The Truth About the Drug Companies: How They Deceive Us and What to Do About it, By Marcia Angell, Narrated by Kate Reading. (Read via Audible.com)
This book was a real eye opener was cutting through how the drug companies work. I did not realize how blatant the lack of early innovation comes from these large corporations. Most of the new products that we see today come from original research done by university sponsored by tax dollars.
I find it very odd that these people sponsored by pubic money can sell these patents, then the companies can charge top dollar for them, even though their costs don’t relate at all to the price of the drug. Take the triple-hit aids drug (forget the name) that was released. Its just ‘shocking’, to take a page out of Sean Connery’s book of how much money they made off it.
This book actually goes very well with the fiction book: Chemistry for beginners by Anthony Strong. The reason why is the book presents the story of a Chemist/doctor actually developing a drug (albeit fictional). I can imagine how similar that book to relate to real life.
A thing I found really revealing is the way these people do a minor change to the compound then they get another patent on it, then have another 7-10 years of exclusively market it. I found this especially with anti-depressents. Most SSRI’s are essentially the same, where the placebo effect can be extremely high.
Finally what is most depressing in this book of how doctors get so deeply influenced by the marketing of these drugs, and how selective studies that are done. In more ways we all like to admit. The current drug study system works just as much as people running polls for political campaigns and trying to swing the information either way.
I love this book just for the fact that it forces you to think about the medical system differently. Yes, I do care about people. But I also care about efficiency, and quality.
10/10
The Waxman Report: How Congress Really Works by Henry Waxman with Joshua Green. (Read via Physical Book)
This is not your typical political rhetoric book which I rather enjoyed.
The book is about Waxman’s history of being in congress. Most notably his achievements of some great policy he help put through. Like food labeling, the famous 7 tobacco goons, and many other things.
I could really sense his distain for the number of lobbyists that have invaded the United States political systems. It also showed how the media today does a very poor job of covering what is going on. But then again John Stewart presents that point beautifully on the daily show every day.
The only thing missing from the book was Waman’s honnest opinion of the state of the political system, and giving his opinion where it should progress to, or what the American Public needs to do.
7/10
The Host by Stephenie Meyer, Narrated by Kate Reading (Read via Audible.com)
The book evolves around a time after the human race was mostly taken over by an alien race that are practically parasites. They implant themselves and take over each human body, but they continue living on very much like humans.
Then meet Melanie Stryder, a human that was captured in the wild, had a unique being implanted in her. The Parasite took on the name of Wonderer, however Melanie stayed awake. Although Melanie could not work her body, she could still talk to Wonderer in her head.
The book goes on the journey of Wonderer retracing Melanie’s steps back to one of the rogue underground hideout the humans still had. Then the trials of a rogue parasite living with this faction.
Please use wikipedia, I am not giving this complex plot justice.
On to my opinion.
What a long book. This book weighs in at over 600 pages or about 23 hours of tape. For the second half of the book I played this book on double speed just because there was so much. It took time to get through this book. The plot progressed slow, however I did appreciate the character development and struggles that the entire faction had with this unique thing.
I also did like the inner dialogues that Wanda and Melanie had with each other. It was rather interesting how Wanda struggled with her own identity against Melanie memories and present self.
In the end though, for how long it was, I found it very unfulfilling. Its not that I did not like it. I did. The book really raised and debated some great moral points which I gobbled up. But I could have seen this book much denser, and still could have got all the details in with plenty of room to spare, that’s all.
5/10
Elsewhere U.S.A. by Dalton Conley (Read via Physical Book)
I admit I only picked up this book based on it being physically close to ‘Generation Me’ when I wanted instant gratification at Borders the other day. Sadly I was disappointed. This book only states the blatantly obvious about how America runs today. Meaning how most people don’t have a punch in-out time. they are constantly looking at email etc.
What I do not like about the book is the lack of a strong opinion of the issue other than things are changing. There is no solid clear outlook nor clear data weaved in to back anything. Granted this book gives a very accurate picture of the way people work today, which may be useful to a history major 200 years from now. But for in present time, not really.
for blabbing on for 200 pages only a 4/10
Generation Me by Jean Twenge (Read Via Physical Book)
I picked this up after seeing a reference that Marco made to it. Boy was it a good read. The book dives into the sociology of ‘Generation Me’ Err people who were born from the 80’s to about the 2000’s or so. The key concept presented was the notion of ‘Self’ & ‘Self-esteem.’ Twenge takes a good dive into the numbers of how making students feel good, has very little effect on performance. In some cases it backfires bigtime.
Another great note is how the social dynamics have changed. This generation does not believe in doing anything in groups will change anything. They don’t get how protests change countries. Not to mention voting. Most people I know think voting in a election is just for the president of the united states. They don’t seem to realize there are state governments, local, and even school votes. But what to I know, I only have a green card.
Overall I do have one favorite paragraph from page 136:
In some ways, the shift toward melancholy in young people seems paradoxical: Generation Me has so much more than previous generations—we are healthier, enjoy countless modern conveniences, and are better educated. But Generation Me often lacks other basic human requirements: stable close relationships, a sense of community, a feeling of safety, a simple path to adulthood and the workplace. Our grandparents may have done without television and gone to the bathroom in an outhouse, but they were usually not lonely, scared by threats of terrorism, or obsessing about the best way to get into Princeton. As David Myers argues in his book The American Paradox, the United States has become a place where we have more but feel worse. Technology and material things may make life easier, but they do not seem to lead to happiness. Instead, we long for the social connections of past years, we enter a confusing world of too many choices, and we become depressed at younger and younger ages.
A great book a solid 9/10
Via -marco:
“In her 2006 book, Generation Me, Twenge notes that self-esteem in children began rising sharply around 1980, and hasn’t stopped since. By 1999, according to one survey, 91 percent of teens described themselves as responsible, 74 percent as physically attractive, and 79 percent as very intelligent. (More than 40 percent of teens also expected that they would be earning $75,000 a year or more by age 30; the median salary made by a 30-year-old was $27,000 that year.) Twenge attributes the shift to broad changes in parenting styles and teaching methods, in response to the growing belief that children should always feel good about themselves, no matter what. As the years have passed, efforts to boost self-esteem—and to decouple it from performance—have become widespread.”
— [How a New Jobless Era Will Transform America](http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/print/201003/jobless-america-future) (a great overall article, but for this brief quote, paraphrasing this book)
American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot - By Craig Ferguson, Narrated by Craig Ferguson (Read via Audible.com)
I picked up this book after Carl Reiner plugged his book on Craig’s own show. I have to say I was greatly delighted. First Craig actually recored his own audiobook which gives is much more character. I found it very interesting how he of all people stumbled in after Dave. Fascinating history.
More importantly, I found the book to be very genuine. That Craig as a person, presents the qualities of a a classic good man. Granted he has had his ups and downs, but that is what builds good character.
This book is defiantly one to grab off audible.
9/10
Chemistry for Beginners: A Novel By Anthony Strong, Narrated by Simon Vance & Kate Reading. (Read via Audible.com)
This the defiantly a nerdy love story novel. I picked it up on browsing the Simon Vance’s collection. Its a fun read for the fact that there is so much as John Cleese puts it “Techno Gobbledy Goo.”
This story in a scientific paper type layout, with footnotes and references. The thing is this book presents the opposite of a dry scientific paper. Strong brought tons of color to the paper, by telling the story as a scientific discovery, when it is really about romance. As the late Randy Pausch puts it in his book The Last Lecture, a Head Fake!
The most enjoyment of this book came in the primary character Dr. Steven J. Fisher. The book revolves around his work of developing a new drug formulation called KXC79. The drug’s intention is to treat female sexual disfunction. Fisher is an Uber Nerd. Brilliant as a scientist and really has a bottomless passion for his work.
What I liked so much about him is that he is not the typical portrayed stereotype. Instead he illustrates what a real person can be and would act like. His social interactions are really on spot on how some people live. They really have no barometer for social games. Most signs of attraction or flirting just go way over his head. I too can relate. I was talking to a friend about this type of thing and was just blown away by the complexity of interaction he was talking about. Chase but don’t chase too hard. Cater to different thought processes. You have to give them attention then cut them off, but don’t, then do, only for a little bit. aahhhh-eer-argh-Ahhh! Strong does do a good job mixing it up, specifically how we got to read Ms. G’s diaries. It really is great stuff, especially seeing a situation from both sides.
Anyway, at the end of the day Conan says it best (in many ways) and this books reflects that: “If you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.”
9/10
Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Vale of Work by Matthew Crawford, Narrated by Max Bloomquist (Read via Audible.com)
I picked this one up from a off-hand recommendation by Alex Lindsay when he was on MBW on the Twit Network.
This book is about the lost art of the tradesman in society. Crawford makes a very valid point where the education taught in K-12 today is only to shuttle kids into “knowledge worker” type jobs after college. This more than anything else I have found has changed society the most.
I think only two generations back to my grandparents. They both had workshops in their respective houses. They could navigate their
furnace,
plumbing,
electrical work,
painting,
carpentry,
gardening,
mechanics,
and much more.
We have really moved from being self-sustaining independent people to being hopelessly consumerist. Perhaps thats why advertising is so dominant today. Even the most recognized carbonated beverage maker still spends billions in ad dollars every year. Saddening.
I do relate this book to a talk by Mike Rowe gave (available on TED.com) on his views of works and they go together hand in hand.
The only negative is that the book trails off in the end. It’s not babbling per say. I feel that Crawford really just struggled putting into words how he feels about which collar he wears. To put it in studio terms, He is unsure which is better. Being above the line or below the line.
A great read and was only just under 7 hours.
Solid 8/10
