Category: Books

[Reading is Sexy] Seven Scintillating Sci-Fi Series

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Every so often, a novel comes around that reinvigorates our imaginations with an infused sense of adventure and wonder, diving into future worlds while delving further into our souls. And if you’re truly lucky, you discover an author with an incredible back catalog or series of work that humbles you by standing so significantly within its literary prowess.

In the introduction to Ursula K. Le Guin’s anniversary edition of ‘The Left Hand of Darkness’, she so eloquently states:

“In reading a novel, any novel, we have to know perfectly well that the whole thing is nonsense, and then, while reading, believe every word of it. Finally, when we’re done with it, we may find – if it’s a good novel – that we’re a bit different from what we were before we read it, that we have been changed a little, as if by having met a new face, crossed a street we never crossed before. But it’s very hard to say what we learned, how we changed. The artist deals with what cannot be said in words. The artist whose medium is fiction does this in words. The novelist says in words what cannot be said in words.”

In exploring the universe, known and unknown, whether funneled by future fantasy or semi-tangible half realities, through each of these books one thing is clear – the more we understand of what surrounds us, the more we understand of ourselves; as above, so below.

While each of these authors has produced novels that stand alone, these series are not islands – they’re beautifully woven universes with complex creation, rich characters, and plots that pull you in and won’t let you go.

That said, let’s dive right in to some of my favorite Science Fiction series.

Ursula K. Le Guin – The Hainish Cycle

Where most literary series must be read sequentially, Le Guin’s Hainish Cycle stands uniquely alone in the fact that while the books are interrelated, albeit at times loosely, the books can be read in almost any order.

Consisting of ‘The Dispossessed’, ‘The Left Hand of Darkness’, ‘The Word for World is Forest’, ‘Rocannon’s World’, ‘Planet of Exile’, and ‘City of Illusions’ – the Hainish Cycle is set in a future where human civilization on multiple planets, such as Terra – Earth, are coming into contact for the first time. Bear witness as interpersonal relationships and togetherness are illuminated and contrasted against an overarching idea of otherness, while exploring ideas from politics and the environment, to technological revolutions and gender roles.

GoodReads | Thrift Books | Bookshop

Isaac Asimov – Foundation Series

While younger generations have been exposed to Asimov through movies like I, Robot or Bicentennial Man and the show Foundation on Apple TV+, Asimov has been ubiquitous within the literary realm for decades. As a professor of biochemistry, Asmiov approaches writing in a methodical manner that’s technical without being formulaic and has published work within almost every major category of the Dewey Decimal System, except for Philosophy.

Spanning seven novels, The Foundation series firmly cements itself as one of, if not the most important series within the entire genre of Science Fiction. In the downturn of the Galactic Empire, the realm of ‘Psychohistory’ is uncovered. Synthesizing statistics, sociology and history in order to predict future group behavior – the theory of Psychohistory poses a galactic threat to the foundation of the Empire, as well as it’s inventor, mathematician Hari Seldon.

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David Brin – The Uplift Saga

Not to be (easily) confused with the Uplift Trilogy which came later, the Uplift Saga‘s adventure spans three books from acclaimed author David Brin – Sundiver, Startide Rising and The Uplift War. Similar to Asimov in more than just his scientific style of storytelling – Brin is equally accomplished in the academic world with a PhD in astronomy and a Masters of Science in electrical engineering; both of which shine between the lines of the Uplift Saga.

In his Uplift novels, Brin launches us on a journey to a universe concerned with the Uplift of races within the realm of the Five Galaxies. In simple terms, for a species to become uplifted to sapient intelligence, a more intelligent species must become their patron – taking them under their wing as they develop them, through genetic advancement and engineering; often uniting with them as a tribe or in partnership. Though humans have managed to uplift both dolphins and chimpanzees, humankind has no ‘patron’ species to attribute its intelligence to; or do they? Join the crews of the Sundiver and the Streaker as they explore not only the galaxies but the complex relationships of the Uplifted in this page turning, and unforgettable adventure.

