Reading Reflections: June and July Catch-Up

Last weeks improved formula still feels good to me - so I'm continuing on with the books I read in June and July.

The Art of Gathering - Priya Parker

Why I read this: This book was recommended by ChatGPT when I was working through my original not-so-great growth plan. Specifically it was recommended with the intent of making me a more capable facilitator of meetings and how to get more out of meetings where I was a participant.

Reflection: This is one of the 'everyone must read' books that I've read this year. Parker provides a strong framework on how to elevate all forms of gatherings - whether it's a status meeting at work or a dinner party at home. Establishing and defending a purpose for a gathering is something that seems so obvious - but in my experience is so rare. I have some complaints about how Parker delivers her message (I get it - she knows every famous person and has been to every cool underground event) - but the message is worth hearing and taking to heart.

 

Nuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy - Henry Kissinger

Why I read this: I got this book from Goodwill or a library sale - and to be entirely honest I picked it because I was traveling and wanted something that would easily fit into my laptop bag. I had genuine interest in the book - but I can't claim that my motivations were any more complex than it was a smaller book that would easily pack.

Reflection: I was actually incredibly surprised by how interesting I found this book. Kissinger is a controversial figure - but his understanding and mastery of foreign policy really can't be questioned. This book is nearly 60 years old and Kissinger's analyses are still relevant and worth understanding. This book will not make you feel warm and fuzzy, nor will it inspire much confidence in the future of humanity - but Kissinger understood that in a world with nuclear weapons; classic military doctrine could no longer be sustained. For some reason as I read this - "War Pigs" by Black Sabbath wouldn't stop playing in my head...

 

Chaos - James Gleick

Why I read this: I read this book for the first time several years ago - I had pulled it off the shelf this year to find a passage that I remembered that had been relevant to a conversation I was having. As I was skimming through looking for the bit that I wanted to share; I was reminded how interesting the book was and decided I may as well just give it another read.

Reflection: This is honestly such a great book. None of the topics that Gleick covers are particularly simple or approachable - but somehow he spins them together in a way that makes them go down nice and easy. This is the kind of book that you just want to talk about with anyone who will listen - the number of times (much to my wife's chagrin) that I started a sentence with "Really cool thing I just read..." - from a personal growth perspective this book is like a manual on dealing with uncertainty. It was from this book that I developed one of my desktop sticky note mantras. "Design with uncertainty, don't try to eliminate it"

 

The No Asshole Rule - Robert Sutton

Why I read this: I read this book during a period where I couldn't spend any money on books but I wanted to continue reading things that were relevant - so I asked ChatGPT to review the list of books I already owned and recommend one that would be the most productive/valuable. This was the result. Luckily it really was a pretty good recommendation and wasn't too far out of left field - if I want to help organizations change for the better; knowing how to create safe space for difficult conversations was a must.

Reflection: I am lucky enough to work in a space where I don't really think of anyone as an asshole, and where generally believe this type of safe space already exists (though I don't believe it gets much use - so maybe some tension there). There's really no question that the ability to set ego and self aside when giving and receiving constructive feedback is one of the hardest things to do in any space - personal or professional. It requires clear rules of engagement and trust built up over time and effort. I particularly appreciate that the author provides a self-diagnostic test - turns out that maybe sometimes the asshole is me. (I bet sometimes it's you too)

 

Team of Teams - General Stanley McChrystal

Why I read this: ChatGPT recommendation. This is probably the single most referenced and recommended work when talking about building decentralized trust based teams. I think you would have a difficult time identifying any dialogue on generative cultures or trust based organizations that don't have some roots found in this book.

Reflection: When I first started this book - I remember being a bit shocked that the first group of people that seemed to 'figure out' how to operate a fast moving, decentralized, complex organization in the digital world was actually Al Qaeda. A bit unsettling to me that my desire to build stronger organizations led me to learn core valuable principles from one of the most well known terrorist organizations of the past 50 years. That aside - this book is a real eye opener. No longer can organizations operate using hierarchical command and control methods - in that model the fires will always move faster than the extinguishers. Instead - leaders need to empower and trust their people to act independently. Efficiency is no longer the mark of a high performing organization - resilience and emergence are the new benchmarks. The pursuit of these has become the focus of much of my efforts to grow my knowledge/skills.

