September 2024
I messed up this month. I started painting the interior of the house. Now it’s undeniable that this paint is past due, and all the other areas need it badly too. We spent a fair bit of time out at the soccer fields of Wichita. I’m still working on my recovery, though it feels more like strength training than torture now. Steps are still the enemy, but I am strong enough to work the stadium steps now. We also spent a fair bit of time at the pool to close the summer. The kids are much better swimmers now, which makes pool time much less stressful for me.
Anyway, here are the books I finished in September and my reviews of them:
Fiction Books
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (One and Only #1)
The one and only Ivan is a mighty silverback gorilla. He is the master of his domain. He is a deep thinker and an artist. But his domain is a small cage in a weird shopping mall zoo. His friends include a small stray dog named Bob, an elephant named Stella, and a young girl named Julia. The animals can all speak to each other but the humans can’t understand any of the animals except the macaw. One day a baby elephant is delivered to the zoo. The sleazy zoo manager, Mack, is hoping to boost ticket sales with new talent. Poor Ruby gets worn out with all the shows they make her do and not enough food to eat. Stella has an infected foot, but vets cost money, so she doesn’t get the care she needs to recover so she dies, leaving Ivan with the mission of saving Ruby and giving her a better life. Ivan very solemnly makes the promise to save Ruby even though he doesn’t know how he will do it. Julia spends time with the animals while her dad cleans them all. She gives Ivan art supplies, and he comes up with a big plan. He paints a giant mural with Ruby pictured in a real zoo. Julia and her dad find the paintings and put them on the big billboard outside the mall, causing a big stir. Animal health people come and take all the animals (except Bob) to the real zoo, where they join families of their own kind. This is a great story for all ages. The characters are deep and complex, especially Ivan and Stella.
This is for animal lovers.
(Rated G, Score 8/10, audiobook read by Adam Gripper, 3:46)
The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate (One and Only #2)
Like most sequels, this book lacks some of the magic and depth of the first book, but it has a huge difference working in its favor: the audiobook is narrated by Danny DeVito! His voice and charisma are perfect for Bob. Bob is a small Chihuahua mix match of a dog who thinks he is a dangerous rebel. This book covers Bob's history and tosses him (literally) into a tornado/hurricane storm that hits the zoo, where his friends, Ivan and Ruby, live. Bob was visiting his friends at the zoo when the storm tears up the neighborhood. Dangerous animals get out of their cages. The humans join together to save the animals and restore the zoo. In the middle of the storm Bob fines Boss, his big sister. She has had a hard life living as a stray. In the end, Bob rescues, one of Boss’s pups and ends up adopting the little guy. Bob also learns about self-forgiveness, love, and the danger of poodles. Jet got a huge kick out of this book. He thought the dialogue and narrative was hilarious. We got a lot of good chuckles.
This is for people needing a kind reminder to forgive themselves.
(Rated G, Score 7/10, audiobook read by Danny DeVito, 3:50)
The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate (One and Only #3)
This is Ruby’s story. Ruby is the baby elephant in the zoo family. As she gets adopted into the herd, she works through a recovery process. She works to remember and heal from the pain in her past. She heals by telling her story to Ivan, Bob, and some of the other members of her new zoo family. Ruby remembers struggling to survive in Africa with her mother and their herd. Once she starts telling her story, the pain and drama keep on coming back. Ruby’s mother was killed for her tusk ivory, so Ruby associates tusks with death, not coming of age like the other elephants in the herd. As Ruby becomes part of the herd, she learns to ask two questions each day: 1- What amazed you today? 2- What did you do today that made you proud? So she’s asking, what gift did the world give her, and what gift did she give the world? These are excellent questions to ponder each day.
This is for little elephants working through tough stuff.
