Mere Mortals Book Reviews

Kyrin Down & Juan Granados
  • 4.7 (12)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Semiweekly

Hey we are the Mere Mortals and we review books of all genres/styles but with an emphasis on those that have stood the test of time (the 'classics' if you will). Join us on Weekly live episode on Thurs 11am AEST (Thurs 1am UTC+0) plus bonus episodes from my cohost Juan.

  1. 2d ago

    The Iliad by Homer: Rage, Glory & Why This Ancient Epic Still Hits Hard | Book Review

    Most people approach The Iliad expecting the Trojan Horse. Instead, they find something darker: a story about wounded pride, uncontrollable rage, brutal violence and the moment vengeance finally gives way to pity. In this review, I break down Samuel Butler’s translation of Homer’s epic, the feud between Achilles and Agamemnon, Hector’s terrifying presence, the petty interference of the gods, the oral tradition behind the poem, and whether a modern reader should actually tackle this ancient monster of a book. 00:00 — An Ancient Epic in My Hands 00:42 — The Samuel Butler Translation 01:03 — Did Homer Actually Write The Iliad? 02:23 — What Is an Epic Poem? 03:05 — This Is Not the Trojan Horse Story 03:40 — Achilles, Hector and the Gods 04:53 — How This Edition Structures the Story 06:15 — The Core of The Iliad: Rage 07:33 — Achilles Loses Everything 08:19 — The Gods Are Petty as Hell 09:49 — Violence, Nature and Ancient Imagery 11:41 — The Sections I Fast-Read 13:19 — The Power of Oral Storytelling 15:00 — The Brutality of Battle 15:43 — Hector Smashes Through the Gates 17:29 — No Simple Villains, Only Human Beings 18:13 — Honour, Glory and the Heroic Code 19:03 — Should You Read The Iliad? 19:22 — The Odyssey Review Is Coming Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFq Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

    20 min
  2. Thoughts Influence Your Character | As A Man Thinketh (James Allen) BOOK REVIEW

    6d ago

    Thoughts Influence Your Character | As A Man Thinketh (James Allen) BOOK REVIEW

    I was wrong and I admit it .... this is the real OG self help book. Today I dive into James Allen’s 'As a Man Thinketh' (paired in my edition with From Poverty to Power) and it still lands today. It's short, punchy and refreshingly non-woo-woo with clear calls to personal responsibility, character-building and right thought leading to right outcomes. I read standout quotes, reflect on how its agnostic tone (with light biblical echoes) keeps the focus on self-mastery and share how it inspired me to become better. I also highlight where From Poverty to Power lost me (preachier with some outlandish claims about illness and sin) while acknowledging Allen’s hard-earned optimism given his tough life story. Overall verdict: skip Poverty To Power, but As a Man Thinketh is a timeless, motivating read that influenced Hill, Peale and Carnegie.  If you got value from the podcast please provide support back in any way you best see fit! Timeline:  (00:00:00) Intro (00:02:16) Core premise: thoughts shape character and outcomes (00:05:40) From Poverty to Power: preachiness and sermon feel (00:13:22) Author profile: James Allen’s hard‑earned optimism (00:16:12) Overall take: the real OG of self‑help (00:18:39) Value for Value, feedback and support (00:19:27) What’s next: upcoming reviews and schedule  Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFq Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

