The First 20 Hours by Josh Kaufman

A lot has been written over the last few years about expertise, often referring to a 10,000-hour rule. Research indicates that the people who exhibit the highest level of expertise, even possibly being a genius, have in their life put in 10,000 hours or more of deliberate practice.

Your response to that bit of knowledge might be like mine: “I’d don’t have 10,000 hours to put into learning something new.” What if you don’t need to be an expert; you just need to be proficient. Maybe you want to learn something for your personal edification, and you do not aspire to be great, but simply to be good enough.

According to Josh Kaufman, gaining a basic proficiency in a new skill is within reach. With an orderly approach, it can be achieved in as little as 20 hours. Kaufman event entitled his book on the subject The First 20 Hours.

Unlike other books on learning I’ve read, Kaufman focuses more on skill than knowledge, more on being able to do something than knowing about something. Acquiring knowledge is important to learning a new skill, and he acknowledges this by making research a part of his program, but he still emphasizes using as much of the 20 hours as you can on deliberate practice.

Kaufman lays out a strategy for rapid skill acquisition. If compressed to a list, it wouldn’t cover the length of a page. Part of what he does is break down his method into parts that are easy, at least conceptually. That is one of the methods: breaking a skill into sub-skills that can be more easily learned and practiced. In this way, his method is simple.

If simple were easy, more things would be simple.  Kaufman’s methods may reduce gaining proficiency in a skill to 20 hours, but they are 20 hours of focused work to which you must commit yourself. You can give yourself some early wins that will make it easier to overcome the discouragement that comes when you become frustrated by difficulties, but The First 20 Hours holds no strategies for overcoming laziness or disinterest.

If Kaufman only described his method, his book would be quite short. He illustrates the methods by showing how he used them to rapidly acquire six different skills. In addition to reiterating the steps to rapid skill acquisition, he demonstrates the variety of skills one can learn. They range from knowledge-intensive, technical skills (programming) to physical skills (yoga), and much in between (playing an instrument).

The skills that interested Kaufman were not skills that were of much interest to me. Even so, it prompted me to think of skill I would like to acquire and how I might apply his strategies to the task.

Kaufman also hints that his method could be used by a proficient person to improve his skill, taking a step closer to expertise. The strategies are aimed at engaging you in deliberate practice. Deliberate practice is the heart of both acquiring and improving a skill.

If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in

The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande

The Genius in All of Us by David Shenk

Future Bright by Martin E. Martinez

Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer

One Small Step Can Change Your Life by Robert Maurer

The Peter Principle by Laurence J. Peter & Raymond Hull

Your Intelligence Makeover by Edward F. Droge, Jr.

Kaufman, Josh. The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything…Fast.  New York: Portfolio/Penguin, 2013.

Interesting Stuff March 18, 2011

Another Real-Life Costumed Hero (or Two) Joins the Fray
-Britain Gets Its Own Kick-Ass: Banker Turns into Superhero The Statesman at Night to Fight Crime
-Britain’s Real Life Superhero The Statesman Battles Evil with the Power of Incredible Facial Hair
-Masked Environmental Vigilante “Super Tri” Put on French City’s Payroll
-Phoenix Jones Protects Seattle

Awesome Artist: Dustin Nguyen
Huckabee Toys with Whitehouse Run
I don’t like everything about Batwoman, but I like the art of J. H. Williams III
Jack Kirby My Little Pony

Jane Russell Passes
-“Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” Beauty Jane Russell Dies at 89
-Jane Russell
-Jane Russell Dies
-Jane Russell, RIP
-In Memoriam: Jane Russell
-Rants and Raves: Jane Russell

Interesting Stuff Feb. 17, 2011

Practice Babies
-Arthur Explores Lives of Practice Babies Once Raised on College Campuses
-Practice Babies: An Outdated Practice Discovered

Waterworks Museum Opens In Boston
Why my wife doesn’t leave me in charge of decorating
Working Conditions Drive Women from Engineering

The Genius in All of Us by David Shenk

David Shenk has good news. Geniuses aren’t born, and very few of us have genetic limitation on our capacities.  Just to make sure you get it, his book is entitled The Genius in All of Us.

Shenk challenges the notion that genius, talent, and the potential to excel in a field is something a few people are born with, lucky people who hit the jackpot in the genetic lottery.  He is not entirely an advocate of nurture in the nature-versus-nurture debate.  He looks at new science that suggests that that is a false notion to begin with.  Traits, including intelligence, develop form the interaction of genes and the environment.

