Talent is Overrated -- Geoff Colvin ----------------------- 3.5 Stars

This book has a pretty cool premise.  As you can guess from the title, it's basically the idea that people that are great at things (music, athletics, business) are not really great because they have some natural, innate ability, rather, they are successful because of hard work and very specific types of hard work.

Talent is Overrated really is a great idea for an essay or article...which is where this started but it really struggled as a book.  It become a preachy, business focused book during the last half and lost some real steam in my opinion.  As I said, the premise is great, and the first half of the book really is interesting and his supporting views and data regarding his premise are well told and very interesting.  He makes a great point that people like Mozart and Tiger Woods really are no different than you or I.  They just happen to be individuals that were put in very unique environments, had very specific upbringings, and were consistently following 'deliberate practice'.

Oh, 'deliberate practice', the true nugget of this book.  This is really the best part of this book and why it's worth reading.  It's not so much that people get great and really amazing at something by working hard; kind of obvious.  Rather, they work really hard at doing something very specific, very well.  Remember, the old saying, "perfect practice makes perfect"?  Well, that's the idea.

You should really read the book to get the full description of it, but deliberate practice is what is separating you, yes you, from Tiger Woods.  Well, that and probably a few other things that it's way too late to fix.  Basically, when you go hit balls at the range or learn how to do some other activity, you are , probably having 'fun' when you try to get better.  You hit a few balls, think about your shot, hit differently, then do it all again.  That's nice, not even close to deliberate practice.  You nee to read the book to find out more about it, but be forewarned, there is the reason you are not a famous at ___________.  It's really, really hard and to be the best, it will probably take up pretty much all your time... sorry for the downer conclusion.

Overall, it's a pretty cool book with a great premise.  The first half is very interesting and will certainly carry you through less interesting second half.  If you are curious about ways to change people in business and work on organizational things like that, the second half is okay. It's got some cool ideas about how to have people focus on intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivations and things like that.  I was a bit disappointed just because it was so obviously a 'business' book and it was not marketed that way. 

The Table Comes First -- Adam Gopnik ----------------- 1.5 Stars

It's incredibly rare that I read and review any book and it not receive a decent rating.  This is not to say that I would like any book I read and that there are simply so many good to great books out there.  No, that is far from the truth.  If I were to just pick up and review any random book, the very high majority of books would received very poor ratings (between 0 and 2 stars).  I actually do quite a bit of research prior to selecting the books I read to assure it is something that I will probably like.  I don't have time to read bad books or things that I am not interested in so assuring that I have a book I want to read before starting is critical. Thus, most of the books I read get fairly decent to high ratings based on the extensive due diligence I do prior to picking a book.

Like many things, however, it is not a perfect system.  Point in fact: Adam Gopnik's The Table Comes First.   A little background on the selection.  I like books that have to do with food.  I was excited to read Julia Child's autobiography called My Life in France and other books like that.  This one seemed interesting based on it's subtitle (see on the right) and referencing about the philosophical importance about food in our lives.  It also had decent ratings on Amazon, so I thought it might be okay... boy was I wrong.

This book is really not a fun read.  Please DO NOT check it out.  As you may recall, I base my ratings on how excited I am to read the book and how interesting it is.  This was lacking significantly on both of those criterion.  It actually got to the point that I dreaded having to read it and could not wait to finish it. 

Why did I not like?  First, it was foods, items, ideas, and people that were completely beyond me.  I mean, I feel fairly well educated, but I had no idea what he was writing about for pages at a time.  Some of the names and references of people were truly baffling.  Second, his writing style was tough for me to handle.  Long sentences with verbose (right word?) vocabulary and unorganized chapters and sections.  Third, the cool philosophical points I thought were going to be made about food were lost on me, and it instead just seem like the ramblings of a fairly crazed author. 