    20 min
  3. Gaming In The OASIS | Ready Player One (Ernest Cline) BOOK REVIEW

    May 27

    Gaming In The OASIS | Ready Player One (Ernest Cline) BOOK REVIEW

    What happens if the game really is better than real life? In this episode I dive into 'Ready Player One' by Ernest Cline and explore whether a virtual paradise can outshine the messy real world. I outline the OASIS, the 80s-saturated Easter egg hunt and the Gunter vs corporate showdown then share why the novel’s early gritty realism hooked me but later lost its footing as coincidences piled up and the real world became improbably rosy. While the tech flourishes feel contemporary and the ride is undeniably fun (especially for gaming and 80s pop-culture tragics) the lack of deeper philosophical bite kept it from being more than entertaining sci‑fi for me. I touch on Cline’s screenwriter sensibilities and how the book’s cinematic qualities likely helped its rapid path to film.  If you got value from the podcast please provide support back in any way you best see fit! Timeline:  (00:00:00) Intro (00:04:19) Big theme: Choosing virtual worlds over a broken reality (00:09:06) From gritty realism to full fantasy stakes (00:11:49) Why the ending undercuts the books premise (00:14:17) Author focus: Ernest Cline, screenwriting vibes (00:16:55) Verdict: a fun 6/10 for gamers and 80s fans (00:17:20) Closing and ways to support the podcast (00:18:26) Live schedule and what is next  Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFq Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

    20 min
  4. Life & Death Battles Getting Silly | Dungeon Crawler Carl (Matt Dinniman) BOOK REVIEW

    May 21

    Life & Death Battles Getting Silly | Dungeon Crawler Carl (Matt Dinniman) BOOK REVIEW

    Are you entering into the dungeon?  In this episode of Mere Mortals Book Reviews, I dive into 'Dungeon Crawler Carl' by Matt Dinniman, a fast-paced RPG romp that mixes real-world apocalypse with game-show chaos. I share why this was the perfect palate cleanser after some drier reads, how the humour lands (crude, clever and consistently fun) and what makes Carl and his imperious feline companion Princess Donut so engaging as they descend through deadly, rule-laden dungeons watched by an intergalactic audience. I touch on the book’s setup: Earth flattened and repurposed into a subterranean dungeon, humans given a stark choice to enter or struggle topside and reflect on the “would you go in?” dilemma. Expect comparisons to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy in premise vibe (but with very different humour), thoughts on the world-building quirks, and where I’m at with committing to a six-book series. Final verdict: a brisk, entertaining read that hit the spot for escapist fun 7.5/10 and I’m keen for book number two. If you got value from the podcast please provide support back in any way you best see fit! Timeline: (00:00:00) Intro (00:03:41) Carl and Princess Donut (00:06:08) Gags, dry vs absurd humour and running jokes (00:08:43) Would you enter the dungeon? Personal reflection (00:13:15) Author notes, community and Reddit mentions (00:15:24) Summary, rating 7.5/10 and sign-off  Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFq Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

    16 min
  5. Boy Did I Remember This Wrong | Think And Grow Rich (Napoleon Hill) BOOK REVIEW

    May 19

    Boy Did I Remember This Wrong | Think And Grow Rich (Napoleon Hill) BOOK REVIEW

    The classic self-help book is a bit different than I remember.  In Napoleon Hill’s 'Think And Grow Rich' I discover it’s not quite the book I remembered. I walk through what still shines—its optimism, self‑analysis prompts and the motivational push that helped me as a younger bloke to build self‑confidence, set goals and act with intention. I share the quotes and practices that I used to use as inspiration for growth. Then I dig into the doozies: dated claims, sciencey overreach, baldness-by-hat myths, telepathy talk, name-dropping and a tendency to state opinions as facts. I contrast Hill’s inspiration-first approach with more modern, evidence-based self-help and explain why I’d now recommend reading it with a strong filter. Take the useful 50% and discard the rest. I wrap with some context on Hill himself and why timing likely supercharged the book’s impact post-Depression. Timeline: (00:00:00) Intro (00:02:55) Core promise: riches, goals, and optimism (00:04:25) Personal history: how the book helped in early 20s (00:09:16) Turning defeat into advantage: key quotes and reframes (00:12:35) Persistence, ambition, and study outside work (00:16:01) Where it falls apart: pseudoscience and bold claims (00:22:55) Name‑dropping, experts and borrowed authority (00:25:02) The Wallis Simpson example and selective narratives (00:28:25) Author profile: grift vibes, success without substance? (00:32:12) Final verdict and how to read it: keep half, discard half  Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFq Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