Genes are not a blueprint that determine out traits.  Genes influence our reaction to the environment.   The environment influences the expression of our genes.  It’s complex.  Shenk devote a chapter to epigenetics.  This is material in our cells that protect and support the function of our genes.  Our epigenes influence the expression of our genes, are influenced by the environment, and most astounding are hereditable.  Environmental and behavioral factors can change the epigenes in ways that are passed on to offspring for generations and affect the expression of genes in those offspring.

Unless we have some unusual genetic disorder, the lesson of this book is that our genes are just one card in the hand we are dealt, and genes are not necessarily the most important card.  Genes are important, but so are a lot of other things.  Our traits are malleable, shaped by genes, environment, and behavior, and to the degree that we can influence those things we can change our traits.  We can become geniuses.

The bad news is the road to genius is not an easy one.  Mozart and Michael Jordon have in common that they put in a lot of time over a many years deliberately practicing and improving their skills.  Beethoven and Yo-Yo Ma may seem like born prodigies, but they were surrounded my music, music teachers, encouragement, challenges, competition, high expectations, and opportunities from birth.  Abundant practice and continuing improvement from early childhood helped them become very competent musicians as children, and many more years of deliberate practice, commitment, and mentoring resulted in the genius they exhibited as adults.

Based on this, Shenk presents a chapter on how to become a genius.  Genius may not be quite the right word, especially if you starting something later in life after years of thinking you had little ability.  However, I think his advice is likely to lead to great improvement, even above normal success and excellence.  The first piece of advice is to find your motivation.  If you have the motivation to devote a lot of time to practice, and the commitment push yourself to always seek improvement, you will get better and with time will be excellent.  Shenk also has a lot to say about how this information can help parents and educators see the potential in children and contribute to the development of their traits and their success in any field.

I was very impressed with this surprisingly short book.  Actually, if you include the extensive notes, which are worth reading, it is not a short book.  It opened my eyes to a new, and I think more fruitful, way of looking at the way people develop.

Shenk, David.  The Genius in All of Us:  Why Everything You’ve Been Told About Genetic, Talent, and IQ Is Wrong.  New York: Doubleday, 2010.

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Colossians

Colossians. The Holy Bible. New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.

Paul wrote to the church at Colossae about the centrality of Christ in Christian faith and living.  This letter is a defense of the Gospel against other teachings, particularly Gnosticism.

In a few sentences, Paul reminds his readers of the who Christ is.  He is divine (1:15).  He is the creator (1:16-17).  He is the head of the church (1:18).  He reconciled us to God, atoning for our sins through his suffering and death on the cross (1:19-20).

As Christians, we have assurance of these beliefs from God by His Word, the Holy Spirit indwelling us, and the evidence of history.  Our salvation is a work of God, not of men or philosophies.

After recapitulating the Gospel and what it means for Christians, Paul moves on to warn against false teachers.  He describes those who would impose another system of philosophy or tradition as someone cheating Christians out of the fullness of what God has provided for them.

One of these philosophies is legalism.  Our nature makes us incapable of living up to a ethical standard imposed from the outside.  We cannot pretend our way to righteousness when our hearts rebel against it and God can see our hearts.  Similarly, not system of thought or philosophy or practice can make us right.

God takes another approach, making us anew and changing us from the inside.  He gives us a new heart.  It isn’t an instant change, as a brief observation of any Christian will attest.  What is instant is that the atoning work of Christ erases the indictments against our sin and His perfect rightness is attributed to us in God’s eyes, even if it is not worked out in practice yet.

Christianity is not a system of philosophy or practice, though there are beliefs common to all Christians.  Christianity is a new life in which God works in us to change our hearts and empower us to live in a new way.  Our new heart loves God and loves to do what is right, so as we grow we put away our old wicked habits (though it can seem painfully slow), and begin to do more and more what our new heart wants, live like Christ.

In Chapter 3 of his letter, Paul contrasts the old life with new life.  He encourages believers to embrace their new life even as they embraced the Gospel.  Both accomplished by the same faith (and both are ultimately the work of God, though we are by His grace participants in that work).

Paul also wrote

First Corinthians

Galatians

Philippians
Romans
Second Corinthians

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Change Your Brain Change Your Body by Daniel G. Amen

Amen, Daniel G. Change Your Brain Change Your Body: Use Your Brain to Get and Keep the Body You Have Always Wanted. New York: Harmony Books, 2010.


Psychiatrist Daniel G. Amen explores the brain-body connection in his medical practice and in this book. In particular, Change Your Brain Change Your Body focuses on how taking care of the health of your brain can result in better health for your entire body.

