Sweet Enlow

I recently read Christopher Hitchen’s Letters to a Young Contrarian and, needless to say, I was (like most all Hitchen’s stuff) extremely stimulated.  I tend to be an asshole a large majority of the time, thus the fact that this book was based around Hitchen’s belief that one has to live “at an acute angle to society” appealed directly to me. 

I am by no means a book critique for the NYT that will give you some Über-intellectual analysis, but I do know for a fact that I can pick winners – meaning that I have the ability to recognize a great product.  As with most Hitchens books/articles, this book is a clear example of the author’s desire to be a powerful polemic, and he undoubtedly succeeds in creating a winner with this one.

To briefly give you the highlights, Hitchen’s book is about dissidence and the need for one to embrace it.  He poses this basic question throughout the book, “why do people feel like they have to be apart?”  I have asked myself this question many times during arguments and have never really formulated a great answer.  Clearly being apart is safer, and in some cases more powerful, but I don’t personally feel like it’s the most satisfying way to live life.  Certainly you lack any type of uniqueness.  Thus, if one does happen to be in realm of individuality with their opinions, one should embrace rather than fear their solitude – consensus is not necessarily the highest good (Hitchens). 

Obviously being a “Contrarian” revolves around argument.  The book’s most powerful theme I feel is summarized in this quote, “In life we make progress by conflict and in mental life by argument and disputation.”  This book completely changed my approach to the idea of arguing.  Often times with close family and friends, I would simply cut the thread on arguments because I was uncomfortable and did not like creating tension between the people I loved – leave that for the people I already did not like.  Now, however, I embrace it (as all should) because if the argument is carried out appropriately, it will leave each side changed for the better – whether that sharpens the original or causes one to change their opinion.  “Only an open conflict of ideas/principles can produce clarity… it may be painful, but painless solutions do not exist.” 

I want to state for all my friends that the reason I argue is that if I allow you to believe in a ridiculous proposition, then, eventually, you will cease to be my friend at all.  I think everyone can relate to this either through friends or girlfriends/boyfriends.  Different beliefs/approaches to life are always the catalyst for a relationship to end.  Luckily, I have not reached this point in any of my close relationships, but, unfortunately, I am sure I will. 

That being said, always listen to the other sides argument… Ignorant and Stubborn is no way to go through life

Regardless, It’s a great book and its short… so no excuses Easley

Hitchens

I just finished my latest book entitled The Score: The Science of the Male Sex Drive by Faye Flam and most of it was outstanding.  I say most because there are some instances (in a number of chapters) where Flam concentrates, I feel, too much on other animals sexual habits and fairly technical science prose. In these particular instances, it fails to keep the interest of the reader.  Not really surprising though considering Flam attended California Institute of Technology [CIT] where the mean SAT is 1600 (I heard).

A couple of very thought provoking topics/sections/statements I thought would be entertaining for my viewers and hopefully stimulate some interests

• Flam speaks in depth about testosterone and provides some great information.  A few key points:
  • Testosterone drives both male and female’s sex drive.  I have repeatedly made this point to women who think its taboo to have even a hint of the hormone.  Flam points out that women should embrace having testosterone and maybe even want more…
  • Additionally, Flam states that “while the testosterone coursing through veins right now might influence your sex drive, your health, and your mood, even more important may be the testosterone floating around when you are in the womb.  It’s then that our bodies are shaped into little boys or girls and, as scientists argue, sex hormones are also sculpting our developing brains” (84).  This is a tremendously powerful statement.  This reiterates the importance of proper parenting beginning at conception, but in this instance, instead of “partner reading” aloud to the mother’s stomach or something else ridiculous like that, it revolves around eating appropriately (see paleo/primal) and exercising appropriately i.e. no endurance running………sorry marathoners.  It’s should not be a shock that the importance of Primal living affects every stage of our life.
  • Trivial fact, but some scientists claim that men particularly can tell how much testosterone they produce by looking at the relative length of your ring finger in comparison to your index finger.  The average man has an index finger about 96% as long as the ring finger.  Essentially, the greater the ring finger length relative to the index the better….
    • Sidenote…My ring finger is substantially greater than my index… holler
• In regards to promiscuous women, Flam states that men “prefer for relatively chaste women because it helps men avoid the evolutionary trap of raising someone else’s offspring” (104).  I don’t think I really need to expand on the obvious social norms this has created, but it just shows there is an evolutionary reason for everything.  We don’t have to worry about that anymore because of DNA testing etc…, but that has come about in last couple decades.  This preference has been evolving for at least a couple hundred thousand years.
• In addition, “women didn’t evolve the same distaste for men who have slept around, and if anything, it piques a woman’s interest in that particular guy when the woman discover others want him” (104).  Not to blow my horn here, but I made the exact same statement in my “hedging for relationships” post.  Womanizers are intriguing…. No doubt about it
• Flam also writes a lot about the famous pick-up artist Mystery and some of his techniques.  One of them is entitled peacocking (coming from the peacocks beautiful tail attracting mates) where, essentially, the male dresses in a way that demands an explanation.  That could mean they look ridiculous – goofy hat, makeup, platform shoes (but they are not joking; this is Mystery’s technique), or they dress really well, or, conversely, they dress like they don’t care.  No matter the way, they stand out and catch attention. 

