Leo's bookshelf: all en-US Fri, 17 May 2024 19:10:15 -0700 60 Leo's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Survival of the Sickest: A Medical Maverick Discovers the Surprising Connections Between Disease and Longevity]]> 1164331 267 Sharon Moalem 0060889667 Leo 4 4.06 2007 Survival of the Sickest: A Medical Maverick Discovers the Surprising Connections Between Disease and Longevity
author: Sharon Moalem
name: Leo
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/05/17
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[You Are Your Own Gym: The Bible of Bodyweight Exercises]]> 9797807
For men and women of all athletic abilities!

As the demand for Special Operations military forces has grown over the last decade, elite trainer Mark Lauren has been at the front lines of preparing nearly one thousand soldiers, getting them lean and strong in record time. Now, for regular Joes and Janes, he shares the secret to his amazingly effective regimen—simple exercises that require nothing more than the resistance of your own bodyweight to help you reach the pinnacle of fitness and look better than ever before.

Armed with Mark Lauren’s motivation techniques, expert training, and nutrition advice, you’ll see rapid results by working out just thirty minutes a day, four times a week—whether in your living room, yard, garage, hotel room, or office. Lauren’s exercises build more metabolism-enhancing muscle than weightlifting, burn more fat than aerobics, and are safer than both, since bodyweight exercises develop balance and stability and therefore help prevent injuries. Choose your workout level—Basic, 1st Class, Master Class,and Chief Class—and get started, following the clear instructions for 125 exercises that work every muscle from your neck to your ankles. Forget about gym memberships, free weights, and infomercial contraptions. They are all poor substitutes for the world’s most advanced fitness machine, the one thing you are never your own body.]]> 192 Mark Lauren 0345528581 Leo 4
- the title mentions bodyweight exercises, but a lot of these need a little bit of equipment: a towel, a phone book, a pull-up bar, etc. I was hoping that none of these exercises would need any additional equipment.

- some of the exercises seem a little redundant.

- there are lots of mentions of CrossFit style movements or workouts, but no mention of CrossFit. That seems a little lame.]]> 4.03 2010 You Are Your Own Gym: The Bible of Bodyweight Exercises
author: Mark Lauren
name: Leo
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/06/30
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review:
There are many great exercise ideas in this book, and I look forward to trying them when traveling or unable to go to the gym. I do have a few nitpicks:

- the title mentions bodyweight exercises, but a lot of these need a little bit of equipment: a towel, a phone book, a pull-up bar, etc. I was hoping that none of these exercises would need any additional equipment.

- some of the exercises seem a little redundant.

- there are lots of mentions of CrossFit style movements or workouts, but no mention of CrossFit. That seems a little lame.
]]> The Book Thief 6980817 Alternate Cover Edition ISBN 0307433846 (ISBN13: 9780307433848)

HERE IS A SMALL FACT - YOU ARE GOING TO DIE

1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier.

Liesel, a nine-year-old girl, is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books. This is her story and the story of the inhabitants of her street when the bombs begin to fall.

SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION - THIS NOVEL IS NARRATED BY DEATH

It's a small story, about:

a girl

an accordionist

some fanatical Germans

a Jewish fist fighter

and quite a lot of thievery.

ANOTHER THING YOU SHOULD KNOW - DEATH WILL VISIT THE BOOK THIEF THREE TIMES]]> 442 Markus Zusak Leo 5 4.34 2005 The Book Thief
author: Markus Zusak
name: Leo
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2005
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2015/03/26
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review:
It's hard to describe the plot and do the book justice. All I can say is that it had some of the most beautiful and moving passages that I've ever encountered.
]]> <![CDATA[The Practicing Mind: Developing Focus and Discipline in Your Life]]> 12837220
Early life is all about trial-and-error practice. If we had given up in the face of failure, repetition, and difficulty, we would never have learned to walk or tie our shoes. So why, as adults, do we often give up on a goal when at first we don’t succeed? In his study of how we learn (prompted by his pursuit of disciplines such as music and golf), Sterner has found that we have forgotten the principles of practice � the process of picking a goal and applying steady effort to reach it. The methods Sterner teaches show that practice done properly isn’t drudgery on the way to mastery but a fulfilling process in and of itself, one that builds discipline and clarity.]]> 168 Thomas M. Sterner 1608680908 Leo 5
The author’s main suggestions are to practice awareness and non-judgement. You should be aware of how you’re doing and continually correct your efforts so that you’re moving closer and closer to your goal. However, you should not chide yourself when you fail because that’s part of the learning process, and you should not get caught up in praising yourself when you do well. Just be aware of the results of your efforts and continue adjusting your course until you reach your goal. Try to be completely present in what you are doing instead of dwelling on the target while absent-mindedly going through the motions. This is one of those books I’ll probably end up re-reading every year or two. ]]> 4.04 2006 The Practicing Mind: Developing Focus and Discipline in Your Life
author: Thomas M. Sterner
name: Leo
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2006
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2014/09/19
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review:
A great book about how to approach practice and goals. Sometimes we miss the joy and beauty inherent in the process of pursuing a target, and instead fixate on the target itself. (Am I there yet? Why am I not there yet? Why is progress so slow? Maybe I should just quit.)

The author’s main suggestions are to practice awareness and non-judgement. You should be aware of how you’re doing and continually correct your efforts so that you’re moving closer and closer to your goal. However, you should not chide yourself when you fail because that’s part of the learning process, and you should not get caught up in praising yourself when you do well. Just be aware of the results of your efforts and continue adjusting your course until you reach your goal. Try to be completely present in what you are doing instead of dwelling on the target while absent-mindedly going through the motions. This is one of those books I’ll probably end up re-reading every year or two.
]]> <![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter, #6)]]> 1 652 J.K. Rowling Leo 5 4.57 2005 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter, #6)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Leo
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2005
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2014/04/30
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success]]> 16158498 Give and Take highlights what effective networking, collaboration, influence, negotiation, and leadership skills have in common.

For generations, we have focused on the individual drivers of success: passion, hard work, talent, and luck. But today, success is increasingly dependent on how we interact with others. It turns out that at work, most people operate as either takers, matchers, or givers. Whereas takers strive to get as much as possible from others and matchers aim to trade evenly, givers are the rare breed of people who contribute to others without expecting anything in return.

Using his own pioneering research as Wharton's youngest tenured professor, Grant shows that these styles have a surprising impact on success. Although some givers get exploited and burn out, the rest achieve extraordinary results across a wide range of industries. Combining cutting-edge evidence with captivating stories, this landmark book shows how one of America's best networkers developed his connections, why the creative genius behind one of the most popular shows in television history toiled for years in anonymity, how a basketball executive responsible for multiple draft busts transformed his franchise into a winner, and how we could have anticipated Enron's demise four years before the company collapsed - without ever looking at a single number.

Praised by bestselling authors such as Dan Pink, Tony Hsieh, Dan Ariely, Susan Cain, Dan Gilbert, Gretchen Rubin, Bob Sutton, David Allen, Robert Cialdini, and Seth Godin-as well as senior leaders from Google, McKinsey, Merck, Estee Lauder, Nike, and NASA - Give and Take highlights what effective networking, collaboration, influence, negotiation, and leadership skills have in common. This landmark book opens up an approach to success that has the power to transform not just individuals and groups, but entire organizations and communities.]]> 320 Adam M. Grant 0670026557 Leo 5 - takers -- those who selfishly exploit every situation to their advantage
- givers -- those who give to others without much regard for themselves
- matchers -- those who play a tit-for-tat game and match the giving styles of the people they deal with (i.e. they are takers when dealing with other takers and givers when dealing with other givers).

The author claims that while it seems like takers would be at the top of the world, it turns out that givers are more likely to be found there. It also turns out that givers are more likely to be other people's doormats -- no surprise there. Takers and matchers tend to achieve an average amount of success while givers find themselves living in the extremes.

The author provides anecdotes and some research to back up his assertions, and also offers plenty of recommendations for becoming a successful giver. "Give and Take" reads like a Malcolm Gladwell book that's actually backed by some research.]]> 4.05 2013 Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success
author: Adam M. Grant
name: Leo
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2014/01/07
shelves:
review:
I thought this book was terrific. The gist is that there are three kinds of people in this world:
- takers -- those who selfishly exploit every situation to their advantage
- givers -- those who give to others without much regard for themselves
- matchers -- those who play a tit-for-tat game and match the giving styles of the people they deal with (i.e. they are takers when dealing with other takers and givers when dealing with other givers).

The author claims that while it seems like takers would be at the top of the world, it turns out that givers are more likely to be found there. It also turns out that givers are more likely to be other people's doormats -- no surprise there. Takers and matchers tend to achieve an average amount of success while givers find themselves living in the extremes.

The author provides anecdotes and some research to back up his assertions, and also offers plenty of recommendations for becoming a successful giver. "Give and Take" reads like a Malcolm Gladwell book that's actually backed by some research.
]]> Guerilla Marketing. 799464 0 Jay Conrad Levinson 3453091612 Leo 5 3.71 1984 Guerilla Marketing.
author: Jay Conrad Levinson
name: Leo
average rating: 3.71
book published: 1984
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2013/09/18
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review:

]]> 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,� 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. 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 Leo 5
The book is freely available at: ]]> 4.16 1946 Economics in One Lesson
author: Henry Hazlitt
name: Leo
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1946
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2013/08/22
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review:
An amazing book that really hammers on a simple, foundational law of economics and public policy: "economic planning should take into account the effects of economic policies on all groups, not just some groups, and what those effects will be in the long run, not just the short run." The author briefly explains the lesson, then shows how to applies in numerous scenarios ranging from minimum wage laws to price floors and ceilings to union negotiations. After reading the book, the lesson is internalized and ingrained and the reader has a deeper understanding of why everyone should be a libertarian when it comes to economic policy.

The book is freely available at:
]]> <![CDATA[Just a Geek: Unflinchingly Honest Tales of the Search for Life, Love, and Fulfillment Beyond the Starship Enterprise]]> 65692
Wil Wheaton has never been one to take the conventional path to success. Despite early stardom through his childhood role in the motion picture "Stand By Me", and growing up on television as Wesley Crusher on "Star Trek: The Next Generation", Wil left Hollywood in pursuit of happiness, purpose, and a viable means of paying the bills. In the oddest of places, Topeka, Kansas, Wil discovered that despite his claims to fame, he was at heart Just a Geek.

In this, his newest book, Wil shares his deeply personal and difficult journey to find himself. You'll understand the rigors, and joys, of Wil's rediscovering of himself, as he comes to terms with what it means to be famous, or, ironically, famous for once having been famous. Writing with honesty and disarming humanity, Wil touches on the frustrations associated with his acting career, his inability to distance himself from Ensign Crusher in the public's eyes, the launch of his incredibly successful web site, wilwheaton.net, and the joy he's found in writing.

Through all of this, Wil shares the ups and downs he encountered along the journey, along with the support and love he discovered from his friends and family. The stories in Just a Geek include:

- Wil's plunge from teen star to struggling actor

- Discovering the joys of HTML, blogging, Linux, and web design

- The struggle between Wesley Crusher, Starfleet ensign, and Wil Wheaton, author and blogger

- Gut-wrenching reactions to the 9-11 disaster

- Moving tales of Wil's relationships with his wife, step-children, and extended family

- The transition from a B-list actor to an A-list author Wil Wheaton--celebrity, blogger, and geek--reads for the geek in all of us.

Engaging, witty, and pleasantly self-deprecating, Just a Geek will surprise you and make you laugh.]]> 267 Wil Wheaton 059600768X Leo 4 3.80 2004 Just a Geek: Unflinchingly Honest Tales of the Search for Life, Love, and Fulfillment Beyond the Starship Enterprise
author: Wil Wheaton
name: Leo
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2004
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2013/08/22
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review:
I'm not a Trekkie and didn't really care for that aspect of Wheaton's book. What I did enjoy was the honesty and directness of the author's writing. Just a Geek offers a rare, unflinching glimpse into what it's growing up as a child celebrity, washing out by the age of 20, then slowly coming to terms with reality and reinventing yourself and your career. Stories about the world of Star Trek conventions also turned out to be surprisingly engaging.
]]> <![CDATA[Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture]]> 222146
Americans spend more money on video games than on movie tickets. Masters of Doom is the first book to chronicle this industry’s greatest story, written by one of the medium’s leading observers. David Kushner takes readers inside the rags-to-riches adventure of two rebellious entrepreneurs who came of age to shape a generation. The vivid portrait reveals why their games are so violent and why their immersion in their brilliantly designed fantasy worlds offered them solace. And it shows how they channeled their fury and imagination into products that are a formative influence on our culture, from MTV to the Internet to Columbine. This is a story of friendship and betrayal, commerce and artistry—a powerful and compassionate account of what it’s like to be young, driven, and wildly creative.

“To my taste, the greatest American myth of cosmogenesis features the maladjusted, antisocial, genius teenage boy who, in the insular laboratory of his own bedroom, invents the universe from scratch. Mastersof Doom is a particularly inspired rendition. Dave Kushner chronicles the saga of video game virtuosi Carmack and Romero with terrific brio. This is a page-turning, mythopoeic cyber-soap opera about two glamorous geek geniuses—and it should be read while scarfing down pepperoni pizza and swilling Diet Coke, with Queens of the Stone Age cranked up all the way.”—MarkLeyner, author of I Smell Esther Williams]]> 339 David Kushner 0812972155 Leo 4 4.28 2003 Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture
author: David Kushner
name: Leo
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2013/08/22
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review:
Masters of Doom chronicles the history of id Software, the company that revolutionized the shareware model in the early 1990s and created classics such as Wolfenstein, Doom, and Quake. The book was a fun read and, for someone like me who was a teenager in the mid-90s, a nice trip down memory lane. It was also a sad tale of big egos, broken marriages, and difficult personalities -- a tale that was often more depressing than it was inspiring. 4-4.5 stars.
]]> Dad Is Fat 16141924 Jim Gaffigan never imagined he would have his own kids.

Though he grew up in a large Irish-Catholic family, Jim was satisfied with the nomadic, nocturnal life of a standup comedian, and was content to be "that weird uncle who lives in an apartment by himself in New York that everyone in the family speculates about." But all that changed when he married and found out his wife, Jeannie "is someone who gets pregnant looking at babies."

Five kids later, the comedian whose riffs on everything from Hot Pockets to Jesus have scored millions of hits on YouTube, started to tweet about the mistakes and victories of his life as a dad. Those tweets struck such a chord that he soon passed the million followers mark. But it turns out 140 characters are not enough to express all the joys and horrors of life with five kids, so hes' now sharing it all in Dad Is Fat.

