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LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO READ

For Book Lovers

FOR BOOK LOVERS

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Anthropology

In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts

6th September 2017 by Bookfandeluxe Leave a Comment

In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Gabor Mate

When it comes to addiction, most people don’t talk sense, it’s mostly about the blame game and treatment. So when I discovered Gabor Mate’s talks on TED and youtube, I was intrigued to hear someone talking about how addiction was a social disease and compassionately talking about the ‘victims’. I bought his book on kindle and read it, savouring every word. Gabor’s book is based on his experiences with hard drug users in Vancouver. He shares many stories with us. Yet from the begining he looks further than the troubling behaviour on the surface and examines the reasons why the addiction occurred in the first place and why it is sustained. What makes this book a book I believe should be on school curriculums, is Gabor’s willingness to investigate the term addiction so that we can see, by degrees, that we are all addicts. Most of us use work, alcohol, smoking, TV, the internet, our smartphones, collections etc. as pacifiers in our lives. Gabor courageously exposes his own addictions and looks at where they stem from enabling the reader to examine his/her own behaviour and determine that we are all just a few steps away from the hard core addicts on the street.  Only we’ve been luckier. None of us are perfect and this book reminds us that in view of this, compassion, understanding and awareness are key to recovery. As Gabor himself says “Given that addiction is all about running from dificult emotions or hanging on to enticing ones, bare attention has the potential to dissolve the very motivations that drive the addicted mind.” This book looks at how society as a whole can fail and let people fall through the cracks and reminds us that we should never blame the individual. It asks us to be mindful of our own actions. It asks us to be courageous. It goes a long way to explain other people’s behaviours. And if you want to kick that habit,  Gabor also includes his own comprehensive treatment for addiction. This book will not only help you understand addicts, it will help you understand humanity and,  if you put in the hard work, yourself.

Filed Under: Addiction, Anthropology, Gabor Mate, Self Development Tagged With: Addiction, Willpower

Original Wisdom

4th September 2017 by Bookfandeluxe 1 Comment

Original Wisdom – Stories of an Ancient Way of Knowing by Robert Wolff

This book is just wonderful, better than any fairy tale. It’s about Robert’s own experiences living amongst indigenous tribes in Asia, it’s about another time, a different way of living and being (which I find particularly interesting in light of our own current failures.) Robert is an excelllent story teller – he illuminates gently yet firmly our own cultural conditioning to highlight an astonishingly different and communal way of being, one filled with huge regard for the living planet and general well-being. As the book sleeve says “These stories hold a mirror to our existence, allowing us to see how far we have wandered from the ways of the Sng’oi. And ultimately they challenge us, in our fragmented world, to rediscover within ourselves the Sng’oi’s humanity, trust, and sense of connection to all creation.” The stories, like the one with the mango tree, will remain with me for a long time – beautiful! This is one of my absolute favourite books.

Filed Under: Anthropology, Robert Wolff

Cows, Pigs, Wars, and Witches

4th September 2017 by Bookfandeluxe 1 Comment

Cows, Pigs, Wars, and Witches – The Riddles of Culture by Marvin Harris is a book that delights in finding answers to some of our perplexing behavioural idiosyncraries. Marvin investigates conundrums such as why Hindus won’t eat cows despite persistant food shortages, why Jews and Muslims won’t eat pig as well as why post-medieval people believe in witches and where did the broomstick analogy come from. These topics are all explored satisfactorily and with marvelous conclusions and yet Marvin also includes chapters that examine the roots of inequality between males and females, the history and psychology behind status seekers and the dire effects of phantom cargo. And if that wasn’t enough, Marvin also provides us with a realistic and non-sugared view of Jesus and the conditions that led to the rise in christianity. What can I say, I loved this book! Its varied, interesting, full of psychological insight, human madness and intelligence. Chapters are short and I read it at breakneck speed and have it catalogued as one of my all time favourite books! Truth, reflection and causality – if you know of any other book like this – PLEASE recommend it in the comments below. If you haven’t read it yet, enjoy! it’s a real treat!

 

After this i read this http://www.lookingforsomethingtoread.com/original-wisdom/

Filed Under: Anthropology, Marvin Harris

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Welcome!!! This is a site for people who are looking for something to read. I read a lot! So I decided to put together a site of some of my favourite books with short descriptions and links to other books so that if you were looking for something to read, you could get a recommendation. And hopefully I’ll get some in return. Please feel free to post in the comments.

Recent Posts

  • The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible
  • The Surprising Purpose of Anger
  • The Surrender Experiment
  • Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life
  • In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts
  • Artemis Fowl
  • The War of Don Emmanuel’s Nether Parts
  • The Last Dragonslayer
  • Original Wisdom
  • Cows, Pigs, Wars, and Witches

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