The Art of Choosing

Book Club... And Then Some!

The Art of Choosing            

by Sheena Iyengar



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

Sheena Iyengar is the S.T. Lee Professor of Business at Columbia University.  This is important to know because, at the outset, it reveals the degree of research, citations, and qualifications you will get throughout the book.  Ivengar does not disappoint.

In this 329-page book, there is a 12-page index, 16-page bibliography, 22-page section of notes, and 7 pages of acknowledgments—leaving 268 pages of content.  There are seven chapters plus an epilogue, with chapters averaging about 36 pages in length.  I mention this simply to call to your attention the denseness of this book.  It is full of substance, to say the least, but it is readable and full of interesting stories.

To give you an example of Ivengar’s writing style, I offer this from the, “Past Is Prologue,” opening section of the book:

        “In 1971, my parents emigrated from India to America by way of Canada.  Like so many before them, when they landed on the shores of this new country and a new life, they sought the American Dream.  They soon found out that pursuing it entailed many hardships, but they persevered.  I was born into the dream, and I think I understood it better than my parents did, for I was more fluent in American culture.  In particular, I realized that the shining thing at its center—so bright you could see it even if you, like me, were blind—was choice.
        “My parents had chosen to come to this country, but they had also chosen to hold on to as much of India as possible.  They lived among other Sikhs, followed closely the tenets of their religion, and taught me the value of obedience.  What to eat, wear, study, and later on, where to work and whom to marry—I was to allow these to be determined by the rules of Sikhism and by my family’s wishes. . . “ (p. xi).

And, as useful as her background is when considering how she decided to pursue her study of “choice,” is her description of her book:

        “Each of the following seven chapters will look at choice from a different vantage point and tackle various questions about the way choice affects our lives.  Why is choice powerful, and where does its power come from?  Do we all choose in the same way?  What is the relationship between how we choose and who we are?  Why are we so often disappointed by our choices, and how do we make the most effective use of the tool of choice?  How much control do we really have over our everyday choices?  How do we choose when our options are practically unlimited?  Should we ever let others choose for us, and if yes, who and why?  Whether or not you agfree with my opinions, suggestions, and conclusions—and I’m sure we won’t always see eye to eye—just the process of exploring these questions can help you make more informed decisions” (p. xiii).

I found the book insightful, informative, interesting, and valuable—but it is also very long.  You really must want to know the answers to the questions Iyengar raises and have an overpowering interest in the subject, “choice” because, whether you like it or not, and despite the many wonderful stories she shares, Iyengar is an academic, and she writes like one.

J. Powell, of Brooklyn, New York, writes this as his review of Iyengar’s book at Amazon.com:   “This is a very good book that really requires a lot of introspection, and a high level of reading comprehension.

For myself anyway, this is not light beach reading that you can blow through, but an interesting, deeply reflective tool that will help you understand yourself and others just a little bit better.

The author uses numerous scientific studies from industry and her own studies and observations to bolster her work.

The book helps the reader take a more global perspective on how various cultures and our upbringing help to influence how and why we make certain choices.

Very good book.”

John Laughlin, of Frederick, Maryland, writes, “I came across this book while doing extensive reading in Behavioral Economics. It is truly excellent. Not only does it fill in some holes on the "business" side of choice, but -- more importantly -- it adds considerable depth to the area of "personal" choice, which is lacking in most economics-focused books.

The power of the author's insights become even more apparent when the book is read in conjunction with books like Blink, Outliers and The Long Tail (all of which the author refers to).

The book is especially helpful for those of us in the US who have limited experience with the cultures of other countries in which choice is less valued and more curtailed. Finally, anyone who is coping with end-of-life decisions will appreciate the final chapter on choosing your own end of life.”

I think these two reviews will help you make your decision as to whether or not this is the right book for you.  I agree with both of these reviews.  

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This book is available from Amazon.com: The Art of Choosing. 

Power of 2: How to make the most of your partnerships at work and in life

Book Club... And Then Some!

Power of 2: How to make the most of your partnerships at work and in life         

by Rodd Wagner and Gale Muller


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

One of the reasons this book caught my attention was simply that I have written extensively on interpersonal communication—relationship partnering.  My Understanding Interpersonal Communication college textbook (designed for freshmen and sophomore students) went through seven editions, and had this book become available during any of that time, it certainly would have been used throughout that book as a competent, highly relevant, well-written addition.  I used sections from books like this one in my “Consider This” boxes scattered in all the chapters.

One of the strengths of this book is their use of original Gallup polling research to identify “the dimensions of partnership.”  The authors “analyzed the responses of thousands of people in search of the variables that are best at differentiating between a great partnership and a poor one.  People from all walks of life scored their working relationships with their coworkers, fellow volunteers, other students, managers, and hundreds of others with whom they regularly interact[ed]” (p. 7).

The research the authors conducted reveal eight elements of a powerful partnership: 1) complementary strengths, 2) a common mission, 3) fairness, 4) trust, 5) acceptance, 6) forgiveness, 7) communicating, and 8) unselfishness (pp. 28-30).  Brief definitions and explanations are offered in the introduction to the book, then there is a separate full chapter on each one with a final chapter, “In Closing: Looking Within,” summarizing them.  There is a section “Additional Insights for Businesspeople,” and an appendix, “How the Gallup Research Was Conducted.”

Let me, through a quotation from the book and the chapter on “Communicating,” provide an example of their writing as well as a demonstration of the power that partnerships offer (as revealed, of course, throughout the book):

        “To solve the puzzle [trying to find the structure of DNA], required a tremendous amount of conjecture.  The ability to bounce ideas off each other proved to be the principal strength of the collaboration between [Francis] Crick and [James D.] Watson.  The American admired that Crick ‘never stops talking and thinking.’  The two men ate lunch together almost every day.  Afterward, they would exchange ideas while strolling along the grounds [at the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, where Crick was already working].  They shared coffee in the mornings and tea in the afternoons.  When the group in Cavendish was offered an extra room, two of Watson and Crick’s colleagues announced they were going to give it to them ‘so that you can talk to each other without disturbing the rest of us’” (p. 147).

