2008 Book #3 – America (The Book)

A history textbook isn’t something you usually read cover to cover. But I guess when Jon Stewart’s behind it, that changes everything. So my third book of 2008 was America (The Book) by Jon Stewart and the Staff of the Daily Show.

Personally, I had mixed opinions about this one. Like the Daily Show, it was hilarious, and also like the Daily Show, it made me learn more about US politics than I’ve ever learned from CNN.

But that’s just the problem: because it’s neither a purely comedic read nor serious educational material, it can’t really nail either arena whole-heartedly. You might learn more from an actual textbook, and you’ll probably laugh more by reading Dave Barry.

Overall, I’d say it’s worth a shot for its bits of genius. I really liked the introduction by Fake Thomas Jefferson, about the constitution and the forming of America. So here’s what to do: read the first few chapters next time you’re at the bookstore. If you’re a big fan of the show, stick around for the rest, otherwise I don’t think you’ll miss too much.

2008 Book #2 – Leadership

I read this book in the January, way before Rudy Guiliani stepped down in his bid for president. But even then I had mixed opinions about him and how he was running his campaign. Nevertheless, I gave it a shot because it came highly recommended from Ahmed, so my second book of 2008 was Leadership, by Rudolph W. Guiliani.

Immediately after finishing the book, I definitely felt moved by the author’s account of 9/11, and inspired to work hard and become a strong leader. So, to his credit, I think Mr. Guiliani’s got an incredible ability to communicate persuasively, and it shows in his writing.

Once the immediate impact wore off and I thought some more, it did feel a little like the book might be a slightly biased account in favor of the author. I guess it’d be an exaggeration to say that Guiliani presents himself like a character in an Ayn Rand book, but he definitely does paint himself to be a downright amazing guy. And to write a book on leadership by using yourself as the prime example is definitely a whole new level of boastful versus, say, a Wings of Fire by Abdul Kalam.

Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable read and there are some good takeaways about leadership. Forget for a moment any prejudgments you have about the author or his politics, take it as a collection of good anecdotes about leadership, and you might have a good experience with this book. Recommended.

2008 Book #1 – Batman: Year One

I’ve only finished four books so far this year, one of which was a graphic novel and another a satire of a history textbook. Reading is reading, right?

Well, in the case of the graphic novel, I think it was good enough to stand its ground against the full-length novels I’ve read so far this year. Book one of my 2008 list was Batman: Year One, written by Frank Miller.

This is one of first graphic novels I’ve ever read, and I wasn’t let down. If you thought Sin City was slick, or liked Batman Begins, then I think you won’t be let down by the comic the latter was based off of. It has the same feel, except the novel seems more violent, dark, and perhaps even more powerful. Recommended.

2007 – The Last 3 Books

So as not to devote an entire post to last year’s stuff, I’ll make it a 3-for-1 deal. My last three books of 2007 were:

1. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Canon Doyle
2. The Now Habit, by Neil Fiore
3. Chicken Soup for the Unsinkable Soul, by Various Authors

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes was a fantastic read. My most meaningful experience with Sherlock Holmes stories before that was the Chipmunks version of one of them, so I admit that I didn’t quite know what to expect. But I was blown away.

Aside from the great storytelling and character development, one thing that struck me the most: for a book this old, the writing didn’t feel dated. It was certainly clear that you were reading about an older time, but I felt like it could have just as easily been a present-day author writing about the past.

The Now Habit is a book on overcoming procrastination that, ironically enough, took me two years to get around to reading. Its premise is that procrastination is not some inherent character defect, but a symptom of some general insecurities such as perfectionism in work that can be addressed through establishing good habits. An interesting read, and very highly recommended for anyone struggling with procrastination.

Finally, Chicken Soup for the Unsinkable Soul was Sis’ get-well-soon gift to me when I broke my wrist. I suppose I should criticize this book for being too mushy and not include it on my 07 reading list, but I think it earned it’s spot. For every 4-5 overly emotional and stupid stories, there was usually one that really got my attention and made me feel pretty good. As a way to finish off my first year of reading outside school, I guess that can’t be so bad.

2007 Book #7: Everything is Miscellaneous

At the beginning of 2007 I set out to read one book every week this year. Unless I start plowing through comic books or quit my day job, my current book count of 10 puts me on pace to have averaged a book a month.

Well, regardless of how many I finish, the good news is that I got to read some great books. And of all contemporary books I’ve read so far, Everything is Miscellaneous has definitely been a highlight.

Cory Doctorow of BoingBoing sums it up really well:

Weinberger’s thesis is this: historically, we’ve divided the world into categories, topics, and hierarchies because physical objects need to be in one place or another, they can’t be in all the places they might belong. Computers and the Internet turn this on its head: because a computer can “put things” in as many categories as they need to be in, because individuals can classify knowledge, tasks, and objects idiosyncratically, the hierarchy is revealed for what it always was, a convenient expedient masquerading as the True Shape of the Universe.

(Link to full review)

Author David Weinberger is a terrific writer and also a great presenter. I got to hear him speak when he visited Microsoft in May. I’ll definitely be checking out his other books.

