Riding with the window down...: Book Review Archives

January 23, 2008

The Secret

First off, you have to know that I am a sucker for self-improvement books. It started back when I was about 12 and I picked up my first Tony Robbins book and hasn't slowed since then. Jim Rohn, Dr. Dennis Waitley, Robert Kiyosaki, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Robert Allen, Jack Canfield, Zig Ziglar - you name it... the list goes on and on. I have read and/or listened to them all.

A couple years back, "The Secret" was published following a series of mysterious ads, websites that didn't give any info etc. and although it didn't seem to make the splash that some of the great self-improvement books have, it was still intriguing. I say "book" but it is also a documentary film. (Don't want any haters giving me a hard time.)

I picked up a used copy of the audio version of "The Secret" free from a friend and decided it was time to give a listen.

The first thing that struck me was how annoying it is to hear "the secret" in every other sentence. "When you hear the secret, your life will be great," "The secret will change your life," "Anything is possible once you know the secret."

I'll save you the mystery - the secret is the Law of Attraction. Many books have been written on the subject and although it is something I strongly believe in, all of this has been written and said in hundreds of books before "The Secret."

I'll continue to listen because I get off on this stuff, but I am a bit disappointed in the snake-oil marketing used to promote a well known theory as something secret handed down throughout the ages.

I have one close friend that could actually change his life if he read up on the Law of Attraction - maybe I will share it with him.

Posted by CDogg at 09:28 AM | Comments (3)

January 31, 2007

Book Review

When I picked up Basic Economics: A Citizens Guide to the Economy, I thought it was going to be a bit higher level than it turned out. The subtitle should have read "A 5th graders Guide..." I am not sure if I was more disappointed that it wasn't up to my level of economic understanding or that the author thinks so little of the average citizen to assume it is applicable.

If you know little or nothing about economics, this is a great primer. If you already understand Keynesian theory, the gold standard, and neo-classical theory of economics... you could write this book without any research.

Posted by CDogg at 10:37 AM | Comments (0)

January 29, 2007

The return of the 100 Point Book Challenge

In 2005, I created my 100 Point Book Challenge.
The point system is as follows...

Read a fiction book - 2 point
Read a nonfiction book - 3 points
Read a classic fiction book - 3 points
Listen to a fiction book on audio - 1 point
Listen to a nonfiction book on audio - 2 points
Listen to a classic fiction book - 2 points

The idea behind the point system is that hopefully the nonfiction books are more informative and do a bit more to develop your intelligence. The reading scores more over the audio mainly due to the fact that it takes more of a time investment.

It is time for me to start my 2007 edition. You can too... participate in the 100 Point Book Challenge and leave me a comment when you've read a good one.

Posted by CDogg at 09:29 AM | Comments (1)

September 07, 2006

Book review time

Wow! There is really no other way to put it. The book Confessions of an Economic Hitman is a definite page-turner. It is a rip-the-bandaid-off-quickly look at the world of US corporate dominance and control of third-world economies. The author's (John Perkins) job was to sell these countries on the idea of borrowing money from the US to invest in modernization. That modernization would be outsourced to US companies and when the countries were unable to payback loans (also part of the plan) they would be useful in such things as UN votes, military bases, etc.

The political intrigue exposed in the book is staggering. The tie-ins to Robert McNamara, (as head of Ford, Secretary of Defense for Nixon, and President of World Bank) George Bush, (as head of CIA under Ford, Zapata Oil, International Fruit Co., Vice-President, and President) and a cadre of others including George Schultz, Dick Cheney and many more are startling. Oh yeah, and a little company called Bechtel.

If you are content to feel that the world is full of fluffy bunnies and you should always trust those in power, this is not the book for you. If you can handle knowing the truth about our leaders, their actions, and that NO, Virginia, there is no Santa Claus... this is a must read. As G.I. says... "Knowing is half the battle."

Posted by CDogg at 08:50 AM | Comments (0)

April 20, 2005

Crank up the Juice!

I just completed the audio college course Energy & Climate: Science for Citizens in the Age of Global Warming by The Teaching Company.

The course looks at the debate over whether or not global warming really exists... how earth's climate regulates temperature... sources of energy... and many other topics related to energy. Professor Richard Wolfson of Dartmouth breaks things down to the component level and shows that detailed science can be understood without a background in the chemistry/physics etc. behind them.

The course is roughly ten hours in length and is 100% captivating as he puts into perspective things such as flipping the switch on a 100watt bulb and the conversion of carbon dioxide by plants into the waste product we all love - oxygen. It was one of the more interesting of the science based courses I have taken from The Teaching Company.