The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell

Why I read this: If I want to be successful in my pursuits - its not enough to know how to build better organizations. I have to be able to get other people to join in and build with me. This book is purely focused on how to push an idea over that edge - so it was an obvious choice to include in my reading list.

Reflection: Much of this book has become a bit dated - but there are core concepts that are still absolutely valuable and worth learning. The piece that resonated the most with me is in Gladwell's Law of the Few portion of the book. The roles of connectors, mavens, and salesmen - and more generically understanding that calculated effort at the 'micro' level is the secret to unlocking adoption at the 'macro' level is timeless knowledge that can be applied in any medium in pursuit of any goal. 

 

The Mom Test -Rob Fitzpatrick

Why I read this: During the course of this year I have been toying with a 'million dollar idea' that I have serious intentions of building a start-up around. This book is an excellent guide on how to be sure that your million dollar idea is really worth pursuing.

Reflection: The underlying thesis of this book is that it's really easy to find affirmation for your ideas - but that affirmation is almost always completely meaningless/useless. Nobody who cares about you wants to hurt your ego. People who don't know you will tell you what you want to hear to get you out of their hair. Learning to re-frame how you solicit feedback is vital to making intelligent and informed decisions. Fitzpatrick provides an incredibly simple and accessible method for 'tricking' people into telling you what they really think.

 

 

 

 

Objective #3 Process Improvement Education

Even though the plan technically has 5 objectives - the reality is that objectives 4 and 5 (while still very important and relevant) really just exist to serve and support objectives 1-3. That makes this objective the last real developmental focus for the short term.

I have long enjoyed the symbolism of the three legged stool - and it's by total accident that this plan has also been built on 3 legs. I think one of the big benefits of writing about it here is that it forces me to create and understand the narrative of this plan - rather than just working through the mechanics of it.

Through my writing here - I've come to the conclusion that the main 3 objectives really can be reduced down to: 

• Objective #1 (Pursuing the PMP) is about gaining the credibility and credentials to be in a position to make changes.

• Objective #2 (Strengthening BA skills) is about improving my ability to articulate complex ideas and engage with diverse groups of stakeholders.
  
  
• Objective #3 (Process Improvement Education) is about developing the skills and knowledge to actually be able to introduce strength and resilience into complex systems and organizations.

It's pretty simple - if I want to help organizations learn how to avoid fires I need to understand what processes and practices already exist that support those ends. 

That means learning:

• What process improvement methodologies actually work (and why)
• How to consistently diagnose root causes, not just the symptoms
• How to introduce changes that work, not just novel ideas that are quickly abandoned
• How to measure outcomes and build positive feedback loops. 

I want to study the major process improvement methodologies of the past few decades - for physical AND digital work:

Lean, Six Sigma, TQM, Kaizen, BPR, BPM, DevOps, Scientific Management, and maybe others that I don't know about yet but might discover as I learn.

It could take years to become a master at any one of these methods - let alone all of them. So I'm choosing to focus the majority of my attention on a single process school (Lean Six Sigma) and will allocate a smaller percentage of my time towards consuming primers on the others so I can maintain a more well rounded understanding of the process management landscape.

I've chosen LSS as my focus because it is what is currently being implemented in my workplace.

If I obtain an entry level LSS belt (Green) before the end of Q1 2026, I can immediately put myself in a position to become a leader in helping the program adapt to this new model of operations and gain critical real world experience. The program has consistently struggled with periods of massive/unsustainable amounts of work - and the changes being implemented are intended to start 'flattening the curve.'

In parallel I'm planning on running an engagement with a local organization with which I'm connected - they have had ongoing difficulties with membership and finances for more than a decade and I'm hopeful that I'll be able to help them implement sustainable improvements. Initial assessments will start the second week of January.

