Kate’s 2¢: “The hidden language of cats: how they have us at meow” by Sarah Brown

“The hidden language of cats: how they have us at meow” by Sarah Brown

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

Helen Keeley’s British accent made this story fun to listen to, as she copies the various sounds described in the text. I enjoyed this story, although, if made me miss my own cat.

   Our orange marmalade cat, El Gato E. a.k.a. General peacefully passed away in his favorite red basket on Friday evening, May23, 2025. He was at least 16’1/2 years old.

  He’ll be mourned by TulipGrace, IzziGrace, Dave, and Kate. Although we’ll mourn you, go forth beloved, faithful feline.

Photo by Edie Pasquini,

Featured snippet from the web

About the author

Sarah Brown is the creator and host of the Brooklyn-based Cringe reading series, which has garnered accolades from NPR, ABC Nightline, Newsweek, Time Out New York, Spin, The Times (of London), The Guardian, and the Los Angeles Times, and she has edited two humor compilations on the…

Sarah Brown is the author of Pam the Shy Kitty and Night Night Trucker. She has been an avid reader and writer for as long as she can remember.

Sarah Brown gained her PhD on the social behavior of neutered domestic cats while working at the Anthrozoology Institute at the University of Southampton…

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

The hidden language of cats: how they have us at meow DB125132

Brown, Sarah L Reading time: 6 hours, 48 minutes.

Helen Keeley

Human Relations

Animals and Wildlife

“Descended from shy, solitary North African wild cats, domestic cats set up homes with devoted owners all over the world by learning how to talk to us. This book translates in case you missed anything. A renowned cat behavior scientist of over thirty years, Dr. Sarah Brown has been at the forefront of research in the field, discovering how cats use tail signals to interact with each other and their owners. Now, she reveals the previously unexplored secrets of cat communication in a book that is both scientifically grounded and utterly delightful. Each chapter dives into a different form of communication, including vocalizations, tail signals, scents, rubbing, and ear movements. The iconic meow, for example, is rarely used between adult cats-cleverly mimicking the cries of a human infant, the meow is a feline invention for conversing with people. Through observing the behavior of two cat colonies in rural England, readers will also have the opportunity to glimpse into the lives of some of the cats behind Dr. Brown’s science. Can we understand what cats’ meows and other signals mean? How do cats actually perceive us? And how can we use this information to inform how we talk back to our feline friends? Referencing historical records, exploring modern scientific studies of cat-human communication, and including simple, elegant line drawings, The Hidden Language of Cats is perfect for any cat lover who wants to learn more about their companion”–Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

Download The hidden language of cats: how they have us at meow DB125132

Kate’s 2¢: “I’m starting to worry about this black box of doom” by Jason Pargin

“I’m starting to worry about this black box of doom” by Jason Pargin

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Ari Fliakos did a good job of narrating this story. I guess I now know what “darkly humorous thriller: means.

AI Overview

Jason Pargin is a New York Times bestselling author known for the “John Dies at the End” series and the “Zoey Ashe” novels. He previously wrote under the pseudonym David Wong. He was also the executive editor of Cracked.com. 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jason Keith Pargin (/ˈpɑːrdʒɪn/;[1] born January 10, 1975) is an American humor writer, novelist and Internet personality, who formerly wrote under the name David Wong. He is the former executive editor of humor website Cracked.com.

Pargin is best known for his 2007 novel John Dies at the End, which was adapted into a 2012 film of the same name. Alongside John Dies at the End and its three sequels, Pargin has also authored three books in the Zoey Ashe series and one standalone novel, I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom.

Early life and education[edit]

Jason Keith Pargin was born in Lawrenceville, Illinois, on January 10, 1975.[2] He and fellow Internet writer John Cheese (real name Mack Leighty) attended high school together and met during an art class they shared.[3] Pargin then attended the Southern Illinois University (SIU) radio-television program, graduating in 1997.[4] While at SIU, he was part of a student-run TV show on Alt.news 26:46 called Consumer Advocate. A number of episodes were produced.[5]

Pointless Waste of Time and Cracked.com[edit]

In 1999, Pargin started the humor site Pointless Waste of Time (PWOT), which would eventually be absorbed into Cracked.com.[6] While working as a copy editor at a law firm, Pargin would spend his days copy editing insurance claims and nights posting humor articles on PWOT. Every Halloween on the site he wrote a new chapter of an online story that he published as a webserial.[7] An estimated 70,000 people read the free online versions before they were removed in September 2008. Pargin used the feedback from people reading each episode of the webserial to tweak what would eventually become the book, John Dies at the End.[6]

Demand Media hired Pargin to be the head editor for their revamped online magazine, Cracked.com, although Demand was not aware of Pargin’s book deal.[7] As part of the deal, he merged PWOT into the Cracked forums. Pargin has described a disconnection between the old Cracked print magazine and the humor site Cracked.com due to multiple relaunches and almost entirely new staff.[8] As a child, he read Cracked magazine’s biggest competitor, Mad magazine.[8]