GoodReads | Thrift Books | Bookshop

John Varley – Gaea Trilogy

While Brin leans more towards the Science of Science Fiction, Varley’s world exploring Gaea Trilogy plants his novels in the realm of Science Fantasy for me – and I am here for it. Varley’s lyrical writing and incredible imagination have bolstered the Gaea Trilogy into a classic Sci Fi series that shouldn’t be missed.

As Captain Cirocco “Rocky” Jones and her crew of the Ringmaster descend into the orbit of Saturn, their discovery of a planetoid sweeps them into a world that’s alive in more ways than meets the eye. Landing on Titan, later referred to as Gaea, Jones and the Crew are introduced to an assortment of Titanides – think half human half horse, and then some – as they journey into the core of the planet in hopes of discovering its sentience. What they end up uncovering is even more astounding – and that’s just book one. This is a series I couldn’t put down and eagerly ate the words of last Summer – I couldn’t recommend it more! Varley eloquently engages on an out of the world adventure, while also exploring the ephemeral nature of humanity.

GoodReads | Thrift Books | Bookshop

Larry Niven – Ringworld Series

While a lot of the Sci Fi books I’ve read are more explorative of space, Larry Niven’s Ringworld trilogy confronts the idea of world building as it heads off into a deep-space journey that’s equal parts hard science and adventure.

Slightly similar to Brin’s idea of the coexistence of extraterrestrial species within the galaxy, in Ringworld we meet the tiger-like Kzin and the thoughtfully intelligent yet manipulative Pierson’s Puppeteers. From the jump of the novel, we’re thrust into complexities of interspecies relations as they join forces with human Louis Wu on an otherworldly expedition: to explore the Known Galaxy and uncover truths about a mysterious Ringworld that’s appeared in the outer reaches of space, including who built it and why.

GoodReads | Thrift Books | Bookshop

William Gibson – Sprawl Trilogy

William Gibson is often hailed as the father of modern cyberpunk, and rightfully so – if you’ve seen any Sci Fi movies in the last two decades, you’ve undoubtedly been influenced by Gibson’s work in one sense or another. And his Sprawl series is no exception. Referred to equally as the Neuromancer, Cyberspace or Matrix trilogy – it contains three incredible works (Neuromancer, Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive) that stand alone, but are wonderfully woven together. If you’ve seen Johnny Mnemonic (also a short story of Gibson’s) or any of the Matrix movies, just brace yourself for the correlation and congruency to his literary prowess.

In the near dystopian future, Henry Case is a former “console cowboy” – or what we commonly refer to as a computer hacker – and current drug addict, who made quite a living jacking into the Matrix to retrieve data for the highest bidder. Sidelined from a gig gone bad, Case is brought out of an early retirement to work alongside razergirl Molly Millions, a mercenary that first made her appearance in Johnny Mnemonic, in order to release a form of artificial intelligence from the Matrix, thus changing its landscape. Join Case on his journey into the Matrix, alongside Rastafarians from Zion (sound familiar?!) as he uncovers more than meets the eye and a world beyond ours, contained within its technology.

GoodReads | Thrift Books | Bookshop

Richard K Morgan – Takeshi Kovacs Trilogy

I first stumbled onto the genius of Richard K Morgan’s series by watching the show Altered Carbon on Netflix – immediately I was hooked. Pulling influence from timeless Sci Fi authors like Phillip K Dick, John Varley, Isaac Asimov and William Gibson, the Takeishi Kovacs series imagines a world where body modification is the norm; human consciousness is stored in ‘stacks’ which can be implanted into lab grown and genetically modified bodies, or ‘sleeves’. Immortality is here – but only for those who can afford it.