After Q1 I will continue to seek practical opportunities - at work and within my network/community. My intent would be to increase my LSS credential to the black belt level before year end 2026, but as I continue to study and learn about the other methodologies I may discover that another path makes more sense. So we'll put that in the TBD column.

I do feel like I need to address some of the same tension I discussed in my Objective #2 post regarding credential vs capability.

You're probably reading this saying "Two weeks ago this guy said he didn't want to just collect credentials, and now here he is listing off another credential - what gives?"

There's two reasons why the LSS Green belt gives me less anxiety than the BA credentials - 

1.  LSS belts require practical application - they're not just a study guide and an exam. I will have to actually demonstrate I can improve processes, not just talk about how someone else recommends doing it.
   
   
2. The Green belt is a "light" credential. It's enough to signal that I know a thing or two about process improvement - but it's a small enough commitment to obtain that I don't have to invest an enormous amount of time/energy just to add another line to my email signature. It's a foot in the door.

I may just be irrationally weighing this credential by a different standard than the BA credentials - but for whatever reason this one doesn't give me the same hesitation.

I also want to be clear: LSS is my focus; but I refuse to believe that there is any single methodolgy is the answer. Every system is different. Every organization is unique. I want to have a full tool chest, not just a hammer that sends me searching for nails.

I don't expect to master every process management method (that would take decades) - but looking to Baker Mayfield as my guide - I want to be feeling pretty dangerous. 

 

 

So that's the third leg. 

Put it all together and I will have the knowledge to do things better, the ability to communicate it with others, and the credibility to get people to listen.

This is how I stop fighting fires. This is how I stop fires from ever starting. 

Knowledge. 
Communication. 
Credibility. 

Sounds like a pretty solid foundation to me.  

 

For anyone who's pursued process improvement credentials: Is LSS the right starting point, or is there something better I've overlooked.

What's the shortest road between theory and practice?  

Let me know.

 

CHG 

 

Reading Reflections: May Catch-Up

I haven't really loved the execution of these reading reflections so far. 

I haven't really been reflecting so much as reviewing and frankly I don't think I'm really qualified to provide meaningful reviews. I want to talk about how these books influenced my thinking - not whether or not they're 'good' based on my subjective point of view.

I think some of this is a result of the 'lightning round' catch up nature of these posts - but I think I can adjust things a bit to keep these catch-up posts brief and formulaic while developing a better focus on what I think is relevant.

Trying that formula for the first time this week as I catch-up on the books I read in May.

 

Meditations on First Philosophy - Rene Descartes

Why I read this: I had read this in college and found it fascinating at the time. I can't say exactly what motivated me to re-read this but it was calling to me from my shelf.

Reflection: Descartes meditations are like a case study in problem solving. Sure - Descartes is dealing with matters of existential importance, but the basic premise of removing ALL of the noise and slowly bringing signal back is such a fantastic process worth examining and trying to replicate.

Sabbath as Resistance - Walter Brueggemann

Why I read this: If I remember correctly - I became aware of this book because it was referenced in one of the books I read earlier this year. I often build my "Want to Read" list by going down reference rabbit holes in books that I like. Many of the books I've read this year were chosen because they were sources for other books I had read.

Reflections: I really liked this book for a lot of the same reasons I liked 4000 Weeks. The whole world is so focused on how to constantly fit more and more action into every minute of every hour of every day. Like 4000 Weeks; this book draws attention to the value and importance of inaction. Temperance is a virtue we could all aspire to practice more intentionally.

The Wisdom of Teams - Jon Katzenbach

Why I read this: This was another book that had been referenced in a prior read - it had a strong reputation and was in a topic area that I'm always trying to learn more about.

Reflections:  I think if I had read this book in 1993 when it was published - it might have changed my life. In 2025 it's easy to appreciate why it has such a solid reputation; but the vast majority of the lessons and content have been refined, improved, and delivered in far more approachable and consumable literature.

