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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
Book Club... And Then Some!
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
Book Club... And Then Some!
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
Book Club... And Then Some!
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
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
Book Club... And Then Some!
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
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.
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.
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
Book Club... And Then Some!
When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present
by Gail Collins
Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
In this 481-page book, there are 30 pages of notes and an 11-page bibliography. This gives you an idea of the thoroughness of the book.
Gail Collins was the editorial page editor for the New York Times from 2001 to 2007, the first woman to have held that position, and she currently writes a column for the Times’ op-ed page. It goes without saying that she is an excellent writer, and every page of her book reflects her skills and easy-to-read style.
This book is a wonderful and important chronology as well as a terrific reference work that is full of insights, stories, historical facts, important information, and inspiration. Her stories of real women (including Hilary Clinton, Sarah Palin, and Michelle Obama—and others we don’t know) make the book even more interesting. Of the personal interviews, one reviewer writes, “[they] portray the details of the daily lives of American women of the era. This is not library research. It is woman to woman sharing of memories, frustrations and small victories that took place as ‘everything changed’”
Whether you lived through it, read about it in other books, or are new to the area of feminism and women’s rights, there is something in this book for you.
Carol M. Frohlinger, in her amazon.com review, writes, “From June Cleaver to Hillary Clinton, Gail Collins` new book, When Everything Changed, reminds us of both how much everything has changed for American women in the last 50 years and just how little. Collins writes skillfully about the ‘olden’ days when a glamour career for a woman was to be a stewardess and when the reason most women went to college to get a ‘Mrs..’”
Frohlinger continues her review saying, “What Collins does particularly well though is to highlight that there still isn't gender parity in America's workplaces or homes. She ends on a note that celebrates how far we've come with a reality check - the gender pay gap still exists, too few women serve as CEOs or sit on corporate boards and the work-life balance conundrum has yet to be resolved.”
This is the kind of book that should be required reading for everyone—not just women. It is intellectually stimulating, completely enjoyable, and a reminder of what women have yet to accomplish.
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This book is available from Amazon.com: When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present.
Book Club... And Then Some!
Outstanding! 47 Ways to Make Your Organization Exceptional
by John G. Miller
Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
There are a number of reasons why this book merits the word: “outstanding.” First, it is well written. Second, it is full of engaging examples. Third, the chapters are short, easy to read, and full of information. Fourth, the information—although much of it is common sense—is worth the read, whether it is a review, a reminder, or just new motivation to change and grow. Finally, fifth, Miller uses large doses of humor throughout the book that keeps the information entertaining and enjoyable.
Terry Schuman, a training manager from Denver, Colorado, writes this about the book: “John has a way of writing that encourages people who typically aren't too fond of business-type books to find the time to read his books. He's an expert at using real life experiences and stories to illustrate his various points and topics.”
Schuman continues his review at Amazon.com: “Outstanding!, just like his other books, is an easy read but is filled with excellent educational material that benefits all levels of management- from executives to front-line supervisors. It has 47 short chapters that quickly get to the point and make you think. I found myself saying throughout the book, ‘I've had to deal with that’ or, ‘I can relate to this,' or, 'I wish I would have done that!’”
The reason I have quoted other reviewers is simple. I am not in business, and I am not a trainer; thus, I don’t have the experience nor the perspective to judge this book. But, I think it has wide application outside of business as well. These are precisely the principles one should use in conducting his or her life.
Schuman continues his review: “John's also not afraid to tell it like it really is. How many other business books have you read with a chapter titled, ‘Fire Customers (If Necessary)!.’ Any of your associates who've ever had to deal with the ‘customer from hell’ will appreciate it. But it makes sense. As John writes, "...standing up for your people in the face of mistreatment by customers makes our staff feel truly valued.’”
Matthew Morine, from Castle Rock, Colorado, writes, “John Miller is an accomplished author and consultant in the business world. His previous book "QBQ" was an exceptional work on identifying empowerment thinking. He continues the linage of thought provoking and insightful works in this text. The book identifies the 47 ways to make an organization better. This book is packed with helpful information. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars on the ever increasing literature in the business culture, one can buy this book for the best of the latest ideas. The book also highlights some of the latest and trendy "foolish" ideas that would never work. The author shows these ideas to be lacking. Instead of having to read all of the material out there searching for the best practices, the author has done this for you. This book will provide a framework for any church, club, or business. There is not a single wasted page. For a journey in the best ideas for an organization, pick up this title.”
