Date: March 24, 2007
Title: The Beethoven Factor
Author: Paul Pearsall
Thoughts: “Remember, the first mental food of your day will set your mental tone for the entire day” (quote from the book).
Date: March 31, 2007
Title: The Big Sleep
Author: Raymond Chandler
Thoughts: These stories don’t end when everything seems to be tied up. If things to feel right to Marlowe, he’ll unravel his case, put a new twist on it and tie it up in a new way.
Date: April 12 & 14, 2007
Titles: Henry Huggins, Beezus and Ramona, Ramona the Brave
Author: Beverly Cleary
Thoughts: I read and enjoyed these books as a kid. I enjoyed them again, especially Beezus and Ramona. These books were loaned to me by a friend who still had them from her childhood. The first time I read them, I checked them out from my elementary school library.
Date: May 6, 2007
Title: The Richest Man Who Ever Lived
Author: Steven K. Scott
Thoughts: I have taken the challenge to read Proverbs every day.
Date: May 8, 2007
Title: Proverbs
Thoughts:
“I love those who love me [Wisdom],
And those who seek me diligently will find me.
Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring riches and righteousness.
My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold,
And my revenue than choice silver” (Proverbs 8:17-19).
Date: May 10, 2007
Title: The Ghost Map
Author: Steven Johnson
Thoughts: There seems to be a subtle implication that Rev. Whitehead’s r
easonableness was unique among religious people, not the norm.
Date: July 8, 2007
Title: The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life
Author: Hannah Whitall Smith
Thoughts: I enjoyed this book. I wish I had come across it as a young Christian. I’d like to read it again some day.
Date: July 12, 2007
Title: The Relaxation Response
Author: Herbert Benson with Miriam Z. Klipper
Thoughts: This is very interesting. If we have such a way to manage stress and counteract some of its worst effects, why aren’t we using it? I’m not signing up for TM, but surely, I can elicit this response in an appropriate way.
Other parts of What I Read:
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5,
Part 6, Part 7, Part 8
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query 2007. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query 2007. Sort by date Show all posts
Friday, August 14, 2009
Sunday, September 6, 2009
What I Read (10)
Date: July 25, 2007
Title: Epic
Author: John Eldredge
Thoughts: “We have grown dull toward this world in which we live; we have forgotten that it is not normal or scientific in any sense of the word. It is fantastic. It is fairy tale through and through” (quote from the book).
John Eldredge also wrote Walking with God and co-wrote The Sacred Romance.
Date: August 29, 2007
Title: The Complete Verse and Other Nonsense Author: Edward Lear (Vivien Noakes, editor)
Thoughts:
“How pleasant it is to know Mr. Lear!
Who has written such volumes of stuff!
Some think him ill-tempered and queer,
But a few think him pleasant enough” (quote from the book).
Date: December 7, 2007
Title: The Numbers Behind NUMB3RS
Author: Keith Devlin & Gary Lorden
Thoughts: I enjoyed this. Not too much math. Actually, I could have stood a little more math. What I enjoyed is seeing how tools are used to solve problems as they are used to solve crimes on the show.
Date: December 14, 2007
Title: Kidnapped Author: Robert Louis Stephenson
Thoughts: A very fun adventure that I much enjoyed. I’m afraid that I would fare even worse than David Balfour on such a journey.
Date: December 21, 2007
Title: Peace of Mind Through Possibility Thinking
Author: Robert H. Shuller
Thoughts: “Never forget that you are God’s idea. And know that God thinks only great ideas” (quote from the book).
Robert H. Shuller also wrote Self-Love.
Date: December 26, 2007
Title: The Golden Age of DC Comics: 365 Days Author: Les Daniels, Chip Kid & Geoff Spear
Thoughts: Mostly pictures. I enjoyed it much.
Date: December 28, 2007
Title: Acres of Diamonds Author: Russel H. Conwell
Thoughts: “Young man, remember if you know what people need you have gotten more knowledge of a fortune than any amount of capital can give you” (quote from the book).
Date: January 25, 2008
Title: The Mindful Way through Depression Author: Mark Williams, John Teasdale, Zindal Segal & Joh Kabat-Zinn
Thoughts: “In many ways, subtle and not subtle, depression and low mood undermine us by robbing us of the energy to do the things that would nourish us the most. Simply engaging or reengaging in such activities can have unsuspected power” (quote from the book).
Other Parts of What I Read:
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5,
Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9
Title: Epic
Author: John Eldredge
Thoughts: “We have grown dull toward this world in which we live; we have forgotten that it is not normal or scientific in any sense of the word. It is fantastic. It is fairy tale through and through” (quote from the book).
John Eldredge also wrote Walking with God and co-wrote The Sacred Romance.
Date: August 29, 2007
Title: The Complete Verse and Other Nonsense Author: Edward Lear (Vivien Noakes, editor)
Thoughts:
“How pleasant it is to know Mr. Lear!
Who has written such volumes of stuff!
Some think him ill-tempered and queer,
But a few think him pleasant enough” (quote from the book).
Date: December 7, 2007
Title: The Numbers Behind NUMB3RS
Author: Keith Devlin & Gary Lorden
Thoughts: I enjoyed this. Not too much math. Actually, I could have stood a little more math. What I enjoyed is seeing how tools are used to solve problems as they are used to solve crimes on the show.
Date: December 14, 2007
Title: Kidnapped Author: Robert Louis Stephenson
Thoughts: A very fun adventure that I much enjoyed. I’m afraid that I would fare even worse than David Balfour on such a journey.
Date: December 21, 2007
Title: Peace of Mind Through Possibility Thinking
Author: Robert H. Shuller
Thoughts: “Never forget that you are God’s idea. And know that God thinks only great ideas” (quote from the book).
Robert H. Shuller also wrote Self-Love.
Date: December 26, 2007
Title: The Golden Age of DC Comics: 365 Days Author: Les Daniels, Chip Kid & Geoff Spear
Thoughts: Mostly pictures. I enjoyed it much.
