Category: Reviews

  • Getting Things Done review

    Getting Things Done review

    I have known a lot of people who swear by the Getting Things Done methodology. I have heard that there is even a course on how this works taught at my company! I work in tech, and the reason why so many people in this industry specifically have gravitated towards this method with such zealous dedication1 is a lot more clear after having read the book.

    The method essentially requires that you gather all of your tasks in a single place and assess everything on your list with a flow chart. The first thing you wrote down is the first thing you do, then the next, then the next, without prioritization until it is all done. If it is a big task, it is a project that is broken into smaller tasks, and there’s an emphasis on figuring out what the next action is and just, well, getting things done.2

    It’s a process that’s fairly standardized and explained with just enough vagueness that it could, in theory, be applied to anything. But also enough complication that I think it draws a certain type of person who is also very drawn to software development. And I think the fanbase of this methodology might be part of the reason I have a weird feeling about it.

    I think it’s fine as a starting point, but it is a method that should be adapted and adjusted once you have the initial panic of needing some place to start settled. Getting all of your tasks in one place is a good thing, as is taking time to look them over and assess whether you have to do this now or if you can delegate or get rid of it all together. As a whole, it’s fine for if you have a fairly straightforward life, or if you don’t have a need to get into a flow or have interest-based attention, or even have a lot of interest in doing anything you’re working on. But life my life is a bit more complicated and nuanced, so I don’t think I’ll be taking this method on.

    1. The number of times I have heard that the only reason the method doesn’t work is because you’re doing it wrong… []
    2. Also a bunch of stuff about keeping tasks to zones, which is one of those relics of the time when you didn’t have devices that allowed you to do things in different places. []
  • Skellig review

    Skellig review

    Another YA fiction book for me! Because that’s what I could handle at the time, and it was still taking a bit longer than I’d like to read. It had an interesting concept, and it was for a younger audience so I figured it was about at the range where I could check it out.

    The book follows Michael, a kid who has just moved into a new house that needs a lot of work, and where the whole family is very stressed about his baby sister who is suffering from several health problems. Michael discovers a strange being in the shed that likes Chinese food and doesn’t seem quite human, but does appear to also be dying.

    There’s a very passive and dream-like quality to the book, where things just happen more than Michael taking any actions to drive it onward. There’s a girl named Mina who takes a more active role in the story and actually takes more action in the book while Michael seems to just sit back and stress and wonder and observe the events around him as they happen. He does some mild things, like figuring out and ordering the right food or adding a few vitamins to Skellig’s recovery, but it doesn’t ever really feel like anything would have changed if he didn’t do anything.

    Although some of this might be more about the fact that I didn’t really know how old I was supposed to interpret the characters as. I have since found out that he was intended to be 10, which does make a lot more sense, but I just wasn’t sure while I was reading. Which made the book feel more okay than really good. Also, it might be because it was really intended for much younger readers than me who probably wouldn’t have been as bothered by that.

    But overall, it was an interesting read. Not something I’d pick up a second time, but definitely something that was enjoyable at the time and worth at least checking out.

  • The Now Habit review

    The Now Habit review

    For whatever reason, as my brain was recovering I had a much easier time with nonfiction, so back to the old standby that I already know I don’t like that much: self improvement books! This is entirely my own fault, but who knows, maybe this is one of the good ones?

    Nope. I fully acknowledge that this book is definitely written for the exact opposite kind of person from me. I do not have trouble starting things and, though it might take a bit of time, I’m also pretty good at finishing them as well. This book is very much about getting people to start doing things and getting through the mental blocks that might be preventing them from doing so.

    And no mention that I caught of rolodexes!

    I did like a few elements of it. The idea of unscheduling was interesting and follows some things I find really useful, such as setting maximums on the amount of time you spend on work and scheduling in your breaks and things you do for fun. Having done something similar, I can confirm that it is definitely a thing that works pretty well.