So, I would not spend time on this book unless you really have a significant interest in food history and/or knowledge about food.  It's not well told, not entertaining, and hard to understand.  So, I am sorry dear readers about this terrible review but do appreciate that you only had to read this sole blog about it while I had to read the whole miserable book.  :( 

Out of Captivity: Surviving 1,967 Days in the Colombian Jungle -- Marc Gonsalves, Tom Howe, Keith Stansell, Gary Brozek -------------------- 3 Stars

So, I'm kind of really into borrowing books for my Kindle from the local library now.  Positive -- it's free and you can find many more books than you might think.  Negative -- the usually only have 1 or 2 copies and you have to wait until they are 'checked back in' before you can get them.  I usually have a list of about 15 books that I want to read and Out of Captivity had been on the list for a while now.  So, I was excited to see I could borrow it from the library with no wait*

I heard about this book a couple years ago as being an incredible true story.  Much in the same vein as books like Alive, it is a true story about some horrific conditions that some individuals found themselves and how they made it out alive.  In this case, it's about the three guys to your right: Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell, and Tom Howes.  Quick premise: they are flying over the Colombian jungle, have engine problems, go down, get captured by the local terrorist organization (the FARC) and are held as hostages for about 5 1/2 years.  It's a crazy story.

So, why did this amazing tale only get 3 stars?  Well, just because it's an amazing story does not mean it's an amazing book.  The best part of the book is indeed the amazing story.  From the earliest explanation for how this could possibly take place, to the details of every place they lived in for 5 years, to the thrilling story of how they got out, it's an unbelievable tale.  There is no doubt that after you read this book you will have a far greater appreciation for the little conveniences of life and the luck we have of living in American (and more obviously not as a hostage). The book also does a great job to illuminate an issue that is rarely discussed or is paid attention to: the surprising number of Americans (and other groups) that are currently hostages in Columbia and around the world.

Even with this retelling of this amazing story, the book has a number of problems.  First, it's told completely from the point of view from one of the three hostages at every point in the book.  So while there has been some editing of the passages, they still often come across as choppy, unorganized, and poorly told.  Problem #2 is that this book really needed a better editor.  While in some cases it was interesting to find out pertinent details and facts about certain parts of their time in captivity, the book goes way overboard including nearly EVERYTHING.  There are moments were 4 or 5 pages take place with no dialogue, or real events occurring, just explanation about minutiae.  In addition, and this a purely preferential issue, the book is incredibly sad.  Not surprisingly, the stories about what it was like in captivity aren't exactly pleasent.

It really is unfortunate that the book was not edited better and only the most worthwhile information was included.  It is a tremendous story and all three men who got out have a different and interesting look at the world.  I would still recommend this book to most people because after you get past the fact that there are some large chunks that you just have to keep pushing to get through, you are left with a really wonderful and (eventual) uplifting story about the journey of these three Americans.  




























*Footnote -- You can only borrow the book for 3 weeks like the normal library and then your loan on the Kindle makes it disappear.  You then have to go back, hope no one has it and borrow it again...UNLESS, you are smart like me and if you turn off your wireless on your Kindle, the Kindle does not know (because it can't access the Internet) that the book is due and you can finish it then turn the wireless back on.  Your welcome.

The Given Day -- Dennis Lehane ------------------- 4 Stars

Well, it's sad to say that it's been almost 2 months since my last blog.  Between a 700 pager and the return to school, my reading time has been a bit limited.  But I am happy to say I finished the wonderful The Given Day based on a recommendation from the sis, and it did not disappoint. 

If you are like me, you probably have heard of Lehane's other books as they became massive movies.  Gone Baby Gone, Shutter Island, and Mystic River all were major productions but they tended to be a bit 'darker' than The Given Day.  Quick synopsis: the novel is historical fiction and the stories are about two characters (1 black/1 white) with the backdrop of Boston in the mid 1910's and the impending and eventual police strike that occurred.  There's also some cool preludes and interludes about the life of Babe Ruth, and stories from his life that are occurring at the same time as the narrative.

In general, it's a very good book.  The writing is nice and crisp and a near perfect combination of details and 'picture painting' with interesting and worthwhile dialogue.  There is very little wasted information, scenes, or actions that occur in the book, and thus, the 700 pages are a pleasure to read.    The characters are nicely created and you can't help but begin to feel for them and root for the ones you like.