Date: December 28, 2007
Title: Acres of Diamonds Author: Russel H. Conwell
Thoughts: “Young man, remember if you know what people need you have gotten more knowledge of a fortune than any amount of capital can give you” (quote from the book).
Date: January 25, 2008
Title: The Mindful Way through Depression Author: Mark Williams, John Teasdale, Zindal Segal & Joh Kabat-Zinn
Thoughts: “In many ways, subtle and not subtle, depression and low mood undermine us by robbing us of the energy to do the things that would nourish us the most. Simply engaging or reengaging in such activities can have unsuspected power” (quote from the book).
Other Parts of What I Read:
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5,
Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9
Thursday, August 13, 2009
What I Read (8)
Books I want to read:
Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway, Susan Jeffers
The Aladdin Factor, Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen
The Success System that Never Fails, W. Clement Stone
Work Less, Make More, Jennifer White
Multiple Streams of Income, Robert G. Allen
A biography of Beethoven
A biography of William Wilberforce
You Were Born Rich, Bob Proctor
Skills for Success, Adele Scheele
Getting Business to Come to You, Paul & Sarah Edwards & Laura Clempitt Douglas
Mentored by a Millionaire, Steven K. Scott
How to Make Millions with Your Ideas, Dan S. Kennedy
Date: November 4, 2006
Title: The Difference Maker
Author: John C. Maxwell
Thoughts: “If you’ve done the best you can—if you have done what you have to do—there Is no use worrying about it, because nothing can change it,” Harry S Truman.
If your interested in The Diffrence Maker, you may also by interested in The 21 Irrifutable Laws of Leadership Tested by Time.
Date: January 9, 2007
Title: The Way of the Wild Heart
Author: John Eldredge
Thoughts: “Be decisive. Every time a man makes a hard decision, the Warrior in him is strengthened” (quote from the book).
John Eldredge also wrote Epic and Walking with God and co-wrote The Sacred Romance.
Date: January 20, 2007
Title: The Club of Queer Trades
Author: G. K. Chesterton
Thoughts: “’Truth must of necessity be stranger than fiction,’ said Basil placidly. ‘For fiction is the creation of the human mind, and therefore must be congenial to it’” (quote from the book).
Date: February 12, 2007
Title: Tortilla Flat
Author: John Steinbeck
Thoughts: A beautiful, funny, sad, wonderful book.
Date: February 16, 2007
Title: The Dangerous Duty of Delight
Author: John Piper
Thoughts: “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him” (quote from the book).
Date: March 19, 2007
Title: The Innocence of Father Brown
Author: G. K. Chesterton
Thoughts: “’All right,” said Father Brown. ‘I never said it was always wrong to enter fairyland. I only said it was always dangerous’” (quote from the story “The Sins of Prince Saradine” in the book).
Other parts of What I Read:
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5,
Part 6, Part 7
Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway, Susan Jeffers
The Aladdin Factor, Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen
The Success System that Never Fails, W. Clement Stone
Work Less, Make More, Jennifer White
Multiple Streams of Income, Robert G. Allen
A biography of Beethoven
A biography of William Wilberforce
You Were Born Rich, Bob Proctor
Skills for Success, Adele Scheele
Getting Business to Come to You, Paul & Sarah Edwards & Laura Clempitt Douglas
Mentored by a Millionaire, Steven K. Scott
How to Make Millions with Your Ideas, Dan S. Kennedy
Date: November 4, 2006
Title: The Difference Maker
Author: John C. Maxwell
Thoughts: “If you’ve done the best you can—if you have done what you have to do—there Is no use worrying about it, because nothing can change it,” Harry S Truman.
If your interested in The Diffrence Maker, you may also by interested in The 21 Irrifutable Laws of Leadership Tested by Time.
Date: January 9, 2007
Title: The Way of the Wild Heart
Author: John Eldredge
Thoughts: “Be decisive. Every time a man makes a hard decision, the Warrior in him is strengthened” (quote from the book).
John Eldredge also wrote Epic and Walking with God and co-wrote The Sacred Romance.
Date: January 20, 2007
Title: The Club of Queer Trades
Author: G. K. Chesterton
Thoughts: “’Truth must of necessity be stranger than fiction,’ said Basil placidly. ‘For fiction is the creation of the human mind, and therefore must be congenial to it’” (quote from the book).
Date: February 12, 2007
Title: Tortilla Flat
Author: John Steinbeck
Thoughts: A beautiful, funny, sad, wonderful book.
Date: February 16, 2007
Title: The Dangerous Duty of Delight
Author: John Piper
Thoughts: “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him” (quote from the book).
Date: March 19, 2007
Title: The Innocence of Father Brown
Author: G. K. Chesterton
Thoughts: “’All right,” said Father Brown. ‘I never said it was always wrong to enter fairyland. I only said it was always dangerous’” (quote from the story “The Sins of Prince Saradine” in the book).
Other parts of What I Read:
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5,
Part 6, Part 7
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Best of What I Read in 2007
I read 46 books in 2007. This is not to brag. My reading is not a scholarly endeavor, it is more like a hobby. It is comparable to stamp collecting or knitting, though a philatelist or knitter might have more to show for the hours and effort.For the more discriminating reader, I’ll apply the Pareto Principle to my list of 2007 reads and give you what I think are the top nine.
1. Proverbs (The Bible)
2. Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck
3. The Richest Man Who Ever Lived by Steven K. Scott
4. The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson
5. The Relaxation Response by Herbert Bensen with Mariam Z. Klipper
6. The Way of the Wild Heart by John Eldredge
7. The Beethoven Factor by Paul Pearsall
8. The Club of Queer Trades by G. K. Chesterton
9. Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
1. Proverbs (The Bible)
2. Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck
3. The Richest Man Who Ever Lived by Steven K. Scott
4. The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson
5. The Relaxation Response by Herbert Bensen with Mariam Z. Klipper
6. The Way of the Wild Heart by John Eldredge
7. The Beethoven Factor by Paul Pearsall
8. The Club of Queer Trades by G. K. Chesterton
9. Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
Monday, January 19, 2009
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
Gladwell, Malcolm. Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. New York: Back Bay, 2007.
