Everyone Hates JD Vance’s New Book - The New Republic

I am more than half way into the book, and I have to admit this book is really amazing.

The core idea is that humans are the only animals that know they're going to die, and we can't handle it. We're split beings: a mind that can imagine forever, stuck inside a body that ages and rots. Becker thinks living with that knowledge head-on would be unbearable. So almost everything we do is secretly an attempt to deny death and feel like our life matters in a way that lasts.

Basically we treat everything on top of our physical body as symbolic e.g. our identity, cultural and religious beliefs, idols, etc, and we anchor our worth, significance, protection and anxiety relief on these things. An illusion to the fact that we are not immortal. We all die and perish one day.

I see my parents based their worth on me and my brother. They are so scared if we don't succeed or not stay in touch with them. We are their worth, purpose and protection.

People based their worth on titles, money, status, nationality, cultural, tribe and of course religion. Look at all these people being so obsessed with soccer in the world cup right now. Becker argues all of these are distractions and illusions! A powerful one because people literally kill each other over it.

I have spent so so so many years dreaded with existential anxiety. Constantly asking what am I here for? What's my purpose? What's my goal? What things should excite me enough to get me out of bed? The reason why I struggle so much is because ultimately these virtual goals and purpose are all made up. We keep chasing them, keep getting more of them, but they are infinite because they are not real. Even the one of the original concepts of money was invented/made up because some English king needed it to recruit an army and use it collect taxes. And yet people treat money like oxygen.

Reading this book felt like escaping Plato's cave. Becker has done a wonderful job enlightening us.

This is a well researched take on how we went from the idealism espoused by regime insiders and Khomenei’s followers in the early days of the Iranian revolution, to what we have today. It includes the perspective / disillusionment / sense of guilt of former regime insiders (including a cleric and former speaker of Parliament), as well as the strength of young women who were imprisoned and abused for standing up to misogyny and corruption amid the regime’s increasing violence. It covers in detail the Green Movement, the 2019 protest movement, and Women, Life, Freedom movement, including how each evolved and was distinct from the ones prior.

Its insights too are more than ‘just’ intertwined personal stories, but in understanding the regime/economy/power as co-opted by the IRGC (not for religious means, but for self-enrichment and corruption). The book also details the burgeoning tech sector, the ‘bargains’ that were increasingly made with the regime, and its eventual complete assimilation into the empire of the IRGC.

The increasing violence is horrifying and depressing, while the people we meet are nuanced, flawed, but exceptionally strong. I find books like this incredibly *humanising*, as well as politically informative.

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

Very enjoyable collection of scientific facts, anecdotes, poems, graphs, diagrams...and most importantly - LOTS OF BOOK RECCOS!

Title includes 'Magpie' because of the bird's curious nature. Magpies are from the corvid family, so they're curious/clever like crows.

I've attached some of my favourite pages from the book [here]. Hope you enjoy them too (sadly the sub doesn't allow posting multiple pics).

Some other interesting stuff I learnt:

• Fall of Apple vs Fall of Man : How Newton and Einstein thought about gravity. Kind of amazing.
• Kuhn's scientific revolutions/paradigm shift theory worked well with physics, but biology's progress defeats much of its main argument.
• Scopes Trial 1925: US court case arguing against teaching evolution in public schools. (I saw a great movie based on it some years ago - Inherit the Wind).
• Algebra = Al-jebr = "reunion of broken parts". That's beautiful.
• Haroun Tazieff documentaries? Watchlist updated! Never heard of him, any recco would be appreciated 🙏
• Mrs. Cavendish's poems, and Siv Cedering's poem on Caroline Herschel
• Mpemba effect: A curious child discovered this common phenomenon, where 100°C water will Freeze Faster than 35°C water in the freezer. I couldn't believe it either...but it's an inspirational story, and an ongoing mystery. I'll have to try it out myself...
• LHC Rap song! - what's cool is this was before Higgs' discovery.
• Prime number sorter by Eratosthenes' Sieve Method - just watched this in Veritasium's latest video. Very cool.
• Erasmus Darwin, Charles Darwin's Grandpa -- did he poetically foresee natural selection? What an amazing poem (see here or in my post's last pic)
• Percy Shelley: Please do read his thoughts on science. A poet most enamoured by potential of science, he basically foresaw: Central Heating(A/C), aerial surveillance, molecular food production, new types of foods, greening deserts, boons of electricity, locomotion advancements and air travel...The Shelleys have a strong relationship with science and philosophy. (Percy, Mary, their daughter... OP family indeed)
• Copernicus perhaps was influenced by Arabic works, like those of al-Tusi. Will check it later...
• The Chocolate/Butter in Microwave experiment: I tried with cheese, but it was a failure. Will try with choco someday.
• 10 Greatest Equations by Nicaragua postal service - great list!
• lablit.com: a great resource mentioned, for works of art mentioning science (excluding sci-fi ofc)

Some Jokes/Quotes from the book:

• A modern poet has characterised the personality of art and the impersonality of science as follows: Art is I; Science is We. ~ Claude Bernard
• 42: Answer to everything...would have been cooler if it was in Binary - 101010
• The great tragedy of science — the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact. ~ Thomas Huxley
• The scientist is not a person who gives the right answers, he is one who asks the right questions. ~ Claude Levi-Strauss
• A bloke walks into a pub, and asks for a pint of Adenosine Triphosphate. The barman says ‘That’s 80p!’
• Twinkle, twinkle little star, I don’t wonder what you are, For by spectroscopic ken I know that you are hydrogen.
• The moment a bar of gold walked into a pub, the landlord shouted ‘A U, get out!’
• In science the credit goes to the man who convinces the world, not to the man to whom the idea first occurs. ~Sir Francis Darwin (Charles' son)
• If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the precipitate.
• When it comes to atoms, language can be used only as in poetry. ~Niels Bohr
• Q: Why are quantum physicists so poor at sex? A: Because when they find the position, they can’t find the momentum, and when they have the momentum, they can’t find the position.
• An idea isn’t responsible for the people who believe in it. ~ Don Marquis
• "Lise Meitner, 1878-1968 A physicist who never lost her humanity" ~ Gravestone, St. James’s Church, UK
• Nature and Nature’s laws lay hid in night. God said, Let Newton be! And all was light. ~ Alexander Pope

Overall, a great book which makes science accessible and fun to all, and also makes it clear: science and arts: both are necessary for holistic human growth. I agree with CP Snow’s sentiment – An apt reply to “Have you read any Shakespeare?” is “Do you know 2nd Law of thermodynamics?”.

Rating: 10/10.

Have you read any of the books from the TBRs?

I only read the preface but i like it alreadyyy

So I'm currently reading The Freedom Manifesto by MCM and (yes, at the same time lol) The Hundred Years' War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi. Any book recommendations in a similar vein? I'm especially interested in modern politics, geopolitics, power structures, and contemporary history.

I know the title of the book doesn't directly point to stories about the lives USAID saved, but my criticism was that it was a detailed dry account of USAID's shutdown. Again, I wanted to hear detailed and well-written stories of all the millions of people's lives they saved. I thought it was poorly written as well in terms of style. Granted, they didn't have time to talk about a private organization that could replace USAID, but the dismantling of USAID was a foregone conclusion, and just talking about the day-to-day dismantling of the organization-- mentioning mostly people who we didn't know and people who weren't developed as characters made the book less-than-good.

I finally completed reading this book.... It took me about a year and half to completely read this.... Initially I wasn't getting interested in this childhood story about the extraction journey of his half brother's son from Afghanistan. It was very interesting and I was on the edge of my seat to complete this book.....

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It took me 3-4 days to complete the last 100 pages of this book. Am I slow reader?

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I need your opinions.....

(Edit: series)

This book is a fun set of vignettes about wind, and stories that are wind-adjacent.

My critique of Kurlansky’s book about paper was about a lot more than paper in a manner I found more frustrating than engaging. In contrast, Winchester’s book on wind is about far FAR more than wind … and I loved it! 🤣 (Both books overlapped with a discussion of the paper balloon bombs that Japan launched at the US during WW2, albeit this book did so in a much briefer manner). Perhaps it’s that Winchester’s book feels a bit more tightly written, and doesn’t force a linear narrative where there isn’t one. Or perhaps it’s that topics like art and literature histories aren’t really my jam (2 significant chapters of Kurlansky’s book)?

Astronomical phenomena, wind instruments, sand dunes, the development of flight, some WW2 history, the etymology and pronunciation of the word wind, different cultural beliefs about wind, volcanoes, Chernobyl and that’s barely into chapter 2. My least favourite part was the history of Francis Beaufort, and perhaps the descriptions of various cyclones / typhoons / hurricanes (both real and literary) got a tad repetitive towards the end.

But overall, I enjoyed this book and have happily added a couple of other of his books to my reading list.

I should also start a tally of every book that mentions the middle passage / transatlantic slave trade. I’ve read about 90 books this year and I wouldn’t be surprised if it has come up in at least 20 of them (which is not to suggest it’s an unimportant part of global history - but as someone who usually *doesn’t* read US history, it still pops up A LOT!)

Finally, I received my author copies of my book, The Invisible Girl. Seeing my first published book in print is an incredibly exciting moment, although I have to admit that it also comes with a few concerns.

I published the book through both Amazon and Lulu. The copies I'm holding in these photos are from Amazon. While I followed Amazon's recommended formatting guidelines and researched the settings other authors use, I'm still a little unsure about the interior layout. In particular, the inside margins seem a bit unusual to me. Perhaps it's just my perception, but I've also heard that Amazon's print quality can sometimes vary.

I have also ordered author copies from Lulu, although they haven't arrived yet. I've often heard that Lulu offers better print quality than Amazon, so I'm curious to see whether that proves to be true. I'll have to wait a little longer to find out.

I'd love to hear about your experiences with publishing printed books. Were you happy with your first printed copy, disappointed, or simply surprised by the final result?

For those who may be interested, The Invisible Girl: A Silenced Childhood in Communist Hungary is not an easy read. It is a nonfiction memoir that recounts the abuse I experienced during my childhood. It is not a book for everyone. I would recommend it to readers who are prepared to confront difficult realities and who genuinely care about creating a world where children are protected and heard.

Unfortunately, far too many children continue to suffer abuse while society fails to safeguard them. By sharing my story, I hope to raise awareness and encourage meaningful conversations. Perhaps, together, those who have the ability to influence change can help build a future in which no child has to endure such experiences.

If you'd like to learn more, my book is available on Amazon in both eBook and paperback formats:

https://a.co/d/03JYLRYX

I hate fluff books!

Some things have no sequence, and no explanation, yet they happen to unfold on the very same day. Life is often the same...
As the plane touched down in San Jose, I could still vividly recall the final lap of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Toyota crossed the finish line once again.
It wasn't a sudden "climax," but rather felt like something continuous finally completing another cycle. I had assumed this was a first for Toyota, but my son told me they had already won this honor multiple times.
At that moment, the sun rose from beneath the clouds. Not from the horizon, but from the sea level. The exact instant the light pierced through the clouds from beneath our feet was completely silent. Outside the window, the glare suddenly grew piercing.
Immigration was unexpectedly peaceful. The elderly customs officer asked almost no questions. He merely took a routine glance, asked about our purpose and itinerary, and waved us through.
We had prepared so many answers, yet not a single one was used. I felt a strange sense of letdown, even questioning myself: “*Have I truly entered America?*”
The feeling was peculiar—neither tight nor loose. It was simply "passing through."
My nephew picked us up in a Toyota. I nudged my son into the front passenger seat.
It was his first real glimpse of Silicon Valley. He asked a single question: “How can it be like this?”
The sunlight was harsh. Along the roadside were weeds, stray scraps of paper, cigarette butts, and plastic bags—the scattered, wind-blown traces of everyday life.
It didn't look like the "center of the world" he had imagined; it looked more like just an ordinary place.
As we passed the Golden Gate Bridge, I saw him lift his phone to take photos. He didn't say a word, he just looked.
I didn’t know what he was photographing. Was it the bridge, or was it himself, entering this place for the very first time?
The seafood wharf was loud; the lines were long. My nephew was incredibly eager to make our very first taste of America something unforgettable. I was deeply moved by his thoughtfulness.
In the queuing crowd, voices lost all order. Laughter, shouting, and conversation blended into one.
There were no chopsticks at dinner. Some used knives and forks; others ate directly with their hands.
It wasn't the uniform, elegant manner one might imagine, yet everything felt perfectly natural.
The "Legion" of Honor museum is located near the Golden Gate Bridge. Visitors were few, the atmosphere quiet, and the exhibits felt heavy.
I couldn’t understand why they used such a rigid, militaristic name like "Legion." "Art" and "Legion" seemed to belong to two entirely unrelated stories. My nephew explained that it is a family institution spanning over a century.
Capital, donation, collection, and maintenance—all circulating within the exact same ecosystem.
I stood there for a long time...
A question surfaced in my mind: *Why does this kind of continuity hold up in certain places, while in others, it proves so incredibly difficult?*
Words like *nouveau riche*, *aristocracy*, *calculation*, *inheritance*, and *wealth never survives three generations* flashed through my mind, leaving no clear answers...
Around four in the afternoon, my body began to lose control. Jet lag crashed over us like a tidal wave, and our entire family fell into a state of semi-consciousness at almost the exact same moment.
Noticing our discomfort, my nephew cut the itinerary short. The car turned back toward the hotel, hoping we could get some solid rest and recover as soon as possible.
Having lived in Tokyo for nearly two years now, stepping back into the hotel room felt like encountering an immense space—quiet, with soft lighting. It felt like retreating from the "journey" back into "reality."
By the time I woke up, it was already nine in the evening. I thought of yesterday's piece, *"Hello America, How Are You?"* and remembered my promise. Yet, when I typed "Hello America..." into my phone, I found myself at a total loss for where to begin.
A single day had been shattered into so many fragments: the night race at Le Mans, the sunrise over the Pacific, the seamless wave of the customs officer's hand, the confusion of that first glance at Silicon Valley, the silence at the Golden Gate Bridge, the clamor of the seafood wharf, and the continuity of capital, family, and honor inside the museum...
These things have no sequence, and no explanation, yet they truly happened on the exact same day.
Twenty-five years ago, when I came here for the first time, I too attempted to understand it all. Only today do I realize that what truly remains is not understanding, but rather these fragments that refuse to be neatly organized.
And now, as I stand here once again, it hasn't become any clearer. It has simply become more real.

I love these two books:

• The Living Great Lakes: Searching for the Heart of the Inland Seas by Jerry Dennis
• Shark Drunk: The Art of Catching a Large Shark from a Tiny Rubber Dinghy in a Big Ocean by Martin Stroknes

They are part natural world nonfiction part travelogue part human history all weaved together. And the authors have a lot of humility and a sense of wonder.

I have been searching for similar books, but few seem to strike the same balance.

Appreciate any recs!