Lucille Ancrath
Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller spends the first 40 pages convincing readers that he is qualified to talk about branding. Considering that readers have (most likely) already purchased his book, I feel like this is a complete waste of time and paper.
The rest of the book is alright, but not great. It basically just tells you what his 7steps to making a good brand are and then expands on each step. But in my opinion, he should have polished up this process and made it clearer.
The way this book is set up, you need to follow a linear trail from one step to the next, when in reality most of the steps depend on each other. If your goals and products are clear, you're probably fine going one step at the time, but if you haven't quite figured yourself out, you start to realize that there is more to these steps then the author is saying. This is especially evident if you are one person trying to develop a personal brand - meaning you aren't an already established brand specializing in e.g. energy bars.
Because of this, I feel like this book is one giant brochure made specifically for brands. A CEO would see this and go “Hey this guy knows what he is doing, let's set up a meeting with his branding company” (which Miller clearly advertises on every second page). But then somehow ‘Building a Story Brand' also became a bestseller? And a bunch of entrepreneurs have read it? And now artists and Instagram pet moms are reading it and his audience is no longer just companies.
Did Miller intend this from the start? Because if so, this really isn't a great book. My recommendation to potential readers is to go online and find a good summary instead of spending money on what is essentially a bloated blog post.
Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller spends the first 40 pages convincing readers that he is qualified to talk about branding. Considering that readers have (most likely) already purchased his book, I feel like this is a complete waste of time and paper.
The rest of the book is alright, but not great. It basically just tells you what his 7steps to making a good brand are and then expands on each step. But in my opinion, he should have polished up this process and made it clearer.
The way this book is set up, you need to follow a linear trail from one step to the next, when in reality most of the steps depend on each other. If your goals and products are clear, you're probably fine going one step at the time, but if you haven't quite figured yourself out, you start to realize that there is more to these steps then the author is saying. This is especially evident if you are one person trying to develop a personal brand - meaning you aren't an already established brand specializing in e.g. energy bars.
Because of this, I feel like this book is one giant brochure made specifically for brands. A CEO would see this and go “Hey this guy knows what he is doing, let's set up a meeting with his branding company” (which Miller clearly advertises on every second page). But then somehow ‘Building a Story Brand' also became a bestseller? And a bunch of entrepreneurs have read it? And now artists and Instagram pet moms are reading it and his audience is no longer just companies.
Did Miller intend this from the start? Because if so, this really isn't a great book. My recommendation to potential readers is to go online and find a good summary instead of spending money on what is essentially a bloated blog post.
As a causal, out-of-curiosity reader, I really just wanted to hear what the title says: How marijuana can improve your life. Unfortunately, this message got muddled by all the THC to CBD proportions that are constantly mentioned throughout this book.
The author clearly did a lot of research, which she quotes regularly (props for that), and knows what she is talking about. But perhaps the majority of this technical data should've been used to make another, more instructional book. I'm sure there are cannabis users out there who appreciate all the proportions, relations and mixes that author talks about, but for a non-smoker, it's overwhelming and unnecessary.
I found the later chaptes, specifically 8: ‘A powerful support for cancer treatment' and 9: ‘Easing the aging process' to be the most interesting. This is partially due to the fact that the author didn't mention THC-CBD as much and partially because these two chapters tell an actual human story and not just quote research. The author also makes it very clear that cannabis should be used as an aid and not as a “cure”.
My final thought on this and other nonfiction books is that for a book to read like a book and not like a thesis or a white paper it needs to tell a story. The only details I remember from The Little Book of Cannabis come from parts that told mini stories about baking, death, struggle with illness, etc. These stories help the reader connect the facts and data to real life and make them memorable. I wish the author focused more on these and less on technical data of compound proportions.
As a causal, out-of-curiosity reader, I really just wanted to hear what the title says: How marijuana can improve your life. Unfortunately, this message got muddled by all the THC to CBD proportions that are constantly mentioned throughout this book.
The author clearly did a lot of research, which she quotes regularly (props for that), and knows what she is talking about. But perhaps the majority of this technical data should've been used to make another, more instructional book. I'm sure there are cannabis users out there who appreciate all the proportions, relations and mixes that author talks about, but for a non-smoker, it's overwhelming and unnecessary.
I found the later chaptes, specifically 8: ‘A powerful support for cancer treatment' and 9: ‘Easing the aging process' to be the most interesting. This is partially due to the fact that the author didn't mention THC-CBD as much and partially because these two chapters tell an actual human story and not just quote research. The author also makes it very clear that cannabis should be used as an aid and not as a “cure”.
