Jim Morrison was the lead singer of “The Doors” but he also considered himself a writer. This book is his collective works. Published in June of 2021, it is largely put together by his friends and children.
Jim Morrison
My Thoughts
When I started reading this book, I thought it was a autobiography. It really wasn’t. It was so much worse… It starts by telling you he considered himself a writer more than a musician. That may be true but if you can imagine the poetry of a drugged out 60’s post teenager, you have a good idea of what this book was like. But wait there’s more!
The folks that put out this book recycled some of the same material. I guess they figured the reader would have given up some time ago and wouldn’t notice. That would be a fair strategy except apparently I enjoy a good train wreck and just can’t look away.
Published in March of 2021, “The Beauty of Living Twice,” by Sharon Stone is an autobiographical look at her life, career, and the profound experiences that have shaped her. With raw honesty, she recounts her near-fatal stroke in 2001, the challenges of recovery, and the impact on her personal and professional life. Stone reflects on her journey through Hollywood, her advocacy work, and her path to healing and self-discovery. The memoir offers a deeply personal and inspiring narrative of resilience, reinvention, and the beauty of second chances.
The Beauty of Living Twice
My Thoughts
I liked her style of writing and she presented herself as very authentic. As I really haven’t followed her career, I really had no expectations from the book. I remember someone saying she was very smart so it was confirming to hear she was in special programs in school and the like. I suppose like many, my only memory of her was that scene from Basic Instinct and I haven’t even watched the movie. My hope was to learn a bit more about her so she wasn’t such a 1 dimensional character in my mind.
I thought some of the examples of poverty to be a bit of a reach but I’m sure there was a stark contrast in her life as compared with the kind of money she has made. I’m glad of her activism and I hope the index of helplines at the end of the book has been helpful to people who need it.
Several of her comments were directed at the “me too” movement and her experiences along those lines. She talks about the “boys club” of Hollywood and how she had to scrap her way to stardom and didn’t get much respect along the way. Honestly, most of that doesn’t really resonate with me as I haven’t seen it and have no experience with it. No one should have to go through those things and I hope these stories are empowering to people to be able to say no and seek help if needed.
I was raised to respect women and I try my best to raise my sons with the same ethic. However, I’ve seen examples of it going too far the other way as well. We live in such a litigious society now that it’s terrifying to interact with people. Anyone can accuse someone of wrongdoing and they are automatically demonized by the media. Somewhat like what happened to Bill Cosby. That seemed to go down like a witch hunt. It’s true I don’t know if he was guilty or innocent but neither did all the people who were happy enough to trample his name, take away his honorary doctorates, and so on without the benefit of a trial. We are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. That really doesn’t seem to be the case.
Recommendation
The book was enlightening. If you are interested in her story, you will likely enjoy it.
Published in Sep of 2020, Think Like a Monk is the quasi-autobiographical experiences of a man who left relative wealth and success to join the Vedic monk lifestyle at an ashram in Mumbai, India. This book gives some of his story, some life lessons, and his thoughts in general.
Think Like a Monk
My Thoughts
I really enjoyed the book. In fact, I was on several long plane flights with a nasty case of poison ivy and I found his breathing techniques very helpful.
The real gem I found in the book was the perspective on introspection. What do we really need and what do we really want? I believe it is a very good idea to sit down and really think about your life from time to time.
Recommendation
It was a fun read. I would recommend it to anyone.
Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain was published in 2013. The following was taken from Barnes and Noble.
Drawing on important new research in the field of interpersonal neurobiology, Siegel explores exciting ways in which understanding how the brain functions can improve the lives of adolescents, making their relationships more fulfilling and less lonely and distressing on both sides of the generational divide.
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/brainstorm-daniel-j-siegel-md/1116149182 taken 5 June 2021
Brainstorm
My Thoughts
I was surprised by this book in that I didn’t get that much out of it. It’s true Dr. Siegel spends some time talking about adolescents but none of it was really a revelation. Perhaps I’ve read too much of this kind of literature but it seemed like this was more about how the brain works than specifically how the adolescence brain works or what to do about it. The author peppers the book with personal stories and observations. Most of which seemed to be effective in getting across his message.
Recommendation
It was okay. If you are unfamiliar with how the brain is organized and how it changes through normal development, this may be a good book for you.
“How to Be Human: An Autistic Man’s Guide to Life” was published in April of 2021 and is the autobiographical account of Jory Fleming, a high functioning person with autism who won a Rhodes Scholarship for the University of Oxford. A writer (Lyric Winik) did a series of interviews with Jory and strung them into the narrative that became this book. The book attempts to explain how Jory thinks and his perspective on life.
