Reading Reviews- April 2013

The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker

     This book was recommended to me by a self-defense instructor.  It covers the psychological aspects of being violently attacked.  It is fourteen chapters of people who did it wrong and got victimized, then chapter 15 says not to worry so much.  Despite myself and that last cynical sentence, the message of the book is solid: 1) Trust your gut. If something or someone makes you feel uncomfortable, pay attention to that feeling.  2) Worrying about all the bad things that could possibly happen actually dulls your natural instincts to protect yourself from real danger.  3)Safety before manners.  Women stop being polite to people (especially strangers) who make you feel uncomfortable.
Verdict: Read it!  Then sign up for a self-defense course.

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

     I finally got the legit copy, after getting The Cloud Atlas by mistake.  According to my Kindle, I read 3% of it.  It is just not an interesting read. Really I have nothing else to say about it.
Verdict: Not my style.

Dancing Dogs by Jon Katz

     This is a collection of story stories about dogs- one of my favorite topics. Based on the title, I expected happy stories. Most of them were about dogs dying or people dying or dogs and or people getting old. They were good stories, I was just expecting something more uplifting.
Verdict: Do you like to cry? If yes, then don't wait any longer to get this book!

Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg

     The world has changed and unfortunately our society and institutions haven't caught up yet.  Each chapter could be a stand alone short story, but  together it weaves into a larger narrative of navigating career, family and a personal definition of success. I loved chapters 1-6-  I wish someone had told me this stuff in my twenties. Chapters 7-9 focus on how to get married, have babies and not feel guilty about working a million hours, so I did not feel it applied to me.
Verdict:  I wanted to love this book, but the last chapters were a big conventional yawn fest. Despite that, I would still recommend this book because the current workforce norms need to be shaken up and modernized.

The False Friend by Myla Goldberg

     The premise is that this is a mystery story, but actually it is about bullying. The ending is abrupt and confusing. I actually tried using Google and Wikipedia to try to understand the ending.
Verdict: I still have no idea what happened?

Salt, Sugar and Fat by Michael Moss

     This book dives into the manipulative practices of the food industry.  They have learned to exploit our biology and get us to consume food products that make us fat and sick.  The chapter entitled "Is it cereal or candy?" pretty much sums it up.  I had a hard time reading this book and ended up skimming it. It was like a bunch of drug pushers justifying their industry practices.  It is a good book with facts and stories, just a hard topic for me to stomach.
 Verdict: Processed food is evil! If you need convincing or specific examples, please read this book.
   
We Are All Weird by Seth Godin

     The author calls this his manifesto against mass production and marketing and encourages everyone to embrace their inner weirdness.
Verdict: It is a weird read.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

     I am not usually a sci-fi fan, but I like this one! Written in 1968, this story was surprisingly original and fresh. It takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where people the main character hunts down fugitive androids and wants to own a real animal. The story has a lot of heart.
Verdict: Highly recommend!

World War Z by Max Brooks

     Spoiler alert- the movie comes out in June, but it will probably take a different spin on the post-zombie wars.  Rather than focus on the zombies, this is about the humans that survived. Their decisions, conscious and sacrifices during war time.  Coping with fear and keeping hope alive are central themes.
Verdict: It was interesting but depressing. I am guessing the movie will have a more traditional happy ending.

Articles of Interest:

Worrying really is a waste of time http://www.huffingtonpost.com/karl-a-pillemer-phd/how-to-stop-worrying-reduce-stress_b_2989589.html?utm_hp_ref=women&ir=Women

This is an article written by one of my CrossFit coaches about raising girls to have body confident. Strong is the new skinny:  http://www.buildingabetterathlete.com/creating-a-healthier-society-of-girls-5-tips-for-parents-and-coaches/