In the early chapters of the book, Amen makes the case for brain health and how it can affect the health of the rest of the body. This is enhances by images from SPECT scans, which Amen uses in his practice to measure activity in different parts of the brain.

The subtitle of the book touts the brain as a means to get “the body you’ve always wanted.” For me, that includes getting my weight under control, and several chapters are devoted to the subject. There is no escaping a good diet and exercise, both of which get a chapter. What Amen adds is that an understanding of how one’s brain works can help on curb cravings and address brain deficiencies that may be roadblocks to sticking to a weight loss program. By addressing problems in the brain, one becomes more able to address problems with weight.

Good health is more than proper weight. It includes the skin, heart and glands. Good health is also a full life, which includes relationships, the ability worthy pursue worthy goals and the capacity to remember and savor our experiences. Each of these issues is addressed.

Amen doesn’t prescribe a single solution for everyone. Depending on your brain issues, the solution may be as simple as diet and exercise, it may include supplementation or even particular medications or therapies. Obviously, medical interventions should only be undertaken with the supervision of a physician and you should supplementation and physical fitness programs with yours.

The book doesn’t stick too close to traditional medicine. Amen thinks nutritional supplements can be useful and can reduce reliance on medications, but supplements can have issues of drug interaction and side effects that should be covered with a physician. He suggests meditation for stress management and has used hypnosis in his practice to address several issues including weight loss. (For those interested in meditation, Amen recommends The Relaxation Response by Herbert Benson. Hypnosis is recommended in other weight loss books including I Can Make You Thin by Paul McKenna, which includes a self-hypnosis CD.)

In some ways, the book could say change your body change your brain. Many of Amen’s recommendations, especially related to diet and exercise are good recommendations for physical health. Throughout the book, he says that what is good for the heart is good for the brain. He even mentions a study that shows that physically active children perform better academically.

If your interested in this book, you may also be interested in
The Emotional Energy Factor by Mira Kirshenbaum
How Much Does Your Soul Weigh? by Dorie McCubbrey
I Can Make You Thin by Paul McKenna
Instant Self-Hypnosis by Forbes Robbins Blair
The Relaxation Response by Herbert Benson with Miriam Z. Klipper

100 Ways to Happiness by Timothy Sharp

What if happiness is something you could practice? You co do certain things and those actions would lead to and support happiness. I’m simplifying, but that is the basic premise of psychologist Timothy J. Sharp in 100 Ways to Happiness.

Practice and doing are the aim of the book, so Sharp does not dwell on theory. Of course, many people want to bring more happiness into the lives they have. Only a few of them want to delve into psychology, and there are plenty of other books they can read.

The book is divided into five main sections. It seems to me that this is intended to help people get to the area where they want to increase happiness most and pick up the others later. You can read this book out of sequence. Each section stands on its own and so do many of the short chapters.

I do not mean to imply that the book is shallow. It is not easy to condense a topic into a few pages; most of the chapters are two pages long. I was impressed that Sharp could provide clear, action-oriented summaries of subjects that other books would take many pages to explain. The point is to do something. Instead of thinking about how to be happy, pick a tip that resonates with you and do it. Work on it until it becomes a habit and then work on another.

Some of Sharps tips that resonated with me are:

-Make time to regularly do something you enjoy.

-Make small changes. When you make a small change stick, you can start another. They add up to big changes.

-Practice gratitude. I’m convinced that a grateful attitude is immensely important for a joyful life.

-Move more and take care of your body. Feeling good, rested and healthy contributes to feeling happy.

-Build good relationships. That means making the best of the intimate relationships you have and making friends with positive people who can encourage you to live a happier life.

-Know your values and take action consistent with them.

-Challenge your thoughts and feelings. Are they true? Are they helpful?

-Use your imagination. Sharp suggest several simple ways you can visualize the life you want.

If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in

How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life by Alan Lakein

Just Say Thanks! by R. T. Kendall

Little Shifts by Suzanna Beth Stinnet

One Small Step Can Change Your Life by Robert Maurer

Small Move, Big Change by Caroline L. Arnold

Thanks! by Robert A. Emmons

Why Good Things Happen to Good People by Stephen Post and Jill Neimark

Sharp, Timothy J. 100 Ways to Happiness: A Guide for Busy People. New York: MJF Books, 2008.

How Much Does Your Soul Weigh? by Dorie McCubbrey

McCubbrey, Dorie. How Much Does Your Soul Weigh? Diet-Free Solutions to Your Food Weight and Body Worries. New York: HarperResource, 2002.

