Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction

 Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction by Judith Grisel
2019
Weight: 16 oz
Method of Disposal: Mailing to a Friend

This book is part memoir and part scientific essay on neuroscience and addiction.  It is an excellent introduction for someone who wants to understand addiction better across a spectrum of drugs.  The author discusses the differences and similarities between stimulants, opiates, alcohol, thc, psychedelics, and other drugs.  Judith briefly mentions how others in the same or similar situation as her died, and that there is no reason she should have necessarily made it out alive and they did not.  She was in enough dangerous situations, but thank goodness she made it out.  Now, look at the work she is doing.  It is really impressive.  Think of all the talent, intelligence, and value we lose to addiction every day, with those that do not make it out.

Genie

Genie: A Scientific Tragedy by Russ Rymer
1994
Weight: 7 oz
Method of Disposal: Lending Library

This book was depressing on so many different levels.  This poor girl (now woman) seems to have spent her whole life being used for someone else's greater good.  At some point the scientists in this book were no longer able to be in contact with Genie, and the author was not, so maybe things started to improve for her, but it did not sound like it.  It seemed like her future would be very bleak indeed. 

How this poor child could be pulled from one of the worst abusive situations the world had seen and then end up abused in her foster placements is beyond me.  There was so much media attention and, even with the world watching, they could not keep her safe.  It is devastating and just shows the world for what it is.  Somewhere there is some person who has experienced such little joy in their lives.  They have been to hell and back and hell and back and hell again.  Their life is unrelenting, and it has nothing to do with who they are or the choices they made.  At that same time there are countless other people growing up at the same time with all the opportunities and all the joy and also not always based on their choices--though they have likely been lucky enough to make a ton more decisions and have been faced with many more choices than Genie ever got the chance to.

If you are looking for hope, redemption, someone beating the odds, people doing the right things for the right reasons, then do not look here.  This book is not that.  This is not to say that there weren't people who loved Genie or helped her.  There were but, ultimately, as a whole, it would seem that she was failed terribly.

Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void

Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void  by Mary Roach
2011
Weight: 9 oz
Method of Disposal: Returning to rightful owner (borrowed 4-5 years ago or so....I know...I am terrible)

I love all things space and thought this book was a lot of fun.  I have often dreamed about what it would be like to have the opportunity to board a space shuttle and leave Earth behind.  I have thought that I would do it even if I knew I would not make it back.  I have thought about how I would be pleased for my ashes after death to be shot up there, which is only a little weird because, otherwise, I do not care at all what happens to my dead body.  I've dreamed many many dreams about it and none of them included the oddities in this little book.

It was fun and disturbing to think about all the tiny details of astronaut life.  Roach covers bodily fluids, eating, human nature, fungal growth, relationships, sickness, and all the little things you likely do not want to experience in space, but you endure for the ultimate exploration experience.  There were times where she had me laughing out loud and times where she was just flat out uncouth, but the overall book was insightful and fun. 

I did not love hearing about animals in space, as it breaks my heart every time, but I am always glad to know all I can know about the history of space travel and that includes the poor dogs and chimps that were sent without their consent into the unknown. 

I know that not everyone is impressed with Mary Roach and her popular science books, but I think they are a great way to dip into worlds a lot of us do not know much about.  I like her upbeat writing and chipper personality.  I may not laugh at all her jokes, but she always gets me with a few of them.  Also, space is exciting whether you like the author or not so why not?  I think it is worth the read!