george > Recent Status Updates

Could do with some fullstops, and seems a bit heavy-handed on the proper nouns. No other thoughts as of yet.

Part III is complete, and surely the best of the book. Did not see that twist coming, and I reckon the Master is the best character this series will ever bring to me. I want to see more of Ansel and Ilias.

Part III shows high promise, with fascinating settings and more intriguing characters. The Master seems awesome, and I'm a huge fan of the diverse and tightly-bound community. And now, the promise of a side plot on the Stygian spiders: fantastic.

Finished Part II, and definitely preferred it to Part I. Much shorter, but still contextualising ToG. Also Yrene was INSTANTLY a fascinating character for the extent that religion plays in her identity. Definitely some of the best quotes in this Part too.

Finished Part I. Enjoyed it, and looking forward to exploring more parts of Erilea. Best takeaways: Sam and Celaena's relationship already offers clues for its development; we'll have to see Rolfe again, and learn why he ended up in a business he seemingly isn't FULLY onboard with; why is Aborynn sending his best assassins to deal with a business arrangement? Hm.

I think the narrators thoughts on Celaena's arrogance is very interesting - I don't know yet whether it's a trait she'll maintain until the final book, or the starting point of a journey into humility. I hope it's the latter.

Finished the chapter on "inside information", and it finished with a general outline of Singapore's healthcare system. It sounds absolutely fascinating.

I plan to read the entire series 🥹

Started chapter on the impact of insider information on the market. I recall Harford's excellent analogies were the reason I loved this book so much in the first place. I did forget the colossal size of each chapter, mind you, which makes sitting and reading one at a time a hefty task for the snail-esque reader...

Picking up this book again, skipping my unfinished chapter of 'Crosstown Traffic' (where I got bored last time). I'm looking forward to getting back into it.

Breakthrough #4 complete, and onto speech next. Primates seemed to develop the ability to infer the intentions of others, learn from the skills others, and plan for future needs such as ripening fruits that would be competitive to forage. All this has been easier to grasp than the concepts of the earlier breakthroughs - I know what I'll have to review when I've finished

Theory of mind as an essential component of an integrated, "Detroit Become Human" level of AI... gPFC responsible?! I think this might be my favourite part of the brain - using our own explanation of intention to explain the intention of others once again feels like science fiction. But on a large enough timeline, a monkey on a typewriter could randomly type out all the works of Shakespeare.

We're on primates now: and it's getting VERY good. Chimpanzee politics is no joke whatsoever. Caught myself pretentiously musing over how arbitrary all their efforts and anxieties about social hierarchy are: remembered human life is genuinely no different. We just think more about thinking. What if some species is currently studying us, thinking about thinking about thinking? There's got to be a bigger fish?

Long chapters are tough to maintain concentration on, so while I managed it for my first reading, it's unlikely to be a frequent occurrence... I've heard so much about the power of this novel - how it is "unspoilable", even if you know the plot. That said, I'll save reading the introduction and critical analysis until I've completed it: I feel it's a story I will GROW to love

If I can't deal with a story, I put the book down, and when I come back to it, I just skip it completely. So I'm due to read "Death and the Compass". "The Secret Miracle" might genuinely be my favourite entry, and "Three Versions of Judas" was incredible, but I'd have to reread and search up each allusion / intertextual reference to truly understand the weight of the claims being made

Breakthrough #3 complete - last chapter covered the motor cortex, and developed the role of the basal ganglia in taking over the execution of automatic / learned habits and movement patterns. Introduction of aPFC has been interesting. Moving onto primates and "mentalizing" - I am excited to find out what on earth that means...

I am number one Mr Bingley fan. Chapter VII was my favourite chapter so far - perhaps because I could somehow understand the jokes on this reading... the style is becoming more comprehensible

Near to the end of part III - just learnt how attention, working memory, planning and self-control all stem from an ability for mammals to imagine an internal model of the world. Habits are actions ancient parts of our brain (basal ganglia) learn by rote, by-passing this simulation 😮

VI: Freya's favourite chapter! Mr Darcy decides Elizabeth mightn't be as unattractive as he first assumed... to no improvement of their relationship at all

Finished "The Shape of the Sword" and "Traitor & Hero" - enjoyed both. First one, the brief interjection on "men being all men" made me think that the Englishman was suffering the damage he inflicted on another: I was wrong. Second one, I've never encountered fiction like this before. It feels I'm still getting used to whatever it is Borges is doing...

Had to abandon Chapter 13: my dog kept bringing her ball to me. Currently discussing the three subsections of pre-frontal cortices in mammals. Interesting only when focused, else I have no idea what's going on

After finishing "The Other Bennet Sister" with my partner, I came into reading this novel with a pre-existing affection for Mary Bennet. Her wise interjection is something I'd like to read up on further

I keep reading sentences the wrong way around, and also they keep carrying on when I don't expect them to. So reading aloud to my partner is a strenuous experience for both parties

Finished 'Funes, His Memory' - enjoyed. Been interested in unorthodox story structures; concept of the "spiral" or "explosion" which begins with a simple idea, but grows to impressive and unprecedented scales. Lots of these works seems to grapple with similar narrative formats...

Around 3/4 through the part on early mammals simulating environments. The section on rumination was particularly interesting. I think the volume of concepts to recall is difficult, like TD-learning and credit assignment, and I keep having to check the glossary. I've wholly forgotten the importance of the basal ganglia...

Reading this for a general interaction to the development of the brain / human learning. Not particularly interested in its applications for the future of AI. Just found it to be a decent introduction, and a good basis for studying Psych this September

Gave up on Emma last year, but already enjoying this much more. I struggle with 19th-century prose more than Shakespearean: I don't know why

Completed TGOFP: enjoyed the Library of Babel, Pierre Menard, Herbert Quain. Feel I need to I need to reread Tlön and The Circular Ruins. Definitely need to revisit The Lottery of Babylon (I skipped it)