More books!
I am behind!
Packing for Mars by Mary Roach -- recommended to us at 4th Street by tiger_spot, and boy, was she right! This book takes a peek at the various research NASA has done to develop the technology to get people into space, from zero-g toilets to flash-frozen rats on centrifuges, in a way that's both quirky and yet totally enthusiastic and reverent for the science of it. It's not a crunchy list-o'-facts book, nor is it a deep or academic exploration, but it's nevertheless fascinating. Plus, her dry humor is great. I loved it and can't wait to read her other books.
Appreciate Your Life: The Essence of Zen Practice by Taizan Maezumi -- this is not a beginner-level book. I don't know how advanced it is, since I am a beginner, but most of it was over my head. I really enjoyed it anyway, though. The author's voice is really engaging and he seems like such a genuinely nice person. If I ever get serious about studying Zen, I'd love to come back to this and see what I think.
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven R. Covey -- checked this out as part of a "professional development" program at work. I guess I assumed "effective" referred to time management or something, but it's really about getting people (mainly business partners, employees, and kids) to help you get the results you want. What really bugged me was that he never addresses what to do when someone resists going your way. Not to say that because a system doesn't work literally 100% of the time, it's irredeemably broken -- but for all he talks about understanding people as individuals and meeting them on their level, there's a strongly implied "if you just do A, B, and C in the correct order, the automatons will produce X, Y, and Z." I dunno, I'm sure the book is helpful for lots of people, but I didn't feel like it really applied to my work or home situations. Also, while I'm sure the concept has a lot of merit, "P/PC" is a confusing and dumb name for it.
Packing for Mars by Mary Roach -- recommended to us at 4th Street by tiger_spot, and boy, was she right! This book takes a peek at the various research NASA has done to develop the technology to get people into space, from zero-g toilets to flash-frozen rats on centrifuges, in a way that's both quirky and yet totally enthusiastic and reverent for the science of it. It's not a crunchy list-o'-facts book, nor is it a deep or academic exploration, but it's nevertheless fascinating. Plus, her dry humor is great. I loved it and can't wait to read her other books.
Appreciate Your Life: The Essence of Zen Practice by Taizan Maezumi -- this is not a beginner-level book. I don't know how advanced it is, since I am a beginner, but most of it was over my head. I really enjoyed it anyway, though. The author's voice is really engaging and he seems like such a genuinely nice person. If I ever get serious about studying Zen, I'd love to come back to this and see what I think.
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven R. Covey -- checked this out as part of a "professional development" program at work. I guess I assumed "effective" referred to time management or something, but it's really about getting people (mainly business partners, employees, and kids) to help you get the results you want. What really bugged me was that he never addresses what to do when someone resists going your way. Not to say that because a system doesn't work literally 100% of the time, it's irredeemably broken -- but for all he talks about understanding people as individuals and meeting them on their level, there's a strongly implied "if you just do A, B, and C in the correct order, the automatons will produce X, Y, and Z." I dunno, I'm sure the book is helpful for lots of people, but I didn't feel like it really applied to my work or home situations. Also, while I'm sure the concept has a lot of merit, "P/PC" is a confusing and dumb name for it.