Phil's bookshelf: all en-US Mon, 28 Apr 2025 13:39:31 -0700 60 Phil's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Lamb to the Slaughter 171948 Parson's Pleasure is a country tale, A Piece of Cake, a wartime reminiscence, Lamb to the Slaughter a story of vengeful murder, and the remaining two, The Bookseller and The Butler, are on favorite themes of greed and snobbery.]]> 87 Roald Dahl 0146000552 Phil 0 to-read, nostalgia-dahl 4.23 1953 Lamb to the Slaughter
author: Roald Dahl
name: Phil
average rating: 4.23
book published: 1953
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/28
shelves: to-read, nostalgia-dahl
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mere Christianity: A revised and enlarged edition, with a new introduction, of the three books The Case for Christianity, Christian Behaviour, and Beyond Personality]]> 1861395 175 C.S. Lewis 0025706101 Phil 5 3.92 Mere Christianity: A revised and enlarged edition, with a new introduction, of the three books The Case for Christianity, Christian Behaviour, and Beyond Personality
author: C.S. Lewis
name: Phil
average rating: 3.92
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2018/04/22
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves:
review:
I really don’t know how I missed reading this one before. Definitely worth a re-read
]]> CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS 156872901
When stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong, you have three choices: Avoid a crucial conversation and suffer the consequences; handle the conversation badly and suffer the consequences; or read Crucial Conversations and discover how to communicate best when it matters most. Crucial Conversations gives you the tools you need to step up to life's most difficult and important conversations, say what's on your mind, and achieve the positive resolutions you want. You'll learn how to:

Prepare for high-impact situations with a six-minute mastery technique
Make it safe to talk about almost anything
Be persuasive, not abrasive
Keep listening when others blow up or clam up
Turn crucial conversations into the action and results you want]]> 304 Joseph Grenny 9355323352 Phil 0 currently-reading, work 4.24 2002 CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS
author: Joseph Grenny
name: Phil
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2002
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: currently-reading, work
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis]]> 32075798
Hillbilly Elegy is a passionate and personal analysis of a culture in crisis—that of white working-class Americans. The decline of this group, a demographic of our country that has been slowly disintegrating over forty years, has been reported on with growing frequency and alarm, but has never before been written about as searingly from the inside. J. D. Vance tells the true story of what a social, regional, and class decline feels like when you were born with it hung around your neck.

The Vance family story begins hopefully in postwar America. J. D.’s grandparents were “dirt poor and in love,� and moved north from Kentucky’s Appalachia region to Ohio in the hopes of escaping the dreadful poverty around them. They raised a middle-class family, and eventually their grandchild (the author) would graduate from Yale Law School, a conventional marker of their success in achieving generational upward mobility.

But as the family saga of Hillbilly Elegy plays out, we learn that this is only the short, superficial version. Vance’s grandparents, aunt, uncle, sister, and, most of all, his mother, struggled profoundly with the demands of their new middle-class life, and were never able to fully escape the legacy of abuse, alcoholism, poverty, and trauma so characteristic of their part of America. Vance piercingly shows how he himself still carries around the demons of their chaotic family history.

A deeply moving memoir with its share of humor and vividly colorful figures, Hillbilly Elegy is the story of how upward mobility really feels. And it is an urgent and troubling meditation on the loss of the American dream for a large segment of this country.]]> 288 J.D. Vance 0062300555 Phil 2
Was planning to give it 1 star but I sped up my reading at the halfway point and it finally gets better. But I nearly shelved this thing as unread at least a dozen times.

Skip it.]]> 3.99 2016 Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis
author: J.D. Vance
name: Phil
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2016
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/04
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves:
review:
My goodness, land the plane JD. The first half is just brutal, on and on. Very sorry you and many others in this country have a rough start, genuinely sorry and am motivated to make a difference. But my goodness, get to the solution or a conclusion sooner, maybe sprinkle a bit of it throughout the book and apply it to the life stories. Many of the childhood stories seemed gratuitous. I don’t doubt their veracity but were the editors asleep? They thought every one of these helped paint your picture?

Was planning to give it 1 star but I sped up my reading at the halfway point and it finally gets better. But I nearly shelved this thing as unread at least a dozen times.

Skip it.
]]> <![CDATA[Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind]]> 760025 224 Al Ries 0071373586 Phil 0 currently-reading, work 4.03 1980 Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind
author: Al Ries
name: Phil
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1980
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves: currently-reading, work
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration]]> 18077903 “What does it mean to manage well?�
From Ed Catmull, co-founder (with Steve Jobs and John Lasseter) of Pixar Animation Studios, comes an incisive book about creativity in business—sure to appeal to readers of Daniel Pink, Tom Peters, and Chip and Dan Heath. Creativity, Inc. is a book for managers who want to lead their employees to new heights, a manual for anyone who strives for originality, and the first-ever, all-access trip into the nerve center of Pixar Animation—into the meetings, postmortems, and “Braintrust� sessions where some of the most successful films in history are made. It is, at heart, a book about how to build a creative culture—but it is also, as Pixar co-founder and president Ed Catmull writes, “an expression of the ideas that I believe make the best in us possible.� For nearly twenty years, Pixar has dominated the world of animation, producing such beloved films as the Toy Story trilogy, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Up, and WALL-E, which have gone on to set box-office records and garner thirty Academy Awards. The joyousness of the storytelling, the inventive plots, the emotional authenticity: In some ways, Pixar movies are an object lesson in what creativity really is. Here, in this book, Catmull reveals the ideals and techniques that have made Pixar so widely admired—and so profitable.
Ěý
As a young man, Ed Catmull had a dream: to make the first computer-animated movie. He nurtured that dream as a Ph.D. student at the University of Utah, where many computer science pioneers got their start, and then forged a partnership with George Lucas that led, indirectly, to his founding Pixar with Steve Jobs and John Lasseter in 1986. Nine years later, Toy Story was released, changing animation forever. The essential ingredient in that movie’s success—and in the thirteen movies that followed—was the unique environment that Catmull and his colleagues built at Pixar, based on philosophies that protect the creative process and defy convention, such as:
Ěý
� Give a good idea to a mediocre team, and they will screw it up. But give a mediocre idea to a great team, and they will either fix it or come up with something better.
� If you don’t strive to uncover what is unseen and understand its nature, you will be ill prepared to lead.
� It’s not the manager’s job to prevent risks. It’s the manager’s job to make it safe for others to take them.
� The cost of preventing errors is often far greater than the cost of fixing them.
� A company’s communication structure should not mirror its organizational structure. Everybody should be able to talk to anybody.
� Do not assume that general agreement will lead to change—it takes substantial energy to move a group, even when all are on board.]]> 368 Ed Catmull 0812993012 Phil 0 to-read 4.19 2014 Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
author: Ed Catmull
name: Phil
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Outsiders 16637366 5 S.E. Hinton 0739345176 Phil 4 audio 4.08 1967 The Outsiders
author: S.E. Hinton
name: Phil
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1967
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/17
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves: audio
review:
It took a while for me to see what the fuss is about, but the last few chapters and the way the story finally comes together was really well done. Worth a re-read.
]]> Canoeing with the Cree 6965454 0 Eric Sevareid 0981749100 Phil 5 4.10 1935 Canoeing with the Cree
author: Eric Sevareid
name: Phil
average rating: 4.10
book published: 1935
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/07
date added: 2025/01/07
shelves: audio, fun, read-with-the-kids
review:

]]> <![CDATA[World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War]]> 8908
Ranging from the now infamous village of New Dachang in the United Federation of China, where the epidemiological trail began with the twelve-year-old Patient Zero, to the unnamed northern forests where untold numbers sought a terrible and temporary refuge in the cold, to the United States of Southern Africa, where the Redeker Plan provided hope for humanity at an unspeakable price, to the west-of-the-Rockies redoubt where the North American tide finally started to turn, this invaluable chronicle reflects the full scope and duration of the Zombie War.

Most of all, the book captures with haunting immediacy the human dimension of this epochal event. Facing the often raw and vivid nature of these personal accounts requires a degree of courage on the part of the reader, but the effort is invaluable because, as Mr. Brooks says in his introduction, "By excluding the human factor, aren't we risking the kind of personal detachment from history that may, heaven forbid, lead us one day to repeat it? And in the end, isn't the human factor the only true difference between us and the enemy we now refer to as 'the living dead'?"

Note: Some of the numerical and factual material contained in this edition was previously published under the auspices of the United Nations Postwar Commission.]]> 342 Max Brooks 0307346609 Phil 0 abandoned 4.02 2006 World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
author: Max Brooks
name: Phil
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves: abandoned
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Thursday Murder Club (Thursday Murder Club, #1)]]> 46000520
But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.

Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it's too late?

Alternate cover edition can be found here .]]> 382 Richard Osman Phil 2 3.86 2020 The Thursday Murder Club (Thursday Murder Club, #1)
author: Richard Osman
name: Phil
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2020
rating: 2
read at: 2024/12/28
date added: 2024/12/28
shelves:
review:
Too many characters, too many dead end twists, I’m still not exactly sure what happened. The audio book’s narrator was great, and the humor was light & enjoyable. But this was a let down.
]]> <![CDATA[The Hobbit, or There and Back Again]]> 5907 Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent. The text in this 372-page paperback edition is based on that first published in Great Britain by Collins Modern Classics (1998), and includes a note on the text by Douglas A. Anderson (2001).]]> 366 J.R.R. Tolkien Phil 5 4.29 1937 The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
author: J.R.R. Tolkien
name: Phil
average rating: 4.29
book published: 1937
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/30
date added: 2024/11/30
shelves: to-re-read, read-with-the-kids, fun, favorites
review:
There should be more stars available to rate this book. An epic novella of the complete LOTR adventure
]]> Holes 200521162 (Librarian's Note: Alternate Cover Edition for ISBN 9780440414803)

Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnatses. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys� detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the boys build character by spending all day, every day digging holes exactly five feet wide and five feet deep. There is no lake at Camp Green Lake. But there are an awful lot of holes.

It doesn’t take long for Stanley to realize there’s more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. But what could be buried under a dried-up lake? Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment—and redemption.]]> Louis Sachar Phil 5 audio, fun 5.00 1998 Holes
author: Louis Sachar
name: Phil
average rating: 5.00
book published: 1998
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/31
date added: 2024/10/31
shelves: audio, fun
review:

]]> <![CDATA[American Gods: The Tenth Anniversary Edition By Neil Gaiman]]> 195097574
Together they embark on a profoundly strange journey across the heart of the USA, whilst all around them a storm of preternatural and epic proportions threatens to break.

Scary, gripping and deeply unsettling, American Gods takes a long, hard look into the soul of America. You'll be surprised by what - and who - it finds there...]]> 0 Neil Gaiman Phil 0 audio 4.07 2001 American Gods: The Tenth Anniversary Edition By Neil Gaiman
author: Neil Gaiman
name: Phil
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2001
rating: 0
read at: 2024/10/01
date added: 2024/10/12
shelves: audio
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist]]> 11865558 Praise for Venture Deals

"My biggest nightmare is taking advantage of an entrepreneur without even realizing it. It happens because VCs are experts in financings and most entrepreneurs are not. Brad and Jason are out to fix that problem with Venture Deals. This book is long overdue and badly needed."
—Fred Wilson, Managing Partner, Union Square Ventures

"Feld and Mendelson pack a graduate-level course into this energetic and accessible book.?The authors' frank style and incisive insight make this a must-read for high-growth company entrepreneurs, early-stage investors, and graduate students.?Start here if you want to understand venture capital deal structure and strategies.?I enthusiastically recommend."
—Brad Bernthal, CU Boulder, Associate Clinical Professor ofLaw, Technology Policy, Entrepreneurial Law

"A must-read book for entrepreneurs.?Brad and Jason demystify the overly complex world of term sheets and M&A, cutting through the legalese and focusing on what really matters.?That's a good thing not just for entrepreneurs, but also for venture capitalists, angels, and lawyers.?Having an educated entrepreneur on the other side of the table means you spend your time negotiating the important issues and ultimately get to the right deal faster."
—Greg Gottesman, Managing Director, Madrona Venture Group

"Venture Deals is a must-read for any entrepreneur contemplating or currently leading a venture-backed company. Brad and Jason are highly respected investors who shoot straight from the hip and tell it like it is, bringing a level of transparency to a process that is rarely well understood. It's like having a venture capitalist as a best friend who is looking out for your best interests and happy to answer all of your questions."
—Emily Mendell, Vice President of Communications,National Venture Capital Association

"The adventure of starting and growing a company can be exhilarating or excruciating—or both. Feld and Mendelson have done a masterful job of shedding light on what can either become one of the most helpful or dreadful experiences for entrepreneurs—accepting venture capital into their firm. This book takes the lid off the black box and helps entrepreneurs understand the economics and control provisions of working with a venture partner."
—Lesa Mitchell, Vice President, Advancing Innovation, Kauffman Foundation

]]> 240 Brad Feld 0470929820 Phil 0 to-read 4.07 2011 Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist
author: Brad Feld
name: Phil
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> In Cold Blood 15799209 Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best nonfiction books of all time.

From the Modern Library's new set of beautifully repackaged hardcover classics by Truman Capote—also available are Breakfast at Tiffany's and Other Voices, Other Rooms (in one volume), Portraits and Observations, and The Complete Stories.

Truman Capote's masterpiece, In Cold Blood, created a sensation when it was first published, serially, in The New Yorker in 1965. The intensively researched, atmospheric narrative of the lives of the Clutter family of Holcomb, Kansas, and of the two men, Richard Eugene Hickock and Perry Edward Smith, who brutally killed them on the night of November 15, 1959, is the seminal work of the "new journalism." Perry Smith is one of the great dark characters of American literature, full of contradictory emotions. "I thought he was a very nice gentleman," he says of Herb Clutter. "Soft-spoken. I thought so right up to the moment I cut his throat." Told in chapters that alternate between the Clutter household and the approach of Smith and Hickock in their black Chevrolet, then between the investigation of the case and the killers' flight, Capote's account is so detailed that the reader comes to feel almost like a participant in the events.]]> 396 Truman Capote 0812994388 Phil 0 to-read 4.19 1966 In Cold Blood
author: Truman Capote
name: Phil
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1966
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Just the Good Stuff: No-BS Secrets to Success (No Matter What Life Throws at You)]]> 195430690
Jim VandeHei’s high school guidance counselor laid it out VandeHei wasn’t cut out for college. In 1990, you could find him he proving the counselor’s case emphatically, preferring beer to books and delivering pizzas to mapping out career plans. He attended a two-year school before smuggling himself into the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, where after a year he had racked up a 1.4 GPA and was on the verge of getting the boot.

Everything changed when he discovered his politics and journalism.

VandeHei went on to cover the presidency and co-found two of the biggest modern news outlets, Politico and Axios , the media companies that upended and revolutionized journalism. He took notes every step of the way. And in The Good Stuff , his debut as a solo author, VandeHei writes the book he wishes someone had handed him when he was floundering—not a compendium of conventional wisdom but a real-world guide to achieving that other “good stuff,� health, wealth, happiness, all the blessings and exquisite pleasures we loosely group under that oft used but still under-appreciated rubric—success.

Delivered in his hallmark no-word-wasted style, VandeHei offers essential, no-BS guidance on how to handle everything from finding a calling to building a team to navigating the realities of a changing workplace, showing us that no matter how inauspicious our beginnings, no matter how far down the ladder we begin, no matter what kind of challenges we face, a fulfilling life is within our reach.]]> 256 Jim Vandehei 0593796373 Phil 4 work, fun 3.75 Just the Good Stuff: No-BS Secrets to Success (No Matter What Life Throws at You)
author: Jim Vandehei
name: Phil
average rating: 3.75
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/11
date added: 2024/08/11
shelves: work, fun
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Campfire Stories: Tales from America's National Parks]]> 38813764 Co-editors Dave and Ilyssa Kyu spent five months traveling and researching the stories in the book. They gathered each of these stories from public libraries, historical societies, arts and cultural organizations, museums, research centers, and national park archives. They interviewed park rangers, historians, artists, curators, educators, and local residents, who all offered insights and guidance into the essence of each place, which was than used to select entertaining, diverse, and engaging writings that reflected each park and best told around a campfire.Ěý
Campfire Stories focuses on these six iconic national Each story includes an "About this Story" reflection, offering insight into how Dave and Ilyssa discovered the tale, why they selected it, and some background about its writer. Dave and Ilyssa also share their own thoughts on each of the parks they visited, as well as tips on how to be a compelling storyteller.]]> 224 Dave Kyu 1680511440 Phil 3 fun
I picked this up during a visit to Acadia, which is the first section of the book, so I figured that would help me get hooked. But this was my least favorite collection of stories. I’m glad I kept at it because the next two sections, Smoky Mountains and Rocky Mountain, were a much better read. The last story is a well-told and hilarious account from Yellowstone, which helped close the book on a high note.

I think I’d recommend the book, but if I find myself around a campfire and see someone open a copy to share from it, I’ll probably get up and find another campfire and tell some better campfire stories.

Big miss on the title.]]> 3.66 Campfire Stories: Tales from America's National Parks
author: Dave Kyu
name: Phil
average rating: 3.66
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/06/27
date added: 2024/06/27
shelves: fun
review:
Very few campfire stories, maybe 2 or 3 tops. But there are some really fun accounts, myths, poems, and other literature about the national parks, so it’s still an ok book.

I picked this up during a visit to Acadia, which is the first section of the book, so I figured that would help me get hooked. But this was my least favorite collection of stories. I’m glad I kept at it because the next two sections, Smoky Mountains and Rocky Mountain, were a much better read. The last story is a well-told and hilarious account from Yellowstone, which helped close the book on a high note.

I think I’d recommend the book, but if I find myself around a campfire and see someone open a copy to share from it, I’ll probably get up and find another campfire and tell some better campfire stories.

Big miss on the title.
]]> The Adventures of Tom Sawyer 24583
Unlike his brother Sid, Tom receives "lickings" from his Aunt Polly; ever the mischief-maker, would rather play hooky than attend school and often sneaks out his bedroom window at night to adventure with his friend, Huckleberry Finn ­ the town's social outcast. Tom, despite his dread of schooling, is extremely clever and would normally get away with his pranks if Sid were not such a "tattle-tale."

As punishment for skipping school to go swimming, Aunt Polly assigns Tom the chore of whitewashing the fence surrounding the house. In a brilliant scheme, Tom is able to con the neighborhood boys into completing the chore for him, managing to convince them of the joys of whitewashing. At school, Tom is equally as flamboyant, and attracts attention by chasing other boys, yelling, and running around. With his usual antics, Tom attempts to catch the eye of Becky Thatcher, a new girl in town, and persuades her to get "engaged" by kissing him. But their romance collapses when she learns Tom has been "engaged" previously to Amy Lawrence. Shortly after Becky shuns him, he accompanies Huckleberry Finn to the graveyard at night, where they witness the murder of Dr. Robinson.

Excerpt:
"TOM!"
No answer.
"TOM!"
No answer.
"What's gone with that boy, ĚýI wonder? You TOM!"
No answer.
The old lady pulled her spectacles down and looked over them about the room; then she put them up and looked out under them. She seldom or never lookedĚýthroughĚýthem for so small a thing as a boy; they were her state pair, the pride of her heart, and were built for "style," not service—she could have seen through a pair of stove-lids just as well. She looked perplexed for a moment, and then said, not fiercely, but still loud enough for the furniture to hear:
"Well, I lay if I get hold of you I'll�"
She did not finish, for by this time she was bending down and punching under the bed with the broom, and so she needed breath to punctuate the punches with. She resurrected nothing but the cat.
"I never did see the beat of that boy!"]]> 244 Mark Twain Phil 5 books-i-had-to-read 3.92 1876 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
author: Mark Twain
name: Phil
average rating: 3.92
book published: 1876
rating: 5
read at: 2024/05/28
date added: 2024/05/29
shelves: books-i-had-to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War: How J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Rediscovered Faith, Friendship, and Heroism in the Cataclysm of 1914-18]]> 23647114 The untold story of how the First World War shaped the lives, faith, and writings of J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis

The First World War laid waste to a continent and permanently altered the political and religious landscape of the West. For a generation of men and women, it brought the end of innocence—and the end of faith. Yet for J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, the Great War deepened their spiritual quest. Both men served as soldiers on the Western Front, survived the trenches, and used the experience of that conflict to ignite their Christian imagination. Had there been no Great War, there would have been no Hobbit, noĚýLord of the Rings, noĚýNarnia, and perhaps no conversion to Christianity by C. S. Lewis.

Unlike a generation of young writers who lost faith in the God of the Bible, Tolkien and Lewis produced epic stories infused with the themes of guilt and grace, sorrow and consolation. Giving an unabashedly Christian vision of hope in a world tortured by doubt and disillusionment, the two writers created works that changed the course of literature and shaped the faith of millions. This is the first book to explore their work in light of the spiritual crisis sparked by the conflict.]]> 201 Joseph Loconte 0718021762 Phil 4 4.04 2015 A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War: How J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Rediscovered Faith, Friendship, and Heroism in the Cataclysm of 1914-18
author: Joseph Loconte
name: Phil
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/29
date added: 2024/05/29
shelves:
review:
Great book for fans of Lewis, Tolkien, or both. Loconte did a fantastic job researching the backgrounds of both men, of their experiences in the Great War and their cultural context. I don’t normally read or enjoy books like this, and it was a slow start for me, but I got hooked in the second chapter and really enjoyed it.
]]> <![CDATA[Wear Comfortable Shoes: Surviving and Thriving as a Caregiver]]> 20701792 168 Peter W. Rosenberger 098847560X Phil 3 preparation 3.00 2012 Wear Comfortable Shoes: Surviving and Thriving as a Caregiver
author: Peter W. Rosenberger
name: Phil
average rating: 3.00
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2024/04/21
date added: 2024/04/21
shelves: preparation
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall, Book 1]]> 156736461 1 Ali Standish Phil 0 3.50 2023 The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall, Book 1
author: Ali Standish
name: Phil
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2024/04/06
date added: 2024/04/11
shelves: audio, fun, read-with-the-kids
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Lead and Disrupt: How to Solve the Innovator's Dilemma]]> 57183976
The simple answer is: ambidexterity. Firms must remain competitive in their core markets, while also winning in new domains. Innovation guru Clayton M. Christensen has been pessimistic about whether established companies can prevail in the face of disruption, but Charles A. O'Reilly III and Michael L. Tushman know they can! The authors explain how shrewd organizations have used an ambidextrous approach to solve their own innovator's dilemma. They contrast these luminaries with companies which—often trapped by their own successes—have been unable to adapt and grow.

Drawing on a vast research program and over a decade of helping companies to innovate, the authors present a set of practices to guide firms as they adopt ambidexterity. Top-down and bottom-up leaders are key to this process—a fact too often overlooked in the heated debate about innovation. But not in this case. Readers will come away with a new understanding of how to improve their existing businesses through efficiency, control, and incremental change, while also seizing new markets where flexibility, autonomy, and experimentation rule the day.

]]> 312 Charles A. O'Reilly 150362952X Phil 0 to-read 4.29 Lead and Disrupt: How to Solve the Innovator's Dilemma
author: Charles A. O'Reilly
name: Phil
average rating: 4.29
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/03/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare]]> 51338665
As Christian Brose reveals in this urgent wake-up call, the future will be defined by artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and other emerging technologies that are revolutionizing global industries and are now poised to overturn the model of American defense. This fascinating, if disturbing, book confronts the existential risks on the horizon, charting a way for America's military to adapt and succeed with new thinking as well as new technology. America must build a battle network of systems that enables people to rapidly understand threats, make decisions, and take military actions, the process known as "the kill chain." Examining threats from China, Russia, and elsewhere, The Kill Chain offers hope and, ultimately, insights on how America can apply advanced technologies to prevent war, deter aggression, and maintain peace]]> 288 Christian Brose 031653353X Phil 0 to-read 4.09 2020 The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare
author: Christian Brose
name: Phil
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/03/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Mom Test: How to talk to customers & learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you]]> 52283963
The Mom Test is a quick, practical guide that will save you time, money, and heartbreak.



They say you shouldn't ask your mom whether your business is a good idea, because she loves you and will lie to you. This is technically true, but it misses the point. You shouldn't ask anyone if your business is a good idea. It's a bad question and everyone will lie to you at least a little . As a matter of fact, it's not their responsibility to tell you the truth. It's your responsibility to find it and it's worth doing right .



Talking to customers is one of the foundational skills of both Customer Development and Lean Startup. We all know we're supposed to do it, but nobody seems willing to admit that it's easy to screw up and hard to do right. This book is going to show you how customer conversations go wrong and how you can do better.

]]> 138 Rob Fitzpatrick Phil 0 to-read, work 4.37 2013 The Mom Test: How to talk to customers & learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you
author: Rob Fitzpatrick
name: Phil
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/03/25
shelves: to-read, work
review:

]]> Talking to Humans 23314559 75 Giff Constable 0990800911 Phil 0 to-read, work 4.06 2014 Talking to Humans
author: Giff Constable
name: Phil
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/03/25
shelves: to-read, work
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout]]> 197773418 Do fewer things. Work at a natural pace. Obsess over quality.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Digital Minimalism and Deep Work, a groundbreaking philosophy for pursuing meaningful accomplishment while avoiding overload.

Our current definition of “productivity� is broken. It pushes us to treat busyness as a proxy for useful effort, leading to impossibly lengthy task lists and ceaseless meetings. We’re overwhelmed by all we have to do and on the edge of burnout, left to decide between giving into soul-sapping hustle culture or rejecting ambition altogether. But are these really our only choices?

Long before the arrival of pinging inboxes and clogged schedules, history’s most creative and impactful philosophers, scientists, artists, and writers mastered the art of producing valuable work with staying power. In this timely and provocative book, Cal Newport harnesses the wisdom of these traditional knowledge workers to radically transform our modern jobs. Drawing from deep research on the habits and mindsets of a varied cast of storied thinkers—from Galileo and Isaac Newton, to Jane Austen and Georgia O’Keefe—Newport lays out the key principles of “slow productivity,� a more sustainable alternative to the aimless overwhelm that defines our current moment. Combining cultural criticism with systematic pragmatism, Newport deconstructs the absurdities inherent in standard notions of productivity, and then provides step-by-step advice for workers to replace them with a slower, more humane alternative.

From the aggressive rethinking of workload management, to introducing seasonal variation, to shifting your performance toward long-term quality, Slow Productivity provides a roadmap for escaping overload and arriving instead at a more timeless approach to pursuing meaningful accomplishment. The world of work is due for a new revolution. Slow productivity is exactly what we need.]]> 244 Cal Newport 0593544854 Phil 0 to-read 3.65 2024 Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout
author: Cal Newport
name: Phil
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/03/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon]]> 15940740
Two veterans of decades of adventuring in Grand Canyon chronicle the first complete and comprehensive history of Canyon misadventures. These episodes span the entire era of visitation from the time of the first river exploration by John Wesley Powell and his crew of 1869 to that of tourists falling off its rims in Y2K.

