Book Review: How to Change Your Mind

“…the mind is vaster, and the world ever so much alive, than I knew when I began”

Michael Pollan’s How to Change Your Mind, is first a recording of how one can grow if only they keep an open mind and second is a personal telling of the history, science and predictions of psychedelics. Pollan describes how whispers of nascent (personal and) professional research about psychedelics contributed to him deciding to review them intimately. He adopts an open but questioning approach to the topic, thus embarking on an intellectual and unexpectedly transforming journey. It is a journey that many readers of the book will find themselves partaking in.

Pollan begins at the very beginning, with very little scientific knowledge of substances collectively known as psychedelics and with the memory of the dramatic end to the psychedelic 60s. A beginning that many readers might mirror. He goes on the meticulously review both of these areas. Pollan describes the chemicals behind popular psychedelics such as LSD, MDMA and psilocybin (mushrooms) and their history of discovery. He does so, inquisitively, posing questions to understand why evolution supported naturally occurring psychedelics. In doing so, he uses intellectual legitimization to chip away a bit at the negative imagery behind psychedelics, leveraging the benefits of being open-minded.

Pollan does not stop there. Through his own psychedelic experiences, his inquisitiveness and his meticulous story-telling, Pollan shines a light on the positives of psychedelics. He interviews researches who are believe that psychedelics can help with the treatment of depression and PTSD based on recent trials. He describes how neuroscientists posit that psychedelics provide evidence of a model of the brain which isn’t bounded just by our sense of self. He echoes the thought of some that this could imply that everyone could benefit from experiencing this other view of our brain. Benefits that have so far been experienced by those who meditate and young children, apart from those who have ingested psychedelics.

Pollan pushes the boundaries of thought with contemplative questions about the nature of consciousness shared by plants and animals and what it means to be one with the universe. The most admirable aspect of the book is Pollan’s restraint. He begins the book with some skepticism and little knowledge of psychedelics. He ends the book with a lot of scientific and spiritual questions and a lot of knowledge of psychedelics. He strives to provide the facts, provides his opinions and shares his reservations. The promise of the book is an honest attempt at providing an unbiased opinion on psychedelics.

Book Review: Someone Destroyed My Rocketship

“Regardless of how seriously we take things, the truth is life is more than anything the art of going nowhere”

Some level of adventure is experienced by anyone who has been assigned a task by themselves or someone else, however big or small. Some tasks require a lot of extrinsic motivation, some require none, others lead down a rabbit hole and still others end in the satisfaction of a job well done. As different as these tasks can be, all of them share the thread of introspection. Being assigned a task makes you think and feel. Dushka Zapata addresses some of these thoughts and feelings associated with completing an assigned task, especially in the workplace in Someone Destroyed My Rocketship.

Zapata’s words are unfailingly soothing and gentle, although their underlying message is determined and at times fiery. Such as when Zapata states that disappointing people when being true to yourself is okay and often necessary. Or when she explains how working on your weaknesses might not be the best way to grow. The book isn’t a nod to various forms of self help, it is a collection of curated workplace experiences with a definitive message. It provides helpful and clear answers to questions such as - what is the best time to leave my current job? Can procrastination be good for me? How can become a success? Like Zapata’s other works, it is designed to make you think about where you would like to be and to provide a bout of courage when you would like to be isn’t exactly where you currently are.

Someone Destroyed My Rocketship is a book for everyone who has ever been assigned a task, by themselves or someone else. The book is both, the patient ear for the worst thoughts and feelings associated with tasks and the guiding hand towards the best thoughts and feelings associated with tasks.

Book Review: Nudge

“So to put it simply, forcing people to choose is not always wise, and remaining neutral is not always possible.”

Nobel Laureate Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein present a compelling argument for using choice architecture to nudge people into making the better choice from amongst the available options. More broadly the authors advocate for libertarian paternalism; the idea that people should be free to make decisions for themselves (libertarian) conditional on providing a nudge for the more ideal decision (paternalism).

The paternalism part of their philosophy originates from the observation that people are not perfectly rational. They are prone to biases, such as the self-serving bias, the money illusion, the tendency for collaborative filtering and much more. These biases prevent people from making the best available choice for themselves across all aspects of life, from retirement planning to preventing environmental damage. The authors caution that in the absence of paternalism practicing libertarianism could lead to bias-influenced ineffective decisions, thereby rooting the need for paternalism.

