Review: Recovery by Russell Brand

Russell Brand has made a serious effort to redefine what an addict is – no longer simply a drug user or alcoholic, he insists that ‘addiction’ can cover any behaviors which can be detrimental to our well-being. Thus, it can include social media use, poor relationship choices, or the obsessive desire to be more and do more before we are happy with ourselves; to be workaholics or narcissistic. Once you see addiction through this lens, it becomes evident that the world we live in is geared towards addiction, and that we may all be affected more than we suspect.

I may not be addicted to hard drugs or alcohol, but upon reading Recovery, I realized that there were many aspects of my life that could be improved using The Twelve Steps, particularly as Brand explains them. As Brand admits, many people see the programme as having religious connotations, or being exclusive, and so prevent themselves from participating in activities that could lead to their recovery. I thought much the same. However, Brand (as an unreligious person in the traditional sense) points out that, as problems differ for each person, so too does our concept of a higher power, or what it means to make amends, or how we go about helping others.

Brand’s key explanation, as I understood it, is that we are all connected through this experience that is life, and would all do well to be mindful, to give and receive love, and to work towards helping others, in order to better our own experience. This is both noble and inspiring. The world could certainly do with more love and acceptance, and this does not need to be dictated by your status or your religion, simply by your desire to be your best self, and to help others achieve the same goal.

Brand does a great job of writing about the programme, and not his addiction – while he gives examples for context, there are no morbid details of past horrors, which I admire. This gives the book a decidedly adult feel, and clearly exhibits Brand’s desire to help others while working on his own narcissism – he avoids the easy route of celebrity tell-all, and provides instead a meaningful experience to be shared.

Undoubtedly Russell Brand has his faults (as we all do) and he is gracious enough to admit this himself, but his willingness to help others, and his patience in doing so are clear and heartfelt. While it directly discusses the Twelve Step Programme in detail, it can also be read – as I did – as a general guide to living a fulfilling, peaceful life. So even if you think you have no addictions, give it a read. You may learn something wonderful.

Recovery by Russell Brand is published by Pan Macmillan

Review: How to be Human by New Scientist

How to be Human is officially the ultimate learning experience. Think textbook, but you’ll actually want to read it. Mind-blowing is perhaps the easiest way to describe the adventure that is this book. The sheer level of expertise, evident through the meticulous research and many contributing writers (each specialists in their field) make it sexy. New Scientist has done a great job of compiling their best articles on human nature, biology and society into a single, beautiful collection.

Learning has never looked this good, seriously. Each chapter features articles concerning a wide range of topics from why our minds wonder, to the pheromones that make us attractive to others, the reason we form habits, and why we show emotions. Ever wondered why we cry, dream, lie or show empathy? Read this and find out. Similarly, prepare to discover the working behind introverts and extroverts, and the subtle differences in brain mechanics and chemistry between the genders. Basically, human beings are extraordinarily complex beings riddled with mysteries. Yet this book exposes myths about society, explains social aspects you’ve always wondered about, and expertly makes sense of previously unknown and oft-pondered questions of what makes us us. For every random question you’ve ever wondered about your brain and body – including those deep shower thoughts – here is an answer.

Mesmerizing facts and information aside, the style of the writing in How to be Human is equally attractive. Filled with witty banter and sly humour, the writers certainly make facts fun.

Go on, learn something, demystify your life, and impress (or annoy, there’s a thin line) others with a myriad facts about why and how we do what we do.

How to be Human by New Scientist is published by Hachette Books, and is available in South Africa from Jonathan Ball Publishers.

Review: Mythos by Stephen Fry

You want to read this book. This way, you’ll be regaled by tales of the gods, through the creation of the world (over, under, and terra firma). You’ll get that pesky who’s your daddy stuff down pat (hint: it’s nearly always Zeus), get the chronology of the three orders of gods right (note: Aphrodite is the oldest of the Olympians) and have a damn good time doing it. You’ll struggle not to read everything in Stephen Fry’s voice, but let’s be honest, that’s not at all a bad thing. 

Intricate, detailed, and humourous, these are the Greek myths as you've never seen them before.

Mythos was such a great adventure into the many possible explanations of life, the universe and everything, and yet it was strangely comforting. Here, you learn one version of how man came to be, through being sculpted in clay and brought to life, only to have their creator suffer, horrors unleashed by the first human female, and later an almighty flood which aimed to wipe us all out entirely. In addition, there’s the constant theme of Zeus’ lusty and often hilarious conquests. Mythos has a little bit of everything, literally. The correlation with many current religious beliefs inspires a sense of pride in humanity’s power to tell tales, especially the seemingly unbelievable great ones.

If you’ve ever been a fan of Stephen Fry, you already know that he gives a sassy, intellectual feel to anything he discusses. No different here. Mythos is an arresting read, filled with witty jokes, banter, and surprisingly honest yet thorough footnotes. Fry has an ability to make ancient history feel contemporary, exciting and sexy. Bet you never thought you’d read a sentence like that, eh? The eternal applicability and relatability of Greek myths is perhaps what makes them stand the test of time, seemingly always relevant, with worthwhile moral stories, to boot. Yet Fry’s take on these well-known myths goes a step further; you want to continue reading. If only classes taught about Zeus and his many lusty adventures from a source as delightful as this book. In case I am being too subtle, I call for my old Classics teacher at varisty and his brethren to include this book in their syllabus.

I dare you not to love all things (Greek) mythological after reading this.

Mythos by Stephen Fry is published by Michael Joseph, an imprint of Penguin Random House. 

Review: Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo

I’ve always believed that we should strive to learn something new every day; without a bit of knowledge, the day is wasted. My mother taught me that. Today, with the help of Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls, I learned a few things, all about women of significance.

Favilli and Cavallo (with the help of crowd funding) have presented an important piece of literature for ‘rebel’ girls of any age. Featuring 100 amazing women, each with a beautiful illustration and quote from the lady in question, this will open your eyes to the enormous contributions of women born from as early as 69 BC, to those as recently as 2007. Covering a myriad professions and topics, from athletes and scientists, to activists and tattoo artists, the authors show that the accomplishments of women are widespread, and bend to no stereotype of pattern.

The triumphs of the women included teach resilience, strength, grace, power, and intellect. From Cora Coralina who wrote poetry all her life, only to publish a book at the age of 75, to Kate Sheppard, who helped women in New Zealand attain the right to vote, or Mae Jemison, the first African American women in space, this book is bursting with success stories with firm moral foundations.

Empowering is an insufficient word to describe the effect of this book. It is mesmerizing, beautiful and vital, particularly for young girls who’ve yet to choose their paths.

Despite wanting to keep this book for myself, filled as it is with amazing factoids about brilliant women from across the globe, and throughout history, I am going to gift it to my nieces. That way, I’m spreading the love and showing two more young girls that women can do anything, and that the important work of other women has not only allowed them a present which is filled with possibility, but a future which can be unpredictably bright.

Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo is published by Particular Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House.