Book Reviews
Books are one of the sacred tomes where we can journey through the life of another person from the past. You obtain a glimpse of what they learned to build this creation. Join Kevin on his own path of reading these books as we discuss some of the highlights and lessons from the teachings of others.
New book reviews come out every other Monday.
Beyond Individual Dreams
Imagine returning from a long workday to your dream home. The things you have strived for have all come true. Yet, there’s a sense of going through the motions. What’s next? Enter – the second mountain.
Relationship is the driver of change — Community is woven through love-drenched accountability.
On Writing Well
A book you will revisit. The chapters walk through the full journey of a writer. Some chapters are better for starting and others for revising or finishing. Zinsser provides in-depth examples for analyzing written text and says what’s good and bad about them. I skimmed through a lot of it, but did find the morals good for writing my piece. My ratings are as follows: timelessness (5/5), clarity (4.5/5), entertainment (3.5/5), education (4/5). Overall, a ~4/5 read.
The Most Good You Can Do
Overall, a good book to explore community service and explore how to expand how much good you do in this world by helping others. It covers an expansive set of causes to consider and think about while explaining effective altruism. Some sections dove too deep and didn’t interest me as much leading to a lower rating.
What Makes Love Last
Decent book filled with tests to check in through your relationship. The mathematical theory was backed-up well, but the book itself had a much more research-paperesque vibe to it. Overall, a good read with tidbits of supportive material for building relationships that can be revisited on a case-by-case basis.
Antifragile
One of my favorite books in a long time. This book is statistically built to enhance the courage to make decisions given the variability of nature. The inclusion of graphs and tables prevents additional ways for the reader to understand deep concepts in a very simple way. A fascinating read I would revisit and recommend to anyone.
Time is Now
A comprehensive book outlining the changes in technology and where AI is heading in the future. This book encapsulates the direction and usage of AI well along with what is to come in the future. Raj’s journey includes tidbits of navigating career development. Overall, this book has many informative and valuable pieces of knowledge for innovators and forward-thinkers.
The Book of Boundaries
This book is a boatload of different scenarios for you to set boundaries in your life. This led to it feeling a bit redundant while going through it. Some chapters may resonate, whereas others are less so due to the circumstances we’re all in. Overall, a good guidebook, but not something that stands out too much.
Bird by Bird
A quick read with insightful notes throughout for any writer or creative. There are aspects of the deeper meaning of writing that resonate well wherever you are in life. It covers all the dimensions from writer’s block to the first draft to fully encapsulate the writing process.
Bloodlands
A difficult book that takes a long time to digest. This tome was the first of books I didn’t finish due to the depth of its vocabulary and the amount of detail included. Overall, it’s insightful for a historian, but not something I would recommend to the casual reader.
The Creative Act: A Way of Being
A tome providing a vastly different perspective into art & creativity. Rick Rubin’s writing is concise and to the point with chapters of less than 10 pages. This book is one where you would want to return to a chapter every so often through a creative project. Rubin tells concepts very well including real-life examples consistently, but some chapters lacked this imagery. Nevertheless, a transformative read overall.
The Denial of Death
This is one of those books that challenges your whole perception of reality. The vocabulary and discussion points are one where you will have to sit and pause to think about them for a bit. Concepts not typically discussed are brought up and it is an uncomfortable read at times. Overall, a book I would revisit again to have that same stimulation.
Being Mortal
A deep book that makes you face the realities of old age and the tough decisions that need to be made. Gawande presents questions and stories vividly of what questions to ask when you have such little time remaining. This book is one that, while slow at times, is a reminder of what truly matters.
Skid Road
Insightful book on the history of Seattle. Stories of the development of Harborview Medical Center, the University of Washington, and other large institutions were eye-opening even for someone who lived here. The stories tended to drag on with added information and while thought-provoking was sometimes boring.
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant
Concise and rich book of wisdom for wealth, happiness, and values. A little bit of insight for everyone no matter what age or area of life you are at. My favorite part was learning about happiness because of how Naval translates this emotion into tangible actions for us to control.
Diary of a CEO
Great read on the fundamentals of life. Chapters are short and precise with notable quotes from inspirational figures. Some laws were questionable such as “Create a Cult Mentality”, whereas others like “Never compromise your story,” were pivotal. Contains snippets of wisdom for anyone navigating business and relationships, especially people in their 20s. Would re-read some laws again.
Permission to Come Home
Immersive book to dive deeper into many different pieces of what Asian Americans struggle with such as navigating two cultures and choosing to make your own decisions. This book opens up sides like grieving and failure to evolve the narratives. That being said, I did not find the rest stops containing reflective questions as useful. Extremely deep book overall and would reread it.
Minor Feelings
Eye-opening book on cultural criticism and racialized consciousness in America. Hong provides an awareness of multiple problems experienced by people of color. Well worth the read for anyone interested in cultural identity and the history of Asian immigrants in America.
Work Clean
One of the best productivity books I’ve read. The breakdown of the kitchen landscape with the hands-on exercises provides a systematic view to translate into other areas of life.
Think Again
Good book on conflict management, rethinking thoughts, and curating environments of growth mindset. Visuals included throughout were a major plus. Would re-read it in the future.
The Compounding Effect
In Darren Hardy's 'The Compound Effect,' discover the power of small actions for big results. This insightful book emphasizes the importance of mentors, momentum, and self-improvement. While it offers no groundbreaking revelations, it's a valuable reminder on building lasting habits. Read this review for key takeaways.