"The Devil You Know" by Gwen Adshead

A powerful book and a difficult one to read. I can’t do better than the blurb for summarising it:

"Dr Gwen Adshead is one of Britain's leading forensic psychologists. She has spent over thirty years providing therapy inside secure hospitals and prisons for violent offenders. Whatever her patient's crime - serial homicide, stalking, arson - she helps them to better know their minds. Case by case, she takes the reader into the treatment room and reveals the complex and vulnerable humans behind these acts of terrible violence. These are stories of cruelty and despair, but also change and hope. The Devil You Know speaks to our shared humanity and makes the case for compassion over condemnation, empathy over fear."

And it does exactly that. There is no attempt to lessen the awfulness of the things that these people have done, nor provide excuses or justifications, or attempt to explain away or diminish any of the crimes. It is easy to cast people as monsters who are guilty of these things, but there is a rich vein of humanity running through these stories that provide an additional perspective.

There is also a lot of background about the criminal justice system, and the role that mental health issues, and mental health support and treatment play in it - including the irony that it is often only in prison that many of these people have access to the mental health support that would have benefited them prior to committing their crime.

The author’s accounts of the interviews and discussions with each offender provide a fascinating insight into the depth of training that a forensic psychologist brings to this work. Each story has glimpses of the author’s adept skills at navigating a narrow pathway that will encourage the offender to talk openly about often troubling and emotional times in their lives, from their childhood to the time of the offence itself. The stories are also personal and candid, as the author recounts times when she has misstepped or made decisions or drawn conclusions that in retrospect could have been better.

The awakening of insight and self-knowledge in people who have committed the most heinous of crimes is movingly told. And this has had an emotional impact on me as I examine my own reactions to these stories. By far the most difficult to read was of a man who had sexually abused his two sons - and the fact that the broad mix of emotions of horror and disgust that I had when reading that story also included some compassion for the perpetrator is difficult for me to process. This will stay with me for a long time.

My rating: ★★★★★

“Quarantine Notes: Aphorisms on Morality and Mortality“ by Yahia Lababidi

I don’t really have a frame of reference for reviewing this. I’m not familiar with Lababidi’s works, nor aphorisms in general, but I found this collection inspirational. My thoughts are more eloquently summarised in the Afterword by Andrew Benson Brown:

Yahia Lababidi […] somehow manages not to be trite or shallow in his appraisals, and even to be the opposite. His wisdom has an ancient quality that speaks to the present about its future.

…and…

This book […] encourages one to contemplate brevity by quarantining Lababidi’s sayings, mirroring the condition of their creation. Lababidi himself puts it in a way that nicely reflects the volume’s organization: “Aphorisms are the sushi of literature.” A large bite, carefully prepared by a master chef, delicately savored. Wrapped in white space like rice, each piece’s placement on the page helps cleanse the palate like a slice of ginger, preparing one for the next bite. Though readers will inevitably douse their sushi in the soy sauce of their peculiar, accidentally-acquired prejudices, the author would encourage light dipping so as to not overwhelm the natural flavor of each insight.

Lababidi is clearly very spiritual, and this comes across in many of the aphorisms. While I wouldn’t necessarily describe myself that way, I found that even those aphorisms that had an overt spiritual nature still spoke to me in a way that I found relevant.

I took a long time to read this, as I wanted to savour each morsel. And I’m glad I did. And I will almost certainly revisit it.

My rating: ★★★★☆

“Knife” by Salman Rushdie

This is an immensely personal, intimate, moving, and powerful account of 13 months in Salman Rushdie’s life. On 12 August 2022, when he is about to start a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution, a man rushes onto the stage an attacks him with a knife. This almost claimed Rushdie’s life, and cost him the sight in one eye. The book charts 13 months of the physical and emotional impact of this attack on Rushdie and those in his closest circles of love and friendship. His account of the incident, and the impact it had on his physical health, his wife and family, is eloquent and moving.