These accounts of the 550 people who have met untimely deaths in the Canyon set a new high water mark for offering the most astounding array of adventures, misadventures, and life saving lessons published between any two covers. Over the Edge promises to be the most intense yet informative book on Grand Canyon ever written.]]> 586 Michael P. Ghiglieri 0984785809 Phil 3 preparation
While I enjoyed reading it, I found the authors' casual commentary to be a bit distasteful on some of the stories. Most were treated matter of factly and as a solid lesson for how to avoid the same mistakes. They note this in the introduction, stating that they're ensuring anyone who reads the book will have no excuse to repeat some of these fatal decisions - and I agree, most of the book is great at that - but there are also not-so-subtle jokes that I'm sure they wouldn't make in the company of the victims' families. It seemed odd to me that printing it in ink for posterity is fine, but perhaps that's just me. I'll own that.

I was surprised to learn so many new things about the canyon: its history, areas I'd never heard of, and some of the lore shared among river guides & locals. More often than not I found myself being drawn back to the great majestic hole in the earth, ready for a new (to me) trek down to new sites.

Definitely recommend it if you've ever been to Grand Canyon or plan to some day!]]> 4.15 2001 Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon
author: Michael P. Ghiglieri
name: Phil
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2001
rating: 3
read at: 2024/03/17
date added: 2024/03/17
shelves: preparation
review:
This is an interesting, unique read - at least to me. I would definitely not recommend reading it right before you go hiking in the Canyon as it may keep you from going!

While I enjoyed reading it, I found the authors' casual commentary to be a bit distasteful on some of the stories. Most were treated matter of factly and as a solid lesson for how to avoid the same mistakes. They note this in the introduction, stating that they're ensuring anyone who reads the book will have no excuse to repeat some of these fatal decisions - and I agree, most of the book is great at that - but there are also not-so-subtle jokes that I'm sure they wouldn't make in the company of the victims' families. It seemed odd to me that printing it in ink for posterity is fine, but perhaps that's just me. I'll own that.

I was surprised to learn so many new things about the canyon: its history, areas I'd never heard of, and some of the lore shared among river guides & locals. More often than not I found myself being drawn back to the great majestic hole in the earth, ready for a new (to me) trek down to new sites.

Definitely recommend it if you've ever been to Grand Canyon or plan to some day!
]]> <![CDATA[Life After Power: Seven Presidents and Their Search for Purpose Beyond the White House]]> 176444081
Former presidents have an unusual place in American life. King George III believed that George Washington’s departure after two terms made him “the greatest character of the age.� But Alexander Hamilton worried former presidents might “[wander] among the people like ghosts.� They were both right.

Life After Power tells the stories of seven former presidents, from the Founding to today. Each changed history. Each offered lessons about how to decide what to do in the next chapter of life.

Thomas Jefferson was the first former president to accomplish great things after the White House, shaping public debates and founding the University of Virginia, an accomplishment he included on his tombstone, unlike his presidency. John Quincy Adams served in Congress and became a leading abolitionist, passing the torch to Abraham Lincoln. Grover Cleveland was the only president in American history to serve a nonconsecutive term. William Howard Taft became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Herbert Hoover shaped the modern conservative movement, led relief efforts after World War II, reorganized the executive branch, and reconciled John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon. Jimmy Carter had the longest post-presidency in American history, advancing humanitarian causes, human rights, and peace. George W. Bush made a clean break from politics, bringing back George Washington’s precedent, and reminding the public that the institution of the presidency is bigger than any person.

Jared Cohen explores the untold stories in the final chapters of these presidents� lives, offering a gripping and illuminating account of how they went from President of the United States one day, to ordinary citizens the next. He tells how they handled very human problems of ego, finances, and questions about their legacy and mortality. He shows how these men made history after they left the White House.]]> 512 Jared Cohen 1982154543 Phil 0 to-read 4.21 Life After Power: Seven Presidents and Their Search for Purpose Beyond the White House
author: Jared Cohen
name: Phil
average rating: 4.21
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/02/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Thinking, Fast and Slow 11468377 Thinking, Fast and Slow, Kahneman takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more logical. Kahneman exposes the extraordinary capabilities—and also the faults and biases—of fast thinking, and reveals the pervasive influence of intuitive impressions on our thoughts and behavior. The impact of loss aversion and overconfidence on corporate strategies, the difficulties of predicting what will make us happy in the future, the challenges of properly framing risks at work and at home, the profound effect of cognitive biases on everything from playing the stock market to planning the next vacation—each of these can be understood only by knowing how the two systems work together to shape our judgments and decisions.

Engaging the reader in a lively conversation about how we think, Kahneman reveals where we can and cannot trust our intuitions and how we can tap into the benefits of slow thinking. He offers practical and enlightening insights into how choices are made in both our business and our personal lives—and how we can use different techniques to guard against the mental glitches that often get us into trouble. Thinking, Fast and Slow will transform the way you think about thinking.]]> 499 Daniel Kahneman 0374275637 Phil 0 to-read 4.17 2011 Thinking, Fast and Slow
author: Daniel Kahneman
name: Phil
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel: Genius, Power, and Deception on the Eve of World War I]]> 101160707 This instant New York Times bestselling “dynamic detective story� (The New York Times) reveals the hidden history Rudolf Diesel, one of the world’s greatest inventors, and his mysterious disappearance on the eve of World War I.

September 29, 1913: the steamship Dresden is halfway between Belgium and England. On board is one of the most famous men in the world, Rudolf Diesel, whose new internal combustion engine is on the verge of revolutionizing global industry forever. But Diesel never arrives at his destination. He vanishes during the night and headlines around the world wonder if it was an accident, suicide, or murder.

After rising from an impoverished European childhood, Diesel had become a multi-millionaire with his powerful engine that does not require expensive petroleum-based fuel. In doing so, he became not only an international celebrity but also the enemy of two extremely powerful Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and John D. Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil and the richest man in the world.

The Kaiser wanted the engine to power a fleet of submarines that would finally allow him to challenge Great Britain’s Royal Navy. But Diesel had intended for his engine to be used for the betterment of the world.

Now, New York Times bestselling author Douglas Brunt reopens the case and provides an “absolutely riveting� (Chris Bohjalian, #1 New York Times bestselling author) new conclusion about Diesel’s fate. Brunt’s book is “equal parts Walter Isaacson and Sherlock Holmes, [and] yanks back the curtain on the greatest caper of the 20th century in this riveting history� (Jay Winik, New York Times bestselling author).]]> 378 Douglas Brunt 1982169907 Phil 4 fun 4.21 2023 The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel: Genius, Power, and Deception on the Eve of World War I
author: Douglas Brunt
name: Phil
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/01/24
date added: 2024/01/24
shelves: fun
review:
A little slow at times, but a great treatment of a little known inventor’s life & work. The era and events during this time were fuzzy to me so it was good to get another dose of history and an idea of the powers in play.
]]> <![CDATA[Tearing Us Apart: How Abortion Harms Everything and Solves Nothing]]> 59805658
Hope in the Ruins of Roe

Now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade and returned abortion law to the democratic process, a powerful new book reframes the coming Our fifty-year experiment with unlimited abortion has harmed everyone —even its most passionate proponents.

Women, men, families, the law, politics, medicine, the media—and, of course, children (born and unborn)—have all been brutalized by the culture of death fostered by Roe v. Wade .

Abortion hollows out marriage and the family. It undermines the rule of law and corrupts our political system. It turns healers into executioners and “women’s health� into a euphemism for extermination.

Ryan T. Anderson, a compelling and reasoned voice in our most contentious cultural debates, and the pro-life journalist Alexandra DeSanctis expose the false promises of the abortion movement and explain why it has made everything worse. Five decades after Roe , everyone has an opinion about abortion. But after reading Tearing Us Apart , no one will think about it in the same way.]]> 320 Ryan T. Anderson 1684513502 Phil 0 to-read 4.47 Tearing Us Apart: How Abortion Harms Everything and Solves Nothing
author: Ryan T. Anderson
name: Phil
average rating: 4.47
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[My Side of the Mountain (Mountain, #1)]]> 41667 Jean Craighead George, author of more than 80 children's books, including the Newbery Medal-winning Julie of the Wolves, created another prizewinner with My Side of the Mountain--a Newbery Honor Book, an ALA Notable Book, and a Hans Christian Andersen Award Honor Book. Astonishingly, she wrote its sequel, On the Far Side of the Mountain, 30 years later, and a decade after that penned the final book in the trilogy, Frightful's Mountain, told from the falcon's point of view. George has no doubt shaped generations of young readers with her outdoor adventures of the mind and spirit. (Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie Coulter

]]> 177 Jean Craighead George 0142401110 Phil 3 4.10 1959 My Side of the Mountain (Mountain, #1)
author: Jean Craighead George
name: Phil
average rating: 4.10
book published: 1959
rating: 3
read at: 2023/12/17
date added: 2023/12/17
shelves: audio, fun, read-with-the-kids, edifying
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers]]> 52891090 224 Dane C. Ortlund 1433566133 Phil 4 edifying
However, the last chapter and epilogue punched me right in the heart, a beautiful summary answer to the question of, “so what?�

“The Christian life boils down to two steps:

1. Go to Jesus.
2. See #1.�

I too recommend this book. I know it’ll be a constant re-read for me. ]]> 4.50 2020 Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers
author: Dane C. Ortlund
name: Phil
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2023/12/09
date added: 2023/12/09
shelves: edifying
review:
This book came highly recommended to me by many close friends. I found the opening compelling, but often felt lost or struggling through most of the meat of the book.

However, the last chapter and epilogue punched me right in the heart, a beautiful summary answer to the question of, “so what?�

“The Christian life boils down to two steps:

1. Go to Jesus.
2. See #1.�

I too recommend this book. I know it’ll be a constant re-read for me.
]]> Harris and Me 570633 176 Gary Paulsen 015205880X Phil 5 4.21 1993 Harris and Me
author: Gary Paulsen
name: Phil
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1993
rating: 5
read at: 2023/12/08
date added: 2023/12/08
shelves: fun, audio, read-with-the-kids
review:
Loved it! What a fun surprise of a great read. Listened to it with Miller on a weekend road trip, the tales of Harris and his cousin’s epic summer had us laughing out loud. If this is fiction, it’s got to be based on true stories. I know several friends who came to mind as we listened. Highly recommend
]]> <![CDATA[Urchin of the Riding Stars (The Mistmantle Chronicles, #1)]]> 119146
On a night of riding stars, a tiny squirrel is found abandoned and close to death on a distant beach. Adopted and raised by a kindly, eccentric squirrel, Urchin has no idea of his powerful destiny or of the way he will influence the island of Mistmantle.

The rule of the good King Brushen and Queen Spindle is threatened by an evil plot from within the court. When their young prince is found murdered, the isle is thrown into turmoil. Behind the scenes, the wicked Lord Husk and Lady Aspen are determined to take control. But to underestimate the power of the islanders and the ancient prophecies is a big mistake...

Triumphant heroes and brilliantly wicked villains do battle in this heart-stopping adventure in the great tradition of Watership Down and The Wind in the Willows.

Glorious new illustrations by Christine Enright capture the spirit of Urchin, and the world of Mistmantle.]]> 282 M.I. McAllister 0786854863 Phil 0 4.10 2005 Urchin of the Riding Stars (The Mistmantle Chronicles, #1)
author: M.I. McAllister
name: Phil
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2005
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/12/05
shelves: to-read, fun, read-with-the-kids
review:

]]> Canada 12872236
When fifteen-year-old Dell Parsons' parents rob a bank, his sense of normal life is forever altered. In an instant, this private cataclysm drives his life into before and after, a threshold that can never be uncrossed.

His parents' arrest and imprisonment mean a threatening and uncertain future for Dell and his twin sister, Berner. Willful and burning with resentment, Berner flees their home in Montana, abandoning her brother and her life. But Dell is not completely alone. A family friend intervenes, spiriting him across the Canadian border, in hopes of delivering him to a better life. There, afloat on the prairie of Saskatchewan, Dell is taken in by Arthur Remlinger, an enigmatic and charismatic American whose cool reserve masks a dark and violent nature.

Undone by the calamity of his parents' robbery and arrest, Dell struggles under the vast prairie sky to remake himself and define the adults he thought he once knew. But his search for grace and peace only moves him nearer to a harrowing and murderous collision with Remlinger, an elemental force of darkness.

A true masterwork of haunting and spectacular vision from one of America's greatest writers, Canada is a profound novel of boundaries traversed, innocence lost and reconciled, and the mysterious and consoling bonds of family. Told in spare, elegant prose, both resonant and luminous, it is destined to become a modern classic.]]> 420 Richard Ford 0061692042 Phil 0 to-read 3.50 2012 Canada
author: Richard Ford
name: Phil
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/11/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Mysterious Benedict Society (The Mysterious Benedict Society, #1)]]> 2203136 "Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?"

When this peculiar ad appears in the newspaper, dozens of children enroll to take a series of mysterious, mind-bending tests. (And you, dear reader, can test your wits right alongside them.) But in the end just four very special children will succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and resourceful children could complete. To accomplish it they will have to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules. As our heroes face physical and mental trials beyond their wildest imaginations, they have no choice but to turn to each other for support. But with their newfound friendship at stake, will they be able to pass the most important test of all?

This tenth anniversary edition of The Mysterious Benedict Society includes over thirty pages of bonus materials that will delight old and new fans alike.]]> 512 Trenton Lee Stewart 0316003956 Phil 4
11/25/23 - just finished re-reading, this time to my youngest one. Still has the charm as it did 10 years ago!]]> 4.16 2007 The Mysterious Benedict Society (The Mysterious Benedict Society, #1)
author: Trenton Lee Stewart
name: Phil
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2023/11/25
date added: 2023/11/25
shelves: to-re-read, fun, read-with-the-kids, favorites, parenting
review:
I loved reading this book to my 8 year old son. He's not quite ready to read it alone, so I read it to him out loud over the last few months. He loved the characters, the twists and turns, and the fast-paced conclusion had him asking for just "one more chapter" as we wrapped it up. We're looking forward to reading the next installment after a diversion into something different.