Good to Great - Jim Collins

Why I read this: Jim Collins is always high on the list of authors worth reading if you have interest in pursuing an MBA. I think by the time I actually read this I had decided the MBA was not a direction worth investing in - but I owned the book and it's a 'classic' so I figured I may as well give it a read.

Reflections:  There's no question why Collins is one of the kings of business literature - his writing is easily consumed and his research methods and case studies are strong. The hedgehog concept is a brilliantly simple framework for success and the evidence he presents make a strong case. Unfortunately - a not-significant number of the 'great' companies as defined by his team's criteria were later caught with a hand caught in the fraud cookie jar. The added fraud variable adds reasonable doubt to the accuracy of his arguments - but not enough so to invalidate the book or its findings.

Brave New Work - Aaron Dignan

Why I read this: This was the first book I read as a direct result of my AI fueled growth plan and was recommended to me by ChatGPT. During this time work was particularly stressful and I had a certain sense of despair at the thought that I might be enabling a never-ending series of crises that would inevitably end in disaster for my work, my colleagues, and ME! This book was recommended as the first step toward rethinking how I approached my work.

Reflections: Wow. Just wow. My opinion of this book may have been inflated by some combination of desperation and confirmation bias - but reading this book felt like waking up. Dignan confirms what I had been suspicious of - the solution to an organization hurtling off the tracks isn't to seize more control; but rather to relinquish it. Every single person in the organization needs to be motivated and empowered to prevent and fight fires. I don't know if every argument and assertion made in this book is accurate - but I know in my bones that an organization built on the foundations he proposes will be stronger and more successful than an organization built on classic top down command and control.

Blink - Malcolm Gladwell

Why I read this: Malcolm Gladwell is another one of those "have to read" sorts of authors - I picked up this book at a used book sale at my local library. It's not his most popular book - but I had seen it referenced in a few places in the past and figured it was worth a read.

Reflections:  The case studies in this book are fascinating. Gladwell manages to put his finger on the mechanics of intuition and instinct; and how they can be learned and leveraged. This book is likely not as important or influential as "The Tipping Point" - but I found this topic to be wildly more interesting and more widely applicable.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck - Mark Manson

Why I read this: I bought this book years ago. I made it a few chapters in at the time and really liked it, but then life happened and I never finished it and pretty much forgot about it. I ended up reading it because I was having trouble sleeping one night - I didn't want to wake up my wife, and I didn't have my headphones - so I did a quick scan of my eBook library and saw this one sitting at 10 or 15%. Figured I may as well pick it back up.

Reflections: If the title doesn't make it obvious - this book has a certain brashness and candor that makes it far more enjoyable to read than a lot of the dry and dense tomes I had read earlier in the year. In a roster of books on the topic of how to fix the world and make things suck less - Manson reminds us (as a comfort) that sometimes things just kind of suck and there's nothing we can do about. The whole book is like an extended (and vulgar) edition of the Serenity Prayer.

Skunk Works - Ben Rich

Why I read this: Former NASA Administrator Dan Goldin mentioned in a post on LinkedIn that this was one of his favorite 'must read' books. Beyond that - this book has the allure of being about one of the coolest organizations on the planet and it actually falls quite nicely into my research and examination into how you build stronger more functional organizations.

Reflections: This book is a perfect blend of history, case studies, leadership lessons, and personal memoir. I doubt that there is any better literature on how an organization can consistently accomplish seemingly impossible things over a period spanning decades. The stories in this book are strong evidence that an organization's culture is the cornerstone of its success - more confirmation that I'm headed in the right direction.

One Month Check-In

It's been a month since my return to blogging - feels like a reasonable opportunity to take a break from talking about objectives and spend a week checking in on progress and the bigger picture.

 

So going through each objective to give a progress report:

 

Objective 1: PMP

This objective has fallen completely off the rails. The PMP cohort I was a part of at work has been paused until the new year. I'm dedicating a bit of time to studying the PMBOK and doing some PM related learning. But until the cohort starts back up again this objective is basically blocked. 

