Review: A Misfit Entrepreneur's Guide to Building a Business Your Way

A Misfit Entrepreneur's Guide to Building a Business Your Way by Ariana M. Friedlander

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I was approached by a mutual friend to review Ariana M. Friedlander's book A Misfit Entrepreneur's Guide to Building a Business Your Way. I later met with Ariana to ask her about the style and subject matter of her book, I wanted to be sure that it would align with my interests. I warned her that I don't alter my book reviews based on popularity of a book nor the source of its recommendation. She understood and still invited me to receive and review it.

I'm happy to say that my initial warnings were unnecessary as I very much enjoyed A Misfit Entrepreneur's Guide to Building a Business Your Way. Whilst reading the book, I found myself often thinking that this was not only a "guide to building a business" but a guide to building a great life.

I enjoyed Ariana's use of cycling metaphor and her overview of related works to each chapter's topic. Unlike many other books of this style which spend too much time telling readers of their own success, Ariana kept her personal stories on topic and down-to-Earth in the reality of her challenges. The book relays a number of tips for overcoming challenges (internal and external) to reaching your goals. Many of the books she recommends for further reading are ones which I have enjoyed. Better still, she summarizes the ideas from those books well for people who have not yet read them.

I feel more than comfortable giving this easy read 5 out of 5 stars. Well done, Ariana. Your journey is one which I hope can inspire other misfits to reach for their goals in both business and life.



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Review: Solarversia

Solarversia by Toby Downton

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I was contacted by the author, Toby Downton, to read and review an advanced copy of Solarversia. I have every bit of encouragement for him as an author and hope publishing this book, his first novel, will propel him to transform more of his ideas and imagination into written word. Having said all that, I'm going to turn my attention and my "critic's eye" toward Solarversia.

Solarversia is story that attempts to take readers on a thrilling ride through real world and digital crime and puzzle solving. Unfortunately, by the end of the book, I didn't care about the outcome of either storyline. The first third of the book introduced far too much superfluous information about the dynamics of the virtual world; feeling less like the painting of a picture and more like the iteration of every chemical contained in paint. I found myself unable to identify with the characters, nor to care about their struggles. The story picked up pace about midway through the book, but quickly slowed back down again. The wizkid of the story was more kid than wiz and definitely didn't seem like a statistically exceptional individual when it came to puzzles. The antagonists of the story had confusing and unexplained motivations. Worse still, I was underwhelmed by the lack of real world consequences for their real world crimes; it became impossible for me to suspend disbelief and pick a side.

In the end, the story captured my attention only as much as a made-for-TV movie. Having had my opinion solicited for this book, I wrestled with being so candid in my review. However, I think it's only fair that I remain honest with my opinion, even when I can feel the burn of the author's eyes on my words. I think Toby has great potential as a writer, it's impossible to ignore the depth of story and creativity he would like to share with the world. This book tried to put a lot of content into a small space, perhaps this is the result of the author feeling the pressure of his own words: "There can be only one". That doesn't need to be the case here, many more stories can and should be made of this creatively imagined universe. And I promise I'll keep an open mind about reading more in the future.



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Review: Ready Player One

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Last week I read a book that quickly became one of my favorite novels. Ernest Cline's Ready Player One was a thrilling journey of nostalgia mixed with imagination. Cline does a great job of weaving a story that draws the interest of every type of geek imaginable. Whether you're a fan of 80s trends, arcade games, fantasy stories, sci-fi TV, MMORPGs, dystopian futures, political activism, corporate intrigue, or simply the thrill of a treasure hunt, you'll enjoy this novel. I was glued to this book from start to finish.

Adding to my excitement about this story, I've come to understand that this entertaining novel will be made into a film [IMDB]. I sincerely hope that they'll acquire all the necessary intellectual property permissions to do this story justice. In the meantime, pick up a copy of Ernest Cline's novel and...
READY PLAYER ONE


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Review: Supersurvivors

Supersurvivors: The Surprising Link Between Suffering and Success by David B. Feldman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was fascinated and impressed with Supersurvivors: The Surprising Link Between Suffering and Success. This book was laid out beautifully, reviewing points when necessary and tying together ideas cohesively. The use of statistics and studies were perfectly balanced; the authors didn't exhaust readers with an abundance of unexplained data nor did they make baseless conjectures. It would have been easy for this book to have become an empty shell of feel-good "you can do it" mumbo-jumbo, but it wasn't. The book is a coherent explanation of the ways that some individuals might "bounce forward" after trauma and tragedy.

