This week, Jeff Popple reviews three books about life, sexism and strange deaths. More of Jeff’s reviews can be found on his blog: murdermayhemandlongdogs.com
Plain Life by Antonia Pont
NewSouth, $34.99
Driven by news reports and social media, anxiety seems to be rampant these days. As Australian academic Antonia Pont notes, it is easy to get the impression that everyone is very anxious. In response to this rise in anxiety and fear, Antonia suggests that it may be better to live a plainer life. Not necessarily a drab or routine one, but one in which we fret less and listen more to ourselves and others. A life that is not consumed by envy and wanting but is plainer and saner and less worrying. Mixing academic reflection with engaging prose, Plain Life is a thought-provoking book.
The New Age of Sexism by Laura Bates
Simon & Schuster, $36.99
Also providing an interesting, and disturbing, reflection on modern society is Laura Bates’ fascinating The New Age of Sexism. Drawing on a wealth of research, wide reading and her own hands-on experiences, Laura examines how new AI-driven technologies are embedding misogynistic views into everyday life. Moving from deepfake pornography to cyber brothels to AI girlfriends and online sexual abuse in schools, Laura paints a worrying picture of the future IT world that is being created in the name of profits. A very readable and eye-opening topical examination that will shock and surprise most people. Highly recommended.
History’s Strangest Deaths by Riley Knight
Allen & Unwin, $29.99
Ironically, providing a lighter tone is Riley Knight’s book about death. Well known for his work on the popular Half-Arsed History podcast, Riley takes the reader on an entertaining journey through the many unusual ways that people have met their end. With a strong focus on the absurd, Riley has collected fifty stories about the strange ways people have died. From the Greek playwright who was killed by a falling tortoise, to the Viking raider fatally bitten by a severed head, to the more recent case of a lawyer who died while demonstrating the supposed toughness of the glass in a skyscraper’s window. Amusing and interesting.