The biggest difficulty with the book is the arc of the story.  For certain periods in the book, you are not sure where it is going and there almost seemed to be no impending ending.  Indeed, there was a conclusion but I could not help feeling like many questions were still left unanswered and I was a bit perturbed.  That begin said, it's my understanding that there is a sequel to this that just came out in the last month that might answer some of those questions.  My only other real complaint is that this book, is in many ways, 'dark' and a bit sad.  There is racism, violence, terrorism, and an ending that does not exactly leave you jumping with joy.

I would still strongly recommend this book to all readers, especially those who like historical fiction.  I was excited to read that there is supposed to be a movie (at some point) coming out about this book and would love to see these characters that I pictured in my own mind on the big screen.   Do check this story out; you won't be disappointed!

The Long Goodbye -- Raymond Chandler -------------- 4 Stars

So, I am going to try to write this whole blog in the style of this book.  The key to that is short, choppy sentences.  It is not easy.  But it is a cool writing style. 

Raymond Chandler's The Long Goodbye was a very enjoyable book.  Looking through my blog you'll notice better reviews for newer books.  Like old movies, old books tend to be a bit slower and less exciting then newer books.  This book is from the 50's.  It's in the classic style of L.A. detective stories.  You know, the ones with 'private eyes' who drink a lot and fight a lot.  Chandler had a number of books that feature the main character of this book: Philip Marlowe.  He is cool and a bit of a bad ass.

I think what I truly liked about the book at the start was the shortness of the sentences.  It seems to make everything a bit more important.  It was like a watching a movie with every line being a quick back and forth between two characters.  Unfortunately, I found it got a bit annoying as the book went on (not sure if it's annoyed you yet in reading this blog... uh oh, sentence too long). 

There are still very redeeming elements of this book, which is why it got 4 stars.  First, it's just cool.  Like I said, cool prose, interesting main character, a total 'guys' book. Second, it's a pretty riveting story.  Although it does get slow form time to time, there is a lot of murder, violence, drinking, cops and 'bad guys'; overall good stuff.  Third, you knew that it was building up for some kind of surprise ending but I couldn't figure it out for sure until the end.  It was a good ending.

Overall, I had never heard of Chandler or this book but really enjoyed reading it.  I would suggest it for most readers.  Even if you don't like this type of subject (e.g. L.A. copy story like), it's a good story and a cool genre to at least read once.  Plus, you get to read, think, and maybe write in short sentences for a while.  Like this.  Or this.  

The Last Shot: City Streets, Basketball Dreams -- Darcy Frey ------------ 4 Stars

After a while, I totally forget how I found the books that I have on my list to read.  This is a perfect example.  I just realized I wanted to read it a couple of weeks ago, checked the reviews, realized it sounded cool but have never heard of it and it's 20 years old.  Read it, really enjoyed it.

The Last Shot is a pretty cool book.  It's basically a mix of great sociological discovery mixed with the dreams and descriptions of inner city and high school level basketball.  Put together, it's a pretty incredible piece of journalism.   Frey, the author, basically spent a year living around 3 or 4 up and coming high school basketball players in Coney Island and reporting on all aspects of their lives.  In the same vein as the great documentary Hoop Dreams, the author does a great job of really allowing you to see the challenges and difficulties of the lives of these athletes. 

While this book is probably a better piece of writing, has more redeeming values and is a far better commentary about our society than many other books that have received higher ratings, it only earns 4 stars because it's not as captivating when read as some of the other books that have received higher ratings.  Nonetheless, this is still a very fun book to read.  Being a basketball junkie, I found parts of this book fascinating, others exhilarating, while there is also parts that are heartbreaking.  As you read this book, you know that many of these players (who are superstars in high school and put most of their futures on the anticipation of their basketball successes), don't make it.  But the book is so much more than about just basketball and trying to make it to the NBA.  As I said earlier, it's really an insight into a different lifestyle than what many of are used to.  In fact, the beauty of this book is to really learn to see and feel what the lives are like of these very gifted but troubled athletes. 

