The Shark and the Goldfish: Positive ways to thrive during waves of change

The Shark and the Goldfish: Positive ways to thrive during waves of change
By Jon Gordon


Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.


Oh no, not another business-related parable!  The author writes “A Confession” on page ix: “I recognize the fact that in real life goldfish cannot survive in the ocean’s saltwater—and that fish really can’t talk, either. [He inserts a smiley emoticon here!] This is an imaginary story meant to convey an important message.  After all,” Gordon writes, “Mickey Mouse, Shrek, Nemo, and Superman are invented characters as well.”  I’m very pleased he pointed this out for like my belief in Santa Clause and the Easter bunny, I had always believed that Mickey Mouse, Shrek, Nemo, and Superman were real!  Darn him!!


There are 78 pages in this little ( 5" x 7") book, and close to 30 of them are devoted to illustrations, thus, this is a book of just about 50 pages.  If you have a couple of hours to spare, this is a “fun” book to read, and you’ll still have time left over for other things.


The four principles for thriving during change include: 1) Embrace the wave of change, 2) ride the wave of change, 3) stay positive during change, and 4) thrive because of change.  At the end of the book, Gorden challenges readers in each category by asking questions that he labels, “Food for Thought,” designed as “Individual/Small Group/Team Discussion Questions.”


Although the book is well-written, the story “cute,” and the principles simple, I’m not certain that Gordon offers enough that is new, challenging, or innovative that can’t be found in more substantive books that are well-researched, evidence-based, and experience-proven.


Don Snyder, "The Idea Guy," from Columbus, Ohio, writes in his review of the book at Amazon.com:  “Phenomenal book!  I'm a little hesitant of the "business fable" books (never really understood the hullabaloo regarding "Who Moved My Cheese") but The Shark and The Goldfish is on my personal list of favorite books of the year. There's nothing outrageously original about the message, but isn't that true of all universal messages? The story was engaging and the important themes weren't lost in the fable. Buy copies of this book for your entire team -- they should sell them in groups (Groupers?) so you can gift them to your entire "school" of Goldfish friends!”


Monty Rainey, from New Braunfels, Texas, ends his review at Amazon.com, with these two paragraphs: “I'm looking forward to introducing this story at my next meeting. There are some great training tools here on positive ways to not only face change (in an ever changing world) but how to come out on top of change and make that change work to your benefit.


“If you're looking for a quick and easy read that will change focus and outlook, this is it. I have several employees who all but refuse to read. This one can easily be digested in about an hour, so it perfect for non-readers to get them on the right track and create a positive change for them.”


I think it is a great book for non-readers.

This book is available at Amazon.com: The Shark and the Goldfish: Positive ways to thrive during waves of change

Thank you for firing me: How to catch the next wave of success after you lose your job

by Kitty Martini and Candice Reed

Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

You need to accept this book on two levels: First, it is an entertaining, fun read.  Second, it is crammed full of interesting, sometimes unusual, ideas designed to spark your imagination and creativity.

I found the book truly fascinating, engaging, and, yes, entertaining.  Remember that Kitty Martini “is a prolific writer, entrepreneur, stand-up comedian, and expert on being fired,” according to the back of the book.  How did the book become so entertaining?  She’s a comedian!!!!!  Candice Reed’s compliment to Kitty reads like this: “Without Kitty and her unique attitude and approach to life this book may never have been born.  Her dry wit and crazy stories are greatly appreciated and well suited to a writer such as myself. . .” (p. vi).

I like the layout of this book.  There are 15 ten-to-twelve page chapters that all begin with a slightly humorous quotations.  The sections within chapters are brief, there are numerous bullet-pointed comments, suggestions, and ideas, additional gray boxes are interspersed throughout chapters that carry “Consider This” ideas (stories, examples, illustrations, research findings, and interesting tidbits), there are a plethora of examples, numerous italicized quotations break up the content, and the additional resources are outstanding.  Overall, it reads well.

The reviewers, for the most part, also like the book.  For example, Caroline Yarnall, of Eastsound, Washington, writes, “I have recommended this book to many of my friends who are without jobs now. A very inspiring book of great ideas and references for those who want to work and be their own boss, which is not easy right now in our economy. I, too, have read it, and it almost makes me want to start up my own little business at home. Good job! Thanks....”

Joke Queen, from Los Angeles, writes in her Amazon.com review: “I bought Thank You For Firing Me for a friend who recently got downsized--to cheer her up and giver her some hope. I started reading it, and couldn't put it down. The authors thought of every possible type of worker and life situation, not just the usual info. There were ideas for everyone from office workers to welders to artists and stay at home parents. After reading the book, my friend was able to boost her income getting paid by the minute as a customer service rep for a huge company that outsources to people who work from home. That was just one of tons of resources they listed and ways to survive while you're in a career or job transition. Great book!! I also liked that it was entertaining, as well as informative and resourceful.”

This book is available at Amazon.com: Thank you for firing me!  How to catch the next wave of success after you lose your job

The End of Work as You Know It

By Milo Sindell and Thuy Sindell

Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

The eight strategies are share expertise, initiate change, demand autonomy, create meaning, spark creativity, seize recognition, maintain balance, and build legacy.

The book is published by Ten Speed Press which is the publisher of the annually revised book , What Color Is Your Parachute?, which is the “number one job-hunting book of all time.”  Why mention this?  Ten Speed Press has a solid reputation to maintain; thus, it is unlikely (or certainly less likely) they will publish a weak book.

This 119-page book doesn’t offer ground-breaking insights and revelations; however, it is solid material that makes good sense — common sense.  Each chapter begins with a short situation that becomes a success story, then the authors quickly get to the point in each of the 13-14-page chapters, and the authors offer practical suggestions and ideas for how to have a similar success in your (the reader’s) own life.

There are no notes, and the resources are simply additional related resources that can be consulted.