If you’re reading this blog, then I highly recommend this book.

2007 Book #6: Man’s Search for Meaning

(I know it’s been a long time, and I know I’m 20 or so books behind, but here’s to a Resolution I’m not ready to give up yet!)

Book #6 on my reading list was Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl.

I first heard of this book years ago through a strong recommendation by Stephen Covey in the 7 Habits, but didn’t think about it until earlier this year when I was at Half Price. I was at the bookstore to buy another Covey book, “The 8th Habit”, and then I spotted Dr. Frankl’s book.

Nothing against most self-help/productivity books (I know I’ve read more than my share) but after a while they can seem kind of stupid. There’s a point where some random dude telling you how you should live your life becomes a highly ineffective approach to growth.

Which is why Man’s Search for Meaning appealed to me. Not only does the author back up his thoughts on suffering and meaning through extensive research, Dr. Frankl applied his ideas to help survive his three-years in the Holocaust, and so has a huge personal connection to the ideas he’s presenting.

What he’s talking about, like my friend Suraj said, is pretty straightforward: by creating meaning in life, you have the capacity to move beyond any hardship in life. But Dr. Frankl provides a way to really help internalize this idea, which is why I highly, highly recommend this book.

2007 Book #5: The Island of Doctor Moreau

Book #5 on my 2007 reading list was The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells.

I went through this book pretty quickly, and read it the way you’d read a Dan Brown book. As a result, when I finished it I thought of it as a freaky adventure story with a few comments on evolution.

However, after reading the afterword by Brian Aldiss, I realized how deep the rabbit hole really goes with this thing. H.G. Wells has not only talked about evolution and weird science, but tied in religion, the human capacity for reason, the abuse of knowledge, and enough other deep thoughts to make your head spin. I might have to give it a second read sometime.

If you can pace yourself while reading it to let the ideas sink, then I recommend the read.

2007 Book #4: Lust for Life

This book-a-week challenge is turning out to be tougher than I expected! I just finished book #4, so that means I’m exactly 7 books behind. I’m either going to have to read some short books now to get caught up, or start including boring entries for everything I read, like the driver’s handbook for WA state.

In the meantime, I can talk about a book that was much more fascinating than the driver’s handbook: Lust for Life, by Irving Stone. Lust for Life is a biographical novel about Vincent Van Gogh.

I loved this book. For someone like me, with just a passing knowledge of art and art history, it was pretty amazing to learn about Van Gogh’s development as an artist and the Impressionist art movement. In addition, I think that its two major themes of expression and immortality are going to have a lasting effect on me.

By expression, I mean that Van Gogh put all his time and energy into expressing himself in a way that he felt was making the best use of his skills. For him, his calling was a new form of art, and he stuck with it despite receiving no recognition or profit for his work during his lifetime. By immortality, I mean that although Van Gogh was not successful in his lifetime, his work lives on and is hung in the most important museums in the world.

Highly recommended.

Actual 2007 Book #2: Life of Pi

The Abs Diet was actually the third book on the list, and number two was Yann Martel’s Life of Pi.

I had heard lots of recommendations about Life of Pi so there was reason enough to read it, but while I was reading it the perception was less than positive…

Example 1:

Aasthaa: Which book are you reading right now?
Rohit: Life of Pi.
Aasthaa: Ohh, yeah I read that one a while back. Some good quotes.
Rohit: Nice! Did you like it?
Aasthaa: No.

Example 2:

Rohit: Noah! Dude, I haven’t seen you since last year!
Noah: Hey! Good to see you too. Hey, so you’re reading Life of Pi?
Rohit: Yeah, you read it?
Noah: Yeah.
Rohit: You like it?
Noah: No.

Example 3:

Random woman on bus: So I see you’re reading Life of Pi!Rohit: I am.
Random woman: Looks like you’re in for a lengthy read!
Rohit: I guess so. Did you like it?
Random woman: No.

In any case: my verdict? It’s a fairly engaging story, and it was the first time I’ve read a story written in (seemingly) magical realism since 100 Years of Solitude, so that was a nice change. I even learned a lot about animals.

However, my first pass through this book didn’t leave me with anything incredibly spiritual, though, so that felt pretty unsatisfying.

Do I recommend it? I can’t, because I think if you’re looking for good stories there’s better ones, and if you’re looking for spiritual guidance, there’s far better ones.

2007 Book #2: The Abs Diet

My second book for 2007 was The Abs Diet, by David Zinczenko. To call this book’s plan a “diet” might be a bit misleading, and it’s not even just about abs.

The Abs Diet is essentially a guide to good eating and physical fitness. It sets up a pretty straightforward plan you can follow throughout your life, and focuses on eating good (and good tasting) food, exercising efficiently, and knowing when to take a break.

I like this book, but I don’t want you to take my word for it just yet. The Abs Diet is definitely a lifestyle change and not a short-term plan, but there is a six-week component to get you started and see some results. I’m going to take that six-week challenge, from Jan 21 – Mar 4, see how I do, and then tell you how I did. The proof should be in the pudding. (Or lack thereof.)