Playful Intelligence by Anthony T. DeBenedet

It looks like this book is being re-released as it originally came out on May 1, 2018. There are no notes on this being a new edition so, if you've read this before, I don't think anything has changed.

The author dives into the idea that people with rich imaginations, who are able to re-frame their stressors, are able to go far in life. He talks about Bill B whose job was in danger of being cut every day for ten years. We look at Sheila whose life is one catastrophe after another starting from her birth. These two are just the start of example after example of people who used some form of imagination to make it through hard times.

DeBenedet argues that empathy is a part of imagination and that exercising that muscle can help us to connect with others. That putting ourselves in their shoes can help make us better at our jobs and at life. He also argues that having imagination can help us avoid "anchoring," when our thoughts are so rooted in what we've seen in the past that we can't come up for solutions what is in front of us now. 

For a book that relies on what seem to be true stories, the writing style reminded me of nothing so much as The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. 

Three stars

This book came out May 1, 2018

ARC kindly provided by Santa Monica Press and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

How to Walk into a Room by Emily P. Freeman

I completely missed that this book was based in Christianity but that doesn't necessarily turn me off reading a book. 

I liked the author's posit that endings don't have to be sad. That this may just be a place that we shouldn't be any more. This book is really about finding those times that it's time to leave a place and head to a new one. I have read almost all of the books that Freeman references and enjoyed the way that she wove in the lessons that she had learned from each and why those stories worked with what she was trying to build in her book. 

Four stars

This book comes out March 12, 2024

ARC kindly provided by HarperOne and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Atomic Habits by James Clear

A coworker of mine was talking about this book so I picked it up. It was an interesting premise, boiling down to four steps to develop better habits, all of which seem fairly obtainable. Clear also brings up some other ideas that resonated with me. One was the "Plateau of Latent Potential." He mentions that this is a place where you've been working hard for awhile but not seeing any results. But if you keep plugging away, it will seem like you have sudden results.

Another idea that Clear brings up is the idea of systems vs. goals. Goals are what you are trying to achieve, systems are the way that you get to those goals. These are actually MORE important than the goals themselves as they are markers of how you get to what you need to do.

An idea that really hit home for me is that your identity is tied to the things that you do regularly. That means, the best habits are the ones that help you to define your identity. 

The rest of the book (the bulk of the book) is set on defining the four laws (and their inverses): Make it obvious (invisible); make it attractive (unattractive); make it easy (difficult); make it satisfying (unsatisfying.)

These all made a tone of sense and seem like they could be easily actionable. 

Four stars

This book came out October 16, 2018

Borrowed as hard copy from library 

Opinions are my own

The Art of Noticing by Rob Walker

I would swear I've read this book before but I didn't record it so... but it's a nice reflection on noticing. Walker starts with the eyes, moves to the nose and ears, then explores going out, meeting others, and then being alone. Each chapter has short recommendations with examples of how to do that specific thing and a rating of how hard it might be. Some of the things recommended include looking up, looking at everything in a museum that ISN'T art (as labeled), listening for one particular sound, eating someplace you normally wouldn't, talking to a stranger, describing the night sky.

In a world that is increasingly taken up with microseconds of entertainment, this book teaches us how to relax and refocus our minds on just seeing the world around us. It does get a little tedious and is probably better picked up and put down often (you'd better able to practice), but an overall enjoyable read. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out January 1, 2019

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

Badass Habits by Jen Sincero

Benjamin Franklin had a theory that some people are abstainers and some people are moderators. Jen Sincero is definitely a moderator and seems to assume that everyone else is as well. If you know yourself to be an abstainer, this book is not going to be for you. Otherwise, if you know that you are a moderator and that you love Sincero's books, I think you will delight in this new addition.

Two and a half stars

This book came out December 1st, 2020

ebook borrowed from CloudLibrary

Opinions are my own

My Unedited Writing Year Hope Lyda

What a fun book! If you are thinking about writing a book, this would be a great place to get started. Lyda includes prompts that are both mundane and inventive - from testing your pens to writing about which book you would choose if you only had one you could read for the next year to using a riddle as a story starter.
There are some light religious touches but they are deftly handled and overall this is an enjoyable book. I would definitely recommend this book though I would lean toward getting it in its physical form.

Four stars
This book comes out December 30th
ARC kindly provided by Harvest House Publishers and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

Based on the title, you can probably tell that this book has a LOT of "language" in it, so if that offends you, this is not the book for you. Basically, the lays out the idea that we all care too much, especially in this age of social media. And he seems to present it as a new thought except that this is actually an ancient idea; I would liken it to Aparigraha or "nongreed," basically not wanting what other people have.
Is this a self-help book? Pretty much. Is it disguised by a bunch of fucks and a few shits thrown in? Pretty much. But it's actually not horribly written and has some good gems. If you have read a lot of books like this, there is nothing new. But if you're new to the self-help game, this would be a great starter book.