The demands that great partnerships require of each participant are extreme and well described in the chapter, “Looking Within,” toward the end of the book.

The stories and anecdotes are arresting, the writing style is straightforward, comfortable, and engaging, and the insights, research, and substance of the book make this a “must read” selection for everyone involved in, interested in, or moving into an essential and necessary partnership.  All those who are beginning a relationship should read this book as well.  A great book!
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This book is available from Amazon.com: Power of 2: How to make the most of your partnerships at work and in life. 

It’s not rocket science and other irritating modern cliches

Book Club... And Then Some!

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.
 
This is a 5-inch by 7 1/4th-inch, 194-page book full of cliches and their explanations.

There are general cliches as well as cliches from the arenas of the media, entertainment, commercial, and business, and those in the political, and social areas, too.

I loved Whichelow and Murray’s first two sentences of the introduction to the book: “Over 50 years ago the film producer Samuel Goldwyn said, ‘Let’s have some new cliches!’  Well we’ve got shedloads of new cliches—and then some!”  Do you see why I like the first two sentences so much?  No, it’s not the substitution of “shedloads” for a much racier way of saying the same thing.  It’s the last three words: “and then some”
—the name of my publishing company!

Do you want to know what I find most fascinating about this collection?  Being a writer, I am 1) amazed at how many of these cliches I recognize, and 2) how many of these cliches I have used (or continue using), and 3) how many cliches I have never heard.  Now, it must be understood that this book was produced in England; thus, there would be some that are particular to Great Britain.

I have never heard of “gobsmacked” which means surprised, “but perhaps to about the power of ten” (p. 28), “(I nearly) choked on my cornflakes” (p. 14), “going pear-shaped” (p. 29), “schadenfreude” which means “delight in other people’s misfortunes” (p. 86), “z-list celebrities” (p. 100), “shoot the puppy” which means “to consider the most extreme and controversial course of action” (pp. 136-137), “beggars belief” which is “often used by opposition politicians to express their complete astonishment at some piece of government incompetence” (p. 149), and “ring-fence” the building of “dirty great, probably electric, fences around [money] . . . to stop themselves [from getting to it]” (p. 161).

Here is what’s interesting about the list in the previous paragraph: it consists of very few words out of hundreds listed in the book.  In other words, the authors have, indeed, selected highly recognizable, common (by definition) cliches that most readers will recognize.  That makes the book fun, entertaining, and (at least a little bit) informative.

This is an enjoyable, short read.  
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This book is available from Amazon.com: It’s not rocket science and other irritating modern cliches.

Intellectuals and Society

Book Club... And Then Some!

Intellectuals and Society
 

by Thomas Sowell




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

This is a 398-page book with 50-pages of notes.

I found this book repetitive, deep, verbose, complex, and extremely difficult in holding my attention.  To provide readers of my reviews a fair shake, I quote here from reviews provided at Amazon.com.

The following are the ideas Sowell covers in this book:
    1: Intellect and Intellectuals
    2: Knowledge and Notions
    3: Intellectuals and Economics
    4: Intellectuals and Social Visions
    5: Optional Reality in the Media and Academia
    6: Intellectuals and the Law
    7: Intellectuals and War
    8: Intellectuals and War: Repeating History
    9: Intellectuals and Society

Robert Kirk of Rancho Cucamonga, CA), wrote the following review of Sowell’s book at Amazon.com, and I’d like to say that it perfectly reflects my feelings about the book: “. . . It's by far his [Sowell's] most difficult book to read because it's subject matter is a bit scattered. However, Mr. Sowell does what many can't do, he makes you think and question ‘conventional wisdom.’ Be prepared to slow down a bit while reading this one since it is a bit more dense than his other books.  It is well worth the effort.”

Callidus Asinus, at Amazon.com, writes this about Sowell’s book: “In his book, Sowell examines the influence intelligentsia (which he defines as all persons who make their living off the production of ideas). Within the class of intelligentsia, Sowell includes such people as university faculty and the media. He excludes people with mentally demanding jobs such as doctors, lawyers and engineers because these people, unlike intellectuals rely on the empirical verifiability of their ideas and practices to survive economically.

Sowell asserts that intellectuals generally have a negative effect on society because their ideas are not subject to the same empirical verification as doctors, lawyers and engineers. Because of this, they can make claims or sweeping judgments on society which they lack the qualifications to make (he cites examples of people such as literature professors making condemnations of the capitalist system without any prior training in economics). Furthermore, he shows that when the ideas of intellectuals are shown to be verifiably wrong, they loose no credibility, and usually use their verbal skills to avoid admitting their errors.”

This lack of accountability among intellectuals causes problems when they begin to sway public opinion in favor of their policies (which are often counterproductive). He cites examples such as the pacifist sentiment in pre-WWII Britain and France which prevented them from taking any aggressive action on Hitler until he had already built up his military. And now we get to the central theme of Sowell's book, which is to have a healthy suspicion of the ideas propagated by intellectuals to mitigate their sway over public opinion. In a democratic nation such as ours, this is an essential quality for the citizens to have so that they can cast their votes more wisely.”

Mindy Rader, at Amazon.com, writes, “Thomas Sowell is a strong critic of intellectuals, traditional and modern, European and American. He specifically discusses definitions of intellectuals and gives us a better understanding of those intellectuals who have for better or worse, had a major influence on society in United States history. He talks about philosophers, government leaders, progressives and intellectual activists. We can learn from the ideas of all those highly respected intellectuals who throughout history have positioned themselves politically on the right or left. The ideas of these scholars, including those of Sowell, are important as they have shaped culture and society. All in all, Sowell's book is interesting and understandable.”

Several reviewers took Sowell to task for concentrating so heavily on liberal intellectuals with whom he disagreed, and if you already know (before reading him) his politics, then you will have some idea of what to expect.  One reviewer even suggested that Sowell should have titled his book, “Liberal Intellectuals and Society.”  I tend to agree. 

