Adam
With the Olympics in South Korea this year, and us visiting southeast Asia, I wanted to learn more about the history of North Korea and it's people. I've heard the horror stories in the news over the last decade of labor camps, extreme hunger and the systematic approach to lying to the people, but this book goes deeper than that - by focusing on actual stories from North Korean defectors.
Some of the stories they tell are warm, like when talking about family and young love. Most are haunting, talking about the physical effects of extreme hunger or carts of corpses being removed from trains that died of hunger the previous night.
The escape process and the integration back into South Korean life is not easy either, and both have their own drawbacks which are explored in this book.
I'm writing this review at 6:30am, after waking up at 6. I normally never wake up before 7:30am. I think that tells you most of what you need to know about this one.
This is an area I've been curious about for a long time. For some of my most productive years, I woke up promptly in the morning and went to the gym for an hour. That morning workout gave me a lot of strength for the rest of the day - more self-control, more optimism, more sense of accomplishment to start the day.
I'd always presumed that was specific to what I was doing (working out). After reading this book, I believe I was off on that presumption. Instead, doing anything productive to start the day can lead to these benefits. This limiting belief - that I'm a night person and that I can't do it – was quickly shut down, and now I'm hoping to give this early riser thing a try.
How do you deal with coworkers who bring you down? Do you try to “fix” them? Try to work better with them? What if their actions prevent you from being the productive team member you want to be?
This is the idea Liz poses between “Deminisher” and “Multipliers”. Multipliers have the ability to make everyone around them better. Deminishers, on the other hand, hinder other peoples abilities to work.
While many of the examples are presented over and over again (which got somewhat monotonous), a few stuck with me. Working with others when you already have a plan in mind can make for an unhappy relationship. The constant reminder in this book to seek context with others and solve their problems first was a leadership takeaway that I could stand to do a better job at.
I've been reading Caits blog for longer than I can remember. Before the finance community was something I knew about, Cait's approach to heartfelt stories about minimalism and consumption was what drew me to read more. This book dives deeper with a narrative that winds through a difficult year.
Going much deeper into personal stories than I expected, the common thread is a story of growth – both towards having less stuff, but also for better understanding what leads to happiness. Editing down a life to focus on what matters is no small undertaking, and many of these stories have inspired me to look at areas of my life that could use a little editing.
When I started this book, I thought it would be more of a “memoir of the craft”, but was surprised to see it's much more of a memoir of King himself. His own rise an author from nothing to one of the biggest names in writing.
I loved the individual stories of hard work, coupled with a mission to just write. From selling short stories to other kids while in school, to submitting to magazines, Kind wrote and wrote and hustled. It would have been easy for him to give up, but he had so much he wanted to say that he couldn't not write.
Ever since I watched Somm on Netflix, I've been fascinated by sommeliers. The amount of work and dedication needed to become a Master is nothing short of crazy. While the movie Somm focuses mostly on the test for those already experienced, Cork Dork follows a path from pure curiosity to career.
For those who want to “break in” to the wine world, it's no small task. It's painted as completely unrealistic to do it on your own, unless you happen to have a few million extra dollars lying around. Instead, the way to do it is to get a job at a restaurant with a notable wine list and use every chance you have to start tasting wines and learning.
The process that upcoming somms go through is far more painful than I thought. Restaurant work aside (which has it's own issues), trying to do that while ALSO becoming a master in taste, service and knowledge is something I'm good not pursuing – but hats off to people who make it their calling.
If nothing else, I got better tips on how to speak to somms as a drinker to communicate what I'm looking for.
What can I say about this book that hasn't already been covered the media? Between opening the doors to a journalist (Wolff) and then treating him like a confident, it's no surprise what happened: the truth got out.
There have been a number of stories that haven't been shared as widely as others from this book that still stuck with me:
• When alone with a colleagues wife that Trump wanted to sleep with, he called her husband on speakerphone and got him to admit to compromising things so he could pursue her (this happened with multiple women). • Jared Kushner is painted as the most knowledgeable person in the entire white house - or at least the one that listens to other people before making his own opinion. • Just how much no one in the campaign wanted to win the election, and that everything they did was to make it seem like less of a blowout so they could all move on to better jobs after the loss.
One of the best books I've ever read. When it comes to science fiction, there's a lot of the same out there. Tchaikovsky writes an entirely original story with amazing characters - not all human.
The premise is this: Earth is in the process of terraforming a new planet to make it habitable. The plan is to contaminate this new world with a genetic virus that will cause the monkies there to become more sentient in the far future. Something goes wrong (we're still in chapter 1 here) and instead a planet of insects are grown.
The most impressive part of this entire story is the focus on insect chemistry and what it would look like for a planet of intelligent spiders to rise. They face many of the same issues we do in our society today - gender rights (although the main issue is to allow males to NOT be eaten after mating), societal structures, trust, communication and math. The approach to solving these issues is entirely insect based, and some of them blew my mind.
Andy Weir hit it out of the park with The Martian - leaving me to wonder if he would be a one-hit wonder. He's not. Artemis sets a tone that's different enough to feel new, but still like Weir. The setting: a future where the Moon is inhabited by 35,000 people - mostly tradesmen and service jobs who support the thriving Moon tourism industry. Like The Martian, what makes this book great is the attention to detail in the science and world building. Ever details makes sense - down to the science behind why coffee sucks in space.
After hearing Tiffany on Saturday Night Live and The Daily Show, I knew I had to check out her book. That same matter-of-fact honest comedy comes through in her writing and her story. I laughed out loud more than once while listening to her sometimes awkward (and sometimes downright sad) stories told to humor.
Warbreaker was one of the first books written by Sanderson, yet it still feels the same as his most recent works. The magic system revolves around “breath” - which has a similarity to peoples souls. The more “breaths” you have drawn from others (by way of them giving them to you), the more unique and powerful abilities you'll have. The way this concept is expanded on, as well as giving and taking breath to others and physical objects makes for a depth of ways to explore this idea.
After the amazingness of books 1-2 it was going to be hard to match up. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and did gasp at many times at what was going on. At first I wanted more of certain characters, then I started to realize Sanderson was concentrating on the characters with the most areas of growth - which made for a more interesting story.
We read this one as a group at Pluralsight. The different approaches to having content connect with people were very interesting. Some of the ideas that I really want to explore more include:
Pre-testing as a way to introduce people to a subject. Multi-subject teachings rather than single subject teaching. Giving time to forget and relearn to help drive a topic in. Give people deliberate interruptions when learning. Helping people teach each other as a way to learn.
I love the original trilogy. The Golden Compass was one of the books that restarted my love for reading/audiobooks. When I heard Pullman was writing a new series I couldn't wait. When I read it, it felt very much in the same world. There were mysteries that organically unraveled to open new possibilities in the world while introducing the characters. This one had a lot of groundwork being laid that I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes in the next book.
Although I'm no longer managing people, I've heard enough people mention this book that I wanted to check it out. The focus is around communicating clearly with people and teams as the way to be the most effective. Opting for empathy over insincerity and candor over aggression. The goal is to actually CARE while challenging people directly.
It's rare for me to read a financial book and nod in agreement so much. Even still J.L. Collins presented a few ideas that challenged my own view on investing - which was happily unexpected. In addition to index fund investing and taking advantage of tax-free growth, two areas he mentioned stood out as things I've advised that he recommends against: dollar cost averaging and international funds. If the market grows more often than not over time, then why DCA? If international markets overwhelmingly track the US market, why invest in intl? Both good questions that i don't have great answers to. Either way, they got me thinking.
This is the first book of Brandon Sandersons, The Stormlight Archive series – which at the time of this writing has only 2 books released for it with about 10 total to be written. The story follows a number of characters involved in a world at war with the Parshendi, a mysterious race close by. Like other Sanderson novels, there is a magical element which is slowly revealed. Although I enjoyed Mistborn more, I identified with the characters in Way of Kings more.
Presenting has always been something I've struggled with. If I'm well prepared and know my stuff, then I'm not at all scared - but when I don't invest the time it shows. Talk like Ted dives deeper into the core of the presentation - focusing on adding pathos, logos and ethos to your talks. I like the idea of sharing memorable experiences and novel statistics as a way to stand out as well.
I've never put much effort into negotiating. Some of the questions asked in this one are excellent ways to help a conversation move forward. For instance, after someone states what they want, asking “how did you determine that?”. Diving into the how and why of someone else helps better understand where they're coming from.
The concept behind “virality” has always seemed vague. In the early internet days before Twitter and big stars with their own internet followings, very few things achieved this. In retrospect it makes sense - the systems weren't there to support the fast flow of ideas. Now though, a single celebrity Tweet can lead to something going viral.
The concept that stuck out to me most was the idea that most people want something new, but they don't want it to be TOO new. They usually want a better version than something they need to be a beginner again. This quote hits on that idea: “Most consumers are simultaneously neophilic – curious to discover new things – and deeply neophobic – afraid of anything that's too new.”
One of the most FUN books I've ever listened to – and read by Wil Wheaton. The premise for this one takes place about 30 years in the future, where the creator of an MMO dies (imagine 2nd Life + WoW + Eve + the web itself + more). His will leaves his assets, and the fate of the game itself, to whoever can find the Easter Egg he hid within Oasis, his game.
The quest to find the Easter Egg dives into geek culture – specifically from the 80s. Games, TV, movies, anime, cartoons, computers, music and too much more to count are referenced. Most of the book takes place in the game itself, allowing for a world where anything can happen without the need to justify. Things get interesting when the high score list highlights names of players – effectively making them targets both in the game and in the real world.
If you're up for an 80s pop culture history lesson in the form of a book, that reads like a game, you should check this out.
After weeks (months?) of hearing me mention how great the “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up” was, Marilyn decided to pick this book up on a recent trip. It wasn't long before she devoured it and started quoting phrases like “if it's elastic, it feels fantastic” and the need to be able to fit a bottle of wine in your purse. Filled with great quips, it's hard not to laugh during this one.