September 2020
Fall is here. The summer heat is fading away. Winter is coming, and that means more time for books.
Here are the books I finished in September 2020 and my short reviews of them:
Fiction Books
One Minute Out by Mark Greaney (Gray Man Book #9)
This is the last of the published Gray Man books and it hits on two heavy topics: Human/sex trafficking and corrupt government officials. The gray man’s story is told in a first-person voice so you can get in his head as he smashes and shoots his way along a human trafficking pipeline from Eastern Europe all the way to California. Gray Man is aided by an economic investigator from Europol who is off the reservation, desperately trying to rescue her sister from being sold into sexual slavery. The men running The Consortium are not used to threats like the Gray Man and are surprised when they can’t quickly bury the singleton assassin with a couple thugs. Gray Man cuts a deal with the CIA (who happens to be protecting The Director of The Consortium) to get one last crack at the leaders and protectors of the pipeline in California. How can men with kids of their own work to abuse and enslave other kids and women?
I recommend this book to Gray Man fans and action/spy junkies.
(Rated R, Score 9/10, ebook and audiobook read by Jay Snyder, 15:59)
Perelandra by C.S. Lewis (Space Trilogy Book #2)
After returning from Mars in Book 1 (Out of Silent Planet), Ransom is sent to Venus which is also called Perelandra. He is sent by the Oyarsa of Mars on a vague mission, without much explanation. He finds himself in the birth cycle of Perelandra, where there is only a King and Queen (think Adam and Eve) to care for the floating islands and animals. The King and Queen were separated by a storm, and Ransom meets the Queen. Ransom learns that like our creation story, Maledil (God) has left the King and Queen with one command solely to prove their obedience: They must not stay overnight on the fixed land. Ransom and the Queen are soon joined by Weston, the great physicist from the first book who has traveled to Perelandra by spaceship on a mission to deceive and destroy. Weston is the embodiment of evil sent to cause the fall of the King and Queen. Eventually, Ransom realizes that his mission is to overcome the evil threat by physical force. After a long struggle, Ransom defeats Weston, and Perelandra is saved from the evil attack.
I recommend this to those interested in philosophy, sci-fi, and theology.
(Rated PG, Score 10/10, paperback 222p, audiobook read by Geoffrey Howard 7:47)
Bonus: if you live in Wichita and want a paperback copy, message me. I have 2 to give away. I also have a copy of Book 1 if you’d rather start there.
Assault: Cycle Two of the Harbingers Series (Harbingers Book #2)
This is a weird set of four stories written by four authors - each writing from the viewpoint of one of the four main characters (Tank, the Professor, Andi, and Brenda). I read the first set so long enough ago that I forgot a lot of the plot lines. Story 1- The Revealing by Bill Meyers (writing as Brenda) is a trippy adventure that takes the team through the Vatican seeking the spear of power that pierced Christ’s side. Story 2- Infestation by Frank Peretti (writing as the Professor) sends the team chasing a fungus being spread from animals to humans which has the power to control its hosts. Story 3- Infiltration by Angela Hunt (writing as Andi) tracks the team’s investigation through a lull, but they find friendly faces can’t always be trusted. Story 4- The Fog by Alton Gansky (writing as Tank) is a tower of terror story that almost kills Tank. The characters are endearing, the mysteries are engaging, and the banter amongst the characters kept me chuckling.
I recommend this set to any Peretti fans, and those who like any serial type stories.
(Rated PG, Score 7/10, audiobook 9:55)
Non-Fiction Books
Procrastinate on Purpose: 5 Permissions to Multiply Your Time by Rory Vaden
“Everything we know about time management is wrong.” A pretty impressive way to start out a book. Turns out Rory Vaden has a good point, and he walks through his outline on how to change your thinking to multiply your time. First, of course, he describes why this is important and the benefits we would all get out of more time.
The core of the book is built around these 5 permissions:
- Eliminate- the permission to ignore.
- Automate- the permission to invest.
- Delegate- The permission of imperfect.
- Procrastinate- The permission of incomplete.
- Concentrate- The permission to protect.
So, what does all this mean? Rory argues that current time management schemes are missing a key dimension: significance. We know how to decide what is important, and what is urgent, but we fail to select tasks with the highest significance. We need to do those things that will give us more time tomorrow. How can we do this?
We use the Focus Filter on each task and ask questions based on the 5 permissions above to pick those tasks we need to address. First question: Can this task be eliminated? If the answer is yes, you win. Ignore the task and never look back. Quitting unnecessary tasks is the fastest way to free up time. Practice saying NO.
If the task cannot be ignored, ask question two: Can this task be automated? There are many ways to automate tasks: computer programs, process maps, tip sheets, and so on. Simplify, and organize so that the task can be done efficiently. Automation does for your time, what compound interest does for your money.
If the task cannot be ignored and cannot be automated, ask question 3: Can this task be delegated? Odds are, most things can be delegated. Let go of perfectionism, trust your people, and let them do what you are paying them to do. This doesn’t mean blindly delegate and set people up for failure. Expect to spend 30X the amount of time it takes you to do the task, training the task. Train it recursively, so that you can teach the why. This line stuck with me: Question: What if we train our people and they leave? Answer: Worse, what if you don’t train them and they stay?
If the task can’t be ignored, automated, or delegated, ask question 4: Does this task need to be done right now? If the answer is no, procrastinate. Kick the task back up to the top of the Focus Filter and let it go through again.
If the answer to question 4 is yes, you finally have something to do: concentrate. Get that task done! Until you get that task done everything else is a distraction. I guess this step is the subject of Rory’s other book Take the Stairs which is now on my reading list for later.
So, that’s a lot to think about. Basically, we want to shift our thinking from Priority Dilution, which is getting lost in the urgent, to focus on investing in those things that bring us more time, better results, and more life.
I recommend this book to anyone leading people, and it is a must for productivity nuts.
(Rated G, Score 10/10, Audiobook read by the author, 6:16)
My Life and My Work by Henry Ford
The title pretty much sums up the book. This autobiographical book is all about Henry Ford's life and the work he did. He explains his philosophy which is basically work really hard, and always try to do things better (service). He applies this to his business from his first car to the end of the book. Ford's vision was far beyond the here and now for his first machine powered buggy. He envisioned a world where we used machines to do work that broke the backs of men and animals. The book is broken up into 29 chapters covering the development of his company, the streamlining of production, his philosophy on money and business practices, and goes all the way to the war and its effects on his business. Ford's writing style is very blunt. He does not pull punches or dance around topics with delicate words. I found his candor to be refreshing. I don't agree with all of his philosophy, particularly on charity, but overall I found his ideas to align with all the hard work ideas I grew up with.
I recommend this book to philosophers, mechanics, and hard workers.
(Rated G, Score 8/10, Audiobook read by Traber Burns, 10:07)
Bonus: This book is free from Amazon in Kindle format.
Preview/Currently Reading-
Here are the books I am currently working on. Join me if you will:
It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership by Colin Powell
The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11by Garrett M. Graff
Make Your Bed by William H. McRaven
The Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski (The Witcher Book 2)
I track all the books I read in a database called Goodreads. You might find it helpful in managing your own reading lists.
Final Thoughts-
The ideas in Procrastinate on Purpose amazingly changed my worldview. There is so much practical wisdom in that book. It changed the way I approach change in my job, how I prioritize my day/week, and how I lead my family. I will revisit the ideas often. It was by far the best book I read this month. I didn’t get through any kid or youth books this month, so I’ll try to add a few for next month.
What’s your favorite book? Or, asked a different way, what book do you give away as a gift most often?
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