This book is available at Amazon.com: The end of work as you know it: 8 strategies to redefine work on your own terms

The hidden brain: How our unconscious minds elect presidents, control markets, wage wars, and save our lives

By Shankar Vedantam

Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

First, you may wonder what made me look twice at this book.  I read a “Science” editorial in the June 7, 2010, Newsweek, by Sharon Begley called, “The hidden brain: What scientists can learn from ‘nothing,” and enjoyed the article and thought Vedantam could shed additional light and substance on the subject.

Second, you may wonder at the outset, what credentials does Vedantam have for writing a book like this?  According to the back flyleaf, he “is a national correspondent and columnist for The Washington Post and a 2009-2010 Nieman Fellow at Harvard University.”  

About his educational background, I found this at Wikipedia.com zzzzzzzzzzzzzz; “Vedantam has an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from India, and master's degree in journalism from Stanford University. Prior to his Washington Post employment, he worked at the Philadelphia Inquirer, Knight-Ridder's Washington Bureau, and New York Newsday.”

Verdantam was born in Bangalore, India, in 1969, and Wiikipedia also states: “Shankar Vedantam's articles touch on a wide range of subjects, most of them with links to current events. In his column in the Washington Post he routinely explores the overt and covert influences that shape people's attitudes to the world around them. His interests also include the role of science and religion in everyday life, and the effects of religious faith on health. In his articles he has explored the interplay between neuroscience and spirituality.”

For this 270-page book, there are nine pages of notes — 249 citations.

Well, Sharon Begley’s Newsweek essay was just the tip of the iceberg.  That is, she is talking about the mind at rest.  Verdantam, actually discusses some of the forces at play when the mind is at rest: “hidden cognitive mechanisms.”  Basically, what he disputes is the fact that “human behavior [is] the product of knowledge and conscious intention.”  

Verdantam’s entire book, replete with numerous stories, explains the “unconscious forces that [act] on people without their awareness or consent” (p. 6).

He writes about the stories he uses: “The selection of stories in this book is mine and mine alone.  To the extent they are wrong, misleading, or simplistic, the responsibilities lies solely with me.  To the extent that they are revealing and insightful—and not merely interesting—the credit mostly belongs to the hundreds of researchers whose work I have cited” (p. 7).

What is the hidden brain?  “The ‘hidden brain’ was shorthand for a range of influences that manipulated us without our awareness.  Some aspects of the hidden brain had to do with the pervasive problem of mental shortcuts or heuristics, others were related to errors in the way memory and attention worked.  Some dealt with social dynamics and relationships.  What was common to them all was that we were unaware of their influence” (p. 7).

Some of the subjects Verdantam uses to portray the effects of the hidden brain include the brain at work and at play, the brain displayed in mental disorders, in the life cycle of bias (the infant’s stare and racist seniors), the role it plays in gender and privilege, disasters and the lure of conformity, as well as in terrorism and extremism, the death penalty, politics and race, and in genocide.

If you accept his premise (which I do), then some of the experiences he discusses become a bit long and tedious, even though the book is well written and interesting.  The content of the book is 255 pages in length, and, for the most part, I feel Verdantam has chosen good examples that are engaging.  

Pistol Pete "Pete,” of Houston, Texas, wrote this four-out-of-five star review at Amazon.com: “I thought this book was brilliant. Every chapter tackles different subjects and studies that try to explain how the subconscious works. I was very happy with the amount of research, especially scientific studies, that were detailed in the book. There are a lot of anecdotal stories as well, which are also necessary to illustrate the points.

“I found the book persuasive and interesting. How does our group affect our thinking? How does race come into politics through our subconscious? What motivates terrorists? There are many great questions that the author raises and his research into the subconscious helps answer many of the questions. I highly recommend this book to all readers interested in psychology.”

I would probably award the book three out of five stars.  Although interesting and well-written and supported, as I noted above, once you accept the author’s premise — as I did before I began reading the book — then it becomes quite long.  I’m not suggesting it is common sense, I am simply saying that it is not a premise that I question nor is it one that I would pursue (or have an interest in reading) in any depth.


This book is available at Amazon.com: The hidden brain: How our unconscious minds elect presidents, control markets, wage wars, and save our lives

Unfinished Business

By Lee Kravitz

Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

The plot is a simple one.  Kravitz was fired from a high-profile job.  Instead of trying to find a new job, he took a year off to re-connect with the people who mattered most to him in his life — those he had not spent time with or cared much about as he rose in the ranks and devoted his time to his job.

If you’re looking for a moral, it, too, is a simple one.  We all have unfinished business in our lives.  That unfinished business tends to weigh us down, burden us with guilt, and hold us back.  Clearing up that unfinished business frees us, unburdens us, and as S. Lipson, a reviewer wrote: “. . . release[s us]] of regret and stress.”  That “thankfulness, love, [and] admiration,” this reviewer says, adds “deeper meaning and understanding of . . . friends and family,” and, too, “[enhances one’s] character, personality, and spirituality.”  I thought these were very good insights.

Another reviewer at Amazon.com, Tiela A. Garnett, wrote a very short five-star review:
“A wonderful, entertaining book, written from the heart, about one man's courageous and loving path to tying up the loose ends of his life. An inspiring story and a good read.”

David Casker, of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, wrote a review with which I totally agree as well: “Most of us in one way or another try to ‘do the right things’ in our lives. But we often become too busy, too distracted, too willing to procrastinate, too willing to accede to the increasingly intrusive demands of employers. In ‘...unfinished business...’ we have a very personal journal of one man's delightful, moving and healing reaction to being fired from his job [at Parade Magazine].  He turned what could have been no more than a very sour jolt in life into, in a sense, a journey into his past, to see if he could still make up for slights and omissions.

