While I have read this book previously, I recently reread it with a fresh perspective and I am happy to say that it still holds up. Fried's articulatiWhile I have read this book previously, I recently reread it with a fresh perspective and I am happy to say that it still holds up. Fried's articulation of a stance is, for me, the soul of his book. As I continue through my teaching/coaching career, I see the value of a stance because of how it impacts every choice that I make in all facets of my work (like planning and student/teacher interactions, to name a couple). Fried assumes that readers of the book have a common element in their stances, that they care deeply about teaching. Their reasons for caring deeply may be mostly because of caring for students or mostly because of caring deeply about their subject (for high school teachers), but those who get the most out of this book are likely those that have that trait in common with Fried....more
I've been thinking a lot lately about how we conceptualize and frame our own work and learning. Schön's work is fantastic for this because his centralI've been thinking a lot lately about how we conceptualize and frame our own work and learning. Schön's work is fantastic for this because his central thesis is that reflective practitioners actively look at their work while they are engaged in that work. They listen to the "back-talk" from the situations they find themselves in. Schön's reflective practitioners are disinclined to follow rigid steps or force situations to obey set rules. They are more likely to reframe their own perspectives and reference their repertoire of experiences for clues about how their current situations might work.
Schön's book is an excellent read if you are looking for a more theoretical/inspirational view of professional work. His book can't be a how-to guide because a main point of his writing is that there is no functional generalizing that can be made and written up. I found my greatest takeaway from this book is to recognize that "We are in the problematic situation that we seek to describe and change, and when we act on it, we act on ourselves"...more
I read this book shortly after reading How to Meditate: A Practical Guide to Making Friends with Your Mind. While I am glad I read this book after HowI read this book shortly after reading How to Meditate: A Practical Guide to Making Friends with Your Mind. While I am glad I read this book after How to Meditate, having read the other made me like this book less. How to Meditate is a much better introductory book than No Escape but I think it also shows that No Escape is less elegant and polished, maybe because it is based on talks given during a retreat rather than conceived initially as a book. I don't feel that the title of the book plays a central role in the text. While Chödrön does talk about No Escape, it just feels like another chapter rather than a main theme.
While I do think this book is worth reading, I do not consider it to be among Chödrön's best works. I found it helpful as a point of focus prior to sitting. Reading a chapter gave me a different perspective on how to treat meditation and myself when I sit....more
This book is a fast read but left me with things to think about that will last much longer. A couple of notes about how and why I read this book whichThis book is a fast read but left me with things to think about that will last much longer. A couple of notes about how and why I read this book which impact my thoughts about it. - I read it one chapter at a time (average chapter length is six pages) and would sit in meditation after completing the chapter. - I had been looking for a book that started from the beginning (literally a "how-to") but written from a Buddhist perspective, rather than from a "mindfulness" perspective.
This is one of many books written by Pema Chödrön but I found it to be the entrance to meditation that I had been looking for. I found her style to be very accessible and informative. I suspect that she held back from inundating the reader with proper Buddhist terms but she does sprinkle a few throughout the text and I appreciated them when they appeared. More importantly to me, she gave little glimpses of how a sitting practice can grow to be more than just noticing one's breath. There is no shortage of books and other media that can instruct a consumer in the basics of sitting but this book does not divorce the practice itself from the larger purpose of practicing.
After reading this book, I feel that I have a much better feeling for how and why to sit in meditation. I also feel that I have much more to learn about not only meditation but also a worldview that supports such a practice....more
I definitely enjoyed this book, learned from it, and will recommend it to others. With that said, I think that the material in it overlaps with other I definitely enjoyed this book, learned from it, and will recommend it to others. With that said, I think that the material in it overlaps with other books in the genre (Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts and Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment to name two prominent examples). This book does contribute to the field but I felt that I learned more from the others I have read.
In my opinion, where this book stands out is that it feels much more practical and applicable than others I have read. In comparison, this book feels almost like a how-to manual, which I consider a good thing.
The book is well-written and reads very quickly. There are extensive endnotes and comments so that readers can explore some of the source material from which Galef draws her writing....more
I am of two minds when it comes to this book but the TL;DR is that I would definitely recommend it to others. Let me explain...
This book is centered oI am of two minds when it comes to this book but the TL;DR is that I would definitely recommend it to others. Let me explain...
This book is centered on two things, running and Zen meditation (zazen), and it can be read and appreciated by anyone who is a beginner at one or both of these things. It is probably most interesting and useful to someone who is a novice (or close to it) in both.
I am a beginner at zazen but not at running so some of the recommendations for running are not important to me, as I don't need tips on stride, etcetera. Nonetheless, the running exercises are interesting, even if done following the spirit rather than the letter of them.
My favorite aspect of the book is that Zuisei brings in Zen teachings and integrates them well. Reading the book makes me feel more knowledgeable and more interested in Zen. It gave me much to think about, learn, and work on. It opened doors for me that I will be able to explore for a long time. But this aspect of the book is also a source of frustration for me. I wish there had been more teaching but I recognize that doing so may not be the book Zuisei wanted to write. Given that there was not more teaching, I wish that Zuisei would have done more in the text to point readers towards other books or sources of learning. (With that said, she did include endnotes that list source materials so intrepid readers can seek out more. While I appreciate this, I feel like I lack the understanding to navigate which texts would help with which teachings.)...more
I wrote a longer review of this, which quickly devolves into what Purser's words mean to me.