11/25/23 - just finished re-reading, this time to my youngest one. Still has the charm as it did 10 years ago!
]]> The Graveyard Book 2213661
There are dangers and adventures for Bod in the graveyard: the strange and terrible menace of the Sleer; a gravestone entrance to a desert that leads to the city of ghouls; friendship with a witch, and so much more.

But it is in the land of the living that real danger lurks, for it is there that the man Jack lives and he has already killed Bod's family.

A deliciously dark masterwork by bestselling author Neil Gaiman, with illustrations by award-winning Dave McKean.]]> 312 Neil Gaiman 0060530928 Phil 4 4.15 2008 The Graveyard Book
author: Neil Gaiman
name: Phil
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2023/11/24
date added: 2023/11/24
shelves: audio, read-with-the-kids, fun
review:
Listened to this on a family Thanksgiving road trip to the Grand Canyon. Great production and the story had some of us on the edges of our seats. Really enjoyed it.
]]> <![CDATA[Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love]]> 35249663 Đвтор делитŃŃŹ ŃобŃтвенным опытом и техниками, иŃпользŃемыми в работе Ń Ńамыми извеŃтными компаниями в облаŃти выŃоких технологий. Đ’Ń‹ Ńзнаете, как ведŃщие мировые корпорации Ńоздают Ńвои Đ»ŃчŃие продŃкты и каким образом можно иŃпользовать их опыт.
Книга помогает ŃŃвоить главное: как бы хороŃĐ° ни была ваŃĐ° команда разработчиков - ŃŤŃ‚Đľ не имеет значения, еŃли ей не Đ´Đ°ŃŽŃ‚ работать над тем, что Đ´ĐľŃтойно разработки. СовŃем недоŃтаточно проŃŃ‚Đľ хороŃĐľ Ń‚Ń€ŃдитьŃŃŹ, проектирŃŃŹ продŃкт. Важно ŃбедитьŃŃŹ в том, что этот продŃкт полезен, Ńдобен в иŃпользовании, и его можно воплотить в жизнь.
Книга адреŃована Ń€Ńководителям и ŃобŃтвенникам компаний, ведŃщим инженерам и дизайнерам, разработчикам программных продŃктов - вŃем, кто принимает ŃчаŃтие в процеŃŃе Ńправления продŃктом и Ńоздания того, в чем люди дейŃтвительно бŃĐ´ŃŃ‚ Đ˝ŃждатьŃŃŹ.
Благодаря информации, Ńобранной в книге, менеджеры по ĐĽĐ°Ń€ĐşĐµŃ‚Đ¸Đ˝ĐłŃ ĐżŃ€ĐľĐ´Ńкта и Ń€Ńководители проектов различных отделов производŃтвенной организации наŃчатŃŃŹ правильно определять, что именно хотят полŃчить покŃпатели.
Đздание Ńтанет полезным для команд разработчиков, занимающихŃŃŹ Đ·Đ°ĐżŃŃком новых проектов. Методы, предŃтавленные в книге, позволят вам Ńоздавать абŃолютно новые продŃкты-хиты или ŃоверŃенŃтвовать Ńже ŃŃщеŃтвŃющие товары.]]> 349 Marty Cagan 1119387507 Phil 5 to-re-read, work
If your product team is searching to rediscover it’s mojo, or if you need a book to pull out and review for advice on how to navigate your current PM struggles, I can’t recommend this more highly.]]> 4.22 2008 Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love
author: Marty Cagan
name: Phil
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at: 2023/11/17
date added: 2023/11/17
shelves: to-re-read, work
review:
A total rewrite from the first edition, this was like reading straight from my experience as a PM, mistakes, successes, and all.

If your product team is searching to rediscover it’s mojo, or if you need a book to pull out and review for advice on how to navigate your current PM struggles, I can’t recommend this more highly.
]]> Disciplines of a Godly Man 213441 304 R. Kent Hughes 1581347588 Phil 5 4.17 1991 Disciplines of a Godly Man
author: R. Kent Hughes
name: Phil
average rating: 4.17
book published: 1991
rating: 5
read at: 2023/11/11
date added: 2023/11/11
shelves: edifying, to-re-read, parenting
review:
Highly recommended to all men, especially young men, hungry for a healthy biblical framework. This would be an excellent book for group study and discipleship.
]]> Principles 36269867
“Significant...The book is both instructive and surprisingly moving.� —The New York Times

Ray Dalio, one of the world’s most successful investors and entrepreneurs, shares the unconventional principles that he’s developed, refined, and used over the past forty years to create unique results in both life and business—and which any person or organization can adopt to help achieve their goals.

In 1975, Ray Dalio founded an investment firm, Bridgewater Associates, out of his two-bedroom apartment in New York City. Forty years later, Bridgewater has made more money for its clients than any other hedge fund in history and grown into the fifth most important private company in the United States, according to Fortune magazine. Dalio himself has been named to Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Along the way, Dalio discovered a set of unique principles that have led to Bridgewater’s exceptionally effective culture, which he describes as “an idea meritocracy that strives to achieve meaningful work and meaningful relationships through radical transparency.� It is these principles, and not anything special about Dalio—who grew up an ordinary kid in a middle-class Long Island neighborhood—that he believes are the reason behind his success.

In Principles, Dalio shares what he’s learned over the course of his remarkable career. He argues that life, management, economics, and investing can all be systemized into rules and understood like machines. The book’s hundreds of practical lessons, which are built around his cornerstones of “radical truth� and “radical transparency,� include Dalio laying out the most effective ways for individuals and organizations to make decisions, approach challenges, and build strong teams. He also describes the innovative tools the firm uses to bring an idea meritocracy to life, such as creating “baseball cards� for all employees that distill their strengths and weaknesses, and employing computerized decision-making systems to make believability-weighted decisions. While the book brims with novel ideas for organizations and institutions, Principles also offers a clear, straightforward approach to decision-making that Dalio believes anyone can apply, no matter what they’re seeking to achieve.

Here, from a man who has been called both “the Steve Jobs of investing� and “the philosopher king of the financial universe� (CIO magazine), is a rare opportunity to gain proven advice unlike anything you’ll find in the conventional business press.]]> Ray Dalio Phil 0 to-read 3.89 2017 Principles
author: Ray Dalio
name: Phil
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/10/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Chronicles of Narnia (The Chronicles of Narnia, #1-7)]]> 11127 Librarian note: An alternate cover for this edition can be found here: 2005.

Journeys to the end of the world, fantastic creatures, and epic battles between good and evil—what more could any reader ask for in one book? The book that has it all is The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, written in 1949 by Clive Staples Lewis. But Lewis did not stop there. Six more books followed, and together they became known as The Chronicles of Narnia.

For the past fifty years, The Chronicles of Narnia have transcended the fantasy genre to become part of the canon of classic literature. Each of the seven books is a masterpiece, drawing the reader into a land where magic meets reality, and the result is a fictional world whose scope has fascinated generations.

This edition presents all seven books—unabridged—in one impressive volume. The books are presented here in chronlogical order, each chapter graced with an illustration by the original artist, Pauline Baynes. Deceptively simple and direct, The Chronicles of Narnia continue to captivate fans with adventures, characters, and truths that speak to readers of all ages, even fifty years after they were first published.]]> 767 C.S. Lewis 0066238501 Phil 0 4.27 1956 The Chronicles of Narnia (The Chronicles of Narnia, #1-7)
author: C.S. Lewis
name: Phil
average rating: 4.27
book published: 1956
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/09/10
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Art and Music: A Student's Guide (Reclaiming the Christian Intellectual Tradition)]]> 18475489 112 Paul Munson 1433538962 Phil 3 edifying, preparation 4.02 2014 Art and Music: A Student's Guide (Reclaiming the Christian Intellectual Tradition)
author: Paul Munson
name: Phil
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2023/09/09
date added: 2023/09/09
shelves: edifying, preparation
review:
A good intro to thinking more carefully about art & music.
]]> <![CDATA[Ender’s Game (Ender's Saga, #1)]]> 375802
But Ender is not the only result of the experiment. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway almost as long. Ender's two older siblings, Peter and Valentine, are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. While Peter was too uncontrollably violent, Valentine very nearly lacks the capability for violence altogether. Neither was found suitable for the military's purpose. But they are driven by their jealousy of Ender, and by their inbred drive for power. Peter seeks to control the political process, to become a ruler. Valentine's abilities turn more toward the subtle control of the beliefs of commoner and elite alike, through powerfully convincing essays. Hiding their youth and identities behind the anonymity of the computer networks, these two begin working together to shape the destiny of Earth-an Earth that has no future at all if their brother Ender fails.]]> 324 Orson Scott Card 0812550706 Phil 4 fun, audio 4.31 1985 Ender’s Game (Ender's Saga, #1)
author: Orson Scott Card
name: Phil
average rating: 4.31
book published: 1985
rating: 4
read at: 2023/09/09
date added: 2023/09/09
shelves: fun, audio
review:

]]> The Lord of the Rings 33 One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them

In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell by chance into the hands of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins.

From Sauron's fastness in the Dark Tower of Mordor, his power spread far and wide. Sauron gathered all the Great Rings to him, but always he searched for the One Ring that would complete his dominion.

When Bilbo reached his eleventy-first birthday he disappeared, bequeathing to his young cousin Frodo the Ruling Ring and a perilous quest: to journey across Middle-earth, deep into the shadow of the Dark Lord, and destroy the Ring by casting it into the Cracks of Doom.

The Lord of the Rings tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the Wizard; the hobbits Merry, Pippin, and Sam; Gimli the Dwarf; Legolas the Elf; Boromir of Gondor; and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider.]]> 1216 J.R.R. Tolkien 0618640150 Phil 5 4.52 1954 The Lord of the Rings
author: J.R.R. Tolkien
name: Phil
average rating: 4.52
book published: 1954
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/07/31
shelves: fun, favorites, read-with-the-kids
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Family Wealth--Keeping It in the Family: How Family Members and Their Advisers Preserve Human, Intellectual, and Financial Assets for Generations]]> 187015
Every family, looking at the next generation, hopes to confer advantages that are more than just material and financial--to inculcate character and leadership, to inspire creativity and enterprise, to help all family members find and follow their individual callings, and to avoid the financial dependency and loss of initiative that can all too often be an unwanted consequence of financial success. Yet many families never succeed in realizing that vision, much less sustaining it for three, four, or five generations and beyond.

James Hughes has thought deeply about these challenges, and his insights are at once practical and profound. For more than three decades, he has personally guided multiple generations of families in creating strategies to preserve their human and intellectual capital as well as their financial assets. His teachings synthesize insights from psychology, anthropology, political history, philosophy, economic theory, and the law, with examples ranging from Aristotle to cutting-edge social science theory. His ideas have been taken up by numerous exceptional families, by their advisers, and by scores of authors, practitioners, and academics who have found value in the methods he pioneered.

The first edition of this book, privately published, became a word-of-mouth classic. Now, Hughes has updated and substantially expanded it with new chapters that challenge conventional notions of wealth and offer guidelines for conserving family assets in the broadest senses. Filled with tested principles and practices for family governance and joint decision making, it is a rich source of workable wisdom that family members can put into practice today, to the enduring benefit and gratitude of future generations.]]> 240 James E. Hughes Jr. 157660151X Phil 0 currently-reading 3.99 Family Wealth--Keeping It in the Family: How Family Members and Their Advisers Preserve Human, Intellectual, and Financial Assets for Generations
author: James E. Hughes Jr.
name: Phil
average rating: 3.99
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/07/17
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making]]> 59696349
Each quick 5-20 page entry builds on the previous one, charting Tony’s personal journey from a product designer to a leader, from a startup founder to an executive to a mentor. Tony uses examples that are instantly captivating, like the process of building the very first iPod and iPhone. Every chapter is designed to help readers with a problem they’re facing right now—how to get funding for their startup, whether to quit their job or not, or just how to deal with the jerk in the next cubicle.

Tony forged his path to success alongside mentors like Steve Jobs and Bill Campbell, icons of Silicon Valley who succeeded time and time again. But Tony doesn’t follow the Silicon Valley credo that you have to reinvent everything from scratch to make something great. His advice is unorthodox because it’s old school. Because Tony’s learned that human nature doesn’t change. You don’t have to reinvent how you lead and manage—just what you make.]]> 416 Tony Fadell 1787634116 Phil 0 to-read 4.28 Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making
author: Tony Fadell
name: Phil
average rating: 4.28
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/06/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Lost on a Mountain in Maine 1100375 128 Donn Fendler 068811573X Phil 4 fun, preparation 3.90 Lost on a Mountain in Maine
author: Donn Fendler
name: Phil
average rating: 3.90
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2023/01/01
date added: 2023/06/10
shelves: fun, preparation
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Lead: 12 Gospel Principles for Leadership in the Church]]> 50611070 The church is experiencing a leadership crisis.

For every celebrity pastor exiting in the spotlight, there are hundreds of lesser-known pastors leaving in the shadows. Why are so many pastors leaving the ministry? Best-selling author Paul David Tripp suggests that lurking behind the failure of a pastor is a weak leadership community.

Turning to Scripture for guidance, Tripp presents readers with twelve leadership-community principles necessary for a gospel-centered leadership model. Here is a book with a message for those new to ministry as well as those experienced in it--God's abiding presence is your hope in leadership.]]> 240 Paul David Tripp 1433567636 Phil 4 4.39 2020 Lead: 12 Gospel Principles for Leadership in the Church
author: Paul David Tripp
name: Phil
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2023/05/22
date added: 2023/05/22
shelves:
review:
Great book. Probably the easiest Tripp book I’ve read so far
]]> The Little Red Book of Wisdom 328748 169 Mark Demoss 0785221689 Phil 4 edifying 4.01 2007 The Little Red Book of Wisdom
author: Mark Demoss
name: Phil
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2023/04/15
date added: 2023/04/15
shelves: edifying
review:
Great little book with solid principles you probably heard from a parent or grandparent but need to hear again every once in a while.
]]> The Complete Maus 15195
The Pulitzer Prize-winning Maus tells the story of Vladek Spiegelman, a Jewish survivor of Hitler’s Europe, and his son, a cartoonist coming to terms with his father’s story. Maus approaches the unspeakable through the diminutive. Its form, the cartoon (the Nazis are cats, the Jews mice), shocks us out of any lingering sense of familiarity and succeeds in “drawing us closer to the bleak heart of the Holocaust� (The New York Times).

