one more! for the people!

one more for the people, martha grover
i do believe this was the first contemporary book i have read on my kindle! i love the personal essay genre in general, particularly when there is cynicism and mundaneness (? apparently this is a word, an ugly one) involved, plus endearing family routines, trivial details and a touch of personal trial. i really liked it, there were lists and toilet humour involved as well.

examined lives, james miller
never having studied any form of philosophy this was a great introduction for me, a potted history if you will. in fact the 12 philosophers profiled seem to represent somewhat connected leaps and developments in introspection and walking as well as talking the talk. overall it seems certain situations and ideas were a product of their times and situations. anyway it takes a lot of ego and a little crazy maybe to believe that you hear voices or had a vision or a life-changing dream, and not only that but that these are thoughts and thought experiments you want to change the world with.
one quote in particular that struck me was that nietzsche had thought along with darwin's theory of evolution, in contrast with marx and others, that it means possibly that the environment itself in which humans live is also a product of natural selection, as is the undetermined reality or illusion of 'free will'. verrrrry interesting.
also here is one of the back cover quotes: 'Examined Lives is like watching Roger Federer play tennis. The graceful movement of his mind is a joy to behold.' oh really now.