There were parts of this book thatI wrote a longer review of this, which quickly devolves into what Purser's words mean to me.
There were parts of this book that felt like a vendetta against Jon Kabat-Zinn but I can't say that Purser is wrong. I agree with him that we've ruined mindfulness as it should be by removing it from its Buddhist roots. Purser shows the myriad ways we've done that, both on our own and as subjects of capitalism.
I think it is helpful to be able to consider the Marxist view of capitalism, even if you don't agree with that view, in order to appreciate the book as it is intended. That view is not part of Buddhism but the religion does find an ally in Marxist thought.
This book has both destroyed and greatly helped any mindfulness practice I had before reading it. I recommend this book to anyone who feels that there is more to mindfulness than using Headspace or Calm on a daily basis....more
This book was valuable to me because it got me thinking about metacognitive skills and their use in coaching and teaching. Beyond that, I didn't get mThis book was valuable to me because it got me thinking about metacognitive skills and their use in coaching and teaching. Beyond that, I didn't get much out of it in terms of deeper knowledge/understanding. I will likely look at this book in the future to remind me of major aspects of metacognition but I doubt that I will rely on its tips and ideas....more
The authors quote a school superintendent with whom they had worked: "we set out to work on our schools, and discovered that, in order to really succeThe authors quote a school superintendent with whom they had worked: "we set out to work on our schools, and discovered that, in order to really succeed at it, we had to work on ourselves as well." I strongly recommend committing to sincerely working on the exercises that appear throughout the book. Not only does they help the book be more engaging, they also help one better define and understand the endeavors that are to be undertaken. The title of the book lays it out for the reader, this is a practical guide and I wouldn't feel as though I had truly read it if I hadn't completed the exercises with the intention of inviting changes in me, in my workplace, and in those with whom I work....more
I became interested in Parker Palmer after a fellow student in my education graduate school program shared an article of his with me. The content of tI became interested in Parker Palmer after a fellow student in my education graduate school program shared an article of his with me. The content of that article as well as one other I was able to locate are contained within this book and were two of the sections that I enjoyed most. While there were a couple of sections of the book that were less interesting to me, I see their value to the importance and overall message of the book. Those sections just happened to not resonate as strongly with me for some reason.
The sections that do resonate with me are those regarding teaching from identity and integrity of who I am and good talk about good teaching. These two sections in particular are of great interest to me because in them Palmer is able to deeply understand and describe areas of teaching that have been troubling me for some time. He does not and cannot give methods to use to escape these issues and that is one main takeaway of the book for me. Methods work best when they are in line with identity and integrity of self. If I fail to investigate these first, I risk not connecting with the method and therefore, with students and the material that I want to teach. Everything works best when it comes from a place of integration and identity. Good talk about good teaching gives insight on ways to create dialogue among educators that doesn't get caught up in stories that are intended to invite sympathy rather than reflection. Palmer's point is that we can learn more about ourselves and our craft when we create a greater community of educators and share our experiences together.
I find this book to be both inspirational as well as challenging, which are words that I hope also are used to describe me as an educator and mentor....more
This book has achieved legendary status and Dweck's research that underpins the book has largely held up in the ensuing years. In many ways, this is aThis book has achieved legendary status and Dweck's research that underpins the book has largely held up in the ensuing years. In many ways, this is a how-to book but, as I reflect on it more, I see it as an invitation and a challenge to constantly search for ways and opportunities to grow. This view of the book helps me feel that growth mindset is not a box that I check to say that I have succeeded in having a growth mindset but instead that the mindset itself is something that can grow and develop over time.
I most enjoyed the first three chapters because I felt that they were mainly about the research into and first principles of mindsets. The ensuing chapters were less interesting to me because I felt that they read more like stereotypical books in the genre, leaning heavily on anecdotal cases where the stories can be told to consistently support the thesis. I think that it is important to notice that the subjects did not always show a growth or fixed mindset. I think it is probably better to think that there are domains in which we are better at maintaining a growth mindset than other domains. An example of this is Tiger Woods. This book was published the year prior to the revelations about his personal life yet the book would have us believe that Tiger is pillar of humanity in all facets of life, which we now know to be false.
