Psychology – Page 6 – Ryan's Book Blog

Everybody Fights so Why Not Get Better at It

September 30, 2022 by Ryan

Background

Published in March of 2021, Everybody Fights so Why Not Get Better at It is a book about marital relations and how to talk to each other.

My Thoughts

I actually really liked this book and it had a lot of really good ideas in it. Of course, I identify more with Penn but I think they did a good job of balancing out the crazy. Kim and Penn Holderness are known for their YouTube songs and the like so I didn’t have much faith going into it.

It’s hard not to draw parallels to the Hollis couple before they split. I identified with Dave and was bothered with how Rachael treated him. Kim doesn’t take herself quite so seriously but she still bothers me. (As I type that I can picture my daughter, “That seems like a you problem.”) Anyway, I wish them all the best and I did enjoy the book.

Recommendation

I liked it. If you want to communicate better with your spouse, I would recommend it.

Extreme Ownership

September 12, 2022 by Ryan

Background

Published in October of 2015, this was Jocko’s first book in the realm of translating his experience as a Navy Seal into business and life in general.

My Thoughts

I read this back before I started this blog and enjoyed it just as much this time around. If you are looking for some motivation, order, disapline, or just need a good old fashion kick-in-the-butt. This is the book for you.

Recommendation

A little too military for some but I imagine it landed just right for others based on the book sales.

The Body Keeps the Score

August 27, 2022 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Published in 2014, The Body Keeps the Score is a book on the impacts and potential healing methods for people dealing with psychological trauma.

My Thoughts

Given the subject matter, I was very interested due to who I work with on a daily basis. My thoughts were that if I could better understand what these warfighters were dealing with the better I could communicate with them. I’d say the book gave me some things to think about but nothing is ever really definitive.

The biggest take away for me was the over reliance on pharmaceuticals in this country. (And this was from when before the pandemic…) I am generally blown away with how much we trust in our little pills to take care of everything. I’m also so tired of doctors pushing services and then charging as much and more than insurance allows. I remember when I was going to college and didn’t have dental insurance. It’s amazing what changes when they realize they won’t get paid for the extras. “Mr. Bair, you need to have a panoramic xray!” My reply, “Well, I’m not paying for it.” They go conference for a bit with dentist and then come back. “Oh ok, we don’t need to do it…”

I neglected to look at the publication date till after I was finished with the book. That’s fun in the sense of the things that still haven’t come to general acceptance over 8 years later. We are still doing the same stupid things…

Recommendation

A little dry but a good read in general.

Non Obvious

August 23, 2022 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Published in March of 2015, Rohit Bhargava published the book Non Obvious as a help to spot trends and make sense of the world around us.

My Thoughts

This book was on the CMC Professional Reading Program of 2020 and I’ve been working my way through the list. However, I think it is time for this book to leave it. While it had some utility in how to build and curate your thoughts, I didn’t see what it had to do with anything relating to the Marines.

The book is also 7 years out of date so it was interesting to hear what he thought would be a big deal 7 years ago. We still haven’t paid different prices for newly released material, Venmo has stayed with us, and so on.

Recommendation

Sadly, seven years is too long a break for this book to be relevant.

Everybody Lies

July 22, 2022 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Published in 2017, Everybody Lies is an attempt to understand people through “big data,” specifically through internet searches. The author makes the point that people lie on surveys and even to themselves. However, they don’t lie when they are searching for what they want on the net.

My Thoughts

This was a fun concept and the author did a great job with his arguments. He makes several references and jabs that show he left leaning political stance but I believe he did a fair job with the conclusions from data he presented.

Of course, you can lie with data pretty easily and I have some quibbles with some of the generalizations made through some of the datasets but there is bias in everyone.

Recommendation

I really enjoyed the book and I keep bringing it up in conversation so it must of had an impact.

Becoming Dr. Seuss

July 20, 2022 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Published in 2019, Becoming Dr. Seuss is the biography of Theodor Geisel who is much more widely known as Dr. Seuss. This biography takes him from birth to death and explains how he became possibly the best known children’s author.

My Thoughts

I think we all know a little about Dr. Seuss and I grew up loving “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” However, I knew next to nothing about his time at Dartmouth, in the Army, or what he was trying to accomplish as an author. I definitely didn’t know his first wife committed suicide and it was likely due to the affair he was having at the time. Other surprising notes was he made the rank of LtCol in the Army and really got his start in children’s books at the University of Utah where he was teaching a class.

Recommendation

It took me a while to get through it but enjoyed the book.

Beyond Order

July 4, 2022 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Published in March of 2021, “Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life” is the sequel to Jordan Peterson’s bestselling book, 12 Rules for Life. In this book, Peterson offers twelve new principles for navigating the complexities of life and finding meaning in a rapidly changing world. Drawing on a wide range of sources, including psychology, philosophy, and religion, Peterson explores topics such as the importance of responsibility, the dangers of ideologues, and the role of creativity in human flourishing. He also delves into personal experiences, including his struggles with addiction and his journey to recovery. Throughout the book, Peterson emphasizes the importance of individual agency and the need to take responsibility for one’s own life, while also acknowledging the challenges and limitations that we all face.

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this book and, in particular, the reasons for fidelity in marriage and the defense of existing institutions. Dr. Peterson gives such a great argument for following these rules that it becomes hard to argue the point.

Recommendation

Great book. Worth multiple reads.

The Happiness Advantage

June 9, 2022 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Published back in 2010, “The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work” is a self-help book by Shawn Achor. The book argues that happiness is not just a byproduct of success, but rather a precursor to it. Achor presents seven principles that he believes can help individuals cultivate a positive mindset and improve their performance in various areas of life, including work, relationships, and health. These principles include focusing on strengths rather than weaknesses, cultivating optimism and gratitude, and building strong social connections. Achor draws on research from the fields of positive psychology and neuroscience to support his ideas, and includes practical exercises and strategies for readers to apply in their own lives.

My Thoughts

I believe I read this some time ago and I’ve read a dozen others like it in the time since. However, they all have a few things in common. 1) They all agree it is better to be happy than to be otherwise and 2) you can be happy no matter what is going on in your life. The key is really being thankful for what you have and in being of service to others.

However, this book was one of the first that studied happiness from a psychological perspective. They tried the science of what being in a good mood can do for your memory, cognitive abilities, creativity, and so on. In short, it helps.

Recommendation

A good book and helpful for inspiring.

Eat, Pray, Love

June 7, 2022 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Published in February of 2006, it is the story of Elizabeth Gilbert’s travels and what she learned after her divorce.

My Thoughts

The woman starts off as a self centered, entitled, and immoral person and is good enough to keep consistent throughout most of the book. She had some growth and is more emotionally centered but she still seems so narrow and self serving. While there are some good stories, it felt like a big humble brag from someone who is all about herself.

No surprise, she left her first husband for no apparent reason, left her next husband for a lesbian relationship with her “best friend” 3 months later (which ended 2 years later due to cancer), her next big relationship lasted a year and again ended for no particular reason.

Recommendation

I really didn’t like the book.

The Book of Joy

June 2, 2022 by Ryan Leave a Comment

Background

Published in September of 2016, The Book of Joy is a record of discussions had between Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa.

My Thoughts

This was a very interesting book given the context of different spiritual leaders from very different systems of beliefs. However, I felt they did a great job of keeping things positive and working to better humanity.

Recommendation

The book is an engaging read and was a great reminder of all the reasons to remain positive.