Essential Reading

Recovery: Freedom from Our Addictions by Russell Brand is the 4th book of his that I've read and possibly the one that's hit the closest to home. This book outlines the 12 Step Program from Russell's perspective with personal accounts from each step of his journey towards recovery. It is an excellent book for those struggling with addiction (of any kind) or those who have witnessed that struggle in others.

The emphasis made throughout the book is that you must

• seek a Higher Power
• attend meetings to have a community of help
• work the program every single day
• seek help at times when stressed or apt to relapse from a mentor who has worked the program

These excellent quotes from the book do a far better job of recommending it than anything I could say:

But in your life you've faced obstacles, inner and outer, that have prevented you from becoming the person you were 'meant to be' or 'are capable of being' and that is what we are going to recover. That's why we call this process Recovery, we recover the 'you' that you were meant to be. - pg 42

This program helps me to change my perspective when what I would do unabated is justify my perspective staying the same - 'if you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always got', if you want change, you have to change. You have to make amends. - pg 133

...'you can't think your way into acting better but you can act your way into thinking better.' - pg 160

The literature upon which these movements are founded describe it not as a 'cure' but as a 'daily reprieve'; the disease, the condition, is still there, you will feel it move through you, in fear and rage and irritation, beckoning you back into previous behavior - pg 212 

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Recovery. If you or anyone you love has ever struggled through addiction and the subsequent difficulties on the long road towards recovery then this is essential reading. 10/10 highly recommend

Source: Amazon

What's Up Next: The Recovering: Intoxication and its Aftermath by Leslie Jamison

What I'm Currently Reading: The Fourth Age: Smart Robots, Conscious Computers, and the Future of Humanity by Byron Reese

**If you're interested in buying this book or any books really, you can click here or here. The first will re-direct you to AbeBooks and the second will re-direct you to The Book Depository. These are great websites for purchasing books (AbeBooks carries inexpensive used and out-of-print books and The Book Depository ships free everywhere in the world). Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made by following either of these links. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **

It's time for a change

There's a very good reason that it took me several weeks to finish up Russell Brand's newest book. When you read a book that questions the very fabric of reality which you have been indoctrinated into...well it takes a bit to let it all sink in. What can I say about Revolution except that it was utterly brilliant? It's clear from the opening pages that Brand is passionate about the topic of change on a global level. The book focuses on environmental and economic change which can only occur if our current system is overthrown completely. He makes several valid points and backs it up with solid data. The only problem I really had with Revolution is that there was no index (which anyone who is a nonfiction guzzler will say is a big no-no). It won't be difficult to verify the facts but it does lend firing power to anyone who seeks to argue the credibility of the work. He doesn't pull any punches (when does he?) and I think for a work such as this you can't if you sincerely want people to rise up and unite. So basically I think you should all give this book a read. It will make you think about the current system we have in place and make you question why we accept it knowing that it's faulty.

For a complete change of pace, I'm next going to read Zoe Sugg's debut novel, Girl Online. This book is written in a blog style format as its protagonist is a blogger who shares her deepest fears, feelings, and future hopes with strangers online while maintaining a pretense with those she interacts with on a daily basis. I'd say the work is semi-autobiographical as Zoe herself started out as a blogger and like her character she suffers from panic attacks. I've been hearing a lot of mixed reviews on this one so I'll try to get back to you as soon as possible with my thoughts on it. :-)

Here we go again!

Ah the satisfaction of finishing up a book right on schedule! I'm flying out of NYC tomorrow and I had planned on a particular book for the flight and it's working out excellently. XD

Lily Dale: The Town that Talks to the Dead wasn't quite what I expected (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). As the author is a former journalist, I expected heaping loads of skepticism.There was a fair amount but there were also fleeting moments of unchecked belief. More questions were raised than actually answered which I believe is the point. Spiritualism (the main topic of this book besides the town itself) can not be definitively proven (what religion can beyond a shadow of a doubt? that's why faith exists...) and yet the people in this town have an unshakable belief. While immersing herself in their customs, Wicker observed and participated in events that she could not explain through rational means. Was this spirits communicating beyond the grave? Were these people really capable of reading a person's future? Is it all a big crock of bull? Or is there something else going on here? If you're intrigued by the supernatural and/or want to learn more about a religion that has been popular since the 1800s then this is probably the book for you.

And now to the book that I've been saving for my trip. I'm delving back into the genius mind of Russell Brand with his newest book, Revolution. If you're at all familiar with Russell then you'll know that he's very politically and socially minded. He stays abreast of current issues (anyone watch his YouTube series Trews?) and has an opinion on virtually everything. This book highlights his plan for a new kind of society in which the people are truly in control and The Man is just a distant memory from the past. I have no doubt this is going to be quite a ride.

A brilliant, complicated mind diminished by over-the-top tomfoolery

A lot of people have mixed feelings about Russell Brand. I, myself, think that it would probably be difficult to contain an energy such as his in a 'real life' setting but I do find his book amusing and insightful. Here are a few of my favorite quotes:

"Life is not a postcard of life, life is essential and about detail, minutia and trivia."

"If I should die think only this of me, 'I thought it would be funny.'"

Brand displays a strange dichotomy of reverence toward women to an unattainable perfection and a misogynistic viewing of them as simply a means to a (happy) end(ing). This sequel, Booky Wook 2: This time it's personal, was everything I thought it would be and more. Its main focus is his continuing rise to fame and his sex addiction. He continues to astound me with his insight and irreverence. The ending is bittersweet but I'll leave that a mystery so as to whet your appetite. ;-)  I look forward to hopefully reading more from him in the future.

