By Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Amy Newmark
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
Before you read this review you must understand several things. First, I am not a strong advocate for any of the books in the Chicken Soup series. Second, I am a believer in a positive life, and thinking positive about anything should a natural and automatic part of living, not something saved for a particular illness, problem, or situation. Third, I find that prayer serves no purpose whatever. It may be useful to buoy your spirit or give you hope, but chances for a positive outcome because of prayer are 50-50, just as they are in life without prayer. And there are no such things as miracles. Fourth, all thoughts and feelings occur in the brain — not in the heart. You cannot be guided by your heart, have a nagging in your heart, or have a broken heart. Sorry. The heart is merely a muscle that pumps blood.
Also, and this is just an aside. Anecdotal evidence (stories, examples, personal experiences, and illustrations) count for little in the course of life. There is no doubt that they have persuasive power because of the way they stir the emotions and can rally people to act. But with respect to proving something (there is no doubt that God exists), or serving as a basis for argument, they have no — zero — evidential power. The experiences detailed in this book are personal, highly subjective, and told with a bias (slant or angle) that can easily cause readers to question their true veracity.
Then why did I pick up this book? Curiosity could explain it. I write positive essays, and even my publishing company, And Then Some Publishing, is based on a philosophy (carefully explained at the website) that is founded on the idea that you must do everything that is required of you in life — and then some. It is the “and then some” that is most likely to bring you recognition, rewards, riches, and success.
One more answer as to why I picked up this book is simple: I am always in search of additional ideas to write about. At my blog, I write a 1,000-word essay every week, and this is my fourth year (over 200 essays!) of writing them. I thought that with 101 inspirational stories in this single volume, surely I would find one or two that would stimulate a unique thought, a useful memory, or a new essay. I was wrong.
Now, you might think — from this introduction to this review — that I found the essays boring, unnecessary, inappropriate, irrelevant, or worthless. No such thing. Most are very well written. Their writers tell a compelling story in great detail and always with a positive outcome. Just as in all the Chicken Soup books, if you want short inspirational essays, there is no doubt about it, this is a good choice. They will cause you to closely identify with the writers and, in many cases, appreciate human determination and perseverance. (I always think to myself, “Damn! what some people have to endure!”)
On the other hand, I found the essays rather repetitive, so I do not recommend readers read the book from beginning to end without stop. (It can be read quickly.) Put it somewhere where you can read it in short segments, just as I think it is intended.
I want you to know that I admire any book that causes readers to feel better about themselves or better about the human race in general. If a book such as this gives people hope, then it has served a useful purpose. If it helps people put their own life in perspective (by comparing theirs with others in worse situations than their own), then I think it is valuable. And, if it makes readers “rage, rage against the dying of the light,” as Dylan Thomas expressed it in his famous poem, “Do not go gentle into this good night,” then, perhaps, it should be read by everyone.
(I have reviewed over 250 books, and I did not realize that I had reviewed this book previously. On July 23, 2011, (about 8 months after my first review) I reviewed it a second time. Although there is some of the same information in my second review as there is in the first, there is a lot of additional information. Without any tailoring or deletions, the following is my second review of this book.)
I have been delighted with many of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books, but not in the way many of those reading this review would suppose or imagine. My first goal in selecting this book was to find potential topics, themes, or ideas to write about on my own positive-oriented blog at http://essaysandthensome.blogspot.com/
For the short, inspirational stories, of course, this is not unlike most of the previous books of this genre (although a number of reviewers at Amazon.com suggest this selection is not as strong as others).
There was an unexpected byproduct here, however, similar to the one I experienced in reading my father-in-law’s (Edgar E. Willis) book, How to be Funny on Purpose: Creating and Consuming Humor. What I discovered from reading the Willis book, because of its clear, accurate, and detailed explanation of how to create humor, I found myself engaged actively in the process of writing jokes. I had never written jokes previously nor did I think myself capable. What fun I had constructing them!
Well, in reading about “thinking positive,” I went through a number of epiphanies. I couldn’t help myself. I thought, for example, about what a positive and pleasant life I have led, and why it has happened.
The life I have led, both by design and positive thinking, fortunate (and lucky) decisions I made along the way, and certainly circumstances that have provided opportunities I never dreamed could happen, has been challenging, exciting, rewarding, and incredibly satisfying. Many of the results of positive thinking occur because of good choices along the way!
Here is my conclusion regarding positive thinking. All of life depends on making good choices. So, if I were to give advice to anyone (as I have done to over 80,000 students during my teaching career), it would be this: Prepare yourself in such a way that you (not someone else) is in control over the decisions of your life.
Now, I fully realize this is easier said than done and, too, that no matter how much we prepare, we cannot be in total control over all the decisions of our lives. That is true, however, that should not be discouraging. The point is to prepare as widely, broadly, and thoroughly as possible—stretch ourselves in all possible directions—in order to give ourselves the edge, the opportunity, or the advantage in any decisions that affect (or impinge on) our lives. We do not (cannot) know what curve balls life will throw at us, but that does not mean we cannot prepare ourselves to meet them.
When you apply this philosophy to your life, you are always looking for ways to improve, expand, or extend. You never stop learning or, even more important, looking for ways to increase your knowledge and potential.
This is the philosophy, I believe, that best undergirds, reinforces, buttresses, supports, and strengthens positive thinking, or it is the most likely philosophy to bring positive results from positive thinking. Positive thinking alone is valuable, but it takes more than just positive thinking to bring concrete results.
I found this Chicken Soup for the Soul book useful and valuable in this regard. I realize that teachers seldom know the impact—long-range results—of their instruction, but if I instilled this single idea in any of my 80,000 students I taught over more than 30 years in the classroom and lecture hall, I would consider my work successful. It is more than just a positive message, it is a charge, command, or instruction that, when internalized and practiced, will send you on a mission to take responsibility for your life.
This book is available at Amazon.com: Chicken soup for the soul: Think positive — 101 inspirational stories about counting your blessings and having a positive attitude
Monday, December 26, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
Humor me: An anthology of funny contemporary writing
By Ian Frazier, Editor
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
My father-in-law, Edgar E. Willis, who wrote the great book, How to be funny on purpose: Creating and consuming humor, looked at this book. He had just read and enjoyed Michael Shelden’s Mark Twain: Man in White (Random House, 2010), so his inclination was to immediately turn to Frazier’s Mark Twain entry, “1601.” Familiar with this essay, Willis turned up his nose saying not only was it a poor choice (from all the Twain essays that could have been chosen), but it was truly distasteful — lewd and bawdy.
What’s interesting about the Twain piece is that it was singled out by Frazier in the “Introduction.” He said this: “Start again [after laughing uproariously]: Now let us turn our attention to the anthology itself, and its contents, which include an eminent piece by the eminent writer Mark Twain on the subject of Shakespeare farting. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahah, oh God why did I start with that one? There’s no way I can describe the farting piece without breaking up completely, oh God oh jeez. What now? Heeheeheeheeheeheehee! A-hee. A-ha. Deep breath. Breathe . . .” (p. x).
I thought his introduction to this book was childish, juvenile, and completely stupid, ridiculous, and irrelevant. What is truly “stupid, ridiculous, and irrelevant” is that very few pieces in this book deserve (earn?) the “hilarity or hysteria” the author gives them. I thought, too, that any editor who would begin a book on humor in this way, cannot be trusted. It was not just “over the top,” it was outrageous and inappropriate.
With respect to Ian Frazier’s introduction, you’ve undoubtedly heard the cliche, “He doth protesteth too much.” I found the following quotation at “Sigmund, Carl and Alfred under the title, “He doth protesteth too much,” which speaks precisely to Frazier’s approach in his introduction: “This is the same sort of phenomenon as the famous “I am not a crook” type of statement. If you have to keep asserting something like that, it is often the case that you probably are a crook. Likewise, if you have to keep mentioning that you are “reality-based”, it becomes more and more certain that –whatever you may be, reality has little to do with it.”
If you have to keep asserting how funny your book selections are — that they keep you laughing uproariously — then it is easy (and proper) to assume the book selections that follow are very unfunny. Be forewarned.
When Willis returned the book to me, he had nothing to say about it — which speaks volumes about the book, the editor, and the selections. When he likes a book, it is clear from the quotes he shares, the discussions he engages in (or stimulates), and the specific positive comments he makes. None of that here.
The three-star (out of five) review of the book by the Sacramento Book Review at Amazon.com said, “It's hard to not be skeptical when reading a book pitched as an anthology of funny writing. Humor itself is highly subjective, but the foreword to the book promised laugh-out-loud, gut-wrenching, funny stories. The ensuing book, however, didn't match what the foreword or the title promised.” Precisely! Well said.
Toward the end of the “Introduction,” Frazier says, “There are great pieces in here, so you SHOULD enjoy it. If you don’t, the problem is with you” (p. xii). It is true that humor is subjective, but when you pick up a book called Humor Me it should be chock full of “great pieces.” You shouldn’t have to wade through 50 others to find them. Second, I thought the problem with this book could be me, but when Willis, a true expert on humor and what it takes to be funny, clearly confirmed my point of view, I realized it wasn’t me at all. The problem with this book is Ian Frazier and the selections he made for this book. Don’t waste your time on this one.
This book is available at Amazon.com: Humor me: An anthology of funny contemporary writing
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
My father-in-law, Edgar E. Willis, who wrote the great book, How to be funny on purpose: Creating and consuming humor, looked at this book. He had just read and enjoyed Michael Shelden’s Mark Twain: Man in White (Random House, 2010), so his inclination was to immediately turn to Frazier’s Mark Twain entry, “1601.” Familiar with this essay, Willis turned up his nose saying not only was it a poor choice (from all the Twain essays that could have been chosen), but it was truly distasteful — lewd and bawdy.
What’s interesting about the Twain piece is that it was singled out by Frazier in the “Introduction.” He said this: “Start again [after laughing uproariously]: Now let us turn our attention to the anthology itself, and its contents, which include an eminent piece by the eminent writer Mark Twain on the subject of Shakespeare farting. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahah, oh God why did I start with that one? There’s no way I can describe the farting piece without breaking up completely, oh God oh jeez. What now? Heeheeheeheeheeheehee! A-hee. A-ha. Deep breath. Breathe . . .” (p. x).
I thought his introduction to this book was childish, juvenile, and completely stupid, ridiculous, and irrelevant. What is truly “stupid, ridiculous, and irrelevant” is that very few pieces in this book deserve (earn?) the “hilarity or hysteria” the author gives them. I thought, too, that any editor who would begin a book on humor in this way, cannot be trusted. It was not just “over the top,” it was outrageous and inappropriate.
With respect to Ian Frazier’s introduction, you’ve undoubtedly heard the cliche, “He doth protesteth too much.” I found the following quotation at “Sigmund, Carl and Alfred under the title, “He doth protesteth too much,” which speaks precisely to Frazier’s approach in his introduction: “This is the same sort of phenomenon as the famous “I am not a crook” type of statement. If you have to keep asserting something like that, it is often the case that you probably are a crook. Likewise, if you have to keep mentioning that you are “reality-based”, it becomes more and more certain that –whatever you may be, reality has little to do with it.”
