I would recommend this book to fans of Kohn’s book “The Opposite of Hate” and other books on the topic of kindness, empathy, combating hate, changing the combative discourse of the media and society as a whole and self-improvement books. 

This review is also posted on my Goodreads page.

Review of "The Rules Do Not Apply" by Ariel Levy

The Rules Do Not Apply by Ariel Levy
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I suppose I didn't have enough background information about the author, Ariel Levy, before reading this memoir because I didn't feel that it was relatable enough for me to get enough out of reading it. In this memoir, Levy divulges the details of the dissolution of her marriage and the horrible circumstances that led to her losing her son before he was even named. This book could've been horribly depressing and honestly at times, it was awfully close to being so. Levy spends a lot of time discussing how she copes with these "negative" events in her life. She goes into how she moves forward after what was essentially divorce, perhaps more accurately "conscious uncoupling" as Gwnyth Paltrow might say. My favorite quote from this memoir though was from an interview Levy conducted with Maureen Dowd: “I asked [Dowd] if she'd ever wanted children. She told me, "Everybody doesn't get everything." It sounded depressing to me at the time, a statement of defeat. Now admitting it seems like the obvious and essential work of growing up. Everybody doesn't get everything: as natural and unavoidable as mortality.” I would recommend this memoir to someone who has/had a partner with alcoholism or someone suffering the loss of a child. While the whole memoir may not apply to these people, they will get something out of reading it.

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Review of "Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Owens's debut novel is another stunning epic story of a young girl, similar to The Great Alone, adapting to a wilderness without much assistance from others. In this case, the story begins in 1969, when two young boys find the dead body of Barkley Cove's favorite previous quarterback, Chase Andrews. We are then introduced to young Kya Clark, 6 years old in 1952, who lives in the swamp-like marshland near Barkley Cove, NC. Soon, she is abandoned by her family to live on her own in a shack away from town. A town where the people look at her like she's dirty and unworthy. Kya, who only attended one day of school, has to learn how to survive on her own despite the prejudices of the town and her lack of education. Delia Owens co-wrote two memoirs prior to this novel of her times of survival in the African wilderness with her husband. Her experience with isolation from civilization and surviving on the wilderness alone is echoed in the text of this book. She beautifully encapsulates the landscape of the marsh, putting the reader in the mindset of Kya throughout. This is a coming-of-age story of survival, love, overcoming obstacles and prejudices. Kya is an extremely likable protagonist and you'll be drawn into her story spanning from 1952 into the 21st century. Owens alternates chapters between before and after the death of Chase Andrews and the reader is left trying to solve the case before the detectives. A gripping story you will not want to put down. Fans of The Great Alone and Educated will be interested in the story of strong willed Kya. Highly recommended.

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Review: The Opposite of Hate: A Field Guide to Repairing Our Humanity

The Opposite of Hate: A Field Guide to Repairing Our Humanity by Sally Kohn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

AUDIOBOOK FORMAT:

I thought that this book was so fascinating! This topic is so relevant in the current climate. As a progressive liberal myself I find it hard to maintain my cool around Trump supporters too. Kohn lays out some very essential and clear steps to better handle these scenarios and lends real life examples to prove it can be done. Her research is extensive and impressive. A lot of her stories that she relays are very hard to hear but in the end the book is uplifting and motivating. Sally Kohn does an amazing job reading her book for the audiobook. She brings out the humor and nuance of her conversational (at times) style of writing. Sometimes, she got a little academic, quoting research studies and the like. Other times, she reads it very conversationally so that it feels like you and her are sitting down with a coffee for an in-depth coffee talk with a friend. I really liked this book and I think it's a very important topic that should be addressed today.

