Hmmm. I can’t tell if this is a bad book, or just isn’t the book that I wanted or needed it to be. I’m in the midst of a bit of a self-improvement kick (and my books this year will likely reflect that), and bought this one during one of my many ill-advised book store visits. It looked interesting, and even seemed to offer suggestions for people like me, who have ‘good’ jobs but just feel like they might be in the wrong career and […]
Our Iceberg is Melting
I have a new boss and he has this wonderful library of leadership and environmental non-fiction that he gives us all full access to. This is the first book from his library that I’ve borrowed, and I have two more sitting on my desk at work waiting for me. Our Iceberg is Melting by John Kotter is a parable about change management. It can be read in an evening, but should probably be read more slowly to truly digest the concepts. More
On Despotism, Famine, and Glimmers of Hope
Imagine this. You’re a college student from a fairly prosperous family. You know things are starting to go wrong in your country, but your position in life shelters you from the profoundly bad shit that’s going down. You have a girlfriend, but social mores and the difference in your stations mean that the most you’ve ever done is hold her hand during late-night walks down unlit streets. But then, your family begins to run out of money, long after less fortunate people have already begun […]
Well, I was told you’d be profound
I admit, a good 90% of the reason I wanted to read this book was the title. It’s a genius, a masterstroke in fact. But ultimately it turned out to be, if not quite the high point of the book, it was certainly one of the very few noteworthy moments. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed this, but when something is described as “wry, hilarious and profoundly genuine” and has a gushing jacket quote from A.M. Homes, well, you’re setting the bar terribly high […]
A Book to Truly Envy
This book was a CBR recommendation from Alannaofdoom and I wasn’t disappointed. In fact, I’m calling it now as one of my top five books for the year. Nothing to Envy is based on the lives of North Korean defectors, whom Demick reported on extensively during her time working as the Los Angeles Times Bureau chief in Korea. Her book focuses on six individuals, all from Chongjin. It is beautifully written, at times reading like a fictional novel rather than a journalistic work of non-fiction. […]
He was so much more…
Where Men Win Glory takes it’s title from a translation of the Iliad – “Who among mortal men are you, good friend? Since / never before have I seen you in the fighting where / men win glory, yet now you have come striding far / out in front of all others in your great heart…” I don’t think that the parallel to Achilles is particularly apt. Achilles desired to win glory for himself whereas Pat Tillman never seemed to care for glory. Nevertheless, it […]