"...the Jonestown deaths quickly became renowned not as a grandly defiant revolutionary gesture, but as the ultimate example of human gullibility".
In "...the Jonestown deaths quickly became renowned not as a grandly defiant revolutionary gesture, but as the ultimate example of human gullibility".
In 1978 more than 900 Americans living in a religious commune in Guyana committed mass suicide by drinking powdered juice (incorrectly credited as KoolAid) laced with cyanide. Those who resisted were pinned down and injected. The dead included hundreds of children, some babies. The dead were following orders from their leader, Jim Jones, a paranoid drug addict whose teachings mixed religion with socialism. This book follows Jones from childhood to try and make sense of how he effected such a tragedy.
My day job is data analyst for a medium sized export company. Basically I cruise around the business, listen to how we understand our company, our customers, our strengths and weaknesses, and then test these thoughts against the data to see if we're right, with the ultimate goal of using the findings to improve our business outcomes and better forecast the future. One of the most interesting aspects of the job is how often reasonably smart people at all levels of the business hold beliefs that are not just unsupported by data, but in many cases clearly disproven by data. In fairness most of these people don't know how to make the data give up its mysteries, but this does not preclude them from holding strong but uninformed beliefs and arguing very passionately for these false opinions.
The only decoration in my cubicle is a quote from W Edward Deming, an American sent to Japan after WW2 to help with the economic recovery: "In God we trust, all others bring data". I spent my formative years in the Catholic school system and relegated God to an "imaginary creatures your parents made up" list shortly after Santa and the Easter Bunny, so I tend to ignore the first part of Deming's advice, but I'm pretty passionate about the rest of his thoughts. Knowledge is power. Critical reasoning is power. Questioning what you believe or have been told is power. This view is evolving - as I watch some of the rubbish coming out of the US and the UK currently I'm moving towards the thought that questioning what you are told is not just a way to gain power, but is part of being a responsible citizen. If you cannot be bothered testing your beliefs then you are acting unethically by spouting these beliefs as truth.
This book perfectly illustrates where absolute belief in the demagogue who shouts the loudest gets you. There are no adult heroes in this book - Jones' followers opted for unquestioning belief in a man who appealed to their sense of the unfairness of the world, mistaking a correct appreciation of the world being unequal for an active interest in making it better. And indeed, in his early years (when - and this was one of the book's wee gems - he supported his budding church by selling monkeys door-to-door) Jones poured money into social endeavours such as housing, education and rest homes for the poor. As time and drug-use progressed, he became paranoid, unreasonable, utterly dishonest (he staged utterly faked "healing" to attract followers) and obsessed with mass suicide as the ultimate political statement. I felt no pity for the idiots who followed him in spite of evidence that he was a charlatan being available to many of them. My only sympathy was with the kids who were murdered because they had idiotic parents. Because of this I struggled to get through the book - every page in the last half had me shaking my head at Jones' lies and his followers' stupid acceptance of these. (Checking Twitter frequently brings out this same feeling at the moment, one of many parallels between this book and some our our current political landscape).
The book itself is well-written and detailed. It is an interesting view of a historical event with wider application. It shows the power of lies and blind belief, and the danger of accepting only the data that is presented to you rather than searching for your own facts.
A brilliant entry to the true crime genre. The Golden State Killer prowled California for a decade during the 70s/80s, raping dozens of women in theirA brilliant entry to the true crime genre. The Golden State Killer prowled California for a decade during the 70s/80s, raping dozens of women in their homes, often while their partners were bound in the next room. He moved on to murder, killing several couples after binding them and raping the women. He was a planner, with evidence that he'd staked out homes well in advance of breaking in, and was fleet enough to escape across fences and rooftops. It was not until after he stopped offending that cold case investigators realised that three different crime waves across California were the work of a single man.
Sadly the author, Michelle McNamara, did not live to complete this book or to see a suspect apprehended. Although the book was completed by others - pieced together from completed chapters, magazine articles, notes and taped interviews - the story seems all Michelle's. She is brutally honest about her obsession with catching the killer and the impact this has on her life and relationship with her husband, actor Oswald Patton. She is a diligent researcher, earning trust and cooperation from law enforcement. She takes an awful lot of evidence from dozens of crimes and makes it understandable for the reader, while using wonderful writing to evoke images of times, places and people.
If I lived in California and had started this book before they caught what seems to be the guy, I suspect I would have bailed on this book in the early chapters as it would have scared hell out of me. I understand that a revised edition may be in the offing, updated with details about the killer now in custody. I look forward to this update....more
Another brilliant trip to Tibbehah county. Atkins is a fantastic writer, he's created a world that leaps off the page. So many great characters, none Another brilliant trip to Tibbehah county. Atkins is a fantastic writer, he's created a world that leaps off the page. So many great characters, none of them lazily drawn as all good or all bad, but with complex personalities and back stories. ...more
I don't hand out 5 stars often, my reviews hardly ever run beyond a paragraph and never before have I felQuite simply, everyone should read this book.
I don't hand out 5 stars often, my reviews hardly ever run beyond a paragraph and never before have I felt compelled to tell everyone to read a book, but this optimistic guide to critical thinking deserves it.
Hans Rosling was a Swedish doctor and statistician who focused on public health. On a micro level he ran clinics in some of the poorest parts of Africa and also researched diseases in the area. In later life, together with his son and daughter-in-law (who also co-wrote this book), he investigated the gap between the world as it is and the world we perceive. He was a sought after lecturer, giving TED talks and speaking to academics, world leaders and Fortune 500 companies, using data to show the true state of the world.