Maus is a haunting tale within a tale. Vladek’s harrowing story of survival is woven into the author’s account of his tortured relationship with his aging father. Against the backdrop of guilt brought by survival, they stage a normal life of small arguments and unhappy visits. This astonishing retelling of our century’s grisliest news is a story of survival, not only of Vladek but of the children who survive even the survivors. Maus studies the bloody pawprints of history and tracks its meaning for all of us.]]> 296 Art Spiegelman 0141014083 Phil 0 to-read 4.57 1980 The Complete Maus
author: Art Spiegelman
name: Phil
average rating: 4.57
book published: 1980
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/04/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Blue Star (Jim Glass, #2) 2609030
Seven years ago, readers everywhere fell in love with Jim Glass, the precocious 10-year-old at the heart of Tony Earley's bestseller Jim the Boy. Now a teenager, Jim returns in another tender and wise story of young love on the eve of World War II.

Jim Glass has fallen in love, as only a teenage boy can fall in love, with his classmate Chrissie Steppe. Unfortunately, Chrissie is Bucky Bucklaw's girlfriend, and Bucky has joined the navy on the eve of war. Jim vows to win Chrissie's heart in his absence, but the war makes high school less than a safe haven and gives a young man's emotions a grown man's gravity.

With the uncanny insight into the well-intentioned heart that made Jim the Boy a favorite novel for readers nationwide, Tony Earley has fashioned another nuanced and unforgettable portrait of America in another time—making it again even more real than our own day. This is a timeless and moving story of discovery, loss, and growing up, proving why Tony Earley's writing "radiates with a largeness of heart".]]> 304 Tony Earley 0316199079 Phil 0 to-read 3.89 2008 The Blue Star (Jim Glass, #2)
author: Tony Earley
name: Phil
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/04/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Overcoming Apathy: Gospel Hope for Those Who Struggle to Care]]> 60842503
For many Christians, apathy can feel inescapable. They experience a lack of motivation and a growing indifference to important things, with some even struggling to care about anything at all. This listlessness can spill over into our spiritual lives, making it difficult to pray, read the Bible, or engage in our communities. Have we resigned ourselves to apathy? Do we recognize it as a sin? How can we fight against it?

In Overcoming Apathy, theology professor Uche Anizor explains what apathy is and gives practical, biblical advice to break the cycle. Inspired by his conversations with young Christians as well as his own experiences with apathy, Anizor takes a fresh look at this widespread problem and its effect on spiritual maturity. First, he highlights the prevalence of apathy in our culture, using examples from TV, movies, and social media. Next, he turns to theologians, philosophers, and psychologists to further define apathy. Finally, Anizor explores causes, cures, and healthy practices to boldly overcome apathy in daily life, taking believers from spiritual lethargy to Christian zeal. This short book is an excellent resource for those struggling with apathy as well as parents, mentors, and friends who want to support someone in need.

-- Explores the Individual and Cultural Experience of Apathy: Examines the nature and experience of apathy, drawing insights from Scripture, theology, popular culture, and more

-- Practical Steps for Dealing with Apathy: Identifies 7 causes as well as healthy habits to fight against indifference

-- Accessible for Students and Mentors: A great guide for high school and college students and those who counsel them; youth and young adult pastors; teachers; and anyone struggling with apathy or who knows someone who is]]> 192 Uche Anizor 1433578808 Phil 5
I know I will keep a copy easily accessible for those seasons in life when I need to be reminded of the truths he uncovers. The last paragraph was powerful, great way to wrap up the volume:

"To the sinful, depressed, aged, and reserved - God knows your frame. He accepts no excuses, but extends abundant grace. And to all of us, as we draw these reflections to a close: 'Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord' (Rom. 12:11)"]]> 4.11 2022 Overcoming Apathy: Gospel Hope for Those Who Struggle to Care
author: Uche Anizor
name: Phil
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2023/04/01
date added: 2023/04/01
shelves: edifying, favorites, to-re-read
review:
Excellent book. This topic could have been written about in so many different styles, and I had very low expectations that it would be compelling. But I quickly realized Anizor's gift in writing, that he could take a difficult, wiggly topic and present it clearly, succinctly, and effectively. That alone is worth the 5 stars.

I know I will keep a copy easily accessible for those seasons in life when I need to be reminded of the truths he uncovers. The last paragraph was powerful, great way to wrap up the volume:

"To the sinful, depressed, aged, and reserved - God knows your frame. He accepts no excuses, but extends abundant grace. And to all of us, as we draw these reflections to a close: 'Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord' (Rom. 12:11)"
]]> <![CDATA[On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness (The Wingfeather Saga, #1)]]> 57177270
Andrew Peterson spins a quirky and riveting tale of the Igibys� extraordinary journey from Glipwood’s Dragon Day Festival and a secret hidden in the Books and Crannies Bookstore, past the terrifying Black Carriage, clutches of the horned hounds and loathsome toothy cows surrounding AnkleJelly Manor, through the Glipwood Forest and mysterious treehouse of Peet the Sock Man (known for a little softshoe and wearing tattered socks on his hands and arms), to the very edge of the Ice Prairies.

Full of characters rich in heart, smarts, and courage, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness presents a world of wonder and a tale children of all ages will cherish, families can read aloud, and readers� groups are sure to discuss for its layers of meaning about life’s true treasure and tangle of the beautiful and horrible, temporal and eternal, and good and bad.]]> Andrew Peterson Phil 3 read-with-the-kids, audio 4.23 2008 On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness (The Wingfeather Saga, #1)
author: Andrew Peterson
name: Phil
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2008
rating: 3
read at: 2023/03/20
date added: 2023/03/29
shelves: read-with-the-kids, audio
review:

]]> Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama 60763830 In this hilarious, heartfelt memoir, the star of Mr. Show, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, and Nobody opens up about the highs and lows of showbiz, his legendary cult status as a comedy writer, and what it's like to reinvent himself as a no-holds-barred action film ass-kicker at fifty.

Bob Odenkirk's career is inexplicable. And yet he will try like hell to explain it here, because that is what memoirs are for. Charting a "Homeric" decades-long "Odyssey" from his origins in the seedy comedy clubs of Chicago all the way to a dramatic career that is baffling to his friends, it's almost like there are two or three Bob Odenkirks...but there is just one and one is enough, frankly.

Bob embraced a life in comedy after a chance meeting with Second City's legendary Del Close, which eventually led to a job as a writer at SNL. As he weathered the beast that is live comedy, he stashed away the secrets of sketch writing--employing them in the immortal "Motivational Speaker" sketch for his friend Chris Farley, honing them on The Ben Stiller Show, and perfecting them on Mr. Show With Bob and David, which inspired an entire generation of comedy writers and stars. Then his career met the hope-dashing machine that is Hollywood development. But when all hope was lost for the umpteenth time, Bob was more astonished than anyone to find himself on Breaking Bad. His embrace of this strange new world of dramatic acting led him to working with Steven Spielberg, Alexander Payne, and Greta Gerwig, until finally re-re-inventing himself as a bona-fide worldwide action star for reasons that even he does not fully grasp! Read this and do your own psychoanalysis--it's fun!

Throughout Bob's travels, his memoir preserves the voice he cultivated from years of comedy writing. Featuring humorous tangents, joyful interludes, never-before-seen photos, wild characters from his winding career, and his trademark upbeat but unflinching drive, Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama is a classic showbiz tale--and a moving story about what it's like to risk everything you think you know to make a change.]]> 8 Bob Odenkirk 1984885294 Phil 3 audio 3.68 2022 Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama
author: Bob Odenkirk
name: Phil
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2023/03/08
date added: 2023/03/08
shelves: audio
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference]]> 2612 The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate. This widely acclaimed bestseller, in which Malcolm Gladwell explores and brilliantly illuminates the tipping point phenomenon, is already changing the way people throughout the world think about selling products and disseminating ideas.]]> 301 Malcolm Gladwell 0316346624 Phil 4 4.01 2002 The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
author: Malcolm Gladwell
name: Phil
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2002
rating: 4
read at: 2023/01/29
date added: 2023/01/29
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Why Believe?: A Reasoned Approach to Christianity]]> 59092219 269 Neil Shenvi 1433579383 Phil 0 to-read 4.37 2022 Why Believe?: A Reasoned Approach to Christianity
author: Neil Shenvi
name: Phil
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/01/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don't Know]]> 43848929 Malcolm Gladwell, host of the podcast Revisionist History and author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Outliers, offers a powerful examination of our interactions with strangers -- and why they often go wrong.

How did Fidel Castro fool the CIA for a generation? Why did Neville Chamberlain think he could trust Adolf Hitler? Why are campus sexual assaults on the rise? Do television sitcoms teach us something about the way we relate to each other that isn't true?

While tackling these questions, Malcolm Gladwell was not solely writing a book for the page. He was also producing for the ear. In the audiobook version of Talking to Strangers, you'll hear the voices of people he interviewed--scientists, criminologists, military psychologists. Court transcripts are brought to life with re-enactments. You actually hear the contentious arrest of Sandra Bland by the side of the road in Texas. As Gladwell revisits the deceptions of Bernie Madoff, the trial of Amanda Knox, and the suicide of Sylvia Plath, you hear directly from many of the players in these real-life tragedies. There's even a theme song - Janelle Monae's "Hell You Talmbout."

Something is very wrong, Gladwell argues, with the tools and strategies we use to make sense of people we don't know. And because we don't know how to talk to strangers, we are inviting conflict and misunderstanding in ways that have a profound effect on our lives and our world.]]> 388 Malcolm Gladwell 0316478520 Phil 0 to-read 4.00 2019 Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don't Know
author: Malcolm Gladwell
name: Phil
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/01/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Daily Strength: A Devotional for Men]]> 61154060 790 Sam Storms 1433573423 Phil 5 edifying 4.18 Daily Strength: A Devotional for Men
author: Sam Storms
name: Phil
average rating: 4.18
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2022/12/31
date added: 2022/12/31
shelves: edifying
review:

]]> Letter to the American Church 61034085 Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, SpyĚýwarns of the haunting similarities between today’s American church and the German church of the 1930s. Echoing Bonhoeffer’s prophetic call, Eric Metaxas exhorts his fellow Christians to repent of their silence in the face of evil before it is too late.]]> 159 Eric Metaxas 1684513901 Phil 2 4.09 2022 Letter to the American Church
author: Eric Metaxas
name: Phil
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at: 2022/12/19
date added: 2022/12/19
shelves:
review:

]]> Chilean Poet 58492105 A writer of “startling talent� (The New York Times Book Review), Alejandro Zambra returns with his most substantial work yet: a story of fathers and sons, ambition and failure, and what it means to make a family

After a chance encounter at a Santiago nightclub, aspiring poet Gonzalo reunites with his first love, Carla. Though their desire for each other is still intact, much has changed: among other things, Carla now has a six-year-old son, Vicente. Soon the three form a happy sort-of family—a stepfamily, though no such word exists in their language.

Eventually, their ambitions pull the lovers in different directions—in Gonzalo’s case, all the way to New York. Though Gonzalo takes his books when he goes, still, Vicente inherits his ex-stepfather’s love of poetry. When, at eighteen, Vicente meets Pru, an American journalist literally and figuratively lost in Santiago, he encourages her to write about Chilean poets—not the famous, dead kind, your Nerudas or Mistrals or Bolaños, but rather the living, striving, everyday ones. Pru’s research leads her into this eccentric community—another kind of family, dysfunctional but ultimately loving. Will it also lead Vicente and Gonzalo back to each other?

In Chilean Poet, Alejandro Zambra chronicles with enormous tenderness and insight the small moments—sexy, absurd, painful, sweet, profound—that make up our personal histories. Exploring how we choose our families and how we betray them, and what it means to be a man in relationships—a partner, father, stepfather, teacher, lover, writer, and friend—it is a bold and brilliant new work by one of the most important writers of our time.]]> 358 Alejandro Zambra 0593297946 Phil 0 to-read 4.06 2020 Chilean Poet
author: Alejandro Zambra
name: Phil
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/12/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Men and Women in the Church: A Short, Biblical, Practical Introduction]]> 55597427 A Biblical Primer on Men and Women in the Church

There is much at stake in God making humanity male and female. Created for one another yet distinct from each other, a man and a woman are not interchangeable—they are designed to function according to a divine fittedness. But when this design is misunderstood, ignored, or abused, there are dire consequences.

Men and women—in marriage especially, but in the rest of life as well—complement one another. And this biblical truth has enduring, cosmic significance. From start to finish, the biblical storyline—and the design of creation itself—depends upon the distinction between male and female. Men and Women in the Church is about the divinely designed complementarity of men and women as it applies to life in general and especially ministry in the church.]]> 176 Kevin DeYoung 1433566532 Phil 4 edifying
I don’t know how persuasive his arguments will be to skeptics but this he did a masterful job of producing a “short, biblical, practical introduction� to the topic. Great book for a group study & discussion.

The final essay / appendix is quite different, finding a higher theology gear (which, in my early AM reading, was quickly grinding). If you really enjoy digging into what words like “teach� mean or probably meant centuries ago, this is your jam.]]> 4.14 2021 Men and Women in the Church: A Short, Biblical, Practical Introduction
author: Kevin DeYoung
name: Phil
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2022/11/17
date added: 2022/11/17
shelves: edifying
review:
Classic DeYoung: well-researched and winsomely presented. He walks along the knife’s edge quite a bit in this book, and I found his typical humble approach to be one of the strongest elements.