The book is divided into two parts. The first part deals with the attack itself, and the aftermath of hospitalisation and rehab. The description of the attack is intense and immediate, and feels immensely personal. The second part is reflective on Rushdie reclaiming some sense of normality, and trying to find some perspective for the incident and its ongoing impact on his life.

I knew very little about Salman Rushdie before reading this - beyond the fact of the fatwa issued in 1989 for his death, due to the content of his book The Satanic Verses. And it was the long tail of that fatwa that, ultimately, and obtusely, resulted in the knife attack. Rushdie draws on his knowledge of history, politics, art, literature, and philosophy to try to bring meaning and context to what has happened to him.

It’s difficult to find fault with such a personal, honest, introspective - and, ultimately, engaging and well told - account.

Thank you #NetGalley and Random House UK / Vintage for the free review copy of #Knife in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: ★★★★★

NetGalley Review

“Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers” by Mary Roach

A fascinating, if slightly outdated, exploration of all the things that can happen to human cadavers: from anatomy classes for students studying medicine, to investigating the efficacy of vehicle safety systems, to the various ways people ingest human remains, to their ultimate disposal.

“Mary Roach is an American author specialising in popular science and humour”, according to her Wikipedia page, and that’s exactly what you get here - a well research look at what could potentially be quite a dark subject, but treated with just the right amount of humour and occasional well-pitched irreverence.

There’s some fascinating insight here into both current and historical uses of cadavers. It’s only a shame that the book is slightly dated now, having been originally published in 2003, so some of the descriptions of “upcoming” advances in areas covered by the book are now over 20 years out of date (although I’d be fascinated to know how things have progressed).

My rating: ★★★★☆

"Dictionary of Fine Distinctions" by Eli Burnstein

This is a fun and quick read, but unfortunately I found it patchy and unsatisfying.  Perhaps my expectations had been set too high by similarly styled books that offer a more rigorous treatment of their subject.  This is difficult to review, because I’m not sure that the book even knows what it is.  On the cover it is a dictionary, and inside it describes itself as a “synonymy” and an encyclopedia.  The words “dictionary” and “encyclopedia” imply a level of rigor, completeness and organisation that the book isn’t really pretending to have (and as far as my limited research goes, “synonymy” refers to the state of being synonymous, so can’t even be used to describe a book in that way).  If anything, I guess it’s a collection, a ragbag, a miscellany, an assortment… if only I had some kind of dictionary where I could distinguish between those words and choose the right one.

The book bounces between different levels of detail: straight out of the gate there is a very terse comparison of “emoji” vs. “emoticon” followed by a surprisingly complex discussion of the foam in various types of coffee.  For some of the brief explanations of words that I was already familiar with, I sometimes found myself thinking “I’m sure it’s more nuanced than that”, and then found that there were extra details in the endnotes that added more clarity - and it’s not clear why those weren’t integrated with the main text.  And there is a mixture of concepts (envy vs. jealousy, ethics vs. morality, shame vs. guilt) and things (leggings, tights, pantyhose and stockings) with no apparent ordering or organisation.

There are certainly plenty of “Aha!” moments, and it did have that quality of drawing me in by offering me “just one more…” before I put the book down.  And the illustrations are whimsical and nicely drawn.  This would be a great book to occupy yourself with while you’re on the toilet - but I feel that that’s not much of a recommendation for a book.

Thank you Edelweiss, Union Square & Co., and the author for the free review copy of Dictionary of Fine Distinctions in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: ★★★☆☆

"Chernobyl: The Fall Of Atomgrad" by Matyáš Namai

This graphic novel beautifully and concisely depicts the events surrounding and following the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster.  It is short, but intricately told, with a pitch perfect balance in the storytelling of bureaucratic failure, technical detail, unsung heroism, and the impact on the immediate and ongoing lives of those involved.

The art style uses a limited palette of of muted blues and yellows, presumably as a mark of respect to the region, as well as being an expressive stylistic choice.  The overall effect seemed reminiscent of the Constructivist style (at least to my untrained Western eye), which felt appropriate, and I really appreciated.

