Marshmallow’s reviews

Marshmallow reviews The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson

Today Marshmallow is writing about The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson, a climate future novel originally published in 2020.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you care about the environment and enjoy science fiction, then this is the book for you!

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): The book starts in 2025 (five years after the book publication date) with a horrific heat wave in India. Frank May, an American volunteer helping support the locals in rural towns, witnesses one of the worst atrocities of the century and barely survives the fatal conditions. Afterwards, he is left permanently haunted with the memories of burning bodies in a boiling lake.

The great Indian heat wave is just the first of many natural disasters to come. To protect the world from the dangers of climate change, a new UN body is chartered to help fulfill the Paris Agreement: the newly dubbed Ministry for the Future. It serves to represent the peoples of tomorrow and all the unborn generations that will have to contend with the repercussions of climate change today and onwards.

Unfortunately, they were too late to save India from the heat wave. So India takes matters into its own hands. Spraying sulfur dioxide into the skies, India mimics the aftermath of a volcanic eruption to block the sun’s rays from reaching its people again. This helps lower temperatures by a bit but not enough. The truth is undeniable. Time is running out.

Mary Murphy is the head of the Ministry for the Future and is thus tasked with the impossible task of fixing climate change. Together with her international team of scientists, economists, lawyers, and advisors, she must develop strategies to combat and prevent the worst effects of global warming – both latent and potent. They start with the glaciers and the Arctic. Dyeing the sea water yellow, scientists speculate that the heat from the sun will be reflected back into space and decrease the rate of warming. Soon, the entire Arctic sea is a repulsive yellow; yet, it works and more time is bought for the world. Researchers struggle to get funding for a glacier-saving project and eventually figure out that they can slow the rate of disappearance by sucking out the meltwater from underneath the ice.

There are so many intricate details and fascinating theories presented in this book that force you to reckon with the sheer scale of our climate situation. Throughout the book, Mary and Frank take action into their own hands in different ways in different places. Woven throughout the book are the narratives of other characters that weave into a larger epic. In The Ministry for the Future, you will learn just how terrified you should be of what is to come so you understand how critical it is for us to start acting now.

Marshmallow is reading The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson. — Marshmallow is reading *The* *Ministry for the Future* by Kim Stanley Robinson.

Marshmallow’s Review: I think Vox Magazine’s Ezra Klein summed up this book best, “If I could get policymakers, and citizens, everywhere to read just one book this year, it would be Kim Stanley Robinson’s The Ministry for the Future… Robinson is one of the greatest living science fiction writers.” I wholeheartedly agree. While I cannot attest to the scientific soundness of his proposed methodologies, I believe he offers us a wider view of the creativity we will need in order to survive this climate catastrophe as a species and as a planet.

You start this book and are immediately shell-shocked by how terrifying things are likely to get. The first couple of chapters leave their mark and I do not think younger bunnies would be able to get through them. (Caramel was curious but the first chapter stopped him in his tracks.) As such, I think this is an excellent book, but probably only for bunnies older than 14.

In the rest of the book, you see the realistic struggle of policymakers and researchers working to fix the environmental damage humans have caused. It was very frustrating to see up close how slow action is being taken. However, it is also very disturbing that Robinson seems to believe that change will only truly come if there is rampant ecoterrorism! More realistically, he proposes that there is no silver bullet; we will need an entire spray of arsenals aimed at the plethora of problems before us.

The Ministry for the Future does a fantastic job of showing us just what situation we have gotten ourselves into and the possible ways out. That said, this is not a book that is very easy to read. There are one hundred and six chapters and the whole book is around 563 pages. This is not necessarily a problem until you realize that his writing style is something you need to adjust to. Once in the rhythm of reading it, his prose is very enjoyable and envelops your entire focus, giving your senses exactly what is necessary to paint the perfect picture in your mind. He has little excerpts of poetry-like paragraphs describing the perspective of things like sun rays, carbon, caribou, history – inanimate things or creatures we normally do not consider the emotions or thoughts of. I found this fascinating. He also writes certain chapters like they are the minutes from a meeting or inserts random experiences from unnamed characters whose stories tie into something mentioned before or after the chapter. I adjusted to his style and deeply enjoyed it but that does not mean it was easy. On the contrary, this might have been the hardest book I’ve ever read. It is long and the style can be a bit arduous at times. Not to mention, the vocabulary is advanced, to say the least, and references to obscure economic and historical terms are ever-present. Expect to reach for your phone or a nearby dictionary every few paragraphs.

