December in Books
Dec. 28th, 2007 02:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eveglassI know it's a few days early, but I don't foresee myself finishing any new books by the end of the year; I'm just going to be too busy. As you might expect, this will be the last month on the current numbering system; January 2008 will begin again at 1. Look for a meta-analysis of 2007 in books at some point in the next few days.
75. How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Priviledge Learns to Live Like Eeryone Else, Michael Gates Gill
A slightly different take on the "rich man learns to live a simple life" tale, but it fits into the genre regardless. Gill, who had been pretty much fed with a silver spoon his whole life, suddenly finds himself in his 50s, unemployed, nearly broke, and desperate. Almost by accident, he's offered a job at Starbucks (not as a manager, but a lowly employee), and he surprises himself by accepting. Over the course of the year he works there, he learns to appreciate the culture of respect at the store and gains a new perspective on how the "other half" of society function. Part autobiography and part narrative of the year, Gill weaves the lessons of his life into the lessons of his year. Final verdict: an interesting read, but probably safe to skip.
76. Yes You Can!: Behind the Hype and Hustle of the Motivation Biz, Jonathan Black
Black sets out, not so much to discredit individual motivational speakers, but instead to pull the curtain back on the industry that supports them. He attends motivational conferences (where the motivators come to network), tours agencies and book publishers, joins Toastmasters, and generally tries to find out how the motivational "biz" really works. He asks whether there is any data showing that motivational speakers actually increase productivity. (Short answer: no one knows, because few speakers follow up with clients and there are no established criteria.) In the end, Black tries to find out whether anyone could do the job by finding a few speaking gigs himself. (It turns out, he can.) Final verdict: an entertaining exposee, useful for those interested in the industry but probably not worth the time for anyone else.
77. Variable Star, Robert A. Heinlein and Spider Robinson
With detailed notes from Heinlein's estate, Spider Robinson was asked to write a book that Heinlein himself originally conceived. Basic plot: a poor student finds out his girlfriend is one of the richest women in the solar system, but instead of marrying her he runs off on a colony ship on a 20-year voyage to settle a new planet. Robinson actually manages to capture quite a number of Heinleinesque features, especially in the dialogue at the beginning of the book. The plot is pure Heinlein, including the ending which was not part of the original notes. Though some of Heinlein's signature themes (free love, self-sufficiency, etc.) are not present, others are. Final verdict: a wonderful choice for anyone who likes Heinlein's other books.
78. How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read, Pierre Bouard
This book was written by a French literature professor, and it shows. Bouard's basic thesis is that "reading" (ie: a careful analysis of a text) is neither truly possible (since the brain forgets elements as soon as it reads them) nor necessary (since we hear so much about books through other contexts). What matters more, according to Bouard, is that we can situate books among the greater library of all written texts as well as within our own "inner library" of other books we have (or haven't) read. Bouard concludes with a section more closely linked to the title, of how to talk about non-read books in various social situations. The writing style is about what you'd expect from a French professor: flowery and pretentious. I don't agree with Bouard's thesis, despite being a lowly M.A. graduate. Final verdict: safe to skip.
79. Meditations, Marcus Aurelius
A book I originally read during my first year of undergrad, I enjoyed Meditations then and I enjoyed it this time as well. Aurelius was a Roman emperor just at the end of the Pax Romana (late 2nd century AD). It seems that the book was never intended to be published (it's Latin title means "to myself"), but it is fortunate for history that it was. Stoic in the traditional, philosophical sense of the word, Meditations repeats a number of themes throughout the text: the need to live a good life based on the tenants of Reason, the transience of life and need to accept death as natural, the triumph of the mind (specifically Reason) over the flesh, the linked nature of all beings, etc. I find that reading Aurelius' text puts me in a contemplative mood, which was, I suppose, the point. It does get repetitive at times, but there are wonderful little nuggets scattered throughout. Final verdict: useful for settling the mind, if you can tolerate the endless repetition of his chosen themes.
75. How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Priviledge Learns to Live Like Eeryone Else, Michael Gates Gill
A slightly different take on the "rich man learns to live a simple life" tale, but it fits into the genre regardless. Gill, who had been pretty much fed with a silver spoon his whole life, suddenly finds himself in his 50s, unemployed, nearly broke, and desperate. Almost by accident, he's offered a job at Starbucks (not as a manager, but a lowly employee), and he surprises himself by accepting. Over the course of the year he works there, he learns to appreciate the culture of respect at the store and gains a new perspective on how the "other half" of society function. Part autobiography and part narrative of the year, Gill weaves the lessons of his life into the lessons of his year. Final verdict: an interesting read, but probably safe to skip.
76. Yes You Can!: Behind the Hype and Hustle of the Motivation Biz, Jonathan Black
Black sets out, not so much to discredit individual motivational speakers, but instead to pull the curtain back on the industry that supports them. He attends motivational conferences (where the motivators come to network), tours agencies and book publishers, joins Toastmasters, and generally tries to find out how the motivational "biz" really works. He asks whether there is any data showing that motivational speakers actually increase productivity. (Short answer: no one knows, because few speakers follow up with clients and there are no established criteria.) In the end, Black tries to find out whether anyone could do the job by finding a few speaking gigs himself. (It turns out, he can.) Final verdict: an entertaining exposee, useful for those interested in the industry but probably not worth the time for anyone else.
77. Variable Star, Robert A. Heinlein and Spider Robinson
With detailed notes from Heinlein's estate, Spider Robinson was asked to write a book that Heinlein himself originally conceived. Basic plot: a poor student finds out his girlfriend is one of the richest women in the solar system, but instead of marrying her he runs off on a colony ship on a 20-year voyage to settle a new planet. Robinson actually manages to capture quite a number of Heinleinesque features, especially in the dialogue at the beginning of the book. The plot is pure Heinlein, including the ending which was not part of the original notes. Though some of Heinlein's signature themes (free love, self-sufficiency, etc.) are not present, others are. Final verdict: a wonderful choice for anyone who likes Heinlein's other books.
78. How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read, Pierre Bouard
This book was written by a French literature professor, and it shows. Bouard's basic thesis is that "reading" (ie: a careful analysis of a text) is neither truly possible (since the brain forgets elements as soon as it reads them) nor necessary (since we hear so much about books through other contexts). What matters more, according to Bouard, is that we can situate books among the greater library of all written texts as well as within our own "inner library" of other books we have (or haven't) read. Bouard concludes with a section more closely linked to the title, of how to talk about non-read books in various social situations. The writing style is about what you'd expect from a French professor: flowery and pretentious. I don't agree with Bouard's thesis, despite being a lowly M.A. graduate. Final verdict: safe to skip.
79. Meditations, Marcus Aurelius
A book I originally read during my first year of undergrad, I enjoyed Meditations then and I enjoyed it this time as well. Aurelius was a Roman emperor just at the end of the Pax Romana (late 2nd century AD). It seems that the book was never intended to be published (it's Latin title means "to myself"), but it is fortunate for history that it was. Stoic in the traditional, philosophical sense of the word, Meditations repeats a number of themes throughout the text: the need to live a good life based on the tenants of Reason, the transience of life and need to accept death as natural, the triumph of the mind (specifically Reason) over the flesh, the linked nature of all beings, etc. I find that reading Aurelius' text puts me in a contemplative mood, which was, I suppose, the point. It does get repetitive at times, but there are wonderful little nuggets scattered throughout. Final verdict: useful for settling the mind, if you can tolerate the endless repetition of his chosen themes.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-12-29 07:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-12-30 05:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-12-30 11:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-12-30 11:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-12-31 12:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-12-31 03:32 pm (UTC)