Reviews and Comments

Book club choice. It's meh. More of a short story.

I think overall it is an interesting book. It is a self-help/psychology book about mathematics. The core idea is that mathematics needs both imagination and intuition as much as formal thinking and logic. Bessis argues that mathematics teaching doesn't encourage the former and he says that it is counterproductive to think that mathematics is only for some mathematically genius people and that anyone can train to improve in maths beyond what they thought possible to them.

I enjoyed parts of Inflamed Mind: A Radical New Approach to Depression by Edward Bullmore. It is very well written and has some good parts on the history of #psychiatry.

However, I was disappointed by the way he presented his main thesis that inflammation is the main causative mechanism in major depression. His argument isn't very convincing and he doesn't provide evidence that is solid enough to support this. There is also a major straw man throughout the book. Bullmore claims that psychiatry is stuck in Cartesian dualism yet he doesn't discuss the biopsychosocial model and rejects any psychological explanation of depression as stigmatizing. The modern scientific way of thinking about the relationship between the mind and the brain is that all mental operations arise from functions of the brain, including higher functions.

Fortunately, he is careful not to offer false hope or push unlicensed or unsafe treatments on vulnerable patients.

I originally posted this review on my blog: moftasa.net/inflamed-mind

I enjoyed reading her account of her stroke and her idea of tending the garden of one's own mind.

Take away notes:

• Nuclear reactors and nuclear bombs are the same in terms of how they work. One is fast and one is designed to let the chain reaction happen slowly and a reactor has all kinds of rods that go up and down to slow or speed the reaction by absorbing neutrons.
• VVER reactors are safer than RBMK
• Chernobyl never had a core catcher underneath which is structure designed to confine the molten core in the event of a meltdown.
• Engineers who designed Chernobyl has their judgment clouded by their hubris.
• There are different types of radioactive radiation and not all of them are detected by dosimeters.
• People who report feeling the effects of the radioactivity have probably received incredibly high doses. Really bad doses start from 100 rem or 1 Sv.
• The fact that it is invisible threat makes people make all kinds of mistakes in regards to safety.
• The authorities fucked up really bad and attempts to hide the accident from the population and neighboring countries were unforgivable.
• Eastern European countries and Russia have a fear of drafts that is similar to the one described by some family members.
• Despite early attempts at secrecy, the public demand for information both local and international after the accident ushered the policy of glasnost (openness) shortly after the accident. This eventually was part of the events that led to the collapse of the soviet union.
• Estimating the number of deaths due to a nuclear disaster is difficult. Even though 50 people died from acute radiation, the estimates for long term effects ranged between 4000 to 90,000. Not to mention other impacts to health and social effects.
• The area around the reactor won't be safe for human habitation for 20,000 years.

I just can't anymore... sorry. I really tried and now this book is just blocking me from reading.

Struggling to complete it. It seems that I am unable get excited about fungus after all. Will try to read the part about psychedelic mushrooms and that's it.