Anyone trying to live a spiritual life will soon discover that the most personal is the most universal. And Mr. Kravitz has struck just the right chord between autobiography and reflection on one's life, spiritual growth and the inextricable connections with have with others whose lives have touched ours and vice versa.

An insightful but also entertaining exploration of how really GOOD it is not to let our basic humanity be co-opted, and when we do, how GREAT it is to work up the courage to make amends. Highly recommended.”

It’s a 209-page book and the ten stories are interesting and engaging.

This book is available at Amazon.com: Unfinished business: One man’s extraordinary year of trying to do the right things

The Mom and Pop Store

By Robert Spector

Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

Let me begin by telling you what this book is not.  First, it is not a history nor a background study of mom and pop stores.  One reviewer at Amazon.com commented on precisely this aspect: “If you're looking for a book to give you some background, data and understanding of small businesses, how they operate and how they fit in and affect the US economy, unfortunately this is not it.  It will not tell you, as its title suggests, how mom & pops are ‘surviving and thriving.’”

Second, it is not at all concise.  Rather, it rambles a bit.  

Third, it is not the least bit analytical.  He has no interest in writing a rational, logical, or organized approach to the topic.  He has, instead, put together a love story (or love stories) that reveal the passion, creativity, and tenacity small business owners demonstrate — in the Studs Terkel tradition — in order to survive.

One reviewer at Amazon.com, A. Westerman, writes, “Robert Spector has written a homage to the small, family-owned business -- the type rooted in the American psyche and as iconic as a Norman Rockwell illustration. Spector hopes to combat the notion that the family store is, much like The Saturday Evening Post, fading from the contemporary scene.

“The book, part memoir of the author's childhood at the family butchershop, part tribute to others family-owned businesses, Spector seeks to make the case that family shops aren't leaving the retail landscape. He does this with varying degrees of success: the profiles of business owners and their family members are heart-warming and interesting, but he also makes claims that are not supported by evidence. I can't say he's wrong when he talks about the unique characteristics family-owned businesses, such as old-fashioned values of hard work and community. Yet he doesn't have any other evidence but anecdotes to support him.”

This 291-page book includes five pages of notes, two-and-one-half pages of “selected bibliography,” and a 12-page index.  However, the book is a series of stories (including his own at the family’s butcher shop in Perth Amboy, New Jersey) — anecdotal in nature — that tends to meander (a bit) as he pieces together a portrait of mom and pop stores in the U.S. today.  I found it somewhat interesting but tedious.

This book is available at Amazon.com: The mom & pop store: How the unsung heroes of the American economy are surviving and thriving

Have a little faith: A true story

Have a Little Faith: A True Story, by Mitch Albom

Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

This is, just as the front flyleaf suggests, “a beautifully written story of a remarkable eight-year journey between two worlds—two men, two faiths, two communities—that will inspire readers everywhere.”  There is no doubt about it: Albom tells a great story.

The book is a very short (249-pages in a 5" by 7" book) read, much like his Tuesdays With Morrie and in a similar style, mode, and approach.  The book is engaging, entertaining, touching, and fully satisfying.

One reviewer at Amazon.com, Stephen T. Hopkins from Oak Park, Illinois, offers the best, short synopsis of the book: “Readers looking for a touching story about real people will enjoy Mitch Albom's latest book, Have a Little Faith. He presents the lives of two men from different backgrounds, different faiths, and different places. Albert Lewis was the rabbi from Album's hometown synagogue, and Henry Covington is an African American minister of a church in Detroit. What they share is hope and faith, and a love of God and people. These are inspiring lives that will lift the spirits of every reader.”

Another reviewer of the book, Indian Prairie Public Library in Darien, Illinois, writes at Amazon.com: “Mitch Albom, who hasn't been to a church since he was young, is moved by the deep faith of two very different men, an elderly and spirited rabbi who wants Mitch to give his eulogy when he dies, and an ex-con turned minister to the poor and homeless. The book is touching and entertaining and just might get us thinking about our faith and the place God has in our life.”

Anna Roberts Books, the author, reviewed the book at Amazon.com in this way:
“‘Have a Little Faith’ is a book I was so intrigued by that I couldn't put it down. It is such a heart breaking story, something you don't come across everyday.

“This book made me laugh and cry. There were times I didn't even realize the number of pages I had read. I was stirred by the sudden slam of a door, truthfully this book made me realize things I could relate to, as the author, Mitch Albom, pointed out so many things in life we know, but don't actually sit down and read.

“I can't believe the amazing journey Mitch Albom went through, it captured my heart and I am sure going to pick up another one of his books. I don't want to give anything away, you have to read the book yourself!!”

This is a book in which you will not be disappointed.

This book is available at Amazon.com: Have a little faith: A true story

I am an emotional creature: The secret life of girls around the world

By Eve Ensler

Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

This is the first book by Eve Ensler that I have read, and I am unfamiliar with anything she has produced previously; thus, in my review I have depended on others to judge the book.  I can say this about it: It is a short read and very provocative.  By provocative I simply mean that it makes you think — deeply.  It is full of poems, and some of them link together thoughts and ideas and words.

“The Compulsive Reader” from Big Rapids, MI, writes a terrific review of this book at Amazon.com.  I am quoting the entire review here because I agree with the insights shared — completely:

“I Am an Emotional Creature is, quite simply, a book of diverse monologues, told by young girls all around the world. Whether these girls' stories are familiar or foreign to you, they all are confronting the complex issue of defining oneself in a world full of contradictions, where girls are told they must be polite and pretty and perfect to fit in, yet are encouraged to be strong and independent and to dream big at the same time. Every girl's story is unique and equally jarring, from the simple confrontation of peer pressure in the average high school to tales of girls sold for sex miles and oceans away. This book is filled with girl stories: those forced to undergo unwanted plastic surgery, working in far-away factories making Barbies, pregnant girls, anorexic girls, and girls just talking. Each story is surprising and alive.