If you have to keep asserting how funny your book selections are — that they keep you laughing uproariously — then it is easy (and proper) to assume the book selections that follow are very unfunny. Be forewarned.
When Willis returned the book to me, he had nothing to say about it — which speaks volumes about the book, the editor, and the selections. When he likes a book, it is clear from the quotes he shares, the discussions he engages in (or stimulates), and the specific positive comments he makes. None of that here.
The three-star (out of five) review of the book by the Sacramento Book Review at Amazon.com said, “It's hard to not be skeptical when reading a book pitched as an anthology of funny writing. Humor itself is highly subjective, but the foreword to the book promised laugh-out-loud, gut-wrenching, funny stories. The ensuing book, however, didn't match what the foreword or the title promised.” Precisely! Well said.
Toward the end of the “Introduction,” Frazier says, “There are great pieces in here, so you SHOULD enjoy it. If you don’t, the problem is with you” (p. xii). It is true that humor is subjective, but when you pick up a book called Humor Me it should be chock full of “great pieces.” You shouldn’t have to wade through 50 others to find them. Second, I thought the problem with this book could be me, but when Willis, a true expert on humor and what it takes to be funny, clearly confirmed my point of view, I realized it wasn’t me at all. The problem with this book is Ian Frazier and the selections he made for this book. Don’t waste your time on this one.
This book is available at Amazon.com: Humor me: An anthology of funny contemporary writing
Monday, December 12, 2011
Merchants of doubt: How a handful of scientists obscured the truth on issues from tobacco smoke to global warming
By Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
In this 355-page book (274 of text), there are 62 pages of notes. Oreskes is a professor of history and science studies at the University of California, San Diego, and Conway has published four previous books, one of which was Atmosphere Science at NASA: A History. Their reputations are impeccable.
With respect to “the story of the Tobacco Strategy, and how it was used to attack science and scientists, and to confuse us [the public] about major, important issues affecting our lives — and the planet we live on” (p. 7) — what this book is all about, the authors “trust our scientific experts on matters of science” (p. 272). And, it appears that trust is faithfully and fairly placed, and readers can trust the authors to present it in the same manner.
This is an extremely well-written expos , and the story it tells about the tobacco industry and what they did to protect themselves from highly scientific studies about the harmful effects of tobacco could apply to any industry or situation (think pharmaceuticals, alcoholic beverages, nuclear development, foreign threats, outsourcing, antiballistic missel systems (ABMs), pesticides, space exploration, climate change, formaldehyde, pollution, environmental changes, acid rain, global warming, etc.) where large amounts of money can be used to influence honest, well-researched, scientific evidence of harm and destruction.
In the case of smoking, the industry-based goons (scientists who sell their souls) had to counter the claims 1) that smokers lived sicker and died sooner than their nonsmoking counterparts, 2) that early deaths would not have occurred if these people had never smoked, and, 3) were it not for smoking “practically none of these early deaths from lung cancer would have occurred. “Smoking killed people” (p. 23). These are scientifically proven, well-established, accepted facts which affected tobacco sales and, thus, had to be refuted.
This is a thoroughly documented, richly detailed, expertly told story about how doubt is financed and marketed, how evidence can be suppressed, distorted, revised, manipulated, and deleted, how counter narratives are constructed, and how those who promote any program that counters large business, industry, or corporate interests — whatever they are — can have his or her credibility destroyed, professional career undermined, or life threatened.
This is not only a disturbing book about organized, scientific, disinformation campaigns, it is downright scary. What a great book!
This book is available at Amazon.com: Merchants of doubt: How a handful of scientists obscured the truth on issues from tobacco smoke to global warming
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
In this 355-page book (274 of text), there are 62 pages of notes. Oreskes is a professor of history and science studies at the University of California, San Diego, and Conway has published four previous books, one of which was Atmosphere Science at NASA: A History. Their reputations are impeccable.
With respect to “the story of the Tobacco Strategy, and how it was used to attack science and scientists, and to confuse us [the public] about major, important issues affecting our lives — and the planet we live on” (p. 7) — what this book is all about, the authors “trust our scientific experts on matters of science” (p. 272). And, it appears that trust is faithfully and fairly placed, and readers can trust the authors to present it in the same manner.
This is an extremely well-written expos , and the story it tells about the tobacco industry and what they did to protect themselves from highly scientific studies about the harmful effects of tobacco could apply to any industry or situation (think pharmaceuticals, alcoholic beverages, nuclear development, foreign threats, outsourcing, antiballistic missel systems (ABMs), pesticides, space exploration, climate change, formaldehyde, pollution, environmental changes, acid rain, global warming, etc.) where large amounts of money can be used to influence honest, well-researched, scientific evidence of harm and destruction.
In the case of smoking, the industry-based goons (scientists who sell their souls) had to counter the claims 1) that smokers lived sicker and died sooner than their nonsmoking counterparts, 2) that early deaths would not have occurred if these people had never smoked, and, 3) were it not for smoking “practically none of these early deaths from lung cancer would have occurred. “Smoking killed people” (p. 23). These are scientifically proven, well-established, accepted facts which affected tobacco sales and, thus, had to be refuted.
This is a thoroughly documented, richly detailed, expertly told story about how doubt is financed and marketed, how evidence can be suppressed, distorted, revised, manipulated, and deleted, how counter narratives are constructed, and how those who promote any program that counters large business, industry, or corporate interests — whatever they are — can have his or her credibility destroyed, professional career undermined, or life threatened.
This is not only a disturbing book about organized, scientific, disinformation campaigns, it is downright scary. What a great book!
This book is available at Amazon.com: Merchants of doubt: How a handful of scientists obscured the truth on issues from tobacco smoke to global warming
Monday, December 5, 2011
Mark Twain: Man in white---The grand adventure of his final years
By Michael Shelden
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
If your desire is to spend time with an entertaining book, written by a gifted writer, about an American icon, that is not only engaging and insightful but well-researched and thorough, enhanced by black-and-white photographs throughout, this would be a superb choice. There are 35 pages of notes in addition to seven pages of “Sources and Bibliography” (all typed in a small font). There are 417 pages of text, and you wish there were more. The author uses many of Twain’s own journals and letters to offer readers numerous, previously unpublished, fresh insights into Twain’s final four years.
Shelden, using eloquent vibrant prose, provides an engaging, readable, entertaining, and moving narrative. He, by using vivid and thorough evidence, persuasively proves his claim that Twain was more alive during his final years than at any other time of his life.
When you complete this book you will fully realize that Twain was a lively, engaged, very funny man of enormous talent, surprising wit, and astonishing energy. The Cleveland Plain Dealer, in their review of the book, wrote: “The definitive work on this controversial period. . . . Shelden's engagingly written, admirably balanced and thoroughly documented biography is as convincing as it is entertaining."
In your choice of this book, you will not be disappointed. I gave it to my father-in-law, Edgar E. Willis, to read. Willis is the author of two recent books: Civilian in an Ill-fitting Uniform: A Memoir of World War II, and a second book, How to be Funny on Purpose: Creating and Consuming Humor. In the latter book, Willis makes 18 references to Mark Twain and offers readers one of my favorite Twain quotes: “The difference between the nearly right word and the right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug” (p. 251). A quotation like this one by Twain, however, is dwarfed by the hundreds of witty sayings and remarks by Twain in Shelden’s book.
Willis was so moved by Shelden’s book he wrote a personal letter to him. He ended his letter by saying, “In closing, let me say again that reading your book provided me with a wonderfully enriching experience.” It could not be said more accurately or succinctly.
This book is available at Amazon.com: Mark Twain: Man in white — The grand adventure of his final years
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
If your desire is to spend time with an entertaining book, written by a gifted writer, about an American icon, that is not only engaging and insightful but well-researched and thorough, enhanced by black-and-white photographs throughout, this would be a superb choice. There are 35 pages of notes in addition to seven pages of “Sources and Bibliography” (all typed in a small font). There are 417 pages of text, and you wish there were more. The author uses many of Twain’s own journals and letters to offer readers numerous, previously unpublished, fresh insights into Twain’s final four years.
Shelden, using eloquent vibrant prose, provides an engaging, readable, entertaining, and moving narrative. He, by using vivid and thorough evidence, persuasively proves his claim that Twain was more alive during his final years than at any other time of his life.
When you complete this book you will fully realize that Twain was a lively, engaged, very funny man of enormous talent, surprising wit, and astonishing energy. The Cleveland Plain Dealer, in their review of the book, wrote: “The definitive work on this controversial period. . . . Shelden's engagingly written, admirably balanced and thoroughly documented biography is as convincing as it is entertaining."
In your choice of this book, you will not be disappointed. I gave it to my father-in-law, Edgar E. Willis, to read. Willis is the author of two recent books: Civilian in an Ill-fitting Uniform: A Memoir of World War II, and a second book, How to be Funny on Purpose: Creating and Consuming Humor. In the latter book, Willis makes 18 references to Mark Twain and offers readers one of my favorite Twain quotes: “The difference between the nearly right word and the right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug” (p. 251). A quotation like this one by Twain, however, is dwarfed by the hundreds of witty sayings and remarks by Twain in Shelden’s book.
Willis was so moved by Shelden’s book he wrote a personal letter to him. He ended his letter by saying, “In closing, let me say again that reading your book provided me with a wonderfully enriching experience.” It could not be said more accurately or succinctly.
This book is available at Amazon.com: Mark Twain: Man in white — The grand adventure of his final years
Monday, November 28, 2011
The shallows: What the internet is doing to our brains
By Nicholas Carr
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
Whether you accept his argument, whether you agree with or question the evidence he uses to support his contentions, or whether you have personal experiences that significantly differ from Carr’s, two things you should know about this book on a current and relevant topic include, first, it is well written and organized, and two, it offers a great deal of material for thought, consideration, and discussion. It’s the kind of book I would love to have assigned for a book circle or book club simply because I can see that Carr’s ideas would generate a variety of viewpoints, strong advocates as well as healthy critics, and, certainly, lively discussion.
You don’t have to accept Carr’s premise to enjoy his book. His thesis was effectively stated by Kenneth A. Vatz of Winnetka, Illinois, who writes in his five-star review of the book, “that our increasing addiction to the Internet is not only transforming our minds but physically changing, or rewiring, our brains in such a way as to shorten our attention spans and impair our ability to memorize, think and synthesize.”
This book is important, and it should be read by teachers and students as well as by parents and their offspring. My position is that it is a well-thought-out, well-written, well-researched book that is likely to be the mere tip of the iceberg with respect to this topic, and we will see a great deal more research and writing about it in the future. Carr writes, “When it comes to the quality of our thought, our neurons and synapses are entirely indifferent. The possibility of intellectual decay is inherent in the malleability of our brains” (p. 35). I think there is no question at all that the Internet will have a significant influence on the way we both think and behave, and its pernicious influence is likely to become greater and greater as time goes on. This book, then, becomes the benchmark.
