Book Reviews

Subtitle is: Rebels, Rusticators, and the Struggle for a Forgotten Frontier.

Having lived here in Maine since 1984, I have always been fascinated with this “Maine mystic” and although I’ll never be a “native” I think my kids will be (at least I hope so).

The author takes us back to the beginnings of the Maine settlements before we were part of Massachusetts even and how those hard nosed Scots and Irishman settled the Mid Coast and the French settled DownEast (next to New Brunswick) and how that made a difference in the independence that has become a personality trait of Mainers.  I love that he speaks about a fish house built on Monhegan Island (my wife and my favorite places) that was built in 1780 that is more than 170 years AFTER the first Europeans began fishing here!

The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach To Getting The Life You Want.  By Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph. D.

This book came recommended to me at a Pre-Conference session I attended at NCDA in Boston this year.  A curious title for a curious Peacock 🙂   I knew I liked this when I read this quote from Aristotle, “Different men seek after happiness in different ways and by different means, and so make for themselves different modes of life…”

Once again, Khaled has taken me to Afghanistan with this story about how lives were affected by the numerous recent wars in Afghanistan. He shares the struggles and horrors of how families had to survive during the wars and the Taliban take over. In particular this story about two women’s lives and how they were affected.
Great book, did not want to put it down.

An interesting book about how people think. Talented people who can anticipate events effectively “chunk” data together and look for themes as a way to decide what to do. Wayne Gretzky the famous hockey player did NOT have size, speed, or a great shot. What he had was the ability to anticipate what was going to happen.

The authors use a number of different examples to show how raw data alone does not make for good decision making. It is the ability to chunk large amounts of data into a decision that often “feels” right.

This is a great book for college students, if we can get them to read it!

I found myself thinking “this is exactly what I have been telling students for years” so many times and Lindsey has written this in an easy to read, 90 things to do, and concrete format.

I also stumbled on a number of new ideas which would be helpful to anyone looking for work. She speaks their language, yet challenges college students to step out of their comfort zone of texting and “get out there”.

I highly recommend this book to all college students…. including my son who graduated last year and is looking for work again 🙂
If I can only get him to read it!