I Am an Emotional Creature is a hybrid in the style in which it is told. Though most of the monologues are straightforward prose, poems and scripts are sprinkled throughout these fictional stories, made even more realistic by the many "Girl Facts" interspersed throughout the book. Ensler captures the essence of being a girl and being human without being trite or even touching on clichés, and the result is a bold, incisive, emotional, and achingly real testament to teen girls and their power and verve. This book will not only make you think, but also quite possibly change the way you think about teen girls today.”

The front flyleaf says this about the book: I Am an Emotional Creature is a celebration of the authentic voice inside every girl and an inspiring call to action for girls everywhere to speak up, follow their dreams, and become the women they were always meant to be.”

From the back flyleaf, “About the Author”: Ensler “is an internationally best-selling author and an acclaimed playwright whose works for the stage include The Vagina Monologues, Necessary Targets, and The Good Body . . . Ensler is the founder of V-Day, the global movement to and violence against women and girls.  In the last decade, V-Day has raised more than $70 million for grassroots groups that work to end volence against women and girls around the world.”

Michael Dorenzo of Santa Cruz, California, wrote this on Amazon.com: “I ordered this book after listening to Ms. Engler's talk and performance of the piece, ‘I am an emotional creature" on TED Talks via You Tube. It was sent to me by one of my ‘girls’ on the east coast who works at Cornell University and who sent it to all her girls, both female and male. I quickly sent it to all of mine.

“I have mentored girls through my work at UCSC and in my community and family and it always brings me such joy to be around them...Hearing her perform the poem from which the book gets its name simply rocked my world. I couldn't wait to order the book.

“It addresses in the most direct way the girl in all of us...that most precious of resources that we tend to abandon, repress, abuse and disown in so many ways and in accordance with so many cultural directives. It is a beautiful articulation of the wild, creative, dangerous, indomitable feminine--both an affirmation and a call to action.

I'd like to give the book to all the girls I know.“


This book is available at Amazon.com: I am an emotional creature: The secret life of girls around the world

Old is the New Young: Erickson's Secrets to Healthy Living

Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D. 

Old is the New Young: Erickson's Secrets to Healthy Living

By Mark Erickson, Matt Narrett, Jacquelyn Kung, and Lisa Davila

There are a number of things that make this book an excellent choice.  First, it is expertly written.  Being direct and to the point, it talks directly to readers as if the authors are in the same room, and the writing style is comfortable, relaxed, and engaging.

The second thing that makes this book an excellent choice is that sections are short so that it can be read in brief moments when you don’t have the time for a long, involved, and committed read.

The third thing that makes this book an excellent choice is the brief, interesting, and human-interest vignettes that are set apart in sections that are gray in color.  These segments are always relevant to the material and useful.

The fourth thing that makes this book an excellent choice is the practical, specific advice.  Throughout the book there are tips, suggestions, questions, quizzes, activities, and scales for rating yourself.  It offers so many opportunities for readers to engage in self-assessment.

The fifth thing that makes this book an excellent choice is the topics covered.  Topics include your health, keeping your body young, keeping your mind young, engaging socially, financial advice, and your retirement vision.

The sixth thing that makes this book an excellent choice is all the additional resources the authors provide at the back of the book.  Twenty-two pages of this 241-page book are devoted (in two appendices) to resources.  (Their bibliography is ten pages long.)

Overall, I am impressed with what the authors have put together here, and I highly recommend this book.

Get this book now at Amazon.com: Old is the New Young: Erickson's Secrets to Healthy Living

You say more than you think: A 7-day plan for using the new body language to get what you want

Book Review by Richad L. Weaver II, PhD.

You say more than you think: A 7-day plan for using the new body language to get what you want

By Janine Driver with Mariska Van Aalst

I have been reading and writing about nonverbal communication since 1971 (39 years ago!) since the publication of Julius Fast’s popular book, Body Language — which was truly a novelty at the time.  Having written many chapters — and numerous updates — on the subject since the publication of my first college textbook, Speech/Communication (Van Nostrand, 1974), Julius Fast’s book was always considered by academics as a “hack job” by an unqualified writer.

This entire book of 216 pages has only 20 sources (pp. 215-216).  The subject, nonverbal communication, has been studied intensely in the academic world for well over 25 years, and there are thousands of available resources.  Not one of her sources comes out of the speech-communication discipline, and several come from Psychology Today and one from the Calgary Herald.

I found the pictures interesting but not particularly helpful.  For those not familiar with the nonverbal communication literature and not particularly observant of all the nonverbal communication that occurs around them, they may well find information here that is new or insightful.  I found, for the most part, the information to be common sense.

The portions of the book I found most interesting were the stories the authors tell, the insights gained from all the training Janine Driver has engaged in, and the many interpretations of nonverbal cues they offer.  She is the founder and president of the Body Language Institute, and she has — according to the blurb on the inside back flyleaf — “trained thousands of law enforcement officers to decipher fact from fiction using the body language interpretation methods she writes about.”

Another enjoyable feature of this entertaining book (please consider it entertainment only!) is the sassy approach the authors take toward many of the topics discussed.  It makes the writing fun: “If you don’t want to give off a passive-aggressive vibe—bump up that one-handed broadside display a notch and move to the more confident two-handed Superman pose” (p. 122).

To reveal (somewhat) the level of writing in this book, here is a quotation: “Align your belly button to your teen’s, and you’ll be on the path of open, respectful, and powerful communication” (p. 71).

Please don’t think that the advice in the book is wrong or even that because it lacks any evidential base that it is inconsequential, that is not my point.  My point is that so much of the interpretation of nonverbal communication cues and gestures is based on the context or based on the personalities of those involved, that interpretation can be substantially off base.  The 7 myths the authors discuss in Chapter 1, “The New Body Language: What I’ll Tell You That Other Experts Won’t,” are useful; however, the title of the chapter suggests that Driver is truly an expert (she is not), and it reveals the unmitigated, bold, self-assurance that should make every reader question the authors’ authority and credibility.   If you know this as you approach the book, it will help you take what the authors say as one interpretation, or one approach, or one way of looking at nonverbal communication.  As I have said, as an entertaining read, this book is a winner.

