Originals: how non-conformists change the world by Adam Grant
I wasn't really sure what to expect with this one, I just basically put it on hold based on the title. But, I LOVED it! Grant does a fantastic job exploring the philosophy of being an outsider and how outsiders are often successful because they are working outside conventional norms in their field. He gives dozens of examples in the business world of an "out there" idea that after much hard work ended up being the next "big thing." One of my favorites was about Meredith Perry - she had an idea for a wireless charger for electronic devices, but her idea was so against the grain that she couldn't even get anyone to help her build a prototype. Eventually, she found people by not giving them the whole idea, just asking them to work on a specific component, THEN revealing what they were really working on - by the end of 2014 her company had 18 patents and $10 million in venture funding. Grant gives examples of both successful outsiders and unsuccessful ones and explains why their approach worked or didn't. He also shows how various approaches can be cultivated in the workplace by both management and staff, so it's also applicable to the average person as well. It was also really interesting how very seemingly small decisions really show who we are like what Internet browser you use. Definitely a unique and interesting read.
Some quotes I liked:
"Not long ago, economist Michael Housman was leading a project to figure out why some customer service agents stayed in their jobs longer than others...his team had captured information about which internet browser employees had used when they logged in to apply for their jobs...But when he looked at the results, he was stunned: Employees who used Firefox or Chrome to browse the Web remained in their jobs 15 percent longer than those who used Internet Explorer or Safari...If you own a PC, Internet Explorer is built into Windows. If you're a Mac user, your computer came preinstalled with Safari...To get Firefox or Chrome, you have to demonstrate some resourcefulness and download a different browser. Instead of accepting the default, you take a bit of initiative to seek out an option that might be better. And that act of initiative, however tiny, is a window into what you do at work." (p. 4-5)
"As much as agreeable people may love us, they often hate conflict even more. Their desire to please others and preserve harmony makes them prone to backing down instead of sticking up for us...It is often the prickly people who are more comfortable taking a stand against others and against convention. As a Google employee put it, disagreeable managers may have a bad user interface but a great operating system." (p. 81)
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (Books & Banter book club)
I remember reading The Secret Garden as a kid and really liking it, but reading it as an adult was definitely a different experience. The character of Mary does grow on you because you see her change from a terrible child to a more healthy and caring child - especially after she meets Dickon and they are working in the secret garden. Where the book started to go downhill for me was when Colin was introduced. He was such an irritating and terrible child and character. His "transformation" seemed much more forced and didactic. And when his father has the dream of "in the garden, in the garden" I was literally rolling my eyes when I read that scene. That kind of ruined the book for me and it ended in a really odd way. But, I did still like the first 2/3 when Mary is growing and changing and discovering the wonder of the secret garden. I guess reading it as a child that was probably the age of the main characters you wouldn't feel as talked down to by the book, but I didn't love it as an adult.
Heart of Glass by Wendy Lawless
I remember really liking Lawless's first book Chanel Bonfire about growing up with her volatile mother, but I didn't remember a lot of the details. This book starts when Wendy finally escapes her mother and moves to New York City for college. While she is relieved to be away from her mother, the wounds from her childhood still hold her back. She has no safety net of family to help her and because of her dysfunctional family her romantic relationships are terrible. Finally through some good friends and therapy, Wendy is able to start making better decisions for herself and set boundaries with her mother. She also is finally able to develop a relationship with her father and step-family. By the end of the book she has met her husband and her future looks bright both personally and professionally.
I really liked the beginning and end of the book - a lot of the middle was hard to read just because of her terrible choices in men and how she let people use her. I appreciate her honesty and I'm glad that it did end on a happier note with her in a healthy relationship. I feel like this book just highlights how hard it can be for people from ultra-dysfunctional families to break the patterns they learned growing up. But, Wendy Lawless shows that it can be done.