Again, not having read any other books by John G. Miller, I leave it to Matthew Morine to provide that additional perspective.
This is an excellent book that has garnered exceptional reviews and, thus, is outstanding!!!!
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This book is available from Amazon.com: Outstanding! 47 Ways to Make Your Organization Exceptional.
Book Club... And Then Some!
The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience
by Carmine Gallo
Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
This Just as television stations admit their affiliation prior to any review or evaluation they make of a show or product that is produced by their parent company, I have to confess that I am a McGraw-Hill author, and this is a McGraw-Hill product; however, I did not know that until I opened the book to its title page. (I confess, tongue-securely-placed-in-cheek, that it will be impossible for me to give this book a fair, impartial, and totally honest review!) Am I biased by my 24-year history of working with McGraw-Hill? Yes. Am I biased by my excellent relationships established with the editors who have worked with me throughout this period of time? Yes. ----but, I am going to continue none-the-less.
Anyone who knows my background knows that I have written more than a half-dozen different college textbooks on the subject of public communication, and my most recent textbook, Communicating Effectively (McGraw-Hill, 2009) (with Saundra Hybels) is currently going into its tenth edition. Half this textbook is devoted to public speaking; it is the section I always wrote even when Hybels was alive (she died in 1999). My small (Elements of Style-like) book, Public Speaking Rules: All you need for a GREAT speech! (And Then Some Publishing, 2008), available from Amazon.com , covers all the essential information speakers need. All this to say, is it any wonder I would be interested in this book by Carmine Gallo?
If you are an experienced speaker or you have read a great deal about public speaking, you are unlikely to find anything new in this book; however, if you want to remind yourself about what it takes to be a great speaker or you just want to polish and hone your skills, then this is just the book. It is informative, specific, comprehensive, well-written, and complete with wonderful, engaging examples.
Gallo has structured her book much like one of Steve Jobs’ presentations. That is, she has kept her chapters brief (“Obey the Ten-Minute Rule”—Intermission 1), includes brief summaries at the end of every chapter (“Director’s Notes”), offers short segments within chapters, provides tables, bullet-pointed lists, includes numbers of additional examples (“Share the Stage”—Act II, Scene 11), injects pictures of Jobs at work, begins every chapter with a summary quotation, and furnishes additional quotations, explanations, and stories set aside by brackets (much as my “Consider This” sections in Communicating Effectively). There are a sufficient number of things going on that Gallo effectively grabs a reader’s attention, and rivets it to the printed page.
Gallo writes about the passion that drove her to write this book: “The purpose of this book is to help you capture that passion [the passion that drives us] and turn it into a story so mesmerizing that people will want to help you achieve your vision” (p. xvii). She added, “Do not let your ideas die because you failed to present them in a way that sparked the imagination of your listeners. Use Jobs’s techniques to reach the hearts and minds of everyone you hope to influence” (p. xvii).
If you want a great book on presentational skills, you can’t do better than this one!
This book is both available from Amazon.com: The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience
Book Club... And Then Some!
The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything
by Ken Robinson with Lou Aronica
Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
This book is truly motivating, and it is because of a combination of reasons. It is like “the perfect storm” of stimulus packages. First, the writers offer an engaging, friendly, compelling writing style that makes reading easy and comfortable. Second, their choices for examples are wonderful. Whether you know the people or not—and you will know most of them—they describe each experience so well that you quickly identify with them.
The third reason in this motivational “perfect storm” is their selection of “elements” to discuss. For example, they discuss “thinking differently,” “creativity,” being “in the zone,” “connecting with people who share your passion and desire, and “developing the proper attitude,” among the elements offered. And they discus the challenges, too, such as those that come from within, from a lack of confidence, or from fear of failure.
There is no step-by-step procedure or “formula for success,” but serious readers do not need these pop psyche crutches or aids. (Of course, some do!)
What you get from Robinson and Aronica are a wide and broad variety of examples, and their examples offer the same wide and broad level of application or experience. You read, identify, absorb, and learn—then you apply the ideas creatively and independently on your own in the contexts with which you are most familiar. This is both the beauty and the force of this book. It’s the power of example and then, “we need to aim high and be determined to succeed” (p. 21).
Who Killed Change? Solving the Mystery of Leading People Through Change
by Ken Blanchard, John Britt, Judd Hoekstra, and Pat Zigarmi
Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
This is another book in the long line of fables used to identify and solve important and complex real-world business problems. It is, like Blanchard’s many other books, well-written, brief, and easy-to-read (like a children’s story).