This book is available at Amazon.com:  You say more than you think: A 7-day plan for using the new body language to get what you want

Theodor SEUSS Geisel (Lives and Legacies)

Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

Theodor SEUSS Geisel (Lives and Legacies)

By Donald E. Pease

From the English Department, Dartmouth University, website : “Donald Pease, professor of English, Avalon Foundation Chair of the Humanities, Chair of the Dartmouth Liberal Studies Program and winner of the 1981 Distinguished Teaching Award at Dartmouth, is an authority on nineteenth and twentieth-century American literature and literary theory. In the summer of 1986 he brought the School of Criticism and Theory to Dartmouth.  In 1996 he founded the Dartmouth Institute in American Studies and in 1997 he has also served as Academic Director of the Alumni College program.”

Despite his outstanding credentials, this is not an academic book.  It is a readable, factual, well-documented, thorough, and highly interesting book.

These are the first two paragraphs of his biography, published at the website, “Dr. Suess National Memorial : “Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known to the world as the beloved Dr. Seuss, was born in 1904 on Howard Street in Springfield, Massachusetts. Ted's father, Theodor Robert, and grandfather were brewmasters in the city. His mother, Henrietta Seuss Geisel, often soothed her children to sleep by "chanting" rhymes remembered from her youth. Ted credited his mother with both his ability and desire to create the rhymes for which he became so well known.

Although the Geisels enjoyed great financial success for many years, the onset of World War I and Prohibition presented both financial and social challenges for the German immigrants. Nonetheless, the family persevered and again prospered, providing Ted and his sister, Marnie, with happy childhoods.”

The only review of the book posted on Amazon.com when I wrote my review, is this 5-star one by  A. Nazaryan, who nicely sums up all that I have to say about the book: “Highly readable, deeply informative, this is a lively take on the life of our most famous children's author. Much less academic - or heavy - than previous works on Seuss, it covers both his life and work while unraveling aspects of his life readers probably don't know much about: his relationship with his mother (who gave him the name Seuss), his rowdy days at Dartmouth, his work for the New Yorker, his first wife's suicide and, of course, how he came up with some of the most memorable characters in all of literature.”

The book is fantastic, the additional illustrations are a terrific addition, and I highly recommend this book.

This book is available from Amazon.com: Theodor SEUSS Geisel (Lives and Legacies)

 

Difficult personalities: A practical guide for managing the hurtful behavior of others (and maybe yourself)

Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

Difficult personalities: A practical guide to managing the hurtful behavior of others (and maybe your own)

By Helen McGrath and Hazel Edwards 

Here is what I like about this 285-page book.  First, it is a practical book full of specific, applicable, and relevant suggestions.  The various strategies covered in each chapter is overwhelming.  Having written about this topic myself, I find their ideas useful and valuable.

Second, the various sections throughout the book are short and to the point.  There is little excess, padding, or what some people might refer to as flotsam and jetsam.  It is a tight book that is well-organized.

Third, the topics covered are important and relevant.  The authors deal with incompatible personalities (e.g., extroverts versus introverts, planners versus optionizers, and thinkers versus feelers), frustrating and annoying personality patterns (e.g., negativity, superiority, and bossiness), confusing personality types (e.g., the anxious personality, the inflexible personality, and the demanding personality), damaging personalities (e.g., the passive-aggressive personality, the bullying personality, and the sociopathic personality), and a part, too, on strategies (e.g., for coping with sociopaths, dealing with difficult situations and relationships, rational and irrational thinking, healthy self-assertion, and sections on managing anger (your own and others), and conflict, as well as a section on developing the skills necessary for maintaining a strong romantic partnership).

The weaknesses of the book include, first, that it tends to be a bit dry — a bit like a classroom textbook.

Second, the number of examples are useful, but they tend to be fewer than in many similar books; thus, trying to stay with the book is difficult.  Those used are fine; however, many more throughout the book would make it more user-friendly.

Third, I think the best use of the book is as a reference tool.  For those in relationships or in business where different personalities always exist and must always deal with each other in various ways, it is great to have a reference book to which you can go at once to find practical, specific, and well-grounded advice.

Overall, the book is solid, and I recommend it; however, be aware of what you are getting.  This is not a light read even though it is well-written and gets to the point in each chapter. 

Available at Amazon.com for $14.95 or LESS: Difficult personalities: A practical guide to managing the hurtful behavior of others (and maybe your own) 

Mandela's way: Fifteen lesson on life, love, and courage

Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

Mandela’s Way: Fifteen lessons on life, love, and courage

By Richard Stengel

Before embarking on this book, know what you’re getting.  This is not a biography.  As a self-help book, it does not contain earth-shattering, newly discovered, unique ideas that will move you from where you are to where you want to be.  Also, it is not an in-depth examination of any aspect of Mandela’s life.

It is, indeed, an easily digestible, comfortable collection of vignettes written by an editor of Time magazine who has “distilled countless hours of intimate conversation [and experiences] with Mandela into fifteen essential life lessons.  For nearly three years,” the front flyleaf of the book continues, “Stengel collaborated with Mandela on his autobiography and traveled with him everywhere.  Eating with him, watching him campaign, hearing him think out loud, Stengel came to know all the different sides of this complex man and became a cherished friend and colleague.”

The book gives you but a glimpse of the man; however, if that is all you want or care about, you get solid and interesting insights.

There are several things I really enjoyed about this book.  First, it offered me more than enough information about Mandela.  I really needed to know nothing more!