Takeshi was and is an Envoy, and has been pulled back from stasis after a violent death to play detective in conspiracy laden Bay City. All is not what it seems, including the people he believes he can trust. Join him in this three tiered journey into uncovering the truth, about himself, the technology, and the people that surround him.

GoodReads | Thrift Books | Bookshop

I eagerly urge and implore you to take some time and explore each one of these incredible authors, and take the long journey through their masterclass of works. That said, I have a whole other list ready for y’all with some of my favorite stand alone Sci Fi novels – so stay tuned; happy reading!

Please note that while purchasing books on Amazon is easy, breezy – it’s just as quick to support small and local businesses. Take some time to research your local library and regional small book sellers; it’s good for your pocket, and it’s good for the world.

Do you have a favorite Sci Fi series that didn’t make the cut? Let me know in the comments below.

[Reading is Sexy] Understand Your Emotional Intelligence with ‘The Highly Sensitive Person’

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“All virtues have a shadow.”

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For millennia, humans traded information by speech or song – imbuing tradition, history and knowledge with the tone of their voice. It wasn’t until 1440 when German inventor Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press; in less than half that time we now have temporal, instant gratification reinforcing social media channels from Facebook and Instagram to Snapchat, TikTok, and the like. Where the world once ebbed and flowed at a nominal rate, it’s now gaining unparalleled speed and momentum. Many of us dance with overwhelmed feelings at one point or another – and the world’s recent stage has only catalyzed these feelings. From COVID and quarantine, to the reckoning of the ‘The Great Resignation’ and job wage inequity, not to mention race relations and the growing chasm of political divide – it really isn’t any wonder that feelings of anxiety and depression have run rampant these last few years (and let’s be honest, my heart rate just went up typing all that!). A society that’s overwhelmed means that we’re living in a constant state of over-arousal, that we’re all sitting on hairpin triggers waiting for the next emotional hurdle to be thrust into our path; it reinforces timid, introverted behavior and takes us out of being our ‘best selves’ while pulling us out of the collective human condition and isolating us within our minds. Continually ingraining ourselves within this hyper-stimulated, instant gratification, ‘go-go-go’ natured world – it’s no surprise that many of us have become, or always have been, highly sensitive individuals.

“Whatever the times, suffering eventually touches every life. How we live with it, and help others to, is one of the great creative and ethical opportunities”

― Elaine N. Aron

As it turns out, the more aware one becomes – the more deeply one feels. I was blessed with a good childhood for the most part, less my parents divorce when I was two, and grew up highly anxious for seemingly “no reason” (…according to therapists, family and friends). I had stomach ulcers in elementary school, and was in therapy from the age of 11 well into my adult life, and understand implicitly what it means to exist within a hypervigilant state and the want to feel “normal”.

“I am deeply moved by things. I’d hate to miss the intense joy of that.”

― Elaine N. Aron

I’ve discovered myself to be dichotomous: I enjoy moments of extroversion and love feeling like part of a large group, I equally find disdain fitting into a societal mold. I cry, easily; I laugh easily, too. I’m reactive, to a fault. I have a lot of feelings, not recognize that not all of them feel like my own – almost as if they’re at the heart of human nature’s cosmic collective, and it’s my emotional duty to experience all of them. It’s easy to become trapped in that feedback cycle, and I give a lot of credit to my family, friends and many, many therapists over the years for always being there for me to pull me out of it. But truth be told, it’s never easy to ask for help – and there have been times where I haven’t been as lucky; times when I haven’t wanted to ‘burden’ others with my thoughts, felt that I wasn’t important enough to find solutions to my feelings, or have existed outside of myself in a prolonged moment of dissociation, eventually discovering that I’m severely out of touch with my authentic nature. It’s these type of emotions that seem to reinforce the feelings of isolation, of introversion, of withdrawl – and within those feelings, very rarely does one choose to reach back out to the world for help. So thank goodness I stumbled across esteemed author Dr. Elaine N Aron and her book ‘The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When The World Overwhelms You’.