Because the final step of this objective is an exam that I can't take until after the cohort has completed - I don't want to invest a ton of time exam prepping now since it will likely be 4 or 5 months before I am eligible for the exam.

I'm a bit bummed about this because I was originally hoping to have the PMP locked up before the end of 2025 - but that's life.

 

Objective 2: Strengthen BA Skills

Because the PMP is on pause - This objective has now functionally moved into the top slot. It's also become increasingly relevant because the principal BA on my current project is being (at least partially) rolled off my contract. 

So ready or not - I will be the primary BA starting next week.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't anxious about this. But I've got a great team, and we're all navigating this transition together.

I'm taking this as an opportunity to step up and take ownership for things that I previously would have deferred on - and I am certain that the practical knowledge that I gain the next several months will be far more valuable than anything I might learn from a book, video, or class.

I am spending an hour or two a week consuming BA related courses on LinkedIn Learning to help fill in gaps, and I'm continuing to examine the value in a formal BA credential.

 

Objective 3: Begin Formal Process Improvement Training

I've not gone into detail on this objective yet - but the general intent is to pursue Lean Six Sigma credentials and consume alternative process improvement literature.

While completing that work - I want to find some opportunities to apply the process improvement knowledge I already have and understand.

I haven't formally entered an engagement yet - but I believe I have lined up an opportunity to put these skills in practice starting in January and am currently working on some assessment/analysis frameworks that will be the opening activity in that engagement. 

Will go into more detail on this objective next week, and more detail on this potential opportunity when it's a little more set in stone.

 

Objective 4: Strategic Reading Plan

If you've been following my Monday posts - you'll know that I had a goal to read 100 books this year. Prior to creating my learning plan I was just reading things I already had on the shelf or that were recommended via various channels.

As a part of the plan - I developed a more targeted 'curriculum' of books that are supportive of the other objective areas and that curriculum is the basis of Objective #4.

That curriculum included 7 books from the plan start (Oct 15) through the end of November. I've already completed 6 of those books and am about two thirds done with the 7th.

This objective will get covered in detail in 2 weeks - and at that time I'll talk about which books are a part of the curriculum and why they were chosen.

 

Objective 5: Reignite LinkedIn/Blog Presence

1 month in and this will be my 10th post to the blog. I've established and have been maintaining a regular cadence of two posts a week with an "A" post on Wednesdays and a "B" post on Mondays.

I don't have much of a following yet - I generally only get somewhere between 5-10 views per post. But right now it's not really about the audience, it's about the habit. 

Posting here is a form of accountability and traceability that is necessary for me to be successful on this path.

Maybe the blog will draw a massive audience someday - maybe not. I'll be here either way.

As with Objectives 3 and 4 - I'll be diving deeper into this objective in the coming weeks.

 

Overall

I'm relatively happy with where I'm at - I'm doing the things that I committed to do.

Writing the blog is probably the hardest part - learning things is easy for me. 

Coming here and writing about it is hard.

It forces me to really think about the things that I'm doing so I can articulate them here.

It forces me to accept that I'm not some brilliant thought leader who's dropping never before seen insights
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I've not yet figured out how to appropriately talk about challenges or frustrations from my work - they're a big driving factor in my growth but I don't want to drop dirty laundry here that gets me in hot water.

I've not yet figured out how to appropriately share all of my fears and vulnerabilities while still signaling that I am an extremely capable high performer who will contribute to the greatness of any organization I am a part of.


There's this Mark Manson quote that I keep repeating to myself as I write here:


"You can't be an important and life changing presence for some people without also being a joke and an embarrassment to others."

 

Thanks for reading!

 

CHG 

 

Reading Reflections: March and April Catch-up

I'd like to have my Monday posts be a reflection on whichever book I've read the previous week - but seeing as I'm starting this practice with a massive backlog of books I'd like to talk about I figure I'll reflect on the books I've read this year month by month until I'm caught up. 

 

Once I'm caught up I'll put a bit more depth into these reflections; but until then it's the lightning round.