88 points

PS - For a limited time... The Teaching Company is offering two FREE audio lectures... How to Elect a Pope and Papal Elections:Then & Now.

Posted by CDogg at 11:55 AM | Comments (2)

April 18, 2005

More "off the grid" wackiness? Nope...

The book How to Survive without a Salary is a refreshing look at the rat race. The focus is on living a "conserver" lifestyle rather than competing for more and more income. The truth is that you can live a nice lifestyle in middle-class style on MUCH less money than you think. In fact, the government-created 'poverty line' is actually more than enough IF you practice a debt-free, smart approach to living.

One simplified example is spelled out in the book:

"Consider the simple example of a $1,000 purchase: a holiday, a little furniture, or a replacement for the worn-out refrigerator. Nothing unusual or extravagant, but its more than the paycheck will cover. So put it on the credit card, right? And don't forget the sales tax of, say, seven percent, or whatever it is where you live. If you pay it off in a year, at a credit card interest rate of 15 percent, that new fridge will end up costing you $1,230. Now, if you are in the 25 percent tax bracket, you will have to earn $1,640 in order to buy that $1,000 item.
Meanwhile, the cost-conscious conservers found a qualuity used fridge or a "no-name" holiday resort for half the price the Joneses paid. They paid cash (which is one of the reasons they got a better deal,) and to be fair, we'll add the foregone interest they might have earned by charging the item and leaving their cash in a three percent interest account. So the fridge, or whatever, will cost the conservers $500 plus $35 sales tax, plus $15 in lost interest, for a total of $550. If they are in the same 25 percent tax bracket as the Joneses, they will have to earn $733 in order to buy that $500 item... while the Joneses had to earn $1,640 in order to buy the $1,000 model. A difference in earnings required of $907! So in this case, $500 saved is the equivalent of $907 earned!"

Sure, that is a simplified example, but the point is blindingly obvious when you look at start to add up the numbers.

The book goes on to describe how, with some good planning, you can walk away from the 9to5, the traffic, the idiot boss and all that hassle. Don't mistake this for some feel-good, utopian, down-with-society book - it explains that you will still have to work - you will still have headaches - you will still feel the occasional financial crunch... but you just might do it with a lot less day-to-day stress.

Being self-employed, I walked away from a salary a dozen years ago and wouldn't think of going back. Give it a read and open yourself up to the possibilities.

68 points

Posted by CDogg at 06:42 PM | Comments (0)

March 21, 2005

Inside Richard Clarke's Book

The book Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror is an interesting read. First, it is a great source of information on the behind-the-scene machinations of national security. Richard Clarke writes with feeling about his role in the countering terrorism for multiple administrations over the past two decades.

If you read this book with the goal of finding out the inner workings of national security, you will be greatly rewarded. I will caution you however to take a lot of what is said with a grain of salt. It is clear that Clarke has an agenda. I wouldn't be surprised if his advance on the book came out of Clinton's pocket. He takes every opportunity to point out that Clinton did all the right things and that everyone associated with the Reagan or either of the Bush administrations was either woefully in the dark or outright stupid in their response to the terrorist threat.

That being said, it actually is a very good book (for the first couple chapters)... just consider the source when subjective observations infiltrate the otherwise informative historical text - better yet, just read the first four or five chapters and scrap the rest...its all rant from that point anyway.

45 points

Posted by CDogg at 04:31 PM | Comments (0)

February 24, 2005

McCain For President

I just finished the audiobook Why Courage Matters by Senator John McCain. First off, I would have voted for him for Prez even before this book - it is just more assured now.

Just as in my review of President Clinton's book, do NOT assume this is a book of politics. This book has even less to do with politics. It is, as the title states, about courage. It is a positive view on what courage is and why it is important in our lives.

McCain explains that courage is not just that which we see evident in the story of Roy P. Benevidez who though critically wounded in Vietnam, continued to do what was necessary to save his comrades. It is much more than that. It is standing up to a bully. It is doing what is right, even when you know you won't get caught. It is suffering with dignity when there seems to be no hope. It is standing up for your beliefs without resorting to violence. It is being able to look in the mirror and be proud of the person staring back.

Again, do not put this book aside because you view him as a conservative and do not put this book aside because you view him as not conservative enough... read this book. In fact, conservatives with blinders will probably like the book less than liberals.

The audiobook is read by McCain himself and it is evident that he feels strongly about the subject as you listen. It is an important subject in a time where courage is weakly defined and often non-existent. It is an important book.