These topics are literally 5% at most of the pages I have earmarked throughout the book; Like I said, it is a good book.

For those who don’t know already, this book is about the study of evolutionary psychology – one of the most fascinating academic fields going I think.  Here is the dictionary definition “The study of the psychological adaptations of humans to the changing physical and social environment, especially of changes in brain structure, cognitive mechanisms, and behavioral differences among individuals.”  It is very new (40 years approximately) and always progressing.  Though there is still quite a bit of debate throughout the academic community on particular issues like homosexuality, but they can generally explain in a consensus why humans do just about anything

I got really interested in the topic of Evo. Pysch. my freshman year of college and have read a ton about it since.  However, if one is interested, these books are, in my opinion, without a doubt the best for beginners

1.  The Moral Animal by Robert Wright… one of the most informative books I have ever read.  Wright is one of the leading scholars in the field

http://www.amazon.com/Moral-Animal-Science-Evolutionary-Psychology/dp/0679763996/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254436458&sr=1-1

2.  Sperm Wars by Robin Baker … very trivial (in a good way) and entertaining… I was shocked much of the time

http://www.amazon.com/Sperm-Wars-Infidelity-Conflict-Bedroom/dp/1560258489/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254436582&sr=1-1

3.  Why Beautiful People Have More Daughters   by Miller and Kanazawa… very basic but probably the best book to start out with… it didn’t get the best reviews but I thought it was awesome

http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-People-Have-More-Daughters/dp/0399534539/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254436643&sr=1-1

Lastly, Steven Pinker, out of MIT, is considered probably the number one scholar in the field and I have read his book The Blank Slate.  However, it was extremely technical, but powerful nonetheless.  It’s like a 700 page book so you have to get your mind right for it.  Either way, consider it.

If you know me, you know I am an avid reader.  I mentioned in my “about” page that I average about one book a week – pretty good considering I have taken an average of 20 hours per semester during the entirety of my college career.  I just find that I internalize the material so much more when it is my choice.  I realize this isn’t some novel idea, but I do think it is an underappreciated practice in modern education. I recently read in the NYT (I think) where one particular high school is allowing students to pick the books of their own choice and then have the teachers instruct the class accordingly (this is a pretty terrible synopsis of the program, but one gets the idea).  I personally feel like this would have stimulated my desire to learn so much more in high school.  However, this is all beside the point.

I just finished Dan Brown’s latest novel, The Lost Symbol.  As most know Dan Brown has written the ridiculously popular Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons.  He has also written Deception Point and Digital Fortress.  I have read three of the four novels.  Every time I read I find myself becoming incapable of putting the book down.  His style of literally forcing the reader to turn the page to “find out what’s next” is addicting (it also becomes obnoxious at times I feel).  Either way, his latest book doesn’t disappoint in that aspect.

The book is a great read.  It is extremely easy and entertaining and at one point I literally found myself saying out loud “shut the fuck up!!!!” because it was that much of a surprise.  However, the final conclusion of the thriller was somewhat disappointing. I honestly cannot give a legitimate reason as to why.  It did not make me “feel” the way the rest of the novel did.  In addition, Brown always seems to have some sort of religious conspiracy revolving throughout his stories.  I enjoy the parts of the Da Vinci Code and A & D’s where he mocks some of the ridiculousness of the organized religions, but in the Lost Symbol, he seems to blatantly proclaim that God is a necessity of life etc… it is somewhat difficult to explain, but hopefully this will spark your interest.  Either way, Brown knows how to get readers to buy his books and turn the pages.  Always entertaining and full of interesting facts, Brown does not disappoint for a recreational read.  Check it out.

I would love here what other people’s opinion of the book are and, particularly, what they think of his religious overtones?!?!?!