I’m a reader. One of the delights in this book is the contrast Carr offers between reading a book or magazine (it’s "tactile as well as visual” (p. 90).) and reading a Web document (which “involves physical actions and sensory stimuli very different from those involved in holding and turning . . . pages” (p. 90).) His contrast appears on pages 89-98.
For authors, readers of books, creators of e-books, and publishers, Chapter Six, “The Very Image of a Book,” is both an interesting and informative read. The overall thesis, Carr explains, is: “The high-tech features of devices like the Kindle and Apple’s new iPad may make it more likely that we’ll read e-books, but the way we read them will be very different from the way we read printed editions” (p. 104). The chapter goes on to explain the numerous “changes in the way books are written and presented” (p. 105).
In Chapter Seven, “The Juggler’s Brain,” Carr goes on to describe and discuss a similar thesis: “. . . the Internet’s import and influence can be judged only when viewed in the fuller context of intellectual history. As revolutionary as it may be, the Net is best understood as the latest in a long series of tools that have helped mold the human mind” (p. 115). Carr then goes on to answer the crucial question, “What can science tell us about the actual effects that Internet use is having on the way our minds work?” (p. 115)
Just an additional thought. After Carr’s Chapter Nine, “Search, Memory,” he includes three pages (pp. 198-200) entitled, “a digression: on the writing of this book.” Now, as a writer, I found these three pages insightful. I always enjoy it when writers write about the process of writing. Carr says, “When I began writing The Shallows, toward the end of 2007, I struggled in vain to keep my mind fixed on the task. The Net provided, as always, a bounty of useful information and research tools, but its constant interruptions scattered my thoughts and words. I tended to write in disconnected spurts, the same way I wrote when blogging. It was clear that big changes were in order” (p. 198). He says all this as a way of showing what happened when he moved from Boston to the mountains of Colorado where there was no cell phone service, a very slow DSL connection, a canceled Twitter account, a Facebook account put on hiatus, and a shut down blog, RSS reader, skyping, and instant messaging. What happened then is an anecdotal delight — and worth the read.
With respect to the credibility of the ideas in this book, there are over 25 pages of notes and 4 pages of further readings. Throughout the book, readers are provided important, relevant, and highly accomplished researchers and experts as the basis for his observations. His own experiences are offered, but he only uses them to further extend the research and the expert opinions.
With respect to the author’s own credibility, I quote here from his online biography: “Earlier in his career [ before writing his best selling books], Carr was executive editor of the Harvard Business Review and a principal at Mercer Management Consulting.
Carr has been a speaker at MIT, Harvard, Wharton, the Kennedy School of Government, NASA, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas as well as at many industry, corporate, and professional events throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. He holds a B.A. from Dartmouth College and an M.A., in English and American literature and language, from Harvard University.”
This is a very good book.
This book is available from Amazon.com: The shallows: What the internet is doing to our brains
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
Whether you accept his argument, whether you agree with or question the evidence he uses to support his contentions, or whether you have personal experiences that significantly differ from Carr’s, two things you should know about this book on a current and relevant topic include, first, it is well written and organized, and two, it offers a great deal of material for thought, consideration, and discussion. It’s the kind of book I would love to have assigned for a book circle or book club simply because I can see that Carr’s ideas would generate a variety of viewpoints, strong advocates as well as healthy critics, and, certainly, lively discussion.
You don’t have to accept Carr’s premise to enjoy his book. His thesis was effectively stated by Kenneth A. Vatz of Winnetka, Illinois, who writes in his five-star review of the book, “that our increasing addiction to the Internet is not only transforming our minds but physically changing, or rewiring, our brains in such a way as to shorten our attention spans and impair our ability to memorize, think and synthesize.”
This book is important, and it should be read by teachers and students as well as by parents and their offspring. My position is that it is a well-thought-out, well-written, well-researched book that is likely to be the mere tip of the iceberg with respect to this topic, and we will see a great deal more research and writing about it in the future. Carr writes, “When it comes to the quality of our thought, our neurons and synapses are entirely indifferent. The possibility of intellectual decay is inherent in the malleability of our brains” (p. 35). I think there is no question at all that the Internet will have a significant influence on the way we both think and behave, and its pernicious influence is likely to become greater and greater as time goes on. This book, then, becomes the benchmark.
I’m a reader. One of the delights in this book is the contrast Carr offers between reading a book or magazine (it’s "tactile as well as visual” (p. 90).) and reading a Web document (which “involves physical actions and sensory stimuli very different from those involved in holding and turning . . . pages” (p. 90).) His contrast appears on pages 89-98.
For authors, readers of books, creators of e-books, and publishers, Chapter Six, “The Very Image of a Book,” is both an interesting and informative read. The overall thesis, Carr explains, is: “The high-tech features of devices like the Kindle and Apple’s new iPad may make it more likely that we’ll read e-books, but the way we read them will be very different from the way we read printed editions” (p. 104). The chapter goes on to explain the numerous “changes in the way books are written and presented” (p. 105).
In Chapter Seven, “The Juggler’s Brain,” Carr goes on to describe and discuss a similar thesis: “. . . the Internet’s import and influence can be judged only when viewed in the fuller context of intellectual history. As revolutionary as it may be, the Net is best understood as the latest in a long series of tools that have helped mold the human mind” (p. 115). Carr then goes on to answer the crucial question, “What can science tell us about the actual effects that Internet use is having on the way our minds work?” (p. 115)
Just an additional thought. After Carr’s Chapter Nine, “Search, Memory,” he includes three pages (pp. 198-200) entitled, “a digression: on the writing of this book.” Now, as a writer, I found these three pages insightful. I always enjoy it when writers write about the process of writing. Carr says, “When I began writing The Shallows, toward the end of 2007, I struggled in vain to keep my mind fixed on the task. The Net provided, as always, a bounty of useful information and research tools, but its constant interruptions scattered my thoughts and words. I tended to write in disconnected spurts, the same way I wrote when blogging. It was clear that big changes were in order” (p. 198). He says all this as a way of showing what happened when he moved from Boston to the mountains of Colorado where there was no cell phone service, a very slow DSL connection, a canceled Twitter account, a Facebook account put on hiatus, and a shut down blog, RSS reader, skyping, and instant messaging. What happened then is an anecdotal delight — and worth the read.
With respect to the credibility of the ideas in this book, there are over 25 pages of notes and 4 pages of further readings. Throughout the book, readers are provided important, relevant, and highly accomplished researchers and experts as the basis for his observations. His own experiences are offered, but he only uses them to further extend the research and the expert opinions.
With respect to the author’s own credibility, I quote here from his online biography: “Earlier in his career [ before writing his best selling books], Carr was executive editor of the Harvard Business Review and a principal at Mercer Management Consulting.
Carr has been a speaker at MIT, Harvard, Wharton, the Kennedy School of Government, NASA, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas as well as at many industry, corporate, and professional events throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. He holds a B.A. from Dartmouth College and an M.A., in English and American literature and language, from Harvard University.”
This is a very good book.
This book is available from Amazon.com: The shallows: What the internet is doing to our brains
Monday, November 21, 2011
The intelligent entrepreneur: How three Harvard Business School graduates learned the 10 rules of successful entrepreneurship
By Bill Murphy Jr.
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
Harvard Business School (HBS) teaches its business classes by having students read, analyze, and discuss case studies. Bill Murphy is a Harvard graduate, and the reason you need to know this before diving into this book, is that basically, it is three extensive and well-described case studies (of Marla Malcolm Beck, Chris Michel, and Marc Cenedella) tied together with their experiences and how they demonstrate (sometimes purposefully and at other times accidentally) the ten rules of successful entrepreneurship:
1. Make the commitment.
2. Find a problem, then solve it.
3. Think big, think new, think again.
4. You can’t do it alone.
5. You must do it alone.
6. Manage risk.
7. Learn to lead.
8. Learn to sell.
9. Persist, persevere, prevail.
10. Play the game for life.
In each case, you get a beautifully presented explanation of the real life challenges and triumphs of the three entrepreneurs in the eleven odd-numbered chapters, and in the even-numbered chapters, you get Murphy’s key rules of entrepreneurial success that Marla, Chris, and Marc learned along the way (p. 7). It’s an interesting format, but it works well.
Once you meet Marla, Chris, and Marc in Chapter 1 and hear their stories (which sets the stage for the entire book), you will not just become interested in how their lives work out, but their stories, too, will captivate you, and you will quickly become absorbed in this well-written, interesting, and enlightening book.
Whether you are a hopeful entrepreneur, one just starting out, or one who has already plunged forward into entrepreneurship and is fully ensconced, I think you will find this book worthwhile. Having recently established a small publishing company, And Then Some Publishing, L.L.C., I found his information accurate, insightful, and valuable.
This book is available at Amazon.com: The intelligent entrepreneur: How three Harvard Business School graduates learned the 10 rules of successful entrepreneurship
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
Harvard Business School (HBS) teaches its business classes by having students read, analyze, and discuss case studies. Bill Murphy is a Harvard graduate, and the reason you need to know this before diving into this book, is that basically, it is three extensive and well-described case studies (of Marla Malcolm Beck, Chris Michel, and Marc Cenedella) tied together with their experiences and how they demonstrate (sometimes purposefully and at other times accidentally) the ten rules of successful entrepreneurship:
1. Make the commitment.
2. Find a problem, then solve it.
3. Think big, think new, think again.
4. You can’t do it alone.
5. You must do it alone.
6. Manage risk.
7. Learn to lead.
8. Learn to sell.
9. Persist, persevere, prevail.
10. Play the game for life.
In each case, you get a beautifully presented explanation of the real life challenges and triumphs of the three entrepreneurs in the eleven odd-numbered chapters, and in the even-numbered chapters, you get Murphy’s key rules of entrepreneurial success that Marla, Chris, and Marc learned along the way (p. 7). It’s an interesting format, but it works well.
Once you meet Marla, Chris, and Marc in Chapter 1 and hear their stories (which sets the stage for the entire book), you will not just become interested in how their lives work out, but their stories, too, will captivate you, and you will quickly become absorbed in this well-written, interesting, and enlightening book.
Whether you are a hopeful entrepreneur, one just starting out, or one who has already plunged forward into entrepreneurship and is fully ensconced, I think you will find this book worthwhile. Having recently established a small publishing company, And Then Some Publishing, L.L.C., I found his information accurate, insightful, and valuable.