Dr. Dorie McCubbrey calls herself the “Don’t Diet” Doctor. McCubbrey has a real doctorate in bioengineering. She bases her approach to better health and life from not dieting more on her work as a licensed professional counselor.

Success in weight management and overcoming eating disorders is an inside job. Throughout the book, this is contrasted with the external sources of weight problems and attempts to deal with them.

According to McCubbrey, weight problems have their source in trying to fit ourselves to standards that come from the world around us. Even seemingly healthy people can have weight problems and eating disorders that come from this external orientation. To deal with these, people play “games” which are strategies and behaviors for controlling weight that don’t deal with the real problems.



McCubbrey herself suffered these problems and played many of these games. Her struggles with body image and perfection led hear into anorexia, bulimia, excessive exercise and periods of being overweight.

The solution to these issues, and to the broader issue of living well, is intuitive self-care. Practicing intuitive self-care involves getting in touch with one’s inner wisdom about what is good in eating, exercise and living. It is living from the inside out instead of the outside in.

McCubbrey offers strategies for practicing intuitive self-care. She describes them as feeding the soul. This “diet” for the soul involves learning to love, listen to, and express your true self. To help readers practice this soul diet, she offers several recipes, which are exercises to practice. Some of these deal directly with the way people eat and think about eating. Others are directed toward meditation and discovery of one’s true desires.

The book is in many ways more of a self-help book that a diet plan. It doesn’t focus on changing behavior of lifestyles (lifestyle change is one of the games), but on living from the soul.

Keeping a Journal You Love by Sheila Bender

Bender, Sheila. Keeping a Journal You Love. Cincinnati: Walking Stick Press, 2001.

The starting chapter of Keeping a Journal You Love is brief and covers two subjects: the reasons people write journals and the basic mechanics journaling. Bender frames the second subject as a FAQ. The rest of the book focuses on getting the reader to practice writing.



As you might expect from a book on writing by a teacher of writing, there are many exercises. An early chapter is devoted to a group of seven exercises to get the budding journalist warmed up. A later chapter recommends list structure list of several ways to enrich a journal.

Among these exercises is anaphora, a series of sentences beginning with the same words. An example provided by Bender is the list of indictments against King George from the Declaration of Independence. I grew up in a church, so it reminds me of the rhythm of sermons.
God’s grace is a gift.
God’s grace saves us.
God’s grace redeems us.
God’s grace revives us.
God’s grace justifies us.
God’s grace imputes righteousness to us.
God’s grace abounded when our sins abounded.
God’s grace frees us from bondage to sin.
God’s grace gives us mercy.
God’s grace gives us help in our times of need.
God’s grace came through Jesus Christ.
God’s grace brings us to believe.
God’s grace we access by faith.
God’s grace makes us alive.
God’s grace gives us eternal life.
God’s grace He gives to the humble.
God’s grace is sufficient.

The main body of the book explores examples of journal entries from various writers of fiction, nonfiction and poetry. These examples illustrate various styles, techniques and subjects. After samples from each contributor and a brief discussion of their journals, Bender suggests several exercises for the reader to practice in there own journal.

Some of the contributors wrote very interesting journal entries. I found one to be boring. They were all very different in style and content. Some hardly resemble what one might expect of a journal. Fruitful journaling is as unique as the varied journalists are.

The point is not to imitate the journals of these other writers. The intent is to help people develop their own journaling style that is deeper, richer and more rewarding.

Though journaling is typically a very private matter, Bender includes and interesting chapter on journaling groups. Journaling groups vary in their practices, but some find the setting, information and discipline that comes from being in such a group helps them start, stick to and improve their journaling. Bender provides some practical tips for finding an existing group or starting your own.

If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
Write Your Heart Out by Rebecca McClanahan

365 Thank Yous by John Kralik

Kralik, John. 365 Thank Yous: The Year a Simple Act of Gratitude Changed My Life. New York: Hyperion, 2010.

365 Thank Yous is, thankfully, not a collection of daily thank you notes. Author and jurist John Kralik set out to write 365 thanks in a year and tells the story of how it changed his life in this book.

Kralik's life was not what he wanted it to be. He had two divorces and another shaky relationship, was alienated from his children, disillusioned with his law career, a failing in his business. Everywhere he looked, he saw mounting problems. He was not grateful—he didn’t know how to spell the word—and he was no reason to be grateful.