We make a great number of snap judgments regarding very complex issues and often these decisions are better than we might have made with much analysis. Gladwell is interested in how this counterintuitive situation could be.
The key is what Gladwell calls thin-slicing. We can make good decisions with very little information because our unconscious mind has a knack for identifying and using the information that make a difference. Too much information may even be a detriment to good decision-making because it obscures the important details.
Blinks are often good decisions, yet they can fail. There are times when the unconscious can make bad decisions. Often this is because the unconscious is biased with misinformation; Gladwell discusses a test for hidden racial bias in which even he, with a Jamaican mother, showed preference for whites. This test and others show that stress and lack of time can reduce the unconscious’ ability to make good decisions; it’s fast but not instant. The unconscious also isn’t so good at decisions where there are relatively few factors to consider and the stakes are low; conscious analysis does better then.
Understanding snap judgments and how they work, even if the details are hidden from our conscious minds, allows us to improve our decision making. First, we can recognize areas where our snap judgments are weak or strong and arrange to use the most appropriate type of thinking. Second, we can inform our unconscious minds. We can train ourselves to make better snap judgments. Gladwell demonstrates this through the informed, but quick and largely unconscious, judgments of experts.
In the afterward to the 2007 edition of the book, Gladwell calls for action, or at least reflection, base on the concept of the blink. One area was the disparity of conviction and imprisonment of blacks and whites. He tells the story of how screens that block musicians from judges resulted in more women breaking into major orchestras. People couldn’t hear the important evidence of a performer’s musical skill and talent once they had seen she was a woman and unconscious bias tainted their judgment. Likewise, programs that attack conscious prejudice may have little impact on unconscious racial bias, and to hide the race of defendants from juries might actually help them make better decisions by eliminating information that is less relevant.
We make a great number of snap judgments regarding very complex issues and often these decisions are better than we might have made with much analysis. Gladwell is interested in how this counterintuitive situation could be.
The key is what Gladwell calls thin-slicing. We can make good decisions with very little information because our unconscious mind has a knack for identifying and using the information that make a difference. Too much information may even be a detriment to good decision-making because it obscures the important details.
Blinks are often good decisions, yet they can fail. There are times when the unconscious can make bad decisions. Often this is because the unconscious is biased with misinformation; Gladwell discusses a test for hidden racial bias in which even he, with a Jamaican mother, showed preference for whites. This test and others show that stress and lack of time can reduce the unconscious’ ability to make good decisions; it’s fast but not instant. The unconscious also isn’t so good at decisions where there are relatively few factors to consider and the stakes are low; conscious analysis does better then.
Understanding snap judgments and how they work, even if the details are hidden from our conscious minds, allows us to improve our decision making. First, we can recognize areas where our snap judgments are weak or strong and arrange to use the most appropriate type of thinking. Second, we can inform our unconscious minds. We can train ourselves to make better snap judgments. Gladwell demonstrates this through the informed, but quick and largely unconscious, judgments of experts.
In the afterward to the 2007 edition of the book, Gladwell calls for action, or at least reflection, base on the concept of the blink. One area was the disparity of conviction and imprisonment of blacks and whites. He tells the story of how screens that block musicians from judges resulted in more women breaking into major orchestras. People couldn’t hear the important evidence of a performer’s musical skill and talent once they had seen she was a woman and unconscious bias tainted their judgment. Likewise, programs that attack conscious prejudice may have little impact on unconscious racial bias, and to hide the race of defendants from juries might actually help them make better decisions by eliminating information that is less relevant.
Monday, September 1, 2014
A Complaint Free World by Will Bowen
It was big news back in 2006
to 2007
when a Kansas
City church challenged its members, and the eventually the world, to stop
complaining. The pastor, Will Bowen
who authored A Complaint Free World,
appeared on Oprah. The method was simple. Wear a
purple bracelet; every time you complain, switch the bracelet from one wrist to
the other. When you manage to go 21 days without speaking a complaint (it will
take months for most people), you form habits that reduce even your complaining
thoughts. A rubber band, a token you switch from pocket to pocket, or similar
reminder will do the trick.
Complaining is talking about what we don’t want instead of what we
want. This is important in Bowen’s view because our words are a reflection of our
thoughts and, as Earl Nightingale
put it, “We become what we think about.” Complaining creates in our lives more
of what we complain about. When we start thinking more about what we want,
we’ll get more of what we want.
Why do we complain? We do it to get sympathy, to avoid something we
don’t want to do, to demonstrate our sophistication, or even as a way of
bragging.
Bowen gives several reasons to quit complaining. One is health.
He cites a study that indicates complaining makes us sick; as much as
two-thirds of illness is psychological in origin. In addition, complaining
about others (criticism) is rarely works to change them; people respond to
appreciation. Even great social movements that started in deep dissatisfaction
moved forward by showing a positive vision of the world as it could be.
I visited the web site established for the movement, AComplaintFreeWorld.org. It
looks like they no longer give out free purple bracelets, but you can order
them or get a free widget.
The notion of becoming what you think is in line with Bowens faith.
This is a teaching of Unity,
a religion
founded in Kansas City. (Incidentally, I used to work in Lee’s Summit
a short distance from the organization’s headquarters in Unity Village.)
Though Unity expresses esteem for the Bible and Jesus Christ,
it’s teachings about the nature of God, the Bible,
Jesus, the notion of Christ, and the relationship of man and God is very
different from traditional Christianity.
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
Thursday, August 20, 2009
The Numbers behind NUMB3RS by Keith Devlin & Gary Lorden
Devlin, Keith, & Gary Lorden. The Numbers Behind NUMB3RS: Solving Crime With Mathematics. New York: Plum, 2007.
The Numbers Behind NUMBERS is not a math textbook. Like the television show it accompanies, it aims for a broad audience. Where NUMB3RS is chiefly a crime drama, this book is about how math is and can be used to solve real word crime and other problems.
