Psychology

Background

Rising Strong was published in 2015. To quote Dr. Brown’s website:

The physics of vulnerability is simple: If we are brave enough, often enough, we will fall. Rising Strong is a book about what it takes to get back up and how owning our stories of struggle gives us the power to write a daring new ending. Struggle can be our greatest call to courage and and the clearest path to a wholehearted life.

https://brenebrown.com/articles/2015/04/09/i-love-big-book-news-and-i-cannot-lie/

My Thoughts

I thought I would like this book a lot more than I did. The biggest reason was I had just read “Dare to Lead” and had already heard a number of her thoughts and anecdotes. They were just all a little too fresh so all I really heard was how irritating I find her. I can’t quite put my finger on why. She has really good messages and don’t have a lot against what she is saying. Maybe it’s just how she says it…

There is a certain amount of “truthiness” to a lot of what she is saying. That part I enjoy.

Whenever she talks about “the data” and how she researches and so on doesn’t feel right. Normally when a researcher talks about “the data” they are explicit in what data. Where did it come from? How was it gathered? How many participants were there and so on. My automatic BS flag gets thrown every time someone starts talking and doesn’t have much to back it up. That flag was thrown quite a few times in this book.

Recommendation

Still a good book. However, don’t read them one after the other. The reuse of the same stories seems to cheapen the message.

Background

Published in Oct of 2018, Dare to Lead is Brene Brown’s latest book. This one is centered toward leaders, whether they be in the boardroom or on the battlefield.

My Thoughts

This book really spoke to me. I still have a hard time listening to Mrs. Brown with her remarks of “listening to the data” and so on… Having been through a bit of education, I know that people lie with data (plural) all the time. Still, she makes a lot of salient points and has a really good message.

What I took from the reading was that I don’t have to be a prick at work. I can listen, be vulnerable, be open, and sometimes even be completely wrong as a leader. In simpler terms, I can be human. What matters most is that I don’t get too blinded by others or their titles. I should pay attention to everyone and their needs. I should be responsible with my charges and act with honesty and integrity. All the stuff we all knew but seem to keep forgetting.

Recommendation

A good read. It may even be a good reference when I lose perspective in the future.

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.

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.

Background

12 Rules for Life started when Dr. Jordan Peterson (a clinical psychologist and a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto) answered this question on Quora, “What are the most valuable things everyone should know?” His first answer spanned 40 lines. He had since distilled it to 12 and described each in this book. His answers are below.

1. Stand up straight with your shoulders back
2. Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping
3. Make friends with people who want the best for you
4. Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today
5. Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them
6. Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world
7. Pursue what is meaningful (not what is expedient)
8. Tell the truth – or, at least, don’t lie
9. Assume that the person you are listening to might know something you don’t
10. Be precise in your speech
11. Do not bother children when they are skateboarding
12. Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street

My Thoughts

I follow Dr. Peterson’s podcast and have been watching his work over the last 6 months. I can see why some folks bristle at his advice and why he rubs some the wrong way. However, I am deeply sympathetic to the ideas he puts forth. I like the list he put together and I like the rationalization behind it even better. It’s not a bad place to start and I wish I could keep the tenets of the list everyday of my life.

My Recommendation

Very dense subject matter and the content requires a lot of supporting information. I really enjoyed it and I believe anyone will as well.