From the many positive reviews of the book, it is clear that it accurately and precisely, as one reviewer put it, “focuses on the key information that one needs to consider when planning or salvaging a change initiative.”
It seems to prove—once again—that the quick, practical, personal, and memorable read is likely the most important way to focus on major business issues. More than just getting readers to think about managing change, there are many ideas here, too, that thrust effective managing to the fore in readers’ minds.
The book is about a murder mystery with thirteen suspects, and the authors lead readers through an interview with each of the suspects. Why each of them is a culprit is carefully explained. How companies can attack the various issues is well presented, too. If you’re interested in how to change organizational environments—and you are looking for a very simplified explanation—this is a good place to start. There is no doubt it!
These books are both available from Amazon.com: The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything and Who Killed Change? Solving the Mystery of Leading People Through Change.
Book Club... And Then Some!
You Were Always Mom’s Favorite! Sisters in Conversation Throughout Their Lives
by Deborah Tannen
Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
I have cited a number of Tannen’s books in my textbooks, and I have always enjoyed reading them. With respect to readability, research, and her use of examples, this book is no exception.
For this book, Tannen writes, “in addition to analyzing transcripts of recorded conversations, I interviewed well over a hundred women about their sisters—women whose ages spanned late teens to early nineties, and who came from a wide range of ethnic, regional, and cultural backgrounds. Most were American, but some were from other countries. Americans included Asian-Americans, African-Americans, Indian-, Irish-, German-, and East-European-Jewish-Americans, and so on. They were straight, gay, deaf, hearing, married, and single. I made a point of including women of these many backgrounds in order to hear a range of experiences” (p. 5).
One discovery that interested me—and confirmed observations I have often published in my textbook chapters that discuss relationships—is that “communication is women’s work” (p. 177). “In many families,” Tannen writes, “communication is women’s work.” One of the important comments I make to my mail readers who want successful relationships, in a section entitled, “Essential Elements of Good Relationships,” is, “...for partners to continue in a relationship, they must find mutually beneficial ways of communicating” (p. 182, Communicating Effectively, 9th ed. (McGraw-Hill, 2009).
On the very next page, I write, “Men need to open up more, show their feelings, listen better, and reveal their responses.” From what I have read in Tannen’s book about what she learned from her interviews, I know she would agree completely with my admonishments.
The part of the book I found most interesting for me was her final chapter, Chapter 8, “Sisterness: The Good, the Bad, and How to Get More of the Lovely” (pp. 180-203), in which she discusses a number of aspects of communication, especially electronic forms such as Facebook and e-mail.
Whether or not the book is valuable for sisters—insightful or useful—you can read the reviews for yourself. Most reviewers found the book both helpful and insightful. One reviewer said, “Every woman with a sister should find examples that she can identify with. I plan on giving both of my sisters copies of the book.” Just to balance the scale somewhat, another reviewer said, “Seemed like Tannen was trying to put some sort of organization or categorization on those relationships, but couldn't quite pull it off. The stories are so individual that it is difficult to make any meaningful generalizations. Interesting -- sure -- but not a particularly compelling or cohesive read.”
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Get this book at Amazon.com You Were Always Mom’s Favorite! Sisters in Conversation Throughout Their Lives
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The Language of Life: DNA and the Revolution in Personalized Medicine
by Francis Collins
Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
Before I was a speech-communication major in college—and since I was in the ninth grade in junior-high-school, I might add—I wanted to be a doctor. Most of my courses in high school and early college were all science courses. My interest in science did not wear off, and when I graduated from the University of Michigan, I had to make general science a minor since I had had so many courses in the area, and my graduation would have been delayed for at least a year if I had to pick up a new minor. All this is explanation for my love of science and, thus, of this book.
Collins has written a science book on DNA for the masses, and I absorbed the information like a sponge in water. It is a terrific read not just for Collins’ unbelievable knowledge, the revealing and interesting examples cited, the comfortable, readable, and friendly writing style, or even the specific detail he offers: “The best-understood genes are those that code for protein. This process involves first making an RNA copy of the DNA; that RNA is then transported to the ribosome ‘protein factories’ in the cytoplasm, where the letters of the RNA code are translated into the amino acids used by proteins....This translation is carried out using a triplet code word; for example, AAA in the RNA codes for the amino acid lysine, and AGA codes for arginine” (p. 7). Most of the language is not of this style and not nearly as complex.
