I first found Anne Bogel when a friend of mine suggested that I listen to her podcast: What Should I Read Next. I was hooked from the first episode, aI first found Anne Bogel when a friend of mine suggested that I listen to her podcast: What Should I Read Next. I was hooked from the first episode, and not only because of Anne's soothing voice and the discussion about all things books and reading, but because Anne really seemed to be able to discern exactly what people wanted in a book, at a deeper level than just "a good story."
I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of Reading People, and I dove into it right away. In each chapter, Anne tackles a different personality framework (some popular, some less well-known) and argues that by being purposeful about knowing ourselves, we can then learn to better understand people around us. She intersperses science and explanations with experiences from her own life (and some from literature) that illustrate her points.
It's a fantastic book. Very well-researched and supremely readable. She manages to give us a ton of information without overwhelming the reader, and in fact, I felt even more motivated to dive into personalities after I was finished. Especially as I started to make connections to myself and the people I love. I feel like a learned more about myself--especially in her sections about highly sensitive people (which comes down to having a more sensitive nervous system) and I loved the reminder about love languages and how I needed to think about that with my children.
I really enjoyed this book, and recommend it to anyone who is interested in how understanding different personality types can help strengthen their relationships.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley....more
I loved this book. It was touching, it was heartfelt, it had beautiful writing. It referenced some of my very favorite poems, and others I have never I loved this book. It was touching, it was heartfelt, it had beautiful writing. It referenced some of my very favorite poems, and others I have never read. The author blends his love of literature and his experiences as a neurosurgeon (and eventually with his own terminal diagnoses of lung cancer) in his quest to understand what makes a "virtuous and meaningful life." This memoir touched me in a way I didn't expect. I worried it would be depressing, and though I did get teary at times, it was an uplifting, life-affirming read.
"I began to realize, coming in such close contact with my own mortality had changed both nothing and everything. Before my cancer was diagnosed, I knew that someday I would die, but I didn't know when. After the diagnosis, I knew that someday I would die, but didn't know when. But now I knew it acutely.[...]The fact of death is unsettling. Yet there is no other way to live." --Paul Kalanithi (p. 132)
I LOVED this book. Elizabeth Gilbert explores what it means to live a creative life. I feel like she's super practical (don't quit your day job, don'tI LOVED this book. Elizabeth Gilbert explores what it means to live a creative life. I feel like she's super practical (don't quit your day job, don't be tortured, don't leave all your family and friends to chase after your creative dreams) while also being fantastical (ideas are a shared, universal substance divine in nature, that the entire creative process is like magic).
I felt like the message of this book was a good one for people who find themselves feeling like they are missing some sparkle in their life and need courage to take up a creative hobby. Or who are trying to live (or make a living off of) a creative life and get weighed down with the pressures of expectation and the business side of it all.
My biggest take-away from this was the idea that it's okay to be creative for the sake of being creative. There doesn't have to be another reason. I can write the stories I want to write (or crochet, or dance or make beautiful dinners) just because it gives me joy. That's reason enough....more
From the author's words: "This is a book about the modern experience of mortality--about what it's like to be creatures who age and die, how medicine hFrom the author's words: "This is a book about the modern experience of mortality--about what it's like to be creatures who age and die, how medicine has changed the experiences and how it hasn't, where our ideas about how to deal with our finitude have got the reality wrong."
I absolutely loved this book. The author, Atul Gawande M. D., gives us a well-researched book that explores the limitations of our current "fix-it-at-all-costs" medical system. He makes a good case for recognizing our mortality and finding the courage to have hard conversations with aging parents or relations with terminal diagnoses about what's important to them.
Filled with social studies, case studies, and stories, Gawande has written an intensely relatable and readable book, that will touch almost all of us on a very personal level.
Intense. I was torn between needing to put the book down to take a step back from Louie's story and having to finish it to see what happens.
Very inspIntense. I was torn between needing to put the book down to take a step back from Louie's story and having to finish it to see what happens.
Very inspirational. There were a few parts, especially toward the end, that brought me to tears. It reminded me that we can't choose what happens to us in this life, but we can choose how we react.
I don't read a lot of nonfiction, but I found myself really enjoying this book. I finished it quick and really found his argument interesting. I'd recI don't read a lot of nonfiction, but I found myself really enjoying this book. I finished it quick and really found his argument interesting. I'd recommend it to people who are looking for marketing insight, who like to read about a lot of social studies, or who are looking for an interesting nonfic read....more