I highly recommend this book for anyone curious about a balanced perspective on human perseverance and the adaptation of mind. This is a refreshing look at concrete commonalities seen in individuals that have turned tragedies into triumphs and/or triumphed after tragedies. Touching on cancer, violence, and even genocide, the book covers a wide area of subject matter and specifically looks at how one might model behaviors and perspectives based on the data.

The authors did a wonderful job of summarizing the overall message I got from this book, so I'll leave you with their final words:
"From each, we learn that it is possible to brave life's trials with a deep sense of hope. And that, rooted in the act of confronting the entanglements of life, every one of us has the capacity to be super."

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Review: An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth

An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield quickly became one of my favorite books while reading/listening to it. I decided to go through this book using both audiobook and written word. I chose to listen to the audiobook because I saw that it was narrated by Chris Hadfield himself; I couldn't think of a better way to hear about his experiences and thoughts than with his tone and delivery, his emotion through spoken word. I read along sometimes and often reviewed specific chapters just so I could highlight a passage that had caught my attention.

This book is itself a journey with Chris in becoming an astronaut and, as such, there are many lessons learned along the way. In fact, there are so many bits of life-applicable information, that I can only select a small few to include coherently in this review. For example, Chris presents a useful metaphor regarding "attitude":

In space flight, "attitude" refers to orientation: which direction your vehicle is pointing relative to the Sun, Earth and other spacecraft. If you lose control of your attitude, two things happen: the vehicle starts to tumble and spin, disorienting everyone on board, and it also strays from its course, which, if you’re short on time or fuel, could mean the difference between life and death. In the Soyuz, for example, we use every cue from every available source—periscope, multiple sensors, the horizon—to monitor our attitude constantly and adjust if necessary. We never want to lose attitude, since maintaining attitude is fundamental to success. In my experience, something similar is true on Earth. Ultimately, I don’t determine whether I arrive at the desired professional destination. Too many variables are out of my control. There’s really just one thing I can control: my attitude during the journey, which is what keeps me feeling steady and stable, and what keeps me headed in the right direction. So I consciously monitor and correct, if necessary, because losing attitude would be far worse than not achieving my goal.

I had read one review of this book as being like a dad-talk and, after reading it, I agree. That said, it is not a patronizing lecture; Chris words are encouraging and uplifting. The kind of dad-talk that motivates you and kindles your spirit. His words are far from "I'm an astronaut, literally and figuratively above you." Instead, they are like this passage:

Fundamentally, life off Earth is in two important respects not at all unworldly: You can choose to focus on the surprises and pleasures, or the frustrations. And you can choose to appreciate the smallest scraps of experience, the everyday moments, or to value only the grandest, most stirring ones. Ultimately, the real question is whether you want to be happy. I didn’t need to leave the planet to find the right answer. But knowing what it was definitely helped me love life off Earth.

Reading this book was a wonderful way to transition into the new year. I highly recommend this book and I'm already looking forward to reading it again in the future.

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Review: Financial Peace Revisited

Financial Peace Revisited by Dave Ramsey

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

"I get it. Thanks."
That was my overall feeling while reading Financial Peace Revisited. This book is a near copy of the other books pushed out by Dave Ramsey. His book "Total Money Makeover" had been suggested to me and then read and reviewed before.

Financial Peace Revisited had a few extra insights in it that I enjoyed, but I probably wouldn't have done anything more than flipped through it were it not for my reading group.

I might reference his categorical generalizations of the financial decisions people tend to make throughout life, simply as a way to remind myself what to be aware of. Other than that, my overall advice regarding this advice-giving book: if you've read one of his books you've read them all. Take a look at the table of contents, see if there's anything that catches your eye, skim it, and then put it back on the shelf. Who knows, maybe the simple act of not buying the book will empower you with a little extra "financial peace".

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Review: Kiss or Kill

Kiss or Kill: Confessions of a Serial Climber by Mark Twight

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Overall, I found Mark Twight's compilation the way I expected it to be. It was satisfactory and I'm glad to have read through it. Although I found some parts bland, other parts were significantly remarkable. Much of that range can be attributed in his development as a writer over time throughout these compiled writings; some of it can be attributed to his development as a person through his adventures.