Even for a popular book about math, there is very little use of mathematical notation. The only complicated equation in the book is in the first chapter. It is Rossmo’s formula, which is used in geographic profiling of crimes to determine a likely home of a criminal. Devlin and Lorden describe the formula in plain English, as they do all the math in the book.
One of the notable things about Rossmo’s formula, and nearly all the math in the book, is that it simply attempts to describe actual things in numerical terms. Because we have tools for handling numerical information, the hope is to predict behavior and uncover hidden patterns using these tools.
An interesting thing that is brought out in the book is that the mathematical contribution is not always about numbers. Math is also about logic and abstract reasoning. The contributions Charlie, the mathematician character in the show, makes are often about approaches and perspectives and may not involve any calculation.
Also highlighted by the book and the show are how much applied math uses computers. One of the things that makes math so powerful is our ability to automate calculations. Going back to Rossmo’s formula as an example, you will find in it operations that would be familiar to most people. However, if you applied it to a grid that might have hundreds or thousands of squares, you would soon run into an insurmountable mountain of calculations if you had to do it by hand. Because computers can calculate very quickly and repeatedly, math can be powerful and timely.
Even so, using math to solve problems, just like using standard investigative techniques to solve crimes, can be slow. This is something the book admits, but it does not work well in a television show that fits in and hour along with some commercials. Real world math must deal with real world data that is often disorganized, incomplete and inconsistent. Even a straightforward analysis may take a long time because of the effort needed to gather, organize and standardize the data.
Numbers is a surprisingly easy read. People who enjoy the show and would like a little better understanding of the math without needing a graduate degree will likely enjoy this book.
Keith Devlin also wrote The Unfinished Game.
The Numbers Behind NUMBERS is not a math textbook. Like the television show it accompanies, it aims for a broad audience. Where NUMB3RS is chiefly a crime drama, this book is about how math is and can be used to solve real word crime and other problems.
Even for a popular book about math, there is very little use of mathematical notation. The only complicated equation in the book is in the first chapter. It is Rossmo’s formula, which is used in geographic profiling of crimes to determine a likely home of a criminal. Devlin and Lorden describe the formula in plain English, as they do all the math in the book.
One of the notable things about Rossmo’s formula, and nearly all the math in the book, is that it simply attempts to describe actual things in numerical terms. Because we have tools for handling numerical information, the hope is to predict behavior and uncover hidden patterns using these tools.
An interesting thing that is brought out in the book is that the mathematical contribution is not always about numbers. Math is also about logic and abstract reasoning. The contributions Charlie, the mathematician character in the show, makes are often about approaches and perspectives and may not involve any calculation.
Also highlighted by the book and the show are how much applied math uses computers. One of the things that makes math so powerful is our ability to automate calculations. Going back to Rossmo’s formula as an example, you will find in it operations that would be familiar to most people. However, if you applied it to a grid that might have hundreds or thousands of squares, you would soon run into an insurmountable mountain of calculations if you had to do it by hand. Because computers can calculate very quickly and repeatedly, math can be powerful and timely.
Even so, using math to solve problems, just like using standard investigative techniques to solve crimes, can be slow. This is something the book admits, but it does not work well in a television show that fits in and hour along with some commercials. Real world math must deal with real world data that is often disorganized, incomplete and inconsistent. Even a straightforward analysis may take a long time because of the effort needed to gather, organize and standardize the data.
Numbers is a surprisingly easy read. People who enjoy the show and would like a little better understanding of the math without needing a graduate degree will likely enjoy this book.
Keith Devlin also wrote The Unfinished Game.
Saturday, November 24, 2018
Become a Better You by Joel Osteen
Become
a Better You was Joel Osteen’s follow-up to his first book, Your
Best Life Now.
Osteen even presents the book as a continuation of the theme and purpose of its
predecessor.
Each chapter is a
topical sermon on reaching your potential in some
aspect of life. The aspects are personal growth, positive self-image, relationships, habits, faith and passion.
I have previously
criticized Osteen for taking self-help advice and wrapping it up in religion. I see Norman Vincent Peale and Robert H. Schuller in much the same light. A defense all
of these pastors might raise is that they are focusing on practical matters of
living well. A head full of religious knowledge that doesn’t change your life
for the better is doing no good; it’s not the life Christians are called to.
I agree. I also see in Jesus and the apostles teachers who could both delve deep into the scripture and provide very practical
instruction based on it. Religious meditation and working to make the world a
better place—even if little seems to come of it—go hand-in-hand in
Christianity.
In one area Osteen has a
strong foundation: relationships. It is clear from the Bible that God
cares very much about how we relate to and treat each other. Osteen’s use of
scriptures are apropos in these chapters. The sermons hold up when read with a Bible in the other hand; something that is
weaker in the other chapters.
Joel Osteen also wrote
If you’re interested in
this book, you may also be interested in
The Magic Power of Self-Image Psychology by Maxwell Malts
Osteen, Joel. Become a Better You: Seven Keys to Improving
Your Life Every Day. New York: Free Press, 2007.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Why Good Things Happen to Good People by Stephen Post and Jill Neimark
Post, Stephen, and Jill Neimark. Why Good Things Happen to Good People: The Exciting New Research that Proves the Link Between Doing Good and Living a Longer, Happier, Healthier Life. New York: Broadway Books, 2007.
Solomon wrote, “The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will be watered” (Proverbs 11:25 NKJV). According to bioethicist Stephen Post and writer Jill Neimark, this ancient wisdom is true and backed up by modern science.
Throughout the book, they site numerous studies of showing that giving benefits the giver with better physical and mental health and longer life. The effects can be both immediate, such as the release of feel-good chemicals in the brain when we do good, and long-term, such as longer life and better health in old age.
The book is only partly a summary of the research on the benefits of giving. It is catalog of types of giving. In each area, it provides a test to evaluate one’s giving and suggestion on how to be a giver. The authors seek to reach from the research to its application in how people can be better givers and reap the benefits of it.
An interesting aspect of the book is the areas of giving. Some are expected. Generativity, compassion and listening are types of giving that will quickly spring to the minds of many. Some may be unexpected. Courage, humor and creativity are less obvious ways of giving, but the authors show how we can enrich the lives of others through them and be better off, too.