This book is available at Amazon.com: The intelligent entrepreneur: How three Harvard Business School graduates learned the 10 rules of successful entrepreneurship
Monday, November 14, 2011
The mindfulness code: Keys for overcoming stress, anxiety, fear, and unhappiness
By Donald Altman
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
It is helpful to know Altman’s credentials before reading this book. First, he is a psychotherapist, second, he is a former Buddhist monk, and third, he is an adjunct professor at Lewis and Clark College Graduate School and Portland State University. Why is it important to know this? Because, throughout the book he successfully and seamlessly blends these three areas of interest and expertise.
Altman tells effective stories, and he tells them well. The book is absolutely loaded with examples.
There are 44 chapters in this in 256 pages of text. That means that, on average, each chapter is less than six pages long. They read quickly. And, too, each chapter includes a simple lesson, activity, or tool that engages readers and gives them an exercise to experience or apply the idea on their own.
Chapter titles will give you an exact idea of the contents of this book. The first section, “The Mind Key,” includes 11 chapters. The second part, “The Body Key,” includes eleven chapters, “The Spirit Key,” includes eleven, and the fourth part, “The Relationship Key,” includes the final eleven.
Because I have a special interest in relationships (I write about them on a regular basis, and I had a college textbook, UNDERSTANDING INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION, that went through 7 editions), let me give you the chapter names in this part: Give Others Your Full Presence, Embrace Silence and Deep Listening, Share Loving-Kindness with Others, Be Genuine and Real, Seek Out Happy and Meaningful Connections, Untie the Knots of Emotional Entanglement, Light Another’s Candle, Attune Yourself to Others, Offer Up Your Nonjudgment and Joy, Cultivate Kind Speech, and Mind Your Relationships. (How can anyone argue against these ideas when it comes to cultivating successful relationships?)
In her review of the book at Amazon.com, I thought Marilyn Dalrymple of Lancaster, California, made a particularly good point. She said the book “is a gentle, but serious reminder that most of us need to take care of ourselves and be concerned and caring toward others.” I love her use of the word “gentle” for not only is it an accurate reflection of Altman’s approach, it is the feeling you acquire as he explains the idea of each chapter, offers examples to clearly define and demonstrate the idea, and then provides the “gentle” guideline readers can use to obtain (or at the least experience) the idea on their own.
This book is available at Amazon.com: The mindfulness code: Keys for overcoming stress, anxiety, fear, and unhappiness
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
It is helpful to know Altman’s credentials before reading this book. First, he is a psychotherapist, second, he is a former Buddhist monk, and third, he is an adjunct professor at Lewis and Clark College Graduate School and Portland State University. Why is it important to know this? Because, throughout the book he successfully and seamlessly blends these three areas of interest and expertise.
Altman tells effective stories, and he tells them well. The book is absolutely loaded with examples.
There are 44 chapters in this in 256 pages of text. That means that, on average, each chapter is less than six pages long. They read quickly. And, too, each chapter includes a simple lesson, activity, or tool that engages readers and gives them an exercise to experience or apply the idea on their own.
Chapter titles will give you an exact idea of the contents of this book. The first section, “The Mind Key,” includes 11 chapters. The second part, “The Body Key,” includes eleven chapters, “The Spirit Key,” includes eleven, and the fourth part, “The Relationship Key,” includes the final eleven.
Because I have a special interest in relationships (I write about them on a regular basis, and I had a college textbook, UNDERSTANDING INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION, that went through 7 editions), let me give you the chapter names in this part: Give Others Your Full Presence, Embrace Silence and Deep Listening, Share Loving-Kindness with Others, Be Genuine and Real, Seek Out Happy and Meaningful Connections, Untie the Knots of Emotional Entanglement, Light Another’s Candle, Attune Yourself to Others, Offer Up Your Nonjudgment and Joy, Cultivate Kind Speech, and Mind Your Relationships. (How can anyone argue against these ideas when it comes to cultivating successful relationships?)
In her review of the book at Amazon.com, I thought Marilyn Dalrymple of Lancaster, California, made a particularly good point. She said the book “is a gentle, but serious reminder that most of us need to take care of ourselves and be concerned and caring toward others.” I love her use of the word “gentle” for not only is it an accurate reflection of Altman’s approach, it is the feeling you acquire as he explains the idea of each chapter, offers examples to clearly define and demonstrate the idea, and then provides the “gentle” guideline readers can use to obtain (or at the least experience) the idea on their own.
This book is available at Amazon.com: The mindfulness code: Keys for overcoming stress, anxiety, fear, and unhappiness
Monday, November 7, 2011
The upside of irrationality: The unexpected benefits of defying logic at work and at home
By Dan Ariely
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
This is an absolutely fascinating book. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed it. I loved the stories, I loved the experiments, I loved the practical nature of the entire book and how Ariely applies all of the information to our lives whether it be at work, in relationships, or simply everyday existence.
Here is an example of how Ariely relates stories or experiments to readers’ lives: “The moral of the story?” he writes. “You may think that taking a break during an irritating or boring experience will be good for you, but a break actually decreases your ability to adapt, making the experience seem worse when you have to return to it. When cleaning your house or doing your taxes, the trick is to stick with it until you are done” (p. 179).
His experience with “Public Speaking 101" (pp. 42-49), of course, caught my attention. Ariely is so good at telling stories. The details he provides allow readers to imagine the situations he describes accurately, but not only that, it puts readers into those situations with all of the attendant emotions and reactions.
What I found particularly interesting was the build-up Ariely offered for each of his experiments. If you have ever wondered where the motivation or stimulation for behavioral science experiments come from, reading this book will be especially enlightening.
Also, delightful and evident on almost every page of the book, is Ariely’s engaging and surprising sense of humor. If you ever think that university professors — especially ones like Ariely who not only have two Ph.D’s, but are obviously well-versed and well-practiced in research methodology and approaches — are sedate, staid, formal, stuffy, and conventional (devoid of any sense of humor!), then you will not only be pleasantly surprised by this book, you may even be astonished. On page 61, Ariely puts you (the reader) in the “character” of an adult male albino rat in a cage. He gives you all the rat language and rat feelings to help you identify with it: “You accidentally press the bar, and immediately a pellet of food is released. Wonderful! You press the bar again. Oh joy!—another pellet comes out. . . .” In the next paragraph he says, “You wander around the cage, cursing under your rat breath, and go over to the tin cup. ‘Oh my!’ you say to yourself. ‘It’s full of pellets! Free food!’” (You get the point.).
The book is written for anyone and everyone. It is highly readable! There are few technical words, no erudite vocabulary, and it is incredibly engaging. You just can’t put it down. (That’s because the stories and illustrations are so captivating!) “I truly enjoy the research I do,” Ariely writes, “I think it’s fun. I’m excited to tell you, dear reader, about how I have spent the last twenty years of my life. I’m almost sure my mother will read this boo, and I’m hoping that at least a few others will as well” (p. 64).
I loved his personal examples, like putting together the IKEA furniture designed for his toy room (pp. 83-84). His example of what happened with his small Audi (pp. 131-135) was delightful, and it was truly an illustration with which all readers could identify. Also, once again, it was a story that led to an experiment “to measure the extent of vengeful behavior” (p. 135).
Just an aside regarding Ariely’s Audi experience, here he writes about it in retrospect on page 153: “Other than my near brush with death on the highway, I’d say that my experience with Audi was overall beneficial. I got to reflect on the phenomenon of revenge, do a few experiments, share my perspective in print, and write this chapter.” These sentences give you a good sample of his writing style, his directness in talking to readers, and his honesty.
Speaking of his use of personal examples, how he became an academic (because I am, too, an academic) is most interesting. It was a choice, incidentally, that happened slowly over time as he “began engaging in more and more academic pursuits” (p. 184). Ariely uses this experience as an example of how he adapted to a powerful, painful, and prolonged injury (which he fully explains toward the beginning of the book).
This really is an outstanding book that will capture your attention, tune your senses to a number of aspects of human behavior, and inform, enlighten, and entertain you along the way. If it hasn’t been clear in this review, I truly loved the book and Ariely’s writing style.
This book is available at Amazon.com: The upside of irrationality: The unexpected benefits of defying logic at work and at home
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
This is an absolutely fascinating book. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed it. I loved the stories, I loved the experiments, I loved the practical nature of the entire book and how Ariely applies all of the information to our lives whether it be at work, in relationships, or simply everyday existence.
Here is an example of how Ariely relates stories or experiments to readers’ lives: “The moral of the story?” he writes. “You may think that taking a break during an irritating or boring experience will be good for you, but a break actually decreases your ability to adapt, making the experience seem worse when you have to return to it. When cleaning your house or doing your taxes, the trick is to stick with it until you are done” (p. 179).
His experience with “Public Speaking 101" (pp. 42-49), of course, caught my attention. Ariely is so good at telling stories. The details he provides allow readers to imagine the situations he describes accurately, but not only that, it puts readers into those situations with all of the attendant emotions and reactions.
What I found particularly interesting was the build-up Ariely offered for each of his experiments. If you have ever wondered where the motivation or stimulation for behavioral science experiments come from, reading this book will be especially enlightening.
Also, delightful and evident on almost every page of the book, is Ariely’s engaging and surprising sense of humor. If you ever think that university professors — especially ones like Ariely who not only have two Ph.D’s, but are obviously well-versed and well-practiced in research methodology and approaches — are sedate, staid, formal, stuffy, and conventional (devoid of any sense of humor!), then you will not only be pleasantly surprised by this book, you may even be astonished. On page 61, Ariely puts you (the reader) in the “character” of an adult male albino rat in a cage. He gives you all the rat language and rat feelings to help you identify with it: “You accidentally press the bar, and immediately a pellet of food is released. Wonderful! You press the bar again. Oh joy!—another pellet comes out. . . .” In the next paragraph he says, “You wander around the cage, cursing under your rat breath, and go over to the tin cup. ‘Oh my!’ you say to yourself. ‘It’s full of pellets! Free food!’” (You get the point.).
The book is written for anyone and everyone. It is highly readable! There are few technical words, no erudite vocabulary, and it is incredibly engaging. You just can’t put it down. (That’s because the stories and illustrations are so captivating!) “I truly enjoy the research I do,” Ariely writes, “I think it’s fun. I’m excited to tell you, dear reader, about how I have spent the last twenty years of my life. I’m almost sure my mother will read this boo, and I’m hoping that at least a few others will as well” (p. 64).
I loved his personal examples, like putting together the IKEA furniture designed for his toy room (pp. 83-84). His example of what happened with his small Audi (pp. 131-135) was delightful, and it was truly an illustration with which all readers could identify. Also, once again, it was a story that led to an experiment “to measure the extent of vengeful behavior” (p. 135).
Just an aside regarding Ariely’s Audi experience, here he writes about it in retrospect on page 153: “Other than my near brush with death on the highway, I’d say that my experience with Audi was overall beneficial. I got to reflect on the phenomenon of revenge, do a few experiments, share my perspective in print, and write this chapter.” These sentences give you a good sample of his writing style, his directness in talking to readers, and his honesty.
Speaking of his use of personal examples, how he became an academic (because I am, too, an academic) is most interesting. It was a choice, incidentally, that happened slowly over time as he “began engaging in more and more academic pursuits” (p. 184). Ariely uses this experience as an example of how he adapted to a powerful, painful, and prolonged injury (which he fully explains toward the beginning of the book).
This really is an outstanding book that will capture your attention, tune your senses to a number of aspects of human behavior, and inform, enlighten, and entertain you along the way. If it hasn’t been clear in this review, I truly loved the book and Ariely’s writing style.
This book is available at Amazon.com: The upside of irrationality: The unexpected benefits of defying logic at work and at home
Monday, October 31, 2011
The favorite child: How a favorite impacts every family member for life
By Ellen Weber Libby
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
This is an excellent book. The reason I picked it up is simply because I felt I fit into her category (a favorite child). I knew that of the three children in my family (I have an older and a younger sister), I was my mother’s favorite (definitely not by father’s — my father’s favorite was my younger sister.
This is a highly readable, well-organized, very insightful, well-researched, illuminating book, that is full of specific examples (case studies) from Libby’s thirty years as a clinical psychologist and her 60,000 hours of treatment of and for her clients. You read, in some detail about families, parents, their children, and sibling rivalry. Very engaging.
Personally, I think my anointment as a favorite child fostered precisely the traits Libby discusses: ambition, self-confidence, power, and a desire to serve. I consider myself fortunate to have escaped some of the destructive dispositions such as a sense of entitlement and exemptions from the rules governing everyone else. In my life, which may well be (and is likely to be) an exception, I feel I have capitalized on the positive traits of ambition and self-confidence that I have truly earned what I have accomplished (without entitlement and without exemptions). Also, my family contributed substantially to my upbringing and the balance they provided between the constructive and destructive traits. Libby writes about this at the end of her book when she said, “The importance of open expression of feeling and honest communication with these families [where balance occurred] was valued” (p. 273). Of course, one example (my own) proves nothing.
We all grew up in families, thus, there is information here that applies to everyone. If there is a thought that some of the information may not apply, then, to be sure, the material offers tremendous insights into others and why they behave as they do.
“Favoritism,” Libby writes as her final paragraph, “is normal in families. Being the favorite child has benefits for the child as well as for society. The burdens accompanying favoritism are also substantial but can be mitigated by respectful relationships among the adults who are in a position to influence the growth of the child. In taking on this challenge, the challenge of bringing up children with the confidence and power inherent in being favored while also holding these children accountable for their behaviors, parents contribute positively to the characters of their children—our future leaders in all spheres of society” (p. 273).
Not only does the paragraph above give you a sample of her writing, but it demonstrates the power wielded by favorite children and the value of contributing parents and families to the growth of their children. This is a valuable book that makes a substantial contribution to understanding family dynamics.
This book is available at Amazon.com: The favorite child: How a favorite impacts every family member for life
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
This is an excellent book. The reason I picked it up is simply because I felt I fit into her category (a favorite child). I knew that of the three children in my family (I have an older and a younger sister), I was my mother’s favorite (definitely not by father’s — my father’s favorite was my younger sister.
This is a highly readable, well-organized, very insightful, well-researched, illuminating book, that is full of specific examples (case studies) from Libby’s thirty years as a clinical psychologist and her 60,000 hours of treatment of and for her clients. You read, in some detail about families, parents, their children, and sibling rivalry. Very engaging.
Personally, I think my anointment as a favorite child fostered precisely the traits Libby discusses: ambition, self-confidence, power, and a desire to serve. I consider myself fortunate to have escaped some of the destructive dispositions such as a sense of entitlement and exemptions from the rules governing everyone else. In my life, which may well be (and is likely to be) an exception, I feel I have capitalized on the positive traits of ambition and self-confidence that I have truly earned what I have accomplished (without entitlement and without exemptions). Also, my family contributed substantially to my upbringing and the balance they provided between the constructive and destructive traits. Libby writes about this at the end of her book when she said, “The importance of open expression of feeling and honest communication with these families [where balance occurred] was valued” (p. 273). Of course, one example (my own) proves nothing.
We all grew up in families, thus, there is information here that applies to everyone. If there is a thought that some of the information may not apply, then, to be sure, the material offers tremendous insights into others and why they behave as they do.
“Favoritism,” Libby writes as her final paragraph, “is normal in families. Being the favorite child has benefits for the child as well as for society. The burdens accompanying favoritism are also substantial but can be mitigated by respectful relationships among the adults who are in a position to influence the growth of the child. In taking on this challenge, the challenge of bringing up children with the confidence and power inherent in being favored while also holding these children accountable for their behaviors, parents contribute positively to the characters of their children—our future leaders in all spheres of society” (p. 273).
Not only does the paragraph above give you a sample of her writing, but it demonstrates the power wielded by favorite children and the value of contributing parents and families to the growth of their children. This is a valuable book that makes a substantial contribution to understanding family dynamics.
This book is available at Amazon.com: The favorite child: How a favorite impacts every family member for life
Monday, October 24, 2011
Lincoln and McClellan: The troubled partnership between a president and his general
By John C. Waugh
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
I thought so much of this title that I acquired it for my father-in-law, Edgar Willis, who is a Civil War buff, an historian, and a Lincoln “authority.” I put that in quotation marks simply because he may not agree with my use of the word authority, here. He is — and would agree with my assessment — an authority (without quotation marks) on Shakespeare or the history of humor in the media or even how to construct a joke (see his How to be Funny on Purpose: Creating and Consuming Humor). He has read widely on Lincoln.
He thoroughly enjoyed this book and spoke highly of John C. Waugh’s writing. He was unfamiliar with any previous works written by Waugh but would read any future books by him based simply on his enjoyment of this one.
Several things caught his attention in this book — things he shared with me in discussions after he finished it. He thought the book was more about George McClellan than it was about Lincoln. And, he realized too, that anyone who has read extensively on Lincoln or on the Civil War would probably not learn anything new from this book. On the other hand, for anyone seeking an introduction to the Civil War, would find this great introductory material.
I found this last piece of information (the last sentence) fascinating for this reason. Willis’s memoir of World War II, Civilian in an Ill-Fitting Uniform, although a memoir, serves as a wonderful introduction to World War II, and for those who want introductory information, Willis’ book would be a great beginning.
Willis enjoyed the contrast between Lincoln and McClellan. Few books, Willis noted, (that he knows about) have dealt specifically with the unique relationship between Lincoln as Commander-in-Chief and McClellan as his general.
With respect to the contrast between Lincoln and Mclellan, Waugh mentioned the fact that McClellan came from a patrician background. He began as part of the elite of Philadelphia society, attended outstanding private schools, then the University of Pennsylvania and West Point. At West Point he graduated second in his class, and because of his experiences and upbringing was both polished and refined.
In contrast, Lincoln’s experiences and upbringing were diametrically opposed. He was backwoods all the way. Part of a hard-working frontier family and with little formal schooling, he had little polish and social refinement.
The contrast is important in the book for McClellan had little respect for Lincoln, and Lincoln’s suggestions to McClellan often fell on deaf ears. Even Lincoln’s stroking of McClellan’s ego and his prods to get him moving did not work.
McClellan’s primary weakness as the general responsible for the Union army in the East, was delay and postponement — risk adverse. Waugh makes it clear several times in the book that the Civil War could have ended several years earlier if McClellan would have been an effective general, would have followed Lincoln’s advice and encouragement, or acted decisively when circumstances dictated it. Rather than acting decisively, over and over he found new reasons to delay and postpone any offensive.
The other thing Willis enjoyed in this 218-page (of text) book is Waugh’s use of research — too much research at times. In addition to 8 pages of “Sources Cited,” there are 26 pages of notes.
This is an extremely well-written, well-researched book that is thorough (covers the 15 months -- July 22, 1861 through November 6, 1862), interesting, detailed, and tells a fascinating story.
He thoroughly enjoyed this book and spoke highly of John C. Waugh’s writing. He was unfamiliar with any previous works written by Waugh but would read any future books by him based simply on his enjoyment of this one.
Several things caught his attention in this book — things he shared with me in discussions after he finished it. He thought the book was more about George McClellan than it was about Lincoln. And, he realized too, that anyone who has read extensively on Lincoln or on the Civil War would probably not learn anything new from this book. On the other hand, for anyone seeking an introduction to the Civil War, would find this great introductory material.
I found this last piece of information (the last sentence) fascinating for this reason. Willis’s memoir of World War II, Civilian in an Ill-Fitting Uniform, although a memoir, serves as a wonderful introduction to World War II, and for those who want introductory information, Willis’ book would be a great beginning.
Willis enjoyed the contrast between Lincoln and McClellan. Few books, Willis noted, (that he knows about) have dealt specifically with the unique relationship between Lincoln as Commander-in-Chief and McClellan as his general.
With respect to the contrast between Lincoln and Mclellan, Waugh mentioned the fact that McClellan came from a patrician background. He began as part of the elite of Philadelphia society, attended outstanding private schools, then the University of Pennsylvania and West Point. At West Point he graduated second in his class, and because of his experiences and upbringing was both polished and refined.
In contrast, Lincoln’s experiences and upbringing were diametrically opposed. He was backwoods all the way. Part of a hard-working frontier family and with little formal schooling, he had little polish and social refinement.
The contrast is important in the book for McClellan had little respect for Lincoln, and Lincoln’s suggestions to McClellan often fell on deaf ears. Even Lincoln’s stroking of McClellan’s ego and his prods to get him moving did not work.
McClellan’s primary weakness as the general responsible for the Union army in the East, was delay and postponement — risk adverse. Waugh makes it clear several times in the book that the Civil War could have ended several years earlier if McClellan would have been an effective general, would have followed Lincoln’s advice and encouragement, or acted decisively when circumstances dictated it. Rather than acting decisively, over and over he found new reasons to delay and postpone any offensive.
The other thing Willis enjoyed in this 218-page (of text) book is Waugh’s use of research — too much research at times. In addition to 8 pages of “Sources Cited,” there are 26 pages of notes.
This is an extremely well-written, well-researched book that is thorough (covers the 15 months -- July 22, 1861 through November 6, 1862), interesting, detailed, and tells a fascinating story.
This book is available at Amazon.com: Lincoln and McClellan: The troubled partnership between a president and his general
Monday, October 17, 2011
Venus on fire, mars on ice: Hormonal balance---The key to life, love, and energy
By John Gray
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
I have been writing about relationships for many years. My book, Understanding Interpersonal Communication (now out of print) went through seven editions and always included at least two chapters on interpersonal relationships. Thus, I am familiar with the related literature and always interested in new developments.
That paragraph explains why I might have an interest in Gray’s new book. Also, I feel that any book that will help people form, develop, and maintain healthy relationships can be (should be!) a useful tool for relationship partners — especially when it is as fundamental and practical as this one.
