Chalem Bolton > Recent Status Updates

What a beautiful, passionate, impactful book. Always doing as much as it can but never too much.

What a beautiful, impactful book. Always doing as much as it can but never too much.

Some of the material is interesting, and some is tedious, but it's wrapped up in a rediculous series of bait-and-switches. First, it promises to tackle ethical questions about consuming the art of horrible people. It doesn't do that because it is more interested in emotional responses to art. Then, it says it may be an autobiography of "the audience" before spending dozens of pages on classical musicians and writers.

Alice Munro is one of probably two authors whose writing, after I finish a chapter or a story, I know I will need to read again to actually process.

You almost miss the fact that 80% of the content is tangents because Graeber doesn't make it clear until halfway through each essay, if then, what point he wants to argue.

Disappointing more often than not. There are some interesting points about how focusing on challenging tasks is rewarding. Then there's the assertion that doing so makes you generally happy, sometimes in explicit contradiction of evidence the author reports, that these "flow" experiences are the main source of meaning in life, and that relationships work basically the same way as flow experiences. Less interesting.

Sometimes dry, sometimes overstated, but a lot here to think through.

Layered, dense, remarkable

It's been a struggle. Wiman makes a many assertions about spiritual experience in general that do not characterize my specifics. It would be nice if he wrote from a more clearly personal perspective. Most essays' structure and main points are unclear. To some, this likely conveys the tensions and sense of mystery he often discusses. To me, it just feels scattered and ambiguous.

Sweet, complicated, and beautifully written

An unexpected, great line on page 351 "We spend much of our day anticipating, and trying to avoid, the emotional pains we inflict on ourselves."

Going much better than earlier attempts. Unlike before, I'm finding ways of enjoying the challenge and promise of the book. Like before, I think the inconsistencies (describing language games while claiming they can never be described from within, sometimes against dualisms and sometimes for) and lack of clarity about oponents (is he arguing against Plato? If so, why do I care?) are really frustrating.

Insightful but digestible going a couple short chapters at a time. Builds up powerful ideas in a way you can meaningfully absorb without feeling redundant.

Not loving this. It leans heavily on broad metaphors that leave me to connect the dots on my own rather than trying to make a point, even about uncertainty and ambiguity. For example: "I had recently had blood work done that showed many anomolies in my immune response. But why? Was the root cause an immune system gone amok, stressed by modern toxicity and a flawed microbiome?" (p 119).

Challenging in the lack of exploration of its emotional depth. She desires acknowledgment but not the kind her family and friends offer. She desires a diagnosis but from a doctor who embraces uncertainty. These needs are real but also contradictory. The book does not wrestle with their conflict but simply states each on its own.

Heavy content turned into powerful, digestible ideas

I liked the first two essays more than the second two. I still enjoyed them. They are beautifully written and emotionally engaging. They are also in the genre of a writer talking about literature, which I don't love.

Emotionally demanding, excellent start

All the themes, perspectives, purposes come together beautifully, hilariously in chapter 7

Continues to have fun flipping around perspectives. Not much happens but doesn't feel slow

An odd mix of maybe a little dry intellect with great emotional depth

An odd mix of dry intellect and personal depth

An odd mix of intellectual dryness and personal depth

The delivery can be a little shallow, but I think the content is really good