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This book is available from Amazon.com: Intellectuals and Society

Wisdom: From philosophy to neuroscience

Book Club... And Then Some!

Wisdom: From philosophy to neuroscience    

by Stephen S. Hall


Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
 
This is a 333-page book with a 14-page index, 15-page bibliography, 23-page section of notes, and a 5-page acknowledgments section.  This makes it 272-pages of content.  There is nothing negative in noting this; however, be aware that this (comparatively speaking) is a large book.

The front flyleaf clarifies the content: “[The book] is a dramatic history of wisdom, from its sudden emergence in four different locations (Greece, China, Israel, and India) in the fifth century B.C. to its modern manifestations in education, politics, and the workplace.  We learn how wisom became the provenance of philosophy and religion through its embodiment in individuals such as Buddha, Confucius, and Jesus; how it has consistently been a catalyst for social change; and how revelatory work in the last fifty years by psychologists, economists, and neuroscientists has begun to shed light on the biology of cognitive traits long associated with wisdom—and in doing so, has begun to suggest how we might cultivate it.”

There are three parts.  The first discusses the definition of wisdom, the second, eight neural pillars of wisdom, and the third, becoming wise.  The 15 chapters give you a better idea of how well the book relates to people’s lives (after the first three on philosophical and psychological roots): the art of coping, establishing value, judging right from wrong, the biology of loving-kindness and empathy, the gift of perspective, social justice, fairness, and the wisdom of punishment, temptation and delayed gratification, change, the wisdom of aging, and everyday wisdom.

There is a great deal of substance in this book, and clearly it is not of the “pop-psych” variety—full of cute quips, lively anecdotes, and suggestions for improvement and change.  On the other hand, you get an extremely well-written, easy-to-follow book, that includes great illustrations, many historical references and stories, the incorporation of interesting and relevant recent research, insights and revelations that only a science writer like Hall would not just understand but digest and make palatable for readers, and a fascinating—maybe even a landmark—examination of a topic relevant to everyone.

What Hall delivers is interesting discourse, as witnessed when he talks about the content of his book: “The world doesn’t need another book about neuroeconomics, and this doesn’t plan on being one.  But a lot of recent research in neuroeconomics and (in a broader sense) social neuroscience—including related fields like cognitive neuroscience, behavioral psychology, moral philosophy, and the like—strikes me as an immensely fertile area to till for fresh new insights into the nature of wisdom” (p. 16).

Dr. Vivian Clayton offers this excellent review of Hall’s book on Amazon.com: “Stephen Hall's book on Wisdom manages to integrate the empirical research that's been conducted over the last thirty-five years in a style and convivial manner that has eluded the scientific community. I felt the book delivered on its promise: it offered much information about the ways we go about making complex life decisions. It reflected honestly on the real life shortcomings of people who have always been perceived as wise historically, such as Solomon. In my opinion, the best part of the book was delivered by offering examples of how adopting a wisdom based approach can affect how things are done in settings such as the classroom and the boardroom.

This is not a ‘How to be wise’ manual. If you like labyrinths, and recognize that many paths can lead to the center of things, this is the book for you. Like many portraits in an art gallery, you will find yourself pausing at various junctures to look more carefully at this or that quality of wisdom - be it patience, humility or compassion. Fortunately, there is no 'closing time' to this gallery. At the end of my visit, I personally felt a sense of gratitude that a writer could capture such an illusive topic without diminishing its potential for further study in matters both personal and societal.”

With all of this information it should be easy now to know whether this book would be one that would interest you.  I found it wonderful, interesting, insightful, and full of valuable information seldom found elsewhere. 

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This book is available from Amazon.com: Wisdom: From philosophy to neuroscience.

Everyone communicates, few connect: What the most effective people do

Book Club... And Then Some!

Everyone communicates, few connect: What the most effective people do differently 
        

by John C. Maxwell


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

When I lectured to freshmen and sophomore students at Bowling Green State University (Ohio) for more than 22 years (over 80,000 students), about communication, I taught it as a life skill—an essential skill necessary for everything students wanted to do in their lives.  If they couldn’t communicate, they would find it difficult to cope at work, home, school, and in their relationships.  I felt the same way when I wrote the book, Communicating Effectively, now going into its 10th edition.  It is, indeed, these facts that drew me to Maxwell’s book in the first place.

As a side note: I was not—in my lecturing—what Maxwell described as a self-centered teacher, whose philosophy he described as:
            Ram it in—jam it in,
            Students’ heads are hollow.
            Cram it in—slam it in,
            There is more to follow.
I am certain there are some students of the many to whom I lectured, who feel—probably to this day—that that was exactly my philosophy!  You can’t, after all, win them all!

Maxwell has an informed and engaging approach.  He uses the methods in writing this book that he explains in the book itself.

Because of the practical, specific, and well-described suggestions he makes, people who have the desire to improve their communication skills will definitely improve.  Too often, I found during my teaching career, people believe they already communication well (if not well enough).  It is those same people who would/will find little need for this book, let along any book on communication.

Maxwell writes about the basic essentials of effective communication.  It is the foundation or cornerstone of effectiveness, and in today’s world where messages and information (along with the characteristics of effectiveness and accuracy) are absolutely necessary, and where being an effective leader is a given, this book offers surprising, rewarding, practical information for anyone interested in improving his or her communication skills.

Maxwell says it well: “If you are responsible for leading people or communicating with others, it is especially vital for you to find ways to recharge” (p. 91).  This book can be a vital aid in your re-charging.
  
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Civilian in an Ill-fitting Uniform: A Memoir of World War II

by Edgar E. Willis


Book Review by Marlene C. Francis.