I really do think The Ministry for the Future is excellent. But I would have really liked to see him write another version that is more accessible. Perhaps one day he will consider writing an easier-to-read version of the book that younger children and teens could comprehend quicker. So many wonderful and inspiring ideas and concepts and stories are told here that could help encourage the change we need. But, because of the caliber of literary prose here, it is almost completely inaccessible to anyone who isn’t a dedicated reader or already an environmentalist. I love the environment and reading, and even I almost couldn’t make it to the end. This is coming from someone who has regularly read books over 500 pages and found this to be a very enlightening book.

I think the quality and message and ideals portrayed in it make The Ministry for the Future a book that everyone should read. I just hope he makes a more accessible version so that everyone can truly absorb his ideas and embrace his message. Right now, I worry that those invaluable stories are kept hidden within the pages of this book.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 99%.

Marshmallow rates The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson 99%. — Marshmallow rates *The Ministry for the Future* by Kim Stanley Robinson 99%.

Marshmallow reviews Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers by Leonard Koren

Today Marshmallow is reviewing Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers by Leonard Koren. Originally published in 1994, this book is widely viewed as the first publication that introduced Western audiences to the Japanese wabi-sabi aesthetic. Marshmallow read the revised 2008 edition.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books about Japanese culture, Zen philosophy, or art in general, then this is the book for you!

Marshmallow’s Summary (without Spoilers): This book serves as Koren’s definition for the wabi-sabi aesthetic, something he believes should never be defined. For context, he even says this explicitly at the start of the book. He states that the aesthetic has an intentional “History of Obfuscation” because of its Zen Buddhism roots, the iemoto system of Japanese trade, and aesthetic obscurantism (which is the practice of obscuring the full details of something to hide its nature). These big words make sense to the reader eventually though as he provides a paragraph of explanation for each cause. Overall, these three factors have long left wabi-sabi as a nebulous feeling, a set of aesthetic ideals that Japanese people have struggled to put to words or have purposefully not done so. Koren argues that this is for the best or it was in the past. However, wabi-sabi is an endangered way that he believes now requires a more rigid definition. After all, if people – artists, designers, poets, philosophers, and even ordinary people in general – cannot identify what makes something wabi-sabi, it is surely doomed to be lost.

Koren traces the history of the aesthetic back to the sacred ceremonies of the famed and wise tea master Rikyu. He allegedly began using homely, imperfect pieces in his tea-making process, something that was an oddity at the time. In the pre-Rikyu period, the ceremonies were filled with elaborate, ornate pieces of the Chinese aesthetic. In contrast, Rikyu created a uniquely Japanese style that focused on “the rustic, the simple, the artless, the unsophisticated.” Eventually, though, these pieces became viewed as even more valuable. But, as Koren explains, they then lost their wabi-sabi qualities.

This exemplifies what the wabi-sabi aesthetic really values. It is the “most conspicuous and characteristic feature of what we think of as traditional Japanese beauty” despite being very focused on “the idea of not being conspicuous at all.”

Tracing the origins and meanings of the words ‘wabi’ and ‘sabi,’ Koren defines wabi-sabi to be the aesthetic that focuses on three fundamental truths: nothing lasts, nothing is complete, and nothing is perfect. In some way, this also means that everything is in a state between the creation and destruction of something or, in another way of reasoning, everything is in the process of becoming something or becoming nothing. Nothing in itself is viewed as an opportunity for something and something is an opportunity for nothing.

It is all very complicated sounding, but Koren does a good job of spelling it out for all readers. With some quiet time and contemplation, this book offers us a way to prevent “the extinction of a beauty” that Koren’s work seeks to preserve.

Marshmallow is reading Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers by Leonard Koren. — Marshmallow is reading *Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers* by Leonard Koren.

Marshmallow’s Review: I found Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers to be a fascinating analysis of this Japanese aesthetic. Wabi-sabi became somewhat of a trend online a little while ago and this book is a really good way to embrace and deepen one’s understanding of what wabi-sabi actually means. The internet trend associated with it is adorable and really meaningful! This book is a perfect way to explore the cultural significance it holds in Japan though. Koren analyzes the historical origins, how it developed over time, and how it is still somewhat present today.

