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@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

chiraag

@[email protected]

#democraticsocialist #engineer #scientist #antifascist #vegan #cis #intersectional #antiracist #antisexist #prohuman #freepalestine #tootfinder

https://justmytoots.com/@[email protected]

Proud supporting member of https://social.coop/@coopartisans: https://artisans.coop ✊🏾

My Bookwyrm: https://bookwyrm.social/user/chiraag

Living on occupied Ohlone territory

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juergen_hubert , to folklore
@juergen_hubert@thefolklore.cafe avatar

Martin Luther saw some weird shit during his life.

@germany @folklore
https://www.patreon.com/posts/hares-threat-or-85256474

chiraag ,
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

@juergen_hubert @germany @folklore Down the rabbit hole!

OwenTyme , to bookstodon
@OwenTyme@mastodon.social avatar

I just made a couple of posts on my blog, though neither should be too surprising to those that have been paying attention to my posts on Mastodon.

https://owentyme.us/blog/new-stores-for-my-books.html

https://owentyme.us/blog/she-goes-to-war-now-in-print.html

@bookstodon

chiraag ,
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@OwenTyme @bookstodon Nice to see Smashwords has decent revenue sharing! Or is just that there are fewer middlemen?

chiraag ,
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@OwenTyme @bookstodon Yeah, I like Smashwords for the DRM-free reason (it was one of the first places I started buying ebooks once I got a Kobo Libra).

chiraag ,
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

@themusicman @xapr Yup, that's mostly how we shop. I'm vegan and my wife is vegetarian, so fruits, veggies, legumes/nuts/seeds from the bulk section, dairy and tofu from the fridge sectioo. Some of the 'safe' inner-aisle foods are pasta (we get legume pasta), canned tomato (we get the ones without salt), artichoke hearts, and that's pretty much it (oh, I guess silken tofu is in an inner aisle as well).

neilm , to bookstodon
@neilm@sfba.social avatar

Does anyone know a good place to consistently buy foreign language books in the US? I’m willing to pay up to double sticker price.

Specifically looking for children’s books in German and literature/contemporary novels and books in German, Russian, and French.

Please don’t suggest Amazon, as it’s hardly a reliable source.

@bookstodon

chiraag ,
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@neilm @bookstodon If you're okay with ebooks, Kobo has a decent selection (and if you have a Kobo ereader like me, removing the DRM so that you actually own the book is fairly trivial).

chiraag ,
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

@Chickenstalker @MicroWave So I guess most ants are biological failures then, since they don't reproduce. Funny how they're so abundant to the point that their aggregate biomass rivals that of our own.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLBDVXLiWxQ

chiraag ,
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@Sho @Joleee Easy, intersex! Or, if we're going with gender, nonbinary!

learninglifer , to histodons
@learninglifer@hcommons.social avatar

Anyone know a bookseller website that focuses on selling works (and ships to the US)? Not a specific press, I know they often sell directly, but a more press-agnostic site. Think Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Waterstones, but for academic books. I'd like to browse various topics, knowing what I'm looking at is considered academic. And sometimes, I want to browse more in-depth or academic topics that wouldn't be on a general public site.

I suppose a university bookstore could work, but I think they tend to focus on what's required reading for the semester's courses, and I want a broader selection than that.


@religiousstudies @histodons @bookstodon

chiraag ,
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

@learninglifer @religiousstudies @histodons @bookstodon I honestly go to Springer-Verlag (one aforementioned publisher) because they're great about just selling me a damn PDF that I can read without any DRM trickery. I gave up on physical books (even for textbooks) long ago - ebooks are way more convenient for me.

But honestly, if you want physical books, just buy from the publisher - I don't know of any academic aggregator unfortunately.

chiraag ,
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

@learninglifer @religiousstudies @histodons @bookstodon Yeah, that's true :/ In my case, I effectively restrict myself to whatever's offered by Springer-Verlag unless they don't have a book on the subject (so I might know the subject I want to learn about, but I don't a priori pick the book). My second option is buying an academic book on Kobo and removing the DRM so that I actually own the damn thing.

chiraag , to bookstodon
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

My favorite series by far in 2023 was the Empires of Bronze series by Gordon Doherty. Extremely well-written with fully fleshed-out and complex characters and a coherent, engaging, and complex plot (with earlier events coming back as echoes and repercussions in later books). Most importantly for historical fiction, the books were very well-researched and the author clearly delineates which parts are fact vs fiction.

@bookstodon

chiraag , to bookstodon
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

@bookstodon
Highly, highly recommend the historical fiction series "Olav Audunssøn" by Sigrid Undset (if you can't read Norsk, get the translation by Tiina Nunnally, which is what I have). I've read Vows (part 1) and it already promises to be a highly enjoyable read (if a sad/tragic story). The scenery and the historical setting come alive.

chiraag , to bookstodon
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

@bookstodon Highly recommend the long-running (and still running...i.e. not finished) After Cilmeri series by Sarah Woodbury. It's historical fiction/alternate history set in medieval Wales, where Wales is never consumed by England. Fairly light reading and quite fun!

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/SarahWoodbury

(there's a box set of the first 12 books on SmashWords as well!)

(linked to the author page because some of the latest books aren't linked to the series properly).

chiraag , to bookstodon
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

@bookstodon
I really can't recommend Gordon Doherty's Empires of Bronze series enough - it's written really well and he clearly has done his research. What's really fascinating is that the story is ultimately a sad one - the Sea Peoples essentially end up wiping out most Bronze Age civs (other than the Egyptians), but the story has a hopeful ending. The author also does a great job of separating fact from fiction.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/47582

chiraag OP ,
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

@bookstodon Does anyone know of historical fiction set in similarly "esoteric" (aka not classical greece or rome) ancient civilizations? This one was fascinating in part because it gave me a window into Hittite culture. I found (but have not yet bought or read) this series set in the Mayan civilization:

https://www.ebooks.com/en-us/author/marella-sands/859213/

Very much still looking for others though, preferably non-European in nature.

chiraag , to bookstodon
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

Just finished book 4 in the Empires of Bronze series and man it was good. Highly, highly recommend the series. It is well thought out, descriptive (to the point of revulsion at some of the war and torture scenes), and full of twists and turns. It feels like one of those great series where the whole storyline was plotted out well before the first word was put on paper. Absolutely recommend.

@bookstodon

Helen50 , to bookstodon
@Helen50@mastodonapp.uk avatar

when do you abandon a book?
I'm not very good at it, but I might be about to do it again.
@bookstodon

chiraag ,
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@Helen50 @bookstodon Pretty much never, TBH. I have several unfinished books and series pending, but it's been a very rare book that I've set down without ever intending to pick it up again.

chiraag ,
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

@intensely_human @SkyeStarfall Yes? Or rather, the assumption that she would is toxic masculinity. If she actually does that, she's bought into the same toxic bullshit.

It's toxic no matter whom it's coming from. You deserve someone whom you can open up to.

chiraag ,
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

@science
@Treczoks @realitista
No? As a feminist, I do want to see men stop subscribing to toxic masculinity. I want us to realize that it's okay to seek help and it's okay to be vulnerable.

The_BookishWolf , to bookstodon
@The_BookishWolf@bookstodon.com avatar

I don't use apple books anymore. What I'd love to do is have a list of all of the books that I purchased on apple books in a spreadsheet or something, so I could see if they're on amazon. @a.gup.pe @bookstodon

chiraag ,
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@The_BookishWolf @Eceni @bookstodon I wonder how Kobo does (they're my poison of choice for DRM ebooks b/c I have a way of freeing those books). For DRM-free ebooks (which then opens you up to any epub reader in terms of app), Smashwords is probably your best bet for general books. ebooks.com also has a DRM-free collection.

Harvard Scientists Find That Eating Red Meat Could Increase Your Risk of Diabetes (scitechdaily.com)

While previous studies have found a link between red meat consumption and type 2 diabetes risk, this study, which analyzed a large number of type 2 diabetes cases among participants being followed for an extended period of years, adds a greater level of certainty about the association....

chiraag ,
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

@sexy_peach @Nachorella People invested in red meat being 'good'.

chiraag ,
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

@KevonLooney @banana_meccanica Did you incorporate legumes into your diet? Also whole grains (not refined flours and grains like AP flour and white rice)? A lack of fiber was potentially the issue (I've been WFPB - whole foods plant based - for a few years at this point and never have any trouble feeling full).

chiraag ,
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

@ddnomad @BuddyTheBeefalo Omega-3 is an EFA, not an amino acid. It also isn't an issue if you get fats in their whole form (i.e. flax seeds instead of flax oil) as far as I understand.

The only actual deficiency that is present in a balanced whole foods plant based diet is B12, and that is a product of modern sanitation practices (dairy has it btw b/c cows are fortified with it as I understand it). Easily satisfied with a Vit B12 supplement or nutritional yeast.

chiraag ,
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

@ddnomad @BuddyTheBeefalo Vitamin D is the other one, but that's true for everyone (it's why both dairy and plant-based milks are fortified with D3) and there are, again, supplements if necessary (this one is necessary for pretty much everyone not living near the equator).

Otherwise, nutritionally, a WFPB diet is pretty much the most balanced and nutritious (esp for long-term health) diet one can have.

chiraag ,
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

@ddnomad @BuddyTheBeefalo Dairy consumption is both very recent (evolutionarily) and was historically limited to a few places (even today, the vast majority of the world is lactose-intolerant).

chiraag ,
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

@ddnomad The only supplements I take are B12 and D3, and many omnivores are deficient in those as well. Lack of B12 stems from modern sanitation practices and lack of D3 stems from people not going outside as much. It's compensating for changes to lifestyle and our food system, not for something lacking in our diet per se.

chiraag , to bookstodon
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

Just finished book 3 in the "Empires of Bronze" series! Will be buying the next three books soon 😍

https://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/47582

@bookstodon

chiraag OP ,
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

@bookstodon Just bought books 4, 5, and 6!

chiraag , to bookstodon
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

One thing the "Empires of Bronze" series does really well is not glorify war. The gruesome, awful details are laid out to make it clear that war is not something noble. It also does a great job of humanizing both the Hittite and the Egyptian sides as being motivated by things we could conceivably agree with (namely, avenging a close one's death).

@bookstodon

chiraag ,
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

@CubbyTustard @bobby_hill I hope we make it to 2025, tbh.

chiraag ,
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

@Kbin_space_program @throws_lemy @LibertyLizard As pointed out elsewhere, it's quite hypocritical to point to China to reduce emissions generated by manufacturing stuff for the West.

chiraag ,
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

@Kbin_space_program @throws_lemy @LibertyLizard Or, you know, we could trace those emissions back to the source, which would land the blame squarely on the tons of US companies responsible.

Also, as an aside, why don't you compare per capita emissions, since China has > 3 times the population of the US?

chiraag , to bookstodon
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

@bookstodon Highly recommend the "Empires of Bronze" series by Gordon Doherty: https://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/47582

chiraag ,
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

@Steve @shish_mish There is one rule I follow: no packaged snacks. Any snacks I want, I make at home. I got into it for environmental reasons, but after I went vegan, it was the main principle stopping me from going for all of those vegan junk food options. Instead, I make bliss balls and, occasionally, cookies or other treats. Those combined with fruit make great snacks while not destroying my health.

Oh, I also pretty much always go for WFPB recipes, even for snacks.

chiraag ,
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

@gowan Whole Foods Plant Based. So basically, not using any refined foods (think dates instead of sugar for sweetening something, for example).

chiraag ,
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@letsgo2themall @Bipta I don't know you and I won't claim to know your exact experience and circumstance. All I will say is that it's easier than ever to be an unhealthy vegan because there is so much processed unhealthy vegan crap in stores nowadays.

I'm WFPB vegan (whole foods plant based) and have never been better. FWIW, I was vegetarian before going vegan and never ate animal flesh as part of my diet. Dairy was part of my diet before I went vegan.

chiraag ,
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

@letsgo2themall @Bipta I eat tons of legumes, fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, and some grain. I don't set limits on carbs or fat, but aim to get certain amounts of protein, calcium, and iron every day. I eat copious amounts of leafy greens and eat them every day. I opt for as much variety as possible in veggies and legumes, rotating through several options and trying not to use just one or two all the time.

chiraag ,
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

@letsgo2themall @Bipta It's honestly not particularly hard to be a healthy vegan if you stick to WFPB and don't have any allergies. Allergies can make it harder, but they make any diet more complicated (think celiacs, for example). There is a huge variety of plants available to meet our nutritional requirements. Where there are gaps, it is because of modern sanitation practices (e.g. lack of B12) or other lifestyle factors (most people are deficient in D, for example).

chiraag ,
@chiraag@mastodon.online avatar

@letsgo2themall @Bipta So no, it's not at all required for the average human to eat meat. Veggies, on the other hand, are absolutely crucial due to tons of micronutrients and vitamins that are hard to get elsewhere.

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