For a book to which I'm currently only giving two stars, it's odd to write a full review. However, there was an underlying sentiment in Mark's writing that I share and I would like to echo here:

Outsiders ask us why we encourage death, why we act like we want to die young. When I'm especially cynical, I play devil's advocate and counter, "Why prolong life? Why imagine what I'm doing is anything special, that I'm contributing rather than breathing air and eating food another might need? Everyone dies, equalized by it. At least the dead are spared the embarrassing antics of those left behind groping for some meaning." I use those words to antagonize, but I don't believe in them. I'm as interested as the outsiders are.

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Review: The Longest Walk

The Longest Walk: An Odyssey of the Human Spirit by George Meegan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

George Meegan decided to take a walk. Not just any walk; he wanted to walk from the tip of South America to the arctic shores of Alaska. The book in which he chronicles his journey is as lengthy a read as was his walk, but I found it worthwhile to read his experiences throughout his journey and try to glean some understanding that I could apply in my own life.

One passage that stood out to me:

How dreadfully the fear of consequences can stifle so many valiant potential deeds, I thought, a fear threatening like a black hole to annihilate the star of one's soul, sucking the very matter out of an idea until it collapses and disappears, leaving nothing but a memory, a dream unfulfilled.

It is so important that we overcome the hesitation caused by fear, so that we might embrace possibility. The author described his life-changing walk in detail. And I think his final reflections are universally paramount:

I gave thanks for the opportunity to share my fellow human beings' laughter as well as their sadness, their love as well as their misery, and for learning to love this frail, endangered, yet still magnificent planet that had borne me safely and in harmony with my road. I had found the essential, if flawed, goodness that resides in everyone, everywhere.

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Review: Between Dog and Wolf

Between Dog and Wolf: Understanding the Connection and the Confusion by Jessica Addams

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Between Dog and Wolf is an enjoyable overview of the behavioral differences between wolves, dogs, and wolf-dogs. Andrew Miller attempts to address the misconceptions and resulting problems that can occur when someone misunderstands the nature of the animal they are trying to have as a pet.

The book is written very well as a introductory overview of animal-human interaction and, as such, provides a reasonable foundation for a better understanding of what wolf and wolf-dog hybrid behaviors can be. The lesson that I think is most important to share with others is that of the difference between "tame" and "domesticated". Any animal can be "tame", it's a trait of personality and conditioning, but "domestication" is a human process that only certain animals have undergone through many generations.

It can be difficult to educate others and change the misconceptions about animal behavior and human interaction, especially when it comes to pets and what people think they can "handle". I found the elephant comparison very enlightening and useful:

Imagine walking into a pet store one afternoon and finding an adorable baby elephant in the window.... It's tiny and friendly and follows you anywhere you go....Then your elephant starts to get older.

It is too big for the children now and sometimes scares them. When they get scared, so does the elephant.... It doesn't understand 'doors' and keeps walking right through the walls. You try to train it, but it is hard to get the animal to listen to you.... It's too heavy for your floor and falls through into the basement. You chain it up outside.

One day, while you are not home, your elephant accidentally injures a neighborhood child who is trying to feed it an apple. The elephant is so excited to see the child that it knocks him over and breaks his arm. The child's mother says the animal is vicious and attacked her child with no provocation and demands it be put down."

It's easy to see how a similar situation can occur with other animals. In point, it's easy to see what might happen when someone does not understand the behaviors and personality of wolves and wolf-dogs. It's important to recognize the difference between a domestic pet and a tame wild animal. This book is a useful resource in clarifying that difference and equipping readers with an understanding that can be shared with others.



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Review: How to Speak Dog

How To Speak Dog: Mastering the Art of Dog-Human Communication by Stanley Coren

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


How To Speak Dog: Mastering the Art of Dog-Human Communication is a masterfully written reference on the topic of canine communication. Stanley Coren thoroughly describes the many methods and messages of canine behavior; he also illustrates those behaviors both literally (with visual references) and anecdotally with personal stories and scientific studies.

I have casually explored canine communication for a number of years, even doing a handful of science projects on the subject as a child. Recently, I have been spending a great deal of time interacting with wolves, wolf-dogs, and dogs, so I found my underdeveloped understanding of canine communication somewhat limiting in practice. Coren's book has given me the opportunity to strengthen my relationships with the animals I regularly interact with and has allowed me to efficiently communicate with new animals I meet.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning how to communicate and understand our canine companions. I'm not nearly fluent in this new "language", but I feel like my vocabulary has been strengthen by this is an invaluable resource. As the author says in the book's preface:

Understanding how dogs communicate allows a much greater ability to know what they are feeling, what they are thinking, and what their intentions are. It also provides more ways to tell them what you want them to do and to control their behavior.