From new parents to empty nesters to Jim's twenty-something fans, everyone will recognize their own families in these hilarious takes on everything from cousins ("celebrities for little kids") to growing up in a big family ("I always assumed my father had six children so he could have a sufficient lawn crew") to changing diapers in the middle of the night ("like The Hurt Locker but much more dangerous") to bedtime (aka "Negotiating with Terrorists").

Dad is Fat is sharply observed, explosively funny, and a cry for help from a man who has realized he and his wife are outnumbered in their own home.]]> 288 Jim Gaffigan 0385349068 Leo 2 3.77 2013 Dad Is Fat
author: Jim Gaffigan
name: Leo
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2013
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2013/08/22
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review:
It turns out that reading Gaffigan is much less satisfying than listening to Gaffigan. I really like Jim's comedy style, but many of the jokes in the book were recycled and most of them fell flat. I was surprised and disappointed.
]]> The Blade Itself 68616 How far would you go to protect everything you love?

On the South Side of Chicago, you're only as strong as your reputation. Danny Carter and his best friend, Evan, earned theirs knocking over pawnshops and liquor stores, living from score to score, never thinking of tomorrow.

Then a job went desperately wrong, and in the roar of a gun blast, everything changed.

Years later, Danny doesn't think about his past. He's built a new world for himself: a legitimate career, a long-term girlfriend, and a clean conscience. He's just like anyone else. Normal. Successful. Happy.

Until he spots his old partner staring him down in a smoky barroom mirror. The prison-hardened Evan is barely recognizable. Having served his time without dropping Danny's name, his old friend believes he's owed major payback---and he's willing to do anything to get it. With all he loves on the line and nowhere to turn, Danny realizes his new life hinges on a terrible choice: How far will he go to protect his future from his past?

A debut novel that's drawn comparison to Dennis Lehane, Laura Lippman, and Quentin Tarantino, The Blade Itself is the story of a good man held hostage by circumstance; a riveting exploration of class, identity, and the demons that shape us, where every effort to do the right thing leads to terrifying consequences and one inevitable conclusion:

The more you have, the more you have to lose.]]> 320 Marcus Sakey 0312360312 Leo 5 3.60 2007 The Blade Itself
author: Marcus Sakey
name: Leo
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2013/08/22
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[Brilliance (Brilliance Saga, #1)]]> 17171416 11 Marcus Sakey 1480504246 Leo 5 3.77 2013 Brilliance (Brilliance Saga, #1)
author: Marcus Sakey
name: Leo
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2013/08/22
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes]]> 10000063 Marcus Sakey returns with his most ambitious novel, a captivating story of love and memory, where the only thing more frightening than the questions are the answers.

A man wakes up naked and cold, half-drowned on an abandoned beach. The only sign of life for miles is an empty BMW. Inside the expensive car he finds clothes that fit perfectly, shoes for his tattered feet, a Rolex, and a bank envelope stuffed with cash and an auto registration in the name of Daniel Hayes, resident of Malibu, California.
None of it is familiar.
What is he doing here? How did he get into the ocean? Is he Daniel Hayes, and if so, why doesn't he remember? While he searches for answers, the world searches for him—beginning with the cops that kick in the door of his dingy motel, with guns drawn. Lost, alone, and on the run, the man who might be Daniel Hayes flees into the night.
All he remembers is a woman's face, so he sets off for the only place he might find her. The fantasy of her becomes his home, his world, his hope. And maybe, just maybe, the way back to himself.
But that raises the most chilling question of all: What will he find when he gets there?]]> 390 Marcus Sakey 052595211X Leo 5 3.45 2011 The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes
author: Marcus Sakey
name: Leo
average rating: 3.45
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2013/08/22
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]]> The Amateurs 6368777 From the "reigning prince of crime fiction"*: For four friends, there's only one thing more dangerous than the men chasing them. Each other.

In just three novels, Marcus Sakey has staked a claim as "an astoundingly good writer,"* one whose believable characters-always ordinary people-face excruciating situations with life- or-death consequences. The Amateurs asks a chilling question: Do you get what you deserve, or what you take?

Alex is failing as a father. Ian keeps dangerous secrets. Jenn is pining for adventure; Mitch is pining for Jenn. Four friends just getting by. Every Thursday night they've found solace in a couple of beers and a couple of laughs. But months turn to years, and suddenly a decade is gone. None of them are where-or who-they hoped to be.

And they've decided to do something about it. To stop waiting, and start taking.

But what was supposed to be a victimless crime has become a bloody nightmare. People have been killed. A child is in danger. Ruthless men pursue them with relentless fury. And tensions they thought were long-buried threaten to destroy them. As their whole world begins to unravel, each will have to choose between their own life and the lives of others-including their best friends.

]]> 372 Marcus Sakey 0525951261 Leo 5 3.60 2009 The Amateurs
author: Marcus Sakey
name: Leo
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2013/08/22
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]]> Good People 3084695 An irresistible temptation.
A split-second choice.
A dangerous decision.

A family, and the security to enjoy it: that’s all Tom and Anna Reed ever wanted. But years of infertility treatments, including four failed attempts at in vitro fertilization, have left them with neither. The emotional and financial costs are straining their marriage and endangering their dreams.

Then one night everything changes. Offered a chance at a future they’d almost lost hope in, they seize it. One simple choice. A fairy tale ending.

But Tom and Anna soon realize that fairy tales never come cheap. Because their decision puts them square in the path of ruthless men. Men who’ve been double-crossed, and who won’t stop until they get revenge.

No matter where they find it.]]> 327 Marcus Sakey 0525950842 Leo 5 3.69 2008 Good People
author: Marcus Sakey
name: Leo
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2013/08/22
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Little Brother (Little Brother, #1)]]> 954674
But his whole world changes when he and his friends find themselves caught in the aftermath of a major terrorist attack on San Francisco. In the wrong place at the wrong time, Marcus and his crew are apprehended by the Department of Homeland Security and whisked away to a secret prison where they’re mercilessly interrogated for days.

When the DHS finally releases them, his injured best friend Darryl does not come out. The city has become a police state where every citizen is treated like a potential terrorist. He knows that no one will believe his story, which leaves him only one option: "M1k3y" will take down the DHS himself.]]> 382 Cory Doctorow 0765319853 Leo 4 3.93 2008 Little Brother (Little Brother, #1)
author: Cory Doctorow
name: Leo
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2013/08/22
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character]]> 13435889
The story we usually tell about childhood and success is the one about intelligence: Success comes to those who score highest on tests, from preschool admissions to SATs.

But in "How Children Succeed," Paul Tough argues for a very different understanding of what makes a successful child. Drawing on groundbreaking research in neuroscience, economics, and psychology, Tough shows that the qualities that matter most have less to do with IQ and more to do with character: skills like grit, curiosity, conscientiousness, and optimism.

"How Children Succeed" introduces us to a new generation of scientists and educators who are radically changing our understanding of how children develop character, how they learn to think, and how they overcome adversity. It tells the personal stories of young people struggling to stay on the right side of the line between success and failure. And it argues for a new way of thinking about how best to steer an individual child � or a whole generation of children � toward a successful future.

This provocative and profoundly hopeful book will not only inspire and engage readers; it will also change our understanding of childhood itself.]]> 231 Paul Tough 0547564651 Leo 4 3.87 2012 How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character
author: Paul Tough
name: Leo
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2013/07/07
shelves:
review:
A solid book on the value of developing character traits like self-discipline and willpower. I liked this book because it interleaved research and study results with well-written anecdotes. My favorite chapter was the one about School 318 in Brooklyn which, despite being filled with disadvantaged kids, has been dominating national chess championships for the last few years (See: ). The chess coach at the school uses chess to teach students self-control, patience, and other valuable life skills. I suspect the book played up the value of grit a little too strongly, but it was a compelling read nonetheless.
]]> <![CDATA[Living in Your Top 1%: Nine Essential Rituals to Achieve Your Ultimate Life Goals]]> 10857632 220 Alissa Finerman 1453619232 Leo 2 3.29 2011 Living in Your Top 1%: Nine Essential Rituals to Achieve Your Ultimate Life Goals
author: Alissa Finerman
name: Leo
average rating: 3.29
book published: 2011
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2013/07/07
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review:
This book is mostly a collection of cliches and platitudes: embrace a can-do mindset, be resilient, set goals, try things outside of your comfort zone, blah blah blah. First, I've seen all of this elsewhere. Second, it could have been 25 pages instead of 200 pages. Third, a lot of the advice is hard to act upon or plain silly. For example, in the section on becoming more resilient, the author suggests the following five steps: become more aware of your thinking during challenging situations, set meaningful goals, learn from experiences, build your self-confidence, and strengthen your relationships. Umm, yeah. Or, you know, you could just work on a progression of activities that require more and more resilience. Practice will improve your attitude much more than "friends who you can turn to for empathy".
]]> <![CDATA[Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time]]> 89281
Revised and Expanded Edition.

In this age of supposed scientific enlightenment, many people still believe in mind reading, past-life regression theory, New Age hokum, and alien abduction. A no-holds-barred assault on popular superstitions and prejudices, with more than 80,000 copies in print, Why People Believe Weird Things debunks these nonsensical claims and explores the very human reasons people find otherworldly phenomena, conspiracy theories, and cults so appealing. In an entirely new chapter, "Why Smart People Believe in Weird Things," Michael Shermer takes on science luminaries like physicist Frank Tippler and others, who hide their spiritual beliefs behind the trappings of science.

Shermer, science historian and true crusader, also reveals the more dangerous side of such illogical thinking, including Holocaust denial, the recovered-memory movement, the satanic ritual abuse scare, and other modern crazes. Why People Believe Strange Things is an eye-opening resource for the most gullible among us and those who want to protect them.]]> 384 Michael Shermer 0805070893 Leo 3
I think the problem with this book is the content doesn't fit the audience. If you believe in the things that this book debunks, then you probably won't find yourself reading it. On the other hand, if you think those things they're a steaming pile of BS, then you're going to read each chapter and think to yourself, "Why does the author bother to go into such minute detail to explain that Holocaust Denial/creationism/etc is wrong? That already seemed obvious to me...". Basically, the content is tedious because the author is preaching to the converted.]]> 3.87 1997 Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time
author: Michael Shermer
name: Leo
average rating: 3.87
book published: 1997
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2013/07/07
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review:
Mildly entertaining. The author talks about common fallacies that make people liable to believe stupid stuff, and then covers about a dozen ridiculous topics that people believe in: Holocaust denial, UFO sightings, creationism, etc.

I think the problem with this book is the content doesn't fit the audience. If you believe in the things that this book debunks, then you probably won't find yourself reading it. On the other hand, if you think those things they're a steaming pile of BS, then you're going to read each chapter and think to yourself, "Why does the author bother to go into such minute detail to explain that Holocaust Denial/creationism/etc is wrong? That already seemed obvious to me...". Basically, the content is tedious because the author is preaching to the converted.
]]> <![CDATA[The 50th Law: Overcoming Adversity Through Fearlessness]]> 6043946 The 50th Law, hip hop and pop culture icon 50 Cent (aka Curtis Jackson) joins forces with Robert Greene, bestselling author of The 48 Laws of Power, to write a bible for success in life and work based on a single principle: fear nothing.

With intimate stories from 50 Cent's life on the streets and in the boardroom as he rose to fame after the release of his album Get Rich or Die Tryin, as well as examples of others who have overcome adversity through understanding and practicing The 50th Law, this deeply inspirational book is perfect for entrepreneurs as well as anyone interested in the extraordinary life of Curtis Jackson.]]> 291 50 Cent 006177460X Leo 2 4.16 2008 The 50th Law: Overcoming Adversity Through Fearlessness
author: 50 Cent
name: Leo
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2008
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2013/07/07
shelves:
review:
This is the second book I've read by Robert Greene, and I've decided I'm not a fan. Then content is decent, and I'd give it 3 stars if not for the writing style. I *really* dislike the writing style. It's filled with hyperbole and unsubstantiated claims, and every page includes several sentences that are desperately trying to sound profound. I felt like 50 Cent's biography was the most interesting part of the book -- and I say that despite not being a rap aficionado. The rest of the book basically boils down to "be fearless and don't rest on your laurels" repeated in different ways for about 200 pages.
]]> Common Sense 161744 Pennsylvania Magazine. On January 10, 1776, he published his pamphlet Common Sense, a persuasive argument for the colonies' political and economic separation from Britain.

Common Sense cites the evils of monarchy, accuses the British government of inflicting economic and social injustices upon the colonies, and points to the absurdity of an island attempting to rule a continent. Credited by George Washington as having changed the minds of many of his countrymen, the document sold over 500,000 copies within a few months.

Today, Common Sense remains a landmark document in the struggle for freedom, distinguished not only by Paine's ideas but also by its clear and passionate presentation. Designed to ignite public opinion against autocratic rule, the pamphlet offered a careful balance between imagination and judgment, and appropriate language and expression to fit the subject. It immediately found a receptive audience, heartened Washington's despondent army, and foreshadowed much of the phrasing and substance of the Declaration of Independence.]]> 104 Thomas Paine 0143036254 Leo 4 3.96 1776 Common Sense
author: Thomas Paine
name: Leo
average rating: 3.96
book published: 1776
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2013/04/20
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking]]> 8520610 The book that started the Quiet Revolution

At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over working in teams. It is to introverts—Rosa Parks, Chopin, Dr. Seuss, Steve Wozniak—that we owe many of the great contributions to society.

In Quiet, Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal throughout the twentieth century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture. She also introduces us to successful introverts—from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Passionately argued, superbly researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves.

Now with Extra Libris material, including a reader’s guide and bonus content.]]> 333 Susan Cain 0307352145 Leo 4
Also, I've occasionally felt mildly inadequate for not being the kind of person who is the life of the party or whom people gravitate to, and this book helped me get rid of that feeling. That alone is worth the sticker price.]]> 4.07 2012 Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
author: Susan Cain
name: Leo
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2013/04/08
shelves:
review:
I suspected that this book would be a giant pat-on-the-back for introverts. Something like "You are an introvert and that is awesome and you are very special. Yay!" There was definitely some of that, but the book also cited some interesting studies and had a lot of practical advice about how to be an introvert in a country that reserves most of its adulation for charismatic extroverts.

