Month: April 2019

Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A fantastic book and it probably took me an hour (tops) to read. For the win. Even though this book is a quick read, the sheer volume of encouraging and inspiring truth bombs makes me feel like it’s one that I could take a much longer time to study in-depth.

Some of my favorites are:

“You need to find a way to bring your body into your work.” Pg# 54
“If you have two or three real passions, don’t feel like you have to pick and choose between them.” Pg# 68
“When you open up your process and invite people in you learn.” Pg# 81
“Travel makes the world look new, and when the world looks new, our brains work harder.” Pg# 94
“If you ever find that you’re the most talented person in the room, you need to find another room.” Pg# 104
“Freedom from financial stress also means freedom in your art.” Pg# 123

The list goes on and on. He also mentions at the end of the book that you need to marry well. I can say that beyond a shadow of a doubt, you have to be careful who you marry. This book will provide inspiration, kick in the pants truth, and motivation for wherever you find yourself in life.

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Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery by Scott Kelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Author, as well as astronaut Scott Kelly, has so much to tell, and I enjoyed all of the details of life in space aboard the I.S.S., and life with Russian Cosmonauts and the Russian Space Federations’ role in getting pilots up to the I.S.S.

I have always been interested to find out about space programs, NASA activities, and in our astronauts. Seeing them taking off sends chills up and down my spine, along with a few prayers for their journey to space and returning back to planet earth. The moonwalk was incredible! What was missing for me was actual knowledge of what really happens in space when they are there.

Scott did an amazing job describing every aspect of being an astronaut, and how dangered involved. The book attracts my attention when I read the summary of the book in the back where it says that he was in space for a year and he provided an excellent description of that.

This story is amazing. More amazing when you remember that it is not science fiction but reality. If you are at all interested in space, this is an absolute must. If you are not interested in space you will still find this fascinating and thrilling. Scott Kelly is not a great narrator. That being said his straight forward reading suits the material and won me over.


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Animal Farm by George Orwell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Since we find ourselves again in the maras of Presidential politics, a book written 3/4 century ago will open your eyes in a way you simply cannot imagine. History has a funny way of repeating itself and while the powers that held control tried virtually everything to suppress this book, eventually it came to the light of day.

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The Light in the Heart by Roy T. Bennett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I finished reading this book same day I got it. I really like the content a lot in this book. It’s a short book but It offers to the point positive thoughts. I did notice a spelling mistake (“wright” instead of “right”…I think Roy meant “right”…sorry if I’m incorrect). Based on the content, this author will learn from that and carry on. That is why I kept my 5 stars. I recommend this book to anyone. My favorite part in the book is “Your life is happening right now”. This author is also on Twitter and offers frequent positive quotes with amazing art.

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Anger Management for Dummies by W. Doyle Gentry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I decided to tackle my anger…which I did not think I had a big problem but my good friends told me it was an issue. I use to let my anger build up and then blow up at the person several weeks later. This book is amazing! It gives you real insight as to where your anger comes from . Then it teaches you how to prevent the anger from building and techniques to use so it does not escalate. I refer back to this book when needed.

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What Would Google Do? by Jeff Jarvis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Seriously the author Jeff Jarvis is in love with Google like I am but Jeff is more like obsessed with Google. If Google was a person, Jeff will be the stalker. I believe this is a profound book about changes in the business world created by continued advancement of the information age. The book as I read it, really is not about Google, per se. Instead it is a thoughtful discussion as to how all kinds of businesses will be impacted by the forces on which Google has so brilliantly capitalized. Overall, “WWGD?” was a well thought out book that was easy to read. It probably would work best with people high school age and higher. A basic understanding of social media and the internet is necessary to fully appreciate “WWGD?”. A complete novice would most likely be a bit lost with some of the terms and phrases used throughout the book. The main takeaway is for companies to join conversations online and develop relationships with their customers. Ultimately, Jeff really just wants businesses to focus on the customers instead of themselves.

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