Book Review (Rucksack): Other Minds

Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness

Written by Peter Godfrey-Smith in 2016

The Raccoon: Science philosopher and scuba diver Peter Godrey-Smith tackles the history of consciousness and what we can learn from cephalopod behavior.

UNMASKED: Other Minds hurts to read.  Such is the nature of any text or person drawing awareness to the complex machines underlying ourselves and the world around us.  During the week I spent working with Godfrey-Smith’s book, I had to process world-changing ideas several times.  I am sure my friends grew sick of the questions I frantically texted to them at random hours of the day (“If life is just chemical reactions that started with single cells, is living matter any different from nonliving matter?” “If you can make decisions without consciously being aware of them, can you have a human without a soul?” “Would we be better off with decentralized brains and more neurons in our arms like octopuses?”)

AND YES, my dear readers, “octopuses” is the correct plural choice (“octopodes” works as well, should you ever desire to piss off an English teacher).  I cannot thank the author enough for explaining the etymology of our many-armed friend and relieving me of my agony.

Despite the many revelations about consciousness and evolution, most of which inspired only helplessness and fear in me, Other Minds is an incredible book.  While we all have the right to be suspicious of anyone who combines “scientist” with any other profession or hobby in his title (science guitarist, scientist chef) Godfrey-Smith proves his expertise by interweaving layered, impactful research; reasoned, detailed philosophy; and clear, relevant underwater photographs.

Strengths:

• Nothing is superfluous; every study and personal tangent adds value to the book.
• Although the book is about “Other Minds,” most of the material ties into our lives and thoughts.

Weaknesses:

• The information is presented in large block paragraphs, making it easy to zone out and lose one’s place.

Rating: 19/20 aliens

Ideal Setting: Read this before your next visit to an aquarium, so that you are not caught off-guard if an octopus escapes its tank or a cuttlefish changes color in complete darkness.

Book Review (Canon): Every Breath

Every Breath

Written by Ellie Marney in 2013

The Raccoon: Rachel Watts, a teenager struggling to adjust to life in the city after her family’s farm is foreclosed, is roped into a murder investigation by the eccentric boy next door.

UNMASKED: Every Breath kicks down the door from the first paragraph, a promise from the author that her novel is a cut above the rest.  Marney brilliantly delivers on this pledge through the last page.  Arriving in many forms--interrogations, puzzles, arguments, actual life-or-death situations--the action remains constant throughout the novel, making Every Breath impossible to put down.

The book’s tagline reads, “What if Sherlock Holmes was the boy next door?”  Thinking I was dealing with a stereotypical teenage romance, in which the love interest is stupidly perfect, I almost refused to buy Every Breath.  Thankfully, I could not have been more wrong.  While Rachel does develop feelings for James Mycroft, the subject of the aforementioned tagline, she must also confront how deeply flawed and reckless he is.  Not a single character in the book is exempt from his/her humanity; all are broken and need one another more than they are able to admit.

Marney’s harsh depiction of reality elevates the audience’s experience of reading Every Breath to living Every Breath, during every breath.  The reader may not always agree with Rachel or Mycroft’s choices; paradoxically, this discordance and my questioning of the characters helped me to truly relate to all of them at various points in the novel.

Strengths:

• Along with reading the entire book twice, I regularly revisit certain favorite scenes, each time feeling the same sparks as I had when I first encountered them.
• The central mystery is incredibly unique and slightly humorous.

• While the teenage characters may make it difficult for adults to appreciate Every Breath, I am unable to find anything wrong with this book.

Rating: 20/20 murals

Ideal Setting: Read this after any kind of rejection.  You are capable, although through questionable means, of achieving almost anything you are truly determined to accomplish.

Book Review (Rucksack): What A Plant Knows

What A Plant Knows

Written by Daniel Chamovitz in 2012

The Raccoon: What A Plant Knows presents a comprehensive body of research on plant behavior, intending to prove that plants actively perceive and respond to their environment.

UNMASKED: The international team of researchers known as The Society of Plant Signaling and Behavior was originally founded as The Society of Plant Neurobiology.  Heavy criticism among the scientific community led the group to change their title in 2009, as many scholars found it ridiculous that the members drew parallels between plant and human cognition.  Whether we can ascribe attributes such as sight or memory to beings other than animals remains a point of contention among scientists, which left Chamovitz with a very difficult line to walk while writing What A Plant Knows.  Ultimately, the author failed in his effort to balance the opposing viewpoints.

Chamovitz begins each chapter with a grand claim, such as, “Think about this: plants see you,” only to spend the rest of the chapter backtracking and explaining why such a strong word should not be used in the context of these organisms.  All of this occurs after the disclaimer, “We can’t equate human behavior to the ways in which plants function in their worlds, but I ask that you humor me…” which I believe is enough for Chamovitz to establish that he does not believe plants are as intelligent or soulful as humans.  There is a constant discrepancy in the book’s tone that undermines its main argument.

Despite Chamovitz’s “insecurities” about satisfying everyone with an opinion about plant intelligence, he is one of the few scientists gifted with the ability to explain layered research and complex experiments to any audience.  What A Plant Knows teaches without lecturing and at times even proves to be enjoyable to read.

Strengths:

• The book is thoughtful in its organization, and the subheadings within chapters make the work easy to comprehend.
• Periodic images and diagrams greatly help the reader to visualize experiments.
• Charles Darwin surprisingly makes an appearance as a pioneer of the plant sensing field.

Weaknesses:

• Certain sections resemble roller coasters whose drops are not thrilling enough to warrant the long climb preceding them.
• A reader passionately interested in this subject will find that there are many areas of plant behavioral research left out.

Rating: 18/20 Venus Flytrap hairs

Ideal Setting: Read this when the world seems a little dull.  So much of our world remains to be discovered.

Book Review (Canon): The Alchemist

The Alchemist

Written by Paulo Coelho in 1988

The Raccoon: A shepherd boy journeys to Egypt to live out his Personal Legend, learning the secrets of alchemy along the way.

UNMASKED: The Alchemist is celebrated as one of the most inspiring works of fiction of all time due to its central theme of following one’s individual purpose.  Santiago, the young protagonist, certainly proves to be an inspiring role model through his unending persistence and undiscriminating kindness.  Yet, while the former has led to critical acclaim, the latter actually composes the core of the story.

The Alchemist is not a tale about pursuing your Personal Legend, nor, although Coelho says otherwise, does the novel reflect the author’s belief that the thing one seeks has been inside of him all along.  The Alchemist is a dissertation on love.

All of these lofty metaphors lead to the actual words on the page being filled with archetypes and cliché conversations regarding wisdom.  However, a strong story keeps the action flowing and the characters grounded enough to make The Alchemist far more than just a sermon.

Strengths:

• Scenes of Santiago connecting to the universe and of him teaching others are amazingly written and worthy of cinema.
• I was left entirely satisfied with the ending and uplifted by the book’s lessons.
• Coelho’s view of love is honest and inspiring.

Weaknesses:

• One of the characters is nothing more than a religious plot device, whose presence detracts from the rest of the novel.

Rating: 17/20 omens

Ideal Setting: Read this if you are ever losing faith in love or spirituality, or when your life depends on your ability to transform into wind.