Non-Fiction – Page 27 – Ryan's Book Blog

Braving the Wilderness

April 9, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Braving the Wilderness is the 2nd to latest book by Brené Brown which came out in Sep of 2017. It touches on the feelings of belonging and the stories we tell ourselves.

My Thoughts

I was glad of the reminder to keep my mouth shut when I have nothing good to say and of how rare a good friend is in our world. I also enjoyed her comments on the polarization of politics and how people react to “hot button” issues.

Although there is clear value in much of what the author is trying to get across, I found myself put off by the internalizing of seemingly every concept through the life of the author. I don’t feel it is needed or even wanted to empathize and find parity in your own life with every plight. Reading it felt sort of like talking to someone who is always one upping your story. You think they hear you but they are clearly put more value on their experiences rather than your own. It was hard to push through it.

Recommendation

Ms. Brown puts forth some very good concepts and I appreciate her work. If you enjoy her style of storytelling, you will likely enjoy this book.

The Secret Lives of Wives

March 25, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

This book on how to stay married by Iris Krasnow was written to counter the focus on divorce. It is a collection of stories of women who have stood by their man and made the best of what they had.

My Thoughts

This really isn’t my normal fare but I was interested in the idea of what makes people stay together. There just isn’t much focus on the majority of people who slog it out year by year and keep their marriage together. Like many, I assume, I thought my first marriage was going to last. It didn’t. There were lines I wasn’t willing to be crossed… This book has stories of women who had all manner of nonsense happen in their marriage and yet they stuck with it.

There is a lot of research on how we become happier with age. How having social connections positively correlates with health and longevity. How a married person is more likely to have long term financial success than their single counterparts. In short, it’s good to get married and stay married.

Getting married and staying married is a daily choice. Sometimes the choice to stay together is easier than at other times. Marriage is constant communication, compromise, forgiveness, and service. I’m convinced there is no one way to do it and it was interesting to hear how others went about it.

Recommendation

An interesting read. I would recommend it to anyone who is married and wouldn’t mind a look what keeps other marriages going.

Living and Loving After Betrayal

March 21, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

I book on how to trust again after you feel the knife sink between your shoulder blades.

My Thoughts

This book had a lot of really good ideas if you can follow it and put it into practice. Most of the book is to be read over a great deal of time as the reader starts to find forgiveness for both themselves and the one who betrayed them.

Recommendation

A great read but buy the physical book and go step by step.

Money Management Skills

March 12, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

The Money Management great courses series by Professor Michael Finke provides a comprehensive overview of personal finance and investing. With his engaging teaching style and real-world examples, Finke covers topics ranging from budgeting and debt management to stocks and bonds, retirement planning, and estate planning. The course is accessible to beginners, yet also provides valuable insights for more experienced investors. Finke’s emphasis on creating a personalized financial plan and his emphasis on the importance of considering risk and uncertainty in investment decisions are particularly valuable takeaways from the series.

My Thoughts

This course was so good, I listened to it 3 times. Everyone should know a little bit about personal finance and Professor Finke does a great job of making a difficult subject relatable.

Recommendation

It was very worth the time and effort I put into it.

The Rainbow Comes and Goes

March 5, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Anderson Cooper and his mother Gloria Vanderbilt, talk about their lives and the events which shaped them.

My Thoughts

A great read. Most of the book was a surprise to me. I had no idea Anderson Cooper was a Vanderbilt nor that Gloria Vanderbilt led the life she had. So all of that was very interesting.

However, the real value from the book was the great perspective Ms. Vanderbilt had on her life. She was able to articulate some very deep truths through her experiences. She had a level of acceptance with her life which I find enviable. The title of “The Rainbow Comes and Goes” is such and apt description of the life lessons presented as a whole. Good things will come and go. Why not enjoy them when they are here?

Recommendation

Definitely worth the read

Yes Please

February 21, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

The biography of Amy Poehler. This book takes her from childhood to the publish date of 2015.

My Thoughts

I’m not really sure what I had expected with this one. I mentally link Amy Poehler with Tina Fey in many ways so this seemed like the natural progression in terms of which books to read. I really enjoyed Bossypants so I guess I figured I would enjoy this as well.