The authors provide a curated reading experience. Slowly building the tempo. They start with some less controversial fields such as 401 contributions and organ donation, wherein libertarian paternalism has yielded positive results. Having laid some credibility, they build up to more controversial fields such as privatizing marriage and modifying doctor-patient relationships under the tenet of libertarian paternalism. Finally, they defend their stance against some counter-arguments point by point. The book is a great example of literary swordsmanship.

Nudge is a book replete with knowledge and ideas. It provides an interesting insight into the current inefficiencies, a plausible explanation and solution for it. The concepts introduced in Nudge are applicable across many, if not all spheres of life. In addition, the book has some useful everyday tips, on topics ranging from buying warranty to investing in index funds. As such, everyone can gain something by experiencing the literary swordsmanship of Nudge.

Book Review: The Undoing Project

“The big choices we make are practically random. The small choices probably tell us more about who we are.”

Michael Lewis narrates the emotionally and intellectually engaging tale of how Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky presented the researched, highlighted and presented the oft ignored role of bias in human decision making in The Undoing Project. Lewis presents this academic pinnacle through a personal lens, describing the breakthrough as a product of a poetic friendship. The mix of poetry and scientific prose makes The Undoing Project a unique read.

Kahneman and Tversky famously formulated prospect theory which postulates the biases that lead to seemingly irrational decisions. Concepts such as the isolation effect, loss aversion, risk seeking in the domain of losses, framing effects, which are now well-known and applied across many fields, were born out of the experiments, experiences and discussions of Kahneman and Tversky. Lewis presents his retelling of how this came about. He spends considerable time describing the formative experiences themed around the anti-Semitic movement in Europe and then in Israel, which contributed differently to the lives of both.

Having set the stage, the builds up the scientific and emotional tempo as he narrates how the melding of these two minds led to the discovery of biases. Lewis emphasizes the importance of their work by highlighting how professions ranging from medicine to professional basketball were impacted for the better by it. The book culminates by describing how Kahneman heard the news of being a Nobel prize recipient for his work on prospect theory.

The undoing project forms a gripping read. However, those who are looking at the book for an academic understanding of how the prospect theory came to be, might be a bit disappointed. Overall, The Undoing Project is almost certain to leave you with a lot of food for thought. It could be about the beauty and unpredictability of human relationships or about the predictable errors in human perception and decisions.

Book Review: The Sirens of Titan

“…everything that ever has been always will be, and everything that ever will be always has been”

Kurt Vonnegut reveals great ambition The Sirens of Titan. He strives to explain the physical, political and emotional laws that govern the Universe without losing the reader’s attention. Vonnegut comes closer than most in realizing his ambition.

At it’s heart The Sirens of Titan is a philosophical venture. One that is described by war and whimsy. Vonnegut spins an intriguing tale, promising within the first chapter a voyage to Mars, Mercury and Titan along with an unlikely coupling. From there, he rarely breaks a step, delivering one interesting twist after another to his tale. He steers clear of seeming too crazy, by providing a keen observation at every turn, making room to pontificate. The Sirens of Titan provides meaningful insight to the heart of leadership, friendship and spaceships. A difficult and enjoyable feat.

The Sirens of Titan has something for everyone - adventure, romance, battle and meaning. Despite all of this, the book is lighthearted and flows seamlessly. I enjoyed reading the book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing read.

Book Review - Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much

"The problem is not the person but the context of scarcity"

Mullainathan and Shafir introduce a new way of thinking about the impact of scarce resources in Scarcity. The book is explains how having less to accomplish a certain goal forces us to ignore other goals. The compounded effect of this ignorance leads to a lifestyle defined by lesser resources for all goals, at all times. If this resource is time, it describes the busy, if this resource is money, it describes the poor. Both conditions lead to ignoring other goals, ones that are not immediate. The authors emphasize how irrespective of whether the initial scarce resource is time, money or something else, it leads to a scarcity of bandwidth for other priorities, this in turn leads to inefficiencies and threatens to trap the individual in their busy or poor state.