My final thought on this and other nonfiction books is that for a book to read like a book and not like a thesis or a white paper it needs to tell a story. The only details I remember from The Little Book of Cannabis come from parts that told mini stories about baking, death, struggle with illness, etc. These stories help the reader connect the facts and data to real life and make them memorable. I wish the author focused more on these and less on technical data of compound proportions.
Going into this I was expecting to hear about black cats and European centered magic, and while the first few chapters are covering just that, the author actually branches out and talks about various other cultures and myths.
In this book, a familiar is pretty much any “imaginary” entity which talks to and guides a human being. This loose definition allows the author to draw and showcase many different connections and similarities between the ancient myths, worldwide.
Some people will have a problem with this, but I think it is very interesting and raises some good points. I also really like that the author explained the origin of some well known words / names. This new knowledge changed the way I view those words and myths created around them.
In conclusion, I enjoyed this book and will probably purchase a physical copy so that I can re-read some parts at my own pace. The author also cites numerous other sources which I'd like to check out.
Going into this I was expecting to hear about black cats and European centered magic, and while the first few chapters are covering just that, the author actually branches out and talks about various other cultures and myths.
In this book, a familiar is pretty much any “imaginary” entity which talks to and guides a human being. This loose definition allows the author to draw and showcase many different connections and similarities between the ancient myths, worldwide.
Some people will have a problem with this, but I think it is very interesting and raises some good points. I also really like that the author explained the origin of some well known words / names. This new knowledge changed the way I view those words and myths created around them.
In conclusion, I enjoyed this book and will probably purchase a physical copy so that I can re-read some parts at my own pace. The author also cites numerous other sources which I'd like to check out.
Faithful to its title. I really liked the introduction and how the author emphasized doing what feels most natural to you. I also appreciate that she put effort into explaining reversals. Yes, sometimes they are just the opposite, but often they carry a deeper message.
One gripe I have with this book is that Cups get 3X more info than the other minor arcana. This implies that the author could have written a lot more about all of them but for some reason just focused on Cups.
I've listened to the audiobook version on Scribd so I don't exactly have it in front of me to draw notes and analyse. Though I'd like to do just that, so I might buy a physical copy.
I'd also like to read the other book by this author, called: Reading the Tarot - the Ultimate Guide to the Rider Waite Tarot Cards
Faithful to its title. I really liked the introduction and how the author emphasized doing what feels most natural to you. I also appreciate that she put effort into explaining reversals. Yes, sometimes they are just the opposite, but often they carry a deeper message.
One gripe I have with this book is that Cups get 3X more info than the other minor arcana. This implies that the author could have written a lot more about all of them but for some reason just focused on Cups.
I've listened to the audiobook version on Scribd so I don't exactly have it in front of me to draw notes and analyse. Though I'd like to do just that, so I might buy a physical copy.
I'd also like to read the other book by this author, called: Reading the Tarot - the Ultimate Guide to the Rider Waite Tarot Cards
Good intro, but I don't think it manages to explain the author's way of “unconventional” card reading. He gives a couple of examples, but they are all kind of short and kept on surface level. I wish he went more in depth on how he comes up with his analysis.
I also don't feel like every book needs to have meanings for each card or rather conventional meanings. Vincent is interesting because he is a little “different” so I would have preferred if he kicked out traditional meanings all together and focused more on his own work.
Good intro, but I don't think it manages to explain the author's way of “unconventional” card reading. He gives a couple of examples, but they are all kind of short and kept on surface level. I wish he went more in depth on how he comes up with his analysis.
I also don't feel like every book needs to have meanings for each card or rather conventional meanings. Vincent is interesting because he is a little “different” so I would have preferred if he kicked out traditional meanings all together and focused more on his own work.
I see that a lot of people found this book scary and put it into the horror category, but to me it feels more like a mediocre slasher movie. There is a lot of gore described in great detail, but most of it just makes me question how it even happened. I'm also not a fan of Stephen's writing style in general.
If anyone has read H.P.Lovecraft's “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” they will know about a chase scene that happens in it. I found that whole story a lot creepier than this book, but the chase scene in particular, was in my opinion done a lot better by Lovecraft.
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Now, the thing that annoyed me during this whole reading experience is that this book could have been about any regular kind of white trash and with minimal changes, the plot would've stayed the same. Essentially, Native Americans could have very easily been “spared” the pointless bad light that this book shines on them.