(Rated G, Score 7/10, audiobook read by Imani Parks, 3:05)
SpecOps by Craig Allison (Expeditionary Force #2)
Colonel Joe Bishop and his merry band of pirates are back for more sci-fi space fun in Book 2. Bishop made a promise to help the snarky AI he named Skippy in Book 1. Skippy is looking for a Communication (Comm) Node to contact The Elders, a group of super-intelligent beings who have transcended spacetime. Skippy and Joe put together a crew for a deep space mission. They collect Special Forces teams from five countries, some of the world's leading scientists, and a few brave souls who served aboard the Flying Dutchman on its first voyage. Skippy and Bishop were clever enough to set a hard deadline for getting the mission underway by programming the local wormhole to close at a specific time. This allows the crew to get set, loaded, and underway before too many Earth politicians can get involved. The team has two core missions- 1- Shut down the local wormhole so that Earth will be much harder to get to for other space-traveling species, and 2- Find a Comm Node for Skippy. The first mission is accomplished quickly and easily. After going through the wormhole, Skippy closes it using his Elder technology magic. The second mission turns out to be much more difficult. The crew hunts for known and unknown Elder sites, hoping to find a Comm Node, but without luck. They use their exploration opportunities to train on all the gear aboard the Flying Dutchman, including space piloting dropships, powered armor suits, and other alien tech. All this training pays off when the team accidentally jumps into a surprise attack. They fight their way clear, but their spaceship sustains terrible damage. They come up with a desperate plan. Skippy finds the only nearby planet that will sustain human life. He drops the human crew off there, then rebuilds the ship from materials available to him in the star system. While the team is on the planet, they are forced to hide from a group of Kristang scavengers working to find valuable Elder artifacts from ancient sites. Their time on the miserable planet leads to some critical discoveries about the history of the star systems they have visited. Someone pushed the small planet out of its orbit and into a species-killing ice age long ago, and someone evaporated an entire moon where an ancient elder site would have been. Given these discoveries, Skippy is scared and questioning all the history he thought he knew about The Elders. Bishop, Skippy, and the crew defeat a small fleet of ships planning to travel to Earth to finalize a Kristang clan thing. Then, the crew heads back to Earth to reboot. Who knows where they will go in the next book?
This is for space cowboys.
(Rated PG-13, Score 8/10, ebook, 277p.)
Flames of Hope by Tui T. Sutherland (Wings of Fire #15)
We finally made it to the last book of this series. Luna, the FlameSilk, is the main character of this story, and she is on her way to save the world. The group of dragons with her are geared up for a stealth mission to find the book monkeys (humans) and take down the Othermind. Luna is filled with doubts and fears about how the mission will go and what her role will be. The dragon team is island hopping to Pantala, the continent where the Othermind and the Breath of Evil plant are taking over HiveWings and now SilkWings. The team is ambushed on an island by a group of dragons under the control of Queen Wasp and some other entity. Using the power of invisibility, some of the dragons escape, but Kibli, Moon, and Pineapple are captured. Luna, Cricket, Sky, and Wren head to the mainland, where they hunt the humans who are hiding in the caves, where they fear the Abyss is hiding. Luna and a baby refugee dragon named Dusky get lured into the Abyss and captured by the minds who dwell there. A dark creature made up of an ancient human named Cottonmouth, a dragon he stole and raised named Lizard, and the evil plant. Trapped in the Abyss, Cottonmouth uses the mind control power of the plant to show them their origin story going back 5000 years to a time when he ruled the human kingdom of Pyrrhia. His evil plan was to steal dragon eggs and attempt to break them and use them to conquer the world. Eventually, he stole enough eggs that the dragons went to war against the humans in a great massacre called The Scorching. Cottonmouth took his last dragon egg and sailed away to Pantala, where he discovered the Breath of Evil plant. He experimented with the plant and the baby dragon until it melded with them, creating an evil tangle bent on controlling all the dragons in the world. Luna and Dusky use their memories and the memories of each of their friends to show Lizard what it means to be a dragon. They show her what love, trust, and family look like. The fate of all dragons relies on Luna winning the heart and mind of the young dragon and fulfilling the third prophecy. The evil in Cottonmouth was intense enough to freak out the kids for a bit. We had to take a few breaks in the dark moments. I like the way the story wrapped up.
This is for little dragons who need to finish all the books in the series.
(Rated PG, Score 7/10, audiobook read by Shannon McManus, 9:12)
Space Case by Stuart Gibbs (Moon Base Alpha #1)
Dash is a 12-year-old boy living in the first lunar habitat. This is a quick-paced “who dunnit” book. A leading scientist is murdered, and Dash becomes the lead investigator after hearing the older man having a conversation shortly before he goes for a solo moonwalk with his suit on wrong. Dash works all the angles, recruiting help from everyone he can as he tries to figure out who killed the man and why. Jet really liked the suspense and ending. We will have to check out the other two books in the series next. I liked the twists and turns. This felt a lot like Artimus, but without all the bad words. Thank you, Jennifer, for recommending this awesome book.
This is for young space enthusiasts.
(Rated PG, Score 9/10, audiobook read by Gibson Frazier, 6:28)
Non-Fiction Books
12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson
These are the 12 Rules for life discussed in the book:
- Stand up straight with your shoulders back.
- Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping.
- Make friends with people who want the best for you.
- Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today.
- Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them.
- Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world.
- Pursue what is meaningful, not what is expedient.
- Tell the truth, or at least don’t lie.
- Assume that the person you are listening to might know something you don’t.
