Book Hangover

A defining trait in our species is the will to strive forward. Kalanithi captures that with his posthumously published book that he wrote while dying of stage IV lung cancer and through that journey trying to more deeply understand the purpose of his work, the life he has lived and has left to live, and the lives and…

The book critiques how societal policies are often crafted by intellectual elites lacking direct experience in the areas they legislate. This can lead to decisions that negatively impact those they're meant to help, without accountability or real-world feedback loops. There's a focus on self-serving moral narratives…

An incredibly insightful book by a plastic surgeon who explores how our self-image shapes our behavior and success in life. Even if someone changes their outside appearance, real change begins with your changing your internal view and belief of yourself. Many people fail not due to a lack of ability but because their…

A potent book of some hard truths people don't like to talk about in public. Taraban removes the romantic idealism around relationships and presents them as value exchanges where perception shapes reality. Taraban uses the metaphor of a dock with ships to illustrate dating dynamics, there are captains (those who lead…

The Truth is a gritty, excessive, raw and vulnerable self-exploration by Strauss and philosophical discourse on sex, love and relationships. The books progresses to be a sort of Anti-Thesis to his other book, The Game, although the early parts of the book reveal the sex hungry aspects of his life, and his trials going…

Every important decision you make is influenced by an important cognitive factor many people seem to overlook, perception of time, your internal and personal time zone. In The Time Paradox, Drs. Zimbardo and Boyd draw on over thirty years of research, teaching you about the psychology of time and how you individual…

Being Mortal is a powerful, eye-opening and empathetically written book about how we struggle to cope with the constraints of our biology, with the limits set by genes and cells and flesh and bone. We aren't are properly equipped and prepped to handle end of life decides for ourselves or loved ones. Medical Science…

I LOVE books that counter my views or opinions on things and challenge my belief window. This book convincingly argues that fixed objectives and goals don’t lead to greatness as much as we believe. It argues that rigid planning stifles creativity and adaptability, which are essential for truly innovative achievements.…

An insightful look into how we've lost some core aspects of living in a tribal society, living in an individualistic western culture. The tribal way means willing to make a substantive sacrifice for your community, holding a shared burden, loyalty, selflessness, and a sense of belonging to something larger than…

If Ego is the Enemy, then we're in for an endless war. At any point in our life, we are between the three cycles of Aspire, Success, & Failure. This book was born out of the need for a guide in facing the many obstacles that await through the pendulum of life's journey between these states. The thesis is that your ego…

I felt there was some awesome life impacting gems of wisdom, hidden between random thoughts and rambles. Scott Adams is the creator of Dilbert, popular comic strip known for its satirical office humor about a white-collar, micromanaged office. I was still in elementary school during the comic's peak so I couldn't…

Grab a seat, this captivating thriller, a debut novel Allen Eskens, will sure take you on a ride. I was glued to this story! I should note that I'm giving this bonus points from a 4 up to a 5 because of the excellent narration by Zach Villa on audible which added soo much personality and color to the story, as well as…

A vibrant collection of ideas and images in a condensed format representing some of Marshall McLuhan's core ideas from Understanding Media. Writing in the context of the changing media landscape due to new technologies, this was an interesting view of what a contrarian would think would shake up the media industry. I…