Also, I've occasionally felt mildly inadequate for not being the kind of person who is the life of the party or whom people gravitate to, and this book helped me get rid of that feeling. That alone is worth the sticker price.
]]> The Power of Giving 2818494 208 Azim Jamal 1585426687 Leo 2 2) A large fraction of examples and suggestions come from from religious texts and practices. I am not religious and was hoping for research-based advice, so this aspect of the book was disappointing.
3) There are some good tidbits here and there (hence 2 stars instead of 1), but overall the content is fairly straightforward and intuitive. I probably could've come up with 80% of the book's suggestions if I just sat down and brainstormed for 60 minutes.]]> 3.63 2005 The Power of Giving
author: Azim Jamal
name: Leo
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2005
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2013/03/26
shelves:
review:
1) Very anecdotal.
2) A large fraction of examples and suggestions come from from religious texts and practices. I am not religious and was hoping for research-based advice, so this aspect of the book was disappointing.
3) There are some good tidbits here and there (hence 2 stars instead of 1), but overall the content is fairly straightforward and intuitive. I probably could've come up with 80% of the book's suggestions if I just sat down and brainstormed for 60 minutes.
]]> <![CDATA[Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead]]> 16071764 Lean In is a massive cultural phenomenon and its title has become an instant catchphrase for empowering women. The book soared to the top of bestseller lists internationally, igniting global conversations about women and ambition. Sandberg packed theatres, dominated opinion pages, appeared on every major television show and on the cover of Time magazine, and sparked ferocious debate about women and leadership. Ask most women whether they have the right to equality at work and the answer will be a resounding yes, but ask the same women whether they'd feel confident asking for a raise, a promotion, or equal pay, and some reticence creeps in. The statistics, although an improvement on previous decades, are certainly not in women's favour � of 197 heads of state, only twenty-two are women. Women hold just 20 percent of seats in parliaments globally, and in the world of big business, a meagre eighteen of the Fortune 500 CEOs are women. In Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg � Facebook COO and one of Fortune magazine's Most Powerful Women in Business � draws on her own experience of working in some of the world's most successful businesses and looks at what women can do to help themselves, and make the small changes in their life that can effect change on a more universal scale.]]> 217 Sheryl Sandberg 0385349947 Leo 5 3.94 2013 Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
author: Sheryl Sandberg
name: Leo
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2013/03/25
shelves:
review:
Great book. I read "The End of Men" by Hanna Rosin a few months ago, and that was interesting, but also felt over-the-top and sensationalist. Lean In, on the other hand, focuses on areas where there is still a lot of gender inequality and still a lot of room for improvement. Sandberg is straightforward and pragmatic, and often quite funny. There's also a lot of interesting data in the book about equality in the workplace, the effects of parents' careers on the development of children, etc. The book is a quick read and I definitely recommend it.
]]> <![CDATA[Understanding Power: The Indispensable Chomsky]]> 194805 The New York Times). Noam Chomsky is universally accepted as one of the preeminent public intellectuals of the modern era. Over the past thirty years, broadly diverse audiences have gathered to attend his sold-out lectures. Now, in Understanding Power, Peter Mitchell and John Schoeffel have assembled the best of Chomsky's recent talks on the past, present, and future of the politics of power. In a series of enlightening and wide-ranging discussions, all published here for the first time, Chomsky radically reinterprets the events of the past three decades, covering topics from foreign policy during Vietnam to the decline of welfare under the Clinton administration. And as he elucidates the connection between America's imperialistic foreign policy and the decline of domestic social services, Chomsky also discerns the necessary steps to take toward social change. With an eye to political activism and the media's role in popular struggle, as well as U.S. foreign and domestic policy, Understanding Power offers a sweeping critique of the world around us and is definitive Chomsky. Characterized by Chomsky's accessible and informative style, this is the ideal book for those new to his work as well as for those who have been listening for years.]]> 416 Noam Chomsky 1565847032 Leo 5
1) Chomsky has an amazing memory.
2) Even if only 10% of this book were true, it would be incredible from the point of view of shattering illusions about government, media, etc.
3) I suspect much more than 10% of this book is true.

My illusions have been shattered.

I love that despite all of the reasons to be cynical, Chomsky remains hopeful and pragmatic.]]> 4.42 2002 Understanding Power: The Indispensable Chomsky
author: Noam Chomsky
name: Leo
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2002
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2013/03/21
shelves:
review:
Observations:

1) Chomsky has an amazing memory.
2) Even if only 10% of this book were true, it would be incredible from the point of view of shattering illusions about government, media, etc.
3) I suspect much more than 10% of this book is true.

My illusions have been shattered.

I love that despite all of the reasons to be cynical, Chomsky remains hopeful and pragmatic.
]]> <![CDATA[King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa]]> 347610 King Leopold's Ghost is the haunting account of a megalomaniac of monstrous proportions, a man as cunning, charming, and cruel as any of the great Shakespearean villains. It is also the deeply moving portrait of those who fought Leopold: a brave handful of missionaries, travelers, and young idealists who went to Africa for work or adventure and unexpectedly found themselves witnesses to a holocaust.

Adam Hochschild brings this largely untold story alive with the wit and skill of a Barbara Tuchman. Like her, he knows that history often provides a far richer cast of characters than any novelist could invent. Chief among them is Edmund Morel, a young British shipping agent who went on to lead the international crusade against Leopold. Another hero of this tale, the Irish patriot Roger Casement, ended his life on a London gallows. Two courageous black Americans, George Washington Williams and William Sheppard, risked much to bring evidence of the Congo atrocities to the outside world. Sailing into the middle of the story was a young Congo River steamboat officer named Joseph Conrad. And looming above them all, the duplicitous billionaire King Leopold II. With great power and compassion, King Leopold's Ghost will brand the tragedy of the Congo—too long forgotten—onto the conscience of the West.]]> 380 Adam Hochschild 0618001905 Leo 5 4.16 1998 King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa
author: Adam Hochschild
name: Leo
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1998
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2013/02/18
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance]]> 905
“Groundbreaking . . . the best guide to getting out of your own way . . . Its profound advice applies to many other parts of life.”—Bill Gates, GatesNotes (“Five of My All-Time Favorite Books�)

This phenomenally successful guide to mastering the game from the inside out has become a touchstone for hundreds of thousands of people. Billie Jean King has called the book her tennis bible; Al Gore has used it to focus his campaign staff; and Itzhak Perlman has recommended it to young violinists. Based on W. Timothy Gallwey’s profound realization that the key to success doesn’t lie in holding the racket just right, or positioning the feet perfectly, but rather in keeping the mind uncluttered, this transformative book gives you the tools to unlock the potential that you’ve possessed all along.

“The Inner Game� is the one played within the mind of the player, against the hurdles of self-doubt, nervousness, and lapses in concentration. Gallwey shows us how to overcome these obstacles by trusting the intuitive wisdom of our bodies and achieving a state of “relaxed concentration.� With chapters devoted to trusting the self and changing habits, it is no surprise then, that Gallwey’s method has had an impact far beyond the confines of the tennis court.

Whether you want to play music, write a novel, get ahead at work, or simply unwind after a stressful day, Gallwey shows you how to tap into your utmost potential. No matter your goals, The Inner Game of Tennis gives you the definitive framework for long-term success.]]> 134 W. Timothy Gallwey 0679778314 Leo 4 4.15 1974 The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance
author: W. Timothy Gallwey
name: Leo
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1974
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2013/01/29
shelves:
review:
Lots of great insights about the psychology of learning things. The book is specifically about tennis, but most of the content can be applied to many other things in life. The basic premise is that when you try too hard and put your pressure on yourself, you tend to do much worse than when you relax and just observe your progress and make minor corrections over time.
]]> <![CDATA[Stories I Only Tell My Friends]]> 10211494 320 Rob Lowe 080509329X Leo 4 3.85 2011 Stories I Only Tell My Friends
author: Rob Lowe
name: Leo
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2013/01/29
shelves:
review:
For a celebrity biography, this was surprisingly interesting. Rob Low repeatedly used a gimmick of talking about someone he met without mentioning them by name, and then saying "by the way, that was Tom Cruise" or "Patrick Swayze" at the end of the story. While this was very gimmicky, it was also fun to try to guess who Lowe was writing about before the names were actually revealed. The stories were generally engaging and covered an interesting era of Hollywood.
]]> Make your Idea Matter 16088909
It is full of bite-sized business and brand storytelling ideas originally sparked on Bernadette Jiwa's award-winning business blog TheStoryofTelling.com.

Use this book as both inspiration and guide to help you tell the best stories you can tell about your business, your ideas and the work that matters to you.

You don't have to start on page one and work your way through, or even read it from front to back. Each topic stands on its own so dip in and out. Reawaken a thought or an idea you've already had. Spark new ones. Discover different ways of thinking about your business, what you do and how you tell your story. Then go make your idea matter.]]> 141 Bernadette Jiwa 1478394846 Leo 3 - quick read
- good examples
- fairly good content

Cons:
- some of the content is stuff
- lots of repetition and rephrasing of the same themes]]> 3.80 2012 Make your Idea Matter
author: Bernadette Jiwa
name: Leo
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2013/01/29
shelves:
review:
Pros:
- quick read
- good examples
- fairly good content

Cons:
- some of the content is stuff
- lots of repetition and rephrasing of the same themes
]]> <![CDATA[The Launch Pad: Inside Y Combinator, Silicon Valley's Most Exclusive School for Startups]]> 13573052 304 Randall E. Stross 0449807878 Leo 5 4.03 2012 The Launch Pad: Inside Y Combinator, Silicon Valley's Most Exclusive School for Startups
author: Randall E. Stross
name: Leo
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2013/01/29
shelves:
review:
I really enjoyed the Launch Pad, which looks at a class of startups going through a famous startup incubator program. One thing that I liked was that the author wrote at length about many of the individual teams and made the startup class feel very human. The author also talked about the how the incubator works and the kind of feedback and advice it gives to its companies. As an aspiring entrepreneur, I found these bits of advice and insight to be very useful.
]]> <![CDATA[How to... Make Love Like a Porn Star: A Cautionary Tale]]> 7252 592 Jenna Jameson 0060539097 Leo 3 3.80 2004 How to... Make Love Like a Porn Star: A Cautionary Tale
author: Jenna Jameson
name: Leo
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2004
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2013/01/29
shelves:
review:
Kind of interesting, but not really. I'd give the book 3.5-4 stars, but I found the 2-3 chapters that were written like chat transcripts to be uninteresting and annoying to read. Pretty impressed with Jenna's drive and moxie.
]]> <![CDATA[Sell More Software: website conversion optimization for software developers]]> 17183634 Patrick McKenzie Leo 3 4.00 2012 Sell More Software: website conversion optimization for software developers
author: Patrick McKenzie
name: Leo
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2013/01/29
shelves:
review:
I'd give this 3-3.5 stars. I've read a lot of Patrick's comments on HackerNews and I appreciate his good advice and insights, and his desire to help the entrepreneur community. Unfortunately, I didn't get a lot of value out of this book. I thought it was too disjoint and too colloquial in tone, and frequently name-drops and references other articles and products that I have not read or used. Some of the advice on A/B testing, copywriting, etc. was very solid.
]]> <![CDATA[On Startups: Advice and Insights for Entrepreneurs]]> 17304719
Hi, my name is Dharmesh, and I’m a startup addict. And, chances are, if you’re reading this, you have at least a mild obsession as well.

This book is based on content from the OnStartups.com blog. The story behind how the blog got started is sort of interesting—but before I tell you that story, it’ll help to understand my earlier story.


As a professional programmer, I used to work in a reasonably fun job doing what I liked to do (write code). Eventually, I got a little frustrated with it all, so at the ripe old age of 24, I started my first software company. It did pretty well. It was on the Inc. 500 list of fastest growing companies three times. It reached millions of dollars of sales and was ultimately acquired.

I ran that first company for over 10 years working the typical startup hours. When I sold that company, I went back to school to get a master’s degree at MIT. I’ve always enjoyed academics, and I figured this would be a nice “soft landing� and give me some time to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. As part of my degree requirements, I had to write a graduate thesis. I titled my thesis “On Startups: Patterns and Practices of Contemporary Software Entrepreneurs.� And, as part of that thesis work, I wanted to get some feedback from some entrepreneurs. So, I figured I’d start a blog. I took the first two words of the thesis title, “On Startups,� discovered that the domain name OnStartups.com was available, and was then off to the races. The blog was launched on November 5, 2005.

Since then, the blog and associated community have grown quite large. Across Facebook, LinkedIn, and email subscribers, there are over 300,000 people in the OnStartups.com audience.

This book is a collection of some of the best articles from over 7 years of OnStartups.com. The articles have been topically organized and edited. I hope you enjoy them.]]> 231 Dharmesh Shah Leo 4 4.00 2012 On Startups: Advice and Insights for Entrepreneurs
author: Dharmesh Shah
name: Leo
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2013/01/29
shelves:
review:
Somewhere around 4-4.5 stars. The book is a quick read and features a collection of essays and blog posts on startups. It's hard to rate a book like this because some of the essays are very useful while others are not. In the end, I guess I got enough value out of the useful essays to consider the book a valuable read. Also, because some of these essays started as blog posts, many of them end with questions to the reader, which is awkward (e.g. "Ok, those are my thoughts on recruiting. What do you guys think? Have you had similar experiences" That's a weird ending when it's obvious that Kindle readers won't be interacting with the author in the same way that his blog readers would be.)
]]> <![CDATA[Deathscape (Broslin Creek, #2)]]> 16118972
Instead of being grateful to her for rescuing him, Detective Jack Sullivan accuses her of being in league with a serial killer. He swears he will put her behind bars. Except, the more time he spends with her, the more he falls under her spell. Can he trust her, or is he walking into another deadly trap?]]> 204 Dana Marton 1481163493 Leo 4 3.85 2012 Deathscape (Broslin Creek, #2)
author: Dana Marton
name: Leo
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2013/01/29
shelves:
review:
A $0.99 thriller from the Kindle store. It was pretty good. Not great, but good. The main shortcoming, in my opinion, is that the main character had almost psychic powers, and the narrator/main character kept mentioning how unlikely/unbelievable those psychic powers were, but they were never explained. It's odd when both the narrator and the reader think that something is hard to explain, and then the author doesn't go to the trouble of explaining it. Also, there was a slight romance angle, which was "meh".
]]> <![CDATA[The Pixar Touch: The Making of a Company]]> 2632830
David A. Price intră în culisele primilor ani cu mici reuşite obţinute cu greu şi ale disputelor de mai târziu dintre Lasseter şi cel pe care îl admirase odinioară atât de mult, Jeffrey Katzenberg, dar şi ale celor dintre Jobs şi Michael Eisner. Nu în cele din urmă, Price analizează și relaţia complexă dintre Pixar şi Walt Disney Company, finalizată cu achiziția studioului de animație, preluat de către Disney, contra fabuloasei sume de 7,4 miliarde de dolari.