31 points

Posted by CDogg at 12:16 AM | Comments (0)

February 23, 2005

Slick Willie in Hardback

The book My Life by Bill Clinton is a pretty darn interesting read. Regardless of your view on his politics, ethics, or even sax playing - it is worth checking out. The story of his early childhood is more than the typical whitewashed biography fluff. He talks about getting bullied for being a "chubby band nerd." He talks with true feeling about a childhood marked by a drunken father, early failures and inspirations.

I listened to the audiobook version which was read by President Clinton himself. There is something about an autobiography read by the author that makes it more vital - more real. When he reads the words "I never stopped feeling I was clumsy," in reference to the time he broke his leg attempting a feat of athleticism, you can feel that regret coming through.

Sure, there are large portions of the book that wax into liberal rhetoric - but what do you expect? If you are a liberal, you will view those segments as manna from the heavens (or is that an oxymoron - liberals seeing anything as divine.) If you are a conservative, you will view those segments as political dribble... but to not read or listen to the book because of politics is as much political rhetoric. Do not read this book to change your political views - read this book to hear the story of Bill Clinton's life - there IS a difference. After all, the title is not My Politics.

29 points

Posted by CDogg at 06:24 PM | Comments (0)

February 22, 2005

There's More in Utah than Mormons...

As it happens, when I have a lot of paperwork to do, I am able to listen to books on audio. I have had a LOT of paperwork lately so the books are just flying by.

The book Best Friends attracted me simply because it have dogs and cats on the cover. The tagline read "The True Story of the World's Most Beloved Animal Sanctuary." Being an animal fan - I gave it a listen. Wow. Best Friends is an amazingly huge sanctuary in the heart of the Golden Circle of national parks of the Southwest, including the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and Lake Powell. The book is the story of how the creation of Best Friends was realized after decades of dreaming.

If you love animals, you will love the stories in this book. I think I have a new travel destination on my "places to see" list.

So what can you do? Well, the Best Friends Network is more than just a cool ranch in Utah, it is a nationwide movement. One of their areas of focus is the No More Homeless Pets initiative. Steps you can take in your area include:

Spay or neuter all of your pets and any outdoor cats you are feeding.
Adopt a pet from a shelter or rescue group. Never buy from a pet store.
Join the Best Friends Network.

27 points

Posted by CDogg at 06:27 PM | Comments (0)

February 21, 2005

May have to make it the 200 point challenge

William Zinsser's book, On Writing Well is excellent. The book is based on the course that Zinsser taught at Yale University and focuses on writing non-fiction. Many of the basic lessons of writing are included - things like "after you have written a piece, go back and edit 50% of the words." It is more the way he reminds us of these lessons that make it a great read. (Geez, maybe that means it is written well.)

Fresh on the heels of reading OWW, I also picked up a copy of his How to Write a Memoir. The move wasn't motivated by a desire to write my memoir, but a desire to read more of his work. This too was a good read. Whether you write for a living, live for writing, or just dabble in the world of blogging - these are excellent tools.

25 points

Posted by CDogg at 06:31 PM | Comments (0)

February 17, 2005

Explaining Deviant Professors

I just completed the audio course Explaining Social Deviance by The Teaching Company. The course is taught by Yale University Professor, Paul Root Wolpe. He readily explains that the coursework covers all forms of social deviance such as crime, mental health, and lifestyles which differ from the mainstream. He then proceeds to explain he is "not interested" in covering everything in the course.

Wolpe takes what is an immensely interesting and important subject and uses it as an opportunity to get on a soap box. He brushes aside crime and mental health issues and says that he want to instead focus on those deviancies defined by society. He professes that a stutterer is defined as deviant by society - not as a defense of the poor stutterer... but as a segway to his real topic - homosexuality.

Wolpe explains that homosexuality is a societal-created deviance and works to construct a rationale that shows us the error of this view. His explanation of deviance as rule-breaking and breaking from convention is far fetched and agenda-driven. I looked to this course for a scientific study of what makes serial killers and sociopaths tick, and instead found yet another example of the homosexual agenda.

If you want a course that moves the gay agenda forward - you will like this. If you want a college-level course that adds to your intelligence or understanding of society - you would get just as much from an episode of Ellen. I will count this as 2 points toward my book challenge, but I cannot say it was very educational.