Second, the personal insights and observations were delightful.  I didn’t just enjoy the information Stengel shared with readers, but even more, I enjoyed the manner in which it was shared.  Stengel is a good writer, and the material flows effortlessly and comfortably; thus, reading the book is a pleasure.

Third, the stories, anecdotes, experiences, and insights are wonderfully engaging.  This is truly an entertaining book.

Fourth, it is a quick read.  It is a small book to begin with, and with each line widely separated from the one before and the one after, there are only 25 lines on a page.  Also, with only 239 pages of content, it is a very quick read.

Fifth, although the “lessons” are not earth-shattering, as noted above, it is always nice to have some fundamentals reinforced.  Lessons include: courage is not the absence of fear, be measured, lead from the front, lead from the back, look the part, have a core principle, see the good in others, now your enemy, keep your rivals close, know when to say no, it’s a long game, love makes the difference, quitting is leading too, it’s always both, and find your own garden.

Jill Guntur of New York ended her review of the book at Amazon.com in this way: “This wonderful book takes you through the life of Nelson Mandela from his childhood, through the freedom fighter days, into prison and the incredible journey of 27 years that could not destroy his soul, and then into his life after and his second marriage. It is an inspiring book and is beautifully written.”  I couldn’t agree more.

Get this book at Amazon.com:

Mandela’s Way: Fifteen lessons on life, love, and courage -  By Richard Stengel

Love Is the Best Medicine: What Two Dogs Taught One Veterinarian about Hope, Humility, and Everyday Miracles

And Then Some Publishing Book Review Mondays

Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

Love Is the Best Medicine: What Two Dogs Taught One Veterinarian about Hope, Humility, and Everyday Miracles

By Nick Trout

This is a very interesting book for several reasons.  First, you get an inside, educated, and detailed look at the workings of a specialized veterinary clinic.  Trout is a staff surgeon at the Angell Animal Medical Center.  If you’re a person who just enjoys finding out how other facets of our society operate, then this book can be read and enjoyed for this reason alone.  And, it’s written for a layperson and includes no jargon or sophisticated vocabulary.

Second, Trout tells engaging stories, and it is fascinating to find out how the cases he treats resolve themselves.  The cases are interesting, the details are specific, and readers will truly want to keep reading to see what happens.

Third, whether you are an animal lover or not, it is delightful and charming to see the way a truly dedicated veterinarian treats both the animals in his care and the people who own those animals.  This is a book of compassion, and you don’t need to be an animal lover to appreciate it.  It can serve as a model for the compassion needed between relationship partners, neighbors, and those with views that differ from others.  It is a warm, endearing, and enchanting (even beguiling) story of both the empathy and sympathy needed as we deal with others.

J. Zeh, of Richmond, Virginia, wrote the following as part of his (or her) review at Amazon.com: “The author really shines in his descriptions of those slices of life, brief scenes that illuminate the people so clearly. Here is one about Ben and Eileen, deciding to pursue expensive cancer treatment for their dog:  "Could he really justify the cost without the promise of reward?... Ben never wavered. He had no idea how he would do it but he would do it, because at that moment, what was passing between them was precisely what his marriage to Eileen was all about. You could forget about the romantic getaways for two, the candlelit dinner at a fine-dining restaurant, or the contents of a small, velvety box. This intimate, unadorned moment, this connection, this was what mattered. This was the substance of their relationship, the inexpressable spark that lasts and reminds you how lucky you are to be sharing it.

“I hope this author keeps writing,” J. Zeh continues, “because I love these descriptions of small moments. They are like nuggets of gold in an overall pretty good book, which is a very enjoyable read. I look forward to more books from this author.”

L. A., of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has neatly summarized my feelings about this book: “This is a very touching book about how special animals can show humans the best things in life if we let them. Animals have a way of living in the moment, not worrying, loving unconditionally, always forgiving, and being happy no matter what. The author details how two very amazing dogs do that for him.”

Love Is the Best Medicine: What Two Dogs Taught One Veterinarian about Hope, Humility, and Everyday Miracles

By Nick Trout

In and out of Hollywood . . .

And Then Some Publishing Book Review Mondays


Book review by: Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.


In and out of Hollywood: A biographer’s memoir

By Charles Higham

If you are interested in one person’s (an insider’s) personal reflections on some of the past (and current) stars of Hollywood, if you like knowing some of the secrets of the stars, and if you have an interest in the dangers and excitements of gay life in Hollywood before AIDS, then I highly recommend this book.  Forget about whether his insights are correct or whether or not he has evidence to back up his facts — if you just accept Higham’s views for what they are (personal reflections on his own and other’s lives), then this book will offer both an interesting and entertaining read.

Higham was born in England in an upper-class family and here describes his home: “We had a staff of eight, four living in and four, including a gardener and his assistant, housed nearby.  Those living in included a cook-housekeeper, a lady’s maid, a butler-chauffeur, and my latest nanny.  We traveled by Silver Phantom Rolls-Royce to and from our home at Savoy Court in London” (p. 6).

One thing I enjoyed throughout Higham’s book is his easy, comfortable writing style which is personal and engaging.  The stories are insightful and full of detail so that it is easy to picture what he describes, identify with the situations, and fully appreciate all his reactions and reflections.  Not being one who was intimately familiar with most of the people he writes about, and never having read any of Higham’s previous books — taking but a passing notice of the lives of Hollywood personalities in general — his book still held my interest (which is a bit unusual!).

Another discovery readers make as Higham describes his early life, is not only how he developed his interest in literature but, too, his fascination with detail: “I walked more miles all over the city [London], enjoying the sense of being lost, relishing every vista, peering into the windows of mysterious dark shops that sold a vast range of jumbled goods.  A favorite haunt was the Musée Grévin, the chilren’s waxworks museum, a place of magic that made Madame Tussauds seem merely humdrum” (p. 40).