„Price, un reporter aspru şi nesentimental, scoate la lumină diverse drame de culise din surse noi, urzind o poveste reală, demnă de toată lauda.� Entertainment Weekly

„Detalii inedite referitoare la procedeele interne ale companiei recunoscute pentru reticenţa în dezvăluiri făcute presei; o poveste bogată în lecţii atât pentru oamenii de afaceri, cât şi pentru pasionații de filme de animație.� The Wall Street Journal

„O poveste de pomină, iar David Price este cel care a reuşit în sfârşit să o spună aşa cum trebuie, cu toate detaliile şi personajele implicate în acest demers. Aceasta este istoria de referinţă a studiourilor Pixar.� Alvy Ray Smith, cofondator Pixar

„Am citit o mulţime de istorii ale organizaţiilor de-a lungul anilor, în special poveşti despre succesul sau eşecul unor afaceri inovatoare, dar Magia Pixar este una dintre cele mai reuşite cărți de acest gen.� Robert Sutton, profesor de ştiinţa şi ingineria managementului la Stanford School of Engineering

Cartea conține un capitol inedit despre rolul lui Steve Jobs în reușita PIXAR.]]> 304 David A. Price 0307265757 Leo 5 3.94 2008 The Pixar Touch: The Making of a Company
author: David A. Price
name: Leo
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2013/01/29
shelves:
review:
The Pixar Touch tells the fascinating story of how Pixar went from being a grad student's dream to the world's best animation company (and possibly the best movie studio in terms of storytelling). There are many actors and supporting actors in the history of Pixar, and I was surprised and pleased that while Steve Jobs has a role in the book, he does not dominate the content (which might have been an easy route to take given his celebrity status and recent death). The book is filled with interesting tidbits about animation in general, Pixar's process, how specific features were produced, and the minds and ambitions that made the company the success that it is.
]]> Sharp: A Memoir 13624047 —Wally Lamb, author of I Know This Much is True]]> 368 David Fitzpatrick 0062064029 Leo 3 3.53 2012 Sharp: A Memoir
author: David Fitzpatrick
name: Leo
average rating: 3.53
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2013/01/29
shelves:
review:
The book was very graphic, eye-opening, and sad. I didn't find it particularly interesting or gripping, however. In the end, it's a lot of depressing stories about a person who had serious mental health issues.
]]> <![CDATA[Improv Wisdom: Don't Prepare, Just Show Up]]> 182052
Let’s face it: Life is something we all make up as we go along. No matter how carefully we formulate a “script,� it is bound to change when we interact with people with scripts of their own. Improv Wisdom shows how to apply the maxims of improvisational theater to real-life challenges—whether it’s dealing with a demanding boss, a tired child, or one of life’s never-ending surprises. Patricia Madson distills thirty years of experience into thirteen simple strategies, including “Say Yes,� “Start Anywhere,� “Face the Facts,� and “Make Mistakes, Please,� helping readers to loosen up, think on their feet, and take on everything life has to offer with skill, chutzpah, and a sense of humor.]]> 160 Patricia Ryan Madson 1400081882 Leo 5 3.99 2005 Improv Wisdom: Don't Prepare, Just Show Up
author: Patricia Ryan Madson
name: Leo
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2005
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2013/01/29
shelves:
review:
This book is great. It's a quick read that contains about a dozen short chapters focusing on life tips like, "Say 'Yes'" and "Just show up". I read Improv Wisdom about 5 years ago and thought it was very good, but now that I'm early 30s, I like the book even more. Most of the advice lines up neatly with my life experiences, and I think the book presents a great framework for leading an interesting, happy life.
]]> West with the Night 1624 Markham was the first woman in East Africa to be granted a commercial pilot's license, piloting passengers and supplies to remote corners of Africa. She became the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic from east to west.
Considered a classic of outdoor literature and ranked #8 by National Geographic Adventure in 2008 on its list of the 100 best adventure books.]]> 294 Beryl Markham 0865471185 Leo 5 4.13 1942 West with the Night
author: Beryl Markham
name: Leo
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1942
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/11/23
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[77 Days in September (Kyle Tait #1)]]> 11802105
Kyle narrowly escapes when his airplane crashes on take-off, only to find himself stranded 2,000 miles from home in a country that has been forced, from a technological standpoint, back to the 19th Century. Confused, hurt, scared, and alone, Kyle must make his way across a hostile continent to a family he’s not even sure has survived the effects of the attack. As Kyle forges his way home, his frightened family faces their own struggles for survival in a community trying to halt its slow spiral into chaos and anarchy.

77 Days in September follows Kyle and his wife, Jennifer, as they are stretched past their breaking point, but find in their devotion to each other the strength to persevere.]]> 307 Ray Gorham Leo 4 3.83 2011 77 Days in September (Kyle Tait #1)
author: Ray Gorham
name: Leo
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/11/21
shelves:
review:

]]> Imperfect: An Improbable Life 13144478 283 Jim Abbott 0345523253 Leo 4 3.85 2012 Imperfect: An Improbable Life
author: Jim Abbott
name: Leo
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/11/10
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter, #7)]]> 136251
In this final, seventh installment of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling unveils in spectacular fashion the answers to the many questions that have been so eagerly awaited.]]> 759 J.K. Rowling Leo 5 4.61 2007 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter, #7)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Leo
average rating: 4.61
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/11/09
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter, #5)]]> 2
Harry has had enough. He is beginning to think he must do something, anything, to change his situation, when the summer holidays come to an end in a very dramatic fashion. What Harry is about to discover in his new year at Hogwarts will turn his world upside down...]]> 912 J.K. Rowling Leo 5 4.50 2003 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter, #5)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Leo
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2003
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/11/09
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4)]]> 6 734 J.K. Rowling 0439139597 Leo 5 4.56 2000 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Leo
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2000
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/11/09
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2)]]> 15881
And strike it does. For in Harry’s second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor and a spirit who haunts the girls� bathroom. But then the real trouble begins � someone is turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects� Harry Potter himself!]]> 352 J.K. Rowling Leo 5 4.42 1998 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Leo
average rating: 4.42
book published: 1998
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter, #3)]]> 5 435 J.K. Rowling 043965548X Leo 5 4.57 1999 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter, #3)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Leo
average rating: 4.57
book published: 1999
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1)]]> 3 309 J.K. Rowling 0439554934 Leo 5 4.47 1997 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Leo
average rating: 4.47
book published: 1997
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[The End of Men: And the Rise of Women]]> 13593564 Essential reading for our times, as women are pulling together to demand their rights� A landmark portrait of women, men, and power in a transformed world.

“Anchored by data and aromatized by anecdotes, [Rosin] concludes that women are gaining the upper hand." � The Washington Post

Men have been the dominant sex since, well, the dawn of mankind. But Hanna Rosin was the first to notice that this long-held truth is, astonishingly, no longer true. Today, by almost every measure, women are no longer gaining on men: They have pulled decisively ahead. And “the end of men”—the title of Rosin’s Atlantic cover story on the subject—has entered the lexicon as dramatically as Betty Friedan’s “feminine mystique,� Simone de Beauvoir’s “second sex,� Susan Faludi’s “backlash,� and Naomi Wolf’s “beauty myth� once did.

In this landmark book, Rosin reveals how our current state of affairs is radically shifting the power dynamics between men and women at every level of society, with profound implications for marriage, sex, children, work, and more. With wide-ranging curiosity and insight unhampered by assumptions or ideology, Rosin shows how the radically different ways men and women today earn, learn, spend, couple up—even kill—has turned the big picture upside down. And in The End of Men she helps us see how, regardless of gender, we can adapt to the new reality and channel it for a better future.]]> 310 Hanna Rosin 1594488045 Leo 4 3.42 2012 The End of Men: And the Rise of Women
author: Hanna Rosin
name: Leo
average rating: 3.42
book published: 2012
rating: 4
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date added: 2012/11/09
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]]> <![CDATA[Tough Shit: Life Advice from a Fat, Lazy Slob Who Did Good]]> 12405612 272 Kevin Smith 1592406890 Leo 4 3.90 2012 Tough Shit: Life Advice from a Fat, Lazy Slob Who Did Good
author: Kevin Smith
name: Leo
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2012
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[The E-Book Murders (Global Crime Prevention Unit #1)]]> 13343424
Will Doyle had not spoken to his sister Chloe for five years. But after she invited him to her house in South London, he is asked to join the mysterious G.C.P.U. - an elite team who utilise the power of the internet and modern technology to solve complex mysteries and crimes.

Unsure if he will join, Will nevertheless shadows the team on a particularly unusual case...]]> 91 A.D. Vates Leo 3 2.68 2011 The E-Book Murders (Global Crime Prevention Unit #1)
author: A.D. Vates
name: Leo
average rating: 2.68
book published: 2011
rating: 3
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]]> Hart's War 148841
Then routine comes to a halt with the arrival of a new prisoner: First Lieutenant Lincoln Scott, an African American Tuskegee airman who instantly becomes the target of contempt from his fellow soldiers. When a prisoner is brutally murdered, and all the blood-soaked evidence points to Scott, Hart is tapped to defend the soldier. In a trial rife with racial tension and raw conflict, where the lines between ally and enemy blur, there are those with their own secret motives, and a burning passion for a rush to judgment, no matter what the cost.]]> 576 John Katzenbach 0345426258 Leo 5 3.99 1999 Hart's War
author: John Katzenbach
name: Leo
average rating: 3.99
book published: 1999
rating: 5
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date added: 2012/09/22
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A terrific legal thriller set in a WWII Nazi POW camp. Very hard to put down. There’s a movie based on the book, but it’s not that great.
]]> <![CDATA[The Perks of Being a Wallflower]]> 22628 offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see
what it looks like from the dance floor.

This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative new voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being A WALLFLOWER

This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that the perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.

Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.

(back cover)]]> 213 Stephen Chbosky Leo 5 4.24 1999 The Perks of Being a Wallflower
author: Stephen Chbosky
name: Leo
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1999
rating: 5
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date added: 2012/09/22
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A sweet, touching coming-of-age story about a high school freshman named Charlie. The book is presented as a series of letters from Charlie, and reading the letters reminded me of many of the things I felt as a teenager.
]]> <![CDATA[Zoe's Tale (Old Man's War, #4)]]> 2102600
I ask because it's what I have to do. I'm Zoe Boutin Perry: A colonist stranded on a deadly pioneer world. Holy icon to a race of aliens. A player (and a pawn) in a interstellar chess match to save humanity, or to see it fall. Witness to history. Friend. Daughter. Human. Seventeen years old.

Everyone on Earth knows the tale I am part of. But you don't know my tale: How I did what I did � how I did what I had to do � not just to stay alive but to keep you alive, too. All of you. I'm going to tell it to you now, the only way I know how: not straight but true, the whole thing, to try make you feel what I felt: the joy and terror and uncertainty, panic and wonder, despair and hope. Everything that happened, bringing us to Earth, and Earth out of its captivity. All through my eyes.

It's a story you know. But you don't know it all.]]> 335 John Scalzi 0765316986 Leo 2 3.73 2008 Zoe's Tale (Old Man's War, #4)
author: John Scalzi
name: Leo
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2008
rating: 2
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date added: 2012/09/22
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]]> <![CDATA[The Last Colony (Old Man's War, #3)]]> 88071
That is, until his and Jane's past reaches out to bring them back into the game--as leaders of a new human colony, to be peopled by settlers from all the major human worlds, for a deep political purpose that will put Perry and Sagan back in the thick of interstellar politics, betrayal, and war.]]> 320 John Scalzi 0765316978 Leo 5 4.06 2007 The Last Colony (Old Man's War, #3)
author: John Scalzi
name: Leo
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2007
rating: 5
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date added: 2012/09/22
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]]> <![CDATA[The Ghost Brigades (Old Man's War, #2)]]> 239399
The universe is a dangerous place for humanity—and it's about to become far more dangerous. Three races that humans have clashed with before have allied to halt our expansion into space. Their linchpin: the turncoat military scientist Charles Boutin, who knows the CDF’s biggest military secrets. To prevail, the CDF must find out why Boutin did what he did.

Jared Dirac is the only human who can provide answers -- a superhuman hybrid, created from Boutin's DNA, Jared’s brain should be able to access Boutin's electronic memories. But when the memory transplant appears to fail, Jared is given to the Ghost Brigades.

At first, Jared is a perfect soldier, but as Boutin’s memories slowly surface, Jared begins to intuit the reason’s for Boutin’s betrayal. As Jared desperately hunts for his "father," he must also come to grips with his own choices. Time is running out: The alliance is preparing its offensive, and some of them plan worse things than humanity’s mere military defeat…]]> 343 John Scalzi 0765354063 Leo 5 4.10 2006 The Ghost Brigades (Old Man's War, #2)
author: John Scalzi
name: Leo
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2006
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[Old Man's War (Old Man's War, #1)]]> 51964
The good news is that humanity finally made it into interstellar space. The bad news is that planets fit to live on are scarce-- and alien races willing to fight us for them are common. So: we fight. To defend Earth, and to stake our own claim to planetary real estate. Far from Earth, the war has been going on for decades: brutal, bloody, unyielding.

Earth itself is a backwater. The bulk of humanity's resources are in the hands of the Colonial Defense Force. Everybody knows that when you reach retirement age, you can join the CDF. They don't want young people; they want people who carry the knowledge and skills of decades of living. You'll be taken off Earth and never allowed to return. You'll serve two years at the front. And if you survive, you'll be given a generous homestead stake of your own, on one of our hard-won colony planets.

John Perry is taking that deal. He has only the vaguest idea what to expect. Because the actual fight, light-years from home, is far, far harder than he can imagine--and what he will become is far stranger.]]> 318 John Scalzi 0765348276 Leo 5 4.22 2005 Old Man's War (Old Man's War, #1)
author: John Scalzi
name: Leo
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2005
rating: 5
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]]> Criminal (Will Trent, #6) 12922320 ]]> 448 Karin Slaughter Leo 4 4.27 2012 Criminal (Will Trent, #6)
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Leo
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2012
rating: 4
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A good thriller that’s set in an Atlanta police department just following the gender desegregation of the 1970s. The historical context made than “just another thriller�, but the crimes were a little too gruesome for me.
]]> <![CDATA[Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals]]> 9744815 Read Heidi Grant Halvorson's blogs and other content on the Penguin Community.

Just in time for New Year's resolutions, learn how to reach your goals-finally-by overcoming the many hurdles that have defeated you before.

