13 - The Circle, by Dave Eggers
WHY I PICKED IT: Eggers is generally quite great.
ELAPSED TIME: 1 week
RATING: Meh
In an update to Orwell's 1984, Eggers seeks to show a possible near future. Mae Holland takes a job with The Circle, the world's most powerful internet company - consisting of the functionality of all of Google, Facebook, Twitter, and then some. Seeking to push all privacy into the public space, they seek to create a utopia. Or do they?
This book is not great. Not as good as a Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, and not as good as Zeitoun... but it does raise interesting questions. And in that, tells a good story.
This blog is a simple review of every book that I read... For all books I’ll tell you why I picked it, how long it took me to read it, and give it a rating (burn it, not good, meh, good, very good, and required reading). I ask (encourage?) all readers of my blog to post their thoughts of any of the books in my comments :). Thanks!
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
2014-12 - The Lowland, by Jhumpa Lahiri
12 - The Lowland, by Jhumpa Lahiri
WHY I PICKED IT: Book Club
ELAPSED TIME: 1 week
RATING: Very Good
Spanning 50 years, this is the story of two brothers, born in Calcutta just after Partition. One goes to America to study, the other joins up with the communists to try and forge a better society. Any more details than that and the story would be ruined.
Needless to say, if you're interested in the experience of immigrants, or about what India was like in those first years after partition, this is a fantastic read. If you're not, but like good literature; a story that will suck you in and entertain you for the time it takes you to get through... this is still a fantastic read. Highly recommend!
WHY I PICKED IT: Book Club
ELAPSED TIME: 1 week
RATING: Very Good
Spanning 50 years, this is the story of two brothers, born in Calcutta just after Partition. One goes to America to study, the other joins up with the communists to try and forge a better society. Any more details than that and the story would be ruined.
Needless to say, if you're interested in the experience of immigrants, or about what India was like in those first years after partition, this is a fantastic read. If you're not, but like good literature; a story that will suck you in and entertain you for the time it takes you to get through... this is still a fantastic read. Highly recommend!
Monday, May 12, 2014
2014-11 - The Checklist Manifesto, by Atul Gawande
11 - The Checklist Manifesto, by Atul Gawande
WHY I PICKED IT: A client of mine uses it
ELAPSED TIME: 10 days
RATING: Good
Dr. Gawande, a surgeon, makes the case that the simple checklist is a mechanism that can help improve communication and teamwork, reduce errors, and improve the operation of a highly technical operation. Leveraging checklists from aviation, he shows how they can be applied, not just to his field of surgery, but also to making investment decisions, large scale construction projects, and beyond.
Taking us through the case of US Airways Flight 1549, Dr. Gawande shows how the use of checklists helped Captain Sullenberger III and First Officer Skiles safely land their Airbus A320 on the Hudson River. These two pilots, who had never worked together before, had key reminders of things that needed to be done in that crisis, executed them perfectly, and saved the 155 people on board.
Dr. Gawande shows how checklists have been developed by his research team for broad deployment around the globe by the WHO.
Dr. Gawande also highlights the biggest challenge with checklists: Getting buy-in. Developing a useful checklist is a significant challenge, but getting people to agree and use it (despite overwhelming evidence to their usefulness) is a significant roadblock. Next up, a book on change management? :)
WHY I PICKED IT: A client of mine uses it
ELAPSED TIME: 10 days
RATING: Good
Dr. Gawande, a surgeon, makes the case that the simple checklist is a mechanism that can help improve communication and teamwork, reduce errors, and improve the operation of a highly technical operation. Leveraging checklists from aviation, he shows how they can be applied, not just to his field of surgery, but also to making investment decisions, large scale construction projects, and beyond.
Taking us through the case of US Airways Flight 1549, Dr. Gawande shows how the use of checklists helped Captain Sullenberger III and First Officer Skiles safely land their Airbus A320 on the Hudson River. These two pilots, who had never worked together before, had key reminders of things that needed to be done in that crisis, executed them perfectly, and saved the 155 people on board.
Dr. Gawande shows how checklists have been developed by his research team for broad deployment around the globe by the WHO.
Dr. Gawande also highlights the biggest challenge with checklists: Getting buy-in. Developing a useful checklist is a significant challenge, but getting people to agree and use it (despite overwhelming evidence to their usefulness) is a significant roadblock. Next up, a book on change management? :)
Thursday, May 8, 2014
2014-10 - What the Dog Saw, by Malcolm Gladwell
10 - What the Dog Saw, by Malcolm Gladwell
WHY I PICKED IT: Was working my way through Gladwell's older wolks
ELAPSED TIME: 4 weeks
RATING: Good
This book, a collection of Gladwell's New Yorker essays, is quite reflective of Gladwell's mind - curious and interested in telling a story. From breaking down why there is only one ketchup, but space for more than one player in the mustard category, to analyzing the difference between an athlete who chokes (reverts away from their muscle memory to rely too much on their explicit memory) versus one who panics (forgets what they know entirely).
It's not Gladwell's best work... but somewhat entertaining.
WHY I PICKED IT: Was working my way through Gladwell's older wolks
ELAPSED TIME: 4 weeks
RATING: Good
This book, a collection of Gladwell's New Yorker essays, is quite reflective of Gladwell's mind - curious and interested in telling a story. From breaking down why there is only one ketchup, but space for more than one player in the mustard category, to analyzing the difference between an athlete who chokes (reverts away from their muscle memory to rely too much on their explicit memory) versus one who panics (forgets what they know entirely).
It's not Gladwell's best work... but somewhat entertaining.
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