 
Edgar E. Willis has written an excellent memoir about his experience in World War II.  Called Civilian in an Ill-fitting Uniform (what a great title!), the book describes Edgar’s years and adventures in “the strange new world” of the U.S. Navy.  Edgar was a flight director on the battle cruiser Alaska which saw service in the Pacific, including the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.  The book has chapters on those battles as well as stories about officer indoctrination and training, shore duty, standing watch, disciplining sailors, and dealing with apparently irrational navy rules and regulations.  This memoir does more than just describe what happened; it includes personal detail and Edgar’s own judgments.  For example, he describes and names the good captain who was as considerate of the crew as he was an effective leader, and the bad captain whose arbitrary decisions made life miserable for the sailors and who himself couldn’t even steer the ship straight (he was promoted to rear admiral and left the ship, to the relief of the crew).  Whether you know the author or not, you will hear his voice through his stories, some funny, some sad, all full of rich detail about navy life as experienced by an “unreconstructed civilian.”

I loved reading this book, and I am sure it will be enjoyed by anyone who served in the military during wartime, students of America’s role in World War II, and those interested in U.S. history.  High school and college students will appreciate the personal stories that bring alive some critical years of our country’s history.  The book is available on Amazon.com, and if you want more information about the book or about Dr. Willis, you can visit his website at edgarewillis.com.

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These books are available from Amazon.com: Everyone communicates, few connect: What the most effective people do differently.  Civilian in an ill-fitting Uniform: A Memoir of World War II.

The Waxman report: How congress really works

Book Club... And Then Some!

The Waxman report: How congress really works  
     

by Henry Waxman (with Joshua Green)



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

Waxman’s introduction to his book, which chronicles the April 14, 1994, hearings on the American tobacco industry and tobacco’s dangers (provided in detail in Chapter 9, “The Tobacco Wars”) gives but a hint—albeit a valuable one—about what is to come in his book and how stories like this one can effectively hold the reader’s attention.

Waxman (and Green’s) prose is described accurately by one of his reviewers as “swift and penetrating, and a pleasure.”

Although this book is a political autobiography, it is not the usual kind.  This one, instead, explains the five different laws Waxman worked on (HIV/AIDS and the Ryan White Act, the Orphan Drug Act, the Clean Air Act, Nutrition Labeling and Dietary Supplements, and Pesticides and Food), and the two major oversight investigations of which he was part (the tobacco wars and steroids and major league baseball).  This focus allows Waxman not only to highlight some of the most important health and safety issues of the past 30 years, but to clearly and vividly explain the give and take (horse trading) that goes on in Congress, the obstinate and immovable personalities that are always present, and some of the legislative tricks necessary to get legislation passed.

There is drama, as well as corruption and cynicism.  There is legislative craftsmanship, too, and no matter your political persuasion, here is a template for anyone who has a true interest in making the government serve the people, making the laws of Americans better, and making government—and its elected officials—take responsibility for their actions.

Waxman’s book is highly informative, insightful, interesting, well-written, and a true pleasure to read. 

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This book is available from Amazon.com: The Waxman report: How congress really works

Your brain at work: Strategies for overcoming distraction, regaining focus, and working smarter all day long

Book Club... And Then Some!

Your brain at work: Strategies for overcoming distraction, regaining focus, and working smarter all day long  

by David Rock



Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
 
This is a 286-page book with 22 1/2 pages of notes.

Rock writes the following about the purpose of his book: “This book will help you work smarter, be more focused and productive, stay cool under pressure, reduce the length of meetings, and even tackle the hardest challenge of all: influencing other people.  Along the way it may help you be a better parent and partner, and perhaps even live longer” (p. xi).

The real value of the book—beyond the practical suggestions and ideas—is the scientific research Rock uses to support his various courses of change.  It is certainly sufficient to convince you that Rock’s ideas are sound and the changes you can make will work.

The fun of this book comes from the way Rock approaches his content.  He presents it as a story: “This story involves two characters, Emily and Paul, as they experience a set of challenges over a single day at work.  As you watch Emily and Paul,” Rock writes, “go through their day, some of the smartest neuroscientists in the world will explain why they struggle with their email, schedules, and colleagues.  Even better, you will also get to see what Emily and Paul might have done differently if they’d understood their brains better” (p. xii).

So we have here a four act play.  The first act, “Problems and Decisions,” has six scenes, and they are activities most readers will find commonplace: being overwhelmed by emails, projects that hurt to think about them, juggling five things at once, saying no to distractions, searching for the zone of peak performance, and getting past roadblocks.

The second act, “Stay Cool Under Pressure,” includes three scenes: being derailed by drama, drowning amid uncertainty, and when expectations get out of control.

The third act, “Collaborate with Others,” includes three scenes: turning enemies into friends, when everything seems unfair, and the battle for status.

The fourth act, “Facilitate Change,” includes two scenes: when others lose the plot and the culture that needs to transform.

Notice throughout that the scenes are experiences with which we can all closely identify.  There is a great deal of information in each chapter, and each chapter includes a section at the end, “Surprises About the Brain,” and another entitled, “Some Things to Try.”

Wendy Ulrich, author of, The Why of Work: How Great Leaders Build Abundant Organizations That Win, writes the following about Rock’s book: “As a psychologist with a business background, I found this book extremely worth the read. It is not that often that I get a personal ah-ha from a book these days, but this one did the job. I learned several things that were personally extremely helpful and that gave me very specific ideas about how to work more effectively, understand how to work with others better, and stay out of common work traps. I found the style as well as the science approachable and useful. I'll be buying this one for family members and talking about it with friends. Well worth the read.”

I found the information in Rock’s book both interesting and attention-grasping, the suggestions practical and valuable, the revised scenarios (from what Emily and Paul chose to do in the original scenario) excellent, on point, insightful, and worth considering.  This book has the potential of changing many things in your life. 
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This book is available from Amazon.com: Your brain at work: Strategies for overcoming distraction, regaining focus, and working smarter all day long.

Brain sense: The science of the senses and how we process the world around us

Book Club... And Then Some!

Brain sense: The science of the senses and how we process the world around us         

by Faith Hickman Brynie



Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
 
This is a 274-page book with 26 pages of notes, two-and-one half pages of “Recommended Resources,” an eight-page index, and a 15-page “Appendix,” on the brain and the nervous system.  The point: the book is to be taken seriously.

