Eric Candino
Ughhh short stories are so short. This had a great start but left me wanting more. Overall this book is a collection of short stories. A few of them were really good, a few were ok and a few I didn't quite wrap my head around. Hoping this goes up to 4 stars the next time I read it.
An amazing in-depth biography of Rockefeller and Standard Oil. Only short on a star because it was such a monster to get through. So much detail in this behemoth!
Super interesting read. Has a Memento or Vantage Point feel to it. A great book about people in the punk rock scene and how they grow up and change over the years. The first chapter absolutely pulls you in and then it kind of levels off and ends in an odd sci-fi way but overall this book makes you think.
Great book for learning how to network and use that network. Keith speaks that above all we should try and be generous and help people and they will then some of the time return the favor. Always walk into meetings prepared and asking yourself how can I help this person?
What a wonderful story about growing up and childhood friends. The kite runner really shows the tarnish that has taken place in Afghanistan since the communists took over and what a sad state is has become in a lot of ways. Really a shocking tale about the capabilities of people and how bad the world can get. The good news is that this book also shows a lot about how far we've come and that people can change.
Awesome overview of the Comanches and the plains Indians as the Spanish and then Americans settled Texas and Oklahoma.
Not sure if its because I already have internalized most of these but I didn't find much here. There's a lot of quality advice in general but I kept getting the feeling that here's some guy who's done pretty well in life but the author is trying to abstract his insights and leanings to everyone in the whole world. The book also feels like a series of tweets or blogs posts most of the time. Nothing wrong with that but the author didn't do much to mold the content into a book format. Overall great stuff and will keep coming back to this book for quotes but not the most cohesive book.
Great quick read and has some captivating moments but I wanted more character development and didn't take away as much as everyone else seems to.
Awesome framework to think about not just being a CEO but also a great manager (team lead). A lot of practical tips and advice across many topics. My only complaint was there wasn't enough
Great story about the terrible sacrifices and journey a migrant family has to make to get to El Norte. Really loved the character development and the intertwined spanish. A great reminder of how cushy life is in the states.
Great story about growing up against the odds and the power of educate to lift people out of life's misfortunes.
This was a tough one to get through. A very interesting concept of an Old Testament story in the Greek epic style, Paradise Lost, seemed super interesting. I however had a tough time with the dense language and poetic nature of 17th century English. Perhaps this is something that gets better with multiple reads. Definitely a lot of detail hiding for those willing to take in all in.
Random thought - this concept would make an amazing marvel style movie
Wow this had a lot of depth to it. The story about a young author joining a whaling expedition quickly turns into a metaphor for the extent man is whiling to go to settle a score and prove a point. Melville does a great job layering great characters, places and imagery along the way. It's a long read but a great one for the next time you're on a cruise or boat trip ;)
The last in the series. This one was a tad odd because it was written from a characters perspective. The ending was great though!
A classic (70s) but has some solid advice for taking on the great classics of every genre. How to read a book teaches you to read in phases so you may better absorb, understand and debate the subject you're reading.
Another twist and turn in this series. The king's brother plots and schemes his way to the throne. Lots of interesting historical facts and dynamics. Was a quick read!
Part 2 in the series. Not as good as book but the suspense never ends in Medieval France. This series is a truly great blend of history and Game of Thrones. Can't believe its all loosely true
The drama in this series continues. This book jumps into the aftermath after the original king's death and how he goes about ruling. A historical game of thrones continues only in 300 pages versus 1000.
Another great story about France and England leading up to the hundred years war. This one had a ton of action especially at the end!!
A plunge into the drama and power battles of medieval France. The first book in the series provides a glimpse into life back in the 1300s. Who knew this was all somewhat true. Great historical fiction. Also makes total sense that George RR Martin was inspired by this series for Game of Thrones
Great intro to thinking about strategy. This author does a nice job of intertwining both private and public sectors and pointing to good and bad strategy. My only knock is that it can feel a bit preachy at times. Would have loved more examples and to go into more detail about forming strategy.
Great NYC period piece about the Golden Age of Manhattan. It's amazing how much has changed and how much has stayed the same in 80 years. Same author as A Gentleman in Moscow and ever bit as good. This reminds me of much earlier tales by F Scott Fitzgerald and Salinger.