 

Here's March and April. (I only read 1 book in March)

 

Altered Carbon - Richard K Morgan

This was not my first read of this book - I had discovered the series a few years back as a result of the Netflix adaptation. Not a whole lot of value outside of entertainment - but it's a fun read.

8/10 

Space to Grow - Matthew Weinzierl, Brendan Rosseau

Space to Grow was well written and extremely topical to the program I work with at NASA. The book has an excellent balance of hard data/analysis and approachable storytelling.

This was probably the first book I read this year that prompted a strong desire for discussion. I really wanted a book study group to talk about this with and hear what others had gotten from it.

Economics and the Space Industry are both topics that don't always lend themselves to consumption by laymen - but I found that this book did an excellent job of breaking down both to be very easily consumable.

If you're interested in the commercial space sector - this book is definitely for you.

8.5/10 

 

Four Thousand Weeks - Oliver Burkeman

"Any finite life - even the best one you could possibly imagine - is therefore a matter of ceaselessly waving goodbye to possibility" 

If there was one book I've read this year that I could put in your hands and tell you to read - it would be this one.

I've read tons of productivity books all centered on how to squeeze more work into less time - Burkeman arrives with the antithesis. 

Life is not an optimization problem - it's a short and fragile gift that can only be enjoyed if we take time to enjoy it.

This one is a 10/10, must read, I will buy it and send it to you if you ask me to.

What Life Should Mean to You - Alfred Adler

I'll be the first to admit that this book was probably a bit out of my skill level. It had been referenced in one of the prior books I read and as such was added to my list.

There's probably a whole body of psychology knowledge that would have been a good primer before diving directly into Adler's 300 pages of challenging and dense exploration. There's also 100 years of psychology research that has occurred since this book was written - so there may have been more value reading a more timely work.

All that said - I found the content to be reasonably interesting. I had been entirely unfamiliar with the concepts of individual psychology prior to reading and generally found them to be relatable.

If I'm being honest - there is a degree of quackery underlying all of Adler's assertions - but I expect that comes with the territory of pretty much all early 20th century psychology.

6/10 - There's really no reason why anyone who isn't studying psychology should read this. It's no objectively bad - it's just not likely to be particularly interesting or relevant otherwise.

Influencing Human Behavior - Harry Allen Overstreet

This book was referenced in How to Win Friends and Influence People - which is what brought it onto my reading list.

This was another dense read.

Overstreet argues that influence is a result of understanding - not coercion. To develop influence over others you need to appeal to their values, emotions, and sense of purpose. 

The content and the message were great.

The delivery left some to be desired - there were times that Overstreet comes off as incredibly arrogant and condescending and he never uses one word when ten will do the trick.

But nevertheless a worthwhile read.

7/10 

Decoding Greatness - Rod Friedman

I really enjoyed this book. Friedman's argument/approach is a relatively simple one - mastery and success can be reverse engineered and replicated. 

This book was extremely practical, easy to read, and provides enough evidence to reasonably justify its argument.

It also was the source of a statement that's become a maxim for me: 

"Turn negative feedback into corrective action" 

 9/10

Mastering Conversation Skills - Helen Stone

This is potentially the only truly BAD book I've consumed this year. 

I listened to this as an audiobook because it was free and I was just starting to branch into audiobooks as a way to read. 

This book was bad. An amalgamation of uninformed armchair psychology and nonsensical anecdotes wrapped into a really good guide on how to be an awful conversationalist.

0/10 - If you were someone who struggled with social interaction - reading this book would make you worse.  

Fahrenheit-182 - Mark Hoppus

I also selected this book because it was available for free as an audiobook on Spotify - thankfully it was actually worth listening to.

I have been a fan of Blink-182 for most of my life and was reasonably familiar with much of the band's history.

Mark's memoir offered a great perspective. The band has had so many challenges and squabbles over the past 30 years - and Mark doesn't shy away from talking about them. 

This book felt like a perfect appendix to their album "One More Time"

For Blink fans - definitely worth the read.

8/10 

Objective #2: Strengthen Business Analyst Skills

The second objective on my short term to-do list was strengthening my core BA skills.