A conversation with a friend and a remembrance of his grandfather inspired him to make a New Year’s resolution to write a daily thank you note for a year. It changed both his perspective and the conditions of his life.

I think the change of perspective may be most important. We all have problems and most of us find them to be obvious and easy to remember; we’re surrounded by reminders of our problems. It can be overwhelming. We also have things for which to be grateful, but we sometimes have to strain to think of them.

Kralik’s exercise forced him to look for things to be thankful about. In time, in spite of setback, it became easier for him to find and express gratitude.


I think this change in perspective lead to the changes in his life. He was able to see things to which he was previously blind. The vision of these new opportunities opened the door for new actions. Change in his behavior had new results in his family, business and career.

In fact, in the space of a little more than a year, Kralik went from having his dreams slip away to having almost all that he wanted. He had better relationships with his family, his business was recovering, and he received his dream appointment as a judge.

His life wasn’t perfect. He still had problems. His relationship with his girlfriend was improving, but not all he hoped it could be.

Kralik attributes his turnaround to the practice of finding what he is grateful for and expressing his thanks, especially in writing. I think this is right; his change in circumstances seems to be a result of the change in his viewpoint and behavior related to his practice of gratitude.

Gratitude opens our eyes to the good and valuable people, situations and things in our lives, even if we have to strain to see them. The more we look for them, the easier they become to find. As we get a new view on our lives, especially a more positive light, we can see pathways that aren’t clear when we’re focused on our problems.

If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
The 4:8 Principle by Tommy Newberry
Gratitude by Melody Beattie
Thanks! by Robert A. Emmons
Why Good Things Happen to Good People by Stephen Post and Jill Neimark

Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg

As I read Writing Down the Bones, the writing guide by Natalie Goldberg that was first published in 1984, I found myself being more courageous and honest in my writing. At least I’m more that way in the writing I do for myself.

That is where it starts. Better writing comes from the practice of writing. Goldberg recommends timed writing as a practice. Set the amount of time you plan to write, even if it is as short as 10 minutes, and write as fast and freely as you can.

I’ve been doing something similar for a while. What helped me break through to more scary and fruitful territory is Goldberg’s advice to write a little more. If you feel you’ve written all you can about something, write a little more. I found it pushed me to write down thoughts and feelings I didn’t want to admit I had. I don’t know that these confessions to myself had made me a better writer, but when I break through I feel like I may be able to deal with something I’ve been avoiding.

In both of these practices, writing is a kind of meditation, which Goldberg discusses in several of the book’s short chapters. She draws on Buddhist practices such as meditation throughout the book.

Her Buddhist practices also involve being present, which she suggests is helpful for writers. Be present in your everyday life and in your writing. Be attentive, listen, and you will fill your mind with the wonderful things. These become specific details that ground your writing in real life. Instead of writing about something, you can write what is; your readers will conjure up on their own the emotions associated with the experience you capture in your words.

“Whatever is in front of you is your life, so please take care of it,” Natalie Goldberg, Afterward to Writing Down the Bones

Goldberg believes writing should be tied to the rest of your life. Whatever you’re doing, you’re a writer, and even though you can and should give your full attention to the person or task in front of you, the writing mind is still being primed for its work. And writing is work; it requires effort. Like any worthwhile thing, you get out of it what you put into it. Writing is a process and it needs to be approached with joy, honesty and patience if it is to bear fruit.

If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in

Change Your Brain Change Your Body by Daniel G. Amen

Finding Your Writer’s Voice by Thaisa Frank & Dorothy Wall

Just Write by Walter Dean Myers

Keeping a Journal You Love by Sheila Bender

Mastering Fiction Writing by Kit Reed

The Relaxation Response by Herbert Benson with Miriam Z. Klipper

The Right to Write by Julia Cameron

Shut Up & Write! by Judy Bridges

Switch on Your Brain by Caroline Leaf

Take the Leap by Heather McCloskey Beck

Write Your Heart Out by Rebecca McClanahan

Goldberg, Natalie. Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within. 2^nd ed. Boston: Shambala, 2005.

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

Rewire Your Anxious Brain by Catherine M. Pittman & Elizabeth M. Karle

We can face all kinds of situations that cause anxiety. For some of us, that anxiety can be overwhelming and get in the way of living the life we want. Feelings of anxiety are produced in the brain as a response to triggering circumstances, and we can retrain our brains to lessen our anxious responses. Psychologist Catherine M. Pittman and her co-author Elizabeth M. Karle explain this in Rewire Your Anxious Brain.

