The Dream Manager

Have you ever lollygagged in a field watching clouds float above you and imagined what it would be like...well, you were dreaming and maybe laying the ground work for things to come in you life. That is what this book is about, it makes day-dreaming OK, and encourages us to reach beyond the immediate and the obvious. While this fictional teaching book uses a business context for its storey, really it is for anyone, and is more in line with inspirational reading rather than knowledge reading. Try it out and then start to dream!

The Choice

Here is a good challenging read. 'The Choice' is somewhat technical, but teaches through a fictional storey, and is really two storeys rolled into one. The storey that I tracked most closely was premised by a question, 'how does one live a FULL life'? The question, thought, answer format may not be the same as reading an adventure novel, but if you put in the time, it walks you through an understanding of barriers to growth and later challenges us with some principles to help us grow. Like I said this is a technical read, and will make you work, but for those that like a challenge-the work is good.

A great read for readers.

Yesterday I began the short book "How Fiction Works" by James Wood, a literary critic from the New Yorker magazine.  This book, based soley on observations of fiction that Wood has in his own library, is a compact and lucid insight into how authors may or may not be successful.  Covering topics like narration, detail, style, and mood, Wood provides examples from James, Nabokov, Joyce, DeLillo, and many other great authors.  I anticipate further exploring some of the novels he discusses (this volume is probably worth it for the bibliography alone), as well as deepening my own skills and perceptions as a reader.

from Mom

Hi,
It is Mom here, learning how to use our blog. I will be sharing my favorite Christian music soon.

The Best Investment Advice I Ever Received

Here is a Liz Claman Book for those trying to get a handle on managing their investments...good water cooler advise on investing philosophy by some successful big names in business and finance. Read it and you will soon see a common theme to investing, which provides vision and guideline to growing your pile of money. I recommend this for people like me, who know a little, and trying to define my investment skills. Enjoy the read and provide some feedback.

Mike

New Music...

Hello, Philip here.

So last weekend I was down selling some albums of mine that are no longer listened to, and I picked up an album by a Senegalese singer named Baaba Maal.  I actually used to have this record (entitled Missing You), but I hadn't heard it for a few years.  Anyways, I bought it and I think it will be one of my top 5 albums for the next few months.  It is excellent music; the craftsmanship and songwriting is superb, as are the musicians (Maal sings and plays guitar, and is accompanied by much percussion and wind instrumentation).  So there you have it...listen to Baaba Maal!

Hello Everyone,
this is a post from Philip, down here at the University of Oregon. I will probably be writing about some books and movies that I have read/seen recently, or maybe about some content from my classwork.
To get things started, I just finished the novel "Middlesex" by Jeffrey Eugenides. It was very good; a Greek-American epic that culminates in 1970's middle America, but begins in Smyrna in the '20's. (7.5/10)
Yesterday I started the novel "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole, and so far it is excellent. It is irreverent, witty, local, and fast-paced. The protagonist is a completely disgusting character named Ignatius who writes on legal pads and whines to his mother about his "valve," and is a complete glutton. So far, so good!
Well I'll be adding my two-cents in the future (I have a formidable stack of books to wade through, but I also have a lot of time with which to do it...no TV!) so check back for more 'book crumbs.'