Part retrospective on an emotionally intelligent life, and part explorative into the nature of Highly Sensitive People – this book put me directly in touch with my true self, and made me understand that though I have felt burdened by my feelings – it’s beautiful to feel the world so deeply, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I found a lot of myself within Aron’s anecdotes, and felt an odd sense of calm wash away cobwebs of mental chaos and calamity. As it turns out, one in five people fits in the category of being ‘Highly Sensitive’ – so even if it doesn’t describe you, having this knowledge in your back pocket will enhance your connections with others – in addition to parts of yourself. From reframing childhood events, understanding close relationships and bringing your emotional ‘A Game’ to the table – ‘The Highly Sensitive Person’ takes us on an emotional adventure to uncover our true nature, and give it a healthier spin. Plus, each chapter features a ‘self help’ section at the end so you, too, can do the work.

Want to connect with others like you? There’s a Facebook Group that I think you’ll love!

Are you curious if you’re a Highly Sensitive Person? Sure, maybe you’re absolutely aware of yourself – but in case you’re unsure, Aron has a self test on her website so you can understand more. Additionally, Aron has penned several other books on the topic – including a book for children and a workbook to go along with ‘The Highly Sensitive Person’.

Here are a few other tangentially related reads worth adding to your book list if Aron’s ‘The Highly Sensitive Person‘ piqued your interest,:

For more on the author and her series of books, check out…

Website | GoodReads

[Reading is Sexy] Savor the Adventure of Peter Heller’s ‘The Dog Stars’

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“Life is tenacious if you give it one little bit of encouragement”

The Dog Stars by Peter Heller

Last year, I descended into the world of “Station Eleven” the brainchild from the esteemed Emily St. John Mandel and I felt myself come alive while understanding why ‘survival is insufficient’. Now, fast forwarded a year in time but in time alone due to the nature of our world struck down by COVID, and I’ve been moved to pieces by yet another post-apocalyptic tale with “The Dog Stars”, the debut fictional tale from Peter Heller.

“…it felt like my heart might burst. Bursting is different than breaking. Like there is no way to contain how beautiful. Not it either, not just beauty. Something about how I fit.”

It’s fantastic the life one can live between the covers and letters of a good novel. Similar to Station Eleven, we meet our main character, Hig, in sickness and in mourning, within a world turned upside down by a flu pandemic. In the pages that follow, the reader descends into awe inspiring adventure where over and over again, we discover ourselves as Hig rediscovers himself: through loss and through grief, through love and through the persistent longing for something greater than himself.

Peter Heller, The Dog Stars Quotes: "To multiply the years and divide by the desire to live is a kind of false accounting."

The first thing you’ll notice, and either happily engross yourself in or either have to get through – or – is the literary syntax. Heller effectually pulls the reader into the world of ‘The Dog Stars’ with the language, form and function based upon living inside Hig’s memory for the duration of the book – almost like a kite string, holding the novel together. You feel you, too, have had to deal with sickness from the flu, you too, have had to get your wits back about you and carry on in this new world: this new world without convention mirrored in analogy by the degradation of language and dissolution of formal conversation. Initially taken back, I quickly became enamored by it and found myself playing out the scenes vividly within my imagination.

“Maybe it’s not the meek who inherit, maybe it is the simple. Not will inherit the earth, they already own it.”

Right after finishing the novel, I started scouring the internet – hoping that a film adaptation would be on the way. Which led to a good news, bad news scenario. Back in 2012, ‘The Dog Stars’ was optioned by the company that brought us the Resident Evil movies, German based Constantin Films. Unfortunately, there’s been literally no movement since. All things considered, with a year and a half of an international health crisis still lingering over us – could be an excellent time to toss that project into high gear.