- Be precise in your speech.
- Do not bother children when they are skateboarding.
- Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street. Dogs are ok, too.
What an amazing and challenging book. Those twelve rules are surrounded by loads of philosophy, wisdom, wit, and personal experience. These rules are a subset of over 60 that the author posted on Quora and eventually paired down for this book. Each rule is designed to help us focus and survive in chaos. Each one is a tiny (or huge) way to bring order and meaning into your world when things fall apart. I noticed that each of these rules resonated in different areas of my life experience. For example, when I was young, athletic, and dangerous, it was second nature to stand up straight with my shoulders back, but time and desk work have taken my posture and turned me into something more bent and beaten down. I have been seeing echoes or repeats of these rules in other books and lessons and wisdom, too. I like the saying, “Do dangerous things carefully.”, which is another way of saying Rule 11. I tried Rule 12, but none of the neighborhood cats will let me pet them, so maybe I don’t understand that rule yet. Rule 10 is critical for me in my job. Precise speech is critical for me to be effective. Rule 5 challenged my parenting paradigm. Rule 7 is a challenge to not fall down the IG-scrolling rabbit hole. This is a deep and heavy book that deals head-on with some of the deepest, darkest bits of chaos in the world and tries to provide some pragmatic order or at least a framework to start working our way toward peace.
This is not for snowflakes.
(Rated PG-13, Score 10/10, audiobook read by the author, 15:40)
The Book of Charlie by David von Drehle
This is an incredible story about the 109-year life of Charlie White. Charlie grew up in the Kansas City area back before there were any of the modern tech marvels we rely on today. No airplanes, no computers, no interstate system, no antibiotics. His father was killed in an elevator accident when he was eight years old, so he became the man around the house. Charlie always had a positive attitude and an incredible ability to focus on what he could control and make the best out of the opportunities life threw at him. As a teenager, Charlie and three friends drove a Model T from Kansas City to Los Angeles, California. This was before there were roads. They earned enough money in the Kansas wheat fields to fund the trip and slept under the car or wherever they could find space. They had to fix the car along the way. When they hit LA, they were out of money. The rich kids’ parents bailed them out, but Charlie and another boy had to illegally hop trains to get back home. Their grit and determination were amazing. In college, Charlie learned how to play saxophone by listening to a new invention called radio. He started a band, and they made money playing all the school dances. He studied medicine and started up a general practice, but World War II interrupted his plans. Charlie’s luck, charm, and positive attitude landed him as chief anesthesiologist for Army hospitals. He was quick-witted, curious, and inventive in his practice and became very successful. His marriages were not as successful. He lost one wife to suicide, and another left because he wasn’t healed enough to husband correctly. Charlie never passed up an adventure. He invested in the people around him. He bridged the gap between horse and buggy times and our modern crazy world. Thank you, Peggy, for the recommendation.
This is for anyone wondering what it takes to thrive in times of change.
(Rated PG, Score 7/10, audiobook read by the author, 7:00)
Boundaries are hard. Boundaries are critical for healthy relationships. Boundaries are like fences. They establish what is us and what is not us. They are ways of communicating what is OK and what is not OK. This book is filled with stories, psychology, and wisdom. There are three parts. One is all about defining boundaries. Two covers boundary conflicts in different relationship types: from family to work, to self, to God. Three covers the development of healthy boundaries. The section that resonated with me was the section about developing healthy boundaries at work. The author makes it clear that the only person you can control or fix is yourself. If you have problems at work, all you can do is change yourself. It is disappointing to realize that there isn’t any magic to fix slackers, but it is also empowering to realize that by changing yourself, you can improve your situation. If a coworker relies on you too much, establishing boundaries can help balance the workload. This concept is a lot like monkey management. Make people responsible for their own monkeys. Overall, this is a great book. Some of the concepts are difficult to implement, even if you have a strong support system. But like Jocko says, “Discipline = freedom.” If you can do the work needed to develop healthy boundaries, you will experience peace, freedom, and relationships.
This is for everyone dealing with stress in relationships.
(Rated PG, Score 9/10, audiobook read by Henry O. Arnold, 11:18)
How Full Is Your Bucket? by Tom Rath and Don Clifton
Each of us has a bucket. Each of us also has a dipper. We can fill each other's buckets with positive words and affirmations, and we can dip out of buckets with negativity. This book teaches all about the buckets, the dippers, the magic of using positivity to fill other's buckets, and the dangers of draining buckets by being negative and unaware of our influence on others. There is also an interesting connection between our buckets and others. When we fill people's buckets, our own buckets are also filled. When we drain people's buckets, we will also feel a drain on ours. Every day, we have 20,000 moments that are opportunities for positivity toward ourselves and others. The net result of all our interactions is how full our buckets end up. How full your bucket is will affect how productive and energized you feel. The goal, then, is to fill up as many buckets as you can. Here are the five strategies for bucket filling: 1- Prevent Bucket Dipping. This is a negativity awareness strategy. Keep score if you need to. Stop being negative. Reframe the way you talk to yourself and others. Don’t poke holes in other people's buckets with negativity. 2- Shine a Light on What Is Right. Highlight successes rather than failures. Jump to what people do well rather than throwing rocks. 3- Make Best Friends. Build friendships with people who build you up and who you build up. 4- Give Unexpectedly. Surprise gifts, especially thoughtful gifts, have a brilliant ability to fill up buckets not just when given but often for the life of the gift. Gifts don’t have to be expensive to fill up buckets, either. Notes and coffee count, too. 5- Reverse the Golden Rule. Be aware of how people's buckets are filled best, and act accordingly. Not everyone loves public praise. Some people like awards, some people like cash, and some people like quiet affirmation. Know your people and fill their buckets with custom affirmations. This was a pretty short book, but it was a good reminder that we all have the power to influence those around us. Let us bring joy and positivity to those we interact with. Thank you, Adrian, for lending me this book.
This is for everyone.
(Rated G, Score 8/10, Hardcopy, 114 p.)
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
I've been avoiding this book for over 20 years. My friend Mike recommended it to me a long time ago, and he has been working on implementing the ideas in this book since we were working on the same paint crew. Here are the lessons outlined in the book by chapter.
- The rich do not work for money. The poor and the middle-class work for money. The rich make money work for them.
- Why teach financial literacy? It’s not how much money you make; it’s how much you keep.
- Mind your own business. The rich focus on their asset columns while everyone else focuses on their income statements.
- The history of taxes and the power of corporations.
- The rich invent money. Often, in the real world, it's not the smart who get ahead but the bold.
- Work to learn. Don't work for money. Job security meant everything to my educated dad; learning meant everything to my rich dad.
- Overcoming obstacles- The primary difference between a rich person and a poor person is how they manage fear.
- Getting started. There is gold everywhere. Most people are not trained to see it.
- Still want more? Here are some to-do's.
- Final Thoughts
This was a tough book. It touched on some insecurities I have about money and financial security. I like the ideas. They fit in with 4 Hour Work Week. The main idea is that most people burn money on things they need and things they want instead of putting their money to work for them in the form of investments in the asset column. Most poor and middle-class people work hard only to let their money run away from them. Schools don’t teach how to keep money and put it to work. The book also compares/contrasts the practices, advice, and lifestyles of two dads: a rich dad and an educated (but poor) dad. By showing both, the author drives home the lessons and differences in mindsets. I’ve done Dave Ramsey, so I’m not financially illiterate, but this book takes money to the next level. So now I’m on a mission to start trying to learn more about investing. Who’s coming with me? Send me all the best money books you have read. I realized after discussing this with Aubrey that I omitted an important lesson. The author emphasized that financial generosity was an area emphasized by his rich dad, and his poor dad always wanted to give money but never had any extra to give. I’ve been pondering Luke 6:38 lately, and it codifies this idea.
This is for anyone wanting to break out of the rat race.
(Rated PG, Score 10/10, audiobook read by Tom Parks, 8:22)
Preview/Currently Reading-
The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
Life to the Fullest by Bryant Westbrook
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingles Wilder
I track my books in a database called Goodreads. You might find it helpful in managing your reading lists.
Final Thoughts-
Back in the day, when I bought my standing desk, I wanted a FluidStance balance board to go with it, but I didn’t have $400 to spend on one, so I made my own from all the free stuff I had sitting around. I have been using mine for a while now. I might make some more if I can get some interest. Let me know if you would be interested in one. I can customize colors and grip tapes.
I’ll leave you with this quote from 12 Rules for Life:
“It is necessary to be strong in the face of death because death is intrinsic to life. It is for this reason I tell my students to aim to be the person at your father‘s funeral that everyone in their grief and misery can rely on. There is a worthy and noble ambition- Strength in the face of adversity. That is very different from the wish of a life free of trouble.”
When I first heard that, it wrecked me. It struck a deep chord in my soul. Strength in the face of death. Courage when things go wrong. Being ok when everything else is not ok, or at least ok enough to carry on and carry others. This is a strength I aspire to. This is a worthy and noble aim. Things fall apart. Bad things happen. It is who we are in these moments that define our character and our true strength. I want to be strong.
Thanks for adventuring with me.
Joshua
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