Review of Musings of an old American during the Pandemic

[Kelly Wittenberg]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Musings of an old American during the Pandemic" by John Martin Ramsay.]

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Musings of an old American during the Pandemic by John Martin Ramsay contains a compilation of podcasts done by the author over the course of approximately two years (from 2019 to 2021). The author, who is in his 90's, well educated, well traveled, previously published, and with the wisdom acquired throughout his life discusses his views and thoughts about life. While the topic of the podcasts focus on the balance of humans in our lives and the balance between finite and infinite and past and present, the topics are diverse but inspire the reader to consider our impact or influence on the world.

On first glance upon reading the title, one might think these podcasts are simple musings or observations. Instead each podcast is in fact thought provoking and encourages readers to keep an open mind as they interact with others and how they view many aspects of their lives. Recurring topics include climate change, educational systems in the United States and culture. I enjoyed that each podcast was relatively short and succinct while laced with personal stories and anecdotes to bring the authors words to life as well as the occasional audio recording accompanying the podcast.

The main negative aspect is that the content is not a quick and easy read. It requires full attention to fully comprehend everything. His thoughts and ideas are complicated and intellectually challenging at times. However, devoting full attention to each podcast can also allow it to be an enjoyable and satisfying read. Additionally, I found it distracting that the end of so many of the podcasts referenced a different book by the author as if it was being plugged even though the podcasts seem to be based on that book.

I would rate this book 3 out of 4. I encountered only a handful of typographical errors. I think the title could mislead the reader into thinking it's a light and easy read when in fact it's just the opposite but still quite satisfying.

I would recommend this book for an adult looking for a non fiction thought provoking, introspective book about life. A reader may be inspired to read other works by this author.

******
Musings of an old American during the Pandemic
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon