Alex

I've been a fan of Michelle Obama, and the Obama family, since Barrack was a state senator in Illinois. I had read Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope, so I had some insight into Barrack but none into Michelle. She has always seemed to be bright, compassionate, hard-working, and genuinely good. After reading Becoming, it seems she is all that and more.

A few random takeaways:

- It's worth remembering that most commentators have no insight into their subjects actual state of mind or personality. How many opinion pieces about Michelle Obama have I read without thinking about whether the authors had any real access to her thinking or herself? She relates a story about Christopher Hitchens criticizing her personally in a way that I'm not sure I will ever forget, and has permanently lowered my opinion of Hitchens.

- We won't know the full impact of the Obama presidency from a policy point of view for decades to come, but the value of their time in White House as a symbol of inclusion and the diversity of American life will never diminish. It's so important that people like the Obamas (black, yes, but also lower/middle class strivers) can become President and First Lady.

- Reading about people like the Obamas makes me envious and a little depressed. I was born to more privilege and yet do barely 1% of what they do to “build the world as it should be.” Why!? I wish I knew what animates people like them and why I can't seem to find that same motivation.

I love peak Michael Crichton, and this book shows some hints of that form, but this doesn't have anywhere near the strength of Jurassic Park or Timeline.

This is the 2nd Ishiguro book I've chosen to stop reading before reaching the end and I'm confused. I remember loving “Remains of the Day” but this is just slow dialogue and I can't do it. It may be great in the end, but I couldn't do it.

The story of this trilogy is fascinating and thought-provoking, but I just wish I enjoyed it more. Compared to [b:Red Mars 77507 Red Mars (Mars Trilogy, #1) Kim Stanley Robinson https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1440699787l/77507.SY75.jpg 40712], this book is certainly slower-paced. I found myself skipping pages every now and then, especially during Maya's chapter. If Robinson had a more aggressive editor who could have cut 15-20% of the words, this would have been a very welcome sequel. Nevertheless, I'm on to the next book to see where all of this goes.

tl;dr: We should quit the things we can't or won't be able to slog through to become the best in world.

The more that I've been reading about positioning over the last couple of years, it's clear that there is an incredible advantage to being the number 1 in a market. You can attract the best talent and partners, command the highest fees, and retain more of the power in your relationships. Being number 2-5 is pretty good, but number 1 is WAY better.

This book effectively makes that point strongly, and then talks through a simple way to evaluate what to quit and what to continue based on this goal of being number 1.