As an author myself, I loved the way Higham told about the production of his many books and how, at one point in the development of his book, Errol Flynn, production was stopped so that he could pursue a couple of leads he had discovered.  It is this kind of insight and description that makes reading this book fascinating.  Those leads were the ties that Higham made between Flynn and the Nazis — Flynn’s documented aid to the Nazi regime.   That is but one example of how Higham revealed some of Hollywood’s best-kept secrets.

If you just enjoy pleasure reading and like good stories, this would be a great choice.  Gail Powers of Harbor County, Michigan, and North Naples, Florida, writes this in her review of Higham’s book that effectively summarizes my viewpoint: “Mr. Higham . . . discusses his career as a journalist, his varied projects, stories he couldn't use in the course of his research, and many interesting tidbits relating to the celebrities he came to know often on a social basis. And if that weren't enough, this book took many interesting twists and turns regarding odd fortune which resulted in some pretty heady stuff.”

In and out of Hollywood: A biographer’s memoir

By Charles Higham

The Male Brain Book Review

Book Club - And Then Some

The Male Brain

By Louann Brizendine, M.D.

Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

For this 271-page book, there are 40 pages of “Notes,” and 82 pages of “References,” or 122 pages out of 271 devoted to sources.  Basically, this is a 135-page book.

It is truly a quick, interesting read full of stories, case studies, real-life scenarios, and anecdotes.

Despite the number of notes and references, this is not a scholarly work.

If you’re new to the area of “brain science,” this book will serve as an introduction to the chemical/hormonal world of a man’s brain.

What Brizendine shows readers is how the brain is affected by various chemicals and hormones (i.e., testosterone, cortisol, oxytocin, vasopressin, etc.), how the brain ages from infant to elder, and how these changes affect the male personality.

Because the book is relatively jargon-free, uses plain language (despite her scientific background and the sources provided), is written in a clear, accessible style, its pop-culture-like feel, and her story-telling approach, the book should be read by women, boys, students, and others interested in a clear, direct, easy-to-understand approach.

It is truly an entertaining read, and women will not only understand men better, but they will be less likely to blame them for being men, and, thus, decrease the likelihood of conflict, especially conflict over issues that are deeply embedded in men’s genes.

If her book, The Female Brain, is anything like this one (I haven’t read it), I would recommend it to all men!

Mojo: How to get it, how to keep it, how to get it back if you lose it

Book Club... And Then Some!

Mojo: How to get it, how to keep it, how to get it back if you lose it  
        

by Marshall Goldsmith




Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D. 

“Mojo” is, “That positive spirit toward what we are doing now, that starts from the inside and radiates to the outside.”

In this book, Goldsmith gives readers examples from both business and personal life.

There are four sections in the book: 1) You and your mojo, 2) The building blocks of mojo, 3) Your mojo tool kit, and 4) Connecting inside to outside.

The second section is the most theoretical of these four sections.

I found the third section most useful and practical.  In this section, Goldsmith discusses 14 tools that are both simple and profound: 1) Establish criteria that matter to you, 2) Find out where you are ‘living.’  3) Be the optimist in the room, 4) Take away one thing, 5) Rebuild one brick at a time, 6) Live your mission in the small moments, too, 7) Swim in the blue water, 8) When to stay, when to go, 9) Hello, good-bye, 10) Adopt a metrics system, 11) Reduce this number, 12) Influence up as well as down, 13) Name it, frame it, claim it, and 14) Give your friends a lifetime pass.

The book is clearly written and Goldsmith uses an accessible verbal style, the examples come often and are engaging, valuable, and to the point, the concrete recommendations and tools are solid and alone are worth the price of the book, the simple exercises for improving the workplace (both behavior and productivity) are key elements, and he offers anyone (not just those in business) who wants to be successful—anyone who wants to live a good and happy life—novel, useful, and valuable tools and lessons to achieve their life goals. 

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This book is available from Amazon.com: Mojo: How to get it, how to keep it, how to get it back if you lose it.

The Dreaded Feast: Writers on Enduring the Holidays

Book Club... And Then Some!





The Dreaded Feast: Writers on Enduring the Holidays 

Edited by Michele Clarke and Taylor Plimpton
 
Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.


I am not a regular reader of any of these writers (John Waters, Calvin Trillin, Chris Radant, Jonathan Ames, Corey Ford, Jay McInerney, Billy Collins, Mark Twain, Robert C. Benchley, S. J. Perelman, Roy Blunt Jr., Lewis Lapham, Daniel Blythe, Scott Horton, Dave Barry, George Plimpton, James Thurber, John Cheever, Hunter S. Thompson, Charles Simic, David Rakoff, Charles Bukowski, Greg Kotis, P.J. O’Rourke, Fiona Maazel, Augusten Burroughs, Alysia Gray Painter, or David Sedaris), although I was familiar with the writing of some of them—whether or not they are some of today’s best humorists or classic writers.  Thus, it wasn’t because of my familiarity that I picked up The Dreaded Feast.

If you are looking for a short book (only 208 pages in 5 1/2 by 7 1/2-inch format) that is well-written and highly entertaining, this is a great choice.  Makes a great gift as well.

Although every story in the book can be found elsewhere, it is highly unlikely anyone would have found most of them, even if they were searching for them.  I found the choices excellent, and even if you did not agree, each is short; thus, that problem can be easily and quickly surmounted.  Writing styles vary, writers from different genres are mixed, and topics, too, vary, but, overall, this is a quick read.

Our family (all 18 of us) get together for all the big holiday celebrations, and we all enjoy (seemingly) getting together, sharing stories, eating food, and playing with the kids.  I’m not saying that ours is an ideal family situation; however, I think it comes pretty close.  But, you don’t have to have the “ideal” to appreciate the stories found here.  As-a-matter-of-fact, if you have something less than the “ideal,” you are likely to find the insights and revelations in this book sufficient enough to make you feel better regarding your own celebrations.
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Get this book at Amazon.com The Dreaded Feast: Writers on Enduring the Holidays

You are not a gadget: A manifesto

Book Club... And Then Some!

