Review: The Sixth Extinction

As far as historians are concerned, there were five major events throughout the existence of Earth where almost all the inhabitants go extinct. In this Pulitzer Prize-winning book, journalist Elizabeth Kolbert explores a possible upcoming sixth extinction event. While the first five were suspected to be caused by forces of nature, humans could very well be the main contributor of the sixth, whether it is intentional or not.

The author scours the world to gather facts of previous extinctions, studied tiny ammonites to huge mastodons, from less intelligent beings to our closest sentient ancestors. She researches the many periods of history and all these points to the fact where humans were present, extinction increased in exponential numbers.

Extinctions were due to many factors. For example, in the first chapter, the sudden disappearance of the golden frogs was due to fungus infection. In the beginning, it could have been limited to a single location but eventually, golden frogs began dying across the world. While the fungus is airborne, only humans through our antics of travel and logistics could have brought the fungus far and away enough to widen and hasten the propagation of the fungus.

Another example, we often hear and read about the obvious carbon dioxide generation through emissions. What we seldom hear is that oceans absorb the excess carbon dioxide and as a result, the acidic level increased. The more carbon dioxide in the air, the more were absorbed. Underwater species that do not thrive well with higher acidity will perish.

For the most part, the texts are quite layman and easily understood, thus positioning this book as suitable for most people. Most kids that find picture books or a good mystery novel interesting will find it boring but the book will fascinate curious teenagers and older.


Editor's note:
With a big brain and an overgrown pride, we might have overestimated ourselves thinking we will cause the next extinction. Similarly, we have underestimated the smallest possible microorganisms. The current COVID-19 outbreak does suggest that we are just as fragile as the extinct and endangered species mentioned in the book. The next extinction, maybe ours, could be caused by something much more minute such as a virus but I think (probably influenced by this book's first chapter) another possibility is something like a fungus where it is even more difficult to contain and destroy.

“Let’s” or “Lets”

Looking at this title, I was pretty sure that there is no such word as “lets” but I was wrong. A quick search from Grammarly blog cleared all my doubts and queries about these two words. They both originate from the same verb “let” but their usage differs.

“Let’s” is the contraction of “let us” which is something like how “I’m” is the short form of “I am”. It is used when the speaker wants to suggest him/her and at least another person to do something together. Some examples:

• Great weather! Let’s go for a jog.
• Let’s visit Larry tonight.
• I doubt he’s telling us everything. Let’s shadow him to find out the truth.

Now that we’re clear about the usage of “let’s”, we shall take a look at “lets”. It is the third-person present tense of the verb “let”. It is used as a singular verb “to allow” or “to grant”. For example:

• If Jonathan lets her go, he will lose her forever.
• Besides being a place to read, the library lets others do their work without being disturbed.
• Having produced the complete documentation, the customs officer lets the immigrant through the gate.

Hope the above clarifies the usage of both homophones. Let’s not forget how to apply them correctly, all right?

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Grammarly is both a website and a keyboard app that helps verify and correct English usage. The basic functions are free while there are more comprehensive features that require monthly/annual subscriptions. It’s easy to use. Try the free features by clicking on the banner below.

It is “all right” to be “alright”, is it not?

Are there any differences between “all right” and “alright”? Can they be used interchangeably? According to Dictionary.com, they mean the same except “all right” is the formal standard while “alright” is not. If you want to use the single word, it should only be utilised in a dialogue.

You will find that Grammarly blog and the YouTube video from Miriam-Webster below concur with more elaborate explanations.

I will not be surprised if one day "alright" will be accepted officially. However, at the moment the English teacher (or anyone else concerned with proper English use) will not be pleased with its usage. Ultimately, in most situations, it is quite “all right” to use “alright”, especially in modern context unless you are being graded.

Review: Educated by Tara Westover

A number one New York Times bestseller, Educated is a memoir about the author, Tara Westover’s life from the days when she was part of a secluded family. It’s about the many hurdles she had to face in her journey for a better educated life.