“Is it possible to love so desperately that life is unbearable? I don’t mean unrequited, I mean being in love. In the midst of it and desperate. Because knowing it will end, because everything does. End.“

With his first fictional tale in the books, Heller has gone on to write two more novels – Celine and The Painter, as well as a handful of pieces of non-fiction including The Whale Warriors. A longtime contributor to NPR, as well as a writer for National Geographic, Peter Heller has an exceptional knack for weaving inspiring tales of adventure and resilience, and is sure to make you yearn for the romance of the great outdoors.

For more on Peter Heller, and “The Dog Stars” – head to his social media channels or simply head down to your favorite small book store and snag a copy yourself.

Website

Peter Heller on Good Reads | ‘The Dog Stars’ on Good Reads

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What’s the best post-apocalyptic book you’ve ever read? Let me know in the comments below!

Peter Heller, The Dog Stars Quotes: "Grief is an element. It has its own cycle like the carbon cycle, the nitrogen. It never diminishes not ever. It passes in and out of everything."

[Reading is Sexy] Understanding the ‘Voice of Knowledge’

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“In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.”

– Mortimer J. Adler

When a good book hits you with words you need to hear, it gives one pause and perspective; and often, a necessary shift in mood. For the last few months, I’ve been bouncing between a few books – but nothing that had truly immersed me into it’s literary universe until the other week when I bounded through the last pages of David Brin’s ‘Sundiver’; after several months of investing myself into the characters and plot twists, I had finally made it to the end, fully enthralled in Brin’s ‘Uplift’ sagas. After I make it through any work of fiction, I tend to re-set my mind with a book on the other end of the spectrum – like the natural sciences, psychology, mathematics, etc. As I started pawing my way through my bookshelves on Saturday morning, one popped out at me that I simply couldn’t put down: The Voice of Knowledge from the esteemed don Miguel Ruiz.

“You are alive, and you don’t need to justify your existence.
You can be the biggest mystery in your own story.”

― Miguel Ruiz

I’d read ‘The Four Agreements’ and ‘Mastery of Love‘ some years ago, and had apparently forgotten that I was in possession of the third in the series. If you’ve never heard of any of these before, you’re in for quite the treat. Now, you don’t necessarily have to have read his other books to jump into ‘Voice of Knowledge’, but having some rudimentary knowledge of his other materials provides a nice frame of reference to this one.

Inspired by the Toltec wisdom of his family line, don Miguel Ruiz implores his readers to open their eyes, minds and hearts to a healthier way of handling the world – the one we create inside ourselves, and the external world we live in. In ‘The Four Agreements‘, Ruiz implores on us that if we keep the four agreements in our hearts and in our heads, we will find that life is kinder to us – that the world around us vibrates at a loving frequency, and that we are more at peace with ourselves, more in love with our true nature, if we can establish these four agreements as a psychological baseline for how we interact with the world.

If we are impeccable with our word, we pave the way for concise and clear communication – both externally, and (this is the more important part) internally; being true to our own nature, allows others to be more authentic with us. By not taking anything personally, we don’t allow others to dictate our emotions through their actions (or, inactions). Without making assumptions, we deal with the world as it truly is – not an idealized version of it. Finally, always trying your best means you can wake up and go to sleep every day knowing that you did all you could to be you.

Within ‘The Mastery of Love’, we are reminded that the best way to have a fulfilling relationship is to build a relationship of love with yourself. Once we have acknowledged the need for the ‘four agreements’, the first person we must establish those with is in fact ourselves. By learning to respect ourselves with our own truths, we can embody the ‘Mastery of Awareness’; in becoming spiritual masters of our own realm, we immediately commit to the ‘Mastery of Transformation’. When these two masteries are combined, we engage with the full ‘Mastery of Love’

Finally, we meet ‘The Voice of Knowledge’ – and what an enlightening look at the way we deal with our own personal truths, and our own suffering. As society heads back into a ‘new normal’, I think it’s important to own, understand and hold space for our authentic selves – and reading the ‘Voice of Knowledge’ truly drove that home. When we remove the ego driven ‘voice’ of knowledge that we carry in our head, and commit to living the four agreements – we find a life based on respect, love and honesty. First, that involves respect, love and honesty with ourselves. Throughout the book, Ruiz implores on his readers that we need to be kinder to true nature, and revel in being ourselves.

