Book Recommendations/Reviews

I have completed a few great books recently:

Thinking in Systems: a Primer
Donella Meadows

(I ordered this book at Barnes & Noble through my Blastoff page)

Here is one of the most relevant quotes which struck me:
"A society that talks about "creating jobs" as if that's something only companies can do will not inspire the great majority of its people to create jobs, for themselves or anyone else. Nor will it appreciate its workers for their role in 'creating profits.'"

The chapter I liked the most was chapter 5, "System Traps ... and Opportunities". For example, some interesting points are made about 'the Tragedy of the Commons', when education about the scarcity of a resource can actually cause a panic and accelerate depletion of that resource. There were quite a few other topics covered as well, such as how an intervention can actually reinforce a problem because it fails to distinguish symptoms from underlying causes.


Outliers: the Story of Success
Malcolm Gladwell

(This book was not hard to find at the Barnes & Noble retail store)

I was very intrigued throughout this book. The part I appreciate most was that the author took the time to share what he had learned of his own family history. That really got me thinking of doing some research of my own as well. I recalled something I had not thought of since I was a child - that my grandfather grew sugarcane in his backyard. Now I will have to follow up on that insight.

I also appreciate that the author demonstrated that even a unique personal opportunity for success still requires work - really consistent effort - 'the 10,000 Hour Rule'. So many people seem to dismiss success because 'he/she must have had some advantage'. A better way to think about advantage is 'what is my advantage and am I willing to focus my efforts there?'

A Tale of Two Cities
Charles Dickens

(one of those books that sat on the shelf a long time)

This author, as the famous opening portends, had a knack for illustrating the huge disparity between the best and worst of human potential. While there requires an extra effort to absorb the imagery and symbolism, it is so much more of a rewarding experience reading Dickens now as compared to when I was compelled to read Dickens for the first time.

'Within every persons heart is a mystery.' And again, it is one thing to read the words; yet another to experience that mystery.