    Ultimately, though, not my thing. I do not have the issues outlined and found some of the pep talks to be a bit abrasive and not accounting for things outside of someone’s control that could be getting in the way. Overall, though, still a few interesting ideas. Check it out if you have trouble starting things!

  • More than this review

    More than this review

    This is the first book fiction I was able to get through with all the brain issues I’ve been having! It took me a lot longer than it usually does (A couple weeks instead of a couple nights) but I was happy to be able to read like I used to in some capacity again. That being said, let’s talk a little about it.

    When he wakes up in the small town of his childhood, Seth doesn’t know why he’s there. He was drowning, surely dead, but somehow he’s alone in the town that his family left ages ago after an incident that left his brother scarred and never quite the same. Throughout the book you learn about what happened as the memories of Seth’s life come back to him and he starts to unravel the mystery of where he is and why he’s there—as well as the others who remain.

    I really liked the first half of this book. The slow reveal of what’s going on and context about Seth is engaging, and the introduction of Regine and Tomaz are a welcome addition so that Seth has another personality to bounce off of. They are very welcome additions to the cast and come with a more positive outlook when Seth’s depression threatens to overwhelm the whole story.

    On the other hand, there’s a twist about half way through where we uncover what’s going on and I found I didn’t like it nearly as much as the prediction that I had in my head. It takes a turn for the sci-fi and tries to have something come in to act as an antagonist when an antagonist feels like a distraction. It also creates a lot more questions that are not answered by the end, and it makes the ending feel more like a stopping point, with very little feeling wrapped up. I don’t mind a stopping point as an ending, but I wish that the story had been a bit less complex in terms of plot and kept more inline with the character study.

    At least, that’s what I wanted at the moment. It might just be a wrong book at the wrong time thing. It’s still pretty entertaining and if you’re up for a book with a sci-fi speculative twist, then you might really enjoy it!

  • Problem Solving 101 review

    Problem Solving 101 review

    I’ve been trying to read and be normal, but I read this while dealing with cognitive issues and after having failed to read a lot of other, more complex books. Like YA novels. But this was frames as a book about problem solving for adults framed around how children do problem solving, so I figured I could handle this one!

    And I finished it.

    The book really is just a walkthrough of problem solving techniques for business with pretty straightforward language and all of the examples are based around kids problems. It’s kind of amazing realizing how difficult some of these techniques are for people in business that I’ve worked with to grasp. Things like “Just ask your audience” and “Test a couple options” are amazingly foreign to a lot of the people I’ve worked with.

    It was exactly at the level that I could handle and it does provide a lot of great insight into how to do some preliminary research to uncover the reasons for a problem before jumping into finding and working out a solution. Just because you think you know does not mean you do, and it’s nice a pretty quick, easy read.

    If you’re having trouble with finding a solution to a problem you’ve been having for a while, or just want to do a book club book with some people at work who think they know exactly what is wrong and what will fix it, this might be a good one to pick up.

  • Measure What Matters review

    Measure What Matters review

    So I’ve had bad luck with business books that are recommended by CEOs and by the people I work for in general. So what about a business book about something that is pertains to something that has been a bit of a pain point and of particular interest to me?

    This book is almost entirely about something called OKRs: Objectives and Key Results. This is a pretty straightforward concept in terms of metrics that measure success. You decide on an objective (We are going to be the best at thing) and figure out what will happen in order for that to be true (NPS score you will hit (Do not ask me about NPS, I will rant at you for an hour), number of purchases, conferences attended, etc.) and then use that as a bit of a guide for the future. Everything you work on should be towards moving those numbers closer to success.

    I will admit that I read this in large part so that I could find something to throw at some of my coworkers who are a little new to the world of measuring success, and I think this is a nice foundational look at how OKRs could be used and integrated, as well as making the case of them being a successful methodology.

    And, you know, I can use them for some of that life stuff.