The True Tails of Baker and Taylor by Jan Louch
This is such a great book. Working in the library world I was always familiar with Baker & Taylor the library book wholesale company, but this story explains how two cats named Baker & Taylor became the mascot for the company and changed the lives of many people in the small town of Minden, Nevada. When the two librarians in the Minden library decided to get two cats to help protect their new library from mice and also create a welcoming environment, they kind of jokingly decided to name them Baker & Taylor after the company that most libraries buy their books from. Jan Louch decided to call the company and let them know about Baker - they were still saving up to buy Taylor at that point. The company loved the idea so much they offered to buy Taylor if they could do a photoshoot and use the cats in their marketing materials - and the rest was history. The first photoshoot went well and the new cat mascots blew up in the book world. The Minden library also started getting fan mail and requests from all over the world for posters and Baker & Taylor swag. They had people from all over the world come and visit the two famous cats. But, the everyday people who used the Minden library were the ones affected the most by Baker & Taylor. Patrons loved coming in to get books and see the cats. The library staff also loved coming in to work with the cats every day too. Baker & Taylor lived in the Minden library for 15 years, Baker dying 3 years before Taylor. After that the library board decided not to replace Baker & Taylor. While it's definitely sad when the cats die the book overall is so much fun as you get to read about all the adventures Baker & Taylor had together. There are also stories about other library cats after most of the chapters. This is a great book for anyone who is a fan of cats and the library!
Jesus Swagger: break free from poser Christianity by Jarrid Wilson
The premise of this book is that as Christians we need to emulate Christ in all aspects of our lives, get our Jesus Swagger on so to speak. While the premise is good, basically don't be a fake Christian and really let God transform your life, the book seems geared toward either teenagers or very new Christians. The writing is very basic and almost assumes that you don't know much about God or the Bible at all. Being a Christian very often means being an outcast and if you really want to fit in you are going to struggle with that. I did like that Chapter 6 "Be the Change" was almost exclusively about Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his example of standing up for the gospel to the point of death - Bonhoeffer is definitely someone every Christian reads about and knows about. Overall, I didn't love this one because it was just a little too elementary for me, but the premise is good and it could definitely be helpful for a teenager or new believer.
Some quotes I liked:
"Remove the word hate from your vocabulary, and start reflecting an image of Jesus that portrays him differently than a man standing on a soapbox wielding a megaphone. I can't ever recall a person who came to faith because of hate." (p. 52)
"As William Gurnall said, 'We fear men so much, because we fear God so little. One fear cures another. When man's terror scares you, turn your thoughts to the wrath of God.'" (p 162)
My Name is Leon by Kit De Waal
Leon's mom is white and his dad is black, but his new baby brother Jake's dad is white. Leon's mom is really struggling after Jake is born and Leon tries to take care of them both, but he's only 9 years old. When he asks a neighbor for money to get food and diapers she calls social services. At first Leon and Jake stay together, but because Jake is white and a baby he is quickly adopted. Leon struggles to understand why he and Jake can't stay together and when his mom will come back for him. Leon is lucky to end up in Maureen's foster home because she genuinely cares about him, but he still wants to be back with his mom and Jake. Eventually he makes a few friends, but they are all adults he meets in a community garden. Leon is planning to find his brother Jake and take care of him by himself. On the night he leaves to find Jake all hell breaks loose and Leon realizes his new family might not be so bad.
This was an interesting book that dealt with the issue of race in foster care and adoption through the eyes of a child. While Leon definitely struggles, it's easy to see how much worse it could have been and how quickly he could have gone down a really bad path if he didn't have such a good foster mother.
