Cannonball Read 9

Sticking it to Cancer One Book at a Time

Some Great Essays, But A Couple Not Good Ones

Dying in the Twenty-First Century: Toward a New Ethical Framework for the Art of Dying Well by Lydia Dugdale

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Best for: Philosophers who will have a chance to discuss the contents. In a nutshell: Bioethicist and doctor compiles essays addressing how we die and if there is a way to revive the art of dying well. Line that sticks with me: “We can’t talk about the art of dying without first accepting that we will die.” (p 174) Why I chose it: A lot of folks who are dear to people who are dear to me have died over these past 18 months, so I decided to get philosophical on it and picked this out. Review: This collection of […]

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6/2/2017 | 's CBR9 Review No:40 |

A Better Way to Get My Philosophy Fix

Happiness: A Philosopher's Guide by Frederic Lenoir

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Best for: Former philosophy students, current philosophy students, or anyone interested in looking at happiness from a more philosophical, less how-to perspective. In a nutshell: French philosopher Frederic Lenoir examines what many great thinkers have had to say about how we can be happy in life. Line that sticks with me: “It is essential for us not just o know ourselves, but also to test out our strengths and weaknesses, to correct and improve within us those things that can be changed, but without trying to distort or thwart our deepest being.” (p 48) Why I chose it: The cover […]

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4/18/2017 | 's CBR9 Review No:26 |

Mmm Hmm

Aha: The Moments of Insight That Shape Our World by William B. Irvine

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Best for: Philosophy students, maybe? In a nutshell: Philosopher William Irvine looks at the ‘aha’ moments in religion, morality, math, science and art. Line that sticks with me: “More generally, when I cannot give reasons for the moral beliefs I hold, I take it as compelling evidence that I need to take a closer look at those beliefs.” Why I chose it: I needed a little philosophy. Review: I’m not totally sure what this book meant to be. The writing is good, but the overall cohesion is a bit lacking. Irvine breaks his book into five sections, each with three […]

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4/12/2017 | 's CBR9 Review No:23 |

Art is an incitement to look at our world through another’s eyes

How Proust Can Change Your Life by Alain de Botton

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While Alain de Botton’s How Proust Can Change Your Life is nearly twenty years old, the first I heard of it was on a 2015 episode of the Tim Ferriss Podcast. If you’re unfamiliar with Ferriss, he is outwardly a life-hacking blogger and podcaster. However, his deeper drive seems to be helping others live an examined life. I like that, so even though I’m not a life-hacky guy I listen to his show. On that 2015 episode, I found Botton to be especially charming, and I was interested in his comments that philosophy was increasingly becoming irrelevant to the average person because […]

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11/12/2016 | 's CBR8 Review No:32 |

We are all just dust jackets for books.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

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This year, I promised myself that I would devote more of my time to reading classics, and reflecting on the books I’ve chosen to read, I’m a little shocked at how many classics I’ve somehow skipped over the years. Fahrenheit 451 is a great example. When do people normally read this, and what was I doing instead? Maybe it’s weird that I never read this book, but, being on a science fiction kick, now seemed as good a time as any. Being perfectly honest, I didn’t love this book at first. I felt the world wasn’t as fully realized as it […]

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9/25/2016 | 's CBR8 Review No:85 |

Mary Doria Russell Always Makes Me THINK

Children of God (The Sparrow #2) by Mary Doria Russell

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I read The Sparrow last year and was absolutely gutted by the story of Father Emilio Sandoz and the crew of the first mission to Rakhat. Having decided to work my way through Mary Doria Russell’s works, I knew that I would eventually read its sequel, Children of God. However, I knew very little about it, other than that it continued Emilio’s story.  Bonnie also read The Sparrow for Cannonball Read 7, and we had talked about reading Children of Men together this year. In our Book Club discussion of Doomsday Book, bonnie compared Father Roche to Father Sandoz, which […]

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8/7/2016 | 's CBR8 Review No:47 |

A cavalcade of finery, from existential nihilism to haunted funeral attire.

The Stranger; The Three Body Problem; The Devotion of Suspect X; Heart Shaped Box by various

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I’ve fallen further behind in my reviews than I ever have. So, I’ve decided to do what I did for The Dresden Files: combine my reviews into one giant post. Is that cheating? I feel like that’s cheating. The longer I drag this out, though, the more I’m likely to fall behind. The Stranger, by Albert Camus (5 stars) Firstly, I read this because it’s one of the most frequently cited great novels from French literature. In my quest to read more classic novels this year, I feel that I must also read harder, less entertaining books. What better target, […]

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5/22/2016 | 's CBR8 Review No:41 |

What the fuck did I just read?

Sudden Death by Álvaro Enrigue

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Seriously though…what the fuck did I just read??? That’s not rhetorical, that’s not me being cute, and that’s not a set up to explain to you lovely readers what the fuck I did just read. It’s just the first thought that sprang into my head after closing Alvaro Enrigue’s gloriously weird Sudden Death. Reading this book reminded me of the first time I read Roberto Bolano’s masterpiece 2666 (and in fact the same translator worked on both books. That can’t be a coincidence). They’re both just so joyfully undefinable. It’s 1599 and the Italian painter Caravaggio and the Spanish diplomat […]

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5/6/2016 | 's CBR8 Review No:59 |

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