The book is divided into three parts. The first serves as an introduction to her life with her conservative Mormon family. Her father is a staunch believer in Mormonism and constantly has suspicions of government conspiracies. The family were never allowed to go to school nor to hospital for any treatment despite severe injuries. Several bad accidents almost killed them. Things only went south as one after another sibling left the house for work and education. The situation turned ugly as one of her brothers became abusive. Tara lived in denial and constantly in conflict with her own feelings until a few more bad incidents triggered her to leave and get herself educated. These feelings soon turned into guilt.


Part two details Tara’s life as she starts her formal education. I doubt most of us could even think of the uphill tasks she faced because she had never gone to school and yet she took her first bold steps beginning immediately at college level. Her struggles at college was challenged every step of the way by course work, friends/classmates that could never understand her situation, and worst of all, troubles at home continued to haunt her both psychologically and physically.

While Tara drowned in despair and sorrow, and all hope seemed lost, opportunities knocked and she found her self-confidence through encouragement from people who see her for what she is.

Part three is where Tara begins her new life as she tried to settle down and earn her diploma and later her doctorate. Life was starting to improve until her troubled past, which was her family, caught up with her once more. Once again her life was in shambles. She finally broke down but can she pick herself up again?

This is my first memoir so I couldn’t attest to any prior experience but I found it to be a very interesting read. The author’s life and issues she faced were not typical day-to-day encounters. It’s also about courage and perseverance. After I’ve finished the book, I realised how important education is but it’s not only for a better future. To get educated also means to know, understand and live a better life.

Review: Voice Lessons for Parents

Some might grow up in a happy family while some may not. Some might not even have one. Despite learning from all these growing up processes, we should never assume that we are ready to be parents. I would strongly advise that you read books and watch programs that provide some guidance. Any literature or shows on the subject will provide a good starting point.

One such book is Voice Lessons for Parents - What to Say, How to Say It, and When to Listen by Dr. Wendy Mogel. If this is the first parenting book you read, then you will be surprised and enlightened by the topics covered.

The topics cover parenthood that starts from the newborn child up to the teenage years. Published in 2018, the book is current with stern warnings to parents on the negative effects of exposing the toddler to mobile devices too early.

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When reading a parenting book for the first time, there’s generally little experience in what to expect so the chapters after the first will be unexpected guidance and advice: Be amazed by how toddlers can quickly learn the trades by merely observing. The book points out how different young boys and girls can be, and then how much they change as they approach adolescence. These are important because as parents it’s crucial to know the child’s traits before connecting.

The book also prepares parents when the time comes to talk about difficult topics. I was surprised that the tough one is not just about the birds and the bees. There are death and money, too.

Besides topics that are directly related to parenting, there are a couple of chapters dedicated to dealing with separated parents, grandparents, nannies, teachers and other important figures that hold certain significance in the children’s life. Take for example how the teachers of the present are more cautious compared to teachers in the past. The book gives some general guidance on how to earn the teachers’ trust and entrust them to do their job.

I wouldn’t say this is the ultimate know all, tell all book but if you’re looking for your first read about parenting, I would recommend this as one of your first choices. As with any guides, this will serve only as a theoretical approach. You will still need to live out the experience yourself. Good luck!

Review: David and Goliath - Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants

I’ve just finished my second Malcolm Gladwell book (my first was The Tipping Point) and I’ve become a fan. My next book by this profound author would most likely be Blink but that is another story for another time.

David and Goliath defies the obvious just as how David killed Goliath. For the uninitiated, the story of the titular characters go way back. You can read more about it here but the gist of it is about an apparently weak shepherd called David (compared to the warrior he was going to defeat) that won the fight with a gigantic Goliath. In the process he saved a civilisation. 

The book serves as a reminder that the obvious life we live is in fact, not what it seems. For example, without thinking, most of us would agree that the smaller a class, the better the learning for the children but is it? After reading this book, I’m more cautious about highly reputable academic institutions that market their small classes this way.

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The book is about how, in the face of seemingly impossible obstacles, some individuals will rise above all and triumph.

It explores the world where the undesirable can be turned to an advantage and how a disadvantage becomes the inspiration to the winning formula. You won’t know what I’m talking about until you read the book.

Every chapter is filled with a real life example so that the reader can relate to it. David and Goliath contains more twists and surprises than even the best thrillers! It’s books like this that slowly converts me from a fiction fan to a non-fiction bookworm so if you’ve not read this, do yourself a favour and get a copy!