The authors devote quite a bit of the book to describing the workings of those parts of the brain most involved in our sense of fear and anxiety. These are the amygdala and the cortex.

The amygdala has a lot of control over our fight, flight or freeze response. It is centrally located and well connected in the brain, so it can produce a powerful response before our thinking mind—the cortex—can figure out what is going on. In addition, the amygdala has its own emotional memories, independent of the cortex, so you may have an anxious response to a stimulus you have little conscious awareness of.

A big part of dealing with anxiety is retraining the amygdala. This can be difficult because it involves exposure to situations that produce anxiety. When you face those situations and see that there is no negative impact, or that they were less than you expected and you can handle it (you didn’t die), your amygdala learns that these situation aren’t so threatening and it will stop producing anxious responses. The authors show how you can take this in steps, starting will less anxiety-inducing stimulus and working your way up, but it may be faster to dive into the deep end.

Retraining the amygdala can be aided by relaxation. The book describes several relaxation practices.

Though the amygdala is always involved in producing anxiety, the cortex can be the source of it or can perpetuate it. Retraining the cortex is mainly a matter of changing your thinking. When you recognize anxiety-producing thoughts, you can change what you are thinking. You might use countering thoughts that you prepared for the situation or you might distract yourself by thinking of something altogether different. Mindfulness is a helpful practice in that it helps you to recognize that your thoughts are not necessarily the reality and you can remain peaceful while the thoughts come and go.

The book is a mix of science and how-to aimed and helping anxious people find relief. The authors strongly suggest that you get help, and I think this is a reasonable suggestion. If anxiety is interfering with your life, you will probably benefit from the aid of a professional. This book can help you understand what is happening and what can be done about it, but you may need some help to actually adapt them your own needs and put them into practice.

If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in

The Procrastination Equation by Piers Steel

The Relaxation Response by Herbert Benson with Miriam Z. Klipper

Secrets You Keep from Yourself by Dan Neuharth

The Solution by Lucinda Bassett

Solve for Happy by Mo Gawdat

Pittman, Catherine M., & Elizabeth M. Karle. Rewire Your Anxious Brain: How to Use the Neuroscience of Fear to End Anxiety, Panic & Worry. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger, 2015.

Instant Self-Hypnosis by Forbes Robbins Blair

Blair, Forbes Robbins. Instant Self-Hypnosis: How to Hypnotize Yourself with Your Eyes Open. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks, 2004.

Forbes Robbins Blair’s premise is that almost anyone can hypnotize himself by reading aloud a hypnotic script. He stumbled across this discovery in his practice as a hypnotherapist.

In this easy to read book, Blair lays out the basics of hypnosis. He takes some time to debunk hypnosis myths, largely to put readers at ease about the safety of the method and moderate unrealistic expectations.

One of these myths, perpetuated by stage hypnotists, is that you are hypnotized by another who controls your behavior. According to Blair, the subject of hypnotism is always aware and able to ignore any suggestion he doesn’t like. Hypnosis can be helpful to those seeking a change, but it isn’t likely to help someone who is not motivated to change.



Much of the book is a series of hypnotic scripts. The reader reads aloud to himself to achieve a hypnotic state. Then he turns to a script related to a specific goal such as more assertiveness, stop smoking, weight loss or more confidence as a public speaker. At the end of each script is a wake up section.

If you don’t find a script that fits your goal, Blair has a simple procedure for writing your own script. You can even write it while hypnotized. Once written, it can serve as a script to be read like those in the book.

It may seem that one could hardly be hypnotized so easily. Blair says it is common to enter a light hypnotic state while reading an engrossing book or watching a movie. It is simply a matter of focused attention and heightened suggestibility. He says even a light state of hypnosis is enough to effectively plant suggestions for changes you want to make. Plus, as you practice the procedure, you become better at hypnotizing yourself.

12 “Christian” Beliefs That Can Drive You Crazy by Henry Cloud & John Townsend

Cloud, Henry & John Townsend. 12 “Christian” Beliefs That Can Drive You Crazy: Relief from False Assumptions.  Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994.

Henry Cloud and John Townsend are Christian counselors.  In their practice, they found that many Christians have little knowledge of what the Bible says about their problems.  They often had been taught religious beliefs that not only were opposed the Bible, or misconstrued it, but were detrimental to their recovery.  They address a doze of these maddening traditions in 12 “Christian” Beliefs That Can Drive You Crazy.

