book

Rated Behind Her Eyes 9/10

Rated Hell Bent 8/10

Rated Red Seas Under Red Skies 10/10

Rated How I Rob Banks: And Other Such Places 7/10

Abandoned Blood, Sweat, and Pixels

Wants to read The Burning God

Abandoned Intuitive Design: Eight Steps to an Intuitive UI

Rated Blood of Elves 10/10

Rated Ninth House 9/10

Abandoned The Six Wives of Henry VIII

Wants to read Super Crunchers: Why Thinking-By-Numbers is the New Way To Be Smart by Ian Ayres

Rated The War of Art 7/10

This book has a lot of insight into what it takes to break personal barriers and write/direct/paint/build something astounding. 

    The single most important idea that I take away from this book is the idea of resistance. The author believes that our species have spent generations trying to fit in with the “tribe” or “group”. Fitting in with that social structure was the key to survival within that group and world. He claims that the unknown force that keeps us from achieving our best is our need to fit in, and never to stand out. He names this force “resistance”.

    The author explains resistance as the self-sabotage part of ourselves that keep us living mediocre lives. The individual sees being extraordinary as problem that will separate him/her from the group or tribe that they belong to. This anxiety causes everyone to discount their own abilities, to save their energies to become extraordinary, and instead distract themselves. 

    This idea does resound with me because we all have had those moments of self doubt. The moment when you think of doing something great, and then do your everyday tasks instead. You rationalize this with yourself by thinking of how much work it would take to be extraordinary, and that you would probably fail at it in the end anyways. I think we all have struggled with this. I know I have struggled with this in most of the major decisions of my life. 

    The author discusses the individual’s fear of achieving. I always think of a quote that is commonly attributed to the former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. She said (I assume) that everyone should “do one thing each day that scares them”. I try to use this quote in my everyday life, because if I never do anything that scares me, then I will never do anything amazing. 
   The negatives
This book lost me when the author started talking about the muse and angels, higher powers that help ordinary people be great. I think that we all have something original to contribute, whether it is something small that’s great or something great that’s small. I also find books that a filled with anecdotal evidence to be mildly concerning. I really like anecdotes because they are more inspiring than clinical evidence, but a book of nothing but anecdotal evidence leaves me skeptical to say the least. 

However, I find the sections on what is resistance, and how to identify it to be very helpful. I struggle with resistance all the time. I try to pick the hard tasks.

Rated The Girl Who Was Taken 10/10

Oh shit! Do you love thrillers? Do you ever watch Dateline for fun? I have a book for you, actually I have two if you like this author’s first book. The Girl Who Was Taken is one of the best crime/thriller books I have read in at least 10 years. This book landed me firmly back into being a fan of that genre.

Okay, so if your are thinking to yourself that you have never heard of this Charlie Donlea guy, you’re not alone. I don’t know how I found this book, or if it was recommended to me, or if God herself intervened. This guy can keep you engaged in a story. This guy can still surprise you, even after years of Law and Order: SVU. This guy can also make you really care about his characters, even if one of them has been dead since the book started.

Once you’re done with his The Girl Who Was Taken, roll right into Summit Lake. Actually, take a break and get some work done, because I know you didn’t put the last book down. Give yourself time to grieve this fictional character, but once your start itching for a new story, move on to Charlie’s next book.

I have seen on Charlie’s website that he has at least two more books, and one I have already bought. As soon as I read either of these, I will be adding another post. I would like to write a post dedicated to Summit Lake, but I think it would be at least redundant and at most spoilers.

Rated The Song of Achilles 10/10

Rated This Inevitable Ruin 10/10

Abandoned This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends: The Cyberweapons Arms Race

Abandoned Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.

Rated Wind and Truth 10/10

Finished reading Dead Lions

Finished reading Slow Horses

Finished reading Exit Strategy

Rated La volta al món en 80 dies 6/10

Rated Autonomous 8/10

Rated Sin City Volume 1: The Hard Goodbye 8/10

Finished reading A Wizard of Earthsea