Published in 2019, Digital Minimalism is a call to remember what life is about and is an attempt to help people live their lives with more intention.
Digital Minimalism
My Thoughts
Really, I think a lot of his ideas were pretty good and a lot was overblown. I arranged around my apps on my phone so I wouldn’t be as tempted to grab it and look all the time. I also got rid of my games. Surprisingly, I found myself looking for them a couple of times already…
Still, the goal is a good one. How to live our lives with some idea of what we are trying to accomplish is a good thing. Folks not just wasting time is a good thing too. However, I enjoy the distractions as well.
Recommendation
A good book, particularly if you are trying to justify not giving your teen a smart phone.
A relatively new book, this was published in July of 2019 by Tim Desmond who was one of the organizers of the “Walk on Wallstreet”. He currently leads a team at Google helping others with emotional support.
How to Stay Human in a F*cked-Up World
My Thoughts
This book wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. As an “esteemed Buddhist”, I felt Mr. Desmond had a lot of anger still left in him. Perhaps it was simply rhetoric to connect with the younger audience but it wasn’t what I was expecting.
The power of habit was published in 2012 and outlines habits as consisting of three elements: a cue, a routine, and a reward. It gives some history as to when these principalities started being used by companies and gave some ideas as to how they are being used today.
The book also spends some time discussing how someone can change their own habits.
The Power of Habit
My thoughts
In general, I liked the book. I think some concepts were forced into the theory put forward but on the whole, It seemed like it was well written and gave some good ideas about how to go about change in life.
This is a book about coping with Attention Deficit Disorder both as a child and as an adult.
You Mean I’m Not Lazy Stupid or Crazy
My Thoughts
This book was a little hard to get through in that it assumes the reader to have A.D.D. I have not be diagnosed with it nor do I expect to be. However, it is interesting to see where the author took the book and what was important.
Wait, what? is a book about asking questions. It seeks to teach us there is always a little more to know and little deeper to probe. Above all, there is no “right” answer.
Wait, What?
My Thoughts
This book was hilarious. It was a very fun read and a reminder that it is ok to question. In fact, it is a good idea to question so you know what is going on. This is something I will try to remember and implement going forward.
Mark Manson remixes; Jung, Nietzsche, and others to bring some idea as to why the world seems as messed up as it is. Released in May of 2019, the book has met with great success.
Everything is F*cked
My Thoughts
This book had me thinking again about what is important and why do I do the things I like to do. I feel like I am a centered person. I feel like I’m fair and do things for the “right” reason. Particularly inspiring was the comment in the book about how children, adolescents and adults see morality. Children do it because they are told to and fear being caught. Adolescents see things as more of a transaction. Adults do things because it is the right thing to do. These aren’t new thoughts but they are worth repeating. It is scary how often I find myself falling into the adolescent or even childlike patterns of behavior.
Recommendation
A worth while read. If you haven’t read much philosophy, some of the ideas expounded upon could be new and even challenging for a religious person.
Published in 2017, “Fck Love: One Shrink’s Sensible Advice for Finding a Lasting Relationship” is an exploration of romantic relationships, written by psychiatrist Dr. Michael I. Bennett and his daughter, comedy writer Sarah Bennett. The book challenges the fairy-tale narratives and unrealistic expectations fostered by popular culture, advocating instead for a more pragmatic approach to love. With sharp wit and candid insights, the Bennetts argue that finding a partner isn’t about soulmates, grand romantic gestures, or waiting for love to conquer all. Instead, they emphasize the importance of looking for realistic, compatible qualities in a partner, such as emotional maturity, responsibility, and genuine respect—qualities that lay the groundwork for a healthy, lasting relationship. “Fck Love” is less an indictment of love itself and more a call to arms for rational thinking and self-respect when navigating the often tumultuous waters of romance. This book details how to thoughtfully find a partner for life and not fall into the all too common traps of bad marriages.
F Love
My Thoughts
Mark Mason did such a good job on his book The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck that I had to read something else of his. So I checked this book out. Of course, this is not the work of Mark Mason…
It was a great book though and rather timely. My daughter started dating this dude and I was filled with the normal angst of father (who’s only daughter is dating for the first time). I enjoyed the back and forth banter of the Bennett’s and their method of getting a point across. This book was full of good advice. (Nearly, all of which I didn’t take in my first marriage, but hope I’ve learned my lesson.)
Recommendation
A great book for those who are dating or considering dating. A must have book for those who are considering marriage. However, I would suggest you buy the actual book. The lists and multiple choice sections where hard in the audio format.
Written in 2016, “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” is a self-help book by author Mark Manson that encourages readers to embrace the inevitable struggles and challenges of life, and to focus on what truly matters to them. The book promotes the idea that we should be selective in what we care about, and that by letting go of the things that don’t truly matter, we can find more meaning and fulfillment in our lives. Manson also emphasizes the importance of taking responsibility for our own lives and choices, and accepting that pain and adversity are an inevitable part of the human experience. The book uses humor, personal anecdotes, and profanity to convey its message, and has become a popular and controversial bestseller.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
My Thoughts
I really liked this book. I enjoyed his humor and the overall message. I told people at; work, church, and my poor family about it again and again.
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.
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.