Review: How Plants Work: The Science Behind the Amazing Things Plants Do (Science for Gardeners)

Despite its namesake, How Plants Work: The Science Behind the Amazing Things Plants Do (Science for Gardeners) is more like a beginner’s guide to the botanic world. It starts off describing the microscopic details of plant cells and eventually goes all the way to the big trees. The book is easy to understand and doesn’t burden the reader with complex terms. However, I do occasionally wish there are some footnotes to explain some terms that are unique to this field.

Some fun facts from the book that you can look forward to: We all know plants appear differently during each season. They look especially beautiful during autumn and spring but the how’s and why’s they act this way were never more than an afterthought. This book will blow your mind away as it describes in reasonable details why plants act this way.

Besides that, the book clarifies and/or dispels certain myths and techniques that are nothing more than just marketing gimmicks. Some should even be avoided because they do more harm than good to the plants.

By the end of the book, you will consider plants as more than just mere vegetation. They will become your buddies and companions in this world! Well, I may exaggerate a bit there but really, you will look at plants differently by the time you finish reading this book. There is a list of recommended books for further reading in the last few pages. I would choose The Pruning Book one of these days and create my own bonsai friends!

Review: Enchantment - The Art or Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions

I bought this book many years back at the annual Big Bad Wolf book sale. I had no idea what enchantment (the action of positively changing people’s perception towards the reader and his/her product/business) was when I got it (see why I decided to get it anyway below). I’ve only read it recently as I start to clear my backlog of unread books (I love reading but abandoned the hobby until slightly more than a year ago when I restarted).

I love the book from the very beginning (I guess you can say I was enchanted right from the start) because:

1. It was written in simple, easy to understand English so that I did not need to keep searching the dictionary.
2. The sub-sections are short but straight to the point and concise. I don’t feel burdened or bored by a long chapter.
3. Because of the above points, it’s easy to put down and resume afterwards.
4. There are various examples of real life success stories at the end of each chapter.

Seasoned readers of business books may find the contents too simple. However, for a beginner like me, I find this to be a really good introduction to the art of enchantment. This book is also very relevant to our day to day lives. We could make good friends and have happy bosses if we keep the points in mind.

While at it, the author emphasised the importance of being genuine and do good. Never do unto others what you don’t want done unto you.

Overall, after finishing the book, I would say it serves as a great starting point whilst still very readable for the seasoned practitioners. It will work well as a quick reference guide, too, should you need to go back and look for some pointers.

* Guy, if you ever come across this obscure blog post, I bought this book because:

1. Someone suggested to follow your tweets but I can’t remember who did the recommendation, sorry.
2. The cover looks really nice.
3. The cover states the books is a  “New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestseller..”
4. The book was on sale.

Reading Einstein - Conclusion

The later chapters focused on Einstein’s involvement in politics and religion. As anti-Semitic sentiments grew and Hitler’s rule imminent, Einstein had little choice but to renounce his German citizenship (once more) and resign from his post. Fortunately, with his celebrity status, offers started to pour in. After some deliberation he would eventually settle down in the United States and took permanent residency in Princeton.

Einstein’s stand towards religion was put into perspective - he believed in a God but not the all seeing, all knowing one that most of us come to respect and more often than not, fear. Einstein believed in “god” beings that are superior to humans but only just that because this helped to explain the as yet unexplainable science. In so doing he stressed that he was no atheist.

In the midst of all these, tragedy struck Einstein’s personal life with the unfortunate passing of his wife Elsa and his youngest son got admitted to an asylum. On the bright side, he got united with his beloved sister Maja and his eldest son Hans Albert.

It wouldn’t be Einstein if the biography did not chronicle his obsession on creating the general theory of relativity AND his efforts to rebut quantum theory and unify field theory. The former was already described in detail earlier while the latter two became his life long quest.

It might be common knowledge but I never knew that Einstein played a small but important role to turn the tide in giving the US the upper hand during World War II. Einstein and fellow Jewish physicists had managed to warn (in the nick of time) President Roosevelt the danger in newly discovered nuclear technology but inadvertently presented the idea of creating the nuclear bomb.