A chapter that particularly caught my attention dealt with the way of celebration, or gratitude. I’ve long thought that our appreciation for the good in our lives is essential to our happiness. The research sited in this book confirms that gratitude makes happier and calmer. It also helps us heal and have relationships with others. The authors offer some very good advice on how to increase gratitude, just as they show ways to increase in the other forms of giving.
Solomon wrote, “The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will be watered” (Proverbs 11:25 NKJV). According to bioethicist Stephen Post and writer Jill Neimark, this ancient wisdom is true and backed up by modern science.
Throughout the book, they site numerous studies of showing that giving benefits the giver with better physical and mental health and longer life. The effects can be both immediate, such as the release of feel-good chemicals in the brain when we do good, and long-term, such as longer life and better health in old age.
The book is only partly a summary of the research on the benefits of giving. It is catalog of types of giving. In each area, it provides a test to evaluate one’s giving and suggestion on how to be a giver. The authors seek to reach from the research to its application in how people can be better givers and reap the benefits of it.
An interesting aspect of the book is the areas of giving. Some are expected. Generativity, compassion and listening are types of giving that will quickly spring to the minds of many. Some may be unexpected. Courage, humor and creativity are less obvious ways of giving, but the authors show how we can enrich the lives of others through them and be better off, too.
A chapter that particularly caught my attention dealt with the way of celebration, or gratitude. I’ve long thought that our appreciation for the good in our lives is essential to our happiness. The research sited in this book confirms that gratitude makes happier and calmer. It also helps us heal and have relationships with others. The authors offer some very good advice on how to increase gratitude, just as they show ways to increase in the other forms of giving.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Friday, January 8, 2010
The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss
Ferriss, Timothy. The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich. New York: Crown, 2007.
The 4-Hour Workweek sounds like a dream only the independently wealthy and part-time retirees can enjoy. Timothy Ferriss has written about how the new rich enjoy independence now, without spending decades saving up for it.
Ferris describes four steps the new rich follow to achieve their lifestyle. They make a handy acronym: DEAL.
The deal starts with definition. You cannot live the lifestyle you want until you clearly define it. The dream-lining method he describes will encourage you to reach out for those big goals now and not wait.
The next step is elimination. The currency of the new rich is time. They ruthlessly cut out anything that wastes time. If it is not what they want to do, or contributing significantly to their income, they drop it. Ferriss applies the Pareto principle that 80 percent of the results come from 20 percent of the effort. The daring step taken by the new rich is actually cutting out the 80 percent of unproductive activity.
Automation is about freeing up time and making money. The new rich are not interested in accumulating wealth. The idea is to have a stream of income that supports your lifestyle without taking up a lot of your time. Ferriss calls these income sources “muses.” They amount to automatic business that run with very little of your direct involvement.
This part of the book focuses on how to lead the lifestyle you want, especially if it involves travel. Ferriss likes to travel and found it is inexpensive to spend extended periods in other countries. There are many temptations to go back to working for works sake and waste time on things that do no contribute to your lifestyle. The new rich do not allow that stuff to draw them away from the liberation they have won.
The bottom line of the new rich is that it is not about having it all. It is about enjoying what you want most.
The 4-Hour Workweek sounds like a dream only the independently wealthy and part-time retirees can enjoy. Timothy Ferriss has written about how the new rich enjoy independence now, without spending decades saving up for it.
Ferris describes four steps the new rich follow to achieve their lifestyle. They make a handy acronym: DEAL.
The deal starts with definition. You cannot live the lifestyle you want until you clearly define it. The dream-lining method he describes will encourage you to reach out for those big goals now and not wait.
The next step is elimination. The currency of the new rich is time. They ruthlessly cut out anything that wastes time. If it is not what they want to do, or contributing significantly to their income, they drop it. Ferriss applies the Pareto principle that 80 percent of the results come from 20 percent of the effort. The daring step taken by the new rich is actually cutting out the 80 percent of unproductive activity.
Automation is about freeing up time and making money. The new rich are not interested in accumulating wealth. The idea is to have a stream of income that supports your lifestyle without taking up a lot of your time. Ferriss calls these income sources “muses.” They amount to automatic business that run with very little of your direct involvement.
This part of the book focuses on how to lead the lifestyle you want, especially if it involves travel. Ferriss likes to travel and found it is inexpensive to spend extended periods in other countries. There are many temptations to go back to working for works sake and waste time on things that do no contribute to your lifestyle. The new rich do not allow that stuff to draw them away from the liberation they have won.
The bottom line of the new rich is that it is not about having it all. It is about enjoying what you want most.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Top 15 Books Reviewed So Far
I recently
posted my 250th review (see list of all 250 here). Because I think
one of the purposes of reviewing books is to help people decide what is worth
their while, I periodically list the top books I’ve reviewed so far. Admittedly, this list is all books of the Bible.
This is because I’ve written a distinct review of each book of the Bible
I’ve read since starting the blog. If
you’d like a best of list in which the Bible is treated as a single book,
follow this link.
Previous best
of lists
Annual best
of lists
P.S. If you have a book that had a strong impact on you, tweet about it using the hashtag #booksthatshapedme. Thanks.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Happier by Tal Ben-Shahar
Ben-Shahar, Tal. Happier: Learn the Secrets of Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007.
Happier is based on a popular class Dr. Ben-Shahar teaches at Harvard University. The author refers to happiness as the ultimate currency, and in that light, it is not surprising that so many people are seeking more of it.
Ben-Shahar frames happiness as a balance of present and future benefits. Many people sacrifice present pleasure for hopes of a more desirable future; they’re rat-racers. Hedonists seek momentary pleasures without regard for the future. Those who’ve given up on finding happiness in both the present and future are nihilists. Happiness is found in a life that has future benefits that is enjoyable along the way.