I have noticed that I feel more comfortable thinking of behaviors as "growth mindset behaviors" rather than "people with a growth mindset do this". I found myself thinking that in order to feel like I have a growth mindset, I had to always do things that "growth mindset people" do. One of the valuable lessons I have learned about growth mindset is that errors are acceptable and grist for the mill of improvement. Thinking of my behaviors as being characteristic of a growth or a fixed mindset helps me recognize when I have more learning to do....more
Here's the TL;DR: In order to be a better deI wrote a longer review here:
Here's the TL;DR: In order to be a better decision-maker, I need to first learn to separate my decisions from my ego and all its dangers. Next, I need learn to look at decisions in terms of probabilities instead of dichotomies. Then I need to learn to seek truth and seek others to join me in that search. Once I have begun this search, I can start using my time machine to continue to expand my decision-making skills by looking back from my hypothetical futures. Annie Duke has laid out a thorough and achievable plan for getting better at making decisions and I can't wait to get started....more
There is nothing that I can say about this book that would not come across as rationalization or pontification. This book is challenging and necessaryThere is nothing that I can say about this book that would not come across as rationalization or pontification. This book is challenging and necessary. I want to be a better person because of this book. I hope that others read it and feel the same. I wish us all well on the journey....more
I wish I could give itI wrote a longer response to this book here:
I wish I could give it 4.5 stars instead of 5 but I'll round up based on my hopes of carrying the ideas in this book out with me into the world. I would have knocked off half a star only because I didn't like the first two and last two chapters nearly as much as I enjoyed the rest of the book....more
I felt like this book was thisclose to being a print version of video. That may be a selling point for some and a turn offI felt like this book was thisclose to being a print version of video. That may be a selling point for some and a turn off for others. After reading this I am not sure that I have a better ability to discern between a "cul-de-sac" and a "dip". I came away with the feeling that I should somehow just know the difference and that the content of the book is slightly lost on me if I can't discern that difference.
I found the idea of quitting everything but that one thing to be engaging and I feel that there is value in pruning one's tree of all but the most vital to that thing if one is to be the best at it. I fear that the short length of this book makes it easy to overlook Godin's advice that you better pick the right thing or your efforts will be for naught. That ability to pick the right thing leads me back to my feeling from the previous paragraph, what if I can't tell that difference?
George Carlin said, "I have lots of ideas. Trouble is, most of them suck." I think that crystallizes my main takeaway from this book. Most of the stuff we are doing probably isn't worth doing but we continue to do that stuff out of fear, ignorance, or other reasons that we should overcome. We need to have that one thing that is world-class and worth all of our attention and strength. But what if we don't have that world-class thing in us? To go back to Carlin: "Give my best to Dave." "Your best what? Frankly Susan, if this is your best, maybe you ought to keep it to yourself."...more
This is the beginning of my review of this book. Read the complete review here:
I listened to a podcast interviewing CharleThis is the beginning of my review of this book. Read the complete review here:
I listened to a podcast interviewing Charles Duhigg two years ago and in the course of his interview he introduced the concept of disfluency. The idea struck me strongly enough that I listened to the interview at least twice and scribbled down my impressions on the dry erase board in my office. I finally read the book which contains the thoughts that Duhigg discussed in the podcast. The book, Smarter, Faster, Better, contains eight chapters and each chapter has a theme on how to make ourselves and smarter, faster, and better at what we do. I'll list the eight chapter subjects but there are few concepts that I found most impactful for me.
Motivation Teams Focus Goal Setting Managing Others Decision Making Innovation Absorbing Data
If you see a topic in the list that interests you, then I recommend reading the book so you can see what Duhigg's well-researched and engaging writing has to offer. Chances are that he'll give you new insight into relevant research and summarize it well. To boot, there is an extensive appendix that was inspired by Duhigg's efforts to implement in his own life what he learned while researching the book....more
This is the beginning of my full review which can be found here:
I started listening to the audiobook version of Make It Stick thiThis is the beginning of my full review which can be found here:
I started listening to the audiobook version of Make It Stick this summer and finished by reading the last couple of chapters in the physical book over winter break. I started with the audiobook since I was on a road trip and had plenty of time to listen but I chose to finish with the print version so that I could review the extensive end notes and recommendations as well as look back over the earlier chapters that I had only listened to. The content of this book definitely makes it worthwhile to own the print version....more
I definitely enjoyed this more than The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph as it resonated more strongly with me. I I definitely enjoyed this more than The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph as it resonated more strongly with me. I found that one of the strongest attractions to stoicism for me is the tenet that I am (or my ego is) usually my own worst enemy. Holiday gives us many different ways to see the influence of ego in our lives and suggestions for mitigating the damage that it (we) can do if we do not intervene. There are many salient points that I want to revisit in the time to come so that I can remind myself anew and continue to incorporate an awareness into my life.
This book is a jumping-off point for me in two ways. First, it encourages me to dive deeper into stoic philosophy and the many ways that philosophy has been manifested over time. Second, it encourages me to go back and reread the book as a regular check to see how effectively I am heeding its advice. To those ends, one can subscribe to Holiday's reading list (instructions in the epilogue and on the book's web site) and follow Holiday (@RyanHoliday) and the Daily Stoic (@dailystoic) on Twitter to receive regular reminders in one's timeline.
This book is a very well-disguised introduction to stoicism. So well-disguised as to be almost unnoticeable. If Holiday weren't reminding the reader oThis book is a very well-disguised introduction to stoicism. So well-disguised as to be almost unnoticeable. If Holiday weren't reminding the reader of that, we might not notice. It is very readable but nothing sets it apart from other books in the genre for me.
I intend to read Ego Is the Enemy as well as Meditations to see if I can increase my understanding of the topic more than I do after reading this book....more
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