Dreams from My Father

Dreams from My Father – by Barack Obama

 Audiobook narration by Barack Obama, publisher: Random House (audio, 2005)

Dreams-from-My-Father-Barack-Obama

 What I learned from this book

If anyone has ever taken the time to listen to Barack Obama publicly speak, I think he or she would agree with me that he has an extraordinary way with words.  What I didn’t know (and what most people probably don’t either) is that he also has the ability to transform his voice into a wide array of characters – much like a talented voiceover actor. 

I’m not talking about one or two voices, but rather something that numbers in the double digits!  He uses this ability to paint a creative canvas with different voices/characters that he unveils to us are his family and/ or friends.  Whether it was his curmudgeonly (yet likeable) Anglo grandfather from Kansas; the velvety assortment of Kenyan-Kikuyan dialects depicting his late father – as well as other Kenyan relatives (both male and female); his African-American friends and teammates in the mainland U.S.; his Hawaiian peers and other locals; a pinch of Indonesian tongues; and on, and on and on.

What I liked about this book

No matter how impressive I found Obama to be prior to listening to the audio version of his inaugural autobiography, I cannot understate how much more impressive (and relatable) this work made him to me.  I certainly had my doubts as to how he could/ would build the foundation of “an understanding of the dreams of someone he barely knew (i.e. Barack Sr.).”  He also didn’t have access to the recollection of his mother; who also died very young in life.

Yet, I quickly became convinced at how he “filled in all of the blanks” by taking us on his journey to track down those who knew his father best – the side of his family still residing in Kenya.  Without being much of a spoiler, let’s just say he was able to keep from having to “guess” or “manipulate” the details of his father’s life.  He was able to track down how his father became who he was, what was important to his father, what made him tick, and what frightened or distracted him. For those of us who are familiar with absentee, enigmatic and/ or abusive parents, it is a unique and crafty approach to discovering the “secrets of the past” without having to create them from his imagination like most of the rest of us do. 

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A few quick tips for Better Business Travel

Courtesy of: http://anjet.net

Question: How many times have we stumbled off to an early morning business trip – only to realize we are completely unorganized?  Oftentimes, we take a fairly simple process and complicate it by committing the kinds of oversights that we would never tolerate in the office.  Below are a few examples that might sound familiar to us all:

  • The 5-minute shave, shower and shuffle
  • The 4-minute pack ‘n’ push-off
  • The 3-minute coffee – oatmeal – dash (of course, with chin crumbs in tow)

And we aren’t talking about an emergency business trip booked at 2-3 a.m. the morning of, but rather one typically planned 2-3 weeks ahead!

So, where does that leave us?  For starters, let’s make this easier by taking a page out of the old book of common sense:

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The President is Missing – James Patterson & Bill Clinton

by Bill Clinton & James Patterson, pub. 2018, pp. 513

 

What I learned from this book

I learned that there are still some horrifying events that can and may occur in our country at any moment in time.  We tend to consume ourselves with ourselves (selfies, smartphones, reality television, etc.).  What we may not do enough of is pay attention to some of the things that threaten to take all of the fun away from us – permanently. One example of this type of catastrophe (spoiler alert #1) is the one examined in the book – the purposeful contamination of a virus meant to cause a complete and total shutdown of all of the things we take for granted but need each day: clean running water supply, electricity from the grid, internet access – as well as too many other conveniences to mention.

In other words, we may find value in gluing ourselves to every personal experience, but none of it will mean anything without continued access to the things we actually need in order to exist each day. This novel could be looked at as a wake-up call for many of us in America.

Most of us think we’re wide awake, but, in fact, we are mostly “asleep at the wheel” when it comes to the prospects of a true, wide-scale crisis.  I suppose it remains to be seen how serious we can ever get about this or any other type of wake-up call.

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Principles

A BOOK REVIEW

PRINCIPLES

by Ray Dalio

Principles – by Ray Dalio (retired Bridgewater Hedge Fund founder & CEO)

publ. 2017, 592 pp.

 For book info, click our FB link

What I learned from this book

I learned that when someone as successful as Ray Dalio tells the reader that he already has “all he or she needs in life” – with good health, good relationships (family, especially) and integrity in the workplace –  it may time to listen to him and stop feeling like life is always wresting everything away.

What I liked about this book

I liked most the candidness of most everything the author shared. Whether it was his early ‘mistakes’ – like getting fired for punching an early career boss – mistakes and oversights he made as CEO, or the struggles of fatherhood and his interpretation of the work-life balance. Mr. Dalio was much more “down to earth” than most of the big CEO autobiographers we have become accustomed to on Wall Street.

What I disliked about this book

The only thing I thought I disliked about the book in the beginning was the graphs the author used.  They – at first sight – seemed too simplistic.  However, eventually, the author fully explained their origins in the way that the graphs worked for him and his firm. It made much more sense as to how and why they became one of the features of the book.  In fact, one of the points that Ray Dalio drives home to his reader is that he prefers to get his message across in the simplest way possible. He doesn’t seek to dazzle his audience with his message – just that they get what he means and moves on to the next point.

Whom would I recommend to read this book

This book is a great read for any “aspiring or current businessperson” who wants an unfiltered, forthright and thorough examination of what it takes to do the right thing in business. Whether in the middle of the fierce Wall Street jungle – or, in the tamer confines of 123 Main Street.

Any thoughts?

-A.N.