Most of us have no idea why we fail to reach our goals. Now Dr. Heidi Grant Halvorson, a rising star in the field of social psychology shows us how to overcome the hurdles that have defeated us before.

Dr. Grant Halvorson offers insights-many surprising-that readers can use immediately, including how to:

� Set a goal so that you will persist even in the face of adversity
� Build willpower, which can be strengthened like a muscle
� Avoid the kind of positive thinking that makes people fail

The strategies outlined in this book will not only help everyone reach their own goals but will also prove invaluable to parents, teachers, coaches, and employers. Dr. Grant Halvorson shows readers a new approach to problem solving that will change the way they approach their entire lives.

Watch a Video
]]> 288 Heidi Grant Halvorson 1594630739 Leo 5 4.13 2010 Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals
author: Heidi Grant Halvorson
name: Leo
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2010
rating: 5
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date added: 2012/09/22
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“Succeed� is a terrific book about 1) how to think about goals 2) how to set goals and 3) how to work effectively toward goals. The advice and insights are based on scientific studies (as opposed to old wives� tales and anecdotes). For example, sometimes it’s good to think about the big picture () while at other times it’s better to think about the details (What do I need to do next?); “Succeed� reveals which situations favor one approach over the other. The book is filled with tons of practical, meaningful advice.
]]> <![CDATA[A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy]]> 5617966 A Guide to the Good Life, William B. Irvine plumbs the wisdom of Stoic philosophy, one of the most popular and successful schools of thought in ancient Rome, and shows how its insight and advice are still remarkably applicable to modern lives.
In A Guide to the Good Life, Irvine offers a refreshing presentation of Stoicism, showing how this ancient philosophy can still direct us toward a better life. Using the psychological insights and the practical techniques of the Stoics, Irvine offers a roadmap for anyone seeking to avoid the feelings of chronic dissatisfaction that plague so many of us. Irvine looks at various Stoic techniques for attaining tranquility and shows how to put these techniques to work in our own life. As he does so, he describes his own experiences practicing Stoicism and offers valuable first-hand advice for anyone wishing to live better by following in the footsteps of these ancient philosophers. Readers learn how to minimize worry, how to let go of the past and focus our efforts on the things we can control, and how to deal with insults, grief, old age, and the distracting temptations of fame and fortune. We learn from Marcus Aurelius the importance of prizing only things of true value, and from Epictetus we learn how to be more content with what we have.
Finally, A Guide to the Good Life shows readers how to become thoughtful observers of their own life. If we watch ourselves as we go about our daily business and later reflect on what we saw, we can better identify the sources of distress and eventually avoid that pain in our life. By doing this, the Stoics thought, we can hope to attain a truly joyful life.]]> 326 William B. Irvine 0195374614 Leo 5 4.18 2008 A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy
author: William B. Irvine
name: Leo
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2008
rating: 5
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date added: 2012/09/22
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This is an introduction to stoicism, which I knew nothing about. I thought stoicism meant a lack of emotion, but it’s actually a set of principles that encourage giving up attachments, enjoying what you already have, and having a coherent life philosophy. I believe parts of this strongly resemble Buddhism, but I don’t know enough about Buddhism to be certain. A lot of great advice in this book.
]]> <![CDATA[Crashing Through: A True Story of Risk, Adventure, and the Man Who Dared to See]]> 655211
Mike May spent his life crashing through. Blinded at age three, he defied expectations by breaking world records in downhill speed skiing, joining the CIA, and becoming a successful inventor, entrepreneur, and family man. He had never yearned for vision.

Then, in 1999, a chance encounter brought startling a revolutionary stem cell transplant surgery could restore May’s vision. It would allow him to drive, to read, to see his children’s faces. He began to contemplate an astonishing new Would music still sound the same? Would sex be different? Would he recognize himself in the mirror? Would his marriage survive? Would he still be Mike May?

The procedure was filled with risks, some of them deadly, others beyond May’s wildest dreams. Even if the surgery worked, history was against him. Fewer than twenty cases were known worldwide in which a person gained vision after a lifetime of blindness. Each of those people suffered desperate consequences we can scarcely imagine.

There were countless reasons for May to pass on vision. He could think of only a single reason to go forward. Whatever his decision, he knew it would change his life.

Beautifully written and thrillingly told, Crashing Through is a journey of suspense, daring, romance, and insight into the mysteries of vision and the brain. Robert Kurson gives us a fascinating account of one man’s choice to explore what it means to see–and to truly live.]]> 306 Robert Kurson 1400063353 Leo 5 3.94 2006 Crashing Through: A True Story of Risk, Adventure, and the Man Who Dared to See
author: Robert Kurson
name: Leo
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2006
rating: 5
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date added: 2012/09/22
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The fascinating story of Mike May, who became blind at the age of three. Growing up, Mike was fearless, and his attitude enabled him to do amazing things including being a serial entrepreneur and a world record skier (!). Thanks to the progress of science, Mike got the opportunity to regain his vision in his late 40s. The book covers the period of Mike’s blindness, the decision he made about restoring his vision, and that decision’s impact on his life. The author’s other book, Shadow Divers, is also very good.
]]> <![CDATA[Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts]]> 522525 Renowned social psychologists Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson take a compelling look into how the brain is wired for self-justification.

Why is it so hard to say “I made a mistake”—and really believe it?

When we make mistakes, cling to outdated attitudes, or mistreat other people, we must calm the cognitive dissonance that jars our feelings of self-worth. And so, unconsciously, we create fictions that absolve us of responsibility, restoring our belief that we are smart, moral, and right—a belief that often keeps us on a course that is dumb, immoral, and wrong. Backed by years of research, Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) offers a fascinating explanation of self-justification—how it works, the damage it can cause, and how we can overcome it.

This updated edition concludes with an extended discussion of how we can live with dissonance; learn from it; and perhaps, eventually, forgive ourselves.]]> 292 Carol Tavris 0151010986 Leo 5 4.01 2007 Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts
author: Carol Tavris
name: Leo
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2007
rating: 5
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date added: 2012/09/22
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Very interesting book about the origin of our inability to accept blame and responsibility, and about our distrubingly good ability to delude ourselves about our past experiences and our roles in those experiences.
]]> <![CDATA[The Startup of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career]]> 12030438 The groundbreaking #1 New York Times bestseller that taught a generation how to transform their careers—now in a revised and updated edition “A profound book about self-determination and self-realization.”—Senator Cory Booker “The Startup of You is crammed with insights and strategies to help each of us create the work life we want.”—Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project In this invaluable book,LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and venture capitalist Ben Casnocha show how to accelerate your career in today’s competitive world. The key is to manage your career as if it were a startup a living, breathing, growing startup of you.Why? Startups—and the entrepreneurs who run them—are nimble. They invest in themselves. They build their professional networks. They take intelligent risks. They make uncertainty and volatility work to their advantage.These are the very same skills professionals need to get ahead today.This book isn’t about cover letters or résumés. Instead, you will learn the best practices of the most successful startups and how to apply these entrepreneurial strategies to your career. Whether you work for a giant multinational corporation, stitch together multiple gigs in a portfolio career, or are launching your own venture, you need to know how to� adapt your career plans aspandemics rage and technologies upend industries� develop a competitive advantage so that you stand out from others at work� strengthen your professional network by building powerful alliances and maintaining a diverse mix of relationships� engineer serendipity that produces life-changing career opportunities� take proactive risks to become more resilient to industry tsunamis� tap your network for information and intelligence that help you make smarter decisionsThe career landscape has changed dramatically in the decade since Hoffman and Casnocha first published this guide. In an urgent update to the frameworks that have helped hundreds of thousands of people transform their careers, this new edition of The Startup of You will teach you how to achieve your boldest professional ambitions.]]> 252 Reid Hoffman 0307888924 Leo 5 3.81 2012 The Startup of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career
author: Reid Hoffman
name: Leo
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2012
rating: 5
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date added: 2012/09/22
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“Startup of You� suggests treating your career like a startup: take measured risks, have a unique selling proposition, be adaptable to changing conditions, and so on. The analogy turns out to be surprisingly apt.
]]> <![CDATA[The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future]]> 12605157
“Thoughtful, funny, and compulsively readable, this guide shows how ordinary people can build solid livings, with independence and purpose, on their own terms.”—Gretchen Rubin, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Happiness Project

Still in his early thirties, Chris Guillebeau completed a tour of every country on earth and yet he’s never held a “real job� or earned a regular paycheck. Rather, he has a special genius for turning ideas into income, and he uses what he earns both to support his life of adventure and to give back.

Chris identified 1,500 individuals who have built businesses earning $50,000 or more from a modest investment (in many cases, $100 or less), and focused on the 50 most intriguing case studies.In nearly all cases, people with no special skills discovered aspects of their personal passions that could be monetized, and were able to restructure their lives in ways that gave them greater freedom and fulfillment.

Here, finally, distilled into one easy-to-use guide, are the most valuable lessons from those who’ve learned how to turn what they do into a gateway to self-fulfillment.It’s all about finding the intersection between your “expertise”—even if you don’t consider it such—and what other people will pay for. You don’t need an MBA, a business plan or even employees. All you need is a product or service that springs from what you love to do anyway, people willing to pay, and a way to get paid.

Not content to talk in generalities, Chris tells you exactly how many dollars his group of unexpected entrepreneurs required to get their projects up and running; what these individuals did in the first weeks and months to generate significant cash; some of the key mistakes they made along the way, and the crucial insights that made the business stick.Among Chris’s key principles: If you’re good at one thing, you’re probably good at something else; never teach a man to fish� sell him the fish instead; and in the battle between planning and action, action wins.

In ancient times, people who were dissatisfied with their lives dreamed of finding magic lamps, buried treasure, or streets paved with gold.Today, we know that it’s up to us to change our lives.And the best part is, if we change our own life, we can help others change theirs. This remarkable book will start you on your way.]]> 268 Chris Guillebeau 0307951529 Leo 4 3.89 2012 The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future
author: Chris Guillebeau
name: Leo
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2012
rating: 4
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date added: 2012/09/22
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“The $100 Startup� is a good introduction to bootstrapping a new business without a huge investment. The content is 50% how-to guide and 50% anecdotes and examples. Nice breadth, but could use a little more depth.
]]> <![CDATA[The Tao of Bruce Lee: A Martial Arts Memoir]]> 265422
Just weeks after completing Enter the Dragon, his first vehicle for a worldwide audience, Bruce Lee--the self-proclaimed world's fittest man--died mysteriously at the age of thirty-two. The film has since grossed over $500 million, making it one of the most profitable in the history of cinema, and Lee has acquired almost mythic status.

Lee was a flawed, complex, yet singular talent. He revolutionized the martial arts and forever changed action moviemaking. But what has his legacy truly meant to the fans he left behind? To author Davis Miller, Lee was a profound mentor and a transformative inspiration. As a troubled young man in rural North Carolina, Miller was on a road to nowhere when he first saw Enter the Dragon, an encounter that would lead him on a physical, emotional, and spiritual journey and would change his life.

As in The Tao of Muhammad Ali , Miller brilliantly combines biography--the fullest, most unflinching and revelatory to date--with his own coming-of-age story. The result is a unique and compelling book.]]> 208 Davis Miller 060980538X Leo 4 3.84 2000 The Tao of Bruce Lee: A Martial Arts Memoir
author: Davis Miller
name: Leo
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2000
rating: 4
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date added: 2012/09/22
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The author of the book was a runt growing up, and was very inspired to see Bruce Lee � a little guy � play a badass in a number of movies. “The Tao of Bruce Lee� intertwines stories of the author’s life with his quest to learn more about Bruce Lee, who turns out to be surprisingly flawed. The book was good, but the author’s discovery of Lee’s fallibility seemed oddly dispassionate.
]]> <![CDATA[Every Patient Tells a Story: Medical Mysteries and the Art of Diagnosis]]> 6691125 New York Times Magazine column "Diagnosis," the inspiration for the hit Fox TV series House, M.D.

The experience of being ill can be like waking up in a foreign country. Life, as you formerly knew it, is on hold while you travel through this other world as unknown as it is unexpected. When I see patients in the hospital or in my office who are suddenly, surprisingly ill, what they really want to know is, ‘What is wrong with me?� They want a road map that will help them manage their new surroundings. The ability to give this unnerving and unfamiliar place a name, to know it–on some level–restores a measure of control, independent of whether or not that diagnosis comes attached to a cure. Because, even today, a diagnosis is frequently all a good doctor has to offer.

A healthy young man suddenly loses his memory–making him unable to remember the events of each passing hour. Two patients diagnosed with Lyme disease improve after antibiotic treatment–only to have their symptoms mysteriously return. A young woman lies dying in the ICU–bleeding, jaundiced, incoherent–and none of her doctors know what is killing her. In Every Patient Tells a Story, Dr. Lisa Sanders takes us bedside to witness the process of solving these and other diagnostic dilemmas, providing a firsthand account of the expertise and intuition that lead a doctor to make the right diagnosis.