Minimalism: live a meaningful life by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus
I would never consider myself a minimalist, but after watching The Minimalist's documentary I was intrigued and they seemed really fun and interesting. I decided to check out their book and actually laughed when I got it because of course a book about minimalism would be succinct and short - only 121 pages. While I did like the book, it's a good overview of minimalism and how it can help/impact different areas of your life, it seemed a little too didactic to me. There were a lot of steps and here's how to do this better, etc. While they never claim to have all the answers I think a lot of stuff is subjective and it won't look the same for every person. Where I disagreed the most was with food, I am NOT trying to be vegan or a minimalist when it comes to food! But, overall I do think they have a lot of good stuff to share about their journey and how minimalism has worked for them. They recommend that you read one chapter of the book a week and really think about it, work through stuff, etc., but I read it over the course of one day - it's a really quick read.
Here are some quotes I liked:
"Health is not a destination; it is a vehicle. So, okay, maybe Joshua will never make it to the NBA with his bad back...but that doesn't mean he should feel defeated, broke, broken. No, it means he must take care of the vehicle he has, providing it with regular tune-ups (daily stretching, regular exercise, and occasional chiropractor visits, as well as a good diet, adequate sleep, and daily meditation), which will help him better enjoy the journey ahead." (p. 35-6)
"Once you acknowledge your vocation is who you are, it's extraordinarily difficult to do something else." (p. 79)
"Financial freedom isn't easy, but you knew that before reading this book. The exciting part about these five steps is they apply to anyone, anywhere on the socioeconomic ladder. Whether you earn minimum wage or six figures, whether you are single or have half-a-dozen children, we have seen these principles work for thousands of people - because it's not about our income level, it's about the decisions we make with the resources we have." (p. 90)
The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian (Books & Banter and Evening Edition book clubs)
Richard Chapman offers to host his younger brother's bachelor party at his house because that way it's less likely to get out of control. He assumes there will probably be a stripper, but thinks it will be pretty tame. He was wrong. At the end of the bachelor party multiple guests have had sex with the "entertainment" and two people are dead. While Richard didn't cheat on his wife, he is still associated with a wild orgy that turned into murder. The aftermath of the party is devastating for Richard - his wife is contemplating leaving him, he is suspended from work, his house is now a crime scene, and one of the other party guests is trying to blackmail him. But Richard doesn't have the worst of it - the two girls who were the "entertainment" are now running for their lives. Told in alternating viewpoints from Richard and Alexandra, an Armenian teenager who was kidnapped into sex slavery, you see how both of their lives are profoundly changed from this one fateful night.
Re-read for both of my book clubs. It was equally good the second time, but slightly less suspenseful since I already knew the ending. Still it should make for some good discussions in book club.
Esther the Wonder Pig by Steve Jenkins, Derek Walter, and Caprice Crane
I love a good animal memoir, but I just didn't like this one. Steve Jenkins is tricked into adopting what he thought was a mini pig that wouldn't get any larger than a medium sized dog, in reality Esther was an industrial pig who topped out over 600 pounds. While trying to deal with a growing new pet Esther basically destroys their home because huge pigs aren't meant to live inside a 1000 square foot house. Pigs are also very intelligent, so she often outsmarted them when it came to stealing food and their attempts to house train her. Eventually Steve and his partner Derek decide to buy a farm and start an animal sanctuary for rescued animals from the industrial food industry, of course along the way thanks to Esther they also become vegan. I was familiar with the basic storyline of the book, but I didn't know they became vegan. While I am VERY familiar with the evils of the industrial food industry, I don't want to be vegan. I think supporting local farmers who are raising animals in natural and humane ways is a better way to opt out of the industrial food system instead of being vegan. While I understand their love for Esther she really destroyed their house and made for a very stressful life until they moved to the farm, and it was stressful to read about all of their stress and destruction. I also wasn't wild about them crowd-funding the purchase of their farm. I feel like crowd-funding is best used for unexpected medical emergencies, etc. not buying your dream house (even if you are starting an animal sanctuary there). They also included some random recipes in the back, which was odd since food was not really mentioned much other than them talking about deciding to become vegan. Overall, it was disappointing. A better pig memoir is The Good Good Pig by Sy Montgomery.
