Sunday, February 18, 2018

Stocking Up The Book Shelf - Recent Reads

Keeping up with my goal to read more books, here's a quick summary of what've I've recently read, am currently reading, and having a hard time reading. Not everything is as enjoyable or easy to read. But I'm trying to get through them to improve my ability and learn.

Currently Reading: 
Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bardberry & Jean Greaves

My wife and I came across this book on the shelf of Hudson News at the airport recently, and she recently joked that I need to improve my emotional intelligence, my EQ. Knowing that I am more of a stoic person with challenges in displaying my emotions, I decided to give it a go. I'm looking forward to emoting more in the future. 






Recently Read: 
The Richest Man In Babylon by George S. Clason

A book that is on the reading lists of many successful investors, entrepreneurs, inventors, and intelligent people alike, I had to find out for myself the reason why. And now I know. The book is written in parable form. And each parable relates to a lesson to be learned about how to earn, save, and invest money. It teaches personal finance at the most basic level, so basic that ancient Babylonians who adhered to the advice provided became the wealthiest and most successful people of their era. 

This is a book worthy of a college reading list or before entering the workforce. If everyone read this book, we'd all be rich in knowledge and money.



Another book by one of my favorite economist authors is not an easy read, but is easy to read. In other words, the topics are difficult, deeply related and important to many factors in our lives, but written in a way that can easily be understood by you and I.

His thesis: to understand the twenty-first century, you need to understand that the planet’s three largest forces―Moore’s law (technology), the Market (globalization), and Mother Nature (climate change and biodiversity loss)―are accelerating all at once. These accelerations are transforming five key realms: the workplace, politics, geopolitics, ethics, and community.


Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Soon to be a major motion picture by Steven Spielberg, this book is for those nostalgic for the 1980s. With it's unending references to pop culture, games, movies, music and other random '80s stuff combined with the technology inclined, you're bound to enjoy this read. If you're a millennial born in the late '70s/ early '80s this book is right up your alley. 

Futuristic but realistic is how I describe the story line. Many concepts are plausible and some inevitable. The story highlights one of the biggest downsides to technology. Don't get trapped in the black hole of the internet. 



Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Auggie Pullman is no ordinary kid. He's a wonder. This is the story of a boy who survived a birth defect and underwent physical pain in his early years of childhood, only to suffer the worst pain of all: bullying. But his perspective and the support of his family and those closest to him help him overcome the meanness of children and adults alike. He is the poster-child of the #ChooseKind movement. 

Read the book and watch the movie. I assure you waterworks are in your future. Find out for yourself #thewonderofwonder




Not exactly the title of a book that I'd go for, but I picked it up on the suggestion of a friend who thought I'd enjoy it because of the references to Antarctica. She knew we'd been there and thought I'd enjoy the book. She was right! Haha. Although the story is sad at some points, the story depicts a very possible family drama that could engulf anyone as quirky, opinionated, and intelligent as Bernadette Fox and family. But the idea of family and battling the sometimes difficult world we live in together are the overarching ideas. 

I'm looking forward to watching the movie when it comes out. 




A collection of insights and comments about experiences, lessons learned, and what she knows for sure - Oprah shares her life in a series of short stories that gives a glimpse of what it was like to be her, growing up, and living through her challenges. She wasn't always rich or famous and getting there wasn't simple. 

What she knows for sure is that any reader will benefit from her experiences, as long as we take the time to read about them. 





Like Oprah's book, this is also a collection of life experiences albeit a bit more entertaining and funny. Ellen has a way of writing that you can imagine in your mind. You can hear her voice in your head as you read each word to yourself. You can almost read each line and predict her delivery. It's written in the manner which she speaks; it's colloquial. And like Oprah, she's human and relatable. Maybe that's why we love them both so much. 






And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

I read his other 2 books (The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns), and I think I liked this one the most. 

Another story about love, the strength and bonds of a family, being separated by distance and time, and the difficulties of 3rd world countries (in this case Afghanistan), this book was a page turner. 

I feel like I have to read the other two books again to have a better appreciation for them. Maybe I'll put it back on my reading list. 





This trilogy was one of the quickest reads I've ever had for two reasons: 1. All of the food references kept me hungry to turn the page, and 2. Rich people have some ridiculous problems. I have a gut feeling that the super wealthy Chinese Singaporeans are really like this. The stories seem creative, but I bet it's all based on true events. Haha. 


Books That I've Started But Can't Seem To Finish:

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