There are 218 pages of content and 30 chapters; thus, each chapter averages about 7.3 pages long

Brynie explains her book in the preface: “It’s part memoir because it’s my opportunity to reminisce about some things I’ve learned from science and from life.  It’s part investigative reporting because I’ve delved into the work of some cutting-edge researchers who are designing clever experiments to gain answers to questions that we didn’t even know how to ask a decade ago.  It’s part biography because I want you to know—as I have come to know—what real scientists are like as they work in real labs on real questions that have never before been answered.  It’s part textbook because basic knowledge about how our senses work is important to everyone.  It’s part history because we can’t appreciate where we’re going if we don’t value where we’ve been.  It’s part newspaper because it contains some of the late-breaking stories that are making headlines on a daily basis.  It’s part travel journal because I invite you to fly with me as I visit working neuroscientists . . . . It’s part personality profiles because the scientists I met and talked with are intriguing people, doing interesting work and living full and satisfying lives . . .” (p. xiv).  She also adds that her book is a tribute to courage and to some wonderful people . . . and, too, a love letter to science and scientists.

Here is a warning to future readers of this book: It is so full of interesting details, fascinating anecdotes, findings that you will have trouble believing, personal insights and revelations, as well as a wealth of information about the way your brain works, that you will have trouble putting the book down.  The trouble is: it all relates to us personally and intimately.  I absolutely devoured Brynie’s every word.  (But I have to offer a caveat here: I studied science for five years as a pre-med student thinking he was going into medicine as a career; thus, I have more than just a simple curiosity about the kinds of things Brynie discusses.)

Annie, a neurology nurse, wrote the following as part of her review of Brynie’s book at Amazon.com: “So, while you're getting the latest and greatest on sensory research, you also somehow come out of it with a lot more than you already knew about the fundamentals of the brain. I do this for a living, and I was still discovering new things on almost every page. I think this is a great recommendation for students, families of people with brain injuries, or just about anybody with a passion for discovering what those crazy scientists have come up with now.”

Well-written, down-to-earth, practical, and yet full of wonderfully interesting substance, this is a valuable book that is just plain fun to read.
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This book is both available from Amazon.com: Brain sense: The science of the senses and how we process the world around us

Monday Morning Motivation: Five Steps to Energize Your Team, Customers, and Profits

Book Club... And Then Some!

Monday Morning Motivation: Five Steps to Energize Your Team, Customers, and Profits          

by David Cottrell



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


It appears from the front of this book that this is the sixth book in Cottrell’s “Monday Morning” series.  The five steps he discusses in this 176-page small book are synchronization, speed, communication, customer passion, and integrity.  Prior to discussing these topics, he explains the use of the formula E=mc2—in which E represents energy, m represents mass, and c represents the square of the speed of light in a vacuum.  .He uses it to help explain his “Leadership Energy Equation,” motivation, and the positive energy required to empower people to achieve their targets.

This book, says the author, “is a blueprint showing how successful organizations and their leaders use energy to drive individual motivation in order to survive and thrive in any economic condition” (p. 6).  He goes on to say, “The techniques offered in this book will provide you with the necessary tools to harness the energy of your organization, move it to higher levels of achievement, and emerge from any economic condition stronger and more resilient” (p. 6).

Each chapter ends with discussion questions and blanks that you can fill in to apply the chapter’s content to your own specific business or organization.  This is clearly designed to be used as a workbook, and what Cottrell would like to see is business associates (or teams) getting together on Monday mornings—for the course of the book—to discuss the chapters and write specific ideas to accomplish what he writes about.

The book is well written, the examples are short and to the point, the content appears to be on target (simple and easy to understand), the questions at the end of chapters are useful, and the suggestions Cottrell makes for improving organizations appear sound, practical, and easy to apply.  I think this would be an interesting and useful book for business associates or teams to use, and the idea of gathering on a series of Monday mornings to discuss the topics using the questions, and suggest ways the organization can improve, would be a great way to bring people together, help people move forward with specific guidelines and ideas, and build coherence and unity. 

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This book is both available from Amazon.com: Monday Morning Motivation: Five Steps to Energize Your Team, Customers, and Profits

Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle

Book Club... And Then Some!

Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle         

by Chris Hedges



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

“The sky is falling, the sky is falling,” said Chicken Little.  In Hedges’ book, one reviewer—Jiang Xuequin of Toronto, Canada, says, “Chris Hedges writes in the lucid and cogent manner of a powerful intellectual who has become disgusted and contemptuous, angry and frustrated at the lame and stupid culture he finds himself suddenly imprisoned in.  Unfettered market capitalism, corporate interests, and America’s oligarch have conspired to create a ‘brave new world’ of lies and stupidity that everyone hold dearly to be truth and wisdom.”  Now, doesn’t that just sound like Chicken Little—"’The sky is falling,’ has passed into the English language,” says Wikipedia, “as a common idiom indicating an hysterical or mistaken belief that disaster is imminent.”  I am not suggesting that Hedges is mistaken, but what I am suggesting is that his plea is intense and, perhaps, even hysterical.  (Actually, I love it!)

Hedges includes five essays here: “The Illusion of . . . 1) Literacy, 2) Love, 3) Wisdom, 4) Happiness, and 5) America.  Within these categories, Hedges draws his examples from industries as diverse as entertainment, wrestling, pornography, education, testing, wellness, celebrity, news, defense, armaments, health care, infrastructure, transportation, finance, and more.

The overall conclusion by Hedges is captures well by Xuequin in his review, and it’s a position I fully support as well: “People have chosen, and given a choice they have proven to everyone that they will do what human nature dictates and choose to live lives where they can enjoy their laziness and stupidity, and ignore critics who are trying to get them to read books and criticize.”

This is a well-written, meticulous, shocking yet honest, thorough analysis of how the American public is being seduced by advertisements, reality television, infotainment, and the “social” Internet, and how they are pathetic slaves to what they hear (and believe) on television, radio, and the Internet.

