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#56: Do 52 Books In 52 Weeks, No Cheating

poweredbytofu — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:26:00 +0000

I started the 52 Books in 52 Weeks Book Project in July of 2007, and while I did miss a few weeks here and there, I’m considering it complete! What I really enjoyed about participating in this challenge is that it reminds you to keep reading. Sometimes when life gets busy you forget to pick out new books or even make time to read at all. The downfall of this project is that the structure is fairly intense and doesn’t account for 944 page books like Shantaram: A Novel, which was the best book I’ve ever read. It’s simply brilliant!

See my 52 Books in 52 Weeks List

#56: 52 Books in 52 Weeks | Week 17 – Eat, Pray, Love

poweredbytofu — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 03:10:45 +0000

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia just didn’t do it for me. The title is probably the best thing about the book, but I guess that’s why you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s title (or featured destinations). I really tried to be interested in this book, but the author’s perspective just really rubbed me the wrong way. It was too whiny and forced, and it’s not like I couldn’t have identified with it, I just didn’t. I wish I would have checked this out at the library instead of purchasing it. Now I’m starting to sound whiny!

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia

#56: 52 Books in 52 Weeks | Week 16 – The Glass Castle

poweredbytofu — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 02:48:03 +0000

The Glass Castle is an emotional, but exceptional book. Yes, many families have their own Rex Walls, and the accuracy of the author’s childhood memories could be questioned, but that really wasn’t the point of the book for me. This memoir is about family and acceptance. While I can’t claim to have had such a harsh childhood as the author, I could identify with the book. There’s a lesson to be learned of distancing and accepting family, and in that order.

The Glass Castle: A Memoir

#56: 52 Books in 52 Weeks | Week 14 – Animal Farm

poweredbytofu — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 01:38:12 +0000

Knocking out a classic this week. Shocking as it sounds, I had never read Orwell’s Animal Farm. I liked it. It was short and full of intended symbolism and political “humor.” Yes, it belongs on the classic list.

Animal Farm (Signet Classics)

#56: 52 Books in 52 Weeks | Week 13 – Getting Things Done

poweredbytofu — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 04:26:59 +0000

You either love or hate GTD (Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity). Although the Allen-ite way of productivity seems to have lost it’s best-seller momentum, it’s still a decent way to get things accomplished. So I decided a re-read was in order. I hadn’t read this book in a few years, so it was nice to have a little refresher of how not to waste time thinking about all the stuff you have to do.

But I had forgotten how time consuming some of the “lists” are. Last year, I stopped using 3-4 different lists (waiting for, someday/maybe etc) and just started using Remember The Milk instead. This is way less time consuming. I’ll be detailing my “Getting Things Done: Take 2″ in a later post.

If the GTD method escapes you, you can always try the WSD method.

#56: 52 Books in 52 Weeks | Week 12 – The 4 Hour Work Week

poweredbytofu — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 04:48:25 +0000

I have mixed reviews about The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich. First, it’s an excellent reminder of how short life is and that we should pursue what makes us “happy”, not stay in dead-end jobs etc. However, I really dislike the idea of “outsourcing” your life and producing or managing random products (that don’t create value) just for revenue, to go live selfish lives.

Differences of opinion aside, it’s great to be reminded of taking mini-retirements. The first section is about fear and defining what you’d like to do and the worst case scenario if it didn’t work out. The next section covers freeing up time, so it’s kind of the opposite of “Getting Things Done” and more about streamlining so you have less to get done. The rest of the book was about outsourcing your life and generating income, so I really enjoyed the first half of the book a lot more. Overall, I would recommend the book because it makes you take a closer look at the life that your living (or not). Sometimes it’s good to take a zoomed-in look at your life, decisions, and future plans.

The List: 52 Book | 52 Weeks

#56: 52 Books in 52 Weeks | Week 11 – Speaking with the Angel

poweredbytofu — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 17:52:09 +0000

I had the most deja-vu feeling while reading this book. Anyway, Speaking with the Angelis kind of a sampler of 12 authors all around the same genre (Fielding, Bank, Hornby) and edited by Nick Hornby. Each story is set in first person, so it runs along the same theme, but I really wasn’t as impressed with the collection as I am with several of the authors’ previous books.

The List: 52 Book | 52 Weeks

#56: 52 Books in 52 Weeks | Week 10 – Encore Provence

poweredbytofu — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 16:01:54 +0000

If only Peter Mayle would move to more countries and regions and then document his journey. I love reading these books! If you’ve been to the area he’s talking about, it makes you giggle; and if you haven’t then it just makes you want to go there. Organized in no particular order, the chapters are like little excerpts of the region – some short stories, others city guides. A Year in Provence is definitely a better book, but Encore Provence: New Adventures in the South of France is a great follow-up.

“There’s no doubt about it. Food tastes better on Sunday.” — Encore Provence

The List: 52 Book | 52 Weeks

#56: 52 Books in 52 Weeks | Week 9 – Small Is the New Big and 183 Other Riffs, Rants, and Remarkable Business Ideas

poweredbytofu — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 00:26:57 +0000

I like how this book is divided into alphabetized 1 page blurbs (otherwise known as riffs, rants and ideas). While all 183 are not remarkable it, it’s a great read/listen. I first checked this book out from the library and after skipping around, reading a few pages, I checked out the audio book. I think this book is better listened to than read. It’s more fun to listen to several minutes in the car or on my laptop. And I really enjoy listening to an audio book that’s narrated by the author. It’s much more personal and you feel like you’re getting the right tone/inflections.

Small Is the New Big: and 183 Other Riffs, Rants, and Remarkable Business Ideas by Seth Godin

The List: 52 Book | 52 Weeks

#56: 52 Books in 52 Weeks | Week 8 – Don’t Think of an Elephant! Know Your Values and Frame the Debate

poweredbytofu — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 19:42:30 +0000

This week, I read Don’t Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate–The Essential Guide for Progressives by George Lakoff. It was written a few years ago (pre-’04 election), so it has that kind of “frame” around it. :) As a voter, I’m neither a democrat or republican, (although I lean a little left) so this book was very interesting. I had never thought about politics in the sense of voting your identity versus your self-interest. It’s a great explanation for those that vote Republican over and over again, even though they’re not getting anything out of the deal. It’s like when you want to say to people, “But you don’t make enough to be a Republican!” :)

As far as the nurturing parent / strict father example… I agree, but I guess that’s also what puts me in the middle of the road in politics too. Although I had more of a strict father upbringing, my views are closer to the nurturing parent world view. However, I also have the conservative view of “why should I have to subsidize the laziness of others?”. I really think America needs a 3rd party (not the libertarians, they’re not ambitious enough), that is for helping/nurturing our “family” of a country, but with an end in sight. I don’t like the Republican view of just cutting off funding or the progressive view of “maintenance” funding – stringing along people with a little help instead of helping them with their root issues (job placement, substance abuse etc). It’s the Republican in me… I do have a problem with people being dependent, there should be time lines to get those that are dependent out on their own.

Enough politics for today…

The List: 52 Book | 52 Weeks