The storytelling moves effortlessly from being direct, punchy and sometimes shocking, through to gentle, pastoral and almost poetic in places. 

Overall this is an incredibly accessible, evocative and, in places, moving retelling of the Chernobyl disaster.  I was pleased to see historical and technical experts credited, giving me confidence in the accuracy of what is portrayed.  I only wish that I had had something like this when I was at school - and then perhaps I would have spent more time studying history.

Thank you #NetGalley and Palazzo Editions for the free review copy of #Chernobyl in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: ★★★★★

NetGalley Review

"Billy No-Mates: How I Realised Men Have a Friendship Problem" by Max Dickins

I so wanted this to be a good book, but ended up with very mixed feelings.  The author, Max, is getting married, but doesn’t have anyone to pick as Best Man.  Thus begins an odyssey exploring friendship - specifically the friendships largely experienced by men(*).

On one level, this is a book about the problems of loneliness and lack of close friendships.  There are some real issues here - for example when someone’s friendship group consists mostly of people from work, local clubs, or as parts of friendships with other couples that their partner largely manages.  There is a real issue of loneliness that can be experienced when life changes remove these friendship groups (leaving work, moving home, breaking up with a partner).  And for many people, the maintenance of friendships outside of these contexts is something that doesn’t come naturally, and therefore is often missing.

Some of the reasons for these crises are explored, and the book is very well researched, with extensive footnotes and endnotes, and features conversations with experts in every area.  There are some genuinely perceptive observations about the nature of friendships, and the issues some people find in initiating and maintaining them.  There are some very good examples of organisations that exist specifically to address these issues (for example, the various ‘sheds’ initiatives).

There is a lot of insight here, and I could relate to a lot of what was discussed.

The other side of the book is the author’s personal journey through his own friendships.  This is told through the lens of trying to identify a best man for his upcoming wedding, and works as a vehicle to explore the issues I’ve mentioned above.  But at the core of it, this feels like a “my diamond shoes are too tight” problem, as it turns out that Max has a significant circle of friends that he’s just fallen a bit out of touch with - there are 150 guests at his wedding.  The search for a best man also acts as a story arc that tries to bind the book together, with the inevitable happily-ever-after ending.  As the book came to a close, I found this to be glib and smug, as the author almost lords his newly rejuvenated group of friends over the reader.

So a mixed bag of useful insight and smug self-satisfaction.  At the end of the book I ended up feeling worse rather than better, which I think means that the book seriously missed the mark.  The 3 stars are for the genuinely useful content.

(*) I'm not going to comment on the gender issues here.  I suspect that many people will identify with the type of friendships the author is describing in the book.  The author also attempts to address this in a paragraph “A Quick Note from Max” at the beginning of the book.

My rating: ★★★☆☆

"The Psychopath Test" by Jon Ronson

This is an absolutely fascinating book from the investigative journalist Jon Ronson - a glimpse into his journey into what it means to be a psychopath. It starts when he almost gets sued for defamation after getting quoted in the press, ignorantly referring to someone as “quite psychopathic.” This leads him on a journey of discovery, from the accepted measurement and definition of psychopathy, to meeting various people who have been, or could be, diagnosed as psychopaths.

The writing is incredibly engaging, and the stories of the various people he meets range from the shocking, to the poignant. Stories and quotes are used to great effect to illustrate characteristics of psychopathy that he’s discussing. For example, when discussing one psychologist’s experience:

She was interviewing a psychopath. She showed him a picture of a frightened face and asked him to identify the emotion. He said he didn’t know what the emotion was but it was the face people pulled just before he killed them.

The pursuit of a definition of psychopathy leads Ronson to the PCL-R checklist - the titular “Psychopath Test”, devised, used and taught by Ron Hare. Ronson attends a course on the PCL-R and then goes about, armed with it, to try to find some psychopaths of his own - with a specific interest in the extent to which CEOs and other people in power exhibit the same psychopathic signs.

