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.
The Inner Game of Tennis
Gallwey's "The Inner Game of Tennis" is a 5-star read, offering concise insights on managing the mental side of peak performance with engaging storytelling.
Building a Second Brain by Tiago Forte
"Tiago Forte's 'Building a Second Brain' is a transformative manual that equips you with powerful methods to declutter and optimize your digital world, much like tidying up your physical space. Introducing the PARA (Projects, Area, Resources, and Archive) and CODE (Capture, Organize, Distill, Express) frameworks, Forte empowers you to create a tailored organizational system.
The PARA method categorizes your digital content effectively:
Projects: Immediate tasks and ongoing work.
Area: Long-term responsibilities managed over time.
Resources: Topics or interests useful for the future.
Archive: Storage for inactive items from the other categories.
Underpinning this, the CODE approach refines content management:
Capture: Preserve resonant information.
Organize: Preserve for practical action.
Distill: Extract the vital essence.
Express: Present the distilled information.
Applying these strategies revolutionized my digital life. Forte's insights eased my initial confusion, and the book's crisp writing made implementation seamless. While the book excels as a comprehensive guide, a broader array of acronyms could elevate it to perfection. I rate 'Building a Second Brain' 4.5 out of 5 stars for its practicality and motivational style. Feel inspired to enhance your digital productivity? Check out the affiliate link below!"
Deep Work
How Not to Die
Discover the power of a plant-based diet in preventing major diseases through Michael Greger's "How Not to Die." This science-backed book delves into the role of nutrition in combating leading causes of death. Although the writing can be repetitive and overly focused on studies, the book offers valuable insights and specific food recommendations. Improve your health and gain knowledge about nutrition. Rating: 4/5 stars.
Think Like a Monk
Embark on a transformative journey with Jay Shetty's "Think Like a Monk" as he shares insights gained from his experience as a former monk. Explore topics like identity and fear, and learn practical ways to incorporate these teachings into your life. A thought-provoking and engaging read. Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
30 Lessons for Living
Discover practical wisdom from the wisest Americans in '30 Lessons for Living.' This insightful book covers career, relationships, and a fulfilling life. A valuable read for anyone seeking guidance and inspiration.
We Are Here
Discover the inspiring stories of 30 Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have shaped the history of the United States in "We Are Here" by Naomi Hirahara. Written in collaboration with Smithsonian Enterprises and illustrated by Illianette Ferandez, this book highlights the diversity and impact of the AAPI community across various industries. While the stories may be short, they offer a glimpse into the upbringing and motivation of each leader. Learn how individuals like Amanda Nguyen, a civil rights activist for sexual assault survivors, and Carissa Moore, the first woman to win gold in the first-ever surfing event in the Olympics, have made a difference despite their backgrounds. Get your copy of "We Are Here" today.
How to American
Jimmy Yang is a Chinese American actor, stand-up comedian, and writer known for starring in HBO’s Silicon Valley, Netflix’s Space Force, and the movie Crazy Rich Asians. In his memoir, How to American: An Immigrant's Guide to Disappointing Your Parents, we walk through Jimmy’s immigrant story from Hong Kong to America and how he pursued became his dream of becoming a Hollywood actor.
So Much I Want to Tell You
Anna Akana is an Asian American actress, comedian, and filmmaker. In 2007, Anna lost her teen sister, Kristina, to suicide. Filled with confusion and strife, Anna found comedy as a way to help process her grief. Ten years later, Anna published, So Much I Want to Tell You, a book centered around letters to her sister about all the lessons she has learned in creativity, identity, career, and relationships.
We Were Dreamers
Simu Liu is a Canadian Asian American actor known for playing the role of Shang-Chi in Marvel’s 2021 film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Through his memoir, We Were Dreamers, Simu walks us through the path of how he eventually reached that role. From the start of his parent’s journey from China to Canada followed by a retelling of Simu’s childhood, the reader has a glimpse of two generations worth of upbringings to paint the story behind the Shang-Chi actor.
Finding Ultra
Rich Roll is a revelating and inspiring athlete who broke all odds of middle-aged alcohol addiction to complete the EPIC5. The EPIC5 is a challenge where competitors cover 250 kilometers in five consecutive days while running a 50-kilometer course on Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island. Rich’s book, Finding Ultra, walks us through his story from childhood to the end of the EPIC5 journey with a conclusion of tips and methodologies for the reader.
Making a Scene
Making a Scene is a memoir by Constance Wu, an actor in the TV show Fresh Off the Boat and the movie Crazy Rich Asians. Constance dives into snippets of her life discussing topics such as family dynamics, sexual harassment, dating, and Hollywood. The stories take place from when she was a child to her time acting in Los Angeles.
The Psychology of Money
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel provides 20 chapters on how to view money through short stories from strangers sprinkled with lessons throughout. Housel focuses on insights surrounding behavior and how that affects finances, rather than viewing it from an analytical perspective.
The 5 Love Languages
The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman breaks down the concept of love into five methods of how people may express and receive love: quality time, words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service, and physical touch.
Drive
Drive by Daniel Pink is a book focused on human desire and what intrinsically motivates the soul in the 21st century. From looking at business organizations to monkeys during an experiment, the case studies highlighted how our biological drive pushes us to conduct different actions.
When Breath Becomes Air
When Breath Becomes Air is a memoir of a Paul Kalanithi, a neurosurgeon, who is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Kalanithi walks us through his story, but also showcases a graceful view on how to face death at its doorstep. This blog post walks through top 3 lessons I learned while on my adventures.
The Four Agreements
The Four Agreements introduces the readers to the Toltecs, an indigenous group from Mexico, to showcase their tradition and how we can utilize their teachings to revise our teachings and agreements with ourselves. This blog post highlights the top 3 lessons learned from this book written by Don Miguel Ruiz
Everybody Writes
Everybody Writes is a phenomenal piece of literature to showcase why writing is much more important now in the digital age. This blog post breaks down the top 3 lessons from Ann Handley’s piece.
Digital Minimalism
Digital Minimalism is a book focused on understanding how we can use social media to its full potential. This blog posts focuses on the top 3 lessons taken away after reading Cal Newport’s book.
Atlas of the Heart
Atlas of the Heart breaks down the psychological meaning of different human emotions through explaining how they develop throughout our lives, change our behaviors, and how to utilize them to build meaningful relationships. This blog is a summary and view of some of the main lessons Brene Brown includes within Atlas of the Heart.