In a popular article published at Cracked.com, Pargin coined the neologism “monkeysphere” which introduces the concept of Dunbar’s number in a humorous manner.[9] Pargin referred to Dunbar’s number again in his second novel, This Book Is Full of Spiders.[10]

David Wong pseudonym[edit]

When Pargin started PWOT, he took on the pseudonym of David Wong to keep his real and online lives separate. Since much of his writing involved situations similar to his real life, he did not want co-workers and his employers to think that his rants about fictional characters were inspired by real people. The origin of the name was a character from one of his first short stories:[11]

It’s not a very interesting story, ‘David Wong’ was the villain in a story I had written way back in the day, so when I was signing up for my first online accounts in 1998 I started using it. Then when hate mail started coming in with a bunch of racist anti-Chinese insults, I realized I had either gone badly wrong or badly right.

After his book and movie deal, his real name became common knowledge, but Pargin accepted it, saying, “It’s not like I’m under the Witness Protection program or anything. I was just trying to keep things simple in my personal life.”[8]

In late 2020, Pargin announced that he was retiring the pseudonym, with future editions of his works being published under his real name instead.[12]

Published works[edit]

Pargin’s first novel John Dies at the End was at first rejected by publishers, and he considered withdrawing it from consideration until indie horror publisher Permuted Press agreed to publish it in 2007.[13] A second edition by Thomas Dunne Books was published with additional material as a hardcover on September 29, 2009.[14][15] Three further novels in the series have been published: This Book Is Full of Spiders (2012), What the Hell Did I Just Read (2017) and If This Book Exists, You’re in the Wrong Universe (2022).[16]

Pargin published the first book of the Zoey Ashe series in 2015, Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits. He has since published two further novels in the series: Zoey Punches the Future in the Dick (2020) and Zoey is Too Drunk for This Dystopia (2023).[17]

Pargin published his first standalone novel in 2024, I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom.[18]

In 2025, Pargin signed a publishing deal with St. Martin’s Press for three forthcoming titles: the fourth installment in the Zoey Ashe series, a standalone supernatural horror novel, and the sixth entry in the John Dies at the End series. The books are scheduled for release in spring 2028, fall 2029, and fall 2031, respectively. According to his literary agency, the standalone novel follows a true crime enthusiast searching for her sister’s killer, ultimately uncovering a suburban hotel that serves as a front for an interdimensional being collecting human skins.[19]

From NLS/BARD/LOc:

I’m starting to worry about this black box of doom DB125357

Pargin, Jason Reading time: 12 hours, 46 minutes.

Ari Fliakos

Suspense Fiction

Humor

Science Fiction

Bestsellers

“A standalone darkly humorous thriller set in modern America’s age of anxiety, by New York Times bestselling author Jason Pargin. Outside Los Angeles, a driver pulls up to find a young woman sitting on a large black box. She offers him $200,000 cash to transport her and that box across the country, to Washington, DC. But there are rules: He cannot look inside the box. He cannot ask questions. He cannot tell anyone. They must leave immediately. He must leave all trackable devices behind. As these eccentric misfits hit the road, rumors spread on social media that the box is part of a carefully orchestrated terror attack intended to plunge the USA into civil war. The truth promises to be even stranger, and may change how you see the world”– Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller.

Kate’s 2¢: “Superfoods, silkworms, and spandex: science and pseudoscience in everyday life” by Joe Schwarcz  

“Superfoods, silkworms, and spandex: science and pseudoscience in everyday life” by Joe Schwarcz  

NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ shares her thoughts about what she’s read. In her opinion…

   Rich Miller Did a great job of narrating this  informative, and interesting collection of science facts. This is not a title I would have downloaded, but it was one of seven on one cartridge sent to me by NLS. Once I started listening, I kept on listening to learn many intriguing, behind the scene facts. I’m glad the reader knew how to pronounce the polisyllablac chemical names.

   It is the kind of book you could leave in the bathroom and read one or two of the short stories each time you visit the throne room. I’m going to keep it on myVictor, to refer to from time to time.

AI over view:

Joe Schwarcz, a professor of chemistry at McGill University, is best known for his work as director of the Office for Science and Society, which aims to demystify science for the public. He is also a prolific author, radio host, and television personality, frequently appearing on shows like Daily Planet and hosting The Dr. Joe Show. Schwarcz is celebrated for his ability to explain complex scientific concepts in an engaging and accessible way. 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Joseph A. Schwarcz CM (born 1947) is an author and a sessional instructor at McGill University. He is the director of McGill’s Office for Science and Society.