I think reading Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers not only gave me an understanding of the aesthetic itself. It also showed me more about what the ideals and beliefs behind much of Japanese and Zen culture are. This is a really good experience to have for all bunnies because it really gives you good time to think about the thoughts of the tea masters from millennia ago and provides a moment of peace where you can think about quieter, natural philosophies that are so distant and distinct from much of the media we consume today. Finding that moment of calm in this book was a really valuable time and I would highly recommend reading this book – if not to learn about the aesthetic – to take some time to think about philosophy, life, and nature deeper.

Images are placed throughout the pages in black and white stills that hint at what wabi-sabi looks like. They are rather ordinary yet strange looking things but they give you a sense of the aesthetics meaning. I found that the book’s brevity and its accompanying images do a really good job of leaving you with a feeling of calm and a greater appreciation for the wabi-sabi things in life. While I’m not going to change my entire aesthetic, I think it is worth thinking about imperfections and the sometimes boringly simple as beautiful. In such a complicated world, books like this one give us time to return to another world when tea ceremonies and wabi-sabi were new, reopening our imaginations to see a whole new perspective.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers by Leonard Koren 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers* by Leonard Koren 100%.

Marshmallow reviews Atomic Habits by James Clear

Today Marshmallow reviews Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear, published originally in 2018.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books about self-improvement and starting small, then this is the book for you!

Marshmallow’s Summary (without Spoilers): The book starts off by describing Clear’s own experiences with habit building. As a star baseball player, getting injured as a teenager was devastating for the author. But through methodical, mindful cultivation of healthy habits, he managed to get back on a new path that led him to where he is today. Now an expert in life-style advising and habit-building, he promises this book is a compilation of different advice he’s found from various sources all with a common core: they are changes you can make from Day 1 that will create long term fulfillment.

Throughout the book, Clear emphasizes the significance of small change creating larger differences in life. He rejects the notion that you must make drastic improvements to see any change in your quality of life. Rather, he argues that human behavior follows simple patterns that respond to stimuli, both positive and negative. He teaches that controlling stimuli is a more effective, easier way to control your behavior than simply depending on will-power alone. After all, as he points to a study of people with high levels of self-restraint, they are not mentally stronger — they expose themselves to temptation less. Along this general premise, he offers four main ways of making and instituting new atomic habits in your life.

In the long run, Clear promises, making a minute good choice everyday will exponentially improve your life. In a concisely simple yet detailed manner, Clear explains a new plan for change, one that relies on using human psychology to your advantage rather than fighting against it.

Marshmallow is reading Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear. — Marshmallow is reading *Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones* by James Clear.

Marshmallow’s Review: I found Atomic Habits to be a very useful book. I’ve wanted to institute certain habits (daily yoga and journaling and meditation) in my life for a while now but never really actually got around to doing it. Reading this book not only reminded me of the atomic habits I wanted to add, it taught me how to do so. Clear’s advice about habit grouping (placing positive habits one after another to make them routine) and redesigning your workspace for success were particularly helpful to me. Overall, even though I haven’t yet utilized all of his tips, reading them has given me a better understanding of how human and bunny psychology might influence my everyday behavior which has made me more conscientious of my choices. This alone is a reason to read this book because everyone can always benefit from mindfulness!

I really liked Clear’s writing style as well. He doesn’t add embellishments which keeps this a very clean, organized book that serves its primary purpose: being an informative instruction manual for atomic habit changes. The author seems to be a modest guy from his writing voice, which makes the book feel more honest and less self-glorifying than some other self-help books. I especially liked how the book has very comprehensible graphs and diagrams that you can look up online afterwards as well. There are several relevant tools on the book website that add on to the book content too which I thought was cool.

All in all, I found Atomic Habits to be a very good self-improvement book, one that cuts out the fluff and tells you what you want to know off the bat.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones* by James Clear 100%.

Marshmallow reviews Almost Identical: Two-Faced by Lin Oliver

Earlier this year, Marshmallow read and reviewed Almost Identical by Lin Oliver, the first of a series of books recommended to us by one of our readers (thank you again, you-know-who-you-are!). Today she is talking about Two-Faced, the second book of the series, published in 2012.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books about family, friendship, or middle school drama, then this is the book for you!

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Charlie Diamond just got invited to the party of the century but her twin sister Sammie didn’t. Ever since they came to their new middle school, Charlie and Sammie began to grow apart; Charlie was immediately drawn to the popular, rich SF2 group while Sammie found a home with the nerdier, geekier Truth Tellers. The division between the social groups is rather stereotypical except that the two sisters are now on opposite sides. They’ve worked it out pretty well after the first book, but the invite reminds them of this separation again and things start to unravel soon after.

