or, what you watch depends on who you are? That's a kind of nature / nurture question. Or a "what came first?" trope. Isn't it? Were you born a sociopath, a psychopath, or did events beyond your control make you into one? Is there such a thing as "bad seed"? I came to this question … Continue reading You Are What You Watch
Category: Society
CHIMP EMPIRE: Who Are We?
is the way James Reed's Netflix documentary (April 2023) begins, and ends. Does the four-hour series answer the question? That depends on who and what you believe. For me it does a very good job. We are the The Naked Ape (1967); or as Jared Diamond wrote, The Third Chimpanzee (1992). Robert Wright called us The Moral … Continue reading CHIMP EMPIRE: Who Are We?
Men Without Work
is a book by Nicholas Eberstadt, an American political economist, written in 2016 and updated in 2022. I haven't read the books but have listened to him talk about them on YouTube podcasts. The premise is that the documented 7.2 million men, aged 21 to 54, that have quit the workforce is a problem. For … Continue reading Men Without Work
The Time Bind: Work-family balance
This is a review of the 1997 book The Time Bind: When Work Becomes Home and Home Becomes Work. It was written by professor Arlie Russell Hochschild over the course of seven years, based on her research of a Fortune 500 company in the rural midwest in the early nineties. What I want to do here … Continue reading The Time Bind: Work-family balance
Lucy’s Legacy: A review
Lucy's Legacy: Sex and Intelligence in Human Evolution (1999) is a book written by Alison Jolly (1937-2014) about that which the title indicates. Moreover, the book is one of the most intelligent, thoughtful, amusing, detailed analysis of who we are. Which begs the question: Why isn't it more widely read and cited? The answer is … Continue reading Lucy’s Legacy: A review
Best and Worst Jobs
The best and worst jobs (career) is, of course, subjective. However, I've had many and also lived 70+ years on the planet. In other words, I speak from much experience. Continuing with recent posts - here are my thoughts. There is a difference between choosing a job and a job choosing you. The former is, … Continue reading Best and Worst Jobs
Crazy Love: Depp and Heard
Recently I was asked to recommend five books on any subject of my choosing. I chose Personality. The list was for a new website, Shepherd.com, that aims to rival Goodreads for book lovers. Two books not on the list are Interpersonal Diagnosis and Treatment of Personality Disorders and Crazy Love: Dealing With your Partner's Problem Personality. … Continue reading Crazy Love: Depp and Heard
Table Of Contents
THE GREAT DEBATE: Book one 2019: Living Solo POST / DATE Set Yourself Free. August 26, 2019 Living Solo. August 28, 2019 Living Solo, II. September 01, 2019 Writing is Thinking. September 03, 2019 Thinking of Drinking. September 05, 2019 Writing is Thinking, II. September 09, 2019 Thinking of Drinking, II. September 16, 2019 … Continue reading Table Of Contents
The Messiah Complex and the Treehouse
The messiah complex is a state of mind in which a person believes they are the savior of the world. Usually the person can be found on a street corner or a soapbox. Or in a treehouse. The Book is titled A Hunter-Gatherer's Guide to the 21st Century, co-authored by a middle-aged married couple. Both of … Continue reading The Messiah Complex and the Treehouse
George Bernard Shaw: “a Tolstoy with jokes”
It's true! Or a David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest 100 years 'prior to'. I was introduced to Shaw's play Pygmalion (1914) sixty some years ago. When my mother took me by the hand and made me accompany her to My Fair Lady, a modern version of the theater performance, staring Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison. I can't recall … Continue reading George Bernard Shaw: “a Tolstoy with jokes”