Hedges writes, “A public that can no longer distinguish between truth and fiction is left to interpret reality through illusion.”  The book is a relevant, real, sombering wake-up call that everyone should read.  Yes, “the sky is falling,” and Hedges offers a wonderful, captivating, well-researched and documented explanation of where and why it is happening and how everyone will be affected.  Read it.

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This book is available from Amazon.com: Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle

Nothing Was the Same: A Memoir

Book Club... And Then Some!

Nothing Was the Same: A Memoir          

by Kay Redfield Jamison



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

This is a touching, deeply moving, difficult to read (yet difficult to put down), love story in which Jamison, a professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and co-director of the Johns Hopkins Mood Disorders Center and author of the national best seller, An Unquiet Mind and Night Falls Fast, writes about her 20 years with Richard Wyatt, also an important researcher in the area of mental disorders.  As Shalom Fradman, from Jerusalem, Israel, writes in his Amazon review, “She tells the story with taste, restraint, feeling, and unfailing intelligence and wisdom.”

The book is written with care, precision, honesty, reflection, and in beautiful prose. 

Jamison writes about grief, sickness, and dying, but in a profound, simple manner.

How two well-educated, intelligent people could sustain their loving bond through all their adversity is remarkable.  How their passion was sustained through the days and moments of sickness before his death, and how their celebration of life sustained them is amazing.  What a joy!  What an unbelievable testimony for the bond that true love can offer.

As one reviewer said, “‘Drs. Wyatt and Jamison found happiness not in idealized illusions, but in living—with as much integrity and joy as possible—their own imperfect lives.”

This is a unique book that will touch you deeply, move you with passion and intensity, and, thus, will impress you forever. 



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This book is available from Amazon.com: Nothing Was the Same: A Memoir

Manhood for Amateurs: The Pleasures and Regrets of a Husband, Father, and Son

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Manhood for Amateurs: The Pleasures and Regrets of a Husband, Father, and Son        

by Michael Chabon



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

There are several things I truly enjoyed about this book.  First, I loved the author’s willingness to be open, frank, and personal.  This is a collection of short autobiographical stories.  If you’re just looking for an enjoyable and sometimes intriguing look into someone else’s life and thoughts, this is an entertaining read. 

The second thing I enjoyed about this book is Chabon’s use of language.  He uses the English language well, and his fluent writing style is delightful.  Although his writing tends to be a bit formal and crisp, his humor and wit shine through and charm you.  Thus, if you’re seeking a well-written book, this would be an excellent choice.

The third thing I enjoyed about this book is that it offers a peek into another man’s life.  One reviewer summarized the content of his essays in this way: “Chabon takes us on a journey through his childhood: the unflagging support of his mother; the inability to connect with his father despite the love between them; the joy and privilege of being able to explore, unhindered by adult supervision, the world around him and, the ache of realizing one is losing it all.  From his childhood to adulthood and then to fatherhood we follow the unique tale of a man’s life, one who is gifted enough to share with his readers all the joys and disasters that a life lived carries with it.”

Chabon’s descriptions are rich in detail, replete with the emotions experienced at the time, and full of charm and wonder—almost as if it is a child discovering a whole new world one experience at a time. 

Clearly this is a well-written, candid, funny, thoughtful, self-disclosing, witty, informative, wise, and totally captivating book designed for all to read—not just men, fathers, and fathers-to-be.

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This book is available from Amazon.com: Manhood for Amateurs: The Pleasures and Regrets of a Husband, Father, and Son

The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science

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The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science             
by Richard Holmes



Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
 
If you are looking for a well-written, engaging, and entertaining read, choose this book.  Just as it says on the front flyleaf: “A riveting history of the men and women whose discoveries and inventions at the end of the eighteenth century gave birth to the Romantic Age of Science.”  That is precisely what you get: “a coherent and compelling brief history of the romantic era scientists.  Well written, engaging, and a pleasure to read,” writes one reviewer.

There is a 33-page (fine print) index, 28 pages of references, and an eleven-page bibliography for this 552-page book.  The 25 pages of pictures (separated into three sections) are useful and excellent.  In addition, the author provides a 22-page cast list which makes reading the story easier.

It is as one reviewer said, “a nail biting drama—what will Davy discover next?  Will he foil his scientific genius with his outsized ego and penchant for fly fishing?  I raced through the chapters to find out what happens next (200 years ago).”

On the front flyleaf of the book, the characters of Holmes narrative are briefly described: “Three lives dominate the book: William Herschel and his siter Caroline, whose dedication to the stuy of the stars forever changed the public conception of the solar system, the Milky Way, and the meaning of the universe; and Humphry Davy, who with only a grammar-school education stunned the scienfific community with near-suicidal gas experiments that led to the invention of the miners’ lamp and established British chemistry as the leading professional science in Europe.”

What I especially enjoyed is that throughout the book Holmes brings together literature and science.  You get Davy’s poems, and although they fill a substantial portion of the book, they provide a delightful respite from the narrative, and it offers, too, a look at the romantic literature of the time. 

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This book is available from Amazon.com: The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science

The Third Man Factor: Surviving the Impossible

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The Third Man Factor: Surviving the Impossible         
by John Geiger



Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
 
There are 24 pages of notes in support of this 297-page book; however, as one reviewer noted, “I’ve never read a book that gave the source but ignored adding page numbers.  It’s a basic tradition of scholarship.  Give exact details so readers can confirm the source.  Readers who want to verify a quote from ‘Varieties of Religious Experience,’ for example, might need an hour or more to find the context; a considerate scholar will give the page and so guide readers in an instant.” 

Now, you have to understand as you begin reading these awesome, awe-inspiring stories, that even when people demonstrate a sheer determination to endure in life-and-death circumstances, whether it is the author’s interpretation or that of the survivor, the interpretation will be that “a faith in one’s ultimate survival, seen in so many of the cases in this book, is the power of the savior.”  I have always wondered why it is that people who begin with faith and pray mightily for their own survival in such circumstances end up dying?  We hear that faith creates survivors, but just as likely in life-and-death circumstances, faith can result in death.  Aren’t the odds 50-50 anyway?  And if the odds are 50-50 (do we have any proof otherwise?), then what is the true value of prayer?  Does it make you feel better?  More confident?  More secure?  More assured?  More courageous?  Or, does it simply buoy the spirits with hope and inspiration?  I’m not denying its value, but it doesn’t change the odds.

