Review: Deep Down Dark

Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free by Héctor Tobar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Unimaginable survival and rescue...
It's hard enough to imagine being trapped underground, but to come out alive after months is almost beyond comprehension. I did think the rescue was remarkable when it happened, but I didn't "get" how complex the rescue was until I read (listened to) the book, and looked again at the diagrams of the site. How each man survived, not just physically, but mentally, is the heart of the story. The PTSD they suffered afterwards is both heart wrenching and not surprising. The book only touches this, but it's instructive. A good book if you are intrigued by the human condition. I was reminded of the incident and was drawn to the story again recently when the schoolboys were trapped in the underground cave in Thailand recently (now rescued as well).

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Review: Bad Blood

Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Gripping, read right through...
Remarkable that this actually happened. Perhaps it was innocent enough, with Elizabeth Holmes naively pushing ahead when a prototype wasn't ready, but it was so quickly out of control it's unforgivable. The degree of the fraud at Theranos is stunning, and quite the yarn to untie, given the powerful investors who wanted to turn a blind eye. The fact that it was a woman does make it more interesting, though it shouldn't. The book read like a novel, so it was rather strange to Google and find the real covers of Inc. and Fortune. It was also ironic to learn how much Elizabeth Holmes tried to emulate Steve Jobs... but she was a tyrant and treated employees like dirt. A FASCINATING listen.

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Review: The Queen of the North Disaster - The Captain's Story

The Queen of the North Disaster: The Captain's Story by Colin Henthorne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fascinating look behind the scenes of this disaster. Aside of a few long technical sections, which were actually quite important for context, this was a compelling story. I appreciated the way facts were clearly laid out, and what was not known was not guessed at.

Only after some time, after Henthorne has laid out the the whole story as known to the public, explained the lay of the land (sea) as to where the ship was, detailed how the ship is navigated (including recent changes to the navigational equipment), and described his personal experience as Captain that fateful night, does he conjecture on what might have happened. He never says what happened to cause the accident, because he does not know. The situation was way more complicated than what non-mariners might imagine.

What he does do well is dispel myths and rumours that have captured the public's attention. He also defends the competence of the officer of the watch, Lilgert. He does not believe Lilgert was negligent. He does believe Lilgert made an error that caused him to lose situational awareness, and has some guesses as to what that might be, but believes in Lilgert as an experienced and capable professional doing his job.

There is lots about this story that is disturbing, and one is left with as many questions, but its an important story nonetheless.

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Death by Selfie: is social media worth it?

Shannon Falls, British Columbia

The tragic death of three young people at Shannon Falls, near Vancouver, BC, Canada, while out for a day fun with friends, has saddened many.

The group of friends were hiking near the falls, when one, a young woman, fell in. Two young men, one her boyfriend, fell or jumped in while attempting to rescue her. All three died.

News of the positive yet daring adventures of one of the deceased - a vlogger* - made me think of this death-by-selfie piece I wrote a few years ago. For me, the connection is the drive to share life experiences in social media. I'm not suggesting the friends were doing anything foolish when the accident happened; it just seems timely to share.

*Vlogging is a form of blogging based on videos (the vlog category is popular on YouTube).

DEATH BY SELFIE

- by Roberta Westwood

Think that selfie is fun? Harmless?

Aside of the downsides of "missing" the experience of where you are, because you're so busy capturing your selfie, you may be surprised to to learn that taking selfies is actually dangerous.

What starts as playful fun can cross the line when selfies become an obsession, in which you become less aware of your surroundings and take ever-increasing risks.

Especially for men. The truth is that while women take more selfies than men, 75% of selfie death victims are MEN.

Selfie deaths?!? Really? You bet.

Selfie-takers have been killed by:

• Falling off cliffs while taking selfies (many)
• Falling over viewpoint barriers
• Falling over a cliff when leaning on a gate that gave way
• Sitting on boulders forming a safety barrier over a gorge, which gave way
• Falling into a volcano crater
• Falling down stairs
• Falling down stairs while taking a selfie at the Taj Majal
• Falling off bridges (many)
• Falling off dams (several)
• Falling into a pond
• Falling into a spring
• Falling in irrigation canals
• Falling into water reservoirs
• Falling into a quarry filled with rainwater
• Falling into a well, while leaning over it to take a selfie showing the depth
• Taking selfies in a melt hole (cave) at the front edge of a receding glacier, when the roof gave way
• Taking selfies with waterfalls (several)
• Standing in rivers while taking selfies
• Waves, when standing on the beach (several)
• Waves, while standing in the surf, in a storm, taking selfies
• Taking selfies with trains (several)
• Falling off moving trains while taking selfies
• Climbing on top of moving trains
• Climbing on top of stationary trains mistakenly believed not in service (many by electrocution)
• Crashing cars while taking selfies or uploading selfies while driving
• Being hit by cars
• Being hit by a car while taking selfies with airplanes
• Standing in a boat to take selfies (drownings)
• Climbing on a fountain to take selfies
• Climbing onto a glass dome to take selfies, and falling through
• Climbing on girders in a construction site to take selfies
• Preparing to take a selfie by hanging from a rope from a high-rise
• Leaping to take a "flying selfie" (at Machu Picchu)
• Falling into a geyser while taking a selfie
• Posing with guns (many!)
• Posing with grenades
• Posing with a rattlesnake
• Posing with tigers at the zoo (several)
• Taking selfies with a walrus at the zoo
• Posing with a bison in a national park (gored)
• Posing with an elephant near their tent on a safari
• Getting out of a vehicle to take selfies with a herd of elephants blocking a road

Places where selfies have banned, due to deaths:

• In Pamplona, Spain, during the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona
• At New York State zoos (tigers)
• Anywhere in Mumbai (India has very high selfie deaths)
• In Japan, selfies and selfie-sticks on train station platforms are banned

Places where selfie bans have been proposed, due to high selfie deaths:

• In Paris, at the Eiffel Tower
• In Rome, at Trevi Fountain
• In Rome, on the Spanish Steps

Do you believe me now?

Even if you are not killed, just imagine the extent of serious injuries any of the above could cause.

Seriously, have fun out there, but don't let it cost you your life (or limbs!)


Related resources
List of selfie-related injuries and deaths - Wikipedia
40% Selfie Deaths from India, Selfie Obsession kills over 60 people Worldwide - Phone Radar
Mumbai sets no-selfie zones as deaths linked to selfies rise - Associated Press
No Selfies Allowed: Social Media Bans at Landmarks - Conde Nast Traveler
Selfie deaths: six people who died while taking a selfie - The Week
In Goa, red flags go up on beaches after tourist deaths: Selfies can be dangerous - The Indian Express
Selfies can be deadly - and India leads the way - Economic Times
Two young women struck by lightning while taking selfies - Economic Times
Death by Selfie - Martin Parr

Review: Blackberry Planet

BlackBerry Planet: The Story of Research in Motion and the Little Device That Took the World by Storm by Alastair Sweeny
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

".... assuming the Blackberry prayer position"

I chose this audiobook for a listen, even though it is long out-of-date (it was published in 2009) because Research In Motion was a Canadian success story. Sadly, I do mean 'was'. What a shame that the company tanked, and Blackberry lost its position in the smartphone market (I had one myself, long after the company's high, and gave it up with regret). Hope to read a sequel one day, so I can understand what happened.

Listening to the first part of the book ~ about the emerging executive Crackberry addiction, and USA President-Elect Barack Obama's angst and efforts to convince the Secret Service to let him keep his ~ I was struck how absurd it all sounds in today's context: everyone is addicted to smartphones now, and the USA's oval office is upside down and backwards, with an out-of-control President tweeting gibberish and lies from bed.

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Review: Resilience - Navigating Life, Loss, and the Road to Success

Resilience: Navigating Life, Loss, and the Road to Success by Lisa Lisson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was not what I expected, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I am drawn to stories of people recovering from tragedies, but a mom with kids dealing with the 'loss' of her husband isn't one that I relate to. I suppose it was the parallel story of Lisa's role as a senior executive in Canada that intrigued me. The third aspect of the book ~ Lisa's descriptions of her leadership style and business philosophy ~ was unexpected and, at times, seemed out of place. Yet it makes sense, if she is writing a book about her journey, that they would be included. Looking back at the title, it does seem to fit. I suppose the chosen audio clip for the preview was so laser focused on the tragedy of her husband's heart attack, that I wasn't expecting the rest. But... still a good read. I wasn't thrilled with the narration; at times the narrator spoke so fast I actually checked to make sure I hadn't inadvertently selected 2x speed.

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