Books I've read in April (2011)

Ulysses by James Joyce




This is apparently one of the first and one of the best in the 'stream of consciousness' genre of novels.

My Opinion:

I couldn't finish it. To be quite honest, I couldn't even make it to the 100th page. The book was somewhat confusing to me due to the fact that the majority of the story is dialogue but there are no quotation marks anywhere (at least in the version I was reading) within the text. This was my second time trying. I'll plan to wait until I have ample free time (say a month) before I try a third time.

The Tipping Point - By Malcolm Gladwell



In The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell's first book, he talks about how certain things - diseases, poverty, crime, fads-of-fashion & even the American Revolution in a sense - can spread dramatically through the nurturing or neglect of three types of people. The book also goes in depth looking at what can be done to help spread these things and what can be done to prevent their spread as well.

My opinion:

I've read three out of his four books thus far and I would have to say this one and his more recent book Outliers are a toss-up when it comes to which is more entertaining and informative. I haven't yet read What the Dog Saw. Mr. Gladwell has a way of crafting what would normally seem to be boring and dry statistical & historical analysis - into colorful and informative stories that keep the reader engaged and entertained.One of the most interesting concepts I picked up while reading the book was the "broken window rule"; the idea that if people don't care to repair broken windows in a neighborhood, people likely don't care about more nefarious aspects of the neighborhood as well such as violence, drugs, grafitti...etc.

Personal Development for Smart People - By Steve Pavlina




In this book, internet personal development star Steve Pavlina explains his seven principles of personal development then goes on to give examples on how his principles can be applied in everyday life. Specifically, he talks about mastering the concepts of Truth, Love & Power in his own life and how others can apply these same principles.

My opinion:

This book is good yet different. Pavlina talks about many different things in this book including how he got into video-game programming, how he met and learned from his wife and why he switched from video-game programming to the personal development/self-help arena. A lot of his advice is helpful but, it definitely has a new age 'bend' to it so if you find yourself a more conservative reader beware.