There is something frantic about Ms. Poehler’s work that takes away from my enjoyment. She is being herself and that comes through in the book. There really isn’t anything wrong with it in general. Maybe it hits a note that I’m uncomfortable with in myself…

Anyway, I enjoy her work in general and she does make me laugh. That said, I didn’t really enjoy the book.

Recommendation

I wouldn’t recommend this one.

The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

February 15, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Marie Kondo shares her love of “tidying” and her life philosophy in this book published in 2015. At the time of this writing, it has sold over 1.5 million copies. She even has a show on Netflix where she helps others “tidy”.

My Thoughts

I had heard of Marie Kondo as a verb from my wife. (As in, “I just Marie Kondo-ed this closet.”) I believe she learned it from our friend Miranda… Anyway, I heard a podcast from the UK which called her “mad as a sack of rabbits” because Marie was advocating getting rid of books. Books! That hit me. I love books. I have a lot of them. Rather, I had a lot of them…

Yes, I drank the KoolAid on this one. In reading the book, I was gradually persuaded that keeping my “Natural Disasters” textbook from college, which I had never cracked afterward, yet it cost me than $100, wasn’t really the best idea. I drug that book, and boxes like it, over 2000 miles when I moved a decade ago! After reading this book, I just couldn’t figure out the why behind that decision.

My closet is clean, my clothes are folded in neat little squares, Goodwill got a major donation and I’m happy about all of it. Next, is my filing cabinet…

Recommendation

This book changed my mind on something. That doesn’t happen often. I would suggest reading it so you too can brag about how many bags of clothes you removed from your drawers.

The Odyssey of Echo Company

February 3, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

The Odyssey of Echo Company is a military history given by multiple perspectives of the people who served our country in Vietnam.

It details how a young man joined the Army went through boot camp and found himself halfway around the world. It documents several battles including the Tet Offensive and gives some perspective on how those soldiers felt both during the war and after.

My Thoughts

War is hard enough without so many of the public against you. Beyond the horror of theater, the most difficult thing for me to read was how our soldiers were treated when they came home.

A lot of the book had the feel of tall tales as it seems doubtful that one person could be so lucky. Still, I guess anything is possible.

Recommendation

Not for the faint of heart.

Girl Wash Your Face

January 9, 2019 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Girl Wash Your Face is a self help book from Rachel Hollis who does a variety of things from podcasting to seminars and a little bit of everything in between.

This book is aimed at women who want to better themselves by feeling more empowered by believing they are good enough.

My Thoughts

I listen to the Rise Together podcast and several women in my life are very familiar with Rachel Hollis. Many of the stories she tells in this book I had heard before. It reads a lot like she talks so it felt very familiar.

It is targeted toward women so I shouldn’t have felt bothered that she kept addressing the reader as “Girl!”. But it was a grating after a while. It is a lot like going to a yoga class and the instructor speaks to us all like we are all middle aged women.

Still, the message was good and I certainly respect where she is coming from. She certainly doesn’t have any issue sharing her feelings and what is on her mind. Yet, it felt like oversharing a couple of times. I don’t know, I like the Hollis couple and I will continue to listen to the podcast but, I didn’t get too much out of this book.

Recommendation

If you are a woman, you’ll likely like this book.

Grant

December 28, 2018 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Grant by Ron Chernow is the biography of the Commanding General of the Civil War and our 18th President. Mr. Chernow takes us through the early life of Hyrum Ulysses Grant, on through West Point where he became styled Ulysses S. Grant, through his business exploits, through the Civil War, through both terms of his Presidency, and on through the his tragic death.

My Thoughts

Growing up, I’ve heard the name Grant more associated with “General” than President. Though he was both, I think that is more of how we think of him.

I was very touched by his honesty and saddened by how he was taken advantage of… Not to be too Pollyanna, I believe there are people like him everywhere. People do the right thing everyday without much fanfare.

I was glad to hear the story and it knit a good deal of history together for me.

Recommendation

Very good read but sooo long. It is well over a 1000 pages so buckle up! However, I must say I didn’t get bored the entire time. That says a lot…