Happiness is about more that just pleasure, which is hollow by itself. Happy people lead lives they find meaningful. In a sense, a meaningful life provides the ultimate future benefit. Pairing meaning with enjoyment along the way, present pleasure, leads to happiness. This doesn’t lead to a life free of negative emotions or perpetual positivity; Ben-Shahar thinks that is unrealistic and probably unfulfilling and throughout the book reminds readers of the balanced definition of happiness.
The middle section of the book tackles some of the practical matters of happiness in education, work and relationships. School is all about present sacrifice for future payoff. That mindset can send people in to careers they find to be meaningless drudgery. The same attitudes can come into relationships. Happiness in the real world sometimes means setting aside the expectations of others and society and acting on what you personally find meaningful and pleasurable. Not everyone has the luxury of putting off all obligations and doing their own thing, but nearly everyone can do something to introduce more happiness into their lives.
In closing, Ben-Shahar offers a number of “meditations.” These chapters offer exercises, of both practice and thought, for building happiness on our lives.
Happier is based on a popular class Dr. Ben-Shahar teaches at Harvard University. The author refers to happiness as the ultimate currency, and in that light, it is not surprising that so many people are seeking more of it.
Ben-Shahar frames happiness as a balance of present and future benefits. Many people sacrifice present pleasure for hopes of a more desirable future; they’re rat-racers. Hedonists seek momentary pleasures without regard for the future. Those who’ve given up on finding happiness in both the present and future are nihilists. Happiness is found in a life that has future benefits that is enjoyable along the way.
Happiness is about more that just pleasure, which is hollow by itself. Happy people lead lives they find meaningful. In a sense, a meaningful life provides the ultimate future benefit. Pairing meaning with enjoyment along the way, present pleasure, leads to happiness. This doesn’t lead to a life free of negative emotions or perpetual positivity; Ben-Shahar thinks that is unrealistic and probably unfulfilling and throughout the book reminds readers of the balanced definition of happiness.
The middle section of the book tackles some of the practical matters of happiness in education, work and relationships. School is all about present sacrifice for future payoff. That mindset can send people in to careers they find to be meaningless drudgery. The same attitudes can come into relationships. Happiness in the real world sometimes means setting aside the expectations of others and society and acting on what you personally find meaningful and pleasurable. Not everyone has the luxury of putting off all obligations and doing their own thing, but nearly everyone can do something to introduce more happiness into their lives.
In closing, Ben-Shahar offers a number of “meditations.” These chapters offer exercises, of both practice and thought, for building happiness on our lives.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Reading Comics by Douglas Wolk
Douglas
Wolk’s book Reading Comics has
two major sections. In the first section, outlines a framework for comic
book criticism.
First, he makes it clear that the comic book (or graphic
novel) is a distinct medium. Comics are
not half-assed attempts at some other media such as film
or prose.
Next he draws a distinction between mainstream comics and art
comics. Mainstream comics have always been an corporate effort. It is corporate
in the sense that it has been controlled by publishers.
It is also corporate because most mainstream comics are the product of a team
(a writer,
an artist—sometimes
separate penciller
and inker—a colorist, and a
letterer).
Both of these types of corporate authorship give rise to a house style.
This gives rise to one of the major points of distinction between
mainstream and art comics. Mainstream comics are dominated by a house style.
Art comics are an expression of the style of the cartoonist.
There is an element of auteurism in this understanding of art comics. An art
comic, to a much greater degree than a mainstream comic, is a single artist’s
interpretation of what he sees or envisions. Art comics are valued as an
expression of their creators’ visions. The more skillful the cartoonist, the
more likely he is to produce good comics.
There is more to Wolk’s framework of comics criticism than this, but it
seems to me to be the central element. Wolk does not claim to be making a
comprehensive system of criticism. Comic books are too new a medium for that,
especially because comics criticisms is necessarily younger.
In the second section of the book, Wolk discusses the works of
particular cartoonists. Some of these work heavily or mostly in mainstream
comics, but the focus remains on how the artist interprets and expresses his
vision in comics, with or without the expectations of mainstream comics.
One of the great examples of this is Alan Moore.
Moore’s work for mainstream publishers had turned the mainstream, and
especially the superhero
genre, on its
head while still producing comics that work excellently as mainstream comics.
Moore bucks the trend of artsy cartoonists by being a writer only; all of his
comics are mainstream-style collaborations with an artist. Wolk mentions
several works of Moore, but the grand example is Watchmen. Moore, and especially Watchmen, has cost a long shadow on
mainstream comics. He has pushed the mainstream to be much better, and eager
imitators have unfortunately produced some horrible comics by learning all the
wrong lessons.
Several cartoonists receive attention: the dark, strange visions of Steve Ditko
(cocreator of Spider-Man),
the epically deep world-building and beautiful drawing of Jaime
Hernandez, the epic opus of Cerebus
comics by Dave
Sim, the artistry of Will Eisner,
the power of Frank
Miller (sometimes overpowering), and the consciousness-expanding ouvre of Grant
Morrison (another writer, but not artist).
Even though the book is not new, it introduced me to cartoonists and
comics that were new to me. It was worth the read for that, though Wolk’s
perspective on the development of mainstream and art comics is interesting,
too.
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
Douglas Wolk. Reading Comics: How
Graphic Novels Work and What They Mean. Cambridge,
MA: Da Capo,
2007.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Language and the Pursuit of Happiness by Chalmers Brothers
Brothers, Chalmers. Language and the Pursuit of Happiness. Naples, FL: New Possibilities, 2007.
The central theme of this book is that language is pervasive in the human environment and that actions in language have consequences in our lives. We can take actions in language that lead to better results.
Brothers draws ideas from a number of areas including language, learning and mind-body connection. Though the chapters committed to this material have exercises associated with them, they mostly serve as background material. The first half of the book is committed to describing these concepts.
Most of the second half is committed to describing different type of language actions. Each is summarized below.
Assertions and Assesments. Assertions are statements of fact; they can be proved or disproved. Assessments are judgments and opinions; they may be valid or supportable, but they are not verifiable like facts. People run into trouble by treating unhelpful assessments as if they are true assertions.