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Review: The First 20 Hours

The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything...Fast by Josh Kaufman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Josh Kaufman successfully captured my interest and attention in his book The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything...Fast. Josh is a kindred spirit; we share the same city, we're both active, we're both dads, we have an interest in technology and writing, and we even have like minds when it comes to our hobbies and interests:

Personally, I’ve always had a “Renaissance man” sort of temperament: there are hundreds of things I want to learn at any given moment, in hundreds of different areas.
-- Josh Kaufman, The First 20 Hours.

I pick up hobbies and interests in the same way as Josh, but sometimes I'd find myself overloaded. For example, last year, I managed to achieve a dozen or more goals and aspirations I've had for a long time. It was fun, it was intense, but it was crazy. I took on too much, too fast and I crashed hard.

In fact, it took a literal bicycle crash to make me realize that I had taken on too much last year. I was spreading myself thin and not reaching what Josh calls the "target performance level" in many of my interests. I managed to keep my life-priorities always in order, but my personal hobbies and interests had started to become draining to me.

The First 20 Hours presents some great approaches to "rapid skill acquisition", something I'd always done -- not with intention nor focus. Josh provides a framework that the reader can use to focus in on a skill and reach a desired level of achievement quickly.

I came away from reading the book with a lot of good advice in mind, most especially: "Pick one, and only one, new skill you wish to acquire. Put all of your spare focus and energy into acquiring that skill, and place other skills on temporary hold." If you find yourself interested in picking up a new skill, I encourage you to read Josh's book and give his rapid skill acquisition advice a try. Afterall, "World-class mastery may take ten thousand hours of focused effort, but developing the capacity to perform well enough for your own purposes usually requires far less of an investment."



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Review: The Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide

The Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide: Tools and Techniques to Hit the Trail by Andrew Skurka

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide: Tools and Techniques to Hit the Trail exceeded my expectations. I thought it would be a dumbed-down overview of only the basics or, worse, an upselling of gear over training/experience. This book was neither; better, by far, than what I'd feared.

Andrew Skurka does a great job of linking his own experiences (both positive and negative) with the advice he gives in the book. Furthermore, he goes beyond the limits of his own experience and brings information and guidance from other sources.

I also think this book is laid out very well as an effective reference manual. In fact, I recommend this book not only to novice camping/hiking enthusiasts, but also to experienced mountaineers. I am not an expert mountaineer, but I have a great deal of experience for a nonprofessional mountaineer, yet and there were still a number of times reading this book that I thought "Huh. That's a good idea." or "Oh yeah! I'd forgotten about that technique."

Overall, I was impressed. If you're curious about hiking, thinking about getting started, already trekking often, or essentially living on the mountains, I recommend having this book on hand and flipping through it before your next adventure.



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Review: Sleeping on the Summits

Sleeping on the Summits by Jon Kedrowski

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I've had the opportunity to meet and speak with Jon Kedrowski and he has an exceptional skill at telling a great story; he pulls you into his experiences with his enthusiasm and positive outlook on life. Sleeping on the Summits was no exception to Jon's skill at story-telling.

The book is very well put-together. It's much more than a coffee table book containing photos and descriptions, it's an artistically arranged presentation of Jon's many experiences on the summits of the highest mountains in Colorado. He includes details about the weather, text messages with his friends, and anecdotes on his thoughts during his adventures.

Having hiked many of these summits myself, I was easily transported to the locations described as I read his words. However, you don't need to be a mountaineer to enjoy this book and find yourself whisked away to these summits. Jon's story-telling skill will effortlessly allow you to share in his experience and appreciate the adventure.



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Review: Inferno

Inferno by Dan Brown

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Dan Brown has done it again; with Inferno, he has taken his readers on a whirlwind adventure through symbology, mystery, and history. This time, though, there was an added twist; the story invites us to assess our own action as part of the human community and world.

I'll avoid spoilers and just leave my thoughts at what's written above, but I easily give this novel 5 stars and invite you to also descend into the "Inferno".



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Review: God, No!

God, No!: Signs You May Already Be an Atheist and Other Magical Tales by Penn Jillette

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


God, No!: Signs You May Already Be an Atheist and Other Magical Tales was an entertaining read, to say the least. It was easy to see that Penn Jillette had written this book with the same bluntness of intention and voice as he has with most things he does.

