The Start-Up of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career by Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha

The Start-Up of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career by Reid Hoffman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I didn't pick up this book of my own choosing. A chapter or two were required for an MBA class I am in, and due to my nature as a finisher, I have gone back to it over the last few months to finish it off. My four star rating is mostly due to the fact that the overall message resonates with my own observations about the employee-employer relationship these days: the commitment level can change on either side of the equation at any time, so it is best to be prepared. What this books adds to the observation, however, are some ideas of how to prepare. Through guidelines on structuring your online profile, to specific assignments to think through you Plan B, or even your Plan Z, Hoffman and Casnocha make a true effort to provide material value to the reader.

As with almost every business book I read, I feel that it could have been 20% shorter and not missed out on any value at all. Still I would recommend this book to anyone who is a material contributor to the household income. The ideas are universally applicable across industries and political geographies.

Keys to the Demon Prison by Brandon Mull (Fablehaven 5)

Keys to the Demon Prison by Brandon Mull
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hmm, so I really enjoyed this series as a whole, and this was a satisfactory finish. It didn't blow me away though. The plot was an extension of what was already established in the earlier books and seemed a little rushed as Mull was keeping his word on finishing the series here. I see how both Seth and Kendra have matured, and how they still make mistakes, and how they are human. I recognize how much the setting has evolved, with the fantasy world fully explained. Seth ran from one impossible encounter to another, and eventually won his battle with his own "demon." Kendra's position in the fairy world is more secure now, with a long-term love interest to boot. It is hard to put my finger on it after these statements, but I still feel like it could have been more.

After ruminating on it for a bit, I've decided that my first two observations above are really at the core of my concern. First, the plot was clearly laid out, and progressed along a fairly straight line. There were no last minute plot twists (the dwarf's betrayal is the last I remember, and it was fairly early on...) Second, the whole thing felt a little rushed. I appreciate not having days of traveling around from place to place, but either this could have been two books (the first ending with the Fount of Immortality changing hands) or this should have been trimmed a little. The Singing Sisters could have been excluded, for example, with Seth going straight to the Totem Wall.

As usual, don't take my nit-picky criticism to mean that this wasn't a fantastic book/series, I just came away with a single concern that felt like it needed to be voiced. And now I have voiced it.

Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary by Brandon Mull (Fablehaven 4)

Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary by Brandon Mull
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Maybe I'm being too free with my stars on this review, but I am really enjoying this series. It has also been a while time since I have taken time out to read a whole series for recreation, so Fablehaven may be benefiting from my overall love of reading as a hobby, especially in this genre.

So Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary has a couple of intriguing developments, including the big shocker at the end, which I won't discuss here. But I can talk about how well Brandon Mull positions Vanessa throughout the series. She keeps being relevant, but completely unresolved from a reader's point of view. She is like the Snape of Fablehaven, and Snape was a key to the Potter series...

I also like that Mull is not hesitant about diving deeper and deeper into the Fantasy world he has created. For most of the book Kendra and Seth are in a fictional setting, which Mull has complete artistic control over, yet we identify with them as contemporary school children. It is a well thought out plot. I'm looking forward to the finale.