Never in human history have doctors had the knowledge, the tools, and the skills that they have today to diagnose illness and disease. And yet mistakes are made, diagnoses missed, symptoms or tests misunderstood. In this high-tech world of modern medicine, Sanders shows us that knowledge, while essential, is not sufficient to unravel the complexities of illness. She presents an unflinching look inside the detective story that marks nearly every illness–the diagnosis–revealing the combination of uncertainty and intrigue that doctors face when confronting patients who are sick or dying. Through dramatic stories of patients with baffling symptoms, Sanders portrays the absolute necessity and surprising difficulties of getting the patient’s story, the challenges of the physical exam, the pitfalls of doctor-to-doctor communication, the vagaries of tests, and the near calamity of diagnostic errors. In Every Patient Tells a Story, Dr. Sanders chronicles the real-life drama of doctors solving these difficult medical mysteries that not only illustrate the art and science of diagnosis, but often save the patients� lives.]]> 304 Lisa Sanders Leo 3 3.96 2009 Every Patient Tells a Story: Medical Mysteries and the Art of Diagnosis
author: Lisa Sanders
name: Leo
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2009
rating: 3
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date added: 2012/09/22
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I had been looking forward to reading this book because the author is the medical consultant for the TV show House. The book is part stories and part medical nostalgia about the slow death of the physical exam. The stories were interesting � even thrilling, at times � but the other half of the book seemed aimed more at medical professionals than at everyone else.
]]> <![CDATA[Pragmatic Thinking and Learning: Refactor Your Wetware]]> 3063393 251 Andy Hunt 1934356050 Leo 3 4.12 2008 Pragmatic Thinking and Learning: Refactor Your Wetware
author: Andy Hunt
name: Leo
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2008
rating: 3
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date added: 2012/09/22
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review:
A learning/productivity manual aimed at programmers. Advice is mostly conventional wisdom, but there are some new ideas I hadn’t seen before. Targeting programmers is not that helpful: some software/hardward analogies were good, but others felt too forced. This could have just been a generic productivity guide instead of one geared toward a small niche.
]]> <![CDATA[Maximum Achievement: Strategies and Skills That Will Unlock Your Hidden Powers to Succeed]]> 115613 352 Brian Tracy 0684803313 Leo 1 4.11 Maximum Achievement: Strategies and Skills That Will Unlock Your Hidden Powers to Succeed
author: Brian Tracy
name: Leo
average rating: 4.11
book published:
rating: 1
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date added: 2012/09/22
shelves:
review:
Devoid of useful content. “Maximum Achievement� is all platitudes and parables and very little meat. The advice is stuff like “think positive� and “repeat ‘I believe in myself� 50 times in the morning and at night.� Lots of mentions of the Law of Attraction. This was particularly disappointing after all of the science-based, insightful books that I’ve recently read (like Succeed and Willpower).
]]> <![CDATA[Positively False: The Real Story of How I Won the Tour de France]]> 888681 320 Floyd Landis 1416950230 Leo 1 2.97 2007 Positively False: The Real Story of How I Won the Tour de France
author: Floyd Landis
name: Leo
average rating: 2.97
book published: 2007
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2012/07/10
shelves:
review:
Landis admitted to doping in 2010, making a complete mockery of everything he claimed in this book.
]]> <![CDATA[The Millionaire Fastlane: Crack the Code to Wealth and Live Rich for a Lifetime!]]> 8905460 322 M.J. DeMarco Leo 5 4.44 2010 The Millionaire Fastlane: Crack the Code to Wealth and Live Rich for a Lifetime!
author: M.J. DeMarco
name: Leo
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/07/06
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This book is amazing, which surprised me because the title is so bad. No, not just bad, but cringeworthy. Despite the title, the content is golden. The author, a self-made millionaire, breaks down a lot of accepted ideas about how to build wealth (like investing in 401Ks and mutual funds) and presents superior alternatives. The main premise of the book is that the traditional road to wealth has two main problems: the road is not in your control and it’s a very, very long road. The solution is to start a business of your own; to be your own boss and not just work for one; to be the guy selling franchises, not the guy buying them. This gives you much more control and the ability to build wealth for yourself as quickly as you can produce value for the rest of the world. Early in the book, the author poses the following question: how many 20-somethings or 30-somethings do you know who got rich from investing in mutual funds or stashing their money into 401Ks? It’s definitely an interesting thing to think about: that the path to financial independence that “financial gurus� keep promoting is not how they themselves became rich, and it won’t make you rich for many decades (if ever). The book has a lot of nuggets of wisdom about what kind of entrepreneurial ventures you should consider, how to approach various opportunities, and so on.
]]> <![CDATA[Killing Time: An 18-Year Odyssey from Death Row to Freedom]]> 8017843
Killing Time is about the eighteen-year quest for John Thompson's freedom from a wrongful murder conviction. After Philadelphia lawyers Michael Banks and Gordon Cooney take on his case, they struggle to find areas of misconduct in his previous trials while grappling with their questions about Thompson's innocence. John Hollway and Ronald M. Gauthier have interviewed Thompson and the lawyers regarding the case and paint a realistic and compelling portrait of life on death row and the corruption in the Louisiana police and DA's office. When it is found that evidence was mishandled in a previous trial that led to his death sentence in the murder case, Thompson is finally on his road to freedom—a journey that continues to this day. Complete with an updated afterword describing Thompson's 2011 civil suit against Harry Connick Sr. and the New Orleans DA's office and the Supreme Court's shocking verdict.]]> 496 John Hollway 1602399743 Leo 5 ]]> 4.22 2010 Killing Time: An 18-Year Odyssey from Death Row to Freedom
author: John Hollway
name: Leo
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2010
rating: 5
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date added: 2012/07/06
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Killing Time is the heartbreaking story of John Thompson, who was convicted for a murder he did not commit. The novel is based on facts but has the pacing and tone of a Grisham thriller that you can’t put down because you wonder what will happen next. I’ve heard about death row inmates being exonerated, but reading this account and hearing first-hand about how close John was to being executed and how much of his life he lost really moved me, and I ended up donating to the foundation for exonerees that John started.

]]> Startups Open Sourced 11309391
In Startups Open Sourced, I interview 33 startups. Of these 33 startups, 20 of them are funded by Y Combinator, so this is approximately 10% of all the startups Y Combinator has funded since 2005.

I saw an e-mail this morning PG sent the YC founders mailing list that said the YC team was pretty busy until May 3rd doing interviews. I thought, “this seems like a good time to finally launch this book.� I think this is particularly helpful to YC applicants, since I ask a lot of founders about their experience applying and going through Y Combinator. I was hoping to launch sooner, but this has taken a lot more time than I anticipated. I have probably read this book from cover to cover about 10 times now, but I still find myself going back to it to read some of the founders� stories. That’s probably a good sign.

Collectively, these startups have raised approximately $90 million from investors, which actually isn’t a lot of money. These startups are operating in a relatively lean way, but they are creating jobs and many of them are very profitable at this stage.
What’s in the book?

In the interviews, I ask the founders a lot of different questions. Most of the topics are around:

How founders got their start in entrepreneurship
What kinds of classes founders were taking in college
How founders came up with their ideas
How founders met their cofounders
How founders obtained user growth
How founders raised money and their overall experience and recommendations (including applying to Y Combinator, tips for the interview stage)
How founders achieved revenue
Points where founders doubted themselves or thought they would fail
How founders dealt with the trough of sorrow
Founders� biggest challenges
How founders stay motivated
How founders hire and find talent]]> Jared Tame Leo 5 ]]> 3.95 2011 Startups Open Sourced
author: Jared Tame
name: Leo
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/07/06
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review:
A great collection of interviews with young startup founders. Most of the interview subjects are still in their 20s, and yet they’ve already managed to start well-known companies like foursquare, Airbnb, and Grooveshark. What I liked about the book was that the interviewer asks very similar questions during each interview, and yet the answers to those questions are very different. Some founders finished college and worked at a big company for a few years, others dropped out of college because they couldn’t wait to do their own thing. Some knew their cofounder for years, others had partnered up on a whim. Some were very disciplined and had a clear target from the beginning, others worked on whatever they fancied and went wherever the wind took them. It was interesting to see that there’s is no single right path that is required to start a successful company and it was fun reading about the different paths that various entrepreneurs had taken.

]]> <![CDATA[Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived]]> 23982 352 Ralph Helfer 0060929510 Leo 5 ]]> 4.20 1997 Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived
author: Ralph Helfer
name: Leo
average rating: 4.20
book published: 1997
rating: 5
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date added: 2012/07/06
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(Very loosely) based on a true story, this novel follows the lives of Bram and his elephant, Modoc. They were born on the same day and shared a special bond. They have many amazing adventures around the world, including surviving a shipwreck in the middle of the Indian Ocean and a battle with a rebel army in the middle of India. The story was very engaging and reminded me of Life of Pi, except that the author was not nearly as full of himself.

]]> How To Get Rich 1837402 277 Felix Dennis 009192166X Leo 5 ]]> 4.15 2006 How To Get Rich
author: Felix Dennis
name: Leo
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2006
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/07/06
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So this book sounds like it would be very tacky, but� well, okay, it’s kind of tacky. But it’s also filled with a lot of great advice from a guy who has been around the block several times. The author, Felix Dennis, spent the last four decades building a huge publishing empire that includes Maxim and PC World magazines. Dennis occasionally waxes poetically about his wealth and his personal adventures, but there is a lot of meaty content in the book, too, about topics like negotiation, deciding which opportunities to pursue, and finding the right employees and partners.

]]> <![CDATA[Don't Look Behind You! A Safari Guide's Encounters with Ravenous Lions, Stampeding Elephants, and Lovesick Rhinos]]> 6689684
Join Peter Allison for a riveting, rollicking, behind-the-scenes dose of everyone's dream experience—going on safari—and coming through amazed but, thankfully, without a scratch. In Don't Look Behind You, Allison recounts adventures few would live to tell.
]]> 270 Peter Allison 1599214695 Leo 5 ]]> 4.01 2009 Don't Look Behind You! A Safari Guide's Encounters with Ravenous Lions, Stampeding Elephants, and Lovesick Rhinos
author: Peter Allison
name: Leo
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/07/06
shelves:
review:
I read the author’s other book, Whatever You Do, Don’t Run just before going on a safari last year, and I thought the writing was hilarious. Don’t Look Behind You! is deeper and more serious than its predecessor, but remains very entertaining. Where as Don’t Run made me laugh out loud repeatedly, Don’t Look Behind You! made me stop, smile, and think.

]]> <![CDATA[The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right]]> 6667514 The New York Times bestselling author of Better and Complications reveals the surprising power of the ordinary checklist

We live in a world of great and increasing complexity, where even the most expert professionals struggle to master the tasks they face. Longer training, ever more advanced technologies—neither seems to prevent grievous errors. But in a hopeful turn, acclaimed surgeon and writer Atul Gawande finds a remedy in the humblest and simplest of techniques: the checklist. First introduced decades ago by the U.S. Air Force, checklists have enabled pilots to fly aircraft of mind-boggling sophistication. Now innovative checklists are being adopted in hospitals around the world, helping doctors and nurses respond to everything from flu epidemics to avalanches. Even in the immensely complex world of surgery, a simple ninety-second variant has cut the rate of fatalities by more than a third.

In riveting stories, Gawande takes us from Austria, where an emergency checklist saved a drowning victim who had spent half an hour underwater, to Michigan, where a cleanliness checklist in intensive care units virtually eliminated a type of deadly hospital infection. He explains how checklists actually work to prompt striking and immediate improvements. And he follows the checklist revolution into fields well beyond medicine, from disaster response to investment banking, skyscraper construction, and businesses of all kinds.

An intellectual adventure in which lives are lost and saved and one simple idea makes a tremendous difference, The Checklist Manifesto is essential reading for anyone working to get things right.]]> 208 Atul Gawande 0805091742 Leo 5 ]]> 4.00 2009 The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right
author: Atul Gawande
name: Leo
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/07/06
shelves:
review:
Atul Gawande is a doctor who writes great books. I read Better a few years ago and thought it did a good job of covering both the human and the practical aspects of improving medical practices. Checklist Manifesto feels like another winner. At its core, the book is an analysis of how smart people make dumb mistakes. This includes pilots who forget to check some key component before take-off, doctors who leave surgical instruments inside of patients, and so on. Gawande’s thesis is that smart people fail to do really basic important things for one of two reasons: being in a rush and the illusion of safety. An example of the first case is when a doctor has 20 things to do to prep for surgery, but the patient’s anesthetic is about to wear off so the doctor rushes and forgets to check which side of the patient’s head he’s supposed to operate on. An example of the second case is when something seems so rare, like your house burning down from a kitchen fire, that you assign it a probability of zero even though the actual probability is not zero. The book alternates between recounting interesting stories and experiments and delivering practical advice and suggestions.

]]> <![CDATA[Nine Things Successful People Do Differently]]> 13005031
Take your cues from the short, powerful 9 Things Successful People Do Differently , where the strategies and goals of the world’s most successful people are on display—backed by research that shows exactly what has the biggest impact on performance. Here’s a accomplished people reach their goals because of what they do, not just who they are.

Readers have called this “a gem of a book.� Get ready to accomplish your goals at last.]]> 38 Heidi Grant Halvorson Leo 5 ]]> 3.87 Nine Things Successful People Do Differently
author: Heidi Grant Halvorson
name: Leo
average rating: 3.87
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2012/07/06
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Some books fail to reach their potential to be great because they are too long. Their content is good, but it is either spread out or repeated in order to make the book longer. This is especially true for most personal development books. Nine Things Successful People Do is great because it’s so short. The ideas are concise and important (like #4, “Be a Realistic Optimist� and #6, “Have Grit�), and the book doesn’t waste a lot of time trying to pad its own length. Each section contains a short summary of a concept, citations of several studies that support it, and some tips for implementing that concept. At just under 40 pages, reading this book is the first thing that successful people should do.

]]> <![CDATA[Options for the Beginner And Beyond: Unlock the Opportunities And Minimize the Risks]]> 1054639 230 W. Edward Olmstead 0131721283 Leo 4 ]]> 4.02 2006 Options for the Beginner And Beyond: Unlock the Opportunities And Minimize the Risks
author: W. Edward Olmstead
name: Leo
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/07/06
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I read this book a few months ago in the hopes of learning more about options trading and using options to hedge “regular� stock trades. Options for the Beginner and Beyond offers a good, non-technical overview of how options work, as well as different option trading strategies like bull spreads, straddles, and iron condors (the names are much more interesting than the strategies). By the end of the book, I felt like I had a good grasp on the concepts behind options and how to apply them to my investing strategies.

]]> <![CDATA[A Short History of Nearly Everything]]> 21 544 Bill Bryson 076790818X Leo 4 ]]> 4.21 2003 A Short History of Nearly Everything
author: Bill Bryson
name: Leo
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/07/06
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You know that friend of yours that really likes explaining and teaching everything to everybody? The one you love hanging out with because you always learn something interesting? I imagine Bill Bryson to be the epitome of that kind of person. A Short History of Nearly Everything is Bryson’s attempt to cover the history of modern science. Bryson teaches you about flawed and flawless scientific endeavors, science’s greatest contributors and pettiest villains, predictions that were eerily accurate or comically inaccurate, and much more. I want to give this book 5 stars, and it probably deserves 5 stars, but I just got tired of reading it toward the end. It’s over 600 pages and fairly dense, and while Bryson tries to make every topic seem interesting, some of them just didn’t excite me that much.

