Crises of Democracy written by Professor of Politics, Adam Przeworski could not have been written at a more critical moment in our contemporary political climate. All around the world, it seems that large political shifts are occurring, the results and effects of which we are yet to learn. Whether it is the rise of Jair … Continue reading
Category Archives: Book Reviews
John Lanchester’s “The Wall”: climate change, building walls, and the world’s future
“It’s guilt: mass guilt, generational guilt. The olds feel they irretrievably fucked up the world, then allowed us to be born in it. You know what? It’s true. That’s exactly what they did. They know it, we know it. Everybody knows it” (55). Continue reading
Understanding Black Hair Culture: a review of Emma Dabiri’s “Don’t Touch My Hair”
Emma Dabiri’s part memoir part scholarly investigation of African hair culture in and outside of African countries is close to my research heart. I have always been fascinated by female hair and beauty and the culture around it. So much so, that I wrote my master’s thesis on Black hair. Female hair and beauty are … Continue reading
Making Sense of Loneliness: a review of Olivia Laing’s “The Lonely City”
After living in Switzerland for six years, I have been thinking a lot about loneliness and what it means for us humans. I have been thinking about whether loneliness is ever good for us? Are their ways that we could harness our lonely moments to learn more about ourselves? I have wondered about the difference … Continue reading
Nature and Healing: a review of Nikita Gill’s poetry collection “Your Heart Is the Sea”
Nikita Gill’s poetry collection Your Heart Is the Sea follows a contemporary trend that combines survivor poetics with self-love and self-help. It feels like the poetry collection you want to give your friend who is going through a hard time. Her style is raw and beautiful, but what truly makes it impactful is the accessibility … Continue reading
A Review of “Be the Change” by Gina Martin: activism, writing, and social media
When I saw Gina Martin’s activism guide, I was intrigued. I spent most of my early life and teenage years volunteering, raising money for charities, and working with different NGOs to spread awareness and help raise funds. It was an extremely rewarding time in my life, and I was able to raise over 40,000 AUD … Continue reading
Women in racing: a review of Clare Balding’s memoir “My Animals and Other Family”
“Be consistent. Be fair and honest.” p161 Clare Balding’s memoir My Animals and Other Family was first published in 2012. At the heart of it, Balding’s memoir is an exploration of the importance animals can have on our childhoods and our lives in general. Each chapter is a different animal that left a mark on … Continue reading
“Anxiety: the missing stage of Grief”: a review and personal exploration of Claire Bidwell-Smith’s grief self-help book
When my father died in 2011, my whole world was flipped on its head. I have spent most of my 20s coming to terms with death, loss, and grief, and this is also evidenced in the types of books I have read throughout this time. This can be seen in my reviews of fiction works … Continue reading
Review of Sayaka Murata’s “Convenience Store Woman”: fitting into the capitalist ideal
I am a lover of Japanese literature. I studied Japanese in primary school (but it sadly is not one of the languages that stuck in my head), and I have had an affinity for Japanese culture, art, and food. When I came across Sayaka Murata’s work, Convenience Store Woman, I knew I had to get … Continue reading
What the self-help book “The Courage to Be Disliked” gets right and wrong
I bought The Courage to Be Disliked because I was curious to learn more about what the book had to offer. There has been an explosion of self-help literature in the 21st Century, and it probably has something to do with our chronic feelings of loneliness, burnout, and fear of not fitting into society. Japanese … Continue reading
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