Books are very important, especially the kind without numbers! In this section, I plan to share what I’m reading, and some of what I’ve read that I recommend. Any suggestions?
Currently in the stack
- The Lamb Among the Stars (trilogy) ~ Chris Walley (recommended by client)
- Seeds of Destruction ~ Glenn Hubbard and Peter Navarro
- Homeopathic Psychology ~ Philip M. Bailey, MD
- Churchill’s Folly ~ Christopher Catherwood
Recommended
Fire Someone Today ~ Bob Pritchett: This little gem is the best business book I’ve ever read. In fact, I reread it periodically. Unlike most business books, it is not merely a collection of bumper sticker wisdom where all the best parts are collected for you in the Table of Contents. No, this is a book you should read carefully and slowly, with pen and paper handy for notes.
2012: New Year, New Books!
Last year went well, book wise, so let’s do it again! It’s almost like being back in school, writing book reports…
Confessions of a CPA~ Bryan S. Bloom, CPA: Wow! This slim volume explains everything you never thought about regarding the movement of money - 401K’s and other qualified plans, the miracle of compounding, financing decisions, the truth about “buy term and invest the difference,” rates of return, and more — with the tax implications on all of it! And in plain speech. Seriously, if what you think is true turns out not to be true, when would you want to know? I met the author at a conference and so my copy is inscribed and I am not lending it out. To get your own, go to Amazon.com. Do it now!
2011: New Year’s Resolution
I’ve given it a lot of thought. I just don’t read the way I used to. Thus, one of my resolutions for 2011 is to read 10 books. No – let’s make that 11: 11 books in 2011!
The Forgotten Man ~ Amity Shlaes: This book came out in 2007 to rave reviews, and they were well deserved. The parallels between the 1930′s and where we’ve been these past couple of years are uncanny. Politically, socially, culturally, it felt like reading about us, today. I most appreciated the hard look at the generally accepted benevolence of the government and its social programs. In short, the government had no clue what it was doing, but managed to get drunk on the power it discovered it could wield, and the social programs were too short-lived to make any genuine contribution to society. Sure, buildings and roads and pools were built, and many people ate and paid rent while involved with the programs, but no careers or even useful job skills were developed, and the general angst of life was not alleviated. I believe this because the jobs were largely bogus, and rarely lasted more than a year, if that. When a project finished, the jobs were finished, and the people went back to being hungry. The simple fact is, the projects frequently involved construction: all those town halls, roads, pools left a more solid legacy than was deserved. Much of the project money actually went into social propaganda – political plays, murals, and even photography projects to capture images of the downtrodden. They intended to sway public opinion here at home; oddly, though, for a Russian visitor inquiring about the bleak times and spirit, the order went out to find photographs of happy, well-fed people. As I see it, the most enduring legacy of the 1930′s is that the government, with FDR at the helm, learned how to throw its weight around, how to lobby, and how to manipulate the media.
First, Break All the Rules ~ Marcus Buckingham & Curt Coffman: Wow! What a great read this was! Anyone who manages people should study this. The Gallup organization distilled the results of over 80,000 interviews with managers from over 400 companies to determine what really works. You might be surprised! Plus, it is very readable. They put the math in the appendix so you can get straight to the meaning of it all. My biggest takeaway is talent: So many “trainers” say they can teach anyone to sell/manage/build/etc., but the data doesn’t bear this out. Good managers, however, have an eye for talent, and put people where they can not only do the most good for the company, but also personally thrive. What a concept!
How Privitized Banking Really Works ~ L Carlos Lara & Robert P Murphy: This book is really 2 books. The first half shows how our American banking system actually works. It’s not a pretty picture. The deck is definitely stacked against the little guy. Our system allows the banks to “create” money out of thin air, thereby promoting inflation. The second half shows the alternative of privitized banking and explains how this is not only good for individuals but also for the larger economy. It also outlines an easy plan for getting back on the gold standard. Now this was interesting!
The Last Jihad and The Last Days ~ Joel C. Rosenberg: Yup, this was a set of fiction books dealing with Bible prophecy and the Mideast. It was interesting to see his solution for peace in the Middle East: they find new oil, and then everybody has to behave in order to get a piece of the action. The action sequences were well done, and it was a nice change of pace, but it was definitely fiction. There were too many goody-goody characters, and the plot was easy to anticipate. Still, it was interesting to watch his writing improve as the story developed.
The Mother Tongue: English & How It Got That Way ~ Bill Bryson: Yes, it’s a history of the English language, and probably the best book I’ll read all year! It was hysterical and enlightening both at once.
Take Care of Josette, a Memoir in Defense of Occupied France ~ Jacqueline Wolf and Disguised, a Teenage Girl’s Survival in WWII Japanese Prison Camps ~ Rita la Fontaine de Clercq Zubli
Germany: The Empire Within ~ Amity Schlaes: This book was like reading a memoir of a country. And what country would that be? Germany, sans extremism. The ordinary Germany of ordinary people trying to live ordinary lives within the memory of what that country has come to mean for the rest of the world. It was intriguing.
Through the Language Glass ~ Guy Deutscher: Our perception of the world is shaped more by our language than we might want to accept. Mr. Deutscher traces cultural perception of color through centuries of literature and across cultures via primitive languages still in existence today. Along the way, he introduces us to cultures with amazing compass orientations. I loved it!
The E-Myth ~ Michael E. Gerber: This book came highly recommended by a friend, but I have to confess I did not like it at all. In fact, my opinions are so strong, I wrote an article about the book, which can be found on the articles tab. Sorry!
The OASIS Guide to Asperger Syndrome ~ Patricia Romanowski Bashe, M.S.Ed., and Barbara L. Kirby: I can’t say that I liked this book. Sure, it is chock full of information and resources, and not merely a scintillating series of case studies. However, based on the information in this book, pretty much everybody I know is “on the spectrum” – including my dog – and that can’t be right. They substitute the word neurotypical for the word normal, the better to emphasize a physiological origin of the syndrome, and they quote a Dr. Attwood who believes AS children should be exempted from homework because school is simply too stressful for them. I daresay children who are sports kids (whose best class is phys ed,) social butterflies (who most enjoy lunch,) budding artists (who shine at music or art,) future grease monkeys (who can’t get enough shop class,) and history buffs (who, well, love history,) among others, might also find it stressful to sit in a chair all day, forced to learn uninteresting things. Back in the old days, before the invention of syndromes, it was perfectly acceptable to be shy or quiet, to dislike crowds, to be an uncoordinated dancer. Some of the more vocal protectors of AS appear to be lobbying for special protection, going so far as to advocate special training in the event someone with an AS card turns up in their classroom, emergency room, or paddy wagon. While I do not deny there are people with severe, debilitating conditions, it is absurd to think simply being “on the spectrum” is grounds for an automatic get-out-of-jail-(or-homework)-free card. However, if you want a lot of information on AS in an easily readable 486 pages, this is the book for you.
A Brief History of India ~ Alain Danielou: This book was very tedious. The bulk of it was like the worst part of public school history class – war/# of combatants/#dead. However, the very beginning which used broad strokes to describe ancient India, and the very end which detailed the worst parts of the West’s interference were quite interesting, and made the book worthwhile. The author, a native Frenchman, is an ardent supporter of ancient India, and his bias against all intruders comes through loud and clear.
