Originally published in 1989 and since republished several times in many different languages. This book has become the de facto standard in self help in the business sphere.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
My Thoughts
This is an outstanding book and I’ve read it several times. It isn’t meant to be read through at one sitting but is better used as a reference. However, I find it is inspiring to listen to and I get more out it each time.
Published in Oct 2017, The State of Affairs is a book discussing the contemporary view on marriage and sexuality. More particularly about why people stray from their marriages and commitments in general.
The State of Affairs
My Thoughts
Talk about a depressing book! As someone who has experienced divorce and being cheated on, this book was not only painful but insightful. I am consistently trying to learn and grow from my experiences and this book gave me some things to think about.
One of the hardest things of post-marital life is confronting where I had issues. (Some of which I didn’t know about until I remarried.) Some of the main takeaways here was that her affair was different for her than it was for me. This book had me break away from some of the black and white thinking I had on the issue. It also was a good reminder to talk through a dozen more things with my wife.
My favorite line from the book was, “I’d recommend having an affair like I’d recommend getting cancer.” I wholeheartedly agree.
Recommendation
I told my wife it was worth the read but I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone.
Published in 2007, Write It When I’m Gone is a book of essays and information from a member of the media that followed him through the vice presidency, through the Presidency and beyond.
Write It When I’m Gone
My Thoughts
President Ford was outside of my time. All I really knew was the satire and a little bit of the history of that time. This book really changed my perspective in seeing a little bit of the man behind the falls and so on.
A few choice takeaways was how much he didn’t like Ronald Reagan and how approachable he was. I didn’t know about his work outside of the Presidency or how he really set the stage for the modern post-presidential business model.
Published in January of 2011, My Father at 100 is a biography of President Ronald Reagan from the perspective of his youngest child.
My Father at 100
My Thoughts
A very interesting read. I have to admit, I didn’t know who the original “Gipper” was or that everyone called President Reagan “Dutch”. Ronald Reagan was the President I remember most from my childhood but there was a lot I missed. In some ways, this book was perfect for me as it gave me a picture of the man from the point of view I had at the time. That of a child…
First published in 2009, Letter to my Daughter is a book written by Maya Angelou about lessons learned in her life. It is written in the format of several essays with the tone of a grandmother speaking to a younger person.
Letter to My Daughter
My Thoughts
I can’t say I liked it. There were some good lessons there but I wouldn’t agree with all of them. I wanted to like it but I was surprised by the amount of bitterness in the book. She was raised in a terrible placed and had experiences I have trouble relating to. With all she had accomplished and the years and years she spent with the respect of so many, it saddened me that the bitterness is still there. It took some of my hope away that we may one day get past the pettiness of skin color.
Originally published in 1994, Why Marriages Succeed or Fail is a book from Dr. John Gottman about warning signs and what to do if your marriage is in trouble. The book has tests and guides for the individual to help tailor their treatment to their needs.
Why Marriages Succeed of Fail
My Thoughts
A great book full of useful information. You can’t help but be nicer to your spouse while reading the book.
It is from the 90’s though so it was interesting to read through some the statements that likely wouldn’t play well today. (E.g. Gender norms and so on.) I believe we have swung pretty far out there and I believe Dr. Gottman’s book to be closer to my belief system.
Published in May of 2017, Dad is Fat is the autobiographical musings of Jim Gaffigan. The book is interspersed with jokes from several of his specials.
Dad is Fat
My Thoughts
After reading that terrible book by Hunter Biden, I wanted something a little lighter and definitely more fun. Jim Gaffigan didn’t disappoint! The book is hilarious and speaks to me directly as a father of 4. (I’m so glad I don’t live in New York!)
Recommendation
Great book that despite its 288 pages was still over too fast…
Published in April of 2021, Beautiful Things is the autobiographical account of Hunter Biden, son of our 46th President. This is an apologetically unvarnished look at the life of an addict in the spotlight of politics.
Beautiful Things
My Thoughts
The only reason I read this was because I’m always interested in the other side of the story. I was interested to hear from Hunter Biden himself and see what he had to say about his life. There wasn’t much redemption there…
This book was painful to read through. I suspect it was painful for him to write as well. The really sad thing is the only reason anyone is interested in his life at all is that his dad became President of the United States.
Recommendation
The book is full of bitterness and failure. I’d skip this one.
Published in June of 2021, The Man I Knew is the biography of George Herbert Walker Bush, our 41st President of the United States. This comes from the perspective of his Chief of Staff (Jean Becker) throughout the years as President and up to his death.
The Man I Knew
My Thoughts
I didn’t really think a lot of President HW Bush or Bush 41. As I was less interested in Politics at the time and more in SNL, most of my knowledge of the man was through Dana Carvey.
Still, I really enjoyed the book and am impressed with what he was able to accomplish. This book didn’t have much before his presidency, which makes sense given the author, but I was completely blind to the great things he did after his term in office. This book highlighted several things I didn’t know or just wasn’t paying any attention to. (E.g. His friendship with Bill Clinton, his service to China, his humanitarian projects.)
Published in April of 2021, Madam Speaker is the biography of the first female Speaker of the House in America, Nancy Pelosi. The story begins with her grandparents, parents, and finally through the events of her life.
Madam Speaker
My Thoughts
I am not a Nancy Pelosi fan. I find her politics to be far too partisan and left leaning for my tastes. However, I was surprised to hear a number of facts about her. For example, I didn’t know she grew up on the East Coast and that her father was the mayor of Annapolis Maryland. The book made a point that most folks believe she was a product of her district (San Francisco) and I have to admit I was one of them.
I can respect she is the first female speaker of the house and that she is a hard worker. However, not much else was endearing to me. (I did enjoy reading through the section when “the Squad” showed up and caused all kinds of issues.) She strikes me as a busybody social elite who thinks she knows how the rest of us are supposed to live. Unfortunately, she has the power to make that happen.
Recommendation
It wasn’t a bad read and had some surprises. However, I suspect it won’t change anyone’s mind about who she is. Read if you are interested.
