“The Medical School Interview: Winning Strategies from Admissions Faculty” by Samir Desai M.D. and Rajani Katta M.D.

To be clear, I got this book for free from the office of training at work when I said that I was applying to medical school. So I wasn’t expecting it to be super right off of the bat.

Having said that, all of their strategies are laid out very clearly in a series of tips grouped into chapters. So all of the tips having to do with the interview day are together, all of the tips having to do with the waitlist game are together, et cetera. And it really does take you through the whole process, from the beginning of the application to starting medical school. There are also plenty of quotes from admissions people at schools to highlight their points.

Keep in mind that this book wasn’t published after the MCAT changed, so some of the information there is inaccurate. However, the interview process itself is still the same, so all of that is reliable. Towards the end they also throw in the first chapter of a couple other books the authors are affiliated with that have to do with medical school, that feels like a bit much, it’s like having YouTube adds in a book you’re trying to read. But I also obtained this for free, so I guess you get what you pay for.

Not sure that I would advocate going out and buying this book yourself, but if you come across it in your travels it does have some solid advice and reminders that are handy!

“Manhattan Beach” by Jennifer Egan

I was introduced to Egan through her earlier novel A Visit From the Goon Squad so when I heard that she had written another novel I was excited to snatch it up. It’s not as wacky or inventive as Goon Squad but the characters are just as vibrant and the twists and turns are still present.

The three main characters are Anna, her father Eddie, and the gangster Dexter Styles. The stories of the three of them go off in wildly different directions, but nevertheless they are all linked together from the first page. Anna grows up to become a diver in New York City, whose father mysteriously disappeared while she was growing up. She runs into Styles and tries to get through him to the truth of her father’s disappearance.

Despite this quest for knowledge, the book doesn’t read like a mystery. It focuses instead on Anna’s world, and what she is living through as a single woman during WWII in NYC. Her mother and crippled sister make appearances, as well as her various friends within the city. All of the characters are portrayed stunningly well, each with distinct personalities and histories.

What I found most interesting was how the sea links all of the characters together. Anna dives in it, it frees her from the weight she bears on land. Eddie is a sailor who lives and has seen men die on it. Styles lives next to the Manhattan Beach in the title, and takes Anna and her sister Lydia to see the sea once. The water in this novel pulses with life and death, but also communication and knowledge as the three of them seek out each other across the waves.

To be honest, I think I preferred Goon Squad with is unusual narration, but I’m into strange books. This story is similar to taking the format of a tale like Goon Squad but telling it in a traditional format. The result is very enjoyable to get through, but it also leaves me feeling as though there’s something missing. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the book, but I also feel like Egan could have done something more with it. I don’t know, read the book and see for yourself.

“Do No Harm” by Henry Marsh

I’ve been reading a lot of books by doctors about their jobs lately. This one felt different from the rest of them. Marsh does not approach this book with some sort of thesis or point to prove with it, instead it feels as though he is simply telling stories about his work. Sure, they add up to a couple overarching themes throughout his work, but it doesn’t feel as though he’s hitting you over the head with them, they just manifest naturally.

This makes it feel as though it is a novel about a surgeon, rather than a memoir. Marsh’s writing style is smooth and familiar, making it easy to follow even when some medical jargon pops up. The chapters also appear to be in no well-defined order, definitely not chronological. We aren’t taken through Marsh’s career so much as highlighting various pieces that spring to mind.

It’s probably worth mentioning that he has had quite a career as well. His stories go from Ukraine to the UK, and he even discusses his mother’s death and his son’s illness. It’s well worth the read, simply to hear about his adventures through medicine.

Beyond the plot, the reader learns about neuroscience and its limits. The general public thinks of doctors as these magic healers that can fix you right up, but the reality is that they are human and fallible just like the rest of us. Marsh doesn’t shy away from his mistakes here, but he also supplies a commentary with it to tell us what he is feeling during it, and afterwards. This is not a perspective usually employed in these books, not many doctors feel comfortable talking about their mistakes and even less effectively get us within their mindset at the time of it.

If you are curious about doctors or considering becoming one yourself, I would definitely check this book out. The narration is spot-on, and the stories are fascinating. It feels as though you too are sucked into the world of medicine, if only for a short time.

“Magpie Murders” by Anthony Horowitz

I got really excited about this book pretty soon after I opened it. You open it, there’s the title page and whatever, and then it begins with a brief foreword by someone, whatever, move on, but then you come to another title page. Exact same title, still Magpie Murders but the author is different. In fact, the author doesn’t exist. And there’s a list of his other books, none of which exist either. And the reviews on the other side of the page are fake as well. It’s a book within a book!

