Recent Readings

I've been plowing through books recently. Here's what I've covered so far this year, in chronological order:

Joseph Smith’s Relationship with God -- Some interesting points. I liked it.

The 8th Habit -- Covey probably should have stopped at 7.

Made to Stick -- Very good. I will "reread" this one.

Great Speeches of the 20th Century -- Funny how the political speeches all pretty much sound like they could still be given today.

The Tipping Point -- My third time through this book. I'm a big Gladwell fan. He is a fascinating storyteller. See Blink below for more...

Principle Centered Leadership -- Very good stuff.

Hebraisms in the Book of Mormon -- Like chiasms, there are unknown gems in the text.

The Wisdom of Crowds -- My second read of this one. I recommend it.

Blink -- Probably my third time through this one. Very good. For a taste of the unusual author, watch this...

Words that Work -- Some will find the author's approach and background unsavory. He has some very good points, though.

25 Things to Say to the Interviewer to Get the Job You Want -- Pretty hoacky

Analyzing Financial Statements -- A snoozer

Freakonomics -- My second time through. I disagreed quite strongly with most of his conclusions the first time through. This time it was less offensive. I still think he is wrong on many topics. Despite having said that , I recommend it.

Rich Dad's Guide to Becoming Rich -- Robert Kiyosaki has become an industry unto himself, but he has some very good advice.

How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less -- Pretty weak. I lost interest about 1/3 of the way through it.

Super Crunchers -- Very closely related to Freakonomics & The Wisdom of Crowds. I recommend it.

The Birth of Plenty -- Similar academic tone as Collapse. I liked it. More on one particular finding of this book in a future post.

Woman in White -- Becky recently read this in her book club. She was so excited about it that I decided to read it as well. A good read. I recommend it.

A Perfect Mess -- A few good points. I think the authors wanted very badly to find evidence for a position they supported.

Crashes, Booms, & Panics + Government Regulations -- Decent info and history of the markets

22 Immutable Laws of Marketing -- My second listen to this book. Most of the examples seem quite anecdotal. I would like to see examples backed by stronger evidence.