Consider a book-Books worth reading

This book was thoroughly thought-provoking. My Lukwarm rating isn't because I think the writing or the material was "meh". The problem is, it lacks a conclusion. The good bits. The first 16-17 years of the book are an excellent read. It gives some real perspective in to the importance of a deep and broad education in terms of empowering the little guy. It also highlights the importance of the community. Every time Tara would recount one of her nightmarish scenes I was screaming in my head WHERE IS HER BISHOP!?/Hometeacher/ young woman's leaders/ neighbor. It was good to hear how she got out of a bad situation and how she stood up for herself and then made such strides in educating herself. It was fantastic to hear about all the help she received from various people including her bishop, once she got out of her home. What it's not.  I've listened to a few interviews and read a few reviews and many of the interviewers and critics who haven't read th...

I wonder why I'm still reading Gladwell. The short answer is he gets me thinking. Please see this post for a more thorough breakdown of my thoughts on reading or now reading this author. This book certainly falls into the same category. Beyond the usual tropes of confusing correlation and causation, and the predictably good storytelling there are a few basically correct and simultaneously good conclusions to be drawn from this book. People aren't very good at interpreting what strangers are thinking or who they are. We are much worse at it than we think. (contrary to the authors earlier assertions in Blink ). Nevel Chamberlin's confidence that Hitler was "trustworthy" is a good case-in-point. Gladwell also drew in some statistical evidence from criminality cases etc. Certain types of people are intrinsically more suspicious. This might be due to personality, this might be due to profession. Most people tend to error on the side of trust( Type II error),...

Darren Hardy is an interesting guy. I first learned about him when a friend alerted me to his "Darren Daily" morning motivational videos. The videos are OK— nothing to write home about. He isn't exactly brilliant and a lot of the videos come off as over-the-top but those videos, in turn, alerted me to the book. The book is Darren at his best. It was carefully considered and well written. It's worth having a closer look. The foundation of the book is simple; it's in the title. Small steps, when done consistently make a world of difference. Darren doesn't claim to bring any new information to the game. Indeed, he quotes Jim Rone when he warns “Truth is not new, it’s old. Be suspicious of the guy with ‘new antiques.’” Instead, he claims to be bringing a new strategy. As a strategist, I think that claim is far too generous. A strategy is quintessentially insight about information and that’s not what Darren offers. From my perspective, what he offers is m...

I can’t give any kind of summary of this book that hasn’t been given before. It’s been widely dissected, superimposed, and even applied. Instead, I’ll just copy and paste a general outline with some of my thoughts and favorite quotes as sub-bullets. I hope it’s helpful. ·        Part 1: Fundamental Techniques in Handling People Principle 1: Don’t criticize condemn, or complain Principle 2: Give honest and sincere appreciation “Be hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise” I found this principle the most useful. Carnegie reiterates it throughout the remainder of the book. If I have one takeaway from this book, it is to praise everyone for everything that is praiseworthy. Look for the good in people and point out every bit of it you can see. Principle 3: Arouse in the other person an eager want This is a cute idea, and it’s the crux of the sale; but it’s not somethin...