I won’t go over all twelve beliefs.  They’re all things I’ve seen or heard, or even thought myself, at some point.  You probably have run into them, too.  Some concepts recur throughout the chapters:

• Denial of neediness,
• Legalism,
• Over-spiritualizing,
• Underestimating God, and
• Underestimating the importance of people.

In each chapter, the authors describe the a false belief.  Sometimes they show its pseudo-biblical origins.  They then present the Biblical view on the subject.  They offer advice on how to put this knowledge into practice.

The overarching theme of the book is that growth as a Christian is a process.  God can change us in an instant, but more often He changes use over time.  The secondary theme is the necessity of the church.  Most of the crazy-making beliefs lead people to isolate themselves.  This is the opposite of what God intends.  It is often through our brothers and sisters in the church that God provides for our needs, and as we mature we have the privilege of helping others, too.

It would not be appropriate to describe this book as self-help.  Cloud and Townsend never assume that we can make on our own.  We’re not made to.  First, we need God and He is the prime mover in the transformation of our lives.  Second, the church is intended to be like a body, where the various parts aid, support, help, and heal each other.  God uses people and He has probably provided what we need through the church.  Finally, some people need professional help.  Whatever you need, powering through on your own is not the way to go.

This book may be useful to Christians at any stage, especially those struggling with ongoing problems.  I wish I had had it early in my Christian life, when its lessons might have save me a lot of struggle.

It is simple to read, too.  There is no technical, psychological material to wade through.  It is written to the person seeking help, not as a textbook or reference for the counselor or other professional.

If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in

The 4:8 Principle by Tommy Newberry

Fathered by God by John Eldredge

Have a New You by Friday by Kevin Leman

Into the Depths of God by Calvin Miller

Walking with God by John Eldredge

Why Good Things Happen to Good People by Stephen Post and Jill Neimark

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Seamless Government by Russell M. Linden

Linden, Russell M. Seamless Government: A Practical Guide to Re-Engineering in the Public Sector. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1994.
ISBN 0-7879-0015-X

Russell Linden’s book is a guide to the principles and practice of re-engineering in public sector agencies. He defines and explains the concepts of re-engineering and provides a thorough, step-by-step process for conducting a re-engineering project.

I was interested in the way he addressed the problem of defining customers. He identifies three groups: customers, who pay the agency; consumers, who use the agency’s services; and constituents, who have an interest in the mission of the agency. It is a simple way to organize stakeholders and identify potential beneficiaries, but it does not get the agency out of the need to resolve competing interests. For instance, my program will be streamlining the process for issuing construction permits. It will have little impact on the customer (the General Assembly) or the constituents (the public and environmental groups), but will be a benefit to the consumer (permit applicants).

In addition, I finally got the type of handling of case studies that I hoped to find in some of the other books. I was well impressed with the chapter devoted to the case studies of two agencies.

I would have liked to know more about the difficulties, specifically what does not work and sources of resistance to re-engineering. I think this could be well addressed by two more case studies. One would demonstrate how an agency used pilots, trickle-down and tell and sell and why these techniques failed. The second would demonstrate how and agency addressed the fears and resistance of managers, specialists and central staff.



I originally wrote this review in 1999 when I read the book for a class. I don’t remember what construction permitting process improvements I had in mind, but the probably had something to do with state and federal permits for wastewater facilities. I think my old agency is still behind the ball when it comes to using information technology in the permitting process. The job is made more difficult by the addition of new rules, new interpretations of existing requirements, and tight deadlines for getting state rules and practices in line with the present federal regime. I’m full of opinions about both the state and federal approach to wastewater regulation, especially permitting. I’ll refrain from further editorializing here. Presently, I provide management consulting and administrative services to utilities. You can find out more about my consulting practice here.

How to Improve Your Memory by James D. Weinland

James D. Weinland’s How to Improve Your Memory is, in my mind, primarily a book on study skills. Weinland’s interest is learning, and memory is an important part of that.

As I read the book, it seemed to me that learning successfully is built on four areas: intention, attention, repetition and organization. Weinland has tips related to all of these.

Intention to learn is easy to come by when you have an interest in a subject. If you’re not interested, you’ll need to find some other motivation. Think about why you’re studying a subject and the benefits you hope to achieve. Even if you’re a student and you “have to” take a class, think of the opportunities that might open up to you if you get a good grade.

Attention is very important to memory and learning. If you forget something, it is very likely you weren’t paying attention to begin with. Remove distractions from your environment and mind (this wasn’t an issue when this book was published in 1957, but put away your cell phone and put it out of your mind). Engage as many senses as you can.