With numerous sets of male-female explanatory dialog, sentence inserts that offer key phrases, tables that illustrate key concepts, bulleted lists that aid comprehension, many real-life examples from Gray’s seminars and practice, important summaries when they are needed, this book literally begs for reader understanding.
Clearly, from the writing, the illustrations, and the advice, it is written for a lay audience — the same audience, I might add, for which his best selling book, Man are from Mars, Women are from Venus, was intended. I say this simply to indicate that this is not a sophisticated book nor is it scientifically obtuse — although when you are explaining hormones and hormonal behavior it certainly could be. Note the following paragraph from page 45:
“Over the past 10 years, researchers at a variety of universities in Canada have developed and researched a new compound called PolyGlycopleX * (PGX*), a unique complex of water-soluble polysaccharides (plant fibers) that can help reduce blood sugar fluctuations”. . . (p. 45).
Incidentally, this is not typical prose, just an example of one explanation. Most others are considerably simpler; however, Gray’s understanding of biochemical research and its applications is impressive. There are so many facts in this book relevant to the success of relationships (or, at the very least, the understanding of relationships) that these facts could well be one’s only excuse (need) for reading it:
“What’s more, he may become needy. Did you know that the average man at 58 makes more estrogen than his woman does? It’s true, and the estrogen — combined with his continuing lack of testosterone — tends to make him more prone to sharing his woes with his woman” (p. 161).
Now, the part of the book I found most interesting is Chapter 10, “Super Fuell to Balance the Planets—Nutrition for Healthy Hormones.” One interesting point is Gray’s approach: “Do as I say, and as I do.” Follow the guidelines, and you will fall in line right behind Gray himself. Although I have no trouble with Step One (water, sea salt, lemon, aloe vera, and plant-sourced enzymes), in Step Two the ingredients that go into his “daily shake” (maca power, goji berries, PGX, caco nibs, a ai berries, coconut oil, stevia, and molasses) would be quite a stretch for most people (and, thus, not followed!). Step Three (includes magnesium orotate or citrate, calcium orotate or citrate, potassium citrate, zinc orotate or citrate, chromium, and trace minerals) would also create some public concern.
You can love the book for all its connections between hormones and relationship effectiveness, but when it comes down to the nutritional elements “necessary” to mend the stress problems relationship partners may experience, I think most readers would want to solve their nutritional needs in a local grocery store and purchases they can make without going to pills, powders, and ingredients in vials and small brown bottles.
Although the tips for improving sleep patterns (pp. 195-197) are well-known (except perhaps for the use of the superfood PGX* with dinner), it is good to have them spelled out in detail here.
I thought Gray’s “18 Essential Sources of Love and Support” (pp. 211-225) were excellent — even though, once again, they are commonplace suggestions.
My one major weakness of the book is the lack of sources. There are no page-by-page footnotes, notes listed at the back of the book, bibliography, sources cited, or even recommended sources. I think this would add a great deal of strength to the book, and it would provide those interested, places to go to gain further information, related ideas, or even more support and evidence. It is likely that most readers of the book would not be concerned about this, and it is unlikely to affect the sales of this book; however, it is a bit much to expect readers to assume that all of the information came from the author alone. Of course, Gray has a great deal of credibility — especially with the popularity of Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, but that is no excuse for not including sources in this book.
This is, for the most part, an excellent read, and as I said earlier, any book that contributes to relationship harmony is welcomed.
This book can be found at Amazon.com: Venus on fire, mars on ice: Hormonal balance — The key to life, love, and energy
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
I have been writing about relationships for many years. My book, Understanding Interpersonal Communication (now out of print) went through seven editions and always included at least two chapters on interpersonal relationships. Thus, I am familiar with the related literature and always interested in new developments.
That paragraph explains why I might have an interest in Gray’s new book. Also, I feel that any book that will help people form, develop, and maintain healthy relationships can be (should be!) a useful tool for relationship partners — especially when it is as fundamental and practical as this one.
With numerous sets of male-female explanatory dialog, sentence inserts that offer key phrases, tables that illustrate key concepts, bulleted lists that aid comprehension, many real-life examples from Gray’s seminars and practice, important summaries when they are needed, this book literally begs for reader understanding.
Clearly, from the writing, the illustrations, and the advice, it is written for a lay audience — the same audience, I might add, for which his best selling book, Man are from Mars, Women are from Venus, was intended. I say this simply to indicate that this is not a sophisticated book nor is it scientifically obtuse — although when you are explaining hormones and hormonal behavior it certainly could be. Note the following paragraph from page 45:
“Over the past 10 years, researchers at a variety of universities in Canada have developed and researched a new compound called PolyGlycopleX * (PGX*), a unique complex of water-soluble polysaccharides (plant fibers) that can help reduce blood sugar fluctuations”. . . (p. 45).
Incidentally, this is not typical prose, just an example of one explanation. Most others are considerably simpler; however, Gray’s understanding of biochemical research and its applications is impressive. There are so many facts in this book relevant to the success of relationships (or, at the very least, the understanding of relationships) that these facts could well be one’s only excuse (need) for reading it:
“What’s more, he may become needy. Did you know that the average man at 58 makes more estrogen than his woman does? It’s true, and the estrogen — combined with his continuing lack of testosterone — tends to make him more prone to sharing his woes with his woman” (p. 161).
Now, the part of the book I found most interesting is Chapter 10, “Super Fuell to Balance the Planets—Nutrition for Healthy Hormones.” One interesting point is Gray’s approach: “Do as I say, and as I do.” Follow the guidelines, and you will fall in line right behind Gray himself. Although I have no trouble with Step One (water, sea salt, lemon, aloe vera, and plant-sourced enzymes), in Step Two the ingredients that go into his “daily shake” (maca power, goji berries, PGX, caco nibs, a ai berries, coconut oil, stevia, and molasses) would be quite a stretch for most people (and, thus, not followed!). Step Three (includes magnesium orotate or citrate, calcium orotate or citrate, potassium citrate, zinc orotate or citrate, chromium, and trace minerals) would also create some public concern.
You can love the book for all its connections between hormones and relationship effectiveness, but when it comes down to the nutritional elements “necessary” to mend the stress problems relationship partners may experience, I think most readers would want to solve their nutritional needs in a local grocery store and purchases they can make without going to pills, powders, and ingredients in vials and small brown bottles.
Although the tips for improving sleep patterns (pp. 195-197) are well-known (except perhaps for the use of the superfood PGX* with dinner), it is good to have them spelled out in detail here.
I thought Gray’s “18 Essential Sources of Love and Support” (pp. 211-225) were excellent — even though, once again, they are commonplace suggestions.
My one major weakness of the book is the lack of sources. There are no page-by-page footnotes, notes listed at the back of the book, bibliography, sources cited, or even recommended sources. I think this would add a great deal of strength to the book, and it would provide those interested, places to go to gain further information, related ideas, or even more support and evidence. It is likely that most readers of the book would not be concerned about this, and it is unlikely to affect the sales of this book; however, it is a bit much to expect readers to assume that all of the information came from the author alone. Of course, Gray has a great deal of credibility — especially with the popularity of Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, but that is no excuse for not including sources in this book.
This is, for the most part, an excellent read, and as I said earlier, any book that contributes to relationship harmony is welcomed.
This book can be found at Amazon.com: Venus on fire, mars on ice: Hormonal balance — The key to life, love, and energy
Monday, October 10, 2011
In pursuit of silence: Listening for meaning in a world of noise
By George Prochnik
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
I jog in the morning between 4:30 and 5:30 a.m. before the expressway (just less than a mile from our housing development) expresses its presence by the low and fairly constant cacophony of truck and automobile noise and between the times when trains, passing through our small village (about 3 or 4 miles from our house) signal their warning at each intersection. In general, it is a time of near silence when few, if any, other cars are on the roads and no other joggers break my concentration.
I am often asked why I jog at such an early hour, and the comfort of the silence (and dark) easily justify the choice. It is a time away from the various assaults on my senses of lawn mowers, leaf blowers, talkaholics, cars with boom boxes, traffic, trains, planes, and the continually annoying din of the media.
Why is my experience relevant to this book review? Because I — or my experience — could have been just one more adventure the author, Prochnik, made in his “pursuit of silence.” In his book, Prochnik suggests “that silence can exert a positive influence on our individual lives and our relationship to the world” (p. 14). I support that conclusion with more than 30 years of jogging experience as evidence.
His experiences included a visit to the New Melleray Abbey in Dubuque, Iowa, the Barton Creek Square mall in Austin, Texas, Paley Park on East Fifty-third Street, just across Fifth Avenue from the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, Explosive Sound and Video, thirty miles from Cape Canaveral, just off Martin Luther King Boulevard, near the border between Seffner and Mango, in central Florida, Noise-Con 2008 in Dearborn, Michigan, Br el & Kjaier’s (B&K’s) global headquarter’s on the outskirts of Copenhagen, Portland’s Japanese Garden in Oregon, and the Sorenson Language and Communication Center at Gallaudet University, to name just a few sites on his “pursuit.”
The writing in the book is extraordinary: elegant, engaging, and humorous. Also, Prochnik not only tells great stories along with his personal insights and adventures, but he cites numerous studies as he examines the scientific, sociological, and spiritual aspects of sound in addition to the political history of sound management.
In her five-star review of this book at Amazon.com , Dr. Debra Jan Bibel, who bills herself as “World Music Explorer, writes: “This book is important and should serve as warning. As Prochnik points out, it is an old story; only now the problem is becoming more acute as people have become desensitized to noise.”
Benjamin Swet concluded his five-star review of the book at Amazon, saying, “Entertaining and authoritative, with forays into science, philosophy, and the inner ear, this hopeful look at the contemporary American scene made me think in new ways about the possibilities for silence even in the loud rush of everyday life.”
This is one of those “must-read” books. It is amazing.
This book can be found at Amazon.com: In pursuit of silence: Listening for meaning in a world of noise
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
I jog in the morning between 4:30 and 5:30 a.m. before the expressway (just less than a mile from our housing development) expresses its presence by the low and fairly constant cacophony of truck and automobile noise and between the times when trains, passing through our small village (about 3 or 4 miles from our house) signal their warning at each intersection. In general, it is a time of near silence when few, if any, other cars are on the roads and no other joggers break my concentration.
I am often asked why I jog at such an early hour, and the comfort of the silence (and dark) easily justify the choice. It is a time away from the various assaults on my senses of lawn mowers, leaf blowers, talkaholics, cars with boom boxes, traffic, trains, planes, and the continually annoying din of the media.
Why is my experience relevant to this book review? Because I — or my experience — could have been just one more adventure the author, Prochnik, made in his “pursuit of silence.” In his book, Prochnik suggests “that silence can exert a positive influence on our individual lives and our relationship to the world” (p. 14). I support that conclusion with more than 30 years of jogging experience as evidence.