At this point I've been in a Business Analyst role for almost 2 years - In that time:

• I've been a key contributor toward planning and executing ~7 major releases and countless smaller ones
• I've become so embedded with my customer and stakeholders that oftentimes I can articulate their requirements better than they can. 
• I've developed unmatched expertise on the program's operations, tools, and people.
• I've helped build incredible chemistry within my team.
• I've consistently met or exceeded ALL of my KRAs (key result areas)

The truth is (and I remind my team of this often) - I have no idea what I'm doing. 

My "formal" BA training was a handful of LinkedIn Learning courses I took back in 2022, and an Udemy crash course that my company had me take shortly after I was hired in 2024.

Everything else I know either comes from various mentors or has just been learned by doing.

 

As it turns out - that's enough to be a pretty damn good BA.

Sometimes I have to remind myself that my consistent success in this role hasn't been by luck or by accident - it's been a result of the fact that apparently I DO know what I'm doing.

But other than a handful of bullet points on my resume - I've got no proof.

 

Reading Reflections: February Catch-up

I'd like to have my Sunday Monday posts be a reflection on whichever book I've read the previous week - but seeing as I'm starting this practice with a massive backlog of books I'd like to talk about I figure I'll reflect on the books I've read this year month by month until I'm caught up. 

 

Once I'm caught up I'll put a bit more depth into these reflections; but until then it's the lightning round.

 

Here's February.

 

How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie

Every now and then a book lives up to the hype. This was one of those cases. It's absolutely unbelievable to me that a book written nearly 100 years ago is still just as relevant, important, and critical today.

I can't say that I learned anything wholly new - I've worked in enough customer facing/sales roles to have been trained on a lot of this content over the years; and it's no question to me that all of those trainings are derivative of the lessons Carnegie teaches in this book.

This is one of a handful of books I've read this year that I would say that every single person should read. No caveats. This book will provide value to truly ANYONE who chooses to read it. 

It's a clear 10/10 

 

The Advantage - Patrick Lencioni

This book was okay - but not Lencioni's best. 

There is a sort of implied condescension layered through this entire book that makes the whole thing feel more like a lecture from a snotty consultant than a call toward doing things a better way.

The content and recommendations in this book are worthwhile - but not particularly novel.

This is a 6.5/10. I don't regret reading it but there are likely better books covering the same topics.  

Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

"The horror, the horror!" 

I don't know what inspired me to pick this one off the shelf. I read it a few times in high school - and figured it was worth another read with 'grown-up' eyes.

For such a short book - this is one of the harder ones I've read this year. It's dense and dark. I'm not remotely qualified to provide a meaningful commentary on this book.

I give it a 7/10 - but with the caveat that it's probably a must read for anyone who considers themselves a highly educated adult 

The Screwtape Letters - C.S. Lewis 

"We must picture hell as a state where everyone is perpetually concerned about his own dignity and advancement" 

I adore C.S. Lewis. His perspective on Christianity was a major influence on my own. 

Screwtape is such a brilliantly simple examination of such a complex topic - and to my mind should be required reading for any Christian who has ever tried to wield their faith as a weapon or tried to claim their own opinions as God's.

This one is an 8/10.

The Catalyst - Jonah Berger

This book was good - but probably could have been about half as long. The core questions/lessons being taught are novel and interesting; but the author spends far too much time setting up stories and relaying anecdotes.

The anecdotes are interesting and generally support his arguments - but there is a sense of confirmation bias to many of them that weaken them. I did not feel that he consistently was able to demonstrate causation. 

All that said - I did enjoy this book - and despite his weak evidence found his arguments agreeable.

7.5/10 

Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck 

This was another case of a book I read in high school that I figured I should read with more grown up eyes. I'm glad I did.

We read a handful of Steinbeck books when I was in school and they never really resonated with me - but this time around it was a different experience.

This is another short book - but there's just so much here. Much like with Heart of Darkness though - I don't feel qualified to provide meaningful commentary.

8/10 - this one really hit a nerve for me.