]]> The Sportsman 9838280
Now in his 11th season in the NFL, Dhani Jones has had an unusually long career for a football player. Just a few years ago, however, Dhani thought his playing days were over. Cut by the Eagles and the Saints, he was at a professional crossroads. When the Bengals called, though, he was more than ready and in the best shape of his life. And for that, he credits his off-season.
The Sportsman follows Dhani’s discovery that the parts of his life that, to many, seemed to be distractions� including an off-season TV show that sent him around the world to learn and compete in other sports—actually served to cross-train him in ways he’d never imagined, enabling him to become more grounded, globally aware, and, most surprisingly, a much better football player.
Part travelogue, part workout guide, part Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, The Sportsman is an invigorating account of Dhani’s global sporting adventures and the lessons he has learned along the way. From dragon boat racing in Singapore to carrying 300-pound rocks in Iceland to biking in Italy, Dhani’s adventures taught him to be tougher, smarter, and stronger than ever. The Sportsman is a reminder that by connecting to the world through its people and customs and the spirit of competition, we empower ourselves in ways that can surpass our craziest expectations.
]]> 272 Dhani Jones 160961111X Leo 4 ]]> 3.73 2011 The Sportsman
author: Dhani Jones
name: Leo
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/07/06
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review:
A few years ago, I watched several episodes of “Dhani Tackles the Globe� and thought it was a great idea for a show. In each episode, NFL linebacker Dhani Jones would travel to a new country, learn the local sport for a week, and the compete in a game or match or whatever the sport required. Some of the things Dhani tried included a surf lifesaving competition in Australia, a strongman competition in Iceland, and muay Thai in Thailand. The show was a clever move for the Travel Channel, and apparently it worked out even better for Dhani, whose football skills improved from his extreme method of cross-training. In the Sportsman, Dhani writes about his life, his football career, and stories from filming the show. The book is not terribly deep, but it’s a fun read, and there are some nice nuggets of wisdom along the way.

]]> <![CDATA[The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business]]> 12609433 375 Charles Duhigg 1400069289 Leo 4 4.13 2012 The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
author: Charles Duhigg
name: Leo
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/07/06
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review:
The Power of Habit is the latest in a series of recent books that discuss some aspect of human psychology and how to improve it (Willpower is a great book in this series). The book is divided into three distinct parts. The first part, which covers how habits work in individuals and how they can be changed, is great. There are many interesting studies describing habit formation and how to hack into the habit loop to build, change, or eliminate various habits. The second section is about habits in organizations � essentially, how deliberate top-down habit creation can help organizations become more successful. Like the first part, this section if filled with stories and practical advice (although a little less practical than before). The final chapters of the book discuss habits and morality and questions like whether people can be held responsible for their behaviors if those behaviors stem from uncontrollable habits. This part was kind of interesting, but felt out of place. I’m assuming that most people buy this book from the self-improvement angle, and a discussion of morality and how the legal system should treat habits seems inappropriate here.
]]> <![CDATA[Investing in REITs: Real Estate Investment Trusts (Bloomberg)]]> 1283 Rare book 384 Ralph L. Block 1576601935 Leo 4 ]]> 3.60 1998 Investing in REITs: Real Estate Investment Trusts (Bloomberg)
author: Ralph L. Block
name: Leo
average rating: 3.60
book published: 1998
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/07/06
shelves:
review:
I read this in an effort to broaden and improve my investing skills. REITs, or Real Estate Investment Trusts, are like mutual funds of real-estate assets (typically this means either managed properties or mortgage notes), and Investing in REITs explains just about everything one might want to know about the subject. This includes a formal definition of REITs, coverage of the different types of REITs, and how to decide whether a particular REIT is a good investment and what its fair value should be. It’s hard to say anything bad about the quality of the content, but I did discover that I didn’t really need to read an entire book about REITs to understand their pros and cons; a short blog post or 5-page article would have served me just as well.

]]> A Prisoner of Birth 1611988 International bestseller and master storyteller Jeffrey Archer is at the very top of his game in this story of fate and fortune, redemption and revenge.

If Danny Cartwright had proposed to Beth Wilson the day before, or the day after, he would not have been arrested and charged with the murder of his best friend. But when the four prosecution witnesses are a barrister, a popular actor, an aristocrat, and the youngest partner in an established firm's history, who is going to believe his side of the story?

Danny is sentenced to twenty-two years and sent to Belmarsh prison, the highest-security jail in the land, from where no inmate has ever escaped.

However, Spencer Craig, Lawrence Davenport, Gerald Payne, and Toby Mortimer all underestimate Danny's determination to seek revenge, and Beth's relentless quest to pursue justice, which ends up with all four fighting for their lives.

Thus begins Jeffrey Archer's most powerful novel since Kane and Abel, with a cast of characters that will remain with you long after you've turned the last page.

And if that is not enough, prepare for an ending that will shock even the most ardent of Archer's fans.

]]> 501 Jeffrey Archer 0312379293 Leo 4 ]]> 4.15 2008 A Prisoner of Birth
author: Jeffrey Archer
name: Leo
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/07/06
shelves:
review:
A clever thriller about a man who is thrown in jail for a crime he didn’t commit, and who then spends his time breaking out, piecing together what happened, and getting revenge on those who wronged him. This book is loosely based on the Count of Monte-Cristo, and is a well done remake.

]]> <![CDATA[The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation]]> 11797471 432 Jon Gertner 1594203288 Leo 4
Random trivia tidbit: Claude Shannon was a badass. According to Wikipedia, his master’s thesis is considered “the most important master’s thesis of all time.� Building on top of that, Shannon published a seminal paper in his early 30s which had the unusual distinction of not just creating a new field of study (Information Theory), but also asking and answering all of the important questions for that field.
]]> 4.16 2012 The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation
author: Jon Gertner
name: Leo
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/07/06
shelves:
review:
During the first half of the the 20th century, Bell Labs employed some of the greatest scientists in the world. These were men like William Shockley, who perfected the transistor (which made personal computers possible) and Claude Shannon, who created information theory (allowing you to play CDs and DVDs even after they get scratched up). The Labs employed the founding fathers of the computer and communication age, and the Jon Gertner explores this fascinating time and place in American scientific history. I liked the content and the fairly deep biographies of various scientists and engineers, but I thought the book would have been better if it offered more insightful analysis. The author’s conclusion is that the Bell Labs in the 40s was so successful because it was filled with great minds at a unique time, and that things like that are no longer possible to the same degree. Perhaps that conclusion is true, but it’s hardly satisfying.

Random trivia tidbit: Claude Shannon was a badass. According to Wikipedia, his master’s thesis is considered “the most important master’s thesis of all time.� Building on top of that, Shannon published a seminal paper in his early 30s which had the unusual distinction of not just creating a new field of study (Information Theory), but also asking and answering all of the important questions for that field.

]]> <![CDATA[The Information Diet: A Case for Conscious Consumption]]> 12799077 150 Clay A. Johnson 1449304680 Leo 4 ]]> 3.49 2011 The Information Diet: A Case for Conscious Consumption
author: Clay A. Johnson
name: Leo
average rating: 3.49
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/07/06
shelves:
review:
The premise of the book is great: technology is stealing our time and attention with its ubiquity, its endless notifications, and its collections of Tweets and Likes and emails. We should be more disciplined and reclaim some of our time. Great idea, right? It would be if the writing were a bit tighter (this could easily be 50 pages instead of 200) and it the dieting analogy wasn’t overdone. I get that in many ways our information consumption is like our food consumption � we eat things we like and the we read things that we agree with, shying away from a “healthier� mix of foods and ideas. However, the author presents the information diet as being completely analogous to the food diet � which it’s not. For example, eating raw foods is good, but while consuming raw information (from the original sources instead of from digests and overviews) is occasionally good, it’s often just a waste of time. Do you really want to read the 30 source papers for a popular science article, or are you satisfied just reading a professional writer’s summary? The author also injected his political beliefs throughout the book which I thought was unnecessary.

]]> <![CDATA[Drop Dead Healthy: One Man's Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection]]> 8570787 New York Times bestselling author and king of “immersion journalism� A.J. Jacobs tackles his most challenging experiment yet: a yearlong mission to radically improve every element of his body and mind—from his brain to his fingertips to his abs.

From the bestselling author of The Year of Living Biblically and The Know-It-All comes the true and truly hilarious story of one person’s quest to become the healthiest man in the world.

Hospitalized with a freak case of tropical pneumonia, goaded by his wife telling him, “I don’t want to be a widow at forty-five,� and ashamed of a middle-aged body best described as “a python that swallowed a goat,� A.J. Jacobs felt compelled to change his ways and get healthy. And he didn’t want only to lose weight, or finish a triathlon, or lower his cholesterol. His ambitions were far greater: maximal health from head to toe.

The task was epic. He consulted an army of experts� sleep consultants and sex clinicians, nutritionists and dermatologists. He subjected himself to dozens of different workouts—from Strollercize classes to Finger Fitness sessions, from bouldering with cavemen to a treadmill desk. And he took in a cartload of diets: raw foods, veganism, high protein, calorie restriction, extreme chewing, and dozens more. He bought gadgets and helmets, earphones and juicers. He poked and he pinched. He counted and he measured.

The story of his transformation is not only brilliantly entertaining, but it just may be the healthiest book ever written. It will make you laugh until your sides split and endorphins flood your bloodstream. It will alter the contours of your brain, imprinting you with better habits of hygiene and diet. It will move you emotionally and get you moving physically in surprising ways. And it will give you occasion to reflect on the body’s many mysteries and the ultimate pursuit of health: a well-lived life.]]> 402 A.J. Jacobs 141659907X Leo 4 3.74 2012 Drop Dead Healthy: One Man's Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection
author: A.J. Jacobs
name: Leo
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/07/06
shelves:
review:
A.J. Jacobs like to submit himself to crazy social experiments to see what happens. In The Know-It-All, he described the results of reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica. In The Year of Living Biblically, Jacobs recounts 365 days of following every rule and edict in the bible as literally as possible. In Drop Dead Healthy, Jacobs tackles his most practical challenge yet: becoming as healthy as possible. He tries out different diets and exercise programs, he visits specialists to find out how to improve his vision and his sleep, he learns about all of the chemicals found in household items and how to avoid them as much as possible � in short, he tries to lead a perfectly healthy life. The resulting book sits somewhere between ‘entertaining� and ‘tedious.� A.J.’s discoveries and experiments are interesting, but he also whines a lot about how hard or impractical his tasks are and he has a corny sense of humor. The book’s not bad, but it’s not great, either.
]]> <![CDATA[Red-Blooded Risk: The Secret History of Wall Street]]> 12974839 An innovative guide that identifies what distinguishes the best financial risk takers from the rest From 1987 to 1992, a small group of Wall Street quants invented an entirely new way of managing risk to maximize risk management for risk-takers. This is the secret that lets tiny quantitative edges create hedge fund billionaires, and defines the powerful modern global derivatives economy. The same practical techniques are still used today by risk-takers in finance as well as many other fields. Red-Blooded Risk examines this approach and offers valuable advice for the calculated risk-takers who need precise quantitative guidance that will help separate them from the rest of the pack.

While most commentators say that the last financial crisis proved it's time to follow risk-minimizing techniques, they're wrong. The only way to succeed at anything is to manage true risk, which includes the chance of loss. Red-Blooded Risk presents specific, actionable strategies that will allow you to be a practical risk-taker in even the most dynamic markets.

Contains a secret history of Wall Street, the parts all the other books leave out Includes an intellectually rigorous narrative addressing what it takes to really make it in any risky activity, on or off Wall Street Addresses essential issues ranging from the way you think about chance to economics, politics, finance, and life Written by Aaron Brown, one of the most calculated and successful risk takers in the world of finance, who was an active participant in the creation of modern risk management and had a front-row seat to the last meltdown Written in an engaging but rigorous style, with no equations Contains illustrations and graphic narrative by renowned manga artist Eric Kim There are people who disapprove of every risk before the fact, but never stop anyone from doing anything dangerous because they want to take credit for any success. The recent financial crisis has swelled their ranks, but in learning how to break free of these people, you'll discover how taking on the right risk can open the door to the most profitable opportunities.]]> 532 Aaron Brown Leo 4 3.86 2011 Red-Blooded Risk: The Secret History of Wall Street
author: Aaron Brown
name: Leo
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2012/07/06
shelves:
review:
The beginning of the book covers the history of probability and risk, starting with Pascal. The author then moves on to the history of risk in modern day financial institutions (specifically, hedge funds). I found the first half pretty interesting, and then started glazing over as the content got more and more hedge-fund specific. I think more financially-minded readers would appreciate the book more than I did.
]]> <![CDATA[Goal Setting: Discover What You Want in Life and Achieve It Faster than You Think Possible]]> 8587944 SelfMadeEasy.com Leo 3 3.45 2009 Goal Setting: Discover What You Want in Life and Achieve It Faster than You Think Possible
author: SelfMadeEasy.com
name: Leo
average rating: 3.45
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2012/07/06
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Focus: A Simplicity Manifesto in the Age of Distraction]]> 9549534 121 Leo Babauta Leo 3 ]]> 3.63 2010 Focus: A Simplicity Manifesto in the Age of Distraction
author: Leo Babauta
name: Leo
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2012/07/06
shelves:
review:
Books like this are hard to review. There is a little bit of great content (e.g. the sections on letting go of goals, prioritizing, and single-tasking), on the other hand there is a lot of fluffy, generic advice like “practice mindfulness�, “get perspective� and “breathe�. Focus is worth skimming for the good advice, but not worth a careful reading.

]]> Clear Blue Sky: A Novel 1889547 352 F.P. Lione 0800718860 Leo 2 3.69 2007 Clear Blue Sky: A Novel
author: F.P. Lione
name: Leo
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2007
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2012/07/06
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review:
A pointless, meandering book about the lives of several policemen and their families in the days up to and including September 11th. Some of the writing is quite good, but the plot is severely lacking.
]]> The Gravy Train 11045148
Excerpts from Trojan Horse, Bull Street and Vaccine Nation , David Lender's other thrillers, follow the text of The Gravy Train.]]> 231 David Lender 0615475647 Leo 4 3.65 2012 The Gravy Train
author: David Lender
name: Leo
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2011/12/06
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Brain Rules for Baby: How to Raise a Smart and Happy Child from Zero to Five]]> 8445273
In his New York Times bestseller Brain Rules, Dr. John Medina showed us how our brains really work—and why we ought to redesign our workplaces and schools. Now, in Brain Rules for Baby, he shares what the latest science says about how to raise smart and happy children from zero to 5. This book is destined to revolutionize parenting. Just one of the surprises: The best way to get your children into the college of their choice? Teach them impulse control.

Brain Rules for Baby bridges the gap between what scientists know and what parents practice. Through fascinating and funny stories, Medina, a developmental molecular biologist and dad, unravels how a child’s brain develops--and what you can do to optimize it.