Scarcity is about familiarizing the reader with some of the mechanics of a mind faced with shortage of a resource. The authors demonstrate how the cognitive performance of an individual changes with their financial state. This leads to individuals taking higher risks, borrowing and planning less for the future. They emphasize how this is a generic human behavior, not a phenomenon endemic to a subsection of the population. The poor are not necessarily bad at managing their finances, they just don’t have the mental bandwidth to take the longterm view of their finances. Similarly, the busy are not bad at prioritizing, they just don’t have the mental bandwidth to take stock of all their current and future priorities. Adopting this attitude can help provide more effective improvements to the situation of the poor and the overly busy.

Scarcity proposes to a new way to look at age-old issues. It suggests that maybe what we deigned as causes (lack of analytical and cognitive skills) are in fact the symptoms of these issues. Therefore, we should seek a solution for them instead of blaming them. The authors bring together the perspectives offered by economics and psychology, to present a more holistic picture of a mind living in scarcity.

Book Review: Your Seat Cushion is a Floatation Device

“I’d like to inspire people to realize they are enough”

Dushka Zapata presents her stories succinctly and honestly in her fourth book, Your Seat Cushion is a Floatation Device. The book is filled with anecdotes and nuggets of wisdom. Yet, it does not feel overwhelming, therein lies the charm of the book - it’s simplicity.

Zapata’s stories are often centered around the day-to-day experience of human existence - dinner, heartbreaks, dates, friendships and much more. However, quite often her perspective of it is not as commonplace. It is more eloquent and often deeper. It makes the reader ponder and become more aware of the texture of their life, making the reading experience seem cathartic at some points.

Overall the book is a friendly roadmap for the curious. It provides a window into the valleys and peaks of life, as experienced by the author. Thereby encouraging the reader to take a leaf from her book, breathe deeply and experience life affectionately and skillfully.

Book Review: The Nordic Theory of Everything - In Search of a Better Life

“Finland’s experience shows that it is possible to achieve excellence by focusing not on competition but on cooperation, and not on choice but on equity”

Anu Partanen, makes a compelling case for the Nordic theory of Love, a theory which focuses on providing equal opportunity to all, above all else. She explains how this idea has led to the popular Nordic policies of free healthcare, free education, a higher (but reasonable, she argues) tax rate and corporate innovation. Been born and brought up in Finland, Partanen moved to USA in 2008. She channels the duality of her experiences in Finland and America to dispel popular American misconceptions about the Nordic nations. In the process, Partanen exposes the current rift between American ideals and American reality.

Through the varying issues, Partanen maintains that the Nordic social contract is designed to promote individual expression. This is possible only when one’s social responsibilities, such as infant care, health care and work pressures, do not threaten to consume an individual. It requires for the Nordic governments to step-in to ensure that these social responsibilities are reasonably distributed between the government and the individual. It also requires the Nordic citizens to pool their resources in terms of trust and taxes for use by everyone. Partanen explains, carefully and compellingly, that this is a deliberate exercise in preserving and promoting the happiness of an individual. Many happy individuals together form a happy nation. This is the opposite of the concepts of socialism and the welfare state.

As a reader, the highlight of Partanen’s book was its flow. The arguments were well-structured. In addition, the balance between the emotional and the rational appeal meant that the book always had my complete attention. Even though the book highlights the positives of the Nordic life, it does not viciously attack the American life. Partanen, does not impose, but proposes that borrowing a trick or two from the Nordic books might help American reality come much closer to the highly regarded American ideal of individual sovereignty.

Book Review: The Old Man and The Sea

"I love you and respect you very much. But I will kill you dead before this day ends"

Ernest Hemingway presents an intriguing tale of a determined and aged fisherman in his classic The Old Man and The Sea. Hemingway builds a narrative which uses a few words to express many themes, running from the beauty of the sea to the doings of the human Ego. Therein lies the hook of The Old Man and The Sea, it engages your mind long after you have completed reading it.

Hemingway explores the musings of the human mind through Santiago, the aged fisherman who is determined to catch a large fish even if he has to stay at sea for days, and sacrifice other, if smaller fish. His thoughts during the hunt explore the determinedness and the foolishness of men. He overcomes his fears and physical pain through thorough thought and ingenuity. Even in the midst of all this, he mulls the morality of going after such a big fish. Hemingway subtly engages the reader in the battle of practicality and morality, almost to remind us that for all of our nobility we are composed of some savagery as well.