His experiences included a visit to the New Melleray Abbey in Dubuque, Iowa, the Barton Creek Square mall in Austin, Texas, Paley Park on East Fifty-third Street, just across Fifth Avenue from the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, Explosive Sound and Video, thirty miles from Cape Canaveral, just off Martin Luther King Boulevard, near the border between Seffner and Mango, in central Florida, Noise-Con 2008 in Dearborn, Michigan, Br el & Kjaier’s (B&K’s) global headquarter’s on the outskirts of Copenhagen, Portland’s Japanese Garden in Oregon, and the Sorenson Language and Communication Center at Gallaudet University, to name just a few sites on his “pursuit.”
The writing in the book is extraordinary: elegant, engaging, and humorous. Also, Prochnik not only tells great stories along with his personal insights and adventures, but he cites numerous studies as he examines the scientific, sociological, and spiritual aspects of sound in addition to the political history of sound management.
In her five-star review of this book at Amazon.com , Dr. Debra Jan Bibel, who bills herself as “World Music Explorer, writes: “This book is important and should serve as warning. As Prochnik points out, it is an old story; only now the problem is becoming more acute as people have become desensitized to noise.”
Benjamin Swet concluded his five-star review of the book at Amazon, saying, “Entertaining and authoritative, with forays into science, philosophy, and the inner ear, this hopeful look at the contemporary American scene made me think in new ways about the possibilities for silence even in the loud rush of everyday life.”
This is one of those “must-read” books. It is amazing.
This book can be found at Amazon.com: In pursuit of silence: Listening for meaning in a world of noise
Monday, October 3, 2011
It's not rocket science and other irritating modern cliches
By Clive Whichelow and Hugh Murray
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
I found this book delightful, not just because of the cliches the authors have found and explained, but because it was written by two British authors. For me, this added a unique dimension for in every case, I was interested to see how many of our common phrases had survived the trip overseas. That is, I wanted to see how they were defined by non-Americans.
The authors cover a range of cliches: general, media, entertainment, commercial, business, political, and social. I think young people today are those who might benefit most from reading such a book as this. What I found in my more than twenty years of teaching public communication was simply that when I pointed out a phrase to a student and labeled it a cliche, he or she was totally unaware that it was. They simply did not have the background or experience to know it. (That generalization was not true of all students, of course.)
Another group of people who might benefit from reading this is those who write greeting cards. Can you imagine it? There are already so many cards so full of cliches that we don’t need any more, that is true; however, when a slacker writer is looking for content for the blank screen in front of him or her, this book can certainly supply the missing “content.” There is so much here to fill so many more cards with oh so many more “wonderful” cliches. (They appeal to the masses!)
What I found to be a challenging and rather interesting exercise when I read this book was improving on the authors’ explanations. It wasn’t the fact that “I know better than they do,” but, coming from an American perspective (rather than a British one), many of the cliches could have benefited from a better (more U.S. friendly) definition (not all of them, of course).
I have always spelled “DOH!” (the “self-flagellating expression of dismay”) as “DUH!” although, I admit, I seldom use the expression in my writing.
“Gobsmacked,” meaning surprised, is a cliche with which I was totally unfamiliar, but it originated in Liverpool, UK, and that may be a good reason.
I loved the expression “Happy-clappy” to describe modern church services. I had never heard that one either. “Utilise” (meaning use) is another word I have never heard before.
Of the other cliches in the book, I have to say I have some familiarity with all of them. I thought some of the explanations/definitions were a bit weak, but making up for their weakness was the authors’ use of humor, which was delightful.
This book can be found at Amazon.com: It’s not rocket science and other irritating modern cliches
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
I found this book delightful, not just because of the cliches the authors have found and explained, but because it was written by two British authors. For me, this added a unique dimension for in every case, I was interested to see how many of our common phrases had survived the trip overseas. That is, I wanted to see how they were defined by non-Americans.
The authors cover a range of cliches: general, media, entertainment, commercial, business, political, and social. I think young people today are those who might benefit most from reading such a book as this. What I found in my more than twenty years of teaching public communication was simply that when I pointed out a phrase to a student and labeled it a cliche, he or she was totally unaware that it was. They simply did not have the background or experience to know it. (That generalization was not true of all students, of course.)
Another group of people who might benefit from reading this is those who write greeting cards. Can you imagine it? There are already so many cards so full of cliches that we don’t need any more, that is true; however, when a slacker writer is looking for content for the blank screen in front of him or her, this book can certainly supply the missing “content.” There is so much here to fill so many more cards with oh so many more “wonderful” cliches. (They appeal to the masses!)
What I found to be a challenging and rather interesting exercise when I read this book was improving on the authors’ explanations. It wasn’t the fact that “I know better than they do,” but, coming from an American perspective (rather than a British one), many of the cliches could have benefited from a better (more U.S. friendly) definition (not all of them, of course).
I have always spelled “DOH!” (the “self-flagellating expression of dismay”) as “DUH!” although, I admit, I seldom use the expression in my writing.
“Gobsmacked,” meaning surprised, is a cliche with which I was totally unfamiliar, but it originated in Liverpool, UK, and that may be a good reason.
I loved the expression “Happy-clappy” to describe modern church services. I had never heard that one either. “Utilise” (meaning use) is another word I have never heard before.
Of the other cliches in the book, I have to say I have some familiarity with all of them. I thought some of the explanations/definitions were a bit weak, but making up for their weakness was the authors’ use of humor, which was delightful.
This book can be found at Amazon.com: It’s not rocket science and other irritating modern cliches
Monday, September 26, 2011
Being wrong: Adventures in the margin of error
By Kathryn Schulz
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
There are a number of things that I like about this book. First, it is extremely well-written. Not only does Schulz write well, but she injects humor into some of her observations and analyses. This, alone, makes reading this book a pleasure.
The second thing I like about this book is Schulz’s choices of examples. Not only is she a great story teller, the stories/examples themselves are engaging, interesting, and a joy to read. So many of her chapter-beginning examples are ones that readers may be familiar with; however, even if they are not, Schulz offers such great detail and vivid descriptions, that they are easy to identify with whether familiar or not.
Not only are her choices of examples terrific, but she uses those with which she begins her chapters throughout the chapter, referring back to them to support the points she makes. If you don’t get the point of why an example is chosen or why it is relevant, she reinforces the point effectively.
Third, Schulz’s writing is fact-based. She has about 45 pages of notes, and, in addition, she includes explanations (or the further development of ideas) in footnotes throughout the book. This is an extremely well-supported book. You know, from her facts, additional examples, and explanations, that she really knows what she is talking about.
Fourth, as someone prone to being wrong (me: with no excuses or blame-worthy referents), Schulz writes about things with which it is easy for readers to identify. We can easily see ourselves in many of her examples, and often she uses her own personal experiences to illustrate points. It is delightful. If you (as a reader of her book) cannot see yourself or put yourself into the examples, then I would suggest that you are probably not being honest with yourself.
Fifth, the sources she uses are excellent. You know that this author has done her homework. As you read you can be amazed, as well, at the breadth and depth of her knowledge, the extent of her reading, and the command of details she has. It is truly remarkable. (When she talks about great literature, for example, she speaks specifically of the characters in the stories and their motives and actions.)
Sixth, she doesn’t leave you with truisms regarding the nature of your wrongheadedness alone. She offers insights into how to correct your faults, what you can do to become more “right-headed.” Her suggestions are well-thought out, reasonable, and well presented. Anyone who is a member of the human race (tsk tsk!) can profit from reading this book.
Seventh, when I presented the book to my father-in-law to read (he is extremely critical, and I seldom provide him with “suggested reading”), the first thing he said was, “hmmm, interesting topic.” I told them that Schulz offers a complete explanation of how she became involved in writing a book on “Being Wrong.” I thought her explanation was excellent.
If you are looking for a book that is a great read, that will not just hold your attention but captivate you as well, and if you are looking for a book that is a bit unusual (in the choice of topics), but a book that relates to you and how you behave in the real world, then I recommend this one with complete confidence you will find it as superb as I did. It is well worth your time.
This book can be found at Amazon.com: Being wrong: Adventures in the margin of error
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
There are a number of things that I like about this book. First, it is extremely well-written. Not only does Schulz write well, but she injects humor into some of her observations and analyses. This, alone, makes reading this book a pleasure.
The second thing I like about this book is Schulz’s choices of examples. Not only is she a great story teller, the stories/examples themselves are engaging, interesting, and a joy to read. So many of her chapter-beginning examples are ones that readers may be familiar with; however, even if they are not, Schulz offers such great detail and vivid descriptions, that they are easy to identify with whether familiar or not.
Not only are her choices of examples terrific, but she uses those with which she begins her chapters throughout the chapter, referring back to them to support the points she makes. If you don’t get the point of why an example is chosen or why it is relevant, she reinforces the point effectively.
Third, Schulz’s writing is fact-based. She has about 45 pages of notes, and, in addition, she includes explanations (or the further development of ideas) in footnotes throughout the book. This is an extremely well-supported book. You know, from her facts, additional examples, and explanations, that she really knows what she is talking about.
Fourth, as someone prone to being wrong (me: with no excuses or blame-worthy referents), Schulz writes about things with which it is easy for readers to identify. We can easily see ourselves in many of her examples, and often she uses her own personal experiences to illustrate points. It is delightful. If you (as a reader of her book) cannot see yourself or put yourself into the examples, then I would suggest that you are probably not being honest with yourself.
Fifth, the sources she uses are excellent. You know that this author has done her homework. As you read you can be amazed, as well, at the breadth and depth of her knowledge, the extent of her reading, and the command of details she has. It is truly remarkable. (When she talks about great literature, for example, she speaks specifically of the characters in the stories and their motives and actions.)
Sixth, she doesn’t leave you with truisms regarding the nature of your wrongheadedness alone. She offers insights into how to correct your faults, what you can do to become more “right-headed.” Her suggestions are well-thought out, reasonable, and well presented. Anyone who is a member of the human race (tsk tsk!) can profit from reading this book.
Seventh, when I presented the book to my father-in-law to read (he is extremely critical, and I seldom provide him with “suggested reading”), the first thing he said was, “hmmm, interesting topic.” I told them that Schulz offers a complete explanation of how she became involved in writing a book on “Being Wrong.” I thought her explanation was excellent.
If you are looking for a book that is a great read, that will not just hold your attention but captivate you as well, and if you are looking for a book that is a bit unusual (in the choice of topics), but a book that relates to you and how you behave in the real world, then I recommend this one with complete confidence you will find it as superb as I did. It is well worth your time.
This book can be found at Amazon.com: Being wrong: Adventures in the margin of error
Monday, September 19, 2011
1001 funniest things ever said
Edited and with an introduction by Steven D. Price
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
I was skeptical of this book when I first selected it — only because what appears funny to one person often is not funny to me. At least that has been my experience. As I read more and more of the book, I kept thinking that the statements (not all jokes per se) selected were great. I even laughed out loud at some of them.
