literature
Geek literature from the New York Times or the recesses of online. Our favorite stories showcase geeks.
Book Review: "Itch!" by Gemma Amor
Cheap horror novels are definitely my thing and I've been off the scene for about a month or so, and so as you can imagine - lots of it has been released without my knowledge. I'm often glad for Kindle Unlimited because there are so many great horror novels to discover that I end up borrowing maybe ten to fifteen at any one time and just devouring them. This was definitely the case here. Itch! is a book about our protagonist Josie who, when she is young, has only memories of her dead mother, is seen as an inconvenience to her father and, can constantly feel the itch and pull of ants. She can see them, almost always. When Josie discovers a dead body in the Forest of Dean, things begin to shift and change.
By Annie Kapur8 days ago in Geeks
My Big, Unpopular Opinions
Well, it's my birthday and so, it's my time to give some more of my unsocilited opinions about things - especially opinions nobody asked for. From the fact that I don't like fruit to the movies I think are underrated, from my hatred of croissants all the way to why I'm not a huge fan of religion being taught in schools. Here's some of my biggest unpopular opinions for my birthday, I hope you enjoy them!
By Annie Kapur9 days ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Sleep" by Nick Littlehales
Okay, so I might have already read a great book about sleep entitled Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, which tends to be the go-to for many people. I've also read Alex Edmans May Contain Lies which dismantles some strange statistics in the Walker book. But I think that Nick Littlehales may take the cake for the most comprehensive book about sleep I have seen in a while. A tiny book with very little scientific research compared to the Walker book means that we are meant to rely on the fact that this man is a sleep coach in order to receive the 'message'. That message: there are many myths about sleep - some aren't all that helpful.
By Annie Kapur9 days ago in Geeks
Why It's a Masterpiece at 100 Weeks
I personally can't believe we've been doing 'Why It's a Masterpiece' for almost two years now. At 100 weeks, I have decided to expand and rework 'Why It's a Masterpiece' to include some more pieces of literature and other parts that I think could be quite interesting. This also means that this series of articles is about to get a bit longer than usual.
By Annie Kapur10 days ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Josephine" by Carolly Erickson
Josephine is a figure from history that there has been much assumption about - so don't think there is going to be no assumptions in this particular book. Married to Napoleon, from the French aristocracy and within her own right, the empress of France as depicted in the painting by Jacques-Louis David - Josephine is a figure of complexity. There are many things within this book which make it an interesting read for anyone who enjoys learning about French history, especially during the revolutionary eras. But there are also some setbacks which made this book a bit wonky if I'm being honest. Again, it is definitely to do with assumption and how much one can actually assume.
By Annie Kapur10 days ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction" by Julia Annas
I quite like reading about philosophy and well, I know how much some of my favourite older, classic writers were perhaps influenced by these people. For example: how Shakespeare portrayed philosophies written by Aristotle on the stage. But of course, we also have Plato and others who were huge influences on our modern day with The Republic perhaps being one of the most important philosophical texts ever written. We have and don't have original surviving texts by these famed philosophers, but Julia Annas definitely does it justice by going through it in a way that basically anyone can understand. She starts with the problem concerning Medea once Jason decides to marry another woman...
By Annie Kapur11 days ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Criminal" by Tom Gash
Subtitled The Truth About Why People Do Bad Things, Tom Gash's book focuses on the way in which we interpret crime, how we see factors relative to crime and of course, why those who commit it choose to go in that direction. The book is an interest read complete with graphs and data, but also shows the reader why data and statistics perhaps, may not be able to explain everything and how the amount of variables that are actually within the sphere requires them to be cut down by the researcher - creating implicit bias as to which variable is 'valued' over another. It's a book that works with an incredible amount of research and explanation to tell the story of why people do bad things.
By Annie Kapur12 days ago in Geeks
Why I left CIA
I still remember the night I knew I couldn’t stay. I was sitting alone in a cheap motel room somewhere in the Middle East, the hum of the air conditioner mixing with the distant shouts of a city that didn’t sleep. My hands were shaking—not from fear, but from exhaustion and something heavier, something I couldn’t name. Years of carrying secrets, running operations, and watching people’s lives hang by a thread had finally left me hollowed out inside.
By John Smith13 days ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Pseudoscience: A Very Short Introduction" by Michael D. Gordin
If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: I love free books. I also love dipping my toes into the Very Short Introduction series, especially when I'm between bigger books. I've read those on Biblical History, I've read some on philosophy and now this one, is on pseudoscience. From UFOs to Anti-Vaxxers, from eugenics to how the Russians basically made up their own science during the height of communism, from the planets to the human body - pseudoscience is everywhere. But what is it, where did it come from, and what are the different forms it can arise in? Well, the truth is that pseudoscience is just as old as science itself...
By Annie Kapur13 days ago in Geeks