Lauren–the richest, prettiest, and most popular girl in school–is Charlie’s new best friend but can’t bother to study with her for their upcoming history final. Because of her bad grades, Lauren is banned from attending the big party which is the biggest tragedy she’s experienced. As a naturally sympathetic friend, Charlie feels horrible for her and she’s slowly persuaded by her friend group to help Lauren get a good grade through shady means. Charlie is faced with the classic dilemma of sticking with her morals or doing what she knows will get her further acceptance by the popular group.

Sammie is initially blissfully unaware but eventually realizes that Charlie is struggling with this decision. As almost identical twins and tennis partners, they are two halves of the same circle. Keeping secrets creates fractures though and Charlie finds herself in the midst of classic middle school suspense, drama, and excitement while also holding herself to her father’s competitive expectations in tennis.

To get a scholarship for college, she and Sammie need to win; to win her crush’s heart, she needs to not mess up. To not mess up her social life within the popular circle, she needs to keep secrets. But, as one expects, keeping secrets is never a good idea and the web of lies eventually untangles before her. Luckily, her sister and friends are there for her! Still, there are some things that friendship and family can not fix and Charlie learns far more about life than she first expected when she received that initial party invite that started it all.

Marshmallow is reading Almost Identical: Two-Faced by Lin Oliver. — Marshmallow is reading *Almost Identical: Two-Faced* by Lin Oliver.

Marshmallow’s Review: I found it interesting that the book started off rather classically with a cliche “should I do something bad to become popular?” dilemma but transformed into a more unique story. I was surprised that the ending was not very simple. I expected there would be a sudden happy ending and, even though it seemed for a while that there was a set-up for that, things ended well but in a realistic way.

I found it interesting that the people in the book were not walking stereotypes without dimension; both jocks and nerds are presented with more depth and character. I applaud the author for adding good characters in both social circles. I liked how Sammie also kept Charlie grounded when the richer kids began rubbing off on her and giving her a skewed sense of perspective. I think the author also did a good job of establishing that all of the characters are flawed but fundamentally good people, something most coming-of-age stories do not always accomplish; often, individuals are representative of one specific trait that is either positive or negative and that is the extent of character development.

I will say that I was a little disappointed that justice was carried out unfairly (I can’t say much more without spoiling) and that the book ended with an ambiguous message. The moral of the story kind of implies that it is okay to break rules and go against what you know is right as long as the people you do it for are still nice to you after. I think it is important for young bunnies to learn that you should have boundaries you set for yourself that you will not cross for any relationship, regardless of how much you care about the other individual. I understand that circumstances influence decision but this book does (SPOILER) kind of let Lauren get away scot-free with cheating on a history test while Charlie ends up being punished by the school.

Academic violations are not a joke and the fact that the book kind of glosses over the fact that Lauren and Charlie stay good friends without Lauren ever owning up to her own guilt allows that unhealthy relationship dynamic to remain. Charlie ends up being prosecuted by the school (luckily not expelled at least) while Lauren just says sorry to her privately and gives her gifts as an apology. She is sweet but that doesn’t mean that it is okay for her to keep quiet and let Charlie take all the blame, especially since the reason why Lauren cheated was because she was too lazy to actually study herself.

I’ve written about this a lot because I do not think this was a very good handling of the situation because ultimately Lauren chooses herself and Charlie stays loyal to her, reinforcing a hierarchical dynamic that might reflect their respective economic positions (Charlie’s father works for the sports club owned by Lauren’s parents). It might be a realistic situation but I think it should be highlighted by parents giving or teachers assigning this book to young readers. I found that aspect to be unsatisfactory. Charlie doesn’t end up getting most of what she wants except for a sweet romantic moment; one should interpret this as a warning but this once again reinforces the idea that it is okay to succumb to peer pressure because–hey, you might get in big time trouble and almost get yourself and your sister kicked out of school but–you will eventually get the guy!

Charlie is content at the end of the book even though the book does do a good job detailing the repercussions of her actions. I think this contradiction is worth thinking deeper about. This is overall a very good book. I think there are just some mixed messages on the surface that should be looked at closer to see the fuller message: you can make a mistake and still be happy but you will still lose some of the things you want.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 95%.

Marshmallow rates Almost Identical: Two-Faced by Lin Oliver 95%. — Marshmallow rates *Almost Identical: Two-Faced* by Lin Oliver 95%.