Up next is Dune by Frank Herbert which according to the cover is 'Science Fiction's Supreme Masterpiece'. Well, that's a bit presumptive isn't it? I've seen the film and I bought this book several years ago where it's languished on my sci-fi/fantasy shelf ever since. I figured it was time to see what all the hype was about. The story centers around a boy named Paul Atreides who seeks to stop a villainous plot against his family. I should mention this is set on a planet that is not earth that is beset with all number of monstrous creatures and alien lifeforms (YES). I'm going to get cracking on it immediately!

 

Turing: The Unsung Hero

The message that I got from Turing: Pioneer of the Information Age is that he never got any of the credit that he rightfully deserved. The main reason for this is that a lot of the groundbreaking work that he did was at Bletchley Park and it had to be kept secret. Therefore, a vast majority of the credit for the development of the modern computer, stored programming, and artificial intelligence was given to others (both American and English). In fact, history books and textbooks on computer science up until fairly recently made no mention of the two men that were behind the development of modern computers: Alan Turing and Thomas Flowers. Turing was truly ahead of the times with his theories that computers could be 'taught' and that artificial intelligence was an inevitable part of our future (the fear is real within me, guys). Unfortunately, much of his findings on this went either unpublished or unseen and once again other scientists got the jump on him. (At this point, I have to say that this is just the opinion of one man but the overwhelming evidence backs him up.) I learned what the 'imitation game' is and also discovered I had read about it before in Our Final Invention: Artificial Intelligence and the End of the Human Era by James Barrat. The author only briefly touched on the tragic end to Turing's life and suggested that the case may not have been a cut and dry suicide after all. You'll have to read the book to get the full details! ;-)

You might remember when I reviewed Russell Brand's My Booky Wook. If you don't I encourage you to click on the title of the book which will take you to that entry so you can catch up. Basically, it was a fantastic read and I somehow managed to finish it while on Thanksgiving holiday at all of the theme parks in Florida. *inspirational music playing* Therefore, I have high hopes for Booky Wook 2: This Time It's Personal. According to the book jacket the follow-up is going to focus on the sexual mayhem that only a sex addict can get up to and how the power of love (awkward now isn't it?) can cure all. I have a feeling this one will be anything but boring.

Update coming your way soon but until then happy reading!!

Yay for holidays!!

So my last entry was written in the airport on one of those iPads that are for public use (or I just jacked that one off of someone who was in the toilet). Either way it was a pretty short one and I think this one will make up for it in length. :-)

I gobbled up My Booky Wook in a week (I actually finished it on Saturday but it wasn't until this morning that I decided what I was reading next) because it was deliciously fun. It's one of those reads that make you feel like you're doing something wicked...or maybe that's just Russell Brand himself. While I was reading it, I had to keep reminding myself that it was a memoir and these crazy accounts were true (or as near to it as he can piece together afterward). He talks frankly about his addictions and the highs (pun intended) and the lows of his life. At times raunchy and at times poignant (often I'd say), Brand delivers his promise of a memoir that will keep you turning the pages. I don't recommend it to people who are either over-sensitive to language, religion, or life practices (I'm talking kinky stuff people). However, I thought it was brill (footnotes give you language tutorials!). I've already added his sequel, aptly named My Booky Wook 2, to my wish list.

As I mentioned above, I couldn't decide what I wanted to read next. This is not because I've run out of options. It's quite the opposite. In fact, I knew what I really wanted to read but I felt it was cheating...and then I didn't care. I'm re-reading an old favorite of mine that I haven't read in eons: The Hobbit. Yep it's (in my opinion) J.R.R. Tolkien's finest work and I am pretty thrilled to be re-visiting these fantastic characters. If you've only seen the films I highly recommend that you read this book. It will only make you want to continue your journeys through Wilderland, Middle-earth, and beyond. Also, Bilbo Baggins is just one of the best characters ever. EVER. I mean it's not called a fantasy epic for nothing. ;-)

I'm typing this on an iPad in the airport...

...and it's not even my iPad.

As you might have guessed this is a post from the road...sort of. I quickly finished up Beautiful Creatures before I left home and I am seriously jonesing for the next book in the series, Beautiful Darkness. So I guess that tells you what I ultimately thought of the book. Full of angst that only a teen romance seems to deliver and bursting with elements of the supernatural, Beautiful Creatures was an absolute delight. For a book with over 500 pages, I certainly didn't feel the burden of reading to the end. The characters were relatable (despite supernatural powers), the setting a perfect backdrop for drama, and the love story enchanting. GO AND READ.

In lieu of having the next book in the series I thought I'd change gears and read a memoir. This is one that I've been wanting to read for quite some time. It's Russel Brand's My Booky Wook: A Memoir of Sex, Drugs, and Stand-Up. Yes, it's that Russell Brand. The opinionated, slightly off-kilter glam rocker who occasionally plays parts remarkable dissimilar from himself (or entirely too similar if you've seen the movie Arthur). If you've ever seen his interviews you know the man is not entirely what he at first seems. He has a sharp mind and an even sharper tongue. I know that I'm in for quite an adventure with this one.

Now it's time for the wait for the plane. 1 hour and counting...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!