I don’t know how persuasive his arguments will be to skeptics but this he did a masterful job of producing a “short, biblical, practical introduction� to the topic. Great book for a group study & discussion.

The final essay / appendix is quite different, finding a higher theology gear (which, in my early AM reading, was quickly grinding). If you really enjoy digging into what words like “teach� mean or probably meant centuries ago, this is your jam.
]]> Project Hail Mary 54906250 An impossible mission.
An ally he never imagined.

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission - and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he's been asleep for a very, very long time. And he's just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it's up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery-and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he's got to do it all alone.

Or does he?]]> 549 Andy Weir Phil 4 fun 4.57 2021 Project Hail Mary
author: Andy Weir
name: Phil
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2022/10/31
date added: 2022/10/31
shelves: fun
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God]]> 12526921 122 J.I. Packer 083083799X Phil 3 edifying 4.52 1961 Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God
author: J.I. Packer
name: Phil
average rating: 4.52
book published: 1961
rating: 3
read at: 2022/10/09
date added: 2022/10/09
shelves: edifying
review:
Full of “Packerisms� and a great discussion on two seemingly contrary doctrines. It was more challenging to read than I expected. Perhaps my aging mind is having a harder time holding the details of a slowly built argument.
]]> <![CDATA[Gospel-Shaped Marriage: Grace for Sinners to Love Like Saints]]> 59092223 A Gracious, Biblical Model for Marriage

Married Christians, and those preparing for marriage, know that they're sinners--and that their sin threatens God's great purposes for their union, including mutual support, companionship, and intimacy. But how often do believers recognize that they are also saints, equipped through God's power to create a healthy, loving marriage?

In Gospel-Shaped Marriage, Chad and Emily Van Dixhoorn encourage couples with how Christ calls and enables them to love their spouse. They give a brief assessment of the biblical design for marriage while offering practical, proven advice for husbands and wives. Drawing from Scripture and the writings of Puritan minister William Gouge, their advice also prepares churches, friends, and others to support married couples in their lives.

Comprehensive and Theological: Includes a summary of marriage in redemptive history, recommended Bible verses with each chapter, and prayer prompts Accessible: Offers guidance for singles preparing for marriage, young and mature couples, struggling couples, and those who want to strengthen their relationship Practical Advice: Written by a pastor and his wife, this concise, easy-to-understand guide includes discussion questions for each chapter]]> 160 Chad Van Dixhoorn 1433580713 Phil 5 edifying 4.23 Gospel-Shaped Marriage: Grace for Sinners to Love Like Saints
author: Chad Van Dixhoorn
name: Phil
average rating: 4.23
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2022/10/08
date added: 2022/10/08
shelves: edifying
review:

]]> Dune (Dune, #1) 11323604
Then Paul succeeds his father, and he becomes a catalyst for the native people of Dune, whose knowledge of the ecology of the planet gives them vast power. They have been waiting for a leader like Paul Atreides, a leader who can harness that force...

DUNE: one of the most brilliant science fiction novels ever written, as engrossing and heart-rending today as it was when it was first published half a century ago.]]> 680 Frank Herbert Phil 4 4.37 1965 Dune (Dune, #1)
author: Frank Herbert
name: Phil
average rating: 4.37
book published: 1965
rating: 4
read at: 2022/09/18
date added: 2022/09/18
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Escaping the Build Trap: How Effective Product Management Creates Real Value]]> 42611483
In this book, Melissa Perri explains how laying the foundation for great product management can help companies solve real customer problems while achieving business goals. By understanding how to communicate and collaborate within a company structure, you can create a product culture that benefits both the business and the customer. You’ll learn product management principles that can be applied to any organization, big or small.

In five parts, this book

Why organizations ship features rather than cultivate the value those features representHow to set up a product organization that scalesHow product strategy connects a company’s vision and economic outcomes back to the product activitiesHow to identify and pursue the right opportunities for producing value through an iterative product frameworkHow to build a culture focused on successful outcomes over outputs]]> 199 Melissa Perri 1491973757 Phil 0 to-read, work 4.29 2018 Escaping the Build Trap: How Effective Product Management Creates Real Value
author: Melissa Perri
name: Phil
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/08/02
shelves: to-read, work
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Blue Ocean Shift: Beyond Competing - Proven Steps to Inspire Confidence and Seize New Growth]]> 33784293 Blue Ocean Shift is the essential follow up to Blue Ocean Strategy, the classic and 3.6 million copy global bestseller by world-renowned professors W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne.

Drawing on more than a decade of new work, Kim and Mauborgne show you how to move beyond competing, inspire your people's confidence, and seize new growth, guiding you step-by-step through how to take your organization from a red ocean crowded with competition to a blue ocean of uncontested market space. By combining the insights of human psychology with practical market-creating tools and real-world guidance, Kim and Mauborgne deliver the definitive guide to shift yourself, your team, or your organization to new heights of confidence, market creation, and growth. They show why nondisruptive creation is as important as disruption in seizing new growth.

Blue Ocean Shift is packed with all-new research and examples of how leaders in diverse industries and organizations made the shift and created new markets by applying the process and tools outlined in the book. Whether you are a cash-strapped startup or a large, established company, nonprofit or national government, you will learn how to move from red to blue oceans in a way that builds your people's confidence so that they own and drive the process.

With battle-tested lessons learned from successes and failures in the field, Blue Ocean Shift is critical reading for leaders, managers, and entrepreneurs alike. You'll learn what works, what doesn't, and how to avoid the pitfalls along the way. This book will empower you to succeed as you embark on your own blue ocean journey. Blue Ocean Shift is indispensable for anyone committed to building a compelling future.]]> 336 W. Chan Kim 0316314048 Phil 0 to-read, work 3.88 2017 Blue Ocean Shift: Beyond Competing - Proven Steps to Inspire Confidence and Seize New Growth
author: W. Chan Kim
name: Phil
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/08/02
shelves: to-read, work
review:

]]> The Lean Startup 10127019 Most startups fail. But many of those failures are preventable. The Lean Startup is a new approach being adopted across the globe, changing the way companies are built and new products are launched.

Eric Ries defines a startup as an organization dedicated to creating something new under conditions of extreme uncertainty. This is just as true for one person in a garage or a group of seasoned professionals in a Fortune 500 boardroom. What they have in common is a mission to penetrate that fog of uncertainty to discover a successful path to a sustainable business.



The Lean Startup approach fosters companies that are both more capital efficient and that leverage human creativity more effectively. Inspired by lessons from lean manufacturing, it relies on "validated learning," rapid scientific experimentation, as well as a number of counter-intuitive practices that shorten product development cycles, measure actual progress without resorting to vanity metrics, and learn what customers really want. It enables a company to shift directions with agility, altering plans inch by inch, minute by minute.

Rather than wasting time creating elaborate business plans, The Lean Startup offers entrepreneurs - in companies of all sizes - a way to test their vision continuously, to adapt and adjust before it's too late. Ries provides a scientific approach to creating and managing successful startups in a age when companies need to innovate more than ever.]]> 299 Eric Ries 0307887898 Phil 0 to-read, work 4.11 2011 The Lean Startup
author: Eric Ries
name: Phil
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/08/02
shelves: to-read, work
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Lovability: How to Build a Business That People Love and Be Happy Doing It]]> 32606810
Genuine, heartfelt devotion and loyalty from customers � yes, love � is what propels a select few companies ahead. Think about the products and companies that you really care about and how they make you feel. You do not merely like those products, you adore them.

Consider your own emotions and a key insight is Love is central to business. Nobody talks about it, but it is obvious in hindsight.

How to Build a Business That People Love and Be Happy Doing It shares what Silicon Valley-based author and Aha! CEO Brian de Haaff knows from a career of founding successful technology companies and creating award-winning products. He reveals the secret to the phenomenal growth of Aha! and the engine that powers lasting customer devotion � a set of principles that he pioneered and named The Responsive Method.

Lovability provides valuable lessons and actionable steps for product and company builders everywhere, Brian de Haaff has spent the last 20 years focused on business strategy, product management, and bringing disruptive technologies to market. And in preparation for writing this book, he interviewed well-known startup founders, product managers, executives, and CEOs at hundreds of name brand and agile organizations. Their experiences, along with headline-grabbing case studies (both inspiring successes and cautionary tales), will help readers discover how to build something that matters.

Much has been written about how entrepreneurs build innovative products and successful businesses, but the author's message is original and refreshing. He convincingly explains that there is a better path forward � a people-first way grounded in love. In a business world that has increasingly emphasized hype over substance and get-big-at-any-cost thinking over profitable and sustainable growth, it's time for a new recipe for company success.

Insightful, thought-provoking, and sometimes controversial, Lovability is the book that you turn to when you know there has to be a better way.]]> 272 Brian de Haaff 1626344035 Phil 1 work 3.57 Lovability: How to Build a Business That People Love and Be Happy Doing It
author: Brian de Haaff
name: Phil
average rating: 3.57
book published:
rating: 1
read at: 2022/06/04
date added: 2022/07/29
shelves: work
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Meet the Frugalwoods: Achieving Financial Independence Through Simple Living]]> 35068719 The deeply personal story of why award-winning personal finance blogger Elizabeth Willard Thames abandoned a successful career in the city and embraced extreme frugality in order to create a more meaningful, purpose-driven life and retire to a homestead in the woods at age thirty-two with her husband and daughter.

In 2014, Elizabeth and Nate Thames were conventional 9-5 young urban professionals. But the couple had a dream to become modern-day homesteaders in rural Vermont. Determined to retire as early as possible in order to start living each day—as opposed to wishing time away working for the weekends—they enacted a plan to save an enormous amount of money: well over seventy percent of their joint take home pay. Dubbing themselves the Frugalwoods, Elizabeth began documenting their unconventional frugality and the resulting wholesale lifestyle transformation on their eponymous blog.

In less than three years, Elizabeth and Nate reached their goal. Today, they are financially independent and living out their dream on a sixty-six-acre homestead in the woods of rural Vermont with their young daughter. While frugality makes their lifestyle possible, it’s also what brings them peace and genuine happiness. They don’t stress out about impressing people with their material possessions, buying the latest gadgets, or keeping up with any Joneses. In the process, Elizabeth discovered the self-confidence and liberation that stems from disavowing our culture’s promise that we can buy our way to "the good life." Elizabeth unlocked the freedom of a life no longer beholden to the clarion call to consume ever-more products at ever-higher sums.

Meet the Frugalwoods is the intriguing story of how Elizabeth and Nate realized that the mainstream path wasn’t for them, crafted a lifestyle of sustainable frugality, and reached financial independence at age thirty-two. While not everyone wants to live in the woods, or quit their jobs, many of us want to have more control over our time and money and lead more meaningful, simplified lives. Following their advice, you too can live your best life.]]> 256 Elizabeth Willard Thames 0062668153 Phil 2 3.69 2018 Meet the Frugalwoods: Achieving Financial Independence Through Simple Living
author: Elizabeth Willard Thames
name: Phil
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2018
rating: 2
read at: 2022/07/29
date added: 2022/07/29
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Prince Caspian (The Chronicles of Narnia, #2)]]> 317501 The four Pevensies help Caspian battle Miraz and ascend his rightful throne.

NARNIA... the land between the lamp-post and the castle of Cair Paravel, where animals talk, where magical things happen... and where the adventure begins.

Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are returning to boarding school when they are summoned from the dreary train station (by Susan's own magic horn) to return to the land of Narnia—the land where they had ruled as kings and queens and where their help is desperately needed.]]> 216 C.S. Lewis 0020442408 Phil 3 read-with-the-kids 3.94 1951 Prince Caspian (The Chronicles of Narnia, #2)
author: C.S. Lewis
name: Phil
average rating: 3.94
book published: 1951
rating: 3
read at: 2015/12/20
date added: 2022/07/29
shelves: read-with-the-kids
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Terms of Service: The Real Cost of Social Media]]> 57976470
Social media is brilliant and obscene. It sharpens the mind and dulls it. It brings nations together and tears them apart. It perpetuates, reveals, and repairs injustice. It is an untamed beast upon which we can only hope to ride, but never quite corral.
What is it doing to us?

In Terms of Service , Chris Martin brings readers his years of expertise and experience from building online brands, coaching authors and speakers about social media use, and thinking theologically about the effects of social media. As you read this book, you Ěý]]> 224 Chris Martin 1087738377 Phil 2
Example: chapter 4 is titled "We believe attention assigns value" and doubles down on it as taken for granted. This is, I would say, the central argument of the book. But there are hosts of folks who long to be behind the scenes, who cringe at receiving public credit, and who still struggle with the social internet.

A lot of insights presented are sort of old hat, not really insights. I'm glad the author sees them, but I found myself thinking, so what? See again chapter 4's title, and do a quick search on the term "15 minutes of fame." That's what viral means, though the internet has no doubt enhanced it significantly.

The author references some excellent research throughout, and I was hoping the book would add some new wisdom or application to it.

If you're reading this book to understand HOW the social internet really works, I might recommend the movie The Social Dilemma.]]> 4.26 Terms of Service: The Real Cost of Social Media
author: Chris Martin
name: Phil
average rating: 4.26
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2022/07/26
date added: 2022/07/26
shelves:
review:
If you are a digital native, this might be a helpful read. I have known the world before the internet and before the Social Internet, so for me a lot of the assumptions in this book felt really foreign.

Example: chapter 4 is titled "We believe attention assigns value" and doubles down on it as taken for granted. This is, I would say, the central argument of the book. But there are hosts of folks who long to be behind the scenes, who cringe at receiving public credit, and who still struggle with the social internet.

A lot of insights presented are sort of old hat, not really insights. I'm glad the author sees them, but I found myself thinking, so what? See again chapter 4's title, and do a quick search on the term "15 minutes of fame." That's what viral means, though the internet has no doubt enhanced it significantly.

