1 out of 5 -- I should've stopped reading the book in the first chapter. I should've stopped reading the book after the fourth instance of the author boasting about the amazing things he made happen (e.g., reduced hunger, built 747s) all because of a project management tool he invented. I'm sure this is an excellent book full of insights, but unfortunately because of the writing style, I found myself more annoyed than inspired.
2) Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
2 out of 5 -- The premise of the book is to remind women in leadership positions to lean in, be active members of the board room, corporate world, career world -- engage and sit at the table. It highlights tons of examples of the places where gender discrimination is prevalent, from the classroom to conference rooms, and how one's gender makes us a "bitch" when assertive or worse when we're not playing by gender norms. Great. Lots of women should read this. (Un)fortunately, I was a women's studies major, so I've read a lot of these books and understand the nunances of why women have it hard. Poor me.
Here's my problem(s) with having been asked to read this by my manager: I'm a black woman, so I can't just pay attention to my womanliness because there are the black stereotypes and ignorances I'm overcoming as well. [That a-hole in the corner may think wonderful things for women's rights, butt still can't tell the difference between myself and Maisha who started last week.] Secondly, not everyone can be a COO/CEO, there's not enough of those jobs to go around; so for those of us who don't make it to the top of the ladder, are we supposed to be defeated? Thirdly, part of the reason I argue women are not successful is also because books don't adequately frame this as a human issue, rather than solely a woman issue. (Tell the men at the table how their unperceived bias is affecting the people around them! They might surprise you.) Lastly, when I wake up every day, I already know that my actions reflect on 60%+ of the population (women~50% plus black people~10%) and that's a lot of pressure. I have to succeed for women, blacks, poor people, disenfranchised, etc., and by the time I've succeeded for the rest of the world, there's no time to actually ask how I wanted to live my life.
I'm glad I read this book solely for the reason that it's in the popular lexicon. However, for all practical purposes, I'd suggest we focus on raising the awareness of bias of both genders and tackle ensuring opportunities exist for those who didn't attend Ivy League universities as well.
3) America's Consistution by Akhil Reed Amar
4 out of 5 -- Awesome. I have a whole new respect for the Founding Framers, who put together the US Consistution. With the Articles of Confederation as a back-drop, English Common Law and Parliament striking down as "the" model for democracy, the writers of the Consistution created an amazingly enduring document that Professor Amar brings to life in this work. The author spells out earnestly what the framers were balancing in the document, provides perspective on how modern and contemporary views differ on the interpretation, and how the short document that is the Constitution has remained relevant through over 200 years. Great read.
4) The 92-Year-Old Lady Who Made Me Steal a Dead Man's Car by Fred Schäfer
1 out of 5 -- Poorly written book. I found that the story was not compelling. The book was about a man, who runs over a man because a "92-year-old woman made him do it", also feels it's his duty to kill rapists in his spare time. My goodness, I was glad what was a side-bar to the story, but could've been a side-bar that never happened. Besides that ridiculousness, he goes to live with the 92-year-old and finds out from her library, literary characters from across time, have been 'coming to life' and requesting parts of their novel be written.
5) The Museum of Literary Souls (A Short Story) by John Connolly
3 out of 5 -- Cute story. Recommended because I had read the 24 Hour Penumbra Bookstore. Not nearly as engaging as that book, nor as bad as the "92-year-old lady..." book. It was an ok read.
6) The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific by J Maarten Troost
4 out of 5 -- Travel story about a man and his finance/wife who literally travel to the ends of the world, and what they learned in the process. For anyone who is interested in travel, for those who are involved in non-profits (who want to do good, but may forget that the "good works" need to be appropriate for the local people, not just have worked somewhere else), and anyone who dreams of becoming a beachcomber, this is a nice read.
7) Backpacked: A Reluctant Trip Across Central America by Catherine Ryan Howard
2 out of 5 -- I appreciated the author's honesty about her relectance to travel across Central America having such a broad appreciation for all things consumer, hence I was able to read this book with that perspective firmly planted in my mind. Unfortunately, several times while realizing I was reading a new chapter that seemed to be EXACTLY like the introduction for a different country she visited. Also, maybe it's a sign of my age and becoming an old foogie or maybe I just don't get the humor of the Irish, but I didn't find this book funny. There were a few make me smile moments, certainly recalled memories of my own travel experiences in that region, however, I failed to just lose myself in the story. Instead, I just looked forward to when the kindle would say "Book Complete." And thank goodness it was a AMZ Prime Loan instead of a book I bought. Much less disappointing.
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