Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting out of the Box by Arbinger Institute

Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting out of the Box by Arbinger Institute
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Yes, I am giving this one 5 stars, and it is a self-help book. I first read this back in 2008, and so this is a re-read for me. The basic idea of this book is that we all struggle with the ability to constantly view and treat others as human beings--with interests, wants and needs--rather than as objects. Basic, but deep. In my opinion, this goes on my Must Be Read By Everyone list under the topic of Human Relations, similar to how Robert Kiyosaki's book, Rich Dad Poor Dad, is a must read under the money topic. Do what you have to to get your hands on this one.

So let me just list the reasons this is a must read:
1. It is written as a narrative, making the non-fiction subject matter extremely accessible and consumable.
2. It is succinct. It gets to the point and makes the point.
3. It rings true. I use this expression frequently when I can't think of a better way to describe the feeling to the general public. The gist of this is that when you are reading it, there are certain parts that when you read them you just know there is truth at the heart of the message. You just know.
4. It is applicable.

I do have one key complaint. It seems to end abruptly, while hinting that this is just the first phase out of three. I'd like the rest of the story please.

Previous Review from 2008

Born to Run by Chris McDougall

Born to Run by Chris McDougall
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So lets deal with the superficial stuff first: Yes, this is an inspirational book, and yes, it makes me want to rip off my shoes and run down an antelope. Aside from that I am rating this book down a couple of stars for other faults it has.

First, I spent way to much of my time hearing about partying runners or travel-log type narratives that I don't think were necessary to the message of the book. Why do I need to know that Jenn got drunk every other night? It doesn't matter, and it wasn't necessary to building her as a character in this book. I thought that this was the kind of thing that editors were supposed to fix. Also, what was up with the swearing? Again, things happen in real life that don't have to end up in the memoirs.

Second, while he did a good job of maintaining interest by avoiding a totally linear narration through out the book, I thought it was too much. Every time I turned around we were telling another side story, back story or learning about the history of the shoe industry. I liked the content, it just seemed so sporadic. I feel that the book would have been improved with a little more organization, keeping the primary objective in mind.

The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans

The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It took me a while to get into this book, but I'm not sure why. It just felt like the introduction to the characters in the high school setting took a long time, but in the end it seemed proportionally correct to the rest of the book. While I like the action at the end, it did feel like they basically just let Hatch go at the end. Characters that desperate would have not hesitated to take him out. But that is how it goes when you are trying to set up a series, and an extended revenue stream. It was very Hollywood of Evans.

I like the concept of electric children as a way to mix sci-fi and fantasy. While it follows scientific laws we all have some understanding of, it takes the form or role of magic powers. I like the mix. I do think that Evans needs to watch the 'dark' aspect of the story. Describing torture is kind of a hard core thing, and while I get that YA books are getting darker, there are limits, depending on your audience. For example, Harry Potter had the cruciatus curse, but I don't think it wasn't really used in a descriptive scene until the fifth book.

While I don't think this is the best book I've read from this genre, I'm looking forward to seeing where this saga goes. He has me for at least one more installment.