We were all born with a childlike sense of wonder and amazement in the world, and overtime our personal narratives told us that we weren’t good enough as who we are at our core – from teachers, to family, to friends and strangers in between, each interaction with the world molds us into something we didn’t intend on becoming, and never were. The ‘Voice of Knowledge’ helps us dissolve the ideals placed on us by the world without us, as we start listening to our own spirit once again. We are with ourselves all of the time, it’s important to learn to enjoy that relationship with openness and honesty, and that begins with being honest with ourselves. As we discover our authentic voice, the one that we’ve learned to quiet over time because of the words and actions of others, we can start regaining our personal power and live our lives in truly touch with our spirit and soul.

Are there any books or authors that have helped adjust and shift your personal perspective on the world? Let me know in the comments below! For more on don Miguel Ruiz and his other fantastic books on Toltec wisdom, head to his website or social channels.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Good Reads

“You are divine, you are perfect, but as an artist,
you create your own story and you have the illusion that the story is real.
You live your life by justifying that story.
And by justifying the story, you are wasting your life.”
― Miguel Ruiz, The Voice of Knowledge

[Reading is Sexy] Find Solace in Your Soul with ‘The Art of Happiness’

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“And I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, ‘If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.”

Oh, 2020 – the year that has progressed in time, but seemingly not in anything else. With this year going a way none of us predicted, now (and all times, lets be honest) are an important time to channel our true nature and understand what is blocking us on our path to enlightened happiness.

It’s become easy to lose one’s way this year, where routine and schedule have fallen out from underneath themselves as we try and determine what it means to have a “new normal.” COVID coupled with the inability to travel to new destinations, and I’ve found it increasingly important to delve and dive inward on a personal manifest-destiny of the psyche.

From the esteemed brains of the His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, paired with the intricate introspection and psychological musings of Dr. Howard C Cutler comes ‘The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living.’

Through introspective, open-minded conversation and personal anecdotes – the pair provide a beautifully written manual for understanding, finding and securing your own personal happiness, as well as methods for producing a feeling a oneness with your external world, however chaotic or calm it may be.

As the world spins, we have a choice of either spinning with it or pushing against it, creating friction – throughout this fantastic read, I found bits and pieces of advice, much like the bread crumbs left by Hansel and Gretel, on how to live a more personally sound and fulfilling life. For anyone who is on that spiritual, personal journey – or is curious to delve into it, this book is a fantastic starter manual for a healthier, happier way of life.

As always, I’m going to leave you with some of my favorite quotes from the book; enjoy!

“…there is another source of worth and dignity from which you can relate to fellow human beings. You can relate to them because you are still a human being, within the human community. You share that bond, and that human bond is enough to give rise to a sense of worth and dignity.”

“…the ‘right choice’ is often the difficult one – the one that involves some sacrifice of our pleasure.”

“When life becomes too complicated and we feel overwhelmed, it’s often useful just to stand back and remind ourselves of our overall purpose, our overall goal…turning-toward happiness as a valid goal and the decision to seek happiness in a systemic manner can profoundly change our lives.”

“For our life to be of value…we must develop basic human qualities – warmth, kindness, compassion. Then our life becomes meaningful and more peaceful – happier.”

“….By broadening our definition of intimacy, we open ourselves to discovering many new and equally satisfying ways of connecting with others.”

“…the law of death is that among all living creatures, there is no permanence.”

“If you directly confront your suffering, you will be in a better position to appreciate the depth and nature of the problem.”

“..the root causes of suffering are ignorance, craving and hatred. These are called the ‘three poisons of the mind’.”

