J. Gunderssen

Etymology Run Amok

Revisado: 07-23-24

This book was rambling, lacking any semblance of general direction, laced with profanity, replete with inappropriate smutty details, and I couldn't have enjoyed it more!

Language enthusiasts will love this one. He dives deeper into the origins of everyday words than I ever thought possible. It's a hilarious and informative romp through etymology. I particularly like the "wandering" format, where describing one word leads to the next word.

The narrator is pleasant to listen to and inserts just the right amount of inflection when the text calls for it - the perfect middle ground between "robot" and "overdoing it".

I rarely do this but I might get the physical book edition so I can re-read it sometime and take my time to really pore over it.

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Fun and informative, but not all that persuasive

Revisado: 07-04-24

This was essentially an interesting history book about some major figures in the Empire interspersed with rather unpersuasive comments trying to make the case that it was an overall benefit for the world.

Pointing out that native rulers were even worse doesn't balance out brutality on part of the BE. And I recall him pointing out how the USA and Canada are successful nations and they owe it all to the Empire, but also that the Middle East and Zimbabwe are fraught with problems, so they would have been better off if they remained under the Empire. Did the BE create great nations or terrible nations? Which is it?

If the author just took out all the opinions of the ethics of the BE, this would be a great history book about major people and events that shaped it. Either that, or come up with better grounded arguments. I'm well aware of the misconception that the non-European world was an idyllic, peaceful, prosperous place before the colonialists showed up, and I'm open to the argument that colonialism had some good points. But this author missed the mark of highlighting whatever those good points may be.

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Good read on an important topic

Revisado: 05-29-24

I'm glad to hear someone who appears to be a bit left-of-center talking about the issues facing males. I'm not sure I agree with all of his policy solutions, and I have some serious doubts that we can "reinvent" gender roles as he suggests. It's still an interesting, thought-provoking read, and these things need to be talked about more. Maybe if his ideas become more mainstream, a real conversation can happen about what we should do to ensure that men and women can prosper together.

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Five Stars Aren't Enough!

Revisado: 10-10-23

As Esolen said in the intro, this is a book that shouldn't have to be written... But since it is badly needed, nobody could have done a better job writing it than him. This is a resounding defense of strong fatherhood, male-only groups, and letting boys be boys. He demonstrates how the current status quo in gender relations benefits nobody except a small handful of "intellectuals" and politicians who accumulate money and power by sowing discord between the sexes.

One of the most fascinating parts was Esolen's keen understanding and explanation of male psychological tendencies. He pointed out traits that I've always noticed in myself but always regarded as quirks or defects. But they are neither - they are masculine strengths that should be cultivated (the "rage to master" is one of these). I've read a lot of personal psychology books, and they rarely address the unique traits of the male mind except to negatively contrast them with those of women. Esolen actually lays out a great demonstration of why male thinking is different, and most importantly, why that's a great thing for all of society.

Although he is clearly well-read and quotes from many non-Christian texts, the book is largely written from a Christian perspective. But despite the fact that I'm not Christian, I still got food for thought (more like a five-star banquet for thought) from this book.

I can only hope that the ideas in this book take off (in other words, that we regain what used to be common wisdom) so that men and women can go back to being their wonderful selves who use their own unique skills to build a healthy society.

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Overall Good Intro to Anthropology

Revisado: 10-06-23

I've become something of an amateur cultural anthropology enthusiast over the years and often wonder about the science of how societies come to be the way they are. Why are some societies harsh on criminals and others lenient? Why do some give roughly equal rights to women and others the complete opposite? How can we better understand the other POV when we see a cultural practice that we don't like? When and how should we make moral judgements about other cultural practices? Is there some "ideal" societal state to which all peoples on the globe should be aiming? And why can't we all just get along?

The author does a good job of traversing these questions, cites anthropological research, and generally leaves you curious to dive deeper into these big issues. He also describes how good anthropological field research (e.g. living with a group of the people you're studying) should be done. It was interesting even though I don't plan on becoming an actual anthropologist.

I was a little bit disappointed to hear the author reference a few times the inaccurate claim that humans in past eras "died a natural death at about 40". It's well documented that humans even in ancient times *could* live to about the same lifespan as we do today. The issue is that people in the past were more likely to prematurely die from disease, starvation, war, occupational hazards, etc, and infant mortality was shockingly high. This bumped the average lifespan way down (if you know how averages are computed, this makes perfect sense). It doesn't mean that the average person would be grey and hunchbacked at age 40.

Other than that small gripe, I enjoyed this book, and it showed me a lot of new ways to think about the fascinating multitude of "ways to be human". You'll get a lot out of this whether you're an anthropology student or an enthusiast.

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Amazing Story of Heroism and Perseverence

Revisado: 08-16-23

Incredible story of this remarkable man's life (who should be much better known than he is).
This will be a "can't stop listening" book if you're a WW2 history buff. He illuminates the tragic rise of anti-Semitic fascism in Europe from a very personal angle. And the stories of his time in the Maquis are more riveting than the best thriller novels.
He wraps up with some life wisdom that we can all benefit from.

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Fascinating Region

Revisado: 04-27-23

I'm pretty sure all I ever heard about Central Asia in my American K-12 education was that the Silk Road passed through there, but there's so much more to know. It's a land of countless diverse cultures influencing and being influenced by their neighbors - China, Russia, India, the Middle East...

While Central Asia may be "off the beaten path" from a Western point of view, these countries have been players in major world events, WWII and the Space Race just to name a couple. The author also describes in great detail the ups and downs of the relationship between Islam and Communism.

Finally, the author touches on the tragedy of what's going on in "Xinjiang" with the concentration camps and destruction of cultures that the CCP views as a threat. Are we going to let this thing meet or even surpass the genocidal horrors of the previous century? It's in our hands, I suppose. These are very decisive times, and you'll be far better equipped to make the right decisions if you know how this region became what it is today.

And the narrator's English is good, plus you can be sure that his pronunciation of Central Asian names and words are correct.

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Heaping Platter of Cuisine and History

Revisado: 04-04-23

Fascinating look at the delicious interplay between Chinese and American food cultures over a backdrop of general Chinese-American history. Many interesting stories from the first American delegation to China not long after the founding and their subsequent dinner, the birth of the first American Chinatowns and their numerous eateries, teaching Richard Nixon to use chopsticks, all the way up to the present day. There are plenty of great references for further reading, namely the most famous Chinese and Chinese-American cookbooks, starting with one written in 1792.
Only downside is that the narrator was a bit robotic at times.

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Vital for Understanding Today's Politics

Revisado: 02-14-23

A must-read for anyone of any political stripe who is looking for the real answers on how we ended up at this sad state of extreme Wokeism, cancel culture, political polarization, and riotous "protests".

The 1964 Civil Rights Act was taught to me as sacrosanct in K-12; it was portrayed as the only thing that put an end to lynchings and Jim Crow. This book was a refreshing look at the considerable downsides in how that law was crafted and implemented. And no, the author does not argue that we should have just left alone the segregation and disenfranchisement of blacks. He's just offering a well-researched and pretty solid case that the particular method of addressing racial issues in the '60s caused a bevy of other problems that are cascading down to us in the present day.

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It's OK - Not the Greatest Ever

Revisado: 12-06-22

Mildly interesting if you enjoy moral philosophy and behavioral science.

I was disappointed that the author threw out some tired old canards about male nature being useful in prehistoric times but an impediment in today's society while implying that women are - by nature - sugar and spice and everything nice. It seemed to be a cherry-picked and unbalanced perspective.

The presenter was very good and pleasant to listen to even for long stretches.

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