    36 min
  6. Fossil Fuels To The Rescue | How The World Really Works (Vaclav Smil) BOOK REVIEW

    Apr 29

    Fossil Fuels To The Rescue | How The World Really Works (Vaclav Smil) BOOK REVIEW

    Just how reliant are we on fossil fuels ..... well it turns out a lot!  'How The World Really Works' by Vaclav Smil showed me just how much we still need petroleum and coal to make plastics, ammonia, concrete and steel. So they're not going away any time soon. If you got value from the podcast please provide support back in any way you best see fit!  Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFq Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

    22 min

  7. Apr 21

    Coco Chanel: Genius, Myth & The Cost of Reinventing Yourself

    After a short hiatus, I’m back with a paired review of The World According to Coco and The Little Book of Chanel. Truthfully, neither book is extraordinary on its own. But together, they open a far bigger question: what does it cost to reinvent yourself so completely that the myth becomes more powerful than the person? In this review, I explore Coco Chanel’s brutal beginnings, her obsession with uniqueness, the creation of Chanel No. 5 and the little black dress, the moral ambiguity of her wartime years, and the deeper tension beneath it all — greatness, ego, loneliness, and whether success is worth the price. Timestamps 00:00 – Back After the Hiatus 00:25 – The Two Chanel Books I Read 01:05 – Why This Review Is About Perspective, Not Just Facts 02:11 – Honest Verdict: Are These Books Actually Worth Reading? 02:54 – Coco Chanel’s Harsh Origins 04:09 – She Didn’t Just Build a Brand, She Built a Myth 07:06 – Where the Name “Coco” Came From 08:23 – Self-Creation, Status and the Modern Social Media Parallel 10:30 – Chanel No. 5 and the Simplicity of Genius 12:41 – The Little Black Dress and Designing for Movement 13:57 – The Better Chanel Biographies to Read 14:50 – Was Coco Chanel a Nazi? 18:02 – The Quotes That Reveal Her Character 23:19 – The Final Question: Was Greatness Worth the Solitude? 25:16 – Closing Thoughts Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast  Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFq Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

    26 min

  8. Mar 24

    Can AI Solve Everything by 2035? The Case for Abundance

    In this episode of Mere Mortals, I review Solve Everything: Achieving Abundance by 2035 by Dr Peter H. Diamandis and Dr Alexander D. Wissner-Gross, a bold manifesto arguing that AI could give humanity the capability to solve nearly every major problem within a decade. I break down the article’s moonshot vision, the idea of directing intelligence with precision, and the hard truth that culture, government, and human inertia may still trap us in the muddle. 00:00 Intro 00:49 The promise of abundance by 2035 01:10 Who are Peter Diamandis and Alexander Wissner-Gross? 01:53 Was this article written with AI? 02:30 How the article is structured 04:06 The core thesis: solving everything through intelligence 05:15 The real world vs the dream world 05:59 “Shape the charge” — directing AI where it matters 07:20 The moonshots that could unlock abundance 09:33 Why benchmarks should reward outcomes, not hours 11:40 What abundance actually means 12:19 The biggest weakness: culture, government, and the muddle 14:33 Is this realistic or just optimism? 15:15 Why the article is still worth reading 16:49 Final reflections 17:10 Subscribe and what’s next Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast  Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFq Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

    18 min
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4.7
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Hey we are the Mere Mortals and we review books of all genres/styles but with an emphasis on those that have stood the test of time (the 'classics' if you will). Join us on Weekly live episode on Thurs 11am AEST (Thurs 1am UTC+0) plus bonus episodes from my cohost Juan.

Information

  • Creator
    Kyrin Down & Juan Granados
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    400
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 Mere Mortals Book Reviews
  • Show Website
    Mere Mortals Book Reviews

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