Declarations. Declarations created possibilities or context. With declarations, we may initiate, conclude, resolve or assess. Declarations are powerful because of the context they create, defining for us what is and is not possible.
Requests and Offers. Requests and offers are actions in language by which we try to achieve a desirable future that might otherwise go another way. Requests and offers are similar to declarations in that they are creative actions, but they go farther in enlisting others in undertaking some action to achieve a desired future result.
Promises, Commitments and Agreements. Promises are important because of the effect of keeping or not keeping them. Broken promises break our trust, relationships, success and self-esteem. Kept promises improve these things. Because of this, it is important to manage our commitments, taking responsibility to fulfill them or renegotiate them when we cannot.
I found the book a little hard to read. I think this was partly due to the layout of the book and the use of several forms of emphasis. The concepts seemed somewhat disjointed, and the author’s attempts to tie things together resulted in some wordiness. I felt the not especially long book was a long read.
The central theme of this book is that language is pervasive in the human environment and that actions in language have consequences in our lives. We can take actions in language that lead to better results.
Brothers draws ideas from a number of areas including language, learning and mind-body connection. Though the chapters committed to this material have exercises associated with them, they mostly serve as background material. The first half of the book is committed to describing these concepts.
Most of the second half is committed to describing different type of language actions. Each is summarized below.
Assertions and Assesments. Assertions are statements of fact; they can be proved or disproved. Assessments are judgments and opinions; they may be valid or supportable, but they are not verifiable like facts. People run into trouble by treating unhelpful assessments as if they are true assertions.
Declarations. Declarations created possibilities or context. With declarations, we may initiate, conclude, resolve or assess. Declarations are powerful because of the context they create, defining for us what is and is not possible.
Requests and Offers. Requests and offers are actions in language by which we try to achieve a desirable future that might otherwise go another way. Requests and offers are similar to declarations in that they are creative actions, but they go farther in enlisting others in undertaking some action to achieve a desired future result.
Promises, Commitments and Agreements. Promises are important because of the effect of keeping or not keeping them. Broken promises break our trust, relationships, success and self-esteem. Kept promises improve these things. Because of this, it is important to manage our commitments, taking responsibility to fulfill them or renegotiate them when we cannot.
I found the book a little hard to read. I think this was partly due to the layout of the book and the use of several forms of emphasis. The concepts seemed somewhat disjointed, and the author’s attempts to tie things together resulted in some wordiness. I felt the not especially long book was a long read.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Best of What I Read in 2012
It’s time again to help the discerning reader concentrate on that to 20
percent of books so they can get the most out of their reading. Here are the best of what I read in 2012.
1. First
Peter
2. Second
Peter
Previous best of lists
Annual best of lists
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
How to Talk About Books You Haven’t Read by Pierre Bayard
Bayard, Pierre. How to Talk About Books You Haven’t Read. Trans. Jeffrey Mehlman. New York: Bloomsbury, 2007.
Regarding talking about books you haven’t read, Pierre Bayard might echo the Nike slogan, “Just do it.” Books are so much a part of a larger culture, so quickly forgotten and so interpreted through the internal experiences of readers that having read one brings little advantage to discussing it.
How to Talk About Books You Haven’t Read has three major parts, possibly an accidental homage to the lessons of a composition class. Bayard considers the issue of reading and non-reading (and how hard it is to tell one from the other), the social context of talking about non-read books and offers a new model for discussing books.
Reading is largely a matter of non-reading. We can’t possibly read every book there is, so the choice to read some is necessarily a choice to not read others, and a cultured person may choose to not read any of them. We may read every page or skim, and skimming may be a better way to understand a book as a whole. Even when we read a book, we immediately start to forget it. We hear about books we haven’t read.
This puts us in the position of talking about books we haven’t read (at all, or just skimmed, or forgot) whenever we discuss books. Bayard describes several such social situations, throughout building a case that what we really end up discussing is virtual book, made up of our own internal conceptions of the book and its place in the common library of our culture (including other books we probably haven’t read). He argues that we can’t exactly discuss a book because of all the factors of non-reading. Instead, a book becomes a pretext for discussion, a mental place for building common ground for communication (or so completely devoid of common understanding that people end up talking to themselves in exchanges with others).
In light of all of this, Bayard recommends laying aside the grade school shame of non-reading and discussing books anyway. He carries this pretty far, arguing that books are not fixed and we invent books out of our non-reading rather that discuss the books themselves. Discussions about books are really means of discovering and expressing ourselves.
Bayard can make our interactions with books seem so abstract and subjective that it may truly be best to not read them at all. Since he is a literature professor and an author, he probably doesn’t want people to actually go that far. His point is to get away from a narrow view of books and reading that limits the way people talk about them and move toward more creative and cultured engagement.
Regarding talking about books you haven’t read, Pierre Bayard might echo the Nike slogan, “Just do it.” Books are so much a part of a larger culture, so quickly forgotten and so interpreted through the internal experiences of readers that having read one brings little advantage to discussing it.
How to Talk About Books You Haven’t Read has three major parts, possibly an accidental homage to the lessons of a composition class. Bayard considers the issue of reading and non-reading (and how hard it is to tell one from the other), the social context of talking about non-read books and offers a new model for discussing books.
Reading is largely a matter of non-reading. We can’t possibly read every book there is, so the choice to read some is necessarily a choice to not read others, and a cultured person may choose to not read any of them. We may read every page or skim, and skimming may be a better way to understand a book as a whole. Even when we read a book, we immediately start to forget it. We hear about books we haven’t read.
This puts us in the position of talking about books we haven’t read (at all, or just skimmed, or forgot) whenever we discuss books. Bayard describes several such social situations, throughout building a case that what we really end up discussing is virtual book, made up of our own internal conceptions of the book and its place in the common library of our culture (including other books we probably haven’t read). He argues that we can’t exactly discuss a book because of all the factors of non-reading. Instead, a book becomes a pretext for discussion, a mental place for building common ground for communication (or so completely devoid of common understanding that people end up talking to themselves in exchanges with others).
