Real-Life Monsters In History

THE MOST EVIL PEOPLE IN HISTORY by Bishop Weaver is a brief collection of real-life monsters. This volume contains Pol Pot, Hitler, Idi Amin, HH Holmes, Shiro Ishii, and Jane Toppan. While I expected this to be focused on serial killers, the main theme is mass genocide through political agendas.

I don't think horror fans will appreciate this as much as people just trying to figure out why this crap keeps happening throughout history.

As always,
AstraDaemon

The Art of Fighting Without Fighting

THE ART OF WAR by Sun Tzu is something I have read to help give depth to a character in an ongoing WIP. Although the book is an ancient Chinese military treatise, the strategy within can been applied to all areas of life, not just warfare. I'd like to clarify, this is not a review of Sun's Tzu's ability to write, but rather a suggestion to use this book as a way to navigate daily life issues.

You can apply the advice within to everything from professional and personal relationships, political and social change, and any time in your life you face a struggle to achieve your goal(s). However, there are some ideas which are simply irrelevant in modern times, but most of the book is still applicable, centuries later.

The Art of War easily falls into the realm of common sense. Think outside the box. Do not take the bait. Recklessness leads to destruction. Not knowing who you are is a defeat in itself. For some reason, this wisdom is better received from a dead guy than your own friends and family.

If nothing else, Sun Tzu provides some excellent food for thought.

As always,
AstraDaemon

The Sociology of Haters & Trolls

Reading The Comments
Joseph M. Reagle, Jr.
240 pages
$15.39 Kindle Version

Reagle visits communities of Amazon reviewers, fan fiction authors, online learners, scammers, freethinkers, and mean kids. He shows how comment can inform us (through reviews), improve us (through feedback), manipulate us (through fakery), alienate us (through hate), shape us (through social comparison), and perplex us. He finds pre-Internet historical antecedents of online comment in Michelin stars, professional criticism, and the wisdom of crowds. He discusses the techniques of online fakery (distinguishing makers, fakers, and takers), describes the emotional work of receiving and giving feedback, and examines the culture of trolls and haters, bullying, and misogyny. He considers the way comment -- a nonstop stream of social quantification and ranking -- affects our self-esteem and well-being. And he examines how comment is puzzling -- short and asynchronous, these messages can be slap-dash, confusing, amusing, revealing, and weird, shedding context in their passage through the Internet, prompting readers to comment in turn, "WTF?!?"

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As a reviewer/blogger, I was really excited to read this book. I thought it was great that someone decided to focus on the comments that shape and influence numerous types of websites, as well as the effect they have on the people who use those sites. However, I think Reagle missed his opportunity to truly explore new ground and, instead, wrote one anecdote after another. Considering the controversy over Amazon reviews in particular, I'm surprised at how little he covered the sociological aspects of this new culture that has developed as the internet has evolved.

A lot of the information provided seems like unnecessary filler, such as details about products for sale, instead of spotlighting the different types of reviewers and other online commentators. As a result, the insight that Reagle provides loses its impact on the reader. The most enlightening section is Chapter 3, which discusses the various forms of manipulation that occurs through reviews, comments, likes, etc. I wish the rest of the book had been more like that chapter.

In any case, if you are a reviewer, blogger or someone who relies on the internet to make a living, I recommend reading this book - it's entertaining, if not informative.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Coming of Age Is Never Easy

Girl In The Woods
by Aspen Matis
384 pages
$13.99 Kindle version

Let me begin by stating that I do not believe a rape victim should be blamed or shamed at all. Period. I also do not believe that surviving a rape makes a woman stronger...the rape victims that I know personally happen to be strong women, but I know all too well how their rapes still affect them years later, and I wouldn't be stupid enough to tell them that they are better, stronger women because they were able to rebuild their lives after a rape.

I want to make it perfectly clear that any critical comments that I have about this book and/or author has NOTHING to do with the rape itself, although the rape is a big part of the reason the author decided to make this journey and write her memoir. However, I do not think her personal journey on the Pacific Coast Trail is limited to her healing process because of the sexual assault.

This is a coming of age memoir. This is a young woman sharing the painful process of growing up: establishing her boundaries in all of her relationships (especially with her mother) and learning to enforce those boundaries. She is not only discovering who she is, instead of measuring her value based on the opinions of others, but she is also learning to see herself with a new and healthier frame of mind. Unfortunately, she is, at times, her own worst enemy...some of her biggest obstacles, she creates herself.