I could almost hear his vocal inflections in my mind as I read his words insisting on the importance of being honest by saying "I don't know" when one just doesn't know. I imagined the strain in his voice as he emphasized the anguish of an incident with a hairdryer.

That was the thing about this book, like its author Penn, it was direct, abrupt, utterly honest, and without any sugar-coating added at all. Some of the stories were a bit off topic (sometimes even tangential), but -- like any good performer -- Penn ropes you back in to the discussion and keeps pushing ahead. You don't have to agree with Penn's politics or his decisive desire for evidence-based fact to appreciate his open-minded and socratic approach.

In fact, I can see more than a few parallels between Socrates and Penn. Socrates had ideas that many people disagreed with. Socrates was unforgiving in his search for fact and truth. Not all of Socrates ideas were correct, not all were well-delivered.

I may not agree with everything Penn has to say, but I'd like to think that giving his ideas a voice invites discussion and critical thinking. I'm sure there are quite a few people in the world that would like to have Penn drink hemlock; I'm not one of those people.

In my blog on "Silly Superstition", I said,

Finding humor is a good way to positively influence society to see the silliness of superstition, but critical thinking (asking "Why?") is the best way to stop superstitions before they start.

Through this book, Penn brings comedy to a heavy discussion and critical thinking to taboo discussion. In the end, I think it's worthwhile because the book invites the reader to ask "Why?" and sometimes simply answer "I don't know".



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Review: Your Brain at Work

Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long by David Rock

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long was somewhat interesting. The author, David Rock, touches on a variety of topics about the interactions at work throughout this book.

David uses different methods to present his ideas -- effective, when you have a broad audience -- such as analogy, neurology, and demonstration. At times, this thoroughness felt too redundant for me, but I understood its necessity and was able to simply skim over those parts once "I got it!".

This book did at least one thing which I haven't seen before in others that are similar: short bulleted overviews. I read this book as part of a reading group, so these overviews made it very easy for me to refresh the ideas that the group would be discussing, even if I was already ahead by a few chapters.

Overall, I liked Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long. However, it's easy to simplify the ideas within it in a couple phrases: "Think before you speak and treat others with kindness and respect". Therefore, I'm content with having read it, but it wasn't enlightening enough to make me think I'd have missed anything if I hadn't.



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Review: The Flinch

The Flinch by Julien Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Flinch was an entertaining and enriching book and I am glad to have read it. I really enjoyed the light, fast-paced, and fun style of Julien Smith.

I have touched on the subject of fear in my blog and I had planned to circle back again to it again. The Flinch gave me some new inspiration, physiological experiments, and a different perspective for a familiar topic.

I enjoyed the book enough to devour its entire contents in one sitting. I like to imagine that Smith had originally written more, taking us further beyond the comfort of everyday, but the editors simply flinched.

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Review: The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness

The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness by Dave Ramsey
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I have had a few financial struggles in my life, but I've learned some fantastic lessons from those challenging experiences. Dave Ramsey's book is a decent compilation of advice for those people who haven't yet learned those lessons for themselves.

Perhaps my view of The Total Money Makeover is the same as my view of any other "makeover". I don't think any "makeover" is really necessary, it suggests that a person is incapable of changing themselves without some external enhancements. In this case, the financial advice is great, but it's the knowledge that gives you the power. It's not the "stylist" that makes your hair or makeup great, it's you. Learn (without buying anything) how to do something, then do it.

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Review: The Grand Design

The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is another in a line of greats from Stephen Hawking. My first audio-book was Hawking's A Brief History of Time. So, in a way, it is fitting that my first eBook was a Hawking book as well.

The Grand Design was a wonderful journey through the world of astrophysics. I already had a reasonable understanding of the topics presenting in the book, but I quite enjoyed having everything so eloquently assembled.

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Review: The Wolf Gift

The Wolf Gift by Anne Rice
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The world around us is so full of life and character. Anne Rice has a natural ability to capture this character in the pages of her books. The Wolf Gift is no exception in its artistry, but it is exceptional in its new-telling of old legends.

It has been years since I've been consumed so completely by a book. I was captivated by The Wolf Gift, drawn into the story by Rice's talent to describe the experiences of her characters, not through detached scenic description, but with intense personal sensation.

I loved the tapestry of elegant vampire lore woven by Rice in her Vampire Chronicles and I am even more enamored with her brilliant journey into the world of lycanthropy in The Wolf Gift.

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