Whether you are a believer or not, the stories collected by Geiger are amazing.  For example, he begins with a story of a man who was trapped in the south tower of the World Trade Center on the morning of the 9/11 attacks who followed a “voice” and a “presence” who led him through smoke and fire to safety.  He was the last person to get out alive on that day.  (My assumption, of course, is that all of the others who did not get out alive were either those of no faith, little faith, or not the right faith.)

One reviewer of the book wrote, “The author doesn’t make any assertions as to what the third man actually might be, but after doing an in-depth study of other literature . . . and doing the practice of listening to the ‘still small voice,’ I now know that this is none other than our divine higher self—the god of us—in action . . . It is omniscient and will manifest itself whenever our normal human nature gets out of the way.”  For many, “normal human nature”—and the knowledge of science—will always interfere.  But that doesn’t change the odds in any way.

There is no doubt that “the book reads like a collection of anecdotes,” as one reviewer noted, and it can become tiring.  Nonetheless, that does not deny the impact of the stories.  This is an entertaining collection by a talented writer, and if you can be (or are) moved by messages of hope, then this is a great selection.


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This book is available from Amazon.com: The Third Man Factor: Surviving the Impossible

How to Survive the End of the World as we Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times

Book Club... And Then Some!





How to Survive the End of the World as we Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times      
by James Wesley Rawles



Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
 
This 316-page paperback is truly a survival guide that offers readers a list of survival equipment necessary, how to find a survival retreat, find water, store food, acquire fuel and power your home, use a garden and nourish livestock, acquire medical supplies and the knowledge to use them, monitor and use communications equipment, own a home security system and learn self-defense, possess and use firearms, use vehicles and which ones are best, invest, barter and maintain a home-based business.  There is truly a great deal to be learned from this book.

Although it is true that regarding disasters, one size doesn’t fit all, and there are certainly a large number of different kinds of preparations that can be made, depending on the kind and length of the disaster as well as the location and societal issue involved.  The point Rawles makes is an important one—preparing ahead for disaster costs very little, but it can save your life.  It’s a little like buying insurance.

If nothing else, this book will get you thinking about things that may never have occurred to you.  Some of the ideas may seem unrealistic (buying a hybrid car, a diesel pickup, a motorcycle or moped, as well as an electric ATV and a tractor), the idea is simply to get ready before something bad happens.

Although I am unlikely to follow very much of his advice, I found the book practical, useful, and worth reading.  To have it in your library for possible use when the time comes may be a great idea (or as a reference to use periodically), but your library may disappear along with the disaster and render the book meaningless (or lost) just when needed the most.

Nonetheless, the book is, as Eric M. Bessette, of Tobyhanna, PA, said in his review of the book, “Well thought out, well written, and well planned.  In the easy to read instructions, the author teaches you everything from water purification to food storage preparation.”

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This book is available from Amazon.com: How to Survive the End of the World as we Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times

Bozo Sapiens and Live a Little!

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Bozo Sapiens: Why to Err is Human      

by Michael Kaplan and Ellen Kaplan



Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
 
This is a fabulous book: well-written, erudite, heavily supported by notes (26 pages out of 304 total), incredibly witty, full of examples and illustrations, with an excellent balance of depth and breadth.

If you are simply looking for a book that will both educate and entertain, this would be an excellent selection.

It is like a 100-level survey course in evolutionary psychology.  The Kaplans discuss the latest research in neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, evolutionary biology, cognitive and social psychology, behavioral finance, among other topics, and although any educated person will be familiar with some of their examples, their endless stream of hilarious anecdotes effectively explain and illustrate the dry research.

What makes this book a captivating page turner is their discussion of sensory mistakes, confirmation bias (motivational reasoning), errors in economics, as well as the stupid mistakes we make in both love and ethics.

If you want to know how the human brain works, depend on the Kaplans for a delightful treatise on human folly.


Live a Little! Breaking the Rules Won’t Break Your Health
By Susan M. Love and Alice D. Domar


Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
  
I like this book; however, I think anyone who is fit and healthy likes to read the reinforcements to their lifestyle, and this is certainly one of those books.  It is designed for women not men, but men need a dose of reality as well.  The authors cover the areas of sleep, stress, preventive care, exercise, nutrition, and personal relationships.  It is an interesting and well-written book.

If you are already fit and healthy you certainly don’t need to read this book.  I found nothing new here that you wouldn’t have read (in sufficient supply) elsewhere, whether it is in the “Science” section of the New York Times or in the “Health” sections and columns of your weekly news magazine or newspaper. 

I do appreciate the specificity of their suggestions, and their little quizzes are enjoyable to take.  Their quiz (pp. 114-117) “Are Your Exercise Habits Pretty Healthy?, is designed for self-scoring, and when I looked at my score (18-24 points), I thought the result was well-written: “You are committed to working out without being a fanatic . . . “ At the top end of the scale, 25-30 points, the authors state: “ . . . consider seeking professional help.”  I’m a fanatic when it comes to “regular exercise,” but I don’t “groan in agony,” suffer “serious pain,” exercise seven days a week, or punish myself “for pigging out” (I don’t “pig out.”). 

The quiz on, “Are Your Eating Habits Pretty Healthy?” (pp. 158-161), also rewards (in the self-scoring portion) reasonableness.  Although 22-30 points is the top and the authors recommend lightening up—“Your extreme attitude prevents you from taking joy in your food, and probably leads to quite a bit of unhealthy stress.”  I like this approach, and it was followed as well in the quiz, “Are Your Relationships Pretty Healthy?” (pp. 187-191).

I thought their box, “How We Studied the Studies” (pp. 9-10) is a useful inclusion for any readers unfamiliar with statistics or statistical studies and their interpretation. 