Unsurprisingly, he finds some.

Along the way, Ronson learns about the categorisation of mental disorders, and the “DSM-IV-TR” - the canonical text book listing all recognised mental disorder (all 374 of them). He meets a diagnosed psychopath in Broadmoor Hospital (a high security psychiatric hospital); he discusses some of the eccentric and radical treatments for psychopathy in the mid 20th century; he meets the ex-leader of a far right military group from Haiti; he talks to the one time CEO of Sunbeam in America, responsible for laying off hundreds of people and consequently turning several communities into ghost towns, and he spends some time with someone who believes he is the Messiah, returned to save humanity.

It’s worth bearing in mind throughout the book that this is investigative journalism and not science - and Ronson doesn’t pretend anything else. This kind of material could easily have descended into something resembling a freak show, but Ronson has doesn’t do that - the subject and the people involved are all portrayed with respect and sensitivity. It’s a fascinating glimpse into this world, and Ronson is an engaging and interesting narrator.

It’s worth remembering, though, that these are cherry-picked stories to allow Ronson to tell a story, and to paint a broad picture of his journey investigating psychopathy and various related mental disorders. But this itself is knowingly referenced when Ronson recounts a conversation he had with Adam Curtis, a fellow documentary maker:

‘We all do it,’ Adam was continuing. ‘All journalists. We create stories out of fragments. We travel all over the world, propelled onwards by something, we sit in people’s houses, our notepads in our hands, and we wait for the gems. And the gems invariably turn out to be the madness - the extreme, outermost aspects of that person’s personality - the irrational anger, the anxiety, the paranoia, the narcissism, the things that would be defined with DSM as mental disorders. We’ve dedicated our lives to it. We know what we do is odd but nobody talks about it. Forget psycopathic CESs. My question is, what does all this say about our sanity?’

Perhaps. But it makes for compelling reading.

My rating: ★★★★★

"Twas The Nightshift Before Christmas" by Adam Kay

Short but excellent set of stories from Adam Kay’s time as a junior doctor. This selection from his time doing Christmas shifts.

I read the first third of this book and listened to the audiobook for the remainder, narrated by Adam Kay himself. While it’s nice to hear the voice of the author, his comedy timing doesn’t do justice to the material, so I’d actually recommend reading the book.

Nice short read for the festive season!

My rating: ★★★★☆

"Doppelganger" by Naomi Klein

For me, this is a difficult book to review. The author has some important, insightful and well researched observations about the behaviour of significant sections of the population that I have previously found bewildering and difficult to comprehend: conspiracy theorists, deniers of various kinds, and those that would liken minor lifestyle inconveniences with the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis. However, the book felt in places like a disjointed ragbag of ideas that were loosely (sometimes very loosely) tied together by the Doppelgänger theme - a theme that often felt slightly forced, or crowbarred in to justify talking about a particular topic in the context of the book.

Given the disjoint nature of the book, I was also left unsatisfied regarding any overall conclusion. The suggestion that we should work together, rather than as individuals, to address many of the problems we are currently facing seems shallow and weak - especially compared to the depth and strength of some of the issues covered, and the detail with which they have clearly been researched.

After reading this book, I do feel like I have more insight behind what might be driving some mass behaviours that I otherwise found incomprehensible - but I don’t know where that leaves me. I certainly don’t feel any better equipped, nor more hopeful - so I feel I may have missed something.

Thank you #NetGalley and Penguin Press UK for the free review copy of #Doppelganger in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: ★★★☆☆

NetGalley Review

"Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art" by James Nestor

I was hoping for much more science-based, actionable information in this book. Use of the word ‘science’ in the title is misleading if you’re hoping for that. The author was part of a scientific study, and he shares his experience with that, but that’s where any notion of the scientific method ends.

