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reflective

Irriducibile

While Faggin’s theories are thought-provoking, I found it challenging to understand much of the book, even though I read it in my native language. The first part was extremely difficult to grasp, requiring significant effort to stick with it. The second part was less complex and more interesting to me.  Despite the glossary at the end, I don’t believe it explains the concepts in a way that’s accessible to a broad audience. For this reason, I wouldn’t consider it a popular science book; one needs… Read More »Irriducibile

The Highly Sensitive Person’s Guide to Dealing with Toxic People

Unfortunately, we all have a few toxic people in our lives. Sometimes, they’re easy to recognize, while at other times, they manifest subtly, and we only realize how dangerous they are after they’ve hurt us. They leave us with psychological and emotional wounds, and it’s usually more painful when the toxic person is a close family member or within our inner circle. Also, if we are highly sensitive individuals, we can be an easy target because we’re especially vulnerable. We need to learn to recognise… Read More »The Highly Sensitive Person’s Guide to Dealing with Toxic People

Songbirds (by Christy Lefteri)

I read more non-fiction, and when I do read fiction, I expect the words to evoke emotions in me. I want to feel emotionally engaged. This didn’t happen right away when I started reading this book. In fact, it wasn’t until the last quarter of the story that the narrative truly gripped me, turning the reading experience into an emotional and reflective one. It’s a blend of sadness and empowerment. It isn’t merely a work of fiction; it brings to light the muted perspectives of… Read More »Songbirds (by Christy Lefteri)

Fruit of Knowledge. The Vulva vs. The Patriarchy (by Liv Strömquist)

We’re all familiar with the story of Eve being held responsible for the fall of humanity. Not only did Eve commit the first sin, but she also influenced Adam to do the same, leading to their expulsion from Eden. Naughty girl, Eve. However, humans haven’t always lived in a patriarchal culture. In fact, in many ancient cultures, God was a woman, and menstruation was seen as sacred. The author of this book cleverly explores the condition of being female throughout history, with a focus on… Read More »Fruit of Knowledge. The Vulva vs. The Patriarchy (by Liv Strömquist)

The Five (by Hallie Rubenhold)

This book is not about Jack the Ripper, who has already gained a lot of notoriety. This book is about the lives of his victims. Their names were Polly, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine, and Mary Jane. I felt overwhelming sadness while reading it, and this was due to the deplorable conditions in which these women lived. There was clearly a great deal of research behind this book. It was heart-wrenching and enraging to learn that just over a century ago, women were considered less important than… Read More »The Five (by Hallie Rubenhold)

Buddhism Plain and Simple (by Steve Hagen)

If you are curious about Buddhism and seeking a simple, accessible introduction to its basic concepts, this book is for you. I really enjoyed reading it and found it insightful. My favourite part was the explanation that there’s no permanent “self”. This really got me thinking about the impermanence of everything around us. Everything changes, even the concept of “I”. Another aspect that I liked about this book was its modern and pragmatic style. While it’s rooted in ancient Buddhist philosophy, it speaks directly to… Read More »Buddhism Plain and Simple (by Steve Hagen)

Le braci (di Sándor Márai)

This is an introspective novel and the story is centred around two old friends, Henrik and Konrad, who have a reunion after 41 years. It is primarily a long and intense soliloquy by Henrik, exploring the meaning of life, love, and above all, friendship. The other character, Konrad, is allowed to speak only occasionally, which kept me frustrated. In fact, while Henrik’s monologue is eloquent and thought-provoking, it would have been intriguing to hear Konrad’s perspective and insights as well. Another aspect that disappointed me… Read More »Le braci (di Sándor Márai)

A Londra con Virginia Woolf (by Cristina Marconi)

By accompanying the reader on a journey of discovery through the places that were part of Virginia Woolf’s life, the author offers an interesting glimpse into her existence. The writing is engaging to the point that it gave me the feeling of taking a real journey through time, reliving the atmosphere of London in the early twentieth century. I also greatly appreciated the intelligent use of quotes within the text. Well-structured, well-written, and well-researched, this beautiful book provides a passionate read that I highly recommend.… Read More »A Londra con Virginia Woolf (by Cristina Marconi)

Virginia Woolf (by Quentin Bell)

I immersed myself in the pages of this intimate and comprehensive portrait of Virginia Woolf, one of the most celebrated writers of the 20th century. The author, Quentin Bell, had a close personal relationship with her – he was her nephew. Divided into two parts, the first covers Woolf’s childhood, adolescence, and goes until she was 30 years old. While this section contains undoubtedly valuable background information on Woolf’s upbringing and later years, I found it to be a bit slow-paced. The second part of… Read More »Virginia Woolf (by Quentin Bell)

Heal Thy Self (by Saki Santorelli)

As someone who has been interested in mindfulness for a few years now, I was excited to read this book and learn more about how mindfulness can be applied in the context of illness and medicine in general. The book follows the structure of the eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program developed at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in the 1970s by Jon Kabat-Zinn. I found the book less useful than I had hoped because I struggled to follow the format. There was little… Read More »Heal Thy Self (by Saki Santorelli)