In another masterful use of opposites, Hemingway sets the tussle between Man and Beast against the backdrop of the beautiful and mostly serene sea. The imagery of playful porpoises, phosphorescence, golden dolphins and the Marlin who stayed with its companion until the end, almost makes the reader forget that this is also the setting of a hunt. Even in the midst of this brutality the sea continues to calm the reader, by holding both, suffering and joy at the same time.

The Old Man and The Sea, is a poignant tale that uniquely captures the human state in the midst of nature. It is a book that will leave you with an appreciation of nature, an admiration for the human spirit and a thought or two about the co-existence of opposites.

Book Review: Galápagos

Kurt Vonnegut’s post apocalyptic novel Galápagos provides a sombre commentary on the human state under the guise of dry-wit. Vonnegut, narrating the story as a ghost who died during the construction of the ship claims that our big brains led to the fall of humankind as we know it. The only survivors were a motley bunch which landed on the Galapagos islands in the aforementioned. Correcting its erroneous ways, natural selection dictated that the survival of the human race was best continued with smaller, less problematic brains.

From a literary standpoint, the book exhibits Vonnegut’s excellence and confidence. His narrative threads between the future (which is a million years hence) and the present-day. Curiously, Vonnegut does not feel the need to keep the reader in suspense. He is forthright about the imminent deaths of various characters, to the point of being nonchalant. The subtle commentary about the interconnected ness of human society, the futility of war and the dangers of a mind left unchallenged is more effective than unexpected plot twists at keeping the reader hooked.

Galápagos is one of those books which can be read again and again. Each time being a different experience depending on what the reader chooses to focus on - the dry wit, the price that humans pay for their big brains or the possibility of evolution replacing our arms with flippers. The books promises a worthwhile and different story for every time that it is read. Therein lies its greatest strength.

Book Review: An Anthropologist on Mars

Oliver Sacks documents seven interesting cases that he came across during his career as a neurologist in An Anthropologist on Mars. The book provides an insight into the workings of the human mind. For someone without a degree in the medical field, the book proves to be an engaging introduction into the workings of the human mind. Sacks’ writing does not stop there though, he delves deeper into the perceptions and perspectives of the mind.

As he chronicles the lives of a savant, a surgeon with Tourettes syndrome and a blind painter (among others), he highlights the productive side of the brain impairment story. His accounts show how the human brain adapts in situations where there is a deviation from the norm, much like nature. How lacking in one, the brain can become very enriched in another aspect.

His detailed recollections serve to soften the narrative of a mind which is not perceived as normal. Reading through the book evokes feelings of compassion, understanding and belonging. It highlights how complex our brains can be and how much more can be learnt about it. As a sum, reading the book makes one aware of the subjectivity of normalcy, as the human brain dictates it.

Book Review: Proust was a Neuroscientist

Proust was a Neuroscientist, by Jonah Lehrer is an insightful read for both, the left and the right brain. The book commemorates famous artists such as Virginia Woolf, Paul Ceźanne and Auguste Escoffier by highlighting how their work exposed a unique underlying brain mechanism. Lehrer narrative romanticizes the brain through art.

Among other things, Lehrer highlights how the brain processes sights, sounds and memories differently than we perceive them. He explains through science and depicts through art how a recollection is not the same as the event being recollected; how the verve of a scene is likely borrowed from our past instead of the sight itself; how any sound which teases us with the promise of pattern becomes melodious to us. In essence, Lehrer reminds us that our mind reflects us in the experiences around us. Every mind has its own reality.

Another common thread running through the book is plasticity. The idea that we are constantly changing and adapting to different situations. The you now is different than the you yesterday. The fact that change is so deeply coded into our being, is reassuring in a constantly changing world.

The book builds on itself. In that the more I read, the more I understood the theme of the book, the more I was hooked. This also meant that the beginning of the book was a bit slow even though my interest level picked up speed soon enough.

Overall, Lehrer has created an eye-opening and thought-provoking piece of work. One which leaves the reader with a sense of wonder and awe at the unlikely amalgamation of science and art both, within the reader's mind and reflected in the world around.