You will view your children—and how to raise them—in a whole new light. You’ll learn:

Where nature ends and nurture begins
Why men should do more household chores
What you do when emotions run hot affects how your child turns out
TV is harmful for children under 2
Your child’s ability to relate to others predicts her future math performance
Smart and happy are inseparable. Pursuing your child’s intellectual success at the expense of his happiness achieves neither
Praising effort is better than praising intelligence
The best predictor of academic performance is not IQ. It’s self control

What you do right now—before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and through the first five years—will affect your children for the rest of their lives. Brain Rules for Baby is an indispensable guide.
]]> 299 John Medina 0979777763 Leo 5 4.28 2010 Brain Rules for Baby: How to Raise a Smart and Happy Child from Zero to Five
author: John Medina
name: Leo
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2011/12/02
shelves:
review:
Great combination of anecdotes, study results, and practical tips.
]]> Deed to Death 8442179 289 D.B. Henson Leo 4 3.40 2010 Deed to Death
author: D.B. Henson
name: Leo
average rating: 3.40
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2011/11/28
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[As the Crow Dies ("Jason Crow" West Texas Mystery, #1)]]> 11850683 258 Ken Casper 1611940311 Leo 1
The most frustrating thing, actually, was the setup. The protagonist's father is dead, and everyone thinks it was suicide. Everyone except the protagonist, that is. The problem is that he has no evidence to back up his intuition, but he just "doesn't feel" like his dad was the type of guy who would commit suicide. There is actually no evidence to support this theory for TWO THIRDS of the book. Think about that: out of 300 pages, the first 200 pages are about the main character repeating "it wasn't suicide!! Why not? I'm not sure, but I'm positive it wasn't!" and then walking around aimlessly trying to find *clues*. Not trying to find out which culprit fits the clues, but just trying to find any clues that point away from suicide.

[mini-spoiler] In the end, it predictably turns out that the death was a murder and not a suicide, but the plot feels like a Deus ex machina of sorts -- an explanation is made that magically fits the facts but does not make a lot of sense. Highly unsatisfying.]]> 3.51 2011 As the Crow Dies ("Jason Crow" West Texas Mystery, #1)
author: Ken Casper
name: Leo
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2011
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2011/09/28
shelves:
review:
Weak plot. Trite writing. Every chapter contained at least one passage about the insecurity of having prosthetic legs. Frustrating.

The most frustrating thing, actually, was the setup. The protagonist's father is dead, and everyone thinks it was suicide. Everyone except the protagonist, that is. The problem is that he has no evidence to back up his intuition, but he just "doesn't feel" like his dad was the type of guy who would commit suicide. There is actually no evidence to support this theory for TWO THIRDS of the book. Think about that: out of 300 pages, the first 200 pages are about the main character repeating "it wasn't suicide!! Why not? I'm not sure, but I'm positive it wasn't!" and then walking around aimlessly trying to find *clues*. Not trying to find out which culprit fits the clues, but just trying to find any clues that point away from suicide.

[mini-spoiler] In the end, it predictably turns out that the death was a murder and not a suicide, but the plot feels like a Deus ex machina of sorts -- an explanation is made that magically fits the facts but does not make a lot of sense. Highly unsatisfying.
]]> <![CDATA[Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength]]> 11104933 One of the world's most esteemed and influential psychologists, Roy F. Baumeister, teams with New York Times science writer John Tierney to reveal the secrets of self-control and how to master it. In Willpower, the pioneering researcher Roy F. Baumeister collaborates with renowned New York Times science writer John Tierney to revolutionize our understanding of the most coveted human virtue: self-control.

In what became one of the most cited papers in social science literature, Baumeister discovered that willpower actually operates like a muscle: it can be strengthened with practice and fatigued by overuse. Willpower is fueled by glucose, and it can be bolstered simply by replenishing the brain's store of fuel. That's why eating and sleeping- and especially failing to do either of those-have such dramatic effects on self-control (and why dieters have such a hard time resisting temptation).

Baumeister's latest research shows that we typically spend four hours every day resisting temptation. No wonder people around the world rank a lack of self-control as their biggest weakness. Willpower looks to the lives of entrepreneurs, parents, entertainers, and artists-including David Blaine, Eric Clapton, and others-who have flourished by improving their self-control.

The lessons from their stories and psychologists' experiments can help anyone. You learn not only how to build willpower but also how to conserve it for crucial moments by setting the right goals and using the best new techniques for monitoring your progress. Once you master these techniques and establish the right habits, willpower gets easier: you'll need less conscious mental energy to avoid temptation. That's neither magic nor empty self-help sloganeering, but rather a solid path to a better life.

Combining the best of modern social science with practical wisdom, Baumeister and Tierney here share the definitive compendium of modern lessons in willpower. As our society has moved away from the virtues of thrift and self-denial, it often feels helpless because we face more temptations than ever. But we also have more knowledge and better tools for taking control of our lives. However we define happiness-a close- knit family, a satisfying career, financial security-we won't reach it without mastering self-control.]]> 291 Roy F. Baumeister 1594203075 Leo 5
In practical terms, it seems like people have an exhaustible supply of willpower, and that everything taps into the same supply � that is, rather than having willpower for dieting and willpower for not biting your nails and willpower for not smoking, you have willpower for “everything� which can be used up when you’re trying not to eat or to bite or to smoke. Furthermore, willpower is exhaustible, meaning that you only have so much of it during the day. If you use some for not eating candy from the bowl next to you, then you might not have any left when someone offers you a cigarette an hour later. This is the bad news. The good news is two-fold: that willpower can be strengethened, just like a muscle, and that there are hacks that let you accomplish what you want without tapping into your limited supply. The book is very practical.]]> 3.94 2011 Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength
author: Roy F. Baumeister
name: Leo
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2011/09/28
shelves:
review:
This book was awesome. In recent years, there has been a lot of research on willpower. What is willpower? Can it be depleted? Can it be developed? If it can be developed, then how? The authors answer all of these questions while citing numerous scientific studies. One of the coauthors is a scientist while the other is a New York Times science journalist, and that’s a great mix for a book like this.

In practical terms, it seems like people have an exhaustible supply of willpower, and that everything taps into the same supply � that is, rather than having willpower for dieting and willpower for not biting your nails and willpower for not smoking, you have willpower for “everything� which can be used up when you’re trying not to eat or to bite or to smoke. Furthermore, willpower is exhaustible, meaning that you only have so much of it during the day. If you use some for not eating candy from the bowl next to you, then you might not have any left when someone offers you a cigarette an hour later. This is the bad news. The good news is two-fold: that willpower can be strengethened, just like a muscle, and that there are hacks that let you accomplish what you want without tapping into your limited supply. The book is very practical.
]]> <![CDATA[The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate]]> 567795 Falling in love is easy. Staying in love—that's the challenge. How can you keep your relationship fresh and growing amid the demands, conflicts, and just plain boredom of everyday life?

In the #1 New York Times international bestseller The 5 Love Languages, you'll discover the secret that has transformed millions of relationships worldwide. Whether your relationship is flourishing or failing, Dr. Gary Chapman's proven approach to showing and receiving love will help you experience deeper and richer levels of intimacy with your partner—starting today.

The 5 Love Languages is as practical as it is insightful. Updated to reflect the complexities of relationships today, this new edition reveals intrinsic truths and applies relevant, actionable wisdom in ways that work.]]> 204 Gary Chapman 1881273156 Leo 5 4.21 1990 The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate
author: Gary Chapman
name: Leo
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1990
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2011/09/28
shelves:
review:
A friend of mine recommended this book to me, and it was a surprisingly good read given the high potential for being pure fluff. The gist is that different things make different people feel loved: for some it’s words of encourangement or affection, for others it’s spending quality time together or receiving gifts. Relationships experience problems when something works for you, and you automatically assume it works for other people (“Gifts make me feel good, so I will give the other person gifts to make them feel good.� Except maybe the other person doesn’t care about gifts and would much rather spend some time together. Oops.) The book is written in the context of couples, but there’s a clear extension to applying its lessons to parents and children, friends, and pretty much any kind of relationship.
]]> <![CDATA[Superheroes: The Best of Philosophy and Pop Culture]]> 12062102 Explore the philosophical depths of Batman, Superman, Captain America, and your other favorite superheroes—FOR FREE!Behind the cool costumes, special powers, and unflagging determination to fight evil you’ll find fascinating philosophical questions and concerns deep in the hearts and minds of your favorite comic book heroes.Why doesn't Batman just kill the Joker and end everyone's misery? Does Peter Parker have a good life? What can Iron Man teach us about the role of technology in society? Bringing together key chapters from books in the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series, this free superhero sampler engages the intellectual might of big thinkers like Aristotle and Kant to answer these questions and many others, giving you new insights on everything from whether Superman is truly an American icon to whether Wolverine is the same person when he loses his memory.Features exclusive bonus all-new chapters on Captain America and ThorGives you a sneak peek at upcoming Avengers and Philosophy, Spider-Man and Philosophy, and Superman and PhilosophyIncludes superheroes from both the DC and Marvel the Avengers, Batman, Captain America, Green Lantern, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Superman, Thor, Watchmen, and the X-MenGives you a perfect introduction to the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series Whether you're looking for answers or looking for fun, this classic compilation will save the day by helping you gain a deeper appreciation of your favorite comics with an introduction to basic philosophical principles.]]> 157 William Irwin 1118153480 Leo 1 3.60 2011 Superheroes: The Best of Philosophy and Pop Culture
author: William Irwin
name: Leo
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2011
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2011/09/28
shelves:
review:
I don’t read comic books, but this title sounded like a very fun read. Sadly, I couldn’t finish this book. I read the first chapter and skimmed a few more, but couldn’t continue because of a glaring problem: the book assumes you are intimately familiar with various superhero stories. Here are a few sample sentences from a chapter on Thor: “Indeed, when Odin deliberates on Thor’s punishment, he is advised by no less than Seidring the Merciless, who reminds him that ‘justice is justice.� Odin decides to take half of Thor’s strength � while he’s battling Hercules � at which even Seidring (the Merciless, remember) balks, but the All-Father is firm.� Uh, what? I watched Thor several times, so I’m one step up from a complete layman, but I have no idea what the author is talking about.
]]> <![CDATA[Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High]]> 15014
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]]> 240 Kerry Patterson 0071401946 Leo 5 4.04 2002 Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High
author: Kerry Patterson
name: Leo
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2002
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2011/09/28
shelves:
review:
A book like this has a high potential for being hokie or trite, so I was skeptical despite the Amazon reviews. To my surprise, the content was solid. The core principle of the book is that important conversations (with spouses, managers, friends, etc.) go wrong because at least one of the people doesn’t feel safe discussing their viewpoint. This might be due to how past conversations went, fear of rejection, fear of getting fired, or a number of other reasons. When someone doesn’t feel safe, they usually clam up or get aggressive (sarcastic, defensive, critical, etc.). Each section of this book discusses different ways to create a safe conversational environment. This sounds corny, but there are great tips for how to overcome someone being defensive or hostile or generally unreceptive � including if that “someone� is you.
]]> <![CDATA[Think Twice: Harnessing the Power of Counterintuition]]> 6833940
Why is it so hard to make sound decisions? We fall victim to simplified mental routines that prevent us from coping with the complex realities inherent in important judgment calls. Yet these cognitive errors are preventable. In Think Twice, Michael Mauboussin shows you how to recognize-and avoid-common mental missteps, including:

-Misunderstanding cause-and-effect linkages

-Aggregating micro-level behavior to predict macro-level behavior

-Not considering enough alternative possibilities in making a decision

-Relying too much on experts

Sharing vivid stories from business and beyond, Mauboussin offers powerful rules for avoiding each error. And he explains how to know when it's time to think twice-to question your reasoning and adopt decision-making strategies that are far more effective, even if they seem counterintuitive.

Master the art of thinking twice, and you'll start spotting dangerous mental errors-in your own decisions and in those of others. Equipped with this awareness, you'll soon begin making sounder judgment calls that benefit (rather than hurt) your organization.]]> 224 Michael J. Mauboussin 1422176754 Leo 5 3.87 2009 Think Twice: Harnessing the Power of Counterintuition
author: Michael J. Mauboussin
name: Leo
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2011/09/28
shelves:
review:
This book is dedicated to exposing mistakes people make as a result of poor intuition. The problem is that our intuition was great for the last few million years, but it has become inappropriate or ineffective in the last century or two due to the rapid innovations in technology, psychology, marketing, and so on. For example, people favor anecdotes over statistics. In one study, people were given a hypothetical choice between a cancer treatment that worked 30% of the time and one that worked 90% of the time. They were also given an anecdote of the 30% treatment succeeding and the 90% treatment failing. Amazingly, most people picked the 30% treatment because of the anecdote, even though it was three times less likely to work. Think Twice is somewhat practical, but what I really enjoyed were all of the studies that were discussed. A lot of pop psych books these days rehash the same experiments over and over: the marshmallow experiment, the Stanford prison study, the Milgram electro-shock experiment, and so on. The examples in Think Twice were new � at least to me � and made the book a much more interesting read.
]]> Throwback 1336478 250 David Hall 0595340067 Leo 2 ]]> 3.59 2004 Throwback
author: David Hall
name: Leo
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2004
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2011/09/28
shelves:
review:
I downloaded this book because it was free, and then wasted time reading it. I guess there’s no such thing as a free lunch. It’s not clear from the Amazon page, but I think this is a book for young adults. Perhaps because of the intended audience, the characters are amusingly one-dimensional and the plot is thin. Disappointingly, the one plot element that seems interesting and promising is left unresolved at the end of the story.

]]> <![CDATA[The Ultimate Investment, Achieving Life's Highest Returns, An Allegory]]> 10764320
It's the outcome of 20+ years of working with extremely wealthy people and consulting with over 250 small businesses. The Ultimate Investment is revealed in a simple story you can read in about two hours.]]> 0 Hunt A. Conrad Leo 1
The problem is that even though the moral of the book is obvious by page 10, the book rambles on for another 90 pages, using deliberately clueless characters to illustrate its point. Furthermore, the message is not even that deep. It’s not about how to use your time well, or how to figure out how to use your time well � it’s merely about time being an important resource that everyone has access to. Duh.]]> 3.33 2011 The Ultimate Investment, Achieving Life's Highest Returns, An Allegory
author: Hunt A. Conrad
name: Leo
average rating: 3.33
book published: 2011
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2011/09/28
shelves:
review:
Summary: Husband and wife are struggling with finding meaning and happiness in life. They stumble upon a series of mysterious notes at the library which are presented as a map for uncovering the “Ultimate Investment.� Everyone gets the same amount of this investment daily, and the quality of your life depends greatly on how you apply it. If you guessed that the ultimate investment is “time,� you’re right.

The problem is that even though the moral of the book is obvious by page 10, the book rambles on for another 90 pages, using deliberately clueless characters to illustrate its point. Furthermore, the message is not even that deep. It’s not about how to use your time well, or how to figure out how to use your time well � it’s merely about time being an important resource that everyone has access to. Duh.
]]>