    It does absolutely make them seem like the only solution as opposed to part of a more robust strategy, but it’s a good starting point. Overall, good read, a lot better and significantly more practical than most business books out there.

  • A Dead End Job review

    A Dead End Job review

    I’ve been needing some fiction after all those books that are supposed to be bettering myself and my life, so I managed to find something that sounded like something I would write. Hitman who is not a good person spared from death so that he could take over for the Grim Reaper while he takes a holiday? Well, maybe not a book I would write, but still very much in my area.

    This book follows Buck, a down on his luck average guy who also works as a hitman. He is set up on a job and ends up being spared from death by an overworked Grim Reaper and takes over trying to kill off the ones who refuse to die. In the process, he discovers the supernatural underbelly of Chicago and a civil war happening, as well as an adorable child who is definitely going to turn out to be dangerous.

    I think I needed this book right now. It was a fun, light, and generally entertaining read that I didn’t feel the need to take too seriously. No heavy subject matter, nothing too intricate, but definitely with a few fun twists here and there. The pacing was quick and I did enjoy how Buck was portrayed as not a dark and serious hitman, but a guy who did it as a job and spent the rest of his time playing D&D and generally getting into other geeky hobbies.

    Overall, it was a lot of fun! There’s not really a lot else to say. If it sounds interesting, it’s pretty quick of a read so check it out.

  • The Four Agreements review

    The Four Agreements review

    So work keeps recommending books. It has not had a great track record so far, but who knows, maybe the next one is going to be the one that I finally like, right? Right?

    Sigh.

    So this book is another one of those books that tries to give you simplified rules for life with a big emphasis of “You are only stressed because you choose to me” which is a lesson that seems to be very popular with these books. This one adds on a very heavy spiritual-not-religious-but-only-talking-about-Christianity angle and at one point mentions Buddhism in a way that makes it clear that the author knows nothing about Buddhism? It was off.

    I’m sure this kind of book is very useful and enlightening to some people. If it helps you to find peace in your life with just four questions, that’s fantastic. I am just ultimately not the demographic for this book, and I really need to stop taking book recs from CEOs.

  • The Art of Taking it Easy review

    The Art of Taking it Easy review

    Hey look, it’s a book that looks like it was written specifically for me! As someone who has absolutely zero chill and has had to force myself to chill out1 this seemed like a good thing to look into. I’d like to know how to take it easy! It is not a skill I have!

    I’m pretty sure this book is just cognitive behavioural theory written in a cute and punchy format, though, which is ultimately not a thing that works well for me. The idea of “Slow down, realize that there’s nothing you can do about it, and let that emotion go” is just not something that clicks well in my brain and is not a practice I can really adopt.

    And the idea of logic-ing yourself out of stress is really the vast majority of the book, which made it a book very specifically not designed for someone like me. That is not to say it is a bad book, just that this was not a book that was ultimately for me. You may have better luck with it.

    1. Chronic fatigue is awful []
  • Time management for the creative person review

    Time management for the creative person review

    How many self improvements books must I read before I figure out how to get my life together? All of them! Surely one of them will give me the trick to fixing my life!

    This book, however, was not the one. That’s not to say it was a bad thing! It’s just that I have read a lot of these and the ideas tend to repeat themselves. I’m starting to think there’s only so much advice, and these sorts of books are very specifically targeted at someone who is disorganized and needs to create an organization system.

    The framing of “Creatives are naturally disorganized and not like those people who have office jobs!” feels as dated as the references to the rolodexes, and there’s a strange amount of charts of data relating to women with children, which makes this feel very 90s-00s. It appears to be mostly a marketing tool, as it’s honestly a book full of strategies for anyone who feels in need of a starting place with a lot of options for things to try.

    For me, though, I’ve read all the elements in this book before. It is admittedly pretty comprehensive, as I don’t think I’ve had a single book cover all of these strategies and topics before, but ultimately it was not the something new I was hoping for.

    It might work better if you’re just starting, but ultimately this was not for me.