The various boxes throughout the book, the addition of the personal experiences of both authors, the history and background of research and various recommendations, the use of “From the Trenches” by other authors and writers, and their final chapter, “A Pretty Healthy Life, Decade by Decade” (193-215) (20's -70's and beyond), I think, offers useful, commonsense advice.
 

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These books are both available from Amazon.com: Bozo Sapiens: Why to Err is Human and Live a Little! Breaking the Rules Won’t Break Your Health

How Sex Works: Why We Look, Smell, Taste, Feel, and Act the Way We Do

Book Club... And Then Some!





How Sex Works: Why We Look, Smell, Taste, Feel, and Act the Way We Do     
             

by Sharon Moalem



Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
 
Although the title might suggest otherwise, this is a research book with 28 pages of “Notes,” for a 288-page book.

It is well written, highly informative, and a compelling read.

What I most appreciated were Moalem’s frank and open discussions of everything from contraception and fertility to menopause, homosexuality, and orgasms. 

The research and studies Moalem cites are overwhelming, and his explanations and descriptions are easy to comprehend.

One of the reviewers at Amazon.com writes, “I truly enjoyed reading this book. It was nice to be able to pick up a book on the subject of sex and actually learn something new. It made me think of sex in a new perspective. Information was referenced with numerous research studies and examples. I also appreciated the author's writing style, and found the chapter titles brilliant. Very engaging!”

Another reviewer writes, “How Sex Works is an entertaining and amusing comprehensive review of culture, biology, and history and their intricate connection to today's understanding of sexuality. The book examines recent research concepts, debunks old myths, and defies the common boundaries and understanding of sexuality.”

As you’ve gathered from these two reviewers and mine, this is a must-read book for everyone since it introduces new ideas, dispels numerous myths, and because of his synthesis of culture, biology, and history, he takes readers “far beyond our common understanding of sex.” 


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This book is available from Amazon.com: How Sex Works: Why We Look, Smell, Taste, Feel, and Act the Way We Do.

Lost Paradise: From Mutiny on the Bounty to a Modern-day Legacy of Sexual Mayhem, The Dark Secrets of Pitcairn Island Revealed

Book Club... And Then Some!




 

Lost Paradise: From Muntiny on the Bounty to a Modern-day Legacy of Sexual Mayhem, The Dark Secrets of Pitcairn Island Revealed.

by Gail Collins





Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
 
At the Simon & Schuster web site, “Authors - Kathy Marks - Biography” section, this is how her biography reads: “Kathy Marks grew up in Manchester, England, and studied languages. She has been a journalist since 1984, working first for Reuters news agency and then for national newspapers in Britain, including the Daily Telegraph and The Independent. Since 1999 she has been based in Sydney as The Independent’s Asia-Pacific Correspondent, reporting from Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, East Timor, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia, and the South Pacific. She has covered major stories around the region, including the post-independence violence in East Timor in 1999, the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings, the civil war in Indonesia’s Aceh province, the Indian Ocean Boxing Day tsunami in 2004 and the 2006 Java earthquake. In 2004 she was one of six international journalists who travelled to Pitcairn Island for the child sex abuse trials.” 

Why is all this biographical information important?  It reveals the expertise, the journalistic precision, and the background Marks brings to this book.

What an incredible story Marks tells about Pitcairn Island!  It’s not just hard to believe such a thing could happen, but it, indeed, stirs up haunting memories once read.

I knew of Pitcairn island in name only, and I always thought it was a South Pacific island paradise like Tahiti, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Fiji, Easter Island, or the Cook Islands.  Of course, it is a paradise—if you discount some of the people who inhabit the island!

This is a very readable telling of a story of 40 years when children were abused and raped, adult males were protected and unpunished, and an entire society of 47 people feigned ignorance or claimed it was South Pacific “culture.”

One reviewer at Amazon.com writes, “In order to make this book as good as it is the author needed to be part criminal trial reporter, part historian and part anthropologist. She was all three and more. This is a fascinating book about a terrible abuse scandal on an isolated island founded by famous mutineers.” 

If you want to experience how a tiny, claustrophobic, community operates and what powerful forces can allow abuse to flourish, this is a fascinating saga that takes you through the legal battles and human trials that resulted in a paradise lost.


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This book is available from Amazon.com: Lost Paradise: From Mutiny on the Bounty to a Modern-day Legacy of Sexual Mayhem, The Dark Secrets of Pitcairn Island Revealed.

The Cost of Bad Behavior: How Incivility Is Damaging

Book Club... And Then Some!





The Cost of Bad Behavior: How Incivility Is Damaging
             

by Christine Pearson and Christine Porathail





Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
 
This is a well-organized, thorough examination of incivility.  Chapters 1-4 introduce the concept of incivility (its prevalence and characteristics), Chapters 5-11 discuss its costs, whom it hurts and how, and Chapters 12-17 describe in detail what individuals, organizations, and society can do to promote a civil environment.  Reading through all the causes for incivility in the workplace—they are many and varied—one not only begins to understand the nature of incivility, but some of the unfortunate characteristics of our society as well and how demographics, competition, selfishness, time compression, information access, and individual stress contribute to the problem and make it worse. 

Pearson and Porath’s definition—“the exchange of seemingly inconsequential inconsiderate words and deeds that violate conventional norms of workplace conduct"—and the examples they offer of workplace incivility, will make it clear how pervasive such conduct is.

The costs they discuss of bad behavior—decreased individual/team performance, stress/burnout, turnover, and reputation damage—drive their points home. 

Reading this book should be imperative for all organizations, not just those interested in obtaining the highest return on their investments.

The research and documentation is extensive, the writing is both clear and compelling, and their wealth of real-life stories, make this book an outstanding choice.  Also, in the final chapters, the authors offer specific methods for recognizing and responding to the signs of incivility, even though they acknowledge as well, that there are no easy answers.this

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This book is available from Amazon.com: The Cost of Bad Behavior: How Incivility Is Damaging