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I Think Therefore I Am

I found this book in the bookshop of the British Museum. I read the first two lines and I was hooked. It’s about the history and the thoughts of the most well-known philosophers. It does this following a chronological timeline, from the Presocratics, and specifically from Thales of Miletus (c. 624 – c. 545 BC) who, according to Aristotele, was the first real philosopher, right up until those of recent days. The very fact that this book ranges over some two and a half thousand… Read More »I Think Therefore I Am

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

This book sets out to tell you how to relate to life’s adversities, especially to those little things that we let grow inside us until they become a big deal. For a good part of it, I was unsure whether I was going to give it three or four stars, the reason being that I mainly liked it, because I believe the advice is very effective and practical, but, at the same time I felt it was lacking something. In fact, this book helps you… Read More »Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

This Book Will Make You Think

This Book Will Make You Think

While I was visiting the bookshop at the British Museum, I came across this book with such an intriguing and promising title. One of the things that makes me consider a book a good one is that it makes me think, so boom! I wanted it. It’s a very brief introduction to some philosophical thoughts. Each chapter starts with a famous quote, which is then followed by a short section that covers historical information and the background of the philosopher who came out with that… Read More »This Book Will Make You Think

The Diary of a Bookseller

The Diary of a Bookseller

As happens most of the time, I had some expectations when I started to read this book – I was expecting an engaging story to develop throughout the daily life of a bookseller. I don’t know, something like the film “Notting Hill” :-). However, it’s a work of non-fiction and I only realised this after having read the first few pages. Had I not had any such expectations, I’d have probably enjoyed it more. So, it’s not the author that disappoints, rather, it’s just that… Read More »The Diary of a Bookseller

A short history of nearly everything

A Short History of Nearly Everything

What a journey I’ve been on! In less than 600 pages, I’ve fast-forwarded through the history of the world and of the human species, from the Big Bang to our recent days through most areas of science. This ambitious masterpiece was very informative and written in a conversational style. In fact, I felt like I was sitting in an armchair, by the crackling fire, with a glass of red wine in hand, in the company of a very knowledgeable friend who was explaining to me… Read More »A Short History of Nearly Everything

The food of love

The Food of Love

I feel uncomfortable writing a bad review as I don’t want to disrespect all of the effort the author put in, especially if it’s their debut novel. So, after reading the first few pages, when I was already feeling a bit suspicious that this wasn’t going to be a good read, I remained hopeful and kept reading. However, it turned out that my initial instinct was correct. The story itself was not that bad and it had potential, had it been written differently. Here are… Read More »The Food of Love

Humand Kind

Humankind

Do you think humans are selfish, untrustworthy and dangerous creatures? If so, do yourself a favour and read this book. The core message in this book is that most people, deep down, are good-hearted. A perfect read in the current times. The author, Rutger Bregman, is a historian whose optimism is energising. He tells lots of effective stories and provides evidence from psychology, sociology, anthropology and archaeology. He starts developing his theory with a view on the “philosophical boxing ring” that sees two opposite opinions… Read More »Humankind

The Man Who Died Twice

The Man Who Died Twice

The thing that I kept thinking when reading this book was “genial“. I loved it even more than the first one of the series. The characters were well revealed and their relationships felt realistic. The plot wasn’t quite as believable as the previous one, I think because there are higher risks involved, but still, it was put together cleverly. The English humour is just brilliant, I found myself laughing out loud many times while reading it. In the previous book, I wasn’t particularly impressed by… Read More »The Man Who Died Twice

Magpie

Magpie

I was so unsettled and disturbed by an event that happened at the start of this book that I almost stopped reading it there and then. Unsure what to do, luckily, in the end, I decided to keep reading it. If a book is able to trigger such strong emotions it must be a good book, I thought. In fact, it was a brilliant and gripping novel, despite the fact that it made me feel uncomfortable sometimes. The pacing was perfect and the main topics… Read More »Magpie

The Wisdom of No Escape

The Wisdom of No Escape

Peaceful and calm. This is what I felt while I was reading this book. It was easy to read and it came at just the right time. It’s a good reminder to compassionately accept who we are, that we are all interconnected, that suffering is part of life and that it’s not by pushing away painful things that we can be happy. An encouragement to see who we truly are and to observe how we react to our emotions and thoughts. I loved it when… Read More »The Wisdom of No Escape