Mere Mortals Book Reviews

Mar 06 2025 346 ep. 20 mins
Mere Mortals Book Reviews Podcast artwork

Hey we are the Mere Mortals and we review books of all genres/styles but with an emphasis on those that have stood the test of time (the 'classics' if you will). Join us on Weekly live episode on Thurs 11am AEST (Thurs 1am UTC+0) plus bonus episodes from my cohost Juan.

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The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene – Book Review & Analysis

Mar 06 2025 17 mins  
Power is an elusive force, but Robert Greene distills it into 48 strategic laws that have stood the test of time. In this review, I break down the core themes, structure, and key takeaways from The 48 Laws of Power—a book that is equally revered and feared.This isn't just another self-help book; it's a deep dive into historical power dynamics, manipulation, and strategy. From Mac

Interest Is Kind Of Interesting | The Price Of Time (Edward Chancellor) BOOK REVIEW

Mar 04 2025 28 mins  
Out of interest, what price do you put on your time?'The Price Of Time' by Edward Chancellor is a look at interest rates across history and what effects they have had on human behaviour & therefore economic activity. His central argument is that the current rates of interest seen in modern times are too low and have led to distorted & unproductive outcomes. It consists of 3

Love Intrigues & Speculation | The Gilded Age (Mark Twain & Charles Dudley Warner) BOOK REVIEW

Feb 25 2025 39 mins  
Everybody is out for money ... politicians just want yours as well.'The Gilded Age' by Mark Twain & Charles Dudley Warner is a fictional tale of the money, speculation & intrigue of American politics. It has two main branches of the story that intersect. The first is about a cast of small town people who seek out the riches of Washington (Laura, Washington & Col. Eschol

Does Australia Deserve It's Prosperity? | The Lucky Country (Donald Horne) BOOK REVIEW

Feb 18 2025 27 mins  
Unjustified negativity has funny ways of rebounding right back at you.'The Lucky Country' by Donald Horne is a a subjective snapshot of Australian life in the 1960's. Donald creates a depiction of the average person, our way of life, relation to other countries (especially Asia) and the political landscape. He is rather scathing when taken as a whole but seems relatively balanced w

Change Your Lousy Business | Blue Ocean Strategy (W. Chan Kim & Renée Mauborgne) BOOK REVIEW

Feb 11 2025 26 mins  
Surprisingly, if you appeal to tired & worn out people it might just reflect in your own work.'Blue Ocean Strategy' by W. Chan Kim & Renée Mauborgne is a business strategy book promoting the idea of moving away from a contested core business to less competitive greener pastures. Highlights several companies that have done this and why they were successful. Plenty of graphs

Fighting Anarchy With Chaos | The Man Who Was Thursday (G.K. Chesterton) BOOK REVIEW

Feb 04 2025 29 mins  
To save the world you must be first willing to burn it.'The Man Who Was Thursday' by G.K. Chesterton is a short fictional novel of a policeman who joins a 7 person high ranking cabal of anarchists to stop their evil ideology. He begins to learn that their are allies amongst the enemies & enlists their help to take down the behemoth ringleader Sunday. It's set in 1900's England

The Art Of Translation | My Analysis Of Two Books Side By Side

Jan 28 2025 33 mins  
How much meaning is lost when you are reading a translation?Today is a special episode where I am going over my findings from reading 'O Alquimista' in the original Portuguese and it's English translation side by side. I found that although the grammar prompt some differences the biggest effect was stylistic choices by the translator. This includes minor things like cutting out wor

An Arduous Battle Against Cancer | The Emperor Of All Maladies (Siddhartha Mukherjee) BOOK REVIEW

Jan 21 2025 36 mins  
No easy wins and only tough decisions.'The Emperor Of All Maladies' by Siddhartha Mukherjee is a dense history of cancer throughout the centuries but particularly the 20th. Details breakthroughs in prevention, cure, chemotherapy, surgery, genetics and knowledge/understanding. Told from an American POV so largely uses stats from there whilst also showing how it is a global problem.

How To Indirectly Pick Up Girls | Day Bang (Roosh V) BOOK REVIEW

Jan 14 2025 47 mins  
We're hitting the streets and looking for pet shops!'Day Bang' by Roosh V is a how to guide on meeting girls during the day. In particular he advocates for starting casual chats (where the girl doesn't initially realise you're hitting on her) in cafe's, book stores, retail outlets and on the street. He lays out his strategy for the elderly opener, dropping interesting bait about yo

Turning Obstacles Into Opportunities: Lessons from Ryan Holiday

Jan 10 2025 33 mins  
 I explore insights from "The Obstacle is the Way" by Ryan Holiday, highlighting key lessons on persistence, action, and overcoming challenges. The discussion delves into Stoic philosophy, personal growth strategies, and actionable advice for navigating obstacles with a positive mindset.(00:00) - Introduction: Persistence Defined(00:33) - Book Learnings: "The Obstacle is the W