“…Unhappiness, I saw then, comes to each of us because we think ourselves at the center of the world, because we have the miserable conviction that we alone suffer to the point of unbearable intensity. Unhappiness is always to feel oneself imprisoned in one’s own skin, in one’s own brain.“

“If we carefully examine any given situation in a very unbiased and honest way, we will realize that to a large extend we are also responsible for the unfolding of events.”

“In fact, the enemy is the necessary condition for practicing patience. Without an enemy’s action, there’s no possibility for patience and tolerance to arise. Our friends to not ordinarily test us…only our enemies do this. So, from this standpoint, we can consider our enemy as a great teacher, and revere them for giving us this precious opportunity to practice patience.”

“It’s the very struggle of life that makes us who we are”

“A tree with strong roots can withstand the most violent storm, but the tree can’t grow roots just as the storm appears on the horizon.”

“Negative mental states are not an intrinsic part of our minds; they are transient obstacles that obstruct the expression of our underlying natural state of joy and happiness.”

Snag your copy today – and Pro Tip: Don’t pay full price on Amazon for a book, you can snag them through a third party retailer for nearly 60% off!

‘The Art of Happiness’: Amazon | Good Reads

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama: Website | Books | GoodReads | Facebook

Dr Howard C Cutler: Website | GoodReads Profile

What books are currently on your nightstand? Let me know in the comments below!

[Reading is Sexy] Wind a Whimsical Web Between Mathematics and Mysticism with Pickover’s ‘The Loom of God’

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the man cave: The Mandelbrot Set & Fractals

“Mathematics is the loom upon which God weaves the fabric of the universe. The fact that reality can be described or approximated by simple mathematical expressions suggests to me that nature has mathematics at its core.”

― Clifford A. Pickover, The Loom Of God

With quarantine still pushing on, and Summer officially coming to a close without anyone getting a real vacation in – it’s important to me to at the very least, explore those things we can still explore. If we can’t adventure outwards, I firmly believe it’s our duty to venture inwards – with all physical and celestial frontiers conquered, to me this is the last sort of true exploration still out there; a sort of ‘manifest destiny’ of the mind, and a conquering of the ego and self as our final frontiers, if you will.

Growing up, I was all about a good detective story a la Lilian Jackson Braun; as I flowed out of high school and into myself, I started finding strength in characters in Danzy Senna’s coming of age tales, the seductive mysteries of Lauren Henderson, or a twisted dystopian view of reality from the likes of Jerry Stahl or Arthur Nersesian. Maybe it’s a symptom of age, or want of information – but now that I’m firmly in my thirties, I’ve noticed a mental shift – I ebb and flow towards books on science, mathematics, religion and philosophy, and haven’t picked up a work of fiction since powering through Richard K Morgan’s impressive Altered Carbon series. After finally making it through Livio’s impressive read on the ‘The Golden Ratio’, I got turned on to (and by) some of the quips that Livio proposed from Pickover.

The Loom of God: Tapestries of Mathematics and Mysticism: Pickover, Clifford A.: 9781402764004: Amazon.com: Books

The Loom of God is part science fiction adventure as you traverse through the history of the world with your partner in curiosities Mr. Plex, part love story as Theano and last but certainly not least – part mathematical and mystical history of the world, and part philosophical conjecture. Throughout, Pickover’s passion for all topics is palpable and oozes through his writing style, as he poetically propels the reader on a journey befit with companions, pesky antagonists in the form of transfinites and a plethora of knowledge on the history of mathematics.

From Mandelbrot Fractals to Vampire Numbers, Logarthimic Spirals to Stonehenge, the history and philosphy of the multiple cultures, and a lovely marriage within the chapters between the science behind the fiction – this is a fantastic read, that’s difficult to put down and easy to digest.

The Edges of Nature | EcoTone: News and Views on Ecological Science

If this Pickover classic piques your interest, take the following books for a spin. Each weaves a unique, and beautifully explained web on the rich and diverse history and culture surrounding mathematics.