But, getting back to my point about why the book is a terrific read. The book is a terrific read because of how it relates to us all. Collins writes: “The consequence of all this progress is that a new science has appeared at the very center of biology and medicine: you could call it DNA cryptography. We’ve intercepted a highly elaborate message of critical importance for the future of the human species” (p. 13). To drive this point home for every reader, Collins says, “Family health history turns out to be the strongest of all currently measurable risk factors for many common conditions, incorporating as it does information about both heredity and shared environment” (p. 14).
The book is as reader-friendly as a science book can be. At the end of nine of his ten chapters, Collins has included a box entitled, “What you can do now to join the personalized medicine revolution,” which offers specific methods for readers to take responsibility for their lives. If you think you may have trouble with some of the language, there is an eight-page glossary to assist you. Also, numerous figures help in explaining concepts.
This is a great book written by the Director of the National Institutes of Health who spent fifteen years as director of the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institute of Health. Collins was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2007, and the National Medal of Science in 2009. The book is copyrighted 2010.
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Get this book at Amazon.com The Language of Life: DNA and the Revolution in Personalized Medicine
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Bright-sided: How the relentless promotion of positive thinking has undermined America
by Barbara Ehrenreich
Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
In this 235-page book with 16 pages of notes, Ehrenreich, author of 16 previous books and a previous columnist at The New York Times and Time magazine, offers a rich and compelling read about the false promises of positive thinking.
First, those reading this review must know that I am completely biased in Ehrenreich’s favor—even though I am guilty of what she is accusing others of doing. Before supporting my bias, I have to admit that I have been lecturing to thousands of students a loud, clear, and upbeat message about how positive thinking (along with valuable communication skills, of course) is a well-paved, proven road to success. Also, anyone who reads my blog will know that many of my Thursday essays (and books of essays—see especially, You Rules—Caution: Contents Leads to a Better Life!) support a strong belief in positive thinking.
You might wonder, then, why I would be biased in Ehrenreich’s favor, because, she thinks it has undermined America. But, if you read her book you will understand my bias. I delighted, for example, in the debunking she gave to Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Robert Schuller, and, especially, Joel Osteen and his wife Victoria. The story she tells of visiting one of Osteen’s services is truly interesting—even delightful.
Also, she writes about the etymology of positive psychology because of the publication and popularity of Martin Seligman’s books (especially, for example, Learned Optimisim)—something I had only heard about previously and knew little about.) The unfolding of the Seligman story held my interest, and the details of her interview with Seligman was sheer delight, as was the connection of Seligman’s Positive Psychology Center with Sir John Templeton (p. 166).
If you would take the time to examine our culture as closely as Ehrenreich has, you would quickly come to the same conclusion she has, that we have produced a huge supply of successful religious and secular charlatans who, under the guise of instruction, simply want to separate you from your money. There is a great Woody Allen line from the movie, “Hannah and Her Sisters,” which says, “If Jesus came back and saw what they were doing in His name, He’d never stop throwing up.”
In this book, Ehrenreich traces the origins of the “cult of optimism” from its origins in 19th century America through to the prevalence of the “gospel of prosperity,” “positive psychology,” and the “science of happiness” in academia and literature. We are amidst a society of “irrational exuberance,” and it is precisely for this reason that Ehrenreich’s book is a must read.
This book is not a downer at all. The question she raises, “Why are we so relentlessly positive?”—even when positivity is unwarranted—is a legitimate one. The bottom line for readers is worthwhile and should stop many dead-in-their-tracks: Are we not too accepting? Are we not critical enough?
Ehrenreich's scholarship is impressive, the stories are fascinating, and the book is badly needed, but it will be valuable only if it truly changes attitudes and shapes minds.
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Get this book at Amazon.com How the relentless promotion of positive thinking has undermined America
Book Club... And Then Some!
(Just an aside here. This is the 100th book I have reviewed for Bookworks.com. That shouldn’t come as a complete shock if you have been keeping up with the Andthensomeworks.com blog or are reading the blog on Facebook. It is a milestone only in that the century mark is often considered such. For me, it has happened rapidly even though it has evolved over time. Whether you are aware or not, my review of books serves a dual purpose. First, it alerts readers/followers to various books and my reaction to them. Second, it provides a continuing resource for information and ideas that I can use in my regular revisions of my college textbook, COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY, 9th ed. (McGraw-Hill, 2009. I am always on the lookout for new material, and books have supplied such a wealth of evidence and supportive substance that my quest has never subsided—and must not dwindle as long as revisions remain on the horizon. How many more revisions there will be does not depend on me or my decisions as much as it depends, of course, on the interest in my books by my professional colleagues as well as positive and supportive reviews/comments by my college-age readers.)