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Review of "For the Love of Books: A Celebration of the Written Word" by Graham Tarrant

For the Love of Books: A Celebration of the Written Word by Graham Tarrant
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I received an advance copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I found a hard time getting into this book. It's not laid out in the narrative form, but rather in segments of different factoids. Tarrant lists a ton of very interesting facts about authors that I had not been aware of prior. At times, I felt that the way the information was stated was confusing and redundant. A lot of statements like, "arguably the best novel of 'insert time period/country' of all time" or "well-known" which I feel are quite subjective statements. It was laid out like a textbook but I questioned the authoritativeness of the author. Not meant as an insult, this book would be a great "bathroom book". It can easily be picked up and put down whenever. I could see this book being a great gift for a literary lover who is super hard to buy for or a graduation gift for an English major.

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Review of "I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer" by Michelle McNamara

I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I love my true crime documentaries. I can sit and watch doc and doc on Charles Manson, Ted Bundy, Jim Jones, etc., and not get scared to death. I love horror films and nothing is scarier than true horror. However, finally listening to Michelle McNamara's piece on the Golden State Killer, I've realized that I'm not interested in true crime in the written word. Or perhaps, this book in particular didn't spark my interest. I think that if I saw this content in a visual context (luckily HBO is working on a docu-series on the GSK), I might be more interested. What McNamara has done with this work is lay out years and years of intense research in the hunt to identify the man who raped and murdered too many people in the late seventies-early eighties. I respect her diligence in reaching out to a multitude of research points. In her full credit, this book was published after her passing, so she is not responsible for the final layout of the book itself. I felt overwhelmed with the data and I couldn't follow the narrative. This audiobook version included an appendix featuring an article published after McNamara's passing and after the first printing of her book. Overall, I see where the appeal could be with this book, but just did not appeal to me.

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Review of "The Greenprint: Plant-Based Diet, Best Body, Better World" by Marco Borges

The Greenprint: Plant-Based Diet, Best Body, Better World by Marco Borges
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Borges created this truly beautifully designed book that explains in details the benefits of changing to a plant-based diet. Like Borges, I also transitioned to a completely plant-based diet rather than suddenly making the change. I became a pescatarian (vegetarian + fish) in 2002, then I gave up gluten and dairy in 2016 (due to illness...leading to a celiac diagnosis), and finally giving up fish and eggs to be full "vegan" in 2017. Borges presents 22 "rules" to begin living a healthier livestyle, including transitioning to a full plant-based diet. He goes through all the health and other medical benefits associated with eating plant-based while also debunking myths commonly brought up against a vegan lifestyle. Borges also includes a ton of yummy and easy recipes in the back of the book for those wanting to try out plant-based meals without knowing where to start. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the either the health benefits, environmental benefits or animal welfare benefits of a plant-based diet. I also recommend this book to current vegetarians or flex-itarians who might want to try going completely plant-based.

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Review of "The Great Alone" by Kristin Hannah

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had not read Hannah's previous novel, The Nightingale, but it was such a huge hit at the library where I work. When this book was released, I only heard amazing things. I had received an ARC of it long ago from a conference but I had not gotten to reading it until now. I'm not normally someone who leans towards family dramas but this story drew me in from the beginning. Hannah's style of writing is so beautiful and she weaves the plot around this wonderful character development of her protagonist, Leni. This novel begins with 13 year old Leni and her family leaving Seattle for the great wilderness of Alaska. Her father, Ernt Allbright, was a POW in Vietnam and he yearned for the isolation that Alaska could bring. His friend in the war left him a plot of land in the small town of Conic in his will. The Allbrights learn the hard way how to survive in this dangerous and beautiful landscape. The novel follows Leni through the pivotal years of her late teens and early 20s. This book is a heart-breaking, thrilling, dramatic, heart-stopping epic while also giving us a love story that your own heart will ache for. I loved every second of this book. I was entranced in the storyline and I needed to know what happened to these characters. The ones I admired, hated and adored. This book would appeal to those who enjoy epic family dramas, readers of Celeste Ng and those who loved Tara Westover's memoir Educated. Highly highly recommended.

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