The author references some excellent research throughout, and I was hoping the book would add some new wisdom or application to it.

If you're reading this book to understand HOW the social internet really works, I might recommend the movie The Social Dilemma.
]]> Watership Down 41953430 Soon to be a BBC and Netflix animated miniseries starring James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, and Oscar and Grammy award-winning Sir Ben Kingsley.

A worldwide bestseller for more than forty years, Watership Down is the compelling tale of a group of wild rabbits struggling to hold onto their place in the world—“a powerful new vision of the great chain of being� (The New York Times Book Review).

Richard Adams’s Watership Down is one of the most beloved novels of all time—a timeless classic and childhood favorite for generations. Set in England’s Downs, a once idyllic rural landscape, this stirring tale of “suspense, hot pursuit, and derring-do� (Chicago Tribune) follows a band of bunnies on their flight from the intrusion of man and the imminent destruction of their home. Led by a stouthearted pair of brothers, they journey forth from their native Sandleford Warren through the harrowing trials posed by predators and adversaries, to a mysterious promised land and a more perfect society. “A marvelous story of rebellion, exile, and survival� (Sunday Telegraph) this is an unforgettable literary classic for all ages.]]> 496 Richard Adams 1982117591 Phil 5 fun, to-re-read, favorites 4.18 1972 Watership Down
author: Richard Adams
name: Phil
average rating: 4.18
book published: 1972
rating: 5
read at: 2022/07/09
date added: 2022/07/09
shelves: fun, to-re-read, favorites
review:
This book completely surprised me. Adventure, leadership, courage, trickery, humor, and wonderfully told, I hope to re-read this aloud with my kids. We need more stories like this one.
]]> <![CDATA[Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!]]> 39924789 Rich Dad Poor Dad first made waves in the Personal Finance arena.
It has since become the #1 Personal Finance book of all time... translated into dozens of languages and sold around the world.





Rich Dad Poor Dad is Robert's story of growing up with two dads � his real father and the father of his best friend, his rich dad � and the ways in which both men shaped his thoughts about money and investing. The book explodes the myth that you need to earn a high income to be rich and explains the difference between working for money and having your money work for you.





20 Years... 20/20 Hindsight


In the 20th Anniversary Edition of this classic, Robert offers an update on what we’ve seen over the past 20 years related to money, investing, and the global economy. Sidebars throughout the book will take readers “fast forward� � from 1997 to today � as Robert assesses how the principles taught by his rich dad have stood the test of time.



In many ways, the messages of Rich Dad Poor Dad, messages that were criticized and challenged two decades ago, are more meaningful, relevant and important today than they were 20 years ago.



As always, readers can expect that Robert will be candid, insightful... and continue to rock more than a few boats in his retrospective.



Will there be a few surprises? Count on it.







Rich Dad Poor Dad...


� Explodes the myth that you need to earn a high income to become rich
� Challenges the belief that your house is an asset
� Shows parents why they can't rely on the school system to teach their kids about money
� Defines once and for all an asset and a liability
� Teaches you what to teach your kids about money for their future financial success]]> 336 Robert T. Kiyosaki 161268016X Phil 2
I skimmed most of it, really didn't enjoy the read, but I'm glad I read it and grateful for the new ideas.]]> 4.32 1997 Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!
author: Robert T. Kiyosaki
name: Phil
average rating: 4.32
book published: 1997
rating: 2
read at: 2022/07/06
date added: 2022/07/06
shelves:
review:
The best part of this book is that it offered several new perspectives. For that, it should get 4 or 5 stars. Unfortunately, this thing desperately needs an editor. Very repetitive, always leaving you wanting a little more information or detail. The author's a sales guy, though, so perhaps he hit his mark.

I skimmed most of it, really didn't enjoy the read, but I'm glad I read it and grateful for the new ideas.
]]> The Economics of the Parables 58127278
Libraries are filled with books on the parables of Christ, and rightly so. In the words of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, “While civilizations have come and gone, these stories continue to teach us anew with their freshness and their humanity.� Two millennia later, the New Testament parables remain ubiquitous, and yet, few have stopped to glean from one of Christ’s most prevalent money.

In The Economics of the Parables , Rev. Robert Sirico pulls back the veil of modernity to reveal the timeless economic wisdom of the parables. Thirteen central stories—including “The Laborers in the Vineyard,� “The Rich Fool,� “The Five Talents,� and “The Faithful Steward”—serve as his guide, revealing practical lessons in caring for the poor, stewarding wealth, distributing inheritances, navigating income disparities, and resolving family tensions.

As contemporary as any business manual and sure to outlast them, The Economics of the Parables equips any economically informed reader to uncover the enduring financial truths of the parables in a reasonable, sensible, and life-empowering manner.]]> 256 Robert Sirico 1684512425 Phil 0 to-read 3.86 The Economics of the Parables
author: Robert Sirico
name: Phil
average rating: 3.86
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/07/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth]]> 18170143 and enjoy every moment of it.

In An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth, Col. Hadfield takes readers deep into his years of training and space exploration to show how to make the impossible possible. Through eye-opening, entertaining stories filled with the adrenaline of launch, the mesmerizing wonder of spacewalks, and the measured, calm responses mandated by crises, he explains how conventional wisdom can get in the way of achievement-and happiness. His own extraordinary education in space has taught him some counterintuitive lessons: don't visualize success, do care what others think, and always sweat the small stuff.

You might never be able to build a robot, pilot a spacecraft, make a music video or perform basic surgery in zero gravity like Col. Hadfield. But his vivid and refreshing insights will teach you how to think like an astronaut, and will change, completely, the way you view life on Earth-especially your own.]]> 295 Chris Hadfield 0316253014 Phil 4 fun 4.14 2013 An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth
author: Chris Hadfield
name: Phil
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2022/05/22
date added: 2022/05/22
shelves: fun
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Flashman (The Flashman Papers, #1)]]> 142458 This is an alternative cover edition for ISBN 9780006511250

Coward, scoundrel, lover and cheat, but there is no better man to go into the jungle with. Join Flashman in his adventures as he survives fearful ordeals and outlandish perils across the four corners of the world.

Can a man be all bad? When Harry Flashman’s adventures as the reluctant secret agent in Afghanistan lead him to join the exclusive company of Lord Cardigan’s Hussars and play a part in the disastrous Retreat from Kabul, it culminates in the rascal’s finest � and most dishonest � turn.]]> 323 George MacDonald Fraser Phil 0 to-read 4.07 1969 Flashman (The Flashman Papers, #1)
author: George MacDonald Fraser
name: Phil
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1969
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/04/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Slogging Along in the Paths of Righteousness: Psalms 13�24]]> 19537186 189 Dale Ralph Davis 1781913048 Phil 3 4.46 2014 Slogging Along in the Paths of Righteousness: Psalms 13–24
author: Dale Ralph Davis
name: Phil
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2022/04/06
date added: 2022/04/06
shelves:
review:
Several great deep dives on these psalms. I often got bogged down on the grammar lessons. But Davis� winsome humor was frequent enough to help me slog through it.
]]> <![CDATA[Do More Better: A Practical Guide to Productivity]]> 28017233
I am no productivity guru. I am a writer, a church leader, a husband, and a father—a Christian with a lot of responsibilities and with new tasks coming at me all the time. I wrote this short, fast-paced, practical guide to productivity to share what I have learned about getting things done in today’s digital world. Whether you are a student or a professional, a work-from-home dad or a stay-at-home mom, it will help you learn to structure your life to do the most good to the glory of God. In Do More Better , you will
It really is possible to live a calm and orderly life, sure of your responsibilities and confident in your progress. You can do more better. And I would love to help you get there.]]> 128 Tim Challies 1941114180 Phil 4 edifying, work 4.12 2015 Do More Better: A Practical Guide to Productivity
author: Tim Challies
name: Phil
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2022/02/09
date added: 2022/02/09
shelves: edifying, work
review:

]]> Revolting Rhymes 6328 Revolting Rhymes.

This book is filled with revolting rhymes.
(Be warned: It's no ordinary Once upon a time).

There's poor Cindy whose heart was torn to shreds, because her Prince, he chops off heads!

Snow White's dwarfs although awfully nice, are guilty of one shocking vice . . .

And what becomes of Goldilocks, that nasty thieving little louse, when she goes sneaking around the three bear's house . . .

Listen to REVOLTING RHYMES and other Roald Dahl audiobooks read by some very famous voices, including Kate Winslet, David Walliams and Steven Fry - plus there are added squelchy soundeffects from Pinewood Studios!

Look out for new Roald Dahl apps in the App store and Google Play- including the disgusting TWIT OR MISS! inspired by the revolting Twits.]]> 32 Roald Dahl 0142302260 Phil 4 read-with-the-kids, fun 4.13 1982 Revolting Rhymes
author: Roald Dahl
name: Phil
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1982
rating: 4
read at: 2022/02/03
date added: 2022/02/03
shelves: read-with-the-kids, fun
review:
Funny enough for a seven year old to appreciate.
]]> <![CDATA[Half the Church: Recapturing God's Global Vision for Women]]> 8825020 208 Carolyn Custis James 0310325560 Phil 0 to-read 4.08 2011 Half the Church: Recapturing God's Global Vision for Women
author: Carolyn Custis James
name: Phil
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/02/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Habits of the Household: Practicing the Story of God in Everyday Family Rhythms]]> 57468025 Discover simple habits and easy-to-implement daily rhythms that will help you find meaning beyond the chaos of family life as you create a home where kids and parents alike practice how to love God and each other.

You long for tender moments with your children--but do you ever find yourself too busy to stop, make eye contact, and say something you really mean? Daily habits are powerful ways to shape the heart--but do you find yourself giving in to screen time just to get through the day? You want to parent with purpose--but do you know how to start?

Award-winning author and father of four Justin Whitmel Earley understands the tension between how you long to parent and what your daily life actually looks like. In Habits of the Household, Earley gives you the tools you need to create structure--from mealtimes to bedtimes--that free you to parent toddlers, kids, and teens with purpose. Learn how to:


Develop a bedtime liturgy to settle your little ones and ground them in God's love
Discover a new framework for discipline as discipleship
Acquire simple practices for more regular and meaningful family mealtimes
Open your eyes to the spirituality of parenting, seeing small moments as big opportunities for spiritual formation
Develop a custom age chart for your family to more intentionally plan your shared years under the same roof
Each chapter in Habits of the Household ends with practical patterns, prayers, or liturgies that your family can put into practice right away. As you create liberating rhythms around your everyday routines, you will find your family has a greater sense of peace and purpose as your home becomes a place where, above all, you learn how to love.]]> 226 Justin Whitmel Earley 0310362938 Phil 0 to-read 4.58 2021 Habits of the Household: Practicing the Story of God in Everyday Family Rhythms
author: Justin Whitmel Earley
name: Phil
average rating: 4.58
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/01/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[NIV, Lifehacks Bible: Practical Tools for Successful Spiritual Habits]]> 30365353 A “Lifehackâ€� describes any advice, shortcut, tip or skill that will help you get things done more efficiently and effectively.Ěý


The NIV Lifehacks Bible uses “lifehacking� methods to give you practical and achievable tools to integrate spiritual habits into your busy, technology-centric, 21st century life. With 365 articles covering 30 life-changing disciplines, not only does this Bible illuminate scriptural wisdom on spiritual practices, it provides practical tips and strategies for applying them every day.


You’ll find these and other articles inside the Bible:



4 Tips for Making Wise Decisions
6 Steps for Interpreting the Bible
7 Questions for Recognizing Intentional Sins
4 Tips for Finding Time to Pray

Featuring a foreword by author and theologian Kevin DeYoung, the NIV Lifehacks Bible is full of common-sense articles on foundational topics such as: prayer, self-reflection, character formation, and fasting. The Bible then features advice and helpful tips for building habits around these disciplines.

]]> 4094 Zondervan 0310434122 Phil 3
It feels weird to give 3 stars to a Bible; two personal gripes are what influenced my rating. First, it uses the 2011 NIV translation. There's plenty of criticism already published about this so I'll leave that alone, but I wanted to read it for myself to see how it affected readability, especially well-known passages. I found it distracting and in a few places very odd. Second, I'm not sure it's a good idea to have articles that jump so quickly to application vs. letting the reader linger and ruminate on scripture. Some of them were very good at guiding the reader through relevant prompts, such as the self-assessments; but I felt others stepped over a line of interpreting doctrine, such as the article on Sabbath-keeping (see Exodus 31).

I suppose I approached this version as a study Bible, but I don't think that's an accurate description. The articles might be better served in a separate volume, as a devotion or supplement to the scripture. That way, the reader might be more inclined to view them as a non-authoritative parallel perspective rather than as additional context (historical, cultural, political, etc.) that one would expect from a 'typical' study Bible.

The word of God is still present and true, and if reading this version helps a traveler to spend time in the word, I certainly can't knock it for that.]]> 4.44 2016 NIV, Lifehacks Bible: Practical Tools for Successful Spiritual Habits
author: Zondervan
name: Phil
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2021/12/31
date added: 2021/12/31
shelves:
review:
I found the articles (or "lifehacks" - maybe not the most accurate term here) helpful as daily prompts for further reflection and introspection. As Joe Carter mentions in the introduction, no one should expect to be blown away by all ~1,000 articles through this version.

It feels weird to give 3 stars to a Bible; two personal gripes are what influenced my rating. First, it uses the 2011 NIV translation. There's plenty of criticism already published about this so I'll leave that alone, but I wanted to read it for myself to see how it affected readability, especially well-known passages. I found it distracting and in a few places very odd. Second, I'm not sure it's a good idea to have articles that jump so quickly to application vs. letting the reader linger and ruminate on scripture. Some of them were very good at guiding the reader through relevant prompts, such as the self-assessments; but I felt others stepped over a line of interpreting doctrine, such as the article on Sabbath-keeping (see Exodus 31).