One of the really illuminating parts of the book is the commentary Frey makes about the influence of colleges, money, and sponsorship on the whole universes of high school athletics.  Through a detailed and frank explanation of how colleges and the NCAA behave, it becomes very clear that the current system of athletics is based nearly solely around money and money alone.  The importance of education is secondary to the success of the athletic programs, and the lives of the students athletes are probably of least concern.

Overall, this is a stimulating book and is highly recommended.  Obviously you would enjoy it much more if you enjoy the sport of basketball and have an interest in college recruiting.  However, even if you are just interested in a slice of life to learn what it's like to live in the poorest areas of Coney Island, this is would be a good book for you.  

Hellhound on His Trial: The Stalking of Marting Luther King Jr. -- Hampton Sides and A Thousand Lives: The Untold Story of Hope, Deception, and Survival at Jonestown -- Julia Scheeres ----------------------------------- 4.5 Stars

For the first time ever, I thought it prudent to do a review of two books at once.  There a couple of reasons. 
1. Laziness. As it's summer, I'm reading books a bit more quickly than during the year and don't really have all that time to blog about them.  Doing two reviews at once is faster.  2.  They are very similar book (more about that later).  3.  I think it would be new and different to a double review... so here we go:

The first book I finished was an excellent true story by Hampton Sides titled Hellhound on His Trial, and it was basically the story of James Earl Ray's (nerdy looking dude to your right) stalking, assassination, and eventual escape of Martin Luther King, Jr.  The second book is called A Thousand Lives: The Untold Story of Hope, Deception, and Survival at Jonestown by Julia Scheeres.  Before I go through a brief explanation of each book, I wanted to explain how they are similar.  First, both are true stories based exclusively on facts.  Second, both are based on a significant amount of research done in the past few years from thousands of pages that were released by the FBI that had to do with MLK being killed and the Jonestown massacre.  It was abundantly clear both authors spent significant time combing through huge amounts of information to put together very well written 300 page books that tell a fascinating story.  Third, both are tragic.  Although one book talks about the tragedy of one person dying, and the other nearly 1,000, they both show how bad people can alter the lives of others significantly.

Overall, I enjoyed Hellhound more as a read.  It was a bit more exciting and fun to read about.  Although it's still about a fairly crazy guy in James Earl Ray, whose racist stupidity killed one of the great men of the 20th century, the story about Ray, which includes his initial interest in getting to King, actual assassination, and escape, are all very fascinating episodes.  Although the book starts a little slow detailing his adventures in Mexico and California before going to Memphis for the assassination, the book was nearly impossible to put down once the story turned to the carefully detailed and drawn explanation of the assassination outside of a Memphis motel to his amazing escape and runaway period.  In fact, the most startling thing I learned from the book was that it took almost two months to capture Ray and it was the most costly manhunt in U.S. history (over $2 million spent).  His escape also took him north into Canada, across the Atlantic to Portugal with his final arrest occurring as he was trying to leave London, England.  He then went back to prison and escaped again for a few days before finally being caught and kept in prison until he died about 20 years ago.  What a great story!

The second book about Jonestown was just as good as a page turner but seemed to me much more melancholy.  The book basically explains how Jim Jones created a very 'cult' like organization, led many of his followers to Guyana with him, became pretty crazy and eventually helped most people there complete the worst mass suicide in the history of the modern world.  Besides being an incredibly sad ending, most of what led up to it was not very peachy either and you could not help but became so upset and sad for the so many innocent people who either could not or would not leave Jonestown prior to the end.  Like Hellhound, this book does an incredible job using superb research to tell the very detailed story of 5 or 6 specific individuals that lived at Jonestown along with the life of Jim Jones himself.  Overall, it's a pretty tough story to get through but is a very exciting book to read.

Both of these stories are great reads, and I would recommend them to all readers, especially any that are interested in these subjects.  In both books I learned many new things that I was unaware of earlier and both stories were told in a fashion that they are a very easy read and hard to put down.  Realize that although both are depressing, they tell great stories about important events in the lives of Americans in the past 50 years. Enjoy!