As far as the writing style itself, I found it to be quite repetitive in many places. For example, throughout the book, she keeps brining up the fact that her mother was still dressing her (bra and all) into high school. Her mother's smothering and sheltering behavior was already well-established in the beginning, when the author describes what her life was like before the rape. She revisits the same dysfunctional themes over and over in the book, but I didn't really see much progression in her thought process or changes in her behavior until she had finally neared the end of her journey. And, even then, she still seemed to have missed the point of establishing her independence. (She seemed pretty dependent on Dash, considering how new that relationship is. It also bothered me that she has no problem with her parents spending vast amounts of money on her, but she doesn't want to be treated like child.)

I'm not sure how much of an influence the writing style had on my opinion of the author herself, but I feel she spends a great deal of time on the PCT being self-centered, self-destructive and she refuses to take responsibility for her decisions and actions, instead placing blame on everyone else around her, particularly her mother. The author often uses the behavior of others as an excuse to act out. Her binge drinking is a perfect example. She gets drunk several times, finds herself in compromising situations, even acknowledging that perhaps she shouldn't have been drinking at all, but it's always somehow the fault of everyone but her. I am not referring to the male hikers trying to take advantage of her, I am referring to the way she alienates everyone around her. She blames them, but doesn't take into consideration that maybe they didn't want to be around a girl who is so drunk, she is crawling around on the ground.

In another example, she runs out of water, nearly dies of dehydration, and, even though her mother isn't on the PCT with her, it's her mother's fault for babying her for so long. She knows that she should have refilled her water-bottles when she had the chance, but she doesn't accept full responsibility. And, instead of learning from that near-death experience, she makes the same mistake again when she runs out of food. She also blames her awkward interactions with other hikers on the hikers themselves, rather than admitting her own lack of socialization skills is most likely the source of friction. She is so judgmental of the other hikers, while complaining any time she feels someone is judging her, I wish I could find out what the other hikers had to say about their interactions with her.

On a more personal note: I think she might have gotten more out of her journey on the PCT if she had stayed sober. I know she sought help for the sexual assault, but I hope she was able to get her drinking under control. It seemed to be a huge crutch for her, as well as an obstacle to making real connections with other people.

Up until now, I've been calling her "the author," but I have a reason: her pen name is Aspen Matis, but that is not her given name in the beginning of her memoir. It seemed confusing at first, but I enjoyed the eventual explanation towards the end. I also appreciate the confidence she has in her writing, and I think that is the one thing she was absolutely correct about: she is a great author. Too bad it was so difficult to see beyond the self-centered martyr she made herself to be.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Book Review: Twilight of the Outlaws (Nonfiction)

Twilight of the Outlaws
by Donald Charles Davis
193 pages
$9.99 Kindle version

Some people see a group being harassed by law enforcement and think, "That's their problem...nothing to do with me or my social circle," especially if that group contains individuals who have broken the law. I see a piece of a bigger picture concerning our constitutional rights being dismantled right under our noses.

When I saw that the show, Gangland Undercover, was based on a book by Charles Falco, being a book reviewer, I was curious. However, when I review nonfiction, I make it a point to do my own fact-checking.

I was surprised with what I found (and fairly disgusted as a taxpayer), so I dug further, and my research led me to AgingRebel.com, which is run by no other than the author of Twilight of the Outlaws. I found the "other side" to be rather interesting.

Davis begins with an intro that digs straight into the heart of his book: motorcycle outlaws are real, but they are not the one-size-fits-all stereotype fed to the general public.

Zach Tipton was a husband, father and son, and he was also a patch-holder. He broke the law more than once. Does this mean he deserved to be murdered? As Davis explains, "Outlaws care who you are but they care more that you are who you say you are...Zach Tipton suscribed to that outlaw code. He died for that code and his fatal flaw was a naive and foolish belief that the man who shot him in the head suscribed to that code as well."

What I like about the author's writing style is the way he lays it all out, without sugar-coating any of it. Davis is not just sharing events, but also explaining the dynamics between the motorcycle clubs, as well as their histories - with each other AND with law enforcement.

There is a LOT of information to take in, but the content is a real eye-opener. Davis often focuses on the behind-the-scenes politics that continue to paint a picture of outlaw bikers as thoughtless, reckless and lawless thugs.

I especially like the way Davis takes U.S. and world events and shows how those events affected the evolution of motorcycle clubs and their members (for example: the Vietnam War).

Even if you have zero-interest in the life of an outlaw biker, I encourage you to read this book for the historical value, if for no other reason. Within these pages, Davis offers a piece of American history that continues to grow within our society.

As always,
AstraDaemon