Remember that attention isn’t an infinitely available commodity. Get the rest you need. Don’t burn yourself out by focusing too long on one subject or closely related subjects. Give your mind, especially the executive functions a break, by alternating unrelated subjects, switching back and forth from mental to physical activities and making a little time for rest and recreation.

Repetition is important to memory, but it doesn’t need to be boring. Allowing time between practice sessions can actually improve performance.

Organization can go a long way to making learning easier. Some of the most successful mnemonic techniques involve arranging and associating things we want to remember with things we already remember well, especially locations. For instance, pigeonholing involves creating a spacial arrangement, such as a grid, with things to be remembered in each space. Mind maps do something similar with a more free-form arrangement that also takes advantage of our ability to remember images and colors. Memory castles are sophisticated applications of this strategy. Understanding how things are divided into wholes and parts or groups can help you break down subjects into smaller, easier to remember, parts that are connected so that remembering on item helps you remember the others.

I tend to connect the use of meaningful association to the idea of organization. Meaningful association builds on what you already know. This could be building on or filling in your background on a subject, finding analogies to familiar or using acronyms and rhymes. A related practice is it to come up with an outrageous image that represents what you want to remember. We find it easy to remember images—the more unusual the image the easier it is to recall—so we can take advantage of that by associating what we want remember with a crazy image that reminds of it.

The book is dated, but I think the advice is applicable even if the science of memory has advance. In addition, the book has the advantage of being short.

If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in

Double Your Brain Power by Jean Marie Stine

Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer

The Organized Mind by Daniel J. Levitin

Rapt by Winifred Gallagher

Your Intelligence Makeover by Edward F. Droge, Jr.

Weinland, James D. How to Improve Your Memory. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1957.

The Thinking Life by P. M. Forni

Do you want to live a good life?  Try engaging in some good thinking.  The quality of our life, work, and relationships, our happiness, depends of the decisions we make.  We make better decisions through good thinking that is both creative and analytical.  Such thinking can be difficult if we live in a near constant state of distraction.

P. M. Forni points out in his book The Thinking Life that we live in an age of distraction.  The Internet, cellular phones, and ubiquitous media have made it possible for us to be in an almost constant state of stimulation.  In a diet of constant feeding, our minds have no time to digest, so much of what comes in passes out mostly unchanged.  We can find information in an instant, but it takes more than an instant to take it in and retain it.

Excellent thinking, reflection, introspection, and deep learning, take time and energy.  Not only that, they require some devotion and discipline.  I think one of the most useful points Forni makes is the importance of attention, the opposite of distraction.  I have read the works of memory experts that suggest that we do not remember things because we did not pay close attention to them to begin with.  If we want to know what is going on around us, especially with the people we care about, we have to be attentive.  If we want to remember something, we have to pay attention when we experience it.  If we want to do some serious thinking, we have to attend to some thoughts and put aside others, at least for a while.

Fortunately, our power of paying attention, and other abilities important to thinking like decision making, can be improved with practice.  Throughout The Thinking Life, Forni provides advice on how to develop your thinking abilities.  Each chapter ends with specific questions and exercises aimed at helping you increase your ability in some area of thinking.

In his argument for the benefits of thinking, Forni draws on an ancient Greek philosophy known as Stoicism.  Famous Stoics include Zeno, Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, and Seneca.  Forni doesn’t suggest that we be stoical.  He suggests that we practice moderation and self-discipline so that we can set aside time and energy for the important task of thinking, which leads to better decisions and more happiness.

Moderation and self-discipline are virtues, something the Stoics held in high regard.  Another virtue that Forni encourages is humility.  I think humility is one of the greatest virtues.  Humility is a condition for honestly assessing our place in the world so we can see where we need help, see where can help others, and learn.

These comments scratch the surface of Forni’s short book.  He addresses a problem in our culture with thoughtful advice and concision.

If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in

The Abolition of Man by C. S. Lewis

Attitude is Everything by Jeff Keller

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

Defining Noah Webster by K. Alan Snyder

The Genius in All of Us by David Shenk

The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis

Happier by Tal Ben-Shahar

His Excellency by Joseph J. Ellis

How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster

On Becoming a Leader by Warren Bennis

Secrets You Keep from Yourself by Dan Neuharth

Simple Pictures are Best by Nancy Willard (illustrated by Tomie De Paolo)

Succeed by Heidi Grant Halvorson

The Victory of Reason by Rodney Stark

Forni, P. M.  The Thinking Life: How to Thrive in the Age of Distraction.  New York: St. Martin’s, 2011.

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