The book within a book form allows for there to be two mysteries taking place within the plot. One of a fictional character in a story, and one of the author of the story. These mysteries weave in and out of each other, as clues are similarly described, and the people and places reflect each other. The author of the story-within-a-story took many aspects from his life, and all of these details are brought up. The two crimes become inextricably linked, and to solve one would be to solve the other.

This also allows for a ton of playing with mystery tropes. Each one is brought up in its original form in the story-within-a-story, and then is acknowledged and analyzed outside of it. This includes the wordplay, the characters names, the bumbling sidekick, the fact that mysteries are usually set in small towns, and how crime authors usually hated their detectives. This makes it a self-aware mystery, and honestly what crime fan hasn’t noticed these on their own already? Having them out in the open is much more amusing. There are also plenty of allusions to other mysteries as a result. Conan Doyle, Christie, and others all make their appearances on the pages.

Besides this, the main character (once you get beyond the story-within-a-story) is incredibly cool and very relatable since she is a book lover. She works as an editor in a publishing firm, and therefore knows all of these tropes and references. The commentary comes from her, and her knowledge of the genre. What reader doesn’t identify with a fellow book lover? She’s the ideal narrator for this tale.

Clearly this was a labor of love by a mystery fan (Horowitz) to pay homage to and critique the great crime novels of the past. It’s incredibly unique as a mystery novel, and a joy to read since you can sense the fun and the love that went into it.

Variations on a Theme: Music by The Beatles

This month we are tackling my favorite band, The Beatles! For those of you who don’t know, The Beatles are a group of lads from Liverpool, England whose music spanned a mere decade but spawned millions of fans, cover bands, and the like. You could argue that they are the most influential group of the twentieth century, but I digress. Here I am making a playlist of my favorite Beatles songs.

1. “All You Need Is Love” 

Quite literally, this song captured an entire generation of people. It was performed during the first worldwide broadcast (written by John Lennon, no one knows whether he wrote it specifically for this occasion or not) to convey a sense of unity and togetherness. Which I think it does masterfully. There’s a nice throwback at the end of the song, John starts singing “she loves you yeah yeah yeah” which is, of course, from their earlier hit “She Loves You.” It’s a great song to kick off this list, and happens to be one of my favorite songs ever.

2. “Eleanor Rigby” 

For a change in mood, let’s now go to “Eleanor Rigby.” Despite the fact that the lyrics are rather depressing, it’s a rather upbeat song. I’ve never thought of it as a downer. The lyrics are quite amusing as well, for example she puts on “a face that she keeps in a jar by the door.” And if you listen for the story, the priest and Eleanor come together at the end as he digs her grave, which isn’t the happiest thought. Honestly though, I think it captures modern life quite well as we are so isolated from each other, when literally there’s someone else right next door. In that sense, this song is a foil to “All You Need is Love.”

3. “Let It Be” 

A classic Paul McCartney written song. One fun fact about it is that “mother Mary” is actually his mother, Mary McCartney, and not the Virgin Mary. It’s also about the Beatles breaking up and arguing, and how in times of trouble sometimes you just have to let things be. It’s amazing how such pain (the four members of the group were great friends) can create wonderful art such as this. It’s a great segue from “Eleanor Rigby” since the previous song ended on a sad note, this one adds a bit of hope to the mix.

4. “Strawberry Fields Forever” 

John Lennon wrote this song about his childhood. You can still visit Strawberry Fields if you go to Liverpool, something that every Beatle fan does at some point. What I find fascinating about this song is its wacky lyrics: “living is easy with eyes closed” or “no one I think is in my tree.” John here is trying to talk about how he thinks he’s on another plane from everyone else, and it’s easy for him to just kind of get by in life, but he doesn’t want to do that. Of course, I think that this is applicable to everyone with an ego, we all think that we’re different from everyone else. Just as John here is returning to his childhood, we all have had separate upbringings and separate experiences that have shaped who we became.

5. “Can’t Buy Me Love” 

This is off of the album “A Hard Day’s Night,” which supplemented their first Beatle film as well. It’s just so fun to listen to, even in the movie this is the song for where the four of them escape and get outside and do wacky things on this random lawn. Its also got a great message about how money exists, but it can’t buy the important things in life. Which is something we must remember, especially in this day and age.

6. “Come Together” 

Off of their last studio album, “Come Together” was written by John Lennon about political togetherness and how we need to band together. Its got a bit of a jazzy feel to it, which has made it one of the more popular Beatles tunes. It was also covered by Aerosmith rather famously, but no one needs that in my opinion when the original is around.