How to be Human
My Thoughts
Though I found the material interesting, I don’t believe it is relatable to other people with autism. To paraphrase Jory, “this is just how I think” and “I find it harder to relate to other people with autism.” My hat is off to Jory for what he has been able to achieve. Or more specifically, my hat is off to Jory’s mom who has given him daily support for his entire life.
Honestly, I’m bothered by some aspects of the popular notion of autism. There seem to be many people who romanticize autism and seem to see it as a net benefit. (E.g. Someone might claim a person with autism has an above-average IQ. These people evidently don’t know what autism is or how IQ is measured.) While these people aren’t actually diagnosed with any disorder, they are more than happy to claim the benefits as they see them. The usual humble brag is something akin to “I have Asperger’s.” This is usually an excuse for being socially awkward and/or a poor attempt to claim superior skills in analytical tasks. However, I’m not sure most of these people have been confronted by someone who has severe autism. Someone who is incapable of communication and truly does not “see” the world around them. Just like Jory’s mom, there are unsung heroes who devote their lives to making the world a better place for these people.
In short, all of us think differently. Autism is a spectrum which means there comes a point when the spectrum bumps up against the “normal.” Of course, that leads to another question, “What is normal?” Answer? “Normal” is just another bell curve of behaviors. The line between “normal” and “autistic and even “sane” and “insane” is uncomfortable thin. It all comes down to definitions and those definitions are always in flux.
So… I believe there is likely a little autism in all of us and we are all just a little off. That doesn’t give us super rain-man mental powers and most of us are able to negotiate society. We all feel awkward at times and some of us are insensitive jerks. It’s how we play the hand we are given which makes the difference. If it was all you could do not to kill someone on the way to work then I say, “good for you!” (However, if that’s how close you are to the line, expect the rest of us to lock you up somewhere safe in the near future.) The rest of us will continue doing what we can to do our best, day by day and sometimes hour by hour.
Published in 2007, On Call in Hell is the story of a man who served a tour as a Marine officer and later became a Navy doctor. He shares his journey and juxtaposes those two perspectives as he served in Iraq.
On Call in Hell
My Thoughts
I’d never met a Marine who went into Navy medicine so this was an interesting read. Still, I’ve met a number of Navy Corpsman and the attitude was pretty close to what I would have expected. I would have preferred it be read by the author since some of the saying didn’t quite come out correctly. I felt like there may have been a bit of humble brag going on but hey, it’s his book.
Recommendation
A very interesting look at a relatively unknown field. If you have interest in military medicine, I feel this book would be a good place to start.
Published in Sep of 2011, What it is Like to Go to War is a book about the psychological impacts of war and becoming a warrior. The author (a Vietnam veteran) makes the argument that we should do a much better job preparing our warfighters for what they will encounter in theater.
What it is Like to Go to War
My Thoughts
Certainly, a thought-provoking book and one set in its day. It had been 10 years after the 911 era and the author draws a number of parallels to his time in Vietnam. The more I learn about that war and how our warfighters were treated, the sadder it becomes. It is interesting that the trend of remote war is becoming more and more prevalent as the Marines are deactivating their tanks and towed artillery batteries. There have been so many changes that it is only natural we won’t be able to adjust. Particularly, as we’ve all had a year of being sequestered from others. The term I hear most often these days is “resilience.” We say it is important but I’m not sure we know how to get there…
Recommendation
It is an important topic but the content is dated.
Published in January of 2012, Shadows in Flight tells the story of Bean and his kids as they are in at near light speed waiting for a cure to their condition. Hundreds of years have passed on Earth and they have been all but forgotten.
Shadows in Flight
My Thoughts
I liked this one better than the last. It seemed to wrap things up a bit better and was pretty interesting.
Recommendation
If you are this far into the series, it was worth the read.
Published in April of 2020, How to Think Like a Roman Emperor is a study on the meditations of Marcus Aurelius and stoicism in general. The book guides you through the history of stoicism and through some of it’s main tenets.
How to Think Like a Roman Emperor
My Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book and it was a compelling read. I felt the author did a great job of going through the histories and linking them to the present day. I also enjoyed that the author had come to my University and one of my employees had filmed him talking about the book. So I got a little bonus.
Published in December of 2020, Embrace the Suck is a book about taking on and overcoming the obstacles in life from the perspective of a former Navy SEAL.
Embrace the Suck
My Thoughts
This was a decent read and pretty motivating. I felt he was a little over the top with some of his descriptions and language but I guess that’s par for the course. He had some practical applications which, had I followed them, would have made the read more impactful.
