Four stars. I'm surprised of never hearing about this book, now in a 25th Anniversary edition. By Paulo Coelho, it is a well-told parable of the journey of a young man who loves to travel, and seeks his treasure, based on a recurring dream, at the pyramids of Egypt, a continent away. I'm not an … Continue reading Book Review: The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho
Category: Books and Media I Recommend
Book review: Spaceman – Mike Massamino
Mike (his NASA colleagues call him 'Mass' and so will I) is an amazing storyteller. If you read this book, maybe consider getting it on Audible.com, as ‘Mass’ narrates his own words and journey. Mass’s New York accent is working class-cool and fits right in with ‘The Right Stuff.’ But, instead of death-defying Air Force … Continue reading Book review: Spaceman – Mike Massamino
On Master Cleanse (or, is CT Lin crazy?)
Thanks to @ToddMeier, one of my IT colleagues at UCHealth. He explained to me the benefits of periodic modified fasting. This discussion put me on to watching a documentary about the Science of Fasting on YouTube, and then of course reading the book "Master Cleanser". https://www.amazon.com/Master-Cleanser-Stanley-Burroughs/dp/1607966077/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1530113549&sr=8-1&keywords=master+cleanse+book Of course, I do not subscribe to non-medical claims … Continue reading On Master Cleanse (or, is CT Lin crazy?)
Book review: The Better Angels of our Nature
Whoo. Four stars. OK, 5 stars for philosophical arguments and hard science content, 3 stars because it is hard to listen to for hours on end. This is an important book, and one that argues that over the time scale of humanity (decades, centuries and millennia), instead of at our puny scale of 24-hour news … Continue reading Book review: The Better Angels of our Nature
Coursera: Yale’s “Science of Well-Being”
Dr. Laurie Santos, Yale U. Here we are again, learning from a MOOC (massive, open, online course). This time, I read an article by the NYTimes regarding Laurie Santo's massively popular Yale course for undergraduates called Psychology and the Good Life. It was apparently, the most popular course at Yale, ever. So, it was … Continue reading Coursera: Yale’s “Science of Well-Being”
Book review: All The Pretty Horses
Rating: 5 stars. Another book pilfered from my daughter's bookshelf, reading for her seniors English course. Published in 1992, and a National Book Club winner. The first paragraph is astounding, a panoply of senses, wistfulness, loneliness and a tremendous sense of loss. Read that first paragraph here: https://books.google.com/books/about/All_the_Pretty_Horses.html?id=BN2JDQAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button Polysyndeton is one of many words my … Continue reading Book review: All The Pretty Horses
Book review: Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson
This is a fascinating speculation into the future of human space travel to the Stars. What would happen if you were born, the sixth generation to live on a starship? What if your planet destination was questionably habitable? What if your cohort decided to return to star travel? What if things progressively went wrong? What … Continue reading Book review: Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson
Book Review: Between the World and Me
Five stars. This is thin ice for me, a well-assimilated Asian, reading and commenting on the African-American experience of disenfranchisement. I'm currently immersed in the world of West Baltimore: 'powerdisking' seasons of The Wire, amazed at the lingo, the culture, the down-and-out police and detectives who get up every morning to face the jungle, in … Continue reading Book Review: Between the World and Me
Book Review: The Mezzanine – Nicholson Baker
Five stars. I’m re-reading this book, out loud, with my family as we travel on vacation at the end of a hard working summer by both teens and both parents (delayed post from August). On our travel across the expansive Colorado landscape, it is fun to break open and read (in chapter-sized chunks) a book … Continue reading Book Review: The Mezzanine – Nicholson Baker
Harvard Business Review: How to save a meeting that’s gotten tense.
https://hbr.org/2017/12/how-to-save-a-meeting-thats-gotten-tense?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=hbr I have a love-hate relationship with the Harvard Business Review. First, I think many of their articles are well-written, thoroughly researched, or illustrated well with specific business cases. I often learn a great deal about my own work through this mirror. On the other hand, it is like drinking from a fire-hose. Subscribing to … Continue reading Harvard Business Review: How to save a meeting that’s gotten tense.