PROFILE

Anthony Newcombe is a 4-time entrepreneur, published author & narrator, and full-stack web developer. He can be reached for appearances via our CONTACT PAGE.

**NOW: The 24-hour Customer

The 24-hour customer

by Adrian Ott pub. 2010, 179 pps.

Sneak Peek: For book info, click FB link

What I learned from this book

I learned that all that we, as e-commerce entrepreneurs, have even less time than we originally feared to capture enough attention to get from “browser to customer.”  I also learned that very few online marketplaces even have a chance to compete with the “big boys.”  We are fighting for the brief attention a very small pool of potential customers who have an endless ability to dump us and head to a close competitor should we not live up to their expectations.

What I liked about this book

I liked the way the author recapped each chapter to provide a brief overview of what we should have gotten out of the previous lesson.  This enables the reader to go back and revisit any areas that he/ she might not have fully comprehended and/ or areas requiring a deeper dive for customization purposes.

What I disliked about this book

The only thing I disliked about the book was the tiny graph size and font.  Even with my reading glasses, I couldn’t make some of the print out – so I ended up skipping ahead because my magnifying glass was nowhere to be found.  In other words, I missed out on some of the areas I wanted to digest further. I just couldn’t see it!

Whom would I recommend to read this book

This book is a great read for anyone of any age who is (or wants) to obtain a customer base. The real lesson is in e-commerce, but I believe it would be equally helpful to those who have face-to-face customer relationships they are trying to build on.

Any thoughts?

-A.N.

The 24-hour Customer by Adrian Ott

For addtional info, visit our FB page http://facebook.com/writeplus1

pub. 2010, ~180 pgs.

Snapshot: A successful Silicon Valley CEO shares strategies to business executives in how to attract and build relationships in this modern age of time-starved and very fickle customers.

 

WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange’s War on Secrecy

WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange’s War on Secrecy

by David Leigh & Luke Harding, pub. 2011, 250 pps.

Sneak Peek: For book info, click FB link

What I learned from this book

I learned that a few tidbits that I thought I’d already known previously.  First, I forgot how many supporters Assange had in the courtroom in England.  My recollection from afar was that the world basically considered him to be an outsider or persona non grata, when, in fact, he became more of a cult-like figure – adorned with big-name stars and even a few groupies in tow.  Second, I wasn’t aware of how targeted Hillary Clinton was during the dawn of WikiLeaks.  It is almost surreal to read some of the descriptions of how her enemies plotted her demise.  It gives a different perspective to the 2016 election and all that has taken place since.

What I liked about this book

I liked the way the authors laid out Mr. Assange’s childhood/ upbringing and showed how his experiences during youth lays an accurate and detailed groundwork for the type of figure he ultimately became.  Basically, no matter what side you are on with respect to how and what Julian Julian Assange does (and has done) with WikiLeaks, it is more easily understood the elements of what makes him tick.

What I disliked about this book

There wasn’t much to dislike about the book.

Whom would I recommend to read this book

This book is a great read for all of those who don’t understand the enigmatic Julian Assange.  When dealing with a complicated and intelligent human being, it is important to take the time and make the effort to understand his or her perspective prior to making judgment of character and/or actions. Hence, no matter which side of the political “side” our reader is on with respect to Assange and WikiLeaks, this work is inarguably an informative and historically important read.

Any thoughts?

-A.N.

 

Playing Hurt

by John Saunders

Quick click: The late ESPN announcer provides in-depth revelation on his lifelong battle with depression.

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Playing Hurt – by John Saunders, published 2017, ~295 pages

What I learned from this book

I learned the same message we’ve heard from childhood that still rings true – “You never judge a book by its cover.”  Or, “Not all things (or people in this case) are as they appear.”  Who would have ever thought that the sportscaster we watched and enjoyed for so long was having such a difficult time even as we watched him?!  

John Saunders really drove home the point that we must all take a step backwards to understand the depths of depression and its effects on an individual.  It is not our place to judge or attempt to “lighten the person’s load.”  This only exacerbates the person’s condition and circumstances. Mr. Saunders explained it as the equivalent of “encouraging someone without use of their legs to get up and run around to improve your outlook on life.”  Hopefully, this is something we all should agree on NOT to do.

What I liked about this book

I liked Saunders’ transparency in detailing his entire experience.  I thought that the book would not have impacted me as much had he held back in any way.  He divulged painful details from dealings with his physically and emotionally abusive father – and an insecure, enabling mother.  The dysfunctional family is no stranger to those of us who grew up in the same era (the 1970s).

However, he managed to do his best to survive as long as he could and made a pretty decent situation out of a disastrous start.  He put to use the same courage that it takes for all of us to rise above a wall of adversity. It’s just a shame that he still ended up passing away in 2016 – still very productive at the age of 61.

What I disliked about this book

This book contains very little for the reader to dislike.  About the only thing I can think of is it was a bit repetitive in the middle section.  However, I’ll give Saunders the benefit of the doubt because he was very committed to divulging “the entirety of everything.”  We all can get a bit wordy when attempting to drive home a point to our reader, right?

Whom would I recommend to read this book

Of course the main demographic I would recommend to read this book would be those who either are suffering from depression or have loved ones who are.  Though disturbing to deal with, I agree wholeheartedly with Saunders in that mental illness is unfortunately considered a “taboo subject matter” in this world that only drives the problem underground and causes more damage than it should in the end.

Any thoughts?

A.N.