15 points

Posted by CDogg at 10:09 PM | Comments (0)

February 15, 2005

Painless History Lessons

H.W. Brands's Lone Star Nation: How a Ragged Army of Volunteers Won the Battle for Texas Independence--and Changed America is more than just a history of the development of Texas as a nation and eventual force in the American landscape. It is a really good read that forces you to continue as Brand weaves tales of some of the most colorful and interesting characters in American history.

His contention however, toward the end of the book, that Texas and America are most alike in the way that they forced themselves on the indigenous peoples and allowed their eventual replacement with democracy to justify atrocities, is a bit much. Sure, it happened, but Brand puts such a left-wing slant as to make you tune out the facts behind it. Much like Michael Moore - his hyperbole does harm to his case by causing readers/listeners/viewers to stop listening and assume it is all propaganda.

If you want to know the real skinny about how minor twists of fate such as the robbery of Moses Austin, and the bad marriage of Sam Houston led to the coming together of some of the greatest names in history at a pivitol moment in time - this is a great book. Forget the movies... forget the textbooks, this is an excellent way to get your early Texas history.

Posted by CDogg at 10:14 PM | Comments (0)

2005 - 100 Point Book Challenge

I heard on some other blog about a 50 Book Challenge. The idea is that you should try to read 50 books in the calendar year. I think I am going to give myself a book challenge but modify it a bit... I am going to make it a 100 Point Book Challenge.

The point system will be as follows...

So do it!!! Participate in the 100 Point Book Challenge (and please give me some props for creating it... a linkback would be nice)

Using this chart... I am at 13 points so far this year...

Posted by CDogg at 10:13 PM | Comments (1)

January 30, 2005

Reagan: In His Own Voice

I recently finished the audiobook Reagan: In His Own Voice.

It is a collection of his radio segments from 1975-1979. During that time, Reagan gave more than 1,000 daily radio broadcasts, the great majority of which he wrote himself. There can be little doubt after listening to this five disc set that Mr. Reagan's title as the "Great Communicator" is well deserved. Politics aside, if you listen to these broadcasts, it will be impossible for you to come away from it with anything but a respect at the very least, for the man's conviction to his ideals and his thorough understanding of each of the topics.

In later years he was portrayed as a mindless automaton dullard at the whim of the Republican power base (I disagree with that image of him.) To doubt however that, during this time period, he was a highly intelligent, extremely personable and yes - great communicator... is letting your political blinders hide the truth.

Posted by CDogg at 08:40 AM | Comments (0)

November 22, 2004

From the library...

I just finished the book The Iraq War by John Keegan. If you are interested in learning some of the history of Iraq and the political intrigue that culminates in a war such as this, it is an excellent read. Keegan begins with a political history of Iraq from its days as a created-state by the British up through Hussein's rise to power. He then covers the events of the first Gulf War up to the current lightning war in Iraq. It is a really good source and a very interesting read.

I also recently completed the audio book, Public Enemies by Bryan Burrough. It is the true story of America's greatest crime wave and the birth of the FBI in the early 1930's. It was a time when jurisdictions ended at county and state lines and their was no governmental law enforcement. This left a huge opportunity for clever criminals and gave rise to organized crime. It was an amazingly interesting time and a definitely entertaining read.

Posted by CDogg at 02:34 PM | Comments (0)

October 03, 2004

Arguing is good - now, don't give me any lip!

Argumentation: The Study of Effective Reasoning is the latest college course I have completed via audio CDs created by The Teaching Company. The course answers the questions, "How can we find the truth and resolve conflict with rational argument?" and "How can we persuade others?"

Although it sounds like a quarrelsome course, it is actually a study in effective communication. It is only American English that has put a negative connotation on the word argue... its original meaning is simply "to discuss for purposes of reaching the truth." There is nothing negative in that - in fact, the pursuit of effective argumentation can be seen as a noble cause. Sweet! I now have justification for my contrary nature. :)

Posted by CDogg at 11:19 PM | Comments (0)

September 21, 2004

Book review time

I recently completed the audio college course The Joy of Thinking, by The Teaching Company. I have posted numerous times about the great college level course available on audio CD. These selections are available at the library and allow me to continue one of my great loves - learning. The Joy of Thinking was not what I expected. I thought it would be some sort of philisophical look at the development of the mind, but instead I found a course in mathematics. While I have always been amazed by things such as the Fibonacci sequence and fractals, the course failed to live up to my expectations as it rambled off into things like the probability of picking the right door on Let's Make a Deal and surgery in the fourth dimension.

Overall, it ranges from extremely interesting to downright trivial.

Posted by CDogg at 06:31 PM | Comments (0)