Certainly a large take-away from this book is “breath through your nose” (albeit with only anecdotal support), but I already do, so that was of passing interest only to me. The rest of the book was superficial and anecdotal stories of a variety of breathing techniques and exercises - which, while interesting, lack the depth and background to be life-changing. Perhaps this is unsurprising, given the author is a journalist rather than a medical practitioner.

Overall, a disappointment.

My rating: ★★☆☆☆

"The Illusionist Brain: The Neuroscience of Magic" by Jordi Camí, Luis M. Martínez

For me, this book was a book of two halves, and a missed opportunity. About half of the book is about how the brain works, covering various aspects of cognition and memory; and about half the book is about magic. Sadly for me, the link between the two wasn't especially strong, and tended to be discussed in generalities, lacking details in specific examples. I also found the presentation quite dry, and the language unnecessarily verbose in many places (although this could have been due to the translation).

My rating: ★★☆☆☆

"Man Who Tasted Words" by Guy Leschziner

This is a fascinating insight into the senses and how their operation can go wrong. Not only does the author explain the medical details of how the senses work, and fail, but also discusses the impact such failures can have on the quality of life of those affected. The case studies are always fascinating and sometimes moving, where the impact on some of the patients’ lives has been intolerable. Throughout the book the author presents a sensitive balance between medical detail and the heartfelt human interest.

My rating: ★★★★★

"When the Dust Settles: Stories of Love, Loss and Hope from an Expert in Disaster" by Lucy Easthope

This book is absolutely compelling, and I finished it within 24 hours. Lucy Easthope writes with such warmth and humanity, while tackling death and loss in high profile disasters that I was already familiar with. The importance of expertise such that Lucy has in disaster recovery is so clearly communicated - and is something I hadn't previously considered. I suppose it's unsurprising that I hadn't considered this before, given the uphill struggle that Lucy describes in the book time and time again, as she tries to put processes and procedures in place in government, and other official contexts, that will ease the lives of victims friends, families and communities for years to come. It is heartbreaking towards the end of the book to see that some of the progress that Lucy made earlier in her career has been eroded by cuts from successive governments - but Lucy's warmth and hope shine through, throughout the book. Thoroughly recommended.

My rating: ★★★★★

"Bibliomaniac: An Obsessive's Tour Of The Bookshops Of Britain" by Robin Ince

An amiable book about an amiable book tour. It carried me along for the ride nicely, and made me want to see Robin Ince again next time he’s touring.

My rating: ★★★☆☆

"Quite" by Claudia Winkleman

I like Claudia Winkleman, and was hoping for some depth… for I’m sure she has some. And while the chapter on art was passionate, and the chapter on Strictly was heartfelt, the rest (what I managed to read) felt shallow and lazy, and with disappointingly little insight.

I really must break my habit of hoping for the best with celebrity autobiographies and the like.

My rating: ★☆☆☆☆

"This Much is True" by Miriam Margolyes

I always start celebrity autobiographies with such hope. And Miriam Margolyes appears to be such an interesting and quirky character when you see her in TV and film that I was looking forward to finding out about her life. And while the course she has taken through life does have its interesting turns and diversions, this is ultimately a list of achievements and anecdotes from someone who is relatively privileged. And while there is nothing wrong with that, it doesn’t make for an especially engaging read.

My rating: ★★★☆☆

"The Secret Language of Cats" by Susanne Schötz

I had high hopes that this book would provide some insight into cat communication, and perhaps some additional understanding of cat behaviour. I was disappointed that the book is focussed on the analysis of cat vocalisations - precisely what they sound like - with much less insight about what they mean. The research seems to be anecdotal based on a small number of cats that the author is familiar with, rather than based on broad studies. Overall I was disappointed and skimmed most of the book.

My rating: ★☆☆☆☆

"In Your Defence: Stories of Life and Law" by Sarah Langford

I found the insight that this book provides on the role of the barrister, and the real and profound impact a barrister can have on the lives of those they represent, fascinating and moving. Sarah Langford’s compassion comes through in every story, and my only regret is that she is no longer a barrister.

My rating: ★★★★★