Following the devastation of Japan that subsequently helped win the war, Einstein was mistakenly blamed for his role in the creation of the bomb. He felt a certain guilt to his actions. Following that he reiterated his advocacy in forming a world government that regulates external policies (particularly arms control) while at the same time have no jurisdiction within each nations’ internal governance.

With little contributions to science in his later life, he was thrusted into the public eye due to his political views on individual freedom. Naturally against any oppression, Einstein stood by people wrongly misinterpreted, often causing public outcry.

With the death of his first wife Maric and later his sister Maja, Einstein’s health, too, started to deteriorate. In addition to his stomach ailments and anaemia that plagued him for much of his life, he was diagnosed with aneurysm on his abdominal aorta. This would prove to be the main contributor to his death but he lived on until 1955. Out of wisdom he had refused surgery because he did not want to prolong life but instead to embrace a natural death. He left this world in spirit but to this day his legacy of science and political freedom lived on.

Conclusion

Much like in starting out a new life, I started reading Einstein’s biography without thinking about the end. Starting off as a struggling arrogant, stubborn genius but with a big heart, Einstein passed on at age of 76 due to internal haemorrhaging. It is possible that relative of time, Einstein could live on eternally in the minds of many generations.

I’m truly amazed with the author of this biography, Walter Isaacson on the amount of research he had done. Just look at the references he used at the end of the book - it took almost 90 pages to credit them all.

Overall, if you’re a fan of Einstein and a physics enthusiast, I would not hesitate to recommend this but you do need to be mindful that you have lots of time because it is a very thick book. It took me more than two months!

Previously, I talked about the first few chapters and the middle chapters. Do check them out at the links below:

1. Reading Einstein - The First Few Chapters
2. Reading Einstein - The Next Few Chapters

Reading Einstein - The Next Few Chapters

As I delved deeper into the biography, it began to surface that despite being a genius, Einstein did make mistakes. He was human after all. While he struggled to to correct his mistakes he was also faced with family problems where he was kept away from his sons. World War I did not make things easier. It was revealed that the true genius in Einstein was to be able to solve his scientific problems while burdened by emotional distractions and at about the same time, competition in the form of a David Hilbert who was racing Einstein to solve the equations of general relativity.

These further chapters also illustrate Einstein as being a rather objective person. He would praise his estranged wife on her good parenting of their two sons. On a more professional take on things, Einstein would even make peace with his rival Hilbert when things cooled down.

Einstein was also a person that would retreat into his work when his personal problems became too overwhelming. This reminded me of the book I’ve recently read - Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus where men would seek solace and retreat into their caves. Very true indeed.

After all he had been through, he finally found success and recognition when his theory of relativity was proven true. He became a worldwide celebrity! It was rather unusual that the science community at the time do not encourage publicity. Einstein’s friends actually discouraged him.

As fame brought Einstein to America, England and France, anti-semitism sentiments worsened in his home country. Being a Jew, his popularity made him an enemy of the Nazis. His name appeared on the Nazi’s target lists. At one point Einstein pondered to seclude himself and become an engineer but of course that didn’t happen.

You can read about the first few chapters here.

Onwards to the next chapters!

Reading Einstein - The First Few Chapters

First of all, I’m intrigued that I had even considered buying a biography, no matter that it’s about one of science’s greatest minds. The fact that it is written by Walter Isaacson the famed biographer and the book itself was BookXcess’ Book of the Month (which meant at the time of purchase it was heavily discounted) sealed the deal.

I’m puzzled why I’d bought the book even to this day. Surely, I couldn’t be that interested about someone else’s life. Nonetheless, I’ve started reading the overwhelmingly thick book weeks ago. According to Goodreads, I’m at 24%. That means I’ve got three quarters ways to go.

I’m surprised that throughout the book so far I rarely found it boring at all (except when the author was explaining the science). In fact, I’m amazed with how Einstein survived and triumphed despite his brashness and lack of people skills. I couldn’t help to wonder how he’d do in present times where paper correspondences were replaced unashamedly by social media.

The biography also read out to become more of a novel than a boring reconstitution of Einstein’s life. There’re love stories and, interestingly, love affair, too. I did not think Einstein would have much of a love life but in fact he was a handsome theoretical physicist with substantial encounters with love. It was also pleasant to know that in his life of science, Einstein did not fully renounce religion. There is still a place for the almighty.

I’m at the point where Einstein was at the verge of a breakthrough in coming up with the special theory of relativity. Note that this was a prerequisite to his famous general theory of relativity which wouldn’t emerge until years later. This came after a struggling early adult life where he was unemployed for the most part and then ended up in the patent office. His unsuccessful early life was in large caused by his arrogance.

That’s all for now. Back to the book among other things.

Movie Review: First Man

Director: Damien Chazelle

Cast: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy

First Man (based on the authorised biography First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen is a beautiful film that focuses mostly on Neil Armstrong’s life during the period when he got involved with NASA’s plans to reach for the moon to eventually taking the giant leap for mankind. We get to know more about him - the first man on the moon - from the loss of his daughter, friends and colleagues to his withdrawn attitude and eventually what was really consuming him. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the film was not riddled in dialogues. Instead, the emotions and psychological agony skilfully portrayed by its very capable cast spoke wonders.

Besides that, the film briefly explored some very interesting questions - was the space project so important that it’s worth sacrificing lives and investing huge amounts of money? Was it truly for the sake of humanity or was it just to satisfy a nation’ pride in a space race against its biggest rival? Would it be done differently today where human rights are supposedly uphold above all else?

One major qualm that I have, though I never doubted the movie was filmed by a director with great taste, was I found it rather nauseating when the camera had to shake every so often in a big chunk of the scenes. Well, on the bright side, while I had to walk out of Cloverfield I was thankful I still managed to sit through this one so it was still tolerable.

If you have some time to spare, I would not hesitate to recommend that you catch this longish movie. Although it may be slow moving at times coupled with vomit inducing camera movements, I never found the need to drift off into space. It was an engaging journey into humanity’s first round trip to the moon and the lost that came with such a historical achievement.

Where the Magic Happens: How a Young Family Changed Their Lives and Sailed Around the World Review

I would never have come across this book if not for one of Amazon’s promotional emails (I guess something good has to come out of these mostly irritating emails). The book’s title (this could very well be the book with the longest title that I would ever read :P) is mighty interesting and the “magic” and “how a young family changed their lives” parts really attracted my attention. I went on to check out the ratings on Goodreads (this is my go to website/app for book ratings before I consider my purchases) and ended up buying the Kindle edition.

This book is about the author Caspar Craven and his family’s quest from the conception of the very idea to sail around the world to the necessary preparations, followed by the journey itself and the challenges and pleasant experiences. It also highlights how an everyday family, burdened with daily work stress that require long hours, had begun to drift apart and how they evolved throughout the journey to become a close knitted one.

I became engrossed with the book even in the early pages because I couldn’t agree more with one of the reasons that triggered the Cravens: We leave behind our daily lives for a quick escapade (holiday) only to know at the core of our hearts we will always return to the same lives when it’s all over and done. The Cravens were well aware of this but the difference was, they decided to do something about it. Despite the risks, they moved out of their comfort zone, planned for it and decided nothing would come in between (while at the same time kept an open mind and improved on others’ opinions and criticisms that were expected to come flooding like a burst pipe). They were determined to achieve their goals with a set deadline.

I found the pace of the book to be just right. When I started to find it boring, the author would inject something important or interesting and when I started to wonder if it would ever end, well, I reached its conclusion.

Although it’s about an adventure around the world specifically by sailing, for the most part, this book hits close to home. It’s something that most of us can really relate to – our need to escape our mundane lives, our daily routine that tear us apart from our families and friends, and how important to forge a close team with the ones that really matter – although we never take the leap of faith…

Who should read this book?

1. Most of us.
2. People with ordinary lives that dream big.
3. People who wants to read something that tells them there is much hope and opportunities out there.
4. People that seek to be inspired.
5. People who need proof that keeping an open mind brings endless possibilities.

Who might not like this book?

1. People who are looking for a fiction novel such as a thriller or a mystery or a romance novel.
2. People that do not like non-fiction books (note: I still don’t like non-fiction because I prefer to read about fictional stories but I like this book aplenty).
3. People who impatiently wants to read something to instantly become rich and powerful.