Max Boock > Recent Status Updates

The author says herself that the target audience for this book is skeptics. I am not skeptical of the idea that animals have an understanding of death. In addition, this book is written by a philosopher, not a scientist. I am not interested in reading more arguments trying to convince me of something I already believe is true.

Takeaway from part 3: The USA/rightwing/whitesupremacists are most terrified of experiencing the horrors and violence they themselves have enacted on other countries and marginalized races.
For example, Heinlein’s horror book about a dominant African society castrating white men and using their white women as sex slaves —> aka slavery of black and indigenous people in colonial America.

Just a few quotes I’ve picked out so far:

“Horror makes it easier to live in an empire.”

“consider what horror actually means in a society where it’s everywhere”

“Privileged America doesn’t understand all the ways reality differs from their experience.”

I can tell this is going to be hefty. Writing after finishing chapter 7 of part 1:
The reader is inundated with history, from various well known and not so well known wars and revolutions to the creation of unions and suburbia, all of which is framed as horrific to some extent. The author ties in standout horror films and literature, though not S much as I was hoping for.
I do love the sass and sarcasm.

This book is so good.

“season of strangeness”

Selected by me for book club.

Without having read the book before, I think I can grasp one of the central themes in just the first chapter:
That men define themselves and their masculinity in opposition to the feminine. And when the feminine fails to make men feel good and strong, it is the women’s fault and therefore must be punished.
Such a good first chapter. So simple and plain and striking.

The economy has a lot more to do with climate change than I really care to learn about…a little bit interesting but it’s not earning the book any points, from my perspective

My heart feels all shriveled up

cue existential dread

Recommended by my therapist.

Been wanting to read this for a while now. Just having read the prologue I am dreaming about visiting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Masterful and intriguing