In light of all of this, Bayard recommends laying aside the grade school shame of non-reading and discussing books anyway. He carries this pretty far, arguing that books are not fixed and we invent books out of our non-reading rather that discuss the books themselves. Discussions about books are really means of discovering and expressing ourselves.
Bayard can make our interactions with books seem so abstract and subjective that it may truly be best to not read them at all. Since he is a literature professor and an author, he probably doesn’t want people to actually go that far. His point is to get away from a narrow view of books and reading that limits the way people talk about them and move toward more creative and cultured engagement.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Top Books I Read in 2011
It’s been my custom on KBR to pick the top 20 percent of the books I read every year. Here are the best of what I read in 2011.
1. Romans
2. Second Corinthians
3. The Pentateuch
4. Into the Depths of God by Calvin Miller
5. The Victory of Reason by Rodney Stark
6. Water by Steven Solomon
You may also be interested in
Best of What I Read in 2010
Best of What I Read in 2009
Best of What I Read in 2008
Best of What I Read in 2007
Top 15 Books of the First 200 Reviewed on KBR
1. Romans
2. Second Corinthians
3. The Pentateuch
4. Into the Depths of God by Calvin Miller
5. The Victory of Reason by Rodney Stark
6. Water by Steven Solomon
You may also be interested in
Best of What I Read in 2010
Best of What I Read in 2009
Best of What I Read in 2008
Best of What I Read in 2007
Top 15 Books of the First 200 Reviewed on KBR
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Best of What I Read in 2014
Each year I list the best of the books I read. The best is the top 20
percent. My commute time cut into reading time in 2014, so this is the shortest
list since I started the blog.
1. Matthew
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Thanks! by Robert A. Emmons
Emmons, Robert A. Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make Your Happier. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2007.
As a psychologist, Robert Emmons is objective in his study of gratitude. However, he is not neutral about it because his research, and that of others, has shown that gratitude enhances happiness and resilience.
Emmons addresses something interesting about gratitude that other books on the subject don’t address as directly: it is both an emotion and an attitude. He discusses how gratitude is an emotion in a technical, psychological sense, which is not as dry as it may seem. He presents it in understandable terms.
Emotions are fleeting and one can’t feel grateful constantly. This is where the attitude of gratitude comes in. One can adopt a stance toward life that includes an awareness of the gifts one receive, great and small, and the expression of thanks for those gifts.
Such gratitude is not simply a matter of thinking. Emmons devotes a chapter to the “embodiment” of gratitude, the behavioral and physical expression of thanks. Gratefulness may be embodied in a healthier heart, longer life, more positive emotions, reduced pain, better cognition, and better self-care. These are just some of the ways gratitude is good for you.
Another benefit of gratitude is the resiliency thankful people have in trying times. People have an amazing capacity for a tendency toward positive emotions. Within months of great harms like debilitating injury, loss of love ones, or natural catastrophe, people feel positive emotions about as often as before. Even in the midst of huge losses, people can experience positive emotions alongside negative ones. Grateful people don’t ignore the negative; they just also acknowledge the positive. They recognize that things might have been worse and their still glad to have what they have. Grateful people are resilient people.
In studying gratitude, Emmons didn’t limit himself to the science, but looked to cultural traditions too, especially religion. The encouragement of gratitude is universal in major world religions. Gratitude to God, as well as others, is a trait of monotheistic religions. Other religions call for a general attitude of gratitude. He specifically addresses several religious traditions of gratefulness, and his discussion of the pervasive thanksgiving that is called for in Christianity is on the mark.
One of my favorite things about the book is that it devotes a chapter to practicing gratitude. It is easy to take things for granted, so thankfulness is something we need to be develop and sustain through practice. Emmons describes 10 things people can do to cultivate gratitude. Each activity is easy to perform and most are intended for regular practice.
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
The 4:8 Principle by Tommy Newberry
Gratitude by Melody Beattie
Why Good Things Happen to Good People by Stephen Post and Jill Neimark
As a psychologist, Robert Emmons is objective in his study of gratitude. However, he is not neutral about it because his research, and that of others, has shown that gratitude enhances happiness and resilience.
Emmons addresses something interesting about gratitude that other books on the subject don’t address as directly: it is both an emotion and an attitude. He discusses how gratitude is an emotion in a technical, psychological sense, which is not as dry as it may seem. He presents it in understandable terms.
Emotions are fleeting and one can’t feel grateful constantly. This is where the attitude of gratitude comes in. One can adopt a stance toward life that includes an awareness of the gifts one receive, great and small, and the expression of thanks for those gifts.
Such gratitude is not simply a matter of thinking. Emmons devotes a chapter to the “embodiment” of gratitude, the behavioral and physical expression of thanks. Gratefulness may be embodied in a healthier heart, longer life, more positive emotions, reduced pain, better cognition, and better self-care. These are just some of the ways gratitude is good for you.
Another benefit of gratitude is the resiliency thankful people have in trying times. People have an amazing capacity for a tendency toward positive emotions. Within months of great harms like debilitating injury, loss of love ones, or natural catastrophe, people feel positive emotions about as often as before. Even in the midst of huge losses, people can experience positive emotions alongside negative ones. Grateful people don’t ignore the negative; they just also acknowledge the positive. They recognize that things might have been worse and their still glad to have what they have. Grateful people are resilient people.
In studying gratitude, Emmons didn’t limit himself to the science, but looked to cultural traditions too, especially religion. The encouragement of gratitude is universal in major world religions. Gratitude to God, as well as others, is a trait of monotheistic religions. Other religions call for a general attitude of gratitude. He specifically addresses several religious traditions of gratefulness, and his discussion of the pervasive thanksgiving that is called for in Christianity is on the mark.
One of my favorite things about the book is that it devotes a chapter to practicing gratitude. It is easy to take things for granted, so thankfulness is something we need to be develop and sustain through practice. Emmons describes 10 things people can do to cultivate gratitude. Each activity is easy to perform and most are intended for regular practice.
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
The 4:8 Principle by Tommy Newberry
Gratitude by Melody Beattie
Why Good Things Happen to Good People by Stephen Post and Jill Neimark
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