non-fiction

The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking

Book Notes kitt decided around 11:11 on 20 April 2014 to publish this:

When at Webstock (holy f---, once again, an amazing conference) this year, Liz Danzico gave a great talk about giving up, quitting, and how, "... sometimes, the middle is the end" in projects. The talk was engaging and struck close to my heart in many ways. One of the many books she referenced and drew from was The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking. With a title like that, heck yes, I bought a copy before the conference was over.

The book has 9 sections, ranging from the cult of positive thinking to stoicism to embracing insecurity to the folly of focusing on goals to accepting death as a way of life to negative capability. Each section / chapter has a central theme, some story or author adventure, and a suggestion on how this different way of not-embracing positive thinking has helped others and can help the reader in leading a better life (for their definition of better).

Having read a number of studies about how positive thinking doesn't really work in many cases, as it's essentially sticking your head in the sand about reality, and that visualizing achieving your goals causes your brain to reward you for already having achieved them reducing your desire to continue to pursue them, I was eager to read this book.

It did not disappoint.

Predictably Irrational

Book Notes kitt decided around 16:48 on 4 January 2014 to publish this:

I tried reading Predictably Irrational (affiliate link) about a year ago. I made it about half way through before other books captured my attention. I restarted it at the beginning last week and read through it rapidly. Totally worth reading it. I recommend it highly.

The basic premise of Predictably Irrational is exactly what the title is: people don't act rationally with a lot of things, yet that irrational behavior is somewhat predictable. The book is a gentle introduction to behavioral economics, which doesn't believe that people act completely rational when making decisions about their economic well-being (that rationality being a fundamental belief in most economic models people know about). The book explains that people do a lot of odd things, describes experiments that address the odd things, and gives the outcomes, explanations, and interpretations of the results.

There are immediate applications of the explanations, both from an offense (I'm trying to sell you something) and a defense (I'm trying not to be hoodwinked into buying something I don't really need / want) perspective. The chapter on Free! is great, as well as the section on how we overvalue what we own more than if we don't own it; which explains why, say, people selling an item (car, house, thingy) always want more than the non-owners are willing to pay. We all suck at making decisions when we're sexually aroused, and oddly how price affects the effectiveness of placebos.

Behind Closed Doors: Secrets of Great Management

Have Read Yeah, kitt finished writing this at 15:28 on 16 October 2013

My bookcrossing.com review reads "Great book for new and seasoned managers alike. A good overview on both what good managers do and why they do what they do."

The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How

Have Read Written with a loving hand by kitt some time around 15:29 on 28 August 2013

My bookcrossing.com review reads, "Unlike Malcolm Caldwell books that use anecdotes to support the author's theories, Coyle uses scientific data to explain how talent grows and show how even untalented people can become talented. Worth the read. Worth the sharing."

Damn Good Advice (For People with Talent!)

Have Read kitt decided around 15:31 on 30 July 2013 to publish this:

My bookcrossing.com review reads, "Not so much advice as 120 things George thinks worth saying"

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