May 23rd, 2009
Winner of the 2008 Man Booker Prize, first time novelist, Aravind Adiga, has written a breakthrough novel that is being compared to the seminal work of Richard Wright and Ralph Elison. The ”invisible” man this time is an Indian driver for the wealthy. Anyone who believes that the caste system is beyond us or that India is a complete and well-functioning democracy will have his or her illusions crushed. This is an unusual and originally formed novel, murder story in the form of letters to the Premier of China. Frankly, I’ve never read anything like it. Amazing from first page to last – and highly informative. Just the type of book I love, storytelling with a higher purpose and message.
May 23rd, 2009
The Last Lecture is a serious, fun, dramatic, heartwarming collection of thoughts from Randy Pausch, a computer science and professor and virtual reality expert at Caneigie Mellon. The Last Lecture is, indeed, his last lecture, because at the age of 47 he is diagnosed with terminal cancer with only a few months to live.
Pausch’s book is about giving that last lecture, his thoughts on life, family, friendship and living to the full despite knowing one’s days are numbered. It’s about fulfulling your own childhood dreams and helping others fulfill theirs. It’s about the legacy you wish to leave after you are gone. I found the book to be uplifting, inspiring and full of good reminders about what is important in life.
May 23rd, 2009
Napoleon Hill is one of the orignator’s of the success and personal growth movement. His book Think and Grow Rich is a well known classic. This book, Success – The Best of Napoleon Hill, is a forerunner to his best seller.
This book summarizes Hill’s seventeen success principles. The first principle: The Master Mind is given the most space and is probably the most important – how to focus your thoughts and how to get others to share this focus.
I enjoy reading examples from the first half of the 19th centrury (i e Woodrow Wilson and not Bill Gates). Sometimes controversial, but always interesting, Hills makes his case for self-control, enthusiasm, accurate thinking, cooperation, tolerande and the habit of health. It is a wonderful reminder of success principles that most likely will hold true for all time.
May 23rd, 2009
Now here’s a book on education and childrearing that I really appreciate and like. Jenifer Fox, headmaster of a high school for girls, has done a fine job mixing theory with examples and personal illustrations. For far too long school (and parents) have focused on correcting weaknesses. An individual will more likely succeed if he or she follows his/her passions and strengths.
I especially appreciated the dialog-examples showing how to ask specific questions about strengths. There is a good section on discipline and a wonderful resource section at the end of the book. The theory of strengths (Clifton, Buckingham and others) is one of the most important ideas to have emerged in the past years. Please do read this book if you at all concerned and engaged in the growth and development of children (and their parents and teachers.)
May 23rd, 2009
In you are not familiar with the Clifton-Buckingham (Gallup organization) theory on strengths or the concept of positive psychology AND you are a teacher, here is a good introduction to these important concepts. The main message is that successful teachers teacher differently, but one thing is common – they do more of what they are good at. They are also adaptable, not always following all the rules and they listen to their students.
By buying the book you will get a free code to the strength finder test. I found the book a good introduction, but was left with a “what’s next” feeling. After the analysis of the strenght finder test I wanted more about what to do.
May 23rd, 2009
After reading The Shock Doctrine I thought I should read something easier and lighter. Easier, maybe, but not lighter – A Thousand Splendid Suns is also shocking in it’s portrayal of the fate of two women in Afghanistan.
Khaled Hosseini’s follow-up to the international best selling, The Kite Runner, is just as readable and engaging, but even a bit more upsetting. Women are disenfranschised, dehumanized, distained and discarded and most readers will certainly find this most disturbing.
Hosseini, however, is a wonderful story-teller and you will find his books to be fascinating and engaging, just don’e expect to kick-back and relax while you read. I didn’t. You won’t either.
May 23rd, 2009
I don’t like conspiracy theories, but after reading Naomi Kleins fascinating and scary book, The Shock Doctrine, I am beginning to wonder. Of course, Klein, long before this study, was clear in her opposition to complete free trade and unfettered corporatism (multi-internationals setting the agenda around the world). This ambitious work ties together political events from Chile and other countries in South America to events in South Africa, Russia, China and even the flooding of Southeast Asia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
The tie in is the lassez-faire economic policy of the Chicago School of Economics and it’s former chief ideolog, Milton Freidman. Klein makes the case that the free market, let the corporations decide, policy (think Reagaonics and Margaret Thatcher) not only does not work (think “trickle down economics”) but is downright harmful to democracy, increasing the wealth of the few and the poverty of the many.
Klein even connects events to the shock and awe events of Iraq to the shock treatment used in clearing the minds of patients and/or war prisoners. Klein attempts to explain the origins of thinking behind the US engagement in Iraq.
This is not easy reading, and certainly scary, but surely a worthwhile investment of your time if your wish to gain a controversial yet important perspective of world events for the last forty years.
May 23rd, 2009
John Taylor Gatto is the Michael Moore of education. If 20% of what he says is true about the history of education then that is scary enough. And this is certainly scary reading. For anyone concerned about the state of education in the United States or for that matter anywhere in the world, the writings of formar New York State teacher of the year, John Taylor Gatto should be mandatory.
I wish he had written in a more research oriented fashion so that his years of research would have a form more acceptable to the academic world. His writing lacks stringency and is too angry to gain wide recognition. This is most unfortunate, because the content is brilliant and more than that – important. This is a thick book. Please read Dumbing us Down for a start. For the more serious reader, The Underground History of American is a must.
May 23rd, 2009
Money makes the world go round… maybe. Few of us received any education about money – how it works and how it is made. The Rich Dag/Poor Dad concept as explained in Robert T Kyosaki’s books provides an excellent base for understanding the flow of money. I recently read Guide to Investing: What the Rich Invest In, That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!
I would recommend any of Kyzosaki’s books because they simply explain things everyone should know even if you don’t follow all his recommendations. Certainly his books should be in the hands of teenagers or young people just starting out. Increase your knowledge about the ways of money is a first step towards more control of not only money, but your life.
May 22nd, 2009
Most people think I am a very orderly person. Sometimes. I do like to be prepared, come on time, find things without having to “hunt and scream” and plan ahead. Yet I am a creative person and do love ideas. Things are not as orderly as they look. A Perfect Mess explains it all. It is a book that describe the “hidden benefits of disorder”. It not only gives everyone an excuse for non-order, but explains even why that may not be even good.
A Perfect Mess
Eric Abrahamson, D…
Best Price $2.99
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