I suppose I approached this version as a study Bible, but I don't think that's an accurate description. The articles might be better served in a separate volume, as a devotion or supplement to the scripture. That way, the reader might be more inclined to view them as a non-authoritative parallel perspective rather than as additional context (historical, cultural, political, etc.) that one would expect from a 'typical' study Bible.

The word of God is still present and true, and if reading this version helps a traveler to spend time in the word, I certainly can't knock it for that.
]]> <![CDATA[From Pearl Harbor to Calvary: True Story of the Lead Pilot of the Pearl Harbor attack and His Conversion to Christianity]]> 13030561 95 Mitsuo Fuchida 1610452399 Phil 4 3.70 1959 From Pearl Harbor to Calvary: True Story of the Lead Pilot of the Pearl Harbor attack and His Conversion to Christianity
author: Mitsuo Fuchida
name: Phil
average rating: 3.70
book published: 1959
rating: 4
read at: 2021/12/28
date added: 2021/12/28
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Track: Navigating Culture: A Student’s Guide to Navigating Culture]]> 56823332 96 Walt Mueller 1527106942 Phil 5 4.26 Track: Navigating Culture: A Student’s Guide to Navigating Culture
author: Walt Mueller
name: Phil
average rating: 4.26
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2021/12/28
date added: 2021/12/28
shelves:
review:
Easy enough to read in a deer stand in one afternoon. Mueller lays a great foundation with an approachable tone, then offers very practical advice for implementing his World Word Walk framework. I took several good ideas away after reading this one. Great little gem.
]]> <![CDATA[Track: The Power of Story: A Student’s Guide to the Power of Story]]> 56823333 96 Joe Deegan 1527106950 Phil 4 4.30 Track: The Power of Story: A Student’s Guide to the Power of Story
author: Joe Deegan
name: Phil
average rating: 4.30
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2021/12/22
date added: 2021/12/22
shelves:
review:
A great book for young people especially to consider our own story and author
]]> A Grief Observed 26077627
Written in longhand in notebooks that Lewis found in his home, A Grief Observed probes the "mad midnight moments" of Lewis's mourning and loss, moments in which he questioned what he had previously believed about life and death, marriage, and even God. Indecision and self-pity assailed Lewis. "We are under the harrow and can't escape," he writes. "I know that the thing I want is exactly the thing I can never get. The old life, the jokes, the drinks, the arguments, the lovemaking, the tiny, heartbreaking commonplace." Writing A Grief Observed as "a defense against total collapse, a safety valve," he came to recognize that "bereavement is a universal and integral part of our experience of love."

Lewis writes his statement of faith with precision, humor, and grace. Yet neither is Lewis reluctant to confess his continuing doubts and his awareness of his own human frailty. This is precisely the quality which suggests that A Grief Observed may become "among the great devotional books of our age."]]> 76 C.S. Lewis Phil 4 4.31 1961 A Grief Observed
author: C.S. Lewis
name: Phil
average rating: 4.31
book published: 1961
rating: 4
read at: 2021/12/15
date added: 2021/12/15
shelves:
review:
Sober, challenging, hopeful, honest.
]]> <![CDATA[The Apollo Murders (Apollo Murders, #1)]]> 57007683 An exceptional debut thriller and “exciting journeyâ€� into the dark heart of the Cold War and the space race fromĚýNew York TimesĚýbestselling author and astronaut Chris Hadfield (Andy Weir, author of The Martian and Project Hail Mary).
Ěý
1973: a final, top-secret mission to the Moon. Three astronauts in a tiny spaceship, a quarter million miles from home. A quarter million miles from help.

NASA is about to launch Apollo 18. While the mission has been billed as a scientific one, flight controller Kazimieras "Kaz" Zemeckis knows there is a darker objective. Intelligence has discovered a secret Soviet space station spying on America, and Apollo 18 may be the only chance to stop it.

But even as Kaz races to keep the NASA crew one step ahead of their Russian rivals, a deadly accident reveals that not everyone involved is quite who they were thought to be. With political stakes stretched to the breaking point, the White House and the Kremlin can only watch as their astronauts collide on the lunar surface, far beyond the reach of law or rescue.
Ěý
Full of the fascinating technical detail that fans ofĚýThe MartianĚýloved, and reminiscent of the thrilling claustrophobia, twists, and tension ofĚýThe Hunt for Red October,ĚýThe Apollo MurdersĚýis a high-stakes thriller unlike any other. Chris Hadfield captures the fierce G-forces of launch, the frozen loneliness of space, and the fear of holding on to the outside of a spacecraft orbiting the Earth at 17,000 miles per hour as only someone who has experienced all of these things in real life can.
Ěý
Strap in and count down for the ride of a lifetime.]]> 480 Chris Hadfield 0316264539 Phil 4 3.86 2021 The Apollo Murders (Apollo Murders, #1)
author: Chris Hadfield
name: Phil
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2021/12/08
date added: 2021/12/08
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]]> <![CDATA[Union with Christ: The Way to Know and Enjoy God]]> 30310411 Winner of the 2017 Christian Book Award for New Author
Named one of the top books of 2016 by John Piper's Desiring God ministry
To experience why the gospel is good news and answer life’s most foundational questions about identity, destiny, and purpose, we must understand what it means to be united to Christ.

If you are a Christian, the Bible says that Christ has united his life to yours, that you are now in Christ and Christ is in you. This almost unfathomable truth is the central theme of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Yet few Christians today experience or enjoy this reality. Union with Christ reveals the transformational power of this ancient doctrine while addressing the basic questions of the human

Who Am I? Why Am I Here? Where Am I Headed? How Will I Get There? Nothing is more practical for living the Christian life than union with Christ. The recovery of this reality provides the anchor and engine for your life with God—for your destiny is not only to see Christ, but to actually become like him.]]> 320 Rankin Wilbourne Phil 0 abandoned 4.43 2016 Union with Christ: The Way to Know and Enjoy God
author: Rankin Wilbourne
name: Phil
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2016
rating: 0
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date added: 2021/11/07
shelves: abandoned
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands: People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change (Resources for Changing Lives)]]> 211169 376 Paul David Tripp 0875526071 Phil 0 4.37 2002 Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands: People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change (Resources for Changing Lives)
author: Paul David Tripp
name: Phil
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2002
rating: 0
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date added: 2021/11/07
shelves: books-i-had-to-read, edifying, preparation, abandoned
review:

]]> <![CDATA[How to Get Unstuck: Breaking Free from Barriers to Your Productivity]]> 30649309
How to Get Unstuck answers this question by introducing readers to ten core principles that are at the heart of becoming an effective person for the glory of God. These principles are flexible enough for people to adapt and apply them to their own life and context. Also included is a plan for getting started in using these principles and applying them to real life.

This book is more than just good ideas that you read and never apply. How to Get Unstuck walks you step-by-step through the core principles that free you to be more effective in everything you do. How can we learn the discipline of personal effectiveness? Starting with the Scriptures and drawing on the best research How to Get Unstuck shows Christians how to live integrated lives. True effectiveness is doing something in God's way and for God's glory, and this book will show you how.]]> 288 Matt Perman 0310526817 Phil 0 abandoned 3.86 2018 How to Get Unstuck: Breaking Free from Barriers to Your Productivity
author: Matt Perman
name: Phil
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2018
rating: 0
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date added: 2021/11/07
shelves: abandoned
review:

]]> How Jesus Runs the Church 13083045 208 Guy Prentiss Waters 159638252X Phil 0 4.06 2011 How Jesus Runs the Church
author: Guy Prentiss Waters
name: Phil
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2011
rating: 0
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date added: 2021/11/07
shelves: abandoned, books-i-had-to-read, edifying
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Confessing the Faith: A reader's guide to the Westminster Confession of Faith]]> 22919497 484 Chad Van Dixhoorn 1848714041 Phil 0 4.52 2014 Confessing the Faith: A reader's guide to the Westminster Confession of Faith
author: Chad Van Dixhoorn
name: Phil
average rating: 4.52
book published: 2014
rating: 0
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date added: 2021/11/07
shelves: edifying, abandoned, books-i-had-to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment]]> 770478
Burrough's writings, some published before and others after his death, were numerous, but The Rare-Jewel of Christian Contentment is one of the most valuable of them all. Its author was much concerned to promote (1) peace among believers of various persuasions (2) peace and contentment in the hearts of individual believers during what he describes as sad and sinking times . The Rare Jewel concentrates upon this second aim. It is marked by sanity, clarity, aptness of illustration, and warmth of appeal to the heart. 'There is an ark that you may come into, and no men in the world may live such comfortable, cheerful and contented lives as the saints of God'. Burroughs presses his lesson home with all the fervour and cogency of a true and faithful minister of God.]]> 232 Jeremiah Burroughs 0851510914 Phil 0 edifying, abandoned 4.33 1648 The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment
author: Jeremiah Burroughs
name: Phil
average rating: 4.33
book published: 1648
rating: 0
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date added: 2021/11/07
shelves: edifying, abandoned
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]]> Christ and Culture Revisited 2246261 inĚý the world, but not to be ĚýofĚý it, Christians must maintain a balancing act that becomes more precarious the further our culture departs from its Judeo-Christian roots. How should members of the church interact with such a culture, especially as deeply enmeshed as most of us have become? D. A. Carson applies his masterful touch to this problem. He begins by exploring the classic typology of H. Richard Niebuhr with its five Christ-culture options. Carson proposes that these disparate options are in reality one still larger vision. Using the Bible's own story line and the categories of biblical theology, he clearly lays out that unifying vision. Carson acknowledges the helpfulness of Niebuhr's grid and similar matrices but warns against giving them canonical force. More than just theoretical,ĚýChrist and Culture RevisitedĚýis also designed practically to help Christians untangle current messy debates on living in the world. Carson emphasizes that the relation between Christ and culture is not limited to an either/or cultural paradigm -- ChristĚýagainstĚýculture or ChristtransformingĚýculture. Instead Carson offers his own paradigm in whichĚýallĚýthe categories of biblical theology must be kept in mind simultaneously to inform the Christian worldview. While many other books on culture interact with Niebuhr, none of them takes anything like the biblical-theological approach adopted here. Groundbreaking and challenging,ĚýChrist and Culture RevisitedĚýis a tour de force.]]> 256 D.A. Carson 0802831745 Phil 0 edifying, abandoned 3.72 2008 Christ and Culture Revisited
author: D.A. Carson
name: Phil
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2008
rating: 0
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date added: 2021/11/07
shelves: edifying, abandoned
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]]> Economics in One Lesson 3028 Economics in One Lesson is a classic economic primer. But it is also much more, having become a fundamental influence on modern “libertarian� economics of the type espoused by Ron Paul and others.

Considered among the leading economic thinkers of the “Austrian School,â€� which includes Carl Menger, Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich (F.A.) Hayek, and others, Henry Hazlitt (1894-1993), was a libertarian philosopher, an economist, and a journalist. He was the founding vice-president of the Foundation for Economic Education and an early editor of The Freeman magazine, an influential libertarian publication.Ěý Hazlitt wrote Economics in One Lesson, his seminal work, in 1946. Concise and instructive, it is also deceptively prescient and far-reaching in its efforts to dissemble economic fallacies that are so prevalent they have almost become a new orthodoxy.

Many current economic commentators across the political spectrum have credited Hazlitt with foreseeing the collapse of the global economy which occurred more than 50 years after the initial publication of Economics in One Lesson. Hazlitt’s focus on non-governmental solutions, strong � and strongly reasoned � anti-deficit position, and general emphasis on free markets, economic liberty of individuals, and the dangers of government intervention make Economics in One Lesson, every bit as relevant and valuable today as it has been since publication.]]> 218 Henry Hazlitt Phil 0 abandoned 4.16 1946 Economics in One Lesson
author: Henry Hazlitt
name: Phil
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1946
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[Little House in the Big Woods (Little House, #1)]]> 77766 here.

Laura Ingalls and her family live deep in the Big Woods of Wisconsin. Their log cabin is surrounded by miles of trees, and their closest neighbors are bears, wolves, and panthers. Daily chores keep Laura and her sister Mary busy, but they still find time to go exploring with their dog, Jack.]]> 238 Laura Ingalls Wilder 0064400018 Phil 5 read-with-the-kids 4.21 1932 Little House in the Big Woods (Little House, #1)
author: Laura Ingalls Wilder
name: Phil
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1932
rating: 5
read at: 2021/11/01
date added: 2021/11/01
shelves: read-with-the-kids
review:
Such a great book to read with the kids.
]]> <![CDATA[Before You Open Your Bible: Nine Heart Postures For Approaching God's Word]]> 44076166
And yet, the Bible is where God reveals his loving character and incredible plan of redemption. In a practical and engaging manner, Matt Smethurst—managing editor of The Gospel Coalition—presents nine heart postures that will prepare you to unpack all that’s awaiting you in God’s Word.

Although there are many great resources on how to read and study Scripture, hardly any focus exclusively on how to approach it in the first place. That’s what Smethurst provides in this unique “prelude� to opening your Bible. For without the right heart postures, we’re not yet ready to start reading.]]> 96 Matt Smethurst 1912373718 Phil 5 4.51 2019 Before You Open Your Bible: Nine Heart Postures For Approaching God's Word
author: Matt Smethurst
name: Phil
average rating: 4.51
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2021/11/01
date added: 2021/11/01
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]]> <![CDATA[Got Warrants?: Dispatches from the Dooryard]]> 54981860 224 Timothy A. Cotton 1608937682 Phil 4 4.03 Got Warrants?: Dispatches from the Dooryard
author: Timothy A. Cotton
name: Phil
average rating: 4.03
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2021/10/23
date added: 2021/10/23
shelves:
review:

]]>