Whether you’re remotely into or completely enchanted by either Mathematics, Mysticism or the magical relationships between their two worlds – I couldn’t recommend this book enough. Find the book on Good Reads, snag yourself a copy from Amazon – or simply head down to your local libraries to see if they have a copy to get your mind into. Before I head on my next literary journey, if anyone has any fantastic pieces of fiction to share, please leave some recommendations in the comments below

The Loom of God: Good Reads | Amazon | Local Library

What are some examples of fractal patterns in nature? - Quora
Earth's Most Stunning Natural Fractal Patterns | WIRED
Fractals – Mathigon

[Reading is Sexy] Find Strength in Solitude with Thoreau’s Walden

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“I find it wholesome to be alone the greater part of the time. To be in company, even with the best, is soon wearisome and dissipating. I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.”  – Thoreau

Admittedly, between moving four times across three different states in the last two years and starting up school again at the beginning of the year – I haven’t had much ‘downtime’ to read much. However, in light of recent events, I was finally able to finish Thoreau’s Walden, a book I started before my wedding, wayyyy back in 2017. Around America, 41 states have currently issued either a ‘Stay in Place’ or ‘Shelter in Place’ order – with another 4 deploying the order at a more local level. And we’re all trying to figure out how to adjust to this hopefully temporary new ‘normal’. Whether in comforting or in trying times, losing yourself in the lyricism of a fantastic book is always a novel idea; to be honest, with the current state of the Coronavirus pandemic in the world, I would even consider reading a necessary habit.

An exceptionally poignant read, I finished Walden with a snail’s pace that I’m sure Thoreau would respect, and feel like a better person for doing so; over and over, I have been humbled by the bits of knowledge that it doled out onto me. It’s a dense read, and by that I mean that each sentence is a meal worth truly digesting before moving onto the next – and after every paragraph, you were still left hungry.

Thoreau’s seminal work of Transcendental philosophy, Walden delves into living simply and solitarily, all the while finding personal resolve and strength. As Thoreau chronicles his life at Walden Pond, we’re brought in for an intimate journey of self reliance and societal retrospection on a newly industrialized world. Written originally in 1854, Walden gives a timeless analysis that’s just as important today as it was back then.

What book has helped you in a time of solitude or self-reliance?
Let me know in the comments below!

Some of my favorite quotes from Walden:

“I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” 

“We need the tonic of wildness…At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.” 

“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.” 

“However mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names. It is not so bad as you are. It looks poorest when you are richest. The fault-finder will find faults even in paradise. Love your life, poor as it is. You may perhaps have some pleasant, thrilling, glorious hours, even in a poorhouse. The setting sun is reflected from the windows of the almshouse as brightly as from the rich man’s abode; the snow melts before its door as early in the spring. I do not see but a quiet mind may live as contentedly there, and have as cheering thoughts, as in a palace.” 

“We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aids, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn, which does not forsake us even in our soundest sleep. I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavour. It is something to be able to paint a particular picture, or to carve a statue, and so to make a few objects beautiful; but it is far more glorious to carve and paint the very atmosphere and medium through which we look, which morally we can do. To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts.” 

“If the day and the night are such that you greet them with joy, and life emits a fragrance like flowers and sweet-scented herbs, is more elastic, more starry, more immortal- that is your success. All nature is your congratulation, and you have cause momentarily to bless yourself. The greatest gains and values are farthest from being appreciated. We easily come to doubt if they exist. We soon forget them. They are the highest reality. Perhaps the facts most astounding and most real are never communicated by man to man. The true harvest of my daily life is somewhat as intangible and indescribable as the tints of morning or evening. It is a little star-dust caught, a segment of the rainbow which I have clutched.” 

“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. It is not important that he should mature as soon as an apple-tree or an oak. Shall he turn his spring into summer?” 

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