James Skemp's StrivingLife

Like everyone who's been to a Chinese restaurant, I'm well aware of the 12 animals. Thanks to Philip K. Dick I've got a couple copies of the I Ching around the house, and enjoyed learning about the Asian philosophies during college.

This last aspect of me was pleasantly surprised reading through this short work, as the author does a good job of explaining that there are not only animals for the years one is born, but also for the month, day, and hour. This book touches on their meaning for three of these four, as the daily aspect is seemingly too complex. (Unfortunately, I didn't really get a good idea of where to go if I wanted to find out more, making it hard for me to even call this an introductory work, and a simple search online didn't turn up much either.)

I say the book touches upon their meaning because the latter part of the book, which consists of almost 80% of the volume, is basically the same couple of pages repeated, with very minor changes based on the animal. To me, it reads as a simple regurgitation of a formula. To be kinder, it would be hard not to do this, and they do have nice sections at the end containing a position and chant for meditation, and he speaks of the animals relationship to the I Ching.

All-in-all, though, unless you share this information with someone else, I have a hard time seeing anyone coming back to this more than once. For that reasoning I must give this book 3 stars of 5.

Because of his writing, if the first few chapters were expanded with more historical and philosophical information, I would feel better about giving this 4 stars.

I can't be sure whether the physical product I have will be the same as the final product, but it seems fairly certain, so I'll comment briefly on that.

The binding of this book seems extremely solid, and the printing is nice and crisp. The pages are nice and smooth, of a slightly thicker width than I would have expected. It's definitely built to last.

I selected this book based on the following lines of a highlighted review:

"He offers a measured dose of philosophy in contemplating whether unhappiness should be regarded as a disease or instead as an essential part of being human. Ultimately, his book is a sobering critique of the marketing wizards who have overhyped the dubious benefits of antidepressants and of an American public all too eager for quick fixes to life’s inevitable challenges and disappointments."

Unfortunately, the philosophical aspects are barely touched upon, focusing instead on the historical aspects, and current state of affairs. Despite this, Greenberg's writing style is fairly nice, albeit at times disjointed, making this an interesting read, especially in regards to the history of depression and attempts to treat the disease.

For whatever reason, however, it was extremely difficult for me to pick up the book and start reading it, despite enjoying the previous day's chapter(s).

Greenberg merely alludes to the philosophical aspects of depression, so I'd recommend this book more towards those interested in the historical aspects. Those who believe they suffer from depression and (may) need pills to feel better/normal, may also enjoy reading this book. Despite getting into technical discussions on the body, the book is suited for the average reader.

3 of 5 stars as I enjoyed the book while I was reading it, but had a hard time picking it up to read another chapter.

Rant, like the rest of Chuck Palahniuk's works of fiction, features sex, facts which may or may not be true, and distinctive characters.

However, while told in an interesting way, through the voices of over a dozen characters, Rant seems more of the same-old Chuck Palahniuk, and I fear I may have read the last of his work.

Rant tells the story of Buster "Rant" Casey from childhood on, through those who knew him by some means or another. While initially hard to get into, because of the many voices telling the story, and how some parts seem irrelevant, as it progresses it becomes easier to stick with it.

The story certainly reads like Palahniuk, requiring a bit more thought on the reader's part, then most books require, and even includes an interesting paradox at the end.

Unfortunately, having read all of his previous fiction, I couldn't find much in the way of new ideas, such as those that had invigorated me when I had read Fight Club and Lullaby, and which puts this in the small pile of books that I will not read again (4 star or higher).

The ideas are fresh for those who haven't seen them before, but otherwise Palahniuk offers nothing too special in this work, with the questionable factoids being the special part. Recommended for those who can't get enough of Palahniuk's works; for those new to him, or unsure, read one of his older, more popular works.