List

I recently started a new job and find that I cannot keep up with writing descriptions about books that I have read (or perused).  So, I will combine my love for lists and love for books and start listing out books that I have read and include any quotes or thoughts that resonate with me.

Lean In: Women, Work, And the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg, 2013

My takeaways after reading this book:
1. Confidence - I need to work on my self-confidence and feeling comfortable in meetings.  I am my  best when I am comfortable.

2. Thoughtfulness - Before babbling out an answer and being reactive, I need to take a deep breath to slow myself down, and then have a conversation instead of trying to "prove" something.

3. Lean In - Is a great analogy to participate in meetings and not just sit back and observe.  Similar to the Maisy Dobbs novels, Dobbs will reflect someone's body language to get a sense of how they are feeling.  Physical stance do reflect feelings and attitude, and vice versa.

Here's an analogy from the book that made a great point:
"Imagine that a career is like a marathon - a long, grueling, and ultimately rewarding endeavor.  Now imagine a marathon where both men and women arrive at the starting line equally fit and trained...  The male marathoners are routinely cheered on: "Lookin' strong! On your way!"

But the female runners hear a different message.  "You know you don't have to do this!" the crowd shouts.  Or "Good start - but you probably won't want to finish."  The farther the marathoners run, the louder the cries grow for the men: "Keep going!  You've got this!"

But the women hear more and more doubts about their efforts.  External voices, and often their own internal voice, repeatedly question their decision to keep running."

How To Get Filthy Rich In Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid, 2013

A beautifully written story told in the guise of a self-help book, this novel outlines the story of a boy who gets filthy rich.  There are no names, just relations, and the love interest is simply known as the "pretty girl."

The chapter titles for this how-to story:
1. Move to The City
2. Get an Education
3. Don't Fall in Love
4. Avoid Idealists
5. Learn From a Master
6. Work for Yourself
7. Be Prepared to Use Violence
8. Befriend a Bureaucrat
9. Patronize the Artists of War
10. Dance With Debt
11. Focus on the Foundamentals
12. Have An Exit Strategy

I love how the novel ends: "...you have been beyond yourself, and so you have courage, and you have dignity, and you have calmness in the face of terror, and awe, and the pretty girl holds your hand, and you contain her, and this book, and me writing it, and I too contain you, who may not yet even be born, you inside me inside you, though not in a creepy way, and so may you, may I, may we, so may all of us confront the end."

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, 2012

A page-turning pyschological thriller, Gone Girl is witty and full of twists and turns.  The ending is anything but predictable and the story is a roller coaster ride.

A combination of Girl With A Dragon Tattoo page-turner and Something Borrowed chick-lit, Gone Girl is one of the best books that I have read in awhile.

- April, 2013




The Secretary: A Journey With Hillary Clinton From Beirut To The Heart Of American Power by Kim Ghattas, 2013

A first-hand account of Hillary Clinton's tenure and travels as Secretary of State from 2008 to 2012, The Secretary provides a compelling view of American foreign policy. 

Often admonished for its interference with world affairs, the US is also criticized for its inaction, despite its limited ability to influence world leaders or outcomes. 

As Secretary of State, Clinton traveled extensively and the book provides an excellent overview of the political situation surrounding countries that Clinton visited, including Turkey, Myanmar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon, where the author is from.

I learned more from this book than any Social Studies or International Relations class that I have taken and highly recommend it.                       - May, 2013


Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple, 2013
Quirk, witty and wry, Where'd You Go, Bernadette was recommended by a friend.  It's an enjoyable and funny read regarding an eccentric Seattle family.

The book paints a memorable picture of Seattle, Microsoft (where Bernadette's husband and gnat nemesis work) and TEDTalks.  The book actually makes me want to plan a trip to Seattle, a city that I have never visited.  As well as Antartica.

- June, 2013



When It Happens to You by Molly Ringwald, 2012
Growing up in the 80s with Molly Ringwald movies, I thought that the back jacket flap with an updated picture and bio of the author would be the most interesting part of the novel.

However, When It Happens to You is compelling, well-written and something I recommended to friends.  A collection of short stories, the novel is told from half a dozen view points where the characters intersect to tell the overarching story of Greta's and Phillip's troubled marriage.

Uniquely constructed and filled with differing voices (memorable characters include a former star of a children's show, a lonely widow and a mother of a boy who believes he is really a girl), the stories come together in a clever and compelling way.                       - June, 2013



Bend, Not Break: A Life in Two Worlds by Ping Fu, 2012
Ping Fu, CEO and founder of Geomagic, Inc., is an impressive woman. 

Growing up during the Cultural Revolution and suffering horrors that shaped her into the person she is today, Fu's tale of growing up, emigrating to the United States and finding success in her new country is awe-inspiring.

The story itself drives the book, and there are lots of moments that make me realize how much I have taken for granted.

Some quotes from the book:

"Think about moving forward to make personal or social progress, rather than moving higher to gain a superior position."

"Who can say what is good or bad?" - Buddha.

"Our choice is how to interpret what happens to us on your journeys and how to treat the people we meet along the way.  Our choice, always, is to love and to  understand."         

- July, 2013