So, as a test of my perceptions, I gave the book to my father-in-law, Edgar E. Willis. For those reading this who are unfamiliar with that name, he is the author of that great book on humor entitled, How to be Funny on Purpose: Creating and Consuming Humor. His book is available at Amazon.com.
As an author of a book on humor, as a critical analyst of humor in the contemporary world as well as what it takes to be funny, as a teacher of how to construct jokes, as a lecturer on the art of humor, and as a true connoisseur of quality humor, I thought his reaction to the selections in 1001 Funniest Things Ever Said would be a true gauge of the book’s merits.
I was correct. He not only read the book from cover-to-cover, he wanted to have it for an extended amount of time. Also, with a question on a quotation from Dan Quayle (which he had used as an example in his own book), I even took the time to Google it and get a complete explanation. (It was a quotation attributed to him that probably was never said by him.)
All the way through the book, both Edgar and I came up with the same question: How in the world did someone discover all of this great material?
Although the book is 322 pages long, it is only 6-inches by 7-inches, and there are usually only 3 or 4 entries on a page; thus, it is a quick read.
You will undoubtedly discover jokes you have heard (or even used) before. I found, for example, the joke Dr. Richard Wiseman, of the University of Hertfordshire, discovered from his scientific experiment in 2002, to be world’s funniest:
Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn’t seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other man pulls out his phone and calls emergency services.
He gasps to the operator, ‘I think my friend is dead! What can I do?’
The operator in a calm, soothing voice replies, ‘Take it easy. I can help. First, let’s make sure he’s dead.’
There is a silence, then a shot is heard. Back on the phone, the hunter says, ‘OK, now what?’ (pp. 232-233)
The reason I remember this joke so well is that it is the first joke I use in a chapter, “Using the Internet to Find or Develop Jokes,” in the book How to be Funny on Purpose: Creating and Consuming Humor. In that chapter I offer, as well, five pages of jokes (with explanations) from that same scientific study.
1001 Funniest Things Ever Said is the kind of book to make available to guests in the waiting room of a dentist’s or doctor’s office, put on the coffee table in your living room, or place in that special room in your house where short reading times are the norm. It is delightful, entertaining, and delicious.
This book can be found at Amazon.com: 1001 funniest things ever said
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
I was skeptical of this book when I first selected it — only because what appears funny to one person often is not funny to me. At least that has been my experience. As I read more and more of the book, I kept thinking that the statements (not all jokes per se) selected were great. I even laughed out loud at some of them.
So, as a test of my perceptions, I gave the book to my father-in-law, Edgar E. Willis. For those reading this who are unfamiliar with that name, he is the author of that great book on humor entitled, How to be Funny on Purpose: Creating and Consuming Humor. His book is available at Amazon.com.
As an author of a book on humor, as a critical analyst of humor in the contemporary world as well as what it takes to be funny, as a teacher of how to construct jokes, as a lecturer on the art of humor, and as a true connoisseur of quality humor, I thought his reaction to the selections in 1001 Funniest Things Ever Said would be a true gauge of the book’s merits.
I was correct. He not only read the book from cover-to-cover, he wanted to have it for an extended amount of time. Also, with a question on a quotation from Dan Quayle (which he had used as an example in his own book), I even took the time to Google it and get a complete explanation. (It was a quotation attributed to him that probably was never said by him.)
All the way through the book, both Edgar and I came up with the same question: How in the world did someone discover all of this great material?
Although the book is 322 pages long, it is only 6-inches by 7-inches, and there are usually only 3 or 4 entries on a page; thus, it is a quick read.
You will undoubtedly discover jokes you have heard (or even used) before. I found, for example, the joke Dr. Richard Wiseman, of the University of Hertfordshire, discovered from his scientific experiment in 2002, to be world’s funniest:
Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn’t seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other man pulls out his phone and calls emergency services.
He gasps to the operator, ‘I think my friend is dead! What can I do?’
The operator in a calm, soothing voice replies, ‘Take it easy. I can help. First, let’s make sure he’s dead.’
There is a silence, then a shot is heard. Back on the phone, the hunter says, ‘OK, now what?’ (pp. 232-233)
The reason I remember this joke so well is that it is the first joke I use in a chapter, “Using the Internet to Find or Develop Jokes,” in the book How to be Funny on Purpose: Creating and Consuming Humor. In that chapter I offer, as well, five pages of jokes (with explanations) from that same scientific study.
1001 Funniest Things Ever Said is the kind of book to make available to guests in the waiting room of a dentist’s or doctor’s office, put on the coffee table in your living room, or place in that special room in your house where short reading times are the norm. It is delightful, entertaining, and delicious.
This book can be found at Amazon.com: 1001 funniest things ever said
Monday, September 12, 2011
The death and life of American journalism: The media revolution that will begin the world again
By Robert W. McChesney and John Nichols
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
On page xi, the authors write: “This book reflects our concern about changes that are occurring. But we offer little in the way of nostalgia. In fact, it is the opposite. It is a cry for action to shape inevitable change in a manner that assures that America will have the journalistic institutions, practices and resources necessary to maintain what can credibly be described as a self-governing society. We do not know the precise character or content of the new media that will develop, but we do know that without bona fide structures for gathering and disseminating news and analysis, the American experiment in democracy and republican governance will be imperiled” (p. xi).
This is a well-researched (43 pages of notes), well-written (intended for the layman, not the technical expert), carefully developed argument designed for those who are interested in looking at “the past and the future of journalism in a more fundamental and critical manner” (p. xii).
They add, “This book proposes specific new methods for using public subsidies to generate a high-quality, uncensored, competitive and independent news media. These methods are founded on an understanding of and respect for the new technologies that make possible a journalism that is more adventurous, more exciting, more participatory and more valuable to society and democracy than any American has ever known” (pp. xiii-xiv).
The authors have based their approach and solutions on a “decade working on media policy issues in Washington and across the nation . . . We have worked with politicians from both major parties and all political philosophies on successful campaigns to stop media consolidation and government secrecy and to promote an open uncensored Internet and viable independent public media” (p. xiv).
I quote extensively from their preface for one reason: they deliver on their promise. This book is clearly and purposefully designed as a manifesto for change delivered by two extremely well-qualified experts.
The authors write of the crisis as well as the opportunity. Their statistics, charts, examples, stories, and quotations are absolutely captivating and convincing. I thought the story of Kate Giammarise was an incredibly well-chosen example of what is happening and has happened in journalism. “The naked and uncomfortable truth is that the business model that sustained commercial news media for the past century is dying, and cannot be recreated” (p. 74), is a statement the authors make that is well-developed and supported. They also state, “. . . we can see a new and dramatically superior caliber of journalism emerging as a result of the Internet . . . It will be a journalism that can truly open up our politics, in the manner democratic theory suggests” (p. 81).
Their discussion of solutions has four components: “1) immediate measures to sustain journalism, each of which transitions to a permanent subsidy if successful; 2) a plan to convert the collapsing corporate newspaper into what we term a ‘post-corporate’ digital newspaper, with print versions at the very least until there is ubiquitous broadband; 3) converting public and community broadcasting into genuinely worldclass civic and democratic media; and 4) spawning a vibrant, well-funded, competitive and innovative news-media sector on the Internet” (p. 159).
One of the essential keys to the success of their ideas is mentioned: “There are significant roles to be played by private enterprise, foundations and nonprofit organizations. But we no longer have any doubt that without the government providing subsidies comparable to what other leading democratic nations provide, and to what this nation routinely provided in its first century, the initiatives of these other actors will have limited effect” (p. 221).
This is an excellent — outstanding — book that deserves to be read by anyone concerned about the future of journalism. You may not agree with their arguments (but I think you will), but you will have to acknowledge that journalism must and will change. McChesney and Nichols provide a reasonable, well-thought-out, and well presented blueprint as they see it.
This book can be found at Amazon.com: The death and life of American journalism: The media revolution that will begin the world again
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
On page xi, the authors write: “This book reflects our concern about changes that are occurring. But we offer little in the way of nostalgia. In fact, it is the opposite. It is a cry for action to shape inevitable change in a manner that assures that America will have the journalistic institutions, practices and resources necessary to maintain what can credibly be described as a self-governing society. We do not know the precise character or content of the new media that will develop, but we do know that without bona fide structures for gathering and disseminating news and analysis, the American experiment in democracy and republican governance will be imperiled” (p. xi).
This is a well-researched (43 pages of notes), well-written (intended for the layman, not the technical expert), carefully developed argument designed for those who are interested in looking at “the past and the future of journalism in a more fundamental and critical manner” (p. xii).
They add, “This book proposes specific new methods for using public subsidies to generate a high-quality, uncensored, competitive and independent news media. These methods are founded on an understanding of and respect for the new technologies that make possible a journalism that is more adventurous, more exciting, more participatory and more valuable to society and democracy than any American has ever known” (pp. xiii-xiv).
The authors have based their approach and solutions on a “decade working on media policy issues in Washington and across the nation . . . We have worked with politicians from both major parties and all political philosophies on successful campaigns to stop media consolidation and government secrecy and to promote an open uncensored Internet and viable independent public media” (p. xiv).
I quote extensively from their preface for one reason: they deliver on their promise. This book is clearly and purposefully designed as a manifesto for change delivered by two extremely well-qualified experts.
The authors write of the crisis as well as the opportunity. Their statistics, charts, examples, stories, and quotations are absolutely captivating and convincing. I thought the story of Kate Giammarise was an incredibly well-chosen example of what is happening and has happened in journalism. “The naked and uncomfortable truth is that the business model that sustained commercial news media for the past century is dying, and cannot be recreated” (p. 74), is a statement the authors make that is well-developed and supported. They also state, “. . . we can see a new and dramatically superior caliber of journalism emerging as a result of the Internet . . . It will be a journalism that can truly open up our politics, in the manner democratic theory suggests” (p. 81).
Their discussion of solutions has four components: “1) immediate measures to sustain journalism, each of which transitions to a permanent subsidy if successful; 2) a plan to convert the collapsing corporate newspaper into what we term a ‘post-corporate’ digital newspaper, with print versions at the very least until there is ubiquitous broadband; 3) converting public and community broadcasting into genuinely worldclass civic and democratic media; and 4) spawning a vibrant, well-funded, competitive and innovative news-media sector on the Internet” (p. 159).
One of the essential keys to the success of their ideas is mentioned: “There are significant roles to be played by private enterprise, foundations and nonprofit organizations. But we no longer have any doubt that without the government providing subsidies comparable to what other leading democratic nations provide, and to what this nation routinely provided in its first century, the initiatives of these other actors will have limited effect” (p. 221).
This is an excellent — outstanding — book that deserves to be read by anyone concerned about the future of journalism. You may not agree with their arguments (but I think you will), but you will have to acknowledge that journalism must and will change. McChesney and Nichols provide a reasonable, well-thought-out, and well presented blueprint as they see it.
This book can be found at Amazon.com: The death and life of American journalism: The media revolution that will begin the world again
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