Early life[edit]

Schwarcz is an only child, born in Sopron, Hungary,[1] to Jewish parents. During the Hungarian uprising in 1956, when he was age nine, the family escaped over the border to Austria and migrated to Canada and settled in Montreal, Quebec.[2] Schwarcz attended Logan school on Darlington and went on to study chemistry at McGill University in Montreal where he received a BSc (1969)[3] and PhD (1973).[1]

Schwarcz became interested in magic and chemistry at the age of nine, when he saw a magician perform a rope trick at a school friend’s birthday party. “Instead of using the usual magic words like Abracadabra, he said that he was going to sprinkle a ‘Magic Chemical’ on the ropes.” Schwarcz was so intrigued that he went to the library and looked up chemistry; he has had a keen interest in both since that day.[2][4]

Biography[edit]

Schwarcz started his teaching career at Dawson College before moving to Vanier College[1][2] serving as chair of the Department of Chemistry at both colleges. He then returned to McGill University in 1980 where he teaches in courses in the Department of Chemistry and Faculty of Medicine with an emphasis on alternative medicine.[1][5]

File:Joseph_Schwarcz

At the 2018 Trottier Public Science Symposium

In 1999 Schwarcz became the founding director of the McGill University Office for Science and Society (OSS) with Ariel Fenster and David N. Harpp.[5] The OSS “…is a unique venture dedicated to the promotion of critical thinking and the presentation of scientific information to the public, educators and students in an accurate and responsible fashion.” As director, he takes on health fads and the celebrities who promote them. He has used his knowledge of magic to show how supernatural feats can be done by ordinary means.[6]

Even as a university student, Schwarcz found chemistry to be a dry subject,[2] so he established a series of courses designed to bring chemistry to the general student, and later to the public through a series of lectures.[1] The lectures include magic and spontaneity to keep the audience interested.[5]

“A good lecturer is also an actor. A lecture should seem spontaneous, even if it’s been given many times before… You capture the audience’s attention. Then, without their realizing it, you pump a little scientific information into their brains. Before they know it, they’ve learned something.”[4]

In 2010, 2012, and 2016–2017, Schwarcz was nominated by McGill as one of the USA Science and Engineering Festival’s Nifty Fifty Speakers.[7]

Schwarcz began his media career in 1980 after meeting Montreal Gazette reporter Ted Blackman at the Man and His World exhibition when he was demonstrating how to make polyurethane from two liquids. Blackman reported on the demonstration and made a significant error. Schwarcz wrote to the Gazette, pointing out the error, and Blackman printed a retraction. Radio station CJAD picked up the story and called Schwarcz to talk about it on air. The following week another scientific issue arose and he was called on again; this led to regular collaborations and to his own weekly radio show (The Dr. Joe Show), which also ran on Toronto’s CFRB for about two years.[2][8]

Schwarcz has appeared hundreds of times on Canadian television and radio, including his single-season show about common foods called Science to Go on the Canadian Discovery Channel. He writes a weekly column for the Montreal Gazette called The Right Chemistry and a monthly column in the Canadian Chemical News.

He is one of the spokespersons for ScienceUpFirst, a science communication initiative aiming at reducing the impact of COVID misinformation online.[9]

In 1999 Schwarcz was awarded the Grady-Stack Award for Interpreting Chemistry for the Public.[10] At the time, he was the first non-American to win the award.[11] He was the joint winner of the 2014 Center for Skeptical Inquiry Robert P Balles Prize for skeptical thinking for his book Is This a Fact?[12]

Schwarcz has honorary doctorates from Athabasca University (2002),[13] Cape Breton University (2011)[1][14], and Simon Fraser University (2019).

Personal life[edit]

Schwarcz and his wife Alice were married in 1973 and have three children.[1][2] Alice died in March 2016.[15]

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Superfoods, silkworms, and spandex: science and pseudoscience in everyday life DB121941

Schwarcz, Joe Reading time: 8 hours, 13 minutes.

Rich Miller

Science and Technology

“In this new collection of bite-size pop science essays, bestselling author, chemistry professor, and radio broadcaster Dr. Joe Schwarcz shows that you can find science virtually anywhere you look. And the closer you look, the more fascinating it becomes. In this volume, we look through our magnifying glass at maraschino cherries, frizzy hair, duct tape, pickle juice, yellow school buses, aphrodisiacs, dental implants, and bull testes. If those don’t tickle your fancy, how about aconite murders, shot towers, book smells, Swarovski crystals, French wines, bees, or head transplants? You can also learn about the scientific escapades of James Bond, California’s confusing proposition 65, the problems with oxygen on Mars, Valentine’s Meat Juice, the benefits of pasteurization, the pros and cons of red light therapy, the controversy swirling around perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), why English cucumbers are wrapped in plastic, and how probiotics may have seeded Hitler’s downfall. Superfoods, Silkworms, and Spandex answers all your burning questions about the science of everyday life, like: why “superfood”is a marketing term, not a scientific one; how probiotics might have contributed to Hitler’s downfall; why plastic wrap is sometimes the environmental choice; why supplements to reduce inflammation may just reduce your bank account; how maraschino cherries went from luxury good to cheap sundae topper; what’s behind “Bold book smell”, how margarine became a hot item for bootleggers; why duct tape is useful, but not on ducts; how onstage accidents led to fireproof fabrics.”– Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.