Reviews tagging 'Genocide'

Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller

16 reviews

asolis's review against another edition

2.5

A mix of memoir, biography, popular science, and a bit of self-help. From childhood, the author is unmoored by her father's nihilistic yet unshakably optimistic approach to life. Here she looks to the life story of David Starr Jordan for perspective. 
The content is primarily dedicated to Jordan's story, whom we come to find is a notably repellent human. The author does a good job of giving us a look under the hood at the story of someone who could be considered a scientific hero, and showing the ugliness of bigotry and white supremacist ideology underneath. But the framing presents this in the context of a memoir, even though Miller is stingy with her own story. That, despite its other strengths, makes the book feel unsatisfying. 

CW: self harm, substance abuse, sexual assault, state violence

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism

Moderate: Medical trauma, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Racism, Self harm, and Murder

adeliab's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Mental illness

Moderate: Murder, Medical trauma, and Ableism

Minor: Car accident, Genocide, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Death of parent, Rape, and Self harm

katyaw's review

adventurous challenging emotional medium-paced

3.0

There are so many content warnings, I lost count. Suicide attempts, infidelity, drinking to excess, racism, depression, nihilism, murder, eugenics, forced sterilization, etc.

The author writes well, but the book really centers on nihilism and human destructiveness in the name of desperately searching for order and comfort in this world. 

I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone sensitive.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Grief, Infidelity, Murder, Ableism, Addiction, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Abandonment and Rape

karaswils's review against another edition

dark emotional informative medium-paced

3.75

I was drawn to Why Fish Don't Exist because of Lulu Miller's work on podcasts like Invisibilia from NPR. I am struck by the sensitivity and compassion she shows for the subjects of her research--including herself.  I was moved to tears a couple of times while listening to it on audiobook. I came away with a greater understanding and appreciation for the contributions of scientists and taxonomists as well as for the miracle of life itself.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Ableism, Genocide, and Mental illness

Minor: Rape

skudiklier's review

challenging dark hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

This book was really good! I had kind of weird expectations going in that made me wary of it, but by the time I got about halfway through I couldn't put it down. It goes a lot of places and has so many really important ideas. I'd definitely recommend it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Genocide, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Racism, Murder, Death, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Bullying, Self harm, Child death, Drug use, Infertility, Infidelity, Homophobia, Body horror, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexism, Rape, and Confinement

Minor: Gun violence, Sexual content, and Alcohol

Eugenics, forced sterilization, r slur And mild/moderate people being eaten by animals

lilasky's review

dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Child abuse