7. “For No One” 

This I think is one of the few songs that really sums up what love and breakups are all about. Paul McCartney wrote it, and it’s one of his most underrated songs in my opinion. The melody is gorgeous, especially with the French horn playing it partway through. It just gets it, when you’re fighting with your significant other, you’re upset, but it’s not for you or for your partner. It really is for no one.

8. “Here Comes the Sun” 

George Harrison wrote this tune, and it’s one of his best works. I think it’s lovely. The music is so delicate, like a flower finally opening up to the sun for the first time, and captures the sense of the moment perfectly. This is another song about the Beatles breaking up, and how George knew that eventually everything would be alright. It’s also frequently covered by other artists as well, but again, why would you want that when this perfect original is right here?

9.  “Hey Jude” 

This is a Paul McCartney tune, but it’s written for John Lennon’s son, Julian. John and his first wife Cynthia were going through a divorce, and Paul wanted to write Julian something that would tell him to stay determined and keep going. At the time, it was the longest number one hit due to the absurd number of na na nas at the end. But that also makes it a great sing along song, which is really more important. As we reach the end of this playlist, this makes for a great wrap up.

10. “A Day In The Life” 

This is the last song off of their most famous album, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” I figured that it would be a perfect goodbye song here as well. It finishes off the list of Beatles tunes, and has a distorted ending to remind you that in the end, this was a group of four guys just experimenting and seeing how far they could push the limits of music at the time. Everything that they did has since become commonplace, but they were the groundbreakers and the first to do these things. Music was never the same again.

So you might have noticed that it’s not quite the same as my ranking of Beatles songs that I did a couple years ago. Some songs just work better in a playlist than others. Anyways, I had a lot of fun exploring one of my favorite bands in a new way, I hope that it made you think about the songs differently, or introduced you to a new one! Next month will be something also different, I will be creating a playlist entirely of album openers! We shall see where that takes us, it’s a bit of a challenge to craft a decent playlist when all of the songs are the first one, but let’s see!

“The Dharma of ‘The Princess Bride’” by Ethan Nichtern

I have always enjoyed books that involve taking a closer look at popular culture and examining hidden meanings that they hold (hence this blog really). Nichtern here is taking aspects of the amazing book and movie, “The Princess Bride,” and using the characters and the storyline to explain aspects of Buddhism.

“The Princess Bride” has held audiences (readers and watchers alike) for years, probably because it is a fairytale that turns several fairytale tropes on their heads. The princess’s name is Buttercup, the scary giant is the most selfless character, the swashbuckling swordsman is also a drunk. The book version takes this to the next level, as it is written as though there is a longer unabridged version out there, and the author is cutting out the boring bits. (Of course there is no unabridged version.) The editor also frequently interrupts the storyline to explain the cuts that he has made, and to tell the story of how his grandfather would read this book to him when he was a child, which became the basis of the movie.

In analyzing the book through the lens of Buddhism, Nichtern primarily focuses on the different relationships present in the book. These can be distilled down to three categories: friendships, romantic relationships, and familial relationships. I was actually a little surprised by this seemingly odd focus on relationships, that is not what immediately comes to mind when I think of either Buddhism or “The Princess Bride.” But what Nichtern is trying to do here is to take Buddhism and apply it to everyday life. And as he says at some point in the novel, in his opinion, if we all lived alone and didn’t have any relationships, we would probably all be enlightened by now. He sees our relationships as our greatest obstacle to achieving enlightenment, and therefore will be using this pop culture phenomenon to give advice on how to overcome our relationship struggles.

Throughout his writings, Nichtern pulls anecdotes from his own life to demonstrate what he is talking about. We hear about his friendships that got him through the post-college years, and about the failed romantic relationships he held as he searched for his Buttercup (spoiler alert: she doesn’t really exist). He also throws in several more contemporary references (Sen. Ted Cruz comes up a couple times, as does my personal favorite, Trumperdink) to further bring home his points. It adds a personal touch to the story, and makes it seem less like he is preaching at us and more like we are having a conversation, and learning together. He does an excellent job of taking a topic as esoteric as Buddhism and bringing it down to a level where anyone can learn and benefit from it.

While I expected to learn more about Buddhism in general, as opposed to just relationship advice, this book was actually very illuminating. I thought about my relationships and the actions of myself and others in a different way with this book, and it left me with a couple ideas that I will be holding onto for a while. Nichtern clearly knows his stuff and how to get it across to us. The question is whether we will read the book and grow by it, bringing a dose of “The Princess Bride” into our minds, and a healthy dose of Buddhism into our lives.