For starters, The Only Good Indians doesn't actually have many good people in it. It focuses exclusively on a group of poor, fairly uneducated Native Americans driving beaten up trucks and wasting their lives away in bar fights. This might be a somewhat accurate representation of todays youth growing up in the reserves, but without the social commentary on why this is so, I feel like this book simply uses them as a sensation.There are no rituals here, besides one towards the end, that is only used as a convenient plot setting. There is no real folklore, there are no tattoos, no tales, these guys don't even follow their own clan rules. In fact, they don't seem to know much of anything related to their roots. Word “Indian” gets repeated a hundred times in this book, but besides protagonists thinking of themselves as such, there are no other indicators that they are.It's worth noting that the author himself is an Indian so I wonder why he chose to write this book the way he did. If anyone should be aware of both folklore and modern social problems, it should be him. And if anyone should feel the obligation to showcase the beautiful traditions and abilities of a certain group of people, it should be one of them.
Either way, I doubt that most Indians would like to be portrayed in this light. And I also doubt that the wider audience will gather anything positive or useful from this portrayal of Natives.
The Only Good Indians is a good monetization of author's roots, but one that, in my opinion, comes at a moral cost.
I see that a lot of people found this book scary and put it into the horror category, but to me it feels more like a mediocre slasher movie. There is a lot of gore described in great detail, but most of it just makes me question how it even happened. I'm also not a fan of Stephen's writing style in general.
If anyone has read H.P.Lovecraft's “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” they will know about a chase scene that happens in it. I found that whole story a lot creepier than this book, but the chase scene in particular, was in my opinion done a lot better by Lovecraft.
—
Now, the thing that annoyed me during this whole reading experience is that this book could have been about any regular kind of white trash and with minimal changes, the plot would've stayed the same. Essentially, Native Americans could have very easily been “spared” the pointless bad light that this book shines on them.
For starters, The Only Good Indians doesn't actually have many good people in it. It focuses exclusively on a group of poor, fairly uneducated Native Americans driving beaten up trucks and wasting their lives away in bar fights. This might be a somewhat accurate representation of todays youth growing up in the reserves, but without the social commentary on why this is so, I feel like this book simply uses them as a sensation.There are no rituals here, besides one towards the end, that is only used as a convenient plot setting. There is no real folklore, there are no tattoos, no tales, these guys don't even follow their own clan rules. In fact, they don't seem to know much of anything related to their roots. Word “Indian” gets repeated a hundred times in this book, but besides protagonists thinking of themselves as such, there are no other indicators that they are.It's worth noting that the author himself is an Indian so I wonder why he chose to write this book the way he did. If anyone should be aware of both folklore and modern social problems, it should be him. And if anyone should feel the obligation to showcase the beautiful traditions and abilities of a certain group of people, it should be one of them.
Either way, I doubt that most Indians would like to be portrayed in this light. And I also doubt that the wider audience will gather anything positive or useful from this portrayal of Natives.
The Only Good Indians is a good monetization of author's roots, but one that, in my opinion, comes at a moral cost.
This ‘almost a memoir' is funny and charming and very real at times, but also kind of distant. It can honestly feel like playing a story driven video game, but skipping half the cutsceens. Lane glazes over parts of her life that are probably painful to remember, but because of this we are left in the dark on why some things are the way they are. I bet she could write another 500 page ‘Memoir Part 2' about all the things that were left out in this one.
Despite this, I really enjoyed it. I've listened to an audiobook version read by the author herself and it was a great audio experience.
PS, for those who are wondering if this is a self help book, it isn't. I wouldn't even classyify it as that type of memoir that leaves you empowered and motivated. How to Be Alone is simply a witty, feel good, but also sad and confused, but then good again book about one girls journey through life.
This ‘almost a memoir' is funny and charming and very real at times, but also kind of distant. It can honestly feel like playing a story driven video game, but skipping half the cutsceens. Lane glazes over parts of her life that are probably painful to remember, but because of this we are left in the dark on why some things are the way they are. I bet she could write another 500 page ‘Memoir Part 2' about all the things that were left out in this one.
Despite this, I really enjoyed it. I've listened to an audiobook version read by the author herself and it was a great audio experience.
PS, for those who are wondering if this is a self help book, it isn't. I wouldn't even classyify it as that type of memoir that leaves you empowered and motivated. How to Be Alone is simply a witty, feel good, but also sad and confused, but then good again book about one girls journey through life.
It took me a long time to finish these and I'm honestly not a fan. The way he describes the events is just kind of weird to me, it's like I'm reading a medical journal with step by step instructions. It's all very precise and well said, but my mind kept drifting away.
As far as creepy tales go, I much prefer H.P.Lovecraft's descriptions and suspense building.
It took me a long time to finish these and I'm honestly not a fan. The way he describes the events is just kind of weird to me, it's like I'm reading a medical journal with step by step instructions. It's all very precise and well said, but my mind kept drifting away.
As far as creepy tales go, I much prefer H.P.Lovecraft's descriptions and suspense building.
Added to listFic Contemporarywith 54 books.
