Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

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

80 reviews

tiffthelibrarian's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

Pretty sure this is the first science book I've ever voluntarily read, and I have no idea how I stumbled into it, but I'm glad I did. Really interesting and Miller is a great storyteller, weaving her personal story into the science of taxonomy.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Forced institutionalization

Minor: Child death

sierrabowers's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

If you like reading about science and taxonomy, this would be a good book for you. If you’re loosely interested, maybe you would as well. I am not interested in these subjects but the way the author tied the subjects into her own story about life and how the universe is not as it seems… well I was interested to know why fish don’t exist. It was good book! Definitely not what I was expecting but it was enlightening and relaxing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Suicide attempt, Car accident, Death, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Racism, Racial slurs, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Slavery, Suicide, Homophobia, Infertility, Pregnancy, Classism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Ableism, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gun violence, Medical content, Physical abuse, and Police brutality

imogenclendinning's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Hate crime, Genocide, and Forced institutionalization

grey_jayne's review against another edition

emotional informative mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

3.75

I think the hype got to me on this one. It's good but I found it too meandering from the central premise at times. I did enjoy listening to it read by the author tho...and how she shared her queerness. Worth checking out.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Medical trauma, Racism, Classism, Colonisation, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, and Mental illness

Moderate: Police brutality

llouise16's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide attempt

Minor: Forced institutionalization and Rape

craftysnailtail's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective fast-paced

4.5

A challenging read, but also an important one. A story that ended up being about topics that I never would've expected based on the synopsis. Many of those topics were heavy and difficult, but I appreciated the way Miller wove them together. The novel felt raw and human in a way that really stuck with me, which was especially surprising with it being non fiction. Also loved how the audiobook ended. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Racism, Genocide, Emotional abuse, and Ableism

confuzzledsheep's review

reflective medium-paced

3.5

If you are not a biologist, or even yet a Taxonomist, and want to reflect deeply on one's own sadness in the story of the author and David Starr Jordan, then this may be helpful for you. As a depressed biologist who's been long disillusioned with the myth of a Sole Genius Scientist and has already had many of the discussions within this book, I will rate it as passing. I found this book lacking in detail on David Starr Jordans life that I expected it to have- furter discussion of the problems with the Holotype model of taxonomy, the sheer brutality of scientific discovery during the time period. This book touches on those, but never gets as deep as it could. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Mental illness, Ableism, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Death

Minor: Domestic abuse, Child death, and Child abuse

satsumaorange's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful medium-paced

5.0

Oh lord, this is the book I needed to read at this point in my life. Miller walks you through a journey out of hopelessness, out of meaninglessless, out of loss. The road of this journey is extensively scientific, relentlessly analytical, and reverent of the world around us. I was brought to tears many many times throughout this book, both from personal experiences with losing love, and from that near-universal human experience of wondering "What's the point of it all?" 
Miller brings scientific history, philosophy, and the remarkable life of David Starr Jordan together to restore hope in a life well-lived on this humble planet of ours. She encourages curiosity, wonder, and critical thinking as the antidote for the all-encompassing existential dread.
This was definitely one of the best books I read in 2023. It came to me exactly when I needed it. It might not be for everyone, if your brain doesn't work in the analytical way mine does, but I truly enjoyed the journey. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Medical trauma

Minor: Infidelity

Eugenics

emmettdakool's review

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Xenophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Forced institutionalization

greywolfheir's review against another edition

informative lighthearted reflective slow-paced

2.5

So many gems of truths people aren't talking about enough wrapped in so much terrible writing and juvenile explanation.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Genocide, and Ableism