This book starts with 13 questions about global issues such as health, mortality, population projections, economics and education. Each question has 3 multiple choice answers. These are pretty fundamental questions in terms of understanding the present and future of our shared world, such as:
1. Has world poverty almost doubled, almost halved or stayed the same in the past 20 years? 2. There are 2 billion kids under 15 worldwide now, how many do the UN predict there will be in 2100 - 2, 3 or 4 billion? 3. Does the majority of the world population live in low, middle or high income countries? (* in case you're curious, the answers are the the end of this review)
Knowing the answer to these questions would seem pretty important if you're running a government, investment fund, company, WHO or the UN with a strategic global focus on the future. Hans noted that if he wrote the three potential answers on cards and then got chimps to pick one, statistically 1 in 3 chimps would answer correctly. However, thousands of people in different countries who he surveyed, together with the Great And Good who engaged him to speak to them, consistently underperformed the hypothetical monkeys. This book explores why, explaining how fear and urgency combined with a tendency to sort the world into "us and them" rob us of the ability to reach correct conclusions.
Hans presents data supporting his answers visually and with beautiful clarity. But the key focus of this book is understanding the incorrect assumptions that lead us to such a universally incorrect world view, and teaching us to apply critical thinking to understanding the world better. It gives readers the tools to ask better questions, seek better data and understand the unconscious biases of ourselves and others. I'm reluctant to write a more detailed description as this would deprive you of the authors' far more brilliant explanations.
This book is remarkably hopeful and uplifting. The book is littered with stories from Hans' time in Africa and on speaking engagements, with remarkably honest anecdotes used to illustrate various points. The author is truly charming and empathetic as well as brilliant. The book arms readers with critical thinking skills and, at least for me, made me far more positive about the future.
Sadly, Hans died of a fast-moving cancer while writing this book. He worked on it right up until his death, taking pages of notes with him on the final ambulance trip to a hospice. This book is a remarkable last work from a truly beautiful and brilliant man.
* 1. Almost halved 2. 2 billion 3. Middle income
I got 8/13 on the whole quiz and the book still blew my mind, so don't assume it's not for you if you got all the sample questions right :)...more
Being a PI seems to have been far more work before cellphones and the internet. This 70s PI series has been on my TBR list forever and I’m pleased it Being a PI seems to have been far more work before cellphones and the internet. This 70s PI series has been on my TBR list forever and I’m pleased it kicked off well. Story was good and suitably gritty, lead character was entertaining and has aged reasonably well (a couple of books from the same era haven’t appealed because the lead characters have a sexist dickhead vibe when read now).
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the rest of the series, and am particularly keen on seeing Ace Atkins’ contribution....more
I had a busy couple of weeks at work so took a while to get into this book, but I couldn't put it down for the last 75%. Lots of action and plot twistI had a busy couple of weeks at work so took a while to get into this book, but I couldn't put it down for the last 75%. Lots of action and plot twists although the characters were often hard to like (not important to every reader, but generally a requirement to get 5 stars from me). I haven't read many of Winslow's books but will definitely watch out for them now....more
If your employer hands out free copies of this book to all staff then restructuring is looming, or at least that’s how it worked when everyone in my nIf your employer hands out free copies of this book to all staff then restructuring is looming, or at least that’s how it worked when everyone in my newly-acquired company received a copy. This book struck me as utterly ridiculous when I read it (although the HR muppet that thought of issuing the books in the first place seemed even sillier), but the themes stuck with me and have been quite helpful in terms of dealing with change, so it’s received a respectable 3 stars. Not a book I’d suggest you rush out and buy, but if somebody hands you a free copy then I recommend you read it...and then update your resume....more
Possibly even better on the second read. This series is pure gold.
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Today for me marks that sad moment when you finish all the books in a seriPossibly even better on the second read. This series is pure gold.
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Today for me marks that sad moment when you finish all the books in a series and have to wait patiently for the next instalment. But wow it's been a great run through Jericho. I loved the first book in this series, and they've pretty much just got better and better as I've worked my way through the series. I read books 1-4 a couple of years ago, but recently reread them ahead of books 5 and 6. Quinn Colson, a former Ranger, moves back to his hometown and becomes Sheriff. His hometown, while small, is big on political corruption and life as Sheriff is never dull. Gotta say that when I started the series the political corruption aspect seemed too far-fetched, but the last year or so of real life (as viewed through the international pages of New Zealand media and my relatively new Twitter account) made it a lot more believable. Atkins has created a bunch of fantastic characters and a great small town backdrop in these books. Book 6 introduced a new bad guy (who is in fact a bad gal, although her morality truly is fifty shades of grey) and, in my opinion, Miss Hathaway has lifted the series further. The dialogue is spare but brilliant and Atkins runs clever story arcs through multiple books. I truly cannot wait to continue reading this series and hope Mr Atkins has many stories left in him. If you enjoy Southern noir with strong characters then I highly recommend this series....more
Book 5 in this series brought together all the threads from the previous 4 books. Book 6 offers nowhere near as much closure, and seems to be setting Book 5 in this series brought together all the threads from the previous 4 books. Book 6 offers nowhere near as much closure, and seems to be setting up future stories. The central story was good though and it is always great to catch up with Quinn and the rest of Jericho. ...more
Book five of the Quinn Colson series wraps up some of the story arcs from the first four books in fine style. Interestingly, one of the twists (which Book five of the Quinn Colson series wraps up some of the story arcs from the first four books in fine style. Interestingly, one of the twists (which played out on page 317) was advertised on the back of the book but amazingly it was still a surprise when it happened. I love the great characters and the way Atkins brings Jericho to life. Being from New Zealand I find books about the American South fascinatingly exotic and this book brings it to life perfectly. I highly recommend this series, which started out great and just keeps getting better....more
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