You are not a gadget: A manifesto 
        

by Jaron Lanier



Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

There are at least two characteristics of this book (and Lanier’s approach) of which you should be aware before selecting this as one to read.  First, it is a philosophical rant (a manifesto) (which I enjoyed immensely!) That celebrates humanity by contrasting technology (in all its various forms) with personhood and the limitations that “automatically” take place.  One reviewer at Amazon.com wrote, “Lanier eloquently and passionately refutes this entire mindset [that technology can produce better results than individual perspectives] while demonstrating the subtle, often unforeseen, yet pernicious effects this software design choices have in restricting the ways we are able to think about our relationships to information, the world around us and, most importantly, other people.”

The second characteristic of this book results from Lanier’s technology-driven background.  This book is full of computerese.  One unfamiliar with technology will find this book difficult to comprehend.  One reviewer wrote that the book is “a compilation of jargon filled columns and short bits written for other outlets mashed into a book.”

Despite this, and if you haven’t read Lanier’s work before (as I have not), this is, as another writer on Amazon.com said, “This is the most thought-provoking, human and inspiring critique of the computerized world of information that has yet been written.”

I want to add my own evaluation to these: I found the book interesting, if not fascinating, well-written (easy-to-follow) and wonderfully provocative.  There is so much meat here to digest and absorb, and although I agree with his essential premise, I don’t think it will make any difference at all in the larger scheme of things.  That is, the dehumanization that is occurring and that has taken place already will continue unabated and with complete abandon, and there is nothing that can be done about it except, as Lanier has offered, observe it, detail it, write about it, even rant about it.

Lanier’s reminder is simple, as a reviewer of the book has noted: “ . . . knowledge is much more than information and that being human is something that no machine is meant to approach.”

I highly recommend this book because it forces you to think deeply, and it clearly delineates where the digital world is leading us.    
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This book is available from Amazon.com: You are not a gadget: A manifesto. 

Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe

Book Club... And Then Some!

Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe   
        

by Greg M. Epstein



Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

Greg M. Epstein, humanist chaplain at Harvard University, writes in his introduction, “If you identify as an atheist, agnostic, freethinker, rationalist, skeptic, cynic, secular humanist, naturalist, or deist; as spiritual, apathetic, nonreligious, ‘nothing’; or any other irreligious descriptive, you could probably caount yourself what I call a Humanist” (p. xii).  If you are any one of these, or, perhaps, call yourself a Christian, Hindu, Muslim, or Jew, and enjoy a challenging, interesting, well-written book, then I recommend this one.

The reason this book is such a refreshing read is because Epstein is not at all concerned with whether or not there is a god.  Many other authors have attempted to answer that question.  David K. Chivers writes in his review, “Refreshingly, Greg Epstein starts a step further down along the line of debate. His premise, stated simply, is this; However they got there, there is now a significant portion of the population who simply do not believe in God. And yet most of them (including himself) live what would be thought of by most as perfectly "good" lives, raising their children, taking care of their parents, helping out in the community, and the like. They are people you would like to have as neighbors. So if they don't believe in God, why do they act in this way? Why aren't they all out marauding, looting and pillaging? If not God, what do they believe in?”

Epstein adds, “The point is that as a Humanist, you’d be in distinguished company, along with Thomas Jefferson, John Lennon, Winston Churchill, Margaret Sanger, Jean-Paul Sartre, Voltaire, David Hume, Salman Rushie, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Confucius, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Wole Soyinka, Kurt Vonnegut, Zora Neale Hurston, Mark Twain, Margaret Meade, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Einstein, Darwin, and more than a billion people worldwide” (pp. Xii-xiii).

Epstein defines humanism as “being good without God.  It is above all,” he writes, “an affirmation of the greatest common value we human beings have: the desire to live with dignity, to be ‘good.’  But Humanism is also a warning that we cannot afford to wait until tomorrow or until the next life to be good, because today—the short journey we get from birth to death, womb to tomb—is all we have.  Humanism rejects dependence on faith, the supernatural, divine texts, resurrection, reincarnation, or anything else for which we have no evidence.  To put it another way, Humanists believe in life before death” (p. xiii).  Now, that is something to celebrate!

So, where does Epstein go from here?  There are 225 pages and six chapters; thus, chapters average about 37 pages each.  Here are the chapter titles:

    Chapter 1: Can We Be Good Without God?
        2: A Brief History of Goodness Without God
        3: Why Be Good Without a God?  Purpose and The Plague
        4: Good Without God: A How-To Guide to the Ethics of Humanism
        5: Pluralism: Can You Be Good with God?
        6: Good Without God in Community: The Heart of Humanism

The book flows well, the ideas are sound, the explanations clear, and challenges to your thinking occur often.  If you enjoy a book of substance and strength that offers clear, well-structured arguments this is an excellent choice.

Barbara L. Warren, at Amazon.com, writes, “This is a well-articulated, thought-out, and respectful (of religious people) book. I have read it twice and gained new insights both times. It's comforting to know I'm not alone in my beliefs, while feeling encouraged to act in meaningful ways. The author is a Humanist without animosity or the kind of hatred I so often feel toward those of us who no longer belive in a supernatural, all-powerful being.”

Another reviewer with whom I totally agree, Ryan Rabac, of Orlando, FL, writes,  “Epstein provides a refreshing approach to living a nonreligious lifestyle that doesn't target or simply try to defend other beliefs. I especially appreciated his broad cultural and literary knowledge, including that of Camus, my favorite writer. His writing style is clear and emotionally truthful. He is a real inspiration.”

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This book is available from Amazon.com: Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe.