3/25/2024 0 Comments what's in a war story
what's next for war stories?Is War and Peace too predictable? I've seen some reviews in which people say this is the best book that they have ever read. I'm intimidated by the sheer volume. I think about all the other books that I will have to put on the side while I toil away at this hefty tome. But I'm so curious... Maybe not as predictable, I have no desire to read For Whom the Bell Tolls or Of Men and War. I'm just not a Hemingway fan. I wonder if that will change at all this summer after visiting the Hemingway house in the Florida Keys. I'm curious enough want to see it, but not curious enough to do any prereading of his books. I just don't like his terse writing style. He seems aloof and insensitive, chauvinistic and arrogant. Other TBRs from fiction and nonfiction are listed below: in search of
what I don't want in a war storyI don't want to be inundated with gore. I get that war is a bloody mess and that sometimes it may be necessary to evoke the tragedy in war. But don't make that the main character of the story. I want to know the people in times of war, not the blood and guts.
Don't show me the lack of humanity or decency of an American soldier and then expect me to like him later just because he was a US soldier. If that US soldier took advantage of women in other countries, or did terrible things to women and children and innocents, don't expect me to see his point of view by the end of the book. I realize the moral injury that soldiers are already up against by nature of war. However, if a soldier is already suffering from moral injury how can they justify added cruelty to a vulnerable person?
0 Comments
2/10/2024 0 Comments the science of heartbreakthe book in 3 sentences
general summaryHeartbreak is told through the lens of a woman in a long marriage that ends in divorce. This is simply the story of two people growing apart and the perspective of heartbreak tying together both the real life experience of the grief and also the science behind what happens in the aftermath. Heartbreak oscillates between her experience and research studies on how heartbreak physiologically impacts people. Not just romantic heartbreak, but grief related to the loss of people, major life upheavals, natural disasters, etc. Evolutionarily speaking, nature has overdone it when it comes to heartbreak. Our response to heartbreak can be quite dramatic because it was once a matter of survival. It use to be very dangerous to be outcast or rejected from the group. It's the whole, you are more likely to be eaten by a lion if you are alone versus being a part of a group. You had a better chance at surviving if you were accepted within the group. You shared food and shelter and had a better chance at living longer and reproducing. It makes sense that our physiological body would have a dramatic reaction to rejection. Even in modern times, people need each other from a social perspective. We grow and learn based on feedback from each other. Solitude can be valuable for reflection, but generally speaking lonely people are not healthy people. Heartbreak of all kinds has physiological impacts. People that experience the trauma of heart break will undoubtedly face greater risk of any number of maladies solidifying the tie between our emotional and physical well-being inside of us. The length of time of the physiological impacts of heartbreak will vary from person to person due to countless variables. There is a lot of research discussed in the book that I won't go over here except in a very general sense. What is most important to realize is that our experiences of trauma can have lasting impacts physiologically for years that can evolve into disease and shorter life expectancy. The impacts of loneliness on health are far greater than smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, research says. Some people may do things that can ease the process of grief from heartbreak. Being periodically forced out of yourself to remember the interconnectedness to something bigger than us can be one of those things that is very healing. Research indicates that people that experience awe are able to integrate stressful life experiences better. Nature has healing effects on inflammation and positive impacts on other brain chemicals. Another way to feel a sense of connectedness outside of ourselves is through community, friendships, and being of service to others. Developing a sense of purpose that exists outside of the trauma of the experience of Heartbreak can improve our resiliency when in the process of grieving. how the book changed meI don't review every book I read. I review the ones that I really want to remember and the ones that resonated with me or an aspect of my life. This book was enlightening and affirming in that there was a reason I was feeling some sort of biological drive for me to be alone outside during periods of healing in my life. Our own internal mechanisms can be so useful to us if we only listen closely. I knew I needed to walk for miles in the woods and up mountains both by myself and with people that I love. I knew that I needed to be in awe of the world around me because it would make me feel stronger, more resilient, more grounded, and more connected.
Delving into service based work way also a way to bring joy and feel the world outside of something painful. Remembering that other people have there own worlds going on inside of them with their own problems. All of this made my problems feel not so big in the grand scheme. One aspect of your life can feel really big and it takes over when it is filled with grief and casts a shadow on everything else. It's good if you can find a way to diminish that effect by focusing on purpose, connectedness, community, service, and building relationships with people you love. 1/15/2024 0 Comments strengthening resolvesummaryThis book is written through case studies of people who are pursuing their great big ideas from sailing solo around the world, visiting every country in the world, saving a forest, or running a daunting number of marathons in multiple countries. While not all of these pursuits are things that I would want to do, the scenarios are told in a way that everyone can glean valuable motivation to do similarly for their own big pursuits and purposes in life.
who should read it?People who need to remember that they will regret not taking the risk to try to go for a big dream or goal. This book is the reminder that the pursuit is what is worth the entire mission. It’s not the end goal but all of the memorable experiences on the way to the goal. People who need a purpose. People who hate their job that need a change in life. People who need to get over the fear and begin the pursuit. top 3 quotes
how the book changed meAdvice to myself after reading this book...
Don’t feel bad about changing your plans or ideas. It's good to have a flexible mind especially after learning new things. Don’t judge what you want based on other people’s opinions. You are different from everyone else, and your dreams will be different from those of others in your life. Find a new pursuit after you have finished the last. The end is the beginning. One small step at a time. The way in which this book changed me was in simply strengthening my resolve. I now remember that I need to review my daily actions in terms of how they add up to the greater pursuits that I talk about. I only have this one precious life. I can’t spend any more time not trying for what I want out of it. |
Archives
March 2024
CategoriesAll Backpackers Backpacking Book Review Books Emotional Intelligence Emotional Maturity Fiction Florence Williams Four Winds Garden Gardening Grief Happiness Healing Heartbreak Historical Fiction Italian Kristin Hannah Mafia Marcus Bridgewater Mary Oliver Memoir Naomi Krupitsky Nonfiction Personal Development Plant Care Poetry Raynor Winn Self Care Societal Change The Great Depression The Wild Silence Vietnam War Stories World Peace World War II |