Comedy at the Edge: How Stand-up in the 1970s Changed America
by Richard Zoglin
Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
For me, this was a fabulous book. I can’t say that I really have cared that much to know how various comedians (during the 1970s or whenever) lived their lives or began and developed their careers, but, having said that, I have taken a sincere and continuing interest in stand-up comedians since I can remember.
I have never thought much about my interest in stand-up comedians; however, when I began reading Zoglin’s book, I realized quickly I was familiar with most, if not all, those he discussed. For example, just in the first chapter alone I knew of Bob Newhart, Bill Cosby, the Smothers Brothers, Jonathan Winters, Stan Freberg, Bill Dana (as Jos Jim nez), and Lenny Bruce. I watched, too, and enjoyed George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Albert Brooks, Steve Martin, Andy Kaufman, Bob Hope, Robin Williams, Robert Klein, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Rodney Dangerfield, Woody Allen, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Roseanne Barr, Paula Poundstone, Sandra Bernhard, Ellen DeGeneres, and Jerry Seinfeld. These are names most of you reading this review will remember as well—some, of course, for being mega-stars as comedians, talk-show hosts, characters in sit-coms, or actors in movies.
What I truly enjoy was Zoglin’s readable, comfortable, story-telling style. The book is delightfully and fully engaging, and you really want to know what happened to each of the comedians he profiles, not just in the beginning nor just along the way, but what they decided to do at the end (or, in some cases, near end) of their stand-up careers. There is no question, however, and Zoglin details it all specifically, that the comedians he writes about changed stand-up comedy for good.
As an editor and writer at Time magazine, formerly serving as the magazine’s television critic and currently as its theater critic (I am quoting from the author’s blurb on the back flap), Zoglin spent more than twenty years covering entertainment, and in that position, he wrote cover stories on Bill Cosby, David Letterman, Diane Sawyer, and Arsenio Hall, among others.
The book is 247 pages long (and you will wish it were longer), and there are eleven pages of sources—many of those actual interviews with the comedians he profiled in the book.
Whether or not you enjoyed and appreciated the comedians of the 1970s, and whether or not you enjoy comedy in general, this book has merits far beyond these elements. It reads well, for one, it is great history, for two, and the detailed stories, examples, and insights make it an exceptional choice.
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Get this book at Amazon.com Comedy at the Edge: How Stand-up in the 1970s Changed America
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Showing Up for Life: Thoughts on the Gifts of a Lifetime
by Bill Gates Sr.
Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
With a 34-word “Forward” by “Trey” (the name the family called Bill Gates III), I knew immediately I was in for a fun read. In 192-pages, and 49 chapters (averaging less than 4 pages each), Gates Sr. pens a book that can take just a couple of hours to read, but holds your attention throughout because of the light, breezy writing style, the interesting, and entertaining, anecdotes, and the implied instructions on how to live a good life—life’s most enduring lessons.
Incidentally, if you want some “juicy” insights into how Bill Gates III (Trey) grew into the kind of multi-billionaire he is today—from a compassionate father’s perspective—this book offers a valuable and insightful perspective. It gives you a step-by-step program for raising a multi-billionaire son! (This is the appropriate place for an emoticon that shows a wink!)
This book isn’t profound. It isn’t particularly illuminating. It isn’t the least bit complicated or challenging. As I was reading it, the thought crossed my mind that it was written for one reason only: Bill Gates Sr. is the father of Trey! But, if you’re looking for a quick, interesting, engaging book to take up a short amount of your time, this one is an excellent choice.
Feeling Good Together: The Secret of Making Troubled Relationships Work
by David D. Burns
Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
There are four qualities that make this book stand out. First, it is extremely readable—what I’ll call user-friendly. Second, the chapters are brief, to the point, and easily grasp readers’ attention. Third, his examples are interesting, useful, and keep readers intimately involved in the text. Fourth, so much of what Burns says—like his emphasis on listening and self-expression skills for example—reaffirm and underscore the information I have in my book, Relationship Rules: For Long-Term Happiness, Security, and Commitment. It is as if the two volumes are companion texts that will offer ways to improve interpersonal relationships—and then some.
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Get these books at Amazon.com Showing Up for Life: Thoughts on the Gifts of a Lifetime Feeling Good Together: The Secret to Making Troubled Relationships Work
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Twitterville: How Businesses Can Thrive in the New Global Neighborhoods
by Shel Israel
Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
In the introduction, Israel writes, “There are several books that will tell you how to use Twitter and why you should. This book does a little of both, but neither is my central focus. I share with you stories of people using Twitter in the home office and in the global enterprise. People tweet to raise money for causes; to make government more responsive; to find and distribute news; to build personal or business networks; or just kill a little time with people you enjoy” (p. 6).
His theory is, rather than providing a simple “how to” book, people learn best from other people’s stories, so Israel crams his book full of stories, and he “argues the case for using social media instead of ads” to market a business. Israel spends more time with the current and potential business uses of Twitter than he does with personal uses.
It is through Twitter that Israel obtained three-fourths of the stories he shares. He “posted on Twitter what [he] was covering, and requested people tell [him] good stories on the various topics...” (P. 8). What his stories reveal and what impressed Israel, is that “Twitter lets us behave online more closely to how we do in the tangible world than anything that has ever preceded it” (p. 10).
The first chapters discuss the birth and evolution of Twitter or, as Israel calls it, “Migration of the Full Whale” (p. 27). These chapters offer an appropriate foundation for understanding the stories within these chapters and those that follow.
The writing is excellent and very readable, the descriptions clear, concise, and detailed, and the examples vivid, engaging, and valuable. From each story you gain a strong identification with the subject of the vignette; thus, there is a delightful immediacy you develop as a reader on a continuing basis.
As “the most rapidly adopted communication tool in history, going from zero to ten million users in just over two years" (front flyleaf), this is a book that deserves attention. First, it marks an important moment in the history of communication. Second, it demonstrates the role that technology plays in our society. Third, it reveals and underscores the importance and need for effective, instant communication. Fourth, it indicates (even confirms) how quickly people take to new forms of communication—or new forms of technology. Not just technofiles—everyone! What an insight! What an amazing revolution! What a great book this is.
Get the book now at Amazon.com Twitterville: How Businesses Can Thrive in the New Global Neighborhoods
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Renegade: The Making of a President
by Richard Wolffe
Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
Whether you followed the 2008 election campaign or not, whether you were a Barack Obama supporter or not, this an outstanding narrative worth reading. If you enjoy politics and, especially, if you find “behind the scenes” stories and revelations both interesting and entertaining, this book will hold your attention. Wolffe, a writer for Newsweek and a political analyst for MSNBC, is a lively, well-informed, clear, and concise writer. The insights into the political campaign, the twists and turns that Obama’s team negotiated, and the way his public and private obsession with Hillary Clinton wove in and out during all aspects of the campaign, make for fascinating—even compelling—reading. If you are a political junkie, or if you’ve enjoyed such writing as Theodore White’s The Making of a President, you will hold Wolffe’s book in high regard.
It is fortunate for readers that Wolffe adds his own asides and insights throughout the book, just as he does in his commentaries on MSNBC, and the additional bits of humor, along with the indented quotations, direct dialogue quoted from members of the Obama campaign staff (in addition to dialogue by Obama himself), and the expressions of feelings and emotions all add to the clear characterizations you acquire of the primary characters of his campaign: Michelle Obama, David Axelrod, Robert Gibbs, Valerie Jarrett, Marty Nesbitt, David Plouffe, Pete Rouse, and Eric Whitaker.
What is amazing about this book is first, how he was encouraged to write it by Barack Obama himself. Second, how much access he had to the future president. Wolffe was “one of a small handful of reporters to have a front-row seat from the very beginning: from his announcement in Springfield, to a summer and winter in Iowa, through the white-knuckle ride of the primates and the heavyweight contest of the general” (p. 329).
Wolffe “spent the best part of a year inside campaign planes, buses, and hotels” (p. 335). Insights, observations, and author’s conclusions were based on enormous amounts of time within the campaign itself. Wolffe writes in the acknowledgments, “...Barack Obama gave his time expansively, shared his thoughts freely, and planted the seeds of this book” (p. 335). There would be no way this book could come into existence without this.
If you do not know or haven’t known who Barack Obama is, why he thinks or acts like he does, or what his plans are for the future (clearly expressed and repeatedly highlighted throughout the campaign), there is no point in guessing. Read this book. Yes, it is about the